The old man seemed to have anticipated Zhang Tian's arrival, waiting for him by the door.
"May I ask who you are?"
The elder was clad in plain clothes, even sporting a few patches. He had white hair, bags under his eyes, and upon closer inspection, not a speck of dirt on the soles of his shoes.
His voice was hoarse.
"We're here to climb the mountain. We didn't expect an old gentleman to be living here. We apologize for the intrusion."
Zhang Tian bowed deeply, his politeness impeccable.
After all, such etiquette was commonplace in Fujiguo, though typically reserved for those of lower status addressing those of higher standing.
Now, with Zhang Tian humbling himself and showing utmost respect, the old man had little room to object.
"So you're here to climb the mountain. There have been many bandits recently, and it's not safe for an old man like me to live here. I was being overly suspicious, my apologies."
The elder was also quite courteous; whether he was being genuine, however, remained unknown.
After speaking, the old man's gaze swept over Zhang Tian and his companions.
"Young gentlemen, are you planning to climb at night? There are many wild beasts on this mountain. I suggest you turn back and climb tomorrow."
The elder offered his seemingly kind advice.
Zhang Tian, however, saw through him; this man was clearly trying to get rid of them.
"Old man, do you think Fatty here is afraid of wild beasts? What kind of talk is that?"
"Fatty can take down a wild beast with one punch at least. Also, you, sir, look quite old, but your complexion is better than Fatty's. Do you have anything to boost vitality?"
Fatty launched into a torrent of words at the old man.
Earlier, Zhang Tian had tasked Fatty with learning Fujiguo. With his cultivation, Fatty's mind was naturally not dull. Although he hadn't mastered the language, he could understand a little and only knew how to speak a few familiar phrases.
The old man was completely bewildered by Fatty's string of words, a language he had never heard before.
"Boss, this old man's shoes have no dirt on them. It's been raining recently, yet he's not covered in mud. This person is unusual."
Hu Bayi whispered into Zhang Tian's ear.
It had been raining heavily, soaking the vegetation and leaving the ground damp. Yet, the old man before them was completely free of mud.
Zhang Tian wouldn't believe he was a normal person.
"You're not from Fujiguo? What is your purpose for being here?"
Once the old man recovered, he became serious, his eyes widening as he glared at Zhang Tian and his group.
"You've discovered us, so we won't pretend anymore. We'll be upfront."
"We are Onmyoji! We've come to gather the energy of heaven and earth."
As Zhang Tian spoke, he waved his hand and produced a set of Onmyoji robes.
At this point, the old man was stunned.
Good heavens, this group was equipped.
And they looked the part too. But wait, were there Onmyoji in foreign countries?
And where did his clothes come from?
"Though I am old, I am not foolish. Did you just conjure a set of clothes out of thin air?"
The old man's face was filled with confusion.
Who were these people? Not only did they look strange, but they were also so mysterious.
"I told you, I'm an Onmyoji. Old sir, I believe you wouldn't stop an Onmyoji from protecting Fujiguo, would you?"
As Zhang Tian spoke, a flicker of unease crossed the old man's face.
"Young man, I don't know who you are, but you are not welcome here. Please leave."
The old man said, and Zhang Tian, unwilling to waste more words, decided to change tactics. If reasoning didn't work and he insisted on being stubborn, it seemed they needed to show some real strength to make him understand.
"I'm sorry, but to tell you the truth, I've taken a liking to your... grave."
As Zhang Tian spoke, the next moment, he flicked his hand, and a peach wood sword appeared in his palm.
A faint glow emanated from the wooden sword.
The old man's raised hand was instantly forced back by Zhang Tian.
The old man looked at Zhang Tian with a trace of fear.
He couldn't sense the man's power, yet his speed and strength far surpassed his own.
It was a one-sided annihilation.
The old man's complexion shifted rapidly between green and red. Zhang Tian's earlier politeness now felt like a monumental mockery.
A senior showing respect to a junior, and the junior not accepting it.
This wasn't just a slap in the face to the junior, but also to himself, revealing his own ignorance.
"How about that? Are we guests now?"
Zhang Tian smiled, and the old man nodded repeatedly.
"Friends, we are all friends."
The old man's expression was a little strained.
"Heh, this old guy was so angry just now, and now he's a friend. Just as expected of Fujiguo."
"You needed a knife to your throat to change your tune."
Fatty grumbled from the side, unfazed by the old man's disgusted look, and swaggered towards the small hut.
"Such a grand construction, could an old man have made it? This is too fake."
Fatty muttered as he walked. Although he couldn't understand everything, the old man could vaguely sense he was being mocked.
"Baka, if you have the guts, fight me one on one."
The old man cursed at Fatty.
This guy was more shameless than anyone he had ever seen.
Not only was he making himself at home, but he was also cursing at him.
It felt as if his home wasn't his own.
"Stop cursing. You can't beat him. Even if I let you down, you still wouldn't win."
Zhang Tian stated unequivocally.
He could sense the aura emanating from the old man.
He was probably around the Heavenly level, certainly not a Grandmaster.
And Fatty? He was countless times stronger. If he wore his armor, he could probably stand there and take the old man's hits without being defeated.
Upon hearing this, the old man completely deflated.
He couldn't win a fight, and he couldn't win an argument. Was there anyone more pathetic than him?
"You're living here, you must have a reason, right?"
"If you don't want your auntie to get hurt, please tell me."
Zhang Tian narrowed his eyes.
He had deeply inherited the legacy of Tuanzi.
The old man looked bewildered.
But seeing the peach wood sword in Zhang Tian's hand, he trembled.
"There are some things I cannot say. However, this peach wood sword looks familiar."
"I've seen one that's almost identical."
The old man spoke with sincerity in his eyes, not appearing to be lying.
Zhang Tian's hand trembled.
Could this guy be some kind of side-quest NPC?
"You've seen an identical one?"
Zhang Tian asked again. Besides that one person, Zhang Tian couldn't think of anyone else who would be wielding a peach wood sword and venturing in Fujiguo.
"Yes, that person had white hair, and was very powerful in both martial arts and magic. I only caught a glimpse of him back then."
As the old man spoke, they had arrived in front of a small hut.
The hut was simple, with a wooden table. They all sat down.
"What did he look like?"
Hu Bayi asked curiously.
If it were indeed his martial uncle, he felt it necessary to search for him.
"He wore glasses and looked very refined. He had a red-crowned crane pattern on him. He was traveling alone."
"He seemed very mysterious."
The old man described. Zhang Tian slowly put away the wooden sword.
Meanwhile, Wang Kaixuan, Wang Banyue, and Wu Tian were engrossed in examining the ancient well outside, showing no interest in the matters within.
On the contrary, Zhang Tian was extremely interested.
"Do you know his whereabouts?"
"He's already dead."
The old man said casually.
"What!"
Zhang Tian and Hu Bayi shot to their feet simultaneously.