The task was the most troublesome, time-consuming, and tedious of all of Mu Anxiao’s assignments, and also one that touched her the most.
Walking through the forest, she couldn't help but recall the entire process of her meeting with Mu Xi, as well as her own experiences during that time. She sighed, lifting her gaze to look at Alon and Mu Miyian, "..." She stopped.
Mu Miyian: "Master, what's wrong?"
Mu Anxiao: "Nothing." She said, looking at Alon, "Thank you."
Alon: "This is what I promised you, you don't need to thank me. In other words, it's I who should be thanking you."
Just now, after Xu Lan had definitively convicted Guan Mian, Mu Anxiao had pleaded for Alon. Because of her intercession, Alon would only serve ten years. Moreover, if it weren't for Alon... more elderly people would likely have been victimized, so Alon was considered a meritorious figure. However, she had still committed a crime, and to grant her amnesty would undoubtedly provoke dissatisfaction among other guilty souls.
Xu Lan made this decision to avoid causing trouble.
However, Xu Lan's decision was also beyond Alon’s expectations, so in addition to being happy, she was also grateful to Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao had not expected Alon to thank her. Hearing her say this now, Mu Anxiao was also touched.
"..." She didn't know how to respond, so she remained silent, only smiling.
Alon also smiled.
Mu Miyian: "Master, after I return, can I follow you?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Anxiao finally snapped back to attention and looked at Mu Miyian, "You want to follow me?"
Mu Miyian nodded.
Mu Anxiao hesitated, "..."
Mu Miyian saw that Mu Anxiao was hesitating and asked, "You don't want me to follow you?"
Mu Anxiao pursed her lips, "It's not that, it's just... it will be very dangerous if you follow me, are you sure?"
Mu Miyian: "Yes, it was always dangerous when I was with Guan Mian, I'm not afraid."
"To be honest, I can't teach you much."
"It doesn't matter, as long as you agree to let me follow you, that's enough." Mu Miyian said sincerely.
Mu Anxiao had already regarded Mu Miyian as her disciple when she decided to help her, but she had never figured out how to arrange for a disciple. Now that she suddenly mentioned it... Mu Anxiao was, to say the least, quite stunned.
"..." She fell silent again.
Mu Miyian observed Mu Anxiao's expression, and couldn't help but feel a sense of unease, "Master, do you think I'm useless?"
As it turned out, Mu Miyian was indeed useless to Mu Anxiao. However, as she was the one who claimed to be Mu Miyian's master, saying something like this at this moment would surely hurt Mu Miyian's feelings.
Therefore, after thinking for a moment, she said, "No, I'm just wondering what you can do if you follow me."
At the same time, Alon said, "I'm still here?"
However, Alon's sentence broke the deadlock, and she quickly looked at Alon and smiled, "Sorry, I forgot."
"It's alright, be careful when you go back," Alon suddenly said.
Mu Anxiao frowned, "What do you mean by that..."
"Ouyang Ye is not a good person. Be careful, don't let him harm you," Alon said calmly.
Mu Anxiao nodded, "I understand, thank you."
"What thanks," Alon said, then turned to look at the yinchai waiting for her, "Let's go."
The yinchai did not speak, but looked at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao knew she couldn't delay any longer, so she stepped aside, "Then, farewell." She cupped her hands.
Alon: "I'm very happy to have met you. In the future, I will definitely help you."
"Huh?" Mu Anxiao didn't understand Alon's meaning.
Alon smiled faintly and walked ahead.
The yinchai walked up to Mu Anxiao, looked down at Mu Anxiao's bewildered expression, and said, "She has performed meritorious service. After ten years, she will emerge as a cultivator." After saying that, he left.
Mu Anxiao was stunned. She glanced at Alon, who was waving her hand, and then looked down with a smile.
Mu Miyian: "Master, can I come with you?" she asked, glancing at Alon's retreating figure.
Mu Anxiao withdrew her gaze and looked at Mu Miyian, "What can you do?"
"Me?" Mu Miyian pointed to herself, then looked down and thought, "I can gather information."
"Gather information?" Mu Anxiao repeated, thinking, and just as she was about to speak, Shujia walked over and said, "Alright."
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao had no choice but to retract her words and looked at Shujia, who had stopped in front of them, "Did my brother go in?"
"Mm, he'll get what he deserves," Shujia said deliberately.
Mu Anxiao's eyes darkened.
Shujia knew that Mu Anxiao would be upset, so he didn't continue to provoke her and looked at Mu Miyian, "Is she really your disciple?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Anxiao turned her attention back to Mu Miyian and nodded.
