So it turns out I'm the demon!

After experiencing great chaos and devastation, the city of Fazhou began to rebuild from the ruins.

Compared to Yancheng, Tanzhou City was clearly more severely damaged.

After all, they had first been humiliated by their own garrison commander, Tian Wenyuan, for the sake of the sacrificial offering, and then, after the city fell, a large army of demons stormed into the city. Many civilians in the city were killed or injured.

But compared to Yuancheng, which has completely fallen, it is extremely fortunate that Fazhou City was able to preserve its foundation.

A few days later.

The inner chambers of the governor's mansion were quiet and fragrant.

Soft sunlight streamed through the windowpane, casting a slanted glow on the bed.

As the light and shadow shifted, they fell upon the bed.

Jiang Mu wiped the sweat from his forehead, helped Shui Miaozheng up from the couch, and turned to sit on the large chair in front of the window.

Shui Miaozheng leaned against him, her cheek pressed against his chest.

As she listened to the man's heartbeat gradually calm down, she reached out to grab the dress draped over the table next to her.

Before her fingertips even touched the fabric, the man grabbed her fair wrist.

Jiang Mu gently brushed aside a few strands of sweat-dampened hair from the woman's forehead, planted a deep kiss on her bright and charming cheek, and laughed, "We finally finished this tough battle, so the heroes should get some reward. Aunt Shui, you won't refuse this small gift, will you?" Shui Miaozheng gave him a shy and reproachful look, her beautiful face blooming like a flower.

"There's never a moment of peace, you little devil, you're a tireless calf. Fazhou City is in complete chaos right now, the city walls need repair, the people need resettlement, and there's so much more..."

"None of this is your business."

Jiang Mu interrupted her and said,

"You've defended the city, and your responsibility as the commander is fulfilled. Let the government handle the rest. Your only task now is to stay with me."

Shui Miaozheng obediently hummed in agreement, without arguing.

Her fingers traced circles on the man's chest. After a moment of silence, she suddenly whispered, "These past two days, Lin Anchang has been asking us for help. He wants us to help him take back Yuancheng."

Jiang Mu scoffed dismissively:

"Wasn't this guy quite tough under the city wall before? Let's send someone to shovel a bunch of hot dung at the base of the city wall first, and make him fulfill his promise to swallow it all."

Besides, he's the commander of Yuancheng. Now that Yuancheng has fallen, shouldn't he be rushing back to reclaim the lost territory immediately? What kind of behavior is it to stay in our Yunzhou City and refuse to leave?"

Shui Miaozheng said:

"The Red Umbrella Sect and the Demon Army have already entered the city, so naturally he doesn't dare to go and risk trouble. He's a coward by nature."

I just didn't expect that the Red Umbrella Sect could capture a large city with a garrison commander so quickly.

The words spoken by the black-clad man from the Red Umbrella Sect before his death flashed through Jiang Mu's mind, and she said with a deep gaze:

"No wonder that guy mocked me before he died, saying that Shuzhou City wasn't their real target. It turns out the Red Umbrella Cult had been using a perfect cover all along."

First, they pretended to attack Huzhou City to hold off Ran Zhangsi, and then they launched a large-scale siege of Fazhou City, drawing the attention of the court and all of us to it.

However, their true elite forces and killer moves were secretly advancing towards Yuan City.

Shui Miaozheng said:

"According to the detailed intelligence from Xun Xiaozhuang, the reason why Yuancheng fell so quickly this time is because a large-scale rebellion broke out in the city first. Even the people in the city welcomed the Red Umbrella Sect into the city."

Jiang Mu fell silent.

What else can I say?

Even the people they were supposed to protect were willingly defecting; this is a situation that cannot be simply described as "terrible."

This only proves that Yuancheng is in a terrible state.

The corruption had reached a point where the people felt that even falling into the hands of demons would be far better than being law-abiding citizens of Daqing.

Daqing is finished.

Jiang Mu casually stroked Shui Miaozheng's loose black hair over her shoulder with one hand, and said in a lazy tone:

"Yuancheng is completely rotten this time. The imperial court probably doesn't know how to deal with it after receiving the news, but it will most likely still have to grit its teeth and send a large army to quell the rebellion and recover it."

