The Small Courtyard in the Wilderness

Sha Wujing was naturally beyond disappointed by Su Qing's answer.

He had been waiting here for a long time, and he had no idea when he would finally be able to leave. That was why he wanted to know about the future as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, Su Qing was just like Guanyin Bodhisattva, telling him only to wait.

However, disappointment was just that. Sha Wujing didn't dare complain much... After all, the person before him was far beyond his reach in terms of both status and strength. Making her unhappy would only bring more harm than good.

Thus, he could only reply via telepathy, "Very well. Since you cannot tell me, Immortal, I shall continue to wait here!"

Su Qing replied indifferently through telepathy, "Don't worry. Since Guanyin said the pilgrim would come, they will certainly come. Just wait patiently."

Hearing this, Sha Wujing didn't dare say anything more and simply sent a message of thanks. Then, he scratched his head and spoke aloud to Chen Chaoyan.

"So it turns out the Great Master is the pilgrim traveling to the west... Please excuse my lack of respect. I offended you earlier; please forgive me."

Chaoyan didn't mind much. She simply shook her head and said, "Amitabha. It is no matter, merely a misunderstanding. I am just curious—does Benefactor Sha know my godmother?"

Sha Wujing froze for a moment upon hearing this, then said, "Of course I do. Immortal Su has a special status and is quite famous among us. Even small figures like myself recognize her."

Sha Wujing had intended to tell the truth, but remembering that Su Qing wanted to hide her true identity, he only spoke vaguely.

"Godmother is very famous?" Chaoyan asked, even more confused.

"Naturally... Immortal Su has helped many people!"

As he spoke, cold sweat suddenly broke out on Sha Wujing's forehead. Although his indigo complexion already looked sickly, he seemed even worse now. He hurriedly added, "How could such a great philanthropist not be famous?"

Chaoyan looked at him suspiciously and said, "So that's how it is... but why are you covered in sweat?"

Sha Wujing scratched his head and said, "I am a water monster. Being above the surface for too long has made me a bit short of breath."

Chaoyan nodded. Although she still had doubts, she didn't press further. "I see. Then you shouldn't stay above the water for too long."

"Thank you for your concern, Great Master..."

Sha Wujing breathed a sigh of relief and then said, "Speaking of which, since the Great Master wishes to travel west for the scriptures, you must cross this Flowing Sands River. This river is incredibly turbulent; ordinary boats cannot float on it—even a goose feather would sink. Why don't I... send you across?"

Sha Wujing's words made Chaoyan hesitate for a moment, and she turned her gaze toward Su Qing.

There was no helping it. Although she was the pilgrim in name, she was used to letting her elders make the decisions. It was like traveling with your mother; you usually just listened to her...

Seeing the girl look at her, Su Qing smiled helplessly and nodded.

Seeing this, Chaoyan no longer hesitated. "In that case, I shall trouble you."

"It's no trouble at all. Consider it my apology," the Sand Monk said quickly, not daring to take any credit.

In truth... the Sand Monk didn't have a way to ferry them across the Flowing Sands River either. After all, this water was three thousand miles of Weak Water. The simplest way to cross was to fly. The reason he offered despite having no method was, naturally, Su Qing's arrangement.

As for why Su Qing wanted to put on this act... the Sand Monk didn't know and didn't care to ask. He only needed to follow Su Qing's instructions, and that was enough. He had almost said the wrong thing earlier; if he messed up again, it would be a disaster.

Sha Wujing had once been the Great Marshal of the Golden Curtain, so he had some understanding of Su Qing's identity. This made him even more fearful... even if he couldn't see exactly who stood behind her.

To the side, Su Qing glanced at the Sand Monk, smiled faintly, and said, "Then we shall trouble you."

"No trouble, no trouble! Please wait a moment, I'll be right back," the Sand Monk said before leaping back into the water. It was unclear what he went to do.

Su Qing watched him leave, then turned to Chaoyan. "It seems we won't have to find our own way across the Flowing Sands River."

