“What, you’re serious?" when he heard what Dave told him, Jianmen was indeed stunned for a short while: “It must have been… how long was it? At least a hundred thousand years?”

 

“Something like that, I don’t remember much from this part.” Dave answered: “Xyankor is here with me - he told me he connected with a few others who retained more memory and knowledge about the void and they were certain.”

 

“Okay, this is beyond interesting.” Jianmen thought for a while and said: “Dave, wait there for a bit, I will be back in a bit. You may go with him, but wait for me to come back.”

 

“Thank you Mr. Yu. You are beyond generous.”

 

Jianmen rushed back to the stairs leading to the further levels below the temple: “Hi Xyn, sorry about that, but I had to go back. I’ll come back and patch up your wounds later.”

 

“This must be important, I could sense that it’s related to me.” Xyn asked: “Could you spare any details?”

 

“Voidborn.” Jianmen chuckled: “A new voidborn, in who knows how many years. I am not what I once was, and my powers are far from what they used to be. But I can still tell that it might be from the ripples released from your - and our contract.”

 

Xyn laughed out loud: “Good, good. Very good. Off you go then. I can still manage.”

 

“Okay, stay strong, and keep your back straight.” Jianmen gently bowed towards Xyn’s fog face and rushed to the outside of the temple, and leapt into a portal with orange and golden edges.

 

“Boom! Clank!” while Dave, Mack and Xyankor waited in the lounge of the inn, they heard a loud bang in the kitchen, then followed by the sound of utensils and cookware falling on the ground and clashing with each other.

 

“Phew, that’s one hell of an unstable portal.” Jianmen walked out of the kitchen with messy hair and ashes on his face and clothes: “Dave! Mack! How you’re doing? And Xyankor! Long time no see!”

 

“Mr. Yu.” Xyankor bowed: “It’s been only two years and three months. It’s my pleasure and honor to see you again.”

 

“Eh, stop with the fancy greetings, you know I’m not a fan of it.” Jianmen shook his head to clear out the dust from his hair: “Sorry I had to come here like this, the first portal I opened was in the center of some planet a few lightyears away, had to calibrate it again.”

 

“So, Mr. Yu, I am really sorry, I know I promised to take full shifts for two whole months.” Dave apologized.

 

“No apologies needed.” Jianmen waved his hand: “Just think of it as taking a sudden sick leave - it’s pretty standard nowadays. The Xianshi Inn might be small, it’s still a tax-paying corporation. So take all the time you need. You might not always get paid, but don’t worry about having to deal with a situation like this.”

 

“That’s great. Thank you very much.” Dave smiled and asked: “Can I take some cake with me? And soup?”

 

“You can take everything from the kitchen.” Jianmen smiled, “Now, the reason I asked you to wait for me, is that due to some reason whose details I cannot fully disclose, I have something to offer you and ask of you.”

 

“Please elaborate.” Xyankor asked with a frown.

 

“So, there’s something I cannot tell you. And believe it or not, I am also somehow tied to this matter.” Jianmen opened a drawer and took out a jade figurine. This figurine was that of a tall and slim man, wearing a straw hat and a pair of glasses.

 

“Mr. Yu, where we’re heading to - it would be the deep, deep places of the void, reserved for only high voidborns. I’m afraid we can’t bring you in.” Xyankor said.

 

“Yeah I understood that the first time I came around. I will be waiting for you in the edgelands.” Jianmen cut the center of his right palm, then rubbed his blood on the figurine.

 

The figurine glowed in orange light, then slowly grew to human size and covered in lifelike colors. Jianmen’s face became pale in the process, and when the figurine started moving just like a real person, he had to sit down on the side and take some time to adjust himself.

 

“This is Fubei Li. You can call him Mr. Li, or you can continue calling him Jianmen Yu.” Jianmen smiled and said: “This is another one of my avatars, a more independant one. He possessed a good chunk of my powers. I would like him to accompany you and wait for you in the edgelands. Should you find this voidborn and decide to bring it out from the void, he would serve as your aide in protecting the new voidborn. How’s that sound?”

 

“Well… ” Xyankor was a bit hesitant.

 

“That would be fine.” Dave acknowledged on Xyankor’s behalf: “Are you worried about something?”

 

“Just in case.” Fubei Li opened his mouth, his voice was deep and gave off a sense of cunningness: “I suspect that there would be forces out there that would be interested in this new voidborn. ”

 

“Fine.” Xyankor sighed and said: “We don’t have much of a protocol for situations like this - consider what almost happened last time, it helps to have some friendly forces nearby.”

 

“Thank you.” Fubei Li and Jianmen bowed as a sign of thank you at the same time.

 

“This is waaaaay beyond creepy.” Mack sighed on the side: “Can you teach me that Mr. Yu?”

 

“It’s not your time, nor your place.” Jianmen smiled: “Be patient, and be devoted to your life and purposes.”

 

“Oh man, this again?!”

 

“Do you have anyone to watch the inn for you?” Dave asked: “If you don’t have anyone, I can try and see if I can find someone.”

 

“Not a problem. Not a problem.” Jianmen waved his hand and took in a long inhale: “I can stay here for a few days until I find someone. You go ahead. And let me know, let Fubei Li know what you need.”

 

“My most sincere gratitude.” Xyankor nodded and headed out with Dave.

 

“Wait, Mr. Yu.” Dave walked backwards back into the lounge: “Were you serious saying I can take everything from the kitchen?”

 

“Yeah, I was serious.” Jianmen laughed out loud and threw a key at Dave: “And here’s the key to the back of the fridge. Take as much as you want.”

 

“Nice, thank you so much sir!” Dave dragged Xyankor and Mack along with him: “Come on, let’s have some food!”