So it turns out I'm the demon!

Chapter 293 The Truman Show

After finishing the remaining rabbit meat, Jiang Mu once again leaped onto the canopy of the tallest tree nearby.

The higher you stand, the farther you can see.

He planned to take a closer look at the terrain of the isolated island before it got completely dark.

See if there is anything hidden or any traces left by predecessors.

The sea breeze was stronger than before, and the salty, fishy smell was even more pronounced.

Jiang Mu carefully reviewed the entire island's terrain from east to west and from south to north.

The island is irregularly oval in shape.

The rolling low hills, sparse woodlands, and jagged reefs carved out by the waves along the island's edge show no signs of human activity.

This is a deserted island.

Of course, when you stand at this high point and look down, your gaze will inevitably sweep across the forest and pass by that clear mountain spring pool.

Amidst the shimmering water, two slender, dazzlingly white figures appeared and disappeared, their soaked black hair clinging to their smooth backs, water droplets trickling down their hair strand by strand.

Jiang Mu's breathing became slightly heavier, and she raised an eyebrow.

However, he was a man of principle and did not spy on the two unsuspecting girls.

He merely admired the "beautiful natural scenery" for a short while, then looked away and turned to look at the other side of the island. "Ah!"

Just as Jiang Mu was engrossed in studying the coastline, a scream suddenly came from the edge of the pool.

It was Lan Rou'er's voice.

Jiang Mu's mind suddenly tensed up, and his figure only paused for a moment on the treetop before he darted towards the edge of the pool like lightning.

Could there be other monsters on this deserted island?

However, when he landed on the edge of the pool like a divine warrior descending from the heavens, and saw the scene before him, the sharp blade energy that had just condensed at his fingertips went out as if a light bulb had been turned off.

There were no monsters with gaping maws, nor any lurking venomous snakes or ferocious beasts.

The scene before me was bizarre and indescribable.

Lan Rou'er sat naked on a smooth stone at the edge of the pool. She hugged her slender body tightly, her eyes slightly red, looking ashamed, anxious, and aggrieved.

Meanwhile, the usually carefree Little Doctor Chu Lingzhu was kneeling in the shallow water in front of Lan Rou'er.

His head was buried under Lan Rou'er's belly, and he was muttering something.

Seeing this, Jiang Mu froze on the spot.

The brain also experienced a brief shutdown.

Seriously... do best friends really go this far these days?

Lan Rou'er saw Jiang Mu, her misty eyes widened suddenly, and she let out a startled cry.

Instinctively, she quickly pulled her straight legs into her arms, trying to curl herself up into a ball to block out the view.

Then there was a muffled thud.

His knee slammed into Chu Lingzhu's head.

"Oh my god!"

Chu Lingzhu was knocked backward by the sudden knee strike, landing hard on her backside in the shallow water, splashing a large amount of water. She covered her forehead, complaining angrily:

"What are you doing, Rou'er!"

Lan Rou'er's lips moved slightly, but she couldn't utter a single word. She only looked at Chu Lingzhu with her teary eyes, and then at Jiang Mu, who was standing not far away with a strange expression. Her face turned bright red.

Chu Lingzhu covered her forehead and turned around following her gaze.

Then I saw Jiang Mu.

Eyes facing each other.

The girl froze for a few seconds, then cried out and clutched her clothes.

With a "plop," he shrunk into the pool.

Only her small, bright red head was visible, glaring angrily at Jiang Mu.

"Master, you're truly incorrigible!"

"Ahem... well..."

Jiang Mu coughed twice, his back to the embarrassed and indignant girl, and sighed softly, "I didn't expect to disturb your enjoyment. Sorry, please continue, I'll be leaving now."

After saying that, he lifted his foot and prepared to leave this place of trouble.

Sure enough, there are many unspeakable secrets between best friends.

"Wait, boss, don't go yet!"

Chu Lingzhu suddenly called out to him from behind.

Jiang Mu paused, her tone playful: "What? Are you going to keep me here to observe and learn?"

