Chapter 11 - The Bone Fragment

Chapter 11 - The Bone Fragment.

In a flash...

It was already the beginning of spring in the new year.

As the weather warmed, all living things revived.

Su Qing also awoke from her hibernation.

Today, a spring rain was falling.

Fine and dense, like ox hair, it nourished all of creation.

She opened her eyes and looked around.

The ruined temple was still the same ruined temple...

It hadn't become any more dilapidated after enduring a harsh winter.

There were just more cobwebs and a lot more dust.

The floor of the ruined temple was a bit damp, probably from the rain drifting in through the damaged roof.

However, Su Qing didn't care.

She just raised her head to look at the Cat Immortal's statue...

She saw that the statue, which had originally been on the altar, was no longer there.

It now lay on the ground, broken in two.

Su Qing slithered over and caressed the statue with her tail...

Although she had long anticipated this moment, she couldn't help but feel a little sad.

Especially seeing her statue shattered on the ground like this.

After a moment's thought, Su Qing decided to bury the statue.

It would serve as a cenotaph for her!

But when Su Qing picked up the statue fragments with her tail, the statue turned to dust, leaving only a piece of bone.

Su Qing was stunned and subconsciously coiled her tail around the bone fragment.

And when she touched the bone fragment, a familiar voice entered her mind.

It was the Cat Immortal's childish voice.

"Ahem!"

"This should be fine, right? Is this spell any good... Never mind, I'll just record it."

"Su Qing!"

"I told you to leave, but you wouldn't, so I'm leaving! This Immortal is off to be reincarnated! See you in the next life!"

"Hmm, alright! Actually, I don't know if I'll see you in the next life, or if I'll even recognize you if I do. But you're a snake seeking immortality! You can't forget me!"

"Oh, right?! Inside this bone fragment, there's a map I spent time drawing..." Read at Novels Haven (novelshaven.com)

"I drew it very carefully. It's definitely a map that will let you reach the Qinling Mountains with your eyes closed!"

"Hmph! This Immortal is good to you, right? Not only did I give you directions, I even gave you a map! You'll never find another immortal as good as me!"

"If you dare forget this Immortal's kindness, I will never forgive you."

"Hmph! That's all! This Immortal doesn't know what else to say!"

"I wish you success in your quest for immortality!"

"Finally, thank you..."

"Thank you for not letting me be alone during my final days."

The Cat Immortal's feisty yet cute voice came to an abrupt end here...

Clearly, the recording had ended.

Su Qing paused for a moment, then flicked her tongue.

"Gone to be reincarnated?"

"Can a god of faith be reincarnated after they die?"

Su Qing, of course, didn't know...

She hoped the Cat Immortal had truly gone to be reincarnated, and that it wasn't just words to comfort herself.

"In that case, let's meet again in the next life!" Su Qing thought.

Then, she flicked her tongue and focused her thoughts on the bone fragment.

She was ready to see what the map she left behind was like and whether it would actually be useful.

But when she saw the map's contents...

she couldn't help but sigh deeply.

Although it was a bit disrespectful to the Cat Immortal's hard work...

Su Qing really couldn't understand this map at all.

Because what was drawn was less a map and more a child's random doodle.

No, most children's doodles were easier to understand than this!

If not for the principle of respecting the dead, Su Qing would have reason to suspect that creature had deliberately left it behind to prank her...

Su Qing flicked her tongue and decided to give up on the map.

"Oh well, this is fine too. In my current state, I can't carry anything with me anyway."

As a snake, Su Qing naturally had no pockets to hold the bone fragment.

The only place she could store things was her stomach.

But if she really put the bone fragment in her stomach, the fragment would either be digested or excreted... there were no other possibilities.

So, Su Qing really had no way to take it with her. Read at Novels Haven (novelshaven.com)

As for what to do with the bone fragment in the end, Su Qing already had a plan.

"Since the original statue turned to ash, I'll just bury this bone fragment in her cenotaph. If I master the art of divining the future, perhaps I can use this bone fragment to predict her next life."

Su Qing flicked her tongue, coiled the bone fragment in her tail, and left the ruined temple.

Having sent off another friend, Su Qing's heart was initially a little heavy.

But because of the bone fragment and the words the Cat Immortal left behind, her mood improved slightly.

After all, wasn't there still something to look forward to?

Leaving the temple, Su Qing found a secluded spot and dug a small pit.

She made a simple grave for the Cat Immortal.

The grave was neither large nor small, and had no headstone...

It was just a small mound of earth.

With Su Qing's current abilities, this was the best she could do.

However, this wouldn't stop Su Qing from coming back for the bone fragment in the future.

"I'm leaving. I hope I can see you in your next life..."

Su Qing flicked her tongue and turned to leave.

Parting with the Cat Immortal, Su Qing continued north.

She chose between the waterway and the land route, ultimately deciding to take the waterway first...

The advantage of the waterway was that Su Qing could avoid getting lost to some extent and also reduce contact with humans...

A snake as large as her was a terrifying legend wherever she went.

Less contact with people... would also save her a lot of trouble.

Besides, Su Qing felt that there were many spirits in the water, and they were easy to find...

If she didn't know which way to go, she could find a water spirit and ask for directions.

And if she couldn't find a spirit in the water, she could always go ashore...

to find those worshipped deities and ask for directions.

In this world, there might not be many other things, but there were plenty of worshipped deities.

Even if many deities were forgotten and their temples abandoned...

the majority were still worshipped.

If she really got lost, she could ask them for directions...

However, no matter how many deities Su Qing met, she would never forget the Cat Immortal who had helped her so much.

"Becoming a deity isn't necessarily a good thing! It's better to be a demon..."

Su Qing flicked her tongue and continued on her way. Read at Novels Haven (novelshaven.com)

Su Qing traveled north...

Within a few days, she came across a great river.

Su Qing didn't know what river this was, so she didn't rush to jump in.

If she carelessly ended up somewhere unknown, it would be troublesome.

So Su Qing planned to find a local deity and ask for directions...

Su Qing avoided the crowds and, under the cover of night, arrived at a River God Temple...

The incense here was flourishing, and the temple was beautifully built, far beyond comparison to the Cat Immortal's ruined temple or the one she stayed in.

And the River God here was naturally not weak in power.

Before Su Qing even entered the temple, she could feel the difference in power between herself and the River God...

But, fortunately...

The River God was not someone who couldn't distinguish right from wrong...

and had a very amicable personality.

Upon learning that Su Qing was only there to ask for directions, he generously told her which way to go...

and instructed Su Qing not to frighten ordinary people, to avoid unnecessary trouble.