Priest Lao opened his eyes as soon as he sensed someone entering the barrier which he erected. He only knew a single person who could break through the barriers with such ease. So, he shrugged his shoulders and waited for a certain person to appear before him. He was more curious as to why this prince is coming for him at the moment.
Xuan Li Wei landed before the gate of the shrine nonchalantly. It was not his first time coming here. In the start he came here for himself, now he was here for the little girl. The chirping of the birds and the sounds of the waterfall can calm down anyone. The earthy smell of the surroundings and the misty clouds made the surroundings unique and noteworthy.
He slowly walked towards the door and entered the shrine which was as serene as a calm lake. The interior of the shrine is completely the opposite of its exterior. The exact opposite of simple- refined and detailed. The inscriptions on the walls and the many passageways inside made the shrine look mysterious. One could say that the word ' mage' suited more to describe the scene before him rather than a passageway. No one would imagine that the seemingly tiny shrine from the outside to have such spacious and complicated interior.
" There are many mysteries in this world." Xuan Li Wei mused for the umpteenth time as he observed the surroundings. He walked through the mage like an expert now standing before the intricately carved door.
Xuan Li Wei kowtowed before the door and spoke with a respectful voice " Priest Lao, This humble one Xuan Li Wei requests your audience."
Xuan Li Wei did not wait for a long time as the door opened after a few minutes. Without rushing inside at the first opportunity, Xuan Li Wei thanked the priest for his time and only then did he enter through the door. This humble attitude was naturally noticed by the priest who now had a slight smile on his face which disappeared in an instant, making one doubt if he smiled in the first place or not.
Xuan Li Wei noticed the priest who was meditating deeply with a string of beads in one hand, sitting at the most inconspicuous corner of the room. He then noticed the statue of goddess Zodia in the middle of the room, which had a regal aura around it. Removing his sandals, he made his way to the statue of Goddess Zodia, the goddess of destiny and stars. He lit an incense stick and kowtowed to pray. After a while, he got up and straightened his robes while making his way towards the priest.
" What is it that you came looking for me?" Priest Lao did not beat around the bush and directly cut to the chase. He was always straightforward and he knew that there is something that is troubling this young prince's heart. Although, he had a faint idea he wanted to hear from this person's mouth. So, he directly asked the question.
" Priest Lao, you must have known that the second divine weapon has been awakened." Xuan Li Wei spoke while kneeling on the cold floor.
" Nothing escapes my divine vision." Priest Lao spoke with a poker face and it made hard for one to understand what exactly he is feeling at the moment.
" Then I must trouble you with my ignorance." Xuan Li Wei spoke with a placid expression " The wielder of the whip went through pain in the process of acquiring the whip, which did not happen in my case. What can be the reason behind it?"
" She and you are different, everyone has their own secrets." Priest Lao spoke slowly and calmly as if he was reading a weather report.
What did this old priest exactly say? Such vague words. His words are not an answer to my question?
Xuan Li Wei had an indecipherable expression on his face which made the old priest chuckle " Fear not prince, there is nothing wrong with that pain. Some things are better known at the right time."
Xuan Li Wei felt at ease after hearing his words. Though he didn't find the complete truth about this matter, he knew that the priest would never lie. So, he believed in his words without a second thought.
" How did you know that the person is a she?" Xuan Li Wei felt that this person before him is weird, in a good way though. But, sometimes he couldn't help but feel creepy.
" As I said, nothing escapes my vision."
Alright, I give up! Xuan Li Wei surrendered to this old priest. He knew that he could get nothing meaningful from this old man.
" Who are the persons around her? Even I couldn't sense the divine whip's aura anymore.." Priest Lao was very curious about this.
Concealing the divine whip's aura is no child's play and he knew that it is possible only by using jades. There are only two such jades in this world and one is in his possession right now. 'The other jade must be with that old man' Priest Lao mused. That tricky old man did a good job in concealing himself all this time. Even he was not able to sense that stinky old man's aura all this time.
" It's Doctor Wu Gong. He was the only noteworthy person around her. Others are either family or my men." Xuan Li Wei promptly replied.
" Are you sure that you are not forgetting anyone?" Priest Lao wanted no mistakes.
" Yes, I am." On hearing Xuan Li Wei's unflinching answer, a smile bloomed on Priest Lao's face. Xuan Li Wei raised his brows in surprise, he never thought that he would see emotion on this man's face.
" So, Wu Gong, is it?" Priest Lao chuckled and spoke in a low voice which only he could hear " Bai Long, no matter what name you use I will find you. It's been a long time since we met."