Su Qing had returned a while ago...
Because she had been preoccupied with unfinished business, as well as the Queen of Women's Kingdom, Ao Ying, Leng Xiang, and the others, she hadn't noticed this point at first.
It wasn't until today, when Su Qing suddenly found herself at leisure, that she looked at the ginkgo tree and remembered.
Her brow twitched slightly. She knew she wouldn't find the answer just by thinking about it herself, so she didn't hesitate to go directly to Leng Xiang to ask about the situation.
When Leng Xiang heard Su Qing asking about Gongsun Zhixue, she was slightly taken aback.
"I thought... Master, you already knew!" Leng Xiang said, looking at Su Qing with considerable surprise.
Su Qing’s lips curled into a wry smile.
"It sounds ridiculous... but I truly didn't notice for a time. Perhaps it’s because there have been too many things to do lately, and I’ve been too busy?" Su Qing said with a helpless smile.
Leng Xiang didn't ask further upon hearing this.
She wouldn't interfere too much in her master's affairs—as long as her master didn't go adding more competitors for her.
She nodded faintly and explained, "Zhixue has entered seclusion."
"Seclusion?"
"Yes, she turned back into a ginkgo tree and went into meditative cultivation. She probably won't emerge until she reaches the late stage of the Divine Immortal Realm."
"I'm not particularly concerned about what stage she reaches, I just find it strange why she suddenly went into seclusion."
Hearing Su Qing's question, Leng Xiang weighed her words and explained, "To be honest, it was because of you, Master."
"Because of me?" Su Qing couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, not understanding the reason.
"Because Master left the Changbai Mountains... Gongsun Zhixue felt a bit bored, so she simply decided to take her cultivation seriously and went into seclusion," Leng Xiang explained.
Su Qing’s mouth twitched as she sighed. "In a sense, it really is my fault. Still, I didn't expect that girl to actually go into seclusion. I always thought that once she reached the Divine Immortal Realm and achieved human form, she would lose all motivation to cultivate!"
Leng Xiang shook her head and said, "It's probably because Master usually teases her so much! Maybe she wants to reach a higher realm so she can tease you back?"
"That’s probably impossible..." Su Qing shook her head. "But there's no problem with her being in seclusion on the Changbai Mountains. There's a branch of the Ancestral Vein beneath the mountain, and since she's a tree demon, cultivating here will indeed allow her to progress faster. I just don't know how long it will take for her to come out."
"Perhaps she will come out the moment she notices Master has returned?" Leng Xiang didn't know how long Gongsun Zhixue would be in seclusion either, so she just guessed.
Su Qing nodded. "It's also possible she'll come out when she finds seclusion boring. Regardless, since she's in seclusion, let her be. She's right here in our courtyard, so nothing major will go wrong."
Leng Xiang nodded and said no more.
In truth, that was the reality. There might be many safe places for seclusion in the world, but for Gongsun Zhixue, the safest place was naturally this courtyard on the Changbai Mountains.
After clearing up the matter regarding Gongsun Zhixue, Su Qing lost her interest in lying around and watching the scenery. Instead, she got up and took a stroll around the Changbai Mountains.
The scenery of the Changbai Mountains was beautiful, and walking through it was a great enjoyment. During her stroll, Su Qing encountered her two daughters, her goddaughter, and those troublesome fat birds.
It had to be said... when these characters gathered together, it was incredibly lively. They never lacked for things to do. Although some of their games seemed incredibly boring to Su Qing, they were having a wonderful time.
After checking on them briefly, Su Qing didn't plan to interfere further and continued her walk.
She had originally intended to visit the small town in the mountains today—the one where the demons gathered. However, because she had just sent the Fox and the Old Deer there today, she decided against it to avoid being pestered by those two.
She planned to wait a while and go after the Old Deer took the Fox away.
By the time she returned to the courtyard, it was already getting late. The distant sky had turned a vibrant orange-red.
Su Qing sat in the courtyard, pondering her next steps. At that moment, Jingyue walked over and asked, "Sister Xiao Qing... when are we going back to Flower-Fruit Mountain?"
