Winning Favor by Climbing the Dragon and Clinging to the Phoenix

At the doorway, the other two newly advanced Qi Refinement cultivators spotted Fang Shu and turned their gazes toward him.

One of them was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his thirties or forties. With a smile on his face, he rose and cupped his hands. "Greetings, fellow Daoist. I am Lu Renjia."

Fang Shu immediately returned the gesture. "My surname is Fang, given name Shu. Greetings, fellow Daoist."

The other newly advanced Qi Refinement cultivator waiting there was a woman. She looked vaguely a little older than Fang Shu, though not by much; her exact age was impossible to make out.

Leaning against the wall, the woman teased, "Uncle Lu, you weren't this polite to me just now. Did you see how young this little brother is and decide to curry favor with him?"

At her words, several black lines seemed to squeeze across Lu Renjia's brow. He turned and earnestly corrected her, "I've told you already, don't call me Uncle. Lu and you are about the same age—I'm only in my early twenties. By the years, you might even be older than me, Big Sister Bao!"

Hearing this, Fang Shu could not help giving the male cultivator another look. This brother really did look old beyond his years.

The woman gave a soft laugh and greeted Fang Shu as well. "I am Bao Fengtao. Greetings, little brother."

The three exchanged pleasantries, and then another young man arrived.

Lu Renjia proactively stepped forward to greet him, saying with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, we entered the sect in the same batch today. In the mortal world, that would make us peers of the same year."

But the young man's expression was cold. After sweeping his gaze over Fang Shu and the others, then glancing at the guide who