novelapdf Chapter 121 Shui Miaozheng: I'm truly impressed.
Chapter 121 Shui Miaozheng: I'm truly impressed.
Hearing the man's mockery, Zhang Xiao Kui drew his sword in a rage:
"How dare you insult Master Du?!"
"insult?"
The short, stout man chuckled, his eyes filled with mockery and disdain.
"You've been fooled by him!"
Others may not know his background, but how could I not? Du Yuanfei is nothing but a lackey of the demon!
He was terrified of the monster!
To save his life, he knelt at the feet of the demon and became its grandson.
"How many times has the Yancheng Demon Slayer Division failed in its operations? How many brothers have been inexplicably ambushed? All because he leaked information in secret!" At this point, he recalled Zhang Xiao Kui's words and a strange smile appeared on his face.
"By the way, you just said... he led his men to White Deer Peak to capture demons, but a lot of them died?"
Zhang Xiaokui's heart skipped a beat.
The short, stout man grinned and said in a sinister tone:
"I never expected that this guy would eventually turn on even his own subordinates."
If I'm not mistaken, his so-called pursuit of demons was actually him luring his own men into the demon's lair and selling them off as snacks to the demons, all for his own wealth, glory, and survival!
Jiang Mu and the other two exchanged glances, a bad feeling creeping into their hearts.
"Are you telling the truth?"
Jiang Mu asked coldly.
He knew in his heart that this guy had no reason to lie at this time.
The short, fat man gave a bitter laugh:
"When Yancheng fell, I saw him kneel before the demons like a grandson. Afterwards, I dared not speak of it, because I had also betrayed my friend, and I was too ashamed to expose him. So when I came to this town, I was hiding from him, afraid that he would find me and silence me..."
Jiang Mu closed her eyes and thought about it carefully.
I didn't think much of it at the time, but looking back, there were definitely some oddities, especially the timing of the horse demon's attack...
But regardless, I still need to go and confirm it in person.
puff
Jiang Mu decapitated the short, stout man with a single stroke and said to Zhang Dashao and his brother, "You go find the carriage, I'll go ahead!"
If Du Yuanfei really is a traitor.
So now Xu Fu, Aunt Tang and the others are undoubtedly in great danger.
However, what you fear most is what happens.
When Jiang Mu rushed to Lijia Village, he could hear shouts and screams of killing mixed with screams from a distance.
He quickened his pace, leaping up a high slope in a few bounds to overlook the village below.
The once peaceful village has been turned into a living hell.
Swarms of monsters surged like a tide, besieging the dilapidated farmhouses where Xu Fu and his companions were holding.
A quick glance revealed two or three hundred of them!
Within this camp filled with demonic energy, Jiang Mu keenly sensed at least four fifth-tier auras.
Strangely, these monsters did not seem to kill indiscriminately.
They drove the panicked villagers to an open space in the village, used their demonic power to build a simple barrier, and trapped them like livestock, but did not immediately kill them.
It was guarded by several large wolf demons.
Jiang Muxin's heart sank as Tang Guixin's words came to mind.
The demonic forces in Yancheng have grand ambitions. They are not merely killing machines, but seek to establish order, replace the old order, and create a new demonic kingdom.
If all the people die, who will grow food for them?
Who will be their slaves?
Moreover, living people are the best strategic reserve.
Once driven to the brink by the Demon Slayer Division, these people can be corrupted by demonic energy and transformed into painless corpse puppets or cannon fodder, or used as "two-legged sheep" to replenish their demonic power.
Jiang Mu's gaze swept past the demon horde and finally settled on the very center of the demon horde.
There, a "mountain of flesh" sat prominently.
It was an enormous wild boar demon, nearly three zhang tall, covered in black bristles like steel needles, with tusks that protruded outwards like two curved giant blades.
It was not entirely beast-like, but rather half-human and half-demon, with a large body covered in simple leather armor.
The demonic energy emanating from his body was as heavy as a mountain.
His cultivation level was clearly at the peak of the fifth rank!
At this moment, it sat like a king on a throne hastily pieced together from giant stones, coldly watching the battlefield.
As if sensing the prying gaze, the pig demon leader narrowed his small eyes, squeezed into slits by his fat, and suddenly swept them toward Jiang Mu.
Then a grin spread across his face as he raised his thick, radish-like finger, adorned with a bone ring, and pointed it at Jiang Mu on the high slope. "Roar!"
In an instant, dozens of demons received the command, roared, turned around, and charged madly towards Jiang Mu.
These monsters come in various forms, including jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards.
"Oh shit!"
