The Old Dragon King had naturally noticed the changes in Su Qing's attitude, though it hadn't seemed particularly obvious based solely on others' descriptions.
Although her attitude seemed a bit more abrasive than before, it was still within an acceptable range.
Of course, the main reason was that Su Qing's attitude yesterday had been significantly more severe.
However, he had requested that specific behavior himself yesterday.
The Old Dragon King sat in his chair and took a slow sip of Dragon Saliva Wine.
This was a fine brew of the Dragon Palace; its name implied a wine so fragrant that even a dragon would salivate upon smelling it, rather than being made from actual dragon saliva.
"Senior Dragon King, drinking so early in the morning—are you troubled by something?"
As he was drinking, Su Qing's voice suddenly came from behind him.
The Old Dragon King turned to look. Beside Su Qing stood Ao Ying, Gongsun Zhixue, and several Little Sparrows.
Seeing this group assembled, the Old Dragon King knew...
Su Qing intended to return directly to the Changbai Mountains once they finished talking.
The Old Dragon King looked at Su Qing and replied with a smile, "No troubles, I just had a sudden craving for wine. Are you planning to leave, my worthy son-in-law? Why not stay a few more days?"
Su Qing shook her head slightly. "I won't stay. I only came to the Dragon Palace to fulfill an appointment. Now that the promised task is complete, it's naturally time to go."
"That... is a pity."
"It's not really a pity. Staying long-term in the Dragon Palace serves little purpose, and living underwater constantly is a bit of a hassle for me."
Su Qing gave a brief explanation, then said:
"By the way, Senior Dragon King, why did you ask for me? Sending someone so early in the morning—it surely isn't for some trivial matter, is it?"
The Old Dragon King's mouth twitched slightly as he looked at her.
This tone wasn't much different from yesterday, yet it seemed a bit better.
At the very least, she wasn't looking at him as if he were trash.
He wondered: was she still stuck in her role, or had that performance unlocked her true personality?
But her previous humility and politeness didn't seem faked either.
So what was the reason?
Ao Ying looked at Su Qing, also slightly puzzled by the change...
She knew about yesterday's events, but she hadn't expected the attitude toward her father to shift so much.
How should she put it?
It was somewhat like her own attitude toward her father from a very long time ago.
However, she didn't hate this attitude.
After all, it wasn't directed at her.
Su Qing was still very gentle with her...
She had only changed her stance toward her father.
Seeing the Old Dragon King remain silent, Su Qing tilted her head. "Senior Dragon King? Why are you spacing out?"
Snapping back to reality, the Old Dragon King laughed. "Ah, sorry. I just got lost in thought for a moment."
"You should take care of your health, Senior. Zoning out during a conversation isn't a good sign."
At Su Qing's words, Ao Ying couldn't help but stifle a giggle.
He was still her father, after all; she should try to hold back her laughter at his expense.
The Old Dragon King gave a stiff smile. "Yes, I really should pay more attention to my health. As for why I called you here so early, it's regarding the reward for yesterday's assistance. You helped me so much; I naturally cannot treat you unfairly."
He decided to get straight to the point.
If he didn't, more strange dialogue would likely ensue.
Su Qing smiled. "Oh, it's about that! Then let's go, Senior Dragon King!"
"Let's... let's go." The Old Dragon King nodded slightly.
She didn't even bother with false humility anymore.
Could this change be because he had offended her? But where exactly had he gone wrong?
He felt frustrated, but he didn't dare lose his temper.
He truly couldn't afford to provoke her now!
Su Qing followed him to the Dragon Palace treasury, while Leng Xiang descended from Su Qing's head and transformed back into her human form.
Leng Xiang watched Su Qing disappear into the distance.
She turned to Ao Ying and said, "You seem puzzled by the Master's attitude toward the Dragon King?"
"Did Sister ask you to speak with me?"
"Naturally. Otherwise, how could I leave the Master's side?"
"Then what's going on with her?"
"Well, the Master has likely figured some things out."
"Oh?" Ao Ying asked curiously. "What things?"