Hearing Jingyue's words, Su Qing snapped back to her senses, thought for a moment, and said, "We'll go back in a few days. However, if you're in a hurry, I can accompany you back tomorrow. It would just mean pushing back some of the things I had planned..."
Hearing this, Jingyue nodded slightly and said, "Mmm, I don't mind staying here with you for a while longer. After all, I planned to come back to the Changbai Mountains after visiting Flower-Fruit Mountain anyway. Since Sister still has things to finish... I'll wait until you've handled everything before you take me there."
Su Qing nodded and said nothing more. Jingyue also fell silent for the moment, sitting with Su Qing in the courtyard and enjoying the cool autumn breeze of the Changbai Mountains.
However, just as the two were enjoying the peace, Su Qing suddenly felt something. She couldn't help but stand up and look into the distance.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. Her vision was excellent—after all, she was a Heavenly Immortal. If her eyes were bad, it would be quite embarrassing. With one look, she saw clearly what was approaching.
It was a red cloud. And this red cloud was none other than the Somersault Cloud!
As for who was on the Somersault Cloud... there was no one else it could be but Sun Wukong. After all, very few people knew how to use the Somersault Cloud. As far as she knew, only she and Sun Wukong possessed it.
As for Patriarch Bodhi, she didn't believe for a second that he would come to see her unless Taishang Laojun or Li Shan Lao Mu dragged him here. She knew her master's personality all too well.
She rubbed her chin, her brow arching as she thought, "It seems... what was meant to come has arrived. I wonder which tribulation he's at now. Oh well, since he's come to find me, I'll help him out... Because of my influence, many parts of the Eighty-One Tribulations of the Journey to the West are different now. I wonder if I can help him analyze a strategy."
Shaking her head, Su Qing calmed herself. She thought for a moment, then performed a quick hand seal, sending a signal to Wukong, who hadn't yet located her.
Su Qing wasn't afraid of him finding her; she had expected him to come eventually. All she needed to do was provide the appropriate assistance.
In the sky, Wukong was searching for where Su Qing lived on the Changbai Mountains. However, the Changbai Mountains were vast, and even Wukong couldn't find her immediately. Furthermore, Su Qing's residence wasn't without protective formations, so not finding it right away wasn't strange.
However, just as Wukong was getting a headache, he suddenly saw a flash in the sky. He scratched his monkey face, his eyes darting around, and he immediately understood that Su Qing had spotted him and was signaling him!
With that thought, he didn't hesitate. With a flash, he landed outside the gate of Su Qing's courtyard. Although he could have jumped directly into the courtyard, he couldn't lose his manners when coming to see his Big Sister. It was one thing to be rude to those people in the Heavenly Court, but it was absolutely out of the question with his Big Sister.
Wukong was about to knock when he heard Su Qing's voice from inside.
"Wukong, the door isn't locked. Just come in," Su Qing said calmly.
Hearing this, Wukong scratched his head and gave a cheeky grin, pushing the door open and walking into the courtyard.
Entering the courtyard, Wukong was momentarily stunned by the surrounding scenery. He hadn't expected his Big Sister to remain so low-key; the courtyard didn't look at all like the residence of a great immortal.
"Big Sister, I've come to see you!" Wukong said with a grin.
Su Qing nodded and looked him over. Wukong was now wearing the Golden Hoop on his head.
"It’s been a long time. Take a seat, Wukong!" Su Qing said with a smile.
"I've missed you to death, Big Sister!" Hearing Su Qing's words, Wukong didn't stand on ceremony. He sat directly on the stone stool opposite her and downed the cup of tea she pushed toward him in one gulp.
"Have you encountered the pilgrim yet?" Su Qing asked, knowing the answer full well.
"Aren't you asking what you already know, Big Sister?" Wukong said, before changing the subject. "The only reason I could get out of that Five Elements Mountain is because I met that pilgrim!"
Su Qing nodded. "Since you've met the pilgrim, why aren't you obediently following him and protecting him on his journey to the Western Heaven? Why have you come to find me instead?"
Wukong grinned. "I missed you, Big Sister! So I took a temporary leave from my master to come see you!"
