So it turns out I'm the demon!

After finishing her mahjong game with Chu Lingzhu and the others, Jiang Mu put on her clothes, went out of the house, and took out the armor bestowed upon her by the imperial court, preparing to study it. In the courtyard, the moonlight was cool and refreshing.

The armor in their hands gave off a somewhat grim and murderous aura.

Although Jiang Mu looked down on such purely defensive magical artifacts, he did possess the "Magic Slot," a cheat that could modify the underlying code.

Perhaps it could be modified and upgraded.

At the very least, it should be made into a portable model that can be worn at any time.

It wouldn't be right if, in the future, when he's fighting against powerful demons or high-level cultivators outside, he had to shout, "Big brother, wait a minute, let me put on some armor before we fight." Just thinking about that scene is just too ridiculous.

Just do it.

Jiang Mu placed his palm on the armor, and with a thought, demonic energy surged out from his palm.

These past few days of relentless demon-slaying and monster-hunting outside the city have filled my magic gauge to overflowing, leaving me with no worries about this little bit of consumption. As black demonic energy continues to pour in, streaks of blood-red lines begin to appear on the surface of my armor.

These fine lines extend outward from the relief, climbing along the seams of the armor plates like blood vessels, intertwining and outlining.

In just a moment, the red lines converged in the center of the breastplate to form a skull pattern.

A chilling, malevolent aura emanated from the armor.

After most of the energy in the magic tank was consumed, the modification of the armor was finally completed.

The armor had turned into a single, palm-sized, blood-red plate.

Jiang Mu picked up the nail plate, placed it on her chest, and gently touched it with her fingertip.

"Buzz"

The next moment, the armor plates melted instantly like boiling liquid metal, spreading from the chest to the limbs, covering the fingertips and neck, and finally enveloping the head.

A set of blood-black armor with a wild design and full of masculine violence aesthetics was instantly formed!

With the armor's enhancement, Jiang Mu's figure grew to over two meters tall.

Beneath the full-face helmet, two scarlet, fierce beams of light emanated from his eyes, making him appear from afar like a bloodthirsty demon god who had just crawled out of the abyss of hell. At that moment, clouds piled up in the night sky, slowly obscuring the full moon.

Jiang Mu raised her right arm, her five fingers spread wide.

The true essence of the Blood River within his body and the demonic energy converged in his palm, instantly condensing into a huge blood blade shaped like a shark's tooth.

"Whoosh!"

Jiang Mu gripped the hilt of the sword with both hands and slashed it towards the night sky.

The blade's energy pierced the air, leaving a dark red streak in its wake.

The clouds that had been obscuring the moonlight in the sky were cleaved apart by the residual force of this strike.

The sea of ​​clouds turned into scattered fluff and rolled to both sides. The bright moonlight poured down along the cracks, shining on Jiang Mu's armor and making the skull pattern look even more sinister and terrifying.

"Not bad, not only has the defense been improved, but the attack power has also increased significantly."

Jiang Mu nodded in satisfaction.

With a thought, the cool armor sheds and transforms back into a single armor plate.

He cracked his neck, stretched his limbs, and chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Why do I feel like some kind of armored warrior? Next time I transform, should I consider making up a transformation slogan?"

After putting the armor plate back into his storage space, Jiang Mu suddenly recalled Ji Hongyuan's alluring figure.

I wonder where that crazy zombie woman has gone again.

Could it be that she was also caught up in the blessed land and hasn't come out yet?

However, Jiang Mu wasn't too worried about it.

She's a zombie queen, after all; she has plenty of ways to protect herself. Right now, he's more worried about Xu Fu, who hasn't been heard from in a single day. He wonders if Old Xu has even found his brother yet.

Surely he can't let his brother kill him, can he?

Jiang Mu sighed softly, collected her thoughts, turned around, and pushed open the door to go into the inner room.

Inside the room, on the large bed, three women, exhausted from playing mahjong, were fast asleep.

At first, the three of them were a little reserved.

After all, Shui Miaozheng and Chu and Lan were not very close because of their generational difference.

