"Huh? Why?"

Gu Mo was a bit surprised. He really didn't feel the Jade's bewitchment... Or could it be that he was too careless, and the Jade's bewitchment was actually taking place unconsciously?

The Witch shook her head without answering immediately and handed the Jade fragment back.

Gu Mo hesitantly extended his hand to take it. As the Jade fragment fell into his palm, perhaps in that fleeting moment of contact, the fragment purified by the Witch instantly picked up a layer of black aura, reverting to its previous state from its clear transparency.

Within the clarity lay a hint of black aura, at first glance, it seemed pure and crystalline, yet vaguely contained a murky impurity.

It wasn't particularly obvious; it was somewhat hard to notice without a meticulous comparison.

"..."

"..."

Gu Mo's face darkened instantly, feeling profoundly defamed on a soul level.

He believed himself to be a moral paragon radiating humanitarian brilliance from head to toe! This fragment must have something wrong to hold such a prejudice against him!

"Your Wild Soul and Harmony Soul seem to be in a state of absolute balance..." The Witch examined him with that peculiar gaze, "It should be the reason for this situation, so in your hands, the Jade doesn't entirely lean toward the Wild Soul side, nor does it fully reflect the Harmony Soul. It constantly gets purified and tainted in your grasp."

Not becoming better, yet not becoming worse either.

Wild Soul and Harmony Soul are in a state of absolute balance? Gu Mo was momentarily stunned, then realized it might be due to the Guardian Spirit with dual aspects?

"..."

"..."

The room fell into brief silence, with the Witch quietly watching the half-demon before her, and Gu Mo frowning in thought, neither speaking, letting the air naturally turn muted.

"If that's the case, it should be considered a good thing..." After a while, Gu Mo said somewhat uncertainly, lightly closing his fingers to hold the fragment in his palm, feeling the powerful strength enhancing him, raising his physical ability and demonic power limit dramatically.

"Do you intend to persist in using it?" The Witch frowned.

She didn't understand the situation but didn't regard it as a good thing. Moreover, human hearts could change, and the Four Souls would increase or decrease accordingly; the balanced state couldn't last forever.

"I don't want to give up at least..."

Gu Mo chuckled, spreading his hand open again to reveal nothing inside. Even with Kikyo's keen eyesight, she couldn't discern where the Four Souls Jade Fragment was hidden, only confirming its presence on him through her sensitivity to the Jade.

"I currently don't have that idea... The world is still too dangerous. I need its power." Gu Mo continued, his tone unperturbed.

Kikyo raised an eyebrow, opened her mouth, yet stayed silent.

She found the situation quite troublesome, having planned to spend the rest of her days in this small village, disassociating from worldly affairs henceforth. But contrary to her expectations, an outsider appeared today, disrupting the prolonged peace, showing up before her with a fragment of the Four Souls Jade.

Ignoring it was impossible, yet pretending not to see was also not an option; no matter what, she was deeply concerned.

But if she were to intervene, she didn't know where to start...

Fifty years had passed. The Four Souls Jade was no longer the item she once protected, having shattered into countless pieces, especially since the person in front wasn't an enemy. She neither knew how to request it nor how to act.

As she pondered, Kikyo calmly asked, "What do you intend to do next? Leave the village to collect other Jade fragments?"

Not wishing to become a complete demon yet needing the Jade's power, she wouldn't be surprised if he intended to embark on such a path.

"Well... I might do that later, but for now, I plan to stay in the village for a while."

Gu Mo mused, then somewhat sheepishly scratched his cheek, earnestly stating, "Those demons earlier must have been after me, weren't they? Though unintentional, I indeed brought trouble to the village, and there might be more to come..."

"So I intend to stay a while, at least resolve the troubles I brought before leaving. I can't just walk away like this!"

It was a very lofty reason, yet what he truly thought, only heaven knows.

—Actually, she could handle it herself...

Kikyo hesitated slightly but ultimately didn't voice this out, perhaps thinking it was better this way. If he were decisively planning to run off, she would indeed be in a pickle. She neither wanted to leave this tranquil village nor witness the calamity that the Four Souls Jade might bring.

"Very well... There are some vacant houses in the village. I'll take you to speak to the others now."

The Witch stood and walked toward the door.

"Oh, oh, thank you, Kikyo," Gu Mo nodded repeatedly, smiling heartily, calling her by name without the slightest formality.

Without a response, the Witch passed him by, leaving a faint medicinal fragrance in her wake. Upon reaching the door, she suddenly turned to look at him, calmly meeting his gaze: "That said, you've said so much; aren't you curious about me at all?"

The Four Souls Jade was well-known.

And as the Witch who protected the Jade fifty years ago, she was not obscure, despite the rapid passage of time—fifty years had passed in the blink of an eye. Yet for demons and half-demons with long lifespans, fifty years were merely as brief as a finger snap, likely not forgotten.

Moreover, she didn't hide her name, and he didn't seem surprised at all, clearly recognizing her.

"Not at all."

Faced with the Witch's direct question, Gu Mo didn't hesitate, his eyes candidly meeting hers.

Curiosity stems from the unknown, a desire to explore. But knowing everything, even more than Kikyo herself, naturally dispels any curiosity.

Perhaps his unabashed, overly candid gaze unnerved the Witch, making her look away uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact. She momentarily set down a subtle concern in her heart and lifted the bamboo curtain by the door, stepping outside, leaving only a faint sentence:

"Follow me."

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