"Sometimes, a sharper attitude can fend off unnecessary trouble. Besides... the Dragon King seems to be overstepping. Though... the Master still isn't quite assertive enough. I wouldn't even call her current attitude 'bad,' exactly."
Su Qing had only told Leng Xiang to explain to Ao Ying, without specifying how...
So she could only explain things to Ao Ying based on her own interpretation.
"I see..." Ao Ying nodded thoughtfully.
"Do you think the Master is wrong?"
Ao Ying shook her head. "No... in fact, even I support Sister's attitude. After all, I know my father better than any of you."
"That is good then." Leng Xiang nodded flatly. "Do you hate the Master like this?"
"Why would I?"
"?"
"I dislike my father, don't I? Why would I dislike Sister for treating him poorly? But... Sister Leng Xiang, you really do care for Sister Xiao Qing!"
"..."
Leng Xiang nodded once, then found a place to sit, saying nothing more to Ao Ying.
The Dragon Palace treasury.
Su Qing casually selected a few items—mostly alchemy tools, some spirit elixirs, immortal medicines, and various herbs.
After taking those, she couldn't be bothered to grab anything else.
After a quick word of thanks to the Old Dragon King, she returned with him to the Crystal Palace.
Along the way, the Old Dragon King had wanted to ask what was going on with Su Qing's attitude.
But he found it hard to speak.
To ask would inevitably sound like a reproach.
Given the current circumstances, he would almost certainly be met with a sharp rebuff.
Thus, he ultimately kept his mouth shut.
Although he was often rebuked in court, he really didn't want to deal with it right now.
After returning to the Crystal Palace.
Su Qing exchanged a few casual words with the Old Dragon King before preparing to bid farewell and return to the Changbai Mountains. Since she had already said goodbye to the Dragon Queen earlier, she could leave immediately.
Seeing Su Qing was leaving, the Dragon King didn't try to stop her.
After all, keeping her around would likely only result in more verbal lashings.
The Old Dragon King watched Su Qing depart the Crystal Palace.
He sat in his chair, took a sip of wine, his mind still filled with confusion.
Where exactly had he offended her?
"It seems... I'll have to be even more careful when facing her in the future," the Old Dragon King sighed, muttering to himself. "I'm not afraid of offending someone; I'm afraid of offending them without even knowing how."
He shook his head, wondering if he should find an opportunity to send some gifts later.
Su Qing and her group emerged from the Dragon Palace and soon broke the surface of the water.
Feeling the fresh air, Su Qing felt much more relaxed.
She gazed at Flower-Fruit Mountain in the distance.
After some thought, she decided to go and check on the situation there.
Although the messages transmitted through her statue on Flower-Fruit Mountain said all was well, it was always best to confirm things in person.
However, before heading to Flower-Fruit Mountain.
She needed to send Ao Ying and the others back to the Changbai Mountains first.
Su Qing formed hand seals and silently recited the incantations.
Soon, a cloud of crimson auspicious mist rose, carrying Su Qing and the others directly toward the Changbai Mountains.
Before long, she had returned them to the little courtyard atop the mountain.
Once they were dropped off.
Su Qing summoned the Somersault Cloud and headed back to Flower-Fruit Mountain.
It was fortunate that her Somersault Cloud was so fast and her spiritual power so abundant; otherwise, she couldn't have handled such frequent travel.
She arrived at Flower-Fruit Mountain.
Su Qing looked down at the mountain's layout, momentarily taken aback.
The area outside the Water Curtain Cave had undergone a total transformation.
A small town had actually formed there...
But that wasn't why she was surprised.
What truly shocked her was the presence of several people within the town.
Indeed—mortals.
Mortals with absolutely no spiritual power.
And judging by their appearance, they weren't castaways from a shipwreck.
They looked more like a group of merchants.
Merchants seemingly from the Aolai Kingdom across the sea.
Su Qing remembered the style of their clothing.
From afar, she watched them hauling goods through the town.
They were trading with the mountain's monkeys and other animals, while the old Earth God watched from the sidelines, seemingly appraising prices to help the inexperienced monkeys.
