Although the courtyard of this ruined temple was overgrown with weeds, the interior was surprisingly well-preserved.
The Buddha statue inside had faded, but it remained intact. It was a statue of the Maitreya Buddha, wearing a jovial expression that made anyone who looked at it want to smile along.
Aside from the statue, most of the other furnishings had rotted away. They were useless for anything practical, though they seemed quite suitable to be used as firewood.
As Su Qing scanned the room, she suddenly noticed a painting hanging on one of the temple walls.
This piqued her interest, and she leaned in to take a closer look.
The painting depicted a potted plant—a plum tree in full bloom, covered in pale pink blossoms that looked exceptionally beautiful and elegant.
In the scene, the plum blossoms were flourishing, petals drifting on the wind around a woman leaning against the tree. One petal had even landed in her hand.
The woman wore a vibrant red dress, and a plum-shaped huadian was painted between her brows. It was unclear whether she was a common beauty or a Plum Blossom Demon.
However, if she were a Plum Blossom Demon, her appearance didn't quite match the typical form a female demon would take. While she was beautiful by mortal standards, most female demons transformed into forms far more exquisite than this, especially flower spirits, who were known to be the most vain of all.
As Su Qing was lost in thought, Chen Mei’s voice drifted over from beside her.
"What a beautiful painting!"
Since Su Qing had found it, Chen Mei naturally noticed it too; the painting was right there, impossible to miss unless one was blind.
However, perhaps because she hadn't seen the plum tree in the courtyard earlier, she didn't seem to make any deeper connection.
Su Qing saw only pure appreciation for the art in her eyes.
"Yes, it is quite lovely," Su Qing agreed with a nod, not intending to say more.
Chen Mei grinned, clearly enamored with the piece. "It’s painted so well! It looks almost alive. The woman in the painting is so pretty, too."
"It’s actually quite miraculous," Chen Mei continued. "This place has been abandoned for so long, yet the colors haven't faded, and no one has stolen it."
Su Qing looked at the painting, the corners of her mouth twitching upward. "Perhaps it’s just in a good spot? Or maybe it’s just luck. The world is vast, and strange things happen every day. You seem to like it quite a bit. Do you plan to take it with you? This place hasn't been inhabited in ages; the painting is essentially ownerless."
Chen Mei looked at Su Qing and shook her head.
"Even though I really like it, I don't plan on taking it! Since it’s been here for so long, it should stay here. That way, others can enjoy it when they pass through."
"Besides, even if it’s been empty for a long time, what if the monk from this temple suddenly remembers it one day and comes back for it?"
"If I take it, wouldn't they be unable to find it?"
Chen Mei’s answer truly caught Su Qing by surprise. She hadn't expected Chen Mei to be so fond of the painting yet have no desire to possess it.
Surprise aside, this made Su Qing even more satisfied with Chen Mei.
Of course, this wasn't a romantic interest; she simply felt that having a travel companion with such good character was a wonderful thing.
Su Qing nodded. "You make a good point... leaving it here is indeed a fine choice. You really aren't greedy at all, are you?"
"My master always said that greed is a great taboo. Countless martial artists have died because they were too greedy! That’s why I can't be," Chen Mei said with a grin. "Alright, we’re staying here tonight. I’ll go start a fire."
"I'll leave it to you then," Su Qing replied.
"Mm-hmm!"
Starting a fire wasn't difficult; she just needed to find suitable wood. Conveniently, almost everything in the temple—except for the Buddha statue and the painting—could be used as fuel.
Before long, Chen Mei had a fire going.
The firelight filled the hall, making it much brighter.
The three of them sat before the fire.
As they ate their dry rations, Chen Mei began telling stories of her past experiences to pass the time.
Su Qing and Yudie listened as they always did, offering occasional responses to maintain the appearance of paying attention.
In reality, neither Su Qing nor Yudie was truly listening to Chen Mei’s tales.
Instead, they were using Sound Transmission to discuss the plum tree.
That plum tree was undoubtedly a demon or a ghost, and one with a fair amount of skill.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to slip away the moment Su Qing looked away.
Even though they knew it was a supernatural being and that it had fled, Su Qing and Yudie were curious to see if it would return.
Furthermore, they were discussing the relationship between the painting and the tree.
No matter how one looked at it, that painting couldn't be ordinary.
How could a normal painting survive in such an environment for so long? Especially hanging out in the open like that...
Without some form of protection, it would have rotted away long ago.
Moreover, there was a plum tree outside, and the painting featured a plum tree and a beauty. Even someone completely ignorant of magic could guess there was a connection between the two.
"Mom, do you think she'll come back?"
"I don't know. Maybe, maybe not."
"How boring... can't you give me a more definite guess?"
"Then let's assume she hasn't seen through our strength and plans to ambush us after we fall asleep?" Su Qing replied via Sound Transmission.
"..."
"Then aren't you going to strike first?" Yudie asked. "If we get ambushed, we won't get any sleep tonight."
Su Qing answered, "I don't plan to. If I strike first, there's no fun in it."
"I don't really get it~" Yudie rolled her eyes. "You always like to solve simple things in complicated ways."
"It's not that I want to make it complicated. I honestly don't know where she's hiding right now. After all, I'm just a clone, and the Divine Sense I can call upon is limited."
Su Qing explained her reason for not taking the initiative:
"Otherwise, I would certainly have a way to deal with the Plum Blossom Demon without Chen Mei noticing."
"Is it the painting?"
"No, that seems to be just an ordinary painting. At least, I don't see anything special about it."
