Thunder Monastery

Hearing Jingyue's words...

Su Qing was speechless for a moment.

She curled her lip and said, "I've never kidnapped anyone!"

Hearing this, Jingyue chuckled and said, "Who can say for sure?"

Su Qing: "..."

She didn't remember ever kidnapping anyone. She had always been perfectly well-behaved. Being a 'bad woman' or anything of the sort simply didn't apply to her.

Su Qing shook her head and then shifted the topic...

After all, if they continued discussing this, she would start to get a headache. Fortunately, the others clearly didn't intend to dwell on the subject either. Seeing Su Qing change the topic, they followed suit and spoke of other matters.

"Now that the travel permit has been stamped, we shall continue our journey tomorrow! By the way, the dry rations and supplies have all been bought, right?"

"Mhm! They were bought long ago. Godmother, you don't need to worry..." Chaoyan nodded and said.

"That's good. Well, it's getting late. After dinner, let's rest! We set out first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Alright."

By now, the distance to Spirit Mountain was no longer far. No one intended to waste any more time here in the Kingdom of Tianzhu...

Everything proceeded as usual.

The next day, the group rose early. After checking out of their rooms at the inn, they led their horses and continued on their way.

Leaving the capital of the Kingdom of Tianzhu, Su Qing and the others took to the main road, heading further toward the Western Heaven. Along the way, they braved the wind and dew, sleeping under the moon and frost, rarely stopping for long as they pressed steadily toward their destination.

Perhaps because they were on the main road, they traveled extremely fast. They didn't encounter much trouble along the way. Although bandits occasionally targeted them, they weren't worth mentioning... After all, no matter how fierce a bandit might be, they were ultimately just mortals. With a slight flick of the wrist, they were sent straight to the local government's jail cells.

During the days of travel, no one kept much track of the date. It was only when they paused to look around that they realized it was already early summer.

Now, they were only a few days' journey from the Western Heaven.

Perhaps because they were nearing the Buddhist lands of Spirit Mountain, the scenery along the road became even more harmonious... In the places they passed, every household turned toward virtue, and every family offered vegetarian meals to monks. Occasionally, they would even encounter other cultivators on the road. Consequently, this final stretch of the journey was exceptionally relaxed for Su Qing and her companions.

One day, as they were traveling, Su Qing suddenly pulled on the reins and stopped her horse. Pointing toward the tall buildings nestled in the distant mountains, she said, "Chaoyan, haven't you been asking how much longer until we reach Spirit Mountain? Look, that place ahead is Spirit Mountain."

Hearing Su Qing's words, Chaoyan looked in the direction she was pointing. In the distance, the mountain scenery was magnificent, filled with a sprawling complex of halls, pavilions, spiritual palaces, and precious towers.

Staring at the distant view, Chaoyan was stunned for a long time. Then, she let out a sharp intake of breath.

"That is Spirit Mountain ahead? It's truly magnificent! Amitabha," Chaoyan said, hastily bowing toward the distant buildings.

Seeing this, Su Qing just chuckled and said, "Don't be in such a hurry to bow. It won't be too late to do so once we actually reach Spirit Mountain!"

Hearing this, Chaoyan nodded quickly. She was in a rush to head toward Spirit Mountain.

Yudie looked at the distant scenery but only curled her lip. This wasn't her first time coming to Spirit Mountain... Naturally, she found nothing shocking or stunning about it. In fact, she even found it a bit annoying. After all, there was nothing good to eat on Spirit Mountain, and nothing fun to do. There was only a group of baldies who knew how to chant sutras—baldies who would nag in your ear if you annoyed them.

Jingyue, looking at the distant pavilions, formed a Daoist hand seal and said, "I won't go to Spirit Mountain with you, Sister. I'll wait for you in the nearby market town."

Hearing this, Su Qing naturally knew that Jingyue had some reservations. She shook her head with a smile and said, "Don't overthink it... The monks there aren't as rigid as you imagine. If I can go, why can't you?"

Jingyue looked at Su Qing and saw that her expression was calm. After a moment of thought, she nodded and followed Su Qing toward Spirit Mountain.

The group moved quickly. Before long, they arrived at the entrance of a building complex. As they slowed their pace, a Daoist boy at the gate called out to Su Qing:

"Sovereign! You've finally arrived!"

