Scared Witless

Su Qing’s eyebrows twitched slightly when she heard Taishang Laojun’s words.

She was genuinely surprised. After all, given Taishang Laojun’s usual temperament, it was quite rare for him to directly admit that Golden and Silver Horn were his people.

“They have another purpose?” Su Qing asked, feigning ignorance. “Those two, Golden and Silver Horn, are they also yours? Are they there for the pilgrim who will come later?”

Taishang Laojun stroked his beard and nodded. “Since you’ve already figured it out, I won’t hide it from you anymore... You’re right. Golden and Silver Horn were originally my furnace-tending boys. That old nun Guanyin borrowed them to set up tribulations for the future pilgrim.”

Taishang Laojun’s frankness left Su Qing momentarily speechless. She looked up at the moonlight and said, “So that’s how it is... Since those two boys are yours, I will naturally show mercy if I encounter them. However, if those two start acting out... Senior Laojun, don’t blame me if I have to teach them a lesson.”

“As long as you don’t kill them or take those treasures away, I don’t care,” Taishang Laojun replied casually, shaking his head. “It just so happens that those two have been causing all sorts of trouble since they descended to the mortal world. They truly do need a bit of a beating.”

“So... even though Golden and Silver Horn were borrowed by Guanyin, they don’t actually know about the plan?”

“Hmph, with their brains? It would be a miracle if they knew,” Taishang Laojun said with dissatisfaction. “They probably think they managed to sneak away without anyone noticing. Otherwise, they wouldn’t dare run rampant in the mortal world like this.”

Su Qing didn’t pay much mind to Taishang Laojun’s grumbling. Those two boys weren't necessarily stupid; they were just far too green when compared to these old monsters.

She smiled and said, “I see... In that case, I know what to do next.”

“You girl... what are you planning now?” Taishang Laojun looked at Su Qing, suddenly feeling an ominous premonition. He had a feeling that his two disciples were destined to suffer sooner or later.

However, even though he felt it, Taishang Laojun didn't intend to say anything. Those two truly did need a lesson to make them restrain themselves, lest they cause a disaster too great to fix.

“It’s nothing... I’m just going to do a good deed for you, Senior.” Su Qing gave a graceful smile, looking perfectly innocent and harmless.

“Fine. Regardless of what you plan, just remember my words.”

“I will certainly remember your words, Senior.” Su Qing nodded, then stood up and stretched. “Alright, I’m going back to rest. I’m exhausted.”

“Heh.” Taishang Laojun gave a cold snort and said nothing more, not bothering to stop her. He simply let her depart.

After Su Qing left, Taishang Laojun continued his performance, careful not to let Chaoyan notice anything that might give the game away.

The next morning.

At dawn, accompanied by the crowing of a rooster, Su Qing woke up just as the sun was rising.

Naturally, no one but Su Qing knew what had happened during the night. Even Yudie only sensed that her mother had some secret, but she couldn't figure out what it was. As for Jingyue and Chaoyan, they were even more in the dark.

Before long, the group finished breakfast and bid farewell to the woodcutter’s family, mounting their horses to continue westward.

As they descended the nameless mountain, Chaoyan looked at the layers of high peaks in the distance and asked, “Godmother... how should we proceed? Do we continue along this road, or should we bypass Pingding Mountain?”

Chaoyan usually had no opinion on the route ahead. Whatever Su Qing said was the law. Whether it was right or wrong, she simply followed Su Qing’s lead like a well-behaved child.

In truth, it wasn't that Chaoyan lacked her own opinions; it was just that in front of her 'mother,' having an opinion was usually useless. It was better to just listen to her. Of course, Su Qing wasn't actually that tyrannical.

Returning to the topic, Su Qing looked up at Chaoyan’s question, pretending to think for a moment before saying calmly, “We shall continue straight ahead. Jingyue is very powerful; a few demons won't pose much of a threat.”

Hearing Su Qing’s words, Jingyue nodded with a smile and said, “Indeed. Although I am only at the Earthly Immortal realm, most demons in this world are no longer a match for me.”

