"Senior Brother Li?"
Yu Ci had already guessed as much. Hearing it confirmed, he was not particularly surprised, and stepped forward with a smile to exchange courtesies.
After a few words, he learned that this short, plump, amiable senior brother was a fourth-generation disciple of the Empirical Branch. He had entered the sect more than seventy years ago and was also the senior brother of Li You, whom Yu Ci knew.
The fat Daoist always smiled before he spoke, and he was generous by nature. Once they had exchanged names, he familiarly patted Yu Ci on the shoulder. Yet he was a head shorter than Yu Ci, making the gesture somewhat comical.
"Junior Brother Yu is truly remarkable! What happened over at Juebi City even alarmed the sect patriarchs. Among the sect's three thousand disciples, perhaps only a hundred or so have names the old ancestors remember. An outer-chamber disciple? Tsk, Junior Brother Yu, you're the first!"
As he spoke, the fat Daoist raised a thumbs-up. Yu Ci smiled at the sight. Over their time together, he had learned that the fat Daoist was usually more exaggeration than substance, so he did not take it seriously. After a few more polite exchanges, Yu Ci asked about the origins of the Tongtian River.
Half a month ago, he had received a sect decree. It praised him highly for seeing through Blood Monk Tu Ling's scheme and slaying the chief culprit, then ordered him to proceed at once to the Li Chen Sect's mountain gate upon receiving the decree, where further arrangements awaited. Yu Ci did not dare delay. He immediately set out, making a detour to Zhixin Temple to ask for directions before heading northeast all the way here, to this Miaoqing Mountain, no more than a thousand zhang high.
According