"Why?"
I'm about to start university, and it's inconvenient staying at home lately.
"Even if you go to university, you can still live at home, right?"
"I'm not coming back. Just call me if anything comes up." Jiang Si put the chopped scallions, ginger, and garlic into a bowl. "You've become quite independent by now, and you have friends around you too—"
"I... I didn't!"
Keke suddenly raised her voice, interrupting her older brother, "I'm not independent yet! I'm still a middle school student, and I just turned twelve!"
"Didn't you always want to live independently?"
"That was before," Keke immediately denied her past self, "I don't want to think about it now."
"After we go to university, we'll have to live separately eventually," Jiang Si said calmly without arguing with her. "After university, we'll each have our own lives, jobs, and families; it's impossible to live together forever."
Coco put down the spatula, wiped the cutting board, Keke stood in front of the pot. "Why can't we live together forever?"
She kept emphasizing, "We're family, shouldn't family always live together?"
You'll understand when you grow up.
"You just said I'm almost independent, which means I've grown up, but I don't understand." Keke sniffed, her nose stinging a little, and rubbed it. "I don't understand, brother, I don't want to be apart."
Jiang Si finally understood what her parents thought about their rebellious teenagers.
He initially had reservations about the corporal punishment methods used by the older generation.
Now, he feels that the older generation's punches were neither fast enough nor ruthless enough.
He thought for a moment and said, "Don't be willful."
"I'm not being willful." Keke picked up the spatula and vigorously stirred the vegetables in the pan, as if she wanted to crush them. "I don't want to live separately from my brother."
The university is located in a city far away.
"I can transform and fly there. I'm very fast. I can also live in a rented apartment with my brother, and I Keke fly back to school by myself." After plating the stir-fried dishes and putting them down from the pan, Coco emphasized, "It definitely won't cause any delays."
"Inconvenient."
"I'll sleep on the floor, and my brother will sleep on the bed. It'll be fine the same as before; there's nothing inconvenient about it."
"No."
"Why?" Keke's voice trembled with a sob. "Why not? I won't cause you any trouble. I'll be good, I won't fall behind in my studies, and I'll do my job as a magical girl well. I'll even let you use my salary—"
"I want to live on my own," Jiang Si said honestly, having run out of options. "You don't need to worry about my money."
After Keke, there's nothing convenient about being at home, plus there's the issue of unstable transformations.
They'll be venturing into other worlds, and who knows, we might never see them again.
We need to let her get used to it beforehand.
Keke had been so defiant, suddenly fell silent.
He silently placed the dishes on the table and served rice to all three of them.
She's starting to sulk.
Jiang Si was also familiar with this, so there was no need to worry about her.
According to the procedure, after finishing the meal, you should go straight to bed and act like a little wimp, crying your eyes out, but then you'll fall asleep because the blanket is too warm.
It'll be over when I wake up.
This process, of course, wasn't something he discovered on his own.
It was his parents here who discovered it and then told him.
Jiang Si stopped taking it seriously.
Coco ate a bowl of rice in silence, Keke intending to eat two bowls while she was still angry, but she couldn't eat the second bowl after just one bite.
He could only glance longingly at his older brother.
Jiang Si then finished off the leftovers, and the White Fox very conscientiously picked up the bowl to wash it.
After all, it's not enough to just eat without working, and besides, the current atmosphere feels a bit stressful.
It's easier to just do the dishes.
Jiang Si didn't think much of it and went out after finishing her meal.
Keke glanced at him, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end she didn't, and instead held back, returning to her room.
After leaving the house, Jiang Si went straight to the outskirts of the city.
The Beihai was no different from usual in the morning, although this time the scale looked much larger, even reaching into space.
In fact, there were hardly any buildings or people that collapsed in the entire Beihai.
As he passed through several construction areas, he saw that Magical Girl Mochi's usually somber face was now beaming with a bright, sunny smile, as she kept praising the sun to the sky.
After all, these kinds of minor repair jobs are easy and pay well, so it's no wonder people are all smiles.
They also saw Yinlian and an inner disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect flying away to another place.
Bingtang acted swiftly, Beihai Disaster Countermeasures Bureau should soon be brought under the rule of the Azure Cloud Sect.
However, since Susan was already a part of it, the impact wasn't actually that significant.