Anyway, let me make this clear: if the commander-in-chief issues an order to send me as a vanguard, I will absolutely not go.

Even the donkeys in the production team can't be used like that.

Furthermore, if the imperial court issues you an order, do not accept it. Let whoever wants to go go; your man forbids you from going.

Shui Miaozheng tilted her bright face up and teased in a sweet voice:

"What? I thought my little man was some kind of great hero who cared deeply for his country and its people, and spoke up for all living beings. If those people outside who idolize you heard that, wouldn't they be heartbroken?"

Jiang Mu curled her lip in disdain:

"Country and home, my foot. You know how rotten Daqing is from the roots."

As for the people of the world, I am no savior. I have done all I could. If you hadn't been here in Fazhou City, I wouldn't have bothered coming back to fight those lunatics.

He embraced the beautiful woman's voluptuous figure tightly, looking directly into her phoenix eyes:

"Aunt Shui, remember this. I risked my life for you this time. From now on, you must follow my instructions in everything." Hearing these straightforward words, the beautiful woman's eyes welled up with tears.

She proactively wrapped her arms around the man's neck, pressed her cheek close, and softly said, "I'll do whatever you say. Whatever you ask me to do, I'll do." Jiang Mu couldn't resist giving her another peck on the lips, then changed the subject:

"By the way, Aunt Shui, there's something I need to tell you. You've already met Lingzhu and Rou'er. On the way here, I already 'ate' them both."

Shui Miaozheng was slightly taken aback.

Jiang Mu continued:

"However, Rou'er's constitution is somewhat special. Her true form is actually a ginseng fruit. I previously obtained a top-tier secret technique, which can be used as a 'spiritual guide' so that all of you can cultivate with me and receive its benefits."

"Ahem... Anyway, for the sake of everyone's cultivation, I believe that a woman like you, Aunt Shui, who understands the big picture and prioritizes the overall situation, wouldn't object, right?" Shui Miaozheng blinked, not quite understanding at first.

After realizing what had happened, she immediately blushed and spat at him:

"You brat, your head is full of such ridiculous things. What 'for the sake of cultivation'? I think you're just using this high-sounding rhetoric to trick us into fooling you into playing along with your nonsense."

Jiang Mu looked completely innocent:

"Aunt Shui, you're wronging me. I, Jiang, am single-mindedly devoted to the Dao, truly for the sake of cultivation."

Jiang Mu wasn't lying.

He enjoys exploring the main roads.

Although Shui Miaozheng complained, she didn't actually hold any grudges.

After all, back in the carriage, she and Ling Ye had been driven to the point of having no bottom line by this little devil's jealousy and rivalry.

The threshold for acceptance has been raised to an outrageous level that would infuriate any respectable woman.

Moreover, she specially commissioned an extravagantly large bed in the man's newly purchased house the next day, precisely to satisfy some of the little man's ulterior motives.

The thought of sharing a bed with a girl who had become a fruit spirit and serving a man still made the beautiful woman feel somewhat uneasy. Shui Miaozheng sighed softly, her watery eyes fixed on Jiang Mu, and suddenly asked:

"Now that they're both in the house, Xiao Jiang, which one of them do you plan to make your principal wife?"

This is that killer question again!

Jiang Mu was speechless.

He realized that although Aunt Shui usually acted dignified and said she didn't care about titles or status, she still had some fantasies as a woman.

What if, by sheer luck, the title of the legal wife falls into my lap?

"Oh dear, these are all worldly formalities, they're not important, they're not important."

Jiang Mu chuckled and promptly changed the subject.

He grabbed the woman's plump, slender waist and lifted her up, carrying her to the door.

He had Shui Miaozheng hold onto the doorframe with both hands and said with a smile:

"Aunt Shui, where were we? Let's continue our discussion about that grand cultivation plan."

Shui Miaozheng turned her head away helplessly, biting a strand of sweaty hair between her rosy lips, and mumbled something indistinctly.

Six days after the siege ended, the demon-slaying envoys from various prefectures who had come to provide support began to withdraw one after another.

Ran Qingshan lingered in the city for two more days, intending to wait for Xu Fu to return, but he never saw him.

