So it turns out I'm the demon!

As the saying goes, you should wear underwear that fits your size.

You can only pound a large vat with a big club.

At least for this moment, Jiang Mu, who was always quite confident in himself, had to admit defeat in his heart.

Although he had witnessed the mermaid queen's elegant and tall figure in the depths of the Liuli Island waters before.

And I was deeply shocked.

But the queen was, after all, dressed.

Based solely on his imagination, Jiang Mu didn't feel there was anything to be afraid of.

After all, he was quite confident in his hardware, which was top-notch and one in a million among people.

He still has that much confidence.

But at this moment, when the overwhelmingly imposing true form appeared before him, Jiang Mu immediately realized that he had been too presumptuous. There was nothing he could do about the mismatch.

Being tough will only get you crushed.

Before Jiang Mu could recover from the intense visual shock, the waterweeds swaying with the ripples began to glow with a faint purple light. These purple lights quickly converged like fireflies, transforming into ribbons of purple light that enveloped Chan Xiaoyu.

Immediately afterwards, the surrounding water began to swirl.

It created a semi-transparent vortex, separating her from the surrounding waters and opening up a small world of her own.

Under the protective aura of the water-repelling pearl, Jiang Mu frowned and muttered to himself:

"It seems there's something special hidden in this underground waterway. And this thing just happens to resonate with Chan Xiaoyu." He was about to swim closer to investigate more thoroughly.

But as soon as he took a step, he caught a glimpse of a pale, ashen figure rushing towards him from the side.

Jiang Mu's figure flickered, and he teleported away.

Looking up, I saw the woman water ghost from before.

The water ghost stared coldly at him with a pair of venomous black eyes, its resentment staining the surrounding waters gloomy.

"Were you a villager from this Guanjia Village area before?"

Thanks to the bubbles formed by the water-repellent beads, Jiang Mu's speech was not restricted.

The water ghost woman did not answer, but simply raised her hand and waved it lightly.

In an instant!

The water in the surrounding pools began to boil.

Countless undercurrents surged and coalesced into a giant skull, which opened its pitch-black maw and swallowed Jiang Mu whole.

"Hmph, a mere sixth-tier water ghost dares to act so arrogantly in front of me!"

Jiang Mu slashed his arm.

A sharp blade of energy cleaved through the water and shot out horizontally.

The skull split open, bursting into countless tiny bubbles that silently shattered.

The surrounding water was churned by the aftershocks of the blade's energy, sending mud and sand billowing up.

Seeing his terrifying cultivation level, the female water ghost looked up and let out a shrill scream, the sound waves rippling across the bottom of the water.

At the same time, hundreds of pale, rotting ghostly hands suddenly emerged from the mud beneath Jiang Mu's feet and reached out to grab him.

The woman, a water ghost, used the current as cover to turn and escape into the deeper waters.

"Trying to run away?"

Jiang Mu snorted coldly and flicked her finger lightly.

"go!"

With a sword cry, the [Forgetful River] flying sword burst forth from the water.

Ever since Yuan Aqing seized this opportunity, the little girl's sword intent has become increasingly clear and ethereal.

Because of their shared origin, Jiang Mu also benefited from this connection, experiencing a qualitative leap in his sword control and swordsmanship skills.

The sword light fell like a celestial river, raining down relentlessly.

The pale, ghostly hands that had been grabbed below were all severed by the sharp sword energy.

Having broken through the obstacle below, Jiang Mu flicked his wrist.

Two eerie and ghostly Soul-Locking Coffin Nails flew out of his hand, striking first despite being thrown later.

The fleeing female water ghost let out a scream.

The two coffin nails pierced through her shoulders, pinning her to the bottom of the pool.

The water ghost struggled and writhed desperately, but the magic attached to the coffin nails, which was specifically designed to suppress evil spirits, made her suffer more and more as she struggled, with white smoke constantly emanating from her wounds, all to no avail.

Jiang Mu stepped forward and examined the resentful water ghost, saying calmly, "Don't waste your energy. Now, can you speak properly?" The woman water ghost stopped struggling, glaring venomously at Jiang Mu and gritting her teeth:

"You're a cultivator hired by the Guan family, aren't you? If I'd known... I should have killed them all back then!"

