Chapter 1036: Awakened
Xu Jiaorong hurriedly left and returned to the tavern about two hours later. This time, she was accompanied by an elderly man.
The old man wore a plain robe and a pair of boots with curved tips that lifted the hem of his robe. His white hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin.
From attire alone, it was obvious the man was of refined origin. The reason was simple. Wandering swordsmen and laborers could never afford nor choose such flowing clothes that hindered movement. They preferred short sleeves and fitted jackets. Thus, their footwear was flat and practical without needing curved tips to lift the hem.
Clearly, this old man was someone long accustomed to privilege and comfort.
But as for how distinguished he truly was, that was not something ordinary people could discern.
Chen Jianchou knew who he was. This was none other than Lan Hexu, the Great Sage of the Poluo Daoist Mansion, privately hailed as one of the Three Emperors of Nanyang.
The Daoist Order venerated the Primordial Daoist Ancestor, who had severed his incarnations into the Three Pure Ones.
In truth, there were no emperors across Nanyang, only kings. Yet, people often said there were three emperors, mirroring the Daoist Three Pure Ones. The first among them was Great Sage Lan Hexu, the Mansion Master. The second emperor was the sea overlord, the Golden Patriarch, and the third was Sage Wang Jiaohe of the Poluo Daoist Mansion.
In formal settings, Daoist priests would harshly refute it. Yet the saying persisted, because it was somewhat true that these three men held the highest power in Nanyang.
This was Chen Jianchou’s first time meeting someone of such stature. Overawed, he moved to bow, but Xu Jiaorong stopped him. “No need for formalities. Lead the way.”
When Chen Jianchou first entered the underground tunnel, he had roughly estimated the location of the great tomb below. It might not be perfectly precise, but it was close enough. Soon, he led Xu Jiaorong and Lan Hexu out of Thanglong Prefecture to a desolate stretch of mountains outside the city.
The place was deserted, with not a single soul in sight. There were no villages or temples, only barren wilderness.