"Shut up!"

Chu Lingzhu stomped her foot in embarrassment and annoyance in the water.

After stammering for a while, he finally managed to squeeze out the words: "Could you... help me get something?"

"What is it?" Jiang Mu asked curiously.

Chu Lingzhu bit her lower lip and explained vaguely:

"Well... Rou'er hid something and can't retrieve it. Could you think of a way to use your cultivation technique or spiritual energy to retrieve it for her remotely?"

Can't get it out?

A huge question mark appeared on Jiang Mu's forehead.

After an incense stick has burned.

The three sat around the campfire, with only the soft crackling of the burning firewood all around them.

The atmosphere was quiet but tinged with awkwardness.

Lan Rou'er sat on a round rock furthest from Jiang Mu, her head bowed so low it was almost buried in her chest, not daring to even glance at Jiang Mu. Only the crimson glow of the sunset on her neck reflected the firelight.

Chu Lingzhu acted as if nothing had happened, sitting cross-legged opposite the campfire, picking up the rabbit leg she had half-eaten earlier and continuing to gnaw on it, her cheeks bulging.

Jiang Mu held a pink bead in her hand and brought it to her nose to sniff it gently.

There was a strange, unusual fragrance emanating from it.

He frowned, staring at Chu Lingzhu: "What on earth are you messing around with all day, you little brat?"

Chu Lingzhu chuckled, still chewing on rabbit meat, and mumbled, "It's nothing. As a doctor, I'm just helping my sister recuperate."

"To take care of your health?"

Jiang Mu held the bead, utterly disbelieving. "Use this to raise them?"

Chu Lingzhu puffed out her chest and solemnly explained:

"Master, you don't understand. This bead is made from my secret medicinal powder mixed with ice silkworm silk. It not only nourishes this girl's cold constitution, but it can also be used to soak... mmm!"

Before she could finish speaking, Lan Rou'er, who had been pretending to be an ostrich, suddenly pounced over and covered Chu Lingzhu's mouth.

"Lingzhu, stop talking..."

Lan Rou'er's misty eyes filled with tears of anxiety and shame, her eyes pleading.

Seeing her best friend practically fuming, Chu Lingzhu had no choice but to swallow the rest of her words and wave her hand vaguely, "Anyway, it's just good for your health, don't ask anymore."

Jiang Mu was too lazy to pursue the matter and casually tossed the bead back to Lan Rou'er.

The girl hurriedly caught it, then quickly stuffed it into her sleeve as if she were doing something wrong, her ears turning even redder.

Jiang Mu suddenly remembered something else and looked at Chu Lingzhu with a strange expression: "Just wondering, did you shave her hair... too?"

"Hair?"

Chu Lingzhu was stunned for a moment, tilted her head, and looked completely bewildered.

But then he realized what he meant and burst out laughing.

The girl waved her hand and said, "Master, you're wronging me. Rou'er was born bald."

Lan Rou'er, who hadn't understood a word the two were saying, touched her long hair blankly, thinking with a wronged expression:

How did I become bald when I have so much hair?

After eating and drinking their fill, the three rested by the campfire for a while.

Jiang Mu prepared to lead them to continue exploring the deserted island. Before leaving, he made sure to extinguish the fire and cover it tightly with sand.

Forest fire prevention is everyone's responsibility.

He turned to look at Lan Rou'er. The girl's steps were unsteady as she got up, her knees trembled slightly, and she had to stop and catch her breath after a few steps, clearly because she was dehydrated when she went to get the things.

After a whole day of running around, my energy was completely depleted.

Jiang Mu simply walked up to her and half-squatted down: "Get on, I'll carry you."

Lan Rou'er was slightly taken aback. She wanted to refuse, but her legs were so weak that they trembled. So, with her cheeks flushed, she carefully leaned against the man's broad back.

The girl's boneless body pressed against him.

Jiang Mu reached behind her with both hands to support her firm knees, and easily stood up.

