The Future

Su Qing looked at the Old Troupe Leader, smiled slightly, and nodded.

She did not refuse the Old Troupe Leader's request.

After all, she also wanted to bid farewell to the performers.

Su Qing and Yudie followed the Old Troupe Leader to the theater.

The theater was still open for business, so the main stage in the front hall was naturally unavailable at this time.

Therefore, she decided to hold the performance on the stage in the backyard used for practice.

This was not to be a solo performance; she planned to call everyone together to sing.

While some were performing on the main stage, many others were still resting.

In a short while, she had gathered everyone.

And it seemed to be the original cast from all those years ago.

Only a few were unable to come because they were too busy.

Once everyone was assembled, the play began.

Su Qing and Yudie sat below the stage, watching it all in silence.

And so, time ticked away, minute by minute.

A play is never long.

Soon, the performance reached its finale.

Su Qing clapped out of habit, and Yudie joined in with a beaming smile.

The Old Troupe Leader, panting slightly, looked at the two young ladies below the stage and sighed inwardly, "Ah, over a decade has vanished in the blink of an eye. Even Yudie has reached this age! I don't know how many years I have left to live. I only hope that you two won't forget this old bag of bones in the future."

She stepped down from the stage with a smile and said, "Ah, I'm getting old. My breath can't keep up anymore. If this were ten years ago, I think I could have sung much better."

Su Qing shook her head slightly and said, "This was already very good. One must eventually accept growing old. Besides, to be honest, you still have many years left to live!"

"Miss, you always love to say such sweet things! How could I not know my own condition?"

"Sweet things? Not really," Su Qing smiled faintly.

They continued to chat for quite some time.

It wasn't until the performance in the main hall ended and the rest of the actors arrived that Su Qing stopped her small talk.

She turned and bid farewell to the many performers.

Her goodbye was very simple—no more than a dozen short sentences.

Once everything was said, Su Qing patted the Old Troupe Leader on the shoulder and then left the theater without looking back.

Reluctance was reluctance, but if she lingered, it would only grow harder to leave.

As for whether she would return to this theater in the future, that would depend on her future self.

Perhaps when she returned, it would either be to hear the Old Troupe Leader's final performance or to truly see her off to the next life.

Leaving the theater and returning to the courtyard, Yudie reverted to her usual appearance.

She didn't much like her grown-up look; she preferred her usual cute, eight or nine-year-old self.

Perhaps it was also more convenient for her to act spoiled.

Indeed, in a sense, the reason Yudie stayed small was largely because she herself was unwilling to grow up.

For a sword spirit, physical form and appearance were often just a matter of a single thought.

Of course, personality was another matter entirely.

"So, Mother, is that the end of your farewell to the theater?" Yudie asked in her childish voice, sitting beside Su Qing.

Su Qing nodded and said, "Yes! It was actually faster than I anticipated."

"True; I thought Mother would take several days!" Yudie nodded thoughtfully.

"How could I be that slow?" Su Qing laughed and shook her head.

"Mm-hm! Mother is the best."

"I don't need that kind of praise."

"Speaking of the theater, Mother, where do you think Xu Xuan'er is now? And what is she doing?" Yudie suddenly changed the subject.

Su Qing smiled and shook her head. "I don't know."

"Doesn't Mother know the art of divination? Why not calculate it?"

"Pfft, why bother? Whatever happens to her has nothing to do with me anymore." Su Qing propped her face up and answered calmly, "I have fulfilled my duty."

Yudie looked at Su Qing, seemingly not quite understanding her thoughts, but eventually nodded with a smile. "Well, let's just leave it as a mystery then."

Su Qing looked at her, rubbed her head, and said, "I remember there's still some tofu left. Let's make some tofu buns for dinner tonight! Yudie, go buy some meat."

Having lived in the mortal world for over a decade, Su Qing had long grown accustomed to cooking for herself, and many of the ideas in her mind had unknowingly been realized.

Yudie nodded; she loved those.

The day passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was late at night.

Su Qing felt no urge to sleep.

She sat in the courtyard, watching the dark clouds floating in the sky and the shy moonlight that was half-hidden behind them.

