C32 The Honest Men

Jiaang Lin averted his gaze, deliberately avoiding looking at Ji Zhong and Qiu Xiya. He turned to address the group of strapping men, "Today, I'll join you in the mountains. Let's aim to bring back a good haul of game. Later, we can light a bonfire and have the whole village join in the festivities. How does that sound?"

At his suggestion, they burst into hearty laughter. A dark-skinned man, roughly forty-five years old, chuckled, "You really are different from those Immortal Masters of the grand sects. They would never mingle and make merry with us common folk."

"They believe they possess divine powers and don't even consider us worth their attention. They act like bandits, taking what they want without restraint."

"You, on the other hand, are much more approachable."

With the dark-skinned man breaking the ice, the rest of the young men opened up to Jiaang Lin, complimenting his affable and gentle nature.

Jiaang Lin felt his cheeks warm with their praise, but his adeptness at deception effortlessly concealed his emotions and the blush on his face.

Thanks to his skill in deceit, Jiaang Lin could observe them without reservation. Though referred to as young men, only two were close to Jiaang Lin's age, with the majority being middle-aged.

The dark-skinned man stood out as their leader, the eldest and most battle-scarred among them, his body marked with an array of scratches, bite wounds, and even deeper gashes.

It was clear to Jiaang Lin that this man had survived numerous encounters with death.

Jiaang Lin also noticed the respect that flickered in the eyes of the others when they looked at their seasoned leader.

"Immortal Master," they murmured in hushed tones, but amidst their low voices, a youthful one stood out.

Jiaang Lin turned to see a young man gazing at him with admiration. "Immortal Master, my name is Tie Ta."

Tie Ta's physique was impressively muscular as he introduced himself, his eyes shining with reverence for Jiaang Lin.

Jiaang Lin instantly recognized the intensity in Tie Ta's gaze. Had it not been for his maximum level ability to discern true intentions, he might have mistakenly thought Tie Ta harbored inappropriate feelings for him.

"Just call me Mr. Jiaang. There's no need to keep calling me Immortal Master; it's a bit embarrassing," Jiaang Lin said with a smile.

"Alright." Tie Ta was a simple, straightforward man. As soon as Jiaang Lin suggested it, he immediately agreed. But no sooner had Tie Ta consented than the middle-aged team leader smacked him on the back of his head.

"When the Immortal Master tells you to call him something, that's what you do. Show some respect," the team leader chastised him. He then extended his hand and introduced himself, "I'm Tie Ta, his father."

"My name is Wei Tiezhu."

"I'm Jiaang Xiaodong."

"And I'm Shen Danian."

Watching them introduce themselves, Jiaang Lin felt a warmth from their honest and open demeanor. With a grand gesture, he declared, "Let's head into the mountains. Later, we can return and celebrate with our spouses over drinks and a feast."

From behind Jiaang Lin, Qiu Xiya observed his demeanor, and the trepidation and skepticism in her eyes faded away.