In the distance, a girl slowly approached, pushing a fertilizer cart.
She stood about 1.6 meters tall, seemingly wearing coarse linen that was waterproof and moisture-proof, but barely covered her vital areas.
Her exposed skin was fair, devoid of any beastly fur, scales, toad skin, or insect chitin, clearly indicating she wasn't of inferior stock.
Most notably, this girl possessed a fluffy, long tail and a pair of cat ears. These were the only mutated features on her body.
No, it seemed her pair of small canine teeth were quite long, and her tongue also showed some feline characteristics.
"Awesome, awesome! A cat-eared girl, I can dig it!"
"If you put her in a maid outfit, JK uniform, cowgirl attire, or princess dress, who could resist?"
"If I collected this, wouldn't it be more interesting than Gucci and Guc-whatever?"
"Pah, what am I thinking?"
"Am I the kind of villain who would do such a thing?"
He severely condemned himself.
Zhang Wei decided to skirt around this cat-eared girl.
But as soon as he moved, the cat-eared girl's fluffy ears twitched, and she directly shouted in Zhang Wei's direction.
"Who's there?"
Zhang Wei sighed deeply.
It couldn't be helped, you brought this upon yourself.
It had absolutely nothing to do with my footsteps being too loud!
Zhang Wei emerged with a sly grin.
The cat-eared girl showed no fear. Instead, she frowned and said, "Inferior species?"
"Are you a new worker here?"
Zhang Wei was taken aback. Only then did he remember that he was still in the form of a ladybug spirit.
He sighed again, this time filled with an unspeakable sense of desolation.
"I'm a new worker today. It's too big here, and I got lost."
The cat-eared girl said with a slight complaint, "An inferior species like you dares to wander around. What do you think this place is? If someone found you, your little life would be forfeit."
Huh?
This girl is quite kind!
Zhang Wei quickly said, "Thank you for your concern. I'll be more careful next time."
The beast-eared girl said with a hint of pity, "The rules at the Tufan Immortal Palace are too many. Newcomers like you often step on mines. Any one rule could cost you your life! You won't always be lucky enough to meet me."
"Is it that dangerous? Thank you, you're so kind."
"Of course, I'm very kind!"
The beast-eared girl continued, "I've been here for a while as an old employee. If anything happens in the future, remember to mention my name. It's useful."
Zhang Wei: ...
"However, handling things often requires some expenses."
Zhang Wei: ...
"How about this, you give me a small amount of funds, and I'll guarantee you can get out of here alive."
Good heavens, a scam right off the bat!
Zhang Wei retracted all thoughts of kindness.
Seeing Zhang Wei frozen on the spot, the beast-eared girl said angrily, "Hey, are you going to do it or not? Speak up!"
Zhang Wei immediately said, "Yes, yes, yes."
Saying that, he quickly handed over twenty Beli.
The moment the Beli left his hand, Zhang Wei regretted it.
Using the currency of the mortal realm, wouldn't he expose himself instantly?
To his surprise, the beast-eared girl's eyes lit up. She snatched the coins and directly tucked them into the cleavage of her top.
Speaking of which, that storage pouch was indeed quite deep and capable of holding a lot.
The beast-eared girl said, "You're quite wealthy."
"Uh... I have a little at home. I also spent money and pulled strings to get in."
The beast-eared girl patted her chest and said, "Alright, from now on, stick with me, assist me, and I'll protect you."
What else could Zhang Wei say?
He could only agree with a wry smile.
Using this person, it would be easier to familiarize himself with the Tufan Immortal Palace.
"I haven't asked your name yet?"
"Zhang Wei."
"My name is Xie Min. Remember to mention my name if something comes up!"
"That's a given."
"Remember to give me half your salary from now on."
"Huh?"
The beast-eared girl said righteously, "Handling things, handling things, you understand! Half your salary for your future life, it's a good deal!"
Beli, as the universal currency of the mortal realm, was composed of purple copper, brass, silver, aluminum, platinum, gold, and other materials depending on its denomination.
Due to its excellent craftsmanship, strong circulation, and inherent value, it was actually circulated in the Cloud Kingdom, which greatly surprised Zhang Wei.
After helping the beast-eared girl Xie Min fertilize, Zhang Wei took the opportunity to ask for a tour.
Having just accepted the money, Xie Min found it difficult to refuse.
"Our Tufan Immortal Palace has a total of three outer and three inner layers, six in total. Inferior species like you must not approach the inner three layers, or you'll be killed on the spot!"
"Oh, oh, so the things grown in the inner three layers, are they very expensive?"
"Of course."
"Wow, tell me more, let me broaden my horizons!"
"Ahem, classified information!"
Zhang Wei subtly slipped her two more coins.
"Ahem... Then don't spread it around, okay?"
"Mhm."
Xie Min said with a mysterious expression, "Do you know why this place is called the Tufan Immortal Palace?"
"No."
"Legend has it..."
"Mm."
"Inside..."
Zhang Wei said irritably, "Why don't you just say it!"
"See, what's the rush!"
Xie Min stopped teasing. "Legend has it that at the very back of the innermost three layers, there is an immortal's treasure!"
"An immortal's treasure?"
"Yes, it's said to be extremely valuable and cannot be transplanted. This Immortal Palace was built at the location of the immortal's treasure!"
"What exactly is it?"
"Ahem, I'm not too sure about the specifics. It's top secret!"
Zhang Wei and the two of them walked and talked, soon arriving outside a huge building.
The outer three layers covered a vast area, planting relatively common fruits and vegetables, grown in the open.
The inner three layers were indoors, with wooden structures and a film of unknown material covering the top, allowing sunlight to penetrate.
Xie Min stopped Zhang Wei. "Alright, I have to get back to work. You should go do whatever you need to do."
"Okay, got it."
...
...
The inner three layers were like a large greenhouse, covering an area of over 100,000 square meters.
There were over a dozen entrances and exits, all heavily guarded.
"Immortal's treasure... what kind of ingredient could be worthy of the title 'Immortal's treasure'?"
"Since I've found out about it, this thing must be fated for me!"
"The internal security is very high, I need to be careful!"
Zhang Wei devised several plans. One was to walk along the eaves, and then drill in after reaching the central area.
However, tonight the moonlight was bright, and the roof was completely visible, making the chance of being discovered too high.
Another option was to dig a tunnel. These floating algae were very loose, and it was easy to break through them.
It was a shame that it would create more movement. High-level individuals had strong senses and could easily detect vibrations in the earth.
"It's better to knock out a guard and impersonate him."
"Alas, this treasure hall is gradually becoming more like a prison."
He hid near the restrooms and easily knocked out a guard who went to relieve himself.
He changed into the guard's clothes, and upon emerging, Zhang Wei had taken on his appearance.
With each layer, Zhang Wei had to change his identity multiple times. The number of people in the right-hand hall grew...
Soon, Zhang Wei reached the very center of the building.
Zhang Wei rubbed his hands in anticipation.
"Immortal's treasure... what could it be?"