Jingyue remained silent for a moment after hearing Zhenyuanzi's words. Then, she bowed respectfully to her master and said, "I understand... Even though I am leaving now, I will come back to visit you in the future. I will never forget the kindness you have shown in teaching me all these years."
Hearing this, Zhenyuanzi simply stroked his beard and chuckled. "It matters not. I have taught countless disciples. Whether you return to visit isn't that important. As long as you don't forget that you still have me as your master, that is enough. By the way, I didn't call you here just to tell you that. Since you are leaving, your master shall give you some parting gifts."
Jingyue was stunned for a moment, wondering what kind of parting gifts her master intended to give her.
Before she could ask, Zhenyuanzi continued, "The world is not at peace. Although you are following your sister and should be generally safe, it is absolutely unacceptable to be without any protective dharma treasures. I do not wish to hear news one day that my disciple was killed out in the world."
As he spoke, Zhenyuanzi flipped his palm, and several dharma treasures appeared in his hand.
He pointed to a bracelet and said, "This item is called the Crane's Return Bracelet. It is a life-saving treasure. When you are in danger, simply throw the silver bracelet, and you will be able to escape."
Next, he pointed to a strange hairpin. "And this is called the Purple Gold Coiling Dragon Double-Edged Spear. This spear can grow or shrink, and its form is not limited to that of a spear... It can turn into a staff, a sword, or even a purple-gold dragon. Normally, you can wear it as a hairpin. When you need it, just recite the incantation, and it will transform into a long spear for battle. It happens to suit the spear techniques you usually practice."
"And this... this is called the Long Dream Bell. Its use is difficult for me to describe to you. In short, just take it... When the time comes to use it in the future, the Long Dream Bell will naturally prove its worth."
It was hard to say how Zhenyuanzi treated others, but toward his own disciples, he was incredibly generous.
These treasures were not mere trinkets; they were all rare dharma treasures. In the hands of an ordinary cultivator, they would be considered family heirlooms. This showed just how precious they were.
Even in Su Qing's hands, they would be considered excellent treasures. Compared to the items in Chen Chaoyan's possession, they were far superior.
Jingyue stared at the treasures her master handed over, slightly dazed. She had no intention of refusing the parting gifts; if she didn't accept them, she would likely be lectured for a long time. Moreover, she truly did need some treasures for protection.
She paused, then bowed respectfully. After thanking her master properly, she accepted the treasures.
"Keep these items safe... However, while these treasures can greatly enhance your combat power, if you encounter an enemy you cannot handle in the future, do not forget that Wuzhuang Temple is always your steadfast support."
Zhenyuanzi looked at his disciple and said calmly, "Alright, there is nothing else now, and it is getting late. Go and get some proper rest! When your sister sets out later, you shall go with her."
Liu Jingyue nodded silently, bowed to her master once more in thanks, and finally turned to leave.
Watching her depart, Zhenyuanzi sighed softly and murmured to himself with a hint of emotion, "Ah, how time flies. The little monkey from back then is now leaving too?"
Thinking of this, Zhenyuanzi couldn't help but feel a bit of reluctance. Although he had seen off countless disciples over the years, his heart was still made of flesh and blood. How could he truly be indifferent to a disciple he had taught for hundreds of years leaving?
After a long while, Zhenyuanzi shook his head and turned to go to rest himself.
The next morning, at dawn, Su Qing and the others were eating breakfast in the Daoist temple. The temple's breakfast was light to begin with, and because a nun had arrived, it was even simpler. Fortunately, Su Qing and the others had no specific demands regarding food; they always ate whatever was served. Thus, even if it was light, it wasn't a bad thing. Besides, the taste was actually quite good.
However, while Su Qing was eating, she glanced around and noticed that Jingyue was missing. She couldn't help but feel curious. "Huh? Does that girl sleep in? I don't see her at breakfast."
Just as Su Qing was wondering, Jingyue walked in right on time. She scanned the room and quickly found Su Qing among the crowd.
