Senior Sister Tang Ling

"Ah!" Tang San kept screaming with his eyes shut. Veins bulged on his forehead, cold sweat streamed down his face, and he hunched over, trembling uncontrollably.

"A-Xuan, hold on!" Tang Ling looked at Tang San with pity, but her hands did not stop extracting it.

Removing the Heavenly Dao Mark was like prying out a rusted nail driven deep into one's soul—difficult to remove, and agonizing beyond measure when disturbed.

"Ah-Ling..." Tang San suddenly murmured. Tang Ling froze for a moment, then quickly replied, "I'm here."

"Ah-Ling... Senior Sister..." Tang San murmured unconsciously. His body curled up sharply, and his head crashed heavily onto the arm hanging to the floor. His whole body convulsed without pause.

"Almost there, hold on!" Tang Ling sensed the progress of the extraction and called out to him.

Tang San seemed to hear her. He slowly moved his arm, braced himself against the ground, and pushed himself upright again, inch by inch.

"Rip!"

With a tremendous sound, the pain in Tang San's soul vanished as well. The corners of his lips lifted slightly as he tried to smile.

Yet he discovered that along with the removal of the mark, the vitality of his body—even his soul—was dissipating. Tang San hurriedly reached out to grasp it, but the life force slipped through his fingers, leaving nothing behind.

Am I going to die? But Senior Sister is still waiting for me. How can I leave before her? But what use is it to stay? Senior Sister and I are as different as clouds and mud. There can never be an ending for us.

But Senior Sister is waiting for me. I can't break my promise. I can't break my promise! Tang San suddenly clenched his fists, straightened his back, and struggled to lift his head.

The next second, warm, scorching energy poured in through the top of his head, instantly repairing the vitality that had just dispersed.

Once his vitality was fully restored, that energy did not scatter. Instead, it swiftly gathered together and drifted toward the space between his brows.

"It worked!"

Tang San suddenly heard someone cheer and quickly opened his eyes. Upon seeing the face he had longed for, he slowly let out a breath and relaxed.

"Hiss~"

"Don't move around!" Tang Ling stopped the person struggling to sit up with a hand.

Tang San felt pain shoot through his muscles. With a cry of pain, he lay back down at the words by his ear. After looking around and realizing he was in his own bedroom, he looked at the person by the bed in surprise and secret delight. "Senior Sister? Were you the one watching over me?"

"Who else would it be?" Tang Ling gave him a sidelong glance, then lowered her head and tugged at the corner of her clothes.

Tang San curiously followed her movement with his eyes. When he saw the hand clutching her hem, his face instantly flushed red.

"I... I didn't know..." Tang San stammered. He quickly loosened his fingers and watched the fabric slip back onto the bed.

Then he looked at Tang Ling in a panic and hurriedly apologized, "I'm sorry, Senior Sister. I didn't mean to. How long was I asleep? You must be tired from sitting here. Do you want to rest? I'm fine now!"

Tang Ling raised her head to meet his eyes. Seeing his flustered gaze, she did not answer. Instead, she poked his arm. "Then lift it."

"Alright!" Tang San immediately raised his arm with a smile, showing her that he was fine. The next second, the raised arm gave out and crashed back onto the bed.

Tang San's smile instantly froze on his face, then he turned his gaze toward Tang Ling.

She burst out laughing. Then, beneath his resentful stare, she reined in her laughter and looked at him reproachfully. "Why are you forcing yourself?

"The extraction of the mark was extremely painful. Though the new blessing of the Heavenly Dao eased the pain, your body's muscle memory remains.

"In other words, you'll have to lie in bed and ache for two more days."

"I just feel like I've caused Senior Sister trouble." Tang San pursed his lips under her reproachful gaze and muttered softly.

"Since you know I'm your senior sister, don't think of it as trouble." Sensing his unease, Tang Ling sighed and comforted him.

"But I really have caused Senior Sister a lot of trouble." Tang San blinked his slightly stinging eyes dejectedly. "Whether it was taking me away from Tang Hao or arranging for Old Jack's later years.

"And this time, you traveled for half a month and rushed to change my martial soul without properly resting. That Soul-Nourishing Jade for Mother looked very precious too.

"And when you communicated with the Grand Dao, even your eyes changed color. It must have been very exhausting!"

By the end, his voice had gradually taken on a sobbing tone.

"Do you acknowledge me as your senior sister or not?" Tang Ling sighed again and leaned closer to wipe away the tears still clinging to the corners of his eyes.

"I do! You'll always be my senior sister!" Feeling the warmth at the corner of his eye, Tang San's body stiffened. Then he looked at her firmly.

"Then, to your senior sister, none of this is trouble." Tang Ling rubbed his head and spoke gently.

Tang San looked up at her. The tears that had not fallen a moment ago suddenly streamed down. "I just feel like I'm too useless. I can't help Senior Sister with anything, and I only make trouble for you instead."

"Ah~" Tang Ling sighed softly as she watched the person lying there with his head turned aside, shedding tears. She had grown so used to taking everything upon herself that she had forgotten about the child's emotional needs.

In her previous life in the Tang Sect, there had been bonds among fellow disciples that were like those between teachers and friends, so he had been able to feel at ease. But in this life, two people with no prior connection had met, and he had received immense benefits from her alone. Given his temperament, it was only natural that he would feel anxious and uneasy.

"What nonsense are you talking about? You're very useful!" Tang Ling spoke gently. Facing his uneasy gaze, she slowly explained, "My task is to help the Heavenly Dao operate healthily.

"And you are the Son of the Heavenly Dao. Your growth and your decisions will affect the course of the world. In other words, you will affect my task.

"Tell me, aren't you very useful?"

"Really? Am I truly not completely useless to Senior Sister?" Tang San's eyes grew brighter and brighter. He struggled to reach out and grasp Tang Ling's sleeve, his gaze burning.

"Of course!" Tang Ling patted his hand. "If you grow up happily and healthily according to my advice and your own thoughts, keeping the world's course running steadily, then you'll be doing the most useful thing possible!

"And you can't help me now only because you're still young. Once you grow up, everything I need to do will require your help.

"When that time comes, you'll be the one crying about how hard and tiring it is."

"As long as I can help Senior Sister, I won't complain about hardship or fear exhaustion!" Tang San looked at her with shining eyes, his tone resolute. "I'll definitely be obedient and grow up properly."

"Good~" Tang Ling nodded with a smile, took out a handkerchief, and wiped his face. Teasingly, she said, "You really are a child. The slightest thing turns you into a little crybaby."

Tang San's face flushed red at her words, but his gaze did not waver as he stared straight at Tang Ling. He murmured, "With Senior Sister here, being a child who cries easily doesn't seem so bad."

"That won't do. I'm still counting on you to help me with things. How can you grow into a crybaby?" Sensing the shift in his mood, Tang Ling's words carried a smile.

Yet inwardly, she breathed a sigh of relief. Raising a child really was difficult. In her previous life, she had started raising him when he was already in his teens, so it had not been obvious. But this time, affected by his physical age, he really needed to be coaxed.

But this was good too.

Tang Ling looked at the person blushing deeply. The years ahead were long. With someone who suited her by her side, even if it took a little more care, it was still a good thing.