The Hat Monster: "Why have you stopped talking again?" He squinted, fixing his gaze on Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao: "I am a person." She looked at the Hat Monster with a perfunctory expression, forcing a smile.
The Hat Monster, not sensing Mu Anxiao's pretense, smiled back at her. "In that case, I'll give you a choice."
"What choice?" Mu Anxiao knew clearly that they intended to make her choose between life and death. However, to investigate more accurately whether they were connected to Ouyang Ye, she had to feign ignorance and refrain from fleeing.
The Hat Monster uttered two simple words: "Life or death."
"Life or death?" Mu Anxiao acted surprised, then her lips curved upward slightly. She continued, "Are you going to tear me apart then?"
"We would never do something so disgusting. We'll give you a choice," the Hat Monster said, raising his palm. "One, choose to be killed by the monsters. Two, defect to us. Three, follow me." He gestured with his chin. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"What does it mean to follow you?" Mu Anxiao asked, confused.
The Hat Monster: "To become my prey."
"Become your prey," Mu Anxiao repeated, taking a sharp breath. Then, she placed one hand behind her back, preparing to act covertly. "Is that so? I'd like to ask you, what's the difference between becoming your prey and becoming theirs?"
"Becoming my prey allows for a more dignified death. Conversely," the Hat Monster became serious, "becoming their prey means you will be torn apart. It's a choice between the two. Which do you prefer?"
"Then what does defecting to you mean?" Mu Anxiao inquired further.
The Hat Monster then chuckled. "It means abandoning your true self, digging into the deepest pain within your heart, and transforming yourself into... a monster like me."
"What do you mean?" Mu Anxiao feigned ignorance.
"It means..." the Hat Monster said, gesturing to the monsters behind him, then turning back to Mu Anxiao. "It means getting a face like theirs."
The same face?
Initially, Mu Anxiao hadn't paid much attention to how unsightly these monsters were. But hearing the Hat Monster say that, she realized... these monsters all bore the same face. Moreover, while these monsters were plain-looking, upon closer inspection, she discovered... the monsters in the dilapidated temple shared similarities with them.
The similarity was that their eyes were all protruding.
Lost in new thoughts, she pondered this.
Seeing Mu Anxiao like this, the Hat Monster couldn't help but frown. "Why have you fallen silent again?"
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao snapped back to attention, looked at the Hat Monster, and smiled. "Um, how do I become like them?"
"I have a way. You don't need to worry about that. Now," the Hat Monster became serious, "you just need to think about which choice to make."
"Choice..." Mu Anxiao hesitated.
Seeing Mu Anxiao's demeanor, the Hat Monster's frown deepened. "Is making a choice that difficult?"
"Mmm," Mu Anxiao nodded, smiling at the Hat Monster. "I just feel like I need to ponder this matter deeply. But then again, I don't want to die. In short... it's a dilemma." She shook her head as she spoke.
Hearing Mu Anxiao's words, the Hat Monster nodded and said, "This matter is indeed quite perplexing. Alright," he crossed his arms, "I'll give you time to think it over properly."
"Okay." Mu Anxiao continued to nod with a smile, then suddenly said, "Oh, right."
The Hat Monster froze.
Mu Anxiao asked solicitously, "Um, are you the same as them?" After speaking, she cautiously glanced at the monsters eager to devour her, then looked back at the Hat Monster.
The Hat Monster let out a light laugh. "Curiosity, at this stage for you, is not a good thing." He paused, then continued, "Are you sure you want to ask?"
"I'm asking, not being curious," Mu Anxiao replied with a grin.
The Hat Monster: "If I say I am the same as them," he said, peering through the black veil at Mu Anxiao's forced composure, and sneered, "would you believe me?"
"I believe you," Mu Anxiao responded immediately.
"Oh?"
Before this, the Hat Monster had encountered various people and situations with these monsters. Most of those people had been harmed by their own curiosity. Similarly, the Hat Monster had asked many people such questions, but none had believed him. Instead, they would use all sorts of flattering words to appease him. Only after he removed his hat would they fall silent. In this way, he had made this question a test of mortals' courage. He had secretly decided that anyone who answered 'I believe' would be spared. However, he had never encountered such a person until now. Mu Anxiao was the first, which surprised him.
"What's wrong?" Mu Anxiao dared not offend the Hat Monster easily, becoming even more cautious.
The Hat Monster: "I'm fine," he said, pursing his lips. He continued, "If I were to take off my hat, and you saw me, would you be afraid?"
"..." Mu Anxiao didn't understand the Hat Monster's words and frowned.
Seeing Mu Anxiao's blank expression, the Hat Monster added, "What I mean is, if you saw that I looked the same as them, would you be disappointed?"
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao suddenly laughed.
The Hat Monster, seeing this, looked puzzled. "What are you laughing at?" he asked, becoming suspicious. "Are you mocking me?"
"No," Mu Anxiao remained calm. From the Hat Monster's words, she inferred that his current state was likely related to his appearance in life. Coincidentally, she was not someone who judged people by their looks, so she had no interest in his appearance.
The Hat Monster snorted coldly. "You still say you're not mocking me. From your words, I can tell you are mocking me. You'll surely be startled when you see my face. You..."
"Can you stop overthinking? I'm laughing because I find what you just said funny."
"Which statement of mine?" the Hat Monster countered.
Mu Anxiao: "I think you don't need to be so self-conscious."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm not," the Hat Monster stated emphatically.
Listening to the Hat Monster, Mu Anxiao conceded, "Alright, you're not self-conscious."
"Good that you know," the Hat Monster softened his tone.
At this moment, Zhao Xiang was jolted by a word from the Hat Monster. His eyes lit up, and he turned to look in that direction, muttering, "Wearing a hat, could it be him." He then leaned slightly, trying to get a clearer look at the Hat Monster.
In the tree, She Ning noticed Zhao Xiang's presence. "As expected, he's hiding behind that tree," he said, then looked down at Mu Anxiao.