Perhaps because he knew Xu Zhi was "very gifted," the priest set down what he was packing and handed it to the man who had opened the door, then turned to give Xu Zhi a brief introduction to the cult.
Xu Zhi only half-listened to what he said. Most of it was probably meant to fool people, with plenty of embellishment about how oppressed and miserable the lower-level drifters were. She nodded along repeatedly, but her mind was completely elsewhere, focused more on the Lost Land.
After the priest finally finished his long speech, he led her upstairs.
The second floor seemed to serve as both a "warehouse" and living area. Only one person stood guard: a boy who looked no older than fifteen or sixteen. He appeared somewhat malnourished and was probably once a drifter with little strength. Xu Zhi noticed, however, that his eyes were fairly clear. When he heard someone coming up the stairs, he showed a hint of wariness and alertness.
"Du Cheng, come here. Let me introduce you. This is a new member who'll be joining us. Her name is—"
The priest suddenly faltered during the introduction, only then realizing that after talking to Xu Zhi for so long, he had never asked her to introduce herself.
Xu Zhi answered without much thought, "My surname is Ling. I only have a surname, no given name."
It was nonsense, but not entirely. Didn't Spirit Vessel count as having the surname Ling?
The priest nodded, unconcerned whether Xu Zhi was telling the truth. The names of lower-level drifters came in every variety imaginable. Some did not even have surnames, casually naming themselves after mechanical parts. One-character names were common enough too.
"Take her to an empty room. She'll live there from now on. Tomorrow night, she'll officially