"What do you mean, long time no see? What's wrong with you?" Xu Lanyan looked at Mu Anxiao's dirty face and the mud stains on her clothes and asked.
"Nothing, I just rolled around in a mud pit. It was quite comfortable," Mu Anxiao replied perfunctorily.
"Come, go back with me," Xu Lanyan said, reaching out a hand, but then retracted it upon seeing the mud stains on Mu Anxiao.
"You're disgusted by me," Mu Anxiao said, looking at Xu Lanyan.
Xu Lanyan gave an awkward smile, "If I were this dirty, you'd probably be disgusted by me too."
"That makes sense," Mu Anxiao nodded, glancing subtly at the dog-headed demon beside her, who was urging her with his eyes. "Oh, right, I have something else to do. I'll be going now."
Xu Lanyan watched Mu Anxiao's strange behavior and asked, "Do you have something to do?"
"What could I have to do?" Mu Anxiao looked down at the dagger the dog-headed demon had pressed against her waist and retorted.
"Why are you looking down?" Xu Lanyan observed Mu Anxiao's actions and asked.
Mu Anxiao blinked her eyes, then looked up at Xu Lanyan and said, "I told you I didn't want to have any more contact with you. Now that I'm talking to you again, I feel like I'm slapping my own face."
"It's fine, your skin is thick enough," Xu Lanyan said with a smile.
Mu Anxiao rolled her eyes at Xu Lanyan and said, "Alright, if there's nothing else, I'll be going now." She involuntarily shivered.
Xu Lanyan looked at Mu Anxiao, then counted on her fingers to measure the immortal energy on Mu Anxiao, and was surprised, "Strange, why has your immortal energy disappeared?"
"Can you please speak more quietly?" Mu Anxiao glanced at the citizens who were looking over and said in a low voice.
"What's going on?" Xu Lanyan asked.
Mu Anxiao blinked unnaturally and repeated, "Yes, what's going on?"
"Just say you don't know," the dog-headed demon instructed her from the side.
Mu Anxiao curled her lips and said, "I don't know either."
"You don't know," Xu Lanyan said, and without any sign of disgust, he took Mu Anxiao's arm, "Come, go back with me."
"Huh?" Mu Anxiao was stunned.
"If you go with him, we'll make our move now," the dog-headed demon said, still holding the dagger against Mu Anxiao's waist.
Mu Anxiao listened to the dog-headed demon and looked at Xu Lanyan's expression. She said, "I did it on purpose."
"You did it on purpose?" Xu Lanyan exclaimed.
Mu Anxiao swallowed and said with feigned seriousness, "Yes, I did it on purpose. I don't want to have any more contact with you. I want to be myself, so I took a concealing pill that I had prepared. This way, you won't be able to find me, and naturally, those demons won't be able to find me either. That's it, do you understand?"
"You did it on purpose." Xu Lanyan released her hand and smiled, "I knew it. How could something happen to you?"
"You were worried about me," Mu Anxiao said, finding it strange.
"Of course. No matter what, you're still a child I watched grow up. I still care about you," Xu Lanyan patted Mu Anxiao's shoulder.
Mu Anxiao looked down at her shoulder and asked, "Oh, you're not disgusted by me anymore."
"I was joking earlier. How could I be disgusted by you?" Xu Lanyan said, his expression freezing.
"The mud pit I rolled in seems to have animal feces," Mu Anxiao leaned forward, deliberately trying to disgust Xu Lanyan.
Xu Lanyan's face became increasingly grim, but a wry smile, indescribable, still curved his lips. "Is that so? Let me tell you, animal feces aren't disgusting. Um, tell me your address, and I'll come find you when I have time."
"I roam the world, and we'll meet again if fate allows," Mu Anxiao clasped her hands in a salute.
"Good, seeing that you're alright, I'm relieved," Xu Lanyan said, smiling as he carefully avoided touching his clothes with his hands. "I'm leaving."
"Bye... oh, no, I mean, see you later!" Mu Anxiao waved her hand.
Xu Lanyan gave an awkward smile, turned, and walked away gracefully.
Immediately, Mu Anxiao let out a sigh of relief, turned to the dog-headed demon beside her, and said, "Given how cooperative I've been, can you please take your daggers away?" As she spoke, she turned to look at the little demons who were each pointing a dagger at her.
"Put them down," the dog-headed demon commanded.
"Yes," the little demons replied in unison and took away their daggers.
"Where are we going?" Mu Anxiao asked.
"Just follow us, stop asking so many questions," the dog-headed demon said impatiently.
Mu Anxiao raised her eyebrows and said, "Alright, alright, I won't ask questions. I won't ask questions." As she said this and looked back, the voice of the green-clothed man came from behind her, "Stop."
Upon hearing this, Mu Anxiao frowned.
The dog-headed demon turned his head to look at the green-clothed man who was running towards Mu Anxiao with a rabbit spirit in his arms and said, "It seems there are quite a lot of people looking for you."
"There are quite a lot," Mu Anxiao smiled, then stepped forward and asked, "What do you want?"
"What's your name?" the green-clothed man asked.
"Why do you want to know?" Mu Anxiao retorted.
"Just tell me," the green-clothed man, prompted by the rabbit spirit, felt the presence of the dog-headed demon and, for Mu Anxiao's safety, needed to know her name first.
"My name is Mu Anxiao," Mu Anxiao introduced herself without reservation.
"Mu Anxiao," the green-clothed man suddenly said seriously, then touched the rabbit spirit's ear and said, "Your savior is named Hong Yan. Do you remember?"
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao's mouth twitched, and she said, "You're too casual. Naming someone after the color of their eyes, isn't that hurtful?"
"Not red eyes, but Hong Yan. Why are you like your benefactor, with ear problems?" the green-clothed man said speechlessly.
The rabbit spirit named Hong Yan chuckled softly and whispered, "We will save you."
"No need," Mu Anxiao glanced sideways and said, "I can do it myself."
"You're too conceited, mortal," the green-clothed man said in a voice that the demons couldn't hear.
Mu Anxiao looked up and said, "I'm the same as you. Don't bother with me." After saying that, she turned and walked forward.
The green-clothed man looked at Mu Anxiao's retreating back and snorted, saying, "I'll take you somewhere later."
"Where?" Hong Yan asked, looking up.
"You'll know soon enough," the green-clothed man said confidently.
Hong Yan thought for a moment and said, "Then what about Mu Anxiao?"
"Look at her shrewd demeanor. Nothing will happen to her," the green-clothed man said, patting Hong Yan's head.
Hong Yan nodded and nestled quietly in the green-clothed man's embrace.
In the blink of an eye, Mu Anxiao followed the dog-headed demon and the other little demons into the dilapidated temple in the depths of the forest.
"Is anyone worshipped here?" Mu Anxiao asked, staring at the broken door.
"No," the dog-headed demon said. He walked to the broken door, and as soon as he reached out to push it, the door fell inward.