Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation

"You know they want to hurt you, yet you still go hiking with them. Are you dumb?"

Tang Fu turned around, smiling innocently, her demeanor matching the red autumn leaves behind her: "I'm not dumb, I call it wisdom in disguise."

Yang Sheng didn't hold back: "I think you're just dim-witted!"

After scolding Tang Fu for a bit, Yang Sheng's gaze shifted to the mountain path, watching Aunt Tao fade into the distance.

She worried: "She didn't succeed this time. Will she retaliate in the future? I think she's already gone mad."

A moment ago, Aunt Tao's appearance was frightening, lacking any humanity. If Jiang Ning hadn't finally produced a machete, Yang Sheng even suspected she might dare to perish together with them.

The destructive power of such a crazy woman is truly terrifying.

Yang Sheng kept an eye on Aunt Tao's figure. Suddenly, four figures rushed in from the side of the path. Aunt Tao didn't even have time to resist before being pinned to the ground. Her scream hadn't even come out before her mouth was covered.

Yang Sheng: "Huh, what's going on?"

Things were becoming increasingly surreal.

By the time Aunt Tao was lifted again, she had been packed into a massive sack, and then four uniformed men carried her down the mountain.

The whole process was executed flawlessly and was even somewhat entertaining to watch.

Yang Sheng: "Their uniforms look so much like police, yet a little different from what police wear."

Jiang Ning's phone buzzed with a message from Shao Shuangshuang: "It's done."

"Well done." Jiang Ning praised the subordinate.

Yang Sheng questioned: "If they're police, doesn't that mean Aunt Tao will be imprisoned?"

Jiang Ning: "Maybe."

He had instructed Shao Shuangshuang to make sure Aunt Tao spent the rest of her life contributing by working on sewing machines.

...

After experiencing the danger on the mountain, Yang Sheng's state of mind recovered, and she descended using another path, a wide and smooth road.

Along the road, maple trees stood tall, their leaves blazing like fire, gently swaying in the autumn breeze like a magnificent rain.

Yang Sheng skateboarded lightly along the road, maple leaves occasionally landing in her hair like clips, decorating her short hair.

Just after facing life-threatening danger, Yang Sheng skateboarded, while Tang Fu shouted about eating barbecue and drinking cola, showing a remarkably positive attitude.

Jiang Ning leisurely trailed behind, admiring the poetic scenery: the girl, the skateboard, the maple leaves, the golden colors of autumn.

Yang Sheng deftly handled the skateboard, displaying her athletic skills.

After a bit of skateboarding, she remembered it was Jiang Ning who had brought her up the mountain. With a cool stop, she picked up the skateboard and waited for Jiang Ning.

Once he caught up, Yang Sheng pouted: "Wanna try it out?"

Jiang Ning shook his head: "I don't know how."

Yang Sheng: "It's simple, I'll teach you. Come on!"

The two started to play with the skateboard, while Tang Fu pointed to the distance: "There's a stall selling iced rice wine. My treat!"

Yang Sheng took a moment to advise: "Don't buy it on the mountain, it's too expensive."

Tang Fu crossed her arms and boldly said: "What's a little expense, you all helped me so much. Today, I'm only drinking the pricey stuff; I won't buy anything under five yuan a cup!"

Normally, an iced rice wine costs three yuan at the Fourth Middle School gate, while five-yuan rice wine often has lots of extras like raisins and hawthorn bits.

Along the way, Tang Fu chatted and laughed, displaying the demeanor of an athlete, her every gesture like a victorious female general, disregarding worldly concerns.

Reaching the plaza below, Tang Fu approached the iced rice wine stall. Yang Sheng advised: "I'm really not drinking, don't waste your money!"

Tang Fu did her own thing, asking: "How much for a cup of iced rice wine?"

The stall owner opened his eyes: "Eight yuan."

Tang Fu's expression froze.

Her voice softened a bit: "Are you sure it's eight yuan?"

The stall owner looked up at her, impatiently saying: "Eight yuan is for the basic one. If you want the 'family deluxe', it's thirteen yuan per cup."

"If you're not buying, don't stand in the doorway, hindering my business." The stall owner waved them away, his attitude as arrogant as a long-ago state-run store.

Not only Tang Fu, but a nearby couple who were about to buy something gasped and quickly backed away.

