So it turns out I'm the demon!

Charging is not a problem.

The problem is, in this situation, what's the point of even trying?

Jiang Mu turned around and glanced back.

The towering ghost that had been knocked back had regained its footing and was pouncing on them again.

The black mist billowed, its momentum even more violent than before.

"We can't do it now. Is there any other way to stop this guy for now?"

Jiang Mu shouted.

Yu Xiaoqian slightly opened her mouth.

A jet-black bead flew out from between her lips.

It was the ghost pill that Jiang Mu had helped modify before.

The ghost pill spun rapidly in mid-air, sweeping up bits of grass and leaves from the ground, weaving a green curtain.

In the blink of an eye, a closed thatched hut, about ten feet in diameter, took shape on the spot.

The inside glows with a warm, soft light, while the outside is enveloped in a flowing halo.

The giant claw of the towering ghost came down from mid-air, but was bounced back by the halo of light outside the thatched hut.

"Let's begin."

Yu Xiaoqian said expressionlessly, her skin as pale as paper, "This thatched hut won't last long. If you can't hold on, I'll kill you." Jiang Mu: ……….…

To be honest, he had never done this kind of thing before.

Duanmu Li, standing next to him, was completely bewildered.

She had heard Jiang Mu mention the name Yu Xiaoqian before, and knew that the two had some past connection.

Wasn't she supposed to be a gentle little ghost girl?

Why is he such a cold and aloof fiend?

"Jiang Mu, what does she want you to do?" Duanmu Li asked curiously.

Jiang Mu didn't know how to explain for a moment, so he coughed and said seriously:

"Um... turn around first. I'll help her recover her strength, and also cover her ears, understand?"

"Why turn around?"

Duanmu Li was very dissatisfied.

The girl wasn't a blank slate like Yuan Aqing.

Based on her extensive experience of persistently eavesdropping around walls, she could guess what was going to happen next even with her eyes closed. "It's not like I haven't seen it before."

The girl pouted and muttered.

Jiang Mu was about to say something harsh to her, but before she could speak, Yu Xiaoqian spoke up first:

"You should go help too."

Duanmu Li was stunned: "What kind of help?"

"push."

Yu Xiaoqian's tone revealed a hint of impatience.

"push?"

Duanmu Li parted her cherry lips slightly, looking completely bewildered.

Before she could even ask "how to push," she received a choke on the back of the neck, her vision went black, and she immediately lost consciousness.

Jiang Mu said irritably:

"What are you talking about? Do you think I'm starting in low gear?"

After saying that, he lifted Yu Xiaoqian's skirt and said, "Let's finish this quickly, and I'll do my best to help you recover your strength."

Half an hour later.

The cracks on Yu Xiaoqian's skin slowly healed at a visible speed, and her pale complexion regained some color, making her even more beautiful. At this moment, the thatched hut, under the bombardment of the towering ghost, finally succumbed and began to teeter on the brink of collapse.

"Get out of the way!"

Yu Xiaoqian, whose beautiful eyes were slightly closed, suddenly opened them.

She suddenly raised her long, straight, jade-like leg, placing one delicate, fragrant foot against Jiang Mu's chest, causing the man, still engrossed in his "charging" project, to stumble. Then, with a flash, she darted out of the thatched hut.

Jiang Mu was kicked and slammed against the grass wall. He rubbed his chest and muttered "crossing the river and burning the bridge." Just as he was about to pull up his pants and go out to check on the battle, his gaze shifted and met that of Duanmu Li, who should have been asleep.

The girl quickly closed her eyes, pretending that she was still unconscious.

But the blush spread to her neck, and her eyelashes trembled slightly.

Jiang Mu grabbed the girl's slender ankle and said irritably, "How old are you? Still wetting your pants."

Duanmu Li sat up abruptly, her face flushed, glaring at Jiang Mu with embarrassment and annoyance.

"Nonsense, you're the one who wets your pants!"

As she spoke, she pulled her leg back from Jiang Mu's grasp, pressing her hands against the hem of her black skirt. "Anyway, you must have seen wrong!" *Rumble!*

A series of deafening roars came from outside.

Yu Xiaoqian and Gao Tian Wanzhang Ghost had clearly engaged in combat, with black mist surging like the sea and ghostly howls rising and falling.

Sometimes it sounded like the wailing of a hundred ghosts, and sometimes like the explosion of thunder.

Jiang Mu thought about it and decided not to go out and cause trouble, so he stayed with the girl.

About half an incense stick later, the fighting outside gradually subsided, and he then poked his head out to look around.

The place that was once lush with green grass is now a scorched wasteland, as if plowed by a dozen heavy siege cannons, riddled with holes. Yu Xiaoqian stands gracefully on a piece of broken rock.

The girl's black hair flew wildly, and she exuded a chilling aura, like a female Asura who had just emerged from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

"Cough...cough cough..."

Just then, a weak coughing sound suddenly came from a large pit not far away.

Jiang Mu quickly walked over to take a look.

