The Invitation

Beneath the Five Elements Mountain.

Su Qing and Wukong spent some time catching up.

They chatted about various events from the past, including her own ordeal with the Three Calamities.

Hearing about the Three Calamities, Wukong couldn't help but sigh with emotion, while also feeling a touch of concern about whether he could safely navigate his own.

To this, Su Qing naturally offered words of comfort, telling him not to worry.

After all, since his destiny was still fixed, it was highly unlikely he would die before fulfilling it.

Of course, she had to phrase it a bit differently.

One must put a little effort into their deceptions, shouldn't they?

The two of them chatted for quite a while.

Seeing that it was about time, Su Qing prepared to take her leave.

"By the way, I heard from Guanyin Bodhisattva that in a few hundred years, you might encounter a stroke of fortune. There might even be a chance for you to be freed."

As she was leaving, Su Qing mentioned it casually.

These words were, of course, a subtle reference to the pilgrimage for scriptures.

However, Su Qing did not state it explicitly.

She subconsciously let it slip in a way that felt like a vague prophecy.

She did this to avoid revealing that she possessed knowledge of the future…

Though she didn't know if anyone was eavesdropping, given her current average strength, it was better to keep up appearances.

At the same time, it gave the monkey something to look forward to.

After all, she had once said…

That she would help 'plead his case.'

Even if she was just pulling his leg, she had to provide something tangible to back up her claims!

So, she let slip a hint about the future pilgrimage.

However, Su Qing didn't think the monkey would be able to guess the specifics of the pilgrimage.

And frankly, she didn't care whether he guessed it or not.

Upon hearing this, Wukong felt a surge of joy in his heart and hurriedly asked, "In a few hundred years? Does Big Sister know exactly how many?"

Wukong naturally placed a great deal of trust in Su Qing.

He didn't care if she was being vague.

He simply felt that if Su Qing said it, it was most likely true.

"That, I do not know," Su Qing replied, shaking her head. "Guanyin Bodhisattva did not go into detail on that point…"

Wukong felt a slight pang of disappointment upon hearing this.

However, he didn't blame Su Qing for anything.

He simply said with a chuckle, "No matter, no matter! At least I have a lead now! When Guanyin comes in the future, I'll just ask her myself."

Su Qing nodded and said, "Then I shall head off first. Next time I visit, I'll bring you some fine wine!"

"Good! Good!" the Monkey King said happily.

Seeing this, Su Qing said no more.

She performed a hand seal and then soared away on her Somersault Cloud.

Before long, Su Qing returned to the Changbai Mountains.

Then, life returned to its usual routine.

Cultivating, playing with the birds, relaxing, and practicing her swordplay—the days were peaceful and leisurely.

Occasionally, she would head out to visit the Moon Palace or Li Shan to catch up and share a drink with friends; her life was quite comfortable.

At the same time, Su Qing learned from Chang'e that the Heavenly Court was currently overwhelmed with matters concerning the mortal world and the impending Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth.

Of course, most people didn't know exactly what they were busy with; they were simply following the Jade Emperor's orders and working tirelessly.

Only a small handful of insiders truly understood their positions and were making additional preparations.

In the blink of an eye, another thirty years passed.

Over these years, the owners of the opera house had changed one after another.

Yet, the opera house itself stubbornly remained.

However, unlike the building…

The old troupe leader had passed away.

And Su Qing had not been able to hear her final performance.

Su Qing found this particularly regrettable…

To her, it felt as though only a few months had passed.

But before she knew it, the old troupe leader was gone.

By the time she realized it, it was already too late… there was no longer a chance to hear her sing.

Though she hadn't been able to see her one last time…

Su Qing did go to see her off on her final journey.

She was a good person…

In her next life, she would surely be born into a good family.

This day, Su Qing sat before Chang'e, drinking wine and playing a game of Gomoku while chatting about current events.

"Lately, whenever I've come to find you, Sister Chang'e, you haven't been here. It seems the Heavenly Palace has been quite busy recently?" Su Qing said thoughtfully.

Upon hearing this, Chang'e nodded helplessly and said, "Ugh, don't even mention it. I'm constantly running back and forth to the Heavenly Court; it's quite depressing. After all, you know me—I'm a lazy person!"

