Still, with things as they are, it's not that surprising that so many terrible things have happened in this country," Su Qing thought, shaking her head. "But with the situation developed to this point, how has not a single immortal noticed? Logically, that shouldn't be the case.
Su Qing found this rather strange.
While the Heavenly Court's current focus was on the Great Tribulation, they hadn't completely abandoned their management of the mortal realm. Generally speaking, if a local deity encountered a problem they couldn't solve, they only needed to report it to the Heavenly Court, and someone would be dispatched to handle it.
Yet, even with things reaching this state, the Heavenly Court had not intervened. This meant that no immortal had ever reported it.
It wasn't as if there were no legitimate immortals left in this country.
Could they really have failed to notice entirely?
Su Qing pondered the reasons in silence and soon arrived at a few possibilities.
She rubbed her chin and thought, "Ah, right. Aside from outliers like me, most other immortals basically only care about their own local jurisdiction—and they might not even see everything happening there. As for matters outside their territory, that's even harder to say. In this era, information travels slowly, and these aren't the kind of topics the old men and women at the village entrance would chat about. Tsk, tsk. Well, it's not so strange after all."
Once she understood this, Su Qing couldn't help but shake her head.
She didn't dwell on it much longer.
More importantly, Su Qing felt that this might be an opportunity she could exploit.
"Actually... this is a great chance! If I play my cards right, I might be able to get the people of this entire country to provide me with Incense Power! And I can clear out those troublemaking demons while I'm at it."
Su Qing's idea was simple: since there were so many demons in this country, and they had even reached the level of becoming the Prime Minister...
Then it shouldn't be a problem if she intervened, right?
After all, she would be doing a good deed.
As for whether this Prime Minister might be a 'good' demon, whether he had never eaten a human, or whether he truly wanted to assist the Emperor and bring peace and prosperity to the land?
Su Qing felt that such thoughts were purely wishful thinking.
From the information gained through Soul-Searching, it was already certain that this Prime Minister was an evil demon. He only refrained from making a massive scene for fear of the Heavenly Court finding out; otherwise, this place would have turned into another Lion Camel Kingdom long ago.
"However, I still need to inform the Heavenly Court," Su Qing thought, rubbing her chin.
A plan was a plan, but it was better to report it before taking action. Rules were rules, after all.
Though it was a bit troublesome in the beginning, it would save her a lot of grief later. Naturally, it was worth it.
After finishing her business in the courtyard, Su Qing stretched and exhaled a breath of turbid air. Then, she turned to find Ao Yiyi.
Su Qing hadn't wasted much time killing the enemies; it was over quickly. By the time she returned, Ao Yiyi had already finished treating everyone's wounds.
Since Su Qing and Ao Yiyi were operating under the identity of 'divine emissaries,' they could use magic without reservation. Naturally, the healing process went very smoothly.
Furthermore, displaying magic helped convince these people that Su Qing and her companion were indeed messengers of the immortals.
Thus, when Su Qing returned and told them that the demons had been wiped out, the group wept with joy. They immediately began bowing to the 'Azure Spirit Sovereign,' whom they hadn't even heard of until today.
Su Qing, ever thoughtful, presented them with a divine statue. Gathering Incense Power was honest work, after all.
Once everything was settled, Su Qing didn't plan to stay any longer. She prepared to move on to her next objective.
She said to the group, "Alright, you're safe now. I've killed all the demons. Our mission here is finished."
"You may return home on your own now."
"In the future, if you encounter a similar situation, just pray toward the statue."
"As long as your prayers are sincere, the Azure Spirit Sovereign will hear you and manifest to help you through your difficulties."
Su Qing wasn't joking. If someone prayed sincerely to her statue, she really could hear and see them. Especially if she was paying close attention to a specific region, she could hear them quickly and take action. Even if she wasn't personally available to help, she could use the Incense Power stored in the statue to manifest a clone to resolve the immediate trouble.
Therefore, when Su Qing said she could help, she truly meant it. It just wouldn't necessarily be her original body taking action.
This was the source of her confidence. Su Qing was not an immortal who enjoyed Incense Power without giving anything back. While she enjoyed the worship, she also listened to her believers' troubles and helped fulfill reasonable wishes.
Returning to the present, after Su Qing finished speaking, she didn't wait for them to ask anything else. She grabbed Ao Yiyi, performed a hand seal, and vanished.
