The steward stood there in a daze for quite a while, seemingly digesting the revelation.

His mouth moved as if searching for words, and finally, he sighed, “Miss Qin Wu, you have truly surprised me!”

The fact that the Qin family had produced a pill capable of detoxifying fire toxins was a huge revelation.

They had kept this capability completely under wraps until now.

With this pill, Miss Qin Ruqing could knock on the door of any influential family in Xiling and be treated as an honored guest.

The steward didn’t doubt the authenticity of the pill.

After all, he was a dignified steward of the Celestial Bureau, from an esteemed Celestial family.

If Miss Qin dared to deceive him, even if the Qin family didn’t fall under Xiling’s jurisdiction, he could still make them regret their actions.

Out of caution, the steward asked again, “Can it really detoxify fire toxins?”

Now he was asking directly.

If Miss Qin confirmed it now, any deception later could lead to serious consequences for the Qin family, even from the Celestial Bureau in the Southern Ridge.

“Hmm, trying to trap me with your words? I won’t fall for that.”

Qin Ruqing smiled gently and explained, “Every pill has its limitations, influenced by individual constitution and environment.

Honestly speaking, this pill should alleviate fire toxins to a certain extent. However, to achieve complete detoxification, one needs to optimize their own condition and find an environment free from fire toxin interference.”

“Moreover, cultivators in Xiling have long been exposed to such conditions, with deep accumulations of fire toxins. It’s not a matter of taking a few pills for a day or two to resolve. It requires long-term use and external assistance to gradually restore oneself to a relatively normal state.”

Qin Ruqing’s words were both candid and cautious.

Her rhetorical strategy was clear: she didn’t lie but selectively presented information favorable to her cause, leaving the rest to interpretation.

Now, Qin Ruqing had thoroughly laid out the drawbacks and limitations of the Detoxification Pill.

Hearing so many usage restrictions, an ordinary person might hesitate and think, “This isn’t quite what I had in mind. It doesn’t seem as good as I thought.”

But the steward nodded in satisfaction.

He liked this straightforward attitude—no hiding, just openly discussing the pros and cons.

As a steward of the Bureau of Immortal Goods, he often dealt with noble families who were prone to being slippery and loved to package themselves with flowery words.

But he managed their family registers; he knew their true colors.

If they dared to play tricks in front of him, it showed that hypocrisy had become their habit.

“So, Miss Qin intends to cooperate with the Celestial Bureau using the Detoxification Pill?” the steward asked directly, cutting to the chase.

To his surprise, the beautiful young lady began shaking her head again.

Her face displayed a myriad of expressions—raising eyebrows, furrowing brows—constantly changing.

The steward couldn’t help but be drawn in by her manner of speaking.

Qin Ruqing spoke with concern, “Steward, this matter is of great importance. The Qin family is indeed willing to cooperate with the Celestial Bureau.

However, originating from the Southern Ridge and suddenly coming to Xiling, if we bypass the local noble families of Xiling and hastily collaborating with the Bureau, we might provoke a lot of criticism, and even face attacks from the local aristocratic families of Xiling!”

The steward frowned. “What? Are there still people daring to oppose the decisions of the Celestial Bureau?”

“Ah,” Qin Ruqing sighed, “they certainly won’t openly criticize the Celestial Bureau or you, Steward. But our Qin family is just a small local clan from elsewhere. If they really unite to exclude us, the Qin family would be like a flickering candle in the wind, easily extinguished. How could we possibly cooperate peacefully with the Celestial Bureau?”

“Flickering candle in the wind…” Qi Rong and Lu Wei, who had been sitting nearby all along, unconsciously rubbed their arms.

It gave them goosebumps.

Even Tang Zifeng, leaning against the window, tightened her jaw, unable to fathom how Qin Ruqing could deliver such an impassioned speech.

Unaware of Qin Ruqing’s usual demeanor, the steward mistook this for her genuine sentiment.

Reflecting on her words, he couldn’t help but think, “Hmm, there’s some truth to that.”

Qin Ruqing continued, “Furthermore, Steward, Xiling has always been closed off with little interaction with the outside. Even if we cooperate, it would only be within a small circle of local aristocratic families, not something long-lasting.

Moreover, there’s no precedent for cooperation between foreign clans and the Celestial Bureau.

Without precedent, how can we proceed? Clearly, we can’t make decisions without careful consideration; a detailed charter is needed…”

“All these matters must be thoroughly discussed, not just for the sake of the Qin family, but for the Celestial Bureau!” Qin Ruqing leaned forward on the edge of the table, her fist clenched, showing a hint of excitement—a genuine intention to work for the Celestial Bureau.

“The Bureau of Celestial holds a superior position, standing at the pinnacle of aristocratic families.

They have always upheld fairness and justice. But if they bypass the local aristocratic families of Xiling and directly cooperate with foreign clans, it could provoke dissatisfaction among the local families. Some might even impulsively report this to higher authorities!”

As soon as the words “report to higher authorities” were mentioned, the steward instinctively trembled.

Qin Ruqing summed up, “Therefore, the Celestial Bureau needs to find a convincing reason for themselves this time. Only then can they ensure everything is secure!”

Qin Ruqing’s voice was clear and resounding.

After she finished speaking, the entire private room fell silent for a long time.

The steward from the Celestial Bureau looked at Qin Ruqing in shock and almost blurted out:

“You’ve got potential!”

In every aspect, with such thoughtful considerations, if he joined the Celestial Bureau, she might reach his position in just a few years, and within a decade, he could even become a Director.

Moreover, what she said made a lot of sense.

He could package it into a report and submit it to his superiors.

