Qi Xiuyuan looked at Jiang Hao. "Brother Jiang, I'll take my junior brother to Uncle Yuheng first."
Jiang Hao nodded.
Qi Xiuyuan did not delay any longer. Carrying Ma Sichun, he headed for the back mountain, leaving only Jiang Hao and True Lord Xuanji before the hall. The Old Daoist stroked his beard and looked at Jiang Hao with interest. "Young friend, Xiuyuan just sent word that you saved them. May I ask which sect you come from?"
The Old Daoist spoke neither hurriedly nor slowly, his words carrying a certain charm. Jiang Hao gave him a Daoist salute. "This junior is Jiang Hao, an independent cultivator?"
True Lord Xuanji sized Jiang Hao up and down. Jiang Hao was not concealing his cultivation at the moment, so the Old Daoist could naturally see his strength clearly. Stroking his beard, he asked, "How old are you?"
"Twenty-one."
The Old Daoist was inwardly astonished. "At twenty-one, you have already reached the Foundation Establishment Peak. Among the hundreds of disciples on Mount Laoshan, not one has reached your level."
"Still, we truly must thank you for saving Xiuyuan and Sichun this time. Xiuyuan will likely need some time before he returns. Why not have a cup of tea at the pavilion?"
Jiang Hao immediately bowed. "How would this junior dare refuse an elder's invitation?"
The two walked up the stone steps and soon arrived at a small pavilion halfway up the mountain. Looking out from within, they saw misty clouds and glowing haze stretching across the view, while the deep blue sea lay far away, appearing and disappearing amid the clouds.
The two sat beside a stone table. With a gentle flick of his whisk, the Old Daoist produced a teapot and two cups on the table. He flicked the whisk again, and