I wonder if Bingtang has been working on this all night; her efficiency is truly impeccable.
After arriving in the suburbs of Beihai, I tried to contact Xilan.
I had previously sent a message to Xilan and tried to get in touch, but there was no response from Xilan.
I wonder if he's already been captured by the Prince.
Hopefully, the Prince will spare Xilan's life out of consideration for him.
After all, even when beating a dog, one should consider its owner.
If Xilan were really killed, it wouldn't just be killing a lackey; it would be slapping Jiang Si in the face again.
If you don't give Jiang Si face, he'll kill her whole family.
Although the Prince's entire family seemed to consist of only one person, the threat wasn't particularly frightening.
However, this reflects Jiang Si's attitude and her protectiveness towards her own.
In the world of online literature, those who don't protect their own are not worthy of being the protagonist.
Let alone the mere witch Xilan from the Witch Association Guild.
The protagonist of Sword of Coming, a rare saint in his time, is a young man with a pure heart. Even in the Shujian Lake, he has to protect his benefactor who did evil.
Even to the point of destroying one's own literary courage.
This is the online novel "The Way of Heaven".
Besides, Xilan District is in such a state, and they haven't done anything wrong. How could I, Jiang Si, not protect them?
He shattered my literary courage, and I, Jiang Si, can shatter my martial courage— the Miracle Seed.
Moreover, Jiang Si really likes Xilan.
A loyal follower whose beliefs remain unchanged and whose original intentions remain steadfast—a true confidant is hard to find.
Xilan is dead!
As soon as the call connected, I heard the tragic news from Jialan.
"You're the one who killed them all, Si Motu!"
Jiang Si simply replied, "If you're dead, I'll kill you all."
"She's not dead yet. The Prince has locked her up and is freezing her. If you don't go and rescue her, she'll really die."
That area only causes me trouble.
Jialan, who had been wailing and howling, immediately became serious. "Absolutely true. However, because of her antics, the Prince's ghost marriage with your ashes has been postponed."
Well done, Xilan.
I knew you wouldn't let me down!
The thought that there was still hope for her to annul the engagement made Jiang Si breathe a slight sigh of relief.
I had prepared for the worst, but unexpectedly, Xilan always manages to surprise me.
"As long as she doesn't die for now, it's fine. Let her stay frozen for now."
Jiang Si leaned against the wall and continued, "The magical girl from the Calamity Human Realm who stole Prince Full Bloom's technology has been killed by Shion. Does that mean I failed the vice president's mission?"
"Otherwise?" Jialan shrugged. "Your task is to protect her and escort her to the Witch Association."
"All you want is the Prince's Full Bloom technique, isn't it?"
"That's one way to put it, but the Full Bloom magical girls from the Calamity Human Realm are also very important," Jialan said with a regretful expression. "If we could bring them back to the Witch Association, we could avoid a lot of detours and directly create multiple Full Bloom."
"Did you know about the Calamity Human Realm World Bubble from the very beginning?"
"Who knows?" Jialan lay on a bed. "Who could have guessed that a Dream Hatchers would be so reckless as to scheme against our great Magical Girl Shion, using her magic to achieve Full Bloom and save her beloved World Bubble? Although she was inevitably reduced to ashes in the end, it drew the attention of the Magical Kingdom and Chongxu, and now Shion has her eye on both sides."
"It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this Dream Hatchers single-handedly changed the world."
The former vice president sighed as he spoke, " Chongxu now. Not only Chongxu, but the alliance between the Old World and the Prince's side is also in chaos. Shion's attack not only cleaved the sun and moon, but also tore apart the Witch Association and the Old World Alliance."
"Why?"
"And why? You must have been nearby at the time, right? That kind of overwhelming power..." Jialan grew heavy as she spoke. "Who wouldn't be afraid? Many members of both the Witch Association and the Old World have surrendered. Everyone is truly terrified. In short, both sides are in complete chaos now, and many people in the Old World are preparing to flee."
Jiang Si wasn't surprised that her attack had such a significant impact.
But I'm not really interested.
"I just want to get to the Chongxu as quickly as possible."
"I know, I know, but you're not qualified to be vice president yet, so you can't go for the time being."
"I can transfer the Prince's Full Bloom technique to you; that will count as me completing my vice president's task." Jiang Si looked up at the planes flying overhead; they must be from headquarters.
