So it turns out I'm the demon!

Chapter 87 Ling Ye: From today onwards, Xiao Jiang is mine! (4800 words)

The Demon Slayer Division is in charge of the document signing office.

The aroma of tea wafts through the air.

Ran Qingshan pushed a secret intelligence report, stamped with a coded seal, across the table: "The latest news has been repeatedly verified. The old island lord of Liuli Island, Beitang Batian, has indeed—fallen."

Sitting opposite him was none other than Inspector Ling Ye.

The woman was still wearing a black, form-fitting long dress. The tight cut accentuated her stunning figure, but her overall aloof and cold demeanor suppressed any sense of inaccessibility.

A thin veil covered most of her face, with only a pair of eyes as clear as autumn water visible.

She took the intelligence report, glanced through it carefully, and said calmly, "In that case, the 'illegitimate son' star position he occupies will soon return to the Star Sea."

Zai Qingshan nodded, his eyes filled with a mixture of hope and trepidation: "General Shangguan, is she confident?"

"Disaster."

Ling Ye put down the intelligence report, sighed softly, and said with a dim gaze, "Her injuries are more serious than I expected; her foundation has been damaged. Forget about competing for that new star position; if she can't recover quickly, she might not even be able to keep her current star position."

Ran Qingshan's expression froze, and he immediately looked dejected.

If Shangguan Luoxue falls, and the city of Huzhou loses its 12th-level guardian, then Huzhou will truly be in danger.

Those lurking demons will surely return with renewed force.

He suddenly remembered the cultivation technique that Shangguan Luoxue had secretly given him last time. His lips moved as if he wanted to ask about the progress, but he immediately remembered that Shangguan Luoxue had strictly ordered him to keep it a secret, so he swallowed the words back.

But then he thought again, this person in front of him was Shangguan Luoxue's mentor, she must know about this, so he carefully spoke: "General Shangguan once bestowed upon me a special cultivation technique, ordering me to secretly find a suitable person to learn it. If someone can truly master it, perhaps it can help the General recover—"

Has anyone succeeded?

Ling Ye raised her eyes and looked at him with a cold gaze.

Ran Qingshan opened his mouth, a look of embarrassment and helplessness appearing on his face, and finally shook his head.

He did indeed conduct a secret investigation during this period.

When asked, they all remained silent.

Some people either can't understand it at all, or they try it but have no clue what to do. Some even say that the key points are contrary to common sense and there is no way to practice them.

This demonstrates that the level of difficulty involved is simply beyond human comprehension.

Ling Ye said calmly, "It's impossible for anyone to master it. Relying on this method is a long shot, so we have to think of other ways."

I have already written a letter to the central government. After all, Luo Xue is a garrison commander appointed by the court; if she were to lose her star rank, it would be a great loss to Da Qing.

"The imperial court should lend a hand."

Zai Qingshan nodded in agreement, but his tone lacked confidence.

Both of them knew in their hearts that this would be difficult.

Shangguan Luoxue's star position is too high, involving a struggle at the level of the Heavenly Dao rules.

At this level of celestial shift, the imperial court often finds it difficult to directly intervene, at most providing some resources or intelligence support.

Whether she can ultimately hold on depends on Shangguan Luoxue herself.

And the serendipitous opportunities.

After a long silence, Qingshan asked a very practical question: "Lord Ling, if General Shangguan has truly lost his star position—then who do you think the court will send to succeed him as the next garrison commander of Huzhou?"

Ling Ye got up and walked to the window.

The afternoon breeze gently stirred a few strands of hair that weren't covered by her veil, highlighting her aloofness.

"There's no one here."

"Nobody here?" Ran Qingshan asked in surprise.

"right."

Ling Ye gazed at the gray sky outside the window, his tone calm, "Huzhou City is important, but Daqing is more important. Right now, the four directions are in turmoil, and demonic scourges are rampant. You understand what I mean."

Ran Qingshan recalled the rebellion in Yancheng and fell silent once again.

Today's Daqing is like a tattered cotton-padded coat that leaks air everywhere.

The court's limited top-tier resources are like precious cotton wool, needing to be stuffed here and there, leaving no surplus to specifically care for Huzhou.

"The Demon Slayer Division is facing a talent shortage—who will be able to take up the mantle in the future?"

