"What is this all about?" Mu Anxiao felt helpless about the matter.
"Alright, you've finished eating. Rest a while," the female jailer said, reaching out to collect the bowl and chopsticks.
Mu Anxiao looked down at the female jailer. "Okay."
The female jailer glanced at Mu Anxiao. As she covered the food box, she said, "I didn't even realize you were from that village."
Mu Anxiao sighed. "I'm not from that village."
"You're not?" The female jailer paused her actions and looked up at Mu Anxiao. "But they say you are."
"I wouldn't believe what they say," Mu Anxiao replied casually.
"What do you mean?" the female jailer asked.
Mu Anxiao said, "Those three bullies are from their village, you know."
The female jailer nodded.
"That's what this is about. I think there's something strange with them," Mu Anxiao stated calmly.
"What's strange?" the female jailer inquired curiously.
Mu Anxiao stared at the female jailer's face for a few seconds. "The things involved are beyond what mortals can understand, and of course, I haven't understood them either."
"Is that so?" The female jailer dared not ask more.
"Some things are very difficult to understand," Mu Anxiao shook her head slightly.
Hearing Mu Anxiao's mysterious tone, the female jailer didn't dare to pry further.
A quarter of an hour later, the two villagers arrived at the cell door as agreed. Mu Anxiao stood up and straightened her clothes.
"Sister, you really know how to stir up trouble," the first villager said with a grin.
"Who's your sister?" Mu Anxiao stepped forward, glanced at the female jailer, and the door opened, allowing her to walk out.
The first villager blocked Mu Anxiao's path and frowned. "You're coming back to the village with us. Where else do you think you're going?"
"This is truly a dark place," Mu Anxiao muttered.
The second villager felt the rope in his embrace and looked at the first villager. "Should we tie her up?"
"No," the first villager shook his head.
The second villager nodded, took his hand out of his embrace, and looked at Mu Anxiao. "You are from our village. Although we haven't interacted before, I recognize your face."
Mu Anxiao cast a nonchalant glance at the second villager and said nothing.
The female guard stood nearby, watching Mu Anxiao and frowning. "That's strange. Why aren't her friends coming out to help her?" She then walked over to the female jailer.
Mu Anxiao glanced at the female guard. "Thank you for your care."
The female guard gave an awkward smile.
The female jailer said, "I'm handing her over to you. But after some time, we will visit your village to see if she's still there. If she's not, then I'll arrest you."
The second villager's heart sank upon hearing this. "What do you mean by that?"
"It means nothing," the female jailer replied.
The first villager smiled. "Don't worry. When we get back, we'll have her mother discipline her. Of course, if you visit after some time and she's not there, it can only mean she's married and moved far away. If you arrest us, it would be unreasonable."
"You..."
"Alright, let's go," the first villager said, glancing at Mu Anxiao and walking ahead.
Mu Anxiao looked at the female jailer and was about to speak when the second villager forcefully pulled her arm. "Let's go. Your mother is waiting for you at home, sister."
Mu Anxiao turned her face away with disgust and followed them without a word.
After they left, the female guard patted the female jailer's shoulder. "I feel like something is wrong."
"What is it?" the female jailer asked, turning her head.
"When they were talking to the bailiff earlier, I found it strange. To be honest, they... they give me a feeling of..." the female guard thought for a moment. "A feeling of their words not making sense."
"I thought so too, but the bailiff already told us to hand her over to them. What else could we say?" the female jailer said helplessly.
"That's true," the female guard nodded slightly.
The female jailer sighed. "There's something going on in her village, but... it's something beyond our mortal control. What does that mean?"
"I don't know," the female guard shook her head.
The female jailer sighed again. "Alas, we should just focus on guarding the cells."
"Yeah, thinking too much just taxes the brain," the female guard said, shaking her head slightly.
At this moment, Mu Anxiao followed the first villager out of the prison and stopped in front of a grove of trees.
"What exactly is your purpose?" Mu Anxiao asked directly, cutting to the chase.
The second villager walked up to Mu Anxiao. "Not bad. You didn't spout unnecessary nonsense in there. Could it be that you know something?"
"What do I know?" Mu Anxiao turned to the second villager and retorted.
The second villager's expression stiffened. "Aren't you curious about who we are?"
"You've made it quite clear. You are from the village, and you say I am also from your village. Anyway..." Mu Anxiao snorted. "After all that confusing explanation, my conclusion is that you're here to capture me."
"Why didn't you say anything in there?" the first villager asked, turning around.
Mu Anxiao looked up at the first villager. "Would it have made a difference if I had? You could chat so well with the bailiff, which shows you know them."
"I know them," the second villager said excitedly.
Mu Anxiao glanced at the second villager and casually remarked, "Being boastful and seeking glory never ends well."
"What do you mean by that?"
"It means nothing. Where are we going now?"
"You'll follow us to find the cultivators," the first villager suddenly said.
The second villager exclaimed in surprise, "Weren't you going to take her straight back? Why are you looking for cultivators?"
"She's quite interesting. It's better to capture that demon and keep this girl here," the first villager said, looking at Mu Anxiao with amusement.
Mu Anxiao looked calmly at the first villager and sighed. "Demon. Are you referring to the one in the portrait?"
"You know?" the second villager exclaimed in surprise.
"The demonic fire, the demonic wind, I taught him all of that. Also, your cultivators can't subdue him. Do you know why?" Mu Anxiao asked them both calmly.
"Why?" the first villager asked.
Mu Anxiao sneered, "He has many lives in his hands."
"You know about our affairs?" the first villager asked again.
Mu Anxiao yawned. "No, but about fifteen minutes before you arrived, I thought to myself that your plan must not be so simple. Three human lives... three bullies... the connection seems a bit too close."
"What did you say?" the first villager's eyes widened.
"You..."
"My brain hurts," Mu Anxiao couldn't help but sigh.
"You..."
"It seems I need to sort out your purpose. Ever since lunch, I've felt that things have become complicated," Mu Anxiao muttered to herself. "Strange, why did you choose me? We've never even met."