A jia did not acknowledge him as the wind began to stir. He then said, “She is capable of anything.”
Upon hearing this, Feng Qishi turned to look at Jia, asking, “What do you mean by that?”
Jia replied, “She has been eagerly awaiting a mission all year. This particular mission is very important to her, so,” he glanced at Feng Qishi, “you should be careful.”
“You think I’m afraid of her?”
“You’ll have to ask yourself that. Asking me would be useless, as I’ve already told you,” Jia said faintly.
Feng Qishi gave Jia a sideways glance and asked, “Have you been by her side all this time?”
“Yes, my current rank is not as high as Hei Feng’s, so Hei Feng asked me to follow her,” Jia stated truthfully.
Feng Qishi’s brows furrowed. “So that means Hei Feng knows Mu Anxiao is not dead.”
“Yes, but only he knows. To be honest,” Jia gave a wry smile, “I didn’t believe Mu Anxiao was alive at first, because her aura had completely changed to someone else’s. I only believed it when I met her.”
“How did Hei Feng know Mu Anxiao was not dead?” Feng Qishi was puzzled.
Jia explained, “They were partners for so many years, so Hei Feng naturally understands Mu Anxiao the best. Moreover, as far as I know,” he continued, seeing Feng Qishi’s expression remain unchanged, “he has had a very good impression of Mu Anxiao since the very first moment he saw her.”
“...” Feng Qishi’s heart sank. He asked, “Has he always felt that way about her?”
“Yes. In fact, before finding Mu Anxiao, the leadership had already decided to reassign the demon souls under Mu Anxiao’s jurisdiction. But Hei Feng disagreed, and then he took on all the tasks of capturing the runaway demon souls himself. At that time,” Jia recalled, “I was wondering what he was doing. Turns out, he was reserving missions for Mu Anxiao.”
“...Only you and he know Mu Anxiao is not dead, right?” Feng Qishi had heard and understood.
Jia nodded. “Yes. He told me not to say anything. Every time I went back, they would mock me, and I had to endure it. So,” he said with a serious expression, “this mission is not just Mu Anxiao’s mission, but also mine. I’ve had enough of being mocked.”
“Then, doesn’t that mean they all know Mu Anxiao is not dead?” Feng Qishi was confused.
“You wouldn’t understand this. On the surface, I accepted this mission, but it’s actually Mu Anxiao’s. Later, I’ll just bring the spiritual energy to her.”
“Spiritual energy can be brought?”
“For Mu Anxiao, spiritual energy is like silver.”
“...” Feng Qishi was speechless.
Seeing Feng Qishi’s speechlessness, Jia added, “She said that immortals in the heavenly realm rely on spiritual energy, so naturally, people in the mortal realm rely on silver. She also said that silver is her life in the mortal realm.”
“Immature.”
“I think she’s immature too, but perhaps that’s what keeps her going,” Jia said, his tone suddenly becoming low. “She’s been through quite a lot in less than a year.”
“What things?”
“When she first arrived at the Mu mansion, she met a maid. That maid…” Jia sighed repeatedly, “caught a cold. Because she had no money for treatment, she died in front of Mu Anxiao.”
“What?”
“She never mentioned this to anyone, not even me.”
“Then how did you know?”
“Once, I returned to the underworld and met that maid. I learned about her situation. After I went back, I thought about how sad she must be. Unexpectedly, after burying the maid, there was nothing more. At that time,” Jia stared at Feng Qishi, “I thought she was heartless. Later, I realized that she had buried that sadness deep within her heart.”
“She’s pretending to be strong again.”
“Aren’t you the same?” Jia said, glancing towards Mu Anxiao with excitement. “She’s about to speak again.”
“..” Feng Qishi’s eyes darkened. He turned to look at Mu Anxiao again.
Over there.
After a moment of thought, Mu Anxiao looked up at Qiu Yan and Mu Yanxing. “As I said before, I want to file a complaint.”
Qiu Yan replied, “Speak.” He was beginning to believe Mu Anxiao.
This was the reaction Mu Anxiao wanted from Qiu Yan. She immediately began to plan. “Later, we will go back to the mansion together, and then you two will chase me.” She looked at Qiu Yan and Mu Yanxing.
Mu Yanxing asked, “What does this mean?”
“You chase me, then I go to file a complaint. You deny it and argue with me.”
“We’ll go back with you?” Qiu Yan looked at Mu Yanxing. “Won’t that be too obvious?”
“...” Mu Anxiao considered Qiu Yan’s words and said, “Indeed, it’s a bit obvious.”
“Then what should we do?” Mu Yanxing grew anxious.
Mu Anxiao glanced at Mu Yanxing and said, “Then I’ll go back with you. As for you,” she looked at Qiu Yan, taking a sharp breath, “you’ll come back later.”
