Su Qing didn't have much of a clue as to how she should make amends for her absence.
She could only take it one step at a time!
But before that...
Su Qing planned to buy some things they liked. She wasn't sure if this counted as an apology, but it would surely have some effect, wouldn't it?
Soon...
By the time Su Qing returned with her purchases, Yudie had also come back from Changbai Mountain. She was currently in the courtyard, teasing the neighbor's cat.
The neighbor's cat was free-roaming, so it occasionally wandered over here. It was pitch black and quite adorable, and it seemed to have a very good relationship with Yudie.
"Have you already spoken to Leng Xiang and the others?" Su Qing asked as she crouched down to rub the cat's head.
Yudie nodded and replied with a beaming smile, "I've already spoken to Mother and Aunt Ao Ying! However..."
"However?" Su Qing's brow furrowed at those words. She had a feeling it wasn't going to be a good result.
"However... Mother was nagged by Aunt Ao Ying and Mother for a long time! It seems Mother really is angry," Yudie said, tilting her head as she recalled the scene.
Su Qing looked at her and couldn't help but sigh softly, a trace of melancholy in her heart.
Seeing this, Yudie said with a grin, "If Mother is worried, why not go up the mountain and see for yourself? Besides, Mother has already survived the lightning tribulation and can use magic without any reservations now. So, it should be fine to go back directly, right?"
Yudie knew that Su Qing hadn't quite snapped out of the mindset of her life over the past decade, so she offered this reminder.
"That's true, but..."
Su Qing instinctively wanted to find a reason to refuse.
But on second thought...
She was merely trying to avoid the problem. Avoiding a problem wouldn't solve it; it would only make things more complicated in the end.
Moreover, this constant avoidance reminded her of how she felt when facing the lightning tribulation yesterday.
Yes. She disliked that version of herself a little.
Su Qing let out a long sigh and said, "Fine, I'll go back personally."
Hearing Su Qing's answer, Yudie smiled and transformed into a short sword, returning to Su Qing's hand. She chose to hide away, naturally worried that Su Qing might continue questioning her... After all, if she were exposed, she certainly wouldn't escape a lecture. It was better to hide for now.
Su Qing was unaware of the little secret in Yudie's heart, nor did she know what Yudie had actually discussed with Leng Xiang and the others on the mountain.
She simply patted the little cat and told it to go home. Then, she performed a hand seal and placed several talismans on the door to prevent thieves from entering while she was away.
Once finished, Su Qing performed another seal and chanted a true word incantation. Summoning an auspicious cloud, she flew toward Changbai Mountain.
Though Su Qing hadn't used magic for over a decade, the application of spells was engraved into her soul. As long as she willed it, she could manifest them instinctively without any hindrance, no matter how much time had passed.
In an instant...
After more than ten years, Su Qing landed once again in the small courtyard on Changbai Mountain.
She looked around, her face reflecting a touch of nostalgia. Ten years wasn't a long time, but while living in the mortal world, she could clearly feel the passage of time. Watching the people around her grow old was a completely different feeling from staying on the mountain with demons.
She looked at the courtyard. It hadn't changed much from when she left ten years ago. The only difference was the missing Bodhi Tree, which made the herb garden look a bit sparse.
There was no one in the courtyard. She didn't see the Little Sparrows, nor Gongsun Zhixue... and she couldn't see where Leng Xiang was.
Su Qing raised an eyebrow, finding it slightly strange.
"Are they out?"
Yudie had just visited them not long ago, so why were they gone now that she had arrived?
Su Qing looked at the tightly closed door. After a moment of thought, she pushed it open and walked inside, intending to look for them in the house.
The moment she stepped inside, a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind.
Su Qing looked down and saw pale pink fingernails, and she caught the faint, refreshing scent of plum blossoms. Even if she thought with her knees, she could guess who this sudden intruder was.
"Leng Xiang?" Su Qing asked with a slight smile.
"Yes, it's me," Leng Xiang replied softly. "Were you startled?"