Jiang Mu frowned as she listened:

"What cultivators did the Guan family send? I'm from the Demon Slayer Division. I'm asking you, a group of Demon Slayer Division members came yesterday, where are they now?" "Demon Slayer Division?"

The woman, a water ghost, paused for a moment, then asked, "Weren't you sent by the Guan family to kill me?"

Seeing that the water ghost seemed to know nothing, Jiang Mu said coldly:

"I don't know what you mean by the Guan family. I am the deputy head of the Demon Slayer Division. Yesterday, someone reported that a child in Guan Family Village had been kidnapped by a water demon, so we sent people to investigate."

But now, our people are gone. I ask you, have you seen them?

After hearing Jiang Mu's words, the female water ghost said coldly:

"I've never seen anyone from the Demon Slayer Division, nor have I kidnapped any children from Guan Family Village. However... I suspect you've most likely been deceived by the Guan family."

"Someone from the Guan family?"

Jiang Mu pressed further, "Most of the people in Guanjia Village are surnamed Guan. Which Guan family are you referring to?"

The woman, a water ghost, had eyes that flashed with intense hatred:

"It's naturally Guan Haiqian and his family of beasts!"

However, this family has done too many heinous things and has long since gone into hiding; you won't find them.

"I only regret being trapped by the restrictions at the bottom of this pool; otherwise, I would chase them to the ends of the earth, find them, and devour their flesh and drink their blood raw to quell the hatred in my heart!"

In the end, the woman's resentment exploded, churning in the water.

"What deep-seated hatred do you have against the Guan family?"

Seeing her looking like she wanted to grind the other person to dust, Jiang Mu became curious.

The woman gave a bitter laugh:

"Back then, I married that beast Guan Haiqian and even got pregnant with his child. Although we were poor, I accepted it."

But later, that beast rescued a rich young lady while he was out, climbed the social ladder, and severed all ties with me.

To marry into a wealthy family and enjoy a life of luxury, they drugged me, tied stones to my body with rope, and then drowned me and my unborn child!

Jiang Mu sensed the resentment emanating from the woman; it seemed she wasn't lying.

The woman continued angrily:

"My resentment was too strong, and my soul did not dissipate after my body was submerged. Fortunately, there was a divine object in this water that protected me, allowing me to preserve a wisp of my wronged soul and slowly cultivate. In just a few years, I gained some Taoist skills."

After achieving success in my cultivation, I had the opportunity to slaughter his entire family, leaving no one alive. However, that night, when I went to seek revenge, his wife was giving birth.

He knelt before me, begging me not to act yet, to let him see the child one last time. He said that if he could just see the child once, he would come to the pond and drown himself, leaving his fate to me.

I was momentarily soft-hearted and, in a moment of madness, agreed to his request.

At this point, the woman water ghost became agitated, her face filled with murderous intent and remorse.

"Who would have thought that the beast would turn around and spend a lot of money to hire a cultivator to kill me."

I desperately fled back here, but the cultivator couldn't find me, so he used a forbidden technique to seal this body of water, trapping me here forever, unable to leave..." After hearing the woman's dark version of "Chen Shimei and Qin Xianglian," Jiang Mu also sighed.

He said:

"So you mean the person who reported it deliberately said that a water demon had kidnapped a child to lure our Demon Slayer Division here? Their purpose wasn't that there was actually a demon, but rather to use us as a tool to kill you?"

The woman, a water ghost, gritted her teeth and said:

"Over the years, in order to eliminate any future threats, they have sent several groups of experts to kill me, simply because they are afraid that one day my cultivation will break through and this seal will no longer be able to hold me."

But all they found were good-for-nothings.

"My cultivation will soon break through to the seventh level, at which point I'll have a chance to get revenge. They must have sensed the danger, which is why they lured your Demon Slayer Division here to kill me."

Jiang Mu shook his head and said in a deep voice:

"The problem is, our people have disappeared. And they've never even been to this place, Lintan, or even entered the entrance of Guanjia Village. Also, I found remnants of an array platform at the village entrance."

If I'm not mistaken, our people must have been led astray into an illusion the moment they entered the village, and were lured elsewhere. "The array platform..."

The woman paused, a strange look flashing across her face, and murmured, "Could it be that it did this?"

"Who is it?"

Jiang Mu immediately pressed for more information.

