Chapter 90 - 84: Demon: He Came to Join Us
Once he was certain Jiang Mu was the traitor, Yan Fenghuo subconsciously gripped the hilt of his blade, ready to apprehend him on the spot and prevent his escape.
At the same time, Jiang Mu’s heart skipped a beat.
’This Demon knows me?’
Now, he finally confirmed his suspicion.
’That old schemer, Yan Fenghuo, really *is* testing me!’
Jiang Mu cursed inwardly. The Star Power in his body surged as he readied his saber, preparing to strike first and silence this Wolf Demon for good.
However, the Wolf Demon Black Wind’s eyes were bloodshot, its savage face contorted with bone-deep hatred as it let out a furious roar.
"You little Jiang bastard!"
"I hadn’t even come looking for you, and yet you served yourself up on a platter!"
"You’re the brat who seduced my woman! Today, I’m going to flay your skin and rip out your tendons!"
Jiang Mu: "?"
Yan Fenghuo: "?"
’Wait... dude?’
’The affair with Madam Shen was one thing; after all, she still has her charms.’
’But you won’t even let a Wolf Demon’s wife go? Aren’t your tastes a little too... progressive?’
Jiang Mu’s face turned a sickly green.
’What kind of animal was this body’s previous owner?’
’To be this indiscriminate!’
Fortunately, the Wolf Demon continued with hatred in its voice.
"Every time that bitch saw your pretty-boy face, her eyes would practically glue themselves to you. If I hadn’t found out early and kept a tight leash on her, you two dogs would have ended up in the same bed sooner or later!"
"I’ve already slaughtered that slut and made her into soup! Now, it’s your turn. You can be a pair of doomed lovers in the afterlife!"
As soon as it finished speaking, it dragged its wounded body forward in a ferocious lunge.
As for Jiang Mu, a great weight was lifted from his heart, and he let out a long sigh of relief.
’Thank goodness, thank goodness.’
’It seems that while Young Master Jiang was a scumbag, he at least had some standards. He didn’t actually engage in any... cross-species relations with a she-wolf.’
’Damn, that scared the hell out of me.’
With the misunderstanding cleared up, Jiang Mu’s mind was at ease, and his killing intent no longer wavered.
With a flick of his wrist, Jiang Mu’s saber let out a clear hum. A brilliant flash of light, like a bolt of white silk, shot out to meet the lunging shadow.
Meanwhile, Yan Fenghuo, still hiding in the shadows, felt like he was on an emotional rollercoaster.
He sighed and reluctantly released the hilt of his blade.
’It seems Master Jiang and this Wolf Demon really aren’t working together.’
In that case, the likelihood of Jiang Mu being the traitor dropped significantly.
’Could I really have been wrong?’
At this thought, he suddenly recalled Director Ran Qingshan’s instructions. He worried that the severely wounded, frenzied Fourth Realm Wolf King might launch a final, desperate counterattack and actually take Jiang Mu down with it. If that happened, his clever plan would have backfired spectacularly.
He hurriedly darted out from his hiding spot and circled around to the flank.
Feigning as if he had just caught up, he shouted, "Master Jiang, don’t panic! I’m here to help!"
However, his voice was still echoing in the air—
CHK!
A blood-red arc of light, like a crescent moon, flashed across the Wolf Demon’s thick neck.
The wolf’s head soared into the air, unleashing a spray of hot, foul-smelling blood.
The headless corpse maintained its charging momentum, stumbling forward two more steps before collapsing to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
The head tumbled over and over, rolling to a stop at Yan Fenghuo’s feet.
"Sorry, you’re too late."
With his back to the thud of the falling corpse, Jiang Mu gave his wrist a light flick.
The blood-stained saber drew a cold arc through the air before sliding perfectly into its sheath with a crisp CLICK.
The motion was as smooth as flowing water, exuding an effortless, dashing grace.
Yan Fenghuo stood frozen, completely dumbfounded.
Jiang Mu cut open the wolf’s corpse, removed the Demon Pill, and drained it of its Demonic Qi.
He then stood up, and as he walked past Yan Fenghuo, he patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly:
"As a Fifth Realm expert, letting a Fourth Realm Demon get this far right under your nose... That really shouldn’t have happened."
"Master Yan, you should probably go write a self-criticism report."
Yan Fenghuo: "..."
He looked down at the wolf’s head by his feet.
’At that moment, all he wanted to do was start swearing.’
...
The extermination mission was quickly drawing to a close.
As the head of the last Demon rolled to the ground, the eradication campaign in Black Wind Valley came to an end.
A total of seventy-three Demons, all slain.
There were only four minor injuries, one major injury, and no fatalities.
This was a testament to the squad’s elite caliber.
At that moment, however, most people’s gazes drifted, intentionally or not, toward the figure sitting atop a high rock...
...the tall, straight figure who was methodically wiping his blade.
After all, the Wolf King, Black Wind—a Great Demon at the peak of the Fourth Realm—had been killed single-handedly by Master Jiang of the Eighth Hall.
This was by far the greatest contribution to the battle.
The crowd had mixed feelings.
Some were jealous that Jiang Mu had gotten lucky and snagged the kill, while others secretly admired his courage for intercepting the Wolf King alone.
But no one was more frustrated than Yan Fenghuo.
’That glory should have been mine!’
’If he hadn’t deliberately held back for that damn "testing plan," when would this brat have had the chance to steal the show?’
’It was a case of shooting himself in the foot!’
"Master Jiang,"
Yan Fenghuo walked over and asked, feigning ignorance, "I think I saw that Wolf Demon say something to you before it died?"
Jiang Mu slowly wiped his blade with a cloth and replied nonchalantly,
"Oh, it said I seduced its wife. Master Yan, do you think I’m that kind of person?"
’Aren’t you?’
’Who in all of Hu State doesn’t know about the romantic escapades of Eldest Young Master Jiang?’
Yan Fenghuo secretly pursed his lips, but he put on a serious expression and said,
"I see. That vile beast was hiding in the city before the Mist Demon invasion and harmed many of our brothers. I thought it had fled long ago. I never expected it to be hiding right here. It truly was hiding in plain sight."
Jiang Mu didn’t reply.
His attention was now completely focused on the Demon Slot in his sea of consciousness.
The Demonic Qi from over seventy Demons had been completely absorbed. After fully energizing his two Demon Shadows, the blood gauge on the Demon Slot had risen by a good chunk.
But he was still about forty to fifty Demons’ worth of energy short of the next upgrade.