"Actually... no. The moment you appeared, I knew it was you, so I wasn't startled at all." Su Qing shook her head and said, "I'm just curious, why were you hiding?"
"Because I wanted to scare you," Leng Xiang answered as if it were the most natural reason in the world.
Su Qing: "..."
Fine, it seemed she had asked a silly question. However, Su Qing suddenly didn't know what to say next.
After a moment of silence, Su Qing asked, "Where is Ao Ying?"
"In the Heaven Lake," Leng Xiang replied. "Master can go find her later. Right now, I only want to know... did Master miss me?"
"That's a silly question. How could I not miss you?" Su Qing shook her head and said, "But why didn't you come to the mortal world to see me? We haven't seen each other for over ten years. Are you angry with me?"
"Leng Xiang would never be angry with Master, but... I was indeed a bit dissatisfied," Leng Xiang said with a faint smile and a shake of her head.
"So you were angry after all?"
"I wasn't..." Leng Xiang said firmly.
Seeing this, Su Qing didn't press further. She only gave a helpless smile and said, "Then I'll assume you weren't angry! Then why..."
"Because there were many things to handle on the mountain," Leng Xiang interrupted before Su Qing could finish. "Besides, I did go down the mountain to see Master; Master just didn't notice me."
"Oh?"
Su Qing pursed her lips. After a moment of thought, she didn't refute Leng Xiang but instead asked:
"Even so, for me, it has been over ten years. Well? Did you miss me? Is there anything you want? I brought back quite a few things from the mortal world."
Facing Su Qing's question, Leng Xiang's expression remained calm as if she were contemplating something. After a long while, she smiled and said, "Of course I missed Master. As for what I want, there is something... but it isn't a physical object."
"Oh? And that is?"
"Master, close your eyes. I'll tell you quietly..."
Su Qing was slightly stunned, wondering why she needed to close her eyes to hear a secret. But in the end, she nodded; she would let her have her way today!
"Alright."
She closed her eyes. The moment she did, a fragrant breeze swept over her, accompanied by something soft and moist...
"Hmm?"
Su Qing instinctively froze, her heart skipping a beat. She was startled... but at the same time, a strange impulse was stirred within her.
Just as she was about to say something...
Leng Xiang had already released her.
Su Qing: "..."
"This... is what you wanted?" Su Qing touched her lips and asked after a brief daze.
Leng Xiang nodded slightly. "Does Master... hate it?"
"Of course..." Su Qing deliberately trailed off before saying, "...not! I was just a bit surprised."
"..." Leng Xiang let out a small sigh of relief.
"However, the taste is a bit strange, like eating raw plum blossoms."
"..." Leng Xiang was speechless for a moment. "Is it... that kind of taste?"
"Of course not! I'm teasing you."
"Phew! Master, you..."
"Alright!" Su Qing patted her head and said, "Actually, I'm quite happy right now."
Leng Xiang looked at Su Qing's smiling face and slightly mischievous expression. For a moment, she couldn't tell if she had ambushed Su Qing or if she was the one being teased.
After the initial excitement, being looked at like this by Su Qing caused a flush of crimson to appear on Leng Xiang's face. When it came to being thick-skinned, Su Qing was naturally superior. As for Leng Xiang, she could only stay bold for a short duration.
Seeing her face turn completely red, Su Qing smiled and patted her back. "Alright! Where are Gongsun Zhixue and those noisy little ones?"
"They are patrolling the mountain, looking for any unruly demons. During your absence, the demons on the mountain became somewhat restless. Gongsun Zhixue and I had to kill quite a few before they settled down. In the end, most demons are just like humans—they bully the weak and fear the strong."
Leng Xiang took a deep breath, trying to keep her tone as calm as possible.
Su Qing nodded. Indeed, whether they were demons or humans, most were the same.
"You've worked hard these years," Su Qing said with a faint smile.
"Since it was Master's command, how could I be careless?" Leng Xiang exhaled, thinking she had hidden her embarrassment well.
