Beside her, Su Qing's eyebrows twitched upon hearing those words.
How should she put it? She felt like she had heard this kind of talk many times before.
She stroked her chin, sensing that this group of people was likely not as simple as mere escorts. Unfortunately, even as a Heavenly Immortal, she couldn't see through their disguises at the moment. After all, while she was powerful, there were still plenty of ridiculously formidable figures above her. To them, a Heavenly Immortal was nothing more than a junior.
After a moment of thought, Su Qing shook her head slightly and gave up on overthinking it.
She had realized one thing: regardless of who these people were or if they were indeed those old seniors in disguise, it didn't have much to do with her. It wouldn't affect her decisions or plans, nor would it be detrimental to her. If they were seniors, they were likely just here to give her and Chaoyan a heads-up, or at most, to test Chaoyan's resolve for the journey to the Western Heaven. And if they weren't... then there was even less reason to care. How much trouble could a group of mortals possibly cause her?
Having cleared her mind, Su Qing ignored the group and sat quietly, listening as Chaoyan gathered information from them.
Chaoyan looked at the escort with a puzzled expression, hoping for a quick answer.
The escort shook his head and said, "There is a band of fearsome demons on the mountain ahead. They occupy that mountain and feast specifically on travelers like us. Look at how disheveled we are—it wasn't the rain that did this. It was our flight from those demons. If not for our luck in narrowly escaping, we would probably be sitting in their bellies by now."
Chaoyan gasped, her brow furrowing. "There are man-eating demons in that mountain? How strong are they? And how many?"
Upon hearing about the demons, Chaoyan didn't actually seem that frightened. They had eliminated quite a few wicked spirits along their journey. However, she didn't boast about being able to handle them either. She wanted to understand their strength first.
If she could handle them, she naturally would. They had to cross that path, after all. But if she couldn't, she would have to find another way.
She remembered Su Qing's advice well: weigh your own abilities before trying to do a good deed, and don't throw your life away in the process. She still had an important mission to complete.
Moreover, she had her godmother, Yudie, and Jingyue with her. It was one thing for her to risk her own life, but she couldn't endanger them. They had already suffered enough following her to the Western Heaven. She couldn't lead them to their doom.
Chaoyan watched the escort, hoping he would tell her everything he knew.
The escort glanced at Chaoyan and sighed deeply. "We didn't encounter the Great Demons of the mountain, only the lesser ones. However, we met an old man on the road who told us about the mountain's affairs. Since you want to know, I will tell you everything I've heard."
Nearby, the corners of Su Qing's mouth curled into a faint smirk.
Go on, keep spinning your yarn, she thought. If the seniors want to help me weave a story, it saves me the breath. Su Qing had already made up her mind about the escort's authenticity. This particular senior was perhaps not very skilled at lying. A lie might fool the simple-minded Chaoyan, but it was difficult to deceive Su Qing, who was a master of misdirection herself.
Despite her suspicions, Su Qing didn't call them out. She sat silently, acting as if she didn't care about anything. In truth, she was quite curious to see how this senior planned to hoodwink Chaoyan and how much they would reveal about Lion Camel Ridge and the Lion Camel Kingdom.
The escort sighed again. "That old man told me the mountain ahead is called the eight-hundred-mile Lion Camel Ridge. Inside the mountain is the Lion Camel Cave, home to three demon lords who command tens of thousands of lesser demons."
"Those three lords possess vast supernatural powers and are incredibly formidable. Their subordinates are legion: five thousand on the South Ridge, five thousand on the North Ridge, ten thousand at the eastern pass, and ten thousand at the western pass. There are four or five thousand on patrol and another ten thousand guarding the gates."
"The ones who stoke the fires and gather wood are also numerous. Just those with names and tokens number around forty-seven or forty-eight thousand. As for the nameless underlings, there are likely even more."
Hearing this, Chaoyan couldn't help but gasp again.
She had faced many hardships on this journey, but she had never encountered a place as troublesome as this. She had never even heard of a place where demons were so numerous.
After a long silence, Chaoyan suddenly thought of a solution. "Fine. Since we cannot pass through, we shall simply go around it."
The escort shook his head. "Go around? I'm afraid it won't be that easy. How can one easily bypass eight hundred miles of the Lion Camel Ridge? If there were a way around, we wouldn't have turned back."
Chaoyan froze. She opened her mouth to speak but found no words. Finally, she sighed. "Then what should we do?"
She had come so far; if she gave up and went back now, all her hard work would be for nothing. She was unwilling to return. Yet, Lion Camel Ridge was clearly perilous.
Seeing Chaoyan's distress, Su Qing shook her head and said, "Don't overthink it. There are always more solutions than problems. We've come this far; there's no reason to turn back now."
Su Qing remained remarkably calm, comforting Chaoyan so her Dao heart wouldn't be swayed by the words of others.
The escort chuckled helplessly. "Anyway, I've told you everything I know. If you insist on seeking your deaths... it has nothing to do with me. I've fulfilled my moral obligation."
Su Qing glanced at the escort and smiled. "Thank you for telling us about Lion Camel Ridge. We have our own plans."
