Wukong considered himself a person who repaid kindness...
His eldest sister had helped him so much; naturally, he had to find a way to repay her.
However, how to do so had become a difficult problem.
After all, his eldest sister was both an orthodox deity of the Heavenly Court and a Taiyi Heavenly Immortal. With such capabilities, how could he possibly repay her?
Wukong shook his head inwardly. He could only tell himself that when his eldest sister needed his help in the future, he would do his absolute best...
Su Qing did not know what Wukong was thinking, and even if she did, she would likely have just laughed it off.
To her, whether Wukong repaid her or not was of little consequence.
Su Qing continued to chat with Chaoyan, Yudie, and the others...
Meanwhile, Wuyong, bored with nothing to do, began to tease the sparrows that had just returned to the courtyard.
Upon learning that this was Wukong, the sparrows were more than happy to play with him...
For the sparrows, it didn't matter who it was, as long as they had someone to play with.
Time passed quickly.
Before they knew it, the sky had grown even darker.
Leng Xiang had long since finished preparing dinner.
They were only waiting for the last dish to be heated before they could begin eating...
Originally, they were going to eat the leftovers from lunch, but since a guest had arrived, several new dishes had been added.
The dinner included both meat and vegetable dishes.
To Su Qing’s slight surprise, Wukong seemed to still adhere somewhat to Buddhist rules; he only ate some vegetables and drank a bit of five-grain wine, leaving the meat untouched.
Su Qing noticed this but did not comment on it.
She knew that Wukong would eventually return to the pilgrimage.
It was destiny, an inevitability.
Even based on Wukong’s personality alone, his return was certain.
Firstly, his promise remained unfulfilled, and secondly, Bajie would eventually come to seek help for Tang Sanzang.
Su Qing shook her head slightly, simply eating and chatting with the group.
Soon, dinner was over.
After eating, Wukong stood in the courtyard waiting for Su Qing.
Su Qing had said she would take him to the small town after dinner, and he certainly hadn't forgotten...
After all, there wasn't much room to stay in the courtyard on the mountain.
Returning to Flower-Fruit Mountain was easy enough...
But he had already promised his eldest sister; how could he go back on his word?
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Washing the dishes took a bit of time," Su Qing said with a faint smile, shaking the water from her hands.
Hearing this, Wukong chuckled and said he hadn't waited long at all, before remarking on how Su Qing truly understood the joys of living.
Su Qing laughed softly and said, "Life is made of these trivial chores. Doing a bit of work occasionally provides a sense of leisure. Come, I’ll take you to the town at the foot of the mountain..."
"Alright, Eldest Sister!" Wukong scratched his head, not contradicting Su Qing's words.
On the way, Su Qing did not walk in a hurry.
As she walked, she admired the evening scenery of the Changbai Mountains.
The two of them didn't talk much along the way, only exchanging a few casual words.
Before long, they arrived at the small town nestled in the mountain valley.
The town was called "small," but it wasn't actually that small; it simply lacked the bustling prosperity of the mortal world and had no formal town gate.
Watching the town from a distance, Wukong couldn't help but marvel at his eldest sister’s capabilities—she had actually managed to build a town in this mountain hollow.
Judging by the lights glowing in the town, the number of demons living here was surely not small.
While Wukong was surprised, Su Qing was also somewhat taken aback.
She hadn't been here in a long time. Her most recent understanding of the place came from a brief glance when she had first returned.
Now that she was seeing it up close, she realized the town had indeed developed quite well.
"It looks like the town is quite self-sufficient now," Su Qing said with a smile, then led Wukong inside.
Various demons were moving about the town, and they all seemed to get along quite harmoniously...
Although many of these demons might have had a predator-prey relationship before they gained sentience, they were now able to live together in peace.
At least, they appeared to be at peace.
Su Qing's arrival naturally drew many eyes.
Some demons recognized her immediately.
After all, there was a temple dedicated to Su Qing in the town, and its incense power was quite strong.
The demons here might not know many outsiders, but they certainly knew Su Qing, Leng Xiang, and Ao Ying.
Ultimately, these women were the superiors of these demons, holding the power of life and death over them; it was impossible not to recognize them.
