One person: Starting with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, his grandmaster uncle emerges from seclusion.

"Do you think... if we throw out bait that smells even better than Old Ma's, could we lure out this invisible mouse?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Ye's eyelids twitched violently, and he quickly sat up straight:

"Second Master, don't do anything reckless! Last time you fished for Qu Tong, you almost blew up the Wukesong Sports Center. Who are you planning to use as bait this time?"

"I haven't decided yet."

Zhang Tianyi stroked his chin. "Fishing can't be rushed. You have to see which way the water in the pond is flowing."

The two were chatting idly.

At the manor's large iron gate, however, a completely different scene unfolded.

"Snap, snap!"

Zhang Chulan was holding a large pair of garden shears, aiming them hard at a potted pine tree by the entrance.

Less than two meters away from him.

Lu Lin was wearing a pure white shirt with the sleeves neatly rolled up to her elbows. She was holding a small pair of pruning shears and gracefully trimming another bonsai.

"Click, click!"

With each snip of the scissors, the bonsai became more rounded and symmetrical, almost like a work of art.

Zhang Chulan glanced at Lu Lin's progress out of the corner of his eye, then looked at the pine tree in his hand that had been pruned so badly it looked like a dog had chewed it up, and he felt like grinding his teeth to dust.

"Brother Lin, you have quite a variety of skills."

Zhang Chulan replied with a forced smile, "You even know about landscape design?"

"Brother Chu Lan, you flatter me."

Lu Lin stopped what she was doing and was very humble:

“Back in my family, my great-grandfather loved these flowers and plants, so I learned a little bit from the gardener.”

“Pruning branches and leaves is like practicing Qi; it requires following the natural order and you can’t go against the grain.”

"That makes sense, right? Okay!"

Zhang Chulan cursed the "Rolling King" in his heart, then suddenly exerted force with his hands, and with a "snip," he cut off the longest branch of the Welcoming Pine.

Just as Zhang Chulan was struggling with a potted tree.

A black Maybach came to a smooth stop outside the gate.

The car door opened, and a middle-aged man in a gray suit with slicked-back hair stepped out.

It was Feng Zhenghao, the president of the World Society and one of the Ten Elders.

Immediately afterwards, Feng Xingtong got out of the car, carrying several exquisitely crafted gift boxes of various sizes.

"Oh my? Isn't this President Feng?"

Zhang Chulan quickly threw down the large scissors in his hand, wiped his hands on his trouser leg, and put on a warm smile as he went to greet them.

When Feng Zhenghao saw Zhang Chulan, a smile instantly bloomed on his face, as if he were seeing his own nephew.

"Chu Lan! In this sweltering heat, why are you doing this rough work at the door?"

Feng Zhenghao strode forward and, quite naturally, reached out to pat the few fallen leaves clinging to Zhang Chulan's shoulder.

This intimate gesture made Zhang Chulan feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Well, I'm just killing time anyway, so I'll help my master tidy up the yard," Zhang Chulan said with a laugh.

"Great! Okay!"

Feng Zhenghao gave a thumbs up, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration:

"Young people are not arrogant or impatient, and they can put aside their pride to do these practical things. Chu Lan, your character is hard to find even with a lantern in this world of supernatural beings."

Feng Zhenghao abruptly changed the subject, his tone suddenly becoming somewhat mischievous.

"Speaking of which, Sha Yan has been talking about you a lot lately at home."

"Huh? You're talking about me?" Zhang Chulan swallowed, feeling a chill run down his spine.

"Yes."

Feng Xingtong, standing nearby, peeked out and added insult to injury with a grin:

"My sister said that you really tricked her at the last Luo Tian Grand Ceremony. She's been training hard in seclusion lately, just waiting for the day she can challenge you to a duel again. Brother Chu Lan, you'd better watch out."

Feng Zhenghao glared at his son, then turned to look at Zhang Chulan, his eyes filled with even more meaning.

"Xing Tong is talking nonsense. Sha Yan was really impressed by you. Chu Lan, you should visit our Tianxia Society more often when you have time. You young people should get to know each other better."

"Uncle Feng, this door is always open for you."

This is hardly a casual chat!

This is clearly an attempt to sell a daughter!

