Su Qing was naturally quite surprised to see this father and daughter pair…
After all, logically speaking, even if they hadn't been captured and taken back by the South Pole Immortal, they shouldn't have ended up here at her Changbai Mountains.
As for who these two were…
There was no one else they could be besides the South Pole Immortal’s mount, the White Deer Old Monster, and the White-Faced Fox.
Su Qing just couldn't figure out what they were doing here.
Furthermore, seeing how familiar they were with the Daoist boys and priests in the temple, it was clear they had been frequenting this place for a while.
"I don't quite understand…" Su Qing shook her head, still lacking a clear lead.
Since she had no clue, she didn't intend to keep dwelling on it. Blind speculation was meaningless.
It was better to ask the parties involved directly.
The people were right there; if she asked, they likely wouldn't dare refuse to answer.
Thus, after Su Qing saw them enter the main hall, she followed them inside.
At the same time, she sent a voice transmission: "What business do you two have at my temple beneath the Changbai Mountains? Seeing how familiar you are with the people here, it seems you haven't just been here for a day or two."
Hearing Su Qing’s voice transmission, the Old Deer and the White-Faced Fox were both startled.
They immediately began looking around in all directions.
Fortunately, the Old Deer remembered Su Qing’s voice. After a brief moment of panic, he quickly steadied his mind.
He bowed slightly toward the statue of Azure Spirit Sovereign within the temple.
Seeing this, Su Qing continued: "This is not the place to talk. Come to the pavilion in the backyard."
Hearing the transmission, the father and daughter were stunned for a moment before nodding hurriedly.
They didn't know Su Qing was right behind them; they only felt as if they were being watched. Both of their cultivations were decent, but Su Qing's current level was far beyond theirs. With her presence hidden, they found it impossible to detect her.
However, with Su Qing’s instructions, the two had a goal and hurried toward the pavilion.
In truth, they had arrived at the Changbai Mountains long ago.
They had come very early, back when Su Qing hadn't yet returned. They didn't dare to go directly up the mountain to visit her, so they could only resort to this clumsy method—frequently visiting the temple in hopes of running into her.
Though the method was a bit foolish, it had to be said that it was effective. Hadn't they just run into her?
After seeing them move, Su Qing turned and arrived at the backyard pavilion. There was nothing special about this pavilion, other than the fact that few people came here. Talking here meant they didn't have to worry about being overheard.
Su Qing waited in the pavilion for a while until the father and daughter arrived. Seeing Su Qing sitting there quietly, they hurriedly bowed to her.
"Greetings, Lady Azure Spirit… We have waited here for several years, and finally, we meet Lady Azure Spirit again."
"There is no need for such ceremony. Just sit," Su Qing said plainly.
Hearing this, the two breathed a sigh of relief and sat on one side of the pavilion, facing Su Qing.
The White-Faced Fox didn't dare to speak; she didn't even dare to breathe too loudly. When she had met Su Qing before, she hadn't felt such immense pressure, likely because Su Qing hadn't displayed anything extraordinary back then. Meeting her again now, however, caused her pressure to spike, making her feel anxious and afraid.
This was especially true now that she knew how powerful the other party was and how high her status was.
Fortunately, the Old Deer was someone who had seen the world, so he wasn't overly timid.
Su Qing didn't waste time on pleasantries once they were seated. Her relationship with them was average; they had only met once, and she had merely frightened them a bit afterward. So, she got straight to the point.
"What business do you two have, waiting for me here for so long?"
While Su Qing was direct, the Old Deer had to weigh his words carefully before speaking.
"Previously, my daughter saw the Sovereign's heroic bearing and admired you greatly," the Old Deer said. "Upon learning that you, Sovereign, have a preference for women, she wished to follow by your side to seek the Dao. As the Sovereign knows… it is difficult for ordinary demons like us to obtain true cultivation methods. Reaching our current realm was already no easy feat, so…"
The Old Deer spoke at length.
But to summarize it in one sentence: he wanted to give the White-Faced Fox to Su Qing.
This left Su Qing somewhat speechless. After all that talk, he was just here to deliver his daughter?
But why? Did they really think they could learn some incredible skill by following her? She hadn't even figured everything out herself!
