Turns Out I'm the Real Monster?!

SCREEE—

It was like a red-hot poker plunging into lard.

The moment the blood-red Saber Aura met the ghost mist, it produced a piercing shriek.

The Ghost Cultivator’s ethereal body, his pride and joy, was brutally torn apart by the Blood River True Qi infused with Celestial Spirit Evil Qi.

"AHH!!"

A shrill scream echoed from within the black mist.

The Ghost Cultivator’s form was forced out into the open. A massive gash had been slashed across his abdomen by the Saber Qi. No blood flowed from the wound, only black Ghost Qi frantically pouring out, like air from a punctured ball.

His eyes were filled with terror.

"What is this Saber Qi?! How can it possibly harm my ghost body?!"

The Snake Mother also recognized the saber in Jiang Mu’s hand. It seemed to have once been her weapon, but it had never been this powerful before.

Forcing the Ghost Cultivator back with a single slash, Jiang Mu’s body twisted unnaturally in mid-air.

[Demon Shadow Instant Teleportation!]

SWOOSH!

The Snake Mother, who had been sweeping her tail toward him, struck nothing but air. The immense inertia made her body sway slightly.

Before she could regain her balance, the space above her head rippled.

Jiang Mu, gripping his saber with both hands, descended from the sky!

Like a Demon Deity falling from the heavens.

The Snake Mother’s face drained of color. It was too late to dodge.

At this critical moment, she could only twist her body desperately while raising her hands to summon a snake-scale shield above her head.

CLANG!!

The snake-scale shield shattered into pieces under the blood-red Saber Aura.

The saber’s momentum unabated, it viciously chopped down onto the Snake Mother’s shoulder.

SQUELCH!

An arm, trailing large chunks of flesh, was severed at the shoulder and sent flying.

The Snake Mother let out a wretched howl and staggered to the ground, blood spraying wildly from her severed arm.

She never could have imagined that in such a short time, the boy who had once needed Ling Ye’s protection had grown so terrifyingly powerful!

’This isn’t the Fourth Realm!’

"Husband, save me!!" the Snake Mother shrieked in despair.

Seeing this, the Ghost Cultivator was terrified, but he understood that he would be next if she fell.

He roared, ignoring his injuries, and formed a seal with his hands. A jet-black bead shot from his mouth.

"Ghost King Seal, suppress!"

The bead swelled in an instant, transforming into a black seal the size of a millstone. It hurtled toward Jiang Mu’s back with immense force.

As the seal flew out, the Ghost Cultivator’s aura immediately weakened.

Jiang Mu felt the gust of wind at his back and waved his left hand behind him.

The folding fan opened once more.

[Drawing a Prison!]

VMMMM!

The mighty Ghost King Seal, just an instant before it could strike Jiang Mu, was frozen in mid-air.

It was as if it had sunk into a swamp, buzzing and vibrating but unable to advance an inch.

"What?!"

The Ghost Cultivator’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

’He can even freeze a Magical Treasure?!’

Seizing this momentary opening, Jiang Mu raised his saber again. He looked down at the heavily wounded Snake Mother, her face a mask of despair, and said coolly,

"You got away last time. This time... we’ll see where you run!"

As his voice fell, so did the flash of his saber.

A beautiful, twisted head rolled to the ground, while the headless snake-like body continued to convulse violently.

In the end, this Snake Mother was slain by the combined efforts of Ling Ye and Jiang Mu!

"Wife!!"

The Ghost Cultivator cried out in grief and fury.

Watching the Snake Mother’s brutal death, the last shred of his will to fight crumbled.

’He’s too strong!’

’This kid is just too unnatural!’

’His techniques are endless, his defense is impenetrable, and his attacks are the perfect counter to ghostly beings like me!’

’Run!’

Without a second thought, the Ghost Cultivator abandoned the frozen Ghost King Seal and his body once again dissolved into a black mist, frantically fleeing toward the door.

"Trying to run?"

A cold glint flashed in Jiang Mu’s eyes. He used Instant Teleportation again, appearing directly in front of his foe.

The blood-red Saber Aura slashed into the very core of the black mist.

"Too late!"

Wherever the saber passed, the black mist crackled like ignited cotton and was swiftly annihilated.

"NO—!!"

The Ghost Cultivator’s desperate roar came from within the black mist.

The next moment, a twisted, spectral figure emerged from the dissipating black mist. It let out one final wail before completely dissolving into the air.

The Ghost Cultivator’s soul was scattered to the winds!

Silence returned to the Zen monastery.

Jiang Mu let out a long breath and sheathed his saber.

’This Blood River True Qi really is useful,’ he thought. ’It’s the perfect counter for these incorporeal ghost-like things.’