"Hmph, stubborn as a mule," the escort muttered, shaking his head and returning to the fire. He seemed genuinely annoyed that Su Qing and the others weren't listening to his warning. Su Qing had to admit, his performance was quite convincing; he deserved a passing grade.
Su Qing didn't mind his attitude and simply patted her goddaughter's head with a smile. On the other side, seeing Su Qing's composure, Chaoyan's sour mood began to settle. In her eyes, as long as her godmother was calm, it meant the situation wasn't beyond repair. Su Qing likely had a way to solve it.
Chaoyan trusted Su Qing almost instinctively. Although she occasionally suspected Su Qing of teasing her, she had absolute faith in her godmother's choices when it mattered most. There was no specific reason; she just believed.
"I understand... Godmother," Chaoyan said, letting out a long breath as she calmed down.
Seeing Chaoyan regain her composure, Su Qing chuckled. "Good. Get some rest first! You'll only find a solution tomorrow once you're well-rested."
Chaoyan nodded and retreated to a corner to sleep. Under Su Qing's urging, Yudie and Jingyue also settled down shortly after.
Once the others were asleep, the temple fell silent, save for the crackling of the fire. Time passed slowly. Chaoyan and the girls were deep in sleep, but Su Qing and the escorts remained awake.
Sensing that the girls were truly asleep, the escorts slowly stood up. They walked over to Su Qing and sat across from her by the fire.
Su Qing watched them approach without a hint of panic. She said with a smile, "Are you gentlemen done with the act?"
"There's no need to continue... your staring was making my back feel cold," one of the escorts chuckled. "I didn't expect our disguises to be seen through so easily by a girl like you. You've certainly grown sharp-eyed!"
Su Qing laughed. "It was just a lucky guess, nothing more."
"Being able to guess correctly is a skill in itself," the escort said, stroking his beard.
Su Qing smirked and cut to the chase. "So, what brings you all here? Surely it wasn't just to tell us about Lion Camel Ridge?"
The man nodded. "We were sent here on orders. Besides informing you of the ridge, we are also here to deliver a message from the Buddha."
Su Qing had an inkling of what was coming, but she asked anyway, "Is that so? What does the old Buddha want to say to me?"
"The Buddha hopes you, Sovereign, will grant him some face and refrain from killing the three demons of Lion Camel Ridge. If you must pass through, feel free to teach them a lesson, but please do not kill them."
Su Qing's mouth twitched. Her guess was spot on. Though speechless, she wasn't surprised. After all, two of the demons were Bodhisattvas' mounts, and the remaining one was a relative of the Buddha himself. It would be strange if the Buddha allowed her to kill them easily.
Su Qing spread her hands. "You all must know what those demons have done at Lion Camel Ridge. Such a great evil—if it isn't eradicated, how can justice be served? Furthermore, I've heard of that Golden-Winged Great Peng. He has a taste for human flesh and devoured the entire population of a city. Why keep such a monster alive?"
The disguised Buddhist seniors looked at each other, appearing somewhat embarrassed.
After a long pause, one sighed. "Sovereign, your words are indeed reasonable. However, those demons still have a role to play in the world; they are an indispensable part of the Eighty-One Tribulations. If it were any other demons, it wouldn't matter, but for these three, we must ask you to stay your hand. Once the tribulations are over, the Buddha will personally punish them."
Su Qing chuckled and shook her head. "But leaving these demons alive is a lingering scourge."
"Sovereign... rest assured. Those demons won't be arrogant for much longer," the escort sighed. "Please, grant us and the Buddha this favor. Spare their lives for now. Consider it a debt the Buddha owes you!"
Su Qing glanced at them and finally relented, her mouth twitching. "Fine, fine. Since you put it that way, I'll let them off for now. However, I hope those great demons who plagued the mortal realm actually receive their punishment, rather than being rewarded with a divine rank after devouring a whole nation's people."
The group looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
"Rest assured... they will receive the punishment they deserve."
Su Qing didn't entirely believe them, but she nodded anyway, not wanting to argue further. It was pointless. She shook her head and asked, "By the way, is there anything else?"
The Bodhisattvas shook their heads. "Our purpose here is fulfilled. We won't disturb you further."
"Speaking of which... I haven't asked which Bodhisattvas you are!"
"Having pleaded for such demons, we are too ashamed to face you, Sovereign. Please forgive us."
Su Qing pursed her lips. These Bodhisattvas certainly cared about their reputation. She didn't press them further and simply said, "Since you're unwilling to reveal yourselves, I won't ask. Safe travels!"
The group nodded, performed a hand seal, and departed the ruined temple on auspicious clouds.
After they left, Su Qing shook her head and muttered to herself, "I was actually planning to at least kill that Great Peng! But whatever, there's no need for me to stress over it. Since the Buddha is willing to trade a favor for their lives, it means they really are essential for the journey. I'll spare them then!"
Su Qing stretched and poked the fire, making the flames roar higher.
The night passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, dawn arrived.
The next morning, Chaoyan and the others woke up. Noticing the escorts were gone, she asked, "Godmother, have those escorts already left?"
Su Qing nodded slightly. "They have. However, they weren't escorts—they were Bodhisattvas in disguise."
Chaoyan froze, staring blankly at Su Qing. She was already a bit dazed from waking up, and now she looked even more bewildered.
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