Turns Out I'm the Real Monster?!

’This lunatic!’

The woman cursed silently, but her legs subconsciously pressed together and rubbed against each other.

She couldn’t help it. She just liked this type of suicidal, crazy man.

Thrilling!

The whole reason she had cheated on her husband, Yuan Wugen, with his good brother Cao Renqi was because Cao had gotten drunk and gone wild. He treated her like she wasn’t even human, and that kind of roughness and madness enthralled her.

"Madam He, how about you give me another one?"

Jiang Mu weighed the sword in his hand, planning to extort a bit more while he had the upper hand.

But He Shan’er quickly calmed down and shook her head. "Rules are rules. You can only have one."

This was a long-standing rule of the Divine Sword Sect, and she dared not overstep.

Her willingness to give Jiang Mu a sword this time was only because her father had sent a voice transmission; otherwise, there was no way she would have brought him here.

’Father must be testing this lunatic’s limits as well.’

Jiang Mu was a little disappointed, but he let it go.

He had also wanted to ask for a badass Sword Technique while he was at it, but he hesitated and didn’t dare to speak up.

The sword was an inanimate object. Once he took it, that was that.

If he took a Sword Technique from the Divine Sword Sect, it could be tampered with. Or if Ah Qing ran into problems while practicing it later and they used it against her, that would be real trouble.

It would be better to use merit points to exchange for one at the Demon-slaying Bureau later. At least that would be safe.

"Although I can’t give you another sword,..."

He Shan’er suddenly took a step forward, her voice turning soft and seductive. "I, however, can offer Lord Jiang... some other rewards."

"Oh? And what would that be?" Jiang Mu asked, looking at her curiously.

He Shan’er walked right up to Jiang Mu, pressing her body almost against his.

Her slender fingers gently hooked his sleeve, sliding slowly up his arm with a provocative touch.

She looked up, her phoenix eyes shimmering with allure. Her voice was as sticky as syrup:

"If Lord Jiang isn’t satisfied... you could claim some other ’rewards’ from me?"

Jiang Mu paused for a moment, then broke into a smile.

He reached out, flippantly tilting the woman’s chin up. He leaned in closer and said mockingly,

"As expected of someone from the Sword Sect. You’re all a bunch of fucking masochists!

Get on your knees for me!"

He Shan’er’s pretty face changed, a flash of anger in her eyes, but her body only grew hotter in response.

She suddenly recalled the rumors about this Eldest Young Master Jiang from her investigation.

A rampant philanderer, with a particular fondness for married women.

’He would never pass up a piece of meat delivered right to his mouth.’

’Once we have sex, I’ll have leverage over him.’

’She was able to control Cao Renqi back then, so she could naturally control this young brat now.’

’As long as I submit to him now,’

’this kid will be nothing but a dog groveling at my feet in the future!’

At this thought, He Shan’er’s heart burned with fanaticism, but her face showed only a gentle and obedient expression.

She slowly bent her knees and knelt on the floor.

A dignified Eighth Realm expert, the Divine Sword Sect’s Matriarch, was now kneeling like a slave girl before a Third Realm Cultivator.

This huge gap in status and the feeling of conquest would be enough to drive any man wild.

"Lord Jiang, is this enough?"

The woman tilted her exquisite face up, her eyes silky with seduction, her red lips slightly parted in a posture of complete submission.

"Not bad, pretty standard."

Jiang Mu patted her cheek and smiled. "Then just stay kneeling for a while. Reflect on your actions."

With that, he turned and walked out of the hall.

He Shan’er was stunned.

She thought he was going to close the doors or perhaps play some kind of special game. Though confused, she patiently remained kneeling.

However, after waiting for a long time, he still hadn’t returned.

Gradually, the woman realized what was happening.

She shot to her feet, turned to stare at the empty doorway, her face ashen. Trembling all over, she cursed through gritted teeth,

"You little bastard! How dare you trick me!!"

...

Walking out of the main hall, Jiang Mu cursed inwardly:

’As I thought, these glamorous, righteous sects are all full of shit.’

’Does that broad have her charms?’

’Yes.’

’Who wouldn’t want to take a bite of a perfectly ripe peach?’

’But that kind of woman is a beautiful serpent who devours men, bones and all.’

’Does she really think she can conquer someone with what’s between her legs? Only an idiot would fall for that.’

Xu Fu had already finished loading the medicinal ingredients onto the carts.

When he saw Jiang Mu approach, he quickly pulled him aside and furtively stuffed a stack of silver notes into his hand.

"Old Jiang, this is your cut. And those two carts of medicinal ingredients in the back are all top-grade. I’ll have them taken directly to your shop. Don’t worry, I’ve already cooked the books."

Jiang Mu frowned and tried to refuse. "This... isn’t right, is it?"

"Eh, what’s not right about it!"

Xu Fu shoved it into his robes and said self-righteously,

"If you don’t take it, how can I take it? If I don’t take it, how can the Bureau Chief take it? And if the Bureau Chief doesn’t take it, how are we brothers supposed to get ahead?"

