“No sorcery,” Mu Anxiao said, putting down her chopsticks. “You didn’t happen to offend someone, did you?”
“They insisted on pestering me; I couldn’t help it,” the wolf demon said, frowning. “Besides, all these people have seen my face. If I used violence against them, I’d have even more trouble in the future. Right now, I’m truly out of options.”
“Why are they so insistent on pestering you?” Mu Anxiao asked.
The wolf demon glanced around. “The day I returned, I landed in an inauspicious place. When I woke up, I was holding a [weapon] covered in blood. A few passing villagers saw me, captured me, and said those people… I killed them. Unfortunately, at that very moment, my demon arts failed.”
“You were captured,” Mu Anxiao stated.
The wolf demon nodded. “Yes, captured. And then those villagers… imprisoned me for many days. Only yesterday did my demon arts recover, and I seized the opportunity to escape.”
“Oh, so you didn’t go on a killing spree?” Mu Anxiao exclaimed in surprise.
Hearing the tone of Mu Anxiao’s voice, the wolf demon quickly interjected, “Could you keep your voice down? I really dislike your loud mouth.”
Mu Anxiao pursed her lips and said softly, “It’s good that you didn’t go on a killing spree.”
“If I had truly acted, then this matter would really be my doing. Moreover, those villagers are utterly inhumane. They drew a likeness of my face and posted it all over the place, which is why I can’t show my face,” the wolf demon shook his head, reinforcing his words.
“But… someone just saw you?” Mu Anxiao said quietly.
“Exactly, that’s why I’m relying on you,” the wolf demon pointed at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao pointed at herself. “Me? You’re not mistaken, are you?”
“Aren’t you feeling lost right now? Treat helping me as your mission. That way, you’ll have something to do. What do you say?”
“Helping you…” Mu Anxiao gasped. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?” the wolf demon asked.
“You and I are enemies. It doesn’t make sense for me to help you,” Mu Anxiao shook her head.
Seeing Mu Anxiao’s serious look of refusal, the wolf demon frowned. “Old geezer, I might not be able to kill others, but I can deal with you in an instant. So,” he narrowed his eyes, “if you refuse me again, don’t blame me for killing you.”
“No, I’m not refusing you. Then tell me, do you have any ideas? I’ll listen to your plan,” Mu Anxiao said earnestly.
The wolf demon tilted his head slightly. “If I had any ideas, I wouldn’t be looking for you.”
“Then what can I do?” Mu Anxiao was still quite unwilling to help the wolf demon.
The wolf demon said, “Remember this, my current body is Hu Yuan’s. If I die, you’ll have to handle my funeral affairs. At that time, I…”
“You’ll be captured,” Mu Anxiao interrupted.
The wolf demon was speechless.
Seeing the wolf demon’s silence, Mu Anxiao asked, “You’re scared too?”
“I wasn’t before, but now… yes, I’m scared,” the wolf demon admitted defeat.
Mu Anxiao looked at the wolf demon’s slightly lowered head and smiled. “So you have times when you’re afraid. You’re a demon, you know.”
“I never endured such suffering before,” the wolf demon mumbled.
“What kind of suffering did you endure?” Mu Anxiao asked with a smile.
The wolf demon pointed at Mu Anxiao’s face. “Can you be serious?”
Mu Anxiao blinked. “Yes. So, tell me about the suffering you endured.”
“They locked me up below. Every day, I could only eat dry steamed buns. That wasn’t enough; they also dragged me out during the day, tied me to a pillar, and whipped me, forcing me to admit that I killed those three people. But I never killed anyone. Why should I admit it? Don’t you agree?” the wolf demon said agitatedly.
“Yes, forcing you to admit that was wrong. But, if you had admitted it, wouldn’t you have suffered less? After all, you’re not without those… sins on your person.”
“I am Hu Yuan now. Hu Yuan doesn’t have them,” the wolf demon said excitedly.
“Now you’re Hu Yuan again,” Mu Anxiao said flatly.
“What do you mean by that?” the wolf demon asked impatiently.
Mu Anxiao chuckled. “Since we met, you wanted to kill me, and then… you asked me to help you. During this time, you only said you were a demon and never admitted to being Hu Yuan. It’s quite a shock that you’re saying this now.”
The wolf demon lowered his head. “I know you find it ridiculous, using Hu Yuan’s body to hide my sins, but this time, I really didn’t kill anyone. I don’t want to be locked onto by the underworld because of this. Unless the underworld captures me because of my past sins, then I can accept it.”
“You feel wronged,” Mu Anxiao stated.
The wolf demon nodded.
Mu Anxiao smiled. “Then when you harmed me back then, did you ever consider whether I felt wronged?”
“Are you still holding a grudge?” the wolf demon looked up at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao snorted. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have incurred such a deep hatred with Shen Yan.”
“Without me, you would be an old woman by now,” the wolf demon said.
“If I were an old woman, at least I would have enjoyed life. But with what’s happening now, I’m nothing. So,” Mu Anxiao turned her face away, “I’d rather be an old woman with many descendants, living a simple life.”
“I prefer a life with ups and downs,” the wolf demon insisted.
Mu Anxiao turned back to look at the wolf demon and smiled. “Very well, then you go.”
“Go where?” the wolf demon asked.
“You want a life with ups and downs, don’t you? Go back. Get beaten for a few more days, and then when you’re about to die, I’ll save you. That way, you’ll have had your share of ups and downs. How good is that?” Mu Anxiao smiled.
“I…” the wolf demon was speechless, his eyes darting around. “I was just saying that. A peaceful life is fine. That was my thought in the past.”
“You say my face changes quickly, but in my opinion, yours doesn’t change any slower,” Mu Anxiao returned to her previous demeanor, her heart no longer feeling anxious.
“Likewise,” the wolf demon said.
Mu Anxiao snorted. “Alright, let’s discuss this.”
“You’re full of clever ideas, so you come up with something. Thank you,” the wolf demon lifted his chin.
“What do you mean I’m full of clever ideas? Wolf…” Mu Anxiao paused, glancing around, then said, “Hu Yuan, I’m telling you, we need to think about this together. My brain alone isn’t enough.”
“How is your brain not enough? When you were analyzing my weaknesses, you were quite professional.”
“Brother, it’s not the same thing. You don’t know…” Mu Anxiao licked her lips and leaned in, whispering, “Aren’t mortals the most difficult to deal with?”