“Me coming back later… Don’t you think that’s strange?” Qiu Yan frowned.
“Then what do you want me to do?” Mu Anxiao’s mind was in disarray by Qiu Yan’s words.
Qiu Yan chuckled dryly. “This, I really don’t know.” He lowered his eyes slightly.
“If you don’t know, why are you talking so much?” Mu Anxiao gave Qiu Yan a roll of her eyes and then, by chance, her gaze landed on a servant. “...”
The servant was startled by Mu Anxiao’s gaze, his mouth twitched, and he asked, “Why are you looking at me?”
“...” Mu Anxiao tilted her head slightly.
Following that, the servant, frightened by Mu Anxiao’s gaze, took half a step back.
Mu Anxiao smiled.
Mu Yanxing, seeing this, asked in confusion, “What do you mean by this?”
“I’ll lead you, that’s all,” Mu Anxiao said, ignoring Mu Yanxing.
The servant’s eyes widened. “What does this have to do with me?”
“I’ll follow you, then I’ll see something I shouldn’t have seen. In the end, you deny it, and I’ll take you back. How about this plan?”
The servant’s expression froze. “To be honest, I’m a bit confused.”
Mu Yanxing frowned. “Mu Xiao, have you figured out a plan or not?”
“I…”
In reality, Mu Anxiao had no plan at all. Based on the time, she thought Mu Hua and Madam should be arriving soon.
However, she couldn’t tell them this directly, so she could only stall for time.
“What about you?” Mu Yanxing was getting impatient.
Mu Anxiao gave a dry laugh. “To be honest, if you were at the back door, it would be easier to handle. If I were in the mansion, it would also be easier. But,” she touched her neck, “our current positions are very awkward, so we still need to think about this.”
“They haven’t discovered us yet, have they?” Mu Yanxing suddenly asked.
Qiu Yan chimed in, “Exactly. What you said is just about the future. For now,” he glanced at Mu Yanxing, “we don’t need to be so nervous.”
“...” Mu Anxiao did not want to discourage them, so after they said this, she did not respond at all.
The servant also felt that Qiu Yan and Mu Yanxing were right. He said, “Indeed. Thinking about these plans now might be a bit…”
“Do you really think you can continue like this?” Mu Anxiao didn’t want to hear the servant’s nonsense and intentionally interrupted him.
The servant was speechless.
Mu Yanxing lowered her eyes and shook her head slightly.
“You know it’s not working,” Mu Anxiao said. After thinking for a moment, she became serious. “Mu Yanxing, I ask you, do you truly believe me?”
Mu Yanxing nodded.
“Good. Since you believe me, then swear that you will give me the opportunity to enter the palace.”
“I swear to give you this opportunity.”
“No regrets,” Mu Anxiao added.
Mu Yanxing looked resolute. “No regrets.”
“Very good,” Mu Anxiao nodded and shifted her gaze to Qiu Yan’s face. “You must take good care of her.”
“What are you going to do?” Qiu Yan was confused.
Mu Anxiao’s lips curved as she looked at Mu Yanxing. “Come with me.”
“Where to?”
“Back to the mansion. Today, we’ll settle things…” Mu Anxiao’s words were cut off by the sound of horses’ hooves.
Hearing the sound, Mu Yanxing’s eyes widened. “No one usually comes here.” As she said this, she stepped closer to Qiu Yan.
Mu Anxiao sensed that Madam had arrived.
Then, her eyes rolled, and she turned to look at the servant. “Go and see.”
“See…” The servant uttered the word, then looked back at Qiu Yan, who nodded slightly at him. Without a second thought, he turned and ran away.
Immediately, Qiu Yan looked at Mu Yanxing and comforted her, “Don’t be afraid.”
“Mmm.”
Mu Anxiao watched the two of them, who were still ‘being mushy’ even when in danger, and said, “I advise you to stay further apart. Otherwise, if someone sees you, they might misunderstand.”
Qiu Yan heard this and said, “As long as my people are here, that person won’t dare to come over.” He took Mu Yanxing’s hand.
“..” Mu Anxiao chuckled lightly. “Then, it seems your people are quite formidable.”
“Not bad,” Qiu Yan said without modesty.
“Look at you, so arrogant,” Mu Anxiao said, turning sideways to look in the direction the servant had gone, and frowned. “Hmm, it seems there’s a woman?”
“A woman?” Qiu Yan repeated, glancing in that direction. “No, that’s not right.”
“What’s wrong?” Mu Anxiao turned to look at Qiu Yan.
Qiu Yan clearly saw the burly men escorting the servant and exclaimed in shock, “Oh no, it’s people from the Mu mansion!” He said this and released Mu Yanxing’s hand.
Mu Yanxing was startled and looked down at her hand, which Qiu Yan had let go of. She said, “Qiu Yan, you’re still afraid.”