Su Qing was slightly amazed by the scene.
But she also found it fascinating.
Su Qing rubbed her chin...
Though she hadn't managed Flower-Fruit Mountain much, it had evolved in the direction she desired.
"It's only been a few decades, and it's already reached this level? Will it actually become a 'Flower-Fruit Kingdom' someday?" she wondered, amused.
If it truly became a capital where demons and humans coexisted, Su Qing would certainly be happy to see it.
Of course, if the descendants of humans and demons could propagate normally...
That would be even better.
Who doesn't love beast ears and tails?
While she didn't like showing her own tail, she enjoyed seeing them on others.
Especially on pretty girls.
"What am I thinking? Forming a nation isn't that easy," she said, shaking her head helplessly. "And as for beast-eared girls... they might be pretty, but that's pure fantasy!"
She was hopeful, yet she knew her thoughts were likely too simplistic.
It felt almost whimsical.
But even if it was whimsical, it was worth a try.
There wasn't much she could do.
But as for giving things a little nudge.
Su Qing wouldn't hesitate.
If a unique city really rose upon the sea because of her...
It would indeed be quite interesting.
She pondered for a moment, then lowered her cloud and descended into the town.
It had been a long time since she'd been back to Flower-Fruit Mountain, and she was curious about the monkeys' reaction.
Of course, Su Qing wasn't descending just for a bit of fun.
Mostly, she wanted to talk to those people.
And while she was at it, use the opportunity to push the development of Flower-Fruit Mountain.
Furthermore, she needed to get the monkeys started on their path of cultivation soon...
But cultivation manuals were a problem.
It wouldn't be right to take them from the Dragon King; she'd have to see if she could swipe a few from Chang'e later.
It was lucky she had so many connections; otherwise, this would have been an unsolvable dilemma!
Inside the town.
A person suddenly descending from the sky naturally gave the merchant caravan quite a fright.
Even the surrounding monkeys were startled.
But the monkeys, after all, recognized Su Qing...
Even the younger monkeys who had never met her would recognize her.
That temple wasn't built for nothing.
So, after the initial shock, the monkeys quickly identified Su Qing.
To the astonishment of the merchants, the monkeys prostrated themselves deeply.
Even the man they thought was the leader of the beasts bowed to Su Qing... his expression and tone exceptionally respectful.
In an instant, the members of the caravan understood.
This was the true master of Flower-Fruit Mountain!
That white-haired old man was merely a representative.
They swallowed hard, staring at the mysterious immortal. After their minds blanked for a second, they reacted quickly.
Following the monkeys' lead, they knelt and bowed.
She had descended from the heavens and was clearly no mortal. They knew better than to offend someone they couldn't handle; nothing was more important than their lives.
"All right, stand up..."
Su Qing's mouth twitched as she told the monkeys to rise.
She also motioned for the mortals to stand.
The monkeys chattered excitedly as they got up.
None were more thrilled by Su Qing's return than the monkeys.
The old Earth God said, "Immortal, do you have business here? Or perhaps... is it because of these mortals?"
The Earth God was shrewd; he knew exactly why Su Qing had come the moment she appeared.
Su Qing nodded slightly. "Precisely."
"If you do not wish for mortals to set foot here, I shall send them away at once. Please do not be offended, Immortal..."
The Earth God guessed she came for the mortals, but he couldn't tell if she was angry or pleased.
Su Qing was expressionless, making it impossible to read her thoughts.
He quietly explained where these mortals came from and the circumstances that brought them here.
As for the mortals, they stood obediently to the side, not daring to move or even take a loud breath.
This woman was clearly of noble status, possibly a true immortal from the heavens. They wouldn't dream of stepping out of line.
They couldn't even handle a wild beast, let alone a deity from above.
Their only hope was that the immortal wouldn't blame them for entering the mountain and would let them go.
As for the romanticized encounters described by scholars in books... those were just fantasies. They didn't dare take them seriously.
It could truly cost them their lives.
Rate on N.U.
