So it turns out I'm the demon!

When the carriage drove out of the city gate, it was already broad daylight, and it was still pulled by two fine, exotic horses.

Inside the spacious carriage, one man and three women sat on either side.

There was a small table in the middle.

There was also tea and some desserts and fruits on top.

Xun Xiaomo turned her gaze away from the fleeting shadows outside the window and looked at Yuan Aqing, who was nestled next to Jiang Mu and peeling an orange. She smiled and said, "I didn't notice before, but the star power this girl is emitting is actually of the orthodox star level."

To possess such a remarkable presence at such a young age is rare even among the most outstanding talents in the capital. Lord Jiang's circle is truly filled with hidden masters and brilliant minds. "It's all thanks to the master's excellent teaching."

Yuan Aqing was a little embarrassed by the praise and lowered her head to say softly.

As they spoke, the girl carefully removed the white pith from the peeled orange segments and handed them to Jiang Mu.

Jiang Mu was too lazy to do anything, so she just opened her mouth.

Little Aqing was then put into his mouth, emphasizing her obedience.

Jiang Mu chewed on an orange, reached out and ruffled the girl's hair, then turned to look at Xun Xiaozhang, changing the subject:

"Lord Xun, yesterday there was a celestial phenomenon: the Ziwei Emperor Star appeared, and Jiang Chaoxi's cave dwelling is about to open. Such a momentous event must have already been tipped off by the imperial court, and they must have sent top experts to seize this opportunity, right?"

Xun Xiaomo picked up the porcelain cup from the small tea table and smiled slightly:

"I don't know about that. The internal security forces are strictly disciplined. I'm only responsible for the tasks assigned to me by my superiors. As for higher-level secrets, that's not something I should inquire about."

Jiang Mu curled her lip, scoffing at the bureaucratic tone.

He then asked:

"By the way. I remember Lord Xun mentioning something when we were in Yancheng before, saying that your husband died in the homeland of Jing Kingdom."

It seems they went on some secret mission and accidentally released a black-armored divine weapon, right?

Upon hearing this, Bai Xiang, who was in the corner, was stunned.

The woman's long eyelashes trembled slightly as she forcefully suppressed the turmoil in her heart and quietly pricked up her ears.

Uncle Huo's sudden appearance has always been shrouded in mystery.

She sent her guard Xuan'er to investigate secretly, but she couldn't find any information about the resurgence of the Black Armor Divine Weapon.

Unexpectedly, they overheard a related clue inside the carriage.

Bai Xiang felt a mix of relief and absurdity.

She had only decided to accompany Jiang Mu on this trip on a whim, but unexpectedly stumbled upon the clue she had been searching for for so long.

Nothing in this world is more unpredictable than this.

Jiang Mu is truly my lucky star.

Xun Xiaozhuang did not notice anything unusual about the butler in the corner.

She gave Jiang Mu a deep look and chuckled softly:

"It seems that Commander Shui really has nothing to hide from Lord Jiang. I only told her about this, and there are hardly any people even within the Imperial Guard who know about it. But she, on the contrary, told you everything right away."

Jiang Mu shrugged, ignoring the question, and waited quietly for what would follow.

"It's not exactly a top secret."

Xun Xiaomo put down her teacup, her gaze slightly dimmed.

"When the demonic scourge broke out in the Mirror Kingdom, our Great Qing did not stand idly by and watch it perish. The imperial court did consider sending troops to reinforce them, but the journey was too long, and we were ultimately too late..."

Upon hearing this, Bai Xiang quietly tightened her grip on her knees.

Too late?

It is true that the Mirror Kingdom was plagued by demons, but Daqing never sent a single soldier.

Furthermore, in order to safeguard the peace of Daqing's own borders, that dog emperor secretly sabotaged the situation, deliberately diverting the demonic tides belonging to Daqing's territory towards the Mirror Kingdom as well.

At that time, because her "harem" star position had not yet been removed and she had no cultivation, she was bound high on the deer.

