Sister Rakshasi~

“Oh? You trust me quite a lot, don't you?” Su Qing said, looking at Chaoyan with a slight smile.

Chaoyan nodded at her words, saying, “If I don't even trust you, Godmother, then who else in this world can I trust?”

“But who is it that often says I lie and deceive you?” Su Qing retorted, feigning a displeased glance at her.

“Eh hehehe~” Hearing this, Chaoyan immediately played dumb. She couldn't even bother to maintain her usual Buddhist cultivation composure.

Seeing the girl like this, Su Qing couldn't help but chuckle. She tapped her head twice.

“Godmother, please stop tapping my head. If you keep doing it, I'll become stupid,” Chen Chaoyan quickly said. “So, you do have a solution, right, Godmother?”

Su Qing nodded helplessly. “Yes, I naturally have a way! I just don't know if I can borrow that Plantain Fan! Although I know her, it's been a while since we last contacted each other.”

After hearing Su Qing's words, Chaoyan was stunned. She blinked and asked, “Godmother... you know that Iron Fan Immortal?”

Su Qing nodded, “Yes, a friend from a long time ago. Also, the Iron Fan Immortal should actually be called Rakshasi. It's just that the people here named her that because of her Plantain Fan.”

Chaoyan stared blankly at Su Qing, slightly at a loss for words. She didn't know how to describe her current feelings.

After a long time, she spoke, “Godmother... your friends truly are everywhere. Even that Iron Fan Immortal is your friend.”

Su Qing spread her hands and smiled helplessly, saying, “After all, I've lived for quite a long time, so I naturally know a few more people. Honestly, I'm quite surprised that I'd need her help!”

Su Qing saying she hadn't thought of this was, of course, a way to fool Chaoyan. After all, if she hadn't thought of it... she would have lived all these years in vain. Her past life's knowledge of Journey to the West would have been useless.

With that, Su Qing stood up and tidied her dress, then said to Yudie, “Yudie, you come with me! As for Jingyue and Chaoyan, I'll trouble you two to wait here. If all goes well, I'll be back before tomorrow.”

Hearing this, Chaoyan quickly nodded. How could she have any objections?

As for Jingyue, she glanced at Su Qing, then also nodded, saying, “Just leave Chaoyan to me; I won't let her run off.”

Chaoyan: “...?? Did I look like some troublesome little girl?” But she didn't complain, merely pouted and shot Jingyue a displeased look.

Hearing Jingyue's words, Su Qing couldn't help but smile faintly at her.

Then, she turned and extended her hand, and Yudie, understanding perfectly, reached out and took Su Qing's hand.

The two walked out of the room. Su Qing formed a hand seal and recited a True Word Incantation. A crimson auspicious cloud rose, carrying Su Qing towards Cuiyun Mountain.

Su Qing did not shy away from the surrounding people when casting her spell. After watching Su Qing ride away on the cloud, Chaoyan couldn't help but exclaim, “Godmother's cloud-riding technique is truly profound! It feels much more powerful than the method my master taught me.”

Jingyue glanced at Chaoyan, thinking to herself, “More than 'much more'... I can't even compare!”

However, Chaoyan and Jingyue were fine seeing this scene. It was the old man who had come out to make a fire who, upon seeing Su Qing ascend on a cloud, was so startled he nearly fell to the ground.

Fortunately, he was leaning on his walking stick; otherwise, his old bones wouldn't have withstood the fall.

He watched the departing Su Qing, muttering, “Good heavens, a group of cloud-riding immortals has come to my house!”

The old man wiped away his sweat and hurried back to prepare more food. He was afraid his cooking wouldn't suit the immortals' tastes and that they might inflict some punishment upon him.

Likewise, he especially hoped that Su Qing could obtain the Plantain Fan and extinguish the flames of Flame Mountain... so they could cultivate another crop. This way, their future days would be much easier.

Su Qing left Flame Mountain, riding her cloud all the way towards Cuiyun Mountain and its Plantain Cave.

The speed of the Somersault Cloud goes without saying. In the blink of an eye, Su Qing and Yudie had already arrived at Cuiyun Mountain.

Standing on the cloud, Su Qing observed the mountain scenery. The views here were truly breathtaking.

