The male supporting character was actually myself.

"I don't want meat soup." She looked at the clear soup in the bowl, which had a layer of oil floating on top and not a single piece of meat, and pleaded softly, "Sister Chunhua is the best, can you cut me a piece of meat to eat?"

If you can only eat this stuff every day, it's barely enough to keep your body alive. How can you heal wounds, grow bigger, and become stronger?

Chunhua wiped her unshaven beard with a handkerchief and said in a muffled voice, "What kind of meat does a child eat? You have a fever, and the doctor said you need to eat something easy to digest and nutritious. Stewing meat will put all the nutrients into the soup."

Tsk tsk, smell how fragrant it is.

"You should be grateful to have meat broth. After years of war, when things finally calmed down, ordinary families outside were so poor they couldn't afford meat. You should be content!"

Zhang Xiyue swallowed a mouthful of greasy meat soup that had virtually no nutritional value, and angrily rebuked, "Didn't the commander tell you how to serve me? You dare to mistreat me? You're all incredibly audacious!"

Chunhua slammed the spoon into the bowl with a bang, her face full of impatience. "What are you babbling about? We're not starving! That little bit of meat isn't even enough for the four of us sisters to eat for two meals, how could it be for a kid like you?"

If you want to file a complaint, go ahead and do it!

"When we stand before the commander-in-chief, we will naturally have our own explanation."

"The commander instructed us to cut two pounds of raw meat for you every meal, making sure it was a good mix of lean and fat and no blood, and to cut it into very small pieces before feeding it to you." Xia Yu's dark face, covered with a layer of white powder, came closer, and he stared at her intently, asking, "Why do you eat raw meat?"

The others gathered around, and Dongmei parted her lips, glanced at her, and grinned, "Oh, I didn't even notice until you pointed it out, look at her teeth, they're all sharp!"

"Eating raw meat, getting bitten on the neck by some unknown thing, and having teeth that aren't like a normal person's... Hey, you wouldn't happen to be the legendary old cat demon, would you?"

Chunhua had already put the broth back in the kitchen. As long as he got a small half-bowl, he wouldn't starve. She couldn't be bothered to force him to drink more; he could drink it or not.

As soon as she returned to her room, she heard Qiuyue mysteriously talking about an old cat demon. Chunhua quickly interjected, "I know this story well. My mother told me about it—when a cat in the house has been raised for a long time and is about to die, it will run away. After shedding a layer of fur, it will come back and become an old cat demon."

But I've heard that old cat demons are all good; they can guard the house and drive away evil spirits that try to steal souls.

"Can an old cat demon turn into a child? I don't think I've ever heard of that."

Xia Yu was scratching an itch when she casually pulled out a bamboo back scratcher and poked Zhang Xiyue. "Hey, are you even human? Make a sound! Why do you have to eat raw meat? If you tell us honestly, I'll cut you some raw meat to eat tonight."

A word to awaken the dreamer.

Zhang Xiyue, who was sulking, suddenly realized, "That's right! I can pretend to be weak first and win over the four of them. As long as they side with me and give me enough meat to eat, I can recover quickly and then I can eat people."

Why do we have to wait for Xiao Jiangchen to come back?

With his crazy personality, he definitely won't let me get full and out of control.

All that other nonsense I said before was just to stop me from torturing my prey, right? I'm a monster, why should I have to consider the feelings of a dish...

Thinking of this, she subconsciously licked her lips, a smile playing on her lips as she looked at the four androgynous figures and softly asked, "Sisters, do you want to rise to the top and no longer be relegated to the lowest class?"

Chunhua and the others exchanged glances. They were familiar with this guy too. The commander had specifically warned them not to fall for it, or they wouldn't even know how they died.

"Oh? You want to lower their intelligence?" Upon hearing this, the fluffy ball of fur, who had been lying in wait, immediately perked up. It jumped down from the display shelf and stood by the bed, its two short paws outstretched in front of the four burly men. It shouted, "Meow~ Get out of the way!"

The halo of light, cascading like water, immediately parted and scattered in all directions upon encountering the fluffy, solid white kitten. From above, it looked as if the kitten had erected an invisible light shield, completely enveloping the four people of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.

The seductive question didn't work well with the brainwashing effect, so the four of them spat in unison, "Who are you trying to fool? You little brat, you can't even get out of bed and we have to serve you, and you want to rise to prominence?"

Seeing that none of the four people believed her, Zhang Xiyue was getting anxious, but all she got out of talking was a dry mouth and a sore throat.

Jiang Chen, sitting on the plane, saw this scene from the first-person perspective of the Horcrux and was very pleased.

If I can successfully meet with Daoist Lingquan this time and come up with a plan, I can control Zhang Xiyue from the root and prevent the people from being harmed again!

Lingyu Mountain Wushang Temple is located on a cliff, and to enter the temple, one must climb up two treacherous paths supported only by iron chains.

The two formidable natural barriers successfully deterred many people who were not sincerely seeking knowledge but merely looking for excitement, thus making it a rare and sacred place for quiet cultivation.

