Where Has She Gone?

Su Qing heard the voice outside and couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Well, it seemed her eavesdropping had been exposed.

She really didn't know how Jingyue had realized she was listening... That girl wasn't as simple as she appeared.

Of course, that wasn't a bad thing. The more capable Jingyue was, the better it was for her.

Su Qing stretched her limbs, loosening her muscles and bones, before lazily stepping out the door.

Outside, several sparrows grew excited the moment they saw Su Qing. They flew toward her, chirping and twittering incessantly.

"Sister Xiao Qing, Sister Xiao Qing! It really is Sister Xiao Qing!"

"It is, it is! The Big Green Snake hasn't changed at all!"

"Where did the Big Green Snake go? Why didn't you come back for so long?"

"Where did you go, where did you go? Why didn't you take us with you! We waited for you for so long, we thought you'd never come back!"

Listening to the frantic chirping of the little birds, Su Qing waved her hand helplessly.

"You lot, didn't I tell you before I left? I went to Chang'an, then accompanied a pilgrim on a journey to the Western Heaven! It takes a long time to get there and back! But haven't I returned now?"

Su Qing patiently explained herself to the little creatures.

However, the little ones were relentless, circling her and chirping without end.

"Alright, alright, all of you shut up for a second. You're so loud. Why are you still this noisy after all this time?" Su Qing rolled her eyes. These little guys were something else. When she was away, she missed them, but the moment she saw them, their chatter made her want to shoo them away again.

"And look at you... you've certainly put on weight while I was gone. You used to be like little balls, but now you're even more 'well-rounded.' Usually, a sparrow's roundness is just fluffy feathers, but you solid little things clearly haven't been holding back at all."

Since they were being so noisy, Su Qing didn't mind teasing them a bit. They really were incredibly round. She had traveled one hundred and eight thousand li, covering nearly half the world, and had seen many cute little birds on the road. None of them were quite as plump as these ones.

Su Qing's teasing naturally drew protests from the little birds. Despite the passing years, they remained as stubborn as ever about their weight, making Su Qing smile at the familiar sight.

Watching Su Qing interact so comfortably with them, Jingyue asked curiously, "You... actually know these little ones?"

"Actually, you know them too," Su Qing replied with a faint smile.

"I do?" Jingyue was stunned for a moment before she quickly realized. "Are these the greedy sparrows that used to follow you? I thought... those lazy gluttons would have died of old age by now! I can't believe they're still alive! But they've changed quite a bit; they look so much fatter."

"Not fat, not fat!"

"Exactly! Exactly!"

The sparrows reflexively talked back.

Su Qing ignored their protests and nodded with a smile. "Yes. Although they are lazy, they've been with me for a long time. I couldn't just watch them die of old age. So, I asked Taishang Laojun for some things to feed them, allowing them to live a bit longer!"

"They certainly look like they're living on pills... their strength doesn't seem like much at all," Jingyue remarked accurately, ignoring the birds' indignant chirping. Of course, their denials were meaningless; they couldn't change the facts.

They were so angry they wanted to peck Jingyue, but they didn't dare—they realized they probably couldn't win a fight against her.

However, they were also curious about who this woman was. Why was she with Su Qing? And why did she act like she had seen them before?

Knowing they would be curious, Su Qing finished her teasing and explained everything to them.

"Do you remember that little macaque from back then?" Su Qing asked with a smile.

The sparrows' memories were generally short, but with Su Qing's prompt, they soon understood. They thought back and then chirped in surprise, "So it's her! She actually managed to transform? How beautiful!"

"That's right, it's her," Su Qing said.

The little sparrows acted as if they had discovered a new world, becoming incredibly excited. Su Qing sighed; these little guys switched between joy and anger so quickly. Being simple-minded, once they knew the woman was an old acquaintance, they immediately became friendly with her. Jingyue was actually caught a bit off guard by their sudden enthusiasm, but she was capable enough to adapt quickly.

Now that she knew these little ones were here, Su Qing was no longer worried about Leng Xiang and the others. If the sparrows were at the Changbai Mountains, Leng Xiang and the rest must be here too. Leng Xiang wouldn't just leave them here, and neither would Ao Ying. Furthermore, if something had happened to them, these little birds wouldn't be so relaxed.

Still, Su Qing needed to find out what they were up to. Once the birds calmed down, she asked, "By the way, since you're here, where are Leng Xiang and the others?"

The question made the sparrows pause.

"Oh, right, right! We almost forgot. Sister Leng Xiang and the others went down the mountain. They should be back in a while!"

"Down the mountain?"

"Mhm! To buy supplies. Even though we can grow most things on the mountain, Sister Leng Xiang occasionally goes down to check on things while you're away. She also takes Su Ying'er out for a stroll. We didn't feel like going to town today, so we stayed on the mountain—and then we heard Yudie's shouting!"

The little ones chirped a mile a minute. After listening for a while, Su Qing understood the situation. It seemed that during her absence, their lives hadn't been too badly affected. This allowed her to breathe a sigh of relief.

"About when will they be back?" Su Qing asked after a moment's thought.