Jiang Mu cursed under his breath, then dashed towards the demon horde.
The blade flashed like snowflakes, splashing out in all directions.
Those at the forefront were mostly first or second-tier low-level demons, as fragile as paper in the face of Jiang Mu's swordsmanship.
With a swift stroke of the knife, he cut down a large group of people, leaving limbs and severed bodies flying everywhere.
Upon seeing this, the pig demon leader's eyes flashed with surprise, and then he whispered something to a dog demon with a completely black body at his feet.
"Woof!"
The dog demon kicked off with its hind legs and charged straight at Jiang Mu like lightning.
It hovered in mid-air, its size swelling to twice its normal size, transforming into a giant dog the size of a calf, its muscles bulging, its fangs menacing, and its speed astonishing. Early Stage Fifth Rank!
Jiang Mu pressed down sharply with his left hand.
"town!"
A gigantic golden seal phantom, formed from stellar energy, appeared out of thin air and crashed down with the force of Mount Tai.
"Awooo!"
The dog demon, which was in mid-air, froze for a moment, then let out a miserable howl and was slammed heavily to the ground.
It smashed a deep crater, and the sound of bones shattering could be clearly heard.
Jiang Mu attempted to suppress it again, but found that the supernatural power had entered a cooling and condensation period. He then directly drew his sword and charged forward, with the [Tai Su Tian Gang Blood River True Hero] surging wildly into the sword from his dantian.
"cut!"
The crimson blade light surged, carrying a murderous aura that could cut through anything, and slashed through in one strike.
"Pfft!"
The dog's head rolled off, and black blood gushed out like a fountain.
One strike, slaying five ranks!
The monsters that had been shouting earlier were all horrified when they saw this and instinctively retreated.
"That's interesting."
The fat on the pig demon leader's face jiggled, and the contempt in his small eyes vanished completely, replaced by solemnity and a hint of anger.
It stood up and casually grabbed a shark-tooth sword, as wide as a door panel, that was stuck beside it.
His demonic aura surged into the sky like smoke from a wolf's beacon, his imposing presence overwhelming.
"roar!"
The pig demon leader roared and strode forward like an out-of-control chariot, rumbling towards Jiang Mu.
"clang!!"
The horizontal sword clashed fiercely with the shark-tooth broadsword.
Jiang Mu felt a violent tremor in his tiger's mouth, and was thrown backward several feet by a tremendous force.
This pig demon truly lives up to its reputation as a fifth-order Great Perfection cultivator; its hide is thick and its strength is boundless, with each strike carrying the power to split mountains and shatter rocks.
It was far superior to that tricky horse demon from before.
Jiang Mu dared not fight head-on, so he used the [Spirit Serpent's Movement Step] to maneuver around it, and combined it with the [Teleport] supernatural power and the magic fan, sometimes appearing behind the pig demon to launch a sneak attack, and sometimes flashing to the side to slash.
However, the pig demon, though seemingly clumsy, reacts extremely quickly, and its thick layer of fat acts as a natural armor.
The blade, imbued with the power of Blood River True Steam, could only penetrate three-tenths of an inch into the flesh, failing to inflict a fatal wound.
At the same time, two other early-stage fifth-tier demons flanked Jiang Mu from both sides, joining forces with the pig demon leader to encircle him. They were a falcon demon and a mountain demon.
In an instant, Jiang Mu was surrounded and attacked by three fifth-tier demons.
The boar demon leader possessed terrifying strength and wielded a wide, sweeping sword. The eagle demon was incredibly fast, with sharp claws and beaks, specializing in attacks on the upper body. The mountain demon was agile, its claws infused with venom, and it preyed on the lower body.
Jiang Mu pushed the Serpent Step, Teleportation, and Xuan Gang Body Protection to their limits, weaving and dodging amidst the flashing blades and claws.
Blood River True Essence erupts intermittently, unleashing sharp blade energy in counterattacks.
But facing three fifth-tier demons, especially the powerful fifth-tier Great Perfection level boar demon leader, he was clearly at a disadvantage and in grave danger. "Kid, your movement technique is slippery, a bit uncanny!"
The pig demon leader was getting impatient after failing to break through the defenses for a long time.
It sensed that Jiang Mu seemed to want to rescue Xu Fu and the others who were trapped, and grinned maliciously: "Trying to rescue your comrades?"
It turned its head and shouted at the demons that were besieging Xu Fu and the others:
"My boys, give it your all! Chop all those officials in their robes into mincemeat!"
"roar!"
The demon horde roared deafeningly, their attack growing ever more ferocious.
