Chen Chaoyan didn't need to use spells to deal with a few petty bandits.
Simply relying on her physical skills was enough to subdue them.
Chen Chaoyan wasn't an inflexible person. She knew that some people couldn't be reformed through reason alone; when it was time to act, she acted without hesitation.
Of course, she didn't kill them outright.
After all, she was still a monastic, and taking a life was forbidden regardless of the circumstances.
She merely taught them a lesson and tied them up, beating some sense into them until they were ready to listen.
Su Qing heard the commotion outside gradually die down and knew the matter had concluded.
She led the little girl out of the house.
"See? Didn't I say she would be fine?" Su Qing said, rubbing the little girl's head.
Seeing the scene, the little girl’s mouth hung open, clearly shocked beyond measure.
She had thought they were just saying things to reassure her, never imagining...
Looking at the girl's astonished face, Su Qing gave a faint smile, then walked over to Chaoyan and asked, "How do you plan to handle these fellows?"
"I'll reason with them first, then ask the old gentleman to take them to the local authorities tomorrow," Chaoyan replied after a moment's thought.
Letting them go was out of the question.
If they were released, they would surely return to their life of banditry. Thus, reasoning alone wasn't enough; they had to be handed over to the law.
Su Qing nodded at this decision. It was indeed a good choice.
As for whether the authorities would be harsh or lenient, Su Qing didn't know their past and couldn't judge. She could only hope the government would provide a fair punishment.
That night, Chaoyan did not sleep.
Instead, she spent the entire night earnestly reasoning with the bandits and chanting sutras for them.
The bandits listened with exceptional focus that night—even more focus than when they were counting stolen money.
They had no choice.
The nun before them hit far too hard.
If they didn't listen, they would likely get another beating. So, how could they not be focused?
In truth, it wasn't that Chaoyan's logic was particularly moving; it was simply that her fists were very hard.
Chaoyan didn't care, though.
As long as these people could take her words to heart, it was enough.
Whether they would truly repent after hearing her logic, Chaoyan didn't know, nor did she care.
Regardless of their repentance, they were destined for a cell in the magistrate's office.
Time passed quickly.
In the blink of an eye, dawn arrived.
Once the sun was up, Su Qing and the others prepared to set off once more.
Before leaving, Su Qing expressed her sincere gratitude to the old man.
The old man’s family were truly good people, as evidenced by the previous night.
For the sake of their safety, he had been willing to face the bandits himself. Although the bandits couldn't have actually harmed them, the sentiment was worthy of thanks.
"Ah, this old man did nothing but stall for a bit of time," the old man said, shaking his head.
Su Qing shook her head and spoke a few more words of thanks before adding, "By the way, old gentleman, I must trouble you to deliver these bandits to the authorities."
"That is a small matter, leave it to me," the old man agreed without hesitation.
Though it was a chore, he understood that the bandits could not be released. That would be no different from releasing a tiger back to the mountain.
In fact, it was more dangerous than that. A tiger might not hold a grudge, but these bandits certainly would.
"I appreciate your help," Su Qing nodded slightly, cupping her hands in thanks. "Then, we shall take our leave."
Yudie and Chaoyan also thanked him and bid their farewells.
"Farewell. Safe travels to you all," the old man replied with a polite bow.
After the farewells, Su Qing’s group set off again, heading toward the West.
They traveled for several days.
As they walked, the sound of rushing water echoed from the distance.
Su Qing looked up, but through the dense forest, she couldn't see anything specific. However, she knew exactly where they were.
"Ahead is Eagle Sorrow Gorge at Shepan Mountain. I remember there's a waterfall there. Let's go take a look!" Su Qing said to Chaoyan.
Since they were heading west anyway, stopping by to see the landmarks was part of her plan. Thus, she naturally had to visit Eagle Sorrow Gorge.
Chaoyan craned her neck to look into the distance, but the trees were too thick; she could only hear the water and see no waterfall. She nodded and said, "Whatever Godmother decides!"
Chen Chaoyan didn't have any strong opinions on the route. As long as she followed her godmother, she certainly wouldn't get lost.
Su Qing nodded and rode her horse toward Eagle Sorrow Gorge.
