"My junior brother... is a cultivator, and his magic is not powerful at all. He wouldn't be able to take anyone away," the young man said. Recalling the man he met after leaving Feng Qi Shi's room today, he added, "No, my junior brother's voice is not that deep."
"Why are you only remembering this now?" Feng Qi Shi asked the young man helplessly.
"I also..." The young man had only spoken half of his sentence when the proprietress walked out. "Your junior brother is in the backyard. Do you want to see him?"
Upon hearing this, the three of them turned their heads to look at the proprietress, who wore a sinister smile. The young man froze.
The green-clad man stood up from the table and asked, "Are you also a demon?"
"I am merely a businesswoman. That man is a rat demon, and he came here looking for his other half. As for why I tied up his junior brother," the proprietress glanced at the young man, "you should understand."
"When did you discover it?"
"I discovered it a long time ago. The rat demon's voice was not like that," the proprietress said calmly.
"Did that man come to your place a long time ago?" the green-clad man asked again.
"Yes, but don't worry, he hasn't harmed anyone. He gets along well with humans. My shop assistant has already gone home. As for you," the proprietress focused her gaze on the young man's face, "and your junior brother, starting today, you will work for me for a month."
"On what grounds?"
"On what grounds?" the proprietress scoffed, turning to look at the still tightly shut door. "It's this late, and the door is still closed. Also, it took me quite some time to find my shop assistant. My shop assistant didn't sleep all night and cannot work today, which is also a loss. You tell me, shouldn't you compensate me?"
"I'll pay money."
"A thousand taels," the proprietress asked for an exorbitant price.
The young man's expression froze upon hearing this.
"Can I offer myself in marriage?" he stammered.
The proprietress looked at the young man's hesitant demeanor and then at the green-clad man standing beside him, who was looking at the young man in surprise. She asked, "Do you understand what it means to offer yourself in marriage?"
"No," the young man shook his head.
"If you don't understand, then say so, and go to work," the proprietress roared.
"Where is my junior brother?" the young man said finally.
"The man who died in the backyard, that's him."
"Dead?" the young man exclaimed.
"Not dead," the proprietress said, turning her back.
The young man cautiously glanced at the back of the proprietress's head, then abruptly stood up,绕过 the table and chairs, and ran towards the small door leading to the backyard.
Feng Qi Shi lowered his gaze, then quickly stood up and asked, "Where is the rat demon's residence?"
"Why should I tell you?" the proprietress asked, turning around.
Feng Qi Shi widened his eyes. "Tell me quickly."
"Actually, I think that girl and the rat demon are quite a match. You..."
"Tell me," Feng Qi Shi roared.
The proprietress, startled, said, "In the deep forest."
"You'd better not lie to me," Feng Qi Shi said, stepping over a chair and disappearing.
The proprietress patted her chest and said, "You scared me to death."
"You've hidden your depths well," the green-clad man said indifferently, looking at the proprietress's profile.
The proprietress turned her head to look at the green-clad man. "I let that rabbit demon in last night. Your rabbit demon must have been taken away by her."
"You..."
"Here, rabbit demons are the most troublesome to provoke. Whoever provokes them will be unlucky. You are an immortal, so don't get involved in this mess. I will help you with Miss Xian Yuan's matters," the proprietress interrupted, then walked towards the counter.
The green-clad man clenched his fist.
In the backyard, the young man looked at his junior brother, who had returned to his own form and was lying in the corridor, with astonishment. He called out, "Junior brother!" Then he stepped forward and squatted down, reaching out to check his breathing. He sighed in relief and said, "You scared me to death."
Immediately, the young man's junior brother slowly opened his eyes and asked, "Where am I?"
The young man said, "In the backyard corridor. How were you attacked?"
"It's that mud creature," the young man's junior brother said as he sat up. "She insisted I boil water, and I don't know how. So, I went into the woodshed. Who knew, I had just finished speaking, and while I was untying the shop assistant, that man suddenly appeared, and then I was knocked unconscious by him. I don't know anything else."
"After that, I was deceived, and my plot was successfully exposed. The proprietress here made us work for her for a month," the young man said, becoming increasingly dejected.
"We can pay money," the young man's junior brother said lightly.
"A thousand taels," the young man raised his index finger.
The young man's junior brother looked at the young man's finger, lowered his head, and thought for a moment. "Forget it. Master gave us three months anyway, so let's waste a month."
"That's all we can do," the young man nodded.
The young man's junior brother was clearly not satisfied with such a punishment. He thought for a moment and then looked up, saying, "Right, did you mention that rabbit demon who transformed into the shop assistant's appearance? If you did, maybe we can get a few days off."
"Don't even think about it. It's obvious that the proprietress let her in herself. Also, do you know who that man you transformed into is?"
"Who?" the young man's junior brother asked with a puzzled expression.
"A rat demon," the young man said in a low voice.
Upon hearing this, the young man's junior brother's face froze. "Let's just work diligently."
"If you know how to work diligently, then get up," the proprietress said, looking down at the young man's junior brother. "You, learn to boil water properly, so you don't tire my shop assistant in the future."
"I'm yours too," the young man said flirtatiously.
"You want to be mine?" the proprietress asked, looking at the young man with a fake smile.
The young man thought he had pleased the proprietress and nodded with a silly smile.
"You can be my shop assistant too, but you must leave your cultivation sect. Do you agree?" the proprietress asked, looking down at the young man.
The young man retracted his silly smile and said, "I will work diligently this month." As he spoke, the young man stood up.
"Work hard," the proprietress said, walking around them towards the end of the corridor.
The young man's junior brother looked at the young man and whispered, "You've had it tough."
"It's alright," the young man shrugged.
In the deep forest, Mu An Xiao was led by a man to a wooden house.
Immediately, the man released his hand from Mu An Xiao's arm and asked, "Are you really a rat demon?"
"And you?" Mu An Xiao retorted.
"Me too," the man smiled.
"Why did you grab me?" Mu An Xiao asked again.
"I fancy you," the man suddenly said.
Mu An Xiao's expression remained unchanged as he looked at the man who had just spoken. He asked, "Are we acquainted?"
"In human terms... it's love at first sight," the man said, becoming shy.
Mu An Xiao took a deep breath and asked, "Are all you rat demons this casual?"