Gu Yan watched Mu Anxiao's strongly insistent attitude and her confident demeanor. She knew that any further refusal would be futile.
With no other choice, she sighed and said, "There are some things I can't explain clearly. You'll have to come with me."
"You're going to take me to where the souls are hidden?"
"Mmm," Gu Yan nodded.
Mu Anxiao had expected Gu Yan to simply tell her the hiding place of the souls. To her surprise, Gu Yan was being direct. A smile curved her lips as she looked at Gu Yan. "Alright, it's not far, is it?"
"Not far."
"Where is it?" Mu Anxiao asked again.
Gu Yan replied, "Just follow me." With that, she walked ahead.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao turned to Feng Qishi. Before she could speak, Feng Qishi said, "I'll go with you."
This was Feng Qishi's territory, and more importantly, she was unfamiliar with it. In other words, while Gu Yan had concerns about Ouyang Ye, Mu Anxiao, at that moment, couldn't fully trust Gu Yan either. To avoid delaying the mission because of Gu Yan, she agreed to Feng Qishi's offer.
"Let's go," she nodded.
Lou Yi saw this and quickly said, "I'll go with you all."
"You and your boss can stay here," Mu Anxiao said, and then walked away.
Feng Qishi glanced at Lou Yi and Jia, then also left.
After they departed, Lou Yi slowly turned to Jia, who was staring intently at him, and gave a silly laugh. "What are you looking at me for?"
"You really don't want to be alone with me."
"I don't."
"If not, then why do you always want to follow Mu Anxiao and the others?"
"I..." Lou Yi uttered the word and chuckled sheepishly.
Jia glared at Lou Yi and said nothing more.
Seeing this, Lou Yi let out a sigh of relief.
Moments later.
Mu Anxiao and Feng Qishi, after confirming they weren't being followed, arrived with Gu Yan in front of a dilapidated building that was the most hidden place in the mansion, unknown even to Feng Qishi.
"The woodshed," Mu Anxiao said.
Gu Yan turned and looked at Mu Anxiao. "This isn't the woodshed."
"This must be a storeroom," Feng Qishi said uncertainly.
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao immediately turned to Feng Qishi and asked, "Hey, isn't this your house?"
"Yes," Feng Qishi nodded.
"It's your house, yet you're unfamiliar with this place," Mu Anxiao remarked, glaring at Feng Qishi. She then looked at Gu Yan, "She knows more than you do."
Had Mu Anxiao not said this, Feng Qishi wouldn't have felt anything and might even have felt a bit ashamed.
However, the moment Mu Anxiao uttered these words, Feng Qishi recalled Gu Yan's easy description of the place and began to suspect her. "When did you come to my place?"
Hearing this, Gu Yan, fearing Feng Qishi's misunderstanding, replied, "In the last few days."
"Days?" Feng Qishi's tone turned stiff.
Gu Yan continued, "I can't explain it clearly. Anyway, I was bored and wandered around. While wandering, I discovered this place."
"How did you find it?" Mu Anxiao asked.
Gu Yan explained, "All the other places had servants, except for the path leading here. So, I became curious. In the end," she glanced at Feng Qishi timidly and continued, "I found this place, and afterward, I brought all those souls here." As she spoke, she waved her arm, and the door opened.
Immediately, the souls, standing in neat rows, appeared before Feng Qishi and Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao's expression turned to surprise. "How did you do that?" She shifted her gaze back to Gu Yan.
Gu Yan nodded slightly. "I just... used my method." She didn't know how to explain, and her demeanor had become somewhat reserved under the influence of the situation.
Mu Anxiao understood Gu Yan's feelings and didn't ask further. She stepped forward and said, "You can go now."
"Hey?" Gu Yan was startled and looked up at Mu Anxiao. "What are you going to do?"
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao turned slightly to Gu Yan and said, "Go back and report that I hid all these souls here." She then paused, remembering Gu Yan's extreme fear of Ouyang Ye, and her heart sank. "Of course, if you're afraid, you can wait. But I'm being upfront: this general's mansion is not that large. Gu Yan might find her way here any moment. By then, you won't be able to account for yourself to Ouyang Ye. Thinking for the worst, he might even kill you."
"..." Gu Yan was stunned.
Feng Qishi couldn't understand Mu Anxiao's intentions and remained silent.
Mu Anxiao calmly watched Gu Yan's stunned expression and smiled faintly. "I know I might be exaggerating, but the reality is that harsh."
"Perhaps this is a trap set by Ouyang Ye for you."
"That would be even better."
"What?" Gu Yan asked, confused.
Mu Anxiao continued, "Given Ouyang Ye's unique way of thinking, I believe he would indeed think that I hid the souls. But the truth is, it wasn't me, right?" She tilted her chin up.
Gu Yan nodded. "Yes, it wasn't you."
Mu Anxiao shrugged. "So, doesn't this reverse the situation?"
"What do you mean?" Gu Yan asked, her mind still slow to grasp it.
Mu Anxiao understood why Gu Yan couldn't figure it out and said, "What I mean is, we'll go along with his plan for now." Fearing Gu Yan wouldn't understand, she patiently explained, "Let me put it this way: you are a demon soul I sent to be by his side, and I am the one he suspects. Now, what I'm doing is equivalent to walking into a trap."
"Mmm."
"Naturally, he believes that everything has proceeded smoothly, right?"
"Right."
"You know what the truth is, don't you?" Mu Anxiao asked deliberately.
Gu Yan thought for a moment and exclaimed, "Go along with the plan, so when he thinks everything is going smoothly, I also gain his trust. This way, our affairs can proceed smoothly."
"You can still think?" Mu Anxiao said, laughing.
In contrast, Feng Qishi's expression turned grim. "But aren't you throwing yourself into the abyss?"
"Abyss..." Mu Anxiao said, letting out a light scoff. "Shen Moyun, have you forgotten something?"
"What?"
"I am already dead. All these things were done by me when I was alive. He, on the other hand, wants to prove that Gu Yan is his capable subordinate. The only way to do that is to prove with facts that I hid the souls. Only then can he feel at ease. Do you understand?"
Gu Yan suddenly realized. "That's right! You're already dead, so even if this matter implicates you, it's useless! He... still won't believe my words!" She hadn't understood Mu Anxiao's intention.
Mu Anxiao had intended to have Gu Yan tell Ouyang Ye that she was responsible for everything, thereby unsettling him.
However, just as she was about to succeed, Feng Qishi interjected, and not only that, but she also stirred up Gu Yan's fear.
Mu Anxiao was at a loss for words.
Gu Yan said, "Then what should we do? In this case, isn't this trap still set for me?"
Everything had suddenly become complicated. With a sigh, Mu Anxiao stared at Gu Yan's face, utterly speechless.
Mortal Enemies: The Rise of the Phoenix was still updating the no-error chapters.