On Xu Fu's side, the already precarious defense line was under even greater pressure, and screams rang out one after another.
Jiang Mu tried to teleport there, but was entangled by the pig demon leader and the falcon demon.
That mountain-lying man was even more cunning, blocking his possible teleportation landing point.
"Die!!"
The pig demon leader swept his shark-tooth blade across the ground, creating a gust of evil wind that blocked all of Jiang Mu's paths of advance.
Jiang Mu was forced to retreat and was shaken so badly that his blood and qi surged.
The difference in strength is too great!!
He alone could not possibly deal with both the thick-skinned pig demon and the other two fifth-tier demons at the same time.
We must find outside help!
A resolute glint flashed in Jiang Mu's eyes, and she gritted her teeth and roared:
"Hime Hongyuan!!"
The sound echoed in the night sky.
One breath, two breaths…
Just as the pig demon thought the boy had gone mad and was shouting incoherently, a faint fragrance suddenly wafted through the air.
Immediately afterwards, a mature and charming voice, tinged with languidness, seemed to whisper in Jiang Mu's ear:
"Little one, what do you want from your older sister?"
"Have you figured it out?"
Although the voice was right next to him, Jiang Mu looked around but couldn't see a single person.
While struggling to fend off the combined attacks of the three demons, Jiang Mu gritted his teeth and said coldly:
"I agree to your terms!"
"Help me kill this pig demon, now, immediately! Can you do it?!"
"Oh?"
Ji Hongyuan's voice held a hint of amusement, "Are you really willing... to let your older sister have a taste?"
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Jiang Mu narrowly avoided the pig demon's sweeping attack, but a bloody gash appeared on his shoulder from the eagle demon's claws. He shouted sharply.
"As long as you kill this pig demon and get out of this predicament, I will keep my promise. A man's word is his bond!"
But I also hope you'll keep your word and only take my breath, not my life!
"Alright! I'll believe you this once."
"Whoosh!"
As the woman finished speaking, the ground in front of Jiang Mu exploded with a loud bang.
A tall, slender figure in golden and red, like a red lotus blooming in purgatory, appeared out of nowhere between Jiang Mu and the pig demon.
She had her back to Jiang Mu.
A long, gold and red high-slit dress fluttered in the wind, and her long legs, clad in strange and exquisite crescent-shaped high heels and wrapped in black silk, seemed to shimmer in the night.
Her long, black hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall.
Even just a glimpse of his back, his powerful aura of looking down on all living beings made the surrounding air seem to freeze.
Zombie Queen, Ji Hongyuan!
The woman lightly raised her fair wrist, her five fingers as delicate as orchids, and casually waved them at the few low-level demons that pounced on her from all around.
"Pfft pfft pfft!"
The bodies of those demons instantly disintegrated, turning into a cloud of blood mist and mangled flesh.
"It's up to you!"
Seeing this, Jiang Mu did not hesitate at all. He teleported away from the battlefield and sped towards Xu Fu.
The pig demon leader stared at the woman who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
It sized Ji Hongyuan up and down, and sneered:
"Where did this zombie wench come from? Daring to meddle in my business? Look at your delicate skin, why don't you come back to me and be my wife? I'll guarantee you a life of luxury..."
Although it spoke with disdain, the pig demon leader's grip on its knife tightened involuntarily, its expression becoming more solemn than ever before. It could clearly sense that the oppressive aura emanating from the woman before it was in no way inferior to its own.
Ji Hongyuan's beautiful eyes darted around, glancing at the mountain of flesh before her. She covered her mouth and nose with her slender fingers, her delicate brows furrowing slightly, her eyes filled with disgust: "You mere wild boar, covered in filthy stench, dare to bark wildly in front of me?"
She blurred into a red blur and charged forward.
the other side.
Jiang Mu charged into the horde of demons besieging the courtyard like a blood-red whirlwind.
Xuehe Zhenjie unleashed his full power, and wherever his blade passed, demons fell like wheat being harvested. He forcefully tore a gap in the dense horde of demons and rushed to Xu Fu's side.
Xu Fu was locked in combat with a scorpion-tailed wolf demon, and his body was already covered in wounds.
Jiang Mu teleported in and slashed from the side, cutting the scorpion-tailed wolf in half!
"Old Jiang, you're finally back, you bastard!"
Upon seeing Jiang Mu, Xu Fu's spirits lifted, and he roared, panting heavily.
He wiped the blood from his eyes, panting heavily, and pointed to the horrific scene of fighting still raging around him:
"Damn it, I don't know what happened, so many monsters suddenly appeared! If we had arrived any later, we would all be dead here!" Jiang Mu brandished his sword, forcing back the surrounding lesser monsters, and asked in a deep voice, "Where is Du Yuanfei?"