With the great calamity just over in Huzhou City and official duties piling up, he couldn't afford to delay any longer. So he said goodbye to Jiang Mu and prepared to leave first. As he was leaving, Ran Qingshan stood at the city gate and couldn't help but turn back to look at Shui Miaozheng, who was standing beside Jiang Mu, looking radiant.

Old Ran's heart skipped a beat twice more.

It's so painful.

The rose that was once unattainable has now been nourished and is now in full bloom.

Ran Qingshan sighed deeply.

If I had known, I wouldn't have sent that kid to Yancheng in the first place.

All the other groups had left, but Lin Anchang, the head of Yuancheng, was still stubbornly staying in Fazhou City and refusing to leave.

Everyone knew perfectly well that he stayed behind entirely for Jiang Mu's sake.

It was noon that day.

After seeing Ran Qingshan off, Jiang Mu was strolling back to her new residence to see how Chu Lingzhu and the other girls had managed to tidy up the house. Most of the streets had been cleared after the war, and the shops on both sides had gradually reopened. Although it was no longer as bustling as before, it had at least regained some of its former liveliness.

Just as they turned the corner of an alley, they bumped into Lin Anchang.

"Master Jiang, oh no, now I should call him Manager Jiang."

Lin Anchang, with a fawning expression, quickly came forward to greet him.

"In this battle to defend Fazhou City, Commander Jiang made outstanding contributions, and the imperial court will surely promote you to deputy commander. With your cultivation and achievements, it is not impossible for you to be promoted directly to commander. I congratulate you in advance."

Jiang Mu coldly uttered eight words: "Speak up if you have something to say, or shut up if you have something to say."

Lin Anchang's smile froze, and a flash of anger crossed his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.

He forced a smile again and said:

"Lord Jiang, you speak your mind. It's like this... Now that Yuancheng has unfortunately fallen, the imperial court will surely issue an edict soon to send a large army to recapture it. At that time, I hope that Lord Jiang can lend me a hand out of consideration for our past as colleagues."

Clearly, Jiang Mu's supermodel prowess has been universally acknowledged.

Before leaving, the heads of various prefectures also tried every means to get close to Jiang Mu and build a relationship.

It's simply to prevent their own city from being besieged by the Red Umbrella Sect one day, and to be able to get Jiang Mu, this human cheat code, to come to the rescue.

"I can't help at all."

Jiang Mu refused decisively, without even bothering to come up with an excuse.

Lin Anchang's face immediately turned ugly.

He stepped forward, his voice tinged with sorrow:

"Lord Jiang! Hundreds of thousands of innocent people in Yuancheng are now suffering terribly."

The Red Umbrella Cult has been committing atrocities since entering the city, burning, killing, and looting. As the top genius of Daqing, isn't it your duty to slay demons and protect the common people? How can you bear to stand idly by?

Jiang Mu stopped in her tracks, instead staring at him with a half-smile:

"What, are you trying to morally blackmail me? Sorry, I'm just a naturally immoral person, there's no morality to bind me with."

Using the common people as an excuse? You're the head of Yuancheng, your cultivation is a realm higher than mine, and you can't protect them. How can I, a mere eighth-realm cultivator who just broke through not long ago, have the audacity to take this responsibility for you?

"This...I..."

Lin Anchang was so embarrassed by these words that he blushed.

"Boss!"

Just then, a clear and melodious voice came from not far away.

A horse-drawn carriage was seen parked on the side of the street.

Chu Lingzhu, carrying large and small bags, lightly jumped off the car with Lan Rou'er in her hand.

"Did they go shopping for a spring cleaning?"

Jiang Mu asked.

Both girls were wearing newly tailored dresses.

Chu Lingzhu was still dressed in that bright light green, making her look delicate and charming. Lan Rou'er, on the other hand, was dressed in pure white. Standing together, they looked like two tender seedlings sprouting in spring, attracting the attention of passersby.

Chu Lingzhu smiled sweetly and said:

"Of course, the mansion is so big, there are plenty of daily necessities it needs."

"Besides, my dad's pharmacy just opened, and he's been so busy he's barely had time to breathe. Rou'er and I went to help him organize the medicine cabinet and fill out the prescriptions, and we also did some shopping at the market. We just got back."

