Mu Anxiao sighed softly and asked, "Did you hear that woman's voice just now?" She wanted to pry some information out of Zhao Xiang.
Zhao Xiang looked up at Mu Anxiao, blinked his eyes, and suddenly fell silent.
Mu Anxiao tutted, "I'm asking you, why are you spacing out?" She kicked Zhao Xiang's leg.
Zhao Xiang chuckled foolishly and said, "I only heard your voice." He pointed at Mu Anxiao, then helped She Ning up.
Listening to Zhao Xiang's words, Mu Anxiao thought about the threat the masked woman had made towards her and muttered, "That's not right. That woman's voice wasn't quiet." As she spoke, she inadvertently looked at the severely injured She Ning.
She Ning said, "I'm fine, don't worry." He thought Mu Anxiao was concerned about him and wanted to allay her worries first.
Unexpectedly, Mu Anxiao asked, "Did you hear it?"
She Ning was taken aback, "What?" Due to the pain, he hadn't heard their conversation clearly. In fact, he had been 'enduring the pain' the entire time.
"I mean," Mu Anxiao patiently continued, hoping to find some answers from She Ning, "Did you hear a woman's voice?"
"..." She Ning blinked and turned to look at Zhao Xiang, who was holding him.
Zhao Xiang's gaze flickered away.
She Ning asked, "Why are you avoiding my gaze?" As he spoke, he frowned, suddenly recalling Zhao Xiang's previous reply to Mu Anxiao, and realized, "Oh, you didn't hear it either."
"I didn't hear it in the first place," Zhao Xiang said in a low voice, as if hiding something.
At this moment, Mu Anxiao also saw through it. However, she reasoned that if Zhao Xiang chose to conceal it, he must have his reasons. It would be unrealistic to press him now. Helplessly, she followed She Ning's words and said, "Since you didn't hear it, perhaps I was... hallucinating."
"Why did you make us lie down earlier?" She Ning asked.
Mu Anxiao replied, "For your own good." She had originally intended to discuss the masked woman with them. Since one didn't know and the other was feigning ignorance, there was no value in continuing the conversation.
Zhao Xiang tightened his grip on She Ning's arm.
She Ning gasped in pain and said, "Did I offend you? Ow, ow, ow." He pushed Zhao Xiang's hand away.
Zhao Xiang was startled and chuckled foolishly at She Ning, saying, "Perhaps you shouldn't go."
"Why?" She Ning retorted, unwilling.
"You're so badly injured, it might not be worthwhile to find the master. If you ask me..."
"I can heal his injuries," Mu Anxiao interrupted Zhao Xiang.
After Mu Anxiao finished speaking, Zhao Xiang's gaze flickered away again, falling into silence.
Mu Anxiao looked calmly at Zhao Xiang, who had become strange since she asked the question. After a few seconds of hesitation, she asked, "Zhao Xiang, you don't want to find the coachman anymore, do you? You think it's too troublesome?" She said this intentionally to observe any clues from Zhao Xiang's demeanor and speech.
"No," Zhao Xiang replied dismissively.
"No," Mu Anxiao repeated, staring intently at Zhao Xiang's face. "Oh, if not, then why the expression?"
"What expression?" Zhao Xiang dared not offend Mu Anxiao, and his tone became cautious.
Mu Anxiao's lips curved into a smile. "An expression like you're about to die." As she spoke, she extended her hand.
Seeing this, Zhao Xiang looked confused. "What are you going to do?"
"What else? Heal him," Mu Anxiao said, beckoning. "Hand him over to me."
"Can't you just come over yourself?" Zhao Xiang said impatiently.
Mu Anxiao tutted, glanced at She Ning, who had also noticed Zhao Xiang's odd behavior, and said, "If I tell you to hand him over to me personally, then hand him over personally. What's with all the nonsense, who are you trying to impress?" She still held out her hand.
She Ning glanced at Zhao Xiang and said nothing.
Conversely, Zhao Xiang knew that his actions had caused She Ning's injuries and felt a hundred percent guilty towards him. He also knew that Mu Anxiao was only a half-baked practitioner of magic. If she made a mistake and took She Ning's life, who would be held accountable?
With various thoughts flooding his mind, Zhao Xiang suddenly doubted Mu Anxiao's 'skill'. "Are you really capable?"
"How could I not be? I..."
"Who's there?"
Hearing the voice, Mu Anxiao swallowed her words, exchanged glances with them, and together they turned and looked towards the direction of the sound. Immediately, Mu Anxiao thought for a moment, then hurriedly turned back to Zhao Xiang and She Ning, asking, "Did you hear that?"
"We heard it," they replied in unison, glancing at each other.
Upon hearing their response, Mu Anxiao breathed a sigh of relief, her heart filled with the certainty that the person was not a demon or a ghost. "That's good," she muttered, secretly pleased that she wouldn't have to waste any more stamina or spiritual energy.
Just then, the owner of the voice appeared in their sight. At first glance, they saw a man dressed in blue, wearing a conical hat, with a black cloth covering his face, holding a long bow, and with arrows on his back.
Zhao Xiang was stunned at the sight, and then the image of the hooded monster he had killed suddenly flashed through his mind, his eyes widening.
She Ning glanced at Zhao Xiang and said nothing.
At this moment, Mu Anxiao detected no trace of demonic or spiritual energy from the man. She confirmed that he was human.
"What are you doing here so late at night?" she asked.
The hooded man said, "The three of you..." he said, looking at each one of them, narrowing his eyes. "Are you some kind of demons, or are you monsters from around here?" As he spoke, he raised his hand and took out an arrow from behind.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao quickly said, "We are all human. You're quite spirited, young man." As she spoke, she looked at Zhao Xiang and She Ning.
She Ning tensed up, intending to remain silent.
Zhao Xiang tightly held She Ning's arm and whispered, "Is it a monster?" He glanced at She Ning from the corner of his eye.
She Ning cleared his throat and whispered, "Human."
"Human?"
She Ning nodded.
Immediately, Zhao Xiang recalled the monsters that had driven him mad. His eyes darkened, and he blurted out, "It's very dangerous over there."
"That answer is too perfunctory," the man said, picking up his long bow again.
Mu Anxiao could tell at a glance that this man was no easy adversary. No matter how powerful they were, if they were injured, it would be trouble. Especially She Ning, who was already a problem. If he were injured by this man, it would be a disaster.
Thinking of this, a sudden idea struck her. She smiled foolishly at the man and said, "We're lost." As she spoke, she looked at the bloodstains on Zhao Xiang's body and the severely injured She Ning, pouting her lips. "To tell you the truth, we're lost, and we encountered monsters up ahead." As she spoke, she stared steadfastly at the man's hat.