Chapter 012: The High Priest

Du Fan sat down and said, “I see. The clan leader sent someone to convey the message to me earlier. I thought he wouldn’t come in person.”
Aledis smiled. “Wouldn’t it be more convincing if I came myself? Well, let’s stop talking nonsense and get straight to the point.”
Du Fan nodded. “Then please go ahead…”
Aledis whispered, “The few conditions you mentioned, Master Du Fan, aren’t excessive at all. Considering the risks you’ll face this time, I think this deal is worthwhile. Rest assured, Master Du Fan. I, Aledis, swear by the name of the Great God that once you complete that task for me, I will fulfill the other promises. Even if it’s the warriors you request, I’ll send the best from our clan to protect your safety.”
Du Fan said, “That’s good. Since it’s a partnership, we should act like one. I won’t mention any other conditions. I’ll do as you ask—use that dagger to cut Magnus’s skin. But whether he dies or not isn’t my concern, right?”
“Of course not,” Aledis replied. “It wouldn’t be right for Master Du Fan to kill someone. Just cutting a little skin will leave those monkeys from the Moon-Calling Tribe at a loss for a while. That way, we’ll have time to send you back to the Gavin Empire safely. Well, Master Du Fan, since the deal is done, let’s move on to the most important part of it.”
Du Fan smiled. “Please go ahead.”
Aledis nodded. He dipped his hand into the oil lamp on the table, picked up some oil, and then drew a small diagram on the table for a while. Finally, he said, “Master Du Fan, please take a look!”
Du Fan stared at the diagram for a while but couldn’t figure out what it was. Unable to hold back, he asked, “What is this?”
Aledis pointed to a corner of the diagram. “Master Du Fan, look here. This is where we are now. This is the gate of the Great God’s Palace. And this is the altar where the High Priest will meet you later…”
Du Fan glanced at it a few times and finally understood. He pointed to a circle behind the diagram and asked, “What’s this?”
“This?” Aledis hesitated for a moment. “I only know that there’s a deep crack behind the altar. The High Priest once said it’s the gate to the abyss where demons lurk, but I’m not sure if that’s true or not…”

“Well, fine. Even if it’s true…” Du Fan said, “Then, Chief Aldais, if I’m not mistaken, our deal should be that you tell me what’s going to happen in the Great Temple today and what I’m supposed to do after being captured.”
“That’s indeed correct,” Aldais said with a bitter smile. “But, Lord Du Fan, how could a mere chief like me possibly understand what the High Priest is thinking? However, I can tell you that killing is not allowed in the Great Temple… So your safety is guaranteed. If anything does happen, memorizing this map will still be useful… Also, I’ve arranged for a few people inside the Great Temple. If you’re truly in danger, they will definitely step in. So, Lord Du Fan, rest assured. For my own purposes, I will definitely not let anything happen to you.”
Du Fan sneered. This Aldais had come up with a good plan—only telling him the basic information about the Great Temple and hiding everything else. Clearly, he was afraid that if Du Fan didn’t obey, the shaman priests would blame him. Du Fan didn’t believe that these chiefs could be completely ignorant.
But he couldn’t expose this barely acceptable deal right now. Maybe he would really have to rely on Aldais to leave this barbarian tribe in the future; there was nothing he could do about it.
After thinking for a moment, Du Fan deliberately forced a bitter smile and said, “Since Lord Aldais says so, why wouldn’t I believe it? I’ll memorize this map. Maybe it’ll be useful someday.”
Aldais nodded slightly. After Du Fan had studied the map several times, he stretched out his broad sleeve and slowly wiped away the oil stains. Then he bowed deeply before slowly retreating.
Now that Du Fan understood his situation, he calmed down. He sat there for a while before someone else came to greet him.
This time, it wasn’t a shaman priest but a woman with a face covered. Clearly, she didn’t speak Rolandian. After asking a few questions, she only shook her head. With no other choice, Du Fan had to communicate with her through gestures, and eventually understood that she wanted to take him somewhere.

