So it turns out I'm the demon!

When Jiang Mu returned to the Demon Slaying Division of Hailing Prefecture with Chu Lingzhu and Lan Rou'er, Zhao Xian was extremely busy.

Upon seeing Jiang Mu, the god of death, return, Zhao Xianzhen hurriedly stepped forward to greet him.

Jiang Mu didn't stand on ceremony and immediately asked him to arrange two clean rooms. He first took a comfortable shower and changed out of his blood-stained clothes. While waiting for the two women to bathe and change, Jiang Mu called Zhao Xianzheng to the courtyard.

"Jingtan Temple has a new master. You saw the commotion just now; it was the Bodhisattva Jingtan."

Jiang Mu stood with his hands behind his back on the steps, speaking calmly.

"From now on, the people of this city should simply offer her incense according to the rules. In exchange, she will protect your Hailing Prefecture, help you drive away foreign demons, and ensure the peace of this city."

Zhao Xianzheng couldn't help but recall the breathtakingly beautiful appearance of the white-clad female bodhisattva.

He nodded repeatedly, not daring to ask a single unnecessary question.

Seeing that he still looked somewhat dazed, Jiang Mu knew he hadn't recovered from the news of Ye Zhifei's death, so she softened her tone:

"I know that the reason why Ye Zhifei dares to be so crazy is because in recent years, in order to stabilize the situation, the imperial court has taken the initiative to cooperate with some top martial arts sects. So the higher-ups have turned a blind eye and tacitly allowed her to collude with someone like Abbot Jingtan."

That's just how the world is, and I don't expect killing a few people will change anything. I only hope that after you, Zhao Xianzheng, take up this position of head, you can at least uphold your principles and act like a human being.

Zhao Xianzheng's expression turned serious. He straightened his back, patted his chest, and said:

"Don't worry, Master Jiang. I, Zhao Xianzhen, have lived most of my life. Although I don't have any earth-shattering abilities, I have never done anything to oppress the people or commit any heinous crimes."

As long as I remain in this position, the Demon Slaying Division of Hailing Prefecture will never again act as an accomplice to anyone or oppress the people.

Jiang Mu nodded slightly, which was considered as acknowledging his statement.

Some things only need to be said once; saying them more just seems pretentious.

Then, changing the subject, he asked:

"By the way, Ye Zhifei told me before that there was a deep-sea demon dragon outside Hailing Prefecture that often caused trouble, just to fool me. Was she just making that up, or is there really such a powerful demon?"

Zhao Xianzheng gave a wry smile and answered truthfully:

"Master Ye was not lying about this; there really is a demonic dragon that comes to harass us every now and then."

However, it only harms demon slayers and never ordinary people. We've tried to subdue it several times but haven't been able to. That demonic dragon is quite powerful and, being a sea creature, it's helpless once it dives into deep water.

However, with a powerful being like Bodhisattva Jingtan now in charge, there's no need to fear that demonic dragon causing trouble again.

At this point, Zhao Xianzheng sighed, a look of shame appearing on his face:

"Speaking of this scourge of the demonic dragon, it was a sin committed by our Demon Slaying Division and the Myriad Swords Sect of Hailing Prefecture back then."

"The Ten Thousand Swords Sect?"

Jiang Mu raised an eyebrow. "Is the Myriad Swords Sect involved in this?"

Zhao Xianzheng said slowly, "Master Jiang, now that things have come to this, there's no need to hide anything from you."

Twelve years ago, a demon dwelled in the deep, hopeless mountains of Hailing Prefecture. The demon was kind-hearted and often helped the local people.

When hunters encounter wild beasts in the mountains, it will drive them away. When villagers get lost in the deep mountains, it will escort them safely out.

One year, Hailing Prefecture suffered a severe drought, and several nearby villages were hit by famine, with hunger spreading everywhere.

The demon secretly placed the spiritual fruits and wild game it had accumulated at the doorsteps of poor families, saving many lives.

It did this because when it was a cub, its mother had been saved by a human. It remembered this kindness for its entire life and wanted to repay it with a lifetime of goodwill.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mu suddenly felt that the story sounded strangely familiar.

A picture flashed through his mind like lightning.

Isn't this the same story that Inspector Ling Ye told him back in Huzhou City, sitting on the rooftop, eating watermelon, and looking somber?

"Was it later...?"

Jiang Mu picked up the conversation, "A cultivator who claimed to be from a prestigious and righteous sect passed by this place, sensed a demonic aura in the mountains, and killed the demon without asking any questions."

He had expected the villagers to be deeply grateful to him, regarding him as a hero who had vanquished evil. However, to his surprise, the entire village not only failed to thank him, but instead wept and cursed him.

