If I really said anything, I'm afraid we would never be able to leave the Fengyue Sect...

Just as he was thinking this, Wang Mu touched the Unrivaled Bell at his waist, intending to return it to Mu Hongyuan.

Suddenly, a startling realization struck him.

Wait, this Magic Treasure is Mu Hongyuan's Lifebound Magical Treasure... An Ascension Expert's Magic Treasure must have numerous functions... Could this Magic Treasure possibly have some sort of recording function? Could it have recorded everything from my experiences in the Dark Border, or even my voice... If that's the case, then could it be... Moreover, given Demoness Mu's personality, her giving me the Unrivaled Bell might also mean... she could be intending to find out how I dealt with it all...

As soon as this thought occurred to him, Wang Mu felt a chill run down his spine.

My life is in danger.

After a long silence, Wang Mu said, "Sister Mu, do you still remember... what happened after we drank together at the Shura Demon Palace?"

Mu Hongyuan was startled, her Qing Mei eyebrows creased slightly, her expression fluctuating. At times she seemed to be reminiscing, at times she showed pain, and at times a bit of guilt.

The drinking session at the Demon Palace was a pivotal plot point in winning over Mu Hongyuan. After this event, one could invite Mu Hongyuan to join the team, thus formally betraying Piao Miaoxu. But to fully win her over, one key plot point was still missing.

By now, Mu Hongyuan had already joined the team. Naturally, Piao Miaoxu would have discovered that her most trusted general had been swayed by Dongfang Mu. She was instantly furious.

In the past, Dongfang Mu had only disrupted some of Piaomiao Palace's minor operations, some small plots and tricks. He hadn't truly damaged the core of Piaomiao Palace. But Mu Hongyuan's defection was a heavy blow.

So Piao Miaoxu, in a fit of rage, planned what could only be described as a luxurious Hongmen Banquet. The goal was to bring Mu Hongyuan back.

It turned out that Piao Miaoxu held important leverage over Mu Hongyuan: information about her father, the Yin Yang Taoist. That's right. It was about her father, the Yin Yang Taoist, who had abandoned his wife and child. Mu Hongyuan harbored intense hatred for him. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

However, in the game, the Yin Yang Taoist's whereabouts were elusive. Even after Wang Mu completed the game many times, he had no idea how to find him. The leverage Piao Miaoxu held was precisely this information on the Yin Yang Taoist.

After Wang Mu had taken Mu Hongyuan away, Piao Miaoxu, in order to recall her, sent a carrier pigeon. She also sent a keepsake of the Yin Yang Taoist as proof, to entice Mu Hongyuan to attend the banquet.

Mu Hongyuan knew well enough that going would be extremely dangerous. Thus, she decided to keep it a secret from the protagonist and went by herself.

Not half a day after Mu Hongyuan temporarily left for the banquet, the protagonist noticed something was amiss with her from the clues available. There was something wrong with that pigeon. The protagonist noticed the pigeon bore the mark of Piaomiao Palace. Although Mu Hongyuan had burned the message, the protagonist guessed she must be communicating with Piaomiao Palace. Trusting Mu Hongyuan, the protagonist believed she must have been threatened by Piao Miaoxu or something similar. Therefore, after Mu Hongyuan left, he secretly followed.

"Why bring this up?" Mu Hongyuan glared fiercely at Wang Mu. "Does Brother Mu want to play the sympathy card?"

"Of course not..." Wang Mu shook his head, sighing inwardly.

Resolutely Devoted.

That plot was called 'Resolutely Devoted.' It was also a development with Mu Hongyuan that truly signified an evolution in their feelings. Only through this could one proceed to the final decisive battle and solidify their relationship with her. Without this plot, there was no way to win over Mu Hongyuan. At most, one could only add her as a teammate.

Moreover, with this plot, the protagonist could even discover it in advance and avoid any accidents. But, even then, it was still impossible to fully win her over. So, for this plot, it was necessary for Mu Hongyuan to attend the Hongmen Banquet.

Actually, it wasn't hard. In the game, it only required the protagonist's Divine Skill to meet certain requirements; once met, things got much easier.

The sun was setting in the west.

A figure dressed in red slowly flew in from the forest, arriving at the cliff by the sea. In the distance, the sea was calm and peaceful, with occasional breezes bringing tranquility.

At the forefront stood a man in a blue robe. It was Shuo Wuji, the Great Venerable of Piaomiao Palace.

"Sister Mu, your presence here means you still hold the Palace Master in your heart, at least to some extent," the man said indifferently as he turned. "However, you shouldn't have betrayed the Palace Master. Nor should you continue to harbor feelings after your betrayal. Don't you know that is a great taboo in our Demon Sect?"

"Cut the crap. Where is she?" the woman in red said indifferently. "Let her come out."

The man shook his head. "Mu Hongyuan, it seems you don't realize the seriousness of your actions. Betraying the Palace Master... there's only one outcome."

"Death!"

The next second, a swarm of men dressed in black surged out of the woods behind him, forming a web as they lunged at the woman. This was the Mist Twelve Greedy Wolves Formation. It was a special assassination Formation of Piaomiao Palace, cultivated by twelve top-tier experts over many years. It was capable of trapping anyone within its bounds, and even legendary Innate Masters could perish on the spot if caught. It was Piaomiao Palace's trump card.

The woman in red's expression changed. She had clearly anticipated some of this, yet she hadn't expected Piao Miaoxu to be so ruthless as to try and eliminate her without even appearing.

Wang Mu's voice was deep. "Do you remember, Yuan'er, that you were trapped in Piaomiao Palace's Mist Twelve Greedy Wolves Formation at the time?"

Mu Hongyuan waved her hand dismissively. "Stop it... no need to explain, I know. If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have survived. Only a fool like you would have followed me there. And you still..."

Mu Hongyuan paused, as if she too was reminded of that time.