Chapter 169: Do Mom, Dad, and My Brothers Know the Secret Now?

In the narrow alley.

Standing in front of Juanjuan were six or seven children, led by Tiezhu, the one who insisted on exploring after the black dog found a severed hand last time.

Tiezhu’s sister hid behind him, making faces at Juanjuan with a smug expression.

“Your family is a curse! Your grandma was right last time!”

“Ever since your family moved here, it’s been one disaster after another. Either someone dies, or the County Yamen comes. Your family is a curse!”

“And now you’ve driven your grandma and second uncle crazy! Right, brother?”

Tiezhu nodded.

He had always disliked the Bai Family’s little girl, and by extension, he didn’t like the Bai Family boys either.

Before the Bai Family arrived, he was the king of the kids here, the most formidable one.

But after the Bai Family’s children came, especially those three boys, they always had this irritating air about them.

What infuriated him the most was when he tried to fight Bai Yunqi and ended up being pinned to the ground, with his little followers witnessing it.

And now, his little sister had just quarreled with Juanjuan, giving him a perfect excuse to stand up for her and teach this little girl a lesson.

Juanjuan looked at Tiezhu, who was sturdy and five years older than her.

Her small fists clenched tightly, filled with anger and the urge to rush forward and hit Tiezhu.

But her heart kept reminding her not to fight; she couldn’t win against Tiezhu now.

Moreover, most of Tiezhu’s group were boys, and they outnumbered her.

The neighbor girl who had been playing with her had already slipped away quietly to get help.

If she fought now, she would be at a disadvantage.

Her father had said there are three things people don’t eat¹: losses, excrement, and other people.

Although the last two were a bit disgusting, Juanjuan knew none of them should be consumed.

She had tried reasoning with Tiezhu and his gang earlier, but they were completely unreasonable, either repeating what she said or being sarcastic, which was incredibly irritating and infuriating.

Juanjuan gritted her teeth. She knew waiting for her friend to bring help from home was the best option.

But she felt a bit unwilling, unwilling to be unable to help herself and have to rely on others when bullied.

Having a backup was reassuring, but Juanjuan didn’t want to always rely on her parents and brothers.

She wanted to become strong herself, to stand alongside her parents and brothers, and to make them proud of her.

As the boys gradually cornered her against the wall, Juanjuan tightened her grip on the stone in her hand.

If they dared to hit her, she would fight back!

Her fists might not hurt, but hitting someone with a stone would definitely hurt.

Even if she couldn’t win, she wouldn’t back down!

“Hey! What are you doing?”

“You little rascals!”

A figure suddenly appeared at the corner of the alley, clothes fluttering. Bai Yunqi dashed out, almost skidding around the corner in his haste.

At that moment, in Juanjuan’s eyes, he was nothing short of a divine hero descending from the heavens, truly impressive!

Bai Yunqi pointed at the kids and began to scold them passionately.

“Cornering my sister, have you no shame?”

“What are you, bullying the weak, thinking you’re so tough?”

“With your skills, do you even know how to fight in a group?”

Juanjuan stood dazed in the circle, watching her Eldest Brother scold and rush over, much like an old hen squawking in a village argument.

That… wasn’t Eldest Brother just really cool a moment ago?

Juanjuan: Maybe she saw it wrong??

Before she could think it through, she saw her mother, second brother, third brother, and father all appear one after another from the alley where Eldest Brother had emerged.

Jiang Dai: “Bullying at such a young age! Let’s find your parents!”

“Let’s see who raised you to corner a little girl like this!”

Bai Tian: “Yunqi, don’t beat them to death. Be careful they don’t extort us! We need our money for more important things!”

Bai Yunqi, who was ready to fight: …

Oh right.

If you’re going to hit, don’t let them extort you.

Bai Yunqi decided not to fight. It’s not good to hit people.

Instead, he used Spiritual Power to attach a spell to the kids.

【Nightmare Art, a seemingly useless skill in the Cultivation World, turns out to be quite handy here.】

Seeing the adults arrive, the children tried to run, but Jiang Dai and Bai Tian each caught one, managing to grab four in total.

Jiang Dai: “Running now? Weren’t you acting all tough just a moment ago?”

Bai Tian: “Hey! Trying to run? Even if you do, I can still find your parents!”

With their parents blocking the rascals, Bai Yunqi and his brothers went to their sister, checking her for injuries.

“Come on, let go.”

Bai Yunxing’s calm and gentle voice came, and Juanjuan followed his gaze to her clenched hand, red from gripping the stone.

She almost forgot she was still holding the stone.

“Oh.”

Juanjuan replied softly, then obediently released her grip, letting her second brother take the stone.

Bai Yunxing looked at the warm stone in his hand, knowing how tightly Juanjuan must have held it.

The purpose of the stone was clear to the three brothers.

Bai Yunxing: “It’s best not to fight, but if you do, I’ll teach you where to hit for the best effect.”

【Some moves may be sneaky, but it’s better to teach Juanjuan early, so she doesn’t suffer later.】

Juanjuan nodded.

Bai Yunqi ruffled her hair: “If you’re ever in danger, just call for Eldest Brother. I’ll be there in no time, no need for you to lift a finger!”

Juanjuan nodded again.

Bai Yun’an slapped Eldest Brother’s hand away from her hair.

“Juanjuan’s hair is all messed up, don’t just ruffle it!”

Juanjuan nodded vigorously, fully agreeing!

She didn’t mind being patted on the head, but Eldest Brother’s technique was just too rough!

Bai Yun’an took Juanjuan’s hand, his voice gentle.

“Don’t worry, with Mom, Dad, and your brothers here, we’ll go home. If anyone bullies Juanjuan, we’ll bully them back!”

Juanjuan, still a bit dazed, followed her third brother’s lead.

This feeling of being openly cared for and backed up by her whole family was overwhelming.

Her heart was full, happier than drinking sweet water, leaving her in a blissful daze.

Then, she suddenly heard Eldest Brother’s voice.

【This third brother is truly a sly little prince², harmless and good at pretending! If we hadn’t forced him to confess, he might still be hiding his identity!】

【He hasn’t done anything, yet he’s playing the good guy! Just taking his sister and running! What’s there to hide about being a crafty, unloved prince!】

Juanjuan: ???

Third Brother…

Wasn’t he supposed to be from an apocalyptic world?

How is he now some little prince?

Confessed?

But it seems like not everything has been fully revealed?

So, does this mean Mom, Dad, and my brothers all know each other’s secrets now?

---

Translator’s Notes

---

1. three things people don’t eat: This is a play on a Chinese folk saying. While the original proverb usually refers to ‘not eating’ (not suffering) three specific types of losses, the father’s version here is a humorous, literal twist. In Chinese, ‘to eat a loss’ (chi kui) is a common idiom meaning to be taken advantage of or to suffer a setback. ↩
2. sly little prince: The original text uses ‘Yin’an’ (gloomy/dark/shadowy), suggesting a character archetype common in palace intrigue stories—a prince who survived by being calculating and hiding his true nature. This contrasts with Juanjuan’s previous belief that he was a survivor from a ‘post-apocalyptic’ (moushi) world, highlighting the chaotic mix of transmigration backgrounds in her family. ↩