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

"Distinguished guests, please come in, please come in!"

The elderly man on the left stepped aside to make way, bowed, and made a "please" gesture, his attitude completely different from before.

The old man on the right had already turned and run inside, shouting as he ran, "Clan leader! Distinguished guests have arrived! Distinguished guests have arrived!"

The beautiful woman with peach blossom eyes exchanged a glance with Zhang Yangqing, then stepped into the gate of Xing Gutian Clan.

Inside the gate was a small courtyard with bluestone slabs on the ground, and moss growing in the cracks between the slabs.

The courtyard is surrounded by gray-white stone walls, which are covered with vines.

Deep inside the courtyard was a three-story stone building with small windows, like the ventilation windows of a prison.

The entire courtyard exuded a chilly atmosphere, as if it hadn't been exposed to the sun for a long time.

No, there is no sun in this place.

At least during the time Zhang Yangqing has been here, he hasn't seen her.

The sky was always a hazy gray, with images of space fragments.

Zhang Yangqing would not overlook any detail, even information that might seem insignificant at this stage.

As he pondered, an old man in a black robe walked out of the stone building.

He was thin, but his back was very straight, and his steps were steady, each step as precise as if it had been measured.

Judging from his gait, even a beautiful woman with almond-shaped eyes would know that this man is no ordinary person.

The old man's hair was completely white, but he didn't have many wrinkles on his face and looked very well-maintained.

His eyes were dark gray, with a faint silver halo deep within his pupils—a manifestation of his mastery of spatial power.

He is Tian Li, the patriarch of this branch of the Xinggu Tian clan.

Tianli's gaze fell on the wooden box in the hands of the woman with peach blossom eyes, and then on Zhang Yangqing and the woman with peach blossom eyes.

His expression was much more composed than that of the two old men at the door; there was no greed, no eagerness, only a just-right level of enthusiasm.

That enthusiasm was neither deliberate nor cold; it was like a performance that had been rehearsed repeatedly.

"Our two distinguished guests have come from afar. We are so sorry for not welcoming you properly. Please come in! Let's talk inside!"

Tianli cupped his hands in greeting, a warm smile on his face.

The beautiful woman with peach blossom eyes followed Tianli into the stone building, with Zhang Yangqing close behind.

The building looked more spacious inside than outside, but it was dimly lit, with only a few oil lamps burning on the walls, emitting a dim yellow light.

The floor was covered with a dark red carpet that was soft and slippery underfoot, making no sound.

Several paintings and calligraphies hung on the wall. The paintings did not depict landscapes, flowers, or birds, but rather various distorted spatial rifts and eerie runes.

These are perhaps 'codes' that only those within the Xinggu Tian clan can understand.

Tianli invited them to sit down at a square table and ordered tea to be served.

This tea is a divine tea, with a clear and refreshing aroma and a crystal-clear liquor; it is clearly not an ordinary product.

The beautiful woman with peach blossom eyes picked up her teacup, took a sip, and thought to herself: This old guy is quite good at handling things. The way those two people at the door were behaving like they were chasing away dogs.

This one is all smiles and gentle manners. If my older brother hadn't given me a heads-up beforehand, I would have really thought he was easy to talk to.

Tianli sat in the main seat, his hands crossed on the table, and looked at them with a smile: "Two distinguished guests, may I ask how you address them?" The beautiful woman with peach blossom eyes put down her teacup and, following Zhang Yangqing's instructions, took the initiative to speak: "Clan leader, you are too kind. We are just two humble burial men, not worth mentioning. We have come today to offer this four-colored resurrection flower to the clan leader."

She took out a wooden box from her bosom, opened the lid, and pushed it in front of Tianli: "It's just a small token of my appreciation."

Tianli looked at the four-colored resurrection flower in the box, his eyes narrowing slightly, so quickly that it was almost imperceptible.

But his breathing quickened, betraying the turmoil in his heart.

He reached out and picked up the box, examined it carefully for a while, then closed the lid and placed it beside him.

"You two are too kind. This four-colored resurrection flower is indeed useful to our Xinggu Tian clan. Since you are so kind, I will accept it without hesitation."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the two faces.

“You two are dear friends of our family. From now on, please feel free to ask if you need anything. We will definitely help you if it is within our power.”

The woman with almond-shaped eyes was internally screaming: This guy is so hypocritical.

However, on the other hand, everyone knows that this clan leader acted well, with a friendly smile and proper manners, but his inherent arrogance and indifference could not be hidden at all.

"Close friend" and "will definitely help" are all just empty words. If you believe them, you'll be scammed.

But she didn't show any dissatisfaction on her face. Instead, she smiled and spoke in a relaxed tone, as if she were chatting casually: "You're too kind, Chief. Actually, there's something I'd like to tell you."

Tianli raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Please go on."

The beautiful woman with peach blossom eyes scratched the back of her head coyly, as if hesitating whether to say, "I have a special feeling for the Resurrection Flower. Every time I get close to this flower, my heart races, as if something is calling me."

She paused, glancing at the wooden box beside Tianli: "I found this four-colored resurrection flower using this kind of intuition."

Tianli's eyes lit up for a moment, but he quickly concealed it.

The beautiful woman with peach blossom eyes continued, her tone even more casual: "If the clan leader wants more, we can go out more often in the future and help the clan leader find more. Anyway, we don't earn much in this line of work, so it's our blessing to be able to help the clan leader."

This is the rhetoric Zhang Yangqing taught her.

If they only give it once, it means they went through a lot of hardship to get such a plant, then Xinggu Tianshi will think that's all they're worth, and that they can just give them something to get rid of them.

If they appear relaxed and indicate that they can keep searching, then in Xing Gu Tian Shi's eyes they are not "deliverymen" but "hens that lay eggs"!
Who wouldn't want to raise a treasure-hunting rat? Besides, this treasure-hunting rat is weak, only at the initial Saint Realm, so it's not afraid of being backfired.

Tianli's smile changed. Before, it was polite and courteous, a fake smile that said, "I'm very enthusiastic, but I'm actually just going through the motions."

But now, his smile has a touch more sincerity, or rather, a touch of recognition that "this person is useful."

Tianli waved his hand, his tone even more enthusiastic than before: "No rush, no rush. You two have come from afar, so please stay with us for a few days and let us treat you well. As for finding flowers, we can talk about that later."

He turned to a servant standing at the door and said, "Go, prepare two superior rooms for our two distinguished guests. We will host a banquet tonight, and I will personally attend."

Tianli was actually more anxious than anyone else, but this was just his way of putting it.

This makes him appear to be a good host, making guests willingly help him.

The beautiful woman with peach blossom eyes and Zhang Yangqing exchanged a glance, both seeing the unspoken understanding in each other's eyes that they had "taken the bait."

"Then I'll have to trouble the clan leader." The beautiful woman with peach blossom eyes stood up and cupped her hands in greeting.

Tianli laughed heartily, patted her shoulder and said, "No trouble at all, no trouble at all. It is an honor for our Xinggu Tian Clan that you two have come."

His hand lingered on the beautiful woman with peach blossom eyes for a moment, as if confirming something.

It wasn't malicious intent, it was an assessment; in my mind, I'd labeled this "treasure-hunting mouse" as "usable." (End of Chapter)