Turns Out I'm the Real Monster?!

In the days that followed, Jiang Mu remained at home, focused on his cultivation.

He had his Demon Shadow diligently practice the Heaven-Breaking Eight Skills while he used the Body Casting Skill to repeatedly temper his own body.

By having his body and his shadow train separately, he effectively doubled his efficiency.

The Tiger and Leopard Marrow Cleansing Pill issued by the Demon-slaying Bureau was truly potent. After taking one, it felt like a furnace had been lit in his abdomen.

The scorching medicinal power surged with his Qi and Blood, coursing through his entire body.

An ordinary person would have likely died from the pain.

Thanks to the perfect foundation laid by "borrowing" the physique of the Demon, Butcher Zhang, Jiang Mu’s progress was incredibly fast. At this rate, he estimated he could reach the threshold of the Second Realm in about two months.

The days trickled by as peacefully as water from the eaves.

Aside from occasionally reporting in for meetings at the Bureau or taking a spin around his own deserted Government Office, Jiang Mu basically never left home.

In his spare time, he would also help Bai Xiang tend to the vegetable garden.

Building a trellis for the peas or watering the bok choy, he found that gazing at the lush greenery was quite a good way to de-stress.

During this time, Jiang Mu began to feel it was unfair to make Bai Xiang juggle so many roles.

She had to be a cook, tend the garden, manage the enormous courtyard, and even periodically help him audit the account books for his two shops. He was practically working her to the bone.

So, with a wave of his hand, he gave Bai Xiang a generous monthly stipend and officially promoted her to housekeeper of the Jiang family.

As for himself, he settled comfortably into the role of a hands-off boss, dedicating himself completely to the grand pursuit of cultivation.

...

One day, the sun blazed high in the sky.

Jiang Mu stood bare-chested on the sandy ground of the courtyard.

The sunlight lashed his skin like a fiery whip. Sweat traced the lines of his taut muscles, dripping down to create tiny craters in the sand below.

"SWISH!"

He slashed his long saber, the blade cutting through the air with a piercing whistle.

A torrent of afterimages rained down from his blade.

Jiang Mu came to a stop, his chest heaving slightly. The breath he exhaled was as hot as fire.

From his initial unfamiliar movements and stiff execution to his current fluid grace and unobstructed power, he had begun to faintly grasp the "saber intent" within the Heaven-Breaking Eight Skills.

But it wasn’t enough.

Most Martial Arts in the world were divided into five realms of mastery.

Advancing through each of these realms was no less difficult than breaking through to a new Cultivation Level.

It required comprehension, aptitude, and, most importantly, a catalyst.

It wasn’t something you could achieve simply through sheer repetition, practicing tens or hundreds of thousands of times.

It was like a math problem: if you don’t know how to solve it, you just don’t.

This was the so-called "threshold."

Some people, in the midst of a life-and-death battle, could even experience a sudden flash of insight in a desperate moment, instantly breaking through their martial bottleneck and turning the tables on their opponent.

This was the "catalyst."

’If I have to rely on my own hard work, I’d probably only reach a rudimentary level even after another three years of practice.’

Jiang Mu looked down at his own eyes reflected in the blade.

’But so what?’

’I have a cheat.’

With a single thought, the massive Demon Slot materialized in his vision.

’Alright, my trusty hack, get to it!’

At his mental command, the dark red demon blood stored at the bottom of the slot instantly began to boil, transforming into a stream of energy that shot straight into Jiang Mu’s mind.

In that instant,

the previously obscure bottleneck became crystal clear.

Jiang Mu felt a surge of inspiration and instinctively swung his saber.

SWISH!

Before the blade even arrived, its Sword Qi had already carved a deep trench in the ground.

The kicked-up sand and dust parted to either side like a wave.

Heaven-Breaking Eight Skills, officially at the Entry Level!

’So powerful!’

Jiang Mu tightened his grip on the hilt, his heart pounding as he felt the surging power within him and the perfect sense of connection with the saber in his hand.

He was certain that if he were to encounter that Demon now, there would be no need for a drawn-out fight. He could take its head in two strikes!

’Strike while the iron is hot! Keep going!’

Jiang Mu focused his mind and swung his saber once more.

Beside him, the Demon Shadow moved in perfect sync, its blade glinting ominously.

As Jiang Mu’s own Saber Skill officially reached the Entry Level, the Demon Shadow’s training efficiency seemed to skyrocket, its slashes growing even fiercer.

Five days later, his Saber Skill reached Minor Accomplishment!

Seven days later, his Saber Skill reached Major Accomplishment!

But after he reached Major Accomplishment, his rate of improvement finally slowed.

It wasn’t for a lack of comprehension, but because the demon blood in the Demon Slot had been completely depleted, without a single drop remaining.

The Demon Shadow could no longer be summoned.

’The power bank was completely dead.’

"SWISH!"

Jiang Mu exhaled sharply as he executed an upward diagonal slash!

With a soft SHING,

the iron-hard wooden stake was sliced diagonally as if it were tofu. The cut surface was as smooth as a mirror, without a single splinter.

An unprecedented sense of completeness and control filled his entire being.

Man and saber were one, moving as easily as his own limbs.

’As expected of the Heaven-Breaking Eight Skills.’

Jiang Mu sheathed his saber, his eyes gleaming. "Truly formidable."

But looking at the utterly empty Demon Slot, he couldn’t help but feel a bit resigned. ’Looks like I’ll have to find a Demon to get more energy. This hack is great, but man, it’s a gas-guzzler.’

He turned and shouted to Bai Xiang, who was watering the vegetable garden:

"Xiang’Er, prepare my bath! After I’m all cleaned up, I’m going to slay some demons!"

Bai Xiang: "..."

——

After washing off the sweat and changing into a sharp set of everyday clothes, Jiang Mu arrived at the Demon-slaying Bureau, full of vigor.

Just as he entered the main gate, he happened to run into Xu Fu, who was leading a group out.

"Well, well, if it isn’t Eldest Young Master Jiang?"

Xu Fu stopped and greeted Jiang Mu with a smile. "What brings you here today? Come to collect your resources again?"

Ever since the incident in Da Wen Village, Xu Fu’s opinion of the foppish young master had changed considerably. His teasing now lacked its former scorn, replaced by a newfound familiarity.

"That’s right. I almost forgot it was time to collect my resources."

Jiang Mu only remembered because Xu Fu brought it up. He then changed the subject. "But I’m actually here today to see the Chief and find out if there are any missions for me."