So it turns out I'm the demon!

Chapter 88 Is she the Empress? (Seeking first subscriptions and monthly votes)

After writing a detailed account of the mission in an official document and submitting it, Jiang Mu went to the Merit Office and exchanged it for a Star Official Seal.

This time he chose "Earth Observation Star".

It ranks in the middle among the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends, and its supernatural powers are more auxiliary.

Its main purpose is to enhance visual abilities.

It is especially noticeable in dimly lit or even completely dark environments.

If I see Ling Ye again at night, I won't mistake a real watermelon for a fake one.

Under the awe-inspiring, eager, and envious gazes of his colleagues, Jiang Mu walked out of the Demon Slayer Division's gate, feeling quite pleased with himself.

In this way, each of his two demonic shadows occupies a star position.

In addition, his own orthodox star position makes him a true triple-core driver, resulting in incredibly high cultivation efficiency.

"It's a pity Old Ran is too stingy; he only gave us one replacement."

Jiang Mu shook his head with a slight regret, "Never mind, there's plenty of time in the future. We can just slay more demons."

"Little Jiang!"

He had barely stepped out of the Demon Slayer Bureau's gates when a clear, familiar voice called out to him.

Jiang Mu turned her head to look.

Not far away, by the blue brick wall, Ling Ye stood there gracefully.

It's like a striking sight.

When the sunlight shines on him, he seems to be glowing.

"Sister Ling."

Jiang Mu greeted him with a smile.

Ling Ye's gaze fell on him, sizing him up and down, and he said calmly, "Don't be so reckless in the future. You only have one life; once it's gone, it's really gone, understand?"

"Yes, Sister Ling is right, I will definitely keep that in mind."

Jiang Mu nodded.

But secretly, I added to myself: Actually, I have two lives.

Ling Ye's voice softened: "Come on, I have something to tell you, and I'll treat you to something nice while I'm at it."

"Is it going to be another watermelon?"

"...

'

Upon hearing the word "watermelon," Ling Ye's pretty face, hidden beneath her veil, flushed red, and her ears became slightly hot.

He was clearly thinking about the scene of the two of them eating watermelon before.

"no!"

She gritted her teeth.

Jiang Mu said regretfully, "It's such a pity, I really like eating it."

The woman felt that the other person was deliberately trying to steer the conversation in a certain direction. She glared at Jiang Mu and said, "I'll treat you next time."

Jiang Mu chuckled, "That's good. But I need to go home first to change my clothes and take a shower. I'm covered in the stench of killing demons, it's too much of a hassle."

After thinking for a moment, he suggested, "Sister Ling, why don't you come to my house? I'll treat you to dinner, and you can try my cook's cooking."

Go to a single man's house?

Ling Ye hesitated for a moment, her delicate brows furrowing slightly: "Wouldn't that be inconvenient?"

"What's inconvenient about it? There are no outsiders at home."

Jiang Mu didn't care whether she agreed or not, and turned around and left without a care.

Ling Ye watched his retreating figure, hesitated for a moment, and finally followed him with light, graceful steps.

On the way, because Jiang Mu was so popular, many women passing by frequently cast flirtatious glances at him.

Some even boldly sent handkerchiefs and sachets embroidered with love poems.

Ling Ye looked at the group of beautiful women and was speechless.

For some reason, I felt a little uncomfortable.

Well, just a tiny bit.

So she reached out and removed her veil, deliberately quickening her pace to walk alongside Jiang Mu and close the distance between them.

Under the overwhelming combination of Ling Ye's stunning looks and devilish figure, the women who had been eager to pursue her suddenly felt ashamed of themselves.

No one dared to harass them anymore.

Jiang Mu immediately felt that the surroundings were much quieter.

She glanced at Ling Ye, and seeing that she looked normal, she smiled and didn't say anything more.

They followed Jiang Mu to the courtyard where the other party lived.

As soon as Ling Ye entered the courtyard, his gaze was immediately drawn to Yuan Aqing, who was practicing her stance on the sandy ground.