Ran Qingshan sighed, "Now, in order to win over and support those martial arts sects, the imperial court is very tolerant of them and even has to make compromises. But this is not a long-term solution, and may even lead to us raising a tiger that will eventually cause trouble."

Ling Ye remained silent.

A strong presence in the martial arts world indicates a weak presence in the imperial court.

The Divine Sword Sect is the best example.

In the past, anyone who dared to privately raise demons and directly confront the Demon Slayer Division would have been wiped out long ago, and their mountain gate would have been leveled.

But now?

The only option is for both sides to back down and compromise.

"Seeking external help is not as good as strengthening ourselves internally. In the end, we still have to rely on ourselves. Let's focus on cultivating our own people first."

Ling Ye turned around and said.

Ran Qingshan gave a wry smile: "Train? Ever since the last Mist Demon invasion, I haven't dared to fully trust anyone. And even if I were to train someone, besides Yan Fenghuo and a few others, who else has the potential to be nurtured with all my might?"

"Where is Master Jiang?"

Ling Ye suddenly spoke, his tone seemingly casual.

Ran Qingshan was taken aback, and stroked his chin thoughtfully, saying, "Hall Master Jiang is indeed extraordinary. If you say he's mediocre, his cultivation progress is strangely fast, but if you say he's a genius, he started too late, and his foundation always seems somewhat weak."

I have a feeling that his potential has been exhausted, that he's reached his limit. I'm also unsure what kind of person he really is.

Ling Ye thought for a moment and nodded slightly: "He is indeed a rare talent. He is bold yet meticulous, and decisive in killing. If he can be tempered and given time, it is not impossible for him to become a bulwark for Huzhou City."

Of course, we can't expect him to be a savior who turns the tide.

After all, as you said, he started too late, missed the golden opportunity for cultivation, and his potential is limited.

Although she had a slight liking for Xiao Jiang, she didn't dare to boast about it.

Age is the biggest obstacle for monks.

Even a peerless genius like Shangguan Luoxue started training at the age of seven.

Ran Qingshan sighed regretfully, "Yes, if only this kid had started cultivating ten years earlier, his achievements would have been limitless. It's such a pity. Also—"

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "There are also people within the department who don't trust Hall Master Jiang, and think he was one of the traitors in the last Mist Demon invasion."

"impossible!"

Ling Ye shook his head decisively, "Anyone could be the mole, but he's the only one who couldn't be."

Ran Qingshan hadn't expected Ling Ye to react so strongly, and quickly explained, "Actually, I also thought it was impossible, after all, his whole family was harmed by demons. But Hall Master Yan has always had his doubts—"

"Wait a moment!"

Ling Ye suddenly realized something, her beautiful eyes narrowed, and she stared intently at him. "When I first arrived, you said that Hall Master Yan took Hall Master Jiang out of the city to exterminate demons—could it be?"

Zai Qingshan nodded, looking somewhat embarrassed: "That's right, Hall Master Yan wanted to test him. Because the lurking wolf demon was hiding very close to the Jiang family, Yan Fenghuo suspected they were colluding, so—"

"What are you doubting?!"

Ling Ye suddenly became angry, her voice rising several octaves, "Are you just going to let him test me like this? Don't you know Yan Fenghuo? He's a madman! How do you think he'll test me?"

You're gambling with Xiao Jiang's life!

Being criticized like that to his face, even Qingshan felt a little embarrassed.

In terms of official rank, he was on the same level as Ling Ye.

In terms of cultivation, he was even a step above the other party.

Why are you treating me like this?

But considering the guardian disciple behind the other party, as well as Ling Ye's own special identity and glorious past, he ultimately did not dare to lash out, and only said sullenly, "I have already instructed Feng Huo to make sure to protect Hall Master Jiang's safety."

"How do we protect it?"

Ling Ye slammed his hand on the table in anger, causing the tea to spill. "Once that madman Yan Fenghuo goes berserk, how can he see anyone else? That wolf demon gang has at least seventy members, how many of them are at the third level?"

Do you really think Xiao Jiang can easily kill fifty snake demons like he did in Black Soil Village last time?

Those snake demons were merely first or second-tier minor demons; how could they possibly compare to the ferocious wolf demon tribe?

"But he is, after all, a legitimate Star Official cultivator—" Ran Qingshan weakly argued.

"That's only the third realm!"

