Outside, after observing for a long time, the girl still saw nothing. Unwilling to give up, she clenched her fists, turned away from the window, ignoring the dirt-faced man, and walked to the door. Lowering her head, she stared at the magically sealed lock.
The dirt-faced man knew better than anyone how determined the girl was to take his ‘life’. Seeing her serious expression, he decided not to disturb her, lest he anger her and harm himself. Yu Xiaosheng.
By the window, after seeing the girl off, Lou Yi turned his gaze back to Jia, who was still performing his spell. Just as he was about to think, 'He should be able to do it,' Jia opened his eyes and lowered his hands. "Finished?" he asked.
Jia tilted his head to look at the ceiling beam and said, "I don't know."
"You don't know? What do you mean?" Lou Yi, not daring to ask too directly, inquired in a casual manner.
"I used a spell to break the boundary, but," Jia looked up at Lou Yi, "I don't know about its effects."
"You don't know the effects, so you can't feel them yourself?" Lou Yi asked again.
Jia blinked and said, "This... turn around." He pointed at the window.
Seeing this, Lou Yi looked confused. "You're making me face the window for punishment, and I haven't said anything provocative... too much, have I?" As he spoke, he began to reflect on his own words.
Jia sighed in exasperation. "Just turn around when I tell you to, why so much talk?"
"At least give me a reason," Lou Yi said cautiously, still unwilling to offend Jia.
Jia acted this way because he was unsure if he had truly succeeded. He felt that he had shown Lou Yi his 'best' side before, and no matter what Lou Yi thought now, he felt ashamed of himself at that moment.
Therefore, to compensate for his failure, he was prepared to be ridiculed by Lou Yi. "Turn around first, and then I'll tell you," he said.
Lou Yi smiled. "You really are... mysterious." With that, he turned to face the window.
"Say something to the outside, see if anyone outside can hear you," Jia said calmly.
Upon hearing this, Lou Yi's body stiffened. He quickly turned to look at Jia, exclaiming, "Are you crazy?"
"You..." Jia suddenly lost confidence and his attitude towards Lou Yi softened considerably. "As long as someone outside hears your voice, it means I've succeeded... halfway."
"Why only halfway?" Lou Yi was puzzled.
Jia's eyes darted around, and he said with a sigh, "Because that female demon didn't see us."
"You mean, only if people outside can see us, then the boundary is broken," Lou Yi suddenly understood.
Jia did not want to admit it, but he had to. With a faint sigh, he braced himself for Lou Yi's ridicule and said, "Yes."
"If people outside can hear my voice, it means half the success," Lou Yi reiterated.
Jia patiently replied, "Yes."
"So," Lou Yi said, pausing for a few seconds before continuing, "you probably failed."
Jia was displeased. "You're denying my ability before I've even done anything. That's a bit much." He ultimately couldn't accept being ridiculed by Lou Yi.
"We've been talking for so long, and no one outside can hear us, so..." Lou Yi was startled by Jia's fierce gaze. "Isn't that failure?" His voice trailed off.
Jia put on a stern face. "Shout loudly, see if anyone outside can hear you. If they do, it means I've succeeded."
"Isn't this a bit redundant?" Lou Yi worried about waking them up and was reluctant to comply with Jia's request.
"Go," Jia growled.
Lou Yi was genuinely startled by Jia's tone. "Whether I go or not, it..."
"It's just a test, it won't cost you a piece of your flesh."
"It won't," Lou Yi replied casually.
Jia raised his chin. "Since it won't cost you anything, then go for me." He gestured towards the window with his hand.
Thus, Lou Yi was intimidated by Jia. "I'll try," he said, turning back to face the window and calling out softly, "Is anyone there?"
At the same time, Jia glanced back at the still-unconscious coachman and others, thinking they probably wouldn't wake up.
Outside.
The dirt-faced man, upon hearing Lou Yi's question, quickly withdrew his gaze from the girl. Just as he was about to walk towards the window, the girl called out, "Wait."
Hearing this, the dirt-faced man stopped reluctantly. He looked at the girl, who had extended one hand as if to stop him, and asked, "What is it?"
"There are indeed people inside," the girl said. She glanced at the door lock, then turned and walked towards the window.
Seeing the girl move, the dirt-faced man also stood still.
Lou Yi poked the torn window paper with his spit-covered index finger, tearing a large slit. He then leaned forward, closed one eye, and peered out through the gap. He saw the girl standing still 'in front' of him and was stunned. "Can you see me?" he asked.
Only his voice was heard, not his person.
The girl passed by Lou Yi and looked through the existing crack into the empty woodshed. She frowned. "Who are you?" she scanned the interior, still seeing nothing.
Hearing the girl's words, Jia's heart pounded with excitement.
"I am..." Lou Yi was happy for Jia and said in a low voice, "Who I am is not important. That door lock has a spell on it, be careful."
"I'm fine. Speaking of which," the girl frowned, "are you a human or a demon?"
"Neither," Lou Yi said calmly.
"Then what are you?" The girl's curiosity was instantly piqued by Lou Yi's identity.
Jia listened to Lou Yi's somewhat mysterious reply, and then thought of Lou Yi's half-baked 'little immortal' persona. He frowned, wanting to tell Lou Yi to shut up, but he was afraid the girl would discover him. Helpless, he could only watch Lou Yi act foolishly.
Lou Yi let out a low chuckle.
With Lou Yi's laugh, Jia was completely speechless.
Then, the girl, like Lou Yi, let out a laugh and said, "What are you laughing at? Did you think of something happy?"
"Not really," Lou Yi shook his head.
The girl frowned. "Then why are you laughing? Can you tell me why?" she asked, feigning gentleness. "I want to know."
"Do you think I'm a demon or a human?" Lou Yi asked intentionally.
The girl covered her mouth and smiled. "I can't see you, so you must be a demon." With that, she reached out and lightly touched the window paper.
Lou Yi smiled. "You guessed right." Only one's own kind can communicate normally, and with that, he felt it was necessary to play along.
"I knew it," the girl said, smiling. "Is it just you inside?"
Just one person?
Lou Yi hadn't expected the girl to suddenly inquire about this. His heart sank, and he immediately turned his head to look at Jia, who was 'scheming,' and gestured towards the window, unsure how to respond.