Such a Big Surprise

"Senior Sister, what are you planning to do?"

Tang San sat before the desk, staring at the documents with a deep frown. When he noticed Tang Ling enter, he rose to look at her.

"Break them apart from within." Tang Ling took the documents, pulled Tang San along, and led him to the sofa. "The ones targeting you are Yu Xiaogang and the people behind him. But not everyone in the Yu Clan is bad, and they're fiercely protective of their own, so we can only make them turn on each other. I had Liu Yu look into someone. With him involved, this will definitely work."

As she spoke, Tang Ling smiled and pointed at a name. Tang San leaned closer to look, then raised his head in confusion. "Poison Douluo?"

"Yes, Poison Douluo Dugu Bo. His precious granddaughter is dating Yu Tianheng of the Yu Clan. If we tell him that someone in the Yu Clan has betrayed the clan and joined Spirit Hall, even planning to bring people back to wipe out the clan, he'll definitely get involved for the sake of his love-struck granddaughter." Tang Ling explained with a smile.

"Is what Senior Sister said true, or do we still need to fool him? And is Yu Tianheng on the good side?" Tang San nodded in understanding before asking.

Tang Ling nodded with certainty, then pointed to the tangled web of people in the documents and explained, "There's a karmic connection between Yu Luomian and Qian Xunji. Qian Xunji is dead, but Yu Luomian is still doing things for him. The person connected to both of them is Yu Xiaogang. Yu Xiaogang's ex-ex-girlfriend is the wife of Qian Xunji's child, while his ex-girlfriend is Yu Luomian's daughter. Going by that, Yu Xiaogang's relationship with them should be terrible. But the Yu Clan's dead servants found out that Yu Luomian and Yu Xiaogang had always been very close. Their connection had never been cut off."

"So the information circulating outside was a version they deliberately created, all to make people overlook their true purpose?" Shock showed on Tang San's face as his brow knitted tightly.

Tang Ling reached out and smoothed his furrowed brow, nodding in confirmation.

Comforted, Tang San calmed down somewhat. Then, as if he had recalled something, he asked in a low voice, "Before the world restarted, did Yu Xiaogang's scheme against me succeed?"

Tang Ling was taken aback, then nodded. "Yes. He was the teacher you took when you first entered Notting Academy. And under his guidance, your first Spirit Ring came from a four-hundred-year Mandala Snake. With the support of the Mysterious Heaven Skill, you successfully absorbed that Spirit Ring."

"Then it really was a blessing from the Heavenly Dao that I didn't die!" Tang San spoke sarcastically, his expression dejected. He rested his head on Tang Ling's shoulder and asked quietly, "Did it leave any aftereffects?"

Tang Ling gave a soft hum and answered, "The forced absorption caused your second martial soul to go a long time before absorbing a Spirit Ring. And the imbalance between the two martial souls affected your consciousness. In other words, even if the bad Heavenly Dao hadn't controlled you, your temperament would still have changed drastically."

"Thank you, Senior Sister. It's lucky I have you." Tang San's voice was muffled. Though he had always believed that the him before the restart was not truly himself, he still felt sorrow for what that version of himself had suffered.

Tang Ling said nothing. She simply reached out, rubbed his head, and let him lean on her.

After a while, the person who had been quietly grieving revived at full health. Tang San lifted his head and asked another question. "After the Yu Clan falls into internal conflict, should we intervene?"

"Of course. The Yu Clan's chosen future leader is Yu Tianheng. He'll become a powerful force in the Heaven Dou Empire, so we need to offer him help," Tang Ling replied.

Then, seeing the confusion in the person beside her eyes, she sighed inwardly at how A-Xuan truly had no talent for politics. She explained, "The path I chose for Qingxi is the path of an emperor who will unify the Heaven Dou Empire, then rule separately from the Star Luo Empire while holding the upper hand. The talents from these sects are all people we should bestow favors upon, including people currently within the Heaven Dou Empire, such as Dugu Bo."

Tang San's face filled with realization. Then he leaned close to Tang Ling's ear and said awkwardly, "Senior Sister really is putting a lot of effort into paving the way for Xue Qingxi."

Tang Ling burst out laughing. She turned to Tang San, smiling as she tapped his forehead. "What are you being sour about? Have I arranged things poorly for you? You don't like it?"

