A Helping Hand

Su Qing could have racked her brain for an eternity and still never guessed this.

Great Emperor Zhenwu had come all this way just to ask her to guard the Northern Continent for a while.

If it were anything else, she might have agreed after a bit of consideration. After all, it would be a chance to earn a favor from Great Emperor Zhenwu, and perhaps pick up a few other benefits along the way.

But guarding the Northern Continent?

That was something Su Qing absolutely did not dare to accept.

With her meager strength, how could she possibly guard it?

While she was now a cultivator in the Heavenly Immortal realm—certainly a formidable expert among the general population of practitioners—her strength was nothing compared to the old seniors who had lived for countless eons.

Naturally, she didn't believe she could oversee an entire continent. Furthermore, if something went wrong during her tenure, whose fault would it be? Hers? Or Great Emperor Zhenwu's?

Thus, Su Qing simply could not agree.

It wasn't worth taking on such a massive headache just for a single favor.

Great Emperor Zhenwu wasn't surprised by her reaction. This was no small matter; anyone who heard it would hesitate to agree immediately.

He smiled and said, "Actually, you're making this out to be more serious than it is. I'm not asking you to guard the Northern Continent alone. My original subordinates will remain by your side to assist and support you. How could I possibly leave the management of the entire Northern Continent solely to you?"

"No... it still won't do. Even with your subordinates, I can't guard it! Besides, I've only just entered the Heavenly Immortal realm. How could I ever command respect? Moreover, I'm just a junior barely over a thousand years old..." Su Qing continued to refuse.

She had many reasons for declining, but the main one was her lack of confidence in doing the job well. Plus, it sounded incredibly troublesome, and she had already planned to take Ao Ying and the others out for some fun.

Great Emperor Zhenwu chuckled. "You can rest easy on that front. You are the person I am personally inviting. My subordinates wouldn't dare to disobey you."

Su Qing gave a helpless smile. Things were never as simple as they sounded. Even though she was surrounded by good friends, she still understood the darker side of officialdom. A leader dropped in from out of nowhere, even a temporary one, would inevitably struggle to win over the crowd. Failing to command respect was one thing, but being sabotaged behind her back would be the real nightmare.

She shook her head again. "Even so, I am only at the Heavenly Immortal realm. How can I guard an entire continent? Even with the assistance of your subordinates, I have zero confidence in myself!"

Su Qing didn't want to state her concerns about workplace politics directly, so she stuck to her original excuse.

"Who told you that the Heavenly Immortal realm... isn't strong?"

Great Emperor Zhenwu couldn't help but laugh. "Heavenly Immortals are already at the top tier of strength among cultivators. While there is still a gap between them and the absolute peak, they are by no means weak. Even among my subordinates, there aren't many in the Heavenly Immortal realm."

"As for the matter of guarding... you needn't worry. With my subordinates' help, you are more than capable of overseeing the Northern Continent. Don't be so quick to speak—listen to me first."

"I have guarded the Northern Continent for many years, and many of the powerful demons have already been suppressed or eliminated by me. Therefore, all you really need to do is keep an eye on things for me. If there are any demons that enjoy causing trouble, you can help deal with them. You don't even have to act personally; you can simply order my subordinates to handle it."

"Furthermore, there are benefits in this for you. Haven't you been traveling around lately to collect Incense Power? If you help guard the Northern Continent, you will be able to gather a significant amount of Incense Power during your stay. Consider this part of your payment! As for exactly how much you can collect, that will depend on your own skill."

"Additionally, you don't need to worry about responsibility. If something truly goes wrong, no one will blame you. After all, you are merely an acting representative. So, what do you think? Will you give it some serious thought?"

Su Qing listened quietly to Great Emperor Zhenwu's explanation. Afterward, she fell into a contemplative silence.

To be honest, she was genuinely tempted. If it really was as easy as he claimed, she would be more than happy to help. But was it truly that simple? She wasn't sure.

After a moment of silence, Su Qing asked, "I'm curious... why did you choose me to guard the Northern Continent? Is there something special about me? Surely there are many people more powerful and suitable than I am. Besides, from what you've said, the Northern Continent shouldn't have any problems even without my help."

Hearing her question, Great Emperor Zhenwu rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. "It's not for any particularly unique reason. Primarily, it's because you are a disciple of Patriarch Bodhi and a junior held in high regard by Taishang Laojun and Li Shan Lao Mu. That's why I came to you."

"Secondly, I learned from Laojun that you are collecting Incense Power, so I figured I'd help you out while I was at it."

"You heard it from Laojun?" Su Qing was stunned.

Great Emperor Zhenwu smiled. "Yes. I was actually at Laojun's place today asking who I should get to fill in for me, and he recommended you! I thought you were a perfect fit, so I came looking for you. After all, this is a mutually beneficial arrangement for both of us."

Su Qing rubbed her temples. Suddenly, everything became clear. She sighed and said, "So... this was actually Laojun's idea? Then why didn't you just tell me that from the start?"

"You didn't ask!" Great Emperor Zhenwu said cheerfully. "But while the suggestion came from Laojun, the final decision was mine, and whether or not you help is entirely up to you."

Su Qing exhaled a long breath. She looked at Great Emperor Zhenwu and, after a brief pause, asked, "I have one more question."

"Ask away!"

"What exactly is Senior leaving for?"

"Naturally, there are matters at the Heavenly Court that require my participation," Great Emperor Zhenwu said with a beaming smile. "This concerns many things in the future... including quite a bit that relates to you."

