So it turns out I'm the demon!

The room was quiet, with only the occasional chirping of insects coming from outside the window.

The hazy moonlight seemed to merge the two of them into one.

Jiang Mu's hand remained on the woman's chest, rising and falling slightly with her chest's movement. After a moment, he said with a hint of helplessness:

"Little cook, I can tell your heart isn't beating fast at all. It seems you have no feelings for your master at all, and you've ultimately misplaced your affections." Bai Xiang remained silent.

She was a woman devoid of emotion, so the idea of ​​being moved by love was simply nonexistent for her.

Jiang Mu didn't pester him, and yawned, saying, "Forget it, let's go to sleep. If the weather is nice tomorrow, I'll take you to visit a temple outside the city to relax."

Before long, the man's breathing became long and even.

He had clearly fallen into a deep sleep.

But that large hand remained stubbornly on the woman's chest, showing no intention of removing it.

Bai Xiang stared blankly into the darkness, lost in thought for a long time.

Then, she raised her hand and gently placed her palm on the back of the man's hand that was resting on her heart.

The moment his hands were clasped together, his heart, which had been beating steadily, began to pound faster.

Human emotional debts are rarely governed by reason.

It's not that you don't have to pay back the debt, but rather that you keep owing until you've spent your whole life paying it back.

The next morning.

Jiang Mu, feeling refreshed, headed to the Demon Slayer Division of Fazhou.

He planned to use the Demon Slayer's intelligence network to thoroughly investigate the whereabouts of that woman, He Shan'er.

Inside the room where the official in charge of signing documents, the air was filled with the fragrance of incense.

Shui Miaozheng was sitting behind her desk reviewing official documents.

Seeing Jiang Mu swagger in, the beautiful woman put down her cinnabar brush, rolled her captivating phoenix eyes at him, and said with a hint of jealousy in her voice, "Lord Jiang, you still know how to come? I thought you, my little rascal, had found a new love and had long forgotten about your aunt."

"You can forget Aunt Shui, no matter who else you forget."

Jiang Mu leaned forward and wrapped his arm around the beautiful woman's voluptuous waist. He lowered his head and pecked her luscious red lips, laughing, "Besides, I haven't seen Aunt Shui deign to come and stay in my little courtyard these past two days."

Shui Miaozheng's pretty face flushed slightly, and she tapped his forehead with her fingertip in an annoyed tone:

"Don't try to act innocent after getting the benefit. It's just that your aunt is sensible and doesn't want to disturb your good time with your pretty housekeeper."

Jiang Mu, having his thoughts exposed, chuckled and quickly changed the subject:

"Aunt Shui, let's get down to business. Does that Princess Xiang Xiuxiu usually live in the capital?"

"Why are you suddenly asking about her?"

Shui Miaozheng frowned slightly, looking at him with some curiosity.

A cold glint flashed in Jiang Mu's eyes:

"I remember hearing someone mention before that He Shuanghe, the eldest son of the Divine Sword Sect, was betrothed to this princess."

"During the turmoil at the Divine Sword Sect, He Shan'er was seriously injured and fled. I suspect that woman might have gone to her future daughter-in-law for protection?" Shui Miaozheng's expression turned serious as she pondered:

"Xiang Xiuxiu is indeed in the capital, residing at Guxia Manor. If He Shan'er has truly hidden in the Princess's residence, this matter is very troublesome. Guxia Manor is guarded by the Imperial Guards, and even our Demon Slaying Division would never dare to venture there without His Majesty's decree. If you wish to kill her there, it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven."

"Guxia Manor is located at…"

Jiang Mu silently memorized the name, then stroked his chin and said,

"Aunt Shui, could we use the intelligence from the Demon Slayer Division to secretly confirm her location? Once we know He Shan'er's exact location, I'll figure out a way to lure her out later."

"Okay, I'll handle this. I'll let you know as soon as I have any updates."

Shui Miaozheng readily agreed.

After finishing their business, Jiang Mu looked at the beautiful woman's face, which was as beautiful as a peach blossom, and his heart burned with desire again.

Before going shopping with Bai Xiang, I thought I should first sit here at the desk and use the most primitive way of communication to comfort this jealous beauty.

However, Shui Miaozheng was extremely perceptive and immediately saw through the wicked fire rising in the eyes of this little lecher.

She quickly reached out and pressed against the man's chest, pushing him away.