Even with his thick skin, Zhang Chulan couldn't resist Feng Zhenghao's father-in-law's enthusiasm for his son-in-law.

He quickly stepped aside, made a gesture of invitation, and forcefully changed the subject:

"President Feng, Brother Xing Tong, the sun is scorching outside, let's hurry inside! My master is enjoying the cool air with Master Wang in the backyard!"

……

He led the two to the large locust tree in the backyard.

Hearing the noise, Zhang Tianyi didn't get up, but lazily raised his eyelids and glanced at it.

"Xiao Feng is here. Please make yourself at home."

"Greetings, Senior Tian Shu."

Feng Zhenghao immediately dropped his casual demeanor from the doorway.

He stepped forward, bowed slightly, and gestured for Feng Xingtong to place the gift box in his hand on the stone table next to him.

"This is a small token of my appreciation. It's aged tea from the original Da Hong Pao tea tree that someone brought down from Wuyi Mountain, along with two century-old ginseng roots, for my elders to brew with water regularly."

Feng Zhenghao's gift was very tasteful, understated yet priceless.

"You have a good eye for picking things."

Zhang Tianyi sat up straight and pointed to the bamboo chair next to him.

"Sit down, don't be shy. Xing Tong looks much stronger than he did at the last Luo Tian Grand Ceremony."

"Thank you for the compliment, senior."

Feng Xingtong scratched his head and smiled shyly: "I've been helping my dad with the family business lately, so I've been on a lot of running around."

The group sat around under the shade of a tree, and Zhang Chulan quickly brewed the fine tea that Feng Zhenghao had just brought.

The aroma of tea wafted up, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

Everyone was an old acquaintance, and Feng Zhenghao spoke with great skill, creating a very comfortable atmosphere with just a few casual words.

It was neither overly obsequious nor lacking in genuine respect for the Celestial Master's Mansion.

Three rounds of tea were served.

Feng Zhenghao picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and then put the cup down.

His smile faded slightly, and he coughed lightly twice.

"Cough cough."

Feng Zhenghao looked at Zhang Tianyi, his tone becoming serious:

"Senior, actually, I have come here today not only to pay my respects, but also to ask you for advice on an important matter."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tianyi tapped his fingers lightly twice on the armrest of the rattan chair.

He knew the main course was coming.

This old fox's initiative to deliver gifts could not possibly be a simple gesture of goodwill.

Zhang Tianyi didn't reply immediately. Instead, he turned his head and waved to Zhang Chulan and Wang Ye, who were listening intently to the gossip.

"Grandson, Xiao Wang, take Xing Tong to the front hall. I just bought a few new discs for my game console, you young people can go and have a match with him."

Although Zhang Chulan was incredibly curious, he was also very perceptive and immediately stood up, pulling Feng Xingtong along as they headed outside.

"Come on, let's go! Brother Xing Tong, let me show you my latest combo!"

The three young people's figures disappeared around the corner of the corridor.

In the backyard, only Zhang Tianyi and Feng Zhenghao remained.

The only sound was the rustling of leaves in the wind.

"Alright, that's it, the area's cleared out."

Zhang Tianyi picked up his teacup and looked intently at Feng Zhenghao:

"Speak, what could possibly make you, the dignified president of the World Alliance, come here to sound me out?"

Feng Zhenghao took a deep breath.

He didn't beat around the bush, because he knew that it was most foolish to try to outsmart a smart person.

"senior."

Feng Zhenghao's voice was low, yet it carried a chilling undertone:

"The World Society's intelligence network has recently intercepted some information. Since you appeared in Beijing, a deeply hidden force has been secretly investigating you."

“They are investigating your past in Longhu Mountain, your movements in Biyou Village, and even… the affairs of this Xishan Manor.”

Zhang Tianyi raised an eyebrow slightly: "Oh? Who's so blind?"

"The Wang family."

As Feng Zhenghao uttered those two words, a hidden sharpness flashed in his eyes.

"The head of the Wang family may seem to be staying at home and not going out, but in reality he is making frequent moves."

Feng Zhenghao looked at Zhang Tianyi and gradually revealed the schemes he had kept hidden deep in his heart.

"Senior, you may not know this."