Zhao Lin was slightly taken aback. 'This Daoist knew my name the moment he saw me,' he thought. 'Huang Zhusong and Lv Qing must have described me to him beforehand.' He replied, "That's me. May I ask for your name, Daoist Master?"
The middle-aged Daoist waved his hand casually. "No need for formalities. My surname is Xun. I'm a few years older than you, so just call me Senior Brother."
As he spoke, he gestured inside. "Please, Junior Brother, come into the temple and rest. Not everyone has arrived yet. We'll probably set out in a day or two."
Zhao Lin nodded. "I'll leave it to you, Senior Brother."
As they spoke, the two entered the temple. Though it looked dilapidated from the outside, the interior was clean, tidy, and serenely elegant.
Just inside the entrance was an incense burner. In the main hall, a divine statue was enshrined, its features blurred and indistinct, likely from age.
