3. The Countdown

The next day while the story about what happened last night circulated to the entire Long kingdom, the person on their topic just woke up with a smile.

"It turns out a day here is equivalent to three days inside the book." a satisfied smile on Meixiang's beautiful face appeared.

She also notice after reading the first set of books last night, learning is much easier to her now. Aside from having a cheat in time, her learning ability also increases that allows her to learn a lot and maybe the unlocked shelves will be done before her real birthday arrives.

Standing up, she was about to change her clothes when a knock on the door was heard. A whisper like voice heard from the back door of her room.

"Little Xiang...this is Brother Ling. Mother cooked your favorite snacks. It's now afternoon she think you are craving for these so she packs a lot. Ow this one is special than before she puts a lot of milk and even added some—"

The young man called Tian Ling only stops his about to no end line and was taken aback that Meixiang suddenly appeared in front of her out of no where.

"Lit--little Xiang!"

Meixiang turn her back to the young boy and said in low voice,

"Go in before others saw you tresspassing this young miss' manor and taint my already tainted reputation."

Tian Ling realize this and look around like a spy, confirming no one is around he followed Meixiang inside her room.

"Little Xiang?"

"Hmm?"

"You. Don't be sad. Big brother is always here."

Meixiang nodded looking at the young man full of anticipation, to be exact she is looking at fully packed foods in his arms.

Tian Ling sigh and look at his friend, "It's okay not to be okay and even better if you'll show to big brother you're not okay."

Meixiang nodded not caring if she's being misunderstood and said, "Now please big brother put the snacks auntie brought for me here and I'll be even better." as she tap the table infront of her twice.

Su Meixiang's face was seriously asking for her food as she tap the table infront of her twice.

Tian Ling surrender and put the snacks he brought into Meixiang's side. He sat in the opposite seat and observe her little sister who is happily munching like an hungry little rabbit. He then turn his eyes to her little sister's pink blush hanfu.

"Tsk. If you are really okay you would atleast change to sleeping robe."

Tian Ling continue to nag her like a real big brother.Meixiang didn't mind to explain and continue to eat. This is her first food after like years had passed inside the sacred book. Inside the unending library she didn't feel the hunger but she just miss the joy of eating. When she gets back home last night she didn't even mind to change her clothes and directly enter the sacred book to continue reading the new available books, that is today's explanation her condition is like this.

"L—little Xiang." Tian Ling said looking at her little sister pitifully.

"Hmm?" she look at the uncomfortable face of her childhood friend while her cheeks are bulging eating in unlady like manner.

"Little Xiang" he sigh like an mature tired man and look at her friend seriously. "Don't be sad. You see so what if you can't practice martial arts or magic? Look at me! I can't practice neither the two but I am so handsome!"

Meixiang keep eating trying to ignore his friend's last sentence.

Tian Ling who is looking at Meixiang's action being carefree and all remembering himself five years ago, he turn his mode in a VERY serious mode just like an old man saying an advise to his predecessor.

"Do you still remember when me and my twin brother Tian Feng held our aptitude test and him being a rare thunder and fire attribute and me who can't cultivate at all?"

Tian Ling's face can't help but twitch when he saw Meixiang's face towards him full of----sympathy?

"Cough...that time you also came to me and tried to comfort me. You are only five years old at that time not knowing what really is happening. You said to me I would always be your older brother and would always be the best in the whole world." he laughs remembering that again. His eyes full of smiles.

"What really happened that day is you seriously told me these exact words." he tried his best to imitate a young girl's voice and said, "Brother, even you're a waste you would always be the best for me!" he then laughs remembering that scene again. "You even said that out loud. The people from Su Manor all laugh at that time but to me," he smiled beautifully his eyes full of appreciation. "...your words saved me...although you called me a waste. Those words keeps echoing inside my head even today."

"The next day I went to Old Leng and pester him to teach me how to become a smith like him but after I almost put his workplace to fire he never let me near his smith place. The next day I came to the beast taming association and only rejected hundred of times. Then lastly I found myself learning medicine and loving this profession. Now I am assisting Doctor Fan and soon to learn prescriptions." he laughs and shyly scratch the back of his head.

"I may not become a heavenly doctor but becoming a normal doctor like Doctor Fan is great right? This brother is still the best in my little sister's eyes right?"

Meixiang can't help but smile at this older brother of her. Indeed a perseverance will brought you good. But perseverance isn't enough to reach your real dream.

"Do you want to become a Heavenly Doctor?"

Startled Tian Ling sigh. "Little Xiang, dreaming is good but setting a realistic dream is even better. To become a heavenly doctor, I have to become a fire attribute magician to make pills and also being heavenly doctor is too----high. I---I just can't."

"But you want it?"

"Who doesn't want it? In our Long Kingdom alone, we only had two heavenly doctor and those two learn to fully grasp their profession when they get out of this small Long Dynasty. Little Xiang, you may think our kingdom is powerful but out of those walls, there are kingdoms powerful than ours and people stronger than the people you know. Yes even stronger than father! Look. Let's remove of me not being able become a fire attribute magician, the moment I get out of these kingdom I would easily be died in the hands of those powerful people."

"You said a lot. A yes is enough. Hmm. Tell auntie thank you for the snack. You come here again tomorrow. Same time."

"Yes. Oh I will also bring books so we can learn being a doctor together. Don't worry. Older brother will teach you the basics. I will also reward you the prescriptions I accumulated the past four years if you learn faster than me. Yes. Yes. Hahahahahha."

Meixiang's face can't help but twitch with this friend's acting like an old man who just recruited a disciple. She can't help but remember those hundreds of thousands of book about medicine she read from the sacred book. She just sigh waving her hand in a leisurely manner she said, "You don't have to. Just remember to come tomorrow and don't forget auntie's homemade snacks. Hmm now you can go. Little sister wants to rest first."

Tian Ling stops laughing realizing something.

"Oh. Yeah. You are still sad. You can't learn in this state. Yes. Yes. Big brother will go again tomorrow."

After Tian Ling left, Meixiang returned inside the sacred book and tried to bring some medicinal books outside the library only to be failed. Therefore, she writes word by word and bring them outside in success ready to be studied by Tian Ling whom in the future would be known as a heavenly doctor with god hands that can heal any sickness.

The next day, Tian Ling bringing the snacks prepared by his mother, he was surprised by the pile of medicinal information Meixiang brought. He happily study them full of enthusiasm while Meixiang is leisurely eating her snacks.

Days goes on in this manner as Tian Ling will learn this pile of medical information unknown to him that these books are his road in becoming a heavenly doctor. While the young man is learning he sometimes cast his gaze to his friend Meixiang who is either eating or sleeping on her bed. Sighing, he is full of vigor making Meixiang her inspiration.

If he can learn more, he can teach her little sister right!

Little did the future heavenly doctor knows, his so called little sister who is 'sleeping' is now on her journey learning unending pit of knowledge as she already master thousands of books.

Days continue like this until two days away from Meixiang's real birthday, the crown prince's birthday banquet arrived.