As for whether these people would tell others about what happened today, Su Qing didn't know. If they did, fine; if not, so be it. The seed had been planted. How it would take root and sprout was beyond her control. She had many other things to do.
"How did you feel tonight?" Su Qing asked Ao Yiyi on the way back.
Ao Yiyi fell silent for a moment upon hearing the question. After thinking for a while, she said, "It felt... a bit subtle."
"Eh? I don't follow. Subtle in what way?" Su Qing naturally found such a vague answer hard to understand and hoped to hear her true thoughts.
"I don't know how to explain it either. It's just that I suddenly understood some things," Ao Yiyi replied after another silence.
Su Qing rubbed her chin but didn't press further. She simply nodded slightly and headed back toward their campsite.
Ao Yiyi looked at Su Qing, a faint smile playing on her lips.
To be honest, Ao Yiyi's greatest gain tonight was perhaps discovering that Su Qing was more thoughtful than she had imagined. Despite usually appearing carefree and indifferent to everything, she actually had a very delicate side.
"Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Sister Leng Xiang and Sister Ao Ying chose to follow her," Ao Yiyi thought to herself as she quickened her pace to keep up.
The two of them were very fast. In a short moment, they had returned to the camp.
Everyone else was asleep. Only Li Yichou was still sitting by the fire, roasting meat while waiting for them to return.
"You're not asleep yet?" Su Qing sat down by the fire with Ao Yiyi.
Li Yichou shook her head and said, "I was a bit worried about your safety, Young Mistress, so I waited here. But seeing that both you and Miss Yiyi have returned, I can rest easy."
In truth, Li Yichou wasn't actually worried about Su Qing's safety. Although Su Qing had never displayed her full strength, Li Yichou knew she wouldn't fight a battle she wasn't prepared for or one she couldn't win. Even if the opponents were demons, she believed Su Qing could handle them.
The reason? There wasn't any special reason. It was more of a pure, instinctive trust. As for why she still waited, she simply wanted to see them return in triumph. Additionally, she had things on her mind that made it hard to sleep.
Hearing Li Yichou's words, Su Qing couldn't help but smile. "I'm sorry for making you worry... but I'm actually quite powerful! Those fellows were no match for me at all. Consider today's grudge settled. Hmm, I suppose you could call it 'eliminating an evil for the people.'"
Li Yichou nodded. "I knew the Young Mistress would return safely!"
Su Qing smiled and then said, "Alright, it's late. We should get some rest. We have to travel tomorrow. I'll take the night watch, so you go and get some proper sleep. You've had a long day."
"Haven't you had a long day too, Young Mistress? I should be the one on watch while you rest."
"You have to drive the carriage tomorrow! What if you get sleepy and drive it into a ditch?"
"Horses aren't stupid; they won't just walk straight into a ditch."
"Alright, just listen to me!" Su Qing said helplessly. "After you finish eating, go get some sleep! If you keep arguing with me, I'll have to knock you out."
Seeing Su Qing's persistence, Li Yichou didn't feel right arguing further. She nodded, picked up the food she had finished roasting, and ate it. After eating, she obediently went to rest.
As for Ao Yiyi, she didn't insist on watching either and soon went to sleep as well. Su Qing was left alone to keep watch.
Su Qing sat by the fire, her eyes slightly closed, keeping a sliver of her spirit alert to her surroundings.
In the blink of an eye, it was the next day.
Su Qing and the others didn't look back at the small town. They boarded the carriage and continued toward the capital. As for the current situation in the town, Su Qing wasn't sure and didn't care—it no longer had anything to do with her. After all, she had vented her frustration, investigated what needed investigating, and set her next goal. There was no need to consider the rest.
Meanwhile, in the Northern Continent, at the monastery of Great Emperor Zhenwu...
After having breakfast, Su Qing teased the sparrows for a bit. When Liu Xixi came to find her as usual, Su Qing spoke up.
"I have some business today and need to head out for a bit."
"Does Sovereign Su have some business? Do you need me to send someone to help?" Liu Xixi was startled for a moment and then asked.
Although she didn't know what Su Qing was up to, her duty was to assist Su Qing, so she instinctively asked if help was needed.
