So it turns out I'm the demon!

Chapter 436 The Demon Girl's Visit, Mother in the Painting

Among all the beautiful women around Jiang Mu, Xiao Yi Niang is always the most radiant and cheerful one.

She was like a little sun living in the courtyard.

Whenever I see her, it always brightens my heart.

"This is called the Feathered Shadow Step."

Chu Lingzhu lightly flicked her delicate, white fingertips, holding the copper coin shuttlecock upright on her fingertip. With a smile, she boasted, "I picked this out from the Demon Slayer's treasury. When used, it makes one as light as a feather, leaving no trace on the snow—didn't you say before that someone could dance in the palm of their hand? I can kick a shuttlecock in the palm of my hand."

Jiang Mu took out a handkerchief and wiped the fragrant sweat from her fair neck, smiling as he said, "So you've been practicing this specifically for kicking shuttlecock?"

"What do you know? This is called learning through entertainment."

Chu Lingzhu gave a soft snort, "This method of cultivation is the most effective. You can play while you practice, which will make you feel good and your progress will be faster."

"That makes sense." Jiang Mu nodded.

As she spoke, the girl grabbed the man's arm and swayed it half coquettishly and half urgingly: "Master, why don't you come and play shuttlecock with us? It's so boring to practice your skills all day long."

"You play two rounds with me; the loser has to massage the loser's legs."

"I'm not falling for that."

Jiang Mu flicked the girl's forehead lightly and said seriously, "Seriously, I'm going on a long trip. Did you get that thing I asked you to work on sorted out?"

Upon hearing about going on a long trip, Chu Lingzhu's beautiful eyes lit up instantly.

Just as she was about to open her mouth, a finger was already pressed against her pink lips.

"Shut up."

Jiang Mu said, "You're not allowed to go out with me this time."

The girl's bright face immediately fell. She puffed out her cheeks and kicked the shuttlecock away in a sullen voice, muttering, "If you think I'm a burden, just say so. I knew you were just trying to coax me."

Don't give me that kind of treatment.

Jiang Mu snorted coldly, "You have a more important task to do at home. During this time, all sorts of demons and monsters have come to Yunzhou City."

"If anything really goes wrong in the city, you'll be our family's last resort. Make sure to fix all those traps and mechanisms in this yard as soon as possible."

"Okay, I understand."

Chu Lingzhu didn't insist any further and took Jiang Mu's hand as they entered her private medicine room.

The room was filled with bottles and jars.

The girl walked to a large bamboo basket in the corner, took out two silver iron balls the size of eggs, and stuffed them into Jiang Mu's hand: "Here, this is the weapon I used at the Demon Slaying Association branch last time. Later, I improved it again using the resources and materials you obtained."

I only made these two; I named them "Thousand-Strike Balls." Use them sparingly; once they explode, their power is far greater than the last one.

Then, the girl took another umbrella from the shelf and handed it to Jiang Mu. "Also, those little red umbrellas you looted from Guanjia Village earlier, I re-tempered them with a special spiritual liquid and added the spiritual wood you confiscated from the wood demon at the inn."

In addition, there were some auxiliary medicines such as orchid grass and thunder bamboo, and mixed with the talismans you gave me, I had Rou'er twist and weave them into an umbrella again.

Jiang Mu took the long umbrella, her eyes shining.

Unlike the weapons held by the Red Umbrella Cult members, the one made by Chu Lingzhu and Lan Rou'er was much more exquisite.

The color is also dark red, and it feels heavy in your hand.

Several exquisite talismans were pasted on the umbrella surface, and when you got close, you could feel a rich spiritual energy wrapped around them.

Jiang Mu stepped out of the house and opened the umbrella.

In an instant, a cool, medicinal scent poured down like sweet dew, enveloping him.

Jiang Mu immediately felt refreshed all over, as if even her pores had opened up.

Chu Lingzhu crossed her arms and snorted arrogantly, "I've also added a carefully concocted potion to this. If you get injured, just open the umbrella and it'll give you a quick healing boost."

Additionally, there are buttons on the umbrella handle; one for launching hidden weapons, and the other for activating the talisman on it. Activation creates a protective barrier, but only for a very short time, lasting only a few breaths.

Jiang Mu pressed the button for the hidden weapon.

brush!

A small red umbrella shot out at extremely high speed.

After leaving a trail of afterimages in the air, it exploded with a loud bang, followed by a series of crackling sounds, creating a terrifying spectacle.

Use it sparingly.

Chu Lingzhu quickly reminded them, "There are only fifty hidden weapons inside, and I've coated these little red umbrellas with poison. They're not very useful against experts, but they'll be much easier to deal with the weaker ones."

Jiang Mu secretly admired him.

This young female doctor is truly a priceless treasure bestowed upon him by heaven.

"Thank you, Lingzhu. I'll definitely bring you something nice when I come back."

