"It seems you don't pay much attention to her," Mu Anxiao remarked with a sigh, her heart sinking as she recalled Bing'er's recent state.
Feng Qishi knew Mu Anxiao wouldn't ask such questions without reason. "Did you see something just now?" he inquired.
"I did," Mu Anxiao replied calmly.
Feng Qishi had expected Mu Anxiao to ignore his question as she had before, but to his surprise, she not only answered but also mentioned seeing Bing'er. He looked astonished, unsure how to proceed with the conversation.
"..."
Mu Anxiao calmly observed Feng Qishi's stunned expression. "Her aura is very weak. Do you know why?" she asked, feeling Feng Qishi deserved to know.
Feng Qishi shook his head.
"Because her soul is protected by spiritual energy," Mu Anxiao explained. "What I need to know now," she continued earnestly, "is when she was possessed. Only then…" She trailed off.
"Why did you stop talking?" Feng Qishi asked, confused.
"I promised Bing'er I would save her, but she herself doesn't know how long her soul has been protected by spiritual energy. This," Mu Anxiao admitted with a troubled expression, "leaves me unsure of what to do."
"Just rescue her directly," Feng Qishi said simply.
Mu Anxiao sighed. "If only it were as simple as you say. Her soul is sealed within her body, and her condition is deteriorating. However, the rules below state that if a child's soul is lost for a month and then found, and their body is still intact, they can be revived. But if it's over a month, they are considered dead." She frowned, perplexed.
Feng Qishi's mouth twitched. "The rules below are truly peculiar."
"They are strange, but we must abide by them. Therefore," Mu Anxiao said, looking down at Bing'er's face, "I must know how long she has been gone."
"Not long, probably," Jia interjected suddenly.
Feng Qishi and Mu Anxiao's eyes lit up simultaneously as they turned to look at Jia.
"If she were truly dead, once the demon soul possessing her body left, she would lose vital signs. But now, she hasn't," Jia stated, reaching out to touch Bing'er's arm. "From my observation, her vital signs are relatively stable, so it probably hasn't been long."
"What you say makes sense," Lou Yi commented drily.
Jia shot Lou Yi a glance but said nothing.
"You've only recently returned," Mu Anxiao observed.
Heeding Mu Anxiao's reminder and considering Bing'er's situation, Feng Qishi exclaimed, "I remember now! She started changing about half a month ago."
"Half a month ago?" Mu Anxiao narrowed her eyes. "I see."
"See what?"
"Gu Qin doesn't know Bing'er's body has been possessed," Mu Anxiao stated with certainty.
"What makes you say that?" Lou Yi asked.
Mu Anxiao glanced at Lou Yi, who was temporarily making his presence known, and replied, "Because she wants to save Bing'er's life."
"That's true," Lou Yi nodded.
Jia, growing impatient with Lou Yi's constant interjections, said, "Can you stop talking?"
Lou Yi nodded in response.
Jia glared at Lou Yi, then turned back to Mu Anxiao. "Since Gu Qin doesn't know, it's strange. Can't she sense who it is? They're sisters, after all."
"They aren't close sisters, nor are they familiar with each other," Mu Anxiao replied, lowering her gaze. "I understand now. Many things must have happened between Gu Qin and Gu Yan, and trying to extract those details from them would be like seeking the impossible."
"Is Gu Qin the same?" Jia inquired.
Mu Anxiao looked at Jia and sneered. "Of course. She told Hei Feng so much, yet she never mentioned why she wanted Bing'er to marry Shen Fengzi. Do you know what that implies?" She gestured with her chin.
Jia, slow to grasp the meaning, asked, "Implies what?"
"She has the same goal as Gu Yan. No, that's not quite right," Mu Anxiao corrected herself. "She's likely a subordinate of Ouyang Ye, but Ouyang Ye offended her, so she started targeting Bing'er."
"Didn't she want to save Bing'er?" Jia's mind was in disarray.
Mu Anxiao speculated, "She wants to save Bing'er, and the purpose of saving Bing'er is to oppose Gu Yan." Her eyes were resolute, as if she had already uncovered all the facts.
This time, Lou Yi glanced at Mu Anxiao and fell silent.
Conversely, Mu Anxiao, noticing Lou Yi's silence, felt a sense of unease. "Why aren't you speaking? Do you think I'm wrong?"
"My mind is a bit jumbled right now," Lou Yi admitted truthfully, clutching his head.
Upon hearing this, Mu Anxiao turned to Feng Qishi. "What do you think?"
"Let's be realistic. Relying on guesses," Feng Qishi said, losing the courage to meet Mu Anxiao's gaze, "isn't a solution. You should just be quiet for a bit."
"My guesses might be correct, though."
"That's still a possibility. Moreover, these matters are hard to say. The grievances between demon souls are beyond our grasp or comprehension. In that case," Lou Yi added, "I think you might as well try to approach Ouyang Ye. You might get some useful information."
"How do I approach him?"
"…A honey trap," Lou Yi suggested, glancing at Mu Anxiao's face and chuckling foolishly. "Although you aren't exactly beautiful."
"You..." Mu Anxiao pointed at Lou Yi, shaking her head. "That method is not feasible."
"How is it not feasible?" Lou Yi retorted.
Mu Anxiao curled her lips. "I am so attractive that if I used that method, what if he wanted to marry me on the spot? And his demon arts are so potent," she said, "what would I do then?"
"That's just vanity," Jia said helplessly.
Mu Anxiao gave Jia a sideways glance. "Alright, I am being vain." She still felt Lou Yi's idea was too simplistic.
Feng Qishi's expression darkened.
After several sighs, Mu Anxiao turned to Feng Qishi. "What's wrong?"
"I will not let Ouyang Ye succeed," Feng Qishi muttered, meeting Mu Anxiao's eyes. "I'm going to see him."
"You?"
"As far as I know, he won't revert to his true self anytime soon, so if I go, he'll have to be more honest." Feng Qishi simply didn't want to see Mu Anxiao with Ouyang Ye.
"What you say seems plausible," Mu Anxiao remarked calmly.
"What do you mean 'seems plausible'? It is plausible," Feng Qishi stated, rising to his feet. "No more talk, I'm leaving."
"Be careful," Mu Anxiao said, now anticipating news from Feng Qishi.
Feng Qishi left the room without another word.
Jia and Lou Yi stared at the door, sighed repeatedly, then exchanged a look before turning to Mu Anxiao. "..."
"Why are you looking at me?" Mu Anxiao asked, puzzled.
"I don't think he'll gain anything going in that state," Jia said bluntly.
"What state?" Mu Anxiao questioned.
"Jealousy," Lou Yi added just as bluntly.
Upon hearing this, Mu Anxiao glanced at them both, speechless.