So it turns out I'm the demon!

Si Rumeng inwardly roared in despair.

The newly established dignity of the "living Buddha" shattered into a pile of broken glass at this moment.

I thought I had finally made it through.

As a result, the connection between the Buddha lamp and her soul became even stronger than that between husband and wife.

"Are you deaf?"

Below, Jiang Mu held the bronze Buddhist lamp in his hands, looked up at Si Rumeng who was hanging in mid-air with her limbs spread wide, and sneered.

"You really think you're some kind of saint? Still posing for me? I told you to get down, but you pretended not to hear. I have to whip you a few times before you'll know who you are!"

As he spoke, he lightly flicked the edge of the Buddha lamp with his finger.

Several whip shadows flew out from the lamplight and struck the graceful body in mid-air.

Each lash sent a shiver down the woman's spine.

Although Si Rumeng was no longer in demon form, the tingling and stinging sensation of the golden whip striking her soul was definitely unpleasant. After a few lashes, Si Rumeng even experienced a strange feeling.

Although it has happened before.

But this time it was much clearer.

"Master, spare my life!"

The beautiful woman's pristine face crumbled, and she begged for mercy repeatedly, her expression one of utter despair.

"Mengnu was wrong. Mengnu was distracted and didn't hear Master's instructions. Please don't hit me, Master..."

Forget about being aloof, pride, or owing each other anything.

In the instant those few lashes landed, they were all thrown to the winds by Si Rumeng.

"snort."

Jiang Mu snorted coldly and put away the bronze Buddha lamp.

The golden chains in mid-air vanished instantly.

Si Rumeng was freed from her restraints and plummeted straight down from mid-air, staggering as she landed on the ground, plopping down at Jiang Mu's feet.

There were more rain streaks on the ground.

She rubbed her aching wrist and gave Jiang Mu a resentful look.

Jiang Mu glanced at her, his tone returning to its usual calm:

"From this day forward, this territory of Hailing Prefecture shall be your training ground."

Didn't you always want to become someone like a garrison commander, to legitimately have the power of incense offerings to cultivate your spiritual practice? Now, I've paved the way for you: territory, faith, and even a title from the imperial court.

How far you go in the future depends on your own destiny.

"Thank you, Master."

Si Rumeng responded in a muffled voice, her head lowered, her face filled with frustration and resentment.

But then I thought about it again.

Although the shadow of being manipulated still looms over him, he has already taken the most important step.

The Bodhisattva's Dharma body has been merged.

From then on, all the incense and prayers in the city became her personal resources for spiritual practice.

This is an opportunity that countless powerful demons in the world would never dare to dream of.

As long as she honestly manages the incense offerings in Hailing Prefecture and continues to improve her cultivation, who's to say she can't find a way to sever this Buddhist lamp contract? Even if she were truly bound to him for life…

This kid's methods are so extraordinary; not only can he help her transform from a demon to a Buddha, but he also harbors so many incredible secrets.

If I follow him, and he offers me some incredible benefits in the future, as his number one "dream slave," I might be able to get even more benefits from him.

Thinking about it this way, the frustration in my heart dissipated quite a bit.

She immediately adjusted her mindset, naturally hugged Jiang Mu's leg, and looked up with her beautiful, pure face, which could be both angry and happy, and said:

"Thank you for your kindness, Master."

The master's kindness in giving Mengnu a second life is something Mengnu could never repay, even if she were to be shattered to pieces.

My lord, rest assured, Mengnu will definitely guard this Hailing Prefecture well for you. From now on, the incense offerings of Hailing Prefecture will be yours.

"Mengnu's body... naturally belongs to you, Master."

Jiang Mu looked at the woman with a strange expression, a cold smile playing on his lips.

This woman won't submit after a few lashes; she's very ambitious, so we can't be fooled.

"Rou'er, what's wrong?"

Suddenly, Chu Lingzhu, who was standing nearby, let out a gasp.

Jiang Mu turned her head to look.

Lan Rou'er, who had been perfectly fine just moments before, was now pale-faced and limply collapsed to the ground.

With lightning speed, Jiang Mu caught the girl's boneless body in his arms.

As soon as he got his hands on it, Jiang Mu noticed something was off.

The girl's body temperature was alarmingly high.

And in her heart, a pink light was shimmering.

It flashes.

In this emergency, Jiang Mu disregarded the traditional separation between men and women, grabbed the edge of the girl's plain white dress with his large hand, and yanked it forcefully.