Jiang Mu embraced the girl's slender waist, lowered his head and pecked her sweet cherry lips, saying with a smile, "Don't worry, the boss will definitely not treat you unfairly."

"Heh, who cares about your thank-you gift?"

Chu Lingzhu pretended to be disgusted and pushed him away, but there was a smile in her eyes and brows.

Her eyes suddenly lit up, and she held up a finger, saying, "But I have one condition: if you don't take me out this time, you can't take Bai Xiang out either. You can't favor one over the other."

If you dare to secretly take her with you, then I'll definitely sneak off to find you too.

Jiang Mu chuckled, "I'm going to kill and rob, not go sightseeing. What would I do with a woman? I'm not bringing anyone. When I come back this time, I promise you'll get more and better gifts than everyone else."

The dark cloud on the girl's face finally dissipated, replaced by a bright and radiant sun.

"When are you leaving?"

We'll set off first thing tomorrow morning.

"That----"

Chu Lingzhu raised her flushed face, gently biting her lower lip with her pearly teeth, her eyes, like autumn water, shimmering with a girl's shyness and anticipation.

As a seasoned driver, Jiang Mu immediately understood what was going on when he saw the girl's expression.

He swept the girl's fragrant body into his arms and chuckled, "Don't worry, I'll make sure you're well-fed before I leave."

o

Chu Lingzhu was startled, her slender legs kicking wildly inside her skirt as she blushed and pounded his chest: "I didn't say daytime, I meant nighttime! You idiot boss, there are people outside!"

"What difference does it make whether it's day or night? It has to be done whether it's early or late."

Jiang Mu carried the girl and headed straight for her boudoir.

Only Yuan Aqing was left standing there in the courtyard, holding the shuttlecock, looking dazed.

Just as the innocent young maid was unsure whether to advance or retreat, she saw a slender black figure silently swoop across the eaves and then skillfully lie down under a window of Chu Lingzhu's boudoir.

It was Duanmu Li.

"Shhh."

Duanmu Li raised a slender, jade-like finger to her lips and gave Yuan Aqing, who was standing there dumbfounded, a wink.

Then he pointed to the window, gesturing for her to come and observe together.

Yuan Aqing immediately shook her head, her face flushed.

Duanmu Li clicked her tongue and ignored her. She took out a small knife, gently cut a slit in the window paper, and then stuck her little bottom up to her eye, beginning to seriously observe the compulsory course she would have to take in the future.

Yuan Aqing felt that the other party's behavior was wrong, but she couldn't stop them.

After hesitating for a long time, she turned around and left.

The young girl was naturally obedient, and she would never dare to do anything like spying without the master's permission.

After Yuan Aqing left, another figure quietly emerged from the shadows in another part of the courtyard.

The black and white Taoist robes fluttered gently in the wind.

Behind him, two yin-yang fish swirled and circled in the void, a beautiful sight.

"In broad daylight—"

Mo Huaisu frowned slightly, his eyebrows like distant mountains. He looked up at the bright sun in the sky, and after a struggle within himself, he finally formed a hand seal.

He planned to possess Chu Lingzhu again when the time was right, to continue honing his Dao heart.

Even the most sturdy little boat, under the relentless onslaught of wind and rain, can only helplessly bob on the crest of the wave before being completely swallowed up.

Their conversation ended near dusk.

Jiang Mu covered Chu Lingzhu with the blanket and walked out of the room, looking somewhat tired.

For some reason, I've been feeling something's off when I talk to this girl lately.

Sometimes it's like the other person has suddenly become a completely different person.

One second they're all lovey-dovey, the next they've turned into a wooden doll.

Although the process was the same, it had an inexplicable eeriness and awkwardness about it.

Jiang Mu didn't think too much about it. She went back to her room, took a cold shower, and then went into her study.

The painting he promised Bai Xiang to copy wasn't finished yet, and he had to hand it in tonight. He had tried sketching it with a brush before, but the results were never satisfactory. So he switched to charcoal sketching, and now he was in the final stages.

"Smack."

The oil lamp in the study was lit by a fire extinguisher.

As the light spread, the painting hanging on the wall also lit up. The woman's eyes and brows in the painting seemed to gain a touch of liveliness in the light and shadow.

Jiang Mu composed herself, spread out the Xuan paper, and began to paint.

It took more than an hour to complete the painting.

Moreover, Jiang Mu also painted two more. Although she didn't know what Bai Xiang wanted to do with them, it would be useful to have an extra copy.

Just as he was about to put away the painting and go find Bai Xiang, he suddenly felt a chill and turned to look at the door.

The next moment, the flame on the oil lamp flickered slightly.

Immediately afterwards, a series of delicate bell sounds rang out.

Jiang Mu instinctively looked up.

What comes into view is a pair of glistening little legs dangling from the edge of the crossbeam, swaying back and forth.

