Uninvited Guests

The black-robed man frowned upon hearing this and said, "Since you’ve found something, speak up quickly. Do not challenge my patience."

Seeing the man’s growing impatience, the person kneeling on the ground dared not delay any longer and hurriedly said, "We discovered... that both those people and Boss Guo’s group went to the same place, and after going there, none of them ever returned."

"Oh? You mean Linzhou City?" The black-robed man’s frown deepened. He asked, "So you're saying they also disappeared in Linzhou City?"

"Exactly. If nothing went wrong, they most likely met with an accident in Linzhou City."

"They all disappeared in Linzhou City... Does this place eat people?" The black-robed man snorted coldly and said, "Send people to Linzhou City to investigate. Do not make too much noise; there is definitely something strange about that city..."

"Go... go to Linzhou City?"

"Where else would you go?"

"But..."

"Hmph, are you afraid?"

"This subordinate is ashamed."

"If you won't go... then go down and reunite with them instead."

"I'll go... I'll go!"

"Hmph." The black-robed man said coldly, "Once you arrive, remember to maintain frequent contact... I want to see what exactly is so special about this Linzhou City. Also, pass the word to the others: do not stop the search for Li Anran... Whoever finds news of her will be heavily rewarded!"

"Yes!"

After watching his subordinate leave, the black-robed man let out a long, heavy breath.

He then sat back in his chair and rubbed the space between his eyebrows, feeling quite helpless. This was supposed to be a simple matter, but for some reason, it was becoming increasingly troublesome.

"Truly... things never go as planned," the black-robed man muttered to himself. "However, I’ve never been one to simply accept fate... No matter what, I must obtain that item."

Naturally, the black-robed man associated the events in Linzhou City with Li Anran...

However, he knew her strength well; it was impossible for her to silently deal with everyone. Therefore, he didn't believe she was the one who did it.

Still, he felt there might be some connection to her.

But he didn't intend to focus all his energy on Linzhou City. After all, there were other possibilities!

Meanwhile, in Linzhou City, Su Qing let out a yawn.

She was naturally unaware of those developments, and even if she were, she wouldn't care much.

"This winter weather really makes one sleepy!" Su Qing said helplessly.

Beside her, Su Qingyu also let out a yawn and said, "Yeah, yeah! So sleepy~ Master, can I go take a nap?"

"Don't think about slacking off. You can only rest after you've categorized all these medicinal herbs," Su Qing said, immediately putting on a serious expression.

Since there were no patients in the medical hall at the moment, Su Qing naturally had time to teach the little one again.

Although she wasn't the one doing most of the teaching these days, she still liked to mess with the kid when she was bored.

After all, this little girl would be taking over the medical hall in the future. She couldn't let her ruin the reputation.

Seeing Su Qing's serious expression, Su Qingyu immediately behaved...

However, she still couldn't help but curl her lip, expressing her dissatisfaction in her heart.

Unfortunately, she only dared to express it internally; she didn't dare to actually argue with Su Qing.

She could never win an argument anyway.

While she could try throwing a tantrum, the result of that would be a spanking, which hurt! So, it was better to be a bit more obedient.

Su Qingyu thought to herself, When I grow up and Master can't beat me anymore, I’ll definitely pay back every hit I’ve taken!

After encouraging herself in her mind, Su Qingyu continued to categorize the herbs obediently. Su Qing had taught her many things, and by now, she could distinguish many common herbs. For her, the task was mainly tedious rather than difficult.

"Is Sister Su bullying the little one again?" Ao Yiyi said with a smile, poking her head out from the doorway.

"It’s just education, hardly bullying," Su Qing said, spreading her hands. "Learning is a very important matter."

Ao Yiyi just smiled. Wasn't it obvious she was bullying the girl?

Su Qing glanced at her and said helplessly, "If you're so bored, why don't you come and help?"

Ao Yiyi didn't refuse. She nodded and walked over to Su Qing's side.

As she helped Su Qing organize, she said, "By the way, Sister Su... I heard the government has started conscription recently."

"Conscription? They didn't fight before, but is it starting now?"

"I heard the fighting has begun, though it’s not as intense as expected."

"Is that so?" Su Qing shook her head and said, "These matters have nothing to do with us. Don't worry about it too much..."

"I see." Ao Yiyi nodded. "But war is still such a hateful thing! So many people will die. I don't know why the human race loves to fight so much."

"Who knows!" Su Qing said nonchalantly. "It’s none of my business. Compared to those frequent wars, I have something more important to tell you."

"What is it?" Ao Yiyi looked puzzled.

