So it turns out I'm the demon!

The night was deep, and not a single star could be seen.

A chilly night wind swept through the empty streets, causing the two lanterns in front of the Zhao residence to sway precariously, as if they might fall at any moment. "Please, have mercy and give me back my daughter!"

"Please..."

Outside the gate, a woman dressed in coarse cloth knelt on the stone steps, kowtowing and wailing to the two guards in front of the gate.

Blood seeped from the old woman's forehead, but she was met with contempt from the servants.

"Get out, get out! How unlucky it is to wail like this in the middle of the night!"

Two burly servants, their faces contorted with rage, impatiently kicked the woman's shoulder. "We told you your daughter isn't here! If you dare cause trouble again, we'll break your legs!"

The woman continued kowtowing, her lips repeatedly uttering the same plea: "Please release my daughter."

Just then, a sedan chair carried by four strong men came through the night.

The sedan chair stopped in front of the Zhao residence.

The sedan curtain was lifted.

A young woman emerged, supported by her maid.

The woman wore a pale yellow dress, had delicate features, and held a string of crystal-clear Bodhi beads in her hand. Her every move exuded a calm and aloof air. She was none other than Zhao Yuanyuan, the eldest daughter of the Zhao family.

"What's wrong?"

Zhao Yuanyuan frowned and asked.

Upon seeing this, the two servants quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

One of them, his eyes darting around, stammered:

"Reporting to Miss, this old woman has lost her mind for some reason, coming to our mansion demanding her daughter. But in the middle of the night, there's no such daughter in our mansion..."

Hearing the commotion, the woman rushed to Zhao Yuanyuan as if grasping at a straw, kowtowing repeatedly: "You must be Miss Zhao? I've heard that you cultivate in the immortal sect and are a great philanthropist, a living bodhisattva!"

Please, have mercy and release my Cui'er.

She was forcibly taken into your manor by your young master Zhao on the street today. Please, Bodhisattva, have mercy…

Zhao Yuanyuan's face darkened, and she coldly swept her gaze over the two servants:

Is it true?

The two servants were intimidated by the aura of a cultivator emanating from her, their legs went weak, cold sweat poured down their backs, and they lowered their heads, not daring to utter a sound. Seeing their guilty behavior, how could Zhao Yuanyuan not understand?

It must be my good-for-nothing younger brother who has kidnapped innocent girls from outside and brought them back to commit evil again.

A surge of anger welled up inside her, her face turned icy cold, and she said sharply:

"Take me there!"

The servants dared not disobey, and could only nervously carry the lanterns, leading the young lady toward the young master's courtyard deep inside the mansion.

Seeing this, the woman followed closely behind.

Before even reaching the back room, one could hear the sound of things being smashed coming from inside, along with a man's furious cursing: "You filthy bitch, what are you pretending to be, a virtuous woman! It's your good fortune that I've taken a liking to you, do you really think you're so precious?"

"What bad luck!"

Zhao Yuanyuan's face was ashen. She walked to the door and waved her sleeve.

"boom!"

The two wooden doors were blasted open by the strong wind.

The man inside screamed in fright and jumped up from the bedside.

When he finally saw the pale yellow dress silhouetted against the light as it walked in, his face turned deathly pale, and he stammered:

"Ah... elder sister."

The boy was only seventeen or eighteen years old, with a fat head and big ears, deep-set eyes and dark circles, and unsteady steps.

He was clearly a pampered young man whose body had been ruined by wine and women.

It was none other than Zhao Datang, the young master of the Zhao family.

Zhao Yuanyuan's gaze passed over him and landed on the bed.

With just one glance, the frost on her face deepened.

On the bed lay a naked young girl.

The girl's head fell limply backward off the edge of the bed, her hair hanging down. Her skin was covered with bluish-purple marks and bruises, her eyes were open, staring blankly at the ceiling beams, her pupils already dilated.

It was obvious that he had been dead for quite some time.

"Cui'er!!"

The woman following behind saw this scene and let out a mournful cry.

She rushed forward like a madwoman, clutching the corpse to her arms and wailing, "Cui'er... open your eyes and look... Cui'er!"

Zhao Datang hurriedly fastened his belt, looked at his sister who exuded a chilling murderous aura, and said with a bitter face:

"Sis, let me explain, I..."

"Kneel down!"

Zhao Yuanyuan shouted angrily, which made Zhao Datang tremble and immediately kneel on the ground.

Zhao Yuanyuan looked down at him coldly, her anger almost bursting from her eyes:

"How did my father teach you? My Zhao family is a prominent family in this city of Fazhou."

"If you truly like any woman, you could simply spend some money to buy her and take her as a concubine! Instead, you chose this despicable method of abduction, even causing a death. Your actions not only ruin your own future blessings and karmic connections, but also needlessly taint the Zhao family with negative karma and karmic burdens. You are utterly foolish!" Hearing his sister's rebuke, beads of sweat dripped from Zhao Datang's forehead as he argued with a bitter face.

