Chapter 24: The Demonic Enchantress and the Aloof Devotee (10)

"Hmph." Fan Sijin let out a cold snort, straightened her posture, and looked down at Kong Xuan, who was sitting in meditation.

"What is the use of saying all that now? You still killed her, didn't you? Though, I wasn't close to her and have no desire to avenge her. But from today on, you are mine, and you shall never dream of leaving Batian Mountain for the rest of your life."

With that, she flicked her hand and walked away in a willful manner.

Listening to her childlike voice and watching her petite figure disappear into the bamboo house, Kong Xuan felt a momentary lapse in focus.

Before long, crisp, sweet singing drifted from the bamboo house, the melody winding and enchanting.

Kong Xuan could not understand the lyrics, but the melody was exquisitely beautiful. Beneath the leisurely moonlight, the valley was filled with a light mist, making it feel like a paradise on earth.

He sat silently in meditation, breathing rhythmically. The singing echoed in his ears, slowly transforming into a distant, stirring emotion that seeped, bit by bit, into his chest.

The next morning, Kong Xuan was awakened by a series of pokes.

With his internal energy and martial arts sealed, he struggled even to perceive the time of day. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Fan Sijin squatting before him, resting her small face in one hand while using a blade of grass in the other to poke his nostril.

Kong Xuan quickly recoiled. This eccentric and whimsical girl possessed a strange power of attraction; in her presence, his heart, which had always been as still as an ancient well, felt a flicker of faint agitation.

"Hey, didn't I tell you yesterday? You are responsible for cooking for me every day. But look at what time it is! I'm already up, and you're still sleeping?"

Fan Sijin questioned him with a tone of disbelief. "I'm about to starve to death!"

Her first few sentences were overbearing and haughty, but the final "about to starve to death" carried a hint of subtle grievance. Especially with her delicate face and innocent, carefree air, she was cute to the extreme. Even a Buddhist disciple like Kong Xuan could not bear to let her down.

"What would you like to eat?"

Fan Sijin considered this for a moment and said, "I only moved here yesterday, and I don't know what's available. You figure it out."

With a wave of her hand, the iron chains on Kong Xuan's limbs snapped apart.

Now that Kong Xuan was stripped of his martial arts, what did she have to fear from him?

Kong Xuan rose. As a monk who had practiced since childhood, he could remain in meditation for years without moving, so having sat under the tree for a single night left him with no trace of fatigue.

Even though he had lost his internal energy and martial arts, the foundation of his childhood training remained. One look at his posture and gait would reveal that this was undoubtedly a monk of immense discipline.

Therefore, one had to wonder why Tan Qin had been so insistent on pulling him down from the heavens into the mortal world. Since he wished to become a Buddha, she should have let him be; there was no need for such obsession.

But people, after all, only learn to let go after they have been beaten until they are bruised and bloodied, don't they?

Breakfast was simple: millet porridge and a few side dishes. Since Kong Xuan was a vegetarian, there were not even onions, ginger, or garlic in the food.

Fan Sijin immediately felt a wave of regret. She had essentially shot herself in the foot!

She had actually tasked a monk with cooking for her? Naturally, it had to be meatless!

Fan Sijin’s little face turned green for a moment, then she gritted her teeth. *Forget it,* she thought, *I’ve enjoyed enough worldly indulgences lately; eating a bit of vegetarian food won't kill me.*

Having reluctantly finished breakfast, Fan Sijin ordered Kong Xuan to wash her clothes. Kong Xuan had always managed his own daily needs, never relying on others, so washing clothes was not a difficult task for him.

However... as he looked at the small bodice with its delicate flower embroidery in the wooden basin, his handsome face flushed with embarrassment.

To have him wash such an intimate item for a young girl...

Seeing him blush, Fan Sijin kicked him. "Hey! What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and wash it... Actually, never mind. Before you do that, help me tie up my hair."

She shoved a comb into Kong Xuan's hand.

Never in his life had Kong Xuan been so intimate with a woman. Back then, Tan Qin had used every trick in the book to get him to submit—she had even jumped off a cliff to grab his attention, hoping he would