Initially, Mu Anxiao had placed a degree of trust in the man in the bamboo hat. However, the moment he asked that question, her suspicion of him deepened. "You say you're not from the cultivation sects. Fine, tell me," her gaze was sharp, "tell me, why were you fighting those monsters?"
"You don't need to know," the man in the bamboo hat replied coldly.
Mu Anxiao disliked the man's attitude. She narrowed her eyes and continued, "I don't need to know, but it seems you're not here to do good deeds."
"Are you in league with the monsters?" The man in the bamboo hat could only infer this from Mu Anxiao's words.
Similarly, Zhao Xiang instantly couldn't understand Mu Anxiao. "No, why are you wasting your breath with him? We have things to do. Don't delay, alright?" He was eager to return and earn merit, so he was feeling anxious.
Conversely, Mu Anxiao now wanted to know this man's purpose because, in her heart, apart from Ouyang Ye, she detested people from the cultivation sects the most. She vividly remembered all the terrible things they had done. Furthermore, she thought that any normal person entering this place would be flustered, but this man was so calm. Not only that, but he was also hunting monsters. It struck her that she suddenly had a premonition.
Because of this, she didn't want to let him go.
However, Zhao Xiang's words were not unreasonable. She couldn't afford to delay any longer. Before dawn, she had to find the carriage driver, or else Feng Qi Shi would truly be in trouble. Various thoughts flooded her mind, and her thoughts became chaotic.
Zhao Xiang frowned, looking at Mu Anxiao's inaction.
Then, She Ning shifted his gaze to the man in the bamboo hat and asked, "You said you wanted to fight monsters?"
Upon hearing this, the man in the bamboo hat withdrew his angry gaze from Mu Anxiao and looked at She Ning. "Yes," he said. After scanning She Ning from head to toe, he continued, "You're injured."
"I..."
"Whether he's injured or not has nothing to do with you," Mu Anxiao interrupted She Ning, glaring at the man in the bamboo hat. "We've seen those monsters. They're not easy to deal with."
"You're trying to persuade me to leave?" The man in the bamboo hat saw through Mu Anxiao's intentions at a glance.
Mu Anxiao said coldly, "Since you know what I mean, hurry up and leave." She waved her hand.
Seeing Mu Anxiao like this, the man in the bamboo hat chuckled. "Are you concerned about me, or..." He narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to stop me?"
"Those monsters are not something you can handle. With your mortal weapons, it's simply impossible," She Ning said agitatedly.
"You look down on me," the man in the bamboo hat said again, looking at She Ning.
She Ning placed a hand on his chest and coughed twice. "I don't look down on you. There are many monsters over there, and you have too few arrows. Also," he took a deep breath, "your arrows are too ordinary. And, I heard that those monsters are protected by demonic energy. These arrows will likely break before they even get close to them. Do you understand what I mean?"
Mu Anxiao crossed her arms in front of her.
Unexpectedly, after a few seconds of silence, the man in the bamboo hat chuckled. "Are you trying to scare me?"
"I'm not trying to scare you. You..."
"Were you and your companions injured by the monsters?" the man in the bamboo hat said, shifting his gaze from She Ning's face to Mu Anxiao's. "By the way, are you from a cultivation sect?"
"I am not."
"You are not," the man in the bamboo hat said, his tone chilling. "Then on what grounds do you say I am?"
"Are you cultivating?" Mu Anxiao asked again.
After Mu Anxiao asked this, the man in the bamboo hat snorted coldly again. "You're quite rude. What I say, you just repeat. Let me tell you," he said, taking a step forward. "Who I am has nothing to do with you."
"You..."
"I've heard of the cultivation sects, but I've never set foot in them. As for who my master is, I won't tell you. Now," the man in the bamboo hat said, bending down to meet Mu Anxiao's eyes, "don't waste any more of my time. This place is not safe. Take your people and leave quickly."
"You..."
"I have an irreconcilable hatred for those monsters. What happens here has nothing to do with you, or them. Of course, if you want to die," the man in the bamboo hat gave a clear chuckle, "I can oblige."
Oblige, irreconcilable hatred?
These phrases were thoroughly etched into Mu Anxiao's mind. Immediately, Mu Anxiao stared intently into the eyes of the man in the bamboo hat, but because of the hat's shade and the darkness, she couldn't see the shape of his eyes clearly.
However, this didn't diminish her curiosity. "Are you from that village? Did they destroy your village?"
"Can you stop asking questions?" Zhao Xiang couldn't stand it any longer.
Similarly, the man in the bamboo hat became impatient. "You don't need to worry about my affairs," he said, glancing at She Ning, who had started coughing again. "You're quite badly injured."
"You actually noticed," Zhao Xiang said in surprise.
Mu Anxiao rolled her eyes at Zhao Xiang, who was making small talk, and then looked back at the man in the bamboo hat. "I advise you, over there..."
"You are a woman," the man in the bamboo hat suddenly said.
Normally, when Mu Anxiao wore men's clothing, very few mortals could tell she was a woman. Therefore, the moment the man in the bamboo hat said this, she froze. For some reason, she felt a sense of embarrassment.
At the same time, the man in the bamboo hat took out a medicine bottle from his sleeve, then walked around Mu Anxiao to stand in front of She Ning and Zhao Xiang. "Here," he handed the bottle to She Ning.
She Ning was taken aback and waved his hand.
The man in the bamboo hat said, "My pill cures all ailments. If you take it, it will definitely help." As he spoke, he opened the stopper and poured out a golden pill, offering it to She Ning.
She Ning looked at it and asked, "Is this an immortal medicine?" He stared at the pill.
The man in the bamboo hat: "Take it. It's not poison."
"You..."
"Are you an immortal? If it's possible, help me take that guy away later. He's too bothersome." As he said this, the man in the bamboo hat glanced sideways at Mu Anxiao, who was looking back at him at the same time, and then turned back to She Ning.
Mu Anxiao frowned, suddenly not knowing what to say.
She Ning glanced at Mu Anxiao and smiled. "I can't help with that, but," he hesitated for a moment, "I cannot accept your pill."
"You are very badly injured," the man in the bamboo hat said earnestly.
She Ning's eyes darkened. Just as he was about to speak, the man in the bamboo hat added, "Your complexion is very bad. If you don't take this, you'll just have to wait..." He paused, then continued, "I won't say any unpleasant words."
She Ning understood the man in the bamboo hat's meaning, so for his own sake, he reached out and took the pill.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao quickly said, "You actually dare to eat it. He..." Before she could finish, the man in the bamboo hat suddenly turned around, picked up his bow and arrow, and struck Mu Anxiao on the head. Mu Anxiao's mind went blank, and she fell.
Zhao Xiang was stunned.
She Ning watched this scene, put down the pill, and exclaimed, "What did you do to her?" He had lost all trust in the man in the bamboo hat.