Chapter 346: Chapter 257: I am the Buddha’s Son, Not a Fool

"Excuse me, Bodhisattva, are there any other tasks? I would also like to take this opportunity to gain some real experience."

Yang An asked hesitantly. He really didn’t want to operate under someone else’s watch.

"There are."

Hai Shu replied.

Yang An was overjoyed. ’It would be best if I could go alone.’

"Several other Zen Masters are also heading out to various regions to suppress Demon Fiends. You may accompany one of them. However, these missions are quite dangerous for you, so you must stay by their side at all times."

"..."

’I might as well go with Zen Master Qing Xin, then. At least I’ve met him before. He was one of the leaders of the assembly a couple of days ago, and his status seems a bit higher, too.’

’If the mission is too dangerous, I won’t be able to get anything else done. With Zen Master Qing Xin, at least I can slack off a bit.’

Unable to refuse, Yang An could only accept. He would have to take it one step at a time.

’I have to leave the Great Virtue Temple now. Otherwise, there are so many things I want to do that I just can’t.’

After accepting the mission, Yang An received a piece of golden paper for passage from Hai Shu. It would allow him to leave the Great Virtue Temple and also served as proof of his identity.

However, the item was for single use only; it would become void upon his return to the Great Virtue Temple.

「1:00 PM」

Yang An was already waiting for Zen Master Qing Xin at the entrance of the Great Virtue Temple.

He brought the Bow Lady with him but did not have his Attendant Monk, Guang’an, accompany them.

’On a trip like this, the fewer people, the better.’

He had long grown accustomed to having the Bow Lady by his side, so of course he had to bring her. He couldn’t possibly leave her—no, the bow—behind in his quarters all alone.

After about fifteen minutes, Zen Master Qing Xin finally made his belated appearance. He greeted Yang An, and they exchanged Buddhist salutes.

Even though he didn’t normally pay much attention to the Buddha’s Son, the young man’s performance at the assembly two days prior had left a deep impression on him.

Originally, he was supposed to go on this trip alone, but Hai Shu Bodhisattva had given a last-minute order instructing him to take the Buddha’s Son along. Qing Xin had no choice but to obey.

’He knew perfectly well that the Buddha’s Son was just coming along for the ride. He wouldn’t have to do a thing and would still get to take some of the credit.’

’If it were anyone else looking for such an easy handout, Qing Xin would never have agreed. And even if he had, he wouldn’t have put any effort into it.’

’But this was the Buddha’s Son. That was different.’

Even so, Qing Xin didn’t pay the Buddha’s Son much mind.

’The Buddha’s Son might have a status equal to a Zen Master, but he was ultimately too weak. He would just be dead weight.’

So, before they departed, Qing Xin made a point of admonishing Yang An.

"We are traveling to suppress Demon Fiends. This journey is extremely dangerous. Buddha’s Son, you must listen to my every word and not act on your own authority.

If you cannot do that, then I suggest you reconsider. This journey may not be suitable for you, Buddha’s Son."

Qing Xin had always been blunt, and this was his minimum requirement. He just hoped this Buddha’s Son would be obedient.

Naturally, Yang An had no objection. Even if he did have other plans, he couldn’t possibly tell Qing Xin about them. Of course, he agreed first.

Afterward, the two of them left the Great Virtue Temple together.

This was the first time Yang An had left the Great Virtue Temple since his arrival.

As he walked through the gates, the scent of incense and the ever-present chanting gradually faded. The air itself seemed filled with the scent of freedom, a feeling Yang An missed dearly.

Qing Xin produced a Magical Artifact. It was a large, flat disk.

’That’s right, it really was a large disk. A black disk. There was no telling what material it was made from, but it looked just like a giant flatbread.’

Only after Yang An followed Qing Xin, jumping atop the disk and steadying himself, was he able to identify the object’s properties through physical contact.

’This object was called the Jade Dust Shuttle, a specialized Flying Magical Artifact. Its speed was comparable to the Late Stage of Zombie God and it could be used for long-distance travel.’

’The name was pleasant enough, but Yang An still thought it looked nothing like Jade. It was just a big, lumpy, uneven flatbread.’

’The price for using it was that it would absorb the user’s Mana and blood for power. For a period afterward, the user would experience minor hallucinations.’

’For a Zombie God, that price shouldn’t be too steep. Nothing to worry about.’

In just over four hours, the two arrived at the site of the Demon Fiend uprising: the Four Buddha States.

However, just as they stepped off the disk and the Magical Artifact was put away, Qing Xin’s expression suddenly darkened, and he lashed out with a palm strike.

