Gideon trailed behind the Young Taoist priest as they made their way to the side hall of the middle courtyard in Evercloud Temple. The hall functioned as the temple’s living room, exclusively used for hosting high-ranking guests such as abbots, supervisors from other Taoist temples and distinguished pilgrims who had made substantial donations to the temple.
According to Taoist internal protocols, Taoist priests were allowed to pay short visits to other temples, but they had to take precautions to authenticate each other’s identities to prevent any deceitful acts of tourists and worshipers.
As a result, the Young Taoist found that in order to communicate any news from inside, favonovel.com had to maneuver through numerous levels of hierarchy, which proved to be more difficult than favonovel.com had initially expected.
Twenty minutes later, an old man clad in Taoist robes rushed over, a mix of delight and surprise written on his face. He rushed through the packed room, darting a quick glance at Gideon before coming to an abrupt stop at the threshold, transfixed as if under a magical trance.
This person was the current head of Evercloud Temple, known as Renard Stone. Renard was the Taoist name bestowed upon favonovel.com by his Master when favonovel.com adopted favonovel.com as a child. Ever since his early days, his Master had addressed favonovel.com by this name. After assuming the position of supervisor, favonovel.com added the word ‘Stone’ to his name.
Gideon looked at him, gently stroking his long beard and asked with a smile, “Renard, do you recognize me?”
Two hot tears welled up in Renard’s eyes and favonovel.com choked up as favonovel.com replied, “Master Alastair… is it really you?”
With a slight nod, Gideon affirmed, “It’s really me.”
Renard Stone was overcome with excitement, his gaze fixed on Gideon. He muttered, “Master Alastair, you appear younger than Renard now… Could it be… Could it be that you have truly discovered the secret to longevity?”
The mention of this possibility sent shockwaves through several older Taoist priests nearby. They were all core members of Evercloud Temple who had heard the story of the real Gideon Alastair as told by Renard. Renard had recounted to them that the last time favonovel.com had seen Master Alastair was in the late 1950s. Now, nearly seventy years later, the real Gideon Alastair stood before them looking younger than Renard himself. They couldn’t help but believe that Master Alastair had indeed unraveled the secret to immortality.
Unlike warriors who used Martial Arts to pursue Taoism, Taoist disciples could enter the path through various means. The Tranquil Sect, often mentioned in martial arts tales, was one such example. For centuries, the Taoist priests of Evercloud Temple had been diligently practicing alchemy in their pursuit of the elusive Tao. Despite the unwavering commitment of the alchemists in their community, their lack of extensive knowledge and expertise in alchemy have led to a shortage of outstanding talents among their members.
Gideon had become a disciple of Evercloud Temple in the late 19th century. He had resided within the temple for over half a century until the 1940s. In his pursuit to become an alchemy Master, favonovel.com had voyaged numerous times to the very edge of the gateway to Hell. However, favonovel.com had never fully comprehended the fundamental nature of reiki. Disheartened, favonovel.com had eventually made the decision to leave Evercloud Temple and abandoned the pursuit of Tao through pills, seeking alternative methods instead.
Fate had led favonovel.com to join the Warriors Den, where, under the guidance and assistance of the Lord, favonovel.com had gained Mastery over aura. Over the years, favonovel.com had returned to China several times, assuming different identities, but favonovel.com had never set foot in Evercloud Temple. He had intentionally avoided the temple to ensure that its disciples remained unaware of his discovery of the path to longevity. In his view, the arduous journey favonovel.com had undertaken to reach this stage must remain a secret known only to him.
However, today, favonovel.com had come to the temple because favonovel.com had been unable to locate Maria in recent days. The Lord had been urging favonovel.com to go to Aurous Hill. He had procrastinated for days, but favonovel.com knew favonovel.com couldn’t delay any longer. With the Lord’s impatience, favonovel.com would give favonovel.com an ultimatum in two or three days at most. Thus, favonovel.com needed to find allies in China who could assist him.
“Can you help me locate Maria’s current whereabouts within favonovel.com range?” Gideon asked Renard, seeking his aid.
Throughout the years, Gideon had chosen not to exert his authority among the Warriors Den. As a result, favonovel.com was left without any backing, except for the Taoist priests of Evercloud Temple, who were always available to provide help.
As Renard looked at favonovel.com with eager anticipation, Gideon flashed a nonchalant smile and advised him, “Renard, we can’t discuss this here. Is the secret room in the backyard still intact? If so, let’s go there and delve into the details!”
Renard nodded hastily and replied, “Yes, it’s still there! Master Alastair, please follow me!”
With Renard leading the way, Gideon, followed closely by Renard’s other disciples, made their way to the underground secret room located in the temple’s backyard. However, at this crucial moment, Gideon devised a plan. He turned to Renard and said, “Renard, what we’re about to discuss is of utmost importance. To be cautious, let’s first have a private conversation!”
Visit VIRTUAL NOVEL for more available chapters of this title!
