Lin Yan listened to Feng Qishi say this, and glanced at Mu Anxiao on the other side. He also breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Master, where are we going next?"
Feng Qishi replied, "You'll stay here and enjoy the good life. I, on the other hand, have some business to attend to with that silly Mu."
"What business?" Lin Yan asked curiously.
Feng Qishi patted Lin Yan's shoulder and said, "You don't need to know about that."
"You..."
"Alright, come here," Feng Qishi said, turning and walking towards Mu Anxiao.
Seeing that Feng Qishi was unwilling to mention certain matters, Lin Yan no longer insisted and followed Feng Qishi.
Over there, Mu Anxiao glared fiercely at Yue Ci and then looked at Hei Feng, saying, "Let's go."
Hei Feng nodded and looked at Feng Qishi, who was approaching, asking, "Um, are you bringing him along?" He gestured towards Feng Qishi.
Feng Qishi saw Hei Feng pointing at him and said, "I can go by myself, I don't need you to bring me."
"..." Hei Feng ignored Feng Qishi and focused his gaze on Mu Anxiao's face.
Mu Anxiao glanced at Feng Qishi and said, "We don't need him; the three of us are enough."
"You..."
"You stay here and behave yourself," Mu Anxiao interrupted.
Feng Qishi was displeased upon hearing this. "We're partners, it's not very good of you to do this."
Mu Anxiao showed no regard for Feng Qishi's feelings. "It's precisely because you are my partner that I'm asking you to stay here and watch them," she said, pointing at Gu Xiao and the others.
Feng Qishi immediately felt a sense of responsibility. "Alright, you go ahead."
Mu Anxiao nodded. "Good, keep an eye on them, and I'll give you extra silver when we get back."
"Okay," Feng Qishi agreed.
At the same time, Hei Feng suddenly shifted his gaze to Feng Qishi's face. Feng Qishi, seeing Hei Feng staring at him, was startled. "What are you looking at me for?"
Hei Feng raised his eyebrows, implying he needed help.
Feng Qishi understood Hei Feng's intention at a glance and smiled.
Hei Feng continued to raise his eyebrows.
Feng Qishi tilted his head slightly.
Hei Feng suppressed a smile and winked at Feng Qishi.
Feng Qishi was truly taken aback by Hei Feng's demeanor. "I understand," he said.
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao frowned and looked at Feng Qishi. "Understand what?" she asked.
Feng Qishi said, "Silly Mu, I want to tell you something."
Hei Feng was startled by Feng Qishi's words, but thinking about his potential promotion, he decided to hear what Feng Qishi had to say first.
Mu Anxiao looked at Feng Qishi's calm expression and recalled Hei Feng's pleading look for help just moments ago. A smile touched her lips. "What's going on between you two?" she chuckled.
Seeing Mu Anxiao's expression, Feng Qishi quickly said, "Don't think too much."
"I wouldn't, if the facts didn't prove otherwise," Mu Anxiao said, pointing at Hei Feng. "You two were just exchanging flirtatious glances. However, if you want to join forces with him, just tell me, and I'll make it happen." She raised her eyebrows.
She sensed that Feng Qishi and Hei Feng had a secret, but she didn't want to hear about Hei Feng from Feng Qishi. She wanted Hei Feng to say it himself.
Feng Qishi was alarmed by Mu Anxiao's expression. "Silly Mu, you'd better get your mind straight."
"I know," Mu Anxiao smiled. "But I can tell you really want to..."
"Mu Anxiao, help me out," Hei Feng, as expected, was provoked by Mu Anxiao.
Hearing Hei Feng's agitated voice, Mu Anxiao turned to Gu Xiao. "You hadn't finished speaking just now, had you?"
Gu Xiao thought Mu Anxiao had forgotten what he had said earlier, but to his surprise, after such a roundabout conversation, she still remembered.
So, he cast aside all his reservations and pointed at Hei Feng. "He has something to tell you."
"You speak," Mu Anxiao said, wanting to corner Hei Feng so that he would spill all the beans without reservation.
"Me?" Gu Xiao pointed at himself. Seeing Gu Xiao's somewhat embarrassed expression after being interrupted by Mu Anxiao, he gave a dry laugh. "You'd better listen to him," he said, casting a cautious glance at Hei Feng.
Hei Feng was scared.
Mu Anxiao knew Hei Feng's character. He had a habit of hesitating when facing difficulties or having something difficult to say, and in the end, he would swallow his words and talk nonsense.
His current situation was a combination of both. Therefore, she knew that even if she asked now, he wouldn't tell the truth properly. So, to make Hei Feng unbearable, she said, "I won't listen to him, you tell me."
"..." Gu Xiao was in a predicament.
Hei Feng also understood Mu Anxiao's ability to pressure people. She was like this before; when he had something difficult to say, he would stammer, and eventually... Mu Anxiao would deliberately ignore him, and in the end, he would tell the truth.