The strike shattered a distant rock formation, leaving a massive palm print in its wake. Then, Qing Xin roared:

"Audacious Demon Fiend! Don’t you dare run!"

"..."

Watching the man fly off in pursuit of nothing, vaulting over a mountain peak in the blink of an eye, Yang An was utterly dumbfounded.

’Is the price really that steep?’

’Even a Zombie God is affected this badly.’

’Good thing he didn’t see me as a Demon Fiend in his hallucination. Otherwise, I might not have been able to react to that sudden palm strike in time.’

About ten minutes later, Yang An caught up to Qing Xin in a small canyon.

The canyon was a mess of gouges and upturned earth. Uprooted plants and shattered rocks were scattered everywhere.

Qing Xin was sitting cross-legged on the ground, bleeding from all seven orifices. A pained expression was on his face, and his whole body trembled violently as several black veins snaked up from his torso to his neck.

Yang An took one look at the scene and knew. The man must have used some special technique, and now he was paying the price.

Yang An kept his distance, wary that the man might pull another strange stunt, and waited quietly.

After a good while, Qing Xin finally returned to normal as the side effects faded completely. He sighed and chanted, "Amitabha." To have made such a fool of himself in front of the Buddha’s Son... He couldn’t help but blush.

Yang An pretended not to notice. Only when he was sure the Zen Master had fully recovered did he speak.

"Zen Master, where is the heart of the Demon Fiend uprising?"

"Since it’s an uprising, the Demon Fiends are naturally everywhere.

Since the Bodhisattva sent us, it must mean the people of the Four Buddha States are unable to cope. That’s why we were sent to resolve this—it’s a calamity affecting the entire state.

In fact, I truly was exterminating a Demon Fiend just now..."

"..."

’Keep pretending! Just keep it up!’

’If my perception wasn’t at the Late Stage of Corpse Transformation, I might have actually believed him.’

But he didn’t call the man on his lie. There was nothing to be gained from it.

Once Qing Xin had recovered, he led Yang An away, and they began searching for traces of Demon Fiends.

"A Demon Fiend uprising spanning an entire state is usually the work of a Zombie God-level Great Demon Fiend. Since even the Guardians of the Four Buddha States can’t handle it, that means there must be more than one of them," Qing Xin said as they searched.

’Is that so? This is even more exciting!’

A flicker of joy sparked in Yang An’s heart.

’Hearing it was a Demon Fiend uprising of this magnitude, even at its weakest, it probably wouldn’t be much less severe than the demonic calamity I’ve witnessed before.’

’Looks like coming out here was the right decision after all. There’s a way to get the flesh and blood my Earth Spirit Stele needs. Its restoration is finally within reach.’

As the two searched, they did indeed find quite a few Demon Fiends, but they were all low-level ones at the Yuan Si and Visceral Stone stages. Qing Xin dispatched them with ease, so they were nothing to worry about.

However, they didn’t find any Demon Fiends at the Corpse Transformation or Zombie God stages.

Qing Xin decided to take Yang An to a nearby city to get a better understanding of the situation.

Yang An could only watch as the flesh and blood of the Demon Fiends killed by Qing Xin went to waste.

The two soon arrived at the nearest city, Sanxi City.

Sanxi City was only a small city, not one of the main cities of the Four Buddha States. The Guard Monk of its Glazed Tower was merely an Abbot with a Corpse Transformation Cultivation Level.

But upon entering the city, they immediately sought out the Glazed Tower and met the Monk guarding it. Unexpectedly, the moment they came face-to-face, Qing Xin killed the Guard Monk with a single palm strike, leaving not even a trace of his body behind.

Yang An was stunned. He couldn’t fathom Qing Xin’s logic. ’Why would he kill the man the moment they met?’

Qing Xin, however, had a grave expression. His only explanation was:

"He was a Demon Fiend!"

"A Demon Fiend?!"

Yang An was even more stunned.

’Although it had only been a brief encounter, Yang An hadn’t sensed any Demon Fiend aura at all. This meant the Demon Fiend’s disguise was so profound that even he couldn’t see through it.’

If that was the case, Yang An instantly understood the implication.

’If the Monk in charge of guarding the Glazed Tower was actually a Demon Fiend in disguise, then wouldn’t the entire Sanxi City be...?’

Yang An’s gaze subconsciously drifted to the horizon. Outside the city walls, the sky was gradually growing dark.

At some unknown point, a massive crimson blush had appeared in the sky, as if a scarlet gash had been torn open in the heavens.

It was like a waterfall in the sky, with scarlet blood pouring from the gash, streaming straight down.

In an instant, the entirety of Sanxi City was plunged into darkness, filled with a thick, putrid stench of rot and decay.

’This city... is done for!’