Fengxian Prefecture

“Godmother… is it really alright for us to let them go like that?”

Su Qing and her group set out once more.

Morning Glory was still a bit uneasy about the business with those demons. Upon hearing this, Su Qing simply shook her head and said, “It doesn’t matter… we aren’t far from the Kingdom of Tianzhu now. If he truly were a great menace, the Bodhisattva would certainly not let him off.”

Hearing Su Qing put it that way, Morning Glory thought for a moment and then nodded helplessly. What her godmother said always made sense.

Thus, she stopped mentioning the matter and silently followed behind Su Qing as they continued down the mountain. Seeing that she had convinced the young girl, Su Qing couldn’t help but let a smile show. She then rode her horse, slowly leading everyone down the mountain.

That leopard spirit was merely one of the tribulations on the journey to the west… since he was clever enough to flee, it didn’t matter if they ignored him. Sooner or later, someone would come to deal with him anyway.

Su Qing and the others walked slowly, and the dense fog in the mountains still hadn't dissipated. Su Qing guessed the fog remained because the leopard spirit feared she would come looking for him, so he deliberately kept it thick to hide from her pursuit. However, he was overthinking things. If Su Qing had truly wanted to deal with him, he wouldn't have had the chance to escape in the first place.

Nevertheless, because of the heavy fog, their pace was forced to slow down considerably. What should have been a quick mountain path took them until evening to finally leave Mount Wuyin. Once they were out of Mount Wuyin, the fog naturally vanished, and the scenery became clear.

“We’re finally out,” Morning Glory said, looking at the clear surroundings with a sigh of relief. Walking through that fog, she had been truly afraid of accidentally getting separated from her godmother.

Seeing her relieved expression, Su Qing smiled faintly and patted her head. “Looking at the sky, it’s getting late. Since we’ve cleared Mount Wuyin, let’s rest here for the night before continuing.”

Morning Glory naturally had no objections. After all, the previous trek had been quite exhausting. As for Yudie, there was even less need to ask—it was nearly dinner time, and the little one was already on the verge of announcing her hunger.

Time passed slowly. In the night, Su Qing lit a campfire and sat beside it, quietly watching the night sky. Without the fog to obscure it, the sky was exceptionally beautiful. Though Su Qing had long since grown tired of looking at the stars, watching the night was still a form of relaxation when she had nothing else to do.

Jingyue saw that Su Qing was still awake and sat beside her, quietly accompanying her in gazing at the horizon.

“After we finish accompanying Morning Glory to get the scriptures, will you go back to Flower-Fruit Mountain with me, Sister?” Jingyue asked after a moment of silence, turning her head.

Su Qing glanced at her with slight surprise, then nodded slightly. “I promised you, so of course I will go with you!”

“By the way, Sister, is the night sky over Flower-Fruit Mountain any different from the one we’re looking at now?”

“I don’t know. You’ll have to see it with your own eyes to find out.”

The two chatted for a while before falling silent to appreciate the night. Eventually, Su Qing grew tired of the view and went to rest.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, another night had passed.

The next morning, Su Qing and the others woke up early. After a quick breakfast, they continued their journey toward the Western Heaven.

Their pace was not slow. After leaving Mount Wuyin, they didn't linger much on the road, nor did they encounter any trouble. They traveled peacefully along the main road for several days before unexpectedly sighting another city.

Morning Glory looked at the city from afar and exclaimed in surprise, “We just left the Kingdom of Dharma-Extermination; how did we find another town so soon? I thought we’d have to walk for a month or two before seeing another one!”

Su Qing chuckled and said, “Isn’t it a good thing there’s a town? Resting in a city is always better than sleeping out in the open!”

Morning Glory nodded thoughtfully. That made sense. She scratched her head and said, “Then let’s head over, Godmother! It’s already afternoon anyway; we can find an inn and rest for a day.”

Su Qing nodded and led the group to the city gates without a word. She looked up at the plaque above the gate, which bore three words: Fengxian Prefecture.

