The two large, fierce-looking men eyed Meng Hao for a moment and then smiled. Whichever way you looked at their smiles, they appeared vicious. It was as if they were staring down a helpless little lamb.
The man with the fan seemed to be the most treacherous of the group, and his smile appeared the most sincere. He clasped hands and saluted Meng Hao.
“I, Huang, heard the birds singing earlier, and couldn’t help but wonder if a guest would be arriving. Fellow Daoist, a single glance at you and I felt the aura of a hero wash over me. Hearing Fifth brother’s words just now, I can tell that you are a dragon among men, venturing out of his Sect for the first time. Fellow Daoist, you are the type of person I revere the most. Please, come into our Immortal’s Cave and relax for a moment.”
“Well…” said Meng Hao, seemingly unsure of how to respond to such praise. Clasping hands, he bowed back to the man. However, he appeared to be hesitant to enter the cave. Inwardly, he sighed. The man’s flattering words were obviously full of lies. Meng Hao could have come up with something much better to say, were he in the other position.
“Little bro,” said the yellow-robed man, his eyes flickering, “we’re here at the main door. Come come, follow me in. Now that you’re here, you’re home!” He pulled at Meng Hao’s sleeve, dragging him into the Immortal’s Cave.
The other men clustered around hesitating Meng Hao as the yellow-robed man graciously led him inside. The limestone door slowly closed behind them. Immediately, the glow of luminescent pearls filled Meng Hao’s eyes.
The Immortal’s Cave was quite spacious and luxuriously decorated. It was filled with a variety of different rooms, including a pill concocting room and a medicinal plant courtyard.
With a candid laugh, the yellow-robed man made introductions: “Little bro, this is Second Brother, and this is Third Brother. After Fourth Brother, is me the Fifth Brother.” As he made the introductions, he gave a meaningful glance to the treacherous looking man who ranked second.
“Greetings, Fellow Daoists,” said Meng Hao shyly, clasping hands to them. He glanced around, a pleased expression in his eyes. When his gaze fell upon the luminescent pearls, his eyes shined brightly.
“Fellow Daoist Meng, what do you think of our Immortal’s Cave? Not bad, huh?” said Second Brother Huang with a smile, gently fanning himself. His expression was tinged with a disdainful look that he assumed others wouldn’t see, an expression that made it clear he was playing some sort of game. He stared at Meng Hao.
“It’s pretty good,” said Meng Hao, “pretty good. Very complete, with plenty of private rooms. Really, it doesn’t seem common in any aspect.” His praises sounded very sincere. “These luminescent pearls are especially incredible. It seems the spiritual energy here is quite abundant. Don’t tell me you have a Spirit Spring, too?” He asked the question in a very astonished tone.
“There absolutely is a Spirit Spring,” said Second Brother Huang with a laugh. “That’s exactly why the five of us decided to build our Immortal’s Cave here.” The contempt in his eyes grew more obvious. In his mind, Meng Hao was prey trapped in a tiger’s lair.