That damned emperor was only thinking about how to get the Imperial Observatory to break the restrictions on her body.

They never even considered sending troops to rescue us.

It was two months later when she learned that the Mirror Kingdom had been completely destroyed.

Later, she gradually understood.

Back then, her father and mother sent her to Daqing, ostensibly to seek help through a marriage alliance and to extend the life of Jing Kingdom by borrowing the national fortune of Daqing. In reality, they were sending her to a safe place in advance.

But no matter what, the indifference and opportunistic behavior of the Daqing emperor remained a thorn in her side.

I can't pull it out, and I can't swallow it.

Xun Xiaomo naturally had no idea that the seemingly insignificant female steward in front of him was none other than the Empress, whom their inner guards had been searching for for so long.

She sighed and continued:

"After the fall of the Mirror Kingdom, His Majesty became quite interested in the legendary 'Black Armor Divine Army'."

Those black-armored divine soldiers are war puppets of the Mirror Kingdom's royal family. They are immortal, indestructible, extremely powerful, and absolutely loyal to the royal bloodline. If the method of their creation could be obtained and used in the Daqing army, they would be superior to 100,000 elite soldiers.

Therefore, His Majesty dispatched a team of imperial guards to secretly infiltrate the former site of the Mirror Kingdom, tasked with investigating the remains of the Black Armor Divine Weapon and its forging secrets.

My husband was the leader of that operation.

I don't know exactly what they found out there.

But then, my husband and the rest of the guards were suddenly wiped out. Before he died, he sent back a blood-written message via eagle, saying that they had discovered that the Black Armored Warriors were not all dead.

Moreover, because the inner guards accidentally destroyed the talisman array during their investigation, one of the black-armored divine soldiers broke free and escaped.

Jiang Mu's mind flashed back to the first time he saw the black-armored divine weapon at White Deer Peak, and later to the scene of seeing that burly black-armored figure outside the Fallen Soul Swamp.

He asked tentatively:

"Lord Xun, you must have heard that we once encountered that black-armored divine soldier by chance."

I've always had a question: isn't the Black Armored Divine Weapon essentially a walking corpse driven by death energy? Since it lacks the consciousness and emotions of a living person, under what circumstances would it kneel before someone?

Upon hearing the word "kneel," Xun Xiaomo suddenly looked up.

Its gaze sharpened instantly, staring intently at Jiang Mu: "Kneeling? Lord Jiang, have you perhaps witnessed it kneeling before someone? To whom?" Jiang Mu fabricated a story:

"It wasn't directed at anyone. It's just that the first time we saw it from afar at Bailu Peak, it was kneeling down towards a solitary peak to the south. I found this behavior too unusual, so I asked out of curiosity."

Xun Xiaomo frowned slightly, thoughtfully stroking the cup, and after a moment of silence, said:

"The Black Armored Divine Soldiers are the most powerful imperial guards of the Mirror Kingdom. They are loyal only to the Mirror Kingdom's royal family. The only ones who can make them kneel are the King, Queen, or Princess of the Mirror Kingdom."

Of course, logically speaking, with the fall of the Mirror Kingdom and the extinction of the royal bloodline, the Black Armor Divine Soldiers should also have vanished into thin air.

But now they've survived, and the only explanation is that some powerful being resurrected them using a secret technique. If that's the case, it's possible that the black-armored divine weapons have had their old markings removed and have found a new master.

Perhaps at that moment, it was paying homage to its new master, who was lurking in the shadows.

A new master?

Jiang Mu thought of the mysterious female boss behind the waterfall.

Could that woman with unfathomable power be the mastermind behind the resurrection of the Black Armor Divine Weapon?

Suppressing her suspicions, Jiang Mu continued her gossip, "After the fall of the Mirror Kingdom, were all the members of the royal family really wiped out?"

Xun Xiaomo nodded:

"That's one way to put it. The demonic invasion broke out too quickly, and the King and Queen of the Mirror Kingdom both perished in the war."

