So it turns out I'm the demon!

Chapter 5 Carved Plaque

Time flies, and three days have passed in the blink of an eye.

It was early morning, before the sky was fully bright.

With the approval document issued by the General Manager in his pocket, Xu Fu excitedly knocked on the gate of the Jiang family mansion.

The person who opened the door was a strange woman with a graceful figure.

"Who are you……"

Xu Fu frowned slightly and looked him up and down.

"Oh, this is my new maid, Bai Xiang, who helps with household chores."

Jiang Mu came over upon hearing the sound and casually explained.

Unable to find the woman's family heirloom, and with the woman refusing to leave, Jiang Mu decided to go along with it and let her stay to do some work, as a way of paying for her food and lodging.

Fortunately, this woman is quite a good cook, so it wasn't a complete waste of her resources.

Bai Xiang gave Xu Fu a slight bow, then turned and left.

Xu Fu gazed at the woman's graceful figure, which even her coarse clothes couldn't conceal, and secretly curled his lip.

"As expected, his playboy nature is hard to change. His parents haven't even passed their seventh day of mourning yet, and he's already... tsk, he certainly has good taste. It's a pity that his face doesn't match his figure."

"Brother Xu, you're here so early. Is the Demon Slayer Division preparing to hire me?"

Jiang Mu looked on with anticipation.

Xu Fu snapped out of his daze, a smile spreading across his face:

"Congratulations, Brother Jiang! It's not just a job offer; the higher-ups have already decided to appoint you as the head of the Eighth Hall!"

"The sect leader?"

Jiang Mu was taken aback.

He hasn't even started learning yet, how come he's already a leader?

Xu Fu patted his shoulder:

"Don't get excited, this is the Lord Chief's high regard for you. Although the Eighth Hall is newly established, and everything is difficult at the beginning, this is a starting point that many people can't reach even after a lifetime of hard work."

From now on, we'll be colleagues at the same level. Work hard and don't let your superiors down.

As he spoke, he took out a token from his pocket and handed it over.

Jiang Mu looked down.

The front of the token is engraved with a ferocious mythical beast.

The back is engraved with the words "Eighth Hall of the Demon Slaying Division of Huzhou City" and "Jiang Chen".

It must be genuine and of high quality; there's no room for fakes.

"Our Demon Slaying Division of Huzhou City now has eight branches, including your newly established one."

Xu Fu explained,

"Each branch city has its own independent office, divided into different areas. However, considering that you are a newcomer and not yet familiar with the affairs of the department, your office in the eighth branch has not yet been vacated and prepared."

"Once you're familiar with the process and everything's settled over there, you can move in with your newfound status."

Jiang Mu didn't care about these things; he was concerned with practical matters.

"What about cultivation?"

"Cultivation?"

Xu Fu was stunned.

Jiang Mu said, "That's right, without cultivation and martial arts practice, how can we slay demons and monsters?"

Xu Fu's expression turned somewhat strange.

He clenched his fist to his lips, coughed twice, and carefully chose his words:

"Brother Jiang, cultivation is something that should be done naturally; you can't force it."

It places great emphasis on an individual's innate talent, aptitude, and comprehension. If one lacks sufficient innate gifts, no matter how hard one practices later in life, the results are often inefficient and yield little progress...

The implication is quite clear.

You, who got in through connections, should just be a mascot and collect your salary.

What kind of martial arts are you practicing?

Isn't that just asking for trouble?

Jiang Mu nodded and said, "I understand that, so how should I cultivate? I need some direction."

Xu Fu's lips twitched slightly.

Is this kid genuinely unable to understand or just pretending?

Left with no other option, he had to be more explicit:

"The path of cultivation emphasizes early training. Children in their early teens are the most precious time, when their bones are soft and their energy is clear. Simply put, nine to twelve years old is the best age for cultivation. Once this period is missed, the meridians become solidified, and it becomes as difficult as ascending to heaven to achieve anything."

Jiang Mu countered with a question:

"So you mean, throughout history, no one has ever achieved success in cultivation after the age of twelve?"

"That's not absolute, it's just..."

"That settles it then. Since you have it, then let me practice."

Jiang Mu stared straight at the other person.

Xu Fu: "..."

He took a deep breath and turned to wave to one of his men in the distance.