But as the progress bar gets more than halfway through, people stop caring so much about whether they're familiar with something or not.

After all, the three of them share a common enemy: Jiang Mu.

The ultimate goal is to defeat the great demon Jiang.

Unfortunately, even though the three heroes fought Lü Bu, they ultimately failed and were defeated.

Shui Miaozheng slept on the outermost side of the bed.

Even in her sleep, the beautiful young woman maintained a certain air of authority, one hand resting on her pillow, her long, black hair cascading down like a waterfall. Chu Lingzhu, on the other hand, had absolutely no regard for appearances.

She lay sprawled out in the middle, one long leg draped over Shui Miaozheng's waist, her toes slightly curled, while the other leg was nestled in Lan Rou'er's arms, sleeping like a sprawled-out little frog.

Her little mouth was slightly pouting, and she occasionally smacked her lips; I wonder what delicious things she was eating in her dream.

In contrast, Lan Rou'er's sleeping posture appeared much more quiet and well-behaved.

The young woman maintained the poise of a well-bred lady, her body slightly curled up, like a soft, delicate kitten, pitiful and charming.

It makes you want to cherish it and make it a part of your very being.

Besides, there was also the little mermaid princess Chan Xiaoyu, who was sleeping soundly in Chu Lingzhu's arms.

The little princess seemed to really like the herbal scent on Chu Lingzhu.

Jiang Mu tiptoed onto the bed and gently pulled the curled-up Lan Rou'er into his arms.

The girl let out a soft moan, as if disturbed from her dream, but she didn't open her eyes. Instead, she subconsciously pressed her face against the man's broad chest and fell back into a deep sleep.

This commotion woke up Shui Miaozheng on the outside.

The beautiful woman opened her sleepy, watery eyes, gently picked up Chu Lingzhu's little feet that were resting on her waist, and moved them aside.

Then she sat up, gave the man a flirtatious look, and said coquettishly:

"I remember you weren't this powerful before. How did you suddenly transform so much? It's probably because Lingzhu secretly gave you some kind of tonic."

Jiang Mu, with his arm around Lan Rou'er, said shamelessly:

"Is Aunt Shui questioning my talent? I, Jiang, am endowed with extraordinary talent, a pure yang body, and I never take medicine."

Shui Miaozheng rolled her eyes, clearly not believing his nonsense.

She tidied her disheveled hair, then sat up cross-legged, closed her eyes, and silently sensed the flow of energy within her body.

A moment later, she opened her eyes again, a look of amazement flashing in her beautiful eyes:

"Rou'er is truly extraordinary. As the spiritual guide for the 'Great Bliss and Light Dual Union Zen,' after she harmonized it, the spiritual power within my body has indeed become more solid than before."

"I told you this girl was priceless."

Jiang Mu lowered his head and pecked Lan Rou'er's lips, then looked at Shui Miaozheng and smiled:

"Aunt Shui, this time I plan to settle down in Fazhou City and not leave. You might as well move in here too. Over time, our hard work day and night will greatly benefit your cultivation path."

Hearing the man's straightforward invitation, Shui Miaozheng's beautiful face flushed.

The thought of having to play mahjong with the two young girls every few days made the head of the department feel a little embarrassed. However, she didn't voice any objections.

Jiang Mu caught a glimpse of Lan Rou'er in his arms. Her eyelashes trembled, and she opened her almond-shaped eyes groggily, looking at him blankly.

Jiang Mu's lips curled into a smile. He reached out and pulled Shui Miaozheng's fair wrist, drawing her close and saying with a laugh:

"Aunt Shui, since you seem to be in good spirits, and the night is long, how about we play a new game?"

Shui Miaozheng knew something was wrong the moment she saw his expression. She snorted and tried to grab the dress draped over the bedside: "I have official business to attend to. I have several documents to complete early tomorrow morning..."

Before she could finish speaking, the man grabbed her arm.

She struggled, but couldn't break free.

"Your Excellency, you are mistaken."

Jiang Mu whispered in her ear with a smile, "As your deputy, I currently have an official matter to report to you immediately. However, mine is more important."