Chaoyan didn't say anything more. She didn't overthink Jingyue’s words; Su Qing was unlikely to joke about such matters.

As for Yudie... she never had any objections. If her help was needed, she only needed to be called upon.

Having finished their discussion, the four continued forward. Before long, they reached the territory of Pingding Mountain.

This Pingding Mountain was jagged and steep, not much different from most of the high mountains they had encountered along the way. The only difference was the thick demonic aura atop the peak; Su Qing could smell it from a great distance.

Su Qing could smell it, but the others didn't feel anything special. Although they knew there were demons in the mountains, they couldn't sense that specific aura.

Su Qing smiled, pretending not to notice anything, and said, “Let’s go! Once we pass this mountain, the road ahead will be much easier.”

“Godmother... is it really okay for us to head so boldly toward the demon’s lair?” Chaoyan couldn't help but ask eventually. Even though she couldn't sense the demonic aura, she felt a distinct sense of palpitations, as if some troublesome existence resided in the mountain.

“Don’t worry... what could possibly go wrong?” Su Qing said with a faint smile.

Seeing this, Chaoyan fell silent. Though she still had doubts, she buried them in her heart and followed Su Qing into the mountain.

Naturally, the inhabitants of the mountain noticed their arrival. For one, Pingding Mountain was crawling with mountain-patrolling minor demons. Secondly, because of the demons, few humans ever came here. Thus, shortly after Su Qing’s group entered the mountain, news of their arrival reached the ears of Golden and Silver Horn.

Upon hearing the report, Golden Horn asked, “Is it a group of monks riding a white horse?”

“Monks? No, no. Looking at their clothes, they seem more like a group of nuns,” the minor demon replied. “But they are indeed riding a white horse. However, the one on the horse doesn't look like a Buddhist cultivator.”

Golden Horn stroked his chin and said, “Second Brother, do you think they are the pilgrims we’ve been waiting for?”

Silver Horn thought for a moment before saying, “I don’t know... but since they’ve entered our mountain, we might as well catch them and eat them. It doesn't matter if we're right or wrong! If we catch the right ones, we get immortality. If we catch the wrong ones, it's no big deal—just a nice change of pace for our diet.”

Golden Horn found this reasonable and nodded slightly. “Tell me, how strong are they?” This question was directed at the minor demon.

The demon scratched its head and said, “Two of them seem much stronger than me. I can’t see through the other two, but the one on the horse seems to be just a mortal.”

“A mortal?” Golden Horn pondered for a moment. “Second Brother, I’ll leave this group to you. I expect the one on the horse is the true pilgrim, and those dressed as nuns are likely there to confuse us. But you must be careful... there might be some other trick involved. If they truly are the pilgrims, they must have gone through many hardships to get here; they won't be simple-minded.”

“You’re right, Brother... but there’s no need to be overly cautious. Neither of us is weak, and we have five treasures with us. Even if they all fight together, they’ll be no match for us.” Silver Horn spoke reassuringly, yet he was actually quite prudent. Before leaving, he even brought the Seven-Star Precious Sword just in case.

Meanwhile, as Su Qing and her group climbed higher, they felt the atmosphere in the mountain grow increasingly eerie, as if demons were watching them from every direction. Chaoyan, in particular, felt like there were needles at her back, making her extremely uncomfortable.

“Sister... there are so many minor demons around. Should we ignore them?” Jingyue had long noticed the demons lurking nearby, but since Su Qing hadn't said anything, she hadn't made a move.

Su Qing shook her head and said, “No need to rush.”

Jingyue didn't know what Su Qing’s plan was, but seeing her look so confident, she didn't say anything more. She assumed her sister must have a special plan.

The group ignored the hidden demons and continued forward. Not long after, the Great King Silver Horn arrived in the vicinity.

He didn't rush to attack. Instead, he first scouted their strength. After a quick investigation, he found that their power was exactly as the minor demon had reported: two in the Divine Immortal realm and one in the Earthly Immortal realm. As for the person on the horse, even Silver Horn perceived her as a mortal. Although she had a transcendent aura that didn't seem like an ordinary person, Silver Horn figured that if she was the pilgrim whose flesh granted immortality, having such an aura wasn't strange.

