Knock, knock.
The Lobsterfolk leader knocked on the wooden door. A slightly raspy voice came from inside. "Is that Yalpet?"
The Lobsterfolk leader named Yalpet replied, "Yes, Prophet. I've brought a guest... He has a token from the Matriarch."
"Let him in."
The wooden door creaked open. The Lobsterfolk stood at attention on either side as Bai Xiaowen stepped inside.
Li Shuyi tried to follow, but Yalpet stopped her.
"Sorry, human lady. You can't go in."
Li Shuyi glanced at Bai Xiaowen, seeking his opinion.
Bai Xiaowen smiled. "It's all right."
Bai Xiaowen entered the small cabin. In the dim light, he saw an elderly Lobsterfolk with a purple shell. Most of the Lobsterfolk outside had blue-green shells; purple must have been a sign of old age.
"Greetings, honored guest... I foresaw your arrival," the old Lobsterfolk said.
"You foresaw it? Are you a prophet?" Bai Xiaowen asked with a smile.
"That's right..."
"A prophet can tell others what he's seen?" Bai Xiaowen asked.
The old Lobsterfolk fell silent for a second before slowly saying, "Well, I wasn't entirely precise... I didn't see a vision of the future directly. Through divination, I learned that someone would visit us soon..."
Bai Xiaowen understood. This was probably one of the tricks charlatans used to seem mysterious. If he hadn't known the trade himself, the old Lobsterfolk might have fooled him.
It seemed the old Lobsterfolk's so-called foresight was quite different from Bai Xiaowen's ability to directly "see" scenes from the future. For now, the difference appeared to be one of precision.
"How should I address you? And which Matriarch does this scale token represent?" Bai Xiaowen asked, showing him the scale.
"My name is Gorick... As for the Matriarch's identity, forgive me, but I cannot tell you until she reveals it herself,"