Turns Out I'm the Real Monster?!

Chapter 16: Chapter 13: Two Goofballs

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

The blade flashed like snow, swirling with a cold light.

In the empty field, Jiang Mu held the new saber he’d received, his body moving and shifting as he practiced the Heaven-Breaking Eight Skills.

’Something’s wrong. The flow of my energy is still a bit sluggish.’

Jiang Mu paused, frowning at the saber in his hand.

’This Saber Skill may be called ’Heaven-Breaking,’ emphasizing raw power and directness, but executing it properly demands extremely high control over technique and timing.’

’The manual said that for someone of average talent, it would take three to five months just to learn the basics. To achieve mastery would take at least ten years of hard training, and even then, you might not get close.’

’Someone as untalented as me could practice until the day I die and still not perfect it. Ugh, I guess I’m just not cut out for cultivation.’

’Fortunately...’

A grin touched his lips. ’I have a cheat, hehe!’

A thought flickered in his mind.

The phantom ’Demon’ character quietly materialized in his sea of consciousness.

At the same time, a somewhat ethereal Demon Shadow appeared behind him, overlapping his form.

Jiang Mu took a deep breath, assumed his stance once more, and swung his saber.

The Demon Shadow behind him moved in tandem, grasping an illusory long saber condensed from black qi.

As his saber forms unfolded, Jiang Mu could clearly feel his comprehension of the attack trajectories and the key points of power application deepening at a startling rate. All his previous sluggishness vanished, and everything flowed smoothly.

’As expected, a trusty cheat never fails.’

His spirits lifted, Jiang Mu’s saber dance became even more powerful.

...

「Three days later.」

The independent Government Office the Demon-slaying Bureau had arranged for Jiang Mu was finally established.

It was not far from the Jiang residence.

It was a standard two-courtyard house.

The front courtyard was spacious and flat, paved with bluestone slabs—perfect for drills and roll call.

The rear courtyard contained several rooms for offices and storage. While far from extravagant, they were clean, bright, and rather tastefully arranged.

He heard it had once been an abandoned outpost for the Inspection Bureau.

As for its jurisdiction...

Ran Qingshan had generously assigned the two streets surrounding the Government Office to the Eighth Hall.

Jiang Mu had initially suggested setting up the office in his own home to save himself the commute.

But Ran Qingshan had sternly refused.

His reasoning was sound:

Business is business, and personal is personal. If his superiors discovered a hall of the Demon-slaying Bureau was operating out of a private residence, would he, the Lord Chief, get to keep his job?

That evening, to celebrate Jiang Mu’s "office opening," Ran Qingshan hosted a banquet at the finest restaurant in the city.

Although most of the Hall Masters harbored resentment toward Jiang Mu, seeing him as someone who only got the post through connections, and secretly looked down on him, they couldn’t disrespect the Lord Chief. Thus, everyone attended.

After several rounds of drinks and courses of food,

Jiang Mu, as the guest of honor, naturally had to make a toast.

"My fellow colleagues, I am a newcomer with little experience and am unfamiliar with many of the customs. If I do anything wrong in the future, I ask for your patience and guidance."

Jiang Mu raised his cup to the others at the table.

"I’ll drink this first, as a sign of respect. In the future, if any of you have the time, please feel free to visit. I may not have much else, but I can promise you’ll never lack for good wine."

With that, he tilted his head back and drained his cup in one gulp.

You don’t hit a man who’s smiling, as the saying goes. Regardless of their true feelings, everyone responded politely, offering meaningless pleasantries.

But just as the atmosphere grew congenial, Wen He, the Hall Master of the Third Hall, suddenly chuckled.

"Master Jiang, there’s no need to be so formal. You’re a favorite, personally approved by the General Office. From now on, it should be us trying to curry favor with you, taking you out for drinks."

"If we fail to show the proper courtesy, we couldn’t possibly bear the consequences if you decided to make things difficult for us."

As soon as he finished speaking, the table fell silent.

Everyone’s expressions became telling; some looked down at their food, while others watched with amusement.

Many in the Demon-slaying Bureau had their opinions about Jiang Mu, but Wen He was the only one to be so openly scathing.