As for that princess, she had already arrived in Daqing as an envoy for a marriage alliance long before the demonic invasion, becoming the nominal empress of Daqing. However…

Xun Xiaomo paused for a moment.

"More than a year ago, His Majesty ordered the empress to be burned alive on a deer in public."

"Execute him?"

Jiang Mu was taken aback. "Why?"

Xun Xiaozhang said helplessly:

"It seems that Lord Jiang is so focused on his cultivation that he doesn't really care about things in the capital. More than a year ago, natural disasters struck Daqing, leaving the land barren and desolate. In addition, monsters caused chaos in various places, making life unbearable for the people."

At that time, a prophecy suddenly spread among the common people and in the court: "When the calamity star falls, all demons will be defeated. When the evil empress is burned, all evil spirits will be eliminated." The common people said that the foreign empress brought disaster and that she was the reincarnation of the evil star that would bring about the downfall of the country. They said that if she was not eliminated, Daqing would sooner or later follow in the footsteps of Jingguo. This prophecy eventually spread to the point that even people in the court began to submit memorials to impeach the empress.

To quell public resentment and for the sake of all people, His Majesty was heartbroken and ultimately had no choice but to make the painful decision to have the Empress burned alive on a deer as a sacrifice to appease the heavens and quell the disaster.

As a high-ranking member of the Imperial Guard, Xun Xiaomo naturally knew that the Empress was not dead and had escaped.

But how could she possibly tell Jiang Mu such a top royal secret?

Jiang Mu was speechless after hearing this.

Given that Xun Xiaomo was practically a dead man in his plan, Jiang Mu spoke without any restraint.

He sneered, his face full of disdain, and said:

"As expected, all incompetent rulers are the same. They are incapable of governing the country, causing the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people. Instead of reflecting on their own problems, they drag out a weak woman to be burned to death as a scapegoat."

Anyway, the blame has been shifted, but we'll still sit on the dragon throne and enjoy our lavish lifestyles. As for the empress, we've burned one; we can just install seven or eight more to replace her. What do you say, Lord Xun?

"How dare you!"

Xun Xiaomo flew into a rage, staring coldly at Jiang Mu.

"Lord Jiang, be careful what you say! To speak recklessly about the Emperor or criticize the government is a capital offense punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family!"

Bai Xiang, sitting in the corner, slightly curled the corners of her lips.

Not bad, not bad. The man I, Bai Xiang, have chosen is indeed extraordinary. Finally, someone is willing to be my idol.

Bai Xiang's gaze towards Jiang Mu softened even more.

Suppressing his anger, Xun Xiaomo warned in a deep voice:

"Lord Jiang, you are, after all, an official appointed by the imperial court, receiving the emperor's salary and serving the emperor faithfully!"

His Majesty has devoted himself to the Great Qing Dynasty. Do you know that when he ordered the execution of the Empress, he locked himself in the Imperial Study for three whole days without eating or drinking? If this were to get out, would you, Lord Jiang, still be able to wear your official robes? His Majesty has placed great hopes on you and promoted you beyond the usual ranks. Is this how you repay His Majesty's grace?

I hope you will be careful with your words and actions in the future, and not betray His Majesty's trust and cultivation!

Cultivate your grandpa's legs.

Jiang Mu picked at his ear, blew on his fingertip, completely ignoring the woman's anger, and continued gossiping:

"When His Majesty burned the Empress, did he really lock himself in his study for three days? Could it be that he had genuine feelings for her?"

Xun Xiaomo picked up his teacup, took a sip, and defended the emperor:

"That princess of the Mirror Kingdom was universally acknowledged as the most beautiful woman in the world. His Majesty favored her immensely, not even sharing a fraction of his affection with the other concubines in the palace. On the day the decree was issued, His Majesty vomited three liters of blood in his study, heartbroken and devastated."

