After being poisoned by mushrooms, all the strange creatures became fascinated by me.

Fifteen minutes later.

Tang Li followed Liu Lang's directions in a daze and headed towards the courtyard where the servants gathered.

As soon as he entered, he had just received the drab gray clothes of a servant and put them on. Before he could even begin his social interactions, he heard the door being pushed open with a bang.

A middle-aged woman, referred to as "Manager Ouyang," pushed open the door and immediately scolded them, "Still slacking off here! The distinguished guests from the Divine Calculation Sect will be arriving soon, so hurry up and make preparations!"

The servants scattered in a flurry, and Tang Li tried to slip away, but Steward Ouyang grabbed her by the collar.

"You're certainly presentable-looking, come work for me at the banquet!"

So, Tang Li followed Steward Ouyang around in a daze, turning left and right, until she arrived at a place that was decorated in a magnificent manner.

So many people...

Tang Li watched as a group of servants, big and small, ran around with their feet barely touching the ground. Her assigned task was to wipe a decorative bottle that was as tall as a person with a rag. Tang Li wasn't even half a person tall, so what kind of decorative bottle was she supposed to wipe?

So he felt perfectly justified in slacking off.

She quietly grabbed one of the seemingly honest-looking girls and whispered, "Sister, I'm new here. What's going on? Why is there such a big commotion?"

It was a girl of about fifteen or sixteen years old, tall and slender. She had already leaned halfway over when she realized the resistance from her clothes. The woman looked down in confusion and then saw the little girl struggling to hold onto her legs.

She unconsciously squatted down and lowered her voice: "If you're new here, find somewhere to hide later, lest you make a mistake in front of the important guests, then no one will protect you."

"Have you heard of the Divine Calculation Sect?" she asked, explaining in detail, "It's a sect that has maintained a good relationship with our 'Jie Bailing' sect for decades."

"I heard that their young sect leader has been frail and sickly since birth, but he has recently recovered and is now making his official appearance. He has come today to pay his respects to our sect leader, Master Qin."

"The young sect leader has already met with Sect Leader Qin and they'll be talking for a while. We're preparing a banquet right now, just waiting for the two of them to finish their conversation and then join us for the feast."

"Alright, I can't talk to you anymore, I have errands to run." The girl said, glancing around, hiding Tang Li in a corner, and then hurried away.

Tang Li was tucked into a small space behind a crimson curtain. She blinked, wondering if this matter had anything to do with the players. So, she figured she'd have to disappoint the girl's kindness and would definitely have to move closer.

Tang Li huddled there, idly waiting. After what seemed like an eternity, the noise outside finally subsided into silence. Just then, firecrackers went off in unison, followed by a cacophony of voices, footsteps, and other sounds coming from this direction.

Tang Li recognized that some of the people speaking were very strong, with voices as loud as bells, and knew that the people speaking now were not the servants but the main people, and that they had finally ended their meeting.

The banquet began.

Tang Li peeked out through the curtain and saw only many people with shiny leather boots, but not a single person in sight. So, taking advantage of her young age, she slipped out and mingled among the servants who were attending to her.

This was a feast for the eyes.

The "Sect Leader Qin" sitting in the head seat was not the white-haired old man she had imagined, but a middle-aged man who could be considered young, with striking features and an elegant demeanor.

She also caught a glimpse of Han Zhou, who was sitting in a rather forward position. No wonder he was wearing a brand-new brocade robe today; he was there to receive guests.

This man was very perceptive. Tang Li had only glanced at him twice when he turned his head and met her gaze directly.

I spotted a familiar-looking handyman peeking around, his hands empty, unable to do any work.

Han Zhou couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. Seeing that no one was paying attention to them, he casually raised his hand.

The next second, Tang Li cried out and covered her head.

What hit her was a perfectly round chestnut.

Clutching the chestnuts, Tang Li subtly dodged a waitress carrying a plate of food with light steps, then slipped into a small corner with a better view.

She continued to spy on the important figures seated at the table.

After watching "Jie Bailing", I went to watch "Shensuanmen".

The young sect leader looked quite young, about nine or ten years old, and with his back to Tang Li, it was impossible to tell what he looked like. He wore a robe of superior quality, every dark pattern of which exuded an air of immense wealth, and even though he was seated at the banquet, he did not put down the embroidered bundle he carried on his back.

Tang Li couldn't help but take a second look. Its length didn't seem to be enough to hold a sword or knife, and she wondered what important thing was hidden inside.

The leader of "Jie Bailing" smiled and held the hand of the young leader of "Shensuanmen". Both his actions and expressions showed great intimacy, with the kindness of an elder to a junior.

"Nephew, this is your first time visiting our sect, so don't be shy," he said. "Take a look at the dishes on this table. Is there anything you like? If not, just ask them to make some more."

"Uncle is so kind and considerate, he even prepared so many light dishes just to cater to my tastes." A young voice rang out, befitting the young master of the family; even among a group of adults, he was poised and uninhibited. "I'm so grateful, how could I possibly be picky?"

The leader of "Jie Bailing" burst into hearty laughter, and the surrounding elders all praised him, flattering the distinguished guest and their own leader, making the scene lively and extraordinary.

Tang Li swayed left and right, unable to see the face of the young master of the Iron Calculation Sect. The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it, so she could only scratch her head, waiting for him to turn around.

Just then, a large hand seemed to appear out of thin air, grabbing Tang Li by the back of her collar and almost lifting her up.

"Why are you slacking off here!" Steward Ouyang was so angry she almost fell over. She remembered that she had personally chosen Tang Li to serve at the banquet. At the time, she thought the girl was clever, but she didn't expect her to be too clever.

Tang Li let out a startled cry, then her mouth was covered. Manager Ouyang, fearing the girl would disturb the distinguished guests at the banquet, simply tucked her under his arm and led her away.

Once outside, Steward Ouyang put Tang Li down and began calling to the people around him, "Where's Xiao Si? Take her to the storeroom to get some incense. Didn't you hear our distinguished guest say at the banquet that he prefers southern incense and can't fall asleep without it? Quickly go and change the incense in the side room!"

"If the incense disturbs our distinguished guests' sleep tonight, you'll be sorry!"

As Steward Ouyang spoke, he grabbed Tang Li and tossed her towards the man.

"Keep an eye on this girl, don't let her continue slacking off!"

Xiao Si was a thin, pockmarked boy, also dressed as a servant. Hearing the steward's words, he quickly nodded and bowed in response, then grinned as he respectfully saw the steward off.

Half an hour later.

Tang Li thought the manager was an idiot.

Of course, she couldn't continue to slack off, because it wasn't her who was slacking off.

Xiao Si ran away.

Xiao Si pushed all the work onto Tang Li, yelled that he had eaten something cold and was getting a stomachache, and disappeared in a few steps.

Tang Li: ?

How could a naive college student who has not yet stepped out of the campus have seen the wickedness of people in society? Tang Li waited for half an hour, but Xiao Si still hadn't returned.

At this moment, clutching the pair of cards that allowed her free access to the warehouse, she finally realized:

This person is not coming back.