Seeing Yuer's utterly shocked expression, Su Qing found it rather amusing.
She feigned displeasure, raising an eyebrow as she spoke. "Is it so strange for me to be here?"
Yuer nodded and replied, "Isn't it? You haven't visited in decades!"
"Actually, I was just here yesterday."
"..." Yuer pursed her lips. "How was I supposed to know!"
Su Qing smiled. "Fine, fine! Let's just say you didn't know. By the way, Yuer, didn't you miss me at all?"
"Not at all. I'm busy day in and day out; I don't have time to think of you! Don't be so full of yourself," Yuer said, rolling her eyes.
"Ah, how heartbreaking..." Su Qing replied, putting on a lonely face.
Nearby, Chang'e watched the two bickering and offered a small smile.
"It seems your relationship is as good as ever!" Chang'e rested her chin on her hand, watching the scene with a twinkle in her eye.
Hearing this, Yuer rolled her eyes and quickly retorted, "Mistress~ where on earth do you see us getting along?"
Chang'e said playfully, "Isn't it obvious? You're not the type to talk so much with someone you dislike."
"That's not it. It's just that she's so incredibly annoying."
"Is that so? Since you say so, I'll take your word for it!" Chang'e chuckled, choosing not to expose the little rabbit.
Yuer curled her lip; she could clearly hear the perfunctoriness in Chang'e's tone.
But she didn't intend to argue further. She knew she couldn't win against her mistress, so she decided not to bother herself.
"Hmph~ fine. I'll get back to the official business you left for me." Yuer's ears twitched as she added, "Have fun with her, Mistress~ Yuer won't disturb you any longer."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yuer picked up the documents from the table and rose to leave.
However, Chang'e stepped forward and stopped her.
"Actually, even if you stay, you wouldn't be bothering us. It's not like we're discussing anything particularly momentous."
Yuer looked at her mistress for a long moment before sighing softly. "Do you want the truth, Mistress?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm not worried about disturbing you. It's just that you and Su Qing chatting will distract me from finishing these documents. Besides... I'm sure you wouldn't want to find your tasks unfinished when the time comes to submit them. Just a reminder, there isn't much time left!"
Chang'e: "..."
Well, then.
She was momentarily left speechless.
Pouting slightly, she ultimately let Yuer go.
After Yuer left with her paperwork, only Chang'e and Su Qing remained in the hall, along with Leng Xiang, who had transformed into a hairpin and was silently suppressing her laughter.
Su Qing, however, didn't hold back. She had no intention of missing an opportunity to laugh at Chang'e.
"Alright, stop laughing!"
Resting her face in her hand, Chang'e looked up at Su Qing and said:
"Sigh, I seem to be losing my authority these days! Even Yuer is threatening me now."
"Pfft, as if you ever had much authority to begin with. Besides, who's the one always dumping their work on Yuer?" Su Qing teased with a playful roll of her eyes.
Chang'e rolled her eyes and decided to change the subject.
"Ahem, anyway, let's move on. I'm actually curious, Su Qing—what brings you here today? Surely you didn't come all this way just for a chat because you were bored at home?"
Su Qing smiled and took a seat across from Chang'e.
"I did! But that's only part of the reason."
"And the other reason?"
"I have a favor to ask, of course!"
"Oh? You're actually making a special trip to ask for my help? You've certainly grown more thick-skinned."
"When there's something I can't handle alone, naturally I look for help. What's so strange about that? Besides, I'm not nearly as thick-skinned as you."
"Sigh, not only have you grown thick-skinned, you've even turned a bit naughty. You're actually teasing me now!"
Chang'e wasn't surprised; she simply nodded with a smile and asked:
"So, what is it you need? There shouldn't be much that you can't handle yourself, right?"
Su Qing smiled and explained her requirements to Chang'e.
Chang'e stroked her chin, considering the request seriously.
"Oh, so it's just cultivation techniques? The Moon Palace has plenty of those. There's no need for any payment; I can just give them to you."
"However... I am a bit curious. With your current cultivation level, you shouldn't have any need for these techniques. Are they for those noisy little ones?"
