"We intended for Junior Brother De Hou to send him to Great Virtue Temple directly, so as not to trouble you with this matter, Zen Master. However, Junior Brother De Hou insisted on reporting to you, so we had no choice but to bring him here."

In a single sentence, the three of them had drawn a clear line between themselves and De Hou in front of Zen Master Qing Nan.

If Zen Master Qing Nan were to assign blame for this, they couldn't be held accountable. It would be De Hou's responsibility, and his alone.

"Is there only one?"

Hearing De Yu's words, Zen Master Qing Nan couldn't hide his disappointment. He then looked over at De Hou.

"Since the result is in, I am now aware of the matter. Send him to Great Virtue Temple."

At this, Zen Master Qing Nan paused before continuing:

"Once you are in the Ten Thousand Buddha State, you are to proceed to Tingyin Forest. You may return only when your Dharma Body cultivation has reached Perfection. In the meantime, someone from the temple will be dispatched to oversee Yan'an Temple in your place. If the temple has other arrangements for you in the future, you are to follow those orders."

The moment these words were spoken, De Yu and the other two all turned to look at De Hou, simultaneously breathing a silent sigh of relief.

'It was just as they'd thought. Cyan Lotus State had only produced a single fated one in nine years; Zen Master Qing Nan was bound to take action.'

'It was a good thing the three of them had distanced themselves from De Hou beforehand; otherwise, they would have been implicated as well.'

Zen Master Qing Nan's meaning was clear. The number of fated ones was a measure of Cyan Lotus State's success. As the Abbot of Yan'an Temple in charge of the Buddhist Assembly, De Hou bore the undeniable blame for so many years of disappointing results.

He was no longer fit to be the Abbot of Yan'an Temple. Zen Master Qing Nan was sending him back to Great Virtue Temple.

In contrast to the schadenfreude of De Yu and his companions, De Hou's expression turned grim upon hearing Zen Master Qing Nan's words, though he composed himself in an instant.

'If there truly was only one fated one this time, he would have no choice but to accept Zen Master Qing Nan's decision without another word.' 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

'But... this was no ordinary fated one. This was a Holy Child!'

A smile touched De Hou's lips. He glanced at De Yu and his companions before immediately bowing to Zen Master Qing Nan.

"Zen Master, though I cannot escape blame for the Buddhist Assembly's affairs these past years, I implore you to examine this fated one closely. This child is extraordinary, and I truly did not dare to treat this matter lightly!

"Earlier, outside the Glazed Tower, Senior Brother De Yu and the others did not give me a chance to explain. But I know this matter is of grave importance and must be judged by you, Zen Master. My dereliction of duty is my own failing, but I implore you, Zen Master, to be extremely cautious!"

'This old bald donkey is actually playing the victim,' Yang An thought, a wave of disgust washing over him as he watched from the side. 'This guy really has mastered the art of feigning retreat to advance.'

But as De Hou spoke, all eyes in the room turned to him, filled with curiosity.

"How so, extraordinary? The three trials of the heart were designed by you, Junior Brother. They test for those fated to be with our Buddha—nothing more than promising youths with a Wisdom Root, natural talent, and a decent temperament. Surely the fated one you've brought this time isn't a True Buddha Reincarnation?"

Before Zen Master Qing Nan could speak, De Chan, standing beside De Yu, let out a cold laugh.

But what no one expected was that in the next moment, an irrepressible smile spread across De Hou's face. His words struck De Chan and the other two like a bolt of lightning.

"Reporting to Zen Master Qing Nan and my three Senior Brothers, this child is indeed a Holy Child, a True Buddha Reincarnation!"

"What?!"

Hearing De Hou's words, De Yu and his companions were stunned, their faces a mask of utter disbelief. They almost suspected they had misheard.

The three of them exchanged a look.

'A Holy Child? A Holy Child who is truly a True Buddha Reincarnation?!'

'Impossible!'

'A True Buddha Reincarnation isn't a dime a dozen! Cyan Lotus State hasn't produced a single fated one in three Buddhist Assemblies over the last nine years. How could a True Buddha Reincarnation possibly appear?'

'The odds of that were about the same as them successfully becoming True Buddhas themselves.'

Therefore, their immediate reaction was disbelief.

"De Hou! We of the Buddhist Sect cannot knowingly violate the precepts, especially not in the presence of the Buddha and the Zen Master! That is a grievous sin. Cease this nonsense!"

De Yu was the first to rebuke him, his face livid as he pointed toward the Golden Buddha Statue in the Quiet Chamber.

But having revealed Yang An's identity, De Hou paid De Yu and the other two no mind, turning his intense gaze to Zen Master Qing Nan instead.

Now that all pretense was gone, why should he bother with their reactions?

"Is this true?"

Disappointment had filled Zen Master Qing Nan's face, but upon hearing De Hou's words, he shot up from his prayer mat, his very presence rippling outward like a wave.

"It is true! I would never dare to deceive you, Zen Master! I implore you to see the truth for yourself!"

De Hou said with a confident smile. He had seen the miraculous signs on Yang An with his own eyes. The boy had performed the good deed of questioning the heart under a great karmic cause—this was something that could not be faked or idly claimed. Otherwise, the child would not still be alive.

After answering Zen Master Qing Nan, De Hou's gaze immediately shifted to Yang An.

At the same time, Zen Master Qing Nan, along with De Yu and his companions, also turned to look at Yang An.

Facing the gazes of everyone in the room—a mixture of excitement, expectation, and doubt—Yang An couldn't help but feel immense pressure.

'He knew that whether or not he could enter Great Virtue Temple all depended on this test.'

'Now, it was time for his performance!'