Bang—the door closed, and Tang Hao's towering figure vanished. The Great Master stood there, staring at the door for a long time without moving.
It was a while before he finally lowered his gaze, his eyes falling on the token. A bitter smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I never imagined my idol would end up like this…"
……
The sun hung low in the west. Before the blacksmith shop, two small figures sat side by side, dressed in the same clothes, sitting quietly together.
The lingering glow of sunset cast a faint red over them, as if imprinting a ring of golden crimson around their bodies.
The girl on the left turned her head to look at the boy, propping her chin in both hands. She seemed to want to say something but held back in the end.
It was the boy who spoke first. In his hand he held a brand-new forging hammer. "Xiao Wu, thank you."
"What are you thanking me for?" Xiao Wu asked curiously.
"For always being there with me." Tang San lowered his head and stared at the ground beneath his feet. His gaze was distant and hazy, but he did not let the tears fall.
Xiao Wu burst into laughter and shoved Tang San hard on the shoulder, nearly knocking him over. "Stop moping. Your dad is only gone for now. One day, you'll see each other again. Maybe he left so you could grow stronger, so you could become more resilient. If you keep moping like this, won't that make his sacrifice pointless?"
A bitter smile crept across Tang San's face. "Maybe so. But why couldn't he let me see him one last time? Xiao Wu, my dad is my only family. Without him, there's no home anymore."
Xiao Wu tossed her head, whipping her long scorpion braid over to the front. "Without your dad, you've still got me as a friend. If you really need a family member, I wouldn't mind being your big sister. Come on—call me Big Sister Xiao Wu. Everyone does. You're the only one who doesn't."
Looking at Xiao Wu's playful expression and her cheeks flushed rosy in the sunset glow, Tang San couldn't help but smile. When someone was at their most vulnerable, having someone by their side was the most wonderful feeling in the world.
"If you're willing to be my little sister, I wouldn't mind. If I remember right, we're the same age, but you're a few months younger than me. I was born in January, and you in August—isn't that right?"
"Not a chance. I'm only a big sister, never a little sister." Xiao Wu raised her fist and playfully swung it toward Tang San's head.
Tang San dodged with a swift movement, already standing three meters in front of her. "Xiao Wu, come up the mountain with me. I want to show you something."
His expression was deadly serious, as if he had already made up his mind about something.
Xiao Wu dropped her playful demeanor. Her little face took on a gentle look, and she nodded at him.
Tang San reached out and took Xiao Wu's soft little hand, then ran toward the hill beyond the village. Under the light of the setting sun, their shadows stretched longer and longer across the ground.
Tang San ran with Xiao Wu all the way to the hilltop before stopping. Even with the Mysterious Heaven Skill circulating at full force, he was slightly out of breath.
Standing at the summit, Tang San faced the sunset, his eyes already filled with a faint purple glow. "Xiao Wu, this is where I used to practice. I'm going to ask you something very seriously, and I hope you'll answer me just as seriously."
Xiao Wu pursed her lips. "Do you know that right now you look exactly like those old men at the academy?"
Tang San slowly turned around, his gaze fixed earnestly on Xiao Wu. "Would you be willing to be my little sister? I truly wish I could have one more family member."
Xiao Wu was about to speak when Tang San cut her off. "Let me finish first. I have nothing—my family's situation, you've seen it. I'm just a poor commoner's son. I can't offer you wealth or influence. You were also born with full Soul Power, but you're different from me. I can tell your background has a story behind it. But I've never asked, because I was afraid the gap between our origins was too wide, and we wouldn't even be able to stay friends. But I truly want a little sister like you. Even though I can't give you what nobles have, I can give you my promise. I will always protect my little sister. I won't let a single harm come to her."
Looking into Tang San's glistening eyes, Xiao Wu's own eyes slowly reddened. "What if one day, a lot of people wanted to kill me, and they were people you couldn't beat? What would you do then?"
A faint smile suddenly appeared on Tang San's face. "Then they'll have to step over my corpse first."
Xiao Wu fell silent. Tang San said nothing more. The crimson of the sunset gradually faded, and now the stars were quietly emerging across the sky.
"Big brother." A single word from Xiao Wu broke the stillness between them.
The tears he had been holding back all this time finally fell. Tang San's trembling hands reached out and grasped Xiao Wu's. "Thank you… little sister."
His father was gone, but he now had a sister. Tang San lifted his head to the sky and silently swore a lifelong vow to the stars above.
Night fell. The two children sat on the hilltop, feeling the gentle mountain breeze wash over them, gazing at the stars and the moon. The serene atmosphere and the fresh air brought a sense of comfort to them both.
"Can I not call you big brother?" Xiao Wu turned her head to look at Tang San beside her.
Tang San blinked. "Why not?"
A faint blush crept across Xiao Wu's face. "After all, I'm the boss of every student at Nuoding. If I suddenly have a big brother, what will everyone think of me?"
Tang San chuckled. "Fine—just keep calling me Xiao San. As long as I know in my heart that you're my little sister, what does the name matter?"
As he spoke, Tang San raised his hand, pulled back his sleeve, and unclasped the Sleeve Arrow from his left wrist.
"We've sworn to be siblings, and I don't have anything valuable. Take this to protect yourself. It was my first creation."
Xiao Wu looked at the Sleeve Arrow curiously as Tang San held it out. "What is this?"
(End of Chapter)