Lingquan Daoist temporarily resided at Wushang Temple, quietly awaiting the important moment of the transition between the old and the new.

The young man, who had been carefully selected and trained for more than three years, lay on the couch, looking at his master meditating on the futon with mixed feelings.

He was born into an ordinary family and was a healthy and likable young man.

When he was seventeen, his family arranged for him to get married. He happily went to the market to buy things for his wedding. On the way, he saw two children who had fallen into the stinky ditch while playing in the water struggling and crying for help. Without thinking, he jumped in and rescued them.

Who knew that he would fall ill as soon as he got home.

Some say he was punished for interfering with the water ghost's actions; others say he was cursed; still others say he was infected with some strange virus.

Anyway, his condition got worse and worse, and pustules started to appear on his body, oozing foul-smelling fluid. He went from being a healthy young man as strong as an ox to a bedridden, crooked-mouthed, and even speaking was difficult for him.

To pay for medical treatment, the already impoverished family was driven to the point of being destitute.

His fiancée asked the matchmaker to convey her willingness to wait for him to recover before they could get married, but he couldn't bear to waste the young woman's youth, so he had no choice but to break off the engagement and lie paralyzed in bed waiting to die.

Fortunately, he met his master, Lingquan Daoren.

Not only did the master pay off the debts his family incurred for his medical treatment, but he also built a house for his family, gave his younger brother money to support their mother and start a small business, and even saved him from the brink of death.

The only requirement was that he had to follow his master to become a monk and study.

He agreed without hesitation. What did becoming a monk matter? He was willing to do anything to repay his master's kindness in saving him!

However, he only learned from his master last year that he was the successor he had carefully selected and cultivated. While waiting for his ascension, his master used a secret method to exchange that immortal and powerful young body with him!

It would be a lie to say that you don't want a healthy body;

However, if he could possess a body that even humans envy, it would mean replacing his master's soul and using it for his own purposes, which caused him great inner pain.

His master was like a second father to him; his own rebirth was built upon the foundation of the old man's ascension to immortality, which was a cruel thing. He hoped that his master could live to be a hundred years old, and be immortal like that body, so that he would have no regrets even if he died on his sickbed.

But seeing his master's increasingly listless demeanor lately, even though his immortal body still looked strong and his eyes were still bright, he could sense that his master's soul was growing weaker and older day by day.

The signs of aging emanating from within were impossible to conceal.

"Lingquan, a distinguished guest has arrived at the mountain gate. We shall welcome this guest who has come from afar today." Lingquan, a Taoist priest with a tall and handsome figure who looks no more than twenty-five or twenty-six years old, has black hair adorned with a lotus crown. He wears a Taoist robe and holds a whisk, exuding the air of a venerable elder.

Judging from appearances alone, no one would believe that the soul inside this body is already very old. He calculates that his days are numbered and is prepared to ascend to heaven at any time, leaving his body to be used by a younger soul.

After finding a successor, he never publicly announced his Daoist name again, but instead passed on the name "Lingquan" to the next young soul.

“Master, I have never accompanied you to see any visiting guests before…” He hesitated, afraid that his appearance would embarrass his master.

After following his master, he gave himself a Taoist name.

But he still couldn't quite accept it. After all, being called "Taoist Lingquan" by everyone meant that his master had already passed away, and he was more like a death warrant for him...

"It's alright. I don't have much time left, and you will still have to shoulder many responsibilities in the future, so it's natural that we should meet first." Daoist Lingquan ordered his bamboo couch to be carried to the back hall, where the master and disciple sat around the stove brewing tea and waiting for their distinguished guest to arrive.

Jiang Chen left the rest of his entourage in the town at the foot of the mountain, taking only his adjutant Guo up the mountain.

After climbing for a long time and crossing two natural barriers, we finally arrived at Wushang Temple. After explaining our purpose, we were invited into the mountain gate to wait for our announcement. We set off to climb the mountain early in the morning and did not meet the two Lingquan Taoists until it was almost noon.

"General Xiao, I see that your face is dark, as if a great calamity is about to befall you. What troubles have you encountered?" After exchanging a few polite words and taking their seats, Daoist Lingquan could tell at a glance that the other party was plagued by misfortune and that if he did not resolve it as soon as possible, he might die young.

Judging from the divination results, it seems that the General Xiao who visited the temple is related to the sworn enemy of the previous Lingquan Daoist. Unfortunately, he has little life left and probably can't be of much help.

He glanced at the thin, sickly child lying slumped on the bamboo bed and sighed heavily in his heart.

"It's not just me; if we don't stop that guy, the whole world will be in chaos." Jiang Chen shook his head and said with a wry smile, "To be honest, Daoist Master, I came here today to ask you for help."

The demon with the immortal soul was reincarnated in Forty Mile Slope, Yunshao City, under my jurisdiction. I only recently found it and am temporarily imprisoning it in the Marshal's Mansion. As you know, demons can abandon their physical bodies to reincarnate or possess others at any time. I fear I might lose control and cause a great disaster, so I have no choice but to seek your help.”