Shujia smiled, "Do you want me to help you?"
Mu Anxiao was startled, "What do you mean?"
Shujia crossed his arms, "To be frank, I have a pill here that can unlock a person's potential. If someone with a destined connection eats it, their potential will be unlocked. If not..." He shrugged, "It's useless."
"You have something like this?" Mu Anxiao was surprised.
Shujia nodded, "Of course, otherwise... how did Lin Yan get revived?" His voice was very low.
Mu Anxiao found his words reasonable, so she just stared at him without speaking.
Shujia looked at Mu Anxiao's dazed expression and smiled, "Silly girl, I'll give it to her first." He pointed at Mu Miyian.
Mu Miyian heard this and said excitedly, "Master, no."
Mu Anxiao: "Can you really?"
Mu Miyian's body stiffened, and she called out, "Master."
Seeing Mu Miyian's dejected expression and Mu Anxiao's indifferent attitude towards her, Shujia said, "I think you'd better make things clear to your disciple." After saying that, he turned his face away.
For some reason? Mu Anxiao just couldn't muster any energy, especially when facing Mu Miyian. She felt powerless. In other words... she regretted it. Thinking about her future path, and considering Alon's recent reminder, she was truly worried that Mu Miyian would be in danger if she followed her. She was afraid of harming Mu Miyian.
However, if she did as Shujia suggested, Mu Miyian might retreat on her own, and in doing so, she wouldn't hurt Mu Miyian's feelings.
Therefore, she mustered her courage and said, "Alright, go."
"Master..."
"If you follow him, he will send you back to me. Don't worry." Mu Anxiao interrupted.
Mu Miyian still had some fear of the underworld, especially when facing Shujia. Her heart was filled with fear, but since Mu Anxiao had said so, if she didn't comply, it wouldn't be worth offending Mu Anxiao.
So, she agreed, "Okay."
Shujia: "I'll send you back, don't be nervous." He smiled.
However, Shujia's smile was perceived as "terrifying" by Mu Miyian, so she deliberately averted her gaze, "..."
Seeing that Mu Miyian was still afraid of him, Shujia stopped trying to scare her and said, "Mu Anxiao, I'll just send her to the dilapidated temple."
Mu Anxiao replied, "Okay."
Seeing Mu Anxiao's cooperation, Shujia felt pleased, "Alright, you can go. I will definitely help you unlock your disciple's potential."
"You're not charging, are you?" Mu Anxiao stated directly.
Shujia laughed, "No, no."
"That's good, I'll be going now," Mu Anxiao said, looking at Mu Miyian who was staring at her, "Disciple, follow him, don't be afraid."
"I understand, Master," Mu Miyian's voice trembled.
Mu Anxiao did not speak. After glancing at Shujia, she turned and left.
Immediately after, Mu Miyian watched Mu Anxiao's retreating figure, sighed, turned to look at Shujia, who was staring at her, and asked, "Why are you looking at me? I'm not a criminal now, you can't arrest me."
"Who said I was going to arrest you?" Shujia said, turning his back, "Come on, I'll take you somewhere."
"Where to?"
"My territory." Shujia turned his face and walked away.
Unfamiliar with the surroundings, Mu Miyian dared not act alone, so she followed Shujia's footsteps.
Half an hour later.
Mu Anxiao appeared in the forest. Unexpectedly, this process was witnessed by a young man who had come to chop firewood there. What's more, she and the young man made eye contact. In short, it was quite awkward.
"Who are you?" The young man, holding a sickle, looked at Mu Anxiao with a look of horror.
Mu Anxiao looked at the young man and smiled awkwardly, "I am..."
"You're a monster."
"I'm not," Mu Anxiao waved her hand. She thought there was no one in the forest, so she appeared. She never expected to encounter such a situation. At this moment, she was as awkward as could be.
"You..." The young man glanced around Mu Anxiao and said, "You suddenly appeared, and you say you're not."
Mu Anxiao looked at the contradictory young man before her and blinked, "What do you mean? What benefit would it be to you if I were a monster? You're really serious."
The young man: "It's no benefit to me if you're a monster."
"Then that's right," Mu Anxiao said, "In any case, I'm not a monster."
"You..." The young man uttered a single word, and then inadvertently saw Ouyang Ye, who suddenly appeared behind her. His eyes widened, and he fell to the ground, unconscious.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao frowned, turned to look at Ouyang Ye, who was staring at the young man, and thought of Alon's previous instructions. She wondered, couldn't be, this unlucky.
