So it turns out I'm the demon!

The valley of Luanshipo was bleak and desolate.

Yan Fenghuo lay on a large rock, his body soaked in blood.

Xu Fu limped over, holding a water bag, and brought the spout to Yan Fenghuo's dry, bleeding lips:

"Old Yan, have a couple of sips. Soothe your throat, lest you die of thirst in the underworld when you set off."

There were seven or eight surviving demon slayers scattered around, each with injuries. Some were leaning against the stone wall with their eyes closed, trying to regulate their breathing, while others were biting one end of a bandage and bandaging themselves.

Yan Fenghu shook his head wearily.

He turned his head with difficulty, his gaze fixed on the distance.

There stood a petite girl holding a black tomb knife.

The girl's eyes were filled with a layer of black energy, and she exuded a strong aura of malevolence. On her delicate neck, black, leaf-vein-like lines had spread to her jawline.

"Miss Duanmu..."

Yan Fenghuo's voice was hoarse, "While the Red Umbrella Sect experts haven't arrived yet, you... cough cough... you should quickly find a chance to break through. With your cultivation and skills, you still have a chance to break out on your own."

If it's any later, there really won't be another chance.

Duanmu Li looked up at him, her dark eyes showing little emotion, and coldly said:

"Don't worry, if I really can't save you, I'll definitely run away."

Yan Fenghuo sighed and said to Xu Fu with a wry smile:

"Old Xu, actually, I should have given up my life in Shuer Village a long time ago. You really didn't need to put yourselves in such a life-or-death situation just to save a cripple like me."

Now, I can't even stand up, let alone slay demons; I'm just a burden. I've spent my whole life slaying demons, and to end up like this is actually not a bad thing. At least it wasn't a complete loss.

"Shut your mouth and stop jinxing it."

Xu Fu cursed irritably, forcibly shoved the water bag into Yan Fenghuo's mouth, and gulped down two mouthfuls for him.

"You think I want to save a jinx like you?"

If I weren't afraid of being looked down upon by Old Jiang and laughed at by my colleagues, and being branded as a coward who abandoned his comrades, I would have left you behind and run away long ago.

So you better live your life properly and don't make me look like I abandoned my brothers!

After filling the container with water, Xu Fu straightened up.

He leaned on his long sword, gazing at the restless demon horde outside the valley entrance, and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva:

"These beasts are really cunning; they actually figured out the ambush we had set up."

"If I hadn't been poisoned by the demon in Tree Village and hadn't fully recovered, I could have taken down these few hundred scumbags all by myself!" Yan Fenghu coughed twice, a mocking smile creeping across his face.

"You're just bragging. Aside from Old Jiang, I don't believe anyone else in this world can take down hundreds of monsters by themselves."

At this point, he suddenly fell silent.

Looking up at the gray sky obscured by demonic energy, a faint sense of nostalgia rose in his eyes.

When he first took Jiang Mu out on a mission, he looked down on the kid for being a spoiled brat who got in through connections, and he often gave him attitude on the way.

As a result, it was on this rocky slope that he witnessed what a true prodigy was.

Slaying demons is as easy as cutting grass.

That battle was the most glorious moment of Yan Fenghuo's life.

"Ah, it's a pity Old Jiang isn't here..."

Yan Fenghuo murmured, "I wonder where he went. If he were here, these little monsters outside probably wouldn't even be enough to warm him up."

Upon hearing this, a hint of worry flashed in Xu Fu's eyes.

He hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Do you think Old Jiang might have already been killed by those demons from the Red Umbrella Sect?"

He hadn't finished speaking.

Xu Fu suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

But then he saw Duanmu Li turn her cold, delicate face and stare intently at him. Her expression conveyed a ruthless intent: "If you dare curse him, I'll kill you." Xu Fu shrank back, swallowing the rest of his words.

"Hey, everyone's here, pretty complete."

Just then, a childish yet sinister and mocking voice drifted slowly from the direction of the valley entrance.

Everyone felt a chill and looked up.

The group of demons surrounding the valley entrance automatically parted to both sides.

A girl-like figure walked slowly down the passageway, holding a red paper umbrella in her hand.

It was that young protector from the Red Umbrella Sect.

Behind her were two traitors, Wang Chunda and Yang Weiguang.

Upon seeing these two former colleagues, Yan Fenghuo's previously dim eyes erupted with deep-seated hatred.

Xu Fu launched into a tirade of curses, pointing at the two men and angrily shouting:

"You two sons of bitches! Damn it, I must have been blind to have called you brothers, you scum! How dare you even live in this world!"

