novelapdf Chapter 146 Aunt's Gift
Chapter 146 Aunt's Gift
Is this guy crazy?
You're addicted to it, aren't you!
At this moment, Qiu Yuexin really wished she could grow eighteen legs and stuff them all into this guy's mouth to stuff him until he was stuffed to death.
She suppressed the urge to retaliate and said nothing more.
Pointing to the corpse on the ground, where Xue Bayuan was gradually transforming back into human form but still retained dark red hair, he asked:
"Can you deliver on your promise?"
Jiang Mu spoke in a relaxed tone:
"They've all turned into this horrible mess, the evidence is conclusive, we can definitely get away with it."
"A demon infiltrated the Demon Slayer Division, and I discovered it and was forced to retaliate and kill it. How can that be considered a merit?"
Qiu Yue thought for a moment, then walked to the body.
Pointing the red bead in his hand at Xue Bayuan's corpse, he gently blew a breath of spiritual energy into it.
"I've disguised it for you, so to outsiders it looks like a monster that just broke through to the fifth rank. That way, if you say you killed it, no one will suspect that someone is secretly helping you."
Jiang Mu raised an eyebrow and smiled, "You've thought of that quite thoroughly."
Stop being so cheeky.
Qiu Yuexin glared at him, her expression gradually becoming serious.
"I have to go now. Remember what I said before, beware of that traitorous fox demon."
She paused, her voice unconsciously softening slightly.
"The number of monsters attacking Yan City this time is huge, including some ruthless old monsters."
Although you have some skills, your cultivation is still shallow.
If a fight really breaks out, try your best to protect yourself and don't always act recklessly or stick your neck out. Also…”
She moved her pink lips, as if she wanted to say something, but then stopped herself.
In the end, she simply sighed softly, reverting to her cold and aloof tone, and turned her back to Jiang Mu:
"Never mind. Life and death are predestined, wealth and honor are determined by fate."
If you really die in this wretched place, out of consideration for our family ties, I'll remember to burn extra paper money for you.
Me too. If I unfortunately die at the hands of the Mist Demon, remember to burn some for me.
Having said that, the girl swayed before Jiang Mu could respond.
It transformed into a pink streak of light, merging into the rain and disappearing from sight.
Burning paper money...
Jiang Mu stared in the direction she disappeared, and a slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"I'm afraid... no one will burn paper money anymore."
He walked up to Xue Bayuan's corpse, activated his magic gauge, and absorbed all the demonic energy from the corpse.
The story of Jiang Mu's "jealousy" at Yu Ren Fang spread like wildfire throughout Yan Cheng's Demon Slayer Division.
When Tian Wenjing and others who were familiar with Jiang Mu learned of this news, their first reaction was disbelief.
But the brothel madam and other customers made it sound so convincing.
In addition, Jiang Mu's reputation as a dissolute playboy was so great that it made them start to have doubts.
I was completely confused for a moment.
Could it be that Xiao Jiang's old illness has really relapsed?
Shui Miaozheng was equally bewildered upon learning the situation.
She specifically sent someone to Yu Ren Fang to inquire about the incident. When she heard that Jiang Mu had indeed fought over a courtesan, the woman remained silent for a long time. There was disappointment and disbelief.
But more than that... there was some inexplicable self-blame.
"It was indeed my oversight."
Shui Miaozheng gently bit her lip, a hint of sadness flashing in her beautiful eyes.
"Xiao Jiang is ultimately a normal young man. He spends his days surrounded by bloodshed and has no one to comfort him... It's my fault as his aunt for not thinking things through."
Immediately, rumors spread that Jiang Mu had humiliated his colleagues and corrupted the discipline of the Demon Slayer Division in order to steal a woman.
Yan Wu, the head of the Demon Slaying Division of Yancheng, was furious after learning the details of the situation.
He immediately slammed his fist on the table and convened a meeting.
Inside the council chamber.
Yan Wu sat in the main seat, his face gloomy.
