Chapter 112: She Belongs to Me Now

Wuhua’s eyes were like blades, fixed unwaveringly upon Bai Jingjing. High above his head, a Buddha sat cross-legged upon a lotus throne, eyes closed in silent chant. In the center of the Buddha’s clasped right palm, a golden, flaming swastika symbol rotated incessantly.

The sound of Sanskrit chants filled the void, heavy with the solemn majesty of a divine image. Countless rays of golden light condensed above the Buddha, cascading down like a deluge to bathe the entire gymnasium. It was the Buddhist manifestation of "Universal Light."

Wherever this golden light touched, all evil was eroded. The Lightning Dragon, sensing this, had already fled the moment the radiance appeared. As a zombie—a creature of darkness—he feared such things above all else, for the power of Buddhism acted as a potent restraint against his kind.

Yet, Lin Qiu and Hei Ze remained entirely unaffected. Hei Ze possessed the bloodline of the Celestial Dog, noble and pure. His ancestors were mighty beings from the primordial era, and his own bloodline had reached the eighth rank with room to evolve. Having awakened within the Golden Fluid, he was classified not as a member of the demon race, but as a unique exotic beast. Devoid of the baleful aura common to demons, his body was filled with vast, surging life force—an essence of pure, masculine vigor. Consequently, Buddhist power had no effect on him or Lin Qiu. However, Hei Ze differed from ordinary exotic beasts; he possessed a complete ancestral inheritance. Though not a demon, he was far more than a simple beast, wielding the profound supernatural arts left behind by his ancestor, the Celestial Dog, fueled by his own potent blood energy.

Lin Qiu watched Wuhua’s ruthless display with a cold sneer. He took in Bai Jingjing’s disheveled, desperate state without a shred of sympathy. This woman was no saint; his only duty was to ensure her survival. But for now, he felt no urge to intervene—after all, she was still alive, wasn't she?

"Lin Qiu! What are you just standing there for? Why aren't you doing anything?" Bai Jingjing roared in fury, finally noticing Lin Qiu, who had been watching the spectacle like a bystander from the beginning. "Your club president assigned you to protect me! How can you just stand by and watch?"

"Me?" Lin Qiu pointed to his own nose, shaking his head slightly. "Honorable Miss Bai, perhaps you are mistaken. The president asked her to be your personal bodyguard; I’m just here to tag along. Your life or death is a matter for that guy over there; it has nothing to do with me. I’m the second line of defense. Once the monk finishes you off, I can still protect your corpse, can’t I?"

"You..." Lin Qiu’s words nearly caused Bai Jingjing to vomit blood from rage. This damned man—his tongue was truly venomous! What use was protecting a corpse once she was dead? She glared at him, but catching the icy glint deep within his pupils, her heart trembled. She thought of her own duplicity; they had helped her refine her bloodline, yet she had schemed against them at every turn. If it were her, would she be willing to take orders from such a person? That he hadn't stabbed her in the back was already a sign of his magnanimity.

Wuhua turned his gaze toward Lin Qiu, his eyes filled with wariness. This small exotic beast, though not of high cultivation, struck a chord of deep apprehension in him; the creature radiated a sense of impending death. "Benefactor, this is a matter between me and this woman. I ask that you do not interfere." Wuhua took a breath, his tone retreating slightly.

Lin Qiu merely cast a dismissive glance at him. So what if you are in the late seventh rank? Piss me off, and I’ll blast you into oblivion. He ignored Wuhua and looked back at Bai Jingjing, remaining silent.

Bai Jingjing gasped, her body growing increasingly weak. Her energy was completely exhausted; were it not for the support of her zither, she would have already collapsed to the ground. Seeing Lin Qiu’s continued indifference, her eyes welled with humiliation. Finally, she pleaded, "What will it take for you to act?"

Wuhua’s expression turned cold at these words. The rings on his monk’s staff clattered as he stared at Lin Qiu. The only reason he hadn't unleashed his seal was his wariness of this beast.

A faint smile appeared on Lin Qiu’s face as he looked down at her from above. His mind raced. After a few beats, he spoke in a calm, unhurried voice: "It’s not impossible for me to save you. Use your bloodline as a conduit and swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao: you shall be my slave for the rest of your life!"

"What?!" Bai Jingjing’s eyes widened in disbelief. Even Wuhua’s gaze turned frigid. This wretched beast dared to snatch the fruit of his labor—it was utterly intolerable.

"Lin Qiu, keep dreaming! I would rather die today than take such an oath!" Bai Jingjing retorted, her voice shrill.

"Suit yourself. It’s your life—what does it matter to me if you die?" Lin Qiu shrugged and addressed Wuhua: "This girl’s life is yours. Once you finish her off, leave the corpse for me. I still have to fulfill my orders, so don't make things difficult for me."

Wuhua stared deeply at Lin Qiu before slowly nodding. "Monster, you have no affinity with the Buddha. I shall send you on your way now." With a cold shout, Wuhua began to form hand seals with his left hand. "May the Buddha show mercy..."

As he performed the mudra, the swastika in the Buddha’s hand on the lotus throne flared with brilliant golden light. The descending radiance intensified, and the Buddha’s right hand extended, fingers opening to form a mountain that descended to suppress Bai Jingjing.

Death had never felt so close. Bai Jingjing’s face turned deathly pale. As the mountain-like hand began to descend, she squeezed her eyes shut and let out a shrill scream: "Lin Qiu, I agree! I swear it!"

"Hey, monk, she’s with me now. You should stop." Lin Qiu dug at his ear, flicked away a piece of wax, and spoke unhurriedly.

Wuhua’s handsome face twisted instantly. This damned beast—what did he take a descendant of the Eight Celestial Dragons for? To kill when told, to stop when told? Did he have no respect for him at all? A flicker of malice flashed in Wuhua’s eyes, and ignoring Lin Qiu’s command, he pressed the mountain downward with even greater force.

"Oh, you little brat, you’ve triggered my temper!" Lin Qiu was incensed. Since this monk wouldn't listen, there was no need to keep him in this world. The life force within his body began to compress, and an aura of world-shattering destruction erupted from him.

Wuhua’s eyes filled with terror—it was that cursed aura again. Catching sight of Lin Qiu’s savage grin from the corner of his eye, his own face contorted in fear. Just as the five-fingered mountain was about to descend upon Bai Jingjing, the pressure radiating from Lin Qiu had already reached a terrifying peak.