The current situation was different from Bai Rou's predicament. Bai Rou had been controlled and taken away by that person while she was out gathering information. Shuang Qingqing could only feel helpless about this.
If she acted rashly, Bai Rou would be killed by the other party first.
After Li Yan and Zhao Min exchanged a look, they also followed Shuang Qingqing into the thatched cottage. They knew that at this time, the closer they were to Shuang Qingqing, the safer they would be.
"I am no devoted cultivator. I just have a disposition that likes peace and quiet, and chose a place to live alone. Hehehe... Fellow Daoist Shuang, please sit!"
The yellow-robed middle-aged man pointed to the several prayer mats in front of him and chuckled, his manner very gentle and casual.
Shuang Qingqing did not stand on ceremony and immediately sat down cross-legged opposite the yellow-robed middle-aged man.
At the same time, she also heard the yellow-robed middle-aged man's address to her, but there was no surprise in her eyes!
Cultivators of their level, as long as they appeared on the Verdant Continent, it was impossible not to attract the attention of other old monsters.
However, although her gaze was calm, her words were of a different tune.
"Oh? Does Fellow Daoist Ting know this little lady?"
The yellow-robed middle-aged man still had a gentle smile. He did not answer Shuang Qingqing's question first, but looked at Li Yan and his companion who had also entered the thatched cottage.
"Little friend Zhang, little friend Zhao, is that right? You two please sit as well. Our clan has received a great favor from you. I should have thanked you in person, but when I returned from the Tianlan Prairie, I heard that you had already left."
"Now that I see you two little friends again, I, Ting, must thank you in person!"
Upon hearing this, Li Yan and Zhao Min hurriedly bowed and paid their respects. Li Yan quickly said.
"Greetings, Senior. To be honest, those matters were just a transaction between this junior and A Guxi and the others. Now that your esteemed clan has fulfilled its promise, how dare this junior accept your thanks!"
At the same time, he already had a guess in his heart. Li Yan and Zhao Min had also stayed in the Giant Wood Clan for a few days and knew some of the common surnames here.
Shuang Qingqing had called this person "Fellow Daoist Ting." Ting Bixiao should be from the same lineage as this expert. Then his position as clan head should have the support of this person.
"No wonder Ting Bixiao dared to move against the other two Golden Core cultivators. His real confidence is here!"
The yellow-robed middle-aged man smiled upon hearing this and pointed to the prayer mats.
"You two little friends, sit down as well!"
Then, he did not say more on this matter and looked at Shuang Qingqing again.
"Although we have never met, doesn't Fellow Daoist Shuang also know my humble name?"
"Hehe, let's not talk about these things. I only have a few cups of clear tea here to entertain everyone. If there are any shortcomings, I hope Fellow Daoist Shuang will forgive me!"
With that, without any movement from him, a cup of tea suddenly appeared on the tea tables in front of Li Yan and the other two. White smoke curled up from it, and a fresh, ethereal fragrance assailed their nostrils.
Li Yan's gaze focused. He saw a snow-white, tender leaf floating in the tea. It was only the size of a little finger's nail.
The snow-white, tender leaf was like a swimming fish, constantly circling in the clear, light green tea. Every time it spun, white mist would be released, and this mist would then melt into the water.
The yellow-robed middle-aged man saw that when Li Yan and Zhao Min looked at the teacups, a slight flash appeared in both their eyes, while Shuang Qingqing did not touch the teacup in front of her. He then chuckled softly.
"Hehehe, it seems that you two little friends have tasted 'Snow-Covered Clarity Tea' before. Those were some broken leaves that Bixiao took from me."
"Although they were broken leaves, they were still Bixiao's treasured collection. They are still of considerable benefit to you Golden Core cultivators."
"This tea is extremely difficult to cultivate. I don't have much here. If you don't mind these few cups, you can try them. The effect should be slightly better!"
With that, a teacup also appeared in the yellow-robed middle-aged man's hand. He had already taken a small sip himself and then began to turn the teacup gently in his hand.
