Ye Chen took a close look at the person sitting in the thatched cottage and realized it was indeed the Daoist he had once met at the small temple. The Daoist had changed clothes since then.
When the Daoist saw Ye Chen arrive, he poured tea into the empty cup in front of him, then gestured for Ye Chen to sit across from him.
Although Ye Chen had no idea who the Daoist was, his instincts told him the man meant him no harm. So he slowly entered the cottage and sat down.
"Do you now know who you are, where you came from, and where you're going, young man?" the Daoist asked as soon as Ye Chen had sat down.
Unfortunately, Ye Chen still knew nothing about his origins, so all he could do was shake his head. "I still don't know who I am or where I came from."
"But I have a goal now: to accompany Xuanzang on his journey to obtain the scriptures. When I meet Buddha, I should finally get answers to all the mysteries surrounding me."
Ye Chen looked at the Daoist with resolve. The Daoist smiled but gave no opinion on whether Ye Chen's goal was good or bad, leaving Ye Chen uncertain about his stance.
"By the way, what was that place just now? How long was I there?" Ye Chen thought of the void through which he had been falling and couldn't help feeling shaken.
"The Land of Nothingness." The Daoist took a sip of tea before answering. "It's a realm I created. Once you pass through it, those watching you lose track of you. I didn't want outsiders to hear our conversation today."
Ye Chen stared at the Daoist in shock. "You mean you created a whole realm?"
"That's right.