The Disaster Countermeasures Bureau headquarters should have a lot to discuss with Bingtang during this period, and Golden Tea will likely be staying in Beihai for a while.
"Hmm, that's a very bold proposal."
Jialan rolled over, then took out a phone and played a video.
The Prince is in the video.
She sat at the front of the conference room, flanked by various members of the Old World. The Prince stood up and said, "Our goal is beyond this world. As long as we can go to the outside world, we won't need to worry about finding a New World. We have countless worlds to go to!"
"Gentlemen, I love war!"
That's the end of the video.
Jialan peeked out from behind her phone. "Here's the situation: dear Si Motu, your fiancée, Miss Prince, after seeing what's outside the world, has ambitiously decided to go there. Although we don't know her specific plans, it seems she's gone quite mad."
Jiang Si said calmly, "We will get it."
"If you get it, of course it will be yours. The position of vice president, and the Chongxu will also be opened for you. Good luck, Si Motu, we look forward to your performance."
After turning off the crystal ball, Jiang Si for a moment and then glanced at his Golden Core.
The biggest problem now is...
I can no longer use too much Filthy Magic Power.
He tentatively hunted two or three Calamity Beast in other cities and discovered that the extensive use of Filthy Magic Power would inevitably cause Dragon Lord Shion to transform.
This basically means that one cannot use their own magical power to fight, and can only use their physical body. In the world of magical girls, their strength is weak, and they cannot Full Blossom of power with a single punch.
I'm so uneasy.
After trying various methods, Jiang Si finally found a way to avoid the automatic transformation by using the Bigu Pill as a source of Filthy Magic Power.
Even so, that's enough.
I absolutely cannot allow my perfect fake identity to be wasted on something like this!
Jiang Si, who had resumed alchemy, finally managed to gather nearly a few hundred more Bigu Pill by evening.
The original plan was to refine a more complex [ Lesser Foundation Establishment Bigu Pill ].
However, as it was getting late, Jiang Si did not continue her research.
On the way home, I thought Coco Keke be asleep by now, and I couldn't help but feel relieved; it's true that having many skills is never a bad thing.
Every skill has its use. If he hadn't figured out the Bigu Pill himself and could use the secret of the Flame Emperor, Si Motu would probably have been bullied again when he encountered enemies later.
It's common knowledge that alchemists are the most cunning. Just when others think they're about to be killed, a simple "medicine is here" can start torturing the opponent. Upon entering, White Fox was still sitting in the living room reading online novels, like a statue.
Keke breathed a sigh of relief as her bedroom door remained tightly shut.
After thinking about it, I decided to go to the bathroom first and take a shower.
Just a short while after showering, the White Fox came over and knocked on the door.
"Do you need any help, sir?"
"Need not."
I can scrub your back.
Jiang Si of something and immediately shouted sternly, "You're watching urban romance dramas again?"
It's one thing to read "Starting as a Clan's Guardian Artifact," but to actually read such useless Magic Dao is another!
"It's a fantasy cultivation story, sir."
"----Skip this part."
"Yes."
After taking a shower, the White Fox went into the bathroom and started taking off her clothes without closing the door.
Jiang Si ignored her and went straight upstairs.
He casually tossed the ring Lu Ya had given him in the World Bubble onto the table, then glanced at his mother's bank card.
After confirming that everything was alright, I lay down.
I'll see if I can refine a [ Lesser Foundation Establishment Pill ] tomorrow. I'm running out of Grief Seed and Calamity Egg. I'll ask Bingtang if there are any extras in the sect. Once I've made the [ Lesser Foundation Establishment Pill ], I can go directly to the Prince.
As Jiang Si was planning for tomorrow, a knock on the door made her frown.
What's that White Fox up to now?
"Roll."
"Brother, I want to talk to you----"
A slightly breathless voice came through, as if the person had been startled.
After a moment of silence upon hearing Keke's voice, Jiang Si took a breath.
According to the procedure, shouldn't you be crying yourself to sleep in bed by now?
Isn't it a bit rebellious to have endured this long?
Keke, how did you become like this?
He pondered what had happened during that time.
Keke grew up crookedly, and this is what happened.
Not long ago, Mingming was a very well-behaved, obedient, and sensible little sister who would never cause trouble for herself.
