"Then wait here for a moment. I'll have someone escort you." Elder Lee replied. He took out a small talisman slip, crushed it, and after a while, a boy about Evan's age appeared. The boy looked strange—his face was yellow and gaunt, with no sign of vitality. He ran into the room and called, "Master! Your disciple is here!"
"Take Evan Yang to the outer sect. Here’s a talisman slip—give it to the steward there, and he'll understand." Elder Lee handed the talisman slip to the young man as he spoke.
The young man glanced at Evan and motioned for him to follow. Evan looked at his father, then saw Elder Lee nod reassuringly, so he finally felt at ease and followed the young man out.
After leaving the hut, the young man led Evan onward. The two walked in silence, one in front and one behind, until Evan, puzzled by the surroundings, asked, "I'm Evan Yang. May I ask your name?" The boy stopped, answered flatly, "I'm Chris Chu," and continued walking without expression. Evan felt a bit frustrated, but since Chris didn't want to talk, he just followed quietly. Eventually, they arrived at a compound lined with rows of thatched huts. Many people were coming and going. At the gate sat a middle-aged man with his eyes closed—Logan Luo, the steward of the compound and a fifth-level Qi-Refining cultivator who had entered the sect ten years ago but never advanced beyond the outer sect. This compound housed the outer disciples. Besides a little time for cultivation, they had to perform mundane tasks assigned by the steward. Unlike inner disciples, they couldn't learn advanced methods or get good masters, but they stayed because every three years, they could apply to challenge for promotion to the inner sect.
Evan now stood before Logan Luo. Chris Chu handed the talisman slip to Logan, then quickly left, leaving Evan to be scrutinized by those around him. Just then, a commotion sounded outside. A young man led ten new recruits into the compound. A chubby youth rushed out and called, "Xiao Han!"
"Xiao Yuan!" Evan smiled at the chubby youth. Ryan Li was curious why Evan was here, but remembering the sudden appearance of the elder, he understood. Not just Ryan—everyone else knew Evan must have come because of that elder’s influence. Though some felt unwilling, no one said anything. Their reunion completely ignored Logan Luo, the steward, and Warren Wong, the leader of the new recruits, making both men feel awkward and displeased. Seeing Warren’s sour expression, Logan quickly said, "Brother Wong, I’ll take over from here."
"Alright, I’ll leave these people to you." Warren Wong said, then left. Seeing Warren’s departing expression, Ryan Li couldn’t hide his excitement and whispered, "Xiao Han, did you see his face? Heh heh!"