Besides, she couldn't just bring a woman back on a whim. If she did, it would likely draw dissatisfaction from Ao Ying and Leng Xiang. Actually, they were already quite dissatisfied as it was. It was better to refuse.
Although the White-Faced Fox was indeed exceptionally beautiful, it meant nothing to her and might even be a bit of a hassle.
After a moment of silence, Su Qing shook her head and said, "I have only cultivated for a few hundred years; I have nothing to teach your daughter. Furthermore, I have no intention of taking a disciple right now. Following me, I'm afraid she won't learn much."
Seeing this, the Old Deer felt a bit strange.
Hadn't this Azure Spirit Sovereign taken a liking to his daughter, which was why she had disrupted his plans before? Could he have misinterpreted her intentions?
No, that couldn't be right. Rumor had it that Azure Spirit Sovereign favored women above all else. Would she really refuse a beauty delivered to her door?
Could it be that his daughter wasn't pretty enough? That was even more impossible. Even Daoists who cultivated to be free of worldly desires were drawn to his daughter’s looks, so how could a great immortal like Azure Spirit Sovereign, who liked women, not be interested?
Strange, truly strange.
For a moment, the Old Deer couldn't figure it out. But after a brief silence, he suddenly had an epiphany.
Ah, of course. She was the Mountain God of the Changbai Mountains, an Orthodox Deity appointed by the Heavenly Court. If she accepted as soon as he offered, wouldn't that be a loss of face? It would also confirm the rumors of her being lecherous. Such a thing would have a terrible impact on her reputation.
Immortal families cared most about face. Thus, she must be politely declining for the sake of appearances!
After all, who would believe that a monster who reached the rank of Heavenly Immortal in just a few hundred years had nothing to teach? Who would believe that!
Moreover, others might not know, but he knew very well—this Azure Spirit Sovereign was on good terms with many great seniors and had learned many things. Nothing to teach? She must be lying!
The Old Deer felt he understood everything. He hurriedly said, "Sovereign, you don't need to take my daughter as a disciple. Even if you just take her as a maidservant, that would be enough. As long as she can stay by your side!"
As he spoke, he gestured for the White-Faced Fox beside him to agree. The White-Faced Fox had little mind of her own; seeing her father gesture, she did as she was told. For her, perhaps following Su Qing was a valid choice. Of course, most of the time, she didn't have much of a choice anyway.
Now it was Su Qing’s turn to have a headache. She couldn't understand what was going on in this Old Deer’s head. Did she look like someone with a lot to teach? And she had only met the White-Faced Fox once; she didn't believe the woman could have fallen in love with her at first sight.
She rubbed her temples, not wanting to continue entangling with the Old Deer and the White-Faced Fox. Since he was so insistent on handing her over, she might as well take her in. However, keeping her by her side was naturally out of the question.
Firstly, she didn't need any so-called maidservant, and the second reason she had already stated once.
Su Qing sighed softly and said, "I have no need for a maidservant. However, if you insist on entrusting your daughter to me, I will take her in for now. As you may have noticed, there is a town deep within the Changbai Mountains where many demons live. If you truly wish to stay here, take your daughter there."
Hearing this, the Old Deer was slightly stunned. This outcome was indeed a bit different from what he had envisioned. But the difference wasn't huge. See? Hadn't Azure Spirit Sovereign reluctantly accepted his daughter in the end? It was exactly as he had guessed!
However, the Old Deer likely didn't know that he had actually guessed wrong. Su Qing only accepted because she found him annoying and wanted to deal with it quickly.
"Understood, understood! I'll take my daughter there right away," the Old Deer nodded and said with a smile.
To be honest, he was extremely happy to establish a connection with Su Qing. If Su Qing were to properly wed her, he would even become an in-law. Then, even if he were captured by his master again, he certainly wouldn't be as miserable as before.
But thoughts were just thoughts; he didn't know how things would end. He could only take it one step at a time.
"Alright, I have other matters to attend to… I won't chat further. I shall take my leave now…" Su Qing said, and before they could respond, she had already vanished.
She really didn't want to waste any more words with this old deer. It was better to head back early. Looking at the time, she could even help with cooking when she got back.
