The red dot on the Lantian jade flute added an eerie touch to the entire flute, and that tiny dot ruined the blue surface of the flute.

Shu Yun took some time to inquire about nearby temples and followed the directions given by the crowd to Jiaxing Temple.

As soon as she stepped into the temple, she sensed an unusual atmosphere.

He is a demonic cultivator.

However, this demonic cultivator did not seem to possess any evil aura; it was unclear whether he never harmed anyone or simply hadn't had the chance.

She grabbed a young novice monk and asked him to help her place the flute under the lotus pedestal of the Buddha statue. She didn't say it was to eliminate karma, but only that she wanted to absorb some Buddhist energy.

But the young novice refused to make the decision himself and insisted that she meet with a Master Xuanmu to discuss it with him.

Let's meet then, even if it'll just take a bit more trouble.

When she saw Master Xuanmu, whom the young novice had mentioned, she knew where the aura of demonic cultivators in the temple came from—it was none other than Master Xuanmu sitting before her.

After the young novice monk left, Xuanmu stood up and respectfully bowed to Shuyun, saying, "My Lord God."

Shu Yun lifted her veil and looked the man up and down. "Although he is a demonic cultivator, he has no evil aura. That's rare."

Xuan Mu clenched the prayer beads in his hand. "Since you've seen that I haven't harmed anyone, could you please let me go?"

"When did I say I was going to deal with you?" Shu Yun handed over the Lantian jade flute in her hand. "Please help me place this flute under the lotus pedestal of the Buddha statue."

Xuan Mu took the jade flute from the other party, somewhat surprised and unsure if they would let him go. "Yes, sir."

Jiaxing Temple is a popular place of worship, with a constant stream of pilgrims coming to pray and make wishes every day.

The karma on the jade flute, if placed under the Buddha statue, will surely dissipate within a month.

Xuan Mu placed the jade flute under the Buddha statue with the most incense offerings, then stepped out of the temple to report. The other party was shrouded in a thick white light, probably an immortal with unfathomable cultivation.

He feared that if he angered the other party, the gods in the Nine Heavens could easily annihilate a weak demonic cultivator like him who wandered in the mortal world with a flick of their fingers.

The stunningly beautiful immortal stood beneath the prayer flags hanging in the Buddhist temple, raising her perfectly curved, fair chin, her gaze fixed on the prayer flags.

"Sir, I have completed the task you assigned."

"Hmm," Shu Yun responded softly, pointing to the brocade prayer flags hanging above, "These are filled with demonic energy, and you just hang them like this in the temple?"

Xuanmu nervously ran his thumb along the surface of the prayer beads. “The person who sent the prayer flags is of noble status, and… I believe she is sincerely praying to Buddha.”

He looked up at the neatly written floral characters on the prayer flag and said in a softer voice, "If you think it's inappropriate, I will have someone take it down."

"No need." Shu Yun shook his head, expressionless, and Xuan Mu had no way of knowing what this lord was thinking.

The people who wrote the prayer flags did so with great care, and the prayer flags hanging all around the temple were densely covered with writing.

"I'm just curious, since demons possess powers that mortals don't, what is he or she seeking?"

Upon hearing this, Xuan Mu mustered his courage and asked the immortal a question, "The powerful immortals in the Nine Heavens already possess such extraordinary status and immortal power, do they still have any desires?"

Shu Yun nodded, "Yes, some want to advance to the immortal realm, and some want more believers and incense offerings."

Xuan Mu's eyes dimmed slightly. "Yes, even powerful figures like you are still pursuing this. We are just insignificant people in the mortal world, so of course we want more."

Shu Yun smiled upon hearing this, "That's true, I was just saying it offhand."

Xuan Mu stepped back and bowed deeply to Shu Yun, saying, "Please forgive this monster, my lord."

She didn't agree. "It has taken many lives. If you let it go, its sins will only get worse."

The people at his feet remained kneeling and refused to rise.

Shu Yun was puzzled. "It's really strange. You pleaded for this demon out of genuine pity, yet you allowed it to accumulate more and more sins."

The Buddhist prayer beads in Xuanmu's hand dragged on the ground, their smooth surfaces reflecting the shimmering sunlight.

A withered yellow leaf fell from the paulownia tree in the Buddhist temple, drifting slowly down and finally landing on Xuanmu's monk's robe.

He closed his eyes and touched his forehead to the ground. "My lord, emotions are very complicated, and so are causes and effects. Sometimes, contradictions are normal."

Shu Yun stared at the back of his head. "You like that monster?"

The demonic cultivator's hands trembled slightly as he kowtowed, and his fingers curled up uncomfortably.

The monk was moved by the emotion.

A gentle breeze suddenly arose, rustling the fallen leaves on the ground. The wind lifted the monk up, allowing him to stand still.

"Your affairs are none of my business. I will come back in a month to retrieve the jade flute."

Before she finished speaking, Shu Yun had already turned and left, slowly descending the steps.

Xuan Mu clasped his hands together and watched the person on the steps disappear into the distance.

Dressed in a monk's robe, his features were calm and gentle, with a hint of compassion in them. He looked more like a living bodhisattva than a demonic cultivator.

Shu Yun returned to her newly purchased house on Shanhai Street. As soon as she arrived at the door, she saw Ke Min guarding there, and knew that Jiang Yan had come again.

Ke Min craned his neck, looking around, feeling like a brothel madam eagerly awaiting customers.

Finally seeing that familiar slender figure appear at the alley entrance, she greeted her with a beaming smile, "Miss Wan Yang is back! Our lord has been waiting for a long time."

Shu Yun frowned. "I've been gone for so long, and Jiang Yan hasn't had lunch yet and is waiting for me to come back?"

Kemin led the people to find his master, "Indeed, the master is eager to have lunch with Miss Wan Yang."

Shu Yun felt helpless. Jiang Yan was too clingy when they were in Jiang Garden. She had her maid follow her everywhere and would come to see her whenever she had a spare moment.

Even though he's now the head of the household, he still has such a childish temper.

Jiang Yan leaned back in the chair at the dining table, his slender fingers twirling a page of a book as he quietly turned the pages.

Gu Yu stepped forward and touched the edge of the plate; the ceramic was ice-cold, and the food was cold.

"My lord, shall we reheat the food? We've already reheated it three times... Miss Wan Yang may have something to do today and won't be coming back..."

No one answered her; the room was silent except for the faint sound of pages turning.

Gu Yu said no more and told the maid to take the food away and reheat it.

As she carried the food out, she glanced back at her handsome and refined master. With his beautiful appearance and status, anyone would think that he was bewitched by a woman for being so devoted to her.

Otherwise, given the Lord's nature, why would he care so much about a woman he had only recently met?

Gu Yu led a group of maids toward the small kitchen. The image of the woman named Wan Yang appeared in her mind. Her features were perfect and natural, and there was a delicate camellia at the corner of her eye.

That appearance... could it really be a demon...?