In the past, Mu Anxiao wouldn't have feared any so-called poisons. She had always been the one to detoxify others, never the one to be poisoned. But now… she couldn't even tell if she was poisoned or not. As she listened to the woman before her, a sense of disparity suddenly bloomed in her heart.
In that moment, she fell silent.
Seeing Mu Anxiao’s silent expression, the woman withdrew her taunts and mockery, saying, "I never make a move against a good-for-nothing. As I said before, I didn't capture you to take your life. I just need you to do me a favor."
"Do you a favor?" Mu Anxiao snorted lightly, "How could a good-for-nothing like me help you? Your thoughts, demon soul, are quite contradictory."
The woman lowered her eyes and smiled, "Whether I'm contradictory or not is not for you to say. Now, if you agree, I'll let you go."
"How can I agree if you haven't told me what it is?" Mu Anxiao retorted, narrowing her eyes. "However, if it's something that will cost a life, I absolutely will not agree." She said this not because she genuinely wanted to help this demon soul. Instead, she wanted to trick the demon soul into revealing its intentions, and then find a way to subdue her.
"You're quite straightforward," the woman said, satisfied with Mu Anxiao's reply.
"I've always been a straightforward person. Go on, tell me now," Mu Anxiao lifted her chin.
The woman removed her hand from Mu Anxiao's shoulder and said, "You know Yin Chai. I know that."
"..."
Seeing Mu Anxiao remain silent, the woman continued, "Have that Yin Chai steal something for me from the underworld. As soon as it's stolen, I'll let you go."
"What do you mean by that?" Mu Anxiao felt a sense of foreboding.
"The child outside has immortal destiny. Did you not see it?" the woman changed the subject.
Mu Anxiao clenched her fist slightly, swallowing her questions for the moment, and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
"Although I don't know who you truly are, I can tell you are also someone with considerable immortal destiny. That child is like you, but what's different is," the woman paused, slightly lowering her eyelids, "she is half-demon, half-human."
"Half-human?"
Before this, Mu Anxiao had not noticed any significant issues with Bing'er. She had always thought the coachman was the problem. Hearing the woman say this, she was indeed astonished.
"You could say that," the woman stated calmly.
"Then what you're saying is incorrect. She's a demon-human, so how can she have immortal destiny?" Mu Anxiao pointed out the flaw in the woman's words.
The woman's expression stiffened, and she grew angry. "If I say she has immortal destiny, then she has immortal destiny. You are not allowed to spout nonsense." As she spoke, she reached out her hand towards Mu Anxiao.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao quickly dodged and said, "You're not even letting me speak my mind."
"You are not allowed to call Bing'er a demon. If you..."
"What is your relationship with Bing'er?" Mu Anxiao interrupted, suddenly remembering that the coachman had said… a woman had given him the ointment. This made her suspect… if this woman was the one the coachman had mentioned.
"None of your business," the woman said, lowering her hand. Her eyes turned venomous.
Mu Anxiao: "I didn't want to meddle, but since you want me to help you, then," she paused deliberately, continuing, "I also have the right to know what I don't know. Don't you agree?"
"Bing'er and I have no relation."
"No relation, you..." Mu Anxiao stopped mid-sentence, her eyes suddenly lighting up, "I know."
The woman was startled by Mu Anxiao's sudden statement and asked with extreme caution, "Know what?"
"You are Bing'er's mother, aren't you?" Mu Anxiao stated presumptuously.
The woman's face hardened.
Seeing the instant change in the woman's expression, Mu Anxiao's lips curled. "It seems I've hit the mark. Bing'er is your daughter. If I'm not mistaken, you want Bing'er to consume the underworld's medicine, right?"
"Nonsense," the woman roared.
Mu Anxiao pouted and crossed her arms. "You're a demon soul, and a mother at that, yet you still want to maintain your innocence. I really don't know what you're thinking." She deliberately provoked the woman.
The woman clenched her fists. "If you say one more word, I'll poison you again. Believe it or not." As she spoke, she immediately unfurled her hand, revealing the box of medicine that had suddenly vanished from Mu Anxiao.
Upon seeing it, Mu Anxiao exclaimed, "This is the box of ointment the coachman gave me."
"Yes," the woman replied. She drew her hand over the medicine box, which automatically opened. "Now, I'm going to make you completely mad, and then make you die."
"If you make me mad, no one will help you."
"Shen Moyun outside is also useful," the woman said, then clenched and released her hand above the ointment, causing the medicine to levitate.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao took half a step back and glanced in the direction where Feng Qishi and the others were. She said, "He can hear everything you say."
"He cannot hear me, nor can he hear you."
"You..."
"Once this ointment is spread all over you, do you know what will happen to you?" the woman asked, her demeanor and expression appearing extremely sinister.
Mu Anxiao looked at the gradually approaching ointment, then recalled her experience being tormented by the strange medicine. She became fearful.
"Let's talk properly. You..."
"Someone like you who spouts such nonsense is only a menace to me. Death is your best ending," the woman interrupted, extending her palm and controlling the ointment.
In the next moment.
The originally white ointment, under the woman's manipulation, transformed into red light particles.
Mu Anxiao watched the light particles, then glanced at the faint spiritual energy and weak magic in her own hands. *Damn it, am I really going to die like this?* she thought.
As she pondered, she began to retreat continuously.
At the same time, the woman smiled at Mu Anxiao, then pulled her outstretched hand back. With a single sweep, the red ointment particles directly surged towards Mu Anxiao.
With nowhere left to retreat, Mu Anxiao stopped, her eyes fixed on the light particles carrying the wind. She clenched her fists, unsure of what to do, when suddenly a book emitting blue light pierced through the circle of light and descended from the sky, hovering before Mu Anxiao.
Immediately, the red light particles froze as the book appeared.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao frowned, unsure of what to do.
"Disciple, take your book."
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao’s body stiffened. She hurriedly looked left and right, whispering, "Master, is that you?"
Since Mu Anxiao became Mu Xiao, Zhang Yan had almost never appeared. Every time she encountered danger, he would only offer a brief helping hand. Zhang Yan was nowhere to be seen.
Gradually, Mu Anxiao lost her trust in Zhang Yan, even feeling the illusion of being abandoned by him.
Because of this, she began to doubt everything before her.
However, upon hearing Zhang Yan's voice, she was reassured.
Zhang Yan: "It's me. Take it. It contains your second layer of spiritual energy, and also the corresponding magic for the second layer of spiritual energy. Hurry and look. I'll help you control the demon soul."
"Thank you, Master," Mu Anxiao said, reaching out to take the book.
As Zhang Yan finished speaking, streams of blue light penetrated the mist, instantly binding the woman.
And just like that, the woman was immobilized.