I am a full-level celestial master, you let me enter the strange talk of rules?

Zhang Yangqing deliberately displayed a nonchalant attitude towards the children's fear, which fits the persona of a "well-informed laborer".

The boy with the single white eye, still shaken, spoke softly with a hint of fear: "Uncle, my mother told me that I must never go near those 'life-or-death ships,' and if I see one, I should stay far away."

Upon hearing the key term "life-or-death ship," the chairman, driven by professional instinct, almost blurted out: What is a life-or-death ship?
Fortunately, before he could finish speaking, Zhang Yangqing's extremely subtle yet warning glare silenced him.

The chairman instantly realized what had happened and inwardly cursed himself for being an idiot!
They are now playing the role of dockworkers, and should be natives familiar with these things. Asking such a question would be tantamount to revealing their identities.

Zhang Yangqing's face revealed a smile that mixed with "understanding" and "you're still young and don't understand," and he continued, following Park Xiaowu's words, "Oh, the ship of life and death, huh? Look at our clothes."

He pointed to the work jackets he and the chairman were wearing.

"That's what we do, so of course we can get close, and sometimes we even need to go up and move things. Is there some misunderstanding about the 'life-or-death ship' in your area?"

He spoke very cleverly, adopting a superior attitude, as if he were used to it, even with a sense of superiority as an "industry insider," and then used leading questions to extract information from the children.

How could a few naive children possibly understand such sophisticated tactics?
Sure enough, the tallest boy, seemingly eager to find the answer, immediately blurted out, "Uncles, you guys are amazing! You dared to get close to the ship of life and death! But my parents also said that there are two kinds of ships of life and death, one is a 'dead ship' and the other is a 'living ship'!"
"Dead ships are full of dead people, it's terrifying! Perhaps only living ships contain living people? Uncles, you deal with these things often, I wonder if this is just a rumor?"

A thought flashed through Zhang Yangqing's mind: a dead ship? A living ship? A ship filled with dead people? A ship that might actually contain living people? And it's only a possibility?
This contains a lot of information!
However, since there is no other information to corroborate, we can only remember it for now.

Noticing the children looking at him with confusion, seeking answers, Zhang Yangqing remained expressionless. Instead, he wore an expression that said, "You're all too green," and with a profound tone, combining the limited information he had just heard, he began to improvise:
"Well, you could say that, but that's not entirely true."

He nodded slightly, as if affirming the children's statement, but also indicating that it was not comprehensive enough and that the deception was still ongoing.

"The secrets of the Ship of Life and Death are more complicated than you can imagine, but you are still young, so this is enough for you. It's good to know reverence. When you grow up a bit and become stronger, perhaps your uncle will tell you more."

His words were perfectly watertight, neither admitting nor completely denying the children's "rumors." Instead, he created a sense of mystery, as if saying, "I know more, but it's not convenient to tell you right now." This maintained his persona while avoiding saying too much and making a mistake.

The chairman, listening nearby, inwardly gave him a thumbs-up, utterly impressed: Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! This guy revealed nothing, or rather, offered a bunch of seemingly reasonable but ultimately meaningless 'summaries'.
They so effortlessly extracted crucial information about the 'life and death ship,' the 'dead ship,' the 'living ship,' and possibly the 'living and dead'! Their ability to deceive is truly masterful!
Looking at Zhang Yangqing's calm and composed demeanor, as if he were a seasoned laborer instructing a junior, he realized once again that when it came to playing mind games, he would probably never be a match for this sixth brother.

By this time, the chairman had learned his lesson. He kept his eyes down and mind at ease, quietly stepping aside and handing over the stage for the "performance" entirely to Zhang Yangqing.

He knew he was far inferior in this area, and rather than interrupting rashly and potentially causing trouble, he decided to remain a spectator and watch how Zhang Yangqing would use his silver tongue.

Seeing that the atmosphere had been set enough, and the children were convinced of his identity as a "laborer uncle" and his "well-informed" persona, Zhang Yangqing naturally changed the subject, asking in a seemingly casual, conversational tone:

"Speaking of which, where do you little ones live? Why are you playing in such a dangerous place like the docks? Aren't your parents worried?" The tall boy seemed unable to keep a secret and immediately answered, his tone tinged with helplessness and complaint: "Uncle, of course we want to go back! But... but the 'Mountain Patrolman' hasn't left the area where we go home yet, so we can't go near there now."

Mountain Patrol Envoy!
Another key term! Zhang Yangqing and the chairman both felt a chill run down their spines, but maintained a calm demeanor.

The tall boy continued to explain that, according to him, the Mountain Patrolman was a special creature of the Undying Mountain with powerful rules. Any creature that got close to it would be infinitely weakened, and that thing was very dangerous.

Moreover, the places where the patrolmen appeared were shrouded in a thick fog, which was like a wall. This fog itself also caused people to feel dizzy, weak, or even hallucinate!
He pointed to a specific direction in the distance. Zhang Yangqing and the chairman looked in that direction and saw that the fog in that area was indeed different from other places, as thick as a solidified gray wall.

Despite their eyesight, they couldn't penetrate the barrier at all and couldn't see anything on the other side. They could only sense a chilling and oppressive force of rules emanating from there.

Zhang Yangqing and the chairman exchanged a glance, realizing that the area shrouded in extremely dense fog must be the territory of the mountain patrol officers, and also the obstacle preventing these children from returning home.

However, judging from the tone and expression of the three tall boys, although they wanted to go home, they did not seem to be in a great hurry.

Zhang Yangqing quickly realized that in this world of strange tales, especially in a place like the Undying Mountain, the rules of survival were completely different from those in the outside world.

The children here are born with remarkable strength. Although it would be impossible to beat the two of them, the other chosen ones were getting beaten up and were screaming in pain.

For their families, these children wandering around for several days is perhaps as ordinary as a child playing outside for a few hours in the ordinary world.

Unless there is a life-or-death crisis, the family is not too worried.

This difference in mindset stems from different living environments.

However, Zhang Yangqing keenly noticed that the expression of the boy with the single white eye was different from that of the other three.

When he heard the topic of "going home," a clear longing and a hint of barely perceptible worry showed in his normal eyes, and his little hand unconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes.

He seemed to have been out for a long time, and his mother at home must have been very worried. However, due to his introverted and timid nature, he did not speak out directly like Li Tietou.

Zhang Yangqing took in all these subtle reactions, his brain working at lightning speed, and instantly analyzed the current situation: the key to this was to find a way to bring these children back so that he could understand the situation here.

The patrolling envoy certainly won't leave easily; this is a test for the chosen ones. This is a hint, because the rules are clearly written. (End of Chapter)