**The Jade-Faced Fox**
Ancient tales once spoke of a jade-faced fox. This fox took the form of a stunning beauty, so captivating that a single glance would ensnare the heart. She practiced dark arts, feasting on human blood and hearts, delighting in the dying wails of her victims.
Once, while passing a graveyard—knowing it to be a place of the dead—she clapped her hands in glee at the sight of funeral paper offerings fluttering in the wind. From then on, she often wore plain white robes, matching the color of those offerings, venturing out at midnight to hunt. Men, bewitched by her beauty, never once suspected her.
*"Such rampant savagery—she couldn't have cultivated for more than two hundred years. Probably rushed into human form for convenience,"* Bai Changming mused, flipping idly through a cheap supernatural novel he'd picked up from a street vendor before handing it to his steward.
*"Pardon, my lord?"* The steward, focused on walking, had only caught fragments—something about cultivation and human forms.
*"We're here. Wait for me outside. If anyone from the court comes asking, tell them I have prior engagements and they should return tomorrow."* With that, Bai Changming stepped forward, eyeing the wooden plaque inscribed with the words **"Lin'an Temple"** before entering.
The steward bowed and withdrew, long accustomed to his master's eccentricities.
The moment Bai Changming crossed the threshold, an overwhelming pressure seized him, as if an invisible hand had clenched his heart. But in the next instant, all he saw was a tranquil scene—bamboo shadows, clear springs, a gentle breeze.
His meteoric rise to power and his deep-seated disbelief in the existence of magic beyond his own had dulled his vigilance. He dismissed the discomfort as a natural aversion to the pedantic doctrines of Buddhism—after all, he was a monster. Unfazed, he continued toward the inner chambers.
A young, boyish-looking monk bowed and murmured a greeting before leading him to Master Nianchu's quarters.
They wound through halls and corridors, the scent of **Lengyan incense** growing stronger—though its true aura was carefully concealed. Arrogant by nature and with most of his magic suppressed, Bai Changming's awareness was dulled. Still, he pressed on.
At last, they stopped before a door. The young monk knocked, then stepped back with a polite bow before departing.
*Master said no demon could remain unaffected by Lengyan incense. Yet Minister Bai shows no reaction… Could Master have been mistaken?*
The moment Bai Changming stepped inside, the door **slammed shut** behind him.
The room was bare—no tables, no chairs—just an incense burner and a meditation cushion. Master Nianchu sat cross-legged on the cushion, slowly opening his eyes. *"Guest? No. You are not here by invitation."*
*"Hardly the hospitality I expected, Venerable Master. Liuzhou City is under my command—let alone a small temple like Lin'an. If your monastery is in dire straits, a simple request would suffice. No need to embarrass yourself with cheap tricks."*
*"Amitabha. **Chenxiang.**"* The seals on the Lengyan incense dissolved, unleashing its true scent—each stick blessed and empowered by sacred Buddhist sigils. The fragrance permeated the room.
*"You—!"* Bai Changming's mind reeled. Staggering back, he braced himself against a pillar. His fingers elongated into razor-sharp claws, and with a swipe, three lethal strikes shot toward Nianchu.
Behind him, the sealed door flared to life with a golden lotus array—a **demon-suppressing Buddhist seal!**
*"The most powerful minister in the court… is a monster! Could there be anything more absurd under heaven?"* Nianchu rose to his feet, voice thick with condemnation.
Golden light erupted in the chamber. Sacred scriptures blazed across the walls, each character like the wrathful gaze of a vajra guardian, crushing Bai Changming beneath their weight. His skull split with agony, his limbs seared with pain. What little magic he still possessed was nearly useless. Yet he remained standing, gripping the pillar—refusing to kneel.
*"Monster, you've heard of the jade-faced fox, haven't you? Left unchecked, demons bring ruin to the world. Heaven's law cannot abide it. Amitabha. The Buddha is merciful to all living beings. Today, I shall purge you in the name of dharma and restore purity to this world!"*
*Suppression. Divine will.* The old monk's self-righteous tone reminded Bai Changming of the witch-doctors. For millennia, demons and Buddhists had clashed, each side convinced of their own righteousness—yet both claimed to uphold the same **"Heaven's Law."** He couldn't help but laugh bitterly.
*"Monk, the ten directions of existence are not yours alone. Humans live. Monsters live. Ghosts live. Today, you are stronger—you can kill me. But you cannot **erase** me. And you have no right to speak for Heaven's Law."* His voice was weak, but his words were ice-cold.
After several exchanges, his robes were shredded by the flying incantations, blood seeping from countless wounds. The monk preached compassion, yet every spell was a killing blow.
*"Monk… when you slaughter demons in the name of righteousness… do you ever think of **mercy**?"*