Lock

Yuan Kong turned around, his gaze shifting toward the direction of the voice.

On the bed sat a woman dressed in white, her posture calm as her eyes swept over him. She was strikingly beautiful, with a unique charm and an air of icy elegance. Yet, for some reason, Yuan Kong felt as though he had seen her before—a fleeting encounter he couldn’t quite recall.

His eyes studied her, only to realize that his usual perceptive abilities had no effect on her.

A faint smile played on the woman’s lips, her gaze slightly narrowed, but she remained silent.

After a moment, Yuan Kong spoke cautiously, "May I ask what brings you here, benefactor?"

The woman seemed surprised by his words.

"Your speech has grown smoother, and your blunt nature has mellowed. It seems experience teaches faster than anything else."

Yuan Kong’s eyes lifted. This person was likely the "inconvenience" the abbot of Zhengyin Temple had mentioned. Moreover, she spoke as if she had known him since childhood.

He replied tactfully, "Do you know me, benefactor?"

"I don’t know you, and you don’t know me," the woman stood up. "But there’s something you’ll probably recognize."

Yuan Kong grew wary. "What is it?"

Before his words fully left his mouth, his vision blurred. The white-clad woman was suddenly before him. His eyes widened in shock as an unseen force pried his mouth open. Before he could react, something pill-like slid down his throat.

What was that?!

Poison? Or something meant to control him?

The next instant, as soon as he regained movement, he frantically channeled his spiritual energy, trying to expel the pill from his body.

But then—

A terrifyingly familiar sensation erupted from his abdomen, spreading like wildfire through his limbs.

That feeling—the one he could never forget, the one he feared most—had returned to haunt him.

Why?!

Why?!

He had fled all the way to the Western Oxen Continent, to Zhengyin Temple! How could he still end up consuming one of Chu Xingchen’s pills?!

Was he doomed to never escape these cursed things?

Truly, the only thing more sinister than Chu Xingchen himself was his damnable alchemy!

Bai Xuanling observed Yuan Kong with calm detachment. She had to admit, Chu Xingchen was a frighteningly cunning man.

Who would’ve thought this little monk would end up here?

She had seen Yuan Kong at Li Yingling’s birthday banquet. After all, a wandering, unattended Buddha’s Child was a rare sight. Out of curiosity, she had asked Chu Xingchen and the others about him.

She had learned a few things, though nothing worth dwelling on.

Still, a Buddha’s Child was useful. Especially one Chu Xingchen seemed to favor—and whom she, in turn, had done a favor for. An exchange of debts, if nothing else.

Time was short. Zhengyin Temple had already caught wind of her presence, so she had opted for the fastest method.

Yet after a moment, Bai Xuanling’s expression shifted slightly.

Yuan Kong, after taking the pill, wasn’t writhing in agony or howling in pain.

Instead, his eyes were closed, his face wearing a strange, trembling smile.

Her spiritual sense swept over him, confirming the pill was nothing but a genuine Tenfold Replenishment Elixir. She had never seen anyone react like this to Chu Xingchen’s concoctions.

Uncertain, she asked, "What’s wrong with you?"

Yuan Kong opened his eyes, forcing a shaky grin.

"I think… I’m ready… to meet the Buddha."

Without hesitation, Bai Xuanling flicked a surge of spiritual energy into him, forcibly dispersing the pill’s effects.

Hadn’t she heard Yuan Kong could stomach Chu Xingchen’s pills like they were nothing?

Why such an extreme reaction?

As the medicinal energy faded, Yuan Kong’s discomfort gradually subsided. At this point, he couldn’t care less who this woman was.

His voice thick with grievance, he muttered, "Couldn’t you have just talked? Did you really have to force a pill on me? Be honest—are Chu Xingchen’s pills even meant for human consumption?"

Bai Xuanling remained unfazed by his accusatory stare.

"Time was short. This method is faster for recognition."

Yuan Kong fell silent. After a long pause, he slowly got to his feet, studying Bai Xuanling carefully.

"You do look familiar. I think I’ve seen you before."

"Naturally. At Li Yingling’s banquet. I sat at the same table as Chu Xingchen."

Yuan Kong searched his memory. That day had been lively, and Chu Xingchen had assigned him tasks. But he hadn’t attended the main feast—likely because their relationship wasn’t close enough. Still, the guest list had been small…

Then it clicked.

This woman had indeed been there.

If she had shared a table with Chu Xingchen, their relationship must be good. And from what he recalled, Chu Xingchen had treated her with respect.

"I remember now," Yuan Kong sighed, meeting her gaze. "What do you need me to do?"

Bai Xuanling arched a brow at his immediate compliance.

"You’re surprisingly straightforward. Do you trust Chu Xingchen that much?"

"Because he never lied to me when I was a fool," Yuan Kong admitted with another sigh. "Aside from his inhumane pills, that is. Besides, I still owe him a mountain of spirit stones. He’s never pressed me, but technically, I’m on the run now."

"Though I hate to admit it… he’s a good man."

His eyes sharpened. "But you’re the strange one. This is Zhengyin Temple, and I’m a Buddha’s Child. Trying to recruit me? Isn’t that a bit ambitious?"

Bai Xuanling’s lips curled slightly.

"Only because of Chu Xingchen. That boy’s judgment is uncanny—he’s never misread a person."

Yuan Kong tilted his head, getting to the point. "The abbot plans to send me away tomorrow. Whatever you need, it has to be tonight. And that abbot—his cultivation is unfathomable. Whatever secret you’re after is probably with him."

"Even if I tried to steal or deceive, being a Buddha’s Child won’t help. He won’t be fooled."

Bai Xuanling’s expression didn’t waver. "Do you think I’m here just to gather information?"

"Isn’t that the case?" Yuan Kong countered.

"You’re still a child," she said coolly. "Adults only reveal their trump cards at the decisive moment. The so-called abbot you spoke with today once sat upon the Buddha’s throne in the Pure Land of Spirit Mountain."

Yuan Kong stiffened. A former Buddha, now bound in chains?

Bai Xuanling continued, "When a Buddha willingly steps down from his golden lotus, mired in filth, do you think it’s to save mortals from suffering?"

"Senior, please speak plainly," Yuan Kong clasped his hands together.

Her gaze hardened. "If Spirit Mountain is already in such a state, what of the world beneath it?"

"Those chains aren’t restraining him—they’re holding down what lies beneath. He is the lock, ensuring the secrets below remain hidden, preserving the illusion of a Pure Land."