"Master, did you call for me?"
Yun Qingxue walked out of her room. Seeing Mo Tianji outside, she felt a faint stir in her heart and spoke.
For some reason, a sudden, inexplicable unease rose within her.
Mo Tianji nodded slightly. "You have been at the Mystic Universe Heavenly Palace for over a month now. Since coming out of that place, you have been cultivating all this time, haven't you?"
"Yes, Master. Your disciple has been cultivating, but for some reason, my heart has been bouncing up and down. I keep feeling that something momentous is about to happen."
After a moment's thought, Yun Qingxue finally voiced her concerns. If not for these worries, her talent should have already allowed her to break through to the Heavenly Mansion realm.
This sudden feeling had left her utterly bewildered.
Mo Tianji had already anticipated all of this.
"Go back today. When the time is right, I will bring you back myself."
Mo Tianji offered no explanation and merely flicked his sleeve. Before Yun Qingxue could ask anything, a gale swept her up and forcibly cast her out.
After being thrown out, Yun Qingxue felt her unease growing heavier and heavier.
She looked around and saw everyone staring at her with strange expressions, but said nothing.
"Well, well, where did this little beauty come from?"
A wealthy young man spoke flippantly, his eyes lighting up as he watched Yun Qingxue climb to her feet.
"Let's get acquainted, miss. I'm Tian Fuhao of the Tian Family."
Tian Fuhao struck what he considered a very handsome pose, continually casting suggestive looks at Yun Qingxue.
"Miss, why not come visit my home?"
Tian Fuhao licked his lips. He was a notorious local wastrel. The Tian Family could not be considered powerful in the Grand Mystic Dao Province, but they were certainly famous for their extravagant wealth.
The Tian Family was weak in its own right, but they cultivated friendships far and wide. With so many friends and so much money, no one nearby wanted to offend them.
After all, once wealth exceeded a certain amount, it naturally covered up one's shortcomings in other areas.
"Miss, are you betrothed?"
Without waiting for an answer, Tian Fuhao grabbed Yun Qingxue's shoulder, intending to drag her onto his carriage.
Yun Qingxue frowned, looking at the greasy man before her with disgust.
"What do you think? Give it some thought. Our Tian Family has countless assets, and my elder brothers have even had the good fortune to enter those top sects to cultivate. Why not consider it?"
He rubbed his hands together, his words frivolous and his gaze constantly roaming over Yun Qingxue's body.
"Amitabha. Benefactor Tian, if the lady is unwilling, why must you force her?"
Just then, a ruddy-faced monk with Buddhist beads draped around his neck approached from elsewhere.
A gourd hung at the monk's waist.
"Who are you?"
"Amitabha. This humble monk is called Xinghua. Would you do this humble monk the favor of letting this matter go?"
The monk's smile bloomed like a flower, and he looked positively righteous.
But at the name Xinghua, the onlookers, who had been eager to see the trouble escalate, all sucked in a cold breath. Clearly, they had heard of this monk.
Only Yun Qingxue looked bewildered, though she now abandoned the idea of taking action herself.
She had already decided to teach Tian Fuhao a lesson, but the monk's intervention made her stop.
"Lady, where are you headed? This humble monk happens to have nothing to do and can escort you part of the way."
Monk Xinghua smiled gently, though his eyes kept roaming over Yun Qingxue.
Yun Qingxue felt repulsed and wary, but ultimately said nothing. She stood up and headed toward the Cloud Azure Territory.
Watching Yun Qingxue's retreating figure, Monk Xinghua greedily licked his lips, a scarlet gleam flashing in his eyes.
"This little beauty belongs to this humble monk now..."
The onlookers shook their heads, regret filling their eyes.
"It looks like this girl will fall victim to Monk Xinghua too. He's a notorious flower-plucking bandit around here. Who knows how many innocent girls he's ruined under the banner of Buddhism?"
Those who knew the truth could not help sighing, their faces full of pity.
Yet no one dared help, simply because he was Monk Xinghua.
He was the scum of the clergy, committing murder, arson, slaughter, and pillage-there was no evil he would not do!
Even the name Xinghua came from a particular perversion of his.
Yun Qingxue stopped and said calmly, "Monk, you've followed me all this way. Aren't you going to show yourself?"
Realizing he had been discovered, Monk Xinghua finally stopped hiding. Clutching his Buddhist beads in both hands, he emerged with repeated chants of Amitabha.
"Amitabha. Lady, this humble monk was concerned for your safety and thus chose to follow you in secret. Please forgive me. Amitabha!"
After giving a slight bow, Monk Xinghua approached with a veneer of human decency.
Looking at Yun Qingxue before him, he could not help swallowing again.
"Lady, you must have been terribly lonely on this journey, haven't you?"
"As it happens, this humble monk is willing to relieve the solitude and loneliness you have suffered along the way."
As he spoke, Monk Xinghua loosened his robes and belt, advancing toward Yun Qingxue with a sinister grin.
At the same time, he threw out the string of Buddhist beads in his hand. They spun rapidly in midair before forming a barrier that completely enclosed the two of them.
Yun Qingxue did not panic. The monk before her would make a perfect target for testing herself.
The Heavenly Mansion Realm First Heaven was not enough to frighten Yun Qingxue.
"Heh heh, beauty, today you belong to this humble monk."
With a cold laugh, Monk Xinghua lunged at Yun Qingxue, intending to tackle her to the ground!
Faced with the sudden attack, Yun Qingxue merely shifted slightly sideways. The monk tore through the ties at her shoulders, exposing her alluring shoulders.
At this, Yun Qingxue was not alarmed. Instead, wisps of frost gathered in her palm.
Yun Qingxue gave a soft, angry cry, her face frosty. Caught completely off guard, Monk Xinghua took a palm strike.
Bang!
Monk Xinghua looked utterly bewildered. The instant the palm struck him, the smile on his face froze.
Even his blood had frozen solid, and a thick layer of frost now covered his entire body.
Yun Qingxue gave a gentle push, shoving the frozen Monk Xinghua aside.
"Scum."
Spitting softly in contempt, Yun Qingxue reached out and caught the falling Buddhist beads.
She glanced once more at Monk Xinghua, who had completely lost all signs of life, before leaving.
By then, Monk Xinghua showed no signs of life whatsoever, and his breathing had stopped entirely. His sinful life had finally come to an end!
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