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

Zhang Yangqing's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable decisiveness.

Upon hearing this, the crew-cut laborer's face flashed with a hint of disappointment, but more so with understanding and respect.

He nodded emphatically: "Understood, brother! Be careful! I'm going to get back to work!"

After saying that, he turned around and, imitating the other laborers, walked towards the warehouse as steadily as possible. His back view revealed the naivety of a newcomer and the attempt to imitate the maturity of an experienced man.

After the crew-cut laborer walked away and blended into the flow of movers, the chairman looked at Zhang Yangqing and asked in a low voice, "You deliberately didn't participate in this ordinary move? You wanted to observe and determine which kind of 'goods' we should disguise ourselves as, and which kind of 'movers' should move us to minimize the risk and make it least likely to be detected, right?"

Zhang Yangqing nodded approvingly, his gaze sweeping over the busy laborers and the various packages and boxes being carried out. He said in a low voice, "That's right. 'Disguising as cargo' is only the first step; cargo also comes in different grades."

According to Zhang Yangqing, some goods may have markings on them, and not understanding these markings could lead to problems.

Some laborers may be rough when handling goods, which can easily lead to damage or exposure of the goods; or even embezzlement of goods.

Some laborers may be very experienced and may even perform some simple 'inspection' steps.

Zhang Yangqing needs to find the type of cargo that is relatively safe, has a simple process, and is most likely to be sent to our target ship.

At the same time, it is also necessary to observe which manual laborers are suitable as 'porters'.

Ideally, they should be experienced but not overly curious, have standardized movements but don't do extra checks, and seem to have good 'luck'—a seasoned veteran who can survive for a long time.

All of this is about details, the difference between the chosen ones, the risk-taking and the thoroughness, and there are many things to consider.

Zhang Yangqing didn't want any unexpected events to occur, so he had to consider what those unexpected events might be.

What he told the chairman was just one of many things.

The chairman was smart, and he understood why this kid seemed to take risks but never got into trouble – it was because of this.

Zhang Yangqing paused, his gaze returning to the warehouse entrance where the crew-cut laborer had disappeared, his eyes deep: "As for that kid, the reason I told him those things was partly because I really needed to get some initial information from him, and partly to have a backup plan."

The chairman pondered for a moment: "A backup plan? You mean, in case our disguise fails, or we need backup, he can act as an internal 'informant' or 'assistant'?"

Thinking about this, the chairman felt even more that Zhang Yangqing was incredibly steady.

He even wondered if, after this kid killed his opponent, he would completely obliterate the opponent's physical body and even burn the soul to ashes to prevent the opponent from reviving.

In fact, the chairman underestimated Zhang Yangqing. If Zhang Yangqing knew that his opponent had a resurrection mechanism, he would not only do so, but also create some traps and formations at the locations where the opponent might resurrect, to ensure that nothing goes wrong.

Finally, Zhang Yangqing said something that made the chairman's mind go crazy.

Zhang Yangqing glanced at the departing figure of the crew-cut laborer and said, "That kid might actually be someone who deserved to die. If it weren't for our guidance during this move, he might have been killed. You can tell that from the eyes of those old laborers."

The chairman found it understandable; he had observed it himself. Then Zhang Yangqing continued, "If he were already dead in the gears of this world, things would proceed as normal. But now, if he were alive, wouldn't that create a butterfly effect?"

Whether this causes a major upheaval in the world and its consequences will help our subsequent processes, whether its cause and effect are good or bad, are things we both need to bear. Do you understand what I mean?

It has to be said that even the chairman, with his brilliant mind, was momentarily stunned.

You could call this intelligence deduction, which is true, but it's more of a metaphysical theory of cause and effect.

Zhang Yangqing was originally a Taoist priest, so he would certainly know these things. Many enlightened Taoist disciples are unwilling to reveal heavenly secrets for fear of being attacked by them.

Because of the balance of nature, if someone benefits, nature will reduce the benefits of others, turning those who should have benefited into those who have suffered losses.

This statement left the chairman speechless.

If anyone else were to talk to him about "cause and effect," "fate," "the gears of the world," or "the butterfly effect," he would definitely scoff at it, thinking it was nonsense and an excuse for the weak to blame their failures on something ethereal.

But these words, coming from Zhang Yangqing's mouth, combined with the bizarre and unpredictable world of superstition where rules reign supreme, forced the chairman to think deeply.

His brows were furrowed, as if he were digesting an extremely complex concept.

Yes, in this place, "rules" themselves are almost like the "way of heaven".

If the "death" of the crew-cut laborer is part of some established "rule" or "plot," it is a "fixed node" or "background setting" that may exist in their "main quest."

So, forcibly changing this node might be like stuffing a misshapen gear into a precision gear set, leading to unpredictable changes in subsequent operation.

Is this change a blessing or a curse for them? Has it opened up a new path to survival, or triggered a more deadly trap?
The chairman felt as if he had touched the edge of some deeper logic about how the world works, a kind of hazy feeling of wanting to "enter the Tao" but always being separated by a thin veil.

The way he looked at Zhang Yangqing completely changed. His previous admiration was now replaced by an indescribable shock and a hint of awe.
For the first time, he seemed to truly realize that his companion possessed not only formidable martial prowess, meticulous thinking, and superb acting skills, but also a terrifying potential to interfere with and gamble with "the Way," "the rules," and even "fate" itself!
"Just how much wisdom and skill does this kid possess? Is he really from the same dimension as me?" The chairman couldn't help but wonder.

After a long while, he finally snapped out of his turbulent thoughts and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "Then tell me, if we really do obtain the fruit from the Tree of Immortality, will we have to pay an unimaginable price? Or rather, suffer some kind of enormous karmic backlash?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yangqing glanced at him with an expression as if he were an idiot, his tone tinged with helplessness: "Don't talk about such obvious things, okay? Everything we are doing now is itself a process of paying a price, weaving cause and effect, and testing the limits of the rules."

He paused, his gaze fixed on the mist-shrouded river and the boats that appeared and disappeared in the distance. His voice was calm, yet carried a chilling penetrating force. "The price may be yours, it may be mine, or it may be something we cannot yet comprehend."

In fact, the rules had already been written; Zhang Yangqing was just telling the chairman in another way.

This statement caused the chairman to fall into a brief silence.

Zhang Yangqing didn't say it explicitly, but he understood the implication: sacrificing one's life might be one of the most direct and "fair" costs in the pursuit of the immortal tree, a creation defying the heavens.

Perhaps only one of them can survive and take the fruits of their labor, or perhaps neither of them will make it to the end. (End of Chapter)