"Lady Azure Spirit?!"
"It really is Lady Azure Spirit!"
Upon seeing Su Qing, the demons were first exceptionally surprised, whispering among themselves.
But they quickly snapped out of it and hurriedly bowed to her...
After all, the person before them was the master of the Changbai Mountains...
Even if they couldn't curry favor, they certainly couldn't afford to offend her.
Su Qing looked at the demons and didn't say much.
Among the demons present, some had already consumed Transformation Pills and possessed half-human bodies. Others had not yet transformed and still looked like wild beasts. Some had taken a "deviant path," similar to the demons on the journey to the west, transforming into strange, grotesque forms.
If a mortal were here, they might have been scared out of their wits, but for Su Qing, who was accustomed to seeing all kinds of demons, there was nothing to be curious about.
In fact, many of the demons here had achieved their forms through her own elixirs!
However, a few small female demons did catch her eye...
After all, who could dislike cat-eared or dog-eared girls?
Well... though such types were rare even in her own town.
The Transformation Pills she had given out were not perfect.
What one transformed into was often beyond their control...
That was why there were both beautiful and ugly ones.
Shaking her head, Su Qing gathered her thoughts and said calmly:
"No need for such formality. Besides checking on the town's current state, I’ve come to find a room for my younger brother to stay for the night. Is there an inn in town yet?"
Su Qing’s question left many of the demons bewildered...
Fortunately, there were some demons who had seen more of the world.
A bull-headed demon stepped forward and said, "There are no inns in our town yet, as no outsiders ever come here. But if your Ladyship needs a place for your brother to stay, my home has an empty room that he is welcome to use."
Su Qing looked at the bull-headed demon with a hint of surprise...
However, she didn't overthink it and simply turned to look at Wukong.
"I can stay anywhere. It's up to you, Eldest Sister," Wukong said with a silly grin, scratching the back of his hand.
Seeing this, Su Qing smiled and said, "In that case, Wukong, you shall stay at his house for the night."
"Alright, alright!"
After speaking to Wukong, Su Qing took out a Cloud Spirit Pill and used her magic to place it in the bull-headed demon's hand. "This elixir is your payment. It will be beneficial to your cultivation. Take it."
The bull-headed demon didn't know exactly what kind of elixir it was, but he knew that anything from Su Qing was no ordinary item.
The fragrance alone told him that this elixir was incredibly precious.
While it wasn't as grand as a Transformation Pill, it was far too much as payment for a single night’s stay.
But the bull-headed demon did not refuse the gift...
After all, cultivation was not easy!
Moreover, there was a saying: one does not refuse a gift from an elder.
This, of course, made the other demons extremely envious.
Deep in these mountains, though there were many medicinal herbs, there wasn't a single person who knew how to refine elixirs...
If these demons wanted elixirs, they had to work hard to earn money and exchange it with Leng Xiang.
So, regardless of what kind of elixir it was, it was exceptionally valuable.
Naturally, the other demons were filled with regret...
Regret that they didn't even know what an inn was.
And regret that they hadn't been the first to speak up.
"Wukong, go with that demon and see where you'll be staying. I’m going to walk around the town for a bit..." Su Qing said with a smile, glancing at the sky.
Wukong nodded repeatedly and said cheerfully, "Then have a good walk, Eldest Sister!"
Su Qing shook her head with a smile, then walked alone through the streets of the small town, admiring the scenery.
Because of her status, the residents of the town were all extremely respectful, hardly daring to breathe loudly in her presence.
But she enjoyed the peace and quiet, finding a certain joy in wandering the streets undisturbed.
The town's foundation was quite good...
Su Qing even saw a few small shops.
She was a bit surprised by this but didn't intend to investigate deeply.
As far as she was concerned, as long as the town was developing well, that was enough...
After circling the town, Su Qing felt there wasn't much else to see.
After all, the town was right here in the depths of the Changbai Mountains...
If she wanted to see it or do something here, it would be quite easy.
There was no need to rush.
Furthermore, it was indeed getting late.
The sky was already filled with a canopy of stars.
However.
Just as Su Qing was about to leave.
She suddenly heard a familiar voice...
A voice she wasn't a stranger to.