Faced with the insults of their former comrades, Wang Chunda and Yang Weiguang looked ashamed and kept their heads down without saying a word.

The little protector giggled:

"People die for wealth, birds die for food. Master Xu has lived most of his life, how can he still be so naive?"

The meager salary the Demon Slayer Division gives you, is it enough to buy a few pills? Or even a decent magic weapon? Hall Master Wang and Hall Master Yang are simply choosing a better place to stay; that's the wise thing to do.

In this world, how much are conscience and loyalty worth?

However, considering your talent, I will show you mercy today and give you a chance to live.

The young protector pointed to Yan Fenghuo, who was lying on the rock, barely alive.

"If you draw your knife now and kill that crippled Master Yan beside you as a pledge of allegiance, I will spare your life and even recommend you to join my Red Umbrella Sect and become a high-ranking member."

"At that time, you'll have everything—money, status, everything—and ten times more resources than the Demon Slayer Division. How about that?"

"Pah!"

Xu Fu spat a mouthful of thick phlegm at him.

"Who do you think you are? Look at your deformed appearance, neither male nor female, neither human nor ghost, you must be some old hag who mutated, right? You stink!"

"If you've got the guts, get rid of these little devils and come fight me one-on-one. If I don't chop you into eight pieces, I'm not surnamed Xu!" The little protector's smile faded a bit.

She raised the awn of her umbrella to cover half her face, revealing only a pair of cold eyes, and said indifferently to Wang Chunda and Yang Weiguang beside her:

"This is your mess. Clean it up. Do it cleanly, and don't disappoint me again."

Wang Chunda and Yang Weiguang exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, drew their long swords, and charged towards Xu Fu and the other remaining demon slayers. The little protector ignored the fighting.

Her gaze fell on Duanmu Li.

Looking at the girl's beautiful face, which was both elegant and refined, yet also exuded a cold and wild charm, a burning desire flashed in the little protector's eyes.

She stuck out her tongue, licked her lips, and giggled:

"What a beautiful little girl... I love your little face so much."

"Sweetie, how about I cut off your face and give it to your sister?"

Duanmu Li's face was cold. She took out a pill to replenish her qi and blood from her bosom and swallowed it. Then, she kicked her legs and, like a little cheetah, rushed towards the little protector.

He raised his broadsword high and brought it down on the head!

"So he's just a self-taught demonic cultivator? Hmph, trying to teach a fish to swim."

Seeing the black demonic energy emanating from the girl, the little protector's eyes flashed with disdain, and he gently twirled the red umbrella in his hand.

"Whoosh whoosh!"

The umbrella opened, and countless sword energies shot out from its ribs, tracing impenetrable arcs that blanketed Duanmu Li. Duanmu Li twisted her slender waist, spinning like a top in mid-air.

She swung the broad, heavy tomb sword into a black whirlwind, creating a series of clanging and exploding sounds. The sword energy struck the blade, scattering countless dazzling sparks, but none of them could break through her sword curtain.

Using the momentum of her spin, the girl landed suddenly, the blade drawing a sharp arc, aiming straight for the little protector's throat.

The little protector lightly touched the ground with her toes, and her body floated back like a falling leaf.

The red umbrella opened in front of him, blocking the opponent's knife.

As she looked at the black lines spreading upwards on Duanmu Li's neck, her smile deepened.

While skillfully waving the umbrella to defend herself, she giggled sweetly:

"Little girl, your swordsmanship is quite good. It's a pity that if you continue to fight so recklessly, you'll really go mad. At that time, you'll lose all your reason, become unrecognizable to your family, and turn into a walking corpse that only knows how to kill..."

Finally, she obediently became a doll in my hands.

"I advise you to just give up resisting. I promise, when I take your face, I'll be quick and won't hurt you too much~" Duanmu Li gritted her teeth and swung her knife with both hands for another slash.

The dark aura swirling in her eyes grew even stronger.

The black lines on his neck had crept up to his ears, and even the fingers holding the knife began to tremble slightly.

This was a sign that demonic energy was eroding her last shred of conscious awareness.

Seeing this, the little protector's smile widened.

I decided to stop arguing with her.

Instead, relying on its unpredictable movements and the defense of its red umbrella, it acted like a cat toying with a mouse, deliberately dodging and entangled the girl, constantly depleting her physical strength and sanity.

She is waiting.

Waiting for the moment when Duanmu Li is completely devoured and corrupted by demonic energy.

Once this girl becomes a mindless demonic cultivator, she will personally refine her into a mindless doll, then peel off her face and stick it on her own.

Just imagining that scene made her tremble with excitement.

"Keep it up, my little darling."