Xu Fudao:
"Not long after you left, this kid suddenly received a message from a colleague saying that one of his cousins was trapped on Fire Dragon Cliff by a group of second or third-tier demons, and the situation was critical."
Du Yuanfei immediately became anxious and insisted on rescuing the people, even pleading with Tang Tangzhu to bring the brothers from Fazhou City to provide support.
No sooner had they left than this pack of beasts swarmed around them!
Upon hearing this, Jiang Muxin sank completely, and her last shred of hope vanished.
The fact that Du Yuanfei is a traitor is already a foregone conclusion!
The other party is playing tricks like "luring the tiger away from the mountain" and "defeating them one by one".
They deliberately used the false news that "their colleagues were trapped" to lure Tang Guixin and her group, the strongest among them, away so that they could be divided and annihilated.
That so-called Fire Dragon Cliff has probably already been entangled in a trap.
"It seems that guy was right. Du Yuanfei has been acting from beginning to end, as for that horse demon..."
Jiang Mu murmured, "That horse demon must be a spy among these demons, responsible for acting as bait to lure others into a trap." With this thought, everything seemed clear.
The fact that the horse demon chose to act at the moment Du Yuanfei woke up clearly indicates that the two had conspired together.
Du Yuanfei deliberately revealed the matter of the horse demon in order to gain trust.
The horse demon deliberately destroyed all the mounts and created wounded soldiers in the hope of delaying these demon slayers.
If it weren't for Jiang Mu's intervention in forcibly slaying the horse demon and returning in time, Xu Fu's group would likely have already become the demon's meal. "Now that Aunt Tang and the others are with Du Yuanfei, they must be in great danger."
"BOOM!!"
Just as Jiang Mu was pondering, a loud bang came from behind him.
Jiang Mu turned around and looked back.
The massive, fifth-tier perfected boar demon, as large as a mountain of flesh, soared into the air, arcing through the air before crashing heavily to the ground, crushing seven or eight smaller demons that couldn't get out of the way.
Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, a graceful figure in golden and red descended from the sky.
Ji Hongyuan lightly touched the ground with her jade-like feet and stepped down from a distance.
"Bang!"
The pig demon's head exploded like a rotten watermelon, splattering red and white matter everywhere.
With their leader's tragic death, the previously ferocious monsters around them immediately collapsed, their formation crumbled, and they began to scatter and flee.
Xu Fu's eyes nearly popped out of his head, his mouth agape:
"My goodness... what kind of monster is this? It's so powerful?! It looks like a zombie... why are they fighting?"
This woman is really strong!
Jiang Mu was also secretly alarmed.
Seeing the demons scatter, Jiang Mu did not hesitate at all and immediately said to Xu Fu:
"Old Xu, I'll leave this to you. Clean up the mess, I'm going to find Aunt Tang and the others."
After saying that, Jiang Mu moved swiftly and sped off towards the direction of Fire Dragon Cliff.
Ji Hongyuan, dressed in a long gold and red dress, also vanished into the night in a flash.
Using Shadow Teleportation, Jiang Mu's figure flickered continuously through the mountains and forests, each disappearance and reappearance traversing a distance of dozens of feet. The wind howled, and the trees on both sides rushed backward like inverted phantoms.
He had only one thought in his mind:
Hopefully, it's not too late.
Hopefully, Du Yuanfei hasn't made a move yet!
Ji Hongyuan, like a weightless golden-red phantom, easily followed beside him, observing Jiang Mu's seemingly reckless method of travel with great interest, clicking her tongue in amazement:
"Little guy, your teleportation technique is quite interesting."
If any other cultivator from the fourth realm were to use such a relentless and continuous attack, they would have long since exhausted their star power and collapsed from exhaustion.
You, on the other hand, though your breathing is rapid, it's still long and even, like nothing's wrong... Is it because you were born with a special constitution?
Or does he possess some magical artifact or supernatural power capable of rapidly restoring star power?
Jiang Mu had no time to pay attention to her at the moment; he was only focused on running wildly, wishing he could sprout wings.
Ji Hongyuan wasn't annoyed. She covered her lips and chuckled softly, her voice as charming as silk:
"Alright, everyone has their own little secrets. Since we're in a cooperative relationship now, let's set some rules first."
My current clone has a small appetite and can't absorb too much of your essence at once. I can only absorb it gradually each day. In return, I can help you with some small favors during this time.