The reason was simple.

After the massacre of the Jiang family, the Demon-slaying Bureau dispatched men to pursue the culprit, Jiang Yuexin, who had transformed into a Demon Fiend.

Wen He was one of the leaders of the pursuit, and he was the first to catch up to her.

But not only did he fail to slay Jiang Yuexin, he was utterly humiliated by her instead.

According to the rumors spread by his subordinates, when they finally found Wen He, he was hanging upside down from a tree, being swung like a pendulum. To make matters worse, he was covered from head to toe in animal dung.

For a man like Wen He, who was normally so concerned with his image, it was the ultimate humiliation.

Ever since, Wen He had despised Jiang Yuexin.

By extension, he couldn’t stand the sight of Jiang Mu, the "murderer’s brother."

Jiang Mu didn’t know the whole story, and even if he had, he likely wouldn’t have cared.

Faced with this veiled mockery, he simply pretended not to hear and continued chatting with the others.

Seeing that he was being ignored, Wen He felt his composure start to crack.

Just as he was about to speak again, he caught an indifferent glance from Ran Qingshan, who sat at the head of the table.

Wen He’s heart tightened. He swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue, snorted coldly, and threw back a cup of wine in frustration.

...

After the banquet ended and the guests had departed, Ran Qingshan had Wen He stay behind.

"Now that Jiang Mu’s independent Government Office is officially open, we can’t just let him be a commander without an army."

Ran Qingshan got straight to the point. "Your Third Hall has plenty of men. Pick two and send them over to him tomorrow. They can run errands and handle the daily patrols."

The pale, plump Wen He scowled. "Why does it have to be me?"

Ran Qingshan replied coolly,

"No one would be happy about it, so I drew lots to decide. And you were chosen."

"Of course, I won’t let you take a loss. When the resource quotas for the Eighth Hall are allocated, I’ll see to it that you get a little extra as compensation."

"Furthermore, this is a chance to smooth things over between you and Jiang Mu. Why be so antagonistic? Besides, if Jiang Yuexin had truly wanted you dead that day, you might not have returned at all."

Thinking of it, Ran Qingshan still felt a pang of confusion.

Since Jiang Yuexin had already slaughtered her own family to become a demon, her ferocity should have been at its peak. Yet she only toyed with the Demon Slayer Envoys pursuing her, never once landing a fatal blow. It was truly bizarre.

"Fine."

Wen He was still sick to his stomach at the thought, but his expression softened at the mention of compensation.

He snorted coldly.

"I’ll send the men, but don’t expect me to start acting like that brat’s best friend, my lord. He’s not worthy."

"Suit yourself."

Ran Qingshan waved a dismissive hand. "But on one condition: if you have joint missions in the future, you will not let personal grudges interfere with official duties."

He wasn’t a babysitter; he wasn’t there to manage everyone’s feelings.

As long as they maintained a veneer of civility, he couldn’t be bothered with the undercurrents flowing beneath the surface.

In fact, on a deeper level, he was actually pleased to see a delicate balance of power and competition among his Hall Masters.

He might even secretly stoke the flames of their rivalries from time to time.

After all, as Lord Chief, he didn’t want his subordinates to be a unified bloc. If all the Hall Masters were of one mind, it wouldn’t be long before he was reduced to a powerless figurehead.

A healthy dose of internal conflict was an effective tool for managing subordinates.

After Ran Qingshan departed, Wen He stroked his fleshy chin and murmured to himself,

’Pick two men... Who should I send over?’

’The Lord Chief gave the order, so I can’t send anyone completely useless. That would be a slap in his face.’

’But I’m not willing to send any of my elite troops, and I certainly don’t want to do Jiang Mu any favors.’

After a moment of thought, a glint flashed in Wen He’s eyes. He had an idea.

—

「The next morning.」

Two new faces arrived at the desolate Government Office of the Eighth Hall.

They were brothers who bore a passing resemblance to one another.

The older brother, Zhang Daxie, was about thirty, with a powerful build and a calm face.

The younger, Zhang Xiaokui, was a bit leaner than his brother, but his features held a sharp, arrogant air.

"I can’t believe we’ve fallen this low."