By then, he might even receive commendation from them.

Suppressing his thoughts, the steward couldn’t help but ask Qin Ruqing, “At home, you must often handle matters, right? I remember you’ve even obtained the position of elder and have been registered with the Southern Ridge Celestial Bureau?”

To develop such eloquence in just five years as an elder in a major clan—impressive!

Qin Ruqing seemed somewhat bashful. “Thanks to the favor from my family, I’ve been able to sit on a small stool and listen in when my father and the elders discuss matters. Occasionally, I can speak up a bit.”

Beside her, Qirong was restless.

Qi Rong shifted in his seat, feeling his throat itch.

He glanced discreetly at his third sister beside him, seeing her composed expression, which made him reflect if he wasn’t calm enough himself.

In reality, Luwei was just lost in thought, pondering how much the ornate pear wood armchair in the family’s council hall differed from the “sitting on a small stool” mentioned by her sister Qingqing.

The steward nodded in understanding, having automatically translated the phrase in his mind.

Being able to speak a bit during discussions with her father and the elders indicated she had some authority in the clan.

Hmm, that made sense.

He sighed and stood up. “Miss Wu’s insights today have been enlightening. Let me organize this and report back to the Celestial Bureau. We’ll discuss and draft a charter before making a decision.”

Qin Ruqing also stood up.

While she respectfully agreed verbally, she quietly picked up a small jade bottle from the table that originally contained detoxifying pills and handed it to the steward.

“I ask the steward to accept this.”

The steward initially thought she was offering him a gift, instinctively wanting to refuse.

After all, there were strict rules in the Celestial Bureau against accepting gifts from aristocratic families.

However, Qin Ruqing explained, “Please don’t refuse, steward. I understand the rules. After you report back to the Celestial Bureau, you’ll need to verify the effectiveness of these detoxifying pills.

There aren’t many pills in this jade bottle, so it should provide approximate data for experimentation.

If it’s insufficient, please let me know. I wouldn’t want anyone to doubt your integrity.”

The steward hesitated briefly.

Indeed, verifying the efficacy of the pills was necessary.

Usually, half a small bottle would be sufficient for testing.

What about the remaining pills?

The steward smiled and accepted the jade bottle.

However, as he touched the bottom, he felt a peculiar pattern.

Hm? What’s this?

Maintaining his composure, the steward put away the jade bottle, bowed respectfully, and departed.

Once he left, both Qirong and Luwei relaxed.

Qi Rong remarked, “That steward sure had a stern demeanor. Are all Celestial Bureau officials like that?”

Luwei became more focused on what the steward had said, her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she expressed concern, “Sister Qingqing, if what the steward said is true, it could affect the entire Southern Ridge. Does our family really want to cooperate with the Celestial Bureau?”

“Why not? Can any ordinary family measure up to the Celestial Bureau?

They’ve come to us voluntarily; it’s a good opportunity handed to us on a platter. It would be foolish to reject it,” Qin Ruqing said, pouring out the tea that had been heated by steam and replacing it with a cooler one.

In Xiling, tea was preferred cool.

“But didn’t you just say, if the Celestial Bureau bypasses the local aristocratic families of Xiling and cooperates directly with us, we might face criticism from foreign clans?”

“Yes.”

“Then why…”

Qin Ruqing used the chilled tea cup to cool her warm cheeks. “That’s why I was asking the Celestial Bureau for assurances earlier. If they don’t guarantee our safety, we won’t proceed.”

Even Qirong, who usually seemed clueless, grasped the implications. “If we refuse the Celestial Bureau, could they become hostile towards us?”

Seeing Qin Ruqing constantly using the chilled tea cup to cool her hands and face, Tang Zifeng walked over and pressed a button on the round table.

The position where the teapot was placed automatically rose, revealing an ice trough underneath.

Tang Zifeng reached in and picked up two pieces of ice to hand to Qin Ruqing, then sat down and answered.

“They wouldn’t just get upset; instead, they would try every means to get the Qin family to agree to their cooperation,” Qin Ruqing answered Qirong’s question, her eyes showing pleasant surprise.

“Brother Tang is so considerate!” She then smiled warmly as she responded to Qirong.

“Didn’t you hear what the steward said earlier? The Celestial Bureau in Xiling has already decided to change the current situation.

One aspect is to break down the barriers isolating Xiling from the outside world.

The second is to address the slow cultivation speed of practitioners in Xiling.

For the first aspect, they naturally recruit local aristocratic families to solve it.

But for the second… Xiling can almost be considered devoid of alchemists.

Therefore, the Celestial Bureau in Western Redgd needs to seek help from outside,” Qin Ruqing continued lightly.

“If they seek external help, they first need to issue a demand, just like what Tang Zifeng did before when he said what kind of Pill he wanted.

By clearly stating their requirements, external aristocratic families can understand whether they can fulfill them.

At this point, families without the ability to refine such pill will naturally be eliminated.

Those remaining with the capability need time to prepare and might not be willing to go through the trouble.

Then, the Celestial Bureau needs time to contact these families back and forth.

It’s not like they can easily find a perfect match!”

Listening to this long explanation, Qirong felt a bit dizzy trying to digest it all.

After a moment, he finally understood the point and couldn’t help but exclaim, “That’s so complicated! I think I’ll stick to my physical cultivation!”

“What does that have to do with physical cultivation? It’s just that you’re too lazy to think. Look at the Yang family; all their members are towering physical cultivators, but their minds are also very agile!”

Bringing up the Yang family, Luwei asked, “Qingqing, was it because you were eyeing the Celestial Bureau that you didn’t want to cooperate with the Yang family again?”