Yang Sheng pushed her way to the stall, feeling her pockets: "Is there a bank nearby?"

The stall owner almost laughed: "You need a bank for such a small amount?"

Yang Sheng's expression changed, sarcastically saying: "I wanted to suggest that, at these prices, why don't you just rob a bank?"

After saying that, she dragged Tang Fu away.

The shop owner was furious and just about to start shouting, when Jiang Ning expressionlessly pulled out an 88-centimeter-long broadsword. Using its sharp, unwrapped tip, he pointed it at the shop owner:

"What do you want to say?"

The shop owner's rage was instantly extinguished upon seeing the sword, and he trembled, "Brother, brother, don't get worked up!"

Jiang Ning, satisfied, put away the sword and walked away leisurely.

...

Urban area, the square in front of Lanma Mall.

Wu Yunzhi was waiting for someone by a stone block.

Five minutes later, Lan Zichen arrived. She wore a black hoodie paired with black jeans, a low-key color scheme, but her skin was quite fair, her features delicate, and in her eyes was a sense of calmness beyond her years.

Wu Yunzhi initially planned to invite Shang Wanqing, but she was busy, so he settled for Lan Zichen instead.

As a result, Wu Yunzhi noticed an ordinary-looking girl next to her.

Feeling uneasy in his heart, Wu Yunzhi thought, 'Are you guarding against me?'

But he still smiled cheerfully on the surface, "Let's go, I heard there's a barbecue place that's quite good, let's go together."

Lan Zichen: "I'm not very good at barbecue."

Wu Yunzhi said graciously, "No problem, I'll do the grilling for you."

After saying that, he stopped a taxi by the roadside and got in with Lan Zichen.

As the taxi drove away, a figure quickly approached the roadside, flagged down another taxi, and got in quickly.

Zhao Xiaofeng pointed at the tail of the taxi in front and said anxiously to the driver, "Driver, I'll give you 200 yuan, keep up with that car!"

Because Qi Tianheng had taken a liking to Lan Zichen, Zhao Xiaofeng's task this weekend was to keep an eye on her for Brother Tian.

He took out two bright red bills to show his sincerity.

The driver responded, "Sure thing, I promise not to lose them."

Zhao Xiaofeng marveled, "Awesome, awesome, you're that confident in your driving skills?"

The driver pulled out a walkie-talkie and said, "Old Wang, I'm behind your car, drive slower."

...

The bus was cruising smoothly, and in the last row of seats,

Yang Sheng on the left lowered his voice, "When did you put it in? How come I didn't know you put it in my bag?"

From start to finish, she didn't realize Jiang Ning had slipped a long knife into her skateboard bag.

Faced with this question, Jiang Ning calmly replied, "I put it in when you weren't paying attention."

Yang Sheng: "Ah, if I don't cooperate with you, how did you get it in?"

"Besides, I clearly didn't see you bring it!"

Jiang Ning: "I know magic."

From the right, Tang Fu, who had been eavesdropping for a while, chimed in, "What kind of magic do you know?"

Upon the mention of magic, Yang Sheng said, "His magic is truly amazing!"

That New Year's Eve party, the magic Jiang Ning performed was the best she'd ever seen.

The two girls spoke over Jiang Ning.

Jiang Ning leaned back a little, took out his phone, and saw a message from Tongtong asking where he was going for lunch and why he wasn't returning home.

Jiang Ning: "Having barbecue for lunch."

Xue Yuantong at the River Dam Bungalow, upon seeing this, angrily clenched their teeth: "Damn it, no wonder you left early, it's because of barbecue, why didn't you take me?"

Jiang Ning: "Because you were oversleeping."

Xue Yuantong complained, "You could have woken me up, just say the word barbecue, and I would definitely wake up."

Jiang Ning: "I just figured it'd be nice to let you sleep a bit more, you stayed up so late last night."

Xue Yuantong: "Hmph, you're not that considerate, you just wanted to ditch me!"

Yang Sheng was trying to get Jiang Ning's attention again.

Xue Yuantong saw that he got caught up in chatting and felt that he was getting too bold lately, warning him, "If you don't reply to me, I'll ignore you for an hour, so you'll be worried sick!"

Jiang Ning received the message, "Doesn't matter, it won't affect me at all."