Mu Anxiao said, “People’s minds always change. At first, I thought learning something from a master would be good for me. But after lazing around for three days eating and sleeping at your place, I’ve realized that being protected by you feels quite nice too.”
“I never said I would protect you, nor have I protected you,” Tian Jiang replied.
“This is just my personal decision. Whether you agree or not doesn’t concern me much,” Mu Anxiao said with a smile.
“You…”
“What’s for lunch today?” Mu Anxiao asked, deliberately changing the subject.
Tian Jiang was speechless.
A quarter of an hour later, Mu Anxiao was pulled by Tian Jiang to the large hall downstairs.
“I can just eat in the guest room,” Mu Anxiao said, looking at Tian Jiang, who was still holding her arm.
Tian Jiang said, “Many people come here every day. Perhaps there’s a hidden immortal among them. You can find a master there.”
“Oh, you’re actually worrying about me now?” Mu Anxiao chuckled playfully.
“I’m not worrying about you. I just don’t want you to bother me anymore. I really can’t stand it,” Tian Jiang said, scanning the people in the hall with a frown. “Since they’re all humans, not even a single demon.”
“Ever since the incident with the Cultivation Sect, there have been specialized spirit guardians. Naturally, those demons wouldn’t dare to come, except for you,” Mu Anxiao said, pulling her hand away from Tian Jiang.
Tian Jiang asked, “How do you know?”
“I have a feeling,” Mu Anxiao said, walking to the table and sitting down.
Tian Jiang stepped forward and stood beside Mu Anxiao, asking, “You’re so capable, why do you still need me to protect you?”
“I don’t know magic,” Mu Anxiao said, picking up the teacup in front of her.
“You don’t know magic? How can you not know magic? If I remember correctly, weren’t you quite capable before?”
“Who told you that?” Mu Anxiao asked, holding the teacup with one hand and tilting her head to look at Tian Jiang.
Tian Jiang hesitated and said, “Green Robe told me. He said you stole everything from his senior brother and became a somewhat formidable little immortal. You saying you don’t know magic, I simply don’t believe it.”
“Green Robe really tells you everything, doesn’t he,” Mu Anxiao said, shaking her head.
“At first, I didn’t want to say this about you, but now…”
“You just want me to stop asking you to protect me, you think I’m a burden!” Mu Anxiao finished speaking and took a sip of tea.
Tian Jiang was taken aback and said, “I didn’t expect you to be so clever.”
“Yes, I think I’m clever too.”
“Since you admit you’re clever, then take a look and see if there’s anyone here who could be your master,” Tian Jiang said.
Hearing Tian Jiang’s words, Mu Anxiao gave a helpless smile. “Don’t you want to protect me that badly?”
“You are just a guest at my inn. You should be content with what I’ve done so far,” Tian Jiang said, pressing her hands on Mu Anxiao’s shoulders.
Mu Anxiao lowered her head to glance at Tian Jiang’s hands and said, “Let me tell you the truth.”
“Speak,” Tian Jiang said softly.
Mu Anxiao hesitated, then lowered her head. “Actually, I’m quite lost.”
“You’re lost?” Tian Jiang asked in surprise.
Hearing Tian Jiang’s slightly mocking tone, Mu Anxiao couldn't help but frown and ask, “Why are you so surprised when I say this?”
Tian Jiang cleared her throat and said, “I can’t see that you’re lost.”
“…” Mu Anxiao was speechless.
Tian Jiang removed her hands and glanced at the young man nervously watching them, then took a deep breath and said, “That guy hasn’t spoken to me since he overheard us. What does that mean?”
Mu Anxiao looked up at Tian Jiang, then followed her gaze to the young man not far away and said, “Don’t misunderstand. He’s not ignoring you; he’s afraid of you. It’s because… your identity is special.”
“The waiter wasn’t afraid of me even when he knew I was a demon,” Tian Jiang said, looking down at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao smiled. “That’s because the waiter has spent more time with you. However,” Mu Anxiao fiddled with the teacup and said, “It’s commendable that those two haven’t revealed your secret.”
“If they dare to say anything, I’ll kill them,” Tian Jiang said stiffly.
Mu Anxiao couldn’t help but smile, then imitated Tian Jiang’s tone and said, “If they dare to say anything, I’ll kill them.”
“Mu Anxiao, are you being funny?” Tian Jiang nudged Mu Anxiao’s shoulder.
Mu Anxiao looked up and smiled. “If it were someone else saying that, I’d be scared. But when you say it, I find it amusing.”
“You look down on me,” Tian Jiang frowned tightly.
“I wouldn’t dare to look down on you. If I did, who would protect me?” Mu Anxiao shrugged.
“You…”
“Alright, bring the food,” Mu Anxiao interrupted.
Hearing this, Tian Jiang glared at Mu Anxiao and walked away without another word.
Mu Anxiao smiled to herself, picked up the teacup, and looked around. “Lost, so lost.”
However, just as Mu Anxiao was muttering this to herself, a man in black, with a brown cloth mask, sat down opposite her and said, “You still have the energy to be lost here. I’m much worse off than you.”
Upon hearing this, Mu Anxiao looked up at the mysterious man and asked, “Who are you?”
“A man abandoned by you two,” the mysterious man said.
“We abandoned you…” Mu Anxiao said, her expression becoming tense. “It’s you.”
“You recognize me.”
“Dog-headed demon,” Mu Anxiao said.
The mysterious man’s exposed eyes stared at Mu Anxiao helplessly and he sighed.
Mu Anxiao looked at the slightly bulging mask on the mysterious man’s face and asked, “You’re not the dog-headed one?”
“Keep guessing,” the mysterious man said.
Mu Anxiao shook her head. “I can’t guess.”
“It’s only been a short while, and you’ve already forgotten me, Mu Anxiao.”
“Who exactly are you?” Mu Anxiao asked, still without any clue.
“Speechless,” the mysterious man said, leaning forward and lifting the mask to just below his nose. “Do you recognize me now?”
Mu Anxiao leaned forward, glancing at the mysterious man’s eyes and mouth, and let out a dry laugh. “I don’t recognize you.”
“Do you have prosopagnosia?” the mysterious man asked.
“No, just tell me directly who you are. This way,” Mu Anxiao leaned back, picked up the teacup, and said, “it’s really quite boring.”
“Aren’t you afraid of me?” the mysterious man asked again.
“Why should I be afraid of you?” Mu Anxiao asked, taking a sip of tea.
The mysterious man said, “I’m someone who came to kill you.”
“Someone who came to kill me…” Mu Anxiao said, smiling slightly. “Then I have even less reason to be afraid.”
“Why?” the mysterious man asked.
“Because if humans want to kill me, it’s not frightening. If demons want to kill me, then it would be terrifying,” Mu Anxiao said calmly.
The mysterious man turned his face away and let out a dry laugh, then turned back to look at Mu Anxiao and said sinisterly, “What I mean is, in fact, I am the demon who wants to kill you.”