Su Qing looked at the shopkeeper’s trembling form and shook her head with a chuckle.
“I’ve asked most of what I wanted to know... there’s nothing else,” she said. “Actually, you didn’t need to be so flustered. You answered me honestly, so why would I do anything to you? I’m a reasonable person; I don’t hurt people without cause.”
The shopkeeper gave a stiff, awkward smile. He clearly didn’t believe a word of it. If she were truly easy to talk to and reasonable, his counter wouldn’t have a sword notch in it. However, adhering to the principle of not offending those he couldn't afford to provoke, he nodded repeatedly. “I understand, Miss. I understand.”
Su Qing shook her head. She knew he was just telling her what she wanted to hear, but she didn’t care. She had the information she needed, so there was no point wasting more time here.
“Fine. I imagine you’d like us to leave as quickly as possible,” Su Qing said with a light laugh. “Well, I’m done with my questions, so I’ll be going. I wish you a prosperous business.”
Hearing that Su Qing was leaving, the shopkeeper breathed a massive sigh of relief and nodded frantically. He wasn't young anymore; he truly feared that if he kept talking to her, he might actually die of fright.
Su Qing turned to Li Yichou. “Alright, let’s go!”
Li Yichou glanced at the shopkeeper, shook her head, and followed Su Qing out.
“Where to next, Miss?” Li Yichou asked. “Should we try the next inn?”
Just because this inn was too cowardly to take them in didn't mean others would be the same. If they all refused, Li Yichou felt she could use a bit of force to solve the problem.
Su Qing glanced at Li Yichou, thought for a moment, and said, “Let’s go to that Black Water Bodhisattva temple.”
“There?” Li Yichou blinked in confusion. “Why?”
“To take a look,” Su Qing said, smiling.
“Uh... I see. But where will we stay tonight?” Li Yichou scratched her head.
“If it comes to it, we’ll just make do in the carriage for a night,” Su Qing said flatly. She was quite open-minded about it. If they couldn't stay in an inn, they wouldn't. They had the carriages, so they wouldn't be sleeping in the wild.
Li Yichou could only nod. Since Su Qing had a plan, she didn't intend to argue further.
“Miss, you’re still a bit too kind,” Li Yichou said after a moment of silence.
Su Qing chuckled. “It has nothing to do with kindness. I just don’t want to waste my energy on these trivial matters. I have other things to do today...”
Li Yichou nodded helplessly and stopped asking questions. Soon, the group boarded the carriages and headed toward the Black Water Bodhisattva temple.
The temple wasn't hard to find. They arrived quickly. It wasn't in the center of town but rather on the outskirts. The location wasn't prime, but it certainly wasn't bad, and the incense power here was quite strong. On the way, Su Qing even saw several pilgrims walking toward it.
“Do you want me to go with you?” Ao Yiyi asked. “I’m of the Buddhist path. I’ll know at a glance if this Black Water Bodhisattva is a real Bodhisattva or not.”
Su Qing chuckled. “Actually, there’s no need to look. The Bodhisattva here is just a wicked god. If I’m not mistaken, this so-called Bodhisattva is the boss of those Rat Demons! Though, I’m sure his true body isn't here.”
Ao Yiyi was slightly stunned, wondering how Su Qing had reached such a conclusion. However, even without knowing the reason, her thoughts were more or less the same as Su Qing’s.
“Then what do you plan to do, Sister?” Ao Yiyi asked after a moment of thought. “Do you really just intend to look?”
“Of course,” Su Qing nodded. “It’s broad daylight; I can’t exactly go around smashing people’s temples! My, Yiyi, I didn't realize you had such radical ideas!”
Ao Yiyi rolled her eyes. “Sister Su, you’re joking. I don’t have those kinds of thoughts... I was just curious about what you were thinking.”
Su Qing laughed. “I’m definitely going to get involved in this matter. But as for what I’ll do, you don’t need to worry. When I need your help, I’ll tell you.”
Su Qing didn't let Ao Yiyi intervene not because she thought Ao Yiyi couldn't help, but because Su Qing herself hadn't decided how to deal with those fellows yet. Although the saying went 'to catch the bandits, first catch the king,' the Rat King wasn't here. He was likely in the city rather than this rural town, making it difficult to strike at the source immediately. However, it wouldn't affect things too much. If it were on their way, she could deal with it later.
One shouldn't be too impatient. The more rushed you are, the harder it is to do things right.
“I understand, but I still want to go with you and see!” Ao Yiyi said firmly.
Su Qing didn't get angry; instead, she smiled and nodded. “Is that so? Fine then. Bring Su Qingyu along too. The little girl has been cooped up in the carriage for so long; let her out to stretch her legs.”
Ao Yiyi was surprised but nodded. Su Qingyu’s thoughts were much simpler—the moment she heard she could get out and walk around, she practically bounced up. The little girl’s jumping ability was quite good; even Ao Yiyi couldn't catch her in time. The result, naturally, was a loud thud as she hit her head. While the carriage was spacious, it wasn't large enough for her to go hopping around on the seats. It would have been strange if she hadn't hit something.
Su Qing couldn't help but tease the girl for being so clumsy. Ao Yiyi also let out a laugh. This girl was one of their few sources of amusement on the journey. Su Qingyu, meanwhile, clutched her head with a look of utter gloom. Fortunately, she didn't cry this time because she wanted to go out and play and didn't want to waste time crying. It hurt, but she could endure it.
Su Qing smiled and rubbed the girl's head. “Let’s go. Let’s take a look inside the temple.”