"He fainted just like that," Ouyang Ye said, then lowered his head to look at Mu Anxiao, "Good morning."
Mu Anxiao's mouth twitched, "How did you know I was here?"
"I didn't know you were here, so why are you looking for me?" Ouyang Ye retorted.
Mu Anxiao blinked, then turned around and walked towards the young man.
Ouyang Ye: "Just kidding, you're leaving just like that." Saying that, he followed Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao was worried that the young man would be scared to death, so she stopped and turned to look at Ouyang Ye, "I wasn't looking for you, you can go."
"You'd better be careful, there are evil spirits ahead," Ouyang Ye warned.
Mu Anxiao frowned, "You're trying to trick me."
"Why would I trick you? To be honest," Ouyang Ye said, "This area is my territory, and you've entered my territory. If you don't want to encounter those evil spirits, then stand still. If you want to encounter them, then walk." He spread his hands.
She had parted ways with Ouyang Ye only a few hours ago.
Mu Anxiao didn't have a complete understanding of Ouyang Ye. Now, looking at his indifferent demeanor, she thought about how he had forced her last night. She was confused, "What are you thinking?"
"I ask you, you ask me." Ouyang Ye smiled, "You're really interesting."
"Why are you here?" Mu Anxiao asked again.
Hearing Mu Anxiao's question, Ouyang Ye rolled his eyes, "I've already told you, yet you're still asking. Did you forget to bring your brain, or what?" He poked Mu Anxiao's forehead with his finger.
Mu Anxiao was stunned.
Ouyang Ye was not lying. This was indeed his territory, and he would come out for a walk every morning. He was also startled when he saw Mu Anxiao suddenly appear...
However, given his status, he calmed his emotions before appearing. Who knew that the young man was so timid? He felt both speechless and helpless about it.
As for Mu Anxiao, he genuinely wanted to help her and take her away from here because she was someone he fancied.
As the saying goes, a forced melon is not sweet, so he wanted to move her with his actions. Who would have thought... she was not someone who could be easily moved.
Thinking about it, he felt a bit awkward.
"Why aren't you talking anymore?" he asked.
Mu Anxiao: "Are you genuinely helping me?"
"Mm, this road is not safe, so I thought I'd give you a ride. Since you don't want my help," Ouyang Ye took a step back, "then forget it."
"Why are you helping me?" Mu Anxiao seriously doubted whether the Ouyang Ye she met last night was the same as the one before her now.
Ouyang Ye wanted Mu Anxiao to ask this question, so he curved his lips and said, "Because, you are mine."
These words again.
Mu Anxiao swallowed, casting aside all doubt, she was convinced that the person before her was Ouyang Ye, it's just... he had changed his approach.
"..." She gave a dry laugh.
Ouyang Ye: "What's wrong? Are you moved by me?"
Mu Anxiao snorted coldly and said, "Dream on, I won't be moved by you." Saying that, she took the initiative to squat beside the young man.
Seeing this, Ouyang Ye pouted his lips, "What are you doing?"
"No matter how terrifying the road ahead is, I am not afraid," Mu Anxiao said, grabbing the young man's arm, "You go."
"How are you planning to take him away?"
"..." Mu Anxiao held the young man's arm with one hand and turned to look at Ouyang Ye, "You don't need to worry about this."
"You're not going to carry him, are you?" Ouyang Ye was greatly surprised.
Mu Anxiao: "...." She glared at Ouyang Ye and turned back to start preparing.
Ouyang Ye placed one hand on his hip, "You could just wake him up, why make it so troublesome."
Mu Anxiao: "Wake him up? What are you thinking? Waking you up is enough to scare him, and if he sees those evil spirits that harm people in broad daylight..." She stopped halfway, realizing something was wrong, and turned to look at Ouyang Ye again, "That's not right."
Ouyang Ye: "What's not right?"
"Evil spirits, you say, what evil spirits? How can there be evil spirits in broad daylight? I've only heard that demonic souls can stay out in the daytime, but evil spirits, I've never heard of them." Mu Anxiao looked up at Ouyang Ye and said, "Your lie-making skills are too basic."
"I'm not lying," Ouyang Ye said firmly.
Mu Anxiao stood up, deliberately glanced behind Ouyang Ye, and asked, "Where is that Xi'er?" She suspected that Ouyang Ye had definitely instructed Xi'er to cause trouble ahead to trick her.
As for the evil spirits, there were none.