She glanced at him with seductive eyes:

"Don't give me that kind of nonsense so early in the morning. I have a ton of official business to attend to here, and I don't have time to play around with you. You'd better go back and keep your housekeeper company."

Jiang Mu grabbed her small hand and said with a mischievous smile, "Aunt Shui, you're clearly still jealous."

Shui Miaozheng rolled her eyes at him and sighed softly:

"Auntie is already quite old, why should I be jealous? In another two years, when I have wrinkles on my face and become an old woman with faded beauty, you, the famous playboy, will probably not even bother to look at me."

"Aunt Shui, what you said really hurt my feelings."

Jiang Mu immediately raised three fingers and solemnly swore an oath.

"I, Jiang Mu, swear to the heavens that whether it's ten years or a hundred years from now, I will still love you the same way. If I break this oath, may the heavens send down heavenly lightning and strike me with the thunder of the gods."

Boom!!

Just as Jiang Mu finished speaking, a thunderclap suddenly rang out outside the window.

The clap of thunder came without warning, shaking the windows and startling the two of them.

Jiang Mu remained frozen in place, swearing an oath.

Holy crap?

God, are you sick in the head? I just built up this atmosphere, and you just want to ruin it?

Shui Miaozheng was the first to come to her senses. Seeing the man's embarrassed expression, she couldn't help but burst out laughing.

She smiled and covered her red lips with her hand, her earlier jealousy largely dissipated.

However, before the laughter subsided, the sky outside suddenly darkened.

The two exchanged a glance and quickly walked out of the house.

The once clear and bright sky was now filled with thick, inky clouds, and deep within the clouds, purple lightning bolts rolled and writhed like angry pythons, making a deafening roar.

"What is this?"

Jiang Mu was puzzled. "Could it be that some powerful figure is about to undergo tribulation and ascend to heaven?"

The next moment, a crack appeared in the middle of the cloud.

A purple-gold star, radiating an imposing imperial aura, burst forth with dazzling light from the crack, even more radiant than the midday sun.

A faint echo of dragon roars and phoenix cries reverberated through the starlight.

The stars in the entire sky trembled slightly under the brilliance of this star, as if bowing down to a king.

"The Purple Star, the Emperor Star!"

Shui Miaozheng's beautiful eyes widened, and she exclaimed in shock.

Jiang Mu murmured, "So, the rumors are true. The Great Demon's cave and inheritance are really going to appear in Fazhou City."

The sudden appearance of this strange celestial phenomenon shocked all the cultivators with star positions in Fazhou City.

But the ordinary people in the city were completely unaware of it.

To mortals, the sky remained clear and cloudless, without any lightning or thunder, and the radiant Ziwei Emperor Star was nowhere to be seen. The only thing that puzzled them was that several people on the road were inexplicably looking up at the sky, so they followed suit, but saw nothing, muttered "crazy" and walked away.

The phenomenon lasted for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before gradually disappearing into nothingness.

The thick, dark clouds receded like a tide.

The sky regained its clarity.

At the same time, a seven-colored, shimmering halo slowly emerged at the horizon.

A halo stretched across the sky above the city of Fazhou, slowly sinking downwards over time.

If you focus your gaze and examine it closely, you will find that the outline of the rainbow's light and shadow is a majestic portal in the void.

Several powerful cultivators in the city, confident in their superior cultivation, could not resist their greed and immediately transformed into streaks of light, soaring into the air.

They attempted to force their way through the rainbow gate.

As a result, before they could even get within a hundred feet of the portal, they were swept away by a vast and overwhelming pressure from the heavens.

Several powerful cultivators were sent flying backward, coughing up blood, like kites with broken strings. The others were so frightened that they quickly retreated, not daring to approach even a fraction further. "The restrictions on the cave entrance haven't been officially opened yet."

Shui Miaozheng, being a woman of considerable experience, gazed intently at the portal of light in mid-air and spoke in a deep voice.

"Judging from the rate of subsidence and the extent of the dissipation of the restrictions, it will take at least another month for the great demon's inheritance site to truly appear in the world."

A month?

Jiang Mu couldn't help but complain inwardly.

It's just the inheritance of a demonic cultivator's cave dwelling. Why make it sound like those top-tier celebrities from my previous life are holding a concert, requiring a month-long online pre-event promotion?

Does that mean we'll have to sell tickets then?

