“By the way, sisters, should we tell Senior Brother about them?”
Among the spider spirits, the youngest suddenly spoke up.
“Aren't those people the ones from the Eastern Land of Great Tang going to the Western Heaven to obtain scriptures? That woman must be the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, right? If we tell Senior Brother about them, wouldn't we be able to avenge ourselves for that woman's oppression and achieve immortality through the Dao?”
“Little sister, if you hadn't mentioned it... I almost forgot.”
One of the sisters nodded in surprise upon hearing this, saying, “You certainly have a quick mind. But... isn't the legendary pilgrim supposed to be a monk? That person was just a Bhikkhuni, a nun. Besides, shouldn't the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi be a man?”
“Sister, you forgot! Reincarnation is all up to King Yama... a man in one life, a woman in the next, what's so strange about that? Besides, the legendary Jin Chanzi has reincarnated ten times already. What's so odd about being a woman in this life?”
“That makes sense...”
“Our sister is right... I’m just worried, will Senior Brother share the spoils with us when the time comes?” one of the older sisters asked.
“You worry too much, sister. Although Senior Brother is greedy, we’re the ones bringing him this news. He can't completely disregard our bond as fellow disciples!”
After some discussion, the spider spirits reached a decision.
Once Su Qing and the others had put some distance between them, the spider spirits hurried down a side path to find their Senior Brother, the Hundred-Eyed Demon.
Su Qing and her group were, of course, completely unaware of this.
In truth, even if she had known, Su Qing wouldn't have cared much. Her strength might not have been enough to suppress every single demon on the journey west, but she knew exactly how to deal with the ones she encountered.
Besides... if she couldn't win, she could always do what the monkey did! Worst case, she would just call for backup. She knew quite a few seniors, after all.
Returning to the matter at hand, after leaving the courtyard, Su Qing and the others continued their journey west.
On the road, Chaoyan, who had been tense for a long time, let out a massive sigh of relief.
“We’ve finally left that place... That was a close call, escaping the wolf's den.”
Chaoyan believed Su Qing’s words implicitly. She didn’t truly think those women were monsters; instead, she genuinely believed they had a preference for their own sex and had set their sights on her.
While they were eating earlier, she had vaguely sensed that the gazes of a few of those women were off. It was as if a starving person was staring at a delicious piece of fat meat, or like the strange, greedy looks one might occasionally receive from strangers on the street.
It was this feeling that made Chaoyan believe Su Qing’s nonsense without a doubt. Leaving that place felt like escaping from the jaws of a wolf.
Of course, another major reason was that Chaoyan couldn't see through their true forms. But she couldn't be blamed for that; those demons' appearances weren't created by illusions. They were beings who had honestly survived their Transformation Tribulations to take human form.
With Chaoyan’s current cultivation level, it was naturally difficult to detect any flaws. Moreover, Pansi Cave was disguised exceptionally well, revealing very little demonic Qi, making it even harder to notice.
As for the finishing touch... that was all thanks to Su Qing’s expert bluffing! If not for Su Qing’s deception, Chaoyan might have eventually sensed that something was wrong.
After leaving Pansi Cave, Su Qing’s mood was quite calm. Seeing her goddaughter look so relieved, she couldn't help but chuckle.
“Yes, for a girl like you, it really was like escaping a wolf's den!”
Pansi Cave wasn't worth much of Su Qing’s concern. Although those demons had some cultivation, they were ultimately just minor spirits. If it came to a fight, Chaoyan and Yudie alone would have been enough to handle them.
Su Qing’s only real concern had been making sure they didn't feed her or Chaoyan any strange food. Other than that, what was there to worry about?
Chaoyan didn't know as much as Su Qing, so she simply nodded with deep feeling. “Sigh, I really don't know why those people would take an interest in a nun like me.”
“Probably because you’re pretty!” Su Qing said casually.
Chaoyan glanced at her. “Godmother, you’re teasing me again.”
Su Qing chuckled and stopped poking fun at her. Lies were things that became more prone to error the more they were told. When it was time to end a topic, one had to do so without hesitation.
Su Qing said, “Alright, don't think too much about it. Since we’ve left that courtyard, it means the matter is over. Talking about it is just dwelling on the past, which is meaningless. Instead of wasting energy on this, we should pick up the pace and find a suitable place to stay or a family to lodge with before dark.”
Chaoyan naturally had no objections. Now that they were out of danger and she had chatted with her godmother for a bit, it was time to continue their journey.
The group pressed on. Before they knew it, the sky began to dim. Seeing the light fading, Chaoyan grew more anxious to find a place for the night. She moved to the front, leading Su Qing’s group at a much faster pace.
It seemed Chaoyan’s luck had finally turned. As they walked, they saw a cluster of buildings in the distance, with towering palaces and grand pavilions.
At the sight, she craned her neck to look. She saw pavilions surrounded by mountains and terraces encircled by streams. Thick trees grew before the gates, and wild flowers bloomed fragrantly outside the residence—it looked exactly like the abode of an immortal.
It appeared to be a Daoist temple.
Seeing this, Chaoyan happily reported the news to Su Qing.
“Godmother, we’re in luck! Just as it's getting dark, we found a temple. Let’s go there and ask to stay for the night!”
Su Qing’s eyebrows twitched at Chaoyan’s words, and she gave her a sidelong glance.
Good luck? She doubted it.
Wasn't this just jumping out of the wolf's den and into the tiger's lair? However, Su Qing wasn't particularly worried about this Multi-Eyed Monster. He did have some skill, but to say he could stop Su Qing... that was unlikely. And as she’d thought before, if she truly got stuck, she could just call for help.
After a moment of silence, Su Qing chuckled and said, “As you wish! If you want to stay there, then let’s go.”
