How to Bring Common Sense to Xianxia World

— Meanwhile —

Dream Butterfly was surveying the fortress, trying to remember its structure and layout. Since her good sister, Mo Xingyao, had already married into the Underworld Palace, this place could now be considered their husband’s main residence.

And as the first concubine, she needed to familiarize herself with this place. Even though, as a concubine, she did not technically need to perform these duties, as they were normally the responsibility of the main wife or the second wife of the master of the house.

She did not want to be like another concubine who only needed to sit around, look pretty, and wait for her husband to return. She wanted to be useful to her husband. She wanted to help him in any way she could.

She was now standing in front of the estate kitchen. This was the place where dozens of cooks and chefs worked around the clock to prepare food for the people living in the estate.

Beside her, Alfred was introducing her to the daily operations and work of the fortress.

What she was learning was new to her. At the very least, it was different from when she was still in the Immortal Dream Garden and occasionally helped the matron. Back there, she needed to pay attention to proper etiquette and notice the subtle changes in the guests.

But here, it was different.

Most of the people staying here were men, and only some of them had their families with them. Those families stayed in another section of the steel fortress, and that place was already on her schedule to visit.

For now, she was focusing on the day-to-day operations and the guests who had come to participate in the marriage ceremony of her good sister, Mo Xingyao.

"Alfred, where is our next stop?" Dream Butterfly asked the butler in a neat black butler suit who stood beside her.

"It’s the guest building within Sector R-4, M’lady." Alfred paused, then continued in a polite, low voice.

"Also, pardon my rudeness, but my name is Zhang Niu, M’lady. Alfred was a name that Lord Wei gave me in jest, and it is not my real name. I would appreciate it if you would call me by my birth name, M’lady."

He politely protested.

But suddenly, Zhang Niu felt a chill.

A cold killing intent came from the woman in front of him.

Dream Butterfly glanced back at him from the corner of her eyes.

"If my husband named you Alfred, then your name is Alfred from now on. Even if your name were Huang Da Tian and he decided to call you Dog, you would be called Dog if that was his will!"

Dream Butterfly stated coldly, as if she were announcing the mandate of Heaven itself.

Alfred was stunned.

He was so stunned that he did not even feel angry.

The cold and murderous killing intent was something he had already forgotten for a long time.

Ever since he died and was recruited by Wei Chen, giving him a chance at a second life, he had never experienced something like this again. The oppression of the strong, along with everything he had experienced in the Underworld, had gradually adapted him to a new environment where everyone looked after themselves by working and earning their own livelihood.

Of course, he knew that the oppression of the strong still existed in the Underworld. But ever since he started working for Wei Chen, he had not experienced it again.

Naturally, he was polite and helpful toward Wei Chen because it was part of his job description, but sometimes he even forgot that Wei Chen could literally erase him from existence if he wanted to. He could also make his life miserable without even lifting a finger.

The environment was so free and liberal that he sometimes treated Wei Chen like a friend, even playing pranks and joking around with him.

Now, faced with this cold and murderous oppression once again, he finally remembered.

In this world, other than his employer, Wei Chen, people of high status still treated their servants as if they were slaves and never hesitated to remind them of their place.

Just as he had experienced now.

Alfred quickly bowed and politely apologized.

"Of course, M’lady. This will not happen again. From now on, my name is Alfred."

Dream Butterfly nodded.

"Good. See to it that you do. If I find out that you dare to disrespect my husband again, I will teach you proper manners in his stead."

"Certainly, M’lady," Alfred accepted without complaint.

Then, the oppressive heaviness suddenly vanished as if someone had flipped a switch.

Dream Butterfly’s sweet smile returned to her face.

"Okay, Alfred. Please lead the way to Sector R-4."

"Yes, M’lady. Please follow me."

Alfred bowed, then gestured for Dream Butterfly to follow him as he led her toward the guest residential area.

.....

At the guest area, Dream Butterfly arrived at the large building that housed the visiting guests. The building was a towering structure built according to the culture of this world, with elegant roofs, intricate carvings, and ornate decorations that would not look out of place in the residence of a great and ancient clan.

The building and surrounding garden were enclosed within a vast simulated environment. Above them stretched a clear blue sky, while the air was fresh and the spiritual qi was denser and purer than that of the outside world. Every detail had been carefully arranged for the comfort and benefit of the guests.

Whether they wished to cultivate or simply relax, everything had been designed for their enjoyment. The calm surface of the artificial lake reflected the sky like a mirror, while birds sang from hidden corners among the trees.

Thousand-year-old trees spread their branches overhead, casting cool shade over the garden and creating a peaceful atmosphere that made the entire place feel like a secluded paradise.

When she arrived, she found that many of the guests who had already woken up were still walking around and staying in the area. They did not seem to be in any hurry to leave, unlike how they usually behaved when they came to participate in ceremonies held by other clans or attend another clan patriarch’s birthday celebration.

"This place is truly something else," one of the guests said as he walked through the garden, looking around with admiration.

"Indeed. As expected of a place built by the Hidden Ancient Clan from the myths! The Underworld Palace! It’s practically a heaven of its own!"

"I honestly wish we could stay here for a few more days," another guest agreed as he continued, "The environment is simply too comfortable."

"It’s not just the environment. Have you noticed the spiritual qi here?"

"Of course I have. It’s several times purer and denser than what we have outside. I only spent one night cultivating here, and the bottleneck I’ve been stuck at for years has already loosened considerably."

"Same here. I can actually feel my cultivation becoming smoother. If I could stay here for a few more months, I might even have a chance to break through."

"That would be wonderful. I only wish we had more opportunities to visit this place."

"Perhaps if Lord Wei holds another event here, we should make sure to attend."

The guests exchanged glances, half serious and half joking, before laughing and continuing to enjoy the environment.

For cultivators, an environment with spiritual qi this rich was simply too valuable to leave behind.

Dream Butterfly overheard the guests’ conversation and couldn’t help but nod in satisfaction. She hadn’t even done anything to entertain the guests, yet the environment here, built by the Underworld Palace, had already done the heavy lifting.

When the guests saw Dream Butterfly enter the courtyard, some of them cupped their fists in respect, while others, especially those with more arrogant attitudes, merely nodded in acknowledgment. After all, Dream Butterfly was only a concubine. There was no need for them to give her too much respect.

All of the guests were either representatives of the forces behind them or the leaders of those forces themselves. They had all done the bare minimum of preparation before coming here, studying and learning about who was who and what was what so that they could avoid creating a powerful enemy or kicking an iron plate.

Dream Butterfly, of course, didn’t mind the arrogant ones and their manners. They were the guests, after all, and she knew her place well within the hierarchy of this world.

As she visited and checked on the various guests, exchanging pleasantries with them alongside Alfred, Dream Butterfly eventually entered a secluded garden reserved for VIP guests.

Two figures walked toward her.

They were the father and son of the Ximen Clan, Ximen Hong and Ximen Hao.

The two had noticed Dream Butterfly shortly after she entered the courtyard from the vantage point of their room. They had seen how the other guests treated her and decided to come down and meet her personally.

"Lady Dream Butterfly," Ximen Hong said as he cupped his fist in greeting, with Ximen Hao following suit.