Tempting the Holy Monk - Chapter 1

I ran an inn on the border between the human and demon realms.

The moment he stepped inside, I knew he was a Buddhist adept with formidable cultivation.

“A meal or a room, Master?”

I hopped down from the table, propped my chin in both hands, and winked at the handsome, aloof monk.

I was a demon, but I never robbed or killed anyone. I made a little money here and there running errands for people.

Last month, I had landed a big commission. Someone paid me a demon core as a deposit to seduce a man.

A demon core…

A treasure rare in heaven and rarer on earth, with enormous benefits for our cultivation.

In a moment of madness, I agreed.

I, Huaiyao, was soft, supple, and devastatingly beautiful. In my younger days, I had turned men’s heads wherever I went in my red skirt.

How hard could seducing someone be?

I hadn’t expected that someone to be Chuxuan.

His mastery of Buddhist teachings was profound. Humans revered him as a deity. In the demon realm, however, he was the Fair-Faced Yama, someone to avoid at all costs.

We had a saying: if you ran into danger while traveling, smash your spirit jade so your clansmen could come to the rescue. If you ran into Chuxuan, smash it too—so your clansmen could flee in the night.

For a monk, he had a truly terrible reputation among us.

Countless evil demons had reportedly been dissolved inside his golden alms bowl over the years. The mere mention of him made everyone in our realm pale.

I watched him discreetly, keeping my guard up.

He really was striking: austere and immaculate, apparently free of all earthly desire.

Holding one hand upright before his chest, he ignored my attentions with cool eyes and saw through to my true form at once.

“A sophora demon?” he asked with a slight nod.

His voice was cold, untouched by the dust of the world.

I smiled and corrected him. “My name is Huaiyao, Master.”

An odd silence settled between us.

After a long while, Chuxuan sighed softly. “Do you know what I do?”

He was extraordinarily handsome, with long lashes, elegant eyes, a strong profile, and thin lips.

His bearing was composed. At first glance, he seemed very gentle.

In fact, the pressure he released without even trying had brought me out in a cold sweat.

I didn’t dare draw too close. I smiled with my lips pressed together. “Have you come to subdue me, Master?”

Chuxuan gave me a quiet look. “You have done no evil. Why would I subdue you?”

Patience. I was about to do some.

It often rained along the border. Cold mist drifted in with the rain.

Chuxuan coughed a few times, his cheeks unhealthily pale. He appeared to be injured.

My employer had said he would create an opportunity for me.

Sophora demons were beautiful, and our sap possessed powerful healing properties.

In earlier years, many immortal sects had imprisoned sophora demons in sunless underground chambers, supposedly in the name of vanquishing evil, but actually to satisfy their own desires.

Our numbers dwindled; the demon realm declined. Elder Huai had worried his hair white, repeatedly warning me never to give my blossom dew away lightly.

But a fine demon core might not come along once in a thousand years. You had to risk something to gain something.

To fulfill my commission, I went to the trouble of refining a bowl of sophora blossom dew. I set it before him and sweetly said,

“It’s cold on a rainy night, Master. Recover your strength before you leave.”

This was a rare treasure. I could see no reason for Chuxuan to refuse.

He kept his eyes lowered, his expression severe. He wouldn’t even look straight at me. A perfect saint.

“There is no need. Your cultivation is still weak. Do not do anything that drains your vital energy.”

Of course. Why would an enlightened monk like Chuxuan lightly put himself in anyone’s debt?

Undeterred, I rested my chin on my hand and gazed at him.

“I’ve reached a bottleneck in my cultivation lately. A wise teacher told me I must perform more good deeds. Taking care of yourself would be helping me, Master.”

Monks were supposed to be compassionate. If he refused, what kind of monk would that make him?

Chuxuan lowered his gaze to the clear liquid in the bowl.

“You are still young. This medicine will have little effect on me.”

I knew perfectly well he was much older than me. When I was still a little sophora-tree sprite, Elder Huai used to hold me and tell me stories.

Chuxuan was in those stories.

Back then, the immortal realm had sought to wipe out the demons. Our elders and Holy Maiden had died.

Our people had been gravely weakened and scattered.

After the Immortal-Slaying War, Chuxuan had appeared as though from nowhere. Within a few years, he had attained great mastery of Buddhist teachings and entered the world to subdue demons.

Our realm had good reason to hate him.

But I was only a little sophora demon. I cared nothing for noble causes. All I wanted was that glossy black demon core.

Twisting my hands behind my back, I suddenly leaned against Chuxuan’s shoulder and looked up with a smile.

“A little is better than nothing, Master… You’re the only one here. Who else could I give it to?”

Holding his red sandalwood prayer beads, Chuxuan retreated a few steps. “Conduct yourself with propriety.”

His voice had frosted over. Clearly, I had pushed my luck and annoyed him.

I bit my lip and murmured,

“I can hardly drink it all back myself… What a waste of something precious. Such extravagance…”

After a long silence, a resigned sigh filled the room.

“Give it here.”

I beamed at his concession and hurried to bring the bowl to his lips.

Sophora demon sap was, in fact, a powerful aphrodisiac.

Very few people knew that.