Before long, they arrived.
The gorge was exceptionally grand. Su Qing couldn't help but dismount to admire the magnificent waterfall.
Truly:
Thin cold veins pierce through the clouds,
Clear waves reflect the sun’s crimson glow.
The sound shakes the valley under night rain,
Colors of dawn dazzle the vast sky.
Jade-like spray erupts from thousand-foot waves,
The roar of the wind echoes in the deep pool.
Flowing into ten thousand acres of misty waves,
Gulls and herons forget themselves by the fishing spot.
Having lived in Chang'an City for years, Chaoyan was seeing such a spectacular sight for the first time. She couldn't help but exclaim, "What a magnificent waterfall! This Eagle Sorrow Gorge is truly beautiful."
Yudie didn't find the scenery particularly grand; in her eyes, her home at Heaven Lake was more beautiful. Su Qing, however, nodded and said, "If it weren't beautiful, why would I make a special trip to see it?"
She had seen many sights, but she still couldn't help but stop for beautiful scenery.
However, Su Qing was curious whether the White Dragon was already in Eagle Sorrow Gorge, or if he would arrive later.
Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly felt something surging out from within the gorge.
Su Qing’s brow twitched as she shifted her gaze.
A dragon suddenly burst from the stream. The dragon was covered in white scales with two horns on its head, appearing fierce. It churned the waves and lunged from the cliffs, snapping its jaws toward the white horse beside Su Qing.
Seeing this, Su Qing’s lip curled slightly.
She thought to herself, "Oh dear, he's mistaken us."
Su Qing knew that the White Dragon had likely already received the decree from Guanyin Bodhisattva to wait here for the pilgrim, swallow the white horse, and then follow the pilgrim to the West to seek the scriptures.
But the current situation was different from the original story.
In the original, there was only one pilgrim, Tang Sanzang. Now, Tang Sanzang hadn't even set out yet, and Su Qing’s group had arrived ahead of him.
This White Dragon probably hadn't figured out the situation and assumed the pilgrim had arrived early, so he simply moved in for the kill.
"Should I step in?" Su Qing hesitated.
She wanted Little Chaoyan to deal with the White Dragon as a bit of training, but if the girl's reaction was too slow, the white horse would be in trouble.
More annoyingly, since the White Dragon had made a mistake, she would have to deal with the fallout.
While she was thinking, Chaoyan and Yudie had already spotted the dragon.
Seeing the dragon attack, the two assumed its target was Su Qing. They immediately lunged toward the White Dragon to engage him.
Chaoyan’s bottom line was nothing other than Su Qing and her master. How could she tolerate someone trying to harm her godmother?
As for Yudie, it went without saying. She was by Su Qing’s side specifically to protect her.
Though in reality, Su Qing didn't need it, since Su Qing found it inconvenient to act, Yudie had to step up.
As for revealing her strength, Yudie never cared. She hadn't intended to hide her power; she just hadn't had the chance to use it.
The two women attacked together, giving the White Dragon a real fright.
He hadn't expected the pilgrim to have already taken two 'disciples,' and that their strength wouldn't be weak at all.
"No, I can't miss this chance to atone for my crimes!" The White Dragon gritted his teeth and began to tangle with the two women.
For a time, Buddhist light and sword light flashed continuously over Eagle Sorrow Gorge as they fought the White Dragon back and forth.
The White Dragon’s strength was actually quite formidable, but he didn't dare to go all out, fearing that if he injured the 'pilgrim’s' disciples, he would cause an even greater blunder.
His goal was merely to eat the white horse to fulfill his agreement with Guanyin Bodhisattva.
In this battle, the White Dragon fought with frustration, while Chaoyan and Yudie fought with increasing vigor.
Yudie’s strength was obvious, and Chaoyan was not weak either.
By the side of the gorge, Su Qing looked up at the flickering figures in the air, her lip twitching.
She thought wordlessly, "It seems the misunderstanding has grown even larger. Oh well, the White Dragon won't be killed by Yudie and Chaoyan, and he seems to be holding back. I'll just watch the show for now."
