The “Immortals” Arrive

"So, young master Long…" Liu Rihai began to say, but she was interrupted by Aotian's sudden choking on his wine.

"Cough, cough! Ahem!" Long Aotian looked at Rihai in shock. "Please, don't call me young master, it gives me the creeps." He pleaded, shuddering slightly.

Amused, Rihai didn't ask why.

"Then, what should I call you?" She asked, with a mischievous smile.

'How about husband?!' "How about Brother Aotian?" Aotian thought one thing but said another.

Rihai looked at him, rolled her eyes, and replied: "Keep dreaming!"

"Ugh!" Aotian clutched his chest, pretending to be deeply hurt.

"I'll just call you Long Aotian then," Rihai said, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah! Saying my full name makes it sound like you're mad at me." Aotian couldn't help but complain.

"And I am! Who in their right mind asks a girl to call him brother on the day they meet?" Rihai rolled her eyes, amused.

"I know plenty of people like that!" He said, referring to the protagonists of the novels he had read.

"That's why they say one-legged birds flock together." Rihai retorted with a mischievous smile.

"Hey! I'm going to get mad!"

…

While Long Aotian and Liu Rihai enjoyed their playful conversation, time passed, and suddenly the noisy crowd fell silent.

At the top of the staircase, three imposing and well-dressed figures appeared in everyone's view.

Two men and one woman. All elegantly dressed, with stern and haughty expressions.

The man in the middle stepped forward, drawing attention with his authoritative posture.

"Greetings, everyone!" He spoke in a cold voice before continuing:

"To fulfill my filial duty to my father and honor my ancestors, who have protected this city for centuries, I have invited my fellow practitioners to eliminate the threat of the Red Tiger and finally clear the path through the Red Tiger Forest for our city."

The City Lord's son, now recognized, spoke with an air of authority.

The crowd was abuzz, and the more observant ones began to look warily at the City Lord's son.

Aotian, who had moved closer to Liu Rihai during their conversation, scratched his chin as he listened to the speech. He then leaned in and whispered in Rihai's ear:

"Translation: My father and my family rule the city, and I'm also a practitioner, so don't get any wild ideas from now on."

Liu Rihai, feeling his warm breath on her ear, couldn't help but blush slightly and shot Aotian a fierce glare.

Her fierce expression clearly said: I understood too, I'm not stupid! Stop whispering in my ear!

Aotian looked at her beautiful fierce face and couldn't help but be momentarily dazed by her beauty.

Liu Rihai noticed this, rolled her eyes at him, and turned her face away.

The expression on her face now changed to: I'm ignoring you!

The City Lord's son continued his speech, unfazed:

"Initially, we planned to hunt the monster quietly, but my father, at the request of many friends, insisted that we allow the brave warriors of the city and the region to join us and also profit from hunting weaker beasts. Therefore, I declare our answer…" He raised his chin with an arrogant smile and, in a pompous voice, declared: "Granted!"

The crowd listening roared with excitement, applauding and shouting in ecstasy.

"Young Master Li is incredible!"

"We thank Young Master Li for the opportunity!"

"Young Master Li is a dragon among men!"

"Young Master Li…"

A wave of endless flattery flooded the audience, and the man's arrogant smile and puffed-up chest clearly showed that he was savoring every word.

Meanwhile, Aotian watched the three descend the stairs and interact with the crowd.

He noticed, from their arrogant and cold gazes, that they saw everyone in the hall as insignificant and worthless beings.

Aotian couldn't help but shake his head inwardly at the sight. Even though he couldn't sense their power, from his analysis, they were probably just mid-level or lower Qi Refiners.

Qi Refiners, who had barely stepped onto the path of cultivation, seeing themselves as beings of a superior dimension compared to ordinary humans, was nothing short of disgusting.

Of course, against common humans, they were indeed invincible. But that didn't change the fact that, in the world of cultivators, they were nothing more than trash of the lowest level. They were not worthy, like ants, to look down on other ants.

Moreover, those "ants" were thinking beings, with ideals, dreams, and desires as complex as theirs.

Aotian shook off these thoughts and leaned in to whisper in Liu Rihai's ear again.

She looked at Aotian with an amused yet helpless expression, but her curiosity got the better of her, and she allowed him to get closer.

"Here comes another Aotian translation: 'I want to deceive you. Come fight and give your lives for my schemes, I allow it.'" Aotian whispered with a playful look.