Returning to the courtyard, she happened to run into Leng Xiang coming back with a vegetable basket. Clearly, she had bought some vegetables on her way back from her patrol.
"What vegetables did you get, Leng Xiang?" Su Qing asked, temporarily putting the matter of the Old Deer out of her mind. That person wasn't very significant to her, so she didn't care much.
"Tofu, some fresh bamboo shoots, and other side dishes." Seeing Su Qing, a smile appeared on Leng Xiang’s cold face as she said, "Ao Ying said we're having fish for lunch today, so I went to buy some sides."
"Fish stewed with tofu? It’s been a while since I’ve had that," Su Qing said with a smile.
"As long as the Master likes it," Leng Xiang said as she followed Su Qing into the kitchen. She then went to get a few fish from Ao Ying, who was fishing, and began preparing lunch.
Su Qing wanted to help, but seeing Leng Xiang handle everything so efficiently and orderly on her own, she couldn't help but click her tongue in admiration and stood to the side to watch.
Leng Xiang was indeed very capable. Having cooked for Su Qing for hundreds of years, she was incredibly adept at it. Just watching her cook was a form of enjoyment.
While waiting, Su Qing suddenly felt something. She stood up and walked out of the kitchen.
As expected, Morning Glory and Su Ying'er had returned. As soon as they entered the courtyard, Su Ying'er spotted Su Qing. She immediately called out "Mother" and rushed forward to give Su Qing a hug.
Ying'er wasn't like Yudie, who always preferred a small body. Now that over a decade had passed, Ying'er was as tall as Morning Glory. However, her personality hadn't changed much. She was still boisterous and noisy, just like Yudie and the sparrows, rarely able to stay quiet.
"Godmother~" Morning Glory was more reserved, not as rowdy as Su Ying'er, and only called out sweetly. Perhaps in front of Su Qing’s biological daughter, she didn't dare to act too close, so she wasn't quite the same as she had been on their journey.
"You're here? Well? Did Guanyin Bodhisattva tell you everything you wanted to know?" Su Qing walked to her side with a smile and pulled her to sit at the stone table.
"Master told me everything… Now, I have followed Master to the Purple Bamboo Grove to cultivate. However, because I missed Godmother, I pestered Master to send me here. I just didn't see Godmother when I arrived yesterday~"
"I see… You silly girl, we've only been apart for a few days and you've already come looking for me. Why didn't you stay and cultivate with Senior Guanyin for a few more days?"
"Hehe, I missed Godmother, so I came. Besides, I had to tell Godmother about going to cultivate with Master, didn't I? What if Godmother couldn't find me one day?"
"How could I not find you? I know exactly where a girl like you can go." Su Qing shook her head with a smile and said, "Don't forget, my relationship with Senior Guanyin is also quite good."
Hearing this, Morning Glory stuck out her tongue.
Su Qing smiled helplessly and didn't scold her, only asking, "How have you been playing with Ying'er these past two days?"
"Sister Ying'er is truly enthusiastic," Morning Glory said with a smile.
"Ying'er is like that, always boisterous and always getting into trouble. She's far less sensible than you; you'll have to look after her in the future."
"..." Seeing Su Qing complain about her own daughter, Morning Glory naturally didn't dare to interject much and could only nod in agreement.
On the side, Su Ying'er looked dissatisfied. Was she really as bad as her mother said?
The reunion with Morning Glory didn't involve anything major. They had only been apart for a day or two, so there was no dramatic crying. Everything was very calm.
As they chatted, lunch was almost ready. Su Qing and the others gathered to eat. There were no strict rules like no talking while eating or sleeping at the table… Everyone chatted as they ate, making it very lively.
When girls get together, there is always much to talk about. It was all about the small, trivial things in life; as long as they wanted to talk, there was plenty to say.
Unknowingly, lunch lasted for more than an hour.
After the meal, Su Qing sat in the courtyard. Looking around, she felt as if something was missing.
After thinking it over while looking at the ginkgo tree, she finally remembered that since she had returned, she hadn't seen Gongsun Zhixue.
She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and think: "Speaking of which, where did that girl Gongsun Zhixue run off to?"
Rate on N.U.