Su Qing shook her head slightly and said, "Go and call Gongsun Zhixue and the sparrows back. I brought some delicious treats for them too!"
Leng Xiang nodded without hesitation. She really did need a moment to calm herself down. She was frustrated; why was it that even though she had taken the initiative, she was the one feeling embarrassed? It must be because Master was too thick-skinned.
Watching Leng Xiang leave, Su Qing began to think about her future plans. Moving back to the mountain was almost a certainty. The Bodhi Tree couldn't stay in the mortal world forever. However, there were still some things to settle down there... she needed to give some instructions at the theater, as it was her hard work after all!
But of course, before returning to the mortal world, Su Qing had to go to the Heaven Lake to see Ao Ying. She couldn't favor one over the other, after all. And she really did miss her.
"Yes, as I thought, avoidance isn't my style!"
Having cleared her mind, Su Qing felt much more at ease. Her entire being felt lighter.
On the way to the Heaven Lake, Su Qing recalled Leng Xiang's expression from earlier, and a wide smile spread across her face—the look of someone whose scheme had succeeded.
Before long, Su Qing arrived at the small pavilion by the Heaven Lake. There was no one here... because Ao Ying usually lived underwater. The dragon race was close to the water element and used its power to aid their cultivation. Thus, Ao Ying preferred staying in the water most of the time.
Looking at the clear lake surface, Su Qing didn't hesitate to perform a water-repelling spell and dived in. Although she was a snake and a good swimmer, she naturally couldn't compare to the dragon race, who were born for the water.
Su Qing pushed through the water, heading toward the 'Dragon Palace' at the bottom. It was called a palace, but in reality, it was just a small stone castle... compared to the East Sea Dragon Palace, it was worlds apart.
As she swam, Su Qing suddenly felt something approaching her. The object was massive and moving at a considerable speed. Her instinct was to draw her blade, but then she thought—who else could be in this water besides Ao Ying? It was impossible for it to be anyone else.
So, she suppressed the urge and waited for the creature to arrive.
Sure enough, a moment later, a massive dragon appeared before her. Its silvery-white scales shimmered brilliantly in the faint sunlight filtering through the lake's surface, looking like white jade or silver—it was incredibly majestic.
However...
That was if one ignored the thick clumps of seaweed tangled in its horns and the dead fish that had somehow gotten stuck there...
Seeing this, Su Qing marveled at the beauty of Ao Ying's true form while simultaneously finding it hilarious. The humor won out, and she nearly lost her focus on the water-repelling spell, almost swallowing a mouthful of water.
Seeing Su Qing's laughter, Ao Ying looked displeased. She lunged forward as if to bite her. But she didn't actually swallow Su Qing; instead, she gently caught Su Qing's clothes in her mouth and carried her out of the water, flying up into the sky to join the white clouds.
"Long time no see, Ying'er!" Su Qing didn't mind being carried like this and didn't bother to struggle. She simply crossed her arms and spoke with a smile.
Ao Ying rolled her eyes and tossed Su Qing onto her back.
"Sister Xiao Qing actually bothered to come back and see me?" Ao Ying asked.
Su Qing chuckled. "Don't you know... I couldn't use magic while avoiding the Three Calamities? Honestly, I should be the one saying that. I missed you so much, yet you didn't come to see me. My heart is quite broken!"
Hearing this, Ao Ying immediately lost her composure and pouted. "Actually, Sister Leng Xiang and I wanted to see you in the mortal world, but she was worried our presence would make your tribulation harder, so we could only watch from afar."
Su Qing was slightly surprised; she hadn't expected that to be the truth. She had thought they were angry with her, which was why they hadn't visited. Wait...
It seemed the idea that Ao Ying and Leng Xiang were angry had been planted in her mind by someone else.
Thinking of this, Su Qing looked at the short sword in her arms. A mischievous grin curled on her lips.
Well, well. This little one had actually learned how to lie.
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