Jiang Mu nodded, glanced at Lin Anchang, and said coldly:

"Manager Lin, I'll say it again, I can't go. You should find someone else."

"Master Jiang, please reconsider..."

Lin Anchang was about to persuade him again when a soft, surprised voice, tinged with hesitation, came from behind him.

"You are... Lord Lin?"

Lin Anchang was taken aback and turned his head.

He saw that the beautiful, delicate, and gentle girl was staring at him, her almond-shaped eyes filled with uncertainty.

He nodded: "Yes, I am."

Lan Rou'er revealed a gentle smile:

"It really is you. I saw you in Yuancheng when I was a child. My father even hosted a banquet for you at home a few times back then. I remember you were just a hall master in the Yuancheng Demon Slaying Division at that time."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mu's heart stirred.

He then remembered that Lan Rou'er had mentioned before that her original home was in Yuancheng, but her whole family was wiped out by a demon, and she eventually moved to her aunt's home in Huzhou City.

Lin Anchang looked at Lan Rou'er with suspicion, frowning as he asked, "Who is your father?"

"His name is Ranba Fumi."

Lan Rou'er answered softly, "I used to be a merchant in Yuancheng, dealing in cloth and tea."

"Ranba Manga!"

Upon hearing these three words, Lin Anchang's expression changed drastically.

His eyes widened, his pupils instinctively contracting, staring at the frail girl before him as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight.

Then, suppressing his shock, he revealed a look of realization and regret:

"So you're Lan Changwen's daughter. Girls change so much as they grow up; I didn't recognize you at first."

My father was a very good person, a well-known philanthropist in Yuancheng. It's just a pity that that incident happened thirteen years ago…”

Seeing that the girl's eyes were slightly red, Lin Anchang did not continue speaking.

He turned and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Jiang Mu:

"Master Jiang, I have some matters to attend to, so I won't disturb you any longer. Please give the matter of retaking Yuan City much consideration." With that, he turned and left.

Jiang Mu stared at Lin Anchang's retreating figure, lost in thought.

This guy's reaction just now was a bit strange. That kind of heartfelt shock and disbelief didn't seem like the reaction one would have to hear the name of an old friend. Just as Jiang Mu was deep in thought, his arms suddenly felt heavy as a bunch of packages were stuffed into his arms.

What are you spacing out for!

Chu Lingzhu clapped her fair little hands and said with a grin,

"We just happened to run into the boss. As a grown man, could you please show some courtesy and help us with our things?"

Jiang Mu snapped out of her thoughts, looked down and weighed the heavy package in her arms. Her gaze swept over the girl's shapely figure, and she couldn't help but tease, "I say, Dr. Chu, you've gotten so fat lately. Wouldn't it be better to carry more of this stuff as exercise to lose some weight?"

"Where have you gained weight?"

Chu Lingzhu immediately puffed out her chest like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and said angrily, "I weighed myself at the pharmacy this morning, and I'm actually half a pound thinner than when I was in Huzhou City."

These past few days have been filled with fighting and brewing medicine; I haven't had a proper meal yet, how could I possibly gain weight?

"Yeah?"

Jiang Mu's lips curled into a meaningful smile.

"Looks like I was just imagining things. I thought you'd gotten fat in some place from all my hard work massaging you, but it turns out it wasn't from eating." "You're going to be the death of me!"

Chu Lingzhu's face flushed bright red instantly. Filled with shame and indignation, she raised her small fist and gave Jiang Mu's shoulder a series of light, painless punches. Lan Rou'er, watching the two playfully bickering, couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

The sadness I felt when I mentioned my father earlier has mostly dissipated.

The three of them walked towards the mansion, laughing and joking all the way.

Sunlight spilled onto the road, casting long, overlapping shadows of the three people, making them indistinguishable from one another.

the other side.

Lin Anchang strode through the streets and alleys, then stopped.

He slipped under the eaves of a teahouse that had not yet reopened, turned slightly to the side, and peeked half his face out from the shadows in the corner, looking at the slender, moon-white figure in the distance.

Lin Anchang clenched his fists, his eyes turning sinister:

"Didn't they say they were all dead? How come there are still survivors?"