He walked over to the Snake Mother’s corpse, took out her Demon Pill, and absorbed the Demonic Qi.

He then picked up the Ghost King Seal, which had fallen to the ground after losing its master’s control.

’What is this thing?’

Jiang Mu weighed it in his hand. It had some heft and looked much like an ordinary large seal. On the bottom was carved a single character: "Chi."

Jiang Mu infused it with Demonic Qi.

The Demonic Qi surged into it like a great river...

Before Jiang Mu could react, the Ghost King Seal cracked and shattered into fragments. The fragments then flowed into Jiang Mu’s palm, forming the character for "Suppress" before fading away.

"This is..."

Jiang Mu processed the information that had entered his mind and muttered, "I can use it to cast a suppressive Dharma Seal, and it’s especially effective against Ghost Cultivators."

He infused it with Star Power and flipped his palm over.

Suddenly, a massive, square seal about thirty feet in length and width appeared in the air above, radiating a fierce, suppressive power.

"A good find."

Jiang Mu retracted the Dharma Seal and walked out of the temple.

Outside the door, the brothers Zhang Daxie and Zhang Xiaokui, having heard the commotion inside die down, were anxiously peeking in.

When they saw Jiang Mu walk out completely unharmed, they both sighed in relief.

"Hall Master, how did it go?"

"It’s done."

Jiang Mu smiled faintly. "Got lucky. It was the same Snake Demon that escaped from Hu State City. Now Inspector Ling owes me a favor."

’Next time, I’m going to ask for a milk-flavored watermelon,’ Jiang Mu thought.

When the short, fat Demon Slayer Envoy saw that Jiang Mu’s abilities were so incredible that he had actually slain the two Great Demons who plagued his nightmares, the last shred of hope in his heart collapsed.

His knees buckled, and he habitually dropped to the ground, slamming his forehead against the floor with loud thuds. His voice trembled obsequiously.

"My lord is mighty! My lord’s Divine Abilities are unrivaled!"

"Slaying these two beasts for the good of the people is a great service!"

Jiang Mu flicked the blood from his saber, glanced at the man with an indifferent gaze, and said in a flat tone,

"There’s still one left."

"Still... still one left?"

The short, fat man froze and looked up in confusion.

However, when his eyes met Jiang Mu’s grim, murderous gaze, he froze again, then immediately started crying and begging for his life.

"No! My lord! Don’t kill me! I’m begging you, please don’t kill me!"

"This humble subordinate was just momentarily confused! I’ve been with the Demon-slaying Bureau for ten years! Even if I have no great merits, I’ve still put in the hard work!

I’ve fought Demon Fiends with my life on the line! I’ve been injured protecting the common people.

It’s a hard world, and I was just trying to survive! Is that so wrong?!"

Seeing Jiang Mu advance with his saber raised, the fear in his eyes turned to hysterical madness.

He abruptly straightened up and pointed at Jiang Mu, roaring,

"What right do you have to kill just me?!

Go take a look at the Demon-slaying Bureau in Yan City! From top to bottom, who there isn’t just like me?

They’re all making deals with Demon Fiends, all just trying to get by!

If we don’t go along with the Demon Fiends, we’ll all die! It’s the way things are now!

Everyone is rotten to the core, so why am I the only sinner? Why are you making an example of me?! I won’t accept it!!"

"Bullshit!"

Zhang Xiaokui, who was standing to the side, couldn’t listen anymore. Furious, he strode forward and kicked the short, fat man in the shoulder.

"Don’t you dare lump everyone in with a spineless coward like you! There are plenty of people in the Yan City Demon-slaying Bureau with more guts than you’ll ever have!

Master Du Yuanfei of the Second Hall—to hunt down the demon nest on White Deer Peak, he personally led more than twenty of his brothers into a deathtrap! He fought until his last breath, still cursing the Demon Fiends!

Every one of those dead brothers had more integrity than you! Every one of them was more of a man than you!

A beast like you who betrays his allies for personal gain and trades children’s lives for his own—you have the gall to even mention them? Are you worthy?!"

Hearing the name "Du Yuanfei," the hysterical fat man suddenly froze.

His expression turned bizarre.

As if he had just heard the most hilarious joke in the world, he finally burst into wild laughter.

"Hahahaha..."

The man laughed until tears streamed down his face, mixing with the snot and dust, creating a sight that was both crazed and comical.

Jiang Mu’s brow furrowed. He raised his saber slightly and asked coldly,

"What are you laughing at?"

The short, fat man wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and said, gasping for breath,

"Du Yuanfei? That spineless piece of trash? You say he was a real man? A hero?

Hahahaha! That’s hilarious! That bastard was the biggest traitor and running dog of them all!"