As he spoke, he pulled the newly awakened Lan Rou'er into his arms.

Before the girl could react, he half-carried and half-dragged her off the bed.

Shui Miaozheng was dragged into the courtyard by him, but she couldn't resist this brute. She could only mutter "bad boy" in a low voice before he pulled her into the moonlit courtyard.

Meanwhile, in the quiet courtyard across the street.

After the female guard left, Bai Xiang sat alone cross-legged on the cold bed in the room, closing her eyes to meditate.

But for some reason, the atmosphere tonight feels rather restless.

Perhaps it was because her carefully cultivated vegetable garden had been ruined, after all, the leaves of those tender seedlings bore the names of the two of them, carved by her own hands. Every stroke was imbued with deep emotion.

The fact that she was trampled on made her, who was already in a bad mood, even more upset.

But anger aside, maintaining my cultivation level is the most important thing right now.

The female bodyguard's intelligence was quite accurate.

The moment she stepped into this city of Fazhou, she immediately sensed a trace of the aura of Jiang Chaoxi's cave inheritance, but she was unable to pinpoint its exact location for the time being.

The good news is that in this place, her fluctuating cultivation level can indeed be suppressed and stabilized to a certain extent.

The world marvels at Jiang Mu as a once-in-a-century genius.

His cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds.

But in this world, there is always a small group of people who, from the moment they are born, have completely transcended the common category of "genius." They are born free from the constraints of the rules of the universe, truly being bug-level beings.

For example, Jiang Chaoxi once used demonic cultivation to prove herself as Emperor Ziwei.

For example, the exceptionally talented Sword Fairy of the Myriad Swords Sect, after failing to attain a legitimate Star Position, defied the heavens and created her own Star Position, thus reaching the pinnacle. However, she ultimately perished due to rejection by the Heavenly Dao, forced to reincarnate, and her whereabouts remain unknown to this day.

But its brilliance remains dazzling through the ages.

For example, there's Bai Xiang.

Others who become stars do so by climbing step by step from the lowest star position, struggling to ascend amidst bloodshed and the corpses of their own kind.

From the moment she was born, her destiny was bound to the "harem" star position.

It seems that this star position was destined to be reserved for her.

No need for killing, no need for fighting; as long as she exists, the star position is hers.

Of course, every gift from fate comes with a hidden price tag.

The downside of this great opportunity is that her cultivation level becomes tied to the fate of the nation.

One glory and one glory.

When a nation falls, its fortunes decline; when a nation perishes, its virtues fade away.

Moreover, due to certain special astrological reasons, she was unable to cultivate before the age of sixteen.

It wasn't until five years ago, when she was sent to Daqing, that the seal was officially lifted, and she embarked on the path of cultivation.

However, it only took five short years.

She then soared to new heights without any bottlenecks, until she stood at the pinnacle of the world as a Grand Master of the Thirteenth Realm!

Unfortunately, her original plan to work behind the scenes, hoping to use the national fortune of Daqing to ensure the continuation of the Jing Kingdom's lineage, ultimately ended in failure. This has left her feeling constrained in everything she does now.

Previously outside Huzhou City, in order to forcibly summon his Dharma form to help Jiang Mu out of trouble, he almost caused his own soul to shatter.

Thinking of Jiang Mu, Bai Xiang felt a pang of melancholy.

We've been separated for so long. I thought I was so focused on restoring my country that I wouldn't have time to think about that scoundrel.

But the image of that man always unexpectedly emerges from the cracks in my memory.

"I wonder if that bastard misses me?"

Bai Xiang asked herself this question quietly in her heart.

Of course, Bai Xiang still doesn't think she's fallen in love with this man.

She was a very rational person, and in the face of national and personal vendettas, she had no time for sentimental sentiments.

She simply thought Jiang Mu was a friend she could get along with.

That's it.

As for the two of them cuddling on the rooftop for warmth, the occasional kisses he forcibly demanded, and those slightly inappropriate physical contacts... those were just slightly more intimate exchanges between friends.