The little protector teased him.

Just as they were teasing each other, a scream suddenly came from outside the valley entrance.

Then, a series of screams erupted, as if someone had thrown a string of firecrackers into the pigsty.

The people fighting were all stunned and turned to look at the valley entrance.

All that could be seen was the outer perimeter of the valley entrance.

Hundreds of demons were falling in droves, most of them not even having time to look back at who their enemy was before their bodies were neatly cleaved in two by invisible blade energy.

Blood splattered everywhere, and severed limbs were scattered in mid-air.

Even the screams couldn't keep up with the speed at which he fell.

In just a few breaths, a bloody alley had been plowed out of the rear of the demon horde.

"What's going on?"

The little protector's charming smile froze, and she stared blankly out of the valley.

Could it be that the army from Huzhou City has come to our aid?

That's not right! The people in the city are clearly being held back!

A bad feeling washed over her like ice water, making every hair on her body stand on end.

She made the choice almost instinctively.

"run!"

Without the slightest hesitation, the little protector decisively abandoned the "pretty doll" that was about to be his, turned around, opened his red umbrella, and like a red lightning bolt, ran wildly to the other side of the valley.

However, she had only run less than ten feet.

"Bang!"

Suddenly, a foot shot out from the void and kicked her hard in the stomach.

The little protector was like a shooting star that had been knocked away, flying back and crashing heavily into the hard mountain wall of the valley.

A loud "boom" resounded.

The mountainside was smashed, creating a crater, and loose rocks fell down in a flurry.

next moment.

A figure appeared on a rock high up at the mouth of the valley.

His clothes fluttered in the mountain wind, and his upright figure, backlit by the midday sun, was gilded with a dazzling edge.

Everyone was stunned.

The dark aura surging in Duanmu Li's eyes suddenly froze, and her tense face blossomed into a bright smile the moment she saw who it was. Yan Fenghuo lay on the large rock, turned his head to look at the backlit figure, stared blankly for a while, and then burst into laughter.

The laughter aggravated the pain in his chest, making him convulse, but he couldn't stop laughing; tears streamed down his face.

"Thank God! Damn it, I knew I wouldn't give up my life so easily!"

I knew it! Hahahaha!

Xu Fu slumped to the ground, staring at the familiar figure with a look of ecstatic relief.

Wang Chunda and Yang Weiguang, who had just been ruthlessly killing their former comrades, were now struck dumb as if by lightning. Their faces turned ashen, and their legs trembled uncontrollably.

Jiang Mu!

It was Jiang Mu!

As former colleagues, no one understood the weight of this name better than they did.

This is a monster in human skin.

run?

Where to run?

In front of Jiang Mu, these two mere traitors at the fifth level couldn't escape even if they had wings.

The two of them were now filled with deep regret.

If they had known this plague god would suddenly descend, they would never have followed this little protector to surround and kill Xu Fu.

Staying obediently by the side of that demon king, acting like a grandson and barely surviving, is better than anything else.

Jiang Mu lightly leaped down from the rock and landed in front of Duanmu Li.

He glanced down at the black magic markings on the girl's face and her bloodshot, dark eyes, then reached out and gently ruffled her slightly disheveled hair.

"You little rascal, you really worried me out of my mind," Jiang Mu said with a smile.

Duanmu Li's face flushed slightly.

The menacing aura surrounding her subtly receded under the man's palm.

She lowered her head, her face full of apology, and whispered:

"I'm sorry... I couldn't protect Sister Chu and Sister Rou'er. We got separated in Shuer Village, and I don't know where they are now."

"Don't worry, they're all with me."

Jiang Mu patted her shoulder, ignoring the astonishment on her face, and turned to walk towards Yan Fenghuo, who was lying on the large rock.

Jiang Mu glanced at the old man's miserable state and couldn't help but click his tongue in disapproval:

"Old Yan, you've really fallen on hard times! If I had arrived even a fraction later, you'd definitely be dead here. So, how are you going to repay me for saving your life?"

Without any hesitation, Yan Fenghuo straightened his neck, the only part of his body he could still move, and howled at the top of his lungs:

"Godfather! From this day forward, you are my godfather!"

This sudden, earth-shattering roar completely caught Jiang Mu off guard.

This guy has absolutely no integrity.

"Jiang Mu!"

The young protector slid down the mountainside, not bothering to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth, and stared intently at him, "You weren't trapped?"

"Sometimes, I have to admire the methods of your Red Umbrella Cult."

Jiang Mu sighed and said, "This time I was indeed careless. I didn't dodge and got tricked by your teleportation array. But it's a pity, your luck is really not good."

