The Refusal

Before long, Su Qing had booked the rooms and paid the silver.

After Morning Glory and Yudie dropped off their belongings, they found themselves unable to stay cooped up in the inn. Both were the type who couldn't sit still for long. Since the sun hadn't set yet, they likely wanted to head out for a stroll and find some local delicacies to sample.

Su Qing felt a bit helpless but didn't stop them. After all, she had some business of her own to attend to in private.

So, she let the two of them go. Under the guise of being worried, she also sent Jingyue along to keep an eye on them, effectively clearing the room.

It had to be said that Jingyue was indeed the most composed and reliable among them—aside from the occasional moment where she could be a bit dim-witted, she was excellent in every other regard.

Back to the matter at hand.

Once Morning Glory and the others were gone, Su Qing walked downstairs and approached the old woman. She sat across from her and pinched a hand seal, creating an acoustic barrier to prevent any ordinary mortals from overhearing their conversation.

With the preparations complete, Su Qing spoke first. "Guanyin Bodhisattva, what exactly brings you here to find me? For something to require a senior like yourself to seek me out directly, I imagine it’s no small matter."

Guanyin simply smiled, her hand tracing the rim of her teacup. "In truth, it is nothing major. Encountering you here was mostly a coincidence."

Su Qing pursed her lips, her face clearly showing she didn't believe in such a coincidence for a second. However, she played along to avoid bickering with her senior.

Guanyin knew Su Qing wasn't in the mood for small talk, so she stopped beating around the bush and said with a chuckle, "I came to find you primarily because of the Kingdom of Dharma-Extermination. This kingdom lies directly on Tang Sanzang’s path to the West, so I was hoping you could help set up an ordeal here."

Su Qing raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected Guanyin to ask her to help arrange a tribulation. Naturally, she was unwilling to accept.

She shook her head decisively. "I am truly sorry, but I have no experience in setting up ordeals, nor do I know how to go about it. I’m afraid I cannot be of help. If you require assistance with this, Bodhisattva, you will have to look elsewhere."

If Su Qing remembered correctly, the ordeal in the Kingdom of Dharma-Extermination involved a king who wanted to kill ten thousand monks and was only four short of his goal. If she were to make this kingdom match the records, it would mean she'd have to find a way to make the king slaughter ten thousand monks.

This was something Su Qing was absolutely unwilling to do. Even though she had been an immortal for centuries, she still possessed a human heart; she hadn't reached the point where she could callously disregard human lives. Thus, she refused without hesitation.

Guanyin wasn't surprised by the refusal. She simply chanted a Buddhist name and said, "Amitabha. Actually, you may set up the ordeal however you wish. There is no need to be too rigid; as long as Tang Sanzang suffers a little, it will suffice."

Su Qing’s brow twitched. She understood the subtext: Guanyin was saying it didn't have to follow the original script, as long as an ordeal existed in the Kingdom of Dharma-Extermination. This made the task much broader and easier to manage.

Unfortunately, Su Qing had no desire to exert any mental effort on this, nor was she interested in spending time planning tribulations.

Su Qing shook her head again. "Forgive my limited experience, Bodhisattva, but I truly do not know how to arrange such a thing. I certainly cannot step forward to act as the ordeal myself, nor do I wish to fight Wukong. Therefore, you must find someone else to handle this matter."

Seeing Su Qing’s resolute refusal, Guanyin understood her stance and stopped trying to persuade her. She hadn't harbored high hopes that Su Qing would agree in the first place.

She nodded, a gentle smile on her face. "Since you are unwilling to take this on, I shall say no more about it."

"Thank you for your understanding, Senior!" Su Qing breathed a small sigh of relief. To her, becoming an obstacle on the journey to the West was a troublesome and thankless task. No matter which ordeal it was, she wouldn't accept it, even if Guanyin herself came to ask.

"By the way, Senior, did you have any other business with me besides this?" After refusing the request, Su Qing wasn't particularly interested in continuing the chat, but she asked out of politeness. If there was nothing else, she intended to head back.

"Amitabha. To tell the truth, there is one more thing."

Su Qing: "..."

Perhaps she shouldn't have opened her mouth. But she guessed that even if she hadn't asked, Guanyin would have found a reason to bring it up anyway.

"Please, speak freely," Su Qing said, her lip twitching slightly.

"Amitabha. Besides the ordeal, I hope that in the future, when Wukong seeks you out, you will not help him every single time. Instead, please guide him to seek help from others," Guanyin said calmly.

"Oh? That's not a problem." Su Qing nodded. As long as she didn't have to be the villain, it was fine. "If Wukong comes to me, I will simply point him toward someone else."

Guanyin nodded slightly. "Furthermore, I hope that in the future, you can help us put on a play. As for what that play entails, allow me to keep it a secret for now. I will tell you when the time comes."

Su Qing wasn't surprised; she had seemingly promised the Buddha something similar a long time ago. "That is also fine. Whenever you need me, Senior, you can come find me. As long as I am free, I will certainly come."