Led by this woman, Du Fan wandered around in what was called the Great Temple until he felt dizzy. The temple was entirely dark, with only a few torches lit in the corners from time to time. Fortunately, Aldais had given Du Fan a map earlier, so he could compare things in his mind and realize he seemed to be moving steadily toward the so-called altar, though the path he was taking appeared rather strange.

After about half an hour of walking, the area suddenly cleared up, and a large hall appeared before Du Fan.

The masked woman made a gesture before quickly retreating, and the door behind her closed slowly.

Du Fan frowned and looked around… This place didn’t seem to be inside a mountain at all; rather, it appeared to be in some kind of valley. There were a few lights in the pitch-black sky, like stars, and a gentle breeze blew by—cold, but with a hint of vitality.

Numerous huge stone pillars stood around, some of which had collapsed, but most still stood tall, exuding mystery and grandeur.

At the center of the pillar cluster was a tall altar, and beneath it, someone seemed to be sitting in seiza position.

Du Fan frowned as he walked over slowly. When he reached them, he couldn’t help but be surprised.

The person sitting on the ground didn’t seem very tall. They weren’t wearing a mask or any runes, but the robe they wore seemed to indicate their identity.

What surprised Du Fan even more was their complexion—almost translucently pale, as if it might shatter with the slightest touch.

The only impression this sitting person gave Du Fan was that… this shouldn’t be a living person but rather a finely carved statue.

Du Fan said nothing, and the person in seiza position didn’t react either. Eventually, Du Fan couldn’t help but use his mental power to probe them quietly, but he detected nothing. Instead, he felt a sharp pain in his mind. He knew this was due to the other person’s mental backlash, so he became even more cautious, not daring to even breathe heavily.

Suddenly, that person abruptly opened their eyes—a very strange sensation. Clearly, they had been with their eyes closed before, but before Du Fan could react, their eyes were open, as if they had always been so…

Their gaze was extremely cold, devoid of any emotion, as they simply stared at Du Fan indifferently, like a deity looking down upon mortals.

“What a strange person… Magic power… Combat energy… Mental strength… And this is…” The man suddenly spoke in a calm tone. Though his words seemed like a question, no emotion could be discerned in them. “Hmm, it’s a very strange power—so strange that even I can’t see through it. It seems Ringo was right after all; you might well be the person I’m looking for…”
“What?” Du Fan was somewhat surprised. These shaman priests were quite impressive—seemingly able to see through one’s strength with just a glance. “What did you say? And are you the high priest?”
“Aren’t you afraid of me?” the man seemed puzzled. “Well then, little one from afar, let me introduce myself. My name is Gannon, though I haven’t used this name in a long time. If you don’t mind, just call me by my name. Perhaps it will be a rare experience for you.”
“Gannon? What a strange name.” Du Fan wasn’t polite either. “But High Priest Gannon… What did you mean by what you just said?”
Gannon shook his head slightly, his face still expressionless. He said calmly, “Nothing much… But little one of a small family, the power within you is quite strange. What’s your profession? A warrior? A mage? Or perhaps a holy knight from your so-called Holy Church?”
Du Fan pursed his lips, thought for a moment, and said, “I guess I’m a priest…”
Gannon looked up at Du Fan again and suddenly exhaled. “A priest? A devout saint? Or perhaps one of those divine spellcasters from your Roland legends? Indeed… The strange power within you seems to share the same origin as that of a divine spellcaster. When I was young, I once fought against a divine spellcaster who used a power similar to yours. Only… it seems your power is a bit purer than his?”
As he spoke, the expressionless high priest’s tone finally carried a hint of human emotion. “What a peculiar little guy… No wonder Ringo suffered such a loss at your hands. She even had to resort to a blood sacrifice to capture you… Divine spells? Magic? Combat energy?… You truly are strange!”