But between the nation and its people, sacrificing loved ones is sometimes unavoidable. It can be said that in this calamity, His Majesty was the one who bore the most blame and sacrificed the most!

"vomit"

Jiang Mu almost threw up listening to it.

Sister, you've been brainwashed by imperial power. Don't let it turn you into an idiot.

He vomited three liters of blood?

And the one who sacrificed the most?

funny!

He was too lazy to argue with Xun Xiaomo anymore. Anyway, trying to reason with someone who had "the ruler commands the subject to die, and the subject has no choice but to die" ingrained in their DNA was no different from asking a wall to collapse on its own.

However, the title of "the most beautiful woman in the world" piqued his curiosity.

Hasn't he seen enough stunning beauties?

The alluring and mature head of the sect, Aunt Shui; the aloof and elegant Madam Peach Blossom; Si Rumeng, who transformed into a Bodhisattva and possessed both bewitching beauty and sanctity; and Mo Huaisu, the head of the Daoist sect…

Everyone says she has an exceptionally beautiful and ethereal appearance.

Even if that princess from the Mirror Kingdom is beautiful, could she possibly be more beautiful than these?

Most likely, the title of "princess" itself adds to her prestige, and with the spread of rumors, she became known as the most beautiful woman in the world.

It's just a marketing tactic that's been hyped up.

Jiang Mu leaned against the carriage and smiled dismissively:

There are countless beauties in this world, each with their own unique charm. It's a bit much to casually bestow the title of "Number One Beauty Under Heaven." Most of the "Number One Beauty" titles are just empty boasts.

"She's a princess, her status is undeniable, who would dare say she's not beautiful? Even if she looked like a donkey, they'd still praise her as a celestial being with their eyes closed." Upon hearing this...

Bai Xiang, who had been secretly giving Jiang Mu extra points in her mind, suddenly looked rather displeased.

Was it blown out?

Does my beauty even need to be exaggerated?

Xun Xiaozhang smiled slightly:

"Lord Jiang has never seen Her Majesty the Empress, so naturally he won't believe it. I had the honor of catching a glimpse of her from afar when I accompanied Commander Yang to the palace for an audience. I'm not afraid to admit it, Lord Jiang, but even though I'm a woman, I was captivated by her beauty."

Moreover, there is a secret that Lord Jiang may not know: this princess of the Mirror Kingdom has been suffering from a rare and strange disease since she was six years old.

She was naturally immune to men; no man could touch her body. If anyone got too close, they would be separated by an invisible barrier. "Oh?"

Jiang Mu's expression turned strange. "So, does that mean the current emperor..."

Xiaomo's expression froze, realizing that she had spoken too much in a moment of carelessness.

She coughed lightly and mumbled:

"His Majesty is naturally allowed to touch her. His Majesty is the Son of Heaven, a true dragon, who reigns over the world by the mandate of Heaven. His destiny is noble, and there is no woman in the world that he cannot touch if he desires her. What is that restriction compared to the aura of the true dragon?"

Bai Xiang rolled her eyes silently.

What a load of rubbish!

Up until now, the only bastard in the world who can touch her freely is this scoundrel beside her.

Jiang Mu was naturally a thousand times skeptical.

If the princess of the Mirror Kingdom was truly immune to men, then the emperor must be no exception.

The most beautiful woman in the world is right in front of you, but you can only look at her and not touch her. What's the difference between that and locking a plate of braised pork in a glass case?

Which normal man wouldn't be furious in that situation?

No wonder that tyrannical emperor ultimately chose to burn her alive as a scapegoat; it was probably out of love turned to hate, and out of rage and shame.

"Alas, but in any case, that princess of the Mirror Kingdom is innocent."

Jiang Mu sighed.

"Whether it's demonic calamity or natural disaster, how can a woman control it?"

Lord Xun, I know you are loyal to the Emperor, but let's be frank. Now that the Empress has also been burned to death, is the situation in the world really going to improve?

Has life really become easier for ordinary people?

