With De Yu and De Hou taken care of, the matter naturally turned back to Yang An.

"Zen Master, I will take the Holy Child to Ten Thousand Buddha State at once and welcome the True Buddha Reincarnation back to the Land of Goodness!"

In the hearts of these monks, while they had never heard of a "Buddha of Lamp Burning," any buddha was a True Buddha of the Great Virtue Temple. Of that, there was no doubt.

But after De Hou said this, Zen Master Qing Nan hesitated. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Wait. The matter of the Holy Child is no small affair. The journey from Cyan Lotus State to Ten Thousand Buddha State is long. It would be better for me to personally escort the Holy Child to the Land of Goodness. You will remain here to watch over the Glazed Tower until my return."

"Ah..."

De Hou's expression changed in an instant.

Anyone who wasn't a complete fool could understand the meaning behind Zen Master Qing Nan's words. The man was going to snatch the credit right out in the open!

"What? Do you not trust me to protect the Holy Child?"

Zen Master Qing Nan said softly, raising an eyebrow.

"That's not it at all. I will follow the Zen Master's command."

De Hou had no way to object and could only watch helplessly as a smile spread across Zen Master Qing Nan's face.

He was merely an abbot, while Qing Nan was a Zen Master—a single rank of difference was enough to crush a man.

"Rest assured, I will personally report your contribution to the temple. This is not my achievement alone, but also that of your Yan'an Temple. Moreover, it is a joyous occasion for the entire Cyan Lotus State."

Zen Master Qing Nan said with a smile.

'Your achievement alone... Heh. Whatever you say.'

"The Zen Master is absolutely right!"

De Hou could only force a helpless smile and nod in agreement.

To the side, watching these two bald-headed fools scheme against each other for credit, Yang An felt a wave of contempt and almost laughed out loud.

'Who would have thought? One is a Zen Master of the Glazed Tower, the other an abbot of Yan'an Temple. On the surface, they're both compassionate men of the cloth, yet here they are, squabbling over something like this. It's hilarious, really.'

'If the common people of Celestial Buddha City were to see this, the righteous image these bald-headed fools have cultivated for so long would probably shatter in an instant.'

'Until one becomes a True Buddha, everyone is just a common mortal, unable to escape worldly desires.'

The look of resentment on De Hou's face was plain to see, but he could only obey Zen Master Qing Nan. His gaze toward Yang An was so full of reluctance to let him go that it sent a shiver down Yang An's spine.

Thankfully, Zen Master Qing Nan spoke, looking at De Hou.

"This is a matter of great importance. I will depart with the Holy Child for the Land of Goodness immediately. I leave the Glazed Tower in your care for the time being."

"Yes."

The two chanted a Buddhist mantra in unison. Then, no matter how resentful he felt, De Hou could only withdraw.

Only Zen Master Qing Nan and Yang An remained in the Quiet Chamber. Yang An put on an anxious expression, acting like an inexperienced young man who had seen little of the world.

"There is no need to worry, Holy Child. With me protecting you on the way to Ten Thousand Buddha State, I can guarantee a safe journey."

Zen Master Qing Nan said kindly. In contrast to the imposing authority he had displayed before De Hou, he now seemed like an approachable, bald monk, completely free of any airs.

"I will follow all of the Zen Master's arrangements."

Yang An immediately nodded in agreement, overjoyed. The weight that had been hanging over him was finally lifted.

'The first step had an unexpected hiccup, but thankfully, the rest of the process went smoothly without arousing anyone's suspicion. The next part is to enter the Great Virtue Temple and begin my life as a spy.'

Zen Master Qing Nan led Yang An out of the Glazed Tower. He took off his red Kasaya, held it in his hand, and tossed it gently into the air.

The Kasaya immediately curled up, transforming in the blink of an eye into a Flood Dragon dozens of feet long. The patchwork squares on the Kasaya's surface seemed to become the Flood Dragon's scales, making it look both majestic and ferocious.

The Flood Dragon appeared and respectfully lowered itself to the ground, coiling its massive body and scaly claws. Its breath formed a thin, scorching mist.

Zen Master Qing Nan promptly grabbed Yang An and pulled him onto the Flood Dragon's back.

Compared to Elder Zhuan Yu's mount, Zen Master Qing Nan's was so refreshingly normal that Yang An couldn't help but be impressed. It was majestic and domineering.

Standing on the Flood Dragon's spine, he found it didn't feel like a real dragon's back at all. The surface was surprisingly soft, as if the creature were nothing but an empty shell.

In the end, it wasn't a real Flood Dragon, just a Kasaya.

Carrying the two of them, the Flood Dragon rode the wind and soared into the sky. In the blink of an eye, it was airborne, speeding away into the night.

By the time they reached Ten Thousand Buddha State, it was already 7:00 PM the following day, just after nightfall.

The journey between Cyan Lotus State and Ten Thousand Buddha State was truly a long one.

Even with Zen Master Qing Nan, a Zombie God, leading the way, it had taken them a considerable amount of time to finally arrive.

The closer they got to the Great Virtue Temple, the more nervous Yang An became.

'Setting aside the old grudges with the Great Virtue Temple—that was the Life Crane Sect's business, after all. The temple wouldn't pay any mind to a small fry like him.'

'But the thought of going undercover within the domain of the Treasure Temple Domain's greatest power... even the slightest slip-up would put me in a hopeless situation.'

'That was his biggest worry.'

'So, Yang An had already made up his mind. Inside the Great Virtue Temple, he had to be careful—no, extra careful. Cautious—no, extremely cautious. His own safety had to be his top priority in all things. He could not afford a single moment of negligence.'

'As for Elder Zhuan Yu's mission... if he was dead, to hell with the mission.'

Soon, the Flood Dragon beneath them began its descent, and the wind howled in their ears.