Ling Ye's chest heaved with anger. "No matter how strong a cultivator's power is, there's always a limit. Once they're surrounded and exhausted, even a god can't save them!"

Upon hearing Ling Ye's words, Ran Qingshan also began to feel nervous.

Yes.

Yan Fenghuo is a notorious killer; once he enters battle mode, he becomes ruthless and doesn't care about anyone, not even his own family.

In case something really goes wrong—

Ran Qingshan broke out in a cold sweat, and began to regret his overconfidence.

Just then, a guard rushed in: "Sir! The latest news is that Master Yan and his men have successfully wiped out the wolf demon Black Wind and its followers, a total of seventy-three demons. There were no casualties on our side, only a few minor injuries."

"call----"

Upon hearing this, both Zai Qingshan and Ling Ye breathed a sigh of relief.

A smile returned to Qingshan's face as he leaned back in his chair, his tone becoming more relaxed: "See, I told you, Yan Fenghuo is quite sensible in his actions, and his strength is sufficient to handle things. Since all the demons have been wiped out, it seems that Hall Master Jiang is indeed innocent and not a traitor."

Ling Ye didn't speak, he just snorted coldly.

Xiao Jiang could never have been the mole.

Only a fool would doubt him.

However, the guard did not retreat. Instead, he swallowed hard and continued, "Furthermore—the patrol team discovered the remnants of the Black Tiger Demon's forces at the rocky slope. Hall Master Jiang and Hall Master Yan have wiped them all out. However, they did not find any trace of Tiger Vanguard."

Ran Qingshan was taken aback, then frowned and said, "The remnants of that Tiger Vanguard? I didn't expect to encounter any that escaped. How many did Hall Master Yan and the others kill in total?"

The guard's voice trembled slightly: "According to the initial count, a total of 532 demons were killed. Among them—Hall Master Jiang alone killed 319."

"Oh, that's quite a lot—Young Master Duo!?"

Ran Qingshan jumped up from his chair with a "whoosh," his eyes wide open, as if he had misheard.

Ling Ye's cherry lips were slightly parted, and her beautiful eyes were wide open.

She revealed a touch of adorable awkwardness, quite different from her usual cool demeanor.

The guard, forcing a smile, repeated, "Hall Master Jiang killed 319 demons by himself. Among them were two fourth-tier demons and forty-six third-tier demons—in addition, Hall Master Jiang also killed the Black Wind Wolf demon from before."

The room was deathly silent.

Ran Qingshan slumped into a chair, staring blankly into space.

A cultivator at the third realm killed more than three hundred demons?

Is this something a human being would do?!

Ling Ye stood there dumbfounded, his heart churning with emotions.

Xiao Jiang, are you that fierce?

for a long time.

She took a deep breath to calm her turbulent emotions.

Turning her head, she stared intently at Ran Qingshan with her beautiful eyes: "Lord Ran, from today onwards, Xiao Jiang is mine."

"I want him!"

Ran Qingshan: "————"

Jiang Mu and his group's astonishing achievements in the Black Wind Valley area spread throughout Huzhou City at an alarming speed, causing an unprecedented shock.

First, they slayed the wolf demon tribe, then wiped out the remnants of the tiger vanguard, killing a total of over six hundred demons!

The entire Demon Slayer Division was in an uproar.

From the heads of various halls to the ordinary guards, everyone was shocked.

Shock, doubt, admiration, jealousy —

People who had previously looked down on Jiang Mu no longer dared to discuss his connections or his dissolute lifestyle; instead, they felt only awe and fear.

Especially the people in the third hall.

Recalling the experience of being single-handedly defeated by Jiang Mu in Black Soil Village, and looking at this record now—

I felt incredibly lucky that I hadn't been beaten to death back then.

In order to demonstrate the authority of the Demon Slayer Division, deter the evil spirits lurking in the city, and boost the morale of the people, Ran Qingshan specially ordered dozens of large carts to be mobilized to transport the corpses of those demons back to the city in batches.

The exhibition toured various streets.

As the one who made the greatest contribution, Jiang Mu was specially arranged to ride a tall horse and walk at the very front of the procession.

It occupies the absolute center position.

Yan Fenghuo and the others followed behind with proud expressions, acting as mere accompaniments.

They are usually arrogant and look down on their colleagues, but they are completely convinced of Jiang Mu's abilities!