"But there's no helping it; I have to go when called! The world is in a bit of a mess right now, and the Heavenly Court is short on manpower… You know, there's an even more important matter at hand."

Su Qing gave a helpless smile and said, "You're right about that… but it seems the priority of that matter in the Heavenly Court is far higher than anything else."

"Who can blame them when it concerns the very survival of the Heavenly Court?"

Chang'e chuckled, appearing not the least bit worried or afraid of the coming Great Tribulation.

She almost seemed entirely indifferent…

Although Su Qing had long known of her attitude, she still couldn't help but feel that Chang'e was somewhat unconcerned about matters of life and death.

Well, Su Qing herself shared a similar attitude.

She didn't have many thoughts regarding the Great Tribulation…

If it could be weathered, that would be for the best.

If not, then she would simply enjoy the present and live her life to the fullest…

However, in the present moment where she had no clear plan, her choice was naturally to live well with those around her.

And then, perhaps, slowly search for a way to survive the calamity?

Or simply ride the coattails of the Heavenly Court.

In any case, she was currently an official of the Heavenly Court herself.

"What you say is true… it's just a pity for those ordinary mortals."

Su Qing took a sip of wine and said, "Come to think of it, I suppose I'm not really in a position to criticize the Heavenly Court… after all, I only look after my own little corner of the world."

Chang'e smiled faintly and said nonchalantly, "The Heavenly Court and such—you can scold them as you please. Whether your criticisms are right or wrong doesn't really matter; plenty of people scold them anyway."

Su Qing rolled her eyes. Even if others didn't care, she did.

However, she didn't feel like arguing with Chang'e; it wouldn't serve any practical purpose.

Instead, she said, "By the way, there's another reason I came today."

"Oh? Let's hear it?" Chang'e asked curiously.

Su Qing nodded and said, "I plan to… get married in a few days."

Hearing this, Chang'e blinked her eyes, her expression one of utter disbelief.

How should she put it?

She had never imagined she would hear such words from Su Qing.

Nor had she ever thought this girl would actually want to get married.

It was a strange feeling, and at the same time, hard to believe.

She asked, "To whom?"

Su Qing rubbed her chin, and after a moment of silence, she said, "There are a few of them."

"Huh?" Chang'e was no longer calm.

What did she mean by 'a few'?

Just how many people was this girl planning to marry?

Hey!

This was way too strange!

"Pfft! Although I'm getting married, I don't think my life will change all that much afterward," Su Qing said with a shrug. "Mainly, I just don't want to leave any regrets!"

"Your way of not leaving regrets is certainly unique," Chang'e said, rolling her eyes.

Su Qing said with a smile, "It's not just about me not having regrets! It's also so that the others won't have any."

"Is that so? What a strange explanation." Chang'e leaned her head on her hand, choosing to accept this startling news. "But who are they? By the way, do you really love them?"

"Well! Doesn't Sister Chang'e already know? Leng Xiang, Ao Ying, and Bai Li," Su Qing counted on her fingers, smiling.

Chang'e instinctively shot the girl a look and said, "They're all people close to you! No wonder…"

As she spoke, she suddenly stood up. Leaning one hand on the game board, she used the other to tilt Su Qing's chin up and said, "Tell me, after you marry them, how about I marry you too? Wouldn't that be interesting?"

Chang'e's words made Su Qing burst into laughter. She said playfully, "What on earth is going on in your head, Sister Chang'e? That's obviously not going to work! But if you really want to marry me, Sister, I'd naturally be happy to have you."

These were, of course, just jokes.

After all, while Chang'e could be a bit wild, it was mostly in the spirit of mischief.

Su Qing knew very well that their relationship was more like the mutual appreciation of close friends.

Chang'e looked at Su Qing and reached out to poke her forehead, saying, "You certainly have a vivid imagination! I am the Mistress of the Moon Palace—at least nominally. How could I possibly marry a little slip of a girl like you?"

How could Chang'e not hear the joking tone in Su Qing's voice?

She had lived for so many years.

How could she be a simple person?

Even a fool would have become a shrewd veteran after tens of thousands of years.

Of course, those who merely pretended to be innocent were another matter entirely.

Chang'e withdrew her hand, picked up her wine cup, and said with a chuckle, "Alright, enough idle chatter. You didn't tell me this just to talk about boring things, did you?"

