Shuer saw Mu Anxiao looking at her, her eyes darkened. She obediently walked down the steps and came before Mu Anxiao, saying nothing.
Mu Anxiao remained silent as well.
After staring at each other for a while, Shuer finally spoke, "I can't say."
Mu Anxiao replied, "I wasn't planning on getting anything from you anyway. The fact that you're alive," she reached out and patted Shuer's shoulder, "is good enough."
"Thank you," Shuer averted her gaze and lowered her head.
Seeing Shuer's reserved demeanor, Mu Anxiao thought of the missing Feng Qishi and said, "Alright, if there's nothing else, you can go. I'd like to be alone for a bit." She then turned towards the dilapidated house.
Shuer cautiously glanced at Mu Anxiao's retreating back and left.
...
This matter had been dragging on for a long time. At first, Mu Anxiao thought it would be over soon, that she would soon achieve victory. But unexpectedly, every time she thought things were turning for the better, a drastic twist would occur, just like now.
At this moment, her heart was utterly exhausted.
Lowering her eyelids slightly, she began to doubt herself, wondering if she was capable enough, if she could truly contend with Ouyang Ye. A series of negative emotions washed over her.
Thinking back, ever since Shen Yan's passing, nothing had gone smoothly for her. Cultivating immortality was not smooth, missions were not smooth. Not only that, but she had also made a host of enemies among the demon souls. Since arriving here, in the year she became Mu Xiao, things had been even less smooth. She was targeted everywhere, constantly felt the sting of unfair treatment, and endured the indifference and warmth from various people.
Musing on these things, she finally broke down.
"Mu Anxiao, you've had enough. You're not good at becoming immortal, you're not good at capturing demon souls, you're not even good at hating Ouyang Ye. What can you even do? Now look," she said, clenching her fists, unable to contain her emotions any longer, "Feng Qishi is completely dragged into this because of you. How could you be so stupid? Why did you trust Ouyang Ye, why?" As she spoke, she gritted her teeth, with nowhere to vent her frustration, and began stomping her feet fiercely.
Just then, the dilapidated door creaked open. Mu Anxiao stopped her stomping, turned her head, and saw a man in green clothes holding a lantern.
Immediately, the man greeted Mu Anxiao with a smile, "Mu Anxiao, long time no see!"
Long time no see?
The man in green at the dilapidated door was so familiar to Mu Anxiao, yet for some reason, she couldn't recall who he was.
Thus, lost in her thoughts, she stood stunned.
The man in green looked at Mu Anxiao's blank expression, smiled faintly, and then walked towards her. He raised the lantern, deliberately illuminating his face, "See? Do you remember now?"
In the light of the man's lantern, Mu Anxiao finally saw his face clearly. In that instant, she remembered that Shen Yan had a junior brother who loved to wear green. She recalled that this junior brother seemed to dislike her.
Putting that aside, she also remembered that her junior brother was clearly a youth, yet the man in green before her looked much more mature than Shen Yan's junior brother.
With this, she began to seriously suspect that the man before her was likely Ouyang Ye's subordinate.
With this unnecessary suspicion, she took a step back and said, "Are you Ouyang Ye's subordinate too?"
"Ouyang Ye?" the man in green repeated, then laughed. "Mu Anxiao, you don't even remember me? We've been through things together, haven't we? Your memory is too poor."
"Who are you—"
"Rabbit," the man in green reminded her.
Rabbit?
Indeed, Mu Anxiao had undertaken a mission involving rabbits.
In her memory, that mission involved rabbit spirits rebelling and occupying the Immortal Cultivation Sect. After that, a series of strange events unfolded, and it was after that incident that she abandoned Feng Qishi.
Ouyang Ye had not appeared during that time.
Therefore, from this point, it could be deduced that the person before her was not Ouyang Ye's subordinate. But even so, she didn't believe he was the same as her junior brother.
"Who exactly are you?" she couldn't help but ask.
The man in green sighed in exasperation and took a sharp breath. "I've already explained so clearly, and you still don't recognize me?" He seemed anxious.
As Mu Anxiao listened to the man's agitated words, she looked at his face again and found that he did bear some resemblance to her junior brother. She pondered for a moment and tentatively asked, "You are Shen Yan, Feng Qishi's junior brother, Shen..." She couldn't recall the man's name and paused, asking, "What's your name?"
"My name is Shen Lü," the man in green introduced himself helplessly.
This time, Mu Anxiao reacted, "You're really Shen Fengzi's junior brother?"
"Authentic. Speaking of which," Shen Lü said with a slight curl of his lips, "after all these experiences, you haven't improved at all."
Not improved at all?
Shen Lü's words pierced Mu Anxiao's heart like needles. She lowered her head, feeling dejected.
Seeing this, Shen Lü chuckled, "You're too sensitive."
"I lost your senior brother," Mu Anxiao said in a low voice.
Shen Lü laughed, "Oh, I know about that." He nodded.
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao immediately looked up at Shen Lü, exclaiming in surprise, "You know, then why didn't you tell me?"
"Would telling you have made any difference? If I told you, would my senior brother be released by that Ouyang Ye?" Shen Lü said, smiling wryly. "It's been decades, and you still haven't grown. You're still so childish."
"You've certainly grown a lot, even your appearance has changed," Mu Anxiao mumbled.
Due to the environment, Shen Lü clearly heard Mu Anxiao's words and said, "Envious, aren't you? In just a few decades, haven't I become more manly?" He puffed out his chin.
Mu Anxiao offered a perfunctory smile, "You have become more manly. But I must say," she inadvertently noticed the stubble on Shen Lü's chin and chuckled dryly, "can you shave your beard? What kind of image is this?"
"This is an important mark of my manliness," Shen Lü said, stroking his beard.
Mu Anxiao's lips twitched. She nodded and said, "Alright, you're in your rebellious phase. I won't say anything. If you want to keep it, then keep it. However," she frowned, "why are you here?"
"My senior brother is here, so naturally I have to be here as well. Also," Shen Lü smiled, "I am the general of this Jincheng. To tell you the truth, this manor is also mine."
"Yours?" Mu Anxiao froze, as if she had heard momentous news.
Shen Lü laughed, "In his previous life, your senior brother became a mortal because of you. At that time, he felt useless and wanted to resign from his post. But I felt that wouldn't be right, so I took over for him from time to time and managed this place. Over time, this became my home."