Chapter 373: The Nunnery (Part 2)

“No, no, there’s nothing to hide…”

The old nun, emotionally agitated, repeatedly waved her hands in denial. Deep inside, she was terrified—terrified that her malicious intentions might be exposed: hoarding large quantities of food while pretending to be poor, and even feeding rotten meals to the elderly.

Her unusual behavior caught the attention of Lin Xue and Chu Miaoyi, both police officers.

“Please step aside; we need to inspect the premises,” Lin Xue said sternly as she stepped forward.

“We are police officers. For safety reasons, we have the right to inspect this room,” Chu Miaoyi added, stepping forward as well.

Suddenly, bubbles rose from the well, and a turtle head the size of a basketball emerged from the water. It exhaled a faint, nearly imperceptible white mist that began to spread toward the room. When the mist reached Shui Miao, he suddenly turned around and released a wave of spirit-devouring energy, instantly absorbing the mist. He then rushed to the edge of the well and unleashed a golden stream of immortal energy directly at the turtle’s head. The turtle, startled and pained, quickly retreated into the well.

The female ghost had warned Shui Miao beforehand about a powerful turtle demon lurking here.

Shui Miao had already sensed the demon hiding in the well and had been waiting patiently to strike, catching it off guard and injuring it effortlessly.

While this demon might be formidable to the female ghost, it was nothing special to Shui Miao.

He struck the demon down with ease, as if swatting a fly.

But the old nun and Guo Jing had witnessed the entire scene, both stunned into silence.

Especially Guo Jing, who was deeply impressed by Shui Miao’s power and became even more convinced that he was a hidden master of great cultivation.

“Step aside!”

Lin Xue pushed the old nun aside and flung the door open, revealing a room completely filled with food supplies!

Panicked, the nun rushed toward the kitchen and stood firmly in front of its doorway.

Damn it! Wasn’t that just drawing more attention?

When Lin Xue and Chu Miaoyi entered the kitchen and saw the meat and alcohol, they immediately understood everything—and realized why Shui Miao had insisted on inspecting this house.

“Unbelievable! You’re a person of the cloth, yet you commit such despicable acts, feeding rotten food to the elderly! You’ve truly lost all sense of morality!” Lin Xue was furious. She seized the nun’s arm, pulled out handcuffs, and prepared to arrest her.

The old nun, terrified, suddenly shoved Lin Xue away, grabbed a cleaver, and tried to fight back. But Lin Xue kicked the weapon out of her hand, pinned her to the ground, and cuffed her forcefully.

Meanwhile, Chu Miaoyi turned to Shui Miao. “Shui Miao, what do we do now?”

“Hmph! You wicked old nun, your actions are worse than those of beasts! Did you really think hiding things away would keep others from discovering the truth? Did you really think you could live in peace while concealing your crimes? They say there are gods watching from three feet above our heads. You think no one knows what you’ve done, but in reality, you’re only fooling yourself. We live in this world for decades—not seeking much, but at least hoping to live with a clear conscience. But you? Who can you face with a clear conscience? Think about it—do you even deserve to be called human anymore?”

While Shui Miao was scolding the old nun, his words were also aimed at Guo Jing.

Guo Jing was deeply shaken, his face flushed with shame. He felt as if Shui Miao were directly condemning him, each word piercing his heart.

“Old one, save me! Save me!!”

The nun’s eyes darted around as she suddenly screamed toward the well.

But there was no response from the well at all.

“Hmph! What a ridiculous love between human and demon!” Shui Miao sneered. “Old nun, you were calling on the turtle demon to save you, weren’t you? But I’ve already gravely wounded it. Do you really think it can still rescue you? Even if it hadn’t been injured, do you really think a demon would risk its life to save a wicked nun like you?”

“Immortal, you’re wrong!”

Suddenly, an old bald man in his forties appeared by the well, half his face darkened from the corrosion of spirit-devouring energy.

The turtle demon had appeared in broad daylight!

Everyone was stunned.

Shui Miao was also surprised. He turned and fixed his gaze on the demon. “I was wrong? Are you saying your love is genuine?”

“Of course!”

The turtle demon gazed at the captured nun, his voice filled with emotion. “When I first saw her, she was just a child, about six or seven years old. She fell into the water while washing clothes, and I saved her. Back then, she was constantly beaten and scolded by her master and senior. She was so small, yet she had to cook, wash clothes, clean the courtyard, and even massage their feet. If she pressed too lightly, she was beaten; if she pressed too hard, she was still beaten…”

The turtle demon recounted many unknown stories about the old nun.

All the food was stolen by the demon from villagers and given to her.

The nun hadn’t consumed the meat and alcohol—those were all for the demon.

This human and demon were not only in love, but deeply so.

The nun’s cruelty toward her masters was not without cause—it was all a matter of karmic retribution.