"Hmm? Yes."

"Is this the pilgrim you are guiding?"

"Correct..." Su Qing looked at the Daoist boy and nodded slightly, asking, "Where is your master?"

"Master is inside the temple! Sovereign, please come in with me! After we have welcomed you and provided refreshment, you can lead the pilgrim to see the Buddha," the Daoist boy said respectfully.

Su Qing didn't say much. She nodded and led Yudie, Chaoyan, and Jingyue into the temple.

On the way, Jingyue couldn't help but ask curiously, "Isn't this the foot of Spirit Mountain? Why is there a Daoist temple here?"

"The relationship between the Buddhist and Daoist sects isn't as bad as you think... Although some people indeed find each other disagreeable, they are all cultivators after all, and they exchange ideas quite often." Su Qing knew her confusion and knew Chaoyan was also very curious, so she took the opportunity to explain.

Hearing this, although Jingyue still had some lingering doubts, she nodded... Perhaps she had imagined the world of cultivation to be far too complicated.

Inside the temple, the Golden Peak Immortal was brewing tea. Seeing Su Qing and the others arrive, he greeted them with a smile, "Sovereign, you've finally come! I thought you would arrive in a few years at most, but I didn't expect you to take so long!"

Su Qing shook her head slightly and said, "We took a few detours on the road and encountered some matters, so it took a bit longer."

"Come, sit here. Everyone, please sit! Don't be formal... just treat this as your own home." The Golden Peak Immortal was exceptionally warm and lacked any air of superiority. He said with a chuckle, "Still, it must have been hard on you. To walk such a long distance."

"After all, it was something I promised the Buddha... Naturally, it had to be done. Besides, walking with them wasn't really that hard." Su Qing chuckled and said, "At most, I saw many facets of the world and felt a bit of melancholy."

"You are kind-hearted and cannot bear to see such things; I understand." The Golden Peak Immortal shook his head, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to Su Qing, saying, "Come, try this. The tea of Spirit Mountain is quite excellent."

"Thank you."

"No need for thanks, no need for thanks," the Golden Peak Immortal said with a smile. "After this, you'll be heading up Spirit Mountain, right? How about it, should I escort you? Usually, when you come, you fly straight up. You probably haven't traveled this land route before, have you?"

"That won't be necessary. Although I haven't walked it, I know the way." Su Qing smiled and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Great Immortal."

"No matter. Since you want to walk it yourself, then go ahead!" the Great Immortal said. "However, there's no need to be in such a rush to ascend Spirit Mountain. Since you've come to my temple, it won't be too late to leave after having a vegetarian meal. Spirit Mountain is right in front of you, after all..."

Hearing this, Su Qing thought for a moment and didn't refuse... she had already turned down his kindness several times. If she continued to refuse, it would make her seem a bit cold and arrogant. Besides, the Great Immortal was right. Spirit Mountain was right there; being a little later wouldn't hurt.

"In that case, I shall trouble the Great Immortal."

"It's no trouble, no trouble!" The Golden Peak Immortal laughed loudly and said, "It is my honor to have the Sovereign eat a vegetarian meal here."

"The Great Immortal is joking; I am but a junior."

As Su Qing chatted with the Great Immortal, Chaoyan's mind had already entered a state of complete shock.

Meanwhile, Jingyue and Yudie looked at the dazed Chaoyan and just smiled, then watched Su Qing with a look of anticipation. They both seemed to be looking forward to how Su Qing planned to explain things later.

Su Qing naturally noticed Chaoyan's state... but she wasn't flustered at all. After all, explaining these things was actually quite simple... she would just answer truthfully. Why make it complicated?

Su Qing chatted with the Golden Peak Immortal for a while until he mentioned it was about time for the vegetarian meal. She then patted Chaoyan's shoulder and said, "Wake up, it's time for the meal. After we eat... we have to go up Spirit Mountain to see the Buddha."

Chaoyan was snapped out of it by Su Qing's pat and said with a blank expression, "Oh, oh, I understand..."

She wanted to ask Su Qing questions... but there were too many questions in her heart at once. She didn't know where to start, so she was stuck. Of course, another important reason was that her brain was still short-circuited and couldn't quite process things yet.

The Golden Peak Immortal, seeing this scene, just chuckled and explained nothing, also wearing a look of someone watching a play.