But let me make this clear first: if you encounter danger, I will save you if I can. However, if you encounter a powerful demon that even I cannot defeat... then I can only watch you get eaten.
After all, this place is filled with demonic energy, and there are quite a few old monsters hiding there.
"How about it? This deal sounds like a great deal, doesn't it?"
"Shut up!"
Jiang Mu finally lost her temper and gave her a cold glance. "Wait until I'm done with my work. Now, be quiet!"
Ji Hongyuan narrowed her beautiful eyes, a cold glint flashing in them.
She is the queen of zombies, ruling over all zombies. Who has ever dared to disrespect her like this?
Normally, this fool would have been torn to shreds by her.
But considering that both sides would get what they wanted, and that they still needed to rely on the strange aura on this kid, she took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed her displeasure, and just snorted coldly without saying anything more.
Soon, Jiang Mu arrived at Fire Dragon Cliff.
The entire mountain has a reddish-brown color, as if it had been scorched by flames.
However, when Jiang Mu stepped onto the cliff top, the scene before him made his heart sink.
Everywhere you look, there are severed limbs and broken arms.
Several familiar demon slayers lay lifeless in pools of blood.
Several low-ranking jackal demons were lying on the corpse, greedily gnawing at it, making chewing noises.
In the nearby bushes, Jiang Mu saw You Dashan's corpse.
The man lay on his back, eyes wide open, his face frozen in shock and disbelief.
He had a bloody hole in his chest.
It was clearly left by someone stabbing him through the back.
The identity of the attacker is self-evident.
Jiang Mu held his breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and swung his sword to kill several small demons that were gnawing on the corpses, then followed the trail of blood upwards. Along the way, he saw many more severed limbs.
A short distance ahead, a flickering fire appeared.
A dozen or so demons were sitting around the fire, eating meat heartily and enjoying their meal.
Several demon slayers, tightly bound with ropes, hung on a wooden frame beside the campfire.
Two of them were Ming Cuicui and Zhu Chang.
The two men were ashen-faced, covered in wounds, and blood dripped from their clothes onto the ground.
Ming Cuicui's eyes were filled with despair and fear, and tears kept streaming down her face.
Although Zhu Chang was equally weak, he gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with rage as he glared at the demons who were devouring his colleagues.
"Hehe, it has to be the flesh and blood of a cultivator. It's chewy and contains plenty of spiritual energy."
A fourth-tier wolf demon, who seemed to be the leader of this group of monsters, patted his swollen belly and let out a burp full of fishy smell.
It picked its teeth and wobbled over to the wooden shelf.
"Not bad, these young lads look very fresh."
The wolf demon stretched out his greasy hand and patted Ming Cuicui's pale face, then pinched Zhu Chang's chin, grinning as he said, "We'll take her back to the village later, marinate her in the best salt water, and enjoy her slowly, hehehe..."
Ming Cuicui was so frightened that she trembled violently, her teeth chattering, and she couldn't even cry out.
Zhu Chang raised his head, spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, and cursed sharply:
"You beasts, you wait! The Demon Slayer Division's reinforcements will be here soon, and they will tear you monstrous creatures to pieces!"
"Hahaha!"
The monster seemed to have heard the funniest joke, and it threw its head back and burst into wild laughter.
"Kid, you're about to die and you're still daydreaming."
To tell you the truth, any scum from the Demon Slayer Division who dares to come to Yan City to provide support this time will be dealt with properly!
Do you really think we demons are fools, stretching out our necks and waiting for you to come and wipe us out?
"So, the other demon slayers who came to provide support were also ambushed, right?"
A cold voice suddenly rang out from behind the demon.
The monster was startled.
He turned around, about to demand to know who it was, but his eyes widened and he froze on the spot.
Just moments before, his companions, who had been sitting around the fire drinking, eating, and laughing loudly, were now all lying on the ground.
There was a thin line of blood on each neck, and fresh blood was gushing out...
A young man with a cold expression, holding a long, blood-dripping knife, stood quietly amidst the pile of corpses.
When Ming Cuicui and the others saw the newcomers, they were first stunned, then overjoyed.
"Master Jiang!?"
"Lord Jiang, save me!"
They were overjoyed to have escaped their predicament and shouted with excitement.
The wolf demon leader snapped out of its daze, letting out a roar of shock and rage. Instinctively, it swung its sharp claws, whipping up a demonic gust of wind, aiming for Jiang Mu's face! "Pfft!"
A flash of light.
Its arm was severed at the shoulder, and blood gushed out.
"ah!!"
The monster let out a mournful wail, clutching its severed arm and staggering backward.
