Chapter 51 - 45: A Demon Comes Knocking?
After picking up a fitting Sword Scabbard and tempering solution from the Logistics Office, Jiang Mu walked out of the Demon-slaying Bureau’s gates.
Staring at the gloomy sky overhead, he felt an inexplicable wave of exhaustion.
When he first joined the Demon-slaying Bureau, his mind was filled with nothing but slaying Demon Fiends.
He wanted to carve out a grand legacy with the saber in his hand.
Who would have thought that just as his career was starting to take off, the script would suddenly take a sharp downturn?
From a demon-slaying hero to a mole colluding with Demon Fiends.
Who the fuck could handle a situation like this?
Right now, the only one who openly knew he was a mole was that Madam Shen.
With the Snake Mother’s escape, he had fulfilled his part of the deal with Madam Shen, removing the thorn in her side.
The next step was to get the Sound Stone from that venomous woman and shut her mouth for good.
’As for how to shut her up...’
A cold glint flashed in Jiang Mu’s eyes.
’When necessary, I can’t afford to be merciful. Misplaced compassion will only get me killed.’
’After dealing with Madam Shen, I’ll follow the clues to find the people operating in the shadows.’
Jiang Mu believed that since he was currently in the spotlight at the Demon-slaying Bureau, the real factions colluding with Demon Fiends in the shadows would surely see him as "one of their own" and approach him.
’When that happens, I’ll kill them as they come.’
’Until I’ve ripped out this entire corrupt network by the roots.’
Jiang Mu let out a long breath, releasing the tension in his chest, and said to console himself:
"No matter what, things aren’t hopeless yet."
"At least I’m not a real Demon Fiend. Even if my body is mired in muck, my heart yearns for the light. There will come a day when I clear my name and get out of this."
At this thought, a bit of confidence returned to him, and he roused his spirits.
’First, home.’
’Tomorrow, I’ll go deal with Madam Shen.’
...
Back home, Bai Xiang and Yuan Ahqing were already asleep.
Jiang Mu changed his clothes, first releasing two Demon Shadows and ordering them to cultivate on their own. Then, he took out the Mad Saber and examined it closely.
According to Ran Qingshan, this saber originally contained "Blood Fiend Qi." Only when empowered by this baleful aura would its true power be revealed.
Jiang Mu might not have Blood Fiend Qi, but Demonic Qi was something he didn’t lack.
With a mere thought.
The dark red demonic blood in his Demon Slot immediately began to flow along the meridians in his arm, slowly infusing into the saber’s blade.
VMMMM—
The long saber instantly let out a trembling hum.
On the originally dark surface of the blade, strange and mysterious blood-colored patterns gradually appeared.
The Demonic Qi snaked along the patterns, flowing and circulating...
As the aura permeated it, the blade’s color deepened into a profound, blood-like shade, emitting a heart-palpitating pressure.
Then, Jiang Mu was surprised to find that the speed of the Demonic Qi infusion was increasing.
It even formed a vortex and became completely unstoppable.
Only when the demonic blood in his Demon Slot had been reduced by nearly half did the agitated blade finally return to calm.
"It really evolved."
Jiang Mu’s gaze burned with intensity as he gripped the hilt.
The long saber’s entire body now possessed a color that was even darker and more profound.
And the moment he gripped the hilt, a sense of perfect compatibility welled up within him.
It was as if man and saber were now connected by blood.
The man was the saber, and the saber was the man!
Jiang Mu swung it a few times, then carried the saber to the sandy area in his courtyard and began practicing the Heaven-Breaking Eight Skills.
The moment the blade moved, Jiang Mu noticed the difference.
As he executed the moves, they felt more profound than before, and his understanding of the Saber Skill’s true essence rose to a new level.
Once, twice, three times...
Jiang Mu’s movements became faster and faster.
Eventually, he even closed his eyes, completely sinking into an unconscious, ethereal state.
It was no longer him practicing with the saber, but the saber leading him in practice!
Under the influence of the saber’s intent, the originally fierce and complex Heaven-Breaking Eight Skills began to shed its complexity, becoming simpler.
From eight forms, it condensed to six.
Then, from six forms, it was refined down to three.
Finally, all the myriad variations merged, becoming a single form!
CLANG!
Jiang Mu sheathed his saber, closed his eyes, and focused his mind, carefully contemplating the true essence of this single slash that had returned to its purest form.
The next instant, he violently drew his saber!
Heaven-Breaking Slash!