As a dazzling expanse of snow-white liquid came into view, Jiang Mu's pupils contracted.

A golden "2" character suddenly appeared in the center of Lan Rou'er's fair and clean chest.

The runes were flashing, bright and dim, in sync with her heartbeat.

At the same time, ethereal and otherworldly chants of Buddhist hymns echoed around them.

Immediately afterwards, wisps of pink fragrance rose from the ground and entered Lan Rou'er's heart.

"What the hell is that?"

Jiang Mu's eyes sharpened, and he pointed his fingers like a knife, sending a blade of energy piercing towards the ground from which the pink mist was rising.

The blade's energy scraped out a shallow layer, with nothing unusual about it.

"Master, I'll do it!"

Si Rumeng stepped forward and gently waved her hand.

Dozens of glistening vines shot out, piercing the ground like serpents.

The vines churned and churned underground, and in an instant, they pulled something out from deep within the soil.

The jade piece is pink and is actually heart-shaped.

It has a glossy sheen, and when held in the palm of your hand, it seems to be pulsating slightly.

As the jade was unearthed, Jiang Mu felt a blur before her eyes.

The surrounding scenery changed in an instant.

The dilapidated courtyard has been transformed into a magnificent Buddhist temple, with countless golden rays of light descending from an unknown height, weaving a hazy veil in the air.

Jiang Mu remained in the position of holding Lan Rou'er.

He raised his head.

Directly in front of you is a huge white jade lotus.

On the lotus, a female Buddha statue sits serenely.

The statue is dressed in celestial robes, with necklaces hanging down its chest. It has eight arms, and its face has both the compassion of Buddha and a touch of bewitching allure.

Each hand was forming a mudra.

Above each palm, a slowly rotating ball of light floated.

Upon closer inspection, it is exactly the same as the stars in the celestial sphere.

Some flames surge like the blazing sun, some are deep blue like the ocean, and some are shrouded in mist like a newborn planet.

It exudes a terrifying sense of oppression from the primordial chaos of heaven and earth.

"Bliss and emptiness unite, desire transforms into lotus. Entering the path through form, one attains enlightenment. Without self and without form, one sees true freedom..."

A clear and ethereal female voice echoed throughout the grand Buddhist hall.

Accompanied by this Buddhist chant, which sounded like the great oracle, Lan Rou'er in Jiang Mu's arms suddenly floated up.

The girl's dress slowly became transparent and eventually disappeared.

A flawless, delicate body was laid bare before Jiang Mu's eyes.

Curvaceous figure, fair skin and delicate bones.

But under the Buddha's light, not a trace of lewdness arises; instead, it exudes a sense of holiness and etherealness.

Like a child just born from a lotus, untouched by any dust.

At the same time, Jiang Mu felt a burning sensation in her chest.

The [Buddhaless Relic] obtained in the secret realm of Changsheng Temple shone with dazzling golden light.

Golden light emanated from his chest.

It spread like mercury across every inch of his skin.

His clothes also disappeared.

The golden light seeped into his skin, muscles, and bones.

His body turned into a solid gold color at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the outline of every muscle was clearly defined.

Like a fierce, glaring bronze statue in a temple, it exudes pure Yang energy.

"What the hell is this?!"

Jiang Mu tried to use his star power to struggle, but found himself unable to move an inch in the face of this immense power, which was like the laws of heaven and earth.

Drawn by a mysterious instinct, Jiang Mu, transformed into a "Vajra Monk," and Lan Rou'er, who appeared in mid-air like a "Saintess," drew closer to each other and eventually embraced.

Skin to skin.

The man's molten, fiery body perfectly complemented the girl's cool, gentle body.

Like two jigsaw puzzle pieces polished by heaven and earth.

One yang and one yin, one hard and one soft.

Just then, a flash of inspiration struck Jiang Mu.

Isn't this the pose shown on the first page of the book "Great Bliss and Light in Harmony" that he just looted from the main hall?

Just as he was pondering this, Lan Rou'er in his arms let out a soft moan.

Her long eyelashes trembled, and she slowly opened her watery almond-shaped eyes.

The moment she opened her eyes, she was greeted by Jiang Mu's face so close to hers, and the two of them were completely open with each other.

The girl's little head went completely blank with a "buzz".

Her consciousness remained stuck in the moment before she lost consciousness.

I had absolutely no idea what had happened.

Coming to her senses, she instinctively opened her mouth to scream, but something seemed to be blocking her throat, and she could only let out a faint whimper. Shame, anger, panic, and helplessness welled up inside her.