Jiang Mu remained expressionless as two more streaks of blood erupted, severing the wolf demon leader's legs at the knees.
Only his torso and left arm remained, writhing and howling in the pool of blood.
Ignoring the screaming monster, Jiang Mu walked to the wooden frame, swung his knife to cut the ropes, and released Ming Cuicui and the others.
He asked in a deep voice, "Where is Aunt Tang?"
Upon hearing this, Ming Cuicui's tears, which she had just stopped, surged forth again, and she burst into tears.
Zhu Chang's eyes also reddened, his fists clenched, and his voice choked with emotion:
"Sister Tang...Sister Tang is dead..."
Ming Cuicui pointed to the edge of the cliff not far away, sobbing uncontrollably: "Sister Tang fought two fifth-tier demons to cover our escape... and was... was knocked off the cliff!"
Jiang Mu's body trembled, and he moved like lightning, quickly reaching the edge of the cliff top.
The cliff top was a mess, with traces of battle everywhere: rubble, scorched earth, and bloodstains that had not yet dried.
Jiang Mu peered down the cliff.
A wave of scorching heat hit me, carrying the acrid smell of sulfur and burnt metal, as if a furnace was connected below.
Jiang Mu immediately activated the "Mysterious Gang True Explanation".
A pale golden protective aura emanated from his body, resisting the scorching heat waves.
He stared intently, straining to look down.
Below, a thick, dark red fog rolled and surged, like the steam rising from magma, its depths unfathomable.
Occasionally, crimson sparks or ash would drift up from the thick fog.
Ji Hongyuan's figure appeared beside her.
She stood at the edge of the cliff, glanced down, her dark golden eyes narrowed slightly, and said calmly:
"Stop looking. Below is a place where a great demon's blood was refined, containing the remnants of a demonic dragon."
"Let alone a fifth-realm cultivator, even an eighth-realm expert who accidentally falls in and is corroded by this blood-refining evil energy and earth fire poisonous miasma will surely die without a trace, leaving no trace of their body." Jiang Mu stared blankly at the abyss, without saying a word.
The mountain wind blew by, carrying a mournful sound.
a long time.
He squatted down.
On a sharp rock at the edge of the cliff, he picked up a piece of blood-stained cloth.
Those were fragments from Tang Guixin's clothes.
Jiang Mu clutched the piece of cloth tightly in her palm, the rough texture of the fabric rubbing against her skin.
"Aunt Tang..."
He closed his eyes, his expression still cold.
But upon closer inspection, one can see that his tightly pursed lips are trembling slightly, and the muscles in his jaw are extremely taut.
The two had known each other for a very short time.
It wasn't a particularly deep or unforgettable emotion.
But this cheerful and warm-hearted woman, because he looked like her deceased son, showed him kindness without reservation, treating him as a close junior, showing concern for his well-being, and even giving him a protective jade pendant.
That kind of selfless, pure, elder-like warmth and care was something Jiang Mu had rarely experienced since transmigrating to this world.
It's a kind of warmth that's almost like "home".
He had never enjoyed anything, neither before nor after his time travel.
Although brief, it genuinely warmed a lonely corner deep within his heart.
He had solemnly promised that if they were to get married, he would make her sit in the high hall and serve her a cup of tea.
But now...
Jiang Mu slowly opened her eyes, her gaze seemingly as deep as a frozen pool, yet also as surging as molten lava.
He put the piece of cloth into his pocket.
Then, he turned and walked towards Ming Cuicui and the others.
"Where is Du Yuanfei?"
Jiang Mu approached Ming Cuicui, her voice calm.
Ming Cuicui wiped away her tears and sobbed:
"At that time... there were more than a hundred monsters surrounding us, and two fifth-level great monsters leading the way."
After Sister Tang was knocked off the cliff, we were no match for her at all.
Some were killed, some were captured...
Master Du was also captured by a demon, and it seems... he's likely in grave danger as well.
They've captured them?
A cold, mocking glint flashed in Jiang Mu's eyes.
What a Du Yuanfei!
Even in this dire situation, they're still putting on a show.
Even Ming Cuicui and others who were about to die were kept in the dark, truly believing that he had been abducted by a demon.
It was probably only when You Dashan was stabbed in the back that he realized he had been betrayed by his most trusted superior.
"Du Yuanfei is a traitor."
Jiang Mu said calmly, "His so-called rescue was just a pretext."
"What!?"
Upon hearing this, Ming Cuicui, Zhu Chang, and the others were struck dumb.
Jiang Mu didn't offer much explanation.