After leaving the Demon Slayer Division, Jiang Mu went to the post station in the city to find Xun Xiaozhang.

Inside a side hall of the post station, Xun Xiaozhang was giving instructions to an inner guard, his face somewhat gloomy.

Upon seeing Jiang Mu arrive, she quickly composed herself and put on a smile: "Lord Jiang."

"We're leaving tomorrow."

Jiang Mu skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.

Xun Xiaomo's eyes lit up, and she nodded and smiled:

"Alright, then we'll set off first thing tomorrow morning. Lord Jiang, please rest assured, regardless of whether we ultimately succeed in finding Yan Zixiao, our Imperial Guards will truthfully inform you of Xing Dan's information."

"I just hope they don't renege on their promise."

After saying that, Jiang Mu turned around and left, without even saying "goodbye".

Xun Xiaomo watched him walk away, her smile gradually fading, replaced by a cold expression.

She turned her head and whispered to the guard beside her, "Tell the master that we will depart tomorrow."

The guard clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, but hesitated for a moment before leaving immediately.

He looked up at Xun Xiaomo, his expression still showing some hesitation, and cautiously probed:

"My lord, what if Jiang Mu... would he try to harm you? Jiang Mu has always acted recklessly and killed at will. After all, you had some conflicts with him back in Yancheng."

"He won't."

Xun Xiaojin chuckled lightly upon hearing this, unconvinced.

"Although I had some disagreements with him in Yancheng, it was far from a fight to the death."

Moreover, my star position is completely unrelated to his. Killing me would not only prevent him from gaining any benefit from the star pill, but would also bring him trouble. Although Jiang Mu acts rashly, he is also a smart man and would not engage in such a losing proposition that harms others without benefiting himself.

Even if he really loses his mind and tries to attack, I have ways to protect myself. The outcome is still uncertain.” Jiang Mu left the post station and returned to Bai Xiang's courtyard.

Upon entering the courtyard, they discovered that Bai Xiangren was not there.

Only Yuan Aqing and Duanmu Li, two maids, were practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard.

"Where is your Aunt Bai Xiang?" Jiang Mu asked casually.

Yuan Aqing finished her swordplay with a flourish, turned her head, beads of sweat still clinging to her forehead, and shook her little head in a soft, sweet voice:

"Sister Xiang just went out with a basket not long ago, saying she was going to the market to buy some fresh meat and vegetables."

Jiang Mu said "Oh," and waved to Yuan Aqing:

"Ah Qing, pack your bags tonight, and come with me to Yancheng tomorrow. I'll take you there to try your luck."

The Great Demon's cave inheritance won't officially open for another month, so he needs to use this free time to finish up his current tasks. As for cultivating his relationship with Ah Xiang, he can only wait until he returns to deal with that.

The most important thing right now is to take advantage of this opportunity to find a pretext to kill Xun Xiaomo as soon as possible, and see if we can seize the star position and push our cultivation to the ninth realm of Venerable.

Although it sounds unrealistic to compete with those super big shots hiding in the shadows for the inheritance of the great demon, what if you get incredibly lucky when it comes to cultivating immortality?

The more strength you accumulate, the more confident you'll be when it comes time to divide the spoils.

Furthermore, killing Xun Xiaozhi was a cause and effect that had to be accomplished.

Before Yang Feifei died, she forcibly gave him a star position, which also planted the seeds of hatred in his soul.

If Xun Xiaozhi is not killed, his star position will not be perfected, and it may even cause inner demons to hinder his future cultivation.

"Jiang Mu, am I just destined to have no chance?"

A plaintive voice drifted over from the side.

Duanmu Li held the tomb knife upside down, her delicate and refined face showing resentment.

Jiang Mu tugged at the girl's ponytail and teased her:

"What a coincidence! In another month, the cave of a great demon will open in our Fazhou City. You happen to cultivate demonic arts as well. I'll see if I can snatch a worthless opportunity for you while I'm at it."

"No, I want to go to Yancheng with you and A-Qing too."

The girl raised her chin.

"It's troublesome enough to take one burden out, do you really think I'm taking you on a school trip?"

Jiang Mu flicked her forehead in an annoyed tone.

"Besides, I have some dangerous business to attend to this time. After I leave, you and Aunt Baixiang can move to Lingzhu's courtyard for a few days. There are formations and poisons there, so it's relatively safer."