"This girl—"

Ling Ye's beautiful eyes brightened slightly. "So intelligent."

-

With her keen eye, she could immediately tell that this little girl had exceptional talent and was a rare prospect for cultivation.

"Ah Qing, come here!" Jiang Mu beckoned.

"master!"

Yuan Aqing came running over excitedly, her little face covered in sweat, rosy like an apple.

"Quickly boil some water for me, the master wants to take a bath. Oh, and let me introduce you, this is Sister Ling."

Jiang Mu pointed to Ling Ye beside her and said to Ling Ye, "Her name is A Qing."

"Hello, Sister Ling."

Yuan Aqing looked at Ling Ye with curiosity.

This was the first time she had ever seen such a beautiful woman with such a unique air about her, especially—

She stole a glance at the other person's astonishing chest, and her face turned even redder.

"Hello, Ah Qing."

Ling Ye nodded slightly, his voice softening.

After Yuan Aqing ran to the kitchen to boil water, Ling Ye asked curiously, "Is this girl your servant?"

Jiang Mu hummed in agreement: "It cost ten taels of silver to buy."

Ling Ye's expression turned strange.

Ten taels of silver to buy a little genius?

This guy's luck is just too good!

Jiang Mu was worried that if he treated Yuan Aqing as just an ordinary maid, it would interfere with her cultivation.

She couldn't help but urge, "Don't waste it."

Jiang Mu's eyes widened, her face contorted with hurt: "Sister Ling, do I look like that kind of beast?"

Ling Ye was taken aback at first, then realized that her words were ambiguous. Her pretty face flushed slightly, and just as she was about to explain, she caught a glimpse of a sultry figure walking out of the kitchen door.

The next moment, Ling Ye shuddered, his pupils shrinking sharply.

The Empress!?

Ling Ye was one of the few people who were fortunate enough to see the true face of the Empress of Daqing.

That woman, who was the mother of the nation, possessed an unparalleled grace and poise.

Once you've seen it, you'll never forget it.

Especially that innate nobility and elegance, like the bright moon in the sky, or a colorful phoenix perched on a parasol tree, makes people only dare to look up at it from afar, without having the slightest thought of profanity.

That's why Ling Ye lost his composure the moment Bai Xiang came out.

so similar!

Appearance can be disguised.

However, the posture and demeanor that a person develops over the years, and the charm that runs deep in their bones, are extremely difficult to imitate.

Ling Ye's heart raced.

A chill, mixed with disbelief and suspicion, rose from the depths of my heart.

However, when she looked at it more closely, that strong sense of familiarity quickly and inexplicably faded away.

Because in my memory, that empress was very cold.

It was as cold as an ancient glacier, as indifferent as a god looking down upon all living beings.

And the woman before me—

Although they have similar figures, she has a more gentle and refined temperament, with a touch of everyday life.

Even so, Ling Ye's deep-seated doubts did not completely disappear.

Although rumors say that the empress was burned to death on the Deer Terrace, the emperor recently secretly dispatched his inner guards, making it hard not to suspect whether the infatuated emperor really did take such drastic measures.

"Xiang'er, let me introduce you to a new friend."

Jiang Mu led Ling Ye to Bai Xiang and said with a smile, "This is Lady Ling Ye. She is a patrol officer of the Demon Slayer Division, and she is very powerful."

He then turned to Ling Ye and introduced her, "This is my housekeeper, Bai Xiang. You can call her Aunt Xiang; she won't mind."

"Oh, by the way, she's mute."

A mute?

Ling Ye's suspicions deepened.

If you want to completely hide your identity, isn't the best way to shut up and pretend to be mute?

Bai Xiang glared at Jiang Mu.

She then turned to Ling Ye, gave a graceful curtsy, and performed a standard Chinese greeting.

Seeing that Jiang Mu was covered in dust and dirt, with some blood and grime still on his face and hands, he naturally took out a clean handkerchief from his sleeve.