"Excellent. My thanks to you. It is a burden to ask so much of you. Consider this a favor I owe you... If you ever need anything, you are welcome at the South Sea Purple Bamboo Grove at any time. So long as you aren't trying to make a move on my disciple, that is."

Su Qing: "..."

Are you still worried that I'm after your disciple? I've said it so many times—I really don't have designs on her! If I did, would she still be by your side?

Su Qing ranted inwardly at Guanyin's absurdity, but she kept those thoughts to herself. She was also frustrated—who on earth was out there spreading rumors about her reputation?

She didn't dwell on it, simply nodding with a smile. "Don't worry, Senior. I truly have no designs on your disciple."

"Good."

Su Qing twitched her lips imperceptibly, then suddenly remembered something. "Right, Senior, where is the actual pilgrim team at the moment?"

Guanyin looked at Su Qing with a hint of curiosity. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious."

After a moment of thought, Guanyin answered honestly, "They have only just taken in the White Dragon Horse..."

Upon hearing this, it was Su Qing's turn to be stunned. That wasn't right. The timeline didn't match! Even if they had set out a few years late, they shouldn't be this far behind.

Seeing Su Qing's confusion, the Bodhisattva tapped the table to calm her down. She explained, "Amitabha. Do not overthink it... This is merely a variable within the fixed destiny. Because of your influence, it is normal for them to be delayed. However, no matter how late they are, the path they must walk remains the same, and they must still endure the Eighty-One Tribulations."

Su Qing exhaled slowly, looking at the Bodhisattva with a calm gaze. The Bodhisattva wasn't even pretending anymore when it came to the journey to the West. But that was fine; it saved Su Qing the headache of worrying about the details.

"I see. I thought something had gone wrong along the way!" Su Qing said with a light laugh.

"Amitabha. You need not worry too much. With us old folks around, things won't fall apart. Besides, destiny is destiny. The timing may shift, but the outcome cannot be changed."

Su Qing didn't say much more, simply nodding to show she understood. "Thank you for clarifying, Senior."

"Mhm. If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave. I still have to arrange that ordeal for the Kingdom of Dharma-Extermination!"

"Do you not plan to see Morning Glory?"

"There is no need. You will see each other naturally once you reach the Western Heaven," Guanyin said, shaking her head. "Besides, even if I saw her now, I couldn't reveal my identity. It is better to wait."

Su Qing didn't push further. "Then, safe travels on your way out, Senior."

Guanyin raised an eyebrow, choosing not to pursue the odd phrasing in Su Qing's farewell. She simply nodded, took her cane, and went to the counter to settle the bill.

After Guanyin left, Su Qing didn't rush upstairs. Instead, she called the waiter and ordered some food, planning to eat as soon as Morning Glory and the others returned.

For Su Qing, Guanyin's visit hadn't caused much trouble. The truly annoying request had been refused. The only thing she found slightly strange was how late the pilgrim team was. But it was of little consequence; the pilgrims would arrive eventually, so a delay didn't matter.

In the blink of an eye, evening fell. The food was served just as Morning Glory and Jingyue returned. Morning Glory seemed to have eaten plenty of snacks; she didn't have much of an appetite for dinner. Yudie, however, ate and drank as usual, seemingly unaffected by the treats she'd had during the day. It had to be said that in this regard, Yudie was truly extraordinary.

"Mother, how many days are we staying here?" Morning Glory asked as she ate slowly.

"Not long. Once we've exchanged the travel permits, we'll be on our way," Su Qing replied after a moment's thought. "Three to five days at most. If we're quick, we can leave in two or three."

Morning Glory nodded. "So we can play for a few more days?"

"Don't just think about playing!" Su Qing laughed helplessly. "But staying a few extra days is fine. We aren't that far from the Kingdom of Tianzhu anyway."

"I see!" Morning Glory smiled and focused on her food.

Time flew by, and soon it was another morning. Jingyue took Morning Glory and Yudie out to wander the city, while Su Qing went to the palace to find the King and exchange their travel permits.

Getting the permits wasn't difficult; no matter how powerful a King was, he was still just a mortal. On her way, Su Qing ran into Guanyin again—clearly, she was still working hard on setting up the ordeal. Su Qing didn't bother to interfere; as long as it didn't involve her, she didn't care.

After finishing at the palace, Su Qing returned to the inn. Once the girls had played their fill, they set off again toward the Kingdom of Tianzhu.

Three days passed in a flash. Morning Glory and Yudie had seen enough, and even Jingyue was starting to feel a bit tired from the outings. So, they packed their bags and left the Kingdom of Dharma-Extermination, continuing their journey toward the West.

After several more days of travel, the weather turned sweltering. Su Qing and her group arrived before a towering mountain. Looking at the scenery, Su Qing sensed a faint aura of malice. Even without calculating, she knew there were demons in these mountains.

However, despite knowing there were demons, she didn't take them to heart. They were likely just small fries. Even the somewhat famous Great King of the South Ridge was just a demon with a bit of a brain—hardly a threat. Letting Morning Glory and Yudie handle them would be more than enough practice.

Without much thought, she led the group up the mountain. The scenery on the mountain was indeed beautiful; just walking along the path and taking in the sights was a delight.