"How dare you! This is sacred Buddhist ground, yet you dare spout such nonsense?! Do you know the price of speaking recklessly here?"
The eminent monk swept his hand, his sumptuous kāṣāya tracing an arc as he held himself proudly. Yet his gaze no longer dared meet Yuankong's eyes and settled on his nose instead.
There's something uncanny about this man. This doesn't count as backing down.
"What price? Does this eminent monk intend to cut out my tongue?" The smile never left Yuankong's face as he challenged him in turn. "Then this place looks less like sacred Buddhist ground to me and more like hell on earth."
The eminent monk was tongue-tied. He pointed at Yuankong and opened his mouth to speak.
But before he could say anything, the smile faded from Yuankong's face. He had no intention of arguing further with this man. Even smashed to pieces, a wooden block would only give a dull thud. His tone turned stern:
"Buddhist Child Nankong has come to seek instruction. Go report my arrival at once, and spare me your wagging tongue."
Since Buddhist Children were rare, a record of each was kept in Central Province, though the records did not use the Dharma names they bore during cultivation.
Central Province bestowed separate Buddhist names on them directly. After all, anyone worthy of being called a Buddhist Child would surely take a seat upon a Buddha's throne.
It was a decision that worked backward from effect to cause.
Besides being recorded in Central Province, the Buddhist Children's Buddhist names were also kept by orthodox Buddhist Sect temples throughout the region, allowing them to reveal their names and seek aid when necessary.
There had originally been a token to verify his identity, but Yuankong had not brought it, leaving him no