"I think I have a rough idea of what Senior is up to..." Su Qing sighed helplessly and nodded. "Then how long will Senior be gone?"

"A few years at the shortest, maybe a dozen or so at the longest." Great Emperor Zhenwu paused for a second. "That shouldn't be considered a long time, right? For people like us, a few years pass in the blink of an eye."

Su Qing's lip twitched. "You don't mean years in the Heavenly Court, do you?"

"Of course not... I mean years in the Northern Continent," Great Emperor Zhenwu said, shaking his head with a laugh. "If it were years in the Heavenly Court, the Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth would probably be over by the time I returned... and by then, I likely wouldn't be able to come back at all."

Su Qing breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't years in the Heavenly Court, it was acceptable. Of course, that was assuming the situation was as good as he claimed.

Seeing her silence, Zhenwu smiled. "Well? Have you made up your mind? Will you do me this favor?"

Great Emperor Zhenwu could already tell that Su Qing was interested, but he still waited for her formal consent.

Su Qing sighed helplessly. "During my time as guardian, can I wander around the Northern Continent?"

"Hmm? Of course! If you want to collect Incense Power there, you can't just stay cooped up in a palace. You'll have to move around. Besides, if you're going to deal with those rowdy demons, you'll need to travel anyway."

Great Emperor Zhenwu chuckled. "You didn't think I just sat in one spot the whole time I was guarding the place, did you? As a guardian, it would be quite ridiculous if I never went out to see my own territory."

Su Qing's lip twitched. To be honest, that was exactly what she had thought. However, after hearing his words, she felt much more at ease. This way, she could at least take Ao Ying and the others to play in the Northern Continent.

She took a deep breath and said, "I understand. I will help you with this. When do you plan to leave?"

Great Emperor Zhenwu smiled. "In a few days! Spend the next couple of days preparing, then come find me. I'll go over some of the more important details with you then. Oh, by the way, for the person assisting you during this time, would you prefer a man or a woman? Actually, never mind. Since you prefer the company of women, you probably wouldn't like having a man as an assistant. I'll pick a suitable lady official to help you out."

Su Qing gave a helpless smile and nodded. "In that case, I will come find you in a few days. As for the assistant, a lady official would be best."

"Right, right, I thought so. But let's get one thing straight: you aren't allowed to force my subordinates to do anything they shouldn't! Unless she agrees of her own accord, of course," Great Emperor Zhenwu added after a moment of thought.

Su Qing's eyelid jumped at his words. "Senior Zhenwu... please don't make me out to be so scandalous. I wouldn't do such a thing... the rumors are all false!"

"Yes, yes, I know the rumors are false..." Great Emperor Zhenwu nodded seriously. "But I'm still a bit worried. Ahem, anyway, that's that! I won't disturb you any longer. I'm off."

Su Qing's lip twitched as she nodded. "Safe travels, Senior Zhenwu."

She didn't want to keep him a moment longer; talking to this man was simply too exhausting. However, she was indeed grateful to him. If she utilized this opportunity well, it would allow her to gain a massive amount of Incense Power. After all, she would have the resources of an entire continent at her disposal!

Great Emperor Zhenwu gave her a final smile. "Then I'm off!"

With that, he left quite abruptly, departing the Changbai Mountains on a propitious cloud.

Once he was gone, Ao Ying stepped out from the house.

She hadn't wanted to interrupt their conversation earlier, and she had been struggling to hold back her laughter at Su Qing's expense, so she had stayed away. Now that Great Emperor Zhenwu was gone, she could return to tease her properly.

But before she started laughing, she needed to know exactly what he had wanted.

"So, what did the senior want with you?" Ao Ying asked.

Su Qing didn't hide anything and gave her a brief summary of the conversation.

Ao Ying rubbed her chin. "If it's really not that much trouble, accepting this job was a correct decision. It means you can collect Incense Power with even less restraint. You'll be able to reach your goal much faster this way. It's certainly better than the method you're using now."

Su Qing nodded. "That's true. But I still can't overdo it. If I completely steal the livelihoods of all the local deities, that obviously wouldn't be right."

"Regardless, this is definitely beneficial for you," Ao Ying said with a playful smile. "But you really are the perfect definition of a well-connected person, aren't you?"

"I'm not exactly eager to admit it, but the connections with the seniors have indeed brought me many benefits. Networking is something that really should be expanded as much as possible."

Su Qing smiled and then added, "But if I go to the Northern Continent, I won't be able to stay here with you all."

Ao Ying shook her head. "You've probably already figured out a solution for that, haven't you?"

Seeing that Ao Ying had already guessed, Su Qing said, "That's true... but for a while, I still won't be able to accompany you here."

"It's fine. Leng Xiang and I aren't unreasonable," Ao Ying said, looking at Su Qing. "You're going for serious business; naturally, we won't complain. Besides, we can always go find you later."

Su Qing reached out and pinched Ao Ying's cheek, saying with a grin, "As expected of my wife!"

"Aren't you supposed to be my wife?" Ao Ying said, pouting.

"There's no difference either way," Su Qing laughed. "I'll tell Leng Xiang about this in a bit."

"Mhm! We definitely have to tell her." Ao Ying nodded and asked, "By the way, when do you plan to set off?"

"In a couple of days..." Su Qing rubbed her chin. "I need to prepare a bit first."

"That sounds good." Ao Ying nodded.

She didn't press the matter further, instead steering the conversation toward other topics. Su Qing didn't say much more about the business either, simply relaxing with Ao Ying for a while.

Time passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, two days had gone by.

Su Qing was mostly prepared and ready to set off for the Northern Continent.