"Sister, this really isn't my fault. Cui'er and I are actually in love, and I promised to marry her properly. Otherwise, why would she have come to my room so obediently tonight?"

But... but she threatened me, saying that I must use all of the Zhao family's assets as a betrothal gift, otherwise she would sue me in court for forcibly defiling her body.

I was so angry that I argued with her for a bit. Who knew this crazy woman would suddenly threaten to kill herself and smash her head against a pillar? I never expected her to actually do it…

I was terrified and carried her to the bed to try and save her, but... but then you all walked in...

Hearing this shameless lie riddled with holes, the woman who was holding her daughter's corpse and weeping turned her head away.

Her face was filled with grief and indignation, and she trembled with anger as she pointed at Zhao Datang and roared:

"You're talking nonsense! My Cui'er was clearly on her way to buy medicine when your servants forcibly put her in a sack and kidnapped her."

You heartless beast, you killed my daughter, I will make you pay with your blood!

I'll make you pay with your life!

The woman was filled with grief and indignation, and rushed over to beat Zhao Datang.

However, two servants beside him held his arms down, rendering him unable to move, and he could only curse at the top of his lungs.

Zhao Yuanyuan walked to the bedside, looked at the girl's lifeless, empty eyes, and a trace of pity appeared on her face.

She clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and parted her red lips slightly.

A verse of prayer for salvation emerged from his lips.

After a long while, she lowered her hand, turned to look at the woman who was crying her heart out, and gently comforted her: "Auntie, life and death are predestined, and the dead cannot be brought back to life. Please accept my condolences."

The woman's eyes were bloodshot as she glared at Zhao Datang:

"You beast! My poor Cui'er... I'm going to report you to the authorities! I'll make you pay with your life!"

"Then go and report it."

Zhao Datang peeked out from behind his sister, revealing half of his fat face. He curled his lip dismissively and said, "Anyway, the person hit him on their own, it's not like I killed him. Report it if you want, I, Zhao Datang, have nothing to hide."

"Shut up!"

Zhao Yuanyuan turned around and glared coldly at her younger brother.

Zhao Datang was so frightened that he pulled his head back in.

Zhao Yuanyuan turned to look at the woman again, her tone becoming even gentler: "Auntie, your daughter's death, for her, may not have been a bad thing." The woman was stunned.

It seems I didn't understand the meaning of that sentence.

Zhao Yuanyuan turned the Bodhi beads in her hand and said solemnly:

"As the Buddhist saying goes, all the suffering a person experiences in this life is the result of karma from past lives, and suffering in this life is the way to eliminate karma."

Having suffered in this life, she will surely reap good results in the next, be reborn in the Pure Land, and never again suffer the torment of this cycle of reincarnation. Isn't that a kind of liberation? People must learn to let go.

Only by letting go of your obsession and hatred can your daughter's soul ascend to paradise. Your clinging to hatred will only prevent her soul from finding peace on the road to the underworld.

The woman was stunned for a moment after hearing these words, then let out a bitter laugh.

She spat at Zhao Yuanyuan:

"Pah! Everyone says that you, Miss Zhao, are cultivating Taoism in the immortal sect and have become some kind of living Bodhisattva. What kind of Bodhisattva are you?!"

Without asking right or wrong, they advise people to let go. Without distinguishing black from white, they spout prayers for salvation!

You bunch of man-eating demons! You killed my daughter! Even as a ghost, I will never let you go!

I'm going to report this to the authorities! I absolutely must report it to the authorities! I'll make the Zhao family pay for their blood debt!

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door.

"Who's shouting like that in the middle of the night?"

A young woman with a voluptuous figure was seen helping a middle-aged man in his forties slowly walk into the room.

The man was thin and wore a dark brocade robe.

It was Zhao Haiqian.

Zhao Haiqian's gaze swept around the room, glancing at the naked corpse on the bed, then at his son kneeling on the ground and the woman being held down. He had already guessed most of what had happened.

When Zhao Datang saw his father arrive, he lowered his head and dared not utter a sound.

Zhao Yuanyuan stepped forward and quietly recounted what had happened, then spoke:

"Father, although my brother was at fault, the dead cannot be brought back to life. I think it would be better to take him to the Chanxin Sect and have him ordained as a monk, so that his evil deeds can be cleansed by the monastic rules and regulations. This would also give the deceased some closure. What do you think?"

"Don't take him away! Do you think copying a few tattered scriptures can absolve me of my daughter's life? I want him to pay for his murder with his life!"

The woman roared.

Zhao Haiqian pushed aside the concubine beside him, walked up to the woman, and spoke calmly:

"My son is certainly at fault in this matter. But is your daughter entirely without fault as well?"

The woman's eyes widened:

"My daughter... what did my daughter do wrong?"

Zhao Haiqian sneered:

"Flies don't land on eggs without cracks. Why did my son bring your daughter home? It's because he likes her."

This suggests that your daughter is likely frivolous and may be deliberately trying to seduce my son. Otherwise, with so many people on the street, how could she possibly catch my son's attention?