Seeing those words, Su Qing couldn't help but recall certain events, and a smile played on her lips. After all, the classic tale of the chicken pecking rice, the dog licking flour, and the fire burning the lock was too iconic; it had left a deep impression on her.

“But counting the days, it shouldn't be that time yet… For now, Fengxian Prefecture is likely just an ordinary prefecture city,” Su Qing thought, shaking her head before leading Morning Glory and the others inside.

At the gate, several soldiers stopped them to ask for their identities.

Morning Glory was well-acquainted with this routine. After chanting a Buddhist invocation, she said, “Amitabha. I am an itinerant monk from the Eastern Land of Great Tang, traveling to the Great Thunder Monastery on Spirit Mountain in the Western Heaven to obtain the scriptures! I ask for your kind passage.”

The soldiers were momentarily stunned before quickly bowing in respect. “Are you truly from the Eastern Land of Great Tang?”

“A monk does not speak lies; naturally, it is true.”

“Then why do you have long hair?”

“My master allows me to practice with my hair.”

“I see! Since you come from the Eastern Land of Great Tang, we wouldn't dare block your path,” the soldier said. “Please, enter!”

“Thank you!” Morning Glory nodded and thanked the soldier.

Just as Su Qing and the others finished explaining their identities and were about to enter the city, another voice called out to them.

“Are you truly from the East?”

Su Qing frowned slightly. Why was entering a city so troublesome today? However, she had a good temperament; though she was annoyed at being stopped for no reason, she wouldn't lose her temper over such a small matter.

She nodded calmly and said, “We indeed come from the East. And you are?”

Su Qing looked at the newcomer. Seeing how respectful the soldiers were toward him, she knew this man was an official of the prefecture.

The man bowed to Su Qing and her group and said, “I am the Prefecture Governor of Fengxian Prefecture. I happened to be out on inspection today and encountered you by chance. I have a deep interest in the Eastern Land of Great Tang. If you truly come from there, would you care to be guests at my manor?”

Su Qing’s eyebrows twitched slightly. She stared at the Prefecture Governor for a short moment before smiling. She nodded and said, “Since the Prefecture Governor has invited us, it would be rude to refuse! However, we must continue our journey later, so I’m afraid we cannot stay long.”

“It matters not, it matters not. It is my good fortune that you can come at all. How could I dare ask for more?” The Prefecture Governor laughed heartily, appearing quite open-minded.

Seeing this, Su Qing nodded and smiled. “Then I shall respectfully accept your invitation.”

“This way, please!” the Prefecture Governor said cheerfully.

After their brief conversation, the Prefecture Governor led the way on horseback. Along the way, he chatted with Su Qing, asking mostly about the Eastern Land of Great Tang. Su Qing was quite open about these questions, telling him what she knew and what was appropriate to share. Most people in the West had a profound interest in the Great Tang. Su Qing was used to this and knew exactly what to say to satisfy their curiosity.

Morning Glory didn't care much about the details. To her, staying at an inn or a guest room in the governor's manor made no difference, as long as it didn't affect their schedule.

“By the way, Madam, you are not a Buddhist practitioner?” the Prefecture Governor asked after they had chatted about the Great Tang for a while.

Su Qing saw no need to hide it and nodded. “I am not… among the four of us, only this one is a Buddhist. We travel together simply because the journey is perilous, and it’s better to have company for mutual support.”

“I see, I see… You must have suffered quite a bit on this journey, I imagine?”

“We’ve suffered some, but fortunately, the rewards have been plentiful.”

“That is good to hear!” As he spoke, the Prefecture Governor stopped. “Everyone, we have arrived. This is my humble abode.”

Su Qing turned to look at what he called a 'humble abode.' Heh, he was certainly being modest. Su Qing didn't bother playing along with his modesty and simply followed him into the manor. The governor’s manor was indeed large—though not a royal palace, it was the kind of place that would take quite some time to walk through.

