Be the Hardest Working Demon Cultivator!

```

Men are born of their mothers, and demons of theirs; Tan Shuchang was naturally not born from the heavens and earth—he, too, was born of a human being... probably a human.

Before the age of five, Tan Shuchang was just an ordinary illegitimate child.

He had no idea who his real father was, nor what his mother's name was, only that she was likely not the simple farmer's wife she appeared to be. This was the conclusion Tan Shuchang had drawn from his observations.

After the age of five, events confirmed Tan Shuchang's conclusions, namely, that his birth mother's behavior was somewhat... odd.

"I have lived through nine lives, given birth to nine sons, and killed nine sons, all to perfect the Nine Infanticides Ghost Mother. I never expected to reap what I'd sown and be compelled to live an extra life, giving birth to yet another son, so I shall keep you…" she had said.

That was what his birth mother had told him.

Tan Shuchang still remembered how his mother, once mild and placid as water, suddenly appeared regal and exceptionally noble, yet also incredibly cold and indifferent, her gaze seemingly able to extinguish all life.

Then, as bandits arrived, she feigned a tumble down a cliff...

Because afterwards, Tan Shuchang saw her rise into the air, although strangely, he was the only one who could see his mother at that moment.

The bandits captured Tan Shuchang, who was just five years old at the time, but did not kill him. Instead, they took him with them. Eventually, soldiers arrived, drove the bandits away, rescued Tan Shuchang, and escorted him respectfully to Jingzhou.

It was then that Tan Shuchang learned of his true status.

At the feet of the Jingzhou Emperor, the son of Tan, the Imperial Teacher to two dynasties!

Although merely an illegitimate son, Tan had only four sons, including Tan Shuchang. And the three before him, apart from the eldest who inherited Tan's true knowledge, the other two were no smarter than pigs.

Indeed, it would be no exaggeration to say that pigs were more intelligent than those two.

Therefore, it was this Tan, the Imperial Teacher, who took an interest in Tan Shuchang, his out-of-wedlock son. A family as large as theirs could ill afford to have only one member holding the fort.

From ancient times to the present, having the right father has been key.

With such a father, it would have been difficult for Tan Shuchang not to succeed. There were a few whose literary works surpassed his, which he remembered well. Although he studied hard, such things are largely a matter of talent, and Tan Shuchang had only average talent for it.

However, the top student of the final imperial examination turned out to be him, and the Emperor himself recognized this first place.

During the celebration feast, Tan Shuchang was intentionally made drunk.

It was only after he sobered up that he learned he had beaten up the Emperor's three sons, because they looked too much like his own 'Second Brother and Third Brother'.

Tan Shuchang remembered that he probably hadn't laid a hand on them, he seemed to have only been beaten himself at the time, but everyone was saying so, and the Emperor as well, so the accusation stood.

However, because of his father, Tan Shuchang was merely stripped of his titles and sent home to reflect upon his actions.

Not long after this event, a cup of poisoned wine was delivered to the Tan household.

Learning that his favorite son would be spared if he ended his own life, the Imperial Teacher of two dynasties drank the poisoned wine without hesitation, thereby ending his illustrious life.

However, what the Imperial Teacher did not anticipate was that the Emperor had played a game of words with him.

The Emperor spared only Tan Shuchang.

The rest of the Tan family, as long as they were within the third degree of kinship, were all put to death without exception.

Tan Shuchang's eldest brother had already held a high official position and had vast connections of power and influence. Not only was he literate and martially skilled, having practiced for some time, but he also had enough influence in the military and among cultivators to summon considerable support.

However, Tan Shuchang's second and third brothers, don't be fooled by their seemingly scoundrel behavior, standard prodigals, but the fact is that their mother's family wielded great influence!

Their impact in the court was tremendous!

Although Tan Shuchang seemed much stronger than his second and third brothers, at the end of the day, he was merely a man of mediocrity. Just an ordinary person who, after being blessed with a powerful family background, could only display so much.

Moreover, he was an illegitimate child, and his birth mother had been killed by someone sent by Tan's main madam, who was dissatisfied with her, under the guise of bandits.

As for how Tan Shuchang became aware of the true identities of those bandits at the time, it was one of the eunuchs who came to confiscate the Tan manor, found him, and personally told him, then gave him some silver coins and drove him out of Jingzhou.

No sooner had Tan Someone left Jingzhou than the benevolent name of His Majesty spread throughout the twenty-five provinces.

One can only say that there isn't an emperor without deep scheming.

As for the special traits of Tan Shuchang...

This actually began when he was very young, and he who had lived two lives always concealed it, even before the age of five, never revealing it.

He feared his birth mother would see him as a monster and burn him alive.

However, after the age of five, Tan Shuchang understood that his abilities were likely influenced by his birth mother. He must have inherited some of her powers.

Black Heart Mountain.

This place did not become sunny and bright with the death of the Heartless Old Man, a demon.

The darkness here was caused by its unique geographical location.

It is said that a massive amount of malevolent energy is buried beneath the mountain, and Black Heart Mountain became such a ferocious place due to the influence of this malevolent energy.

At this moment, Tan Shuchang was refining the second fierce ghost.

Seated cross-legged, dressed in white clothing as pure as snow, Tan Shuchang was surrounded by blood flowing out, surreal yet palpable, and the darkness near Tan Shuchang seemed to diminish significantly.

As if the malevolent energy of this place had been absorbed in part.

Within the trickling streams of blood, two figures could be seen, one being a disheveled girl with excessively pale complexion. She was the one Tan Shuchang had captured from the dormitory building.

This fierce ghost harbored intense malevolence, with only chaotic evil in her eyes—clearly, an unrestrained killing ghost. In that bizarre survival game, encountering such a ghost meant one had to try to awaken its last shred of humanity, or meet certain death.

However, this ghost had already been refined by Tan Shuchang, so at the moment, she appeared quite calm.

Next to this unrestrained killing ghost was the ghost of a woman with long legs and a graceful figure, who could be considered a stunning beauty minus the head.

This female ghost's killings were limited by rules.

Yet now, as Tan Shuchang continued to refine her, the restrictive rules upon the female ghost were also disintegrating.

Suddenly, the female ghost let out a piercing wail, then dissolved into a pool of blood, attempting to escape amidst the omnipresent flowing blood, but she failed to get away.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the female ghost settled down as well.

This meant that Tan Shuchang had successfully refined her.

Then, Tan Shuchang's expression turned somewhat peculiar, "So this female ghost can be used like this..."