Turns Out I'm the Real Monster?!

’This current clone of mine has a rather small appetite. I can’t absorb too much of your aura at once, so I’ll have to take it slowly, a little bit each day.

As a reward, I can help you with small matters during this time.

But let me be clear. If you run into danger, I’ll save you if I can. But if we encounter a Great Demon that even I can’t defeat... well, I’ll just have to watch you get eaten.

After all, this entire region is teeming with demonic energy, and there are plenty of old monsters hiding around.

So, what do you think? Sounds like a pretty good deal, doesn’t it?’

"Shut up!"

Jiang Mu had finally had enough. He shot her a cold glance. "We’ll talk after I’m done. Now, be quiet!"

Ji Hongyuan’s beautiful eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing within them.

’She was the mighty Zombie Queen, ruler of ten thousand corpses. Who had ever dared to treat her with such disrespect?’

’Under normal circumstances, she would have torn this reckless fool to shreds long ago.’

But considering their mutually beneficial arrangement and her current need for the strange aura on this boy, she took a deep breath, forcefully suppressed her displeasure, and simply gave a cold snort, saying no more.

「Soon, Jiang Mu arrived at Fire Dragon Cliff.」

The entire mountain was a scorched, crimson red, as if it had been burned by fire.

However, when Jiang Mu stepped onto the clifftop, the scene before him made his heart sink.

As far as the eye could see, there were only severed limbs and body parts.

Several familiar Demon Slayer Envoys lay in pools of blood, long since silenced.

A few low-level jackal demons were greedily gnawing on the corpses, making sickening chewing sounds.

And in the grass not far away, Jiang Mu saw You Dashan’s body.

The man lay on his back, his eyes wide open, his face frozen in an expression of shock and disbelief.

There was a bloody hole in his chest.

Clearly made by a blade that had pierced him from behind.

It was obvious who the attacker was.

Jiang Mu held his breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. He swung his blade, cutting down the few small demons feeding on the corpses, and followed the trail of blood upward.

Along the way, he saw more severed limbs and body parts.

And not far ahead, a flickering bonfire appeared.

A dozen or so Demons were sitting around the fire, devouring chunks of meat and enjoying their feast.

On a wooden rack next to the fire, several tightly bound Demon Slayer Envoys were hanging.

Two of them were Ming Cuicui and Zhu Chang.

Their faces were ashen, their bodies covered in wounds, and blood dripped from the hems of their clothes to the ground.

Ming Cuicui’s eyes were filled with despair and terror, tears streaming endlessly down her face.

Zhu Chang, though equally weak, gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with rage as he glared at the Demons devouring his comrades.

"Heheh, nothing beats the flesh of a Cultivator. It’s so chewy and full of Spiritual Qi."

A Tier Four Wolf Demon, who seemed to be the leader of this small group, patted his swollen belly and let out a foul-smelling belch.

Picking its teeth, it swaggered over to the wooden rack.

"Not bad. These little morsels look quite fresh."

The Wolf Demon reached out a greasy hand and patted Ming Cuicui’s pale face, then pinched Zhu Chang’s chin and grinned.

"We’ll take them back to the stockade later, marinate them nicely in some good brine, and savor them slowly. Heheheh..."

Ming Cuicui was so frightened she trembled violently, her teeth chattering, unable to even cry out.

Zhu Chang, however, lifted his head, spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, and cursed sharply:

"You beasts! Just you wait! Reinforcements from the Demon-slaying Bureau will be here soon, and they’ll tear you monsters to pieces!"

"Hahaha!"

The Demons roared with laughter as if they had just heard the greatest joke in the world.

"Kid, you’re at death’s door and still daydreaming.

Let me tell you the truth. We’ll ’take good care’ of every last bastard from the Demon-slaying Bureau who dares to come reinforce Yan City!

Do you really think we of the Demon Race are idiots, just sticking our necks out waiting for you to come slaughter us?"

"So, the other Demon Slayer Envoys sent as reinforcements were also ambushed, is that right?"

A cold voice suddenly spoke up from behind the demon.

The demon jumped in surprise.

It turned, about to shout and ask who was there, but its eyes widened, and it froze in place.

His companions, who just moments ago were sitting around the fire drinking, eating, and laughing loudly, were now all lying on the ground.

A line of blood was on each of their necks, fresh blood gushing out...

And a young man with a grim expression, holding a long, dripping blade, stood silently amid the pile of bodies.

After seeing the newcomer, Ming Cuicui and the others were stunned for a moment, then became overjoyed.

"Lord Jiang!?"

"Lord Jiang, save us!"

Faced with a sudden turn from desperation to hope, they all cried out in excitement.

The Wolf Demon leader snapped back to its senses and let out a roar of shock and fury. It instinctively swiped its sharp claws, which were wreathed in demonic wind, straight at Jiang Mu’s face!

SCHLICK!

A flash of the blade.

Its arm was severed at the shoulder, sending blood spraying everywhere.

"AHHH—!!"

The demon let out a piercing shriek, clutching its severed arm as it stumbled back.

Jiang Mu remained expressionless. With two more flashes of crimson light, the Wolf Demon leader’s legs were also severed at the knees.

Only its torso and left arm remained, writhing and screaming in a pool of blood.

Jiang Mu ignored the screaming demon and walked to the wooden rack. He swung his blade, cut the ropes, and freed Ming Cuicui and the others.

He asked in a low voice, "Where’s Aunt Tang?"

Hearing this, Ming Cuicui, whose tears had just stopped, burst out crying again with a loud "WAAAH!"

Zhu Chang’s eyes also turned red. He clenched his fists, his voice choked with emotion.

"Sister Tang... Sister Tang is dead..."

Ming Cuicui pointed to the edge of the nearby cliff, sobbing uncontrollably. "Sister Tang fought two Tier Five Great Demons to cover our escape... She was... she was knocked off the cliff!"

Jiang Mu’s body jolted. Moving like a flash of lightning, he rushed to the edge of the clifftop.