The male supporting character was actually myself.

"By doing such a drastic thing today, she'll eventually grow old and lose her beauty, just like us!"

These words were like a wake-up call, and the other concubines cried even harder.

"General, you dote on her so much that you'd even bring her in through the front door to be the matriarch of the household. How can you let a small thing cause you to divorce us all?"

"Brother Chen, you love listening to people sing the most, how can you just break up with me like this?"

"I'd like to see just what kind of stunning beauty could make the Commander-in-Chief abandon an entire forest for a single tree..."

…………

A group of women were crying and shouting, creating a chaotic scene in the hall that was giving anyone a headache. Jiang Chen slammed his hand on the table and shouted coldly, "Quiet down, all of you!"

No one was shouting or crying anymore, but sobs could be heard from all sides.

Stared at by so many tearful and resentful eyes, he felt an intense hatred for the original owner for the first time—what a mess he had made! Leaving such a mess to clean up is a real headache.

“I’m not divorcing you all because of the new wife. Didn’t you hear me saying I’m going to dismiss all the servants in the entire household?” Jiang Chen patiently explained, “I’m in trouble and don’t want to involve you.”

Anyone selected to be brought back to the Marshal's Mansion must be treated with genuine sincerity.

I might be biased in my judgment, but these are all women I once loved. You are all still young and in the prime of your lives, and I naturally don't want to see you die young. Now that there's no war outside, the best course of action is to take some money and reunite with your families.”

Upon hearing this, the most meticulous third concubine turned pale and collapsed to the ground. "General...you, you've started a rebellion?"

Jiang Chen: (￣ー￣)

Why not think positively? Maybe they're being haunted by a monster and are about to die?

"The General is in trouble? Then I won't leave!" Upon seeing this, Ninth Concubine stepped forward, grabbed his leg, and cried, "I'd rather die with the General!"

"Me too, boohoo~ My lord, please don't divorce me!"

Seeing that the situation was about to get out of control, Jiang Chen had no choice but to use his trump card: "Staying here means certain death. Are you really willing to be devoured alive?"

That's not a quick and painless death with a single shot; you might be bled dry and forced to watch your own blood flow out as you slowly die; or you might be stabbed to death with your flesh being cut away piece by piece.

If I could stop them, how could I, a grown man, let my women each seek their own way to survive?

Listen to me, Lieutenant Guo has already made the arrangements. Take the reward money and leave Yongning City with your family. You will be escorted as far as possible until you can settle down in a new place. Only then will the soldiers protecting you leave.

Besides: the woman I brought back wasn't exactly a new favorite. Given my personality, would I need to hide anything when bringing a woman home?

The hall fell completely silent.

After all, several of them had never received any favor since being brought into the family. How could they possibly have any lingering affection for a heartless man other than wealth and honor?

Now that disaster is imminent, they naturally don't want to perish together.

Seeing that some people had expressed their gratitude and backed down, even the concubines who had previously cried and made a fuss about dying together hesitated.

Anyone can say nice things, but to actually leave someone alive is to skin them alive and bleed them dry—the thought alone is terrifying.

Besides, what good would it do to suffer alongside the commander? Knowing his nature, he'd be blinded by other women again once the crisis was over.

When you get old and lose your looks, you'll be taken advantage of by new girls. It's much safer to take a sum of money while you're young and go far away to find a good partner.

As for what the servants said about bringing back the carriage...

Although the commander-in-chief is a womanizer, he is indeed an upright and honest person. He is a man of his word on the battlefield who controls the troops. How could he be afraid of a few women fighting over him? If he really brings women back, he will definitely not hide it.

Anyway, no one dared to show that they were unhappy.

Thinking about it this way, it seems a bit odd that there was no one in the carriage who had never seen the light of day.

Could it be that he/she is about to bring utter destruction to the Marshal's Mansion?

Each of the eighteen concubines was cunning and shrewd. Realizing that it was not something they could find out, they pretended not to know even when the general brought his men back to the mansion. They tearfully bid farewell to the general one by one.

"Finally, they've all left!" Jiang Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief when the last concubine left the marshal's mansion with gold and silver silk under the escort of soldiers.

Zhang Xiyue was probably intimidated and behaved a little better, so she didn't have any thoughts of eating people for the time being.

Otherwise, once the protagonist's halo kicks in, wouldn't the main system issue missions to send her a few people to try out something new?

After dismissing the concubines, things became much simpler with the servants.

It's simply a matter of giving everyone a little more money so they can receive their indentures, regain their freedom, and find another way to make a living.

"Thank you for your kindness, Commander!"

"Thank you for your mercy, General!"

As people thanked him and left the mansion with their rewards, by mid-afternoon, only Jiang Chen and the two large stone lions standing guard at the gate remained in the vast mansion.

Zhang Xiyue was still unaware of what had happened. She sat obediently in the bedroom in the side courtyard, staring blankly at the toes of her feet adorned with tiny embroidered shoes.

"squeak~"

The door was pushed open, and she looked up to see Xiao Jiangchen, who had changed into casual clothes, enter the room.

"General, what are your orders?" Zhang Xiyue behaved very docilely, not daring to reveal the slightest abnormality.

Just seconds ago, she was thinking about how to please Xiao Jiangchen tonight and get two jugs of wine. She planned to take advantage of the guards' inattention and trick them into drinking too much and losing their ability to resist, so she could eat the meat she longed for and drink the hot blood.