The monk was enraged, feeling that these mortals were ignorant and foolish.

In order to forge a magical artifact, he simply set up a grand formation in a fit of rage, sacrificing all the villagers from several nearby villages in a blood sacrifice?

After hearing Jiang Mu's account, Zhao Xianzhen was stunned.

He gave a wry smile and nodded: "It seems that Hall Master Jiang had already heard about this matter."

Jiang Mu understood immediately: "So, that beast who committed the massacre of the village as a blood sacrifice was a member of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect?"

"right."

Zhao Xianzheng sighed, "This person was once the personal disciple of the previous generation of Sword Immortal of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. Since the Sword Immortal's death, his status has risen accordingly, and he is now the Vice Sect Master of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, a Sword Immortal of the Eleventh Realm."

Because the Ten Thousand Swords Sect had a very close relationship with the imperial court and a deep foundation, even though the court knew about his heinous act of massacring the village back then, it turned a blind eye and did not pursue the matter.

Furthermore, it was actually the Demon Slaying Division of Hailing Prefecture that offered the demon's dwelling place in order to curry favor with the Ten Thousand Swords Sect.

The demonic dragon that is now frequently harassing our Demon Slayer Division is either a friend or lover of the demon that was killed years ago.

Jiang Mu suddenly realized.

No wonder Ling Ye sounded so dejected when she told him this story.

On the one hand, with her cultivation level, she was no match for an eleventh-realm sword immortal.

On the other hand, the Myriad Swords Sect is, after all, the number one sword sect in the world, with a prestigious status. Even if she revealed the truth, it wouldn't cause much of a stir. "It's the Myriad Swords Sect again—..."

Jiang Mu narrowed his eyes, a cold killing intent flashing in them.

This sect has been appearing in front of him far too frequently lately.

From Yan Zixiao, to Yun Xiaocheng, whose head was blown off by him in the secret realm, and now to this vice sect master of the eleventh realm.

He had previously killed Yun Xiaocheng, a prodigy of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, and the two had already formed an irreconcilable feud.

It seems that I am destined to have a good showdown with this so-called "Number One Sword Sect in the World" in the future.

After the two girls finished bathing, they changed into their newly bought dresses and looked completely refreshed, as beautiful as lotus flowers emerging from the water.

Jiang Mu bid farewell to Zhao Xianzhen and, with the two women, boarded a spacious carriage drawn by two tall demon horses, embarking on his journey back to Huzhou City. Before leaving, Jiang Mu also used the flying eagle of the Demon Slayer Division to send a secret letter to Shui Miaozheng, who was far away in Fazhou City.

They provided detailed information about the Red Umbrella Cult's possible plot against Fazhou City.

Let Aunt Shui prepare in advance.

The carriage, like a flock of birds, sped onto the official road. The outline of Hailing Prefecture gradually shrank in the afterglow of the setting sun, eventually being swallowed up by the layers of mountain shadows.

The carriage was lined with thick, soft cushions and had calming incense burning inside.

Chu Lingzhu fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the soft cushion.

She's been on edge these past few days.

After battling wits and courage with monsters in the secret realm, enduring wind and sun on a deserted island, traveling by boat, and being kidnapped and trapped at Jingtan Temple... now we can finally settle down and have a good rest.

Even when sleeping, the girl would rest her head in Jiang Mu's arms.

It seems that only in this way can one sleep soundly.

Lan Rou'er, who was sitting opposite, was not asleep.

The girl was wearing a plain-colored long dress, her two small hands folded on her knees, nervously twisting the fabric of the skirt.

Her gentle and delicate face had been flushed ever since she got on the bus.

She would steal glances at Jiang Mu, who was resting with his eyes closed, from time to time. Her gaze would not linger on his face for more than a moment before quickly looking away, only to be unable to resist glancing at him again soon after.

Her misty almond-shaped eyes seemed to hold a lake ruffled by the spring breeze.

Ripples that are hard to describe.

This girl's innocent and shy demeanor, as she experiences the first stirrings of love, is enough to soften anyone's heart.

As for the mermaid princess Chan Xiaoyu, she was sitting on Chu Lingzhu's head, her two tender white hands holding a red date candied fruit that was bigger than her head, her face covered in sugar frosting.

They ate with great relish.

Jiang Mu looked at this little foodie and was speechless.

Previously in the secret realm, seeing her effortlessly shatter the barrier set up by a thirteenth-realm expert with a single punch, I thought this little princess was some kind of unassuming, peerless master.

But to my surprise, they cowered faster than anyone else when faced with danger.

It does nothing but eat and sleep all day; it's like having a tiny pet that consumes a lot of food.

"What are you staring at me for all that time?"