Being a supporting character is not shameful.

In no time, Jiang Mu became a prominent figure in Huzhou City.

Especially the young women and married women, their eyes sparkled with admiration as they gazed at the handsome, dashing figure on horseback, their hearts melting.

Many of them even shed tears.

I changed my dress several times.

It has never rained.

But it had rained on the streets.

Moreover, upon learning that this young master Jiang had once been a devoted lover of married women, many people went to the Jiang family's courtyard to secretly drop handkerchiefs, fly kites, and give away undergarments.

It directly turned the usually aloof Bai Xiang into a hot-blooded person.

When I was chopping the filling, the knife almost chopped the cutting board to pieces.

Within the Demon Slayer Division, Jiang Mu has earned a resounding new nickname: God of Slaughter!

The Eighth Hall, with only three members, has surpassed Yan Fenghuo's Fourth Hall to become the most powerful and elite branch of the Demon Slayer Division.

Of course, the other two members are just accessories.

Inside the office where the official in charge of signing documents resided.

Ran Qingshan circled around Jiang Mu several times, looking her up and down as if she were a rare antique that had just been unearthed.

"My lord, please don't look at me like that. It's creepy."

Jiang Mu felt extremely uncomfortable being stared at.

Zai Qingshan finally stopped, slapped Jiang Mu hard on the shoulder, and grinned from ear to ear: "Good! Good lad! That's great!"

"I never expected that my city of Huzhou would actually have such a dazzling gem like you hidden away."

"But you have to tell me the truth today. How exactly did you do that, kid?"

"Why are you different from everyone else? This doesn't make sense."

Jiang Mu looked completely innocent: "That's how geniuses are. You've never been a genius, so you—"

"Alright, alright!"

Ran Qingshan glared at him, annoyed. "I may not have been a genius, but haven't I seen geniuses before? I've seen more so-called geniuses than you've eaten rice, but someone as inhuman as you is truly a first!"

Jiang Mu shrugged: "Then I really can't explain it."

"constitution!"

Ran Qingshan's gaze was intense. "You must have some hidden special physique. For example, Buddhism has the Holy Buddha Body, and Taoism has the concept of the Innate Tao Body. You probably belong to that kind of special physique with extraordinary energy channels."

Oh, so it's because of my different constitution.

I thought I had cheated.

Jiang Mu suddenly realized.

Ran Qingshan smacked his lips, looking wistful. "Speaking of which, when I was young, I was actually pretty much the same as you. Except for being a few points more handsome than you, in other aspects—looking at it now, I was indeed slightly inferior."

Jiang Mu: "————"

He patted Jiang Mu on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Your future achievements will definitely not be lower than mine."

"Work hard and stay calm. As long as you don't do anything heinous, I'll protect you in this Huzhou city!"

"And as you know, you're the person I trust most in this company."

Who do you trust the most?

Then why did you let Yan Fenghuo test me?

Jiang Mu rolled her eyes inwardly, too lazy to listen to any more of this empty encouragement, and cut straight to the point: "Lord Commander, since you trust me so much, it's not unreasonable for me to exchange these achievements for a Star Official Seal, is it?"

Ran Qingshan frowned: "Don't you already have a legitimate star position? Why would you want to change to that?"

"I just wanted to collect one for future use, and I also have a little apprentice at home who is quite talented, so I plan to use it on her in the future."

Jiang Mu came up with an excuse.

Ran Qingshan smiled and said, "According to the rules, the Star Official Seal of the Demon Slayer Division is not allowed to be given to outsiders, but—this time we can make an exception for you."

"But I'm warning you, kid, don't mess around. You now have a legitimate star position, which is stronger than any pseudo-star position. Unless you can get an even better Earthly Fiend level legitimate star position in the future."

"In addition, I will personally give you a few bottles of pills to stabilize your soul and a few soul-protecting talismans. If you are lucky enough to encounter them in the future, they can protect you when you change your star position and minimize the backlash damage."

Jiang Mu was overjoyed: "You're so generous!"

His eyes darted around, and he tentatively suggested, "How about sending me another Star Official Seal? I'll use it to bribe my subordinates."

After all, we already have three Shadow Demons, so we still need one more.

Ran Qingshan's face darkened, and he pointed to the door: "Get out!"

This guy is treating our Demon Slayer Division like a marketplace.

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