"It's not Xiao Yu, what did you just say? Say it again?"
Chen Long thought he misheard and asked Xiao Yu to repeat herself.
Xiao Yu did not disappoint Chen Long and repeated what she had just said, "Uncle Long, I want to get a tattoo."
"No."
Chen Long refused outright, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.
"Ah? Uncle Long, I just want a tiny tattoo, just that small."
Xiao Yu was not giving up, using words and gestures to try and change Chen Long's mind.
But Chen Long's attitude was firm, "No means no, no matter how small."
Then Chen Long began to lecture Xiao Yu on various reasons, such as she was too young, tattoos hurt, and getting a tattoo would give her classmates a bad impression.
Chen Long rambled on for quite a while, but Xiao Yu didn't listen to a single word.
Xiao Yu's sudden desire to get a tattoo had a reason.
It was because the bespectacled boy in her class, who was always at odds with her, had come to class today and shown his skull tattoo to his classmates. He had won the admiration of many classmates with his gestures and descriptions, and then he had taunted Xiao Yu.
Xiao Yu, with her pride soaring, could not stand this. Her mind went blank, and she immediately declared that she would also get a tattoo, get it done after school, and show her finished tattoo to the whole class tomorrow.
At that moment, Xiao Yu felt exhilarated, but as the heat faded and she came to her senses, she began to regret it.
First, she wondered if tattoo parlors would even tattoo a kid like her. Even if they agreed, she wasn't sure she could endure the pain, and more importantly, Uncle Long would absolutely not agree. She had boasted, and if she didn't get it done, that little four-eyes would surely mock her.
But words spoken are like water poured out. Since she had already said it, if she went back on her word now, her lifelong reputation would be ruined today, not to mention tomorrow.
With no other choice, she had to bite the bullet and beg Uncle Long to let her get a tattoo.
But the result was as everyone saw: a direct refusal, with no room for negotiation.
Thus, a dejected Xiao Yu, with her head hanging low, followed Chen Long home. Upon arriving, she threw her schoolbag aside and went to her room.
Although Xiao Yu looked pitiful now, Chen Long was not falling for her act.
Chen Long knew that all the unhappiness and dejection she was displaying were an act for him, just to get him to relent when he couldn't stand it any longer.
Xiao Yu had used this little trick no less than five times, and each time with considerable success.
However, things were different now. Before, Xiao Yu just wanted to go to the moose park or buy a few comic books, and Chen Long thought it was fine to buy them, no big deal. But this time, it was different. Tattoos were too premature for a young girl who hadn't even grown her hair yet. No, even if she were an adult, Chen Long would not agree to Xiao Yu getting a tattoo.
"Chen Long."
Just then, Teru came out of his father's study carrying an empty plate.
He was about to speak when he heard sounds of things being thrown from Xiao Yu's room, which made the clueless Teru a little worried.
"Chen Long, what's wrong with Xiao Yu?"
"It's nothing," Chen Long waved his hand. "She'll be fine if she's left alone for a while."
At this moment, Xiao Yu had entered the second phase. Sultan Novel Network.
The noise in the room was probably intentionally made for Chen Long to hear, so that Chen Long would worry about her safety and emotions, and thus actively come to compromise with her.
Xiao Yu wasn't stupid; she wouldn't actually break her own things, which would only cause her distress later.
Chen Long had already experienced this.
"Alright," Teru continued, "Dad called you in. He said there's an inscription that needs translating."
As soon as Teru finished speaking, his father's voice came from the study, "Teru, go make some more black tea for your father."
"Yes, sir."
Teru acknowledged, didn't say any more to Chen Long, and entered the kitchen with the tray to make tea.
Seeing that his father needed him, Chen Long could put Xiao Yu's matter aside for now and talk to her properly once she calmed down.
When he opened the study door, a strong smell of herbs mixed with garlic hit him, almost making Chen Long recoil.
"Dad, what's that smell in the study? Why don't you open the window and air it out?"
As soon as Chen Long walked to the window to open it, his father grabbed him and flicked his forehead with two fingers.
"Ouch. Dad, what's wrong again?"
His father held up a finger and said, "This is a magic potion I made to help concentrate. It allows me to relax and focus on translating these inscriptions."
Saying so, his father pointed to the ancient texts on the table.
"Oh, Dad, I'm afraid the potion you brewed can only help you concentrate, not me."
Chen Long said helplessly, rubbing his throbbing forehead.
Although his forehead hurt from the flick, Chen Long wasn't angry at all. On the contrary, he was a little happy.
This meant his father's mental state was good. If the flick hadn't hurt, that would have been truly worrying, indicating that his father's physical condition was very poor and he needed rest.
Don't ask Chen Long how he knew this. Having lived with his father for so long, he had gained experience from being hit.
As Chen Long suspected, his father had never felt better in his body and mind for a long time.
First, the appearance of Xiao Yu and Teru had solved his long-standing inheritance problem, and not just one, but two. In terms of talent, Xiao Yu was considered excellent, while Teru, though a bit slow, was persistent.
Second, the Holy Lord had been inactive for a long time, and the world had become somewhat peaceful, with ordinary people not suffering too much impact.
Third, and most importantly, the Holy Lord's resurrection had brought new vitality to this stagnant world. Although many humans had died because of the Holy Lord, this was only from a human perspective. From the perspective of the entire world, the Holy Lord's resurrection had caused the barren magical elements to stir again. This alone might not have a significant impact on an old mage like his father, but it was a huge boon for novice mages or apprentices, and it would lead to more mages in the future, gradually elevating the world.
Every time he thought of these things, his father felt conflicted, unsure whether to be happy or sad.
In the past, his father had always felt that the decline of magic might be a good thing, and that a world led by technology might not be bad. For his old bones, growing old peacefully seemed quite good.
But then an accident happened. The appearance of the Holy Lord made his father see the momentum of magic's resurgence.
The Holy Lord's resurrection was like the prelude to a new act, a grand drama where technology and magic coexisted.
The current world would inevitably suffer shocks and pains because of this, but after all this, it would undoubtedly be a new, more vibrant world.