"Sect Master!"
After Cao Ren entered and saw that Hong Gu was also present, he hurriedly bowed to her as well. "This junior, Cao Ren, pays respects to Senior Duanmu. May Senior enjoy boundless fortune and longevity."
"Humph!"
Hong Gu gave a delicate snort, clearly displeased.
Cao Ren had disrupted her good moment earlier. Though his tone and manner were respectful now, his honorifics had aged her by a generation. Naturally, she was not about to show him a pleasant face.
"Uh..."
Cao Ren was somewhat baffled, but he did not take it to heart. Pointing at the young cultivator who had remained kneeling on the ground since entering the residence, he said bluntly, "Sect Master, this fellow Daoist claims to be from Jadegreen Cave, a human faction atop the eastern slope of Five Dragons Mountain. His mountain gate has been surrounded by demons, so he came specifically to seek outside aid!"
"I encountered him near the Hundred Beasts Forest outpost on the eastern slope. His ability to conceal his aura was truly remarkable. Had he not triggered the restrictions outside the fortress, he might have crept right up to the outpost's formation without anyone noticing."
"After seeing me, he mistook me for a dragon-type demon that had taken human form and fought me. Only after learning that I was a Scarlet Flame Sect cultivator did he honestly explain his purpose!"
Because Cao Ren cultivated the Dragon Transformation Curse, his aura differed greatly from that of ordinary cultivators. Being mistaken for a dragon was only natural.
Fortunately, when Fairy Jade Spring severed Venerable Wansheng's index finger years ago, she had also cast a spell to disrupt the connection between him and the master of the Dragon-Rearing Pool. This allowed him to move about normally instead of being trapped to death