At that moment, the Bodhi Tree suddenly sent a wave of consciousness.

It asked, "When are we returning to Changbai Mountain?"

Su Qing snapped out of her thoughts, turned to look at the Bodhi Tree, and said calmly, "If nothing unexpected happens, we can return to the mountain tomorrow after one last performance."

"How troublesome; you have so many concerns."

"It's better to avoid leaving any loose ends in these matters if possible," Su Qing said, shaking her head. "Even if it makes simple things a bit more complicated sometimes."

"As you wish." The Bodhi Tree didn't care to continue that line of conversation and instead said, "If nothing changes, the Ancestral Vein will only continue to weaken."

"I know; that is almost inevitable." Su Qing wasn't surprised and simply nodded calmly.

"You know?" The Bodhi Tree fell silent for a moment before continuing, "Then you need to work harder on your cultivation; I hope you can reach the Heavenly Immortal realm soon."

"Why are you so eager for me to reach the Heavenly Immortal realm?"

"..."

In the face of Su Qing's question, the Bodhi Tree once again unilaterally ended the conversation.

This left Su Qing somewhat speechless.

Clearly, this fellow was the one who sought her out for a chat, yet it was also the first to play deaf and dumb.

Looking at the Bodhi Tree, Su Qing rolled her eyes and then irritably plucked a few of its leaves, considering it a simple vent for her frustration.

However, the Bodhi Tree clearly didn't care about losing a few leaves and continued to play dead.

Seeing this, Su Qing sighed softly and couldn't be bothered with the frustrating fellow anymore.

Truth be told, if this wasn't an important thing her master had given her, she would have wanted to be even more heavy-handed.

A night without dreams passed.

The next day, the carriage driven by Leng Xiang and Ao Ying in disguise arrived.

Su Qing first placed the Bodhi Tree into her Sleeve Universe and then took another Bodhi Seed from the Sleeve Universe to plant in its place.

No one would care if this Bodhi Tree was the original; they would only remember that a Bodhi Tree grew here.

With that done, Su Qing briefly bid farewell to her neighbors, then boarded the carriage and left Long County.

As she passed through the county gate, Su Qing spotted a group of familiar faces—it was the Old Troupe Leader and her performers.

Clearly, they had come to see her off.

She wondered how they knew she was leaving today and that she was in this specific carriage.

Thinking this, Su Qing glanced at Yudie beside her.

Yudie averted her gaze, looking out the window with a guilty expression.

Su Qing rolled her eyes but didn't say anything to her.

She just sat silently in the carriage, watching the scenery outside fly past.

The carriage naturally had no specific destination.

It simply headed toward a deserted area.

Once they reached a place with no one around, the carriage vanished without a trace.

Su Qing and the others returned directly to the mountain.

In the courtyard on the mountain, Su Qing replanted the Bodhi Tree.

The moment the Bodhi Tree was planted, the spiritual energy surged significantly, and the sickly immortal herbs and spirit grasses in the medicine garden regained their vitality in an instant.

Similarly, the Bodhi Tree, which had grown somewhat weak after spending many years at the foot of the mountain, became shimmering with spiritual energy once again, as if emitting a faint glow.

She wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but Su Qing felt that after returning to Changbai Mountain, the Bodhi Tree seemed even 'healthier' than it had been over a decade ago.

Su Qing didn't know how to describe it, but there was definitely a massive change compared to ten years ago.

While change wasn't strange, the fact that it happened in a single instant was.

Looking at the Bodhi Tree, Su Qing raised an eyebrow.

She was about to ask, but Leng Xiang interrupted her.

Leng Xiang asked, "Should Master inform the demons in the mountain that you have returned?"

Su Qing shook her head and said, "No need. When the unruly demons appear, they will naturally know. Besides, the rules must become even stricter now!"

At this, Leng Xiang nodded and said, "Leng Xiang understands. What would Master like to eat for lunch?"

Su Qing looked at Leng Xiang and casually mentioned a few things she wanted.

However, as she looked, an idea popped into Su Qing's mind; well, it was a bit ill-timed, so she had to suppress it for the moment.

After Leng Xiang left, Su Qing lay down again, resting on the rocking chair under the Bodhi Tree.