The mountains had stone for bones, and stone was the essence of the earth. Mist and clouds held ancient moisture, moss added new green. Their towering peaks seemed to mock Penglai Island, and the quiet floral fragrance was like a vast ocean. A few tall pines sheltered wild cranes, several withered willows whispered to mountain orioles. Truly, it was a thousand-year-old relic, a ten-thousand-year-old immortal trace.

“It's truly been a long time since I last came here. I wonder if Sister Rakshasi is in the Plantain Cave right now,” Su Qing said to herself, withdrawing her gaze from the scenery.

Yudie's mood was quite good at this moment, too, as she was about to see an old friend again. And a rather good person at that.

Thinking this, Su Qing lowered her cloud and landed before the Plantain Cave.

The two doors of the Plantain Cave were tightly shut. Su Qing knocked on the door from outside...

It must be said, Su Qing certainly had the strength; the two stone doors clanged loudly under her knocking.

Such a commotion was naturally heard by those inside. In a short while, with a ‘creak,’ the cave door opened.

A young girl emerged from inside, a maidservant of Rakshasi. She looked at the two outside, first pausing for a moment, then immediately recognized who they were.

“Oh, it's Grandmother Su! And Sister Yudie!” the girl exclaimed in surprise.

Su Qing and Yudie hadn't been here for a long time, and the girl hadn't seen them in ages. So, meeting them now was a pleasant surprise.

She happily said, “Grandmother Su, please come in quickly. Grandmother said you don't need to be announced when you arrive.”

The girl said with a smile, taking Su Qing's hand and leading her inside.

Hearing this, Su Qing didn't say much, simply followed the girl into the Plantain Cave.

Inside the cave, Rakshasi's voice came. She asked, “Maid, who has arrived outside?”

Seeing her mistress ask, the girl quickly replied, “Grandmother, it's Grandmother Su!”

Hearing this, Rakshasi couldn't help but say, “So, my sister has arrived. Please invite her in quickly. Didn't I say that when she comes, there's no need to announce her?”

“Grandmother, I naturally know. Haven't I already invited Grandmother Su in?” the girl quickly replied loudly, adding, “Oh, and Sister Yudie is here too.”

Just as she was speaking, Rakshasi herself walked out to greet Su Qing and Yudie.

Seeing Su Qing, Rakshasi was also delighted. She stepped forward and embraced her, saying, “It's truly been a long time, sister. I've missed you dearly! After all these years, you look even more beautiful than before.”

Su Qing smiled sweetly, “Sister, you flatter me. Compared to you, I still fall far short.”

Although Su Qing's strength was superior to Rakshasi's, they had known each other for a long time and had always addressed each other as sisters. Naturally, they continued to do so now.

After exchanging compliments, Rakshasi rubbed Yudie's head and said, “This girl, too, has grown quite a bit over the years.”

“Aunt, this is just my transformed appearance... my true form is still the same,” Yudie said, reverting to her previous childish form, no longer maintaining the mature appearance she had kept while with Chaoyan.

Seeing her in this form, Rakshasi was slightly surprised and said, “You little girl, your transformation technique is quite impressive; even I couldn't tell.”

“Aunt, you flatter me,” Yudie said with a beaming smile.

Although she said she was flattered, the happy expression on her face couldn't be faked. Clearly, she thoroughly enjoyed being praised.

Su Qing smiled and continued to exchange pleasantries with Rakshasi.

Between two women, there was naturally much to talk about. They chatted from appearance to figure, from figure to the world, from the world to family, and finally to children.

The two chatted like this for a long time. Yudie, unable to interject and even becoming a target for their playful remarks when she appeared before them, simply went off to play with the maidservant.

As they chatted, Rakshasi suddenly asked, “Speaking of which, I was so busy chatting about family matters with you, sister, that I forgot to ask if you have any important business with me today? If you do, please tell me quickly, so we don't delay anything important.”

Su Qing nodded slightly at her words. Earlier, while reminiscing with Rakshasi, she hadn't had a chance to speak. Now that Rakshasi had asked, she naturally took the opportunity to state her purpose.

“So, sister, you want to borrow the Plantain Fan! That's a small matter; I'll go get it for you,” Rakshasi said with a slight smile after learning Su Qing's purpose.

