I will be stronger after the remake

Yu Shujiang keenly caught Tang Ping's gaze and teased mischievously, "How about it? Regret it now? Apologize to me now, saying you were blind to her greatness and underestimated Her Majesty the Queen, and I might reconsider~"

Tang Ping put on a stern face, revealing a gentlemanly expression: "If you wouldn't even have a character portrait in a bishoujo game before, now you've barely become an unromanceable character, and can show your face in some insignificant CG paintings."

It's fine if the other person doesn't speak, but once they do, it brings back memories of our past interactions, completely killing any interest.

"Hey—why am I not romanceable? I'm definitely a romanceable little sister character, right? No blood relation, brother complex, easy to seduce—I have all three major elements of a little sister character, plus the bonus of being a tech geek. If this were a bishoujo game, I'd definitely be on the cover!" Yu Shujiang protested.

Tang Ping scoffed and retorted, "When it comes to younger sister characters, there are only two types: tsundere and spoiled wife. Look at yourself, you're neither. The younger sister of a tech geek isn't popular at all; she's only a plus in the eyes of otaku."

"Hmph! Do you think I'll be happy just by saying that? But since you've admitted it yourself, I'll reluctantly agree." Yu Shujiang said, twirling her hair with her fingers, her eyes darting around.

"Such a formulaic tsundere! Put some effort into it! In a time when tsundere has become obsolete, soulless tsundere won't resonate with anyone!"

"Am I really going to be the one to carry the banner of arrogance?"

Yu Shujiang was shocked. After gathering her emotions for a moment, she said, "I didn't say that because of you! Don't misunderstand!"

Tang Ping frowned and said, "No, no, although you used the most classic lines, I didn't feel that tsundere factor that went straight to the soul. Your understanding of tsundere is still too superficial."

Yu Shujiang looked up and sighed, "So strict! I never expected my brother to be such a seasoned master of arrogance. It seems I've misallocated my skill points in the past. Is it too late to reset them?"

Yuan Ji exchanged a cold look: "What are those two siblings doing? Are they performing a comedy routine? They're clearly speaking Chinese, but why can't I understand a single word?"

Feng Maimai said expressionlessly, "Their conversation was interspersed with otaku-oriented knowledge of anime and manga, especially the stereotype of tsundere. The term tsundere generally refers to a person who acts tough and arrogant to hide their shyness and timidity, which is inconsistent with their true feelings..."

"Alright, alright, even though I only read shonen manga, I've still heard of 'tsundere'."

Yuan Ji waved his hand, interrupting Feng Maimai's explanation, and then pondered, "Yu Shujiang just mentioned 'no blood relation,' right? Although judging from her tone, she probably said it on purpose as a joke, but it has to be said that she and Tang Ping really don't look like siblings. Is it possible that it's true?"

Feng glanced at her sideways, "Didn't you understand perfectly?"

"Due to relevant policy requirements, I cannot answer questions involving personal privacy."

"This is getting more and more suspicious... Oh well, it's none of my business anyway."

Curiosity aside, Yuan Ji wasn't a naive girl who was completely clueless about human relationships. Since the person involved didn't say anything, she wouldn't ask.

After Tang Ping finished complaining to her sister, she looked at Ma Feiyan, who was looking around, guessed what she was thinking, and said, "Yiming has been busy with his promotion recently. This matter is very important and he must concentrate on it, so he couldn't come."

"Oh."

Upon learning the answer, Ma Feiyan wasn't too disappointed. She spun around on the spot and asked with a grin, "Brother Tang Ping, do you think I've changed?"

Tang Ping looked him up and down, then shook his head and said, "Sorry, I can't tell."

"Actually, I've grown two centimeters taller, and this part has gotten a little bigger too."

As Ma Feiyan spoke, she patted her chest.

"Uh……"

Tang Ping didn't know how to respond, feeling that neither agreeing nor disagreeing would be quite appropriate.

Of course he can criticize his own sister as much as he wants, but what kind of behavior is it to harass someone else's sister? He's not the kind of person who likes to mess around with people close to him.

"We're all gods, so why did I only experience a tiny change?" Ma Feiyan sighed.

