After all, it's the first time eating it; it's using one's own power to host and reward the clan members. With the satisfaction and pride blessed on it, even leftovers would taste like top-notch delicacy."

After finishing a sumptuous farewell banquet, the little Jiu Mu left that familiar mountain valley under the cover of night, heading towards the world outside.

The outside world is truly vast!

Without towering mountains enclosing, even the sky seemed to expand.

The world is wide with countless demon cultivators, some good, some bad, most of them scarcely more than advanced cattle and horses.

Without a grand background or mountain, without heaven-defying luck to gain fortuitous encounters and opportunities, they all barely manage their cultivation. In the environment where the strong prey on the weak, Jiu Mu, who doesn't even have the basic cultivation technique, doesn't find life easy.

As for the dream of wanting to grow strong, to return for revenge, and allow the clan to lead a good life, within this ever-expanding world, it seems increasingly elusive.

"Alas! Without any support, even daily expenses depend on stealing from villainous magicians, with the risk of being discovered; wanting to become strong is easier said than done." Jiang Yuan sighed heavily, very empathetic.

There are too many such examples in the modern world.

The villagers labor arduously to finance an entire family for one college student, imagining an easy ascension to lead the entire family to the big city for the life seen on TV.

Little do they know, a plain, unsupported college student becomes a mere corporate slave after graduation. Earning just enough to barely support oneself, easily facing million-yuan homes, how could they afford to buy one?

Parents waiting for children to provide; children waiting for parents' elevation, in the end, mutual misunderstanding, mutual complaints, making everything unsatisfactory.

"Indeed, it's very hard, but compared to the enslaved life deep in the mountains, it is already much better," Jiu Mu recalled, "Although no way to become stronger was found, at least knowledge increased.

I would sometimes sneak back and sell stolen items from those villainous magicians bad for ordinary demon races, exchanging them for rice, flour, and cloth, bringing them back to the village for the clan leader to distribute among the clan members."

She suddenly paused, tears flowed down in large drops, "I thought that even if I couldn't become strong for a while, the things I brought back could allow the clan members to live a little better, but...

For some reason, the secret got out, and the villainous magician knew about it.

After discovering my awakened ability, he planned to use the clan members as bait to lure me back to steal for him. Where would the clan leader and they, who hadn't even left the mountain valley, know my whereabouts?

Coincidentally at that time, I was also doing poorly, stealing things being discovered by the murderous magicians, I could only hide and roam, waiting nearly two years for the situation to calm down.

When I returned home with lots of supplies, I found that due to the prolonged delay outside, the villainous magician was impatient and began interrogating the clan members one by one. As they couldn't tell my whereabouts, he suspected them of harboring me, declaring he'd kill one clan member a day if I didn't show up.

Initially killing one a day, later two or three a day, until he was enraged and bloodily massacred the village... My clan was thus completely annihilated.

When I returned, I narrowly avoided being caught by the villainous magician guarding the village, fortunately acquiring a cultivation technique to escape..."

"Did you get revenge later?" Jiang Yuan asked angrily, thinking since later she met the fake Demon King Yun Li and was granted the title of Great Lord, how could she not capture the magician who slaughtered the entire clan and slice him into pieces?

Unexpectedly, Jiu Mu cried even harder, "No! I'm really useless! Boo-hoo-hoo..."

After crying for a long while, she continued sobbing, "Wandering aimlessly outside, wanting revenge but lacking the ability to become strong, could only drift about aimlessly, until meeting brother Yun Li.

He fought so fiercely, and without minding using a fox's authority as a tiger, accompanied me back for revenge.

Yet after many years, when we returned, it was already desolate and uninhabited, no one knew where the magician went, whether dead or alive; even brother Yun Li couldn't help finding his whereabouts.

The clan was gone, the goal of revenge for the clan became void, and my competitiveness and desire were thoroughly worn out.

Brother Yun Li knew my heart's maladies, and upon becoming Demon King, he appointed me as Lord.

That time was truly fortunate, I boldly reformed under my rule, dealt with many wicked magicians, rescuing bullied ordinary demon races. However... later events, Mr. Jiang already knew.

With the fake Demon King Yun Li's disappearance, Jiu Mu was ordered to be detained and stripped of her Lord title, the newly implemented policies were wasted. Fear those just ushered into brief good times will return to deep water and scorching fire.

