Mu Anxiao initially had that idea too. However, what she disliked most was being lectured by a mysterious demon, which made her feel like she was being toyed with.
Especially after hearing Jiong Ye's casual words, she couldn't help but wonder if he was somehow connected to the evil spirits.
"..." She wanted to observe his expression.
Jiong Ye: "Why aren't you talking anymore?" His gaze was steady, not evading.
"What did you mean when you said you captured some evil spirits?" Mu Anxiao was troubled by Jiong Ye's statement.
"I mean I captured some. What's there to explain?" Jiong Ye said plainly.
"You say that so casually. Anyway," Mu Anxiao chuckled lightly, "I think you need to explain, because as far as I know, those guys aren't easy to catch."
"...." Jiong Ye laughed.
Mu Anxiao looked at Jiong Ye's inexplicably amused expression and felt puzzled. "Do you find my question funny? Or is there another reason?" She just felt something was off about Jiong Ye.
Jiong Ye maintained his smile and said, "To be honest, I have an irreconcilable hatred for soul demons."
"..." Mu Anxiao frowned. "Aren't you a soul demon too, now that you're dead?"
"You're right about that. Of course," Jiong Ye said. "On that account alone, I wouldn't let myself die easily, because I don't want to become like them. So, I will do good deeds, but you have to help me first."
"You think this is a good deed?"
For some reason, Mu Anxiao still found Jiong Ye strange. She just couldn't pinpoint why.
"Yes," Jiong Ye nodded slightly. "I'm here to protect those mortals, so I risked my life to investigate those evil spirits. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known their benefactors, let alone... understood them. Don't you agree?" He smiled.
Mu Anxiao: "Let's not talk about that for now. Tell me, how did you capture some evil spirits?"
"It's very simple. I just infiltrated them, then used some methods to make them dizzy, and finally..." Jiong Ye paused intentionally before continuing, "locked them up."
"Where did you lock them up?"
"In the city."
"..." Mu Anxiao's eyes widened.
Seeing Mu Anxiao's sudden change in expression, Jiong Ye smiled faintly. "Some missions require challenges. Besides," he said, "if I locked them up nearby, wouldn't that be seeking death?"
"You've thought it through quite thoroughly."
Mu Anxiao had just been chased away. If she went back now, she'd be asking for a beating. She also knew that using her magic at this moment would be a scare tactic. If she frightened someone senseless, or caused an elder to die of fright, the blame would ultimately fall on her.
In short, this matter, while seemingly easy, was actually very troublesome.
Jiong Ye observed Mu Anxiao's troubled expression and chuckled. "You can use your magic."
"No," Mu Anxiao shook her head.
"Why?" Jiong Ye seemed unable to understand Mu Anxiao.
"The people in the city are wary of me now. They must have informants everywhere. If anyone sees me flying in, they'll be terrified."
"You've thought it through quite thoroughly too."
"It's not that I've thought it through; it's a fact."
"It is a fact," Jiong Ye said, looking down at his palm as if suddenly remembering. "Oh, I forgot to tell you something."
"Go on," Mu Anxiao had a bad premonition.
Jiong Ye sighed. "My demonic arts are limited. Those evil spirits can only sleep for three days. But," he looked at Mu Anxiao, "two days have already passed. If they wake up tomorrow, the people in the city will be in trouble. They really need people."
"You... you did it on purpose." Mu Anxiao narrowed her eyes.
Jiong Ye smiled. "I didn't do it on purpose. I don't want to become a soul demon; I'm doing good deeds. Besides," he said, "the one who protects the city's populace is you. If anything happens to them, you can't blame me, only yourself."
Hearing Jiong Ye's words, Mu Anxiao's heart sank. She began to doubt... was he a good person or a bad person? In any case, her mind was becoming chaotic.
Feng Qingshi glanced at Mu Anxiao's stunned back, then at Jiong Ye's smug expression, and said, "You didn't capture any evil spirits."
Upon hearing this, Mu Anxiao's body stiffened, and she turned to look at Feng Qingshi. "..."
Seeing Mu Anxiao look at him, Feng Qingshi walked to her side without hesitation, then glanced at Jiong Ye, who was smiling at him. "What exactly do you want?" he asked, casually taking Mu Anxiao's hand, which had just conjured a long sword.
Mu Anxiao frowned, keenly aware... that Feng Qingshi had taken her long sword.
Jiong Ye looked down at Feng Qingshi's hand and smiled. "Are you afraid I'll bully her?"
"You're mistaken," Feng Qingshi said, pulling Mu Anxiao behind him, releasing her hand. "I'm not afraid you'll bully her; I'm afraid you'll deceive her."
"Deceive?" Jiong Ye pursed his lips and smiled. "I didn't intend to deceive her. You're being too harsh."
"Tell the truth," Feng Qingshi's face turned cold, and his tone became indifferent.
In the past, when Shen Yan discovered someone lying, he would have this same attitude.
At this moment, seeing Feng Qingshi's reaction, which was identical to Shen Yan's, Mu Anxiao realized... Jiong Ye wasn't telling the truth.
Concurrently, Jiong Ye was indeed startled by Feng Qingshi's gaze, tone, and demeanor. "I'm not lying." His eyes seemed to flicker.
Feng Qingshi stared coldly at Jiong Ye's expression and said coldly, "That red stone belongs to the cultivation sects."
".." Jiong Ye froze, rendered speechless.
Conversely, Mu Anxiao showed a surprised expression. "Shen the Crazy, how do you know it's from the cultivation sects?"
"Think," Feng Qingshi uttered a single word without looking back.
Shen Yan used to be like this; whenever he encountered a mission, he would become even more indifferent than usual. Therefore, Mu Anxiao didn't feel uncomfortable with Feng Qingshi's current attitude.
On the contrary, she began to obediently ponder the question.
Jiong Ye smiled. "You are indeed smarter than her." He pointed at Mu Anxiao, who had lowered her head and started thinking.
Mu Anxiao ignored Jiong Ye.
Feng Qingshi continued to stare at Jiong Ye without turning his head. "I don't like demons praising me. Speak, what exactly do you want?"
"I..."
"You'd better tell the truth. Those reasons and stories of yours just now were too far-fetched," Feng Qingshi interrupted, his attitude remaining cold.
Jiong Ye felt awkward.
Immediately, after hearing Feng Qingshi's words, Mu Anxiao stopped thinking and looked at Jiong Ye, saying excitedly, "You really haven't told a single truth!" She took a step to the side.
Jiong Ye sneered and looked at Mu Anxiao, saying, "You'll have to figure that out yourself."