Why Are You the One Feeling Embarrassed?

Su Qing let out a soft breath and said, "Since I promised you... I naturally won't break my word. So, why don't you close your eyes first?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Jingyue nodded and obediently closed her eyes.

She was a bit nervous, a bit excited, and equally a bit stirred. Emotionally, she was feeling rather complicated, but she was also filled with immense anticipation.

She could imagine the feeling of warm, soft lips touching her cheek... and she could predict how she would end up. However, since she had bravely taken the first step, there was absolutely no reason to give up now.

But just as Liu Jingyue's thoughts were racing, the sensation she had imagined didn't come. Instead, a pair of slightly moist, cool lips pressed against hers... and even more unexpectedly, Su Qing was bolder than she had thought.

She didn't lightly kiss her cheek, but... she actually kissed her on the lips.

Liu Jingyue was dazed for a moment. Subconsciously, she was pushed back by Su Qing until she fell backward...

It was only when her head touched a stone that she snapped back to her senses. And when she did, a deep flush instantly covered her cheeks.

She instinctively wanted to push Su Qing away, but at the same time, she felt like embracing her...

Unfortunately, before she could make a decision, Su Qing had already let her go.

The kiss lasted only a moment.

Su Qing had only tasted briefly, without exploring further. She sat up straight and pulled her up along with her.

She looked at the other girl with a beaming smile and said, "Look at how red your face is. Didn't you ask for this yourself? Why are you the one blushing like this?"

Su Qing had long been tempered by life; in this regard, her skin was naturally much thicker than this young girl's. Seeing her face turn red all the way to her ears, Su Qing only found it amusing and adorable.

Hearing Su Qing's words, Liu Jingyue couldn't help but pout. "I originally wanted you to kiss my cheek, but who knew you would directly... directly..."

Jingyue was, after all, still a bit thin-skinned.

Seeing her cute expression, Su Qing couldn't help but feel a bit playful. She propped up her chin with her hand and stared at Jingyue with a face full of smiles, saying:

"Oh my, you didn't tell me exactly how you wanted to be kissed~ I just chose a simpler way."

Liu Jingyue puffed out her cheeks and let out a 'hmpf' before saying, "Sister, you must have done it on purpose, right?"

"You're really wronging me there~" Su Qing shook her head and spread her hands.

Liu Jingyue made it clear she didn't believe a word of that nonsense. Su Qing simply said, "Alright, since I've done what you requested, let's go get some rest! Next time you want something, remember to be a bit clearer."

To be honest, seeing Jingyue's expression of extreme bashfulness, Su Qing couldn't help but recall some past memories. Although she initially felt that kissing her directly might be a bit inappropriate... now it felt like there was nothing wrong with it at all.

Hearing this, Jingyue let out a long breath and gave Su Qing a fierce glare. "Hmph, I get it already~"

Jingyue didn't plan to continue arguing with Su Qing. Even if she did, she wouldn't be able to win, so why look for trouble?

Su Qing watched her return to the campfire with a crimson face and couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile. Then, she looked up at the moon...

"The moonlight is still beautiful tonight... Speaking of which, it's been a long time since I returned to the Moon Palace. After I deliver Chaoyan to the Western Heaven, I'll go spend a few days at the Moon Palace. No, wait, I should go back to Changbai Mountain first~" Su Qing's thoughts drifted further and further away.

Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, dawn had arrived. Shortly after daybreak, the River God of the Black Water River appeared before Su Qing and the others.

The River God bowed to them and said, "Everyone, please follow me! I shall ferry you across the river."

The River God naturally didn't dare forget his agreement with Su Qing. Su Qing hadn't asked him for anything else, only to send them across the river, which was exceptionally simple. If he couldn't even do that... he probably didn't want to live anymore.

Seeing him arrive on time, Su Qing nodded slightly and said, "Then I'll trouble you."

"It's no trouble, no trouble at all! This is what this old man should do." The River God acted extremely humble, keeping his posture very low.

And so, the River God took Su Qing and the others across the Black Water River in a short amount of time.

After crossing the river, the River God bowed to them once more. "Everyone, the road ahead is treacherous. Please take care."