The Plantain Fan was indeed important to her, and she would naturally be reluctant to give it away. But if an old friend like Su Qing came to borrow it, she would certainly not refuse. After all, it was just a small matter.

Hearing this, Su Qing hadn't expected to borrow the item so easily and couldn't help but say, “Thank you so much, sister.”

Rakshasi shook her head, “Why speak of thanks? When my husband and I were busy back then, you, sister, helped me look after my rebellious daughter. We troubled you quite a bit then. Now, for you to borrow a fan, why the need for thanks?”

When it came to children, Rakshasi, as a mother, naturally had countless things to say.

Su Qing smiled, “But I still must thank you, sister.”

“Speaking of which, I'm a bit curious, sister. Why are you accompanying that pilgrim on his Journey to the West now? Do you have some special plans? Do you want to convert to Buddhism?” Rakshasi asked curiously, taking out the fan.

Su Qing shook her head, “Of course not to convert to Buddhism. You know my nature, sister; I'm the type who can't live without meat, and I've cultivated the Dao since childhood. How could I want to convert to Buddhism? My current task of sending the pilgrim to the Western Heaven is merely fulfilling a promise I made to the Bodhisattva.”

“So that's it... I thought you wanted to cultivate in Buddhism! If you went to the Buddhist sect, I would be bored again in the future,” Rakshasi said with a smile, handing the small fan to Su Qing. “Sister, lean closer; I'll tell you how to use this fan and its incantation, lest you don't know how to use it.”

Su Qing nodded at her words and leaned her ear closer. Rakshasi, in a soft, delicate voice, carefully whispered the incantation of the Plantain Fan into Su Qing's ear.

The incantation wasn't hard to remember, but Rakshasi's breath made Su Qing's ear tingle slightly.

“Sister, have you memorized the incantation?” Rakshasi asked after she finished speaking.

Su Qing nodded slightly, saying, “Of course, I've memorized it.”

Seeing this, Rakshasi smiled and asked no further questions, simply saying, “You're not in a hurry to return today, are you, sister?”

“No, I'm not in a hurry. Returning tomorrow morning is perfectly fine,” Su Qing nodded.

“Then why don't you stay here with me for a day? My husband hasn't returned these past few days, and I've been terribly bored at home. Since you're here today, we can chat for a bit.”

Su Qing naturally had no objections to this. After all, she had already told Chaoyan and the others that she might return tomorrow, so staying a night in the Plantain Cave was no problem.

“That would be wonderful!” With that, Rakshasi called out, “Maid, come here quickly!”

Hearing Rakshasi's voice, the girl who had opened the door earlier rushed back and asked, “Grandmother, what are your orders?”

“Quickly go and prepare an extra room, and also prepare more food for dinner tonight,” Rakshasi instructed.

Hearing the instructions, how could the girl not know that Su Qing was staying the night? So, she quickly nodded and went to prepare.

Yudie, having lost her playmate, obediently returned to Su Qing's side and stopped running around.

Seeing the girl go to prepare, Su Qing continued to chat leisurely with Rakshasi.

As they chatted, Su Qing couldn't help but recall the stories from Journey to the West.

Thinking of these things... Su Qing couldn't help but let out a long sigh in her heart.

“Ah, if I can help, I might as well help them a little. At the very least, I shouldn't let them follow the old path of the Journey to the West!”

For Wukong and Bull Demon King, Su Qing felt a bit of pity. Two once close brothers eventually turned against each other and fought fiercely... it was truly regrettable.

Therefore, although Su Qing felt that she might not be able to change the fact that they were a tribulation on the Journey to the West, she still wanted to change their ending as much as possible.

Time passed slowly, and before long, it was evening again.

Su Qing and Rakshasi chatted to their heart's content. After dinner, Su Qing retired for the night.

The next day, in the early morning, Su Qing rose early, bid farewell to her long-lost friend, and returned to the vicinity of Flame Mountain with Yudie.

Lowering her cloud, Su Qing descended into the large red courtyard.

At this moment, Chaoyan also happened to emerge from her room, yawning...

“Godmother! You're back!” She saw Su Qing, first was stunned for a moment, but quickly came back to her senses and called out.