Guo Zhiyao, who had previously transformed into a monster, had now returned to her human form, the one she had when she escaped from the bamboo forest.

However, the emerald green bamboo still pierced through the top of her head.

Her body had withered like a dead tree, just like the sacrificial offerings kneeling in the forest of dried corpses outside.

Clearly, life has come to an end.

The woman's somewhat unfocused gaze shifted to Jiang Mu, but when she saw Yu Xiaoqian drifting to Jiang Mu's side like a ghost, her pupils contracted, and she weakly called out:

"Junior sister..."

Junior sister?

Upon hearing this address, Jiang Mu was taken aback and turned to look at Yu Xiaoqian beside her.

Was this woman hallucinating before she died, or was she just getting senile?

But then, Guo Zhiyao, who had been staring at the girl, seemed to understand something, and a relieved smile appeared on her lips:

"So it was you... You little brat, you've actually become a ghost cultivator... It seems that before your mother died, she left the Heavenly Ghost Seal to you..." As her words faded, her breath ceased, and her eyes slowly closed.

Jiang Mu savored the meaning behind those words, then turned to Yu Xiaoqian and said:

"From what she's saying, she witnessed the deaths of your family members? Your mother... was her junior fellow student?"

Yu Xiaoqian's gaze was somewhat blank.

Her memories of her life before her death are almost entirely blank.

He didn't know who his parents were, and he forgot how he died.

She only vaguely remembered that she seemed to have always stayed in her boudoir, and died when she was sixteen years old. Later, she was taken in by the tree spirit Si Rumeng.

Now, a clue to his own background has suddenly appeared, catching him somewhat off guard.

Jiang Mu analyzed:

"Guo Zhiyao was a disciple of the Xuanzong sect. If she didn't ramble before she died, then your mother was also a disciple of the Xuanzong sect. If we can follow the clues, we might be able to find the real culprit who killed your family back then."

Yu Xiaoqian glanced at the distant woods, her red lips parted slightly:

"Not interested."

Jiang Mu choked.

This wicked girl is not cute at all.

Yu Xiaoqian ignored him and looked down into the pit.

Guo Zhiyao's body had turned to ashes and was swept away by a gust of wind towards the distant forest of dried corpses.

But the lush green bamboo that had sprouted above her head remained, lying at the bottom of the pit, emitting a faint light.

Jiang Mu remotely drew the bamboo section into her hand.

Bamboo feels cool and moist to the touch, exuding a vibrant and burgeoning energy.

"Is this the Sunflower Bamboo that Guo Zhiyao was looking for?"

Jiang Mu stroked the bamboo joint with her fingertips, then suddenly realized,

"It seems that to obtain it, someone has to sacrifice their life. Guo Zhiyao thought she could master the art of corpse dissolution, but she ended up becoming nourishment for the bamboo." "Alright, you two can get out of here now."

Yu Xiaoqian suddenly spoke coldly.

"I'm going to get something, which might attract the Ghost King. The two of you staying here will only be an eyesore."

Also, here's a picture for you. I don't know what it's supposed to be, but it might be useful.

As he spoke, a tattered scroll gently fell toward Jiang Mu.

Jiang Mu subconsciously caught the scroll, and was about to ask her what treasure she was looking for when the female ghost waved her arm.

A wisp of black mist swept up Jiang Mu and Duanmu Li.

Suddenly, the world spun around me, and the wind howled in my ears, as if I were being violently spun around in a washing machine.

When the two finally touched the ground and regained their balance, they found themselves back at the entrance of the cave they had first entered.

"Ugh... I hate this female ghost!"

Duanmu Li leaned against the tree trunk beside her, shook her dizzy little head vigorously, and frowned angrily.

Jiang Mu didn't seem to care.

He was used to the female ghost's ruthlessness and casually unfolded the tattered map.

The map does not have clear place names marked, only some fragmented terrain lines, and most areas are blank.

But when Jiang Mu examined the fragmented lines closely, they seemed familiar.

"These terrains..."

Jiang Mu's gaze swept over several lines, her heart racing.

"This place looks a lot like the secret realm outside Heitu Village in Huzhou City... The outline of this place is exactly the same as the secret realm of the Fallen Soul Swamp... And this, the underwater world of Liuli Island..."

Even the small world of Chaomu Temple matches up. It even includes this place before us, which hides the divine artifact of the Corpse-Dissolving Immortal.

Through constant comparison, he felt a chill run down his spine.

Judging from the edges of these fragmented terrain features, they are not independent. The parts obscured by blank spaces between each area appear to have originally been connected.

"These so-called secret realms and small worlds may have once been one complete world..."

Jiang Mu murmured,

"No wonder people always say that cultivation in ancient times had no star position restrictions, no wonder there are so many ancient secret techniques like 'Corpse Dissection Immortal' that are not accepted by the current Heavenly Dao..."

Duanmu Li leaned closer to him, tilting her head back thoughtfully:

"So, there was once a complete world, but for some reason it fell apart?"

