Chapter 36

Chapter 36

This night, many were destined for a sleepless one.

Not only were Li Qingying and I awake, but the Bai Family and the Huang Family likely couldn’t sleep either.

The Bai Family had suffered heavy losses last night. I estimated they wouldn’t have much energy left to plot against me for a while.

At the crack of dawn the next day, I heard Li Qingying getting out of bed.

However, for the first time ever, she didn’t crack her whip or make breakfast. Instead, she headed out early in the morning.

I tried sending a few more messages to Tang Tang, but they still felt like stones sinking into the ocean.

Around eight o’clock, I had already washed up and was in the kitchen simmering porridge when Li Qingying returned.

The moment she stepped into the kitchen, she said, “I found it.”

I was puzzled. “Found what?”

“The Tang Family,” Li Qingying said. “The Tang Family of Huicheng is a famous Treasure-Concealing Family. The head of the family, Tang Ao, is a renowned Treasure Appraisal Master in Huaguo. Tang Tang is his youngest daughter-a true young miss of the Huicheng appraisal world.”

As she spoke, she even urged me to look up Tang Ao on my phone.

I didn’t expect much, but the search results were shocking.

In the appraisal industry, at least within Huaguo, Tang Ao was solidly ranked in the top ten!

He was very photogenic and had a kind, benevolent face. Tang Tang only looked about thirty percent like him; she probably took after her mother.

But as I scrolled through the results, the screen was filled with information about Tang Ao, while other members of the Tang Family were rarely mentioned.

I put down my phone and asked, “What about Aunt Tang? Tang Ao’s biography doesn’t even mention that he has an older or younger sister.”

“Aunt Tang is very mysterious,” Li Qingying said. “I searched high and low, but I only managed to find her name: Tang Xun. Nothing else.”

How could that be?

I thought for a moment and asked, “What exactly is a Treasure-Concealer? Is it just about appraising antiques?”

No wonder Tang Tang had such deep knowledge of antiques and so many connections in that field. It turned out she came from a prestigious family and had been trained since childhood.

“The scope of what a Treasure-Concealer covers is very broad now, but it can generally be summarized into two aspects: Spirit-Seeking and Treasure-Appraisal,” Li Qingying explained. “For example, Tang Ao is skilled at Treasure-Appraisal. If I’m not mistaken, the reason Tang Xun isn’t mentioned publicly is that her work probably involves Spirit-Seeking?”

This speculation was well-founded.

Li Qingying suddenly lowered her voice and said, “However, I also found out that the Tang Family’s predecessors were actually tomb raiders. It’s said that one of their ancestors was a Gold-Touching Captain. They supposedly went legitimate during the Republic of China era, and the family truly flourished by Tang Ao’s generation.”

So that was it.

I sighed. “Regardless of the Tang Family’s past or present, Tang Tang and her aunt are my saviors. I should visit them to express my gratitude when I have the chance.”

“True,” Li Qingying said. “But that old swindler from the Qingquan Taoist Temple really wasn’t wrong when he read your fortune. Xiao Jiu, you are destined to be helped by hidden benefactors. See? Seventh Master is one, and the Tang Family is another.”

I blinked at her and said sincerely, “Sister Qingying, you are my benefactor too.”

Actually, there was one more person: my Granny. She was the most important benefactor in my life.

After lunch, Li Qingying and I both caught up on some sleep.

This nap was surprisingly peaceful. When I woke up, I felt a bit dazed, sitting on the bed for a moment in a fog, unsure of where I was.

Right then, my phone rang.

‘Meng Po Gives a Bowl of Soy Milk’ was requesting a video call.

I snapped out of it immediately. There was finally some movement from Tang Tang’s side.

I hurried to answer the video. Before I could even say hello, Tang Tang was already shouting excitedly, “Junior Sister, what kind of earth-shattering thing did you do last night to capture my aunt’s heart so easily? Quick, teach me your secrets!”

Uh…
I said awkwardly, “If I told you I didn’t know either, would you believe me?”

Tang Tang stroked her chin, nodding thoughtfully. “If it were anyone else, I definitely wouldn’t. But my aunt isn’t exactly an ordinary person. Her thoughts aren’t something juniors like you and me can easily guess.”

She paused for a moment before adding, “Oh well, whatever. Anyway, my aunt seems to think very highly of you. She was originally going to subject me to Family Discipline, but this time she actually let me off. She even told me to keep in touch with you more and invite you over for dinner when you’re free.”

I was a bit flattered. “I was just telling Sister Qingying this morning that I should pay a visit to offer my thanks.”

“Oh, what’s there to thank?” Tang Tang said. “We’re all on the same side, don’t be so formal.”

I asked, “By the way, Senior Sister, hadn’t you already gone back on the 5th? How did you end up in that Red Coffin?”

“I did it on purpose,” Tang Tang replied. “I heard what Bai Jingmo said to you and knew nothing good would come of it. Plus, didn’t you notice? The way he looked at me was very unusual. So, I decided to beat him at his own game and let him capture me.”

I frowned and asked, “Bai Jingmo looked at you unusually? Why?”

“That’s a long story,” Tang Tang began to explain. “I met Bai Jingmo at the beginning of last year. At the time, the Archaeology Department was heading down into a Great Tomb. They selected an accompanying doctor from the Medical School and a recording clerk from our college, requiring people with solid professional knowledge. Bai Jingmo and I were the ones chosen.

“That tomb was massive, and the environment was quite complex. If you weren’t careful, you’d fall victim to something. Several students collapsed midway through, and it was Bai Jingmo who saved them.”

Hearing this, I was a bit puzzled. “Isn’t that normal?”

“Yes, on the surface, it’s very normal,” Tang Tang said. “But after leaving the tomb, those students all fell seriously ill. The luckiest one was bedridden for half a year before recovering. The worst one is still lying in the hospital even now.”

I asked in shock, “What kind of Dirty Things did they provoke for it to be that serious?”

“Provoke Dirty Things?” Tang Tang let out a cold laugh. “No, they provoked Bai Jingmo! Others couldn’t tell, but I saw it clearly. When Bai Jingmo was Exorcising Evil for them, he siphoned off a portion of their Yang Qi. That was the root cause of their severe illnesses.”

I silently sucked in a breath of cold air. “Then did you tell your team leader?”

“Junior Sister, you’re too naive,” Tang Tang said. “Given my personality, do you think if I tried to expose Bai Jingmo, he would admit it? Would anyone even believe me?”

That was true.

After all, there were still more atheists in this world than not.

Tang Tang suddenly sighed, as if she had a belly full of grievances with nowhere to vent. “Mainly, I was just too cowardly. I didn’t dare stir up trouble, fearing that if I caused a scene, I’d be subjected to Family Discipline by my aunt.”

At the mention of Tang Xun, my curiosity was piqued again. “Senior Sister, you seem very afraid of your aunt?”

“It’s not fear, it’s awe,” Tang Tang emphasized. “My aunt is the best aunt in the world. She dotes on me, and she’s very strong and knowledgeable. She’s not like my useless father. When I graduated from junior high, he told me to stop studying and come home to learn treasure appraisal from him. If my aunt hadn’t supported my education, I never would have met you, Junior Sister.”

I was speechless.

Tang Ao was useless?

He was one of the top ten Treasure Appraisal Masters in all of Huaguo!

Seeing my expression, Tang Tang knew I didn’t believe her. She continued, “Don’t be fooled by how my father is always on TV or doing interviews, looking all prestigious. In my eyes, he’s not even qualified to carry my aunt’s shoes. My aunt is the true overlord of the Tang Family’s Dark Path. In front of her, my father is nothing but a little brother!”