Dual Cultivation

After following the guard to some spacious room with a single long table and a couple of chairs, the guard said to them, "Please wait here for a couple of minutes while I notify the Ji Family of your presence."

Once the guard left the room, Lian Li turned to look at Su Yang and asked him, "What kind of treasure do you intend on trading them for the Flower of Resurrection?"

"Just a few things that definitely don't exist in this world," Su Yang responded with a smile on his face.

"Huh?" Lian Li looked at him with slightly widened eyes, and she asked, "If it doesn't exist in this world then how are you going to trade them?"

"Did you forget where 'Immortal Fairy Su Yue' came from? She brought a couple of things from the Divine Heavens to this world— things that cannot exist here as this world is still too immature. Since they are collectors, I'm sure it would fascinate them. If not, I can always pull out a Divine-grade technique as an offer."

"Oooh… I see…" Lian Li nodded with an enlightened expression on her face.

Meanwhile, somewhere inside the Ji Family, the guard that greeted Su Yang and Lian Li stood before three people— a beautiful middle-aged woman, a slightly muscular middle-aged man, and a chubby young man.

"We have unknown guests that appear to be important people? Did you not ask for their names?" The middle-aged man asked the guard.

The guard then realized that he'd forgotten about this and shook his head, "I was too nervous and forgot to ask about their background… Their aura… It's definitely extraordinary. I wouldn't be surprised if they were royalty, Lord Ji."

"Royalties, huh? Very well, I will meet them." The middle-aged man nodded before standing up.

"I will come with you, father." The chubby young man followed him.

However, the guard suddenly stopped them and said, "Y-Young Lord Ji… I think it would be for the best if you didn't go…"

"What? Why not?" The chubby young man frowned.

"Well…" The guard turned to look at Lord Ji with a gaze pleading for help.

"Hmmm…"

The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes and pondered, 'I have never seen him so nervous before. Perhaps the guests are actually royalty…'

After a moment of pondering, he nodded and said, "Ji Ran, stay here with your mother."

"What?! Why are you leaving me behind because of some words a guard said?!" Ji Ran the chubby young man exclaimed.

"And you! You may have been with us for a long time, but don't forget your position as a mere guard! How dare you speak such nonsense!" Ji Ran then pointed at the guard and started shouting angrily.

"Ji Ran, calm down." The middle-aged woman suddenly said, and she continued, "Although Zou Taixin may only be a guard, he's been working for the Ji Family even before you were born so show him some respect. Furthermore, he has greeted tens of thousands of guests for us. I don't think he would speak nonsense and I believe that there's a good reason why he'd said such words."

"Thank you, Madam Ji." Zou Taixin bowed to Madam Ji.

"Anyway, I can't keep the guests waiting for too long. I'll be back." Lord Ji said as he left the room with Zou Taixin.

As they approached the guests' room, Lord Ji asked Zou Taixin, "So? What is the real reason you don't want my son to be present? He may be hot-tempered at times, he is usually well-behaved before guests."

Zou Taixin showed a bitter smile and said, "I think it would be better for you to see the reason for yourself, Lord Ji, as my words would not do any justice."

"What? Why would you need to…? Actually, don't tell me. I'm even more interested in these guests now." Lord Ji said with a smile on his face.

Sometime later, they arrived at the guests' room.

"Thank you for being patient, I am Ji—" Lord Ji opened the door before speaking with a smile on his face.

However, when he saw Lian Li's otherworldly beauty and felt Su Yang's unfathomable aura, Lord Ji choked on the empty air from shock.

*Cough* *Cough* *Cough*

"Ahem!"

After clearing his throat a few coughs later, Lord Ji spoke with an awkward expression on his face, "I-I apologize for that unsightly scene just now, esteemed guests. I am Ji Hong, the head of the Ji Family… May I ask for your identities?"

"Su Yang from the Eastern Continent," he responded with a calm expression on his face.

"E-Eastern Continent?!" Ji Hong's eyes widened with shock.

Lian Li then spoke without letting Ji Hong recover from his shock, "Lian Li from the Holy Central Continent."

"H-Holy Central Continent?! That place exists?!" Ji Hong nearly tripped over himself after hearing Lian Li's words, but he managed to hold onto the table and prevent his embarrassing fall.

Sometime later, when Ji Hong finally managed to get to his seat and sit down, he looked at Su Yang and Lian Li with a serious expression on his face.

'No wonder Zou Taixin said it would be for the best if my son had stayed behind! If he saw this goddess, who knows what he might do to offend them! And if they're truly from another continent, it means that they have the capability to traverse the Jade Sea! We cannot afford to offend someone like them!'

"A-Anyway, what brings you to the Ji Family? I was briefed that you would like to sell some treasures to my Ji Family and are possibly even looking for a treasure here. What do you have to sell? And what kind of treasure are you looking for?" Ji Hong spoke to them with a business-like expression on his face after calming down.

Su Yang nodded and said, "We are indeed looking for a treasure that you might possibly have, and we would like to exchange some of our treasures for it."