Her legs were shapely and long, fair and white, and in the dim light and shadow they looked like two tender lotus roots just pulled from the pond, with even the knees tinged with a light pink.

But what's most eye-catching are those two little feet.

Not wearing shoes and socks.

The arch of the foot is slightly curved like a crescent moon, and the toes are round and plump, like silkworms.

Especially the soles of the feet are soft and tender, looking like cat ear pads at first glance, trembling slightly with the bells tied around the ankles.

Just looking at it makes it look delicious.

And with such delicious feet, it's obvious who their owner is.

"I'm very curious."

Jiang Mu tilted her head back and teased, "Why do you always sit on the roof beam every time you come? You don't look like a fox at all, you look more like a mouse. Maybe I should just call you the Golden-haired Mouse from now on."

"You're the rat."

Qiu Yue gave him a playful glare and jumped off the beam.

The pink skirt billowed slowly in mid-air like a lotus flower, resembling a graceful pink butterfly, making the girl appear lively and charming.

"I heard that Lord Jiang has been promoted. Congratulations!"

Qiu Yuexin gave a perfunctory curtsy, saying, "This humble woman, Qiu Yuexin, greets Chief Administrator Jiang."

This strange, sarcastic tone made me think Ji Hongyuan had arrived.

Jiang Mu inwardly complained, but seeing her youngest sister suddenly appear made her very happy. She looked her over and asked, "What brings you here all of a sudden? Have you finished your clan affairs?"

Qiu Yuexin pulled up a chair and sat down, crossing her legs, the bells on her ankles jingling softly: "I came out to run some errands and stopped by to drop by and see if someone had found me a few more jobs lately."

"A sister-in-law?"

"Yeah, someone's jealous," Jiang Mu said seriously.

"Pooh!"

Qiu Yuexin scoffed and said irritably, "Even if I were blind, I would never be jealous of you."

As she was speaking, her gaze suddenly fell on the painting on the wall.

The girl suddenly froze.

She stared blankly for a long time, her eyes filled with a complex and melancholy expression.

"I originally thought that after you suffered a brain injury and lost your memory in Huzhou City, you had really forgotten your parents completely."

Qiu Yuexin turned to look at Jiang Mu, her reddened eyes glistening with tears: "I didn't expect you to still remember what your mother looked like. That's good. At least it shows that I misunderstood you before, and that you're not so heartless after all."

"What the heck?"

Jiang Mu was completely bewildered by the girl's words.

Mother?

Qiu Yue looked at him strangely: "Yeah, why are you pretending to be stupid? Isn't this your mother?"

Although some parts are not quite the same, such as the right side of the chin, Mother has a mole, and the distance between Mother's eyes is slightly wider than what you drew.

The girl corrected the details in the painting one by one.

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes and slid down her pink cheeks.

Qiu Yuexin reached out and gently stroked the woman's eyebrows and eyes in the portrait, her voice choked with emotion, "It's been so, so long—I haven't seen my mother in my dreams, it's been so long—"

Jiang Mu felt her mind was in complete chaos.

What's going on here?

The woman in the painting is the mysterious woman that the wolf demon Mu Zilang saved years ago.

To be precise, she was a mysterious female demon.

Mu Zilang was originally a human. In order to save her, he did not hesitate to use forbidden techniques to transform himself into a wolf demon, just to allow this woman to return to human form and prolong her life. However, in the end, he still could not save her.

Left with no other choice, Mu Zilang took her to that cave, attempting to activate the World-Shattering Array to send her to reincarnation.

This wait lasted for many years.

But now, Qiu Yuexin actually said that his mother looked almost exactly like the woman in the painting.

No, it should be Jiang Chen's mother from the previous life.

Is this a coincidence?

And then again, why is Bai Xiang so fixated on this painting? Does Bai Xiang also recognize the woman in the painting?

One mystery after another left Jiang Mu with a troubled mind.

Seeing the sorrowful girl before him, Jiang Mu walked over and gently embraced her.

In the past, this girl would definitely have broken free and kicked him a couple of times. But now, that portrait had plunged her into despair, and she longed for someone to lean on.

She leaned on Jiang Mu's shoulder, sobbing softly.

She once had a very happy and fulfilling family.

Although she had an annoying older brother, her parents doted on her a lot, especially her mother.

Before that devastating news, she was just a little girl.

Enjoying carefree days.

But the sudden massacre of her entire family forced her to grow up overnight, burying all her vulnerability and innocence.

What makes her feel even more guilty is that, to this day, she has not been able to kill the murderer who killed her parents.

This made the girl feel incredibly useless.

Although she always appeared indifferent and relaxed in front of Jiang Mu, no one knew how heavy the pressure she was under inside.

"Yue'er".

After a long while, Jiang Mu and the other girls gradually calmed down before tentatively asking, "Were Mother and the others ordinary people before?"