Xun Xiao was speechless.

She avoided Jiang Mu's gaze, turning her head to look at the receding scenery outside the window, without answering.

Seeing this, Jiang Mu sneered and then asked:

"I've always been curious, what kind of monster could destroy a country overnight? Even if Mirror Kingdom is small, surely it should have had some chance to resist?"

Xun Xiaomo withdrew her gaze and said calmly, "This demon is not that demon."

"What do you mean?" Jiang Mu frowned.

Xun Xiaojin explained, "The demons we are dealing with in various prefectures and cities are the regular demon races."

They possess self-awareness, know how to seek advantage and avoid harm, divide their territories, and engage in internal power struggles. Even highly skilled demons, after transforming into human form, may develop emotional entanglements with humans.

But the so-called "demonic scourge" is not the same as these ordinary demons. It is more like a natural disaster, a plague.

"Similar to a plague?"

Jiang Mu asked, somewhat surprised.

Xun Xiaomo nodded: "These monsters suddenly emerge from underground, slaughter an area, and then disappear. They reappear after a period of time."

We call it a "demonic calamity".

Although these monsters belong to the category of demons, they have almost no individual consciousness and seem to be weapons controlled by some kind of force. The most powerful among them are only at the fifth or sixth level, but they are extremely ferocious and leave nothing but desolation in their wake.

More importantly, they never fight amongst themselves, and their numbers are extremely large.

Jiang Mu seemed lost in thought:

"It sounds like a locust plague, or rather..."

"Will this kind of 'demonic calamity' slaughter normal demons?" Jiang Mu pressed.

"Won't."

Xun Xiaomo shook his head, "Moreover, the frequency of demonic disasters is actually closely related to the rise and fall of the demon race in the world today."

Over the course of a century, if the demon race is slain and its numbers dwindle, there will be few demons roaming the human world, and demon calamities will be rare. Even if they do occasionally appear, they will be small-scale and easily wiped out by the local demon-slaying divisions.

But now, as the power of demons gradually rises, the frequency of demonic disasters is increasing, and their scale is growing larger with each occurrence. Jiang Mu's eyes flickered slightly, grasping the key point:

"So... this is actually the will of Heaven influencing the fate of the world? When demons are strong and humans are weak, demonic calamities will descend. When humans are strong and demons are weak, the world will be at peace." "That's right."

Xun Xiaomo nodded. "This is precisely the fundamental reason why the Daqing Dynasty established the Demon Slaying Division back then."

Every time a demonic calamity occurs, the demons of this land receive an invisible blessing of fortune, causing them to multiply even more vigorously.

Conversely, if the demon race can successfully occupy human cities and devour their fortune, then they can completely suppress the human race in terms of the overall situation, thus causing "demonic disasters" to occur more frequently.

Jiang Mu frowned:

"What if the human race becomes ruthless and completely exterminates the demon race?"

Xun Xiaozhang gave a bitter smile:

"If we could truly eradicate them all, the demonic calamity would naturally disappear completely. But the problem is, that's simply impossible."

Heaven and earth nurture all things. As long as there are mountains, rivers, plants, birds, and beasts in this world, they will always absorb the essence of the sun and moon in some corner, transforming into spirits and demons, and then growing stronger.

Wild fire, in spring.

Jiang Mu fell into deep thought.

Xun Xiaomo's words gave him a completely new understanding of the protracted war between humans and demons.

It subtly touched upon the underlying logic of how this world works.

Human cultivation requires the blessing of a celestial position and is limited by established systems. Demons, on the other hand, are simpler and more direct, growing by directly absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. In this respect, the demon race clearly has an advantage in early-stage development.

But the way of Heaven is fair.

No matter how strong the demon race is, they cannot ascend; any attempt to cross the boundary will incur divine punishment. Only humans can reach the highest realm step by step through star positions.

In this respect, the human race has a higher potential.

