Tongtian, are you really unwilling to call me "teacher" again?
Buzhou Mountain.
"Hmm~ Where is this?" Tongtian the little brat looked around at the completely unfamiliar place with a blank stare, utterly astonished.
Jinlian shook her petals, signaling him not to be afraid. Tongtian rubbed his eyes, lazily yawned, and looked around. Hmm, this place seems a bit familiar. Could it be that he's been here before?
The little boy was puzzled and couldn't figure it out. After thinking for a long time without coming up with a clue, he simply gave up thinking and continued to sleep in the lotus seat.
Sure enough, the lotus seat of the golden lotus was quite stable, even in the Three Lights Divine Pool, which pleased the little cub Tongtian. He stretched and snuggled comfortably against the lotus leaf that served as his cloud blanket before falling asleep peacefully.
"Huh? What are you doing here?" Hongjun sensed Tongtian's aura the moment he returned to his cave. With a flick of his finger, the miniature golden lotus, along with the little Tongtian cub inside, landed in his palm.
"Hmm? Why did you run out all by yourself again, little one? Where is your brother?" Hongjun frowned, picked up the little Tongtian cub, put it in his arms, and gently stroked the little cub's head. The familiar and pleasant scent enveloped the little Tongtian cub, making the little cub feel at ease. He continued to rest peacefully in his arms.
"You're really not shy at all." Hongjun's eyes revealed a hint of a smile as he poked the boy's rosy cheeks. Sure enough, they felt as good as ever.
"Ooh? Big brother?" Tongtian the little cub was awakened by the tickling sensation. His big, round eyes met Hongjun's face, and he immediately became excited. He sat up and greeted Hongjun in a childish voice.
"Why did you sneak out all by yourself, little one? Where is your brother?" Hongjun pinched his little cheek. The little one didn't dodge, but just lowered his head in a huff, as if he was throwing a tantrum.
“…Tongtian doesn’t want to talk? Then he won’t.” Hongjun patted the little cub’s head again, comforting the heartbroken cub. The cub’s eyes reddened, he sniffled, and buried himself in his older brother’s arms again, sobbing.
Second Brother dislikes Tongtian and scolds him without even asking what happened, which makes Tongtian very upset...
"Don't cry, don't cry." Hongjun sighed, dug out the whimpering cub, and placed it back on his lap. He wondered how to cheer the cub up, but unfortunately, his inherited memories didn't mention how to properly raise the cub. After thinking it over and over again, he hesitated for a moment before taking out a bottle of Hundred Flower Wine from his mustard seed space. In fact, it was just the essence of various innate flower plants that had been condensed over millions of years, and only three small bottles had been collected. Compared to the others, this should be drinkable.
Seeing the jade cup offered to his lips, Tongtian's eyes lit up immediately. "Wow, what's this? It looks so delicious! It smells so good! Big brother, Tongtian wants some!"
Hongjun saw the longing in Tongtian's eyes and nodded almost imperceptibly, indicating that he should drink it.
"Thank you, big brother, aww~" The little brat Tongtian couldn't wait to gulp it down. Such a wasteful action made even the usually calm and composed Hongjun frown. "My child," he thought, "Hundred Flower Wine needs to be savored little by little to appreciate its myriad flavors. By doing this, you're just wasting such a precious celestial brew."
Tongtian Xiaozai drank it down in one gulp with great gusto, savoring the unforgettable taste. A myriad of flavors burst forth in his mouth, leaving him speechless for a moment, only managing to describe it as "delicious."
Delicious? This divine brew is beyond description, yet in the little one's mouth it tastes just like ordinary rice wine... Hongjun found it amusing. He shook his head helplessly, but then picked up the little one who was nestled in his arms, grinning foolishly with a satisfied look on his face.
Upon closer inspection, the boy's eyes were glazed over, his face was flushed, and his breathing was rapid. His limbs were limp, and he was barely waving his little arms, drunkenly shouting, "Another drink!"
Hongjun: "..." Oh no, my son... got drunk after just one cup? This isn't even fermented rice wine, how did he get knocked out like this? He was completely baffled and couldn't figure it out at all.
"Big brother~ Tongtian wants to drink, it's delicious, hehehehehe, big brother, why do you have two heads..." Little Tongtian raised his head, looking at his blurry, sometimes near and sometimes far older brother with a dazed look, humming and muttering something indistinctly.
"You... sigh, Tongtian, be good, you'll be fine after a nap." Hongjun helplessly placed the baby on his lap and took out a cloud quilt to cover the baby.
The little one started to struggle and refused to settle down, trying to crawl outside. Hongjun couldn't just stand by and do nothing, so he forcibly pressed the little one back into his arms and calmly covered him with the cloud blanket again.
Kid, stop fooling around.
The little boy, Tongtian, was completely disoriented and drunk, unaware that he had been suppressed by Hongjun's power and was unable to move. The boy didn't know what was happening to him; he simply struggled instinctively, a hint of fear in his eyes.
"Big brother, second brother, where are you... Tongtian seems unable to move, brother, help me, help me!!!" Little Tongtian sobbed, helplessly curling into a ball. He unconsciously used a thought technique known only to the Three Pure Ones, accidentally breaking the defenses of his two older brothers who were desperately searching for their younger brother.
Hearing their younger brother's aggrieved and frightened tone, Taiqing and Yuanshi were immediately unsettled. They stopped their journey and worked together to deduce where their younger brother was at that moment.
However, there wasn't a single clue, or perhaps their whereabouts were being concealed by something... Taiqing slumped down on the futon in frustration, and said with a bitter smile.
"I've been deceived by heavenly secrets again, Tongtian, where are you?"
