### Chapter 1: Liao Chen, You Don’t Understand Love (2)
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“Great Might Heavenly Dragon!
Earth Treasure Buddha!
Prajna Buddhas!
Prajna Ba Ma Kong!”
A flurry of Buddhist hand seals unleashed an explosive force, accompanied by a torrent of incantations bursting forth like fireworks on New Year’s Eve.
The half-n*ked demoness, too close to Liao Chen for comfort, was instantly reduced to a pile of black ash by a bolt of infernal flames. The remaining demonesses in the room, who had been having a jolly good time with the monks, emitted horrified screams, vanishing in an instant, leaving nothing behind but a haze of confusion and a reluctance for the fun to end.
“Boom!”
With his heart still thundering, Liao Chen slowly opened his eyes.
The surroundings remained dim and dreary, the door firmly shut, and a faint trace of sandalwood from last night still lingered in the air.
No signs of intrusion were visible within the room; Liao Chen was certain of that.
So could it be that what he had just witnessed was merely a manifestation of his heart demon?
He frowned slightly, his fair and handsome face gaining an aura of manliness with the movement.
Suddenly, he sprang up and dashed to the next room.
“Bang!”
As he pushed the door open, an indescribable smell hit him like a freight train.
The monk lay sprawled on the bed, seemingly in a deep coma, but the wet patch on the mattress indicated the intense battle of dreams he’d just fought.
“Absurd!”
Liao Chen wore a serious expression and began to rhythmically strike a wooden fish.
Before long, the rhythmic sound echoed throughout the Demon-Subduing Temple, rousing monks still trapped in their nightmares as if they had just been switched on.
They soon realized it had been an outrageously scary spring dream.
Years of effort to cultivate their purity nearly went down the drain due to their own indulgence and weakness.
“Amitabha!”
Shame washed over the affected monks, causing them to simultaneously chant Holy Mantras.
At the door, two monks on night watch collapsed into unconsciousness, creating a small dent in the muddy ground beneath them.
Liao Chen fixed a cold stare at them and softly chanted, “Amitabha.”
The two suddenly woke up, realizing that the bizarre escapades they’d been lost in were nothing more than a fleeting dream.
Moreover, they found themselves in tatters, looking anything but the esteemed Shaolin monks they typically were.
“Master Liao Chen!”
They both knelt down in front of the young monk, faces flushing with embarrassment.
“Humph! Without knowing how to preserve your true nature, allowing evil spirits to invade your very souls—this is the product of over twenty years of training?!”
“Master, we were wrong.”
They certainly understood that if it wasn’t for their master stepping in, they would have been lost in that intoxicating scenario until all their skills were siphoned away by those demonesses.
“From now on, all monks shall meditate day and night, reciting the Diamond Prajna Paramita Sutra.”
“Yes, Master.”
Though Liao Chen was young, he was the head monk’s prized disciple at Shaolin, giving him a high standing.
Combined with his strong Buddhist heart and martial prowess, he was a rare talent in a century, and thus ordinary disciples were quick to heed his words.
Though dawn hadn’t broken yet,
the humble sutra hall in the Demon-Subduing Temple was filled to the brim.
No one bothered with breakfast or cleaning; there was something far more urgent at hand.
That was to reconstruct their Buddhist hearts.
Liao Chen sat at the front, left hand in a palm position over his chest, right hand on his knee, manipulating prayer beads.
This was a war,
A battle for souls against the demons of temptation.
If he lost, the monks in the temple would tread the path of no return, ensnared in a web of desires and delusions.
Driven by pride and tenacity, he was determined to prevent this from happening.
As the chants echoed endlessly, he rose from his mat and decisively left the sutra hall.
He had a premonition that the Diamond Sutra could only temporarily quell their desires; to truly cure them, he would need to eradicate the demons, eliminating the very roots of temptation.
Meanwhile, in the inn where the Burning Moon Sword Manor resided.
Linn Nan awoke from a brief nap, feeling an unsettling sense of foreboding.
What caught her off-guard was that the demoness she conjured with 1,000 Luck Values was almost entirely obliterated by Liao Chen’s “Great Might Heavenly Dragon.”
Now, they lurked within the inner cracks of the monks, biding their time to spring forth.
Of course, as the mastermind, these demonesses recognized her as their leader, and she’d unwittingly absorbed a trace of their energy, making it hard to shake off.
This was the last thing she’d anticipated when concocting this plan.
She could only hope that Liao Chen, that bald donkey, wouldn’t be too perceptive. If he caught wind of the demon energy on her, he might charge at her with a sword raised, and she certainly wasn’t prepared for that!
Plus, dropping so many Luck Values to woo him made her heartache.
If that bald donkey was as stubborn as they come and refused her advances, she’d be in the red!
So to prevent a similar outcome, she absolutely couldn’t rush things like she did last night. She needed to identify Liao Chen’s weakness before striking to maximize her success.
“Miss Fighter, did you sleep well last night?”
Ao Hongtu was surprisingly polite, greeting her first thing in the morning.
Linn Nan nodded, “Thanks for your concern, Manor Lord. The environment here is wonderful; I nearly snoozed till sunrise.”
Ao Hongtu chuckled, “That’s great to hear! Today is the day the Demon-Subduing Alliance collectively attacks the mountain stronghold. While our sword manor will be at the end of the line, the stronghold dwellers won’t simply roll over. If we get our turn, showcasing our prowess would make all this preparation worthwhile.”
That was why he had temporarily invited her to join the Burning Moon Sword Manor.
Moreover, after she checked in, she mysteriously discovered 500 taels of silver in the room’s drawer.
She knew it was a prepayment from Ao Hongtu, originally planning to decline it. But considering her upcoming strategies might benefit the Burning Moon Sword Manor, she accepted it without hesitation.
“Rest assured, Manor Lord. I will do my utmost.”
“With you saying that, how could the Burning Moon Sword Manor not achieve fame across the land?”
They both shared a chuckle.
After breakfast, the Burning Moon Sword Manor arrived at the designated gathering place of the Demon-Subduing Alliance on time.
At that moment, the open area in Lehua Town leading to the mountain stronghold was buzzing with people from various sects.
The townsfolk who had some free time flocked there, eager to catch a glimpse of the epic battle between the Demon-Subduing Alliance and the mountain stronghold.
These spectators would bear witness to the alliance’s exploits, serving as living testimonials for their fame.
Without an audience, a comedic act is no different from self-entertainment; even the toughest swordsman needs an audience.
When Linn Nan arrived on the scene, as the town’s rising star, her striking appearance undoubtedly drew attention.
Amidst all those gazes,
Linn Nan keenly caught sight of a single piercing gaze from the Demon-Subduing Alliance.
Their eyes met for an instant.
Liao Chen?
She lowered her head slightly, surprised that that bald donkey had such sharp instincts.
