Lizhi’s tone was fierce and domineering, but her actions were extremely cautious as she took half a step back.
Even if this damned monk was truly at the Golden Core stage, it wasn’t something a Foundation Establishment cultivator like her could afford to provoke.
As for the luxury of having powerful backing, Lizhi had never experienced it before, so she couldn’t quite relate.
For some reason, she suddenly felt like she was practically courting death.
However…
Compared to her, a measly Foundation Establishment cultivator with no confidence, the Golden Core expert across from her seemed far more terrified.
The elderly monk’s eyes were filled with unconcealed fear, his body faintly radiating a golden Buddhist light. The wooden fish mallet in his hand had transformed into a vajra pestle, though his stance was unmistakably defensive.
Retreating slightly, he raised the vajra pestle protectively in front of his chest, his hoarse voice trembling as he spoke:
“This humble monk cares not if the benefactor insults me. However, I must remind you—this is the Western Ox Continent. This is the domain of the Buddhist faith.”
Lizhi was momentarily stunned. She could tell this was nothing but a cowardly retreat.
People only pulled rank when they couldn’t win a fight.
After all, those who could win would never say—Listen here, punk, I’ve got powerful connections! You’re dead!
Instantly, Lizhi realized just how vast the gap between their realms truly was.
If she really didn’t have to be afraid…
“So what?” Lizhi suddenly regained her confidence. “Within three feet of me, even if this were your sacred Buddhist land, what difference would it make? Instead of wasting your breath, why don’t you think about why I’m here? Isn’t there something you ought to explain to me?”
Xu Jin glanced back at her, mildly amused. This Lizhi was quite the character.
Chu Xingchen was also surprised, but this was good—sometimes, a little audacity made things easier. He was curious to see just how far Lizhi could push this.
The elderly monk’s fear lessened slightly. The fact that she tossed the question back meant his death wasn’t imminent.
Though this young-looking woman carried an overwhelming aura of bloodlust, every movement exuding a terrifyingly manic thirst for violence.
Without a doubt, she was a demonic cultivator.
While the Buddhist sect and demonic cultivators were sworn enemies, circumstances mattered.
When outmatched, even monks could commiserate with demonic cultivators, lamenting the injustices of the world together.
Besides, he still had urgent matters to attend to—his life was crucial right now. A temporary retreat was merely a strategic move for future gains.
From the looks of it, this demonic cultivator wasn’t necessarily here to kill him.
But then again, those who truly intended to kill rarely wasted words. The elderly monk spoke again:
“The Ten Thousand Buddha Temple has always abided by the rules. If the benefactor believes we have erred, please speak plainly.”
Lizhi hesitated. Even when picking a fight, she needed a decent excuse.
She couldn’t just ask, Why do you eat vegetarian instead of meat?
But then, Chu Xingchen suddenly reminded her in a low voice:
“Evil Spirit Sect. Cooperation.”
Chu Xingchen didn’t know much about the demonic sects of the Central Continent, but the one that stood out most in his memory was the Evil Spirit Sect, which had once stirred up trouble in Xuanwu Kingdom.
Back in Chizhou, they had even borrowed the Evil Spirit Sect’s name, and to their delight, the sect had happily claimed credit—even extorting benefits from the Xuanwu Sect in the process.
Now, this time, they’d toss the Buddhist sect’s “generous offer” to the Evil Spirit Sect as well—a fair exchange, delivering good fortune straight to their doorstep.
The Xuanwu Sect was just a minor sect from the backwaters of Xuanwu Kingdom, but the Buddhist sect? One of the Central Continent’s Eighteen Immortal Sects!
The benefits they could reap were beyond comparison. Who knew? Maybe the current Buddhist Patriarch would even step down and hand his throne to the Evil Spirit Sect’s leader.
The Evil Spirit Sect was truly thriving—now rubbing shoulders with the Central Continent’s elite.
This would also repay the favor for their cooperation back in Chizhou.
Lizhi caught on quickly and immediately echoed:
“Evil Spirit Sect.”
The elderly monk froze, his mind racing through countless names, but this one didn’t ring any bells.
Evil Spirit Sect?
Those bloodsucking demonic cultivators from the Central Continent?
But to say they had no connection at all wouldn’t be accurate.
Aside from stubbornly entrenching themselves in the Central Continent, the Evil Spirit Sect’s favorite pastime was recruiting followers everywhere and stirring up chaos—the more bizarre and sinister, the better.
Such activities were naturally unwelcome in the Buddhist sect.
If a few bloodsucking parasites appeared in their territory, they’d naturally be purged.