Li Yan and Zhao Min's eyes lit up!
When they saw the teacup just now, they felt that the fresh, ethereal fragrance was somewhat familiar, but they couldn't be sure after a glance.
The "Snow-Covered Clarity Tea" that Ting Bixiao had taken out back then only had a few fine, powdery white broken leaves in it, and the color even had a sense of pale yellow.
But just that one cup of "Snow-Covered Clarity Tea," after they meditated and refined it that day, had made the spirit power in their bodies a little more active. That was the state after the spirit power had been purified.
And the cup in front of them now was clearly not comparable to the last one. The preciousness of something that a Nascent Soul cultivator could take out to entertain someone of the same rank could be imagined.
Shuang Qingqing glanced at the teacup but did not touch it, which made Li Yan and Zhao Min not dare to touch it either.
Li Yan, of course, had confidence in his special body. Zhao Min really was hesitating in her heart.
"Fellow Daoist Ting, we have come this time because there is one matter that we need to trouble you with!"
Shuang Qingqing got straight to the point.
"Oh? You have something to trouble me with? I wonder what the relationship is between Fellow Daoist Shuang and these two little friends. Are they both disciples of the Tianli Clan, and are they under you?"
The yellow-robed middle-aged man played with the teacup in his hand, his eyes flashing a little, and he asked several questions in a row.
In his heart, he had already determined that Zhang Ming and his companion were from the Tianli Clan.
As far as he knew, this female cultivator named Shuang Qingqing was said to have suddenly appeared in the Tianli Clan a few years ago. And according to Ting Bixiao, the strength of Zhang Ming and his companion could be considered the most elite in any sect.
But even with the experience of Ting Bixiao and Ting Shan, no one had ever seen these two in the younger generation.
They had appeared as suddenly as Shuang Qingqing. This made people have to connect the three of them.
"Them? Their background is much greater than that of the Tianli Clan. How could a small clan and small sect like ours hope to take them as disciples? It's just that I have some connection with them."
"I learned earlier that they have some friendship with you, Fellow Daoist Ting, which is why I was shameless enough to have them lead me here!"
Shuang Qingqing glanced at Li Yan and his companion at her side and said indifferently.
Although she said it lightly, the yellow-robed middle-aged man who was playing with the teacup on the other side froze. He hadn't expected the other party to say such a thing.
Although he had not fought with Shuang Qingqing, in terms of realm, she was a Mid-stage Nascent Soul expert who was not inferior to him.
Moreover, the overall strength of the Tianli Clan was even stronger than that of the Giant Wood Clan. Yet such a person could not be the master of Zhang Ming and his companion.
The meaning in these words was much more. Didn't that mean that the power behind Zhang Ming and his companion was so strong that even a Nascent Soul cultivator would be wary?
"Could it be from those few top-tier sects, or some reclusive major sect."
The yellow-robed middle-aged man immediately thought of the few top-tier sects on the Verdant Continent.
Shuang Qingqing's words were actually not deliberately flattering Li Yan and Zhao Min. She was just stating the facts, but the context she was speaking in was different.
In her view, the Malevolent Spirit Sect was, of course, a behemoth-like existence on a continent. Compared to them, the Tianli Clan could only be considered a slightly stronger ant.
A Spirit Transformation cultivator was the greatest foundation of a sect. Not only did the Malevolent Spirit Sect have a Spirit Transformation cultivator, but there was also the clone of that old ghost Gu Jiuqi.
Although the Grand Elder of the Tianli Clan was a Grand Cultivator, in front of them, he could be easily killed with a single puff of breath.
"They really are disciples of a major sect out for training. The Tianli Clan has really kicked an iron plate by mistake!"
The yellow-robed middle-aged man looked at Li Yan and Zhao Min again. He actually already roughly knew about the series of battles that Li Yan and Zhao Min had experienced while fleeing the Tianlan Prairie.
After some of the main Golden Core cultivators of the Tianli Clan were captured alive by them, they were, of course, inevitably soul-searched. For example, that female disciple of Amu'er's would have some memories of Li Yan and Zhao Min.
