Looking at the old man and the youth before him, Huo Yuhao first felt a flash of wariness in his heart. Then, as he chewed over the meaning behind the old man's words, a brilliant gleam lit up his eyes—the kind of look that could only be seen in the eyes of an old farmer during the autumn harvest, brimming with the pure joy of a bountiful yield.
"E-Elderly sir, and big brother, hello."
Huo Yuhao put his long blade back into its scabbard and broke into an innocent, harmless smile. After all, Huo Yuhao was only nine years old at the moment; when he smiled, he radiated approachability. The old man strode forward, walking in a circle around Huo Yuhao, sniffing to the left and to the right while nodding incessantly.
"Yes, that's the exact scent! We've really found it this time."
The old man's boisterous actions startled Huo Yuhao, who hurriedly cast a look of appeal at the young man beside him. The young man seemed unable to watch any longer, quickly reaching out to grab the old man by the arm, which finally allowed Huo Yuhao to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Little brother, don't mind him. My master is just like this. He's usually quite dignified, but whenever he runs into something that interests him, he tends to lose all decorum. I'm truly sorry. Let me introduce myself: I am Long Aotian, and this is my master, Du Busi."
Long Aotian's voice was hearty and magnetic, carrying a hint of apology in his tone. But before Long Aotian could finish, the old man known as Du Busi shook off Long Aotian's grip with a single jerk and grabbed Huo Yuhao's hand with a sincere expression.
Outwardly, Huo Yuhao maintained his composure, but inside, a torrential storm was already raging. The speed at which the other party had grabbed his hand was clearly not fast—it looked just like an ordinary elder eagerly grasping a junior's hands in lively conversation during a moment of excitement. Yet, despite such a motion, he hadn't even had a fraction of a second to react.
The old man before him was definitely an expert in the world of Soul Masters, and an expert whose cultivation was higher by several tiers. At the very least, he was likely a formidable Soul King possessing a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring, or perhaps even a Soul Emperor.
Naturally, Du Busi had no idea what Huo Yuhao was thinking; otherwise, he probably would have assumed he was being insulted. At that moment, his face was wreathed in smiles, his old visage squeezed so tight it resembled a blooming flower.
"Little brother, just now my disciple and I caught the rich aroma of roasted fish drifting all the way from the stream. I wonder if you roasted these yourself? My disciple and I have journeyed a long way and are completely famished. Would you be willing to part with a few grilled fish and sell them to us?"
Watching his master address a child who looked barely over ten years old as an equal, Long Aotian felt a few dark lines trace across his brow, though there was nothing he could do about it. Usually, his master maintained a semblance of propriety, but whenever he encountered something amusing, his behavior was no different from that Taotie Godly Ox of Shrek Academy.
Huo Yuhao lowered his head slightly to inspect their attire. The senior named Du Busi was dressed quite casually, wearing a pair of flat cloth shoes and a hemp robe and trousers that had clearly been worn for a long time without showing any obvious tears—altogether fitting the profile of someone with a very easygoing style of dress.
From his clothing, it was easy to see that the senior called Du Busi held a remarkably high position within his family or sect. Both the strength he displayed when grabbing his hand just now and this carefree attire proved that this senior had likely spent a long period in an unconstrained, peaceful, and untroubled environment.
Huo Yuhao turned his gaze to Long Aotian. Long Aotian's clothing was not particularly flashy: a pale green robe edged with gold borders, with a storage Soul Tool resembling a sachet hanging at his waist. Aside from that, there were no other adornments. He appeared calm and confident throughout, a distinct aura slowly emanating from his person.
Huo Yuhao knew that this aura was a kind of presence akin to "foundation." Though almost entirely devoid of aggression, anyone who saw a person with such a unique aura would not dare to offend them casually. Such an aura was difficult to find in ordinary people; it required money, strength, and the confidence of an entire faction to nurture it. The ultimate effect it displayed was rather like the saying: "A gentleman as gentle and lustrous as jade."
*Mm...* He must belong to a prominent aristocratic family, and likely a Soul Master clan or sect of some sort. But one thing was certain: this old man and youth—were definitely not short on money!
"N-No need."
Huo Yuhao scratched his head a little sheepishly and retrieved a few still-warm grilled fish from his Storage Soul Tool. It had already been a short half-hour since he finished roasting them, so they were merely warm now.
"T-These aren't anything valuable to begin with. The carp and perilla were picked nearby, and even the sauce brushed on while grilling was given to me by a very generous big brother. I'll just treat you both."
Huo Yuhao shyly handed the grilled fish to Du Busi and Long Aotian. Hearing Huo Yuhao put it that way, Du Busi suddenly felt rather embarrassed to accept the fish. He, Du Busi, was quite capable of snatching things from others—he had indeed done that sort of thing plenty of times—but if someone offered him something for free, it made him feel awkward instead.
"This, how could we be so bold?"
Du Busi wanted to refuse the grilled fish offered to him, but the aroma wafting from the fish drilled straight into his nasal cavity. The various impactful spices elevated the native freshness of the carp to its absolute peak, tempting Du Busi over and over again to accept the fish.
"It's fine. My mother often taught me that when traveling away from home, we must learn to help one another out. You two should just take them."
Seeing that Long Aotian and Du Busi were still hesitating, Huo Yuhao once again pushed the grilled fish toward their hands without leaving a trace. At that point, the two truly had no reason to refuse and could only accept the grilled fish handed to them by Huo Yuhao.
"Hahaha, what a good lad! Just for those words of yours, if you ever have any trouble you can't settle in the future, just come look for me. I really like a kid like you who suits my taste."
Without standing on ceremony, Du Busi found that the grilled fish was at the perfect temperature to eat. With a single bite, the crispy yet chewy fish skin and meat slid together into his mouth, making his eyes light up instantly. The layer of light red chili powder dusted over the savory fish meat immediately elevated the layers of flavor to a whole new level: slippery, tender, fragrant, numbing, and fresh. Though the various tastes seemed eclectic, they were orderly, functioning like monarch, minister, assistant, and guide in a prescription, pushing the wonderful flavor of this mouthful of fish to an unimaginable extreme.
After eating just a single bite, Du Busi could no longer stop. Completely unconcerned with his image, he squatted down right on the spot and began his campaign to annihilate the grilled fish. Before he had even taken many bites of the foot-long carp, nothing was left but the bones. Even the golden-brown, charred bones at the tail of the fish did not escape Du Busi's clutches; he crunched them to pieces in just a few bites.