Even communication is effortless.
But in a short period of time, everything changed drastically. Not only did it become rebellious, but it also regressed and grew in the opposite direction.
It can't be that I did something wrong; protagonists in online novels can't make mistakes, so it must be an external factor.
He was plotting in his mind which culprit had harmed Keke, and he was determined to get revenge later.
After waiting for a while without a response, Coco, Keke, poked her head out from behind the door.
Wearing only a thin nightgown, she was shivering slightly, perhaps from the cold.
Her eyes still looked a little red, and she said softly, "Brother, I'm coming in."
Jiang Si ignored her and simply turned her back to Keke.
Keke pouted, but still slowly pushed the door open and walked in. The fact that her brother didn't refuse meant she could come in.
She walked to the bedside and sat down in a duck-like position.
He lay down beside the bed, not saying a word, but gently fiddling with Jiang Si's sleeve.
It's like when you were a kid, you'd try to get your older brother's attention by doing that same thing.
When she was little, her older brother would sleep, and she would keep fiddling with his sleeve or clothes until he got impatient and turned around to tap her.
"Leave me alone."
"Brother, don't go, okay?"
Her voice was soft and sweet, like rice cake, as if she was about to cry at any moment.
Jiang Si couldn't help but want to punch her a couple of times.
Having been a magical girl for so long, I haven't improved at all.
"If I do anything wrong or don't do it well, tell me and I will definitely correct it. Is it because I've been asking you where you've been lately, and that's bothering you? I promise I won't ask anymore, so please don't bother me."
As they spoke, the hand that had been fluttering Jiang Si's sleeve reached out and grasped hers.
Holding Jiang Si's two fingers tightly, he said, "I'll give you all my salary. I'll study hard, do my homework properly, and I promise I won't secretly read romance comics anymore. I'll be good, I won't talk back, and I won't make you angry."
As they talked, he took Jiang Si's hand and pressed his face against hers.
Her face was flushed and hot, as if she had been holding it in, and it was frighteningly hot to the touch, like she had a high fever. "Don't leave me alone, okay, brother?"
What else can we do?
He's our own kid, after all. We wouldn't kill him, would we?
He could only sigh, turn around, and look at Keke.
I asked, "You really pay all your wages?"
Keke hugged his hand, wiping her tears on it, "Mmm----it's all yours----"
The room fell silent again.
Keke held her older brother's hand, and after a while, she cautiously and tentatively sat down on the bed.
After her older brother didn't say anything, she slowly lay down, squeezed onto the bed, and hugged her brother's hand. "Stay with me a little longer, okay? When Keke grows up, she'll definitely become independent."
She heard the sighs of her brother when he was a child, when he couldn't stand her pestering him and couldn't do anything about it.
Hearing that sigh, I felt a sense of relief.
"Um.
Keke finally stopped crying and started smiling after her brother's final response.
In her dazed state, she curled up and murmured, "My brother is the best—"
Then a wave of drowsiness and exhaustion washed over her, and she could barely keep her eyes open. She gripped her brother's hand tightly, her fingers almost digging into his flesh.
The room fell into dead silence.
After an unknown amount of time, Keke vaguely saw her older brother and Teacher Shion.
Ms. Shion kept complaining, asking why she had to continue living with her younger sister. She was so old, yet she still loved to cling to her older brother and act all spoiled. Didn't she feel ashamed?
Then, Ms. Shion flew into a rage at her silent older brother and twisted his ear.
"It's either me or her! You have to choose one today: either live with me and have a good life outside, or break up with me and go stay with your sister for the rest of your life!"
"Silly girl, of Keke I'd only choose you. I've always thought Coco was a nuisance and a hassle."
Then the older brother hugged Ms. Shion and happily left home.
Keke screamed in fright, "Brother, don't leave me!"
She gripped her brother's hand tightly, shaking it desperately, "Don't leave me, brother—"
As I shook it, I suddenly felt something was off.
Keke opened her eyes. The sunlight outside was a little too bright. She was still lying in bed, but her older brother was no longer beside her, and the arm she was holding was not his.
It was a dragon horn.
The dragon horns are rounded, transparent like crystal, and have a soft, elastic feel, making them excellent to the touch.
Keke paused, then looked down.
Teacher Shion's golden dragon eyes were coldly staring at her.
"Let go."