The female jailer glanced at the woman on the ground, following the female warder's pointed finger. "Do you know why I put her in here?" she asked, gesturing to the cell next to Mu Anxiao's.
The female warder shook her head.
"It's because she was selling fake talismans. This place was overrun with demons before, and someone used her talismans and was nearly killed by a demon. Afterward, that person reported her, and she was brought here. And now you're saying this," the female jailer looked up at the female warder, "shows you haven't done your homework."
"I..."
"I told you to learn from me, not to learn my laziness. I told you to learn my spirit. You, like this," the female jailer shook her head slightly, "truly disappoint me."
"Boss," the female warder called softly.
The female jailer said calmly, "Alright, go and clear away all the food on the table. I have other things to attend to."
"Boss, she really reacted just now," the female warder made a final plea.
Mu Anxiao calmly looked at the side of the female warder's face. "You mean my reaction, right?"
"Yes," the female warder replied forcefully.
"I was tricking you. How could I possibly react to this thing? I'm human."
"If you didn't react, then your friend must have reacted too," the female warder said arrogantly.
The female jailer frowned.
Mu Anxiao chuckled, "You really know how to struggle, don't you." As she spoke, she turned to look at the wolf demon.
The wolf demon nodded, "Alright, I understand." Saying this, he deliberately avoided the talisman and walked through the bars to stand beside the female warder.
The female warder looked at Mu Anxiao with confusion and asked, "Who are you talking to?"
The female jailer watched the female warder's self-important demeanor with indifference and took half a step back.
Mu Anxiao smiled faintly, "I'm just showing you if your talisman is effective or not."
The moment Mu Anxiao finished speaking, the wolf demon grabbed the female warder's arm.
Immediately, the female warder stiffened and hurriedly looked down at her arm, asking, "Who's touching me?"
"Of course, it's my friend. It seems," Mu Anxiao's lips curved into a smile, "that's all the ability you have."
"You..." The female warder hesitated, her whole body beginning to tremble, "Your friend wasn't affected by the talisman?"
"The talisman is fake," the female jailer said coldly.
The female warder's eyes widened.
Mu Anxiao: "Apologize to my friend, and he'll let go."
Prompted by Mu Anxiao, the female warder quickly uttered three words: "I'm sorry."
Mu Anxiao smiled in satisfaction, "Let go."
The wolf demon released his grip.
The female warder's nerves became even more taut. "Can I leave now?"
"Take her away," Mu Anxiao pointed at the woman lying on the ground.
The female warder nodded slightly, bent down with awkwardness, and pulled the woman up, slinging one of her arms over her shoulder. She then gave Mu Anxiao a couple of sheepish smiles and walked away, carrying the woman.
Mu Anxiao calmly watched the woman's feet drag on the ground, then looked at the female warder's awkward movements. "Why bother!" she said.
The female jailer smiled at Mu Anxiao, "There's really nothing for me here." She then glanced around.
"Where is the person?" Mu Anxiao suddenly asked.
The female jailer suddenly realized, "Oh, she only recognizes the male Shi Yi, not the female."
"I want this person," Mu Anxiao said.
Upon hearing this, the female jailer relaxed, "Oh, is that so."
"Call her over," Mu Anxiao instructed.
The female jailer responded, "Certainly," turned and looked at Tian Jiang standing in the shadows, "Madam, come here."
Tian Jiang sighed, stepped forward, and glanced into the cell at Mu Anxiao, uttering two words, "It's you."
Mu Anxiao smiled, "Thank you for coming to see me, Madam. I'm sorry."
"What's your name?" Tian Jiang asked deliberately.
Mu Anxiao glanced at the female jailer, "My name is the same as your former 'Er.' Have you forgotten?"
"I truly have forgotten that," Tian Jiang said calmly.
The female jailer, upon hearing this, chuckled, "So you have the same name. No wonder I thought you might have made a mistake."
"Alright, unlock the door for me," Mu Anxiao pointed at the lock.
The female jailer nodded without losing her smile, reached out, removed the talisman, and then used her key to unlock it.
"I'll be going then. You two chat." She held the key.
Mu Anxiao smiled, "Thank you."
"Don't mention it. If you need anything, just ask," the female jailer said, glancing around again before walking away.
Tian Jiang watched the departing figure of the female jailer, then turned back, "Why did you burn all the portraits of the villagers that were posted?"
"Who told you?" Mu Anxiao asked in surprise. She suddenly realized that the constables didn't know what she had truly done, and the female jailer was merely in charge of her. No one should know the specifics, right?
Tian Jiang said calmly, "I was on the street just now and heard someone mention that a sudden gust of demonic wind blew away the wanted posters posted by the villagers. And then just now, the female jailer, you burned a pile of paper. Based on this, I deduced that the demonic wind and demonic fire must have been your doing."
"Demonic wind, demonic fire? Am I that powerful?" Mu Anxiao countered.
"I knew you'd say that. I think... it must have been that person today!" Tian Jiang recalled the wolf demon who was with Mu Anxiao.
The wolf demon calmly looked at Tian Jiang's face, then glanced at Mu Anxiao, "I didn't expect this person to be quite so clever."
"If I weren't, you wouldn't believe me, would you?" Mu Anxiao said faintly.
"And you?" Tian Jiang asked coldly.
"Fine, it was his doing, and the person in the portrait is him too," Mu Anxiao admitted openly.
"Oh?" Tian Jiang's lips curved. "I didn't know about that."
"You certainly wouldn't know, as those portraits were destroyed. How could..."
Mu Anxiao was halfway through her sentence when Tian Jiang suddenly held up an extra portrait. "I thought that person looked familiar. It's partly him."
"How do you have this?" Mu Anxiao exclaimed.
"I found it," Tian Jiang replied.
Mu Anxiao listened to Tian Jiang and looked at the portrait in her hand. "That's not right. You didn't have a direct encounter with him, so how could you know... his appearance?"
"I saw him from a distance," Tian Jiang said.
Mu Anxiao paused. "Oh, I see."
"Originally, I didn't intend to, but now... you've dragged me into this, so I can't let your friend off the hook." Tian Jiang did not see the wolf demon.
"I haven't dragged you into anything. I just asked the jailer to call you because I have something to tell you." Mu Anxiao spoke, and while Tian Jiang was distracted, she reached out and snatched the portrait from her hand.
The moment her hand was empty, Tian Jiang asked, "What are you doing?"
"My friend here has been wrongly accused," Mu Anxiao pointed at the wolf demon in the portrait.