Did Liu Xixi understand?
Of course, she understood all too well.
Who would actually admit to such unsavory rumors? Especially a high-ranking deity who valued their reputation. So, naturally, she claimed to understand.
But as for whether she believed Su Qing's words? She didn't believe them for a single second. After all, she still felt as though she were being watched like prey!
However, belief was one thing; maintaining appearances was another. Su Qing was her superior, and she didn't want to have a conflict with her boss on the very first day. They had a long time ahead of them to get used to each other.
Seeing Liu Xixi nod, Su Qing rubbed her nose. How should she put it? She didn't get the feeling that this girl believed her at all.
But what could she do? If someone said they believed you, you couldn't exactly interrogate them for not being sincere.
She shook her head and said, "You don't need to worry... I'm quite easy to talk to. Furthermore, I won't make you do anything else, despite what Liu Xixi might have suggested."
Hearing this, the dragon girl maids didn't say much, merely nodding respectfully. One of them seemed like she wanted to speak, but after being nudged by a companion, she obediently closed her mouth and stood aside.
Su Qing was sharp-eyed and noticed the exchange, but since they didn't speak up, she didn't press them. Instead, she turned to Liu Xixi and asked, "By the way, is there anything else?"
Liu Xixi nodded and said, "Yes. Next, I must take the Sovereign to meet the Great Ancestral Emperor's inner circle and familiarize you with the monastery. After that..."
Once she began discussing the upcoming work, Liu Xixi became quite talkative. Su Qing felt a slight headache listening to the itinerary, but fortunately, it was mostly simple matters.
Meeting people and showing her face to Great Emperor Zhenwu's other subordinates was a necessary task. After all, she might need them to do things for her in the future. If they weren't familiar with her at all, it would be problematic.
Furthermore, this tour would allow her to see which of them might be dissatisfied with her appointment. As for how to handle those who were insubordinate... to be honest, Su Qing didn't have a perfect plan yet. The simplest way was to demonstrate her ability, but how exactly should she do that?
Regardless, once she knew who the troublemakers were, she would find a way to deal with them later.
"That's roughly everything," Liu Xixi said after a moment of silence. "Does the Sovereign have any questions or suggestions?"
Su Qing snapped back to reality and nodded slightly. "I have no objections. Your arrangements are quite good."
"Then let us depart now," Liu Xixi said, looking relieved.
Su Qing nodded. "Fine, let's go."
Liu Xixi turned to the dragon girl maids and added, "Continue tidying the Sovereign's chambers. When you are finished, wait here. If the Sovereign wishes to change anything later, you will do so according to her wishes."
The maids offered no resistance, bowing respectfully and saying softly, "Yes."
With that, Liu Xixi bowed to Su Qing. "Sovereign, shall we?"
Su Qing nodded and followed her out. Once they were gone, the maids quietly resumed their work, though they couldn't help but whisper among themselves about Su Qing.
Meanwhile, Su Qing and Liu Xixi went to meet several of Great Emperor Zhenwu's most important subordinates. The reason they only met the high-ranking, powerful ones was that Su Qing was, after all, the boss—even if she was just a temporary one. There was no need for her to meet every single person; that would be beneath her dignity.
After meeting several veterans of the Great Ancestral Emperor's staff, Liu Xixi suddenly said, "By the way, several seniors are not currently at the monastery."
Su Qing was startled, then remembered something. "Oh? Which ones?"
"My father and the other four dragon generals, as well as the Turtle and Snake Generals," Liu Xixi said after a pause. "They were dispatched by the Great Ancestral Emperor to assist the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong. You... you should know him, right?"
Su Qing nodded. "Of course... but the Turtle and Snake Generals went as well?"
"Yes. The Great Ancestral Emperor had other matters and couldn't leave personally, so he sent them all," Liu Xixi explained. "They should return once the matter is settled. At that time, they will assist me in helping the Sovereign handle future affairs."
Su Qing nodded slowly. "I see..."
Originally, Wukong had only told her about five little dragons. She had thought her influence had changed the help he received for that tribulation. But since the Turtle and Snake Generals had gone too, it seemed the script was still mostly intact.
She just wondered how much they were holding back. Did the water level in the East Sea rise again from all their 'effort'?
In any case, Su Qing definitely didn't believe that the Turtle and Snake Generals plus five dragons couldn't handle the Yellow Brow King. She knew exactly what level that demon was at; the only thing that made him dangerous was his stolen treasures. It was impossible for them to lose unless they were doing it on purpose.
'It seems... there are quite a few actors in this world!' Su Qing thought with a smile.
However, even though she saw through it all, she had no intention of telling Wukong. At the very least, she couldn't tell him until the pilgrimage was over. Of course, if Wukong figured out the games being played on his own, that was another story. Su Qing wasn't going to be the one to stir up trouble.
"The Sovereign can rest easy. The Turtle and Snake Generals and my father were personally instructed by the Great Ancestral Emperor, so they will certainly assist you with the utmost sincerity,"
Seeing Su Qing's silence, Liu Xixi assumed she was worried about their loyalty and spoke up to reassure her.
Su Qing snapped out of her thoughts and smiled. "I'm not worried about that... I was just wondering when they would return."
"It should be soon..." Liu Xixi thought for a moment, then added uncertainly, "Perhaps they were delayed on the road?"
Su Qing shook her head. "No matter. Who are we meeting next?"
"Immortal Lin Jiu of the Forging Department," Liu Xixi said, recalling the schedule. "Immortal Lin Jiu has a bit of a temper. Also... she is somewhat similar to the Sovereign in certain aspects."
