Demon Heart

"Recently, the Buddhist sects have grown increasingly lax in their affairs."

In front of the pavilion, a woman clad in fox fur gently rolled a murky yellow bead between her fingers.

Meng Li’s gaze shifted, her alluring eyes turning toward the composed young man beside her.

"I thought the Buddhist sects, having fought so hard to secure their place among the Eighteen Immortal Sects, would be more diligent in their duties. But given enough time, even they grow complacent. Then again… isn’t that just human nature?"

She tossed the bead into the air and caught it again. "Jiang Yuan, what do you think? Do you smell rats sniffing around?"

Jiang Yuan’s eyes remained fixed outside the window as he replied steadily, "This matter should be reported to the Buddhist sects. Let them handle it, let them investigate. The time isn’t right yet—we must remain loyal."

"Is that so…" Meng Li’s gaze grew distant as she stared at the bead in her hand. Slowly, she inhaled, drawing in a wisp of yellow smoke that seeped from the bead into her nostrils.

After a long pause, she finally spoke again:

"The taste of faith power is utterly revolting. Even a stray dog would turn its nose up at this filth. How have you managed to stomach it all these years?"

Jiang Yuan’s expression hardened, his tone carrying a warning:

"We had no choice before. And we still don’t."

Meng Li scoffed and flicked the bead toward him.

"What a waste that the Buddhist sects don’t have you guarding their gates. Since you’re such a loyal hound, go chase those rats down."

Jiang Yuan caught the bead. "The boss put you in charge here because he trusts you. Don’t betray that trust."

"Stop acting like a dog trying to catch mice—mind your own business." Meng Li waved him off dismissively, her eyes closed. "If you knew what to do, you’d be the one in charge. Since your brain can’t bend, spare me your advice. It’s embarrassing."

Jiang Yuan remained unfazed—after all these years, her insults were nothing new.

He stood, studying her indifferent expression for a moment before swallowing his words.

Looking down at the bead, he rubbed it briefly before turning to leave.

Jiang Yuan knew full well that this so-called investigation was likely just Meng Li’s excuse to get rid of him. If there was anything substantial to uncover, this bead would never have ended up in his hands.

But…

Sometimes, playing the fool was necessary. Otherwise, he might not even get this much.

"Wait for my report." Tucking the bead away, Jiang Yuan left without another word.

Meng Li didn’t open her eyes. Only after the sound of the door opening and closing faded did she murmur softly:

"What an idiot."

Jiang Yuan might be a decent enforcer, but all he had were fists the size of sandbags.

Most Buddhist sects in the Western Ox Continent fell under the nominal jurisdiction of the Central Plains’ Buddhist order, but core temples directly supplying faith power? That was far beyond nominal oversight.

And how many years had the Buddhist sects been harvesting faith power? Since when did any sect dare to investigate its flow?

This was just how complacent they’d become—so much so that they didn’t even notice foreign elements mixed into their faith power.

Too much peace had made them forget the cost of exposure.

Just because it had always been this way didn’t mean it always would be.

After all these years of gathering faith power, if someone was now tracking it, the Buddhist sects must have drawn suspicion—both in their actions and how they used that power.

Considering recent events—traces of demons surfacing, the world still seemingly peaceful while the heavens above shifted—it was clear the Buddhist sects were under scrutiny, and with good reason.

Otherwise, no one would dare provoke them so brazenly, nor pinpoint their operations so precisely.

And among those bold enough to challenge the Buddhist sects, only the other Seventeen Immortal Sects remained.

But only one sect would be reckless enough to target the Buddhists from the very beginning—the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect.

So what if they uncovered something?

Kill the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect’s disciples? Only to face even greater retaliation?

There was only one kind of seed that could sprout without nourishment—the seed of doubt.

Meng Li sighed softly. The lowly could only do lowly things.

Turning a blind eye and waiting quietly for death might be the only choice left.

The Buddhist sects might no longer be a safe bet. Rot wasn’t exclusive to the other immortal sects—it had seeped into them too.

But the most stubborn, the most detestable of them all? That had to be the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect.

Meng Li knew she was a mere pawn on a small board, an expendable piece in the grand scheme.

But she wanted to live. She’d endured years of swallowing garbage-like faith power, suffered through so much… all because she wanted to live.

"Master, urgent news."

A sycophantic, honeyed voice called from beyond the door. "A man claiming to be the grandnephew of Daoist Yuyang of the Taidao Sect has arrived. The guards thought it best to inform you."

Meng Li’s eyes fluttered open, a smile curling her lips. "See… no, invite our honored guests to my chambers."

"At once…"

The voice outside, though still obsequious, couldn’t hide its faint tremor of surprise.

Meng Li adjusted her fox-fur robe, slender fingers brushing her cheek as she gazed languidly at the door.

Moments passed, her pose unchanging.

Only when the door swung open did her dreamy expression shift—then freeze.

Two men entered. The leader wore an inexplicably foolish grin, his lips twitching unnaturally, as if pretending to be simple-minded yet somehow genuinely seeming so.

The other trailed behind like a servant, his demeanor haughty.

Neither spoke, both staring at Meng Li as if waiting for her to break the silence.

Her smile unwavering, she poured tea, her admiring gaze settling on the grinning Xu Jin.

"You must be Daoist Yuyang’s esteemed kinsman?"

Xu Jin didn’t answer, his vacant smile unchanged.

If Chu Xingchen wanted him to play the fool, he’d play the fool. Their meeting had been chance, their alliance formed in pursuit of clues about the demons.

This wasn’t just their cooperation—it was the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect and the Tianyan Sect working together.

Not long ago, the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect had conceded to the Tianyan Sect regarding a dispute over spirits.

If this turned out to be a pointless farce, if Chu Xingchen was just toying with him, then the man had truly lost his mind.

But if things went south, Xu Jin would cut ties without hesitation.

Besides, at the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, it was Chu Xingchen who’d stayed behind to cover his tracks, ensuring Xu Jin’s involvement remained hidden.

Daoist Yuyang had once said that Chu Xingchen was reliable when it counted—that was why he kept him as an ally.

Aligned interests, no conflicts, and Daoist Yuyang’s endorsement—Xu Jin had every reason to trust him.

So for now, he played his role with gusto.

Chu Xingchen, however, didn’t match Xu Jin’s enthusiasm. His eyes lingered on Meng Li, his smile far less convincing.

[Target: Meng Li]

[Cultivation: Peak Nascent Soul]

[Purple Trait: Keen Intellect]

[Blue Trait: Masterful Acting]

[Blue Trait: Mediocre Talent]

[Black Tag: Karmic Infestation]

[Special Tag: Demon Heart]

[Discipleship Conditions Not Met]

Demon Heart…?

Chu Xingchen gazed at Meng Li’s enchanting face, her eyes looking up at him with an alluring expression.

This didn’t match the descriptions of demons in the ancient texts—how had she taken on such a human form?

Or… was this some other kind of trick?

Chu Xingchen averted his gaze. Now that he had identified his target, it was time for the first direct probe.

“You’re quite beautiful,” he said. “This young master has taken a liking to you. You’ll warm his bed tonight.”

Xu Jin didn’t even glance at Meng Li’s reaction. Instead, he turned his head slightly toward Chu Xingchen, his face slack with a vacant, foolish grin.