In truth, he was warning Rihai, whom he had taken a liking to, so she wouldn't foolishly fall into their trap.

Rihai's eyes widened in surprise, and she looked at Aotian. Even though she was shy, she forced herself to whisper in his ear:

"Why do you say that? Why do you think they're up to something?"

Feeling her warm breath on his ear and, surprisingly, a refreshing scent, Aotian couldn't help but blush slightly.

'Damn, how can a grown man like me blush? Also, did she use toothpaste? Why is her breath so fresh? I hope mine wasn't bad when I talked to her. Please, oral hygiene products I worked so hard to find, don't let me down!'

Rihai noticed Aotian's faint blush and dazed look, but she was more focused on what he had said earlier, so she didn't tease him.

"Ahem!" Aotian coughed into his fist to regain his composure and discreetly tested his own breath. Not detecting any bad odor, he sighed in relief internally and leaned in to whisper to Rihai again:

"If they were strong enough, they'd probably do everything by themselves. That man is the City Lord's son, so he and his father would rather swallow all the benefits alone. It would strengthen the City Lord's control and allow him to do whatever he wants with Red Tiger Mountain." Aotian explained before continuing:

"But instead, they're sharing the profits for no apparent reason, except for the 'kindness' of their hearts... which I doubt they have much of."

Liu Rihai couldn't help but smile at the last statement.

"So you think they can't defeat the Red Tiger? Is that why they need help?" She whispered, intrigued.

"Whether they can defeat the Red Tiger, I don't know. But what I do know is that they're not confident they could face the thousands of beasts under its command alone." Aotian concluded his analysis.

Rihai looked at Aotian, surprised by his sharp perception. Then, she nodded slightly in agreement with him.

Aotian then slowly moved away, straightening his posture. Only then did he and Rihai realize that they were so close they were almost embracing while talking.

Rihai's eyes widened, and she quickly pulled back, slightly flustered.

Aotian was momentarily stunned, feeling the warmth of her body on his slowly dissipating. Recovering, he flashed a charming and teasing smile at Rihai, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

"Hmph!" Rihai huffed and turned her face away, trying to hide the furious blush on her cheeks.

Seeing that she wasn't saying anything else, Aotian felt slightly anxious. He didn't want the conversation to end there, fearing she would leave without exchanging another word.

"So... what brought you here?" Aotian asked, trying to change the subject.

Liu Rihai looked back at him, her face less flushed now that she had calmed down.

'Seems like touching the opposite sex is too much excitement for girls of this era... Does she think holding hands could get her pregnant?' Aotian thought, amused as he remembered the innocent heroines from the stories he used to read before reincarnating.

"Oh? Don't you think I came to see the 'mighty immortals' like everyone else?" She replied in a playful tone, mocking the cultivators at the same time.

Aotian was startled to hear her speak like that, realizing that such words could easily cause trouble for them. He quickly looked around and sighed in relief, seeing that no one had noticed.

Everyone was more interested in flattering the "immortals."

"Don't talk like that, it could get you in trouble!" Aotian warned, his tone full of concern.

Rihai was surprised to see the genuine concern in his eyes and felt a warm, comfortable sensation growing in her chest. A gentle smile escaped as she nodded softly, accepting his advice.

"Mm!"

Aotian was stunned to see her so meek and shy, her expression soft and obedient. His heart raced for a moment.

'Why does she look so adorable like that?' he wondered, feeling a bit flustered.

Noticing Aotian's dazed gaze, Rihai rolled her eyes, regaining her usual attitude.

Aotian scratched his head, embarrassed, and quickly returned to the topic to cover up his awkwardness:

"So... about my question?"

Rihai tapped her cheek with her finger, thoughtful, before answering:

"Well, a friend came by. I was bored and ended up following her." Rihai replied in an indifferent tone.

"Oh? And why were you alone? Where's your friend now?" Aotian asked, curious.

"Her? She's over there, in the middle of the crowd." Rihai pointed to the group surrounding the three immortals.

Aotian looked at the crowd, and a mischievous smile appeared on his face:

"If your friend's among those praising the immortals, I guess she's not as interesting as you." He said, amused.

Rihai's eyes widened for a moment before she raised her nose arrogantly:

"Of course not! I'm one of a kind!" She declared, her expression haughty but with a playful sparkle in her eyes.

Aotian laughed at her sincere and confident response, feeling more and more captivated by her.