Mu Anxiao was quite satisfied with the reply from the second evil ghost, so she endured the pain and managed a smile, "Very good, I'll let you live." As she spoke, she withdrew her hand, and the dagger whooshed away from his body, returning to her hand.
Seeing this, the second evil ghost quickly looked down at his chest and breathed a sigh of relief, "That scared me to death."
The first evil ghost asked, "Did it hurt?"
The second evil ghost glanced at Mu Anxiao, winked, and nodded, "Boss, it really hurt."
The first evil ghost looked at the second evil ghost's chest and asked again, "What kind of pain was it?"
The second evil ghost cleared his throat, and glancing at the other evil ghosts who wore the same expression as the first evil ghost, he said, "It was that burning sensation, followed by a tearing pain. It was a feeling I've never experienced since becoming a demon soul or an evil ghost, as if I was about to be burned away."
However, the second evil ghost's words struck fear into their hearts. The first evil ghost, leading the other evil ghosts, swallowed nervously and then turned to look at Mu Anxiao, who was idly playing with the dagger across from them. They remained silent, but their expressions revealed their fear of her.
Mu Anxiao scanned them with her eyes and smiled, "Debt repaid, as it should be. When are you going to pay up? If not," she deliberately tried to scare them, tossing the dagger into the air, which soared upwards, "I'll use her to burn you all to death." As she spoke, she raised one hand above her head and caught the dagger directly.
The woman looked at Mu Anxiao's retreating back, then at the fearful glances the evil ghosts cast towards Mu Anxiao, and remembered the agony the second evil ghost had just experienced. Her eyes darkened, and she dared not speak for the moment.
The first evil ghost chuckled, "We have no money."
"No money?" Mu Anxiao narrowed her eyes. "You still have the nerve to laugh and say you have no money. Fine, then don't blame me for being impolite." As she said this, her gaze suddenly changed, and she tightened her grip on the dagger.
The next second, the air fell silent.
The second red-clothed female evil ghost standing behind the other evil ghosts quickly looked at the first red-clothed female evil ghost and whispered, "I'll go find our benefactor." She tugged on the first red-clothed female evil ghost's arm.
Upon hearing this, the first red-clothed female evil ghost took a step forward, turned her head, and whispered, "Hurry."
The second red-clothed female evil ghost gave a hum, quietly retreated a few steps, and ran off.
The first red-clothed female evil ghost grew nervous.
Ahead.
The first evil ghost gave a dry laugh, "We really have no money."
"If this dagger of mine circles around you once, then your lives as ghosts are doomed. If you want to live, produce the money for your lives," Mu Anxiao said this to scare them, wanting only to make the evil ghosts understand the importance of their 'soul lives' and thus give up pursuing the woman.
As for the woman, she knew that no matter how much she said, the woman would only find her nagging.
Over these decades, Mu Anxiao had come to understand something. Sometimes dealing with these ghosts was easier than dealing with people like the woman.
As for asking the woman for a hundred taels of silver, it was merely a ploy by Mu Anxiao to get the evil ghosts' attention. It was also to let the woman know that upon her arrival, she was not allied with them, and secondly, to make it clear to the woman that her patience was not limitless.
"No," the first evil ghost pouted.
The fourth evil ghost looked at the situation, then at the first evil ghost, who was rarely scared, and let out a silent laugh.
Unexpectedly, the fourth evil ghost's laugh was caught by Mu Anxiao. Her mind raced, and she called out, "You one who is laughing silently, come here."
Hearing this, the first evil ghost was startled and said, "I wasn't laughing, I was crying."
"I wasn't talking to you, I was talking about," Mu Anxiao pointed at the fourth evil ghost diagonally behind the first evil ghost, "him."
Immediately, the first evil ghost heard this, withdrew the embarrassed expression from his face, turned his head, and looked at the fourth evil ghost, "Who are you laughing at?" he asked with a rough tone.
The fourth evil ghost, seeing this, could no longer laugh. "I wasn't laughing at anyone, I just... have a... smiling face."
The first evil ghost's face stiffened even more upon hearing the fourth evil ghost's unintelligent excuse.
The fourth evil ghost lost the courage to look at the first evil ghost and lowered his head.
Mu Anxiao seized the opportunity, turned her head to look at the woman standing in place, pondering the hundred taels of silver. Before she could speak, the woman said, "If I leave, then I won't have to give you that hundred taels of silver."
Mu Anxiao's gaze chilled as she looked into the woman's eyes, determined to wear down any thought the woman had of 'competing' with the evil ghosts. She didn't want the woman to agree now and come back in a few days, only to die. Then who would be responsible?
Thus, she flatly refused, "No."
Hearing this, the woman gasped, "I've already agreed, and you..."
"If you give it to me, I'll let you go," Mu Anxiao said, pointing at the short dagger in the woman's hand. She thought that this short dagger was the source of the woman's arrogance, and if she could sever this source, it would be twice the result with half the effort.
"My father gave this to me," the woman's voice was much weaker than before. "I can't give it to you." She shook her head.
"You still want to hold onto it and do something reckless," Mu Anxiao exposed the woman's thoughts.
The woman's eyes darted away.
Mu Anxiao said, "Then don't leave." With that, she raised two fingers and pointed towards the woman. The woman froze.
The dagger said, "You did that on purpose."
Mu Anxiao glanced at the dagger, then turned her head to look at the first evil ghost, and ordered, "Bring that guy who was laughing silently over here."
The first evil ghost was stunned. "Him?" he pointed at the fourth evil ghost uncertainly.
Mu Anxiao nodded.
Seeing this, the first evil ghost smiled, "Alright, he's yours to deal with." As he spoke, he grabbed the fourth evil ghost's arm and dragged him, forcefully pulling him to Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao said, "Alright, you can go back now." She waved her hand.
The first evil ghost gave a simple chuckle, let go, said to the fourth evil ghost, "Serves you right," and then walked away.
Afterward, Mu Anxiao cast a speechless glance at the first evil ghost's receding back, then looked at the fourth evil ghost, "Follow me." As she spoke, she tightened her grip on the dagger and turned around.
Seeing this, the fourth evil ghost was frightened. "What are you going to do?"
"I hate it the most when people laugh silently at me," Mu Anxiao said deliberately, turning her head to look at the fourth evil ghost. "Come with me."
The fourth evil ghost, shivering, glanced at the first evil ghost's back and whispered, "I wasn't laughing at you, I..." He stopped mid-sentence, intimidated by Mu Anxiao's angry glare, and quickly swallowed the words that had reached his lips, sealing his mouth shut.
Seeing the fourth evil ghost's cooperation, Mu Anxiao feigned seriousness and let out a soft snort, looking at the group of evil ghosts. "If any of you dare to approach her, I will make you disappear from this world." Her gaze was cold.