Chaoyan looked at Su Qing and said, "More than that, I'm even more surprised by your affairs, Godmother."

"My affairs? What is there to be surprised about?"

"I feel like you had many legendary experiences before coming to Chang'an."

"They weren't legends, I just wandered around the mortal world... met some friends and helped some people," Su Qing said with a smile, shaking her head. "But I must say, I am a bit proud. I didn't expect those old deeds to bring me some convenience today."

Chaoyan nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps this is the benefit of doing good deeds. Since Godmother has done good all her life, people naturally respect you. I really hope you can tell me about your past journeys in the future."

Seeing that Chaoyan no longer doubted her, Su Qing smiled and nodded. "Very well. If there is a chance in the future, I will tell you more."

Chaoyan nodded and said no more.

Beside them, Yudie watched the surging waves and sighed inwardly. Her mother really loved tricking people. She wondered how long this charade could last... and if it could be maintained for the entire journey.

'Poor Sister Chaoyan~' Yudie thought.

A short while later, Sha Wujing emerged from the water. He was no longer sweating. He brought up a large stone tablet and said, "Everyone, please step on! I will send you across."

Su Qing and the others jumped onto the tablet. Su Qing casually formed a hand seal and threw a talisman onto the stone to ensure it could steadily carry them across the river.

The crossing was quite smooth. Although Sha Wujing wasn't exceptionally powerful, he was a great demon of the Flowing Sands River, so no lesser demons came to harass them. As for the river's unique properties, with Su Qing's help, it was no trouble at all.

Before long, the group successfully crossed the eight-hundred-mile Flowing Sands River. After seeing them off, the Sand Monk breathed a massive sigh of relief. He quickly sank back into the water to wait quietly, terrified that Su Qing might come back to talk to him again.

After crossing the river, Su Qing and the others continued toward the Western Heaven. Time passed quickly as they traveled through the wilderness. Before they knew it, early autumn had arrived.

Maple leaves turned the mountains red, and yellow flowers withstood the evening breeze. The old cicadas grew lazy in their song, while the sorrowful crickets chirped endlessly. The lotus leaves were like broken green silk fans, and the scent of oranges followed like golden pellets. A few rows of wild geese dotted the distant sky.

As they walked, the sky grew dark. Yudie looked at the geese in the twilight and said gloomily, "I wonder if there are any houses nearby... otherwise, we'll have to sleep outdoors again tonight."

Chaoyan smiled faintly. After many days of eating in the wind and sleeping by the water, lying under the moon and sleeping in the frost, she had long grown used to such a frugal life. However, even if she was used to it, she didn't want her godmother and sister to suffer with her.

She said, "Let's walk a bit further. If there's a house, we'll ask to stay the night. If not, we'll just have to camp out."

Yudie nodded. "I guess that's all we can do. Sigh, I thought the journey west wouldn't take long, but we've been walking for so long and still haven't reached the Western Heaven."

"Walking is naturally not as fast as flying," Chaoyan said with a smile. "I've made things difficult for Sister and Godmother."

Su Qing shook her head. "It's not difficult... this journey is quite relaxing for me. With you and Yudie here, I haven't even had to lift a finger. How could it be considered hard?"

Chaoyan laughed. "Let's keep walking. Maybe we really will find someone ahead."

Su Qing nodded and said no more. Over the course of the journey, she could see that the girl's character had become much steadier. It seemed she was growing. On the other hand, Yudie... well, she was still the same as ever.

The three of them walked on and soon entered a cypress forest. Looking around, they saw smoke rising from beyond the trees. They stepped out of the woods and saw several buildings. They were quite grand, clearly the residence of a wealthy family.

"Mother, why don't we stay there for the night?" Yudie said, looking at the houses.

Su Qing looked up at the scenery and thought to herself, 'Why would there be a house in a place like this? And such a luxurious one at that. It doesn't belong here. Logically, this should all be wilderness.'