She walked up to Jiang Mu and gently wiped the blood from his face with tender and meticulous movements.

Then she took the man's hand and gently wiped it.

Seeing this, Ling Ye's last trace of doubt vanished completely.

This completely negated the previous absurd idea.

This woman could never be the Empress of the Great Qing Dynasty.

Because she knew that the empress suffered from a strange illness, or some kind of restriction, so that no man in the world could touch her.

Even the current emperor has never touched the empress's body.

The woman in front of him was wiping the man's face and holding his hand.

Skin to skin, without any barriers.

How could it be the legendary, untouchable empress?

"I'm going crazy too—"

Ling Ye shook his head inwardly, secretly mocking himself, "Even if that empress really didn't die in the fire at Lutai, how could she have ended up in this lowly courtyard, working as a steward for a demon slayer?"

However, new doubts arose in my mind.

Didn't Xiao Jiang say that Bai Xiang is the housekeeper?

But such an intimate appearance—

Looking at their clasped hands, Ling Ye felt a slight unease creep back into her heart.

Butler, butler, you've gone too far with your bedside duties!

Fortunately, this young lady, Bai Xiang, was only considered pretty and charming, not stunningly beautiful.

Given Jiang Mu's past reputation as a playboy and his current popularity, he probably wouldn't look down on him, right?

Ling Ye thought with some uncertainty.

After a brief chat, Jiang Mu went to take a bath and change.

After bringing Ling Ye some tea, Yuan Aqing ran back to the sandy area to practice her martial arts.

Bai Xiang then used sign language to exchange a few polite words with Ling Ye before turning around and going into the kitchen to start preparing dinner.

Ling Ye sat alone in the hall and took a sip of tea, a sudden feeling of unease rising in his heart.

She had intended to go to the kitchen to help out.

But upon reaching the doorway and witnessing Bai Xiang's skillful and deft knife work, he silently retreated.

She thought of her childhood.

Back then, she didn't hate men as much as she does now, and her thinking was quite traditional. She always felt that having good cooking skills would be a plus in front of her future husband.

So she excitedly went to learn how to cook.

As a result, the master only glanced at her as she tied on her apron, and then said meaningfully:

-

"Ye'er, there's no need for that effort. Your body is already capable of providing a bountiful diet; your future husband and children won't go hungry. There's no need to practice your cooking skills."

At the time, she was confused and didn't practice anymore.

Bored, Ling Ye went to the sandy area in the courtyard to watch Yuan Aqing practice her martial arts.

"Drink! Ha!"

The little girl practiced very diligently.

only----

Standing next to her was a very noticeable older woman, her gaze cold and indifferent. Yuan Aqing felt her whole body stiffen, and her hands and feet no longer belonged to her.

Either he was walking with the wrong foot or he was using too much force and almost tripped himself.

There's nothing we can do; the little girl is naturally socially anxious.

Adding to that Ling Ye's breathtakingly tall figure, she felt immense pressure.

Ling Ye realized that he seemed to be in the way, even becoming a source of interference, so he had no choice but to leave in a huff.

So I simply walked over to the vegetable garden and admired it casually.

""

I must say, this vegetable garden is really pleasing to the eye. The arrangement is very casual, but the overall look is comfortable to look at.

Not long after, Jiang Mu came out after taking a shower.

Seeing Ling Ye standing in front of the vegetable garden, he walked over to him and said, "Xiang'er takes care of all of this. She likes to do these things, and I'm too lazy to bother. She's the one who's messed around most of this yard."

Ling Ye turned his head to the side.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the man's handsome, clean profile, coating it with a warm, golden glow.

This is probably what a handsome young man looks like.

Ling Ye had to admit that this kid's appearance did indeed have the looks to seduce women.

She withdrew her gaze and asked calmly, "Where is she from?"

"They fled from Yancheng."

Jiang Mu answered casually.

"Yancheng————"

Ling Ye seemed to be deep in thought.