"Oh... I understand."

Duanmu Li responded sullenly and continued practicing her swordsmanship.

After practicing for a short while, she suddenly put down the knife, ran up to Jiang Mu and stood in front of him: "Jiang Mu, before you leave, give me a kiss." As she spoke, she turned her face to Jiang Mu.

The girl's face was almost translucent in the sunlight, the fine downy hairs tinged with a pale golden halo, like a peeled water chestnut. White and tender, it looked so inviting that one wanted to take a bite.

At this age, a girl's skin is at its most tender, as if it would burst with moisture if squeezed even slightly.

Jiang Mu was stunned at first, then smacked her on the forehead with his other hand:

"Is he having a serious relapse?"

Duanmu Li clutched her head in pain, glaring at him with a mixture of grievance and anger, like a little wildcat with its fur standing on end.

"It's not like I'm asking you to kiss me on the lips, what's wrong with a kiss on the cheek? If you don't kiss me, I'll secretly follow your carriage. You know my personality, I don't care if you scold me!"

Yuan Aqing, standing to the side, stared blankly at the two of them, her watery eyes filled with confusion, completely unable to understand what they were up to.

But out of politeness, she chose to remain silent and observe.

Jiang Mu laughed in exasperation: "Fine, I'll kiss you, but give me a legitimate reason first?"

Duanmu Li straightened her chest and said confidently:

"My birthday is in two days. Since you're going on a long trip, consider this an early birthday gift from you."

Jiang Mu's lips twitched. "If I remember correctly, back in the secret realm, you said that day was your birthday. So, you're celebrating your birthday every day, aren't you?"

"..."

Duanmu Li's expression instantly cracked.

Oh no, I forgot about that.

She lowered her head and, somewhat awkwardly, whispered her explanation:

"I was lying to you before... but this time it's for real! If you leave, I won't get a birthday present from you this year, and that would be terrible..."

She secretly glanced up at Jiang Mu, then quickly raised her slender fingers.

"I swear, I'm not lying to you this time!"

Jiang Mu looked at the girl's naive yet stubborn appearance and felt quite helpless.

He sighed and took two steps forward.

Before Duanmu Li could react, she felt a cool sensation on her cheek.

Immediately afterwards, she was slapped hard on the buttocks, staggered forward a few steps, and a man's cold voice came from above her head: "If you dare to be so willful next time, get the hell away from me."

After saying that, Jiang Mu left the courtyard.

Duanmu Li rubbed her slightly numb buttocks and muttered a few words to the man's back.

Then she raised her hand and touched her cheek.

The girl's lips curled up involuntarily, higher and higher, until they finally curved into an irrepressible crescent moon.

She turned around and met Yuan Aqing's innocent and clear eyes, then resumed her usual aloof demeanor.

Duanmu Li slightly raised her chin, and Chongyuan Aqing uttered a sentence:

"Learn from this."

After saying that, she walked leisurely towards her room with her hands behind her back.

Her high ponytail swayed behind her head like a little black cat that had just stolen a fish and was striding proudly.

Yuan Aqing scratched her head, her face full of clear-eyed stupidity.

Not long after Jiang Mu returned to her courtyard, Bai Xiang came back.

He was carrying a basket of meat, vegetables, and fruits.

"Next time you go shopping, let Ah Li come with you. Didn't I tell you that the outside world is a chaotic place? Why are you running around alone?"

Jiang Mu took the bamboo basket from her hand, her tone carrying a hint of reproach.

Bai Xiang smiled and extended her slender fingers, gesturing in sign language: "Don't you always say I'm ugly? Since I'm ugly, naturally no bad guys will be blind enough to bother me."

The two entered the kitchen one after the other.

While helping her pick the vegetable leaves and wash the vegetables, Jiang Mu retorted:

"Even though you always have a stern face, you have a great figure. If I hadn't measured you myself last night, I wouldn't have known that you're actually bigger down there than you look..."

The sound of the cleaver cutting meat stopped abruptly.

Bai Xiang narrowed her long, cold phoenix eyes, her gaze piercing the man's face like a knife.

It was as if I were looking at a corpse.

Jiang Mu felt a chill run down her spine, chuckled dryly twice, and quickly steered the conversation back on track:

"Ahem, what I mean is, you're the kind of stunningly beautiful woman with exceptional inner qualities. By the way, let's get down to business. I'm planning to leave for Yancheng early tomorrow morning on some business, and I should be back in about four or five days."