Su Qing didn't speak aloud but used Sound Transmission: "In a while, I might place more of my focus on the other side. There are some important matters there that require my concentration."

Seeing Su Qing use Sound Transmission, Ao Yiyi knew these things couldn't be said openly, so she also asked via Sound Transmission: "So, Sister Su, do you need me to do something?"

"Exactly, you're so smart!"

"After all, if Sister didn't need something, you definitely wouldn't tell me this."

"Alright! It seems you really do know me a bit." Su Qing transmitted, "It's actually very simple. Just watch the shop, and when there’s a patient, remind me. I’ll split more of my focus here to treat them. Also, help me keep an eye on the little one..."

"Oh, is that all? That’s no problem at all. Even if Sister didn't ask, I would have done it."

"Then I’m relieved. Yiyi, you're quite reliable!" Su Qing smiled and transmitted.

"Actually, it’s just that Sister thinks I’m too unreliable," Ao Yiyi said helplessly. "Don't worry, I know the medical hall’s routines perfectly well..."

"Mhm, that’s good." Su Qing nodded.

Then she spoke aloud, "I recently discovered an interesting flower. It’s a natural purple dye. When spring comes, how about we get some and use it to dye our nails beautifully?"

Ao Yiyi was momentarily dazed by Su Qing’s sudden change of topic, but she quickly realized it was for the little girl’s benefit. After all, their previous conversation had ended via Sound Transmission; the little one couldn't hear a thing. If they didn't say something now, the child would be left wondering.

So, following Su Qing's lead, Ao Yiyi said, "That’s a great idea... but there are plenty of flowers that can be used as dye! Let’s find more in the spring. We’ll do the little one’s nails too!"

Hearing this, Su Qingyu, who was still sorting herbs, said happily, "Really? Really? There’s a share for Qingyu too?"

"Of course there is." Ao Yiyi reached out and rubbed her head. "Don't worry, how could we forget you?"

With that answer, the smile on Su Qingyu’s face grew even brighter. This little girl was very easy to please. With such a promise, she even had more energy for sorting the herbs.

Although this little girl had been subjected to Su Qing’s 'devilish' education since she was young, she was still a child after all.

Su Qing smiled helplessly at the sight and thought to herself, Children are so easy to fool! Not like the two at my home, who are both as sharp as ghosts now.

After glancing at the little one, Su Qing looked outside. The streets were quite empty today.

And so, time passed bit by bit.

Just as Ao Yiyi had said, the fighting had started again this year... and the scale of conscription this time was even larger than before. No one knew how many people would return alive or how many would die on the battlefield.

Before they knew it, winter had passed.

The warmth of spring melted the winter snow. In previous years, the streets would be exceptionally lively at this time. But this year, it was clearly impossible for it to be as bustling as before. The streets remained quiet and desolate; those walking about were either women or children. Young and middle-aged men were far fewer than usual.

As for the reason... Su Qing was naturally well aware. It was simply that the war had taken away many of the able-bodied men.

"How quiet..."

Su Qing shook her head as she looked at the street scene outside, muttering to herself, "Although this war has nothing to do with me, if I think about it carefully, it seems there is a connection. With more people dead, I’m afraid the business at my medical hall will be much quieter!"

"Heh, perhaps I really should go back to my old profession. Well, that can only be a joke."

As Su Qing was talking to herself, she suddenly noticed a person dressed as a beggar walking past the medical hall...

He looked like a beggar, but Su Qing knew better... this was actually a martial artist in disguise. After spending so much time with Li Yichou, Su Qing could easily distinguish the difference between those who practiced martial arts and those who didn't, and she could even see through their strength at a glance.

These people were not only martial artists but also quite powerful ones.

Seeing the man walk past the medical hall, Su Qing raised an eyebrow. She didn't look too long, only thinking to herself, Speaking of which, although Linzhou City has lost many people recently, some mysterious fellows have started showing up.

I hope those guys aren't here to cause trouble!

I’m really getting annoyed by Li Yichou's enemies.

Although Su Qing liked a good show, she would be very frustrated if those people kept bothering her. If it weren't for the fact that these people hadn't entered her medical hall and only occasionally passed by, Su Qing probably would have struck first.

It wasn't that she was worried about them causing her much trouble; she just found it annoying. After all, she was already having a headache over the matter of Incense Power lately!

Thinking of this, Su Qing shook her head slightly and muttered, "I wonder what these guys are actually here for... forget it, I can't be bothered. Thinking too much is exhausting."

After talking to herself for a while, Su Qing turned and went back into the medical hall.