In her mind, true love should be like that between her father and mother.

Recalling the way her mother looked with tears in her eyes when she left, Bai Xiang's heart ached.

She was too young then and thought her mother was just reluctant to let her leave home. But now, thinking back on it carefully, she probably foresaw the demise of the Mirror Kingdom at that turbulent time.

I knew long ago that that one glance would be our final farewell.

They sent her to Daqing, perhaps not to sacrifice her to prolong the nation's fate, but simply to protect her and ensure her survival.

But one thing remains a mystery, lingering in Bai Xiang's mind and leaving her puzzled.

That is, did the Empress Dowager have any relatives?

Whether it was her father, the old nanny in the palace, or even her personal female guard, they all said that her mother was an orphan with no relatives.

When she married her father, the emperor, she came to the capital all alone.

But there was a vague fragment in her memory.

That time, the Empress took her, who was still young, to the royal altar to pray for the Black Armored Guards.

That evening, while she was praying behind the veil, she vaguely saw the figure of a mysterious woman suddenly appear below the altar through the shimmering light. Her usually gentle mother became very agitated and argued with the woman.

It seems like they are questioning why the other person would keep a fox as a pet.

The mysterious woman seemed aggrieved, and during her explanation, she called her mother "sister".

As for what they talked about afterward, Bai Xiang couldn't remember.

Later, she asked her mother out of curiosity, but her mother just gently patted her head and said softly: You were just dreaming or you saw it wrong. Your mother doesn't have a younger sister.

She believed it.

But strangely, for a period of time after that, my mother seemed to become a stranger.

She looks the same as always, and her voice is the same as always.

She would smile at her, comb her hair, and tell her stories before she went to sleep.

She is still very gentle.

But Bai Xiang found it very strange.

Even her father, who had always been very affectionate with her mother, intentionally or unintentionally stopped visiting her mother's palace during that period. When she went to ask her father about it, he simply changed the subject.

This situation lasted for a long time.

Over time, she gradually got used to it.

It wasn't until she arrived in Daqing, and with the seal broken, that her cultivation began to advance by leaps and bounds. Those details that had been overlooked in her childhood began to surface more and more clearly in her mind, like beads washed clean.

But what's the point of thinking about these things now?

In any case, the Kingdom of Mirror is gone, and both the Emperor and the Empress have died for their country.

With the person gone, the pursuit of the truth seems to have lost its meaning.

"The Kingdom of Mirrors... is just like a reflection in a mirror or the moon in the water."

Bai Xiang gazed sadly at the cold moonlight outside the window and let out a long, melancholy sigh.

Just as she was preparing to clear her mind and return to meditation, a faint sound of a man and woman making love suddenly drifted into her ears. The sounds were melodious and sweet, rising and falling with each note.

It was clearly coming from the large mansion across the street.

Ordinary people couldn't hear it at all, but her hearing at the thirteenth level was not something that any soundproof barrier could block.

Bai Xiang frowned, a hint of displeasure rising in her heart.

But then she thought, they were making love in their own home, it was their freedom, and she, as an outsider, had no right to say anything. So she suppressed her agitation and immersed herself in her cultivation.

However, to Bai Xiang's dismay, the house across the street seemed to be running a brothel in its own home.

There was noise every night for the next few days.

Later on, they couldn't even stay still during the day.

Sometimes it's afternoon, sometimes it's dusk, it never ends.

It inadvertently reminded her of a joke Jiang Mu once made: "Even the donkeys in the production team aren't this capable."

Several times, she walked out of the courtyard gate.

She stared blankly at the opposite courtyard wall, her hand rising and falling repeatedly... hesitating whether to take a picture and smash it to pieces. But in order to conceal her presence, she ultimately held back.

"The world is going to the dogs."

Unable to bear the disturbance any longer, Bai Xiang had no choice but to completely shut down her senses and consciousness.

The main idea is "out of sight, out of mind" and "out of hearing, out of mind".

She secretly thought that the first thing she would do when the guards returned after finishing their business was to immediately find a quiet courtyard.