Seeing Chang'e's curiosity, Su Qing had no intention of hiding her plans.
She shook her head and then explained her reasons and intentions in detail.
This wasn't something she could hide, nor was there any need to.
She estimated that by the time she started...
Those seniors would likely already know what she was up to.
If they didn't intervene, it meant they gave their tacit approval.
After hearing Su Qing's thoughts, Chang'e was stunned for a moment.
"So that's it? Your idea is interesting and meaningful, but perhaps a bit far-fetched."
"Far-fetched? I think so too, but isn't it more interesting to turn such dreams into reality?"
"Mmm, you have a point." Chang'e stroked her chin and smiled. "However, I've changed my mind. I'll help, but I do want something in return after all."
Su Qing didn't mind the change. She smiled and said:
"Then what kind of payment do you want, Sister Chang'e? Let's get one thing straight: if it's something unreasonable, I won't agree!"
"Don't worry. I'm not that kind of person!"
Chang'e looked at Su Qing with a beaming smile and said:
"The payment I want is simple: every Mid-Autumn Festival, you must come to the Moon Palace to visit me, the Lunar Deity, and Yuer. No absences allowed."
"Is that all? Nothing else?"
"This is an open-ended request; isn't that enough?" Chang'e chuckled. "Or perhaps you were hoping for something more... scandalous? Eh? Is it the kind of thing I'm thinking of?"
"What are you thinking? I just meant it sounds quite simple."
"Simple? It's anything but!" Chang'e said seriously, resting her head on her hand. "Don't forget, this has no end date. That means you have to come every single year!"
"Oh? That's fine. I'd probably come to visit the Moon Palace whenever I'm bored anyway," Su Qing replied earnestly with a shake of her head.
Now that the monkey had been pinned under the Five Elements Mountain.
And the Havoc in Heaven was a thing of the past.
She could visit the Heavenly Palace and Moon Palace at will without any worries!
"You... you're surprisingly good-natured." Chang'e rolled her eyes. "I've reminded you several times—this is an indefinite commitment."
Su Qing looked at Chang'e, slightly dazed...
She asked in confusion, "It's just coming to keep you company... Even if it's indefinite, what's the harm?"
Chang'e sighed helplessly and leaned closer to Su Qing.
"Listen, you should never agree to indefinite requests like this! There are too many uncertainties in the future. With me, you won't lose out. But what about elsewhere?"
"In other words, don't agree to everything just because we're friends. It's better to refuse when you should!"
"Honestly, you're too soft-hearted! Have you already forgotten what I told you yesterday?"
Su Qing fell silent for a moment, wanting to argue, but she eventually gave up.
It wasn't because she was too lazy to defend herself...
But because, after some serious thought...
She realized Chang'e's words actually made sense.
"I understand, Sister Chang'e," Su Qing nodded.
It was hard to believe that after living so long, she was still being lectured.
More importantly, the lecture was perfectly logical.
At the same time, her impression of Chang'e shifted slightly.
Chang'e might indeed be unreliable...
But as an elder sister figure, she truly cared about her.
"Good~"
Chang'e's smile returned as she said:
"Anyway! If you have the chance during Mid-Autumn, come find the Lunar Deity and me. If you're busy, then never mind! By the way, is there anything else you need besides the manuals?"
Su Qing thought about it carefully; there really wasn't anything else important she needed to mention.
So, she shook her head.
Seeing this, a smile curled on Chang'e's lips.
"Since you've no more business to discuss, then come on—let's go drink!"
"Huh?" Su Qing was taken aback. "Drinking again? Sister Chang'e, have you forgotten how drunk you were yesterday?"
"What does that matter? What's the point of drinking if you don't get drunk? Anyway, just follow me!" Chang'e said nonchalantly.
Su Qing's lip twitched, but she didn't intend to argue further.
She nodded and followed Chang'e out of the main hall of Guanghan Palace to drink and chat.
It didn't really affect Su Qing either way.
At most, she just found the drunken Chang'e a bit too noisy.
Time flew by.
Half a day passed in the blink of an eye.