After a brief thought, Su Qing nodded. She wanted to see which "sacred being" was playing tricks. With her there, protecting Chaoyan secretly wouldn't be difficult.

They walked to the gate of the residence. The gatehouse was magnificent, with hanging lotus and elephant-trunk carvings, and painted rafters—it was extremely opulent. Su Qing looked at it and raised an eyebrow.

Yudie and Chaoyan didn't think much of it and simply knocked on the door. Su Qing smiled faintly and glanced at Chaoyan. She felt that while Chaoyan had grown, it wasn't by much... there was still room for improvement. She hadn't even noticed such a strange place.

However, Su Qing said nothing and waited for someone to open the door.

Before long, footsteps sounded from inside. A middle-aged woman opened the door and asked in a delicate voice, "Who is it that dares to intrude upon a widow's door?"

Although the woman was middle-aged, she was still quite beautiful; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was still charming. Hearing the voice and seeing the person, the corners of Su Qing's mouth curled up slightly. She had a good idea of who this was.

Su Qing couldn't see through the person's identity completely, but she had some guesses based on the circumstances. Although she still had doubts, she could ask directly later; it wasn't a problem.

Chaoyan approached with her staff and said, "I am a traveling monk from the Eastern Land of Great Tang, heading to the Western Heaven for scriptures by my master's command. We are passing through your esteemed land and, seeing that it is late, we wish to stay for the night."

The woman looked them over and said, "So it's a group of nuns... very well, come inside."

Chaoyan thanked her and followed the woman into the house. On the way, seeing the silence, Chaoyan tried to strike up a conversation. "Benefactor, what is your name? And what is this place called?"

The woman answered straightforwardly, "This is the land of Xi He Niu Zhou Aparagodaniya. My maiden name is Jia, and my husband's name was Mo. I was unfortunate in my youth; my parents-in-law died early. My husband and I inherited the ancestral property—ten thousand strings of cash and ten thousand acres of fertile land. We lived in harmony for years and had two sons and a daughter. Unfortunately, perhaps I was born under a lonely star, for my husband fell ill and died a few years ago, leaving us mother and children to depend on each other..."

Hearing this, Chaoyan sighed softly. "Amitabha. I am sorry to have made you bring up such sad memories."

"It's no matter. It's not your fault, Master; I brought it up myself," the woman said, shaking her head. "I've long accepted my husband's death. Now, the only thing I can't let go of is my children."

Chaoyan nodded. Then she heard the woman say, "Speaking of which... are you three married? My children are not yet wed, and they have just finished their period of mourning. I was just looking for wives for my sons and a husband for my daughter."

Chaoyan shook her head. "I am a monastic..."

Su Qing, though slightly confused as to why the three daughters had become two sons and one daughter, suppressed a laugh and said, "I am already married. Although my husband died long ago, I already have a daughter."

The woman saw her suppressing a laugh and knew she had likely seen through her identity. She shot Su Qing a glare and said, "That is no matter..."

Su Qing's lips twitched slightly. Beside her, Yudie smiled and said, "I'm not married, but I don't like men."

The woman continued, "It's no matter. Since you are either unmarried or widowed, why not marry my sons or wed my daughter?"

Chaoyan said, "Benefactor, I am a monastic and I carry a heavy mission from my master. Please allow me to refuse."

Su Qing smiled faintly and said, "Count me out. I still have to go to the Western Heaven!"

Seeing that Su Qing didn't agree, Yudie said with a smile, "I'm going wherever my mother goes."

The woman rolled her eyes and said, "The road to the west is long and filled with monsters and trouble. Why bother? Isn't it better to stay here as a wife or husband? My family might not be the richest, but we have ten thousand acres of land. If you stay and become part of my family, you will have a lifetime of wealth and glory. Why go to the Western Heaven where there's nothing to be gained?"

Su Qing remained silent, but sent a telepathic message: "Senior Guanyin... if you want to test your disciple, don't include me in it."