Su Qing wasn't entirely sure of Chaoyan’s actual combat capabilities. Watching her fight the White Dragon would allow her to gauge what level of combat she could entrust to the girl in the future.
The battle continued for a while, but not for long.
The White Dragon forced Chaoyan and Yudie back, then lunged once more toward Su Qing and the white horse.
Seeing this, Chaoyan was frantic with worry. Yudie was also concerned—not for her mother’s safety, but that her mother might be forced to reveal her true power.
However, both their worries were unnecessary.
Su Qing remained unfazed as the White Dragon approached. She simply gave a faint smile and released a tiny sliver of her aura specifically toward the dragon.
Although the White Dragon wasn't very familiar with this aura, he instantly realized the identity of the person before him.
This person’s identity was far too prominent. As long as one wasn't a fool, anyone who felt that aura would recognize her.
In an instant, a thousand thoughts raced through the White Dragon’s mind.
In a split second, the White Dragon, who had been lunging at Su Qing with claws and teeth bared, transformed into an elegant young gentleman and slid into a kneel before her.
"This junior, Ao Lie, greets Senior Su," the White Dragon said hurriedly. "I did not know it was you, Senior. I have offended you; please forgive me."
Su Qing’s brow rose, and she sent a silent transmission: "Do not reveal my identity or my strength."
Hearing the transmission, the White Dragon was stunned for a moment but immediately nodded, not daring to refuse in the slightest.
He had already accidentally offended her once. if he provoked her again, who knew if his dragon hide and tendons would be stripped to make clothes? And even if they were, he wouldn't dare complain.
After all, even the East Sea Dragon King didn't dare provoke this woman and treated her as an honored guest.
In the air, Yudie wasn't surprised. She knew her mother's strength and identity. Chaoyan, however, was completely dazed.
How did the White Dragon, who had been so fierce and intent on eating her godmother, suddenly drop to his knees before her?
She didn't have time to think. She descended from the clouds and landed beside Su Qing.
Just as she landed, she heard Su Qing ask, "If you aren't cultivating properly in Eagle Sorrow Gorge, why did you rush out to eat my horse?"
Hearing this, the White Dragon naturally didn't dare to be slow. After a brief thought, he replied:
"I was simply hungry. Seeing the white horse was sturdy, I wanted to catch it for a meal. I didn't realize it belonged to Senior Su... Thus, I accidentally offended you. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."
On the surface, the White Dragon said this, but privately, he explained the real reason to Su Qing via transmission.
As expected, he had simply made a mistake.
"My strength is meager, and I failed to recognize Senior... I thought the pilgrim mentioned by Senior Guanyin had arrived, so I wanted to..." the White Dragon said. "I just didn't expect the horse to be yours."
Su Qing shook her head helplessly and transmitted back: "Fine, I won't blame you this time. However, think more carefully before you act next time. It won't be good if you make another mistake."
After the transmission, Su Qing spoke aloud, "So that's how it is... Fine, don't do this again. If you eat something that belongs to someone else, isn't that just stealing?"
"Senior is right to scold me... I will surely keep this in mind and mend my ways."
"Good. To recognize one's faults and change is the greatest virtue. Since my horse is still here, I won't blame you... You may rise."
"Thank you for your magnanimity, Senior." The White Dragon let out a long sigh of relief.
He was truly terrified. If he had actually angered Su Qing, he would have been in deep trouble.
Beside them, Chaoyan saw they were finished speaking and couldn't help but ask, "Godmother... this white dragon knows you?"
Su Qing smiled and nodded, making up a story on the spot. "I am an old acquaintance of his father. We haven't met in a long time, so he didn't recognize me at first. This child is a bit mischievous, but his heart isn't bad."
Chaoyan looked at Su Qing, then at the White Dragon. Seeing him nod, she stopped asking questions. Though she still had doubts, she just assumed Su Qing simply had many friends.
"Does Godmother have many demon friends?"
"Um... I'm not a demon, I'm a dragon," the White Dragon corrected her quickly.
Su Qing shot him a glance, and he immediately shut his mouth.
Su Qing said, "Before I settled in Chang'an, I traveled the mortal world for a long time. Naturally, I met many friends."
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