"Master, save me!"
Unfooled by Ye Tian's pitiable appearance, the Zen Master calmly said, "I can help, but you must agree to one condition."
"Don't just say one condition—even a hundred... two is fine!"
Ye Tian had intended to say a hundred, but thinking better of it, he changed it to two on the fly. As he spoke too quickly, saliva splattered out, but the Great Zen Master deflected it with the wide sleeve of his kasaya, preventing it from landing on his face.
"Then it's two."
Shameless!
Ye Tian cursed inwardly but said confidently aloud, "Two is fine, no problem! Just say it."
The Great Zen Master looked up, pondering, and then gazed at him, "I haven't thought it through yet, we'll talk about it once we're outside."
Ye Tian was overjoyed, there was a chance!
"Take that book and follow behind me. Oh, and the Shariputra, you'll be in charge of protecting it too."