Yu Shujiang proudly put her hands on her hips, puffed out her chest, and raised her head: "It has nothing to do with spirit level, it's purely because I have a good foundation."

"Damn bourgeoisie, give me some!"

Ma Feiyan suddenly used her Dragon Claw Hand technique on Yu Shujiang, successfully launching a sneak attack that caused the latter to scream. The two then began to playfully fight.

Seeing this, Tang Ping thought to herself that the two of them didn't interact much when they were filming together, so it seemed that they had become close friends at the psychic training base.

"Alright, alright, stop fooling around. The director has already hosted a welcome banquet at the hotel and is just waiting for us to arrive. Don't keep him waiting too long."

The hotel wasn't far away, only 1.5 kilometers away. Driving would be a hassle due to parking issues, so everyone decided to walk.

During the journey, Tang Ping asked Feng Maimai, "My sister has changed much more than I did when I was promoted. Could it be that a wandering immortal values ​​appearance more than a fox spirit?"

Feng Maimai said, "Mistakes are a human problem."

"Hmph, this young lady is indeed naturally beautiful, oh~ hehehe."

Yu Shujiang put her hand to her mouth and let out a laugh like a noble lady from an anime.

After a moment's thought, Tang Ping understood: "Idiot, the problem is that to reach the standard of being handsome or beautiful, I only need 10% adjustment, while you need 30%, which is why it seems like you've changed so much."

"Say whatever you want, I'm a real beauty now, and I tested it at the base. No matter how much I eat, I won't gain weight. The fairy-type spirit is just amazing!"

If she didn't have to be mindful of her image, Yu Shujiang would have loved to dance in the street to celebrate.

Chapter Ninety-Five: The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King and the Guardian Heavenly King

"Come on, come on, those who want to drink, drink; those who don't, drink beverages. Fill them all up."

Hu Ze stood up, raised his wine glass, looked around, and couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.

Under his leadership, the security team has grown from a two-person team to a six-person team, doubling its size. It has also made numerous outstanding contributions and received awards from higher authorities on multiple occasions. Moreover, all members have achieved financial freedom and reaped both material and spiritual rewards. It can be said that the team is full of talent and is thriving.

"Dear colleagues, today is a joyous day. Our unit welcomes two outstanding female colleagues, Yu Shujiang and Ma Feiyan! Let's give them a warm round of applause as they join our big family!"

Everyone applauded spontaneously, even Yuan Ji showed respect, since the main guests being welcomed were not Hu Ze, but Yu Shujiang and Ma Feiyan.

"The arrival of these two female colleagues has injected fresh blood and brought new vitality to our unit. I believe that with their talents and abilities, they will surely shine in their respective positions and contribute to the development of the Psionic Administration!"

Hu Ze looked at the two new employees and smiled kindly like an elder, saying, "Of course, it's inevitable that you will encounter some challenges when you first arrive. But please rest assured, our company is a united and friendly group, and everyone will do their best to help you adapt to the new environment and integrate into the new team as soon as possible."

Neither Yu Shujiang nor Ma Feiyan were shy or timid. The former smiled demurely, displaying her dignified demeanor, while the latter raised her hand and waved to the crowd, habitually acting cute like a live streamer.

Hu Ze wasn't a rigid leader; otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to Tang Ping's participation. Seeing this, he simply smiled and said, "Finally, let's raise a glass together and wish both of you ladies success in your work and happiness in your lives! We also wish the Psionic Administration Bureau continued prosperity and even greater glory with everyone's joint efforts!"

The group clinked glasses, drank their fill, and then began to eat and chat.

Feng Maimai was not a member of the local Psionic Administration Bureau, but she always had a blank expression, like a doll, and it was impossible to tell whether she felt embarrassed or not. Judging from her actions of picking up food, she did not seem to care.

After a few rounds of drinks, Hu Ze raised his glass to Tang Ping and said, "Our unit is able to achieve its current status thanks to Comrade Tang Ping. Come, let me toast you."

Tang Ping humbly replied, "I only made a tiny contribution. Without the director's personal recruitment, I wouldn't have even been able to get into the security department. As the old saying goes, a train runs fast because of its locomotive, and a group's strength depends on its leader."