Su Qing shook her head and said, "No need for help. I'm just going to the Heavenly Court. There are some things I need to discuss with the Jade Emperor..."
"This..." Liu Xixi was puzzled but didn't ask further. She only said, "Then I understand."
"Yes. Until I return, I'll leave things here to you. If there's anything that requires my personal attention, it can wait until I'm back," Su Qing said with a smile. "I don't expect to be gone for very long, anyway."
Liu Xixi didn't say much else, simply nodding. "Then I wish Sovereign Su every success."
Su Qing nodded, then stepped out into the courtyard. With a hand seal, she summoned a Somersault Cloud and departed.
Before long, she arrived outside the South Heaven Gate. The guards naturally wouldn't block her path, so she passed through easily and headed toward the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.
However, before she reached the hall, she encountered Yuelao again.
Seeing him, Su Qing suddenly remembered a previous incident, and a flash of irritation rose within her. But since she had other business to attend to, she didn't plan on stopping to talk. She pretended not to see him and continued toward the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.
But even though Su Qing pretended not to see him, Yuelao took the initiative to fly over.
"Sovereign! Sovereign!" he called out.
Su Qing's mouth twitched. She really didn't want to waste her breath on this old man! But out of politeness, she took a deep breath and said, "It's been a long time, Yuelao. I didn't expect to run into you here."
Yuelao chuckled and asked, "Indeed! I'm also surprised. You've been coming to the Heavenly Palace quite often lately, Sovereign!"
Su Qing smiled and said, "Yes, I have some things to handle, so I came to speak with the Jade Emperor! But why did you call me? Is something the matter?"
"Hahaha, actually, there is something," Yuelao said cheerfully. "I was planning to send it to you, but since we happened to meet, I'll just give it to you directly. Didn't you take some Red Threads from me before?"
At the mention of Red Threads, more unpleasant memories surfaced. She nodded and asked, "Is Yuelao planning to take them back?"
"No, no! How can I take back something I've given away? These things won't mess up your marriage fate; they just make the bond between you and those you have a fate with even stronger." Yuelao shook his head. "As I said, I have something else to give you."
Su Qing raised an eyebrow. "So what exactly are you giving me? Stop keeping me in suspense..."
Su Qing hated people who spoke in riddles.
Yuelao chuckled again and said, "Alright, alright, I'll stop. Here, take this. These are Marriage Locks that recently grew on the Marriage Tree..."
"How... are these different from the Red Threads?" Su Qing asked, looking at the items.
"There's no special difference, they're just even firmer than Red Threads," Yuelao said, stroking his beard.
Su Qing's mouth twitched. "Then isn't that basically the same thing?"
Yuelao shook his head and continued, "Different, quite different! These are much more precious than Red Threads~ Hehe, I won't say more. I'll leave you to study them yourself, Sovereign."
Su Qing: "..."
What should she do... she really wanted to hit him.
But she held back. After all, hitting people was bad, and he was a senior.
Su Qing exhaled a breath of turbid air and said, "Then I'll just use these as red cords."
Yuelao nodded with a grin. "That's perfectly fine, of course. But remember, Sovereign, do not give them to someone you don't like."
"When I give things away, why would I give them to someone I don't like?" Su Qing rolled her eyes.
Yuelao smiled and said, "That's good! However, there are only so many of these. It might not be enough for everyone you want to give them to. If you run out in the future, just come find me again. Although there are only a few Marriage Locks, I have plenty of Red Threads."
Su Qing's mouth twitched. "Sigh, Senior Yuelao... I'm really not as fickle as you think. I haven't even finished giving away the red cords I got from you last time!"
Though she knew her explanation might not work, she felt she had to try anyway. This was to prevent the rumors about her from becoming even more ridiculous after she accepted these things. Her reputation was already absurd enough; if this continued, it would be completely ruined.
Oh... it was already ruined.
But she should still try to salvage what she could!
Hearing this, Yuelao just nodded thoughtfully and said, "I understand, I understand! Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this. I'm giving these Marriage Locks to you of my own accord! It's not as if you came to ask for them!"
Yuelao thought he understood what was on Su Qing's mind, so he patted his chest and spoke to her with a look of absolute seriousness.
Seeing Yuelao act this way, Su Qing assumed he finally understood. She nodded and said, "That's good then. Thank you, Senior Yuelao."