Jiang Mu, recalling some rumors he had heard recently, asked, "I heard that the rebellion in Yancheng seems to be nearing its end?"

"Um."

Ling Ye nodded slightly. "The army sent by the imperial court has suppressed the main force of the rebels and is now in the final stages. The commander-in-chief leading the troops to quell the rebellion is none other than General Chang's only son, Chang Dawei."

She paused slightly as she spoke, suddenly recalling the remarkable feat this man had accomplished not long ago.

They publicly beheaded Lady Liu, General Chang Dawei's concubine.

Although subsequent investigations confirmed that Madam Liu did indeed practice demonic arts without authorization, there was no concrete evidence that the Chang family colluded with demons.

Moreover, since the imperial court was in need of personnel at the time, the matter was handled discreetly and was not publicized.

But since it involves a military family, it is quite sensitive.

Therefore, no public reward was given to Jiang Mu for his achievements, as if the matter had never happened.

Ran Qingshan gave him the Star Official Seal so readily out of a sense of compensation.

to be frank.

She was deeply shaken when she heard about it.

It reminded her of many, many things from the past.

Perhaps it was around this time that her feelings for Jiang Mu became much closer.

"Little Jiang."

Ling Ye turned around, her beautiful eyes fixed on him, and asked earnestly, "Sometimes, you clearly do the right thing, take great risks, but in the end you don't get the reward you deserve, and you might even be resented by others—"

Will you still do it?

Jiang Mu met her clear gaze and suddenly smiled: "After doing it, I feel at ease and my mind is clear. If I don't do it, I feel so stifled that I can't even sleep well."

As for whether or not I'll repay her—it doesn't matter.

Ling Ye stared at him quietly for a long time, her expression shifting several times before finally softening.

She withdrew her gaze, looking at the last rays of sunset on the horizon, and said softly, "I originally wanted to advise you not to act so recklessly and too aggressively in the future—but on second thought, perhaps, you are doing just fine this way."

Jiang Mu didn't want to discuss this topic further; he was more interested in Bai Xiang's hometown, so he asked, "I heard that there are quite a few demons behind the rebellion in Yancheng."

"That's right."

Ling Ye nodded. "Those rebels included a large number of demons, and even organized demon soldiers. This is one of the reasons why suppressing the rebellion was so difficult."

"Can the army suppress them?"

Jiang Mu was very curious.

"You underestimate the fighting power of the imperial army, but—"

Ling Ye changed the subject, "After the rebellion is completely quelled and local order is initially restored, the Demon Slayer Division is ultimately more professional in eliminating the scattered demons and dealing with the hidden dangers left by some demonic magic."

At that time, the imperial court will likely dispatch elite forces from the Demon-Slaying Divisions of several surrounding cities to Yan City to assist in the aftermath.

"real?!"

Jiang Mu's eyes immediately lit up, like two bright light bulbs. "Our Demon Slaying Division of Huzhou City will also send people over?"

"Definitely."

Ling Ye looked at his excited, eager expression and couldn't help but feel a little helpless.

Why does this kid get all excited as soon as he hears there are demons to kill?

This addiction is too strong.

"With your current popularity and undeniable strength, Ran Qingshan will definitely include you on his list."

Ling Ye looked at him, his tone becoming serious, "However, I still have to remind you that the situation in Yancheng is much more complicated than here. There are not only demons, but also defeated soldiers, evil cultivators, and even—and those with ulterior motives."

If you do go then, you must not be as reckless as you were this time.

Remember, there are always people more powerful than humans, and demons more powerful than demons; ultimately, you only have one life.

Jiang Mu nodded vigorously, looking enlightened: "Don't worry, Sister Ling, my greatest strength is my steadiness; I'll never be reckless!"

Ling Ye: "————"

I don't believe you.

Ling Ye glanced at the kitchen, hesitated for a moment, and whispered, "Let's go to your room. I have something to show you."

?

Jiang Mu took a deep breath.

Sir, are you going to show me sexy lingerie too?