He turned and walked to the monster that had been chopped into a human stump, stepped on its chest, and looked down at it from above:
"You mentioned earlier that you have a village? Where is it?"
The demon leader was in so much pain he was grimacing, and was about to say something defiant.
"puff!"
Jiang Mu plunged the long knife in his hand into its abdomen, turned the blade, lifted a piece of flesh, and then slowly pried it upwards.
It's like peeling skin.
The monster let out a heart-wrenching scream.
Jiang Mu remained expressionless, his wrist flicking slightly as the blade continued its upward motion.
"Don't waste my time. If you're even a single word slower than me, I'll skin you alive."
"Ahhh! I'll talk! I'll talk!"
The demon leader had never seen such a ruthless character before. Terrified, he dared not show any defiance and shakily raised his remaining severed hand, pointing to the outline of a valley in the distance:
"It's right there... Red Forest Valley... Keep going forward... Keep going forward and you'll see it..."
"Pfft!"
With a flash of light, the monster's head rolled off.
After absorbing the demonic energy of all the monsters here, Jiang Mu said to Ming Cuicui:
"You should go and meet up with Master Xu Fu first; it's safer there."
Once my two subordinates arrive with their carriages, you can follow them directly back to Yancheng. You don't need to wait for me.
I'll come find you after I've finished my business.
"Lord Jiang, where are you going?" Zhu Chang asked urgently.
Jiang Mu didn't turn around, but instead carried his knife and walked step by step toward Red Forest Valley.
"Go kill the beasts."
"Go collect the debt."
As Ming Cuicui watched the man's resolute and lonely figure disappear into the vast night, tears streamed down her face again.
We traveled at a brisk pace.
About an incense stick's time later, Jiang Mu arrived at Red Forest Valley.
Monsters patrolled the valley entrance, and firelight and noise could be faintly seen inside the valley.
Jiang Mu lay in ambush on a high slope outside the valley, watching intently.
Inside the valley, many simple wooden houses and stone caves were built against the mountain, making it a fairly large stronghold of monsters.
There were many eerie shadows.
In a clearing in the valley, a huge pig demon was sitting there.
Its appearance and aura were very similar to the pig demon leader that Ji Hongyuan had killed in Lijia Village, except that it seemed to be a size larger and the demonic energy it emitted was more ferocious and violent.
I'm guessing they're brothers.
"Ji Hongyuan".
Jiang Mu's gaze was icy as he said in a low voice, "Give me a hand and raze this village to the ground. After it's done, you can drink as much as you want!"
"Giggle giggle..."
Ji Hongyuan's dark golden eyes gleamed in the night, and her red lips curved into a bewitching smile:
"I love your straightforward and honest personality."
Jiang Mu said no more, took a deep breath, and the Blood River True Xi and Star Power in his body surged up at the same time.
He drew his long sword, the blade reflecting the firelight in the distant valley.
He leaped down from the high slope and charged forward with ferocity!
Half an hour later.
The village of Honglin Valley was now eerily silent.
The once bustling demon's lair has now become a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
Countless monster corpses were piled up together, and blood flowed into streams, staining the land red.
On the open ground in the valley.
The enormous boar demon knelt on the ground, panting heavily.
Half of its flesh was almost completely shaved off, revealing its bare bones, and the large knife in its hand was broken in two.
Ji Hongyuan sat lazily on a relatively clean rock next to her, with her long legs crossed, the lines of her legs encased in black silk stockings faintly visible in the firelight.
She was looking down, fiddling with her nails, which were painted with bright red cardamom.
She seemed to have nothing to do with the bloody scene before her.
"Who...who exactly are you!?"
The pig demon leader hissed and demanded an explanation.
It had killed at least eighty or a hundred demon slayers in its lifetime, but it had never seen such a ferocious and monstrous cultivator.
They're even more demonic than demons themselves!
Jiang Mu's expression remained indifferent as he asked calmly, "Where is Du Yuanfei?"
He searched the village thoroughly but could not find the traitor.
"Hmph! I ate it long ago!"
The pig demon leader grinned maliciously.
Jiang Mu's eyes turned cold, and he gave Ji Hongyuan a wink.
Ji Hongyuan pursed her red lips and stood up somewhat reluctantly: "What a hassle, you have to do all this dirty and tiring work, sister."
She walked up to the pig demon and lightly flicked her jade-like fingers.
"call out!"
A thin, red thread burrowed into the pig demon's body.
"ah!!"
The next moment, the pig demon let out a terrible scream.
