Upon returning to the Great Emperor Zhenwu's monastery, Su Qing went straight back to her sleeping quarters, not lingering on the way nor seeking out Liu Xixi.
After all, it was already this late; it was better not to disturb others.
Back in her sleeping quarters, several maids had already gathered.
They said, "Sovereign Su, dinner is ready. Would you like to eat?"
Su Qing was slightly surprised to hear this. She hadn't been home today, yet they had prepared dinner?
Did they know she would return tonight and prepare it? Or were they simply bored in her absence, preparing every meal?
Su Qing wasn't sure...
However, since dinner was ready, she definitely had to eat it; no need to waste food... and she was indeed a little hungry.
"Dinner is ready? You've worked hard... Let's eat then!" Su Qing nodded and replied.
The Dragon Girl maid smiled upon hearing this and said, "Very well, Sovereign Su, I will go prepare your utensils now."
Su Qing nodded, then walked into the room and sat at the dining table, waiting for her utensils so she could eat.
Tonight's dinner tasted quite good.
Although their cooking wasn't as good as Leng Xiang's or her own, there was no need to be so picky now...
After all, this wasn't her Changbai Mountains; having a decent dinner was a good thing.
Life at the monastery passed quickly.
In the blink of an eye, another half-month had passed...
Half a month was neither long nor short, but in that time, Su Qing had once again dealt with a disaster in the Northern Continent, earning some Incense Power.
Beyond that, Su Qing was also trying other methods to collect Incense Power.
After all, simply waiting for disasters to appear and then dealing with them herself to earn Incense Power was too slow... so new methods were necessary.
This was a time-consuming and laborious task...
However, thanks to Su Qing having more free time than usual, after finishing her duties at the monastery, Su Qing had more time to try the methods she had thought of.
Under the guise of 'incognito visits to observe the people's conditions.'
Liu Xixi naturally knew about Su Qing's daily outings, but she didn't question them.
After all, Su Qing was the superior; she was merely an assistant. Her job was to assist Su Qing, not to manage her.
So, as long as Su Qing completed her daily tasks, she wouldn't bother Su Qing.
Letting Su Qing roam freely.
After this period of experimentation, Su Qing realized that doing it alone was too slow; one person's efficiency was simply too poor.
"This is truly a headache... I can't possibly ask everyone in the monastery to help me, can I?" Su Qing rubbed her temples, feeling quite troubled.
If everyone here were her own people, she naturally wouldn't hesitate to give orders. But everyone here belonged to Great Emperor Zhenwu...
Asking Great Emperor Zhenwu's people to help her collect Incense Power? Especially in the Northern Continent, Great Emperor Zhenwu's territory?
Wouldn't that be like asking Great Emperor Zhenwu's subordinates to steal his food to feed herself?
Unless she truly had something wrong with her head...
She definitely wouldn't do that.
After all, she was just an acting guardian; eventually, she would have to leave.
And these people would ultimately return to Great Emperor Zhenwu's command.
So, even if Great Emperor Zhenwu said these people would cooperate with her... Su Qing couldn't ask them to do such a thing.
Because they would most likely agree verbally and then slack off... it wouldn't even be surprising if they outright refused. So, asking for their help was basically pointless.
Although Su Qing disliked social etiquette, it didn't mean she didn't understand it.
If she didn't even understand that much, then she had truly lived all this time in vain.
Su Qing nursed her headache for a long time, then finally sighed and temporarily gave up thinking, muttering, "Never mind, there's still plenty of time. I don't need to rush..."
She deeply understood that some things couldn't be rushed.
Anyway, there was so much time in the future; perhaps one day inspiration would strike, and she'd think of a solution?
Before finding a proper solution, she might as well stick to some crude methods for now.
It would just mean being a bit busier.
Su Qing exhaled a breath of stale air, then leaned back in her rocking chair and stretched... she stretched comfortably like a large cat, then gazed blankly at the sky.
It was fine when she wasn't looking at the sky, but as soon as she did, she spotted something she didn't particularly want to see...
It was a red cloud, a red cloud