Good news: This time, I didn’t mistake salt for chili powder!
Bad news: I mistook sugar for salt!!
Just as Father Tang and Mother Xu came downstairs, Tangxi Xuan went to the kitchen to serve two more bowls.
Tang Ximo noticed Tangxi Xuan avoiding her, a hint of barely concealed secret delight on her face.
She raised an eyebrow and glanced at Tangxi Xuan, who had sat back down to eat breakfast but was practically burying his head in his bowl. His guilty expression was obvious without even guessing.
He had the nerve to play tricks on her, no wonder he didn’t dare continue his mischief in the early morning—he was saving it for this moment!
Perhaps due to the exhaustion from Marrow Cleansing, Father Tang and Mother Xu sat down to eat breakfast without saying much, completely unaware of the little conflict between the siblings.
Tangxi Xuan, the culprit, cautiously looked up at his sister, only to meet her half-smiling eyes.
Her gaze seemed to see right through him, sending shivers down his spine as fine beads of cold sweat instantly formed on his forehead.
Then, a dark golden Talisman appeared in his sister’s hand, painted with cinnabar in an ancient, incomprehensible Runic Script, emitting faint, elusive fluctuations of Spiritual Qi.
Tangxi Xuan immediately dropped to his knees, his kneecaps hitting the cold floor tiles with a dull thud, making him grimace in pain.
“Sis, I’m sorry, I’ll make you a new bowl of deluxe seafood dumpling noodles right away.”
“Oh? But I’ve long been capable of Inedia, so eating or not doesn’t matter to me.”
Tang Ximo’s voice was cool and indifferent.
“This Talisman is just a little trinket a friend gave me. What it does… I’m not sure either~! How about~ you help your sister test it out?”
His voice trembled with a pitiful, tearful tone as he tightly gripped the hem of Tang Ximo’s clothes. “Sis, I’m really sorry, please spare me!”
How could he have been so foolish to forget that his sister was no longer an ordinary person? And he’d even wasted a bowl of their mother’s dumpling noodles—he really deserved this.
With a flick of her finger, the Talisman shot toward Tangxi Xuan like a streak of light. Wearing a devilish smirk, she raised an eyebrow and shook her head. “Too late, little brother!”
The Talisman hovered briefly in the air, emitting a peculiar aura before firmly attaching itself to Tangxi Xuan’s back and instantly merging into it.
The next moment, the Talisman took effect. Tangxi Xuan’s pained expression suddenly changed, and he scrambled toward the bathroom. Before he could even enter, he lost control and began releasing gas.
The couple, having finished their breakfast, sat nearby, watching the siblings’ daily “magical duel.”
Since childhood, it had always been Tang Tang overpowering him single-handedly, yet Xiao Xuan never learned his lesson, always provoking her until he got a beating and finally settled down.
Although the siblings sometimes fought fiercely, when it came to facing external challenges, they always stood united, never letting their conflicts affect their bond.
And for their daughter, her brother was hers to bully—no one else was allowed to even think about it.
Just wait, in a little while, the siblings would be back to their loving selves. They were already used to it.
Ignoring her unlucky brother hiding in the bathroom to release gas, she decided to take her family to the academy today to finalize her status as a new student.
Turning her head with a cheerful smile, she asked, “Dad, Mom, do you have any plans today?”
Father Tang and Mother Xu: Our daughter’s ability to switch expressions is getting smoother and smoother—impressive!
The family ran a small auto repair shop, with business neither booming nor failing. Now that both children could earn their own money and even contribute to the household, things were looking up.
So they usually don’t go to the shop at all, spending most of their time tending to the vegetable garden at home, living a leisurely retired life.
Mother Xu thought about it this way and guessed what her daughter meant.
With eyes curved into a smile, she asked, “Tangtang, are you going to start teaching us Cultivation?”
As soon as she finished speaking, Father Tang also came over with shining eyes.
His gaze carried a hint of excitement and anticipation, “Tangtang, are you going to teach your mom and me Cultivation?”
“Exactly! Actually, Little Golden Dragon is a mission sprite. My current task is to establish a Cultivation Academy and teach everyone proper Cultivation. How about you two being my first students?”
Tang Ximo’s tone was full of confidence and temptation.
“Then our whole family can be together every day, cultivate together, and maybe even Ascend to Immortality in the future! Besides, you’ve already undergone Marrow Cleansing, so you can definitely start now!”
Tangxi Hua, leaning against his wife, rubbed his hands together, his face showing an excited and delighted expression, as if he could already see his future self practicing Sword Flight.
“Me, me, me! Sis, don’t forget your most useful lifelong servant! Take your little brother along for the ride!”
Tangxi Xuan, who had just come out of the bathroom to make his presence known, waved his arms vigorously as he spoke, afraid of being left behind by his sister at home.
Fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and his cheeks flushed red from the embarrassment.
He couldn’t cover his nose above nor block the gas outlet below, and he carried a foul odor around him, like an opened can of fermented herring—utterly wretched.
“You’re so stinky, did you eat some croton seeds!”
The stench that leaked out the moment the door opened was like a shockwave emitting a green glow, instantly spreading throughout the first-floor living room. The odor was enough to shock the entire world.
Had Zhu Li’s Talismans already evolved to the point of automatically feeding people croton seeds?
Unlike Tang Ximo, who could use Spiritual Power to block the smell, Father Tang and Mother Xu both covered their noses and retreated to the open window. They were going crazy inside but still comforted themselves.
He’s our own flesh and blood, we can still keep him after a good wash. I’ll endure it!
“Tangtang, maybe we should just undo the Talisman’s effect on him. Your mom and I are afraid we might get poisoned from smelling too much of this stench.”
Tang Ximo thought: After all, my parents are the first batch of new students. It wouldn’t be very auspicious if they ended up in the hospital before even stepping through the academy’s doors.
Tangxi Xuan, now freed from the Flatulence Talisman, couldn’t stand his thoroughly marinated self and hurriedly rushed back to his room to shower and change clothes.
With a wave of Spiritual Power, Tang Ximo cleared the foul air floating around the room. Just as she was about to clean up after her brother, she caught sight of his retreating back as he climbed the stairs. She shrugged and sat down casually to wait for him.
Tangxi Hua frowned slightly, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry, “Tangtang, what are your thoughts about the academy?”
With a serious expression, she laid out her planned arrangements, “I want to train a batch of students first. When the time is ripe, I’ll seek cooperation with Motherland.”
Her own persuasiveness would always be limited, but if she could have a group of truly capable, accomplished students standing behind her, she could use solid, tangible strength to gain Motherland’s support.
Fu Yan, whom she met last night, was a member of an official organization, which meant Motherland indeed had departments in this area. When the time came, she might even be able to collaborate with Motherland ahead of schedule.
Tangxi Hua nodded in agreement. He deeply understood that cooperating with the country was the optimal choice, as it could provide the academy with the strongest backing and the broadest space for development.
He then asked further, “Have you sorted out the college’s infrastructure? Everything from teaching buildings to dormitories needs thorough consideration.”
Tang Ximo gave him a slight smile, a particularly confident gleam flashing in his eyes. “A-Long’s mission warehouse has ready-made facilities. I’ll just purchase and install them when the time comes.”