"I am his brother." The man in blue interrupted, conjuring a money pouch and slipping it into Mu Anxiao's hand. Standing up, he asked, "Would he do this?"
Mu Anxiao glanced at the money pouch in her hand, pursed her lips, and said, "Alright, I believe you." She then turned her back.
"You changed your mind awfully fast," the man in blue commented, waving a hand lightly in front of his face.
"What does my changing my mind have to do with you?" Mu Anxiao retorted, tucking the money pouch back into her embrace. She turned to face the man in blue, who at that moment had transformed into a bearded face with eyes narrowed to slits.
The man in blue smiled. "Am I very handsome?"
Mu Anxiao's lips twitched. Without hesitation, she reached out and grabbed the man's beard. "Fake, after all this time." With that, she directly tore off the fake beard from his face.
"You're too cruel, Mu the Fool," the man in blue said, rubbing his chin.
"You saw Feng Qishi." Mu Anxiao suddenly stated.
Upon hearing this, the man in blue couldn't help but cast a sideways glance. "Oh, I did. That, uh, thank you."
Listening to the man in blue's unnatural tone of voice and observing his deliberately shifting gaze, Mu Anxiao said, "Your name is Shen Yan."
"Mhm," the man in blue responded excitedly.
Mu Anxiao looked at his expression and thought of the bag of silver he had given her. She thought, Feng Qishi, for the silver you gave me, I'll play along for now. Clearing her throat, she said, "Alright, your brother and I no longer have any grievances. You know my current situation, so I'm leaving."
"That dog-headed demon might be waiting outside," Feng Qishi continued his pretense.
"Doesn't matter," Mu Anxiao shrugged.
"How can you not cherish your own life?" Feng Qishi said, deliberately adopting a lecturing tone.
Mu Anxiao sighed. "To be honest, seeing your face gives me trauma, so..." She cupped her fists. "We'll never meet again."
"The way you talk is quite hurtful," Feng Qishi said, displeased.
Mu Anxiao sneered. "You've lived this long, so you must be no ordinary person. Of course," she paused deliberately, "if you don't even have this much resilience, then I can only say you've lived in vain."
"What's with your attitude?" Feng Qishi pointed at Mu Anxiao.
"This is my attitude. Take it or leave it," Mu Anxiao said coldly.
Seeing Mu Anxiao's icy demeanor and recalling her other expression towards the dog-headed demon earlier, Feng Qishi said indignantly, "Can't you be a little more polite to me, Mu the Fool?"
"Feng Qishi, your act is so fake," Mu Anxiao revealed, eyeing his attire. "However, your magic is indeed quite powerful."
"I knew this method wouldn't work," Feng Qishi sighed.
"Alright, you..."
"Your celestial aura is being masked by the vine spirit, isn't it?" Feng Qishi suddenly said.
"How did you know?" Mu Anxiao asked, surprised.
Feng Qishi's lips curved into a smile. "I told you, no matter where you hide, I can find you. Next," he took two steps closer to Mu Anxiao, "hide well."
"I will," Mu Anxiao said, patting her chest. "I'm not giving this silver back to you."
"That was yours to begin with," Feng Qishi smiled.
Mu Anxiao's eyes narrowed, and her face grew stern. "I knew you wouldn't be so generous."
"Yes," Feng Qishi nodded.
"You can't be a demon catcher," Mu Anxiao stated.
Feng Qishi's lips curved. "Then I'll show you if I can be a demon catcher. Farewell." With that, he turned and left the dilapidated temple.
Mu Anxiao turned to watch Feng Qishi's departing figure, then let out a sigh. "Did I perhaps leave myself too little room to maneuver?" Her eyes narrowed. "If I followed him, I might be safer, shouldn't I?"
A quarter of an hour later... Feng Qishi, who had been walking along nicely, suddenly stopped and turned to look at Mu Anxiao, who had quickly hidden behind a tree. "Come out," he said.
Mu Anxiao leaned against the tree, her eyes darting as she circled out from behind the tall tree and looked at Feng Qishi, who was coldly watching her. She pursed her lips.
"Why are you following me?" Feng Qishi asked.
Mu Anxiao kept her hands behind her back, kicking her front foot forward a couple of times. She lowered her head and said, "I thought it would be safer to follow you."
"What did you say? I can't hear you," Feng Qishi said loudly.
Mu Anxiao's eyes shifted unnaturally. She slightly raised her face and said, "I said, it would be safer to follow you."
"Didn't you say..." Feng Qishi crossed his arms. "You said I couldn't be a demon catcher?"
Mu Anxiao tilted her head and whispered, "You can't. If you do it, what will I do?"
Feng Qishi looked helplessly at the completely crestfallen Mu Anxiao and said impatiently, "Can you speak louder?" He then walked up to Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao took half a step back. "I said, if you do it, what will I do?"
"You." Feng Qishi pointed at Mu Anxiao's face.
Hearing the tone of Feng Qishi's voice, Mu Anxiao casually raised her hand and grasped his finger. "You look down on me."
"A little bit," Feng Qishi said, withdrawing his finger, which Mu Anxiao had grabbed.
Mu Anxiao lowered her hand and bowed her head. "Anyway, many people look down on me. Adding you doesn't make a difference, nor does omitting you."
"By the way, why aren't you being arrogant anymore?" Feng Qishi asked, looking down at the inexplicably forlorn Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao rubbed the back of her head. "I'm a grateful person. In the mortal world, you took me to many places. So, as a host, I naturally have to familiarize you with this place."
"No need." Feng Qishi spat out the three words sharply.
Mu Anxiao blinked and looked up at Feng Qishi. "Don't you feel touched by my saying this?"
"Not at all," Feng Qishi shook his head.
Mu Anxiao pouted.
Feng Qishi looked at Mu Anxiao's awkward expression, brought on by his words, and chuckled. "Originally, I thought you were pitiable and wanted to give you an out, pretending to be Shen Yan's brother to protect you. But now," he shook his head, "I don't think it's necessary."
"Just now..." Mu Anxiao was worried Feng Qishi wouldn't let her follow him, and her tone softened. "My mind was just in a moment of impulse. Of course, I admit that what I did at the Thousand... no, Ten Thousand Year Ice Cave was a bit too drastic. But back then, I didn't... I hadn't recognized the reality yet. Now, I recognize it... I..." She couldn't continue and took a step back, performing a ninety-degree bow directly in front of Feng Qishi. "I apologize to you."
"I don't acknowledge you as my master anymore," Feng Qishi added.
Mu Anxiao neither stood up nor raised her head. "Seeing your skillful casting earlier, I could tell you have already graduated."