He glanced around at everyone present, his gaze finally settling on Tian Wenjing, his tone tinged with worry:
"Old Tian, Jiang Mu is from your Huzhou City, and you strongly recommended him for this important task."
But look at the mess he's made.
With a formidable enemy at hand, instead of uniting to defend against them, they frequent brothels, verbally abusing and even physically assaulting their colleagues over a courtesan. Such a frivolous and immoral person is unlikely to find any good fortune in Yancheng.
In my opinion, this matter is of a serious nature and should be immediately reported to the General Headquarters, explaining the situation.
Tian Wenjing remained calm, but his mind was perfectly clear.
He knew that Yan Wu was using this as an excuse to make a fuss. The last time Jiang Mu dealt with the traitor, this Manager Yan lost face and had been holding a grudge ever since. Now that he had found a handle, he naturally wanted to make a fuss about it.
Yan Fenghuo, sitting next to him, snorted coldly and said in a gruff voice:
"Isn't it just some verbal disputes? How many of these things have happened in our Demon Slayer Division? Which branch hasn't had them?"
It's common for people to curse or hit each other when they're drunk; why make such a big deal out of it?
Moreover, I've heard that it was Xue Bayuan who started this whole thing; our Hall Master Jiang was merely retaliating.
When he said that, people could barely listen to the first half of his statement, but when they heard the second half, many people couldn't hold back anymore.
You madman Yan, you really know how to lie through your teeth!
Lin Anchang, the head of the Yuancheng Demon Slaying Division, also looked displeased.
His subordinate leader, having been publicly humiliated, and now hearing Yan Fenghuo's blatant distortion of the truth, could no longer hold back and coldly spoke:
"Master Yan, please be responsible for your words!"
With the demon army pressing in, the situation is extremely precarious. Jiang Mu, as the head of a sect, knows the heavy responsibility on his shoulders, yet he still indulges himself, frequenting brothels, fighting over prostitutes, humiliating his colleagues, and causing conflicts.
Such dissolute behavior disregards military discipline.
Where does this leave the reputation of the Demon Slayer Bureau? If everyone were like him, how could Yan City possibly be defended?!
Xu Fu, sitting at the lower end, pursed his lips upon hearing this and muttered under his breath:
"It's not like your Master Xue didn't go to brothels... Just because he can go doesn't mean others can't? Isn't that promiscuity too?"
Although the voice was soft, everyone present was a cultivator and could hear it clearly.
Lin Anchang's face turned cold, his sharp gaze shooting towards Xu Fu, and he shouted:
"Master Xu, we, the heads of several departments, are having a meeting here. How dare you, a mere department head, interrupt and speak recklessly?! Is this how the rules of Huzhou City are?!"
Xu Fu was publicly reprimanded and felt embarrassed. He snorted coldly, turned his head away, and stopped talking.
Shui Miaozheng sat quietly the whole time.
He spoke slowly at this moment, his voice gentle:
"Master Lin, please calm down."
Although Master Yan's words were a bit blunt, his reasoning was sound.
Young people are full of vigor and may get into arguments or quarrels on impulse, but these are really not a big deal.
I believe that Jiang Mu and Xue Bayuan are both reasonable people; they simply lost their composure after drinking and caused some misunderstandings.
Once they return, we'll gather the details, mediate, and clear up the misunderstanding. With a formidable enemy at hand, it's truly unwise to escalate the conflict over such a trivial matter and damage our harmony.
Hearing Shui Miaozheng say this, and with such a biased tone, Yan Wu was displeased, but he couldn't bring himself to contradict her.
He could only keep a dark expression and remain silent.
Lin Anchang, however, persisted, coldly saying:
"Water Master makes it sound so easy!"
It's possible to downplay the incident, but Chief Jiang was the one who started it and then humiliated his colleague, causing a huge uproar in the city. Now everyone in Yancheng is talking about how the two chiefs of our Demon Slaying Division fought over a courtesan.
Where does this leave the reputation of our Yuancheng Demon Slayer Division?