In this regard, he could never defeat Mu Anxiao.
As Mu Anxiao expected, he did intend to reveal only half of the truth. Seeing the situation now, he couldn't hold back anymore.
"Mu Anxiao, help me out."
Mu Anxiao did not turn around.
Gu Xiao felt extremely uncomfortable under Mu Anxiao's gaze, so he lowered his head.
Seeing Gu Xiao like this, Mu Anxiao let out a cold laugh and finally turned her attention back to Hei Feng. "Speak."
"I need a promotion," Hei Feng said directly.
Mu Anxiao lowered her eyelids. "You want to be an official?" She had forgotten that Hei Feng had become a soul spirit.
Hei Feng replied, "No."
"No? Then what promotion do you want?" Mu Anxiao had not yet registered.
Hei Feng looked at Mu Anxiao's expression, which seemed to have forgotten everything in an instant, and clicked his tongue. "Well, my current identity is... a soul spirit. I want to return to the Yin Messenger while the young boss and that fellow are traveling. That way, I won't have to follow them."
"Soul spirit?" Mu Anxiao repeated, then realized, "Oh, I remember now, you're a soul spirit."
Hei Feng said, "You forgot." He looked dejected.
Mu Anxiao rubbed the back of her head. "My mind is full of things all day long, how can I have time to think about these things?"
"..." Hei Feng rubbed his eyes and remained silent.
Mu Anxiao observed Hei Feng's expression and smiled. "Don't cry. Speak properly, and I might be able to help you a little."
"I'm not crying," Hei Feng said, rubbing his eyes vigorously and looking up at Mu Anxiao. "Can Gu Xiao and A Xia's mission be fully entrusted to me?"
Mu Anxiao: "..." She frowned, genuinely not understanding.
Upon hearing Hei Feng's words, Gu Xiao seized the opportunity and said, "He wants to secretly take us away."
A Xia chimed in, "That's right, he didn't want to tell you earlier."
However, Hei Feng never expected Gu Xiao and A Xia to betray him. He instantly showed an embarrassed expression. "You two, that's ruthless." He looked at Gu Xiao and A Xia respectively.
Seeing Hei Feng look at them, Gu Xiao and A Xia lowered their heads in unison.
Mu Anxiao sneered upon hearing this. "Are you friends?"
Hei Feng nodded. "Yes."
Mu Anxiao replied, "If you are, and you still do this, don't you remember that they are my mission?" Her tone was still relatively calm.
Hei Feng let out a dry laugh upon hearing Mu Anxiao's relatively gentle tone. "No."
"If not, then why do you want to do something so morally corrupt?"
"I just wanted to act first and report later. The way you're speaking," Hei Feng's eyes darted away, "is too unpleasant."
"..." Mu Anxiao blinked her eyes. "Since you know my words are unpleasant, don't hide things from me."
"Aren't I telling you everything now?" Hei Feng said helplessly.
"Tell me," Mu Anxiao said, lifting her chin.
Hei Feng explained, "I am now a soul spirit, and the tasks under me are very few. If this continues," he sighed, "the tasks I give you will become even fewer, and then you won't have any silver to earn."
"And then?" Mu Anxiao asked indifferently.
Hei Feng thought Mu Anxiao would be as anxious as he was, but to his surprise... she was so calm. So, he became less agitated. "Then, I want to return to my original post."
"Do you think your young boss will forgive you?" Mu Anxiao suddenly asked.
Hei Feng replied, "What do you mean by that?"
Mu Anxiao elaborated, "What do I mean by that? I am magnanimous. If you deceive me like this, I will at most retaliate, and my anger will be gone. But," she clicked her tongue, "your young boss is different. Let me tell you, don't underestimate him, he's very shrewd."
"..." Hei Feng's face stiffened.
Mu Anxiao continued, "To put it bluntly, if he knew you had deceived him, he would definitely make your life a hundred times worse."
"..." Hei Feng's eyes darkened. He recalled the days he spent with the young boss and said, "In that case, I can't do this."
"If your task ability is strong, he will promote you, but," Mu Anxiao said earnestly, "what you're doing is wrong, and he will definitely be very angry."
"I..."
"Alright, this is my advice to you. You can take A Xia and Gu Xiao, and I..." Mu Anxiao glanced at Mu Xi. "I'll take my brother."
"What about me?" A Long interjected.
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao turned to A Xia and said calmly, "A Yin messenger will come to take you away shortly."
"Aren't you the one capturing me?"
"I can accompany you, but before that, I need to take him to see his grave," Mu Anxiao said calmly.
A Long understood the relationship between Mu Xi and Mu Anxiao and said nothing, nodding.
Gu Xiao asked, "Mu Anxiao, you're really handing us over to him." He didn't quite like Hei Feng.