The woman, a water ghost, hesitated for a moment, but finally had no choice but to confess:

"Nearby, there is a stone demon. Its cultivation level is not high, but it has extraordinary talent and is good at creating illusions."

I once unintentionally rescued it, and it has always been grateful and always wanted to repay the favor.

Many times, it was this creature that came ahead of time to warn the cultivators sent by the Guan family, or used illusions to lure them away.

It probably saw your Demon Slayers arriving in secret and deliberately tricked them away.

Jiang Mu recalled the fool at the village entrance who kept repeating "looking for sheep," and thought to himself:

"So, the stone demon deliberately acted as a guide, leading Zhu Chang and the others away to protect this woman?"

Having grasped this logic, Jiang Mu asked, "How high was that stone demon's cultivation level?"

The woman said:

"It's a level below me, only at the fifth rank. However, it possesses a life-bound magic treasure that can conceal its demonic aura, making it difficult for others to discover. You don't need to worry too much; it's inherently kind and never harms anyone. At most, it will just trap your people somewhere and subject them to some hardship, but their lives won't be in danger."

"Whether or not someone will be hurt, I'll only know if they're safe and sound when I see them with my own eyes."

Jiang Mu said, "Since you're on good terms with it, is there any way you can help me find the illusion where it's hiding as soon as possible?"

Seeing the woman water ghost with her head down and silent, Jiang Mu softened her tone and said:

"Don't worry. As long as your friend doesn't actually harm anyone from my Demon Slayer Division, I guarantee I won't kill it."

Not only that, but in exchange, I can also help you break the restrictions here and let you leave. Let you go out and take your revenge. I, Jiang Mu, keep my word and will never go back on it.

Upon hearing Jiang Mu's words, the woman's eyes lit up.

She stared at Jiang Mu's handsome face, weighing her options in her mind. Finally, she took out a small pebble and handed it to him.

"After you go out, take this stone with you, and it will naturally lead you to it."

Jiang Mu took the pebble.

The stones were cold and looked no different from ordinary pebbles on the riverbank.

There's just a natural round hole in the very center.

He turned to look at Chan Xiaoyu, who was still slowly rotating at the bottom of the water.

At this moment, the other person's eyes were closed, and fine golden light was constantly seeping into her skin, as if performing some kind of ritual.

Jiang Mu asked the woman, the water ghost:

"You just said there's some kind of divine object hidden deep in the water. What's wrong with my companion? Is he being possessed by that divine object?" The woman also looked bewildered and shook her head.

"I have never seen the divine object in its true form, but I have sensed its aura. Your companion seems to have a bloodline that is connected to the divine object, perhaps the divine object sought her out on its own initiative."

Whether it's a blessing or a curse, I don't know. But as far as I can see, at least for now, she doesn't seem to be suffering.

Jiang Mu then pointed to the stone carvings below that resembled the faces of the villagers of Guanjia Village:

"And what about these stone carvings? What's the story behind them?"

The woman, still shaking her head:

"These stone carvings were already here when I was sunk to the bottom of the pool and became a water ghost."

Jiang Mu stared at the stone carvings for a while, but couldn't figure out what they were.

He glanced at Chan Xiaoyu, who had her eyes closed, and sensing no danger from her, said to the woman:

"I'll release you once I find our people. Keep an eye on her for me. By the way, what's your name?"

The woman whispered, "Flower Girl."

Jiang Mu silently recited the name in her heart, then turned and soared into the sky.

The bubble traced a white ribbon across the water, breaking through layers of water curtains and rushing straight to the surface of the pool.

When they returned to the shore, Ming Cuicui was waiting anxiously.

Seeing Jiang Mu emerge from the water, the young woman breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward to ask, "Lord Jiang, how did it go? Did you find the water demon?"

Jiang Mu nodded, offered no further explanation, and opened her palm.

The pebble warmed slightly.

It then broke free from Jiang Mu's palm, floated in mid-air, and flew straight towards the entrance of Guanjia Village.

"Keep up with it!"

Jiang Mu called out to Sheng Cuicui and quickly followed behind the glowing pebble.

Just as they reached the village entrance, the pebble suddenly shattered.

As the dust fell, the air in front of us rippled like the surface of water after a pebble was thrown in.

It eventually coalesced into a rotating halo.

"Stay here and keep watch."

Jiang Mu turned back and said something to Ming Cuicui, then plunged headfirst into the circle of light.