The vegetarian meal was simple, consisting entirely of plant-based foods. Fortunately, the taste of these dishes was excellent. At the very least, Yudie ate until she was giving a thumbs-up.

"Hahaha, if you like it, you can come here often to eat," the Golden Peak Immortal said to Yudie with a smile. "The vegetarian food here is much better than what they serve on Spirit Mountain."

Seeing Yudie nod in total agreement, Su Qing was speechless for a moment. Honestly, why was it that not a single one of the children around her was easy to deal with?

She shook her head and quietly finished the meal.

After the meal, Su Qing and the others tidied their clothes, then led their horses out of the Daoist temple and headed toward Spirit Mountain.

The group walked slowly. They didn't move fast, but they were exceptionally quiet. They walked for about five or six li when they were suddenly blocked by a stretch of rushing water.

The water was churning with flying waves, roughly eight or nine li wide, and there were no signs of a ferry anywhere nearby.

Without waiting for Chaoyan to ask, Su Qing spoke first, saying, "This is Lingyun Ferry... Once we cross that single-log bridge, we will be at the Great Leiyin Temple."

Hearing Su Qing's words, Chaoyan snapped out of her thoughts. She looked up at the single-log bridge.

By now, Chaoyan had temporarily set aside the matter of Su Qing's identity because she had realized something. Su Qing was her godmother, and she couldn't leave her completely. After they finished retrieving the scriptures, she would have plenty of time to ask questions slowly. Therefore, there was no need to be so distressed right now. Instead of being distressed, it was better to first complete the task her master had given her. Everything would become clear sooner or later anyway.

Chaoyan looked at the single-log bridge not far away. Seeing its slippery appearance, she couldn't help but frown slightly and say, "Mother... that bridge is so slippery. It would be hard for even us to walk on it. How can the horse cross?"

To Chaoyan, although the single-log bridge at Lingyun Ferry looked exceptionally difficult to cross, it wasn't impossible... It was just that not everyone among them was a cultivator... and the horse was merely a creature that had recently become a spirit. How could it cross Lingyun Ferry?

Hearing this, the horse also looked up at the single-log bridge... then quickly nodded its head, looking as if it definitely couldn't make it.

Hearing this, Su Qing couldn't help but laugh. She had thought Chaoyan was worried about something else. So it was the horse?

"Don't worry... this little fellow has some ability. She can cross this bridge," Su Qing said calmly. "If she can't even cross this single-log bridge... then the pills she's eaten all these years were for nothing. After this, she can forget about me feeding her anymore."

Hearing Su Qing's words, the horse, which had been cowering, suddenly let out a neigh. Then, it took the lead and walked at the front, as if telling Su Qing that it could indeed cross.

Seeing this, Su Qing couldn't help but smile. She shook her head and laughed, "Why is everyone around me a glutton? Even the horse I raised has turned out like this. Where exactly did I go wrong?"

Su Qing couldn't figure it out, so she simply stopped thinking about it. She followed behind the horse and stepped onto the single-log bridge.

The horse walked with difficulty... but it moved steadily, step by step. It slowly made its way toward the other side.

Seeing this, the Bodhisattva who had been prepared to come out and help them cross the river withdrew the ferry and returned to Spirit Mountain.

Before long, Su Qing and the others finally crossed the single-log bridge and reached the opposite bank. As soon as they stepped onto the shore, the horse's legs went weak, and it collapsed onto the ground, looking completely exhausted.

Su Qing didn't pay much attention to the horse. Instead, she turned to look back at Lingyun Ferry... This crossing held no difficulty for her, but after walking across that bridge, Su Qing felt an additional bit of insight into Buddhist Dharma within her body.

"It even has this kind of effect? Interesting..."

Su Qing shook her head and didn't think deeply on it, quickly pulling her thoughts back. She walked to the horse's side, patted its head, fed it a pill, and said, "Let's go!"

After eating the pill, the horse slowly scrambled to its feet. It followed behind Su Qing as they headed toward the ancient Thunder Monastery.

After just a few more steps, Su Qing and the others arrived outside the mountain gate of Leiyin Temple. Outside the gate, several Arhats and Vajras were standing there. Seeing Su Qing arrive with Chaoyan and the others, they rose and performed a Buddhist greeting.