Wukong was clearly not telling the whole truth... Su Qing didn't believe for a second that, with Wukong's personality, he would leave his master just to see her.
However, Su Qing didn't need him to say it. Wukong coming to find her meant either he had been driven away by his master in a fit of anger, or his master had been captured and he needed her help to rescue him.
"Oh? You're lying." Su Qing looked at Wukong with a playful smile. "We've known each other for centuries. I can tell at a glance if you're lying... Just tell me directly what happened."
Hearing Su Qing say this, Wukong's expression shifted, and he let out a long, heavy sigh. He had thought he could fool his Big Sister!
"Sigh, that Tang Sanzang... I really can't protect him anymore!" Wukong said, anger rising in his heart, his face darkening. But because he was in front of his Big Sister, he didn't let his emotions explode.
Su Qing’s brow rose. She knew what she had to do now: persuade this fellow to go back and continue escorting Tang Sanzang.
Her eyes flickered as she said, "Oh? Tell me... exactly what did that Tang Sanzang do to make you leave regardless of his safety?"
Hearing that Su Qing didn't immediately point the finger at him for not doing his job, but instead asked what Tang Sanzang had done to upset him, Wukong felt a wave of warmth in his heart. His Big Sister was indeed still on his side.
Wukong sighed and said, "Sigh, that Tang Sanzang doesn't know what's good for him. A demon transformed into a mortal to harm him. I stepped in and killed the demon, but he blamed me for killing someone who wanted to hurt him! Is there any logic in this world? I told him it was a demon's transformation, but he wouldn't believe me. He even chanted that tight-fillet spell, giving me a splitting headache..."
"The most infuriating part is... after Tang Sanzang saw that demon turn into a pile of red-powdered skeletons after I killed it, he claimed it was a trick I had conjured myself."
"I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven! Why would I resort to such petty tricks?"
"I act with integrity; I despise such deceptive schemes the most!"
"I argued with him, but he just chanted that tight-fillet spell again."
"Later, that Bajie fanned the flames from the side, and Tang Sanzang actually issued a Letter of Banishment and kicked me out!"
"Fine, then! Fine!"
"He doesn't want me to protect him, and I don't want to protect him either!"
"Such an unreasonable person... Hmph."
Wukong wanted to say more, but since they had been master and disciple, he couldn't bring himself to be too harsh. He simply vented his pent-up frustration. Then, like a wilted eggplant, he slumped there.
He sighed again. "After leaving my master, I originally wanted to go back to Flower-Fruit Mountain, but I suddenly remembered it had been a long time since I'd seen you, Big Sister. So I came here first..."
Su Qing nodded slightly. She now knew exactly where Wukong was in the story. So, he was almost at the Baoxiang Kingdom! He had just encountered the White Bone Demon and been driven away by Tang Sanzang.
"It seems that even though Tang Sanzang started much later, the majority of the journey remains unchanged... The White Bone Demon was still encountered. But it makes sense; after all, it was all arranged... The tribulations I didn't touch naturally won't change much."
"Hmm, I didn't interfere with the Baoxiang Kingdom tribulation either... If nothing goes wrong, Tang Sanzang will definitely be turned into a big tiger later."
"But what should I do? Should I keep Wukong here for a few days until Bajie comes to fetch him?"
"Or should I find a way to persuade him to go back directly?"
"No, persuading him to go back directly definitely won't work. Tang Sanzang is the type who won't learn his lesson until he's faced with disaster. Unless he encounters a major crisis that requires Wukong's help, Wukong going back now would be useless. It might even deepen the conflict between master and disciple."
"It seems the only choice is to keep him here, let him go back to Flower-Fruit Mountain, or stay here for a bit."
"But staying here... hmm, isn't there still that demon town?"
"If he doesn't want to go back to Flower-Fruit Mountain, I'll just let him stay in the demon town."
Having formed a plan, Su Qing said, "That Tang Sanzang truly has mortal eyes and doesn't know what's good for him... Wukong, you clearly had good intentions, yet he mistook your kindness for ill intent and even drove you away!"
Seeing Su Qing speak this way, Wukong felt another wave of warmth.
His Big Sister would always be his Big Sister!
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