She couldn't stand this wretched place any longer!

The two days passed in the blink of an eye.

The magic array that Yao Wenxian used for investigation was set up in the underground palace where the former garrison commander Tian Wenyuan used to cultivate.

Although this place was mostly destroyed in the great battle between Xu Chen and Wenren Guhong, the spiritual foundation deep within the earth's veins still remains.

The remaining spirit-gathering array can be repaired and put back into operation, which is much easier than building it from scratch.

"General Manager Yao."

Shui Miaozheng stood at the edge of the formation, her phoenix eyes gazing at the runes on it, a hint of worry between her brows. "This formation... won't it cause any harm to Xiao Jiang?"

Yao Wenxian, who was adjusting the placement of the last few spirit stones, looked up upon hearing this, stroked his beard, and smiled:

"Don't worry, Chief Water, it's just a routine check to eliminate any potential dangers left by the possession. This formation is for observation only and won't harm Lord Jiang in the slightest."

After comforting Shui Miaozheng, Yao Wenxian turned to look at Jiang Mu beside her and nodded slightly.

"Lord Jiang, please go upstairs."

Jiang Mu nodded, stepped onto the platform, and sat down cross-legged in the center.

"Lord Jiang, after the formation is activated, you may see some illusions in your mind."

Yao Wenxian spoke up, giving instructions.

"But don't worry, those illusions are all false and can't harm you. At that time, an aura will enter your body to circulate and investigate. Remember to relax your mind and try not to have any thoughts of resistance."

"it is good."

Jiang Mu nodded and closed her eyes.

Seeing that he was ready, Yao Wenxian said no more.

He took out a jade array plate from his sleeve and tapped it lightly a few times with his fingertips.

The runes on the array plate lit up one by one.

The spirit stones embedded around the array simultaneously emitted a buzzing sound.

In an instant, soft white light surged out from the array, like countless strips of cloth wrapping around Jiang Mu's body.

At the same time, a cool sensation flowed in from between my eyebrows.

It flows slowly along the meridians.

Jiang Mu subconsciously tried to resist using the star power within her body.

But that aura did not stop; it continued to circulate and permeate throughout his body.

As the breath deepened, the scene before Jiang Mu's eyes began to change.

In a moment of distraction, he was startled to find himself suddenly in a narrow space.

Directly in front, there is a thin, elongated crack of light.

Through the crack, he saw a familiar scene.

Inside the house, a plump woman with tear stains was pointing at a burly man and cursing him.

"Hey Zhang, you better explain yourself! Who's shameless? Who's hooking up with some random guy? If you can't explain yourself today, I'll kill myself!" With that, the woman turned around, her face full of grief and indignation, and was about to bang her head against the wall.

Jiang Mu was stunned.

Isn't this the infamous scene of "the demon killing his wife" that he witnessed while hiding in the closet when he first transmigrated to this world?

Before he could take a closer look, the scene before him changed rapidly, like a revolving lantern.

The next moment, he was standing on the sand in his own yard, practicing basic body-strengthening exercises under the scorching sun.

Then one scene after another appeared...

At this point, Jiang Mu understood.

The formation is going through his memories.

The scene continues to unfold.

Just as the flood of memories was about to surge towards the moment he first awakened the magic slot, the originally gentle and cool aura within his body suddenly jolted, as if it had hit a wall.

The next moment, a violent surge of demonic energy erupted.

It directly forced the invading energy out of the body.

"Boom!"

The formation beneath Jiang Mu swayed slightly.

The white band of light surrounding him immediately shattered, turning into specks of light.

Immediately afterwards, the runes on the array tore apart, and several spirit stones embedded at the edge exploded into dust.

Yao Wenxian, who was maintaining the formation below, was startled by this sudden change and stared blankly at the destroyed formation.

What's going on?

"Little Jiang!"

Shui Miaozheng turned pale and rushed forward, grabbing Jiang Mu's arm and asking urgently,

"Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine."

Jiang Mu shook her head, turned to look at Yao Wenxian who was still in a daze, and asked knowingly, "Chief Yao, what's wrong?"