Jiang Mu suddenly turned his head and met Lan Rou'er's gaze once again.

"what!"

Lan Rou'er was caught red-handed and trembled with fright, her face instantly turning red to her ears.

She stammered for a while before finally mustering her courage and asking in a barely audible voice, "Brother Jiang... what happened in that courtyard... wasn't a hallucination, was it?"

"What kind of hallucination?"

Jiang Mu teased her on purpose, raising an eyebrow.

Lan Rou'er twisted her skirt into a pretzel with both hands and stammered:

"It's just...it's like some strange images suddenly popped into my head, and we were...we were hugging each other, not wearing any clothes..." "Oh, you mean that?"

Jiang Mu smiled faintly and said casually, "Just treat it as a dream, as if nothing ever happened."

Upon hearing this, the girl lowered her head, her curled eyelashes blinking, casting endearing shadows under her eyelids.

A moment of silence fell over the carriage.

The only sounds were Chu Lingzhu's even breathing, Chan Xiaoyu's crunching sounds as she ate candied fruit, and the sound of a cartwheel rolling over gravel.

Looking at her pitiful expression, Jiang Mu suddenly added:

"However, if you really want to cultivate with me, I'm ready to cooperate at any time."

"ah?!"

The girl suddenly raised her head.

The heat in her cheeks, which had subsided slightly, flared up again.

She looked at Jiang Mu, her lips trembling with grievance, "I...I didn't mean to, I just...can you please stop thinking about it in the future?" Jiang Mu was amused and exasperated.

"What I think is none of your business. My brain is my own."

"That's not what I meant. I meant..."

Lan Rou'er's lips moved a few times, but in the end she didn't say anything and buried her head again.

Only her two bright red earlobes were visible, facing him.

Jiang Mu suddenly realized, "Oh, I understand. You're afraid I'll suddenly lose my temper and force you in this desolate carriage in order to cultivate that technique, right?"

He patted his chest and assured them.

"You can rest assured. Although I'm not exactly a saint, I wouldn't go so far as to harm someone who doesn't want to. If I really can't resist, I'll target Lingzhu first."

Chu Lingzhu, who was fast asleep in Jiang Mu's arms, hummed softly and smacked her lips.

Completely unaware that they had been designated by their employer as the "top priority for firefighting."

Lan Rou'er kept her head down and remained silent.

Jiang Mu was too lazy to try and guess what the little girl was thinking.

He took out the secret manual "Great Bliss and Light in Harmony" that he had looted from Jingtan Temple from his storage space and began to study it carefully by the light coming in through the car window.

Unlike the cultivation methods of Lady Peach Blossom, which focus on physical health.

This manual of joyful Zen emphasizes the fusion of minds.

He carefully studied a few pages and discovered that this technique could actually be integrated with the "Zifu Cantongqi".

Its application is not limited to Lan Rou'er alone.

She can also practice with other women.

Moreover, if the spiritual connection between them reaches a certain level, they can even give back their cultivation to each other.

Simply put, even a mortal like Chu Lingzhu, who has no cultivation, can use this technique to transfer the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the other person's body, helping them lay a foundation for cultivation and even break through to higher realms.

Of course, there is a prerequisite for this.

That is, every time this method of mutual cultivation and mutual support is used, Lan Rou'er, as a top-grade innate furnace cauldron, must participate in the entire process.

It acts as an auxiliary function, similar to a "core" or "energy catalyst".

Jiang Mu raised her head and looked at the delicate, frail girl opposite her with a strange gaze.

A picture involuntarily popped into his mind.

When he and Aunt Shui practice together in the future, this girl will sit beside him as a "guide," watching him vigorously excavate.

Given this girl's personality, she'd probably faint from fright at just one glance, right?

She even burst into tears.

No, we'll have to have Chu Lingzhu there to comfort us then.

Just as her mind was racing, Jiang Mu suddenly felt a gentle tug on her sleeve.

I looked down.

Princess Chan Xiaoyu jumped down from Chu Lingzhu's head and flew to him. She was holding a candied fruit that she had nibbled on and was trying to put it to Jiang Mu's mouth.

"tasty."

The little princess blinked her clear, big eyes, her voice delicate and melodious.

Jiang Mu pinched the back of her neck with two fingers and lifted the little one up to her face.

He opened his mouth, very politely bit into the candied fruit and chewed it, then stretched out the index finger of his other hand and gently poked Chan Xiaoyu's flat little belly.

"I've been wondering, you've eaten so much, could you possibly have some kind of storage ring hidden in your stomach?" Perhaps we could investigate?

Driven by intense curiosity, Jiang Mu inexplicably stuck out her fingernail and grabbed the hem of the little princess's dress.

I wanted to lift it up and see what the structure inside was like.