“Really?” Feng Qishi smiled excitedly.
“Why would I lie? I have no use for that reward,” the wolf demon shrugged.
“Okay,” Feng Qishi smiled and turned to Mu Anxiao. “I’ll give you half.”
“Thanks,” Mu Anxiao tilted his chin up.
Feng Qishi winked.
The grim reaper in the suit looked at the two money-loving individuals and said, “Alright, I’ve brought him. You two chat. I won’t bother you any longer.”
“Bye-bye,” the wolf demon said casually.
Mu Anxiao and Feng Qishi said, “Goodbye,” in unison.
“You two disciples have good chemistry,” the grim reaper in the suit chuckled and turned to leave.
Immediately, Mu Anxiao turned to the wolf demon and said, “Let me tell you a secret, one I haven’t told anyone else.”
“Go ahead,” the wolf demon said, looking around mysteriously.
Mu Anxiao said, “That female demon soul has a pill in her hand. There is only one such pill in the world. After taking it, even if you do something bad, you won’t be afraid of being caught by the grim reapers from Hu Yuan’s body.”
“Really?” the wolf demon’s eyes widened.
Mu Anxiao nodded.
The wolf demon frowned, “You know this is helping the wicked?”
“I know…” Mu Anxiao started, then realizing he was saying it wrong, he corrected himself, “You’re helping me, so of course, I should help you.”
“I’m truly touched,” the wolf demon smiled.
“It’s good you’re touched,” Feng Qishi chimed in.
Upon hearing this, the wolf demon instantly dropped his smile and turned to Feng Qishi, asking, “Excuse me, what business is it of yours?”
“I’m speaking on behalf of Mu the idiot,” Feng Qishi said, pointing at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao rolled his eyes at Feng Qishi. “Alright, are you going to the hospital now?”
“Let’s go,” the wolf demon said excitedly.
Mu Anxiao remained silent, then walked to the roadside and waved. A taxi stopped. Mu Anxiao glanced at Feng Qishi and the wolf demon before getting into the car.
In Hu Yuan’s hospital room, the big-headed fat demon and the small demon looked at Hu Yuan, who had dark circles under his eyes, and began to cry.
Hu Yuan opened his eyes and asked, “What’s wrong with you two?”
“Master, you look so pained,” the big-headed fat demon said.
The small demon whimpered, “Master, how about I use my demonic arts to ease your suffering?”
Hu Yuan shook his head.
Following this, Hu Yuan’s mother entered the room with tears in her eyes, asking, “Yuan, do you want to eat anything?”
Hu Yuan shook his head.
Hu Yuan’s mother covered her face with a handkerchief.
Hu Yuan said, “Mom, am I… am I not going to make it?”
“No…”
“Mom, tell me the truth,” Hu Yuan interrupted.
Hu Yuan’s mother hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward, moved to the side of the bed, and looked down at Hu Yuan’s emaciated appearance. “Yes, child. I’m sorry.” She then sat down on a chair.
Hu Yuan slowly raised his hand and wiped away the tears from his mother’s eyes, shaking his head. “I don’t blame you. You must give birth to my younger brother or sister. I hope you…” he took a breath, “don’t deceive him anymore.”
“Yuan Yuan,” Hu Yuan’s mother sobbed, resting her hands by Hu Yuan’s.
Hu Yuan looked down at his mother crying, saying, “Mom, don’t cry. This is all bound to happen. I know my own body. You don’t need to feel guilty. I think you’re wonderful. I was rude to you before, and that was my fault. My thoughts were selfish at times. I’m sorry, Mom.”
“Yuan Yuan…” Hu Yuan’s mother called out, crying.
At the same time, a man with a somber expression entered the room and looked at Hu Yuan’s frail state, saying, “You were fine yesterday. What happened to make you like this today?”
Hu Yuan remained silent.
The man moved forward and stood behind Hu Yuan’s mother, looking down at Hu Yuan. “I’m sorry. These past years… if I had been here, you wouldn’t be like this. It was my cowardice that caused this… and your mother’s.”
Hu Yuan shook his head.
The man leaned down and placed his hand on Hu Yuan’s forehead, then tears involuntarily fell onto Hu Yuan’s brow. “Child, they say time reveals a person’s heart. I know my change has been too sudden, and you might not accept it. But I want to say that I’ve wanted to acknowledge you as my son for a long time, but… I…”
“Don’t say it. It’s useless now. Take good care of my mother and your family in the future,” Hu Yuan interrupted.
The man began to cry.
The big-headed fat demon and the small demon, witnessing Hu Yuan and his parents, both started to cry.
Outside the hospital, Mu Anxiao got out of the car and stopped in place.
Feng Qishi looked at Mu Anxiao’s retreating back with confusion and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Mu Anxiao calmly watched an old man inexplicably lecturing a young man in front of him and said, “The person was just asking for directions, but he’s wasting their time with nonsense. I really don’t know what he’s thinking.”
Feng Qishi looked at Mu Anxiao’s peculiar behavior and asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
Mu Anxiao lowered his eyelids, reminiscing about fifty years ago when he first went to Master Zhang’s house and asked for directions.
“Um, where is the kitchen?” Mu Anxiao asked softly.
The old hired hand ignored Mu Anxiao and continued his work.
Mu Anxiao frowned, thinking he hadn’t heard, and asked again, “Excuse me, which way to the kitchen?”
The old hired hand stopped his work with an impatient expression, straightened up, and looked at Mu Anxiao, saying, “Can’t you see I’m busy? Do you think everyone is as idle as you are?”
Mu Anxiao’s expression turned blank. “How do I get to the kitchen?”
“Let me tell you, I’m very busy right now.”
“How do I get to the kitchen?” Mu Anxiao asked again.
The old hired hand, without answering her question, said, “Everyone in the kitchen is resting today. What are you going there for? Do you think they are all like you? Don’t you know they are resting? Do you think only you are resting and others are not? Why are you asking?”
Mu Anxiao clenched his fists slightly, thinking: No, I can’t argue with him. First, it would make me look rude, and second, if anyone else from Master Zhang’s household saw it, they would definitely say I bullied an old man. I won’t get angry, I won’t get angry. With that thought, he took a deep breath and asked again, “How do I get to the kitchen? I’m going to chop wood there.”
“Up ahead,” the old hired hand vaguely pointed in a direction.
Mu Anxiao looked in the direction the old hired hand pointed and was about to speak when an uncle walked over. “You’ll get there if you go straight ahead.”
“Thank you,” Mu Anxiao said politely, glared at the old hired hand, and walked away.
The old hired hand, acting as if nothing had happened, glanced at the uncle and continued sweeping the ground.
Remembering that day, Mu Anxiao looked at the young man in front of him who was still being lectured by the old man and said, “If you don’t know, you don’t know. Why spout so much nonsense?”
“What are you talking about?” Feng Qishi asked.
Mu Anxiao glanced at Feng Qishi and said, “Nothing, I just feel a bit nauseous looking at that old man.”
“I’ve encountered people like that too. I ask them something and they don’t answer, and then they lecture me,” Feng Qishi shook his head. “I don’t understand.”