...…
Is it some form of giant spiritual stone, or maybe some sort of treasure piece?
Azmodeus pondered the matter of the large stone in front of him as all the villagers waited for the Secluded Immortal to speak.
And when he finally did, they were both surprised and overjoyed, as he announced, "I will be taking this stone back with me. And all the weird oddities surrounding its existence should shortly disappear not long after."
"!!!" The Village Chief was ecstatic at this proclamation, but when he recalled what happened when they tried to take the meteorite away from its spot, he said, "S-Sir Immortal, the weight of this thing is extremely high, and even with your superb strength, I doubt-"
*Pi-Pang!*
Azmodeus had the stone on one of his hands as he turned toward the astonished old man and asked, "What was that?"
The Village Chief quickly snapped out of it as he replied, "N-Nothing at all, Good Sir! Just the ramblings of an old man who wishes to bid you farewell on your journey back to Fallen Immortal Mountain!"
Azmodeus observed the old man's facial expressions for a second before he saw a young girl around 8 years old pop her head out from behind the friendly old man.
"Is that your daughter?" He inquired with a curious gleam in his eyes.
There's something special about that kid…
"Yes, she is, Esteemed Sir! Her name is Rou Tian, and she is my only granddaughter, born to my youngest daughter.
Don't be rude, Rou Tian. Go and introduce yourself to the kind immortal."
Following the old man's words, a girl with a face that was as cute as a button slowly moved away from her grandpa with a shy expression.
"M-My name is Rou Tian… It-It's very nice to meet youu-..."
*Thud!*
She tripped a little on her long, frilly pink dress as she landed on her buttocks with a discomfited countenance.
"..." "..." "..."
All the villagers looked at this scene with their eyes wide open, as they never would've expected the young girl to be so clumsy while in the presence of an immortal!
And just as they were about to scold the girl for her rude behavior, a light laughter escaped the mouth of the blue, illusory man as he looked at this scene with an amused expression.
"Say, girl, would you like to come and pursue the infinite path of cultivation with me?"
His question resounded as it took the stunned villagers out of their reveries.
"???" Rou Tian wore an embarrassed look on her face as she always made mistakes like this when talking to new people, but when she heard the question voiced by the mysterious, handsome immortal, she turned her slightly frazzled appearance upward before looking into those gentle eyes of his.
They were blood red like a rich apple's outer layer, as she didn't know how to speak after gazing into his pupils…
However, after a few seconds of staring at him, she eventually snapped out of it as she said, "An Immortal… I can become one…? Someone pretty like you...?"
"Hah…" Azmodeus chuckled a little at this childish and innocent question before he replied, "You can have everything I have and more. All you need to do is say that you will become my disciple."
A sparkle passed by Rou Tian's big, brown eyes as she lightly nodded her head before turning her cute face in her grandfather's direction and asked, "Can I go…?"
The Village Chief was still reeling in from all the shocking events, but he still retained the necessary lucidity to respond, "Before your mother passed away, she asked me to guarantee your safety at all times, and from what these old eyes of mine can discern, there is no safer place for you than beside the Esteemed Immortal, so if that is what you wish, make your own choice."
A warm and elderly smile was plastered on his face as he petted the cheerful girl's bed of soft brown hair before getting up off the ground.
After which, he headed back toward where the other stunned villagers were standing—all of whom had their mouths agape.
And nobody could blame them for their astonishment, as there was a real-life immortal asking if young Rou could become his disciple!
Not a single one of them wasn't jealous, but more than that, they were happy that one of their own was able to acquire the favor of the immortal.
Nevertheless, the girl in question had her long brown pigtails swing a little in the air as her big, adorable eyes practically oozed excitement, her gaze focused on the otherworldly man.
And after looking into those mesmerizing eyes of his once again, she said, "I want to come with you… I want to have pretty eyes like yours!"
"..." "..." "..."
Her reasoning left all her fellow villagers in a state of bafflement, as they just knew that girl would say something ridiculous like that…
However, it seemed like a certain immortal found her quite funny, as his large hand landed on her head, soft rubs coming not long after, as he said, "It's nice to meet you, Rou Tian. My name is Azmodeus, and from this day onwards, I will be your master."
"!!!" Rou Tian's eyes practically had stars materialize inside them as she responded, "En! It's nice to meet the pretty immortal as well! So when will I have eyes like yours!?"
"..."
She seems to adapt quite well, huh…?
It was this thought that made Azmodeus think she would make a perfect fit for his personality, and it was through this thought that he turned toward all the villagers and said, "I will be taking Rou Tian away for now, and after I pass on enough of my teachings, she will be allowed to come back down Fallen Immortal Mountain. That is fine with all of you, is it not?"
"W-Why of course it's fine, Esteemed Immortal! This is truly the blessing of ten generations of luck for the girl!"
After receiving the Village Chief's confirmation, Azmodeus carefully picked up the giddy girl—a girl whose eyes never seemed to leave his own.
Following the lifting up of the girl, his figure vanished, and along with it, both the colossal meteorite and Rou Tian disappeared.
...…