The girl's delicate eyes turned red, and tears welled up in them.

Just then, the enormous eight-armed goddess statue on the lotus began to crumble inch by inch.

From the fingertips, to the arms, to the crown...

It transformed into countless tiny points of light, surging towards Jiang Mu and Lan Rou'er like a reversed meteor shower.

The light spots fell onto their skin and seeped in.

With each drop of this essence seeping in, a new image of cultivation appeared in Jiang Mu's mind.

The illustrations are identical to those in "The Great Bliss and Light of Union Zen," but are more detailed and vivid.

This is the meridian circulation method of Joyful Zen.

The path of each movement, the flow of each meridian, and the sequence of acupoint activation were all imprinted deep within his consciousness.

Lan Rou'er was dizzy and still confused.

She knows nothing.

All I know is that she must look horribly ugly right now, so ugly and shameful that I wish I could disappear into a crack in the ground.

At the same time, as the light penetrated, she could clearly feel the contours of every muscle in the other person's chest, and the heat transmitted through her skin seemed to burn into her bones.

She had a vague feeling that the other person wanted to meld her into their very bones.

After the last speck of light disappeared into their bodies, a sudden feeling of weightlessness overwhelmed them, and they both fell from mid-air.

Jiang Mu reacted quickly, flipping over in mid-air to cushion Lan Rou'er's fall and holding her tightly in his arms.

With a muffled thud, his back slammed against the floor tiles of the main hall.

The girl in his arms was protected tightly by him.

Lan Rou'er blinked, looking at him with concern, a warm feeling flowing through her heart.

The surrounding scenery distorted once again.

"Rou'er!"

Chu Lingzhu's anxious shouts reached my ears.

Jiang Mu looked closely and realized that they had returned to that small courtyard.

Both he and Lan Rou'er were wearing their clothes perfectly fine.

It was as if the absurd and beautiful scene from just now was nothing but a fleeting dream.

Of course, the only difference is...

Lan Rou'er's clothes, which had been torn open by Jiang Mu earlier, were still wide open.

Hearing Chu Lingzhu's shout, Lan Rou'er finally snapped out of her bizarre and dreamlike state.

She looked down at her open collar, then at Jiang Mu who was so close to her, and then let out a scream, frantically grabbing her collar and covering her chest.

Her pale face turned as red as if she had applied rouge, and even her glistening earlobes seemed about to bleed.

She then hurriedly broke free from Jiang Mu's embrace, hid behind Chu Lingzhu, lowered her head, and dared not look at Jiang Mu once. Her heart was pounding in her chest as if it would jump out of her chest.

Jiang Mu ignored her embarrassment.

He glanced down at it.

The pink jade heart had now exhausted its spiritual energy and turned into a dull, ordinary stone.

Jiang Mu suddenly realized.

This piece of pink jade, along with the secret manual "Great Bliss and Light in Harmony," is an inseparable and invaluable heirloom.

Somehow, Abbot Jingtan obtained it.

Although the evil monk Jingtan obtained the treasure, he was unable to gain the recognition of the lineage due to his impure Buddhist heart or insufficient aptitude. Therefore, the evil monk sought to take shortcuts, using various evil arts to stimulate the energy of the jade, and even modifying the thousand-year-old Bodhisattva statue in the temple, in order to forcibly cultivate the Joyful Meditation.

Although it harmed many women

However, the core of the Great Dao inheritance was something the demonic monk hadn't even scratched the surface of.

Now, this treasure has chosen him and Lan Rou'er.

Jiang Mu raised his head and looked at the frail girl hiding behind Chu Lingzhu, too ashamed to show her face. He thought to himself:

"I was chosen by this Buddhist treasure because I carry that [Buddhaless Relic], which is profound in Buddhist essence."

But this little girl... why was she chosen?

Could it be that this girl is born with some kind of Buddhist aura?

No wonder that evil monk Jingtan only glanced at Lan Rou'er on the street before trying to snatch her away.

This girl is indeed a top-tier vessel for practicing the Joyful Meditation method.

If I can formally practice this "Great Bliss and Light Union Zen" with her in the future, I will not only master great supernatural powers, but it will also be a great help to me in obtaining higher star positions and breakthroughs in the future.

"The employer?"

A small, fair hand waved in front of Jiang Mu's eyes.