Seeing Su Qing, Jingyue smiled and walked over to her side. She asked, "By the way, sister, are you leaving today? Won't you stay for a few more days?"
Su Qing nodded and said, "Yes. We have already troubled the temple for a day; it wouldn't be right to stay longer. Besides, Chaoyan, Yudie, and I still need to go on the pilgrimage to the Western Heaven, so we must set out today."
As she spoke, Su Qing seemed to understand what Jingyue was thinking and the intent behind her question. She gave a wry smile and said, "It is indeed a pity that we haven't seen each other in so many years, only to meet for a single day before parting. But after we obtain the scriptures, I will be free. I will definitely come to find you often! I didn't come to see you before because I didn't know you were here at Wuzhuang Temple. Now that I know, I naturally won't forget to visit."
Hearing this, Jingyue wasn't surprised at all; she had expected as much. She shook her head with a smile and said, "That's not what I meant... I just wanted to ask, can I follow you on the pilgrimage to the Western Heaven?"
"Follow me?" Su Qing was stunned for a moment, then she nodded and said nonchalantly, "I certainly don't mind, but aren't you a Daoist cultivator? If you follow us on a Buddhist pilgrimage, will Senior Zhenyuanzi agree?"
Su Qing had no objection to Jingyue joining them. After all, having one more person on the journey would make it livelier. She also wasn't worried about her secrets being revealed to Chaoyan. When she had reunited with the girl, she had already taken the opportunity to tell her everything via voice transmission.
"Don't worry, sister. I've already spoken to my master about leaving. If he hadn't agreed, I wouldn't have dared to ask you!" Liu Jingyue smiled gracefully and added, "Besides, aren't you also a Daoist cultivator? What does it matter?"
"That's true..." Su Qing looked at Jingyue and said, "Well, since Senior Zhenyuanzi has agreed, I have no reason to refuse you. Then, I welcome you to join us on the pilgrimage. I suppose the road will be even more lively now."
Jingyue hadn't expected Su Qing to refuse, but even so, she beamed with joy upon hearing the answer. She was clearly very happy.
When Yudie heard that Liu Jingyue was joining, she couldn't help but put down her bowl and clap. "Great, great! Now there's another person to talk to on the road."
Seeing the girl's excitement, Su Qing gave her a helpless look. After being glanced at by Su Qing, Yudie immediately behaved herself and stopped shouting at the dining table.
Chaoyan had been watching from the side. She naturally had no objection to Jingyue joining, as she followed Su Qing's lead. Moreover, she also felt that having one more person would make the journey more interesting. If there was any downside to having another person, it was probably that begging for alms might be a bit more troublesome later. After all, it was one more mouth to feed!
Jingyue's joining didn't cause much of a stir. Everyone naturally welcomed their new companion. However, while Su Qing's group didn't react much to Jingyue leaving with them, the people of Wuzhuang Temple were somewhat sad to see her go.
They had known each other for hundreds of years; it would be a lie to say there were no feelings involved. After such a long time, the fellow disciples had become like biological brothers. Therefore, this parting was inevitably difficult for the disciples of Wuzhuang Temple.
Because of this, Su Qing's plan to leave that day was cancelled. They decided to stay one more day so that Jingyue could properly say goodbye to her fellow disciples.
The day passed quickly, and soon it was the next morning. Su Qing woke up early. Jingyue had already said her goodbyes yesterday, so today Su Qing needed to bid farewell to Zhenyuanzi before they left Wuzhuang Temple to continue their journey west.
Su Qing found Zhenyuanzi easily and explained her intention to leave. Seeing this, Zhenyuanzi offered some polite words to stay, but once he saw Su Qing was determined, he stopped insisting.
He only said, "Since you are leaving, little friend, I won't say much more. However... regarding my disciple, she can be a bit slow-witted at times. Please be patient with her in the future. The girl isn't stupid; she's just a bit dazed."
