Chapter 52 - 46: You Can Please Me Right Now
"Us?"
Jiang Mu’s gaze shifted, sweeping across the room.
Besides the pig-headed Demon, a curvaceous woman was reclining on the bed.
Her face was enchanting, and she had a pair of fluffy fox ears. Behind her, a long, bushy, crimson tail swayed leisurely.
She was a Fox Demon who had not yet fully transformed.
At this moment, the Fox Demon was holding a swaddled infant.
She hummed a little tune, gently patting the baby with a hand that had long, sharp nails, seeming to not even notice Jiang Mu’s arrival.
That was Madam Shen’s child.
But from the bottom corner of the swaddling clothes, blood was dripping down.
Nearby, Shen Wanhai’s elderly parents lay in a pool of blood, long since dead.
Jiang Mu’s eyes instantly turned cold.
This was all unexpected, but considering Madam Shen’s earlier threats, it wasn’t so surprising after all.
After all, Jiang Chen’s identity as a mole had been confirmed.
They were bound to show up sooner or later.
’I just didn’t expect it to be so soon.’
’And I certainly hadn’t expected that Shen Wanhai was also in league with Demon Fiends.’
’Does Madam Shen know?’
Jiang Mu suppressed the turmoil in his heart and said in a calm tone, "You’re all incredibly bold, carrying out a massacre within the city walls."
The auras emanating from the two Demons were both Tier Three.
"What’s there to be afraid of?"
The Pig Demon sneered. "A dog that bites the hand that feeds it deserves to pay the price. His whole family getting wiped out is getting off easy!"
It paused, then snorted.
"Back in the day, my Master’s faction was the only one outside Hu State. Then some reckless Snake Demon came along wanting to snatch our territory, but when she saw my Master had Lord Mist Demon as a backer, she tucked her tail and backed down.
But not long ago, Lord Mist Demon was seriously injured and driven back. That Snake Mother thought her chance had come and started getting cocky.
And Shen Wanhai, that turncoat, saw which way the wind was blowing. Fearing we’d settle scores with him, he secretly betrayed our Master and went over to that Snake Mother.
Hmph, if that Snake Mother hadn’t been seriously wounded and fled last night, losing her protection, killing this Shen fellow wouldn’t have been so easy."
Understanding dawned on Jiang Mu.
’So the world of Demon Fiends is also divided into factions, and it’s dog-eat-dog.’
The Snake Mother wasn’t Shen Wanhai’s lover at all, but his new master.
She had been hiding in the residence to break through to a higher realm.
But due to a strange twist of fate, Madam Shen’s report had exposed her.
’It seems Madam Shen really didn’t know the details of her husband’s collusion with Demons. Otherwise, she’d never have been foolish enough to report her husband’s backer.’
The Pig Demon tore off another mouthful of flesh and mumbled indistinctly:
"But you, kid, have been a pleasant surprise. You’ve actually managed to make something of yourself in the Demon-slaying Bureau.
Back then, Shen Wanhai using his stupid wife as bait to get you hooked and force you to join us was the one decent thing he ever did."
’What?’
’Shen Wanhai was the one who dragged me into this?’
A flash of insight struck Jiang Mu, and all the pieces fell into place.
Shen Wanhai had long been a running dog for the Demon Fiends.
To recruit a subordinate for his master, he didn’t even hesitate to use his own wife as bait.
And Jiang Chen, that idiot who only thought with his lower body, took the bait hook, line, and sinker, and was forced onto their pirate ship.
He became one of them.
No wonder during the days of his parents’ funeral, Shen Wanhai kept visiting under the pretext of buying the shop, beating around the bush.
It wasn’t about business at all, but about confirming whether he’d really lost his memory and if he would leak their secrets.
But Shen Wanhai never would have imagined that in the end, he’d be brought down by his own foolish wife.
The Pig Demon stood up, stepping through the pools of blood on the floor as it approached:
"But I heard you were poisoned by the mist and lost your memory? How much have you remembered? If that bitch Madam Shen hadn’t threatened you, I’m afraid..."
It raised a hand and slapped it heavily on Jiang Mu’s shoulder. A foul, bloody stench washed over him.
"Did you really start to think of yourself as a good man of the Demon-slaying Bureau?"
The Pig Demon’s face was filled with mockery.
Jiang Mu asked, "Did you kill my family?"
The Pig Demon grinned.