Sitting next to him, Yuan Ji chuckled and added, "If the leaders set a good example, the thieves will have the motivation. Without leaders, thieves definitely won't steal well; they'll either steal less or be unable to escape."

Hu Ze instantly lost interest and said irritably, "Why do you only remember these old jokes? Am I supposed to draw five circles and take you to the Olympics to steal them?"

"Old Hu, don't you remember it quite clearly too?"

"I am what age, you are what age. Watch more new programs that young people watch and less of the old era, so as not to have a generation gap with your peers at a young age."

Yuan Ji nodded and commented, "Old Hu is right."

"You...you're hopeless!"

Hu Ze was too lazy to pay attention and decided to ignore it.

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, Tang Ping changed the subject, saying, "I've always heard that there are five strongest spiritual cultivators in the country, but apart from one named 'Vermilion Bird' Gu Linglong, I don't know what the other four are called or what their spiritual attributes are."

Hu Ze said, "The situation of psionicists is quite special. They are generally required to keep it confidential. The country will not publicize it. Of course, unless they never take action, the news will definitely be leaked. So this confidentiality requirement is not for internal use, but those who know about it will not tell others in order to avoid trouble."

Upon hearing that there was hope, Tang Ping quickly offered a toast, saying, "I was just about to trouble you, Director, to teach everyone and broaden our horizons."

As a news anchor, Ma Feiyan was very good at reading the atmosphere and said in response, "I am also very curious about who the five strongest people are. Ever since I heard about it, I have been asking around, but the other party either doesn't know or is unwilling to say."

Yu Shujiang chimed in, "Yes, yes, after becoming a psionicist, who wouldn't want to be the strongest? Whether you can do it or not is one thing, whether you want to or not is another."

Hu Ze thought to himself with relief that there were finally two more people in the unit who understood the bigger picture, and Tang Ping no longer had to struggle to keep the atmosphere going all by herself—Ma Yiming was a blockhead, and it was a blessing that Yuan Ji didn't dampen the spirits.

Satisfied with his sense of accomplishment as a teacher, Hu Ze generously shared: "Young people should indeed set a goal to strive for, so that they will have the motivation to work hard. So I will risk saying some things I know. Just listen and remember them yourselves, and don't spread them around."

Tang Ping quickly replied, "Of course."

"Let's start with the 'Vermilion Bird' Gu Linglong we just mentioned. Her spirit type is a mythical beast, a second-tier spirit beast. At the third tier, it will branch out, usually into an auspicious beast or a ferocious beast. Gu Linglong awakened the unique spirit type 'Vermilion Bird.' The symbolic significance of the Vermilion Bird in Chinese mythology goes without saying, so she naturally advanced to an auspicious beast. Above the auspicious beasts are sacred beasts. According to rumors, in terms of one-on-one combat, Gu Linglong is the strongest among the five."

"Then there is 'Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King' Gai Shiying. You can tell from his nickname that he awakened the unique spiritual personality 'Li Jing'. His spiritual personality type is the same as Ma Feiyan's: first rank Heavenly Soldier, second rank Heavenly General, third rank Spirit Official, and fourth rank Heavenly Court Marshal. Don't ask me what branches there are besides Spirit Official in the third rank. I don't know. According to rumors, Gai Shiying is best at group battles. His spiritual energy can greatly enhance the strength of his companions."

"Next is 'Sumeru Arhat' Faguang. His spiritual type is that of a warrior monk, a second-level Dharma protector, a third-level Vajra, and a fourth-level Guardian King. Again, don't ask me what branches there are after the third level. He hasn't awakened his uniqueness yet, but everyone hopes that he can awaken his uniqueness, preferably as the Northern Heavenly King, which would be interesting."

Yu Shujiang asked, puzzled, "Why?"

Before Hu Ze could answer, Feng Maimai said, "The Northern Heavenly King, also known as Vaishravana, is one of Li Jing's identities after his deification."

For example, in Yang Donglai's critique of Journey to the West, it says, "A million heavenly soldiers all surrendered, and the golden pagoda was raised high to guard the north. Everyone in the world knew his name and surname, Li Tianwang under the gate of Vaisravana."