With a thought, Silver Horn’s eyes shifted. He transformed into a white-robed Daoist and approached them. His idea was simple: capturing them by force might lead to complications. Even if they weren't his match, he had to be careful. It would be safer to trick them into coming near the Lotus Flower Cave before making his move.

However... when Silver Horn appeared before Su Qing’s group and saw Su Qing’s face clearly, he froze in his tracks. Suddenly, cold sweat began to pour down his face. He felt a wave of regret for coming to capture them.

Capture them? This was practically a suicide mission!

Golden and Silver Horn were originally Taishang Laojun’s boys, and Su Qing was a guest and junior to Taishang Laojun. Naturally, they recognized each other. They knew Su Qing’s strength and identity very well. Although they hadn't seen her fight, they had heard long before they escaped to the mortal world that Su Qing was already a powerhouse at the Heavenly Immortal realm.

Facing her head-on, they didn't have a single chance of winning. As for using a scheme... it might have worked if he had planned it from the start, but since he hadn't known she was the Azure Spirit Sovereign, he hadn't prepared anything. Any scheme he tried to cook up now would be full of holes. With the Azure Spirit Sovereign’s eyes, he certainly wouldn't be able to deceive her.

“What should I do?” Silver Horn’s forehead was drenched in cold sweat, and his heart was racing in panic. Although he had several treasures stolen from Taishang Laojun, he only had the Seven-Star Precious Sword with him.

Just as Silver Horn was at his wit's end, Chaoyan, leaning on her staff, suddenly asked, “Daoist, why are you blocking our path?”

Chaoyan was unaware of the underlying complexities. She only saw a Daoist suddenly appear and block them, but the man had stopped speaking after that, which left her confused.

The Daoist that Silver Horn had transformed into was snapped back to reality by Chaoyan’s words. He wiped the cold sweat from his brow and said, thinking quickly, “Everyone, the cave of the two demons, Golden and Silver Horn, is just ahead. It will be dangerous if you continue. You should take a detour quickly to avoid trouble.”

Chaoyan understood and chanted a Buddhist name. “Amitabha. You need not worry, Daoist. Those demons are no match for us; it won't be a problem even if we encounter them.”

Silver Horn’s mouth twitched. “But it would still be a hassle. How about this? I will show you a shortcut that bypasses the demon’s lair.”

Chaoyan turned to look at Su Qing.

Su Qing looked at the sweating Daoist and smiled faintly. “No need. We’ll just head straight through and level that demon’s lair while we're at it. Consider it a way to rid the people of a great evil.”

Upon hearing this, Silver Horn felt his soul nearly leave his body. He screamed inwardly that things had gone horribly wrong.

Seeing the Daoist’s reaction, Su Qing chuckled. “What’s wrong, Daoist? Is there a problem?”

As she spoke, Su Qing quietly sent a telepathic message to Silver Horn: “From your expression, it seems you’ve recognized me... In that case, find an excuse to call Jingyue and me away privately... Otherwise, I really will take them there and level your Lotus Flower Cave.”

Hearing Su Qing’s threat, Silver Horn wanted to cry but had no tears. He realized that Su Qing had seen through his disguise. Her words just now were mostly to tease him, but there was a small chance she was serious. He couldn't guess the thoughts of this Heavenly Immortal, nor did he know what she truly wanted to do.

He had no choice but to obediently follow Su Qing’s instructions, fearing that a single mistake would lead to his destruction. After all, they weren't celestial boys right now; they were demons on earth. Moreover, Taishang Laojun didn't know they had escaped, so even if they wanted to pray for his protection, they couldn't.

“No, no, no problem... This is a good deed, a very good deed. How could there be a problem? It’s just that those demons possess several powerful treasures; you might find them difficult to handle,” the Daoist said, wiping his sweat. “How about this? Why don't I go with you to deal with those demons?”

Seeing how obedient he was being, Su Qing smiled faintly and said, “Oh? That works too. In that case, Jingyue and I will go with you. Yudie, Chaoyan, you two stay here... Your strength isn't as high as ours; you'll only get in the way if you come along.”