And Chang'e was once again completely wasted...
She had totally lost consciousness.
Su Qing looked at the drunk Chang'e and sighed helplessly.
She then carried her back to Guanghan Palace and handed her over to Yuer.
"Sigh... she has such a low tolerance, yet she loves to drink. I really don't understand what my mistress is thinking. She's always giving me more work!"
Yuer took the drunk Chang'e from Su Qing, looking equally speechless.
But since Chang'e was her boss, she had to take her back to her quarters after a bit of grumbling.
"Su Qing, I'll go take care of the mistress now. Go ahead and do whatever you need to do," Yuer said.
"Mm. Go on." Su Qing nodded slightly.
Seeing Su Qing had nothing more to say, Yuer dragged her mistress away, needing to help her sober up.
After Yuer left, Su Qing turned and headed to the library.
She hadn't forgotten the purpose of her visit just because she'd spent half the day relaxing.
She still had to get those cultivation manuals!
And she had to look carefully for ones suitable for monsters.
These techniques didn't need a high ceiling, but the floor had to be low...
They didn't have to be powerful, but they definitely had to be simple.
Such techniques weren't easy to find. Su Qing spent over two hours in the library before she managed to find a couple of manuals that met her criteria.
Leaving the library, Su Qing looked at the two transcribed manuals in her hand and sighed softly.
She hadn't expected to spend so much time just to find such a meager amount of usable material.
"Well, having something is better than nothing. Why ask for so much? One shouldn't be too greedy," Su Qing thought, shaking her head.
Su Qing stowed the items in her Sleeve Universe, then returned to Guanghan Palace to find Yuer and say goodbye.
Leaving without a word would be rude.
Although Chang'e hadn't sobered up yet, telling Yuer was just as good.
Upon learning Su Qing was leaving, Yuer didn't stop her. After a few casual bickering remarks, she let Su Qing depart.
Leaving the Moon Palace, Su Qing didn't head straight back to Changbai Mountains.
She still had some time.
She planned to visit Flower-Fruit Mountain first to handle some remaining matters.
With the aid of the Somersault Cloud, she arrived in the skies above Flower-Fruit Mountain in no time.
However, she wasn't in a hurry to descend. Instead, she hovered in mid-air, observing the changes in Flower-Fruit Mountain over recent years.
The mountain itself hadn't changed much...
But the town outside the Water Curtain Cave seemed different. It felt more... populated?
Even from the air, she could see many more mortals walking through the town.
And it wasn't just the group from two years ago; there were many new faces.
"It's a good thing, at least. Things are developing in the direction I wanted."
Su Qing stroked her chin and nodded thoughtfully.
She quickly withdrew her gaze, then lowered her cloud and landed in a dense forest.
Having learned her lesson from last time, Su Qing knew her sudden appearance would surely terrify the ordinary mortals.
So, she decided not to appear before everyone this time.
As for how she would give them the manuals...
Su Qing had already made a plan for that.
Couldn't she just let the old Earth God handle it?
After all, the Earth God looked after Flower-Fruit Mountain while she was away.
Entrusting him with the task was something she felt perfectly comfortable with.
Deep in the forest.
Su Qing performed a hand seal and summoned the Earth God.
"I am here! Does Lady Azure Spirit have any instructions for this old man?" The Earth God asked, leaning on his staff and offering a slight bow.
Seeing the Earth God emerge from the soil, Su Qing nodded slightly and produced the techniques.
"I do have a task for you."
"Please command me, Immortal."
"Take these cultivation manuals and find a way to teach them to the sentient animals on the mountain. They don't all have to master them; just pass them on and inform them of the risks and benefits."
Su Qing didn't particularly care how many monsters would master them or achieve transformation...
Her goal in providing these techniques was to lay a foundation for Flower-Fruit Mountain.
To prepare for bigger things in the future.
Of course, the more monsters that learned them, the better.
And if those monsters turned out to be obedient and sensible, that would be even better.
The Earth God had no intention of refusing.
He nodded and took the manuals from Su Qing.
"This old man will do his absolute best with this matter..."
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