Hearing this, Su Qing's lip twitched slightly, but she didn't argue and simply agreed. "Don't worry, Senior. Jingyue and I are old friends; how could I not know her temperament? I naturally won't be impatient with her."
However, Zhenyuanzi was clearly reluctant to see his disciple go, as he went on to say quite a lot. After a long time, he finally finished. He sighed deeply and said, "Ah, my apologies. I have been rather long-winded. Please forgive me, little friend. I won't say more. Take care on your journey! The road ahead may not be easy, so please be cautious."
Su Qing looked thoughtful but nodded and promised, "Don't worry, Senior. I will keep that in mind."
Finally, Su Qing finished her farewell with Zhenyuanzi. She then gathered Chaoyan, Jingyue, and Yudie, and together they left Wuzhuang Temple.
On the road, Jingyue stayed by Su Qing's side, appearing very cheerful and lively. She smiled and said, "So many years have passed, and now I can finally travel far with you, sister. I'm so happy."
Su Qing smiled faintly and said, "It's good that you're happy! However, we have to walk the rest of the way. Don't go complaining about being tired later."
Jingyue laughed. "Don't worry, sister. How could I complain? You know... I walked many miles back then! I encountered many things on the road! I didn't explain it clearly before, but now that we have time, I'll slowly tell you about those years while we travel."
Su Qing nodded and said, "If you're willing to tell me, I will certainly listen carefully."
Liu Jingyue smiled and followed Su Qing further toward the west. After leaving, the group traveled through desolate lands for a long time. Along the way, they braved the elements and slept under the stars, which was quite exhausting. Additionally, they occasionally encountered demons blocking their path, which added even more difficulty to the already arduous journey.
However, despite the hardships, the group became increasingly familiar with one another. Chaoyan hadn't been close to Jingyue at first and didn't have much to talk about, but after traveling together for so many days, they became close friends who shared everything. Their personalities were somewhat similar—both being quite cheerful—so they naturally got along well.
As for Su Qing and Yudie, there was even less need to mention their bond.
The group continued their journey. Without realizing it, they had returned to a main road. Once on the main road, travel became much easier, and there were more places to seek lodging. Thus, they traveled for several more days, covering hundreds of miles along the thoroughfare.
One day, at noon, Su Qing looked into the distance and suddenly saw a city ahead. She gazed at the city from afar, her brow furrowing slightly as she thought in surprise, "I didn't realize we had already reached Baoxiang Kingdom!"
"What are you looking at, sister?" Beside her, Liu Jingyue noticed Su Qing suddenly stop and stare into the distance, so she couldn't help but ask.
Su Qing smiled and said, "There is a city ahead. Calculating the distance, we have likely reached Baoxiang Kingdom."
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Reborn as a white snake, because the system froze, Bai Li only wanted to stay hidden and lay low until she transformed into a true dragon.
While the myriad races fought for the providence of immortality, she was in secluded cultivation.
While the green snake spent a thousand years outside her cave wooing her, she was in secluded cultivation.
While the Ancestral Dragon came to seek the method of longevity, she was in secluded cultivation.
While a certain chuunibyou girl came to slay the white snake, she was still in secluded cultivation.
Three thousand years later, Bai Li finally outlived almost all her peers and became the only Demon Saint in the world. Just as she was worrying about how to transform into a dragon, her system finally popped up.
[Demon Saint Cultivation System successfully loaded. Now issuing novice task: Please majestically lecture the green snake that has been harrassing you. Reward: Cultivation Method.]
Is it possible that I'm already a Demon Saint?
"System, I've almost cleared the game and you only just show up to issue a novice task? Why don't you just stay late a bit longer!"
I am Bai Li, three thousand years old, and I am Lady White Snake.
To transform into a dragon, I decided to leave my place of seclusion and complete all the tasks issued by this ridiculous system. But...
"Can someone tell me why these women who won't leave me alone keep accusing me of being scum? What kind of grudge do they have against me?!"
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