In my opinion, Jiang Mu must sincerely apologize to Hall Master Xue in public after his return; otherwise, he will find it difficult to convince the others.
"I think an apology is unnecessary."
Suddenly, a clear voice came from the entrance of the hall.
Everyone was stunned and turned to look.
Jiang Mu, now dressed in clean clothes, swaggered in.
Behind him, the brothers Zhang Dazhao and Zhang Xiaokui were huffing and puffing as they carried a corpse covered with a white sheet.
Jiang Mu's gaze fell on Lin Anchang, whose face was pale, and he said calmly:
"Chief Lin, I've brought your subordinate back to you. You can put the apology aside for now."
But shouldn't you give us an explanation first?
Why is your subordinate, Master Xue, a demon who has been lurking in the shadows for many years?
"What?!"
These words were like a thunderclap.
The hall immediately erupted in chaos.
Everyone stood up in shock, their eyes fixed on the corpse.
"You're talking nonsense!"
Lin Anchang flew into a rage, pointing at Jiang Mu and cursing.
"Jiang Mu, how dare you fabricate such an outrageous lie just to shirk responsibility? Xue Bayuan has been with me for years, how could he possibly be a demon?!" Jiang Mu, too lazy to waste words, pointed directly at the corpse on the ground:
"Whether it's nonsense or not, why don't you go lift the cloth and see for yourself? Go and identify him, see if it's really your Master Xue."
Lin Anchang, his face grim, strode forward and ripped off the white cloth.
next moment.
He and the two hall masters from Yuancheng behind him were frozen in place, as if they had been frozen in place by a spell.
Seeing Lin Anchang's expression, everyone immediately understood.
For a moment, the hall was completely silent.
Everyone was stunned speechless by this sudden reversal.
"Master Jiang, what exactly is going on?" Tian Wenjing was the first to react and asked in a deep voice.
Jiang Mu recounted the events in detail:
"What else could have happened? That old bastard Xue Bayuan is so petty. I just cursed at him a couple of times, and he chased me like a madman all the way to the outskirts of the city. But as he was chasing me, he suddenly got sick and his whole behavior changed."
It was yelling and spouting nonsense about "power" and "unsealing," and then right in front of me, "crack crack crack," it transformed into a giant monster!
That looked so painful.
I was just being kind-hearted; I couldn't bear to see him suffer any longer, so I thought I'd help him get out of this predicament.
So I killed him with a single stroke.
After hearing Jiang Mu's nonchalant statement, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
That's ridiculous!
Do you think we're three-year-olds listening to bedtime stories?
However, when everyone's gaze fell on the corpse again, and they could feel the unmistakable residual aura of the demon, all their doubts were stuck in their throats.
Facts speak louder than words.
Xue Bayuan's corpse is right here; the demonic aura is undeniable.
As for whether the process was exactly as Jiang Mu described...
Is it important?
At the very least, the outcome that Jiang Mu discovered and killed the lurking demon is a foregone conclusion.
The group from Yuancheng Demon Slayer Division, who had been so aggressive and demanding an explanation from Jiang Mu, were now completely deflated, like wilted eggplants.
Lin Anchang's face turned ashen, and his eyes glazed over.
One of his sixth-level hall masters turned out to be a demon, who had been lurking for many years without his knowledge.
This is not only a crime of negligence, but also a colossal scandal.
His position as head of the department is probably over, and he may even face severe accountability from the chief executive.
Yan Wu looked at Jiang Mu with a complicated expression, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
This guy...
They always manage to pull off these jaw-dropping stunts.
The turmoil turned into the credit for uncovering the traitor.
Now look what happened. What was supposed to be a public denunciation meeting he convened to criticize Jiang Mu has turned into this kid showing off his achievements and enjoying his moment of glory.
Yan Wu felt a tightness in his chest.
It's so congested.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but didn't know how to begin.
Ultimately, it was Tian Wenjing, the most senior deputy director, who made the final decision.