She asked the Bodhi Tree about its situation.

As expected, the Bodhi Tree had no intention of responding, playing deaf and dumb as if it were just an ordinary tree.

Su Qing rolled her eyes. If you won't talk, then fine; I'll just pluck your leaves for fun.

While Su Qing was plucking the Bodhi Tree's leaves, Ao Ying's voice came from the side. She asked, "By the way, Big Green Sister; do you have an answer to the matter from before?"

"The matter from before?" Su Qing was momentarily stunned.

Ao Ying continued, "The question I asked Big Green Sister yesterday! About joining in marriage."

Remembering the previous day, Ao Ying was somewhat embarrassed, but she felt she had to ask.

After all, she really wanted to know the answer.

Although Ao Ying had received an answer yesterday, it was only the answer to a different question.

So today, having calmed down, she couldn't help but ask again.

Su Qing understood what she was asking. After a moment's thought, she said, "Well, in a few years? I'll speak with the seniors then; but this matter should be kept simple. After all, I don't really like things being too noisy."

Festivities had their merits, but too much noise wasn't great either.

Most importantly, if there were too many people, she wouldn't be able to keep up with everything.

She could, of course, keep a straight face and act aloof, but there were many downsides to that.

After all, besides ordinary acquaintances, there would surely be very important seniors attending.

Upon receiving Su Qing's definite answer, Ao Ying immediately broke into a smile.

"Mhm! I will listen to whatever Sister says," Ao Ying replied happily.

To her, the nature of the wedding didn't matter, nor did the number of guests. What she wanted was a ritual, a formal recognition.

And of course, it was to have a more appropriate reason to give her the courage to do that certain thing.

Beyond that, it was likely also because of her Mother Queen.

She wanted to give her Mother Queen an explanation.

As for her father, well, whatever happened with him didn't really matter anymore.

Her current relationship with her father was little more than the title of father and daughter; as for anything more, she believed it was no longer there.

Because she felt that no matter the time, her father always treated her as a bargaining chip, a commodity.

His kindness to her was merely a facade, intended only to keep Su Qing stable.

Su Qing looked at her, smiled faintly, and then patted her head, saying, "Then it's settled! As for when to hold it, we'll just pick an auspicious year and day."

Ao Ying had no objections.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Leng Xiang's heart stirred slightly upon hearing these words.

She felt that she, too, needed to be more proactive.

At this moment, in the Li Shan Lao Mu's Hall.

Inside the hall, Taishang Laojun and Li Shan Lao Mu were playing a game of Go.

Lao Mu seemed to sense something. She pinched her fingers in a divination gesture and said, "It seems that girl's Lightning Tribulation has passed. I just don't know; given the current grand trend, if the remaining two calamities will arrive ahead of schedule."

Laojun rubbed the bruise on his eye and carefully placed a piece. "That's unlikely; and even if they do come, it's not a big problem. With that old fellow Bodhi's Tuoshen treasure, as long as she isn't foolish enough to try and tank the remaining two calamities head-on, avoiding them won't be difficult."

"Let's hope so! But you're right. That old fellow leaving that item with her can indeed help her avoid the remaining two calamities; it counts as a safety net, I suppose." Lao Mu nodded, wiped the blood from her knuckles, and then placed a piece.

"Hehe, that old fellow has always been like that. But don't just talk about other people's disciples. What about your own? She seems to have been quite restless lately, hasn't she? Don't you plan to do something? With her current realm, even with your help, I'm afraid it will be hard for her to survive a thousand years when the Great Calamity arrives."

"Yes, so I plan to tell her about the Great Calamity as well." Lao Mu sighed helplessly. "As long as she understands the stakes, she surely won't be like she is now, right? That girl may be a bit of a demon, but she is smart."

"Actually, you should have told her long ago."

"Wasn't I worried that if she knew these things, she would give up on her cultivation instead?"

"You weren't worried about her; you just had your own reservations." Laojun seemed to see right through Lao Mu and said with a chuckle, "You've always been one to worry about everything from start to finish. Why not learn from me? Be a bit more free-spirited."

"Learn from you? Hah!"

"???"