She had mastered this trick, as her family members often used it.

Moreover, this is something I genuinely didn't know; it must have been something my mother made up on the spot to cover it up.

Jiang Dai glanced at her little girl a little embarrassed: "This is something your older brother forbade you to say."

So they simply shifted the blame onto Bai Gou Dan.

Bai Yunqi, already numb from the barrage of news, said, "Master forbade me to say it."

The pots continued to be thrown out, and no one came forward to testify.

Juanjuan didn't press for details and obediently replied, "Oh."

The air fell silent.

Bai Yunqi, however, was secretly stirring things up, his gaze falling on his cousin: "Still want to fight?"

Jiang Dai: ...

"Stop fighting! Eat your food!"

[This kid just cured Bai Jiaxing yesterday, and today he wants to pin him to the ground and beat him up!]

Bai Yunqi: "Oh."

Let's eat properly then.

When I have time, I'll go find Little Third Brother and play a few more rounds; that's more fun.

Towards the end of the meal, Bai Tian still made a token inquiry about how the Bai family was doing and what Bai Jiaxing planned to do in the future.

"My family will be returning to Niantao Village next year. They can't bear to leave their old house and land there, and they won't come to Beijing to bother my uncle's family."

"I... am now cured of the poison. Although my arm cannot regenerate, I don't want to go back to farming. I will probably rejoin the Mu family army next year."

Bai Jiaxing's words were truly unexpected.

Juanjuan looked at her cousin with a hint of admiration.

Although my cousin is not as good as my eldest brother, he can't fly or teleport, and he doesn't have as many magical things as my third brother.

But at that moment, my cousin was truly radiant, what do you call that...?

Curly tilted her head, her little brows furrowing slightly, trying to find a suitable description in her mind.

This is called: sticking to your principles! Having ideals!

Even if it means going through fire and water, we must stick to our ideals!

"Alright! Uncle toasts you!"

Bai Tian, ​​speaking with admiration, substituted tea for wine.

Jiang Dai also raised her glass: "May your ambitions be realized!"

Bai Jiaxing smiled and raised his glass: "Thank you, Uncle and Aunt. I also wish you both a thriving career and my younger siblings peace and happiness."

Bai Yunqi chuckled: "May my cousin live to be a hundred!"

Who would have thought that a word used to curse in the cultivation world would be a blessing here? However… having survived this tribulation, the road ahead should be smooth.

Bai Yunxing also raised his glass: "May all your wishes come true, cousin!"

Bai Yun'an: "A bright future awaits."

Only the youngest Juanjuan remained, and everyone's gaze involuntarily shifted to her.

"Cousin..."

Juanjuan raised her glass with both hands. Her parents and brothers had already said everything she could think of, so all she could say was…

The child smiled a little shyly, feeling that his blessing seemed a bit too sincere compared to the previous ones.

"Cousin, eat well, drink well, and sleep well!"

The child's simple words of advice brought smiles to almost everyone's faces.

...

"Your Majesty, this is lightning-struck wood sent by the Mu family. It was struck by lightning but no one was injured, leaving behind a rare and intact piece of lightning-struck wood."

The emperor looked at the intact lightning-struck wood before him and nodded in satisfaction.

"What is the Imperial Observatory's opinion on the lightning and thunder in the capital last night?"

"Your Majesty, this... whether it is astronomical observation or divination, the weather last night should not have occurred, but perhaps it is an auspicious sign from heaven."

"Heavenly thunder wards off evil and bestows upon humankind a piece of wood struck by lightning; what follows should be a time of peace and prosperity."

The Emperor nodded: "I hope so."

"By the way, has the Imperial Preceptor not yet emerged from seclusion?"

The Imperial Astrologer replied, "Not yet."

"When the Imperial Advisor emerges from seclusion, send someone to find me immediately."

The Emperor stepped out of the Astronomical Mirror and looked up at the clear night sky.

Will this really be a time of peace and prosperity?