"Xue Bayuan's identity as a demon is beyond doubt. Hall Master Jiang Mu eliminated the internal threat, and his merits outweigh his demerits."
This matter is of great importance. Xue Bayuan's body was immediately sealed and, along with a detailed account of the events, reported to headquarters for further investigation.
Upon hearing this, Lin Anchang's face turned even more ashen.
He knew that his career was probably doomed to fail along with Xue Bayuan's corpse.
After the meeting adjourned.
Tian Wenjing called Jiang Mu to the small room next door, closed the door, and his old face was full of suspicion:
"There are no outsiders now."
"Tell me the truth, is everything you said true?"
Jiang Mu held up three fingers, her face full of sincerity: "I swear to God, it's truer than real gold!"
Tian Wenjing stared at him for a long time, then finally shook her head and sighed:
"Very well, the Commander-in-Chief will investigate this matter. But I still don't understand, with a great battle imminent, why did you suddenly think of going to a brothel? Are you the kind of person who doesn't know what's important?"
This is what truly puzzled and worried Tian Wenjing.
He knew Jiang Mu well. Although the boy had a bad reputation before, his personality had changed drastically since his family's tragedy. He was now focused on slaying demons and rarely frequented brothels anymore. This behavior was too abnormal.
Jiang Mu sighed, his face filled with weariness:
"Mr. Tian, you don't know how much pressure I'm under."
I just wanted to find a place to vent, to reminisce about those carefree, dissolute days of the past, and to relieve some stress.
Thinking of the boy's wild past, Tian Wenjing felt a pang of regret.
He shook his head, his tone softening considerably:
"It's understandable that young people are hot-tempered, but at times like these, it's best to try to be patient, especially since we have a formidable enemy at hand."
"I understand, Mr. Tian."
Jiang Mu nodded obediently, then changed the subject and asked:
"By the way, Elder Tian, you mentioned you were going to visit Garrison Commander Yuan Qianfan to assess the situation. Did you meet him?"
Mentioning Yuan Qianfan, Tian Wenjing's expression turned serious again, and he shook his head:
"No. I sent a letter and also asked my brother to pass on the message, but the reply was that Commander Yuan is in seclusion and cannot see anyone at this critical moment."
"Going into seclusion at this time?"
Jiang Mu's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately thought of Shangguan Luoxue in Huzhou City.
Why do these garrison commanders always seem to fail at crucial moments?
Tian Wenjing noticed his worry and explained:
"It's not necessarily a life-or-death situation. It's more likely that Commander Yuan has recently gained some insights into his cultivation and needs to calmly sort them out and consolidate his realm."
It could also be preparation for the upcoming major battle, adjusting one's state of mind.
But the specifics are unknown to outsiders.
A shadow fell over Jiang Mu's heart.
For some reason, he always felt that this garrison commander was going to cause a big incident.
After parting ways with Tian Wenjing, Jiang Mu walked out of the small house and found Shui Miaozheng waiting for him on the veranda.
The woman wore a light blue long dress with a rainproof cloak over it. She stood there quietly, gazing at the rain in the courtyard. Her profile looked exceptionally beautiful in the dim light of the sky.
Hearing footsteps, she turned around.
Upon seeing Jiang Mu, her eyes flickered with a complex expression, as if she wanted to say something, but then she pursed her lips.
"Aunt Shui." Jiang Mu stepped forward.
"Um."
Shui Miaozheng responded softly and asked, "Are you injured?"
Jiang Mu shook her head: "No."
Shui Miaozheng didn't ask any further questions, only saying, "The rain hasn't stopped, and the roads are muddy. I've had a carriage prepared; let's go back."
The two boarded the carriage.
The carriage was not spacious, but it was covered with soft cushions and had a small heater burning to ward off the damp chill of the rainy day.
"Tell me the details."
Shui Miaozheng sat to one side, her gaze gentle.
Jiang Mu then repeated the same explanation he had given Tian Wenjing earlier: "excessive pressure and occasional indulgence."
Sure enough.