When his subordinate jogged over, he pulled an old booklet from the man's arms and tossed it to Jiang Mu.

"Alright, I can't refuse you. This is the most basic body-tempering technique of our Demon Slayer Division. Try practicing it first. Let me make this clear: don't blame me if you don't see any results."

"And this manual."

Xu Fu then handed over a thin booklet.

"It records the division of realms, some rules and regulations within the department, and basic common knowledge about demons and evil creatures."

Take your time to look at it yourself. I have other things to do, so I won't stay any longer. If there's anything you don't understand... figure it out yourself. Anyway, this thing won't kill you."

After saying that, he left with his men.

Jiang Mu remained silent.

Back in his study, he first opened the handbook and began to browse through it.

The cultivation system in this world is quite straightforward in its division of realms, consisting of thirteen major realms from low to high.

Simply and bluntly named it the First Realm, the Second Realm, the Third Realm...

Until the legendary thirteen realms.

The first two stages are collectively referred to as the "Body Tempering Stage".

The core is to strengthen the muscles, bones, skin, and membranes, and temper the qi, blood, and internal organs, laying a physical foundation for the subsequent introduction of qi into the body.

However, this seemingly simple step has stumped countless people.

After all, tempering the body is like forging iron; it takes a hundred refinements to become steel.

Only by breaking through the shackles of body tempering and entering the third realm can one be considered to have truly embarked on the path of cultivation.

Thus, one can absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and perform all sorts of mysterious techniques.

Going further up, one needs to "certify the star position".

To effectively restrain or even kill those powerful demons who have condensed their demon cores, one must possess the power of a star.

Without the blessing of "star position", one cannot kill high-level demons.

Of course, these things are still too far off for Jiang Mu at the moment, and we'll discuss them in detail later.

"It does look a bit difficult."

Jiang Mu muttered to herself.

In addition to the division of realms, the book also clearly defines the personnel ranks within the Demon Slayer Division.

The hierarchy was not entirely determined by official rank.

Instead, there is a ranking system based on merit.

After all, some officials got their positions purely through connections and back channels, and their abilities don't match their positions.

Here, we're specifically referring to Young Master Jiang.

For example, there are some fanatics who are obsessed with killing and have no interest in being officials, but whose cultivation is incomparably powerful. So even if they are at the bottom, the chief officials have to show them respect.

The resources they acquire will not be reduced by the imperial court.

Of course, this is only a minority.

After all, not many people are so crazy as to give up a perfectly good official position to become some kind of beast of burden.

So generally speaking, those with higher official positions are indeed more powerful.

Members of the Demon Slayer Division are collectively referred to as "Demon Slayers".

It is divided into five grades.

Specially made plaques will be issued.

Among them, the most outstanding combat power is known as the "Golden Eagle Demon Slayer Envoy". There are only eighteen of them in the entire Daqing Dynasty, and each of them is a powerful expert at the tenth realm or above.

For example, General Shangguan who manifested his Dharma form.

Secondly, there are the "Silver Eagle Demon Slayers," whose cultivation level is at least the eighth realm, and they are mostly leaders or deputy leaders of a region.

Next is the "Bronze Sculpture Demon Slayer".

A hall master like Xu Fu must have a cultivation level above the fifth realm.

Below the Hall Master, the core members are the "Iron Carving Demon Slayers," who are officially employed by the imperial court and must have a cultivation level of at least the third realm.

As for martial artists in the Body Tempering stage below the third realm, they are called "sand sculpture demon slayers" and do odd jobs and tiring work.

Jiang Mu, at present, doesn't even qualify to be a "silly" person.

It belongs to the category of "uncarved".

He thus became the first "carved" hall master since the founding of Daqing.

Jiang Mu closed the manual and picked up the book "The Body Forging Technique".

This is a very basic body-strengthening method, with illustrations and text explaining ten body-strengthening movements. Combined with specific breathing methods and stance training, it continuously tempers the body from the outside in.

"The body is like a furnace, the spirit like a hammer and anvil; only through a hundred refinements can one attain a golden body..."

Jiang Mu murmured, "It seems that having cultivation techniques alone is not enough; we also need supporting equipment, medicinal herbs, and dietary supplements."

"The poor are scholars, the rich are warriors; the ancients were right."

"Fortunately, I have nothing else but money."