She wiped her tears and calmed down, expression serious and solemn, "Mr., I was initially despondent and just wanted to get by. But during this time living in the courtyard, hearing Hu Zhile's tragic past; learning about Yun Mo's life, and learning the life story of your disciple Wan Mingchuan.

Compared to them, it seems my experience wasn't that miserable, they are all striving to cultivate and become strong, making me restless. From time to time, I think, if I can truly become strong, I can reclaim the territory granted to me! I could seek brother Yun Li's whereabouts, I can do many many things!

Then I heard Daoist Qu say Luo Nanjia is dead, it seems the heavens finally opened their eyes; last night your braised lips of fish, and just now that coarse cloth garment, all pierced my soul."

Jiu Mu stood up, knelt down sincerely begging, "Mr., my injury is no longer an issue, I beg you to arrange some tasks for me! I want to cultivate well, become strong, and return to the Demon Realm with the stance of a king, never again to be chased miserably without the strength to fight back! Please, Mr. Jiang, fulfill this wish!"

[Side Quest: Jiu Mu's Reversal]

[Quest 3: Guide and quietly listen to Jiu Mu's past has been completed. Reward: Farmland Upgrade Card +1 has been issued]

[Quest 4: Gift "The Ninth Volume of the Mountains and Rivers Map" to Jiu Mu to assist in her cultivation. Reward: Construction Material Package +1]

An additional volume of Mountain and River Map?!

Jiang Yuan was amazed at how smoothly this side quest proceeded, so simple and quick, reaching the fourth quest within just half a day, then noticed an identical scroll to Gongxi Jin was in the storage bag.

"You get up and speak, it's not a big deal, don't kneel at every turn." He pulled the other up, eagerly taking the scroll out of the storage bag, opened it——

Sure enough, there were the golden words "Task Exclusive," directly masking the contents!

Jiu Mu was a bit baffled, not knowing why Mr. Jiang suddenly aggressively took out a scroll brimming with demonic energy, looked at it for a moment with a slightly strained expression.

"Wait a moment, I will send you a treasure." Jiang Yuan gestured for her to follow, then flew back to the courtyard, shouting.

During the daytime, most of the courtyard members were present, even Bai Yunqi, Xie Chenyuan, and Jiu Qing's team just returned from the Flood Dragon Tomb, replaying previous actions.

Upon hearing his call, they all gathered forward.

Jiang Yuan still gave the scroll to Qing Niao first, "Open it and see what's inside."

The other accepted it readily, opening the scroll and tilted her head, carefully observing for a moment, "A very beautiful painting, feels unlike Cultivation Realm's sceneries, rather somewhat..."

Looking up at the magical scenery in the sky, she excitedly said, "Brother, look its style is very similar to those Immortal Mountains, should be a Mountain and River painting of Demon Realm?"

Jiang Yuan shifted his gaze to the others.

Qing Niao straightforwardly hung the scroll on the mushroom house for everyone to view.

"So that's how the Demon Realm looks? I never went there, the scenery seems nice."

"Indeed, I thought Demon Realm would be gloomier than the Netherworld!"

"Did Sir paint it? The mountain and river sceneries are grand and magnificent, looks great hung with an inscription."

...

Yan Xuan, awakened by the noise, glanced uninterested, then went back to sleep;

Ling Di guessed the painting surely like last time the master allowed viewing hid deep mystery, but couldn't discern anything, impatiently scratching and itching to stick to the painting.

Translating "Mountains and Rivers Map" as "Mountain and River Map."

Once the voices quieted, Jiu Qing commented, "The painting has faint demonic energy, not strong, presumably the work of a certain demon cultivator. Unfortunately, though the painting skill is exceptional, the realm itself isn't high, unable to make the scenery more profound."

"Eh? You can't see?" Jiu Mu blinked in confusion at Jiu Qing, pointing at the painting's faint mist, "The painting is clearly alive! There's a part of a small world inside, with majestic brimming qi surging out, making one want to explore it intimately to appreciate it fully."

Jiang Yuan thought whoever it's meant for would find it, with no affinity for the treasure seemingly invisible even laid here.

"Since you can understand it, this 'The Ninth Volume of the Mountains and Rivers Map' is for you, don't forget your original aim and cultivate well."

"Ah? Really, really?" Jiu Mu was flattered upon hearing this. Her recent swollen thoughts resulted in losing control, revealing her hardships to Mr. Jiang, exchanging it for a supreme treasure.

Suddenly receiving it may not be appropriate?