After passing through the circle of light, Jiang Mu steadied herself, only to find herself still standing at the village entrance, as if she had never left the same spot.

But Ming Cuicui had already disappeared.

Jiang Mu looked around, her brows furrowing involuntarily.

Something is wrong!

The Guanjia Village I saw from outside was bustling with life, filled with the sounds of chickens and dogs, and children playing.

But the village in front of him was very quiet at that moment.

Although the layout of the houses and even the location of the big tree at the village entrance are exactly the same.

Jiang Mu tried to spread her divine sense to search.

But as soon as his consciousness left his body, it was as if he had fallen into a sticky swamp and was blocked by a force.

He simply withdrew his divine sense and strode towards the village.

The doors of every household in the village were wide open, the dark doorways resembling gaping mouths.

Jiang Mu went into several houses in a row, but there wasn't a single person inside.

He searched house to house and finally found something unusual in an inconspicuous little house.

It is a stone man.

The stone man knelt on the ground, a talisman affixed to his forehead, and remained motionless.

Jiang Mu hesitated for a moment, then reached out and gently peeled off the talisman.

The instant the talisman left the body, the stone man was covered with dense cracks from head to toe, like a dried-up riverbed cracking inch by inch under the scorching sun, and at the same time, he slowly opened his eyes.

"Are you a stone demon?" Jiang Mu asked bluntly.

"Who...are you?" the stone man asked.

"I am a friend of the Flower Girl."

Jiang Mu got straight to the point, "She gave me a token stone and told me to come find you."

"I ask you, yesterday, in order to protect the Flower Maiden at the bottom of the water, did you deliberately disguise yourself as a guide and lure a group of people dressed in the uniforms of the Demon Slayer Bureau into this illusionary space?"

Upon hearing the words "Flower Maiden," the wariness in the stone man's eyes visibly lessened.

It acknowledged:

"Yes, I did it. I had no choice at the time."

Seeing that they were heading towards the pool, I pretended to be their guide and deliberately led them into this illusion, trapping them here.

I didn't mean to harm them... but I never expected that some of them were members of the Red Umbrella Cult.

Red Umbrella Cult?

Jiang Mu's pupils contracted: "Who is it?"

The nephew of the prefect of Huzhou City, Young Master Zhao, once said that the Red Umbrella Sect had also planted a traitor in the Demon Slaying Division of Yunzhou City.

Besides Yang Renxu, who was silenced for being the key figure in the bombing operation, there was another mole who was deeply hidden.

Since returning to the city of Fazhou, I have been busy dealing with crises from all sides and haven't had time to find out who this scoundrel is hiding in the deep water.

Unexpectedly, we ran into each other here.

The stone demon shook its head and said weakly:

"I don't know who he is. He attacked me from behind when I wasn't looking. I also heard screams, so he must have killed his companion as well. But he's definitely still here and hasn't left."

Because no matter who it is, anyone who enters this illusionary space will be trapped for twelve hours before they can leave.

Judging by the time... there's about an hour left before the array gate opens automatically...

The stone demon's voice grew softer and softer, and the light in its eyes began to dim.

Clearly, that evil talisman had drained its life force.

It has reached the point of exhaustion.

The stone demon suddenly grabbed Jiang Mu's collar and said urgently:

"Please tell Hua Niang... that beast from the Guan family who harmed her back then... is now hiding in Fazhou City."

But... whatever you do, don't let her seek revenge, because...

Jiang Mu pressed further, "Why?"

Seeing that the other party seemed to be stuck like a cassette tape, Jiang Mu became anxious and shook it vigorously: "Why? Tell me quickly, tell me! You son of a bitch!" The stone demon opened its mouth, but the light in its eyes eventually went out.

Then his body turned into a pile of powder.

Jiang Mu was speechless.

For no reason, they try to imitate those melodramatic plots from TV dramas, only to die halfway through their sentences.

This is outrageous!

Grass!

Jiang Mu reluctantly picked up the demon core and walked out of the house with a deep look in his eyes.

Although the stone demon didn't finish its sentence, it left a big question mark.

An ordinary search and rescue operation unexpectedly uncovered a hidden mole within the Red Umbrella Cult.

The man was hidden in Zhu Chang's group; his identity was unknown, and his actions were mysterious.

who can that be?