However, in order to prevent the human race from becoming too powerful, Heaven also endowed the demon race with the ultimate weapon of "demonic calamity" to forcibly balance the fortunes at critical moments.

This feels like a game designer with terrible skills came up with a dynamic difficulty adjustment mechanism, commonly known as DDA, specifically to maintain server faction balance.

If humanity is about to be wiped out, an unparalleled master will emerge to turn the tide.

Once the demon race is about to perish, the Heavenly Dao will unleash a wave of "demon calamity and zombie hordes" to forcibly prolong their lives and give them a buff.

In short, the goal is to prevent either side from completely clearing the game.

Everyone is caught in a frenzied struggle within this sea of ​​suffering in the mortal world.

"Where will the next demonic calamity occur? And when will it be?" Jiang Mu asked.

Xun Xiaozhang shook his head and sighed:

"That's impossible to know. The last truly large-scale demonic calamity was the one that destroyed the Mirror Kingdom five years ago. Although there have been two smaller-scale calamities since then, they were both nipped in the bud."

However, before a demonic calamity strikes, there will always be unusual phenomena in the heavens and earth.

Moreover, the location of each demonic disaster is always within Daqing or in a vassal state surrounding Daqing.

After all, this place has the strongest human fortune, making it a sacred ground for cultivators, and also a favorite spot for demons.

Jiang Mu sighed:

"I thought the Mirror Kingdom had disappeared more than ten years ago, but it turns out only five years have passed. Does that mean the former territory of the Mirror Kingdom has now become a paradise for monsters?" Xun Xiaozhang said.

"That place has long been uninhabited. The demonic energy that passed through it has become a stagnant miasma of demonic poison. Even high-level cultivators with considerable cultivation will have their cultivation and spiritual sense suppressed if they venture deep into it."

"No wonder people say that place has become a dead zone."

Jiang Mu understood.

Having extracted almost all the information he needed, Jiang Mu yawned and dismissed Xun Xiaomo:

"Lord Xun, I remember that when you came out this time, you brought a separate mount with you, right?"

"How about this, you go outside and ride a horse first, clearing the way and scouting ahead. I'm tired and want to rest in the carriage for a while." Killing Xun Xiaozhang isn't urgent.

There's no need to take action before fully extracting all the remaining value.

Xun Xiaomo's gaze swept between Jiang Mu and Yuan Aqing and Bai Xiang beside him, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. This man really is a lecherous glutton.

They've only been out of the city a short while, and they can't even hold back from indulging in debauchery in the carriage during the day?

She smiled, stood up, and said:

"In that case, I won't disturb Lord Jiang's rest any longer. Please take care of yourself."

Having said that, she lifted the carriage curtain, leaped lightly out of the carriage, landed on the back of the demonic horse following behind, and galloped ahead to lead the way. Having gotten rid of the annoying third wheel, Jiang Mu stretched.

He had just opened his arms to hug Bai Xiang when he caught a glimpse of Yuan Aqing staring at him with her big, watery eyes.

"What are you looking at? Have you no sense of propriety at all? Get back to meditation and cultivation!"

Jiang Mu glared at her.

"I…"

The girl wasn't annoyed by the scolding; she just stuck out her pink little tongue.

She quickly took off her shoes and socks, crossed her legs, and sat on the cushion, her delicate white feet peeking out from under her skirt.

The ten toes are round and pink, like a row of freshly peeled peanuts.

The girl closed her beautiful eyes and quickly entered a meditative state, with a faint, dense aura of sword energy surrounding her.

Seeing that even the only spectator had closed his eyes, Jiang Mu turned his head with satisfaction and looked at Bai Xiang.

The woman is looking out the window, her profile backlit, framed by the window frame as if she were part of a flowing painting.

She was engrossed in admiring the scenery and seemed to have no intention of engaging with him.

Jiang Mu didn't take it seriously. He stretched out his arm and pulled the woman's fragrant body into his arms, whispering in her ear:

"Come on, butler, let's go to sleep."