Su Qing didn't care much for the opulence and followed the governor into the living hall. The hall was quite spacious, and inside sat an offering table. On the table were offerings to Heaven and Earth, specifically to the Jade Emperor.

Seeing this, Su Qing rubbed her chin and smiled. “I didn't realize the Prefecture Governor was a seeker of the Dao?”

“I wouldn't call myself a seeker… I simply offer sacrifices to the Jade Emperor to pray for peace and rain in Fengxian Prefecture.”

“And has it been peaceful lately?”

“The weather has been favorable, so it has naturally been peaceful,” the Prefecture Governor said with a smile.

“That is good!” Su Qing nodded.

She then began to wonder if she should give the governor a warning, lest the entire prefecture suffer with him. A three-year drought was no joke. However, Su Qing reconsidered. The arrangements for the Eighty-One Tribulations were jointly managed by the Heavenly Court and the Buddhist Sect. Even if she warned him about knocking over the offering table, the Heavenly Court would likely find another excuse to punish Fengxian Prefecture if they wanted to.

Still… doing nothing wasn't Su Qing’s style.

In the end, during their chat, she mentioned it in passing. She told the Prefecture Governor that since he offered sacrifices to the heavens, the heavens would be watching him; if he ever desecrated the offerings, he would face corresponding punishment.

Perhaps this wouldn't entirely save Fengxian Prefecture from disaster, but doing something gave her some peace of mind. As for whether the Prefecture Governor took it to heart… that was no longer Su Qing’s concern. She had done all she could.

The Prefecture Governor’s interest in the Great Tang was indeed intense. Su Qing and Morning Glory stayed for half a day, spending most of their time answering his questions about the Great Tang and how they had made it this far. In short, the man was an endless fountain of questions, forcing even someone like Su Qing, who didn't enjoy idle chatter, to speak quite a lot.

The only saving grace was that while he was incredibly curious, he wasn't completely relentless. When it was time to stop, he finally let them be.

After the vegetarian meal, Su Qing sat in a chair and rubbed her temples. She bet that the next time she met someone like the governor, she wouldn't agree so easily. It was simply too much of a headache. Not just Su Qing—even Morning Glory was struggling to handle his curiosity.

Fortunately, Su Qing didn't plan to stay in Fengxian Prefecture for long. At dawn the next day, she went to bid the governor farewell to continue their journey west.

The Prefecture Governor was clearly reluctant to see them go, likely because he still had many questions left unasked. However, Su Qing and the others were determined to leave. If they stayed any longer, their heads might actually explode.

“Alas, very well. Since you are determined to go, I shall not hold you back! If you ever pass through here on your return journey… remember to come to my manor as guests! I will surely prepare a grand vegetarian feast for you then.”

The Prefecture Governor wasn't a rigid man. Seeing their resolve, he stopped trying to persuade them and only hoped they would visit again. Su Qing, of course, agreed for now—whether they would actually return was a matter for another time.

Soon, Su Qing and her group finally left the governor’s manor and continued toward the Western Heaven.

Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed since they left Fengxian Prefecture.

One day, the Prefecture Governor and his wife got into an argument in the living hall over their children. Seeing this, the servants all hid to one side, none of them daring to intervene; they could only watch from afar.

In the heat of their pushing and shoving, they accidentally knocked over the offering table. The governor’s wife, still in a fit of pique, let out a cold snort and turned to leave. The Prefecture Governor, looking at the mess on the floor, was also fuming with rage.

However, just as he was about to turn and walk away, he suddenly remembered someone’s words from a few weeks ago.

After a long silence, he ordered the servants to clean up the mess and replace the offerings with fresh ones. He didn't know if the gods were watching from above, but even if there was only a slight possibility, he couldn't risk offending them. If he did, both he and the people of Fengxian Prefecture would suffer.

Su Qing, of course, knew nothing of what was happening in Fengxian Prefecture. She was focused on heading toward the Western Heaven, traveling without much rest. And so, after traveling for a long time, autumn arrived without them even noticing.