Li Yichou wasn't helping at the hall today; she had gone to take care of her 'Sister Zhou.' So, only Hu Lin'er and Su Qing were there. As for Ao Yiyi, she had taken the little one out to pick flowers. The child had been obsessed with the idea ever since spring arrived, to the point where Su Qing was getting a bit annoyed. So, taking advantage of the good weather, she simply let Ao Yiyi take the girl outside the city to pick some flowers.

Because of this, the medical hall was quite quiet with just the two of them. But even though there were only two of them, they could still handle everything... in fact, they were quite idle.

With so many people gone from the city and the ongoing war, the number of people seeking medical help from both inside and outside the city had decreased significantly.

Sitting back in her seat, Su Qing let out a slight yawn and said to Hu Lin'er, "Lin'er, I’ll leave you to watch the shop. If someone comes for a consultation, call me."

Hu Lin'er was grinding medicine. Hearing Su Qing’s words, she looked up slightly, nodded, and said, "I understand, Miss."

She didn't ask what Su Qing was going to do, because she knew Su Qing was simply bored and was going to put her mind back into her main body.

Seeing her agree, Su Qing nodded slightly and said, "Then I’ll be going."

After saying that, Su Qing leaned back against the chair and shifted most of her consciousness to her main body.

On Changbai Mountain, the spring scenery was excellent.

Changbai Mountain had special scenery in every season... Although Su Qing had long grown tired of it, she would still praise it once or twice whenever she saw it. Simply put, she was just complimenting how beautiful her home was.

"It’s spring again, and Gongsun Zhixue still hasn't come out of seclusion!"

Su Qing looked at the ginkgo tree and sighed slightly, saying helplessly, "I wonder how much longer it will take for her to come out... I hope she doesn't stay in seclusion until the Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth."

Su Qing felt quite helpless regarding Gongsun Zhixue. When she returned, the girl was in seclusion, and she was still in seclusion now. She was even better at staying in seclusion than Su Qing herself. Oh, wait, Su Qing hadn't even gone into seclusion yet!

However, despite her helplessness, Su Qing couldn't possibly disturb someone’s seclusion; she could only hope for her early return.

"Forget it, I won't worry about her."

Su Qing shook her head slightly. Her gaze fell on a few sparrows being chased by Red Boy outside, and she smiled, muttering to herself, "Red Boy is really dedicated to this! It’s been so many months without much result, yet she’s still so enthusiastic. I bet she’s started treating this as her daily entertainment."

Su Qing wasn't entirely sure, but she could see that Red Boy seemed to enjoy it. Additionally, while the Little Sparrows hadn't made much progress in losing weight, they had grown in other areas. After all, exercise always has some benefits.

Watching Red Boy and the others, Su Qing suddenly remembered something. She rubbed her chin and muttered, "Speaking of which... I should calculate where Wukong and the others have reached."

Su Qing hadn't forgotten her previous plan. Since Wukong and the others were going to pass through the Women's Kingdom, she naturally had to go there to watch the show. After all, the tribulation in the Women's Kingdom was the one she had messed up the most. Even the Queen of Women's Kingdom had been 'conquered' by her—oh, wait, to be more accurate, the Queen had conquered her?

So she was curious to see how the tribulation would proceed under these circumstances. Would it turn into a different kind of disaster, or would someone else take the Queen's place? Or would the tribulation manifest in some other way?

In any case, Su Qing felt this would be a very entertaining event. Therefore, she was determined to go and watch the show no matter what.

"However, although I want to watch the show, if I go with this appearance, I’ll probably be recognized immediately, right?"

Su Qing crossed her arms and looked at the white clouds drifting in the sky, thinking to herself, If I’m recognized, it won't be fun anymore... and I probably won't see anything interesting. If I go and there’s no entertainment, it’ll be a wasted trip.

After thinking for a moment, Su Qing suddenly had another plan. She struck her palm and muttered to herself, "Right! Don't I still have my clones? Wouldn't it be better to just send one of my clones to watch the show?"

While her main body might be easily seen through by Wukong, if it were her clone... that problem wouldn't exist. Although Wukong had Fiery Golden Eyes that could see through illusions and disguises, her clone wasn't a disguise; it actually looked that way. Therefore, even Wukong would never be able to tell that the clone was Su Qing.

In fact, not only would Wukong not be able to tell, but even if Guanyin Bodhisattva saw it, she would find it difficult to immediately realize the clone was Su Qing. Thus, sending a clone was definitely a good idea.

"I really am a little genius... Originally, the Body Outside Body Technique was just for the convenience of going out to collect Incense Power, but I didn't expect it to have even more uses now. If I develop this technique a bit more, it seems I can do even more things!" A smile curled on Su Qing's lips. "How interesting!"