Clinging to the man's back, Lan Rou'er's cheek was pressed against Jiang Mu's nape, her nostrils filled with the man's masculine scent. This scent seeped into her brain, making her feel dizzy.

She buried her face even deeper in her sleep.

Jiang Mu spoke as she walked, her tone carrying a hint of reproach:

"Don't follow Lingzhu out to see doctors anymore. Can't you just stay home and study music, chess, calligraphy, and painting? If that girl gets into danger, she'll be in dire straits herself, let alone be able to protect you."

Lan Rou'er gave a soft, nasal "Mmm".

The girl's warm breath gently brushed against the back of his neck, like a warm feather.

Upon hearing this, Chu Lingzhu, who was following behind with a wooden stick to clear the way, immediately became displeased: "Hey, boss, what kind of talk is that? What do you mean I can't protect her?"

Do you know that back in that cave in the secret realm, if it weren't for my strategic planning and the use of poison to wipe out everyone, those demon slayers would have been eaten away by insects and reduced to skeletons long ago?

How many demons have I poisoned?

"Master, I'd like to ask you, when you were my age, before you even began your cultivation, how many demons did you kill?"

These probing questions left Jiang Mu speechless.

Seeing his discomfiture, Chu Lingzhu snorted triumphantly, raised her chin, and snorted twice: "Speechless now, huh?"

Lan Rou'er, who was clinging to his back, quickly whispered in defense of Jiang Mu:

"Lingzhu, don't say that. Brother Jiang is very powerful now. No demon in the world is his match."

"Well, you little rascal!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Lingzhu angrily leaned forward, reached out and pinched her best friend's delicate white ear, "Tell me, are you interested in our boss? You're not even married into the family yet, and you're already siding with outsiders!"

"No! I didn't... I didn't... Lingzhu, don't talk nonsense!"

Lan Rou'er's face flushed crimson, and she frantically waved her hands on Jiang Mu's shoulders.

In the end, she herself didn't even know what she was saying anymore, so she buried her face back in Jiang Mu's neck, only revealing her two red, almost bleeding earlobes.

Looking at her best friend's posture of clinging to Jiang Mu's back, Chu Lingzhu suddenly felt a surge of inexplicable irritation.

With her delicate face downcast, she followed for a few steps, then suddenly spoke dryly:

"Boss, my feet hurt."

Jiang Mu didn't even turn her head: "What's wrong with you now?"

"I can't walk anymore."

Chu Lingzhu stood still, her little mouth pouting so much it could hang an oil bottle.

"Then Brother Jiang, put me down and carry Lingzhu on your back." Upon hearing this, Lan Rou'er immediately struggled to get down.

"Don't listen to this crazy girl's nonsense. She ran faster than a rabbit just now."

Jiang Mu supported Lan Rou'er's legs with one hand to prevent her from moving, while reaching out with the other hand to pinch Chu Lingzhu's plump, collagen-filled cheeks and pull them outwards. "Stop fooling around. Observe the surrounding environment more and see if there are any usable poisonous herbs or medicinal materials. Get some things for self-defense. I have a feeling that something is wrong with this place."

"Something's not right?"

The expressions on the two women's faces changed.

Chu Lingzhu stopped her playful antics and cautiously looked around.

"Could there be some powerful demon lurking on this island? But you're so powerful, Master, you wouldn't be afraid of anything, even if there's a powerful demon, would you?"

Jiang Mu shook his head and looked towards the dark mountain forest in the distance, saying:

"I can't quite put my finger on it. There's no demonic aura, nor any evil energy. But I just feel that this island is a bit eerie."

The three of them didn't linger any longer and found an open area to stop, deciding to build a simple raft first.

Although the trees on the island are sparse, it is not difficult to find materials to make a raft.

Jiang Mu was in charge of cutting down the tree trunks.

Chu Lingzhu peeled off the bark of several thick vines and twisted them into ropes.

Lan Rou'er was not idle either. She sat to the side and braided the twisted rattan ropes into knots of different thicknesses according to Chu Lingzhu's requirements.