"We didn’t kill your family. If we had, you’d be a corpse right now. The city was chaotic back then, with all sorts of Demon Fiends running around. Maybe a Demon from another faction killed them in passing. Who knows?"
’Other Demons...’
Jiang Mu couldn’t tell if the Pig Demon was telling the truth.
He lifted his head and looked the Pig Demon straight in the eye. "I want to see the Master."
"You want to see the Master?"
The Fox Demon on the bed suddenly giggled, her tail slapping against the bedframe with a rhythmic THWAP.
"Who do you think you are? You think just because you’ve made a name for yourself in the Demon-slaying Bureau, you’re qualified to meet the Master?
Jiang Chen, whether your amnesia is real or fake, big sister has to remind you—"
Her eyes turned cold, a sinister light glinting in her fox-like pupils.
"You’re just a dog our Master is raising!
You want to slay demons and fiends? Fine. The Master would love for you to accumulate more merits, climb higher, and become more valuable.
But if you dare to have second thoughts, or try to bite back... heheh, we’ll make you wish you were dead.
Understand, little puppy?"
Jiang Mu gazed at the dismembered corpses on the floor, his expression still calm as he said faintly:
"So, this massacre... was it also meant for me to see?"
"That’s right."
The Pig Demon squeezed Jiang Mu’s shoulder hard and grinned ferociously.
"Now that Shen Wanhai is dead, you’ll have to take his place. Continue to lie low and operate in Hu State, and wait for Lord Mist Demon to make a comeback."
Jiang Mu understood.
’It seems the mastermind behind them sees my value. That’s why he sent these two demons—to intimidate me, and also to bring me back into the fold.’
’This is actually a good thing.’
’As long as I’m useful to the Master, this connection won’t be severed.’
’And I can use this to be a little more... unrestrained.’
"Also, the Master said that since Lord Mist Demon was injured and retreated, our faction’s Demons have basically all withdrawn. If you want to climb the ranks, feel free to kill as many as you want. You don’t have to worry about friendly fire."
The Pig Demon pulled a blood-stained list from its robes and handed it to Jiang Mu.
"This list has the locations of a few other demon nests. Consider it a reward from the Master, some easy merits for you."
Jiang Mu took the list, his eyes flickering.
’It seems the internal strife within the Demon Race is just as vicious.’
"Alright, I’ve said what needed to be said. If the Master has new orders, you’ll be notified."
The Pig Demon turned to the Fox Demon on the bed.
"Let’s go, Xiaohua. The Master has probably dealt with Shen Wanhai by now. We need to get out of the city quickly, before those Court lapdogs get desperate and seal the gates."
As it said the word "lapdogs," it shot Jiang Mu a sidelong glance.
The contempt in its eyes was undisguised.
Cradling the swaddled bundle, the Fox Demon swayed over, her hips swinging.
As she passed Jiang Mu, right in front of him, she casually shook the skeletal remains out of the swaddling clothes.
She tossed them onto the floor like trash.
CLATTER.
The bones hit the ground with a sharp, piercing sound.
The Fox Demon lifted her blood-stained fingertips, caressed Jiang Mu’s cheek, and breathed out a fragrant sigh.
"Little one, you’re becoming more and more of a man. We’re in a hurry this time, but next time we meet... big sister will be sure to show you a *very* good time."
Jiang Mu lowered his gaze to the skeleton at his feet and took a deep breath.
He looked up, his voice chillingly cold.
"There’s no need for a next time."
"This time... will be just fine."
The Fox Demon froze for a second, then covered her mouth and giggled, her eyes full of seduction.
"Oh my, so eager? A pity, but it really can’t be this time. If big sister can’t get out of the city, then big sister won’t be happy..."
"I think it would be better if you didn’t leave the city at all."
Jiang Mu slowly gripped the hilt of his blade. "Besides, your Master did say I should slay more demons to earn merit, and that I don’t need to worry about friendly fire."
"What?"
The Pig Demon, who was just about to head out, stopped in its tracks, not comprehending for a moment.
The Fox Demon’s expression changed instantly, however, and her tail bristled.
SWISH!
A flash of crimson light!
Warm demon blood sprayed like a fountain onto the Pig Demon.
It froze on the spot.
It could only watch as the Fox Demon, who just a moment ago had been so alluring, was split perfectly in two by a straight line of blood running from her crotch to her brow.