Yuanshi's face darkened, but he stubbornly continued to calculate with his fingers, the veins on his forehead throbbing incessantly. The reason was that he had no way of knowing his younger brother's whereabouts at this moment... It was all his fault for scolding Tongtian without even knowing the facts. Tongtian was clearly very scared, but he didn't refute his words... Thinking of the pitiful and tearful Tongtian, his heart ached again.
"It's all my fault! If something happens to Tongtian, I... I..." Yuanshi slumped down on the futon, dejected, with a hint of pain in his eyes.
Taiqing snorted coldly, glaring at this troublemaker, practically grinding his teeth in anger. "I told you to talk things out, not to scold your younger brother! Look at what you've said! You've hurt Tongtian's feelings! If you can't speak properly, then don't speak at all! Hmph, now look what's happened! Not only did you make the little brat cry, but he's also run away from home… He's just a little brat, a ball of fluff that hasn't been fully formed yet. What does he know? If it weren't for Father God's sake, I'd have to teach you a lesson sooner or later for setting such a bad example and causing trouble!"
Yuanshi got angry and, in a fit of despair, yelled, "Fine, fine, it's all my fault! What's the point of arguing about this now? We might as well try to bring my younger brother back quickly!"
Taiqing: "..." Very well, you've grown wings now, haven't you? You speak with more confidence now, huh? You caused trouble and I, your older brother, have to clean up your mess, and you even look impatient. Fine, really fine, you're truly my good "second brother"!
"You're right, now's not the time to talk about this. Just release the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi, and with my crutch, see if you can deduce the whereabouts of the Qingping Sword." After this matter is over, let's see if I, your elder brother, will teach you a lesson. Taiqing, who was secretly making a new grudge against Yuanshi, decided to put aside his dissatisfaction and prejudice for now and settle the score later.
A chill ran down Yuan Shi’s spine, and he became alert. He tried to figure out the cause of the problem, but couldn’t find any clues. He was completely baffled and had no idea who was plotting against him again. But he decided to put the matter aside for now and wait until he found his younger brother who had run away from home.
Cave dwelling.
Hongjun Gubo's lifeless eyes suddenly turned to a certain place, sensing traces of spatial fluctuations. Who was making these calculations? A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and with a flick of his finger, the spatial fluctuations instantly stopped.
"Waaah, big brother, second brother..." Tongtian was still crying, his big round eyes filled with fear, which really left Hongjun at a loss. He wanted to coax him but didn't know where to start... Hongjun frowned, feeling extremely annoyed. He could only helplessly give up in front of the drunken, unruly Tongtian.
If only I hadn't let my son drink that Hundred Flowers Wine... If I could turn back time, Hongjun couldn't help but sigh again. How did I end up with such a crybaby who was so disobedient? Was it a lie that this little dumpling, who was barely able to walk properly when we first met, was so sensible and affectionate? My son, don't cry. I really don't know what to do.
The little boy was half asleep, but he could vaguely hear his older brother's voice in his mind. What was his older brother worried about? And what did the teacher mean?
"Teacher~" Tongtian Xiaozai laughed happily, waving his little arms and legs joyfully. When he smiled, he was another adorable little dumpling from Shangqing.
"What...did you call me?" Hongjun was startled and, unusually urgently, pressed down on the little dumpling who was still shaking its head. He thought he had misheard and wanted to hear the dumpling call out again.
Tuanzi doesn't like being confined or feeling held captive by others. He just wants to be a happy, carefree Tuanzi, going wherever he wants and doing whatever he wants, raising a litter of fluffy kittens, and living a life free from constraints.
"Ugh, I feel so uncomfortable~ hiccup..." Tongtian the little brat was unhappy. His mouth puffed out and he hiccuped uncomfortably. With each hiccup, his body trembled. Tongtian the little brat reacted slowly and covered his mouth, his eyes full of resentment.
Big brother, you're a bad guy too! You're bullying Tongtian too! *burp*
Hongjun: "..." In the end, he still missed that moment. He just wanted to hear Tongtian call him "teacher" obediently! Alas, it seems the opportunity has passed. He'll just have to look for another opportunity later.
"It's alright, I'll help you clear the five energies in your chest... Tongtian, are you really not going to say it again?" Hongjun sighed, patiently using his spiritual power to soothe the little cub's breathing. The little cub, having been appeased, indeed stopped fussing. His eyebrows curved, and the corners of his mouth slightly turned up, revealing a pair of adorable dimples. Hongjun paused in his movements, his eyes burning with intense anticipation.
Tongtian the little cub comfortably closed his eyes, seemingly not having heard anything. His dimples were faintly visible, which made Hongjun somewhat restless.
"Ahem, never mind." Hongjun somewhat disappointedly withdrew his action of stroking Tongtian's fur, or rather, clearing the five qi in his chest.
It's okay, there will come a day when you'll be willing to call out to it.
"Teacher~" Tongtian's little cub's childish voice carried a hint of secret excitement. He got up, his eyes filled with longing and a trace of curiosity, and looked at the big brother who was frozen in place, and called out happily.
Hongjun was shocked. He never expected that the little brat Tongtian would actually call him that. Immersed in the soft, sweet "Teacher" from the child, Hongjun was certain that he felt light as a feather, as if bathed in golden light. He could temporarily disregard the merit bestowed by the Heavenly Dao... The mere mention of "Teacher" from the child was enough to make him feel quite elated... Hahaha, he called him that! Tongtian finally called him that!!! At this moment, the pressure around him was gentle, and his face was full of smiles.
But before his smile could spread, it was abruptly withdrawn. He stared blankly as the little cub in front of him suddenly burst into golden light, turning into a... kitten in his eyes.
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