There were still many things to do—better take them one step at a time!
The octagonal pavilion for resting along the mountain path had bronze bells hanging from its eaves, clearly the same style of small ornament as those in Taichu Hall.
The winding, narrow trail had been renovated into stone steps wide enough for three people to walk side by side without crowding.
The mysterious and challenging Heart-Questioning Heavenly Ladder was hidden within a glowing gate at the end of the bamboo forest at the foot of the mountain.
The antique Spirit Boat docking station occupied a slightly larger area, easily capable of accommodating five Spirit Boats, each large enough for ten thousand people.
Standing atop the mountain, Tang Ximo gazed down at the newly revitalized Taiwei Mountain with satisfaction before withdrawing her hands and returning to the academy.
The tasks at the foot and halfway up the mountain were done, but the mountaintop, where she often spent time, still needed to be arranged.
There was still a lot of hard work ahead!
Since enrollment hadn’t begun yet, she had only purchased a three-story cafeteria offering various cuisines, a courtyard-style Discipline Department, and a five-story main teaching building.
She used magic to partition off the rear hall of Taichu Hall, selecting a room with a view of the back mountain and having Little Golden Dragon decorate it as her living quarters.
The front main hall would be used for calling teachers to meetings and discussions, as well as for judging disciples who committed serious offenses.
Minor disputes or private fights among disciples would be taken to the Discipline Department for punishment, while serious offenders would be confined to a dark room for solitary confinement.
The main teaching building would serve as offices for cultural course teachers to prepare lessons and grade assignments, with extra rooms used as rest areas.
Belatedly realizing something, Tang Ximo crossed her arms, her eyes revealing a hint of confusion as she looked at the newly added buildings.
Why had she personally arranged everything?
Couldn’t she have just decided on the locations and had Little Golden Dragon exchange and place them?
Tang Ximo: What the f##@%# (damn it)!
At seven in the morning, Tang Ximo, who had rested for less than three hours, appeared expressionlessly and quietly in the square.
Her gloomy gaze fell upon the three figures meditating and cultivating in the square, instantly replaced by an uncontrollable joy.
“Your parents slept for less than two hours before getting up to cultivate. A-Xuan was unlucky—as soon as his excitement wore off and he closed his eyes in bed, your dad dragged him out.”
There was no helping it—their family members all had three or four types of Spirit Roots.
Although they were all of premium quality, they still needed to put in several times more effort than those with a Premium Single Spiritual Root. Otherwise, they would face greater pressure when talented new students enrolled later.
However, upon hearing that A-Xuan had indeed been dragged out by his dad, she couldn’t help but glance at the obediently cultivating Tangxi Xuan.
Chuckling inwardly, Tang Ximo sighed to herself: Dad’s words really came true!
Suppressing the smile at the corner of her mouth, Tang Ximo grabbed Little Golden Dragon’s tail fiercely and said menacingly, “While I was working in the early morning, you were sleeping soundly in the space?”
“Ummm… about that!” It guiltily rubbed its claws together.
“Hmm?”
As the heavily oppressive “hmm” fell, Little Golden Dragon swiftly knelt down.
“I was wrong. I’ll take care of the rest of the academy’s construction. Can I avoid being locked in the dark room?”
Tang Ximo sneered, “Hah! It depends on your performance. If it’s not good, your meal privileges will be revoked.”
“Don’t do that! I’ll work hard. You must call me when you eat!”
In just two days, it had become a system that couldn’t live without delicious food. If its meals were cut off, it didn’t dare imagine how pitifully hungry it would become.
Just then, Tang Ximo’s messaging app received a notification, but since she wasn’t fond of using her phone these days, she had given it to Little Golden Dragon to handle.
After opening and glancing at the message, Little Golden Dragon immediately reported it with sycophantic enthusiasm.
“A-Mo, your friend said she quit her job and is now back home living off her parents.”
“Which one? Chu Shiyun or Chu Letong?”
Both of them had decent jobs, but their bosses were truly awful.
For some reason, Little Golden Dragon waved its two claws excitedly and shouted, “Both!”
Hearing that both of them had resigned, she raised an eyebrow smugly.
Thinking: As expected of her friends, even “unemployment” seemed coordinated!
But… since they’ve quit their jobs, that means they’re both unemployed now, right?
At this thought, a little idea immediately formed in her mind.
With a smile on her lips, she reached out to play with Little Golden Dragon’s claws. “Where are they now?”
“According to their phone locations, they’re on their way to our house.”
To be precise, they would reach the courtyard gate in just a few minutes.
They moved quite fast. Chu Shiyun had been with her since kindergarten, while Chu Letong only moved here during elementary school.
After the three of them met, they were practically inseparable until after university graduation, when they went to work in different cities.
“I’ll go meet them. You keep an eye on Mom, Dad, and A-Xuan. Call me if there’s any problem.”
“Yes, mission guaranteed… May I ask, are you thinking of having them become new disciples of the academy?”
“Of course. You watch the house well. I’ll be right back.”
Before leaving, she smiled as she looked at Tangxi Xuan, who was about to reach the First Level of Qi Refining.
He had one more Spirit Root than their parents, but at his current pace, he would be the first to enter the Qi Refining stage.
Just as Tang Ximo Teleported home, knocking sounds came from the main gate.
Her beautiful eyes lit up with the joy of seeing her friends again. With an excited heart, her hands trembled slightly as she pulled open the gate.
Her clear eyes carefully examined two familiar faces. A choking feeling of wanting to cry surged up her throat, but she forcefully held it back.
Chu Shiyun, standing on the right side of the doorway, looked at her in pleasant surprise. She had thought this trip would be in vain.
She and Chu Letong had mentioned resigning earlier, but Tang Ximo hadn’t shown any interest back then, so they assumed she was still working.
They came to visit Father Tang and Mother Xu. When they were young and their own families were often absent, the two would frequently come over, and staying overnight was common.
They hadn’t expected their friend to be the one opening the door. So as soon as she saw Tang Ximo, Chu Shiyun stepped forward and boldly wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
Wearing the mischievous expression of a playful troublemaker, she teasingly hooked a finger under Tang Ximo’s chin. “Little Mo-Mo, aren’t you happy to see us!”
Chu Letong, standing on the left side of the doorway, watched them both with a smile in her eyes.
Behind her glasses, her gaze was sharp and carried the weariness of the journey, but it softened exceptionally when it fell upon Tang Ximo.
Being observant, she keenly noticed the redness around her friend’s eyes and the faint glimmer of tears welling up. Her gently smiling face immediately turned serious.
With a stern expression, she pushed up her silver-framed glasses and asked in a low voice, “Little Mo, what’s wrong?”
Hearing this, the delighted Chu Shiyun also reacted, hurriedly pulling back a bit, and immediately saw Tang Ximo’s reddened eyes.
Chu Shiyun didn’t let go of the arm around her shoulder. Her gaze, filled with worry and anger that seemed ready to burst into flames, fixed on Tang Ximo’s face.
“Did someone bully you? Which bastard dared to bully you? I’ll beat him so badly even his own mother won’t recognize him! Thinking our family has no adults to stand up for us, huh?”
She spoke while letting go of Tang Ximo and started rolling up her sleeves, looking like a fire-breathing dragon ready to devour whoever had bullied her on the spot. Her fiery temper was about to erupt and harm the innocent bystanders.
Tang Ximo held down Chu Shiyun’s hand, which was ready to tear the scoundrel apart for her, and smiled as she shook her head in denial. “No, how could I let anyone bully me? It’s just that I haven’t seen you all in so long, and I missed you.”