She just wanted to use her looks to climb the social ladder and become a phoenix by marrying into my Zhao family.

Of course, such a desire for wealth and status is human nature, and I can understand it. But since she harbored such fickle thoughts, she should bear the consequences of playing with fire and getting burned.

"Alright then, death is the end, and my Zhao family isn't short of money. I'll give you one hundred taels of silver; use it to give your daughter a proper burial, and that'll settle the matter. This money is enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life."

Upon hearing these accusations, the woman's vision blurred, and she nearly fainted on the spot.

She laughed in her anger:

"So this is what your Zhao family is like. The son killed my daughter, the father poured dirty water on the dead, and the daughter tried to fool everyone with a few Buddhist scriptures. You all talk so nicely, but in the end, it all boils down to one sentence: My Cui'er's life was cheap, and she deserved to die?"

I don't want your filthy money, I'm going to report you to the authorities right now.

"Your Zhao family is rich and powerful, while I am but a worthless life, no match for you. But even if I die at the gates of the yamen, I will show the people of the whole city what justice is!"

The woman carefully moved her daughter's body off the bed, covered her naked body with her own outer garment, then gritted her teeth and carried her on her back. "I'm going to beat the drum to appeal for justice... I want everyone to see what kind of beasts your Zhao family are..."

Watching the woman's stubborn back, Zhao Yuanyuan frowned slightly.

She felt a slight displeasure at her father's blunt and defamatory remarks, finding them too vulgar and disgraceful.

But at the same time, she felt even more disappointed in this woman.

He had already tried to persuade her with all his heart and soul, chanting sutras and offering kind words of comfort, but the woman showed no appreciation whatsoever and instead became even more hateful.

Master was right after all.

Ordinary people are the most foolish and difficult to reform; they cannot let go of greed, anger, and ignorance, and they cannot see through life and death.

No matter how many opportunities they are given, they will not know how to cherish them.

He was trapped in the mire of greed, anger, and ignorance his whole life, unable to comprehend the true meaning of life.

She sighed softly, her tone filled with sorrow:

"Auntie, even now, why are you still so stubborn?"

Even if you kill my brother, will she come back to life? My brother's death will cost your daughter her life. Would you really be happy about that? That's probably not what your daughter wants.

Her spirit in heaven only hopes that you can let go of hatred and live a good life.

I will punish my brother and make him repent before the Buddha. Afterwards, I will also chant sutras and pray for your daughter. In this way, your daughter's death will be transformed into a meritorious act, making her death worthwhile.

My friend, forgiving others is also forgiving yourself.

However, the woman acted as if she hadn't heard, carrying her daughter's body and moving out step by step.

A chilling killing intent flashed in Zhao Haiqian's eyes.

He gave a wink to a burly guard behind him, his face expressionless.

The servant immediately understood.

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he drew a dagger from his waist with a backhand motion.

Suddenly, a cold wind swept up from the ground.

The few red candle flames inside the room flickered, as if something had swept through the darkness.

Then, all the lights went out at the same time.

The room was plunged into complete darkness, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

Before anyone could react, a piercing scream suddenly rang out from the darkness.

Immediately following was a dull thud as a heavy object slammed to the ground.

"Who goes there!"

Zhao Yuanyuan was terrified.

With her left hand, she shielded her father and brother behind her, and with a wave of her right arm, a golden halo of light rippled through her sleeve in the darkness.

The candlelight was relit, dispelling the darkness in the room.

Then everyone gasped.

The servant who had just wielded the knife was now lying in a pool of blood, his face contorted in a grotesque grimace, his eyes bulging as if about to pop out of their sockets, his head twisted into a pretzel, his death extremely gruesome.

"What kind of monster are you? Show yourself!"

Zhao Yuanyuan shouted sharply, her hands forming a Buddhist mudra in front of her chest.

In an instant, golden Buddhist light shone brightly around her.

However, before the Buddha's light could spread, a bloody smell permeated the room.

To everyone's horror, the body of the dead servant on the ground began to melt, turning into a pool of blood.

Immediately afterwards, a bewitching blood flower bloomed from the blood.

Blood blossoms swayed, shooting out thousands of fine lines as thin as spider silk.

These lines of blood spread along the walls, doors, and windows, quickly weaving into a massive blood web.

The room was sealed off, turning it into a blood-red prison.

The woman who had carried the corpse to the door vanished into thin air amidst the blood and gore.

Only the girl's corpse reappeared on the bed.

"What...what kind of evil magic is this?"

Zhao Haiqian was horrified.

Just then, the girl's corpse on the bed suddenly moved.

Then, Cui'er's corpse sat up straight.

She opened her eyes.

Empty pupils were fixed on Zhao Datang, who was huddled behind Zhao Yuanyuan.

"A blood debt...a blood debt..."

Cui'er raised her hands, and the fingernails of her ten fingers grew longer and longer at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Then he lunged at the terrified Zhao Datang.