Yao Wenxian snapped out of her daze, gave Jiang Mu a deep look, and her eyes flashed with a hint of surprise and uncertainty.

But he quickly covered it up and laughed:

"Perhaps the formation has been neglected for many years, and some parts were not properly connected when I set it up. But it doesn't matter. Although the exploration was interrupted halfway, the parts that have already been checked are fine."

There are no remaining traces of possession within your body, so you can rest assured.

"Oh, that's good."

Jiang Mu stood up from the front lines, patted her clothes, and said, "Now that the examination is finished, I'll go back and rest."

"Alright, Lord Jiang, take care." Yao Wenxian did not try to stop him.

As she watched Jiang Mu and Shui Miaozheng walk out of the underground palace, Yao Wenxian's smile slowly faded.

He turned and looked at the array, which was now covered in cracks.

At the very center of the formation, the remaining spiritual light suddenly re-converged.

A wisp of black and white mist seeped from the crack in the array's core, slowly swirling in mid-air and weaving into a profound Yin-Yang symbol. The symbol spun slightly, and a blurry, graceful silhouette emerged from it.

The newcomer wore a loose, plain-colored Taoist robe, yet it could not conceal his exceptionally handsome figure.

She held a snow-white whisk in her hand, her long black hair was casually tied up with a wooden hairpin, and her face, though without makeup, was incomparably beautiful.

Just by standing there, one exudes an ethereal and otherworldly aura.

It was none other than Mo Huaisu, the leader of the Daoist sect.

"Sect Leader Mo."

Yao Wenxian cupped her hands in greeting. "What were the results of the investigation?"

Mo Huaisu gently shook his head, his voice as clear and calm as water:

"After my Primordial Dao Qi entered his body, it was forcibly expelled by a force. As for his memories... I didn't see much, just some mundane trifles and scenes of martial arts practice, and I didn't find anything unusual."

"Is that so..."

Yao Wenxian didn't seem too surprised by the result.

The imperial court specially invited Mo Huaisu to investigate secretly because this Taoist sect leader possessed an ancient secret technique that allowed him to peer into the soul.

If even she can't find any clues, then there's no point in thinking about it from anyone else.

"but·……"

Mo Huaisu fiddled with his whisk, a thoughtful glint flashing in his clear, cool eyes.

"There's something strange. Why is it that when I trace his past, his memories only start from a year ago? Beyond that, it's all a blank?"

Upon hearing this, Yao Wenxian smiled and explained:

"A year ago, the Mist Demons launched a massive invasion of Huzhou City. At that time, this kid was still a spoiled brat who couldn't even kill a chicken. Unfortunately, he was poisoned by the mist, which damaged his brain and caused him to lose his memory. This is a fact that is recorded in the Huzhou Demon Slaying Division and is known to everyone."

"It's amnesia..."

Mo Huaisu stared into the void, her red lips slightly parted, "Or is it that she simply has no memory of what happened before?"

The words were concise and to the point.

Yao Wenxian's body trembled, and the smile on her face vanished.

After a long silence, he whispered:

"What Sect Leader Mo means is... if he hasn't lost his memory, and if the person living in his current body isn't the original Jiang Mu at all, then who do you think possessed him?"

Mo Huaisu shook his head and said:

"I don't know. But in my humble opinion, this doesn't seem like possession."

The person who possesses another's body will inevitably have gaps and repulsion between their soul and body, and can never achieve such perfect harmony and naturalness as he did.

I am more inclined to believe that he may have unintentionally obtained the complete inheritance of a powerful being, thus defying fate.

Yao Wenxian seemed to be deep in thought.

Is it about inheritance?

He turned around and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Mo Huaisu:

"Then I will trouble Sect Leader Mo to stay in Fazhou City for a few more days and find an opportunity to investigate further. This will allow me to give the imperial court an explanation."

"it is good."

Mo Huaisu nodded slightly.

Immediately, the Tai Chi diagram beneath her feet flashed, and her ethereal figure once again vanished into the mist, disappearing from the formation.