"Yes, I intend to invite you, Sister Chang'e, to come over for the wedding feast," Su Qing nodded and said. "Although the wedding ceremony will be kept simple, there must be a banquet regardless."

Su Qing's idea was actually quite simple…

She didn't plan on inviting too many people.

She only intended to invite a few friends and close relatives.

It would be a simple ceremony.

Upon hearing this, Chang'e nodded slightly and said, "Ah, I see. Tell me the date, and I will certainly attend! After all, watching you get married sounds like it will be quite entertaining."

"But actually, I'm curious—why didn't you just send me an invitation? Why come and tell me in person?"

Hearing this, Su Qing replied with a smile, "Because you're Sister Chang'e! You deserve special treatment, of course."

"Heh, if I didn't know what kind of person you were, I might actually believe that," Chang'e remarked, casually poking fun at the grinning girl.

Su Qing didn't feel the least bit embarrassed; she just said with a smile, "Oh, come on! It's a way to add a sense of occasion! Besides, who said I didn't prepare an invitation?"

As Su Qing spoke, she handed over an invitation.

The invitation was quite plain and unadorned, looking nothing like something an immortal would use.

Yet, it was unexpectedly fitting for Su Qing's character.

Chang'e took the invitation and nodded slightly, saying, "Then I shall accept it! Sigh, I really never thought you would be getting married, and to several girls at once! It seems this Palace Mistress is getting old. I can't even pick up little sisters anymore."

Su Qing teased, "Sister Chang'e, you're such a homebody; aside from Yuer, it seems you really can't pick up anyone else, can you? By the way, the way you said that makes you sound like a real player, Sister."

"You're one to talk! You shameless girl," Chang'e said, speechless, as she glanced at the brazen girl.

"Alright, alright! Who says I'm shameless? I care very much about my reputation!"

At this, Chang'e chuckled and poured her a cup of wine to shut her up.

"I say, I hope you can maintain this shameless nature of yours in the future."

"I told you, I care about my reputation."

"Tsk, who did you learn this stubbornness from?"

"From the sparrows at my place."

Chang'e rolled her eyes and said, "Alright, alright, let's stop talking about these random things. Let's talk about something else!"

Su Qing naturally had no objection.

In any case, the invitation had been delivered.

All that remained was to wait for the day to arrive.

When Su Qing and Chang'e were together, they mostly just chatted and goofed around.

While they would occasionally discuss cultivation, their time together was primarily for relaxation.

Su Qing didn't want her rest to become work.

Time passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, the sky had begun to dim.

It was time for Su Qing to bid Chang'e farewell.

Leaving the Moon Palace, Su Qing stopped by the Five Elements Mountain to tell the monkey about her news.

Even though the monkey couldn't attend the banquet, she still felt she should tell him…

As for what he thought, that was another matter entirely.

"Big Sister is getting married? Then I must congratulate you! It's a pity I can't come, otherwise, I would surely have given you a grand gift."

Wukong said with a chuckle, "Eh, speaking of grand gifts, I originally planned to bring Big Sister some Golden Elixirs and Immortal Peaches. Who would have thought that Laojun's Eight Trigrams Furnace was so fierce? It burned everything I had to a crisp. If my Golden-Hooped Rod hadn't been so heat-resistant, I'm afraid even it would have needed to be reforged."

As Wukong spoke, he couldn't help but reminisce about the past.

One could tell that the monkey still didn't regret his past actions in the slightest.

This was both a good and a bad thing.

Su Qing didn't feel like saying much, only remarking, "If they're gone, they're gone. It's no big deal."

Wukong scratched his head and said, "Now that I think about it, I seem to remember hiding a few jars of fine brew from the time of the Peaches of Immortality Banquet in my Water Curtain Cave. I wonder if that Erlang Shen confiscated them."

"Big Sister, why don't you go take a look? If they're still there, consider them a gift from Old Sun. After all, even though I can't make it to the wedding feast, I can't miss out on the congratulations."

Su Qing was slightly surprised to hear this.

She then nodded and said, "Alright! Thank you then."

"Hehe, don't be so quick to thank me, Big Sister. After all, I don't even know if the wine is still there!" Wukong said, scratching his head with a silly grin.