"These next few days you must take Ah Li to the other side and stay with Ling Zhu and the others, understand? This is a matter of safety, there's no room for discussion." Bai Xiang's eyes flickered, and she remained silent.

The cleaver in his hand continued to rise and fall on the cutting board.

The pace was just a little slower than before.

After dinner, Jiang Mu officially announced that he would be taking Yuan Aqing away for a few days the next day.

Upon hearing that she would be spending time with her rival Bai Xiang during this period, Chu Lingzhu's pretty face immediately fell, and her pink lips pouted so much they could hang an oil bottle on them. However, out of consideration for Jiang Mu, the head of the family, she ultimately did not dare to utter a word of protest.

In the dead of night, all was quiet.

Jiang Mu once again skillfully scaled the wall and slipped into the bedroom across the hall. He crawled into bed, embraced Bai Xiang's soft and warm body, and fell soundly asleep.

During this time, he naturally placed his hand on the woman's heart.

"Don't worry, I won't move around. I'm just feeling my heartbeat," Jiang Mu said.

Bai Xiang clenched her fists.

Her heart was clearly on the left, but this guy's hand was clasped on the right.

Feel the heartbeat my ass!

But then I thought, since I already felt the left side last night, and both sides are the same, what difference would it make if I switched to the other side?

Bai Xiangsuo ultimately held back.

The next morning.

Jiang Mu packed his belongings and, with Yuan Aqing in tow, prepared to head to the post station to meet Xun Xiaomo.

As soon as he stepped out of the courtyard gate, he saw Bai Xiang carrying a small bundle on her back, clearly also looking like she was about to go on a long trip.

Jiang Mu's face immediately turned as black as the bottom of a pot:

"What do you mean by this? Are you trying to pull the 'run away from home' trick again?"

A hint of grievance flickered in Bai Xiang's eyes as she deftly gestured in sign language:

"Have you forgotten that I told you before that my hometown is Yancheng? I want to take this opportunity to go to Yancheng to pay respects to my parents, is that not allowed?"

Bai Xiang spent the entire night in the man's arms, deep in thought.

She was worried about Jiang Mu.

I could always sense that there were quite a few eyes secretly watching the other person during this period.

In the end, she decided to stay by his side and protect him herself.

Although she was affected by the fate of the nation and her star position had been fluctuating, the unusual appearance of the Ziwei Emperor Star in the sky yesterday stabilized her recent unstable state.

Although I can't go all out, protecting Jiang Mu after a few days of traveling outside is still a piece of cake.

"I'm going to Yancheng on business, not for sightseeing, sister."

Jiang Mu had a headache.

Bai Xiang gestured in the famous sign language: "I know. I'm not going there for fun either."

Jiang Mu was speechless for a moment.

He knew he couldn't persuade her otherwise.

Bai Xiang is different from Chu Lingzhu and the others. He can still use his status as a master to suppress and coax those girls.

But none of these methods worked on Bai Xiang.

This woman has an incredibly strong sense of self-determination; once she's made up her mind, nothing can change it.

She won't listen to reason with you.

If you act tough with her, she'll be even colder than you; if you try to be affectionate with her...

Forget it, he can't afford to lose face.

"Are you really going to pay respects to your parents?"

Jiang Mu stared at her suspiciously.

Bai Xiang met his gaze and nodded sincerely.

"Alright, let's do it together then."

Jiang Mu sighed helplessly and ultimately chose to compromise.

After all, keeping her under my nose is much safer than letting her run around outside alone.

Upon arriving at the post station, Xun Xiaozhi, who had been waiting for a long time, was speechless as he watched Jiang Mu arrive with two women.

Sure enough, this kid's dissolute nature is hard to change.

He must have a woman by his side when he goes out.

Xun Xiaomo glanced at Yuan Aqing, who had reached the fifth realm of cultivation, and was somewhat surprised that this girl had such a high level of cultivation at such a young age.

Suddenly, some thoughts came to mind.

He hesitated whether to wait until the mission was over before reporting it to the capital and sending this genius girl there. It would be good if she could be trained as a loyal bodyguard for His Majesty.

Then, her gaze fell on Bai Xiang, who was clearly an ordinary person.

After looking him over, he thought to himself:

"That's fine too. If something unexpected happens on the way, we can use them as hostages."