"I won't die," Ouyang Ye repeated the words several times as he watched Xi'er's retreating figure. He let out a cold laugh, turned, and looked in the direction Wei had gone. "I didn't expect Mu Anxiao to be able to bluff these ghastly fiends. She's as formidable as me, no, even more so." A smirk touched his lips.
At the same time, Fiend Number Four followed Mu Anxiao, recalling everything he had experienced in this world. "When we strike later, can you be gentle? I was afraid of pain in life, and I'm still afraid now," he said, casting a cautious glance at the dagger clutched in Mu Anxiao's hand.
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao gasped and stopped. She used one hand to lightly support her shoulder. "Do you know what it means to disappear?" she asked. She had already devised a plan, and these words were merely a probe to gauge whether Fiend Number Four was sharp or foolish.
Fiend Number Four grew tense upon hearing Mu Anxiao's words. "To disappear means to cease to exist in this world. I... I would be nothing, not even air. I've imagined that feeling," he lowered his gaze and continued, "It's too terrifying."
"You know it's terrifying, so why did you mock me?" Mu Anxiao deliberately pressed.
"Mock..." Fiend Number Four repeated the word several times, then quickly scurried behind Mu Anxiao. He explained in a small voice, "I wasn't mocking you. I was laughing at that other fiend."
"Which fiend?" Mu Anxiao tilted her head. "Don't get too close to me."
"..." Fiend Number Four cooperatively stepped back half a pace. "I'm talking about the fiend you ordered around, the one who always hogged the spotlight, the arrogant one. I was laughing at him."
"Why were you laughing at him?" Mu Anxiao retorted.
Fiend Number Four breathed a sigh of relief. "He's usually incredibly arrogant, bullying everyone. You saw it yourself; he didn't even respect our benefactor. Every time we went to find food, he'd make us go first. Several times, he even tricked me."
"Tricked you with what?"
Mu Anxiao had intended to test him and then use him as a warning to instill fear in the other fiends. Now, it seemed, she had discovered that Fiend Number Four was not only useful for that purpose but also knew many things she didn't.
She thought she had struck gold.
"He tricked me into eating the severed parts of earthworms. It was disgusting."
"Why didn't you just eat them whole?" Mu Anxiao found their way of thinking rather baffling.
Fiend Number Four said earnestly, "He said those severed earthworm parts still had... life force. If you eat earthworms..." He paused, angered by the memory, then continued, "He said eating earthworms would offend the earthworm monsters. He claimed this Forbidden Forest was the easiest place to cultivate monsters. So, I listened to him. In the end, I found... it had no effect at all."
"No effect?"
"Yes, no effect. Later, I asked Wei if eating earthworms was useful. Wei said it wasn't. From that point on, I saw through that fellow. It's just..." Fiend Number Four's voice cracked with emotion, "my abilities are limited, and I didn't dare offend him."
"Aren't you afraid I'll expose what you're telling me?" Mu Anxiao, still with her back to him, asked.
"I trust you," Fiend Number Four stated firmly. "You won't tell."
Mu Anxiao smiled faintly. "Do you trust me truly, or falsely?"
"Truly," Fiend Number Four remained steadfast.
"Even that woman doesn't believe my words," Mu Anxiao said, turning to face Fiend Number Four. "You truly believe me."
"I don't like to stab people in the back. That woman... she's human; I am a ghost," Fiend Number Four smiled. "Once I've decided on something, regardless of right or wrong, it's my choice. Just like I hate that guy, hate is hate, and it will never change."
"You mean, you will always believe me?" Mu Anxiao asked.
Fiend Number Four's gaze didn't waver as he nodded. "Yes, always. But the premise is, you don't make me disappear." He then lowered his head to look at the dagger in Mu Anxiao's hand. "If I disappear, you'll lose a ghost who believes in you in this world."
"Silver-tongued," Mu Anxiao said, scrutinizing Fiend Number Four's attire and messy hair with disdain. "In your life... you were a beggar."
"..." Fiend Number Four frowned. "How did you know?"
"You cultivated from a human into a demon," Mu Anxiao added.
Fiend Number Four nodded. "Yes, I cultivated from a human... How did you know?"
A person's habits are difficult to change.
Despite being a professional "little fairy" for capturing demons, Mu Anxiao had encountered all sorts of demon souls. Most of them were obsessed with cleanliness. Even those without such a compulsion kept themselves meticulously tidy.
She had never encountered anyone like Fiend Number Four. Furthermore, based on her experience in capturing demons, sixty percent of demon souls were cultivated from humans. Coupled with her expertise as a "beggar," she had immediately guessed Fiend Number Four's original identity.
"Heaven's secrets are not to be revealed," she said, feigning mystery.
From the time they became demon souls to becoming fiends, everyone had only disliked Fiend Number Four for being dirty. Not a single fiend had guessed his previous identity. Some fiends even said he must have been a "privy" demon in his life, and judging by his clothes and appearance, he must have been very smelly.
As for why he wasn't smelly now, it was because he had become a ghost and lost his original form, so "smell" was no longer relevant to him.
In short, he had suffered all sorts of bullying and discrimination regarding this matter. He had never met an immortal as patient and verbose as Mu Anxiao.
Thus, he smiled. "Alright."
Mu Anxiao looked with disdain at the foolish smile on Fiend Number Four's face, pouting, "Are you alright?"
"I'm happy," Fiend Number Four couldn't control himself and grinned foolishly.
Mu Anxiao felt awkward. "When you smile, don't smile at me, okay?"
"Okay," Fiend Number Four agreed and lowered his head.
Mu Anxiao looked speechlessly at the silly demeanor of Fiend Number Four, recalling his public snickering earlier and Fiend Number One's disgust towards him. She asked, "Do you think you can go back?"
Upon hearing this, Fiend Number Four immediately suppressed his smile and looked up at Mu Anxiao. He blinked blankly. "I never thought about that question. Now that you mention it..." he showed a troubled expression, "If I went back, I would die a horrible death. But I don't know where else to go, because as soon as I leave here, someone will catch me."
"Who?" Mu Anxiao felt she was about to extract some information.
Fiend Number Four thought for a moment and said, "I don't know. To be honest, whether it's a demon or a human... I really can't tell. But," his eyes filled with fear, "he is extremely terrifying. He would make my life worse than death. It's because of this that we often move in groups. Wei said it's safer."