Startled, Feng Qishi asked, "What are you doing?" as he quickly squatted down and grabbed Mu Anxiao's arm.
Mu Anxiao didn't move. Instead, she continued to stare at the puddle of potion on the carpet for a few seconds, saying, "I know." Her eyes brightened.
"Know what?" Feng Qishi asked, releasing his grip.
"This potion was made with sorcery," Mu Anxiao said, pointing twice at the carpet.
Feng Qishi was bewildered. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"I can hear Zhao Xiang's thoughts," Mu Anxiao said, standing up.
Feng Qishi stood up with Mu Anxiao and asked, "How can you hear his thoughts?"
"No," Mu Anxiao shook her head, completely disregarding Feng Qishi as she spoke. "It should be that I can hear his wicked intentions. I can't hear all his thoughts."
"..." Feng Qishi was completely lost and, deciding to remain silent, he did just that.
Mu Anxiao stepped over the scattered debris and walked to the bedside, peering down at Amei's face. "As expected, she's been targeted," she said, bending down and grabbing Amei's arm.
Feng Qishi exclaimed in shock, "What are you doing?"
"I must save her."
"You intend to take her with you," Feng Qishi stated calmly.
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao released her hand and turned to look at Feng Qishi. "You've kept your word; I believe you. But," she said, "I can't use healing spells, and neither can you. The only way now is to find an immortal who can save her, otherwise, she will die."
"Where will you find one?" Feng Qishi asked, surprised by Mu Anxiao's seemingly naive idea.
However, Mu Anxiao's intention in acting this way was precisely to ignite Feng Qishi's fighting spirit and make him forget the experience that had caused him to falter.
In other words, as Feng Qishi had said, she was using a provocation.
She had done so just now, and she was doing it again.
"I don't know. We'll take it one step at a time. As long as I don't give up, I'm sure I'll find one. I believe in myself," she said with a determined look.
Feng Qishi looked at Mu Anxiao's confident and determined expression, then at Amei lying motionlessly, and said, "You still say you aren't provoking me."
"I was just..."
"You deliberately mentioned other immortals in front of me, and you're provoking me to continue using healing spells, aren't you?" Feng Qishi interrupted, his expression serious.
Mu Anxiao's gaze flickered slightly. Then, she looked down at her unexpectedly injured hand and admitted, "Yes, that's what I was thinking. But," she looked up at Feng Qishi, "I've also thought of a backup plan."
"Let's hear it," Feng Qishi said calmly.
Mu Anxiao straightened her back and said softly, "If you don't agree, I will save her, even if it costs me all my spiritual energy. I don't care."
"You're quite good at scaring people."
"Scaring?" Mu Anxiao sneered. "Feng Qishi, you just keep running away."
"I am..."
"I know you are Shen Moyun, but I insist on calling you Feng Qishi," Mu Anxiao interrupted, pointing to the potion on the ground. "Do you feel anything?"
"..." Feng Qishi looked down at the carpet without a word.
"Answer me."
Feng Qishi blinked and replied, "No."
"See? You can't even sense demonic energy anymore," Mu Anxiao said. "If you continue like this, you'll truly become useless."
"Mu..."
"Don't call my name, Feng Qishi. To protect your brothers, you need genuine ability. You don't even have this much ability now. How can you protect your brothers in the future?" Mu Anxiao's voice grew impassioned.
Feng Qishi frowned. "Our enemies are human, not demons. I don't need..."
"Don't forget, there's Empress Miao in the palace," Mu Anxiao interrupted, scanning Feng Qishi from head to toe. "And with you being so unable to sense demonic energy now, don't you think that if there are demonic souls in your mansion, there are likely even more in the palace?"
"Impossible."
"Why is it impossible? Demonic souls aren't ordinary souls. They all wield sorcery, especially those female demonic souls; they are all more capable than the others. Their skill at winning people's hearts is simply unparalleled. And also," Mu Anxiao paused, then continued, "I can tell you and Empress Miao have a grudge."
"Don't you..."
"That puppet, that's your brother, isn't it?"
"Don't talk nonsense."
"That puppet looks very young. If I'm not mistaken, he must have died in battle, or perhaps, been killed by a demonic soul. Tell me, am I right?"
"No. This is my business. If you continue to speculate randomly, I will truly be angry."
"Escaping is meaningless."
"Whether it's meaningful or not, I know best. You don't need to tell me. If you dare to touch them, I'll be finished with you," Feng Qishi suddenly lost his composure.
Mu Anxiao looked at Feng Qishi's agitated expression, then thought of the puppet and Feng Qishi's aversion to demonic souls. Her eyes deepened. "Alright, let's pretend I didn't say any of that." With that, she turned back and focused her gaze on Amei's face.
Feng Qishi took a breath and asked, "What are you going to do?"
"You don't need to concern yourself with my affairs," Mu Anxiao said. She bent down and threw off the quilt covering Amei, then scanned Amei from left to right. "It seems this is the only way." As she spoke, she extended her hand, summoning the Immortal Book.
Feng Qishi was startled. "Are you really going to do it yourself?"
"I don't know what kind of devastating experience you've been through, but I want to say," Mu Anxiao said as she cast a spell and opened the Immortal Book, "that in life, there will always be dissatisfaction, and everyone will experience and witness life and death separations. These are things we cannot avoid, but we can prevent them."
"What?"
"In the past year, I haven't seen any demonic souls here. However, ever since you returned, demonic souls have started appearing wantonly. Do you know why?"
"Why?"
"They are testing you. In their eyes, you are a powerful deity, a general in Jin Cheng, and you have the authority to protect mortals. Therefore, they started with you, intending to crush your will and keep you in a state of inferiority forever. It is evident," Mu Anxiao sighed, "that they have succeeded."
Once, when Mu Anxiao faced everything alone, various demonic souls had seen through her weaknesses. During that period, she had suffered greatly.
Gradually, she had had enough, and it was at that time that she understood... demonic souls prey on the weak.
The more cowardly you are, the easier it is to be defeated.
Therefore, she vowed to strengthen her inner resolve.
Finally, she succeeded.
As for the words she spoke to Feng Qishi, she had conceived them after meeting Zhao Xiang.
Because, in a certain moment, she saw the shadows of those demonic souls in Zhao Xiang. And in that same moment, she saw her past self in Feng Qishi.
She hoped that Feng Qishi would change his perspective through her words!
"Dark Smile Amidst the Wind" unedited chapters will continue to be updated. There are no advertisements on this site!