The little protector gritted his teeth, then suddenly flipped his wrist and threw the red paper umbrella into the air.

The next moment, the red umbrella suddenly opened.

It transformed into a crimson curtain that blotted out the sky, spinning above Jiang Mu's head.

Countless dark red beams of light descended from the eaves of the umbrella, trapping Jiang Mu inside like a cage.

Taking advantage of this brief opening, she leaped into the air like lightning, dashing towards the dense forest on the other side of the valley, attempting to escape. "Can she get away?"

Jiang Mu stood in the red light cage, flicking his right finger.

"Whoosh!"

A Soul-Locking Coffin Nail, shimmering with runes, shot out and caught up with the figure that was fleeing at high speed.

"ah"

A piercing scream came from mid-air.

The coffin nail pierced through the little guardian's right collarbone, and he fell straight down from mid-air, crashing onto the gravel ground with a thud.

It rolled twice before stopping, and then spat out a spray of blood mist.

Jiang Mu looked up at the red umbrella cage above her head.

His shoulders trembled slightly.

A phantom image of a fire god wreathed in flames suddenly appeared behind him.

With a casual upward movement, the red umbrella shattered into pieces, turning into shredded paper and broken ribs.

Jiang Mu walked up to the severely injured and blood-spitting little protector and looked down at her:

"I'm actually quite curious. Why is that teleportation array you placed at the exit of the Tree Village secret realm so powerful? How did you do it?" The little protector, clutching her bleeding shoulder, glared at him venomously.

"I also want to know. We set up a trap in Black Soil Village; you would be teleported there the moment you stepped out of the secret realm. But you didn't show up. How did you manage to avoid it?"

Hearing this, Jiang Mu was shocked.

Black Soil Village?

In other words, the Red Umbrella Cult originally only planned to teleport him to the next village for an ambush, but damn it, he was teleported directly to Liuli Island, thousands of miles away?!

That distance is way off!

In a flash, Jiang Mu suddenly remembered the small island model.

Could it be that……

It's because that thing has some kind of fundamental connection with Liuli Island.

Did he accidentally interfere with the spatial coordinates while passing through the teleportation array, forcibly "teleporting" him to Beitang Batian's lair? Jiang Mu cursed inwardly, but remained outwardly calm, changing the subject: "Alright, the array isn't important. I'm asking you, where is that woman named Nan Zhi?"

The young protector gave a bitter laugh, his eyes defiant:

"Jiang Mu, you won't let me off the hook even if I tell you. So why should I say anything?"

"That's true. Whether you tell me or not, you're going to die today."

Jiang Mu nodded, then gave a kind smile. "But you should be able to weigh the difference between dying a quick and painless death and being slowly skinned alive before dying, suffering less torment, right?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Mu's mind stirred slightly.

Several fine, sharp, dark red blade-like energies appeared out of thin air, like precise surgical scalpels, gently grazing across the little protector's body.

"ah"

With a piercing scream, several pieces of flesh from the little protector's arms and thighs were sliced ​​off.

In particular, the bloodthirsty aura mixed in with the Blood Frenzy Blade Intent seeped into her meridians through the wound, like countless red-hot steel needles piercing her bone at the same time. The excruciating pain that reached her very marrow instantly shattered her mental defenses.

The look in his eyes as he looked at Jiang Mu was no longer filled with hatred and arrogance, but with pure fear:

"I'll talk, I'll talk... Nan Zhi isn't here... she's in Yancheng!"

"Yancheng?"

Jiang Mu frowned slightly.

The young protector, panting heavily, hurriedly said, "Yes, we must attack Yan City again! Nan Zhi is over there!"

Jiang Mu stared into her eyes, then suddenly smiled:

"So, Nan Zhi is actually in Fazhou City right now, right?"

The little protector stared wide-eyed, completely dumbfounded.

Jiang Mu sneered, "You deliberately lied to me, just to confuse my judgment and make me go to Yancheng only to find it empty, thus giving you time to attack Yunzhou City, right?"

The young protector looked as if she had seen a ghost, her lips trembling as she stammered, "You...how did you know?!"

"Go to the underworld and ask Yama for the answer."

Swish!

The flying sword from the River of Oblivion swept past and pierced through her brow.

A thin line of blood extended down from the center of the forehead. The little protector's body twitched one last time and then remained still.

After dealing with the leader of the Red Umbrella Cult, Jiang Mu slowly turned around.

His gaze fell on Yang Weiguang and Wang Chunda, who were already paralyzed with fear, trembling like leaves on the ground:

"Alright, we've dealt with the bystanders. Now, let's talk about your situation."