The sparrows shook their heads. "We don't know! Their shopping trips are never for a set amount of time."

"I see... Never mind then." Su Qing nodded. Since they didn't know the exact time, she didn't press further. She began to consider whether to wait for them or go out to find them.

After thinking for a while, Su Qing decided to wait at home. Since she had plenty of time, she might as well cook lunch. They would likely return around lunch or dinner time. Having a meal ready for them would be a nice surprise, wouldn't it?

Well, her being back was a surprise in itself. Of course, there was also the chance Leng Xiang might try to swing a sword at her. Leng Xiang had done such things before. It wasn't dangerous, but it could be startling.

"What are you thinking about, Sister Xiao Qing?" Jingyue asked, seeing Su Qing's long silence.

Su Qing smiled and shook her head. "Just thinking about what's next... Before we return to Flower-Fruit Mountain, you should stay here with me! There should be spare rooms... I'll go tidy one up for you."

"Ah? I can do it myself."

"You're a guest here, how could I let you do it yourself?"

"By the way, aren't you going to look for the others? You seemed quite concerned about them."

"There's no need to go looking for now; they'll be back soon. We'll just prepare a meal and wait for them..."

"Is that so? Alright then." Jingyue thought about it and didn't push further, nodding in agreement. She remembered Leng Xiang, but it had been so long that she didn't know what she looked like now or what her personality was like. While a cultivator's personality and appearance wouldn't change drastically, five hundred years had passed. Even she had changed significantly, so what about the others?

As she pondered, Su Qing left the courtyard and went inside. There were plenty of empty rooms, so finding one for Jingyue wasn't difficult; it just needed a bit of cleaning. While she tidied the room, Su Qing sent Yudie to the garden to pick some vegetables so she could start on lunch.

On the Changbai Mountains, everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion.

Meanwhile, in Chang'an, outside Su Qing's house, Morning Glory knocked on the door. After staying in Guanyin Bodhisattva's Purple Bamboo Grove for a day, she felt she had to tell Su Qing her plans. She had bid her master farewell and traveled back specifically to tell Su Qing where she would be in the future. After that, she planned to look for her mother and the others. She didn't intend to reveal her identity—after all, they wouldn't believe a person who had been dead for years was standing before them—she just wanted to see how they were doing.

She didn't blame Su Qing for what had happened. After Guanyin's explanation, she understood the stakes involved. If not for Su Qing, her parents likely would have been killed. Therefore, she had no reason to hold a grudge. If she did, she wouldn't have come looking for her.

Although she had a key to the courtyard, she hadn't visited in a long time and had lost it somewhere. So, she could only knock.

After a few moments, a young maid ran over and opened the door. Morning Glory stated her purpose as usual.

"I'm sorry, my master is not at home right now."

"Godmother isn't here? Where did she go?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know. Master only told us to take care of the courtyard and left without saying anything else." The maid shook her head, answering truthfully.

Morning Glory's brow twitched slightly. "I see. I understand. Sorry to bother you."

"It's... it's no trouble. When Master returns, I'll tell her you visited," the maid said, looking a bit flustered.

"Thank you."

The maid nodded, looking somewhat awkward.

After leaving the maid, Morning Glory wondered where her godmother could have gone.

"Did she leave because she didn't want to see me? No... that's impossible. Godmother said she would always be my godmother; she wouldn't abandon me." Morning Glory bit her lip and shook her head. "I'll ask Master when I get back! She'll definitely know where Godmother is."

Suddenly, she remembered something.

"Right, the Changbai Mountains... Godmother must have gone back there. She is the Mountain God of the Changbai Mountains; I'll surely find her there!"

"No... I have to see my mother today. I'll go tomorrow."

"Yes... tomorrow."

"I still need to ask Master where exactly the Changbai Mountains are..."

Morning Glory took a deep breath to calm herself. To be honest, her heart had fluttered with panic when she suspected her godmother might not want her anymore. Fortunately, she knew Su Qing well enough to know she wouldn't do that, which helped her regain her composure and think of the Changbai Mountains.

Morning Glory sighed deeply. She no longer had the heart to wander around Chang'an. Without her godmother or Sister Yudie by her side, everything felt incredibly dull. Shaking her head, she found a secluded spot, performed a hand seal, and departed Chang'an on an auspicious cloud. She still had to see her biological parents; even if she couldn't reunite with them, a glimpse would suffice.

Meanwhile, in the town at the foot of the Changbai Mountains, Leng Xiang, Ao Ying, and Su Ying'er were strolling through the streets, purchasing daily necessities. As they shopped, Leng Xiang suddenly felt a wave of restlessness.

Seeing that Leng Xiang seemed off, Ao Ying asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing... just a strange feeling I can't quite put into words." Leng Xiang touched her chest and pondered for a long time before saying, "It's as if... the person whose life is linked to mine has returned."

"Linked to your life? You mean... Sister Xiao Qing is back? You can sense that?"

"To some extent, yes... after all, I am her sharpest sword." Leng Xiang nodded slightly. "We've bought enough. Let's head back and see if my intuition is right!"