As Su Qing rubbed her head, Su Qingyu suddenly felt the pain on her crown vanish. She found it magical. “It doesn't hurt anymore! Master, what kind of technique is this?”
Su Qing smiled and made a shushing gesture. “A secret of the heavens cannot be revealed. I can’t tell you. When you grow up, you’ll know how to do it yourself.”
Su Qingyu scratched her head. She felt like her Master was fooling her, but she had no evidence. Ao Yiyi watched their exchange and struggled to suppress her laughter, though she didn't expose the truth. She simply took Su Qingyu’s hand and led her out of the carriage.
Su Qing followed them toward the Black Water Bodhisattva temple. Once inside, she found the temple was much larger than it appeared from the outside, with many winding paths and quite a few monks. These monks wore Buddhist robes and were handing out incense sticks to the passing pedestrians. The incense seemed to be free of charge.
“Interesting...” Su Qing thought with a smile. “This Black Water Bodhisattva is actually quite clever.”
Su Qing and the others were also given incense. She didn't refuse, carrying the sticks as they walked deeper into the complex. Along the way, she noticed that while many Bodhisattvas were enshrined here, very few were famous ones. Most were figures Su Qing had never seen before. However, there were statues of the Buddha and Guanyin.
“They actually dare to enshrine a statue of Guanyin here? Aren't they afraid she’ll come down and smash this place?” At that thought, Su Qing shook her head. “Oh, right. There are so many statues of Guanyin and the Buddha in the world. Even as great beings, they can’t possibly look after every single one. If they focused on everything, they wouldn't be able to manage any other affairs.”
As a deity herself, Su Qing understood this well. With so many statues, it was impossible to pay attention to every location. Even as the minor Lord of the Changbai Mountains, she found it difficult to monitor all her own shrines, let alone Bodhisattvas whose worship was so widespread.
“However... the only reason they haven't noticed is because no one has filed a complaint. If I were to file one here, what would the result be?”
Su Qing considered it but wasn't in a hurry. Things had to be done one step at a time. She walked further in and soon arrived before the statue of the Black Water Bodhisattva in the inner sanctum. She looked up at the statue. It seemed normal enough, a very standard Bodhisattva image. Su Qing couldn't sense any evil spirits residing within it either. Clearly, this statue collected incense power the same way she did.
While she couldn't distinguish the authenticity of the other Bodhisattvas, the existence of this Black Water Bodhisattva was too strange, as was the temple itself. She could basically conclude that this so-called Bodhisattva was a fraud. Moreover, the name alone was weird enough.
“This is a fake Bodhisattva,” Ao Yiyi said to Su Qing via Sound Transmission as she looked at the statue.
Ao Yiyi was no fool; she wouldn't reveal the truth about the statue in front of so many people. Su Qing nodded and replied with a smile through Sound Transmission, “I know... but I’m a bit curious. How can you tell it’s not a real Bodhisattva?”
“Bodhisattvas are ordained by the Buddha, so they all bear the Mark of the Buddha—just like the celestial seal in your hand,” Ao Yiyi explained. Her explanation was very clear, and Su Qing understood immediately.
Su Qing nodded. “I see... I did have something similar once, though I never really used it.” Su Qing’s roots were in Daoism. Although she held the status of One-Leaf Bodhisattva in the Buddhist Court, she didn't care much for the title. It existed mainly to facilitate her collection of incense power.
Ao Yiyi nodded and continued via Sound Transmission, “In fact, it’s not just this Black Water Bodhisattva. Most of the Bodhisattva statues here are fakes.”
“That’s not surprising.” Su Qing wasn't shocked, but she asked, “What about the statues of Guanyin and the Buddha?”
Ao Yiyi looked at Su Qing with a bit of helplessness. “How could statues of the Buddha and my Master be fake? No matter how poorly the clay is molded, as long as it is an image of Guanyin, it cannot be fake.”
Su Qing nodded. This matched her own thoughts. She rubbed her chin and asked via Sound Transmission, “Can you file a complaint with your Master?”
“Ah? If I go back, my Master might not let me out again,” Ao Yiyi said, shaking her head.
“Then what about complaining to the Buddha? Use that statue over there!” Su Qing suggested with a smile.
“That... should be fine.” Ao Yiyi thought for a moment and nodded. “What do you have in mind, Sister Su?”
“Previously, I didn't have any specific plans; I just wanted to see the situation. But since there’s a statue of the Buddha here, I thought we might as well let him deal with this Black Water Bodhisattva. It would save us a bit of trouble,” Su Qing replied.
“I see. I... can give it a try,” Ao Yiyi answered. “However, I don’t know how the Buddha will react.”
“It doesn't matter. If the Buddha doesn't act, we’ll do it ourselves when the time comes,” Su Qing said. “This was just a casual move; there’s no need to worry about whether it succeeds or not.”
Ao Yiyi didn't say anything more. It was just reporting to an elder, after all. She was just a bit surprised that Su Qing would use such a method. But thinking about Su Qing’s lazy nature, if there was a simpler way to solve a problem, why wouldn't she use it? It wasn't that strange after all.
“Then... I’ll try,” Ao Yiyi said with a nod.
Su Qing smiled. “Good! I’ll wander around a bit more.”
Ao Yiyi nodded and left to go bow before the statue of the Buddha. Su Qingyu followed her; the girl couldn't stay still, especially after finally getting out of the carriage.
Once they were gone, Su Qing looked up at the statue of the Black Water Bodhisattva, her mind racing. Suddenly, she remembered what had happened when she bowed to the City God in Linzhou City. A smirk curled her lips. “I wonder... if I were to give him a bow, what interesting thing would happen?”
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