Hearing this, Chaoyan leaned on her copper staff and bowed to the old River God, saying, "Many thanks, senior! However, no matter how treacherous the road ahead is, we cannot stop."

The River God said no more and simply saw them off.

Su Qing and the others set out once again. They took the main road and headed west. Days passed one by one. In the blink of an eye... it was the mid-winter season.

Even though the snow fell heavily this winter, Su Qing and the others continued their journey through the wind and snow. Traveling day and night, they journeyed for a long time. Unknowingly, it was early spring again.

The winter snow across the world had not yet melted... but the things that had been silent for a whole winter were now sprouting new buds, adding a touch of green to the world that had been white for so long.

One morning, Su Qing and the others bid farewell to the family they had stayed with and set out on the westward journey once more. It was a gloomy day with a steady spring drizzle, nourishing all things.

Su Qing held an umbrella and led the horse at the front of the group. She looked at the green willows by the side of the road, smelled the fragrance of flowers from afar, and the scent of earth in the rain.

She couldn't help but say, "Without realizing it, it's another spring!"

Although Su Qing didn't have much sense of time, having traveled through another year made her sigh with emotion.

Hearing this, Yudie walked beside Su Qing and said with a smile, "Yes! It's been another year. But, Mother, what are you sighing about?"

Su Qing smiled slightly and reached out to rub her head. "Just sighing about time."

However, what Su Qing was truly sighing about wasn't time. She simply missed Changbai Mountain a little. Counting the days, it had been quite a while since she had returned there. But on this westward journey, she was traveling with Chaoyan and couldn't just vanish... not until her identity was completely revealed.

As they walked, the steady drizzle eventually stopped. Seeing the rain cease, Su Qing put away her oil-paper umbrella, flipped onto her horse, and rode forward.

In this manner, Su Qing and the others admired the spring scenery along the road as they moved. Suddenly, they heard a loud shout from the distance. The sound was deafening, like the shouting of a thousand people.

Hearing this commotion, Su Qing's eyebrows twitched. She pulled the reins to stop the horse and then performed a quick calculation with her fingers. She discovered that they had unknowingly entered the borders of Chechi Kingdom.

To be honest, Su Qing's original intention was to bypass Chechi Kingdom... but its territory was vast. Bypassing it would be extremely troublesome and would take a significant amount of time. So, she had no choice but to pass through.

However, although Su Qing knew the situation in Chechi Kingdom, she wasn't very worried about them getting into trouble... after all, the only one among them truly practicing Buddhism was Chaoyan. And her appearance, if not for her equipment, would likely not lead anyone to take her for a nun. Most of the time on the road, she wasn't recognized as one. So, Su Qing wasn't too concerned about that...

What she was truly worried about was Chaoyan wanting to meddle in others' business. But... that wasn't impossible to solve; she just had to keep a closer eye on her.

Regarding the events in Chechi Kingdom, Su Qing didn't plan to interfere much... those matters could be left to the future westward pilgrimage team. There was no need for her to spoil this tribulation.

Su Qing let out a breath and said, "Chaoyan, go up into the sky and see what's happening in the distance. Why is there such a big commotion?"

Chaoyan was stunned for a moment. She was about to ask Su Qing something, but Su Qing had already told her to check the situation from above. Although she found it strange, she didn't think much of it. After nodding, she leaped into the air to observe the situation from afar.

Standing mid-air, she looked into the distance. She saw a city ahead, and within it, auspicious light flickered faintly. It didn't look like there were any demons, nor was there the gloomy aura of a demon mountain. Just as she was feeling puzzled, she suddenly spotted a group of people by the city wall.

She looked closely and saw a group of monks. These monks were dressed in tattered clothes and were moving massive stones to repair the city wall. The noise from earlier was the chant they shouted in unison as they exerted their strength.

Seeing this scene, Chaoyan's brow furrowed tightly. However, she didn't rush over to ask questions. Instead, she slowly lowered her cloud and landed back beside Su Qing.

Her face was grim, and her brow remained furrowed as she said, "Godmother..."

She told Su Qing exactly what she had seen. Upon hearing it, Su Qing nodded slightly. She said, "So we've reached Chechi Kingdom. Then such a sight isn't surprising."