Chaoyan grinned, leading the horse quickly toward the buildings. They moved fast and soon arrived at the mountain gate.
Yudie looked up at the stone tablet in front of the gate. On it were carved the three words: Yellow Flower Temple.
Clearly, this was the name of the Daoist temple.
“Mother, it’s a Daoist temple, not a Buddhist one,” Yudie said to Su Qing, sounding a bit surprised.
Chaoyan also looked at the tablet. “So it’s a Daoist temple!”
Su Qing glanced at the stone and said, “It doesn't matter. Even though you follow the Buddhist path, we are all cultivators. I’m sure they will be accommodating.”
Chaoyan nodded slightly. She wasn't worried about that; she was just surprised to see a Daoist temple here. Most of the places they had encountered on this journey had been Buddhist temples. But she didn't say more and followed Su Qing through the gate.
Before long, they reached the temple doors. A spring couplet was pasted on the entrance. Su Qing looked at it: 'The Abode of Immortals where Yellow Sprouts and White Snow dwell; the Home of Daoists where Jade Grass and Rare Flowers bloom.' The couplet was somewhat faded, clearly having been there for a long time.
Su Qing shook her head. The couplet was quite poetic, but unfortunately, the person inside wasn't exactly a righteous man.
Because it was a Daoist establishment, Chaoyan naturally stepped behind Su Qing, letting her—a fellow practitioner of the Daoist arts—knock on the door. It was always easier to talk to one's own kind.
She knocked. A moment later, a young Daoist boy came to open the door.
When the boy saw several extremely beautiful women outside, he was momentarily dazed. However, he quickly regained his composure, made a Daoist sign, and asked, “May I ask what brings you here?”
Su Qing nodded and gave a slightly modified version of Chaoyan’s usual speech. The boy was taken aback and said in surprise, “I see. However, I must ask my Master first. Please wait a moment while I go inquire.”
Su Qing didn't say much, only nodding as the door closed and the boy hurried away.
The boy rushed back to the Multi-Eyed Monster and informed him of the visitors. The monster’s eyebrows rose. He quickly performed a divination with his fingers.
After the calculation, the Multi-Eyed Monster discovered that the people waiting outside were indeed the pilgrims from the Eastern Land of Great Tang. His divinations rarely failed, and he didn't think this one was an exception.
Thinking of this, the Multi-Eyed Monster chuckled, feeling overjoyed.
“Heh, I was just worrying about how to find you, and you’ve delivered yourselves right to my door! Heaven is truly on my side.”
He said hurriedly, “Go and invite them in... do not be disrespectful. Actually, never mind, I will go personally.”
The boy was stunned. His master was usually obsessed with alchemy and cultivation; why was he suddenly so... concerned about guests today? He was even going to greet them personally? Could it be that they were acquaintances of his master?
The boy didn't understand. He was just a minor spirit who had only possessed a human form for a few decades. There were many things he didn't know. He simply followed his master to welcome Su Qing and the others.
Su Qing and the group didn't have to wait long. Within a few moments, the door opened again.
A Daoist walked out from within. He wore a bright red crown inlaid with gold, a deep black robe, green cloud-patterned shoes, and a yellow silken belt. His face was like burnished iron, his eyes like bright stars. His nose was high and prominent, and his lips were wide and full. He truly looked like a dignified master capable of subduing tigers and dragons.
The Hundred-Eyed Demon stepped out with a warm expression. “Fellow Daoist, young Master, please forgive my late welcome. You have come from so far, yet I kept you waiting outside. How rude of me.”
Su Qing’s eyebrows rose at his enthusiastic greeting. Was this guy really such a warm person?
She didn't know what kind of person the Multi-Eyed Monster was, nor did she intend to find out. They were just passing through for the night. If they got through it peacefully, they would never cross paths again. If they didn't... then they certainly wouldn't cross paths again either.
After a moment of thought, Su Qing pretended to be flattered, playing along with his performance. As for who would prove to be the better actor, that remained to be seen.
After a few simple pleasantries, the Multi-Eyed Monster said, “I was so busy talking that I almost forgot to invite you in! Please, come inside. Young Master, you too. Though we follow different paths, we are all cultivators. I couldn't possibly leave you standing outside alone.”
Smiling, he led them into the temple. At the same time, he ordered his acolyte to boil tea so as not to neglect the guests.
Su Qing and the others followed him inside. The temple was nothing special; like its somewhat casual name, it was a very ordinary Daoist temple. Inside were statues of the Three Pure Ones, an altar, and incense burners—everything was perfectly normal. After a few glances, they lost interest.
“Since you are staying the night, I will go prepare some dinner and get the rooms ready!” After chatting for a bit in the main hall, the Multi-Eyed Monster spoke up.
Su Qing looked at him, nodded, and said, “We appreciate the trouble, Fellow Daoist. Oh, and just prepare some vegetarian food. This girl is a monastic and cannot eat meat, so we’ll just join her in eating vegetarian.”
The Multi-Eyed Monster laughed and nodded. “That is no problem at all...”
With that, he walked out of the hall and headed toward the back rooms.
During his conversation with Su Qing, the Multi-Eyed Monster had been using various methods to test her strength. According to the information from his junior sisters, Su Qing was very powerful—likely on par with himself. Therefore, even though he already considered the 'immortality meat' as his, he didn't dare let his guard down. If he was careless and got killed by Su Qing, it would be a disaster.
After his initial testing, he had a rough idea of her power.
“This Daoist named Su Qing is indeed a problem... the most troublesome of them all! I must find a way to take her down first. Once she loses her fighting strength, the others will be easy pickings.”
He stroked his chin, and a plan quickly formed. As a centipede spirit, what he was best at was, naturally, using poison.
Rate on N.U.