Zhang Daxie said with a bitter, self-mocking laugh as he surveyed the empty courtyard.

"Damn it!"

His younger brother, Zhang Xiaokui, kicked a nearby stone, his fists clenched in fury.

"That bastard Wen He did this on purpose! Just because we didn’t know ’the rules’ and pay him a bribe! Just because we ruined his little scheme last time! And now he’s kicked us to this hellhole!"

The more Zhang Xiaokui spoke, the angrier he became, the flames of rage searing his heart.

Though young, his Cultivation Level was already at the peak of the Second Realm, just one step away from the Third.

His brother, Zhang Daxie, was even a Third Realm "Copper Carved Demon Slayer."

And now, they’d been assigned to serve under a spoiled rich kid with a mere First Realm Cultivation Level.

How could he stand for this?

Having clawed his way up from a humble background through sheer hard work, he despised aristocrats like Jiang Mu who relied on their family name.

"I quit!"

Zhang Xiaokui spun around and started to walk out.

"If they don’t want us here, then there are places that will! At worst, we can join one of the sects in the pugilist world. With our skills, we can make a living anywhere! Why should we endure this humiliation?"

"Stop!"

Zhang Daxie grabbed his brother. "Stop right there!" he snapped. "What nonsense is this? When are you going to grow out of this habit of giving up at the first sign of trouble?"

"The pugilist world? You think that’s an easy life?"

"As Demon Slayer Envoys, we are on the Court’s payroll. We have its protection and a steady supply of cultivation resources. Once you become a common sell-sword, your future is finished. You’ll never amount to anything!"

Zhang Xiaokui retorted, "It’s better than being a dog for some rich brat!"

"How do you know he’s just a rich brat? I heard he killed a Demon the other day."

"What’s so impressive about killing one Demon?"

Zhang Xiaokui spat dismissively. "Between the two of us, we’ve killed at least eighty Demons over the years, maybe even a hundred."

"You—"

Zhang Daxie was about to scold him further when he caught sight of a figure walking through the courtyard gate.

It was Jiang Mu, dressed in the official uniform of a Hall Master.

Zhang Daxie quickly tugged on his brother’s sleeve and hurried forward, cupping his fists in a salute.

"This humble subordinate, Zhang Daxie, and this is my younger brother, Zhang Xiaokui. We’ve been ordered to report to the Eighth Hall and await Lord Jiang’s commands."

Though a hundred times unwilling, Zhang Xiaokui could only swallow his anger under his brother’s stern gaze. He gave a stiff, grudging salute and mumbled,

"Greetings, my lord."

"There’s no need for formalities, you two."

Jiang Mu said with a smile as his gaze swept over the two brothers.

"I appreciate you both coming. I won’t be here most days, so I’ll have to trouble you with the daily running of the Government Office. If anything urgent comes up, you can find me at my home. It’s nearby; I’m sure you know the way."

’So he’s just going to be a hands-off boss?’

Zhang Daxie froze for a second before cupping his fists. "Yes, my lord. I understand."

Jiang Mu glanced at the silent, sullen Zhang Xiaokui, but said nothing. He simply nodded and left the courtyard.

Watching Jiang Mu’s carefree departure, Zhang Xiaokui finally exploded.

"Did you see that, brother? That’s our new Hall Master!"

He pointed at the gate, trembling with rage. "He can’t even be bothered to put on a show! He just pops in for a second and then runs back home to enjoy his life of luxury."

"Can’t you see how the higher-ups treat him? He’s just a figurehead!"

"If we stay here, we can forget about getting any decent missions. No missions means no merits, and no merits means no resources! How are we supposed to cultivate? How are we supposed to reach the next realm?"

Zhang Xiaokui whirled around, his eyes red as he stared at his brother.

"Think about it, brother," he pleaded. "We either leave now and find another path, or... we stay here in this mud pit and rot away with that rich brat!"

With that, he stomped his foot and stormed off in a rage.

Zhang Daxie stood alone in the empty courtyard, gazing after his brother’s furious retreat. He then glanced back in the direction Jiang Mu had gone, his expression fraught with conflict.

’Is there really no hope for us here?’

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