A sound like tearing silk exploded from the mouth of the Sword Scabbard.
A bloody gleam erupted from the blade’s edge, transforming into a hundred-foot crimson wave that surged across the sky.
The air was torn to shreds, and it was as if the world itself had been flipped over, revealing a chilling, bone-white void.
"Holy shit!"
Jiang Mu sucked in a breath, his expression unable to hide his excitement.
’Simplicity from complexity, a single, decisive strike.’
’Either it stays sheathed, or it draws blood!’
If he were to face that fourth-rank Snake Demon maidservant now, he would only need this one Heaven-Breaking Slash to tear her to pieces.
’That Celestial Blade Ancestor really was incredible.’
Jiang Mu gently caressed the saber’s body and murmured:
"Celestial Blade Ancestor, may you rest in peace. Now that this saber is in my hands, I will never dishonor its name."
It was unclear if the saber understood Jiang Mu’s words.
But a single teardrop of blood actually seeped from its tip, slowly dripping down.
It was as if it had been moved to tears.
Jiang Mu was emotional for a moment, but when he looked at the Demon Slot in his sea of consciousness, his face fell.
’This damn thing consumes too much Demonic Qi.’
’Just one strengthening session and a single practice run had drained half a slot’s worth of demonic blood.’
’Luckily, I killed a fourth-rank Demon tonight to replenish my supply.’
’Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had nearly enough.’
’However, at this rate of consumption, my cheat will run out of power in three or four days at most.’
’No, I have to slay more Demon Fiends.’
Jiang Mu sheathed his saber. "After I deal with Madam Shen, I’ll ask the Lord Chief if there are any missions for me outside the city. If I’m cooped up in the city all day, where am I supposed to find enough Demon Fiends to kill?"
At this moment, he thought of Ling Ye.
’Maybe becoming a Patrol Envoy in the future wouldn’t be so bad. After all, Lord Ling has already opened a back door for me; I can walk through it anytime.’
—
「The next day.」
At the first light of dawn, Jiang Mu headed to the Shen family’s residence.
Although the Snake Mother had escaped last night, she was connected to Shen Wanhai, so the Demon-slaying Bureau had taken him away for questioning overnight.
According to standard procedure, he wouldn’t be released until after a full night of interrogation.
Therefore, Madam Shen was currently home alone.
’Hopefully, the woman won’t be a fool and will hand over the Sound Stone obediently. If that doesn’t work, I’ll threaten her with her husband’s life... "You don’t want your husband to never come back, do you?"’
Jiang Mu mentally rehearsed his lines as he arrived outside the Shen family’s small courtyard.
With a light leap, he vaulted over the wall and into the courtyard.
Although he was certain Shen Wanhai wasn’t there, Jiang Mu still concealed his aura to be safe.
After all, there were still servants and guards in the residence.
However, the moment his feet touched the ground, Jiang Mu’s sharp senses detected something amiss.
The smell of blood!
Looking around, he saw not a single servant or maid in the courtyard.
An unnatural silence hung in the air.
Jiang Mu instinctively tightened his grip on his saber’s hilt, a bad premonition rising in his heart.
He followed the direction the scent of blood was drifting from, moving slowly.
Eventually, he arrived before the main bedroom door.
Jiang Mu held his breath and used his Sword Scabbard to gently push the door open.
CREAAAK—
The sight that greeted him was a floor littered with mangled corpses.
All of them had been gnawed on, leaving them horrifically incomplete.
And there, on the grandmaster chair directly facing the door, sat a monster with the head of a pig and the body of a man.
It was corpulent, with tusks jutting out, and it was currently holding a slender arm, tearing at the flesh.
At its feet lay a woman’s corpse.
It was Madam Shen.
The woman’s eyes were wide open, her face still frozen in terror.
Seeing Jiang Mu push the door open, the Pig Demon showed no sign of panic. Instead, it split open its massive, bloody maw in a hideous grin.
"Lord Jiang, you’ve finally arrived."
"I’ve been waiting a long time for you."
The Pig Demon tossed a blood-stained Sound Stone to Jiang Mu’s feet.
"This bitch actually wanted to use this to threaten you, so I helped you eliminate this potential problem."
"Of course, even if it wasn’t to help you, she still had to die."
"Shen Wanhai agreed to our terms, but after seeing Lord Mist Demon get repelled, the spineless bastard actually tried to back out..."
"Heh heh, in that case, you can’t blame us for killing his entire family."