"Similar to me?" Su Qing was puzzled. "In what way?"
She couldn't imagine how an ill-tempered person could be like her; her own temper was quite pleasant.
After a moment of silence, Liu Xixi said, "It... never mind. They are just small rumors, after all."
Su Qing's lip twitched as she began to suspect what the 'similarity' was.
Before she could ask, Liu Xixi continued, "By the way, the Sovereign seems to have come here without a weapon? I heard that your weapon can take human form and has even become your wife. Since the Sovereign came alone this time, I assume you didn't bring a weapon?"
Su Qing nodded. Although she knew nodding would only confirm the rumors of her being fond of women, she didn't plan to lie about it. After all, she really did have a sword spirit wife! That part wasn't a rumor.
Seeing Su Qing nod, Liu Xixi continued, "In that case, the Sovereign will need a weapon. Immortal Lin Jiu is best at forging weapons for women. If the Sovereign needs one, you can ask her to craft a blade for you."
Su Qing was stunned for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "I indeed need a weapon..."
Even though Su Qing could handle many enemies with spells alone, it was always better to have a handy weapon just in case. Since Leng Xiang and Yudie weren't with her, she would have to ask someone else to make one. Having a weapon in hand provided peace of mind. Besides, if it was free, why not take it?
Liu Xixi nodded. "I understand! Then let us go."
Su Qing followed her, taking the opportunity to admire the scenery of Great Emperor Zhenwu's monastery along the way.
Before long, they arrived at the Forging Department. The building was exceptionally grand and uniquely styled. Su Qing could clearly feel the active Earth Fire pulsing beneath the ground. She rubbed her chin; this place certainly had character, and the workload seemed immense.
Upon entering the Forging Department, Liu Xixi didn't stop. She led Su Qing to a large courtyard behind the main hall. The style of this courtyard was elegant and dignified, a stark contrast to the industrial feel of the main hall outside.
Liu Xixi led Su Qing all the way into the inner guest hall.
"Don't we need to call for her?" Su Qing asked with a smile.
"Immortal Lin Jiu knew we were coming the moment we arrived," Liu Xixi said, shaking her head. "Besides, there are no servants here, so there is no one to announce us."
As Liu Xixi said this, Su Qing recalled that she hadn't seen a single servant in the courtyard. She nodded and fell silent.
Just as they stopped talking, a stranger's voice drifted from nearby. The voice was sultry and charming; one could tell just by the sound that the speaker was a natural temptress.
"You actually came to see me? That's quite a rarity..."
"And you've brought a new guest."
As she spoke, a woman slowly walked toward them. She was indeed a natural beauty, every smile and gesture dripping with allure. She lacked the ethereal, detached air of a typical immortal, looking more like a heart-stealing fox spirit.
In Su Qing's opinion, this woman was even more captivating than most fox spirits. After all, she had a fox spirit of her own, but that one was just a bit of a ditz...
While Su Qing was lost in thought, the woman curled her cherry-red lips and smiled. "I presume this is the Azure Spirit Sovereign? I have long looked forward to meeting you!"
Su Qing looked at her, feeling slightly surprised. Liu Xixi had said the woman had a bad temper, so Su Qing had expected someone difficult to communicate with or perhaps a bit masculine. She hadn't expected such an enchanting, beautiful woman. As for her temper, it was too early to tell after just one meeting. At the very least, she made a good first impression.
Unfortunately, personality wasn't always determined by appearance.
Su Qing didn't dwell on it and responded with a smile, "And you must be Immortal Lin Jiu?"
"That is indeed me..." Lin Jiu smiled, walked to Su Qing's side, and bowed. "I wonder what brings the Sovereign here today?"
Su Qing smiled. "I'm here because I've been entrusted by Great Emperor Zhenwu to fill in for him. I've come to meet his subordinates to make future communication easier."
"I see... The Great Ancestral Emperor did mention this to us. I didn't expect you to arrive so soon," Lin Jiu said with a smile. "Aside from that, does the Sovereign have any other business?"
Su Qing replied calmly, "I also wish to ask the Immortal to help me forge a weapon..."
"Helping isn't much trouble... but I cannot help for nothing. If the Sovereign truly wants a weapon, you must do me a favor in return."
As Lin Jiu spoke, she looked at Su Qing with a beaming smile, her eyes practically dripping with desire.
Feeling the woman's gaze, Su Qing briefly felt as if she were facing Bai Suzhen again. She touched her face and was about to speak when Liu Xixi interrupted.
"Immortal Lin Jiu... she is the Sovereign, a Heavenly Immortal, and our superior for the next decade. Please do not speak recklessly... and do not make strange requests."
Su Qing found the exchange odd and sent a Sound Transmission to Liu Xixi to ask what was going on.
Liu Xixi sighed and replied telepathically: "Actually... Immortal Lin Jiu is just like the Sovereign; she is an immortal who prefers women. Although... I haven't heard of her actually consummating a relationship with a woman, she often speaks recklessly to other females... she is very blunt."
"So you said her personality was bad because of that?"
"No... it's because she's stubborn and won't listen to reason no matter what you say."
Su Qing was momentarily speechless.
Before she could say anything else, Lin Jiu heard Liu Xixi's words and said with a smile, "What does that matter? Rumor has it that the Sovereign is also quite fond of the fair sex. She even has three officially wedded wives!"
She then turned back to Su Qing and asked, "Does the Sovereign think I am not beautiful enough? Or perhaps not seductive enough? Or am I simply not your type? It doesn't matter—I can change my style!"
Beside them, Liu Xixi felt a massive headache coming on.
Rate on N.U.