Shui Miaozheng sighed inwardly.
The young man was, after all, hot-blooded and impulsive.
The carriage bumped along the muddy mountain road for a long time before finally returning to the small courtyard outside Jingouzi Village.
The rain was still fine and dense, enveloping the world in a hazy mist.
Shui Miaozheng got out of the car and went straight into her house.
She closed the door, shutting out the wind and rain outside, leaving her alone inside.
Shui Miaozheng let out a soft sigh of relief, took off her slightly damp cloak and hung it up, her gaze unconsciously falling on the neatly folded clothes beside the bed. She walked over and ran her fingertips over the pile of clothes.
Her beautiful eyes flickered with light and shadow, seemingly hesitant yet revealing a hint of determination.
After mentally preparing herself along the way, she was now much less conflicted and shy than before.
"Little Jiang... since he likes..."
She thought to herself, her cheeks slightly flushed, "It's just a small garment anyway."
Besides, I didn't mean to give it to him; it just... it just got caught in the laundry by accident.
"Plus, I have a lot of clothes, so it's understandable that I didn't notice it at first, right?"
This would avoid embarrassment for both parties and protect the young man's self-esteem.
The most important thing is to help him calm down a bit, so he doesn't really bottled up his temper and harm his health.
After all, he was at the age where he was full of vigor and vitality.
"Hmm, that should be fine."
With that in mind, Shui Miaozheng no longer hesitated.
By the time dinner was finished, it was already late at night.
Shui Miaozheng carried the stack of "adulterated" clothes to Jiang Mu's house next door.
She stood at the door for a moment, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart before gently knocking on the door.
"Knock knock knock".
"Come in."
Jiang Muqing's clear voice came from inside the room.
Shui Miaozheng pushed open the door and entered.
An oil lamp was lit inside the room, casting a warm yellow light.
Jiang Mu was sitting at the table, flipping through some intelligence files by the light of the lamp.
"Aunt Shui? Is there anything else this late?"
Jiang Mu looked surprised.
"Oh, nothing else."
Although Shui Miaozheng felt a sudden pang of regret and nervousness the moment she stepped inside.
He even considered turning around and running away.
But when she saw Jiang Mu's handsome face under the lamplight, which showed signs of fatigue from the day's work, her hesitation vanished instantly.
Instead, a gentle pity arose.
She gave a gentle smile, trying to make her voice sound natural: "Your clothes, Auntie has already mended them for you." Shui Miaozheng walked to the bedside and gently placed the clothes she was holding on the bed.
"Because it was raining outside, I used my spiritual power to dry it. It might not be as refreshing as naturally air-dried, and it might have a slight smell. Please don't mind it." As she spoke, her gaze swept over the pile of clothes again, confirming that the undergarment was completely covered by the outer garment.
"It's okay, as long as it fits, I'm not picky."
Jiang Mu smiled.
Shui Miaozheng stood by the bed, not leaving immediately.
She looked at Jiang Mu, hesitant to speak, as if she wanted to say something but didn't know how to start.
In the end, all the words he wanted to say were reduced to a single, gentle admonition:
"Well... Auntie will go and rest now. Don't stay up too late, go to bed early and get some rest."
"Okay, goodnight, Aunt Shui."
Jiang Mu nodded with a smile.
Shui Miaozheng turned and walked towards the door.
However, just as she reached the door, her beautiful eyes couldn't help but glance quickly at the pile of clothes on the bed again.
My heart felt like it was being gently squeezed by an invisible little hand.
A subtle ripple appeared, one that she herself couldn't quite place—whether it was nervousness or something else entirely.
She gently bit her soft lower lip with her pearly teeth, leaving a faint mark.
Then step out the door.
At that very moment, the candlelight inside the room flickered.
Warm yellow light surged from behind her, making her silk dress half-transparent.
Runfeng's shadow was cast on the ground.
Like a splendid new moon, or like ripples spreading over a warm and gentle mountain.
It cast a soft yet heavy shadow on the blue bricks.