"Makes sense."

Deeply convinced, Jiang Mu happily accepted it.

’It seems this is one of the Demon-slaying Bureau’s "fine traditions."’

A moment later, He Shan’er walked over.

The woman’s face was prim and proper, the very picture of a virtuous lady, as if the scene in the hall just now had never happened.

But the eyes she fixed on Jiang Mu were genuinely cold.

As they were leaving, she looked at the Wangchuan Sword in Jiang Mu’s hand and said coolly,

"It’s a good sword, but a pity it was entrusted to the wrong person. Without a sword heart, that blade is nothing more than scrap iron in your hands, no different from a fire poker."

Obviously, she could tell that Jiang Mu had no talent for the Sword Dao, nor did he possess a sword heart.

She was mocking him for wasting a treasure.

Jiang Mu couldn’t be bothered with her. He swung himself onto his horse and rode off with Xu Fu and his spoils.

Watching as Jiang Mu and his group disappeared at the end of the mountain path, the smile on He Shan’er’s face gradually faded, replaced by a layer of frost.

"Mother."

He Shuangdiao came over and said in a low voice,

"There’s really no need to be afraid of them. He’s just a lowly Hall Master of the Demon-slaying Bureau. We can just find an opportunity..."

SLAP!

A loud slap landed viciously across He Shuangdiao’s face.

His cheek swelled up instantly, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. He was completely stunned by the blow.

He Shan’er stared coldly at her worthless son.

"Idiot! If I ever find out you’re pulling those kinds of cheap, underhanded tricks behind my back again... you can go to the Sword Pond and accompany your grandfather in seclusion. Don’t even think about coming out for the rest of your life!"

With that, the woman flicked her sleeve and left.

He Shuangdiao clutched his stinging cheek, watching his mother’s retreating back with eyes full of resentment.

...

After parting ways with Xu Fu, Jiang Mu had the Zhang Xiaokui brothers push the two carts of medicinal ingredients to his pharmacy.

With these two carts of Spirit Medicine specially supplied by the Divine Sword Sect, the pharmacy’s business could rise to a new level.

As for whether the Divine Sword Sect might have tampered with them or pulled some tricks...

Jiang Mu wasn’t worried.

With the little medicine maiden Chu Lingzhu around, no shenanigans would escape her keen nose.

Besides, they thought these ingredients were for the Demon-slaying Bureau. They would never dare to tamper with something meant for a Court department.

"Boss, did you go rob someone?"

Seeing two carts filled to the brim with fragrant, top-grade medicinal ingredients, Chu Lingzhu’s rosy little mouth fell slightly open, her big eyes wide and round.

The Shopkeeper, Chu Dahai, was also stunned.

The quality of these ingredients was far better than what they usually stocked.

Looking at the fresh and lively beauty before him, the foul mood he had picked up from He Shan’er instantly washed away, and his spirits lifted considerably.

’My own little employee is so much easier on the eyes.’

He couldn’t help but joke,

"Yep, I robbed them. This is the betrothal gift your Boss saved up for you. Are you touched?"

"Ah?"

Chu Lingzhu froze on the spot, her cheeks instantly flushing crimson as if painted by the evening clouds.

CLINK.

The medicine scale in Chu Dahai’s hand fell to the ground.

’It’s over.’

’The tender little cabbage I raised myself is really about to be snatched by a pig.’

...

Leaving the pharmacy, Jiang Mu had planned to go straight home.

But when he passed the posthouse where Ling Ye was staying, he stopped. After a moment’s hesitation, he decided to go in and check on her.

He learned, however, that Ling Ye had already left Hu State.

Jiang Mu stood at the entrance of the posthouse, an indescribable emotion welling up inside him.

’That woman... she sure is decisive about leaving.’

’She didn’t even say goodbye, let alone have a farewell meal.’

’We shared a watermelon, for crying out loud. How could she be so heartless?’

He shook his head and went home, feeling a little dejected.

’I wonder if Ling Ye will run into Qiu Yuexin. I hope they don’t get into a fight.’

Back at home, Jiang Mu didn’t immediately give the Wangchuan Sword to Yuan Ahqing. Instead, he first returned to his own room.

He planned to try and evolve it first using his Demonic Qi.

Closing the door, Jiang Mu took out the longsword.

The watery blade lay quietly in his palm, its dark light flowing like a teardrop condensed from the night sky—exquisitely beautiful.

"It really is beautiful."

"I wonder if this will work..."

Jiang Mu took a deep breath, mobilized the Demonic Qi from his Demon Slot, and slowly infused it into the sword’s blade.

BZZZZ—

The blade trembled slightly and let out a hum.

As the Demonic Qi surged in, the blade’s dark, watery light seemed to ignite, sending out ripple-like patterns.

"It’s working!"

A sharp glint flashed in Jiang Mu’s eyes as he increased the flow of Demonic Qi.

The watery ripples on the blade’s surface grew more and more intense, as if something was awakening from deep within the sword...