Turns Out I'm the Real Monster?!

’Seizing a Star Position right now isn’t realistic.’

Judging by the aura emanating from He Shuangying, orthodox Star Officials were indeed difficult to handle. And without evidence, the Demon-slaying Bureau would never approve a search.

But as long as he still coveted the Magical Treasure, they were destined to meet again.

And when they met, conflict was sure to follow.

And with conflict came opportunity.

Once the Zhang Xiaokui brothers finished dealing with the fish demon’s corpse, the trio left the city without a moment’s rest.

The rest of their demon-slaying operation went exceptionally smoothly.

A pack of Wolf Demons holed up in an abandoned mine, and a nest of bone demons hiding in a mass grave.

There was also a pheasant demon, a talented singer and dancer.

As the sun set, the trio who had wiped out the demon lairs returned triumphantly to the Demon-slaying Bureau.

Gazing at the small mountain of demon carcasses piled in the courtyard, the members of the Demon-slaying Bureau had long since grown numb.

The very people who had once mocked the Zhang Daxie brothers for willingly stooping so low were now all staring with envy, so jealous their dicks were turning purple.

Some even began to secretly wonder if they should try to transfer to the Eighth Hall.

They’d even be happy just to be Master Jiang’s hanger-on.

...

「In the Chief’s Seal Room.」

Jiang Mu slapped the list on the table and reported to Ran Qingshan.

"My lord, all the demons on the list have been eliminated. Including the Snake Demon from before, that should count as a massive pile of merits, right? Can I exchange them for something?"

"What do you want in exchange?" Ran Qingshan asked, looking up at him.

Jiang Mu chuckled. "Could I get a Star Official Seal?"

’He wanted to turn his Shadow Number Two into a pseudo-Star Official. With a dual-core setup, his efficiency would skyrocket.’

Ran Qingshan froze, staring at him.

"Haven’t you already claimed a Star Position? What do you need another one for?"

"Er..."

Jiang Mu’s eyes darted as he spun a tale. "I just want a spare. What if I decide my current Star Position isn’t working out, or I want to change my approach someday? It’s good to have a backup, isn’t it?"

"Nonsense!"

Ran Qingshan was rendered speechless for a moment before he scolded him.

"What do you think this is? Playing house? Swapping clothes?

While Star Positions of the Celestial and Earth Demon Levels can be replaced,

you can’t just swap them out frequently! Doing so can cause turmoil in your Divine Soul and reverse the flow in your meridians. In a mild case, you’ll suffer cultivation deviation. In a severe case, you’ll die on the spot!

Besides, the Star Official Seal is one of the Demon-slaying Bureau’s most important resources! Every single one is registered and must be reported to the General Office to be written off. Do you think you can just get one whenever you feel like it?

With the merits you have now, you’re a long way from being able to afford an Earth Demon Level Star Official Seal."

Jiang Mu was disappointed. "Then how can I get one?"

Ran Qingshan said with deep meaning,

"If you can root out the moles hiding in Hu State, I might consider using my authority to grant you one."

"Never mind, then."

Jiang Mu’s enthusiasm instantly deflated.

He thought for a moment, then added,

"Then what about a storage-type Magical Treasure? It’s too inconvenient to drag demon carcasses back every time. I remember Hall Master Xu Fu has a Storage Ring."

Ran Qingshan shook his head. "Storage-type Magical Treasures aren’t as miraculous as you think. The Bureau’s inventory is full of ones like Xu Fu’s—they have tiny storage spaces, only enough for a few Talismans and Pills. If you want one, you can use your merits to get it."

’That’s it?’

Jiang Mu was too exasperated to even comment.

’The Demon-slaying Bureau’s equipment is seriously pathetic.’

But it was better than nothing, so Jiang Mu took the deal.

It was a dusty-looking copper ring, with an internal space about the size of a small box.

"Oh, right,"

Ran Qingshan suddenly recalled something, and his expression turned serious. "Someone came to the Bureau to report that you beat up a civilian in the street. Did that happen?"

"Slander! That’s absolute slander!"

Jiang Mu immediately shook his head. "I’m a law-abiding citizen."

Ran Qingshan snorted. "A word of warning," he said.

"Be more careful in your daily conduct. Deputy Director Tian is returning soon. If he catches you acting up, you’ll get an earful, and it will be difficult for me to defend you."

"My lord, you’re the Director, the man in charge. Are you really afraid of the Deputy Director?"

Jiang Mu was confused.

