However, Qin Fang didn't have a particularly good impression of these three individuals. It wasn't that they looked like bad people, but from just one encounter, Qin Fang could sense their condescending arrogance.

Young and strong, a bit of arrogance isn't much of an issue, but when they put on such an overly polite and courteous facade, it just seems too hypocritical. Moreover, the subtle contempt they exuded was blatantly dismissive of Qin Fang, whom they clearly regarded as a "hillbilly barbarian."

"Brother, do you know which way to the Gelan Tribe?"

As soon as the three appeared, they noticed Qin Fang and walked over. The young man leading them wore a faint smile and very politely gave Qin Fang a bow, then courteously inquired.

They spoke Mandarin, not the native dialect of the mountains, which showed that although the Tang Sect had been isolated for hundreds of years without venturing out, they were not so closed off as to be assimilated by these mountain folk.

"Just keep going that way..."

Although these three made Qin Fang somewhat uncomfortable, upon hearing that they were headed to the Gelan Tribe, Qin Fang suspected they might be looking for Tang Xin.

Qin Fang did think about luring Tang Xin out of the mountains at one point, but that was just a fleeting thought. Now, having not seen her for several days, the idea had faded quite a bit.

Since all three were from the Tang Sect and quite young, they were most likely Tang Xin's senior or junior martial brothers, and must have had important business, so it didn't seem right for Qin Fang to obstruct them.

He happened to know the direction, and thus casually pointed them towards the Gelan Tribe.

"Thank you, brother..."

The leading young man immediately thanked him. Then, as if he sensed something, his wrist flicked slightly, and Qin Fang saw several dark shadows fly from his hand, instantly disappearing into the roots of a nearby tree.

One of the young men beside him lightly tapped his foot, and his whole body soared like a giant eagle, landing several meters away after just one leap. He then retrieved two plump rabbits from where the shadows had vanished...

The rabbits were still bloody. The young man pulled out several peculiarly shaped iron implements from their wounds, clearly the Tang Sect's hidden weapons.

"Consider these two rabbits a gift for our first meeting, a present for you, brother..."

The leading young man said with a smile to Qin Fang, as the one holding the rabbits tossed them to Qin Fang. Their gesture seemed casual, but the disdain was even more apparent, as they threw the rabbits to Qin Fang and then immediately turned to leave, soon disappearing into the mountain forest towards the Gelan Tribe.

"Damn, what's with this..."

Qin Fang looked at the two bloody rabbits in his hands, his expression oddly twisted. After spending so much time outside, this was the first time he felt so looked down upon.

Qin Fang had, of course, noticed the rabbits earlier, but because he was talking to the three from the Tang Sect, he hadn't taken immediate action. After all, his hunting was more of a hobby than a necessity for food.

But this misunderstanding had arisen; these three from the Tang Sect thought he was a barbarian from the hills and had "kindly" hunted the rabbits for him... This left Qin Fang not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Alas, you consider others barbarians, but to those outside the mountains, aren't you the uncivilized barbarians too?" Reflecting on the arrogance displayed by the three, Qin Fang couldn't help but shake his head.

The people in the mountains live primitively and backwardly, a result of their geographical limitations and unopened minds, perpetuated from generation to generation.

When the Tang Sect went into hiding hundreds of years ago, they might have been considered the most advanced and enlightened of their time. But after centuries of isolation, what they once took pride in as cutting-edge has long since become insignificant. To the outside world, these folks who seem to still live in the Ming-Qing Dynasty era are the epitomes of backwardness and barbarism...

...

In the forest.

The three people from Tang Sect made their way through the woods at a leisurely pace. Their steps seemed small, yet their speed was quite fast. After all, they were all beings with considerable cultivation; it was normal for them to walk faster than ordinary people.

"Senior brother, it's just a barbarian, right? Is there a need to be so courteous with him?"

The young man who had earlier tossed a rabbit to Qin Fang pondered the recent events, speaking with a tinge of indignation. His name was Tang Wei, the weakest among the three, but only a step away from reaching the Master Level.

The leader of the three went by the name Tang Nan, a Grandmaster-level Expert, ranked sixth among the young generation of Tang Sect, much stronger than Tang Xin, who also ranked in the lower end of the top ten.

The remaining silent one was named Tang Zhan, the strongest of the three, also a Grandmaster-level Expert, and held the third rank among the young generation of Tang Sect, second only to two other senior brothers who were slightly older than him.

Ordinarily, the leader should've been Tang Zhan, but peculiarly, it was Tang Nan. This wasn't to say that Tang Nan had the sharpest mind to control the other two, but rather, it was due to his identity—he was the sole son of Tang Yuantao, a Tang Family Elder, and a disciple of the Tang Family Clansmen.

His aunt was the wife of the current Sect Leader of Tang Sect, which destined Tang Nan to have an extraordinary status within the sect, and made him someone that the younger generation dared not to provoke so readily.

"You said it yourself, he's just a barbarian. Giving him a trivial favor is no big deal; maybe he will even go back and tell his tribe that he met an immortal in the mountains..."

Tang Nan's expression was indifferent, and he didn't take the event to heart, just as he had said. To him, the matter was truly insignificant, a mere fleeting moment of showing his face.

"That makes sense! Senior brother, you are truly the greatest..."

Tang Wei immediately nodded in agreement, quickly buttering up his senior brother. As for Tang Zhan next to him, he could be ignored entirely since he had yet to say a word.

Although the three had set out together, only Tang Nan and Tang Wei were truly aligned, while Tang Zhan was there to act as a bodyguard, arranged by Tang Yuantao. After all, the outside world was much more dangerous than the internal affairs of Tang Sect. Though Tang Nan was not weak, he had never faced many setbacks. Worried about his son's well-being, Tang Yuantao sought out Tang Zhan, a silent yet exceptionally calm disciple, as his protection.

Since Tang Zhan was a direct disciple of Tang Yuantao, he executed the command of his master despite not having a high opinion of Tang Nan.

"By the way, senior brother, do you think Sister Tang Xin will be moved by your sincerity this time?"

At that moment, Tang Wei seemed to recall something and couldn't help but ask with some eagerness. Their trip away from the sect was specifically for the sake of Tang Xin.

Tang Xin was one of the top ten disciples of the younger generation, and also one of the only two female disciples among the top ten. Moreover, both of these female disciples were stunningly beautiful, known as the "Twin Beauties" of Tang Sect, attracting the adoration from many male disciples within the sect.

Even the other eight among the top ten disciples were smitten and had launched their courtship campaigns toward the women they fancied.

Tang Xin's departure from the sect was largely connected to this matter. Now at the age for marriage, the elders in the sect were persuading and pressuring her, and she found it quite distressing, especially since she had not yet found someone she fancied.

"Hmph, she better say yes! If she continues to be oblivious, then I won't be so polite anymore..."

The thought of this ignited a flame of frustration in Tang Nan's heart, and the smile faded from his face, showing a clear sign of discontent.

At this moment, Tang Nan didn't resemble the courteous gentleman who had humbly interacted with Qin Fang. A sharp malevolence flashed across his face, revealing a glimpse of his true temperament.

Tang Wei noticed nothing amiss, but Tang Zhan beside him slightly knit his brows, though ultimately, he said nothing…

(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommended tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.