Turns Out I'm the Real Monster?!

"After all, just as you said, he started too late and missed the golden window for cultivation. His potential is limited."

Though she had a slight soft spot for Xiaojiang, she didn’t dare make any wild claims.

Age is a Cultivator’s greatest obstacle.

Even a peerless genius like Shangguan Luoxue had begun her training at the age of seven.

Ran Qingshan sighed with regret as well.

"That’s right. If the kid had started cultivating ten years earlier, his achievements would have surely been boundless. It’s such a shame. Also..."

He hesitated for a moment, then said,

"Some people within the Demon-slaying Bureau don’t trust Master Jiang. They think he was one of the moles from the last mist demon invasion."

"Impossible!"

Ling Ye shook her head decisively. "Anyone could be a mole, but it could never be him."

Ran Qingshan hadn’t expected such a strong reaction from Ling Ye and quickly explained,

"To be honest, I don’t think it’s possible either. After all, his entire family was killed by Demons. But Master Yan has always been suspicious..."

"Wait a minute!"

Ling Ye suddenly realized something. Her beautiful eyes narrowed as she stared fixedly at him.

"When I first arrived, you said Master Yan took Master Jiang out of the city to exterminate Demons... Don’t tell me?"

Ran Qingshan nodded, his expression somewhat awkward.

"That’s right. Master Yan wanted to test him. Because the lurking Wolf Demon’s previous hiding spot was near the Jiang family home, Yan Fenghuo suspected they were colluding, so..."

"Suspect what?!"

Ling Ye’s anger flared inexplicably, and her voice rose several notches.

"You just let him go test him like that? Don’t you know what kind of person Yan Fenghuo is? He’s a madman! How do you think he’ll test him? You’re gambling with Xiaojiang’s life!"

Accused so directly to his face, Ran Qingshan struggled to maintain his composure.

In terms of official rank, he and Ling Ye were equals.

In terms of Cultivation Level, he was even a notch higher than her.

’What gives her the right to talk to me like that?’

But when he thought about how she was the Garrison Envoy’s disciple, as well as her own special status and brilliant past, he ultimately didn’t dare lash out. He only said resentfully,

"I’ve already instructed Fenghuo to ensure Master Jiang’s safety."

"Protect him how?"

Ling Ye was so furious she slammed her palm on the table, causing the tea on it to spill.

"Once that madman Yan Fenghuo gets a taste for blood, can he see anything else? That pack of Wolf Demons has over seventy members at least! How many of them do you think are Tier Three?

Do you really think Xiaojiang can just casually slay fifty Snake Demons like he did last time in Heitu Village?

Those Snake Demons were just minor Tier One and Tier Two Demons. How can they possibly compare to a pack of ferocious Wolf Demons?"

"But he’s an orthodox Star Official Cultivator, after all..." Ran Qingshan argued weakly.

"He’s still only Third Realm!"

Ling Ye’s chest heaved with anger. "No matter how high a Cultivator’s Cultivation Level is, they still have limits! Once they’re surrounded and exhausted, not even the gods can save them!"

Hearing Ling Ye’s words, Ran Qingshan started to get nervous too.

’She’s right.’

’That Yan Fenghuo is a notorious killing machine. Once he’s in a battle frenzy, he doesn’t recognize anyone.’

’If something really went wrong...’

A cold sweat broke out on Ran Qingshan’s forehead. He was beginning to regret his own arrogance.

Just then, a guard from the bureau rushed in.

"Lord Ran! We’ve just received word! Master Yan and his party have successfully exterminated the Wolf Demon, Black Wind, and his pack. A total of seventy-three Demons. We suffered no fatalities, only a few minor injuries."

Hearing this, Ran Qingshan and Ling Ye both let out a long sigh of relief.

A smile returned to Ran Qingshan’s face. He leaned back in his chair, his tone considerably lighter.

"You see? Just as I said. Yan Fenghuo knows how to handle things, and he was more than strong enough for the task. Since all the Demons were wiped out, it seems Master Jiang is indeed innocent and not the mole."

Ling Ye said nothing, merely letting out a cold snort.

’Xiaojiang could never have been the mole in the first place.’

’Only an idiot would have suspected him.’

However, the guard didn’t leave. He swallowed hard and continued,

"Also... a patrol team discovered the remnants of the Black Tiger Demon’s pack at Chaotic Stone Slope. Master Jiang and Master Yan’s group have already wiped them all out. But they didn’t find any trace of the Tiger Vanguard."

Ran Qingshan paused, then frowned.

"The remnants of the Tiger Vanguard’s forces? I didn’t expect there to be any stragglers. How many did Master Yan and the others kill in total?"

The guard’s voice trembled slightly.

"After a preliminary count, a total of five hundred thirty-two Demons were slain. Of those... Master Jiang alone killed three hundred and nineteen."

"Oh, that’s quite a lot... wait, HOW MANY?!"

Ran Qingshan shot up from his chair as if propelled, his eyes wider than an ox’s, certain he must have misheard.

Ling Ye was also stunned, her lips slightly parted and her beautiful eyes wide.

It revealed a dazed, almost adorable expression that was a stark contrast to her usual icy demeanor.

The guard braced himself and repeated,

"Master Jiang alone killed three hundred and nineteen Demons. Among them were two Tier Four Demons and forty-six Tier Three... Also, Master Jiang was the one who killed the Black Wind Wolf Demon earlier."

The room fell dead silent.

Ran Qingshan collapsed back into his chair, his gaze completely vacant.

’A single Third Realm Cultivator... killed over three hundred Demons?’

’Is he even fucking human?!’

Ling Ye stood frozen in place, utterly dumbfounded, her heart pounding in her chest.

’Xiaojiang... is he really that incredible?’

After a long moment,

She took a deep breath, calming her turbulent emotions.

She turned her head,

staring at Ran Qingshan with fiery intensity in her beautiful eyes.

"Lord Ran, from this day on, Xiaojiang is one of my people."

"I’m taking him!"

Ran Qingshan: "..."

——

——

The earth-shattering news of what Jiang Mu and his party accomplished in the Black Wind Valley area spread through all of Hu State City with astonishing speed, causing an unprecedented uproar.

First, they slayed the pack of Wolf Demons. Then, they annihilated the remnants of the Tiger Vanguard’s forces. In total, they had exterminated over six hundred Demons!

The entire Demon-slaying Bureau was in an uproar.

From the Hall Masters at the top to the ordinary guards at the bottom, everyone was utterly stunned.