Chapter 36

That night, many people were destined to stay awake.

Not only did I and Li Qingying not sleep, the Bai and Huang families probably couldn't sleep either.

The Bai family suffered heavy losses last night; they likely don't have much energy to scheme against me in the short term.

The next day, at dawn, I heard Li Qingying get up.

But she unusually didn't whip or make breakfast, and left early in the morning.

I tried sending Tang Tang a few messages again, but it was still like a stone sinking into the sea.

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

As soon as she entered the kitchen, she said: "I found it."

I wondered: "Found what?"

"The Tang family." Li Qingying said, "The Tang family of Huicheng is famous for treasure‑seeking; the family head, Tang Ao, is a renowned artifact appraiser in China, and Tang Tang is his youngest daughter, truly the leading lady of Huicheng's artifact appraisal circle."

She said that, and even urged me to search for Tang Ao on my phone.

If you don't search, you won't know; but once you do, you'll be startled.

As for Tang Ao, in the artifact appraisal business, at least in China, he's firmly in the top ten!

He is photogenic, with kind eyes and benevolent brows; Tang Tang resembles him only about three‑tenths, likely taking after her mother.

But I kept scrolling and only saw Tang Ao all over the screen; hardly anything was mentioned about other members of the Tang family.

I put down my phone and asked: "What about the Tang family aunt? Tang Ao's personal profile doesn't even mention that he has an older or younger sister."

"The Tang family aunt is very mysterious." Li Qingying said, "I searched high and low, and could only find her name: Tang Xun, with nothing else."

How could this be?

I thought about it and asked again: "What is a treasure‑seeker? Someone who appraises antiques?"

No wonder Tang Tang's research on antiques is so profound and her connections so broad—she comes from a family that practices the Child Skill.

"The scope of treasure‑seekers nowadays is too broad, but overall it can be summed up in two aspects: seeking spirits and appraising treasures." Li Qingying explained, "For example, Tang Ao is good at appraising treasures; if I'm not mistaken, Tang Xun keeps her work out of the public eye because her job is likely to seek spirits."

That guess is reasonable and well‑founded.

Li Qingying suddenly lowered her voice and said: "But I also found out that the Tang family's origins were in grave‑robbing; it's said that an ancestor once served as a Grave‑robbing Colonel; they probably only went legit during the Republican era, and by Tang Ao's generation they have really flourished."

So that's how it is.

I sighed: "No matter the Tang family's past or present, Tang Tang and her aunt are my lifesavers; when I have the chance, I should visit to thank them."

"Right." Li Qingying said, "But that old charlatan from Clear Spring Daoist Temple who told your fortune was actually right—Xiao Jiu, you're destined to have benefactors; look, Seventh Lord is one, and so is the Tang family."

I winked at her and said sincerely: "Qingying sis, you are also my benefactor."

Actually, there's also my grandma; she is one of the most important benefactors in my life.

After lunch, Li Qingying and I both took a nap.

That sleep was actually sound; when I woke up, I felt dazed, sitting on the bed for a while in a fog, not knowing where I was.

Just then, my phone rang.

'Mengpo Gei Wan Doujiang' sent a video call request.

I immediately came to my senses; Tang Tang's side finally had some movement.

I hurriedly answered the video call, and before I could even say hello, Tang Tang burst out: "Junior sister, what on earth did you do last night that was shocking and outrageous? You easily captured my aunt—quick, teach me your experience!"

Er...

I said awkwardly: "I say I don't know—do you believe me?"

Tang Tang stroked her chin, pondering, then nodded and said: "If it were someone else, I definitely wouldn't believe it, but my aunt is no ordinary person—her thoughts are certainly beyond what we juniors can guess."

She paused, then said: "Oh well, never mind—anyway, my aunt seems to think highly of you. Originally she was going to punish me with family discipline, but this time she let me off, and she even told me to keep in touch with you and invite you over for a meal when you have time."

I felt somewhat flattered and surprised: "This morning I was just telling Senior Qingying that I should go over to thank her."

"Oh, what thanks are you talking about?" Tang Tang said. "We're all our own people—don't be so formal."

I asked: "By the way, senior sister, didn't you already go back on the 5th? How did you end up in that red coffin?"

"I did it on purpose," Tang Tang said. "I overheard Bai Jingmo talking to you, knew it couldn't be anything good, and you didn't notice—his gaze at me was unusual, so I turned the tables and let him catch me on purpose."

I frowned and asked: "Bai Jingmo's gaze at you was unusual? Why?"

"That's a long story," Tang Tang said leisurely. "I met Bai Jingmo at the beginning of last year. Back then, the archaeology department was about to excavate a major tomb; they each drew one accompanying medic from the medical school and one recorder from our college, requiring solid professional knowledge, and Bai Jingmo and I were selected."

The tomb was huge and the environment fairly complex; one slip and you'd be hit, and several students collapsed midway—all of them were rescued by Bai Jingmo.

Hearing this, I was a bit puzzled: "Isn't that pretty normal?"

"Yes, on the surface it seems normal," Tang Tang said. "But after leaving the tomb, those classmates all fell seriously ill—the mildest was bedridden for half a year before recovering, and the worst is still lying in the hospital to this day."

I exclaimed: "What unclean thing did they provoke to end up so badly?"

"What unclean thing?" Tang Tang snorted coldly. "No, they provoked Bai Jingmo! Others can't see it, but I see it clearly: when Bai Jingmo performed an exorcism on them, he intercepted part of their positive energy—that's the root cause of their serious illness."

I silently drew a breath of cold air: "Did you tell the team leader about this?"

"Junior sister, you're too naïve," Tang Tang said. "Do you think, with my personality, if I exposed Bai Jingmo he'd admit it? And would anyone believe me?"

That's exactly right.

After all, there are still more atheists in this world.

Tang Tang suddenly sighed, as if she had a belly full of grievances with nowhere to vent: "Basically, I'm just timid—I dare not stir up trouble, fearing to cause a commotion and be punished by my aunt's family law."

When Tang Xun was mentioned, my curiosity flared up again: "Senior sister, you seem to be afraid of your aunt, huh?"

"I'm not afraid—I'm in awe," Tang Tang emphasized. "My aunt is the best aunt in the world; she dotes on me, she's strong, knowledgeable, unlike my good-for-nothing father, who made me quit school after junior high to go learn appraisal with him. If it weren't for my aunt supporting my education, I wouldn't have met you, junior sister."

I: "……"

Is Tang Ao still a good-for-nothing?

That's a top-ten treasure appraisal expert in China!

Seeing my expression, Tang Tang knew I didn't believe her, and continued: "Don't look at my dad constantly appearing on that TV show, giving interviews, all glamorous—but in my eyes he isn't even worthy to hold my aunt's shoes. My aunt is the true matriarch of the Tang Family's hidden line, and my dad is just a little brother in her presence."