Turns Out I'm the Real Monster?!

"Get out of my way!"

Yan Wu roared, and the Star Power around him erupted.

The oppressive aura of an Eighth Realm cultivator swept out like a collapsing mountain, forcing everyone nearby to circulate their own energy to resist.

A mass of purplish-black Gang Qi coalesced in his palm.

The wind from his palm strike howled, carrying the faint sound of thunder.

Tian Wenjing’s stance sank, his feet as if rooted to the ground, unmoving. He pushed his right palm forward, and in its center, fine, silvery-white threads of electricity materialized from thin air, twisting and flowing.

It was as if he held a silent, violent thundercloud in his hand.

"BOOM!"

The two palms collided with a deafening explosion.

The purplish-black Gang Qi and the silvery-white lightning clashed violently. Yan Wu grunted, his attack faltering as he was forcibly pushed back.

"Tian Wenjing, you’re going to stop me?!"

The rage in Yan Wu’s chest burned even hotter.

He suddenly opened his mouth, and a cold glint shot out.

It was a sword pellet he had refined for many years. It expanded the moment it left his mouth, transforming into a sharp streak of light that bypassed Tian Wenjing and shot straight for the space between Jiang Mu’s eyebrows!

Jiang Mu’s pupils constricted. He was just about to use Instant Teleportation to dodge.

"CLANG!"

A round fan appeared out of nowhere, steadily blocking the sword’s edge.

The fan turned gently.

The aggressive Flying Sword’s momentum was deflected, and it flew back, buzzing and trembling, before reverting to a sword pellet and landing in Yan Wu’s hand.

Immediately after, a fragrant breeze drifted over.

A curvaceous and graceful figure appeared, shielding Jiang Mu.

It was Shui Miaozheng.

Shui Miaozheng withdrew her fan, her beautiful eyes fixed on the furious Yan Wu. Her voice was soft, but laced with coldness.

"Director Yan, calm down!"

"Calm down?!"

The veins on Yan Wu’s forehead bulged.

"Miaozheng, you saw it too! This boy killed a Hall Master under my command in the main hall of my Yan City Demon-slaying Bureau, right in front of everyone!

How do you expect me to calm down?!"

Nearby, Tian Wenjing was also nursing a massive headache.

Back in Hu State, this kid was already unbelievably arrogant, always doing as he pleased.

Now that he’s somewhere else, he’s still the same.

The silvery-white threads of electricity twisting in his palm gradually faded as he said in a low voice,

"Director Yan, I dare not jump to conclusions about whether Du Yuanfei was a traitor or not. But for Jiang Mu to do this, he must have proof."

"Fine! Then have him present the evidence!"

Yan Wu roared, "If he can’t produce any evidence today, I’ll resign as Director, but I will still demand justice for my Yan City Demon-slaying Bureau!"

On his own turf, with him—the boss—present, one of his subordinates was cut down in a single blow.

If word of this got out, how could he, Yan Wu, maintain his authority over the Yan City Demon-slaying Bureau? How could he command respect?

Jiang Mu said nothing.

He just stared down at Du Yuanfei’s body, then suddenly spoke.

"I recall that the Red Umbrella Sect implants something called a ’Life and Death Talisman’ in the traitors they recruit to control them. I wonder if Director Yan would permit me to cut him open and take a look?"

Although his words were a polite question, Jiang Mu had already crouched down and sliced Du Yuanfei’s corpse open with his saber.

Jiang Mu flicked the tip of his saber.

A white jade slip, about the size of a normal person’s thumb, flew out from the flesh and landed on the ground with a CLINK.

"Director Yan, you’re a man of great experience. This thing... this should be a Life and Death Talisman, right?" Jiang Mu sheathed his saber and pointed at the jade slip on the ground.

The once-furious Yan Wu stared at the jade slip on the ground, stunned.

The hall fell deathly silent.

The others also turned pale with shock.

Du Yuanfei’s tearful proclamations and solemn oaths were still fresh in their minds. Who could have imagined that he was actually a traitor!

Seeing this, Tian Wenjing secretly sighed in relief and stepped forward to smooth things over.

"Director Yan, Master Jiang was only acting this way because of his colleague’s tragic death. He was overcome with anger. It’s inevitable for young people to be a bit impulsive when their emotions get the better of them.

I hope you can be lenient, considering his eagerness to avenge Master Tang.

But now that it’s been proven that Du Yuanfei was indeed a traitor, it’s clear the Yan City Demon-slaying Bureau has been deeply infiltrated..."

Yan Wu silently withdrew his Star Power. It was as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

He stared at the Life and Death Talisman on the ground, at Du Yuanfei’s body, opened his mouth, but in the end, only closed his eyes bitterly.

"But even so..."

He sighed under his breath. "This should have been reported to the General Office."

Shui Miaozheng said softly,

"Brother Yan, desperate times call for desperate measures. If we had followed standard procedure, who knows what other tricks this traitor might have pulled?

Master Jiang may have been reckless, but he has rid us of a public menace and helped the Demon-slaying Bureau clean its own house.

This matter... let’s just let it go."

Tian Wenjing shot Jiang Mu a look and said in a low voice,

"Jiang Mu, you were too presumptuous! However, considering your long journey and your great contribution, we will not punish you for now.

Xu Fu, take Jiang Mu to rest. Don’t let him be an eyesore here!"

Xu Fu reacted instantly. He understood that Jiang Mu’s continued presence would only embarrass Yan Wu further, so he quickly stepped forward and pulled Jiang Mu.

"Let’s go, let’s go. Old Jiang, we’re leaving."

Jiang Mu didn’t say anything more. He gave a casual salute to the crowd, then turned and left.

Shui Miaozheng never once turned to look at him.

She struggled to maintain a calm expression on her dignified and beautiful face, but her long, curved eyelashes trembled slightly.

Only when she heard his footsteps fade into the distance did she let out a long sigh in her heart, her tense body relaxing slightly.

’He doesn’t seem to have recognized me?’

The woman was a little puzzled.

In the hall, the crowd watched Jiang Mu’s departing figure with complicated feelings.

Just moments ago, they had been mocking him for his boasting. Now, it seemed...

This young Hall Master from Hu State wasn’t just formidable; he was unbelievably domineering and arrogant.

Today’s events had truly been an eye-opener for them.

...

News of Jiang Mu killing the traitor Du Yuanfei in the main hall quickly spread throughout the entire Yan City Demon-slaying Bureau.