Yuelao shook his head. "No need for thanks, no need at all. Take these Marriage Locks... as for the difference between them and Red Threads, you'll understand in the future. Alright, you have business to attend to, so I won't disturb you further! Farewell."
Su Qing nodded and bid Yuelao goodbye. Yuelao then rode his cloud and departed.
Once Yuelao was far away, Su Qing rode her Somersault Cloud toward the Lingxiao Treasure Hall. In a short while, she arrived outside.
She stopped at the entrance. To see the Jade Emperor, she still needed someone to announce her. Rules were rules, and Su Qing had no complaints.
"Please announce me," Su Qing said with a smile to the heavenly general.
The general nodded and went to report. He knew who she was, so he naturally wouldn't make things difficult for her.
Before long, the general returned. He cupped his hands to Su Qing and said, "Sovereign, please follow me."
Su Qing nodded. "Thank you for your trouble!"
The general shook his head and led the way. Su Qing followed the heavenly soldier until they reached a set of doors, where the general stopped.
He cupped his hands again and said, "Sovereign, I can only take you this far. His Majesty is inside. Please excuse me."
Su Qing shook her head. "It's fine. Thank you for leading the way!"
The general smiled slightly. "Think nothing of it..."
After the brief exchange of pleasantries, Su Qing said no more and stepped into the hall.
Inside the hall, the Jade Emperor sat upon his dragon throne, holding a scroll of memorials. Seeing Su Qing enter, he looked up and said, "Why have you come? Is there some trouble in the Northern Continent that you cannot resolve?"
Su Qing smiled and bowed to His Majesty. "Your Majesty is joking. The Northern Continent is perfectly peaceful! I have come to see Your Majesty to inform you of something else."
The Jade Emperor chuckled. "I see. Speak then. What is it that brings you here? Since you've come to me instead of going directly to Laojun or the Old Mother, I assume it's something they cannot decide on?"
Su Qing gave an awkward smile and nodded. Then, she recounted the events she had encountered.
"What? You want me to dispatch troops? They're just minor demons; can't you handle them alone? Is it worth a special trip to the Heavenly Court to find me?" The Jade Emperor looked exasperated, seemingly unable to fathom Su Qing's reasoning.
Su Qing simply smiled and said, "I'm not asking Your Majesty to send troops. I just wanted to inform you. After all, this counts as interfering in mortal affairs, so I had to let Your Majesty know."
"Hehehe, since when did you become so law-abiding?" the Jade Emperor asked with a chuckle.
Su Qing was speechless. "Your Majesty, haven't I always followed the rules?"
The Jade Emperor's mouth twitched. He waved his hand and said, "Enough, I don't have time for idle chatter. If you want to act, then act. You are eliminating demons for the sake of peace under heaven; no one will criticize you for it... so there's no need to disturb me for such things."
Su Qing grinned. "Since Your Majesty has said so, I understand."
The Jade Emperor waved his hand again. "Alright, if there is nothing else, you are dismissed..."
Su Qing smiled and nodded. "Then I shall take my leave."
"Yes, leave then!" The Jade Emperor put down his scroll and added, "And stop referring to yourself as 'this little girl.' An official should refer to themselves as 'your servant.' If you really can't remember that, just use 'I.' You're an immortal over a thousand years old; calling yourself 'this little girl' is a bit much on the acting-young side."
Su Qing: "..."
Wait, she was being roasted for that too?
Su Qing felt frustrated and a bit embarrassed. She really hadn't remembered the proper formal address in the moment, so she had just picked one at random. And yet, she was roasted for it. And attacked for her age, too...
However, since he was the Jade Emperor, Su Qing couldn't exactly snap back. She could only suppress the urge to argue, gave the Jade Emperor a dissatisfied look, bowed, and left.
After Su Qing had gone, Laojun walked in and said, "You old fellow, you have some nerve roasting someone for being a thousand years old."
Hearing this, the 'Jade Emperor' performed a hand seal and transformed back into the form of Great Emperor Zhenwu. He said, "So how much longer do I have to cover this shift? When is that old fellow the Jade Emperor coming back?"
"We'll have to see if things are going smoothly on his end!" Laojun said with a chuckle.
Great Emperor Zhenwu rubbed the bridge of his nose. He really wanted to go back to his own leisurely life.
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