Feng Qishi glanced at Mu Anxiao and said, "I can attest to that. He indeed didn't make a move. In other words, he just reaped a huge reward for free."
Upon hearing the mention of money, Mu Anxiao hastily turned to Feng Qishi and asked, "Are they not giving us that money?"
Feng Qishi lowered his eyes, looking at the suddenly anxious Mu Anxiao, and smiled, "No, it goes to whoever caught it."
"Ah?" Mu Anxiao's expression contorted. "I knew I should have spoken to him earlier. Damn it." She stomped her foot.
"Even if you had spoken to him, he might not have given you the money he got for free," Feng Qishi said, as if he understood the green-clad man's nature.
Mu Anxiao was speechless.
Seeing Mu Anxiao's expression, Hong Yan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and said, "Now I believe he's fine."
"Since you believe it, let's go," Mu Anxiao said, abandoning the thought of demanding money from the green-clad man.
Hong Yan nodded.
Then, Feng Qishi turned his gaze to the uneaten dishes on the table and asked, "He hasn't paid for these, has he?"
Hong Yan followed Feng Qishi's gaze to the table and said, "The young master left in a hurry and didn't."
"Didn't... Ah!" Feng Qishi said, turning back to Mu Anxiao. "Um, I left in a hurry and didn't bring any money. Could you cover it?"
"I can cover it, but you must pay me back," Mu Anxiao said, pointing at Feng Qishi.
Feng Qishi smiled, "I will."
Seeing the sincere expression on Feng Qishi's face, Mu Anxiao decided to trust him.
"Let's go," she said, looking at Hong Yan. "We'll go downstairs and pay."
Hong Yan smiled.
After paying, Mu Anxiao looked at her money pouch with a pained expression. Stepping over the threshold, she said, "You ordered so many dishes you couldn't finish. Such a waste."
"The young master said he had never tried them before and wanted to see if they suited my taste," Hong Yan said, following Mu Anxiao down the steps.
Mu Anxiao's mouth twitched. She stopped and said, "They probably haven't cleared them yet. How about I get them packed?" She slowly turned sideways.
Feng Qishi watched her move to turn and said, "There will be an extra charge for packing. Think carefully."
"What extra charge?" Mu Anxiao looked up at Feng Qishi.
Feng Qishi smiled and patiently explained, "The extra charge is for service, and various other things. It will probably cost you a few more taels of silver. Of course, I'm sure you won't mind."
"Who wouldn't mind?" Mu Anxiao said. She glanced back at the tavern, clutched her money pouch tighter, and quickened her pace to leave.
Feng Qishi chuckled, watching Mu Anxiao's hurried departure.
"Money is very important to her," Hong Yan remarked.
"Indeed," Feng Qishi nodded.
At the same time, the green-clad man had led the monsters into the deep forest below.
"Spare us, please. We promise to mend our ways when we return," pleaded the first leopard-print monster, feeling the chilling wind around them.
The green-clad man walked and said, "You knew what you were doing was wrong, harming others, yet you still did it. Now your plea for forgiveness is too late."
"We were wrong, please let us go," the second leopard-print monster chimed in.
Along the way, the green-clad man had heard enough of their incessant pleas. He stopped, turned slightly to face their ugly visages, and said, "If you say one more word, I'll cut out all your tongues on the spot. That way, you won't be able to speak ever again."
"How cruel, Immortal Brother," the first leopard-print monster said with a grin.
Seeing the first leopard-print monster's expression, the green-clad man spread his hands and conjured a dagger. "Alright, let's start with you."
Seeing this, the first leopard-print monster quickly composed himself and shook his head with a smile.
The green-clad man pointed the dagger tip at them and said, "In this place, I want you to be quiet. We don't want to disturb what shouldn't be disturbed."
They all nodded in cooperation.
The green-clad man let out a soft hum, sheathed his dagger, and continued forward.
From that moment on, the monsters remained silent.
A few minutes later, a cold wind suddenly blew, and the green-clad man stopped, bringing them all to a halt.
"Don't make a sound," he whispered a warning.
The first leopard-print monster looked around but dared not speak.
The green-clad man, looking at the mist-shrouded path ahead, asked, "Who are you?"
"Since you're passing through here, this silver is essential," a child's voice suddenly echoed from behind a tree ahead.
"Child, it's not good to be like this at such a young age." The green-clad man's gaze swept around, searching for the child.
Behind the tree, a young boy in a brown cloth tunic frowned tightly the moment the green-clad man spoke. Behind him, a young man dressed in the same color tunic said nervously, "Little boss, let me handle this."
The boy glanced at the young man, who was visibly anxious about being discovered, and nodded in resignation.
Then, the young man pulled the boy back and said, "Enough talk, hand over the silver."
"I see you," the green-clad man said, looking casually in a certain direction.
Hearing the green-clad man's words, the boy hurriedly looked up at the young man and said, "We've been found."
The young man, unfazed by the green-clad man's words, calmly said, "Little boss, it's best if you don't speak."
"Alright," the boy nodded and instinctively covered his mouth.
The young man deliberately snorted and said, "Then tell me, where am I?"
"You are... in my eyes," the green-clad man replied, his gaze locking onto the tree blocking their path.
"In your eyes, you say... that's quite..." The young man stopped mid-sentence as a beam of green light grazed his shoulder. He jolted and said, "You really saw me."
"Not just you, but all of you," the green-clad man said, glancing at the boy who had been scared out from behind the tree and was now fully visible.
The young man's eyes widened. He looked down at the boy, who was looking at him with a terrified expression, and said, "Little boss, you used to be so brave. Why are you such a coward now?"
"When a tiger falls to the plains, it is bullied by dogs. What can I do?" the boy said with a crestfallen face.
The young man sighed, reluctantly emerged from behind the tree, and looked at the green-clad man approaching them, pulling a silver rope. "You are an immortal."
"I can see that," the green-clad man replied, stopping the monsters in front of the young man.
"Yes," the young man nodded, then turned to the boy. "Let me introduce you. This is my brother, his name is Hun Ri Zi (Muddle Through Life)."
"What's your name?" the green-clad man asked, looking at the boy and then at the young man.
"My name is," the young man pointed to himself and said nonchalantly, "My name is Hun Tian Shu (Muddle Through Fate)."