However, no one knew about the later situation of the battle between Amu'er's clone and Li Yan. Even the Nascent Soul cultivator of that Tingyun Kingdom only knew that Amu'er's clone had once fought with someone, but did not know who that person was.
"Then what does Fellow Daoist Shuang want from me?"
This time, the yellow-robed middle-aged man directly asked the reason. In fact, with their demon-like intelligence, they had already guessed some of the answers.
"I came with Zhang Ming to ask you to introduce me to the two fellow daoists 'Zhong Feng' and 'Shui Yue' of the Spirit Rhino and Thousand Flower clans. After all, this item was taken out by your clan."
As Shuang Qingqing spoke, she had already gently raised her snow-white, lotus-root-like arm. With a flash of light in her hand, an item was already floating in front of her. It was the token carved with a seven-colored peacock.
On the way here just now, Li Yan had already communicated with her in detail and told her his alias and so on.
The moment the yellow-robed middle-aged man saw the seven-colored peacock token, a look of "as expected" appeared in his eyes.
"This was indeed what I had Bixiao give to little friend Zhang. It was also the opinion of our seven clans. Does Fellow Daoist Shuang want to use the return from two clans at once now?"
"Yes, I have a somewhat tricky matter, and I can only ask for the help of fellow daoists Zhong Feng and Shui Yue."
"For a matter to be considered tricky even by you, it must be no small matter. Can you tell me the whole story?"
"Even if I think it's not feasible, you can't force them to act. Repaying a favor is repaying a favor, but their cultivation is not as good as yours."
.
"So everything must be within their capabilities. I believe Fellow Daoist Shuang is also clear on this point."
A solemn expression appeared on the yellow-robed middle-aged man's face.
"That's why I came personally!"
Shuang Qingqing reached out and gently tidied the beautiful hair by her ear. This time, the yellow-robed middle-aged man did not reply but just quietly waited for the other's explanation.
"This matter is probably unknown to anyone else. For me to be able to say it today, it is indeed because I have encountered a difficulty that I cannot solve myself. I still hope that Fellow Daoist Ting will keep some secrets for this little girl after listening..."
At this point, she looked at the yellow-robed middle-aged man. The yellow-robed middle-aged man thought for a moment and gave a wry smile.
"If I don't listen to this matter, it means we have broken our promise. But if I listen, I will have another matter to deal with... Since you have already spoken to this extent, then I can only listen!"
If it were Li Yan who had said such a thing, the yellow-robed middle-aged man would have directly swept them out. But when a cultivator of the same rank came with a token, if he wanted to go back on his word, he would have to turn hostile.
"I come from the Tianli Clan..."
Regarding Shuang Qingqing's words, the yellow-robed middle-aged man and Li Yan and the others did not find it strange. This was something that could be guessed.
"Actually, according to my age, I should have either already ascended to the Immortal Spirit Realm, or I should have already passed away with my current cultivation..."
Shuang Qingqing's next sentence stunned the yellow-robed middle-aged man, who had been listening intently.
One must know that their Giant Wood Clan and the Tianli Clan were not like the human race, whose natural lifespan was astonishingly long.
Ordinary mortals of the Giant Wood Clan could live for four or five hundred years without any problem. The Tianli Clan was also the same, not to mention cultivators of their level.
The meaning in Shuang Qingqing's words was too great. This meant that Shuang Qingqing was an old demoness who had lived for who knows how long.
Even Zhao Min listened with her mouth slightly open. She really didn't know that this Nascent Soul cultivator from the Wood Flow Sect had actually lived for so many years.
Only Li Yan here was relatively calm. He had personally witnessed how Shuang Qingqing had escaped back then. The other party had also said something about her origins. He had already had some guesses just now.
Back then, Shuang Qingqing had told him that she had only traveled on the Verdant Continent, but she had not said that she was from the Tianli Clan here.
"So this is Senior Shuang's true origin. But why did she become an elder of a sect on the Desolate Moon Continent?"