"I don't see anything either," Yudie said helplessly. "But Mom, aren't you afraid of an ambush at all?"
"I'm not. Why should I be?"
Su Qing found the question amusing and asked back via Sound Transmission:
"Do you think an ambush of her level could even break my defense? This clone might have limited Divine Sense, but its defensive power isn't lacking! Even if your mother chased me with a blade, she couldn't break my guard. What chance does a mere Plum Blossom Demon have?"
"Besides, don't I have a daughter here? She wouldn't let her mother be mistreated, right?"
At those words, Yudie rolled her eyes internally.
Even though the person before her looked different from her real mother, the consciousness inside was the same. That meant her personality was still just as unpredictable, fond of teasing and making things difficult for others.
She curled her lip and said, "Don't worry, Mom. Even if she uses every ounce of her strength she has, she won't break your defense. So, there's no need for me to step in."
Su Qing smiled and stopped teasing the girl.
Instead, she waited quietly.
Soon, Chen Mei grew tired.
After a brief word with Su Qing, she curled up with her long spear and fell asleep.
There was no bedding, not even a straw mat. She simply lay down and went to sleep.
Su Qing felt uncomfortable just looking at her. Could someone really sleep like that?
However, just as Su Qing was wondering if she could actually sleep, a light snoring sound began to drift from Chen Mei.
Su Qing’s mouth twitched.
This woman’s speed at falling asleep was truly supernatural.
She really was a woman who had spent years living on the road.
Su Qing shook her head and stopped thinking about it. She leaned against the base of the Buddha statue, preparing to take a light nap herself.
There was no chance of her being unable to sleep; if she couldn't, she could simply use a bit of magic to induce it.
As for Yudie, she wasn't sleepy at all.
Even though she didn't want to play sentry for Su Qing, she instinctively chose to stay awake until the end to rest later.
For her, going a few days without sleep had no real impact.
Time passed slowly.
In the blink of an eye, the night grew deep.
Yudie sat by the fire, now bored out of her mind.
She had waited a long time, but the Plum Blossom Demon still hadn't reappeared.
She decided she wasn't going to wait any longer.
If it hadn't appeared after all this time, it probably wasn't going to.
She couldn't be bothered to think about it further. She leaned against Su Qing’s lap and closed her eyes.
The night was silent.
The crescent moon in the sky was exceptionally bright and clear.
And under that clear moonlight, in the courtyard...
A plum tree silently appeared. A gentle breeze blew past, sending petals fluttering down in a beautiful display.
Beneath the tree, a woman in a bright red dress looked up at the people inside the temple hall, her face filled with hesitation.
This person was none other than the woman depicted in the painting hanging inside.
"What should I do... I’m too scared to ask them for help. They look so terrifying..."
The woman in red let out a long sigh and muttered to herself, "No, you have to be brave. You can't be this cowardly anymore. That sister looks so gentle; she must be a good person. She definitely won't hit you! It’s been so long, and finally, someone has come here whom I can ask for help. I can't miss this chance. Come on, you can do it!"
Su Qing and Yudie had guessed correctly in part, but they had misjudged this woman in red.
She had never intended to ambush them.
Nor had she thought of doing anything malicious.
As for why she had hidden so quickly—so fast that even Su Qing hadn't reacted—it wasn't because she was powerful or fast. It was purely because she was so timid that she hid the moment she felt a presence.
And as for why she had waited until now to appear...
It was simply because she was too afraid to approach while they were still awake.
After cheering herself on for a while, she stood up, looked at the people in the hall, and took a deep breath.
Then, she continued to encourage herself!
After quite some time, the woman in red finally summoned her courage.
She walked slowly toward the hall.
Soon, she was about to step over the threshold.
But the moment her foot crossed the threshold, a silver spear suddenly flew through the air and slammed into the ground right in front of her.
This sudden strike nearly scared the soul out of her.
Her first instinct was to flee for her life...
But she gritted her teeth and forced herself to stay.
She felt that if she missed this chance, she wouldn't know how long she’d have to wait for the next person who could help her.
"Great Hero, have mercy! I... I’m not here to hurt anyone! I’m here to beg for your help!"
Fearing that Chen Mei would throw another spear, the woman in red spoke up hurriedly.
Even after hearing her words, Chen Mei did not lower her guard.
She simply yanked her spear back out of the ground.
Standing a short distance away, she pointed the tip of the spear at the woman.
"If you have business with us, why didn't you come while we were awake? Why wait until now?"
"I... I was scared!" the woman in red said with an innocent look. "You look so fierce!"
"Huh? You’re the woman from the painting?"
Chen Mei had calmed down significantly and began to observe the woman’s appearance.
Upon closer inspection, she realized this woman was indeed the one from the painting.
She was momentarily stunned.
At that moment, Su Qing spoke up as well. "It does seem to be the woman from the painting. You were the plum tree in the courtyard earlier, weren't you?"
With such a loud commotion from Chen Mei, Su Qing and Yudie had naturally been awake for some time. They simply hadn't been in a rush to speak.
Seeing that Chen Mei had recognized the woman, Su Qing finally joined the conversation.
The woman in red nodded, looking aggrieved and timid. "I am the plum tree you saw, Sister... and that painting is a copy I made of my master's work."
"Your master's work?" Chen Mei asked curiously.
"A painting my master made for me," the woman in red replied with a nod.
"You have a master?"
"Yes, the abbot of this temple," the woman answered without hesitation.
After all, she was truly terrified, so how could she dare to lie?
Chen Mei paused, then turned to look at Su Qing and Yudie. "Sister Su, do you think she’s lying or telling the truth?"
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