"You shouldn't talk such nonsense," Mu Anxiao said, glaring at the wolf demon.
"Only demonic arts can do this," the wolf demon replied, frowning deeply.
Feng Qishi, listening to the wolf demon's words and thinking of the sinister techniques Mu Anxiao had taught him, asked cautiously, "Could this truly be demonic arts?"
"Do you think you're so powerful? You have no demonic aura," Mu Anxiao said.
Feng Qishi considered this, then tilted his head back and let out a sound of understanding. "That's right. I haven't cultivated demonic energy, so of course, I can't use demonic arts."
"Then what did you teach him?" the wolf demon asked.
Mu Anxiao glanced at Feng Qishi and replied, "Just a sealing spell for demons."
"He's not a demon," the wolf demon stated.
Mu Anxiao's eyes narrowed. "He's a demon soul who cultivated the demonic path. If he ascends, he'll be a demon."
Both Feng Qishi and the wolf demon were stunned. They exchanged glances, and the wolf demon suddenly understood. "You're just comforting yourself. Anyway, you figured trying it wouldn't hurt."
"Mu, you silly goose, this move might not be reliable," Feng Qishi said.
Mu Anxiao looked at both the wolf demon and Feng Qishi. "Whether this move is reliable or not, he's already..."
Mid-sentence, the vine spirit smoothly flew out of Feng Qishi's pocket and looked at Mu Anxiao. "I hate people who lie to me the most," it said, its chain beginning to emit a dark green mist.
Mu Anxiao's brow furrowed. Without hesitation, she reached out and grabbed the chain. "You have quite the temper," she said, gripping it tightly in her palm.
Feng Qishi watched Mu Anxiao's rough actions in surprise. "Are you going to tear him apart alive?" he asked.
"No," Mu Anxiao shook her head and looked at the wolf demon. "Do you want him?"
"I don't," the wolf demon replied, his face clearly showing refusal.
The vine spirit struggled fiercely in Mu Anxiao's hand. "Let me go, let me go!"
"Why should I let you go?" Mu Anxiao asked, unfazed, still holding him.
"If you don't let me go, I'll..." the vine spirit paused for breath, "burn a hole in your hand."
"Try me," Mu Anxiao said.
Feng Qishi's eyes widened. "Mu, you silly goose, he's going to burn a hole in your hand! Let go quickly!"
Mu Anxiao glanced at Feng Qishi, then looked down at her own hand. "You talk a big game, but let's see," she narrowed her eyes. "You try it."
"Let me go," the vine spirit cried out again.
Mu Anxiao said helplessly, "What else can you do besides shout?"
"Let me go, and I'll help you become a demon."
"I don't believe you," Mu Anxiao said.
"You hurt my feelings by talking like that," the vine spirit's tone softened.
Mu Anxiao looked at the wolf demon. "You've never believed me from the start. You want me to believe you? What kind of joke is that?"
"How is it that I don't believe you?" the vine spirit countered.
Mu Anxiao let out a soft hum. "I told you to go to the third floor, and where did you run off to?"
"I went to the second floor," the vine spirit said quietly.
"That proves it. You don't trust me at all," Mu Anxiao said.
The vine spirit thought for a moment. "That's not right. You said the third floor, but he was clearly on the fourth floor. You lied to me too."
"When I left, he was on the third floor, and then he moved to the fourth floor," Mu Anxiao reasoned.
"You still told me the wrong place," the vine spirit argued unreasonably.
"I don't care. You still lied to me, and I don't believe you," Mu Anxiao said, increasing her grip.
Feng Qishi watched Mu Anxiao arguing with the vine spirit, feeling speechless. "Why are you talking so much to him? Don't you get thirsty talking to someone like that?"
"None of your business!" the vine spirit and Mu Anxiao said in unison.
Feng Qishi's expression stiffened. He raised his hand. "Alright, alright. I won't say anything. You continue, continue." He then turned to the wolf demon, who had lain down again, and asked, "Are you not feeling well?"
"I'm alright," the wolf demon replied, wary that Feng Qishi might plot against him, and thus did not reveal his true condition.
Feng Qishi said nothing.
A few minutes later, a Yin Messenger in a suit and his subordinate appeared before them.
"Isn't this a magical artifact from below?" the Yin Messenger in the suit asked immediately.
Mu Anxiao still had no intention of letting go. "There's a demon inside here."
"A demon? Then leave it to me," the Yin Messenger in the suit said, reaching out his hand.
Seeing the Yin Messenger in the suit reach out, the vine spirit quickly said, "Save me! He's grabbing people randomly. I'm from upstairs."
"Vine spirit, that's quite a stretch," Feng Qishi commented.
Hearing Feng Qishi's words, the vine spirit promptly shut its mouth.
The subordinate tugged on the Yin Messenger's sleeve. "This is a demonic creature. This one is about to become a demon. Let's capture her together."
"Little friend, you do speak carelessly," Mu Anxiao said, looking down at the subordinate.
The Yin Messenger in the suit glanced at his subordinate. "Why are you bullying our little boss?"
"Are you here to question me, Half-day?" Mu Anxiao asked, looking at the Yin Messenger's face.
The Yin Messenger in the suit's face flushed with embarrassment. "This is something from our underworld. Hand it over quickly."
"This is something from our side. What right do you have to demand it?" Mu Anxiao said again.
The Yin Messenger in the suit stated, "Our responsibility is to apprehend those who harbor such items. You are speaking irresponsibly. Hand it over immediately."
"How am I speaking irresponsibly? How am I harboring it?"
"What you said on the roadside near the overpass last night was overheard by passersby, and you frightened them greatly. That's speaking irresponsibly. And now," the Yin Messenger in the suit pointed at Mu Anxiao's hand, "your tight grip on it is harboring it."
"You really know how to frame people," Mu Anxiao said, glaring at the Yin Messenger in the suit.
"I did not," the Yin Messenger in the suit replied righteously.
The subordinate chimed in, "That's right, he didn't. You're just guilty conscience."
"Are you two doing nothing all day?" Feng Qishi asked.
Immediately, the subordinate and the Yin Messenger in the suit looked at Feng Qishi in unison. "What do you understand? You're just a mortal." With that, they shook hands.
Feng Qishi's mouth twisted. He was speechless.
Mu Anxiao continued to tightly grasp the vine spirit. "I won't give it to you. Let's see what you can do to me."
"If you don't give it to me, I'll hit you," the subordinate said, reaching out and hitting Mu Anxiao's arm a few times forcefully.
Mu Anxiao felt utterly exasperated by the subordinate's actions. She looked down at him. "Little brat, why didn't I notice how annoying you were before?"
"I think you're annoying too," the subordinate said, looking up with his small face.
The Yin Messenger in the suit cautiously glanced at Feng Qishi, who was staring at the subordinate. A smile played on his lips as he spread his thumb and index finger apart, then with a flick of his wrist, he gently pushed his hand towards Mu Anxiao. A beam of light flew from his fingertips, striking Mu Anxiao's wrist. Mu Anxiao's grip loosened, and the vine spirit escaped.