Ran Qingshan sounded somewhat helpless.

"He’s a veteran, after all. He’s slain countless demons in his lifetime and has connections at court. More importantly, his own brother is the Garrison Envoy of Yunzhou City."

After a pause, Ran Qingshan added,

"This Deputy Director Tian is notoriously short-tempered and old-fashioned. He especially despises dandies who rely on connections to climb the ladder. Your background already puts you on his bad side. If he finds any dirt on you... just try to stay out of his way from now on."

Jiang Mu said nothing, merely nodding.

’In his heart, however, he was unconcerned.’

’So what if his brother is the Garrison Envoy of Yunzhou City? Big deal.’

’I once called our own Garrison Envoy of Hu State a beast to his face!’

’And General Shangguan didn’t do a thing to me.’

’Of course, that was only because General Shangguan was a magnanimous man.’

——

"I’m actually quite the grudge-holder, you know."

On the jade platform in the Cold Pool, Shangguan Luoxue sat cross-legged, her voice as cold and remote as ice.

"For instance, not long ago, someone insulted me. I didn’t punish him then, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten. And it certainly doesn’t mean I wasn’t offended."

She lifted her gaze to the entrance of the Underground Palace.

"And so... I feel the same way about you."

A tall, curvaceous figure dressed in black stood silently at the entrance.

And in her arms, she held a large watermelon.

Ling Ye ignored the sting in her words, her eyes fixed on the lonely figure as she asked softly,

"Why were you in such a hurry to achieve a breakthrough?"

When the other woman didn’t answer, Ling Ye sighed and spoke with a melancholic air.

"I remember when you were a child, the only time I ever struck you was because you were too reckless, too much of a gambler.

You had a mere thirty percent chance of gathering that Spirit Medicine from the cliff, yet you insisted on taking the risk, even if it meant betting your life.

You won that gamble, but I was still furious.

Because luck isn’t infinite. The Celestial Dao doesn’t favor any one person forever."

"So, did you come all this way just to gloat?"

Shangguan Luoxue’s tone was flat.

The water in the pool stirred without a wind, sending ripples spreading across its surface.

Purple snowflakes drifted down, landing on her shoulders and the ends of her hair. They melted silently upon touching her jade-like skin, vanishing like tears.

Ling Ye’s beautiful, perpetually cold eyes were now tinged with a faint sadness.

She walked toward Shangguan Luoxue, one step at a time.

WHOOSH—

The gently floating snowflakes suddenly stopped, then swirled toward Ling Ye like a thousand whistling blades!

Each snowflake carried a biting Sword Intent.

Yet Ling Ye didn’t evade. She didn’t even raise her Protective Gang Qi.

Her pace unwavering, she walked straight into the blizzard.

SHINK! SHINK! SHINK!

The sharp snowflakes slashed through the veil covering her face.

But still, she did not stop.

"Why must you do this," Shangguan Luoxue sighed.

The blizzard ceased.

Ling Ye reached the jade platform and gazed at the disciple she hadn’t seen in years.

Her disciple was still breathtakingly beautiful, like a rare purple flower blooming alone in the depths of a frozen abyss—serene, aloof, and unapproachable.

’Their lineage was known as "Cold Moon."

The Cold Moon Sect had an ironclad rule, passed down through the ages:

Each generation passed its teachings to a single female disciple. No exceptions.

The requirements for entry were also incredibly strict. A disciple needed not only peerless beauty and extraordinary innate talent, but also... a rather bizarre qualification.

One’s bosom had to be sufficiently... grand.

As the proverb says, "The ocean embraces a hundred rivers; greatness comes from one’s capacity."

Only then could one cultivate the supreme secret arts of the Cold Moon Sect.

Her master had been this way.

She was this way.

And so was her disciple, Luoxue.

Of course, when it came to ’hardware,’ she was definitely a cut above the other two.

She had, after all, already attained a ’D’ cup figure by the age of sixteen.

And now... well, enough said.

But it was precisely because of this bizarre rule that the Cold Moon Sect had drawn its fair share of criticism and ridicule from the martial world.

Years ago, that Great Demon surnamed ’Jiang’ had mockingly dubbed the Cold Moon Sect the ’Wet Nurse Sect’.

That had infuriated her master.

She remembered her master, the Fairy, saying to her fiercely just before she left:

"Ye’Er! The honor of our Sect cannot be trampled! You wait here. I am going to have a word with that Great Demon!"

From that day on...

...she never saw her master again.