183: Chapter 183 Master

In the living room of Executive Vice Magistrate Liu Qiang, sandalwood incense curled in the air.

A set of exquisite tea ware was arranged on the mahogany coffee table. The tea, a golden and clear Wuyi Mountain Zheng Yan Rougui, sat within.

Executive Vice Magistrate Liu Qiang, wearing a navy blue cashmere sweater, sat in the main seat. Opposite him sat a middle-aged man in grey monk's robes, known by the dharma name Master Hui Ming, who claimed to be an enlightened high monk from Mount Jiuhua.

He was burly, with a broad face and large ears. His eyes held a restrained glint, and his voice was deep and resonant when he spoke, carrying an aura that made people believe in him.

Several scriptures were spread out on the table. Turned to a certain page, Master Hui Ming was pointing at a passage, explaining it in a low, husky voice.

Executive Vice Magistrate Liu Qiang listened, entranced, nodding from time to time with a slight frown, as if contemplating some profound philosophy.

Su Bainian came out of the kitchen carrying a teapot, wearing a silk camisole nightgown with a thin, sheer robe draped over it, her feet in cotton slippers.

At forty-two, she was well-preserved, with fair skin and a voluptuous figure. Every gesture carried the languid charm unique to a mature woman.

She bent down to refill Master Hui Ming's tea. The neckline of her nightgown dipped, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin and deep cleavage.

Master Hui Ming shifted his gaze from the scriptures and paused for a split second on her chest, quickly pulling it back to continue his lecture, though the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

Su Bainian also refilled Executive Vice Magistrate Liu Qiang's tea before sitting on a nearby meditation cushion. She clasped her hands together and closed her eyes, adopting an expression of pious listening.

Master Hui Ming was lecturing on the section regarding the "Fifty Skandha-Demons" in the Shurangama Sutra. He spoke with flowery rhetoric, citing classics and scriptures. Executive Vice Magistrate Liu Qiang nodded frequently, occasionally asking questions, which Master Hui Ming answered one by one, flawlessly.

The scent of the sandalwood incense grew stronger, filling the air with a cloying sweetness that made one drowsy.

Executive Vice Magistrate Liu Qiang's eyelids grew heavy, and his head began to nod. The characters on the scriptures became blurred, like ink soaked by water, spreading out until they were no longer legible.

He wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth, only a garbled sound emerged. His body slumped to the side, leaning against the armrest of the sofa, and snoring began.

Su Bainian didn't hold out much longer. The prayer beads in her hand slipped onto the carpet with a dull thud, and she slumped softly against the meditation cushion.

Her head lolled onto her shoulder, her breathing even and steady. A strap of her nightgown slipped down, exposing her smooth shoulder, but she remained completely oblivious.

Master Hui Ming set down the scripture, looking at the two of them. A smile slowly spread across his face, carrying the smug satisfaction of a hunter seeing prey fall into a trap.

He unhurriedly took a small porcelain bottle from his monk's robe, poured out a pill, tossed it into his mouth, and swallowed it dry.

This was a sobering pill prepared in advance, specifically to counter the hallucinogenic components in the incense. After taking it, his mind would remain clear and unaffected.

He stood up and walked over to Su Bainian, crouching down. He reached out to brush the stray hair from her face, his rough fingers sliding down her cheek to her neck.

Moving further down, the texture was smooth and delicate, like fine silk.

He lowered his head close to her ear and sniffed her hair, the desire in his eyes growing ever more intense.

This was not the first time.

The first time was in the temple's meditation room. Su Bainian had gone to burn incense to pray for a child, and he had used the same incense, making her believe in her hallucination that she was with her husband.

Later, Su Bainian became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Executive Vice Magistrate Liu Qiang was overjoyed, believing it to be a miracle from the Buddha. From then on, he became even more devout, obeying Master Hui Ming's words implicitly and donating large sums of incense money every time he visited the temple.

Su Bainian also became a regular visitor to Master Hui Ming, going to the temple to burn incense and worship every few days, only to be "enlightened" by Master Hui Ming in the same way each time.

After many times, Su Bainian's body developed an instinctive reaction to Master Hui Ming; even in a hallucinogenic state, her body would involuntarily yield to him.

But this was the first time it had happened at home.

Master Hui Ming looked around the elegantly decorated living room—the mahogany furniture, crystal chandelier, leather sofa, and the photo on the wall of Executive Vice Magistrate Liu Qiang with a certain leader, where the woman leaned against her husband with a dignified smile.

He withdrew his gaze and looked at the unconscious woman before him. Her nightgown had already been pulled down to her waist, leaving her exquisite curves fully exposed.

He leaned down, pressed his lips against the hollow of her shoulder, and took a deep breath.

Then he turned his head to glance at the oblivious Executive Vice Magistrate Liu Qiang. The man was slumped on the sofa, snoring like thunder, completely unaware of what was happening beside him.

Master Hui Ming withdrew his gaze expressionlessly, picked up Su Bainian, walked into the bedroom, and gently closed the door.

In the bedroom, the curtains were not fully drawn, and a sliver of moonlight squeezed through the gap, falling onto the bed.

When Su Bainian was placed on the bed, she turned over unconsciously, murmuring incoherently.

Master Hui Ming took off his monk's robe and draped it over the back of a chair, revealing the tight undershirt and solid muscles underneath.

Having done manual labor in the temple for years, his arms were thick and his waist had no flab—completely different from the middle-aged Executive Vice Magistrate Liu Qiang, who sat in an office for long periods and had a bulging belly.

He leaned down, and the mattress sank. Su Bainian's body gave a slight jolt, like a fish thrown onto the shore.

She reached out unconsciously, wrapping her arms around Master Hui Ming's neck, pressing her lips against his chest, and let out a garbled murmur.

Master Hui Ming took a deep breath, pulled over the quilt, and covered them both.

In the living room, the sandalwood incense was still burning. The scent grew fainter, and the smoke from the embers curled in the air before gradually dissipating.

Executive Vice Magistrate Liu Qiang remained slumped on the sofa, snoring like thunder, a satisfied smile on his face, unaware of what sweet dream he was having.

The bedroom door remained closed. The faint sounds occasionally coming from inside were masked by the snoring and the sound of the wind; no one heard them.

I do not know how much time passed before the door opened.

Master Hui Ming emerged from the bedroom. His monk's robe was already on, his hair combed meticulously, and his face had returned to the calm and composed expression of an enlightened high monk.

He walked over to the coffee table, closed the scripture, and put it into his cloth bag. He glanced once more at the still-slumbering Executive Vice Magistrate Liu Qiang, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

He walked to the incense burner, poured the ashes inside into a sealed bag he had brought, then took a few new pieces of sandalwood from his cloth bag, placed them in the burner, and lit them.

A new scent filled the air—light and elegant, completely different from the cloying incense from before.