Hearing about the reincarnation of a demon from an ordinary mortal, who remained completely nonchalant, Lingquan Daoist couldn't help but find it strange, even though he had already deduced it beforehand.

The other party has neither spiritual energy nor wisdom, and is clearly not a cultivator.

How could a general with a background in leading troops into battle know his nemesis so well?

"May I ask, General, how did you learn the details of the demon's reincarnation? And how did you distinguish it from the masses?"

Faced with the questions, Jiang Chen couldn't very well say that he had read the world script and had a little white cat by his side who could see the protagonist's halo, could he?

He chuckled and said perfunctorily, "I've always enjoyed listening to bizarre and fantastical stories. During the march, I happened to meet a fortune teller who told me about an immortal, indestructible monster that was harming the common people. That's how I learned about it."

Who would have thought I'd run into it so coincidentally? Knowing I was powerless to deal with the monster, I sought help from the Taoist priest.

Lingquan Daoist frowned slightly after hearing this.

Which unskilled child is this, so brazenly revealing heavenly secrets without any attempt at concealment? They're probably shortening their lifespan without even realizing it!

"General Xiao has imprisoned him in his mansion, which is extremely dangerous!" From the moment he received his Daoist title, Lingquan Daoist's most important duty has been to hunt down and attempt to seal his nemesis.

Now that he learned that Xiao Jiangchen, though only a mortal, had gotten involved, he frowned and said urgently, "That's a filthy creature whose heart is as hard as stone that cannot be swayed."

It will do anything to eat people and become stronger; unless its soul is permanently sealed, no one can control that monster.

Jiang Chen hurriedly explained, "Taoist Master, there's no need to worry. The demon has not received the energy needed for its body to grow in the eighteen years since its reincarnation, and it still looks like a three or four-year-old child."

I also arranged for her to be bitten and then hung up with ordinary food, so that she wouldn't be able to return to her state of eating people at will for some time.

"If we can strike while she's ill and kill her, then you can come with me to Yongning City to seal the demon. Wouldn't the world be at peace then?"

"Still not yet an adult?" Daoist Lingquan's brows relaxed slightly upon hearing this. "It seems that forcing it into a corner back then had some effect, but..."

He glanced at the child on the bamboo bed, then looked down at his trembling hands and sighed, "I'm nearing the end of my life, and I'm truly powerless to go down the mountain to seal the demon."

After I die, that child's soul will replace me as the new Lingquan Daoist. He will need to meditate in the Spirit Summoning Cauldron for three months to inherit and solidify the fusion of soul and body.

If he forces himself to leave seclusion before fully integrating with his body, his soul power will be unable to control his powerful physique, leaving him with hidden ailments.

After hearing his explanation, Jiang Chen understood why Lingquan Daoren was so weak and seriously injured in the original story.

So when Zhang Xiyue instigated Xiao Jiangchen to send troops to capture him, the newly appointed Lingquan Daoist had not yet fully integrated with the sect and was disturbed. As a result, he was forced to leave seclusion and was unable to inherit the powerful abilities. Moreover, he had no chance to fight back against Zhang Xiyue, who was eating more and more people and had become increasingly powerful.

Sharpening the axe won't delay the work of chopping wood; it seems that the right solution is to fully integrate the next leader before annihilating Zhang Xiyue in one fell swoop.

"It should only take a few months, it shouldn't be a big deal. I'll find a way to stall the demon." He fiddled with the ring on his hand, narrowed his eyes slightly, and lowered his voice, "If I really can't control her, I'll just kill her! After reincarnation, a demon always needs to go through a growth process, right?"

To buy time by killing the reincarnated demon again?

Lingquan Daoist frowned and searched his inherited memories carefully. After a moment, he looked up at Xiao Jiangchen with a blank expression. "As far as I know, last time we chased after that monster relentlessly and, taking advantage of the right time, place, and people, we severely injured it in Huai Shu Gully. After that, we completely lost track of it."

This is the first time in its history that it has been forced into a desperate situation and reincarnated.

"If I were to kill it again before it fully matures, I have no idea what the consequences would be if it were reborn somewhere."

Chapter Fourteen: Is that you, Bug?

"It's best not to take the risk." After thinking for a moment, Daoist Lingquan shook his head and said, "Killing her again to force her to reincarnate is the worst possible strategy. Otherwise, once she gets out of our control and has the opportunity to change her body, it will be too difficult for us to find her again."

The concern was that they wouldn't be able to find the reincarnation of the demon, but that's not a problem.

Anyway, with the script in hand, as long as Zhang Xiyue makes any move after her reincarnation, her approximate location can be deduced from the plot.

The most crucial thing now is to protect the next Lingquan Daoist. We must ensure that he is not disturbed and can fully integrate, since he is the ultimate weapon against demons.

"I will try my best to stall it and imprison it until I can seal it." Jiang Chen pressed on, "Daoist, could you tell me more about this monster?"

I've been in charge of guarding it for the past few months. Knowing more details is crucial for success; you need to know your enemy and yourself to win every battle.