"However, although there’s no problem with the clone watching the show, the medical hall in Linzhou City still can't be closed. I’ll just have to go there in person... it’s not a problem anyway, since the medical skills are all my own ability."

It just so happened that the medical hall had been very idle lately. If her main body went there and sat for consultations in the form of her clone, it would be perfectly fine. It was just a matter of swapping the two. Even if her main body went there, she would definitely still place most of her focus on the clone that was going to watch the show. After all, watching the show was the most important thing in the world!

"But... if my main body goes there, I probably won't be able to take anyone else along," Su Qing thought. "I’ll have to explain it to them in detail when the time comes."

Su Qing naturally wouldn't explain everything, but she wouldn't hide it completely either. She knew which parts to tell and which parts needed a bit of fabrication.

As Su Qing was thinking, Chen Chaoyan’s voice suddenly came from behind her... The girl had come to play with Su Qing again. Fortunately, it seemed Guanyin Bodhisattva had been busy lately and hadn't brought her in person, so Su Qing didn't have to hear any more complaints from her. Honestly, after being complained to so much by Guanyin, Su Qing was starting to wonder if she really was becoming the kind of person the Bodhisattva described.

"Godmother~ Look, how is the kite I made?" Chen Chaoyan and Su Yudie walked out from the living room, holding up a kite and showing it off to Su Qing like they were boasting. "How is it? How is it? Isn't it great?"

Su Qing nodded and said, "It is indeed very good... just a bit childish."

"Childish? Hehe! That’s okay! What’s wrong with being a bit childish in front of you, Godmother? Besides, isn't it enough that it looks good?" Chen Chaoyan said with a beaming smile. "Does Godmother want to come fly kites with us?"

Su Qing smiled and said, "If you're asking, of course I’ll go! But I don't have much interest in kites, so I’ll just watch you fly them."

"Hehe, it’s enough if Godmother just comes with us!"

Su Yudie also spoke up, "Mother, watch us fly the kite really high!"

"Alright, alright, alright!" Su Qing said with a faint smile.

Su Qing never resisted playing with them. Although she was a deity, she was a very idle one. Since she was so free, what was the harm in playing with the little ones?

Time passed slowly. In the blink of an eye, the sky gradually darkened. At the dinner table, Su Qing shared her upcoming plans with everyone.

"I have no problem with you leaving again... I just want to know when you plan to return. I don't mind you leaving, but I hope you don't disappear for another ten or so years." Ao Ying spoke quite bluntly, asking her question directly.

Su Qing smiled and said, "Don't worry, there aren't that many things that require me to leave for ten years at a time! If nothing unexpected happens, I’ll be back in a month or two at most."

"And if something does happen?"

"It won't exceed three months." Su Qing spread her hands and said, "So just rest easy."

Ao Ying curled her lip and said, "Fine then! But since you're leaving, bring back some exotic spices for me when you return."

Su Qing blinked and smiled. "That’s no problem at all. If you want them, I’ll bring them back even if it’s out of my way."

Ao Ying gave a light snort and said, "There’s no need for that much trouble! If there are any, just bring some back."

Su Qing said with a chuckle, "Understood! Then Leng Xiang, is there anything you want me to bring back for you?"

Hearing Su Qing’s question, Leng Xiang was momentarily stunned, then shook her head with a smile and said, "I don't want anything. I only hope Master has a safe journey and returns smoothly!"

"Alright! It’s not like I’m going to a fight; how could there be any danger!" Su Qing couldn't help but laugh. "But since you don't want anything, I’ll just see what I can find and bring something back for you."

"I will follow Master’s wishes," Leng Xiang said with a gentle smile.

Su Qing nodded, ending the topic. Afterward, they finished their dinner together.

Matters on Changbai Mountain went exceptionally smoothly, and there were naturally no problems in Linzhou City either...

At this moment, Su Qing, in her clone form, was sitting in the courtyard, watching Ao Yiyi help Su Qingyu with her nails. The little girl actually had some sense of aesthetics; although they were homemade manicures, she was doing a good job... and she was quite dedicated and absorbed in it. Not only had she painted Su Qing’s nails, but she had also done them for Li Yichou and Hu Lin'er when they returned, and now she was working on Ao Yiyi’s nails!

Su Qing chuckled as she watched the focused Su Qingyu... then she looked down at her own nails, which were painted a light purple, and the smile on her face widened.