Qiu Yan’s gaze flickered. “Xing’er, I’m not…”
“You’re still afraid,” Mu Yanxing interrupted.
Hearing this, Mu Anxiao turned her head to look at Qiu Yan and Mu Yanxing’s faces, thinking, This is bad. Are they going to fall out at this critical juncture?
Qiu Yan looked down at Mu Yanxing and said, “Xing’er, I’m not. I’m just…”
“You’re just afraid. Qiu Yan, remember when we were admiring flowers in the back garden, and your mother came, you let go of my hand like this? It seems,” Mu Yanxing gave a bitter smile, “you and I are not compatible.”
“Xing’er, I am…”
“Do you want to marry her or not?” Mu Anxiao wanted to interrupt and stared at Qiu Yan’s face.
She was afraid that this matter would fail because of Qiu Yan’s cowardice, so at this moment, she had to interject.
When Qiu Yan heard this, he said firmly, “Of course, I do.”
Mu Yanxing asked, “If you do, then why are you afraid?”
“I’m afraid…” Qiu Yan spoke, and a scene from the past flashed in his mind – Mu Yanxing being slapped by her mother because of him. He said in a low voice, “You were hit by your mother because of me.”
“What?” Mu Yanxing was surprised.
Qiu Yan ignored the situation over there and said, “Do you still remember that your mother slapped you on the spot when she saw you with me?”
“Because of you, I’m not afraid of being hit,” Mu Yanxing stated firmly.
“You…”
“For you, I wouldn’t mind being beaten to death by my mother,” Mu Yanxing interrupted. Thinking about Qiu Yan letting go of her hand repeatedly because of Madam, she continued, “I’m really disappointed with you acting like this.”
“Xing’er…”
“If you want to be with her, then take some practical action. Remember, you are a man,” Mu Anxiao said deliberately, her gaze unintentionally falling on Mu Hua, who was walking over.
At the same time, Mu Hua heard Mu Anxiao’s voice and said indignantly, “Mu Xiao, you truly are a calculating girl.”
Qiu Yan fell silent.
Mu Yanxing frowned as she saw Mu Hua approaching. “Why are you here?”
“...” Mu Hua glared at Mu Anxiao and walked in front of Mu Yanxing. “Sister, how can you be like this?”
“You…” Mu Yanxing glanced at the servant who had been pushed to the ground and Madam, who was being supported by a maid as she walked over. She said, “You were the one who said it.”
“Sister, what do you mean by that?”
“What do you mean, I said what?” Mu Yanxing retorted.
Mu Hua sneered. “Sister, you’re meeting someone in secret, and you still have the nerve to ask me? Your skin is too thick.”
“She is your sister, and it’s not good for you to speak like this,” Mu Anxiao deliberately interrupted.
Hearing this, Mu Hua glanced at Mu Anxiao without looking at her. “Mu Xiao told mother.”
Mu Anxiao said expressionlessly, “I told Madam… Hmph, Mu Hua… You’ve really become addicted to framing me.”
Mu Hua crossed her arms and glanced at Mu Anxiao. “If it wasn’t you, then why are you here?”
“I’m here…” Mu Anxiao sneered. “It’s thanks to you. If it weren’t for those few spankings you gave me, I wouldn’t be here.”
“When did I hit you?” Mu Hua said without even looking at Mu Anxiao.
Seeing Mu Hua’s demeanor, Mu Anxiao let out a cold laugh and said, “You really are spewing lies with your eyes open. You’re not tired? Fine, I’ll give you a chance. You can continue talking nonsense.” After saying this, she glared fiercely at Mu Hua and then looked at Madam.
Madam, without even looking at Mu Anxiao, directly addressed Mu Yanxing. “Do you know your mistake?”
Hearing this, Mu Yanxing pushed Mu Hua away and looked at Madam, saying, “Mother, I really like him. You…”
“Sister, tell me, were you forced by Mu Xiao?” Mu Hua interrupted and stood firm.
“...” Mu Yanxing retracted her words and turned to look at Mu Hua, saying impatiently, “Can you shut up?”
Mu Hua felt awkward but still pretended to be arrogant. “Sister, I’m helping you. Do you still want to be hit by Mother?”
“Can you stop talking? This is my business.”
“Sister, this is a crime of deceiving the king and will harm our entire family.”
“As expected, you were the one who reported it,” Mu Yanxing said coldly.
Mu Hua’s eyes flickered. “I still heard her…”
“Stop framing Mu Xiao again. Mu Hua, I know what kind of person you are. It’s better for you to say less,” Mu Yanxing said, unable to stand Mu Hua any longer.
Mu Hua’s expression stiffened. “If you don’t want me to speak, I won’t speak.” After saying this, she shifted her gaze to Mu Anxiao’s face.
Mu Anxiao remained indifferent.