Under its skin, the blood vessels bulged out, as if countless insects were frantically gnawing inside. The veins wandered and spread out within its flesh, like tiny blades cutting through its veins and bone marrow.
The pig demon rolled on the ground in agony, howling and cursing:
"You vile woman! You, a demon, dare to collude with the lackeys of the Demon Slayer Division! You will die a horrible death..."
"Noisy."
Ji Yuan snorted coldly, her jade hand clenching loosely.
The pig demon Gan Nei's lines tightened suddenly, causing it to roll its eyes back and foam at the mouth in pain.
"I'll talk! I'll talk! Stop torturing me!"
The pig demon completely gave in, tears and snot streaming down its face.
"Du Yuanfei left long ago..."
It was personally escorted away by my superior, King Jinpeng, and now it's estimated that it's almost at Yancheng.
His master ordered him to return and continue lying low, awaiting further instructions…
"They ran away?"
Jiang Mu ordered Ji Yuan to continue the torture. After repeatedly confirming that the pig demon was telling the truth, a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.
"That beast is pretty fast."
Jiang Mu then interrogated them about how they had managed to turn Du Yuanfei against his side.
To avoid suffering, the pig demon confessed everything.
It turns out that the Umbrella Cult had been secretly gathering information on the various Demon Slayers under the guise of regular duties, infiltrating them by exploiting each person's weaknesses. Du Yuanfei, being a coward, was a prime target.
On the day Yancheng was captured, under the siege and intimidation of several powerful demons, Du Yuanfei, who had long lost his will to fight, indeed knelt down and surrendered.
The Umbrella Cult planted a "Life and Death Talisman" in his heart, taking control of his life and death, and thus completely binding him to the pirate ship.
"The Talisman of Life and Death?"
Jiang Mu's heart stirred.
He suddenly remembered the mysterious woman who had disguised herself as the leader of the Umbrella Cult and tried to subdue him.
The other party confidently asserted that there was more than one way to control him.
Could it be...
Back in his predecessor Jiang Chengan's body, this life-and-death talisman was also secretly planted?
That's why becoming a woman made him so certain he couldn't escape her grasp.
Just as Jiang Mu was deep in thought.
The pig demon, which had been half-dead, suddenly flashed a fierce glint in its eyes, sprang up, and charged toward the village gate as if to escape.
"Kill it."
Jiang Mu didn't even raise his head, and calmly gave the order.
Although somewhat annoyed by Jiang Mu's commanding tone, Ji Yuan refrained from taking any action, considering that the two sides were currently in a honeymoon phase of their cooperation. She darted away, leaving a trail of fragrance, and chased after the pig demon.
However, Yan was just about to catch up.
Ji Yuan suddenly changed her appearance drastically.
Without any hesitation, she abruptly turned back, appearing beside Jiang Mu in a flash. She grabbed his hand, pulled him up, and quickly retreated. Jiang Mu hadn't even realized what was happening.
"Boom!"
A terrifying explosion suddenly erupted beneath our feet!
The valley, the shady side.
The place is filled with jagged rocks and withered grass.
On a steep mountain wall, a deep cave entrance appears.
The outside of the cave entrance was covered with yellow paper talismans. Although there was a seal to suppress it, a wave of heat still emanated from it like breathing, scorching the surrounding air and causing it to distort slightly.
At this moment, a beautiful figure stood quietly before the scorching cave entrance.
She was a woman who was about ten years old.
Her face was serene and gentle, with delicate features, exuding the grace and compassion of a well-bred lady.
With her curved eyebrows and watery eyes, just one glance is enough to make people feel close to her, as if she were the gentlest and most caring older sister next door, or a kind young mother.
In particular, she also possesses a rather aloof and indifferent demeanor.
It's more like someone born a widow.
However, this pure and gentle man could not suppress her transformed, voluptuous figure.
Especially now, with the hot wind blowing out from the cave entrance, her light blue gauze dress kept pressing backward.
This makes the body's outline clearer.
Her upper body was slender and graceful, with delicate limbs, but her lower body suddenly became fuller.
At first glance, it looks like a translucent, full-moon gourd, concealed by layers of fabric.
Swaying gently in the warm air.
It exudes a captivating and alluring charm, yet also possesses a natural and sensual allure.
This person was none other than Ran Qingshan, the goddess who had haunted Jiang Mu's dreams for many years, the one who had transformed Jiang Mu into her superior.
Shui Miaozheng, the head of the Demon Slaying Division of Tanzhou City!
At that moment, Shui Miaozheng didn't care about the hot wind ruffling her skirt.
She was holding an old compass, her beautiful eyes lowered, her expression solemn.