Chu Lingzhu moved closer to Rou'er's bright and pretty face, her large eyes filled with suspicion: "Why are you looking at Rou'er like that, and smiling so disgustingly? Are you alright?"

Jiang Mu snapped out of her daze and looked at the lively and charming little doctor who was right in front of her.

After examining it carefully, he suddenly blurted out:

"You're not bad either."

"Huh? What's good?"

Chu Lingzhu felt a little uneasy under his gaze and blinked in confusion.

"Cough cough... It's nothing."

Jiang Mu coughed lightly, forcibly suppressing the romantic thoughts in her heart.

Chu Lingzhu is a lively and sensible girl; I'll take advantage of her sooner or later.

When the time comes, there will be no psychological burden to bring along fellow practitioners.

But Lan Rou'er is different.

This girl is too timid and has a skin as thin as paper. If you really force her, you might scare her to death.

Let's take it one step at a time; good things come to those who wait.

Let's clean up this mess first.

Jiang Mu stood up and turned to look at Si Rumeng, who had been standing quietly and gracefully.

At this moment, Si Rumeng has regained her dignified and solemn appearance as a Bodhisattva, with an inviolable sacredness in her eyes and brows.

"I need to get back to Huzhou City as soon as possible."

Jiang Mu instructed Si Rumeng, "I'll leave the cleanup here to you. If the people from the Liuli Chanxin Sect come to question you in the future, you can pretend to comply and join them first."

Si Rumeng frowned slightly: "Join them?"

Jiang Mu sneered: "That evil monk Jingtan may be a ninth-level cultivator, but to put it bluntly, he's just an outer sect abbot who built his reputation on evil arts. But you, you are now a genuine tenth-level living bodhisattva."

You possess the heritage of a thousand-year-old Buddha statue and have inherited the incense offerings and vows of the entire temple. In terms of value, you are far superior to Jingtan.

"Okay, Mengnu has remembered." Si Rumeng nodded gently.

Seeing Jiang Mu turn to leave with the two women, Si Rumeng's heart suddenly tightened, and she blurted out:

"Master, is there something you've forgotten?"

Jiang Mu paused, then slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing:

"Oh, I almost forgot. I have indeed found some clues about that heartless man who lied to your sister back then, and it seems that the matter involves one of my colleagues."

Don't worry, I'll get back to you as soon as I've investigated.

"Oh well."

Si Rumeng lowered her eyes gently, a hint of disappointment in her expression.

Just then, Jiang Mu suddenly turned around.

He walked up to Si Rumeng, and to her astonishment, stretched out his arms and pulled her into his embrace.

üの」

Si Rumeng froze, her beautiful eyes widened, and her brain short-circuited for a moment.

Jiang Mu hugged her for a while, and even rubbed his chin against her neck, which exuded a holy and exotic fragrance.

Then he released his grip, took a half step back, and said with a serious expression:

"Don't overthink it. I just suddenly became curious and wanted to try what it would feel like to hold a 'Bodhisattva' in my arms."

Jiang Mu felt somewhat ashamed.

Damn it, she actually had ulterior motives towards a tree.

Two blushes rose on Si Rumeng's cheeks, her beautiful eyes shimmering with a mixture of Buddhist sanctity and enchanting allure, as she tentatively asked in a soft, sweet voice:

"So, Master... what exactly does it feel like?"

Jiang Mu looked utterly bored: "I still don't feel anything, and I'm not interested at all."

Si Rumeng's beautiful eyes, imbued with a Buddhist aura, narrowed slightly, a light that was hard to describe as either anger or resentment flickering in her eyes.

This made her expression look like both a Bodhisattva with downcast eyes and a demoness with resentment.

"Let's go back to Huzhou!"

Jiang Mu ignored her and waved to Chu Lingzhu and Lan Rou'er.

Si Rumeng stood there, watching the three figures gradually disappear into the distance, and bit her lower lip.

The evening breeze lifted the ribbons behind her shoulders and ruffled the stray hairs on her forehead.

She raised her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, then suddenly muttered under her breath, "Stop pretending. Touching my butt when you're not interested!"

She turned around, looking at the temple and then at the colossal Bodhisattva statue rising from the ground in the distance, her gaze gradually becoming intense.

That's her portrait.

It is the totem of her new identity.

Si Rumeng spread her slender fingers, as if covering the sky, and said domineeringly:

"Jiang Mu, one day, when I completely release the Buddha Lamp from its restraints, I will make you kneel before me!"

"Whether you kneel in front or behind, you have no choice but to kneel!"