Chapter 167: Reluctant to See Brother Leave

In the side room, Mu Zhaoyuan was chasing Bai Yunxing around, pretending to hit him!

It wasn’t a real beating. She still felt like she was dreaming and didn’t know how to react. Crying would seem too melodramatic.

This kid wanted to keep things from her, so she acted angry to lighten the mood.

Mu Zhaoyuan understood that Bai Yunxing’s silence was actually the right choice.

The idea of borrowing a body to return to life was unbelievable for anyone.

Moreover, considering the Mu Family’s precarious position in the court, if anyone found out, those who wanted to sabotage the Mu Family would seize the opportunity.

Bai Yunxing knew his cousin wasn’t really angry with him.

So, as a good brother, he played along, begging for forgiveness and admitting his fault.

In the courtyard, Jiang Dai and Bai Yunqi sat on the steps of the main house, watching the commotion in the side room.

“Mom, want some?” Bai Yunqi offered his mother some crispy fruits he had swiped from the County Yamen while enjoying the spectacle.

These fruits were sweet and sour, perfect for summer, especially after a soak in well water.

Jiang Dai accepted one, “Thanks!”

“No need to thank me, we’re family!”

“Exactly!”

The two sat comfortably, munching on the fruits, watching the scene unfold, and somehow, it all felt harmonious.

Suddenly, the side room door opened.

The onlookers in the courtyard saw Bai Yunxing being dragged by the ear by Mu Zhaoyuan.

Jiang Dai and Bai Yunqi: ???

Caught in the act of gossiping, what should they do??

Inside, the people fighting noticed the mother and son munching on fruits in the courtyard.

Bai Yunxing and Mu Zhaoyuan: ???

Why were there people outside!

A familiar awkwardness and dreadful silence once again enveloped the Bai Family’s small courtyard.

“We’re back!” Bai Tian returned, humming a tune, with two in tow, sensing something was off at home.

Why did his fellow villager Jiang Dai look a bit embarrassed?

And why did his usually spirited second son and niece also seem awkward?

Bai Tian didn’t understand, but he distributed the sweet drinks he had bought to everyone.

He made sure everyone got a share, said a few words, then pulled Jiang Dai into the kitchen.

Watching their parents head to the kitchen, Bai Yunqi knew exactly what they were up to.

He used his spiritual power to cloak the kitchen area, ensuring no one overheard that he was involved in Immortal Cultivation.

Bai Yunqi praised himself internally: 【I can’t help it, I’m just low-key! As long as my family knows I’m strong, that’s enough.】

Juanjuan, sipping her sweet drink: ~

No worries, Eldest Brother said as long as the family knows, it’s fine.

She’s family too!

In the kitchen:

“What happened while I was gone?”

“What’s Goudan’s identity?”

“Did you see Yunxing reunite with his cousin?”

“What about you and Yunxing’s cousin?”

Bai Tian asked eagerly, his eyes filled with a thirst for gossip.

Jiang Dai clicked her tongue smugly, “Come, let me tell you slowly.”

Bai Tian nodded vigorously, though he wouldn’t mind if she spoke quickly.

He could handle it!

Jiang Dai: “Our eldest son is a cultivator, a sword cultivator, and a big shot who failed to ascend¹!”

Bai Tian: “Wow! Even if he failed to ascend, that’s impressive! Our family has a backer now?”

Jiang Dai: “But there’s no spiritual energy here. To gain spiritual energy, he can only get it from gold and jade.”

Bai Tian: “Whoa! A gold-eating beast²! Can we afford that?”

“Think differently!” Jiang Dai rolled her eyes at him. “If I gave you gold, could you find a cultivator? One who can summon wind and rain? Fly on a sword?”

“Besides, Yunqi is quite nice. He’s secretly helped our family a lot. Last time, when Kang An sent people to attack us at night, Yunqi was the one who helped us.”

“And that night, if it weren’t for Yunqi and Yunxing’s tricks, do you think you and three kids could have beaten those bloodthirsty assassins?”

Bai Tian: …

“You didn’t say that back then.”

Jiang Dai: “I said you were lucky! I never praised your strength.”

Bai Tian fell silent, realizing it was true.

But soon, he thought of an important question: “Can we cultivate?”

Seeing Bai Tian suddenly excited and expectant, Jiang Dai calmly said, “I asked the same thing.”

Bai Tian, looking at the unsmiling Jiang Dai, seemed to understand the unspoken answer.

“Our adoptive eldest son said no. Our meridians are thin, fragile, and blocked. If we’re not careful, we’d be dead before we even start cultivating.”

Bai Tian: …

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Even if we can’t cultivate, it’s okay. We didn’t transmigrate to an Immortal Cultivation world. Otherwise, with the halo of a transmigrator³, we’d surely be top-notch cultivation geniuses!”

Bai Yunqi, overhearing his father’s words: …

Thinking of his parents, who had never killed anyone, and imagining the Cultivation World where strength determines life and death, Bai Yunqi chose to remain silent, deciding not to shatter his parents’ beautiful dreams of the Cultivation World.

【However, if I could really take my parents to the Cultivation World, I could protect them.】

Juanjuan tilted her head, glancing at her Eldest Brother.

Eldest Brother was truly kind. Forget about going to the Cultivation World; even now, he was protecting the family.

Last time, it was Eldest Brother who saved her.

And Third Brother…

Third Brother was also a good person. Although at first, he often complained about their family and spoke harshly, he was actually very caring.

Now, Juanjuan knew that Third Brother just liked to vent in his mind, but he was genuinely good to the family.

As for Second Brother…

Juanjuan looked at her Second Brother, who had found his family.

He was the only one in the family who still had relatives here, and they cherished him.

Now that he had found his family, Second Brother should be happy.

But…

Even though Second Brother should return to his family, Juanjuan couldn’t help but feel a bit reluctant at the thought of him leaving.

How could she not feel a bit reluctant?

She even felt a bit sad about moving away from their old home and not being neighbors with Da Chui anymore.

“What are you thinking about?”

Bai Yun’an finally spoke, asking the question that had been on his mind as he watched the little one.

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Translator’s Notes

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1. failed to ascend: In cultivation (Xianxia) novels, ‘Ascension’ is the final goal where a cultivator becomes an immortal. Failing to ascend usually results in death or the destruction of one’s physical body, making the character a ‘loose immortal’ or a soul inhabiting a new body, yet retaining immense knowledge and power. ↩
2. gold-eating beast: The term ‘tun jin shou’ (吞金兽) is a pun. Historically it refers to a mythical creature that eats gold, but in modern Chinese slang, it is a humorous way to describe a child or a hobby that is incredibly expensive to maintain. ↩
3. halo of a transmigrator: This refers to the ‘protagonist halo’ (zhujiao guanghuan), a meta-fictional concept in Chinese webnovels where the main character is granted plot armor, exceptional luck, or unique talents simply because they are the story’s lead. ↩