Chapter 320: Chapter 250: This Body Refining... Why Does It Feel Like Alchemy?

"If that wasn’t an option, the Zen Master also said I could trade for it with Kuimo Essence from the Eternal Prison, but that would require the Bodhisattva’s intervention..." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Yang An said, a thoughtful expression on his face.

But before he could finish, he instantly felt the atmosphere inside the Ten Thousand Buddha Hall turn utterly wrong.

The flames of the incense and candles burning before the Golden Buddha Statues wavered.

A cold, eerie wind stirred within the hall, its source unknown.

Even Hai Shu Bodhisattva’s kind, benevolent smile had vanished, replaced by a face as cold as frost.

He had been meditating on the Lotus Platform, his hands forming a seal over his abdomen, but now he slowly raised them and pressed his palms together.

"Yuan Ji, false speech is a grave transgression in our Buddhist Family. Do not lie. Is what you said of Qing Kong true?"

Hai Shu Bodhisattva’s tone was heavy with solemnity, yet it also carried a formless, oppressive weight.

"Bodhisattva! Every word is true. Yuan Ji would not dare to lie."

Yang An looked utterly bewildered, as if he had no idea what he’d said wrong or why Hai Shu Bodhisattva’s demeanor had suddenly changed so drastically.

Inwardly, however, he was ecstatic.

’Just as I thought. All I had to do was act like an innocent bystander and lay out the facts for Elder Monk Hai Shu. I knew the old monk would get furious.’

’Since Hai Shu Bodhisattva holds me in such high regard, he grants my every request.’

’So why should I go the long way around and head to the Eternal Prison for some Kuimo Essence?’

’Why not just have Elder Monk Hai Shu make a move and snatch the Fox Wolf Wood Heart from that bald donkey Qing Kong? Wouldn’t that be easier?’

Yang An had never agreed to Qing Kong’s conditions. He’d only said he would seek out Hai Shu Bodhisattva and give it a try.

From the very beginning, he’d had no intention of wasting time fulfilling Qing Kong’s demands.

’Of course, if I had directly asked Elder Monk Hai Shu to snatch it from Qing Kong, he never would have agreed.’

’An act like that would be unjustifiable, unfair, and it would make me look incredibly manipulative.’

’But by playing the part of a clueless, innocent victim and artfully revealing Qing Kong’s malicious intentions...’

’...I could make myself look like a naive novice who doesn’t understand a thing.’

’To anyone watching, it would look like I was being schemed against without even realizing it.’

’The Buddha’s Son, manipulative? Of course not. He’s just an honest and simple young man.’

’Hee hee.’

Upon receiving Yang An’s affirmation, Hai Shu Bodhisattva nodded slightly.

"Yuan Ji, remember this. If you ever encounter such a matter again, come directly to the Ten Thousand Buddha Hall."

"Yes, Bodhisattva. Yuan Ji understands."

Yang An replied, still appearing dazed. But the moment the words left his lips...

「The next moment.」

HUMMM!

The entire Ten Thousand Buddha Hall suddenly trembled.

From a Golden Buddha Statue over twenty feet tall, a massive plume of azure incense smoke suddenly billowed forth.

The smoke swirled into a violent vortex before vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Just then, the sound of a great wind roared from outside the hall, and the heavy bronze doors flew open.

A great cloud of azure smoke billowed in, carrying a figure with it into the Ten Thousand Buddha Hall.

The azure smoke dispersed, revealing a figure.

It was Qing Kong!

Qing Kong hadn’t seemed to process how he had suddenly appeared here.

But when he saw Yang An below and the ice-cold expression on Hai Shu Bodhisattva’s face up on the Lotus Platform, he knew something was terribly wrong. He immediately dropped to his knees and prostrated himself on the floor.

"Qing Kong greets the Bodhisattva!"

Hai Shu Bodhisattva’s expression remained unchanged. He was no longer the merciful Bodhisattva, but a figure of cold indifference.

"Qing Kong, I ask you: did the Buddha’s Son seek you out for the Fox Wolf Wood Heart?"

"...Yes."

Facing the Bodhisattva’s glacial expression, even a Zen Master like him couldn’t help but tremble.

He seemed to sense what was coming, and a panicked expression crossed his face.

"I will ask you again. Did you speak to the Buddha’s Son of the Sacrificial Meat Zen and demand he exchange his own flesh and blood for the Fox Wolf Wood Heart?"

Stared down by Hai Shu Bodhisattva’s piercing, murky eyes, Qing Kong dared not hide a thing.

"Yes."

At Qing Kong’s reply, Hai Shu Bodhisattva’s expression darkened even further.

"When the Buddha’s Son did not agree to this condition, did you then demand that he go to the Eternal Prison and retrieve the Kuimo Essence for you?"

"Yes."

With each answer, Qing Kong’s face grew another shade paler.

He didn’t understand. The Buddha’s Son had been the one to approach him for the Fox Wolf Wood Heart. In the spirit of a fair trade, he had proposed his terms.

And the Buddha’s Son had even agreed to ask Hai Shu Bodhisattva for help. Everything had been settled between them.

Why would the Buddha’s Son go back on his word?

How could he tattle on me to Hai Shu Bodhisattva?

But when his gaze fell upon Yang An, he saw the boy looking completely lost and helpless, as if he had no idea what was happening.

Qing Kong was suddenly dumbfounded.

He quickly realized it didn’t matter why the Buddha’s Son had gone back on his word.

What mattered was that he had to explain himself to Hai Shu Bodhisattva.

’But... how could he possibly explain this?’

’He really had done it. There was no way to spin it.’

His mind raced, and Qing Kong immediately pressed his forehead to the ground.

"Bodhisattva, there was a prior understanding between the Buddha’s Son and myself! It was a simple trade, and the Buddha’s Son agreed to it personally! Qing Kong did not..."

Unfortunately, he never got to finish.

「In that instant.」

Innumerable Scripture Mantras suddenly enveloped Qing Kong, forming flowing, concentric rings around him.

Qing Kong’s voice cut off abruptly as the countless Scripture Mantras bored into his body.

GUSH—

A torrent of black blood gushed from Qing Kong’s mouth. His body, still clad in its Monk’s Robe and Kasaya, instantly shriveled up and fell to the floor with a THUD.