Seeing Su Qing's reaction, Jingyue knew this person was about to start her usual routine of talking her way through things. So, she silently stood to the side to avoid being questioned by Chaoyan.

Chaoyan asked, "Does this Chechi Kingdom despise monks?"

Su Qing nodded. "That's right. In Chechi Kingdom, monks are treated as criminals. In short, the status of a monk in Chechi Kingdom isn't much higher than that of a dog."

"But... why?"

Su Qing smiled and shook her head. "As for that, I don't know either. It's their national policy, and it's not our place to interfere! However, if we want to enter the city, your current appearance definitely won't do. You need to change your outfit."

Chaoyan was stunned, her gaze lowering. She knew Su Qing didn't intend to meddle in this kingdom's affairs. But she didn't blame Su Qing. After all, doing so would be equivalent to opposing an entire nation, and they still had their westward mission. Stopping here was absolutely out of the question.

Still... seeing the state of those monks, Chaoyan couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow. No matter what, she was a practitioner of Buddhism; seeing their plight made her grieve for her own kind.

She let out a long sigh and said, "I understand, Godmother... I won't meddle in things I shouldn't."

Seeing that Chaoyan understood the reasoning, Su Qing felt a slight sense of relief. She had truly been worried that Chaoyan would want to interfere. This matter was not only troublesome but would also disrupt an important tribulation, so it simply wasn't worth it.

Su Qing gave a helpless smile and said, "Don't worry, I don't think this situation will last for long. When things are overcorrected like this, someone will always come to set them right. However, those people won't be us; we have more important things to do."

Chaoyan had heard many of Su Qing's twisted logic. She nodded habitually and asked, "Then Godmother... what should I dress as?"

Su Qing rubbed her chin and said, "Dress as a Daoist nun!"

"Ah? But I..."

"You don't have the clothes, but I do! You've grown quite a bit over the years and are almost as tall as me. You can wear my garments. Go ahead and wear mine~" Su Qing said with a bright smile.

Su Qing's sudden offer made Chaoyan pause, but she didn't know how to refuse. She could only nod obediently.

Su Qing smiled and then pulled out a set of robes from her Sleeve Universe. Su Qing had her own Daoist academy at the foot of Changbai Mountain. As the Mountain God of Changbai, she would occasionally visit the academy and play the role of a Daoist nun. Naturally, she had several sets of Daoist robes with her.

Daoist attire had various regulations, but they generally followed a few styles, so it wasn't hard to put together an outfit.

Chaoyan was initially a bit resistant, but under Su Qing's guidance, she quickly changed into the new clothes. She wore a Lotus Black Crown on her head and a plain green gauze skirt. The skirt was simple, but it made her look exceptionally elegant and refined.

At this moment, Chaoyan had shed her Buddhist aura, leaving only the elegance and serenity of a young Daoist. Looking at Chaoyan's outfit, Su Qing was extremely satisfied.

She said, "Truly, you have the look I had back in the day. It's a pity... your chest can't quite fill it out yet; you still need to grow a bit."

Hearing this, Chaoyan's face instinctively turned red, and she shielded her chest, saying, "Godmother, please don't tease me!"

Su Qing smiled brightly. "We are both women, why be so embarrassed? Alright~ since you've changed, come into the city with me! Oh, and give those things of yours to me; I'll keep them safe for you."

Chaoyan nodded slightly and handed her monk's robes, copper staff, and alms bowl to Su Qing. With a wave of her hand, Su Qing swept them into her Sleeve Universe.

Returning to Jingyue and the others, Su Qing called out to them, and they continued toward Chechi Kingdom.

Entering the city was exceptionally easy. With their Daoist attire, the city guards naturally didn't give them any trouble.

Once inside, Su Qing looked at the prosperous sights within the city and let out a soft breath. She said, "Let's not stay in this city for too long. We'll buy some food and supplies, get our travel permit stamped, and then continue on our way!"

Yudie and the others naturally had no objections to Su Qing's words. As for Chaoyan, she had even fewer objections... because she felt extremely uneasy staying in this city and wanted to leave as soon as possible.