The Complete Collection of Gods and Spirits of the Three Teachings also states that "because there were many demon kings in the world, the Jade Emperor ordered him to descend to the mortal realm, and thus he was reborn as Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King. In the past, when Emperor Taizong of Tang raised an army with Emperor Gaozu, a god descended before him, calling himself Vaishravana, and together they quelled the chaos."

"If Faguang awakens the unique spiritual identity 'Vaiwen Tianwang', a conflict will arise between him and Gai Shiying regarding who is more orthodox. However, these are just fantasies of people who love to stir up trouble. Experts believe that there is no overlap in identities because it would conflict with 'uniqueness'."

(Author's note: The image of the younger sister in the previous chapter was in realistic mode, but I felt it wasn't quite right, so I deleted it. I'm reposting it in anime mode now.)

Chapter Ninety-Six: The Value of Magical Treasures

"Comrade Feng explained it very well."

Hu Ze praised him, then warned, "That's the gist of it, but don't go around saying it, lest you offend someone important by making a slip of the tongue. After all, nobody knows what kind of person they are, whether they are magnanimous or vindictive. Try to avoid saying anything that could cause trouble. By the way, where was I?"

Tang Ping reminded him, "I've already mentioned Gu Linglong (Vermilion Bird), Gai Shiying (Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King), and Fa Guang (Sumeru Arhat)."

"Oh, let's talk about the fourth one, Saintess Yang Tianhui. Her spirit is of the Light Spirit type, a second-order angel. Her third-order branches are Power Angels, Virtuous Angels, and Archangels. Her corresponding fourth-order branches are Throne Angels, Cherubim, and Seraphim. Yang Tianhui's spirit is that of a Cherubim."

Ma Feiyan exclaimed in surprise, "It's so strange that a fourth-level Western mythological psychic has actually appeared in our country."

The previous three were all typical characters from Eastern mythology, but then a Western angel suddenly appeared, giving the impression of reading a fantasy novel that mixes Eastern and Western names.

Hu Ze dismissed it, saying, "There's nothing strange about it. Do you know how many Christians there are in our country? Especially in recent years, Christianity has developed rapidly, and the number of believers has grown at an alarming rate."

Feng Maimai immediately commented: "According to official and mainstream academic data, the number of Christian believers in China is between 2300 million and 4000 million. Among them, female believers are significantly more numerous than male believers, accounting for about 69.9% and males accounting for 30.1%. In terms of age distribution, believers aged 35 to 64 account for the highest proportion, exceeding 60%. In terms of geographical distribution, they are mainly concentrated in the eastern region and the Yangtze River basin."

"Since the reform and opening up, the number of Christian believers in China has shown extraordinary growth, especially after 1993, when the proportion of new believers reached 73.4%, which means that for every three people who choose a religious belief, two will choose Christianity."

Hu Ze immediately said, "The number is over 2300 million, which is more than many small countries that believe in Christianity. This does not even include the followers of Islam. You should know that both Islam and Christianity belong to the Abrahamic religions. They both believe that they are descendants of Abraham and believe in a supreme creator who governs the universe and all things. It's just that Christianity calls it Jehovah and Islam calls it Allah. They have different names but the same origin of faith. Moreover, both of their mythologies include angels."

Feng Maimai further explained: "The number of Muslims in China is approximately between 2300 million and 3000 million, mainly concentrated in the Northwest region, especially in provinces such as Xinjiang, Ningxia, Gansu, and Qinghai. Other regions such as Henan, Hebei, Yunnan, and Shandong also have a relatively large Muslim population."

Hu Ze clapped his hands and said, "With this added, the number of people will definitely exceed 5000 million. What's so strange about a fourth-level psionicist emerging?"

"It seems so..." Ma Feiyan said with some doubt.

Tang Ping laughed and said, "This reminds me of the online novels from the early days, urban fantasy novels, novels about East-West wars. In general, Christianity is the main villain, and its henchmen are all kinds of angels. On our side, it's Taoist and Buddhist cultivators. In fact, judging from the reality, our country has long been a mainstay of Christianity."

