"Greetings, Master."
San Mu's voice nearly overlapped with those of Xie Fanghua and Zhao Santian.
Zhang Tie stood there. He was not especially tall, yet the faint light flowing across the deck seemed to slow around him. He did not deliberately release any pressure, but his mere presence altered the direction of the surrounding air currents.
Xuan Gu stood a little farther away. The instant he saw Zhang Tie, his pupils contracted.
It was not fear. It was more like the instinctive appraisal and estimation of a craftsman who had just seen a peerless material formed perfectly by nature.
He stepped half a pace forward and cupped his hands in salute. "Dao... Senior, you truly are a person of immense fortune. Congratulations on advancing to the Golden Immortal realm and comprehending the secret arts of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Divine Abilities."
Zhang Tie's gaze swept over the four of them before finally settling on San Mu.
"Has anything happened in this city during my absence?"
San Mu raised his face, still bent slightly at the waist. "Reporting to Master, for some reason, no one has come here in the past several decades."
It was not a lie, but as he spoke, images of the empty city walls and gates where only the wind passed day after day flashed through his mind. It had been too peaceful. That alone had made something feel wrong while he stood guard.
He paused and reached into an inner pocket of his robe. When his fingers touched the tanned beast hide, it felt cool against his skin.
He took out a palm-sized fur pouch, held it up with both hands, stepped forward twice, and offered it to Zhang Tie. The opening was tied shut with a thin sinew cord in a simple slipknot.
Zhang Tie