Li Hua finally put away her daggers, standing up and stepping back from the crater her attack had created. Old Xiao rose gracefully, dirt falling from his robes as he straightened to his full height. Her brothers instinctively adjusted their postures, recognizing that they might be in the presence of someone significant. "What do we call you?" she asked, her voice carrying a new note of cautious respect.
"I am Old Xiao," he said, his voice carrying the weight of centuries. "One of the seven keepers who oversee the hidden paths between realms." His robes rustled softly as he brushed off the remaining dirt from their earlier confrontation. "Our Master entered closed-door cultivation five years ago, leaving Old Tang as his second in command. Old Tang will need to approve your training personally—it's not a decision I can make alone."