……

The next day, Jiang Mu took swift and decisive action to get things done.

He first spent a lot of money to buy hardwood stakes, weighted sandbags, stone locks and other equipment from the weapons workshop, which were specifically used for striking practice.

They hired another group of day laborers to level a large area of ​​thick sandy land on the east side of the yard.

Used for practicing footwork and falls.

They even specially ordered a cypress wood medicinal bath tub and went to their own herbal medicine shop to select a batch of herbs that could invigorate qi and blood, and relax muscles and tendons.

I wanted to consult with the renowned gynecologist Chu Lingzhu for a medicinal bath recipe, but I was turned away.

The other party didn't even show their face.

Jiang Mu didn't insist. He asked the old shopkeeper about the usual preparation method and then handed the medicinal herbs over to Bai Xiang to handle.

At the same time, a large quantity of top-quality animal meat and nourishing medicinal ingredients were also purchased and handed over to Bai Xiang.

Since we have free labor at home, we might as well use it.

……

The sun was blazing overhead, its rays like fire.

Jiang Mu stood in the scorching sand, shirtless and wearing only a pair of pants.

Sweat streamed down his back, glistening in the sunlight.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The dull thud echoed in the courtyard.

He turned sideways, shrugged, and slammed his head against the ironwood stake in front of him again and again.

This is one of the techniques in the "Body Casting Secrets"—

A wild bull crashes into a mountain.

This movement requires coordinated effort from the whole body, twisting the hips and pushing the shoulders forward. With each shrug and shake of the shoulders, it resembles the movements of a singing and dancing teenager.

In another corner of the yard, Bai Xiang was cultivating the vegetable garden.

The woman wanted to grow a vegetable garden, so Jiang Mu agreed. After all, the yard was big enough that she could do whatever she wanted with it.

At this moment, she held a hoe and turned the soil over, stroke by stroke.

Her slender waist bends and stretches with each movement, like a willow shadow brushing the water, exuding a gentle and tranquil charm.

One person practices diligently like a madman, while the other grows vegetables leisurely like a gardener.

This unusual combination, lying under the scorching sun, creates a unique pastoral scene.

Jiang Mu underestimated the cruelty of cultivation.

In just one hour, he felt as if his bones had fallen apart, and his shoulders were red, swollen, and burning with pain.

When attempting to practice static stance training, my legs feel weak and tremble, making it difficult to sustain the exercise.

"His physical condition is so damn weak."

Jiang Mu slumped onto the sand, panting heavily.

At this moment, Bai Xiang quietly brought over a bowl of warm medicinal soup.

Jiang Mu took the drink and drank it all in one gulp.

I immediately felt a warm current spreading from my stomach, which slightly relieved my fatigue and soreness.

"Thanks."

Jiang Mu grinned.

Bai Xiang shook her head slightly, took the empty bowl and put it back in the kitchen, then continued tending to her vegetable garden.

After recovering, Jiang Mu gritted her teeth and got up again to walk towards the wooden stake.

that's it……

If you can't train anymore, take a break, and then train again when you're rested.

From midday to sunset, Jiang Mu had no idea what he had accomplished that day; he only felt like a piece of rotten meat that had been repeatedly beaten.

That evening, faced with the medicinal meat dish that Bai Xiang had carefully prepared, he could only manage a few bites before he could no longer swallow.

After returning to her room, she was too lazy to even wash up and simply collapsed onto the bed to sleep.

……

The night was deep, and the moon and stars were few.

The cool moonlight shone through the window and cast a frosty white shadow on the ground.

Jiang Mu was fast asleep.

In a daze, he had a dream.

In his dream, a petite figure was lying on the headboard of his bed, emitting eerie giggles.

The other person had disheveled hair, revealing only one scarlet eye.

"Giegie, the whole family should be together."

The girl stretched out her pale hand.

The next moment, it pierced his heart directly and pulled out his bloody heart!

"ah--!"

Jiang Mu jolted awake and suddenly opened her eyes.

He was stunned for a moment, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he realized it was just a dream. He raised his hand to wipe his forehead, which was covered in sticky cold sweat.

"Damn it!"

Jiang Mu cursed under her breath and prepared to go back to sleep.

At that moment, he inexplicably felt a chill in the room.

I instinctively turned my head to look.

Then I saw—

A figure stood straight at the head of his bed.