"That should be it."

Jiang Mu rubbed his temples and said.

The Heavenly Dao collapsed, the world shattered, and the star positions became the new shackles that imprisoned all living beings...

What major upheaval actually occurred?

There isn't even a world left.

The more he thought about it, the more his head throbbed. He simply folded the map and stuffed it into his pocket: "Forget it, we can't figure this out for now. If the sky falls, someone taller will hold it up. Let's get out of here first."

Duanmu Li glanced back at the cave entrance:

"Are we really leaving like this? Aren't you worried about that female ghost?"

Jiang Mu said helplessly, "What's the use of worrying? In our current state, going back would only be a burden to her. Don't worry, that girl is incredibly fierce now. Even if we can't beat her, we can definitely escape."

The girl nodded her head and didn't say anything more.

The two followed the mountain path they had come from and quickly retreated back to the mountainside.

The mist over Lüxiang Mountain has now dissipated, revealing the original lush and verdant mountain forest.

The two demon slayers who had stayed outside were pacing anxiously. When they looked up and saw Jiang Mu and Duanmu Li coming out, their faces lit up with joy, and they quickly stepped forward to greet them.

"Greetings, Your Excellency!"

Jiang Mu asked, "That cat demon hasn't reappeared, has it?"

One of the demon slayers replied:

"Reporting to you, sir, they haven't reappeared. However, Master Meng discovered something important on the mountaintop and specifically instructed his men to wait here. Once you emerge, we will take you there immediately."

"Oh? Lead the way."

Jiang Mu raised an eyebrow slightly; Meng Zhen had at least accomplished something.

Following his two subordinates, Jiang Mu and Duanmu Li quickly arrived at the mountaintop.

There is an abandoned house here.

Meng Zhen and several of his subordinates stood guard outside, their faces grave.

"grown ups!"

Upon seeing Jiang Mu, Meng Zhen breathed a sigh of relief and quickly went to greet her.

He pointed to the house and said, "We found those missing young men here... but they're all dead." Jiang Mu wasn't surprised by this result.

The chances of a human being abducted by demons surviving are already extremely slim.

He stepped across the threshold, and a slightly pungent smell hit him.

Nine young men lay sprawled on the ground.

These corpses were all naked, with withered faces and sunken eyes, looking as if their yang energy had been drained.

"Was it that cat demon who did it?"

Jiang Mu squatted down next to the nearest corpse and examined the ligature marks on its wrists.

Meng Zhen shook his head and said with a strange expression:

"Not quite. There's no trace of demonic energy on these people. My initial examination shows their life force has been completely drained, and they have no external injuries. It's more like they were…"

He glanced quickly at Duanmu Li, who was standing not far behind Jiang Mu, coughed lightly, and lowered his voice to say:

"It was drained by the cultivator's technique of absorbing his life force."

Sexual intercourse?

Jiang Mu was truly stunned this time.

He originally thought the culprit was the cat demon, but now, another cultivator who uses the evil technique of absorbing the essence of the body has appeared.

Nine missing young men were used as furnaces for a pot.

He glanced at the nine muscular male corpses on the ground, which looked as if their very marrow was almost gone, and clicked his tongue in amazement.

Which woman is so fierce?

He then asked Meng Zhen, "Have any other clues been found in this area?"

Meng Zhen shook his head and said, "No."

Jiang Mu pondered for a moment, then said calmly, "Since they are cultivators, they are most likely here for Jiang Chaoxi's fortuitous inheritance, and they may be in Fazhou City. When we return, we should have people investigate them thoroughly."

Meng Zhen responded.

Jiang Mu led Duanmu Li down the mountain first.

The girl was quiet, and only spoke suddenly when they reached the foot of the mountain: "Jiang Mu."

"What's wrong?"

"That evil cultivator who practices sexual cultivation... could he have also targeted you?"

Jiang Mu paused, turned her head to look at the girl's serious little expression, and chuckled:

"Do you think there's any risk that your master could be drained dry? I'm the one who always kills others."

Perhaps realizing it was inappropriate to say that to a young girl, he quickly added:

"I am still very gentle."

Duanmu Li turned her face away and muttered something under her breath.

Gentle my ass.

She took a few steps and then said, "Jiang Mu, there's a secret I've never told you."

"What secret?"

Jiang Mu looked curiously at the pretty girl beside him.

Duanmu Li opened her pink lips, but then swallowed her words and said sweetly, "It's nothing."

After saying that, the girl quickly stepped forward.

Her high ponytail swayed back and forth, as if greeting the man behind her, or perhaps inviting him to something.

Jiang Mu gazed at the girl's slender waist, a sudden surge of heat rising in his heart.

or……

He then shook his head vigorously, trying to banish those thoughts.

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he took out a booklet from his storage space, only to be surprised to find that the booklet was glowing.

This booklet was given to him by Tian Wenjing; he said it was Jiang Chaoxi's old diary.