Feng Qi Shi saw the situation and quickly let go of Mu An Xiao's arm, saying, "You need to explain yourself clearly."
"Explain what? I don't understand," Mu An Xiao feigned ignorance.
Feng Qi Shi furrowed his brow slightly. "What do you mean the coachman has a problem?"
"It means nothing."
"You..."
"It really means nothing. I just want to take a walk, and by the way..." Mu An Xiao smiled, "take a look."
"Look at what?" Feng Qi Shi's thoughts were muddled by Mu An Xiao. He no longer knew how to question her.
Mu An Xiao: "Look at your residence, see how many servants you have, and see if there's a suitable woman for you." With a false smile, she turned and walked away.
Feng Qi Shi froze.
A quarter of an hour later.
Mu An Xiao stopped at the foot of a rockery in the back garden. After surveying the surroundings, she tilted her head up to look at the pavilion on the rockery.
At the same time, Feng Qi Shi was hiding behind the uneven stones, calmly observing Mu An Xiao's movements. What did she want to do? he wondered, narrowing his eyes.
Ahead, Mu An Xiao became still, then raised her index finger to her eyes and murmured, "This should work." As she took a deep breath, about to cast a spell, Jia suddenly appeared before her with Xiao Fei. Startled, she stopped casting.
Jia asked, "What are you doing?"
Hearing this, Mu An Xiao quickly lowered her hand and looked down at Jia, who was smugly looking at her. "What are you two doing here?" she asked, glancing at Xiao Fei as well.
Xiao Fei: "You said you would help me."
"I help you?" Mu An Xiao repeated, then snorted, "I already told you to leave, and you..."
"I saw it," Xiao Fei pointed to the blue light on Mu An Xiao's fingertip.
Mu An Xiao followed Xiao Fei's finger and looked at her own finger, saying, "So what if you saw it? You already know I'm Mu Xiao resurrected. Naturally, my secrets are gone in your eyes. Even if you saw it, it wouldn't affect me much." She shrugged.
Xiao Fei was speechless.
Then, Mu An Xiao looked down at Jia, who was looking up at her. "I'm saying, just tell me if anything happens. Why did you bring her?" She pointed at Xiao Fei.
"There was no other way."
"What do you mean?" Mu An Xiao sensed that Jia had another reason for being here!
"There are demon souls here," Jia said faintly, glancing at Xiao Fei. "I was afraid if I left her outside, she'd get lost and become a wandering spirit. That would be troublesome."
"So, you brought her along."
Jia nodded.
"Alright," Mu An Xiao said, glancing at Xiao Fei. After a moment of thought, she asked, "Do you know where this place is?"
Xiao Fei shook her head slightly.
"This is the General's mansion. Here, for you..."
"General Shen, is he here?"
"Yes, why are you asking?" Mu An Xiao sensed that Xiao Fei was hiding something.
Xiao Fei: "It's nothing, I just wanted to ask." She lowered her head.
Mu An Xiao calmly observed Xiao Fei's strange expression, thought for a moment, then looked down at Jia and asked, "Why didn't you discover the demon souls here before?"
"I just discovered them."
"Just now?"
"Yes. I was going to find an inn to eat something, but just as I was about to reveal myself, a wave of demonic energy drifted over." Jia said, sniffing the air around them, then pointing at Mu An Xiao's sleeve. "What's in your sleeve?"
"You can even smell that," Mu An Xiao said, taking out the ointment the coachman had given her from her sleeve. "It's the scent of this." She then handed the ointment to Jia.
Jia hesitated for a moment, then took the ointment. He opened the lid, sniffed, and his eyes widened. "It's her."
"Her? Who?" Mu An Xiao was bewildered.
Feng Qi Shi watched Jia's surprised reactions and furrowed his brow.
"This ointment can treat external wounds, and it's made using sorcery. Inside..."
"Wait, what happens if a normal person applies it?" Mu An Xiao interrupted. She suddenly remembered using it on her lips all the way here, and upon hearing Jia's words, she became scared.
Jia: "Normal people can indeed use it to treat wounds, and the effect is very good. But immortals..."
"What will happen to immortals?" Mu An Xiao thought of her own identity and became nervous.
Jia smiled. "Your reaction is a bit exaggerated." He pointed at Mu An Xiao and continued, "As for the effect on immortals, I'm not entirely sure, but I have some knowledge."
"Not entirely sure? Some knowledge?" Mu An Xiao was surprised.
Jia: "Well, because no immortal would use this, unless... they're foolish." He grinned.
Mu An Xiao looked at Jia's mocking expression while touching her lips. "Shut up."
Jia was startled. "What's wrong?"
"I used it," Mu An Xiao said, her eyes vacant as she met Jia's gaze.
Jia thought he misheard. "What did you say?"
"I said," Mu An Xiao looked at Xiao Fei, then back at Jia. "I used it. Do you think I'm going to die?"
"You won't die, but you will..." Jia frowned. "You'll become foolish."
"Ah?"
"I heard... it starts with hallucinations, then gradually, you'll become paranoid, then your speech will... stutter, and finally, you'll become foolish," Jia said, looking up at Mu An Xiao's face. "What stage are you at now?"
"Paranoid..." Mu An Xiao hesitated, then looked up at the pavilion on the rockery. "Look."
Jia followed Mu An Xiao's gaze, turned sideways, and looked up at the pavilion. "What?"
"Are there two children playing... rock, paper, scissors?" Mu An Xiao had seen children earlier, which was why she wanted to use her magic to light the lanterns on the pavilion. She thought it would make it easier for them to come down.
"..." In Jia's eyes, there was nothing in the pavilion.
Xiao Fei looked at the pavilion with Jia and asked curiously, "There are no children." She then turned to look at Mu An Xiao.
Mu An Xiao stiffened, shifting her gaze to Xiao Fei's face. "There really aren't any?"
Xiao Fei shook her head.
Jia slowly turned back to face Mu An Xiao and asked, "Are there any other strange reactions?"
"Other reactions..." Mu An Xiao said, sniffing the air. "I feel the scent of this ointment in the air, and I think... it's not demon souls, it's monsters."
"..." Jia's expression froze.
Feng Qi Shi calmly watched Mu An Xiao and the others, then thought about Jia's words in his mind, his brow furrowed tightly.
Xiao Fei couldn't smell anything and stared at Jia. "..."
Mu An Xiao looked at Jia's suddenly frozen expression and thought about her own symptoms. She was completely panicked. "Am I poisoned?" Her voice trembled.
Jia took a sharp breath. "When did you enter the palace?"
"In the latter half of the night, I think," Mu An Xiao replied softly, worried about her physical condition.