"Brat, huh? Quite the nickname for someone who takes offense to the name 'old man,'" Genjo retorted with a huff. Sure enough, he seemed to be asking the right questions, as it seemed to be enough to keep the conversation going. But Buttercup still seemed to be pretty intently watching the scene play out, but it wasn't like he could control what she saw of him at this point.

No, perhaps if they were bound to be stuck together from here on out, then maybe she should see things through.

The older monk seemed to pause in his tracks, folding his hands into his sleeves before looking at the young blond. "Kouryuu, you know what a Sanzo priest is. But are you aware of how one is chosen?"

"You get selected after a long period of training in the monasteries. I heard the process was so difficult that many people die to try and attain it," Kouryuu responded, his eyebrows knitting. It was pretty apparent that, at this point, he was trying to parse out what it was his master was trying to get at.

"Sometimes. Many people prefer to put their disciples through such rigorous requirements, but it isn't what selects a Sanzo priest," Koumyou confirmed. His head lowered to look his young student, his child, in the eyes. "No. His predecessor usually decides the requirements for selection. The Sanzo Priest holding the scripture before him."