"Where did this man come from?"
Chen Cuo studied the striking Daoist without betraying anything on his face. At once, he questioned Tingyi, a note of displeasure in his voice.
Tingyi laughed inwardly but said, "Moonlight clings to him, and starlight gleams in his eyes, yet he wears straw sandals. He should be from the Louguan Dao. His fortune is thin, though, so he's probably not a true disciple of its orthodox lineage."
"The Louguan Dao?"
"It has only recently risen to prominence, but its roots reach back to the Three Kingdoms. Its thread runs through the whole history of the North and South confrontation, like a snake's trail through grass or a line of ash, appearing and vanishing by turns. Only with the rise of the Tang Dynasty did people gradually come to know it." Tingyi paused, then added pointedly, "The emergence of Divine Abilities made old legends clearer and spread the authority of the Eight Sects across the land. But it also allowed many offshoot sects to rise. The Louguan Dao's source, for instance..."
She paused again and gave a soft laugh.
"Is a legacy from outside the Eight Sects."
"Outside the Eight Sects?" Something stirred in Chen Cuo's mind. He had already grasped a hint of it. "So its Legalism belongs to neither the Primordial Beginning Way nor the Cultivation Way?"
He shook his head. "That man doesn't look particularly likable. No wonder the Louguan orthodoxy won't accept him."
"Daoist Min Yue!"
When the people in the main hall saw the moon-white-robed Daoist step forward, they all lowered their voices, though they could not help whispering among themselves.
Even the Hemp-Robed Wanderer's expression shifted slightly under the Daoist's gaze. But he did not look away. "Daoist Min Yue, I know your reputation, and I respect your cultivation.