"When did I say I didn't like it? I just think you're giving him too much thought," Tang San quickly retorted, then lowered his head and muttered softly.

Tang Ling laughed so hard she fell back onto the sofa. She stared at him without blinking, only restraining her laughter when she noticed signs that he was about to become angry out of embarrassment.

"You don't want me to spend so much thought on him, so do you want to handle everything personally in the future? You don't want to leave with me?" Tang Ling rested her arm on the back of the sofa, curling her lips into a light smile.

The instant Tang San heard her words, his attention locked onto the last sentence. His eyes widened round, gleaming brightly, as he grabbed Tang Ling's hand hanging at her side. "Senior Sister wants to take me away?"

Tang Ling smiled and nodded. "Yes. Once my mission in this world is complete, I can leave. And once the next Son of the Heavenly Dao is born, you can leave too. Then, once I report it to the Grand Dao and Little Heavenly Dao, I can take away this idle lucky mascot of mine. I'll live as long as Heaven itself. The passage of time will always become boring. Having you by my side to keep me company would be wonderful!"

"Then I swear I'll cultivate properly, strive to live longer, and keep Senior Sister company for longer!" Strange light flashed through Tang San's eyes as he listened to her, gripping her hand tightly.

"Good!" Tang Ling did not pull her hand back. Listening to his vow, her smile bloomed.

The two looked at each other, joy in both their eyes.

Neither noticed a faint wisp of wind brush through their hair, gently winding their strands together before disappearing.

At that moment, Tang Ling was immersed in the feeling that the little one she had raised was truly wonderful. By the time she belatedly realized the ambiguity in her words, it was already too late.

Over the next few days, Tang Ling, busy with official matters, threw Tang San and the others into the Soto Great Soul Arena.

The group formed a team and adopted the arrogant name that had previously been rejected—Ace. Step by step, they climbed upward in the Great Spirit Arena filled with experts.

By the time Tang Ling finished dealing with her accumulated official affairs and planned to seek out Dugu Bo, three months had already passed.

After three months of real combat training, the coordination among the four had grown even stronger. Especially Xue Qingxi and Ning Rongrong.

Xue Qingxi and Ning Rongrong?

Tang Ling eyed the pair suspiciously, questioning herself inwardly. It was good for the team to be coordinated and friendly, but was it not a little strange for a man and woman to be linking arms like that?

"Teacher, did you call us here and interrupt today's training because something happened?" Xue Qingxi stood ramrod straight, allowing Ning Rongrong to hold one of his arms as he smiled at Tang Ling.

"Rongrong, are you hurt?" Tang Ling's brow twitched at his appearance, and she turned to Ning Rongrong.

Ning Rongrong's gaze flickered slightly before she denied it. "No, I'm not hurt."

"Then what is this?" Tang Ling pointed at their linked arms, no longer guessing as she asked directly.

"Pfft!" Tang San could not hold back his laughter from the side. Zhu Zhuqing, standing on the other side, also curled her lips into a smile.

The two standing in the middle only then realized what they were doing. They released each other and lowered their heads obediently.

"What's going on with you two? Explain yourselves honestly!" Tang Ling frowned and demanded sternly.

Xue Qingxi turned to look at Ning Rongrong, then grabbed her hand. His entire face was red as he looked at Tang Ling. "We're dating!"

Tang Ling's expression immediately darkened. Although children in this world were generally healthy and developed quickly because of Soul Power, with countless thirteen- and fourteen-year-olds getting engaged and fifteen- and sixteen-year-olds getting married, she had adapted to local customs and had never interfered before. But now that it involved children she had raised herself, she simply could not accept it.

Tang Ling closed her eyes and sighed. "I only stopped keeping an eye on you for two months, and you've already given me such a big surprise!"

"Teacher, I'm serious! I've even planned to go to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to propose!" Thinking she believed he was merely fooling around, Xue Qingxi looked at her with a solemn expression.

Seeing his determined expression and Ning Rongrong's shy yet stubborn look beside him, Tang Ling sighed helplessly. "Let me speak with my uncle and Sect Master Ning first."

After saying that, she leaned against Tang San, who had just walked over, looking somewhat world-weary. She had never imagined that one day, she would be playing matchmaker.