Hei Feng frowned.
Mu Anxiao, hearing this, looked at Gu Xiao. "Even if I were to escort you down, you would still have to be handed over to him. It's just that it's happening a step earlier now, and I won't receive any silver." She shrugged.
"You..." Gu Xiao's eyes darkened. "I still want you to escort us." He glanced at A Xia.
A Xia said, "Mu Anxiao, you come. I can't get along with him."
Mu Anxiao looked at A Xia and Gu Xiao, who were vying for her to take them, and smiled. "Hei Feng, look at your character." She looked at Hei Feng.
Hei Feng's face darkened. "Yes, yes, yes, my character is bad, only yours is good." Saying this, he rolled his eyes.
Mu Anxiao chuckled and looked at Gu Xiao and A Xia. "Alright, I'll see you off and give him a chance." She pointed at Hei Feng.
Hei Feng turned his back.
Gu Xiao glanced at the silent Hei Feng and pouted. "Okay, I'll listen to you."
"..." Hei Feng remained silent.
Mu Anxiao smiled. "That's right," she said, and looked at Hei Feng. "Lead the way."
Hei Feng responded with a "Okay" and began to cast a spell.
Mu Anxiao proactively took Mu Xi's arm.
Feng Qishi, worried about Mu Anxiao encountering Ouyang Ye again, instructed, "Silly Mu, you still need to be careful. If you meet Ouyang Ye, just run, you hear?"
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao turned to Feng Qishi. "Your concern is quite pointless. We don't have that kind of fate."
"Just in case," Feng Qishi added.
This time, Mu Anxiao ignored Feng Qishi.
In the blink of an eye, Mu Anxiao, holding Mu Xi, left with Hei Feng.
Feng Qishi looked up at the three beams of light in the sky, sighed, and turned to Piao. "What are you looking at me for?"
Piao said, "My disciple doesn't talk to me."
Feng Qishi was already accustomed to Piao's way of addressing Mu Anxiao, so he didn't bother to correct him. "She's probably busy."
Piao sighed.
Feng Qishi, not bothering to comfort Piao, turned to Chen, who was also staring at him, and asked, "What are you looking at me for?"
Chen replied, "If only you could care about me like this."
"...." Feng Qishi's expression stiffened.
Chen smiled. "Just kidding." Saying this, she looked at Yue Ci, who was staring at her, and clicked her tongue. "Ugly man, what are you looking at me for?"
Yue Ci, whose confidence had been eroded by Mu Anxiao, now looked at Chen with a clear sense of inferiority. "Am I really ugly?" he asked, pointing at himself.
Chen did not expect Yue Ci to ask such a question. She laughed. "You're asking me."
"Yes."
"If you ask me, of course I'll think you're ugly," Chen said calmly.
Yue Ci became dejected.
Seeing Yue Ci like this, Chen added, "This feeling must be unpleasant, right?" She stared at Yue Ci.
Yue Ci sighed. "It is unpleasant."
"If it's unpleasant, then don't criticize others in the future. And even if you want to, please look in the mirror first and see if you're qualified," Chen said righteously.
Yue Ci humbly accepted Chen's words and nodded.
Seeing Yue Ci like this, Chen lowered her eyes and smiled.
Gu Xiao and A Xia also looked at Yue Ci like this. After exchanging glances, A Xia said, "You don't need to be so dejected."
Hearing this, Yue Ci slowly turned to A Xia and asked, "Am I ugly?"
A Xia's expression froze.
Seeing A Xia's obvious stunned expression, Yue Ci pursed his lips and said, "As expected... I am very ugly."
"..." A Xia didn't know what to say.
Feng Qishi looked at Yue Ci like this and recalled Mu Anxiao's words. He said, "Yue Ci, there's no need for that."
Hearing this, Yue Ci slowly turned to Feng Qishi. "What do you know?"
Feng Qishi was rendered speechless by Yue Ci's sudden remark.
Piao nudged Feng Qishi's arm. "Don't bother with him."
Feng Qishi glanced at Yue Ci and said nothing.
At the same time, Wan Sha and Mu Xiang walked over together. Mu Xiang glanced at Yue Ci and said nothing. Conversely, Yue Ci looked at Wan Sha. "Do you think I'm ugly?"
Wan Sha looked bewildered. "Why are you asking me this?" she said, stopping in front of them.
Yue Ci continued to look at Wan Sha. "Just tell me, am I ugly?" he said, touching his face.
Wan Sha cooperatively leaned in to take a look at Yue Ci's face and casually remarked, "Passable."
"Passable..." Yue Ci was completely dejected.
Seeing Yue Ci like this, Wan Sha curled her lips and turned to Feng Qishi. "What's wrong with him?" she asked, then looked around. "Where is Mu Anxiao?"