"Are you tired?" Piao asked, walking up behind Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao, without time to adjust her appearance, quickly turned to look at Piao and gave a silly laugh. "If I say I'm not tired, you won't still make me hang up there, will you?" she gestured upwards.
Piao smiled. "What do you think?"
Mu Anxiao dared not avert her gaze, swallowed, and said, "I'm exhausted."
Piao let out a cold laugh and said, "I heard everything you said." With that, he turned his face to look at the rabbit spirits who hadn't recognized him.
Mu Anxiao calmly scanned the expressions on their faces, then suddenly remembered the great demon they spoke of, and exclaimed, "Since you are in your face..."
Before she could finish, Piao suddenly reached out and covered her mouth. Then, looking at the rabbit spirits, he said, "The master says your lives depend on his mood." He glanced at Mu Anxiao's face.
The rabbit spirits were taken aback, their gazes shifting to Mu Anxiao's face one by one.
Mu Anxiao looked at them, smiled, and couldn't speak.
Seeing this, Piao released her hand and said, "If you say one wrong word, I'll kill one rabbit. Say another wrong word, and I'll kill another. If you don't say anything wrong for a day, then tomorrow," he looked at the rabbit spirits, a smirk playing on his lips, "they will all be allowed to live."
"What about me?" Mu Anxiao asked, agitated.
Piao frowned and raised a finger. "Once."
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao's eyes widened, and she quickly covered her mouth.
Panic appeared on the faces of the rabbit spirits.
Piao looked at their expressions and smiled faintly. "This time, it counts for her." He pointed at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao looked at the finger pointing at her, and closed her eyes in resignation.
Piao's lips curved upward. "Come with me." With that, he glanced at each of them and turned to walk ahead.
Mu Anxiao removed her hand, glanced at each of them, pointed at her own mouth, then nodded and left.
After Mu Anxiao departed, the rabbit spirits collectively let out a sigh of relief. The first rabbit spirit said, "If I live to see tomorrow, I will definitely prepare a grave for her."
"Mm," the maid rabbit nodded.
The other rabbits shared this sentiment.
All the way, Mu Anxiao dared not utter a word, quietly following behind Piao. Piao spoke as they walked, "Do you think I will kill you?"
Mu Anxiao dared not speak.
Hearing Mu Anxiao's silence, Piao stopped.
Mu Anxiao stopped simultaneously, tilting her head to look at the back of Piao's head, her lips pressed together.
Piao, with his back to her, said, "Your silence is also considered speaking incorrectly."
Upon hearing this, Mu Anxiao's temper flared, but remembering his deadly habits, she suppressed her displeasure and said softly, "I think you will kill me."
Piao's lips curved upward. He turned around and looked down at Mu Anxiao, saying, "I won't kill you anymore."
Mu Anxiao's body stiffened. She tilted her head up and gave Piao a dry smile. "I don't believe you."
"Come with me to a place," Piao said.
"Where are we going?" Mu Anxiao felt a sense of foreboding.
Piao saw the slight change in Mu Anxiao's expression and said, "You'll know soon enough. Just follow me." With that, he turned and continued to walk forward.
Mu Anxiao's eyes darted around, and she followed.
At the same time, the dog-headed demon emerged from behind a tree, peeking out and smiling at Mu Anxiao's retreating figure.
Xu Lanyan walked up to the dog-headed demon and asked, "Is that a demon?"
"Based on my years of experience," the dog-headed demon pointed to his nose, "that is a great demon." He turned his face to look at Xu Lanyan.
Xu Lanyan's gaze remained fixed on Mu Anxiao's receding figure. "Where is that demon taking Mu Anxiao?"
"Where else? Of course, to find a secluded spot and kill her," the dog-headed demon said.
Upon hearing this, Xu Lanyan's heart tightened, but he remained outwardly calm, saying, "Brother, when you were eating earlier, didn't you say Mu Anxiao still had value? Look, if she dies like this, won't our boss's body be lost?"
"Body," the dog-headed demon repeated, his mouth widening. "Ah, how could I have forgotten this matter?"
"She's already been taken," Xu Lanyan pointed in the direction Mu Anxiao and Piao had gone.
The dog-headed demon followed Xu Lanyan's finger and glanced in that direction, saying, "I think the great demon wouldn't kill her. If he wanted to kill her, he would have done so already."
"Didn't you say that anyone who sees the great demon's true face doesn't survive?" Xu Lanyan added.
The dog-headed demon's heart tightened again. "That's just what people say. Besides, he doesn't know if we saw him or not. Even if we see him again, we can just pretend we didn't recognize him."
"Brother, you're so smart," Xu Lanyan gave him a thumbs-up.
"Of course. Come, let's go back to eating barbecue," the dog-headed demon put his arm around Xu Lanyan's shoulder.
Xu Lanyan said, "I'm already full."
"Even if you're full, you can still eat," the dog-headed demon said, turning with Xu Lanyan towards the back door.
At the front door, Mu Anxiao stopped behind Piao and asked, "Do you want to open it yourself, or should I?"
Piao did not reply. He opened the large door and stepped over the threshold.
Mu Anxiao pursed her lips, followed him out, and asked, "Where are we going?"
"Don't ask. Close the door," Piao said mysteriously, his back to her.
Mu Anxiao pouted, turned around, and closed the door.
After hearing the door close, Piao began to walk.
Mu Anxiao quickly caught up with him, glancing at their surroundings, not daring to ask further questions.
Two quarters of an hour later, they stopped before the city gate.
"Why are we here?" Mu Anxiao asked, walking up beside Piao.
Piao turned and glanced at Mu Anxiao, saying, "Dust yourself off."
Hearing Piao's words, Mu Anxiao casually brushed off the dust from her clothes and said, "Done."
"If you don't dust yourself properly," Piao turned and stared at Mu Anxiao's profile, "I'll help you."
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao's eyes widened. She quickly bent down and diligently dusted her clothes, saying, "Done."
Piao looked down at Mu Anxiao's feet, sighed, waved his hand over the ground in front of Mu Anxiao, and instantly, a pair of embroidered shoes appeared.
Mu Anxiao looked down at the shoes and said, "Are these shoes poisoned?"
"The ground inside is covered in pebbles. Wear them if you want," Piao said, and walked ahead.
Listening to Piao's tone, Mu Anxiao couldn't help but recall Shen Yan, her eyes dimming. She bent down, putting on the shoes while muttering, "That road earlier was a pebble road. Why didn't he offer me shoes then? Hmph," she pouted, "and now he's giving me shoes and telling me to clean off all the dust. I think he's clearly afraid I'll embarrass him in the city." With that, she put on the shoes and hurried to catch up.
In the blink of an eye, Mu Anxiao caught up with Piao's pace.
"You're quite fast," Piao said as they walked.
Mu Anxiao looked at the pedestrians on either side and said, "They can see you."