Digging up spiritual roots and seizing blood? You scumbags, wait and tremble.

Cui Yandong nodded slightly: "Understood, thank you for your trouble."

Cui Jingyun didn't close the door again, and the two of them didn't go in, but stood politely outside the door.

Mu Jinning turned his head to look at the bed. Zhong Ran was still sleeping soundly, and he didn't want anyone to disturb her rest.

"Ranran is still resting and will not be receiving guests for the time being. You may leave now."

The others did not go out; they simply transmitted their voices using spiritual energy.

Cui Yandong and Wu Minghao, who were outside, exchanged a glance and nodded slightly: "In that case, we will come to visit again later."

The two of them simply turned around and left, even helping to close the courtyard gate behind them.

Cui Jingyun quickly explained, "Senior brother, I haven't told anyone about your identities."

He didn't actually say that; he only said it was his friend.

Mu Jinning simply gave a faint "hmm" and then fell silent.

He had seen their conversation and expressions just now, and Cui Jingyun was surprised.

He was also curious as to how Cui Yandong knew they had come here.

He thought that without iconic figures like Ah Sheng, those people wouldn't have a good chance of finding them.

The reason I wanted Zhong Ran to disguise herself before was because her stunning beauty would easily attract trouble.

How exactly did those two people recognize Zhong Ran?

He never imagined that someone would draw their portraits and sell them as spirit stones.

Over there, Wu Minghao exclaimed excitedly, "It really is Zhong Ran!"

Although I haven't seen Zhong Ran yet, the voice I heard just now said that Ranran was resting.

That voice must be Mu Jinning, Zhong Ran's fiancé, right?

People are actually quite curious about Zhong Ran having a fiancé, since it's extremely rare for cultivators to get engaged and married so early.

It seems that ever since I first heard about Zhong Ran, she's always had a fiancé by her side.

"It must be her. It seems they survived the Forest of Death."

Cui Yandong never expected that Zhong Ran would come to their home.

But why isn't anyone from the family reacting? If we can befriend Zhong Ran, it will be the same as befriending the Array Master Guild in the future.

The main reason is that the pills and talismans produced by Zhong Ran are all of the highest quality.

They hadn't had the chance to buy before, but now that the people had come to their family, should they take this opportunity to buy some?

"No, they went to the Forest of Death together as a group of four, but only two came out. Could the other two have perished inside?"

"Probably not? Wasn't there another person in a black cloak? Maybe that person is Zhong Yan?"

"It doesn't feel right. Although I can't see who's inside the cloak, it doesn't feel like it at all. It looks more like an old person inside."

Cui Yandong shook his head: "Zhong Yan is also a great genius, so there's no need for him to wear a cloak."

Those cloaks were made of special materials and reinforced with arrays, which could isolate cultivators' spiritual and divine senses, thus providing excellent concealment.

"What if he gets seriously injured inside and is too ashamed to show his face?"

Cui Yandong glanced at him, somewhat speechless: "If Zhong Yan really was seriously injured and dared not see anyone, do you think Zhong Ran, his older sister, could still appear here so calmly?"

Wu Minghao touched his nose and didn't say anything more.

He seemed to make a lot of sense.

"Forget it, I won't think about it too much. I'll go talk to my uncle. Zhong Ran came all the way to our house, but there was no welcoming attitude at all. It's so disheartening."

Cui Yandong walked in another direction, heading to find the head of the family.

Geniuses like Zhong Ran are sought after by people everywhere, who want to win them over or get more talismans and pills from them.

Even if all else fails, having her help set up a grand formation would be a good thing.

However, there seems to be no record of her setting up any formations for any family.

News of Zhong Ran's arrival at the Cui family spread quickly, and the entire Tianluo City knew about it.

After Zhong Ran woke up, many more people came to see her outside.

Zhong Ran looked at Mu Jinning blankly: "Did that Young Master Cui betray us?"

Mu Jinning smiled and said, "It doesn't look like it. Someone must have recognized you, and then the news got out."

Zhong Ran sighed softly: "Actually, staying in an inn might be more comfortable for us than staying in someone else's home."

I didn't think much of it at the time, but now I realize I'm in trouble.

However, she didn't care too much. She could just sell a couple of pills or talismans to the Cui family and make some spirit stones in the process.

Judging from the Cui family's imposing presence, they must have no shortage of spirit stones.

"Cui Ranmei of the Alchemist Guild requests an audience with Master Zhong."

A somewhat aged voice came from outside, speaking with great politeness.

Zhong Ran had no choice but to go outside with Mu Jinning. A group of people came in, and at the front was a middle-aged woman.

The woman's cultivation level was only at the Nascent Soul stage, her hair was half white, and she dressed to appear slightly younger.

"Master Zhong, it really is you who has come to our Cui family."

The old woman smiled and showed Zhong Ran her alchemist badge.

She really is an elder of the Alchemist Guild, a fifth-tier alchemist.

He was quite good in the entire Tianluo City, but compared to a genius like Zhong Ran, he was completely insignificant.

But regardless of whether it was from the perspective of her family or the Alchemist Guild, she was determined to come back in person once she learned that Zhong Ran was living in her house.

Another old man stepped forward and politely cupped his hands to Zhong Ran: "Master Zhong, I am the president of the Alchemist Guild of Tianluo City. Welcome to Tianluo City."

Zhong Ran saw seven streaks of alchemical fire on his robes, indicating that he was a seventh-level alchemist.

The president of the Alchemy Guild?

A seventh-level alchemist can become the president?

"Master Zhong, I am the president of the Array Masters Guild. Welcome to Tianluo City."

Another old man came forward; he was rather short and had a kind smile.

The other elderly men and women came up to introduce themselves, which made Zhong Ran feel embarrassed.

How did you know I was here?

She didn't deny her identity; there was no need to.

Cui Yandong stepped forward, cupped his hands in a respectful greeting, and introduced himself: "Master Zhong, I was the one who discovered it first."

He recounted that he and his friends were drinking in the street when they happened to see their animal wagons passing by.

He happened to recognize her, so he came back to find her and told his family. The news spread like wildfire.

Because the Cui family has several alchemy geniuses and an elder of the Alchemist Guild, this matter definitely needed to be told to the elder, which is why it turned out this way.

Zhong Ran paused before asking, "Have you seen me before?"

She had no recollection of this senior brother; she probably had never met him before.

Cui Yandong was a little embarrassed: "There are portraits of Master Zhong and others for sale outside. I was lucky enough to snag one before."

He took out the portrait, and Zhong Ran reached out and took it. When she saw herself in the painting, she was stunned.

She turned to look at Mu Jinning beside her: "When did I get such a portrait?"

She herself had no idea.