Su Qing didn't plan to tell them that she was about to swap with her main body. She felt that whether she told them or not made no difference; she wouldn't be placing much of her focus here anyway. Besides... she felt that if she didn't tell them, there might be more entertainment to find. The reason might be a bit abstract, but it was indeed her thought.

Thinking of this, Su Qing withdrew her gaze and looked up at the clouds outside. The evening clouds looked as if they were on fire—they were beautiful.

When night arrived, Su Qing took advantage of the darkness to begin her move. Her main body traveled from Changbai Mountain to Linzhou City; it didn't even take the time for a cup of tea—in just an instant, she had arrived. In the courtyard, two Su Qings with different appearances but the same consciousness stared at each other.

"Hiss, such a strange feeling."

The two Su Qings looked at each other and spoke simultaneously.

"No matter how many times I do this, looking at myself like this still feels a bit weird..."

As Su Qing talked to herself, she reached out and pinched the other self’s face. After a moment, she let go and thought, Mhm, it’s better to keep a bit of distance from myself! Otherwise, it’s easy to have thoughts I shouldn't have.

Both Su Qings were talking to themselves... Although both bodies were Su Qing's consciousness, they were currently two separate people, making the scene somewhat eerie.

"Forget it, I won't think about it. Anyway, it’s time to go to the Women's Kingdom." Su Qing performed a hand seal and immediately transformed into the appearance of her clone. Meanwhile, the clone performed a hand seal and rode a Somersault Cloud toward the Women's Kingdom.

The swap between the clone and the main body didn't take much time. When it was all over, no one in the courtyard noticed a thing.

After the clone left, Su Qing stood in the courtyard, looking at the starry sky with a charming smile on her lips.

"The experience is always so wonderful," Su Qing muttered to herself. Shaking her head, she stretched and went back to her room. It was time for her to rest as well.

The next morning, Su Qing woke up early to wash. She even woke up earlier than Ao Yiyi. So much so that when Ao Yiyi woke up to chant her morning sutras, she was slightly surprised to see Su Qing.

"Sister Su woke up so early today?"

"I just didn't sleep well last night." Su Qing smiled and asked curiously, "By the way, do you notice anything different about me today?"

Hearing this, Ao Yiyi stared at Su Qing for a long time, racking her brain to think of what was different about her. She knew that since Su Qing was asking, there must be some change she wanted her to find. It was just like when she wore a beautiful new dress and would ask Su Qing the same thing.

However... she stared at Su Qing for a long while and still couldn't feel anything different from usual. So she could only shake her head and say, "Sorry, Sister Su, I don't see anything different? If I had to say something, it’s just that you seem to be in a better mood than usual."

Su Qing rubbed her chin. "Is that so? It seems you really didn't see anything!"

"So can Sister Su just tell me?"

"No!" Su Qing said with a beaming smile, holding a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture. "If I tell you, it won't be fun anymore."

Ao Yiyi felt a bit helpless at Su Qing’s mysterious behavior. "Alright then."

Since Su Qing didn't plan to say, she naturally wouldn't pry. She was just curious if this was really Su Qing playing a trick on her.

Seeing Ao Yiyi’s puzzled look, Su Qing smiled, turned, and went to find Hu Lin'er. It seemed this was also a form of entertainment for her.

Hu Lin'er’s answer was different from Ao Yiyi’s.

"The Miss looks much more beautiful today than usual! And her aura is even better," Hu Lin'er said very seriously.

Clearly, the girl hadn't noticed anything different either... she only answered that way because Su Qing had asked. It was a clever move. If Su Qing were any less sharp, she might have actually been fooled by her.

Su Qing gave her a playful flick on the forehead and said with a chuckle, "If you didn't see it, you didn't see it. You’ll get in trouble for trying to placate me."

After being seen through, Hu Lin'er wasn't embarrassed. She just gave Su Qing a small smile, said "My mistake," and had nothing more to say. It was obvious she would do the same thing again next time.

Su Qing curled her lip, not bothering to say more, and then went to ask the remaining two. However, the results were the same as before. No one could see anything different about Su Qing. This made Su Qing feel a bit bored; she had expected more entertainment! But since they really couldn't tell, Su Qing didn't bother to reveal it. She just continued with her daily routine.

However, Su Qing’s actions this morning left Ao Yiyi and the others exceptionally puzzled... They were very curious about what exactly was different about her. Since Su Qing had asked everyone, they didn't think she was just playing a trick. There really was something different. Unfortunately, no matter how they looked, they couldn't see it. The matter could only be left at that.

On the other side, Su Qing had already built a thatched hut by the Mother-Child River. But just as her hut was finished... a few uninvited guests arrived outside her door.