Once you arrive at the general's mansion, where servants are everywhere, you can eat one or two meals without being easily noticed.

As long as I regain my strength with enough nutrition, ha, so what if Xiao Jiangchen has mind-reading abilities? He'll still end up as my devoted subject.

Once he uses his greed and military power to capture Lingquan, and gradually controls him with drugs to make him his lover for all eternity, he can swallow Xiao Jiangchen whole to vent his hatred!

How dare you treat me like that? You're destined to be my prey.

"I was thinking of letting you stay in a quiet courtyard so it would be peaceful." Jiang Chen smiled gently, looking at her with utmost sincerity as if her innocent little face was his only faith. He said softly, "But then I felt that being too far away from you made me feel empty. So, come and live with me in the main courtyard."

Zhang Xiyue: ? ? ?

Is this person crazy?

One moment she's obsessive and crazy, the next she's gentle and considerate; when she's insane, she's terrifying and frightening, but when she's gentle, it's like a spring breeze...

"What, you're not willing?" His expression hardened slightly.

Recalling the fear of being threatened with death, Zhang Xiyue tensed up and forced a smile, shaking her head and saying, "How could I not want to? It's my honor to live in the same courtyard as the Commander-in-Chief."

"It's so good that you think that way!" Jiang Chen smiled brightly, stepped forward, gently took her small hand, and pulled her out. "To make you believe that I truly love you, I've already divorced all those ordinary women in the manor!"

Even the clumsy servants have been driven away. From now on, I will carefully select servants who can serve you well, hoping that my dear Xiaoxiyue will be satisfied and comfortable in everything she does.

Zhang Xiyue: (((;???;)))

I was instantly horrified!

Is Xiao Jiangchen serious?

Previously at the restaurant, he gritted his teeth and said that his unwavering love was serious?

Was he captivated by my charm? Otherwise, why would he divorce his concubine to prove his loyalty?

The demon's life is long, and Zhang Xiyue, who looks down on the world, has never bothered to associate with lowly humans. From another perspective, after all, no one would develop feelings for a pork chop meant to be eaten.

She was a little confused when she first encountered Xiao Jiangchen's way of expressing herself.

What kind of feelings are they, and how should I deal with them?

If... if he really loves her for who she is... a strange thought suddenly arose in Zhang Xiyue's mind—if Xiao Jiangchen really fell in love with her, could she ask him to provide her with food directly?

The thought of fresh meat made her heart pound with excitement.

But Zhang Xiyue dared not act rashly. What if she guessed wrong and Xiao Jiangchen went crazy and tried to kill her?

"My lord, I'm hungry." She decided to test the waters and cautiously mentioned it.

Unexpectedly, a sly smile appeared on Jiang Chen's face as he pulled her quickly toward the main courtyard. "Don't worry, darling, I've already prepared it for you!"

Chapter Six: Madman? Yandere?

That smile was clearly the kind of smile that was meant to surprise someone you love, and the tone even carried a hint of smugness, but in Zhang Xiyue's eyes, it sent a chill down her spine for no reason.

Having been a demon for so many years, this was the first time she had ever felt fear towards the most ordinary and inferior humans.

As she traveled, Zhang Xiyue looked around but couldn't find a single person, and a bad feeling crept into her heart.

"Come on, see if you like what I prepared for you!" Jiang Chen was in high spirits. As he pushed open the door of the side room in the main courtyard, a strong smell of blood wafted out.

Her mouth watered with desire, but when she looked over, her face turned pale. "What? What does the Commander-in-Chief mean?"

On the table inside, there was a plate of bloody meat, finely cut into small pieces. It smelled of blood and was probably fresh mutton. At a glance, there were only about two pounds of it marinated in steaming blood.

On the other side was a cage containing several fat, squeaking rats.

"I have some important business to attend to and will be away for a while." He pulled her into the house and sat her down on a chair. Jiang Chen looked at her with longing and reluctance in his eyes. "This is the food I'm leaving for you. I know that as long as they can maintain their body's energy, monsters don't actually need to eat."

Xi Yue, you must understand my good intentions.

I love you so much!

I know you wouldn't truly fall in love with an ordinary person like me, and what I said at the restaurant was just a temporary measure. So... I want you to see my true feelings and truly fall in love with me.

Zhang Xiyue's young face was twitching.

However, the other person's eyes and tone of voice were flawless, truly resembling a devoted man confessing his love to his sweetheart.

She couldn't help but complain, "If you love me, you should give me what I need. I don't want to eat this junk!"

"No, it's because I love you so much and you haven't fallen in love with me yet, so please forgive my selfishness." He held the other's hands tightly to his chest and said with deep affection, "You will leave me once you have enough energy. In order to keep you by my side, I can only restrict your food."

Don't worry, I've planned everything out for you.

As long as you love me and stay with me forever, before my short lifespan ends, I will do everything in my power to help you obtain the immortal body of the Spirit Spring. Your soul combined with his body will then be forever young and invincible!

You've loved me and stayed with me for decades; in return, I'll give you a bright future filled with endless possibilities!

Zhang Xiyue: ⊙0⊙

You didn't say that when we first met!

His contradictory words and bizarre behavior left Zhang Xiyue, who was powerless to protect herself, completely bewildered.

What is Xiao Jiangchen up to?

"But I want..."

"Shh!" Jiang Chen didn't give her a chance to speak, gently placing her finger on her lips and whispering, "No, darling, you don't actually know what you want."

You're just too lonely.