So the Buddhist sect had once launched a cleansing campaign against the Evil Spirit Sect.
But the Evil Spirit Sect had one redeeming quality—if their underlings were wiped out, the higher-ups usually didn’t come looking for trouble.
After all, the sect had more expendable followers than they knew what to do with.
So why were they personally knocking on his door this time?
Still, given Lizhi’s overwhelming bloodlust and terrifying aura, it wasn’t hard to believe she was from the Evil Spirit Sect.
The elderly monk pondered, unsure whether he should apologize preemptively.
As he deliberated, Lizhi was also thinking.
The Evil Spirit Sect didn’t sound like any righteous faction.
So when it came to “cooperation”… shouldn’t it involve forcing others to do things against their will?
And it wasn’t like a demonic sect would come to a Buddhist temple to preach, right?
So logically… this “cooperation” should be more like…
“Your little operation here seems to be doing well. Isn’t it time you paid tribute to our sect?”
Lizhi rubbed her fingers together, the gesture for demanding money unmistakably bold.
“What?”
The elderly monk stared at her in disbelief. Since when did demonic sects dare to extort money from the Buddhist sect?
Everyone knew the Buddhist sect was famous for being a one-way street—offerings went in, but nothing ever came out.
Chu Xingchen smirked but didn’t mind Lizhi’s crude provocation. Instead, he urged Xu Jin to move faster.
The concentration of faith energy here was high, and the guardian was a Nascent Soul cultivator—this place must be important to the Buddhist sect.
For all they knew, reinforcements from other temples were already on their way.
But Chu Xingchen wasn’t idle either. He had already dispersed countless hair-thin needles throughout the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, searching for any clues or irregularities.
“What? You think you’re walking out of here alive without paying up?”
Lizhi snorted coldly, her gaze sharp and threatening.
“What does the benefactor want? The Buddhist sect lives in austerity. Moreover, this is the Western Ox Continent—we have no spirit stones to offer.”
“No spirit stones? Then hand over something else of value!”
The monk’s expression darkened instantly.
Just as he suspected—this demonic cultivator was here for the faith energy. Was the Evil Spirit Sect planning another suicidal scheme, daring to demand faith energy from the Buddhist sect?
But trying to extort a monk? That was a fatal miscalculation!
“In that case, this humble monk has only his life to offer.”
No longer afraid of Lizhi’s overwhelming bloodlust, the elderly monk took a resolute step forward, his voice thundering like an enraged vajra guardian:
“But has your sect truly considered the consequences?!”
Lizhi faltered slightly under the monk’s sudden fury, his wrathful visage making her hesitate.
Xu Jin retracted his stance and cast a glance at Chu Xingchen, signaling that the matter was concluded.
Chu Xingchen gave a slight nod, then turned his gaze toward the monk. With a tone as smooth as Lizhi, he spoke:
"I thought you were a clever monk, but it turns out you’re still a fool with a shaved head. Must I spell it out for you?"
"The dealings you’ve had with the demons—do you really want our Evil Spirit Sect to expose them to the world? Did you think operating in the shadows made you safe? Don’t forget, lurking in those shadows are rats like us, scraping by day by day."
"We’re just rogue cultivators living one day at a time, with nothing to lose but our wretched lives. But the Buddhist sects… aren’t you supposed to be different?"
The elderly monk replied swiftly, his voice unyielding:
"I have no idea what nonsense you’re spouting!"
ial death, also known as "shè sǐ" in Chinese, generally refers to... well, never mind, it's not important. My name is Ye Cheng, and I'm about to experience social death firsthand. ... 【Host, your mission is to confess your love to the young lady of the Dongfang family, the current student council president, in a way that will be unforgettable for everyone at the freshman ceremony!】 【Host, assist the girl with a sprained ankle in front of you to reach the infirmary, and fulfill the wicked thoughts in your heart!】 【Host, act on your desires and punish the arrogant young lady before you mercilessly!】 【Host, follow your instincts—abandon shameful surrender, begging, or groveling, and ruthlessly criticize the domineering, ill-mannered young lady in front of you!】 【Host...】 Ye Cheng: "Here, here, you take this host role—I quit!" Wait, why is the girl with a sprained ankle the daughter of a mafia boss? And what kind of punishment method is this for the arrogant young lady? Also, who the heck said anything about wicked thoughts in my heart? Come out here, let’s settle this one-on-one!!! ... The haughty student council president, the scheming mafia princess, the fragile yandere young lady, the airheaded maid-in-waiting, the mixed-blood loli/...
【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