“Now that you all know the truth, please let her go. I will take full responsibility for everything,” the turtle demon finished solemnly, lifting his head and staring coldly at Shui Miao.

Shui Miao’s expression shifted slightly. He immediately summoned his spirit-devouring energy and immortal power, surrounding the demon’s soul. “Your eyes tell me that if we refuse to release her, you’ll go on a rampage and fight us to the death—is that right?”

“Do I have any other choice?”

The turtle demon sensed the threat but remained calm. “Young man, your cultivation may surpass mine, but your understanding of love may not. I am willing to die for her. Can you say the same for the ones you love?”

“Fine! Let me see if you’re telling the truth.”

Shui Miao withdrew his energy. “Then die for me right now. If you do, I will let her go—no lies.”

“No, no, don’t go! Don’t die!”

The old nun cried out desperately.

“Fine! I believe you.”

The turtle demon laughed and, from the well, emerged its true form—a freshwater turtle nearly as wide as the well’s mouth, its body pale, its age immeasurable. Its demon soul returned to its body. It looked at the old nun, then turned its head away in tears. Stretching its neck, it bit down hard on its own throat, blood gushing out.

“Enough. I believe you now.”

Shui Miao suddenly shouted, stopping the demon. “Lin Xue, let her go…”

“Alright!”

Moved, Lin Xue immediately released the nun.

The nun rushed to the turtle demon’s side, sobbing. “Why are you so foolish? Why would you do this? Do you really think I’d want to live on without you?”

“It’s my fault. I dragged you down. You were once a kind-hearted girl. I shouldn’t have taught you to treat them that way. I should have guided you toward goodness. Whatever evil they did, it was their own karma. Teaching you revenge only harmed you. I deserve to die. I truly do!”

The turtle demon had high wisdom. Through this ordeal, he had gained profound insight.

Watching this, Shui Miao shook his head and sighed, then turned and walked away. “Let’s go, everyone. There’s no such thing as unprovoked love or hate in this world. Everything has its cause and effect. They have realized their mistakes. I believe they know what to do next.”

Everyone followed Shui Miao out.

The outcome had been completely unexpected.

But Shui Miao was not heartless. Even if their love was between human and demon, he had no desire to forcefully intervene.

He believed more in the cycle of karma—his own cultivation was reward enough.

※※※

Back in the car, Shui Miao meditated and sensed the turtle demon returning to the well, deep in thought. Meanwhile, the old nun returned to the kitchen and began cooking a large pot of porridge, preparing a few side dishes to make amends for her masters.

After this incident, the old nun had found peace, ready to let go of her hatred for the sake of true love.

“Master, Master, I’d like to speak with you. Could you come out for a moment?”

Guo Jing, still anxious, couldn’t wait any longer and nervously called out to Shui Miao, who was sitting inside the car.

Shui Miao nodded and followed Guo Jing to a quiet spot. “Speak. What do you want to talk about?”

“Master, I failed to recognize your greatness. Please forgive me!” Guo Jing bowed deeply, appearing sincerely repentant.

Shui Miao lightly waved a hand. “Say what you mean. Don’t beat around the bush. If I don’t sense your sincerity, I won’t help you.”

“Alright, alright, I promise to speak the truth…”

Guo Jing wiped sweat from his forehead with a tissue. “Master, your cultivation is profound. Surely you already know what’s inside my ship?”

“What do you mean?” Shui Miao frowned. “Are you still holding out hope? If I said I didn’t know, would you still refuse to confess? Say what you must. If you test me again, you’ll lose your chance for good.”

Guo Jing, hiding guilt, hurriedly nodded. “No, no, I promise to tell the truth. The truth is, inside those boxes are the ill-gotten gains I’ve accumulated over the years. Now that I’ve realized my mistakes, I regret everything. I want to reform and start anew—to live a righteous life. Master, could you help me find a path forward?”

“Just money? Those are gold bars, not just money. You think I don’t know? You think the higher-ups don’t know? They haven’t exposed you because you’re still useful. Understand?” Shui Miao shook his head. “Guo Jing, you were once a talented man. How did you fall so far once entering the bureaucracy? Wealth is external. The more you greedily accumulate, the deeper you sink. Forget it. Tell me now—do you want to completely reform yourself, or do you want to reform while still holding onto your position and redeem yourself through merit?”

“Er, what’s the difference?” Guo Jing blinked his small eyes.

Shui Miao licked his lips and explained, “Complete reform means you turn yourself in, confess everything, and go to prison with a clean conscience. The second path means you continue in office, but change your mindset to become a good person, donating all your ill-gotten wealth to charity, living a clean life, and redeeming your sins through good deeds. But the second path is riskier. If greed arises again, you’ll fall into irreversible ruin with no way back.”

After witnessing the events between the turtle demon and the old nun, Shui Miao had undergone a change himself. He now believed in leaving people a way out, giving them a chance to reform. After all, no one is perfect. To err is human, but to repent and reform is divine.