When her fingers got tired from knitting, she would secretly wipe them on the hem of her skirt and then continue knitting.

In just two hours, a decent-looking little wooden raft was safely placed on the beach.

By the time the raft was finished, it was nearly dusk.

Jiang Mu did not rush to go out to sea, but decided to wait until nightfall.

He had no idea where the island was located, and there were no other islands or navigational markers nearby.

But it's different at night.

As long as the night sky is clear, he can determine a general direction by observing the stars.

Time passed slowly as we waited.

Fortunately, the weather cooperated; after nightfall, the sea breeze dispersed most of the thin clouds, revealing a clear night sky.

The starlight spread across the night sky like shattered silver.

Jiang Mu stood on the beach with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the starry sky.

Using the positioning star, the location was quickly calculated.

"Get on the ship."

Jiang Mu beckoned the two women to board the raft.

Jiang Mu stood at the stern of the raft, activating his cultivation technique to create a thin layer of air film on the bottom of the raft using star power, minimizing the resistance of the waves. The raft, like a willow leaf, glided swiftly across the dark blue sea.

The ripples cut by the bow of the raft glowed with a faint phosphorescence in the night, like countless tiny fireflies chasing the ripples at the raft's tail.

Chu Lingzhu sat excitedly at the very front of the raft.

The salty sea breeze rushed towards her, blowing through the girl's cascading black hair.

Under the moonlight, her skin was as white as snow, and her eyes were bright and lively, like a free and unrestrained ocean sprite.

"Wow, that feels so good!"

The girl happily opened her arms and shouted into the sea breeze.

"Boss, let's just move to the island from now on. It would be so much more comfortable. We could raise a few rabbits, cultivate some medicinal herbs, sleep until noon every day, and never have to deal with all that messy stuff again."

Lan Rou'er was also infected by this.

She imitated her best friend, opening her arms wide and half-closing her almond-shaped eyes.

The sea breeze blew her thin white dress tightly against her body, outlining her slender and delicate figure.

Bathed in moonlight, she appeared both pure and ethereal.

Jiang Mu watched as the two girls in the front row had their clothes fluttering in the sea breeze, and a smile appeared on her lips:

"If you really like it, moving to the island isn't out of the question."

"real?"

Chu Lingzhu turned around, her beautiful eyes sparkling as she stared at him.

Jiang Mu was about to nod with a smile when his expression suddenly changed.

Before he could utter a word, he swiftly bent down and pulled the two girls tightly into his arms, one on each side. With a heavy tap of his toes on the raft, the three of them rose into the air.

Almost at the same instant they took off, the raft below seemed to crash into an invisible wall.

The sturdy log snapped instantly, and the vines broke.

Jiang Mu adjusted her body in mid-air and landed on a large, broken piece of driftwood. She stared in astonishment at the empty sea in front of her.

"What happened? Did you run into a reef?"

Chu Lingzhu hadn't realized what was going on yet. She peeked out from Jiang Mu's arms and looked back, her eyes full of confusion.

However, the surrounding area, spanning dozens of feet, was entirely filled with dark blue seawater.

There wasn't even a single rock protruding above the water, let alone any reefs.

"It's not a reef..."

Jiang Mu turned around and carried the frightened Lan Rou'er on his back, while holding Chu Lingzhu's slender waist with one arm.

He slowly moved forward a short distance on the driftwood, and then stopped.

He stretched out his free hand and reached into the void in front of him.

My fingertips touched something cold and hard, like touching an invisible glass wall.

The wall surface was smooth and had no temperature.

But it just happens to be there, stretching from the surface of the sea all the way underwater, its depth and width unknown.

Chu Lingzhu and Lan Rou'er also reached out their little hands to touch it.

The two of them were immediately stunned.

"How could this be?" Chu Lingzhu pounded on the invisible wall, her face full of disbelief.

For some reason, Jiang Mu suddenly remembered a movie.

The Truman Show.