After all, she had heard it just today.
It was the voice of the Old Deer...
"Lady Azure Spirit, it really is you!" The Old Deer bowed to Su Qing and said respectfully, "I heard from the neighbors that a distinguished guest had arrived in town. Upon inquiring, I realized it was you, Sovereign, so I came to look for you. I didn't expect to actually find you."
Su Qing glanced at the Old Deer and said, "Oh? It seems you’ve already found a place to live?"
"There is plenty of open space in town. After asking the residents, I built a house myself. Although I don't have much magic power, building a house is a simple task," the Old Deer answered honestly, not daring to lie.
"Mhm, that’s good..." Su Qing nodded, not caring to say much more. She simply said, "Since you’ve found a place, live well here. As for your daughter, I’ll come back to see her in a few days... Well, it’s getting late now, and I’m preparing to head back."
The Old Deer could see that Su Qing had no intention of chatting further, so he didn't stop her. He only said, "Then have a safe journey back, my Lady."
Su Qing gave a slight nod and turned to leave.
As the Old Deer watched Su Qing depart, he reflected on her words and let out a soft sigh, muttering to himself:
"It seems the Sovereign is indeed interested in my daughter... but why didn't she take her away? Could it be that she's worried about her wife at home? That must be it..."
The Old Deer shook his head, telling himself not to be too impatient.
After all, everything seemed to be going smoothly so far.
Su Qing prepared to return to the mountain. Naturally, she found Wukong again to let him know...
After saying her goodbyes, Su Qing didn't walk back; she simply soared on a cloud and returned to the summit of the Changbai Mountains.
She returned to the courtyard.
The lights were bright.
Su Qing sat there, listening to the chirping of insects in the starry night, feeling exceptionally comfortable.
Although Su Qing heard these sounds often, she never grew tired of them.
Seeing Su Qing sitting in the courtyard, Chaoyan ran over to her side and said, "Godmother, you’ve already sent Monkey Bro off?"
Chaoyan still felt awkward calling Wukong 'Uncle,' so she simply called him Monkey Bro, since he was a monkey demon.
Su Qing glanced at the girl and nodded slightly. "Yes... I also took the opportunity to look at the town at the foot of the mountain."
"The town at the foot of the mountain?"
"Ying’er hasn't taken you there?"
"Sister Ying’er has only taken me around the summit these past few days; we haven't been down the mountain... Is the town you mentioned the county seat down there, Godmother?"
"No, it's a town for demons."
"A demon town? It’s full of demons?"
"Mhm, but they are all good demons. With me here, they haven't harmed anyone," Su Qing said calmly.
"I see. I really don't know how many more incredible things you’ve done, Godmother."
Chaoyan was both surprised by Su Qing's achievements and felt it wasn't strange at all that her godmother could do such things.
After all, her godmother had many secrets...
Even though she had asked many questions before, she still felt she couldn't see through her godmother at all.
Su Qing chuckled and reached out to pinch the cheek of the girl crouching beside her. "I’m a bit tired. Why don't you massage my shoulders? I’ve had a lot to do today, running around here and there; I’m quite exhausted."
"Sure thing, Godmother!" Chaoyan grinned and nodded.
Chaoyan naturally had no objection to massaging Su Qing’s shoulders...
She had done this kind of work often on the journey to the west.
Chaoyan’s strength was good, and she knew exactly the pressure and spots Su Qing liked... after all, she had been trained for a long time!
As Chaoyan massaged Su Qing’s shoulders, Ao Ying stood at the door, watching the two of them with a smile.
She stroked her chin, then sent a telepathic message to Su Qing: "Sister... it’s been a long time since I’ve discussed Daoist methods with you. After you’re finished with your busy schedule these next few days, how about we have an in-depth exchange?"
Su Qing was enjoying Chaoyan’s massage when she suddenly heard the message. She looked at Ao Ying standing by the door with some surprise.
At first, she thought Ao Ying truly wanted to discuss Daoist methods.
But seeing the other woman’s smile...
She immediately felt that...
This so-called discussion of Daoist methods was somewhat abnormal.
"What kind of discussion do you have in mind?" Su Qing asked back telepathically with a smile, even though she already understood.
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