"We must keep pace with the times. The characteristic of our Chinese civilization is its inclusiveness and tolerance, so no one thinks it is inappropriate when the official slogan of 'a community with a shared future for mankind' is put forward."

At this moment, Hu Ze lowered his voice and said, "However, there are also rumors that Yang Tianhui's thinking is different from ordinary people. She often comes up with some extraordinary ideas that are beyond common sense. The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King Gai Shiying once called her a crazy woman. If you come into contact with her in the future, you must be careful with your words and actions."

Yuan Ji retorted sarcastically, "She's not even next door. What's the point of lowering your voice? Either don't say anything at all, or speak openly and honestly. If she really has the ability to hear things from afar, no matter how low you lower your voice, it won't make a difference."

Hu Ze pretended not to hear and continued, "The identity of the fifth person is quite mysterious. Not only his name, but even his spirit level has not been revealed. All that is known is that he is a fourth-level alchemist. Many magical treasures in the country are made by him. It is probably because his spirit level is special and leans towards logistics, which has strategic significance. Therefore, the organization has been blocking his information and not letting outsiders know about it, otherwise he would be easily assassinated by those with ill intentions."

He paused for a moment, then looked at Tang Ping and said, "The Water Spirit Orb in your hand might have come from this person."

Tang Ping asked doubtfully, "Although the Water Spirit Orb is quite magical, its power is only average. It doesn't seem like a fourth-rank magic weapon at all."

Hu Ze said, "Don't be confined by the mindset of those cultivation novels, such as Foundation Establishment cultivators using Foundation Establishment stage magic weapons and Golden Core cultivators using Golden Core stage magic weapons. In our spiritual energy world, we don't talk about matching grades and power, but rather about complementary functions."

"For example, if you are a combat-oriented psionicist, then giving you a magic item with an escape function, even if its power is only at the level of a first-level psionicist, is more useful than giving you a second-level offensive magic item."

"Moreover, refining magic treasures is not an easy task. There are already few spiritual energy users who have mastered the skill of refining treasures. If refining treasures could also manifest spiritual attributes, I'm afraid few people would be willing to waste their time and energy to enhance the strength of others."

"You've performed a great service, which is why the organization is rewarding you with this magic weapon. Who can you ask for a magic weapon normally? Even if you find someone through connections, what benefits can you offer to get them to forge a magic weapon for you? Money? Beautiful women? Fame? Do they care about those things!"

"If even the most powerful psychic organization in our country is so stingy, then other organizations are even more so. As for those lone wolf psychics, I've never heard of any of them possessing magical artifacts."

Yuan Ji also said, "Strictly speaking, my Azure Dragon Halberd is not a magic weapon, but only a weapon that can be enhanced. Forging spirit types such as blacksmiths and blacksmiths can only enhance items to make them sharper, stronger, and more flexible. If they can be attached with elemental energy such as fire, cold air, and lightning, they are already top-level craftsmen. But even the top-level craftsmen cannot create magic weapons with spiritual energy effects. It is generally believed that only third-level spiritual energy users have the ability to refine magic weapons."

Tang Ping sighed, "In that case, that unknown fourth-level psionicist does indeed possess strategic value, no wonder he is protected so closely."

Hu Ze nodded and said, "For the organization, he is more important than the other four well-known fourth-level psionicists."

Tang Ping then asked, "What are the second and third rank of the Taoist class?"

Hu Ze said, "The second stage is Qi Refiner, and the third stage branches out to Alchemist and Blessing Officer."

At this moment, Ma Feiyan counted on her fingers and said, "Demon race, Heavenly Court, Buddhism, Christianity, strange, where did our native religion go?"

Chapter Ninety-Seven: Testing Psionic Power

Yu Shujiang said, "Aren't alchemists just members of Taoism?"

"No, that's not true. Alchemists existed as early as the Qin Dynasty, with Xu Fu being the most famous one. As for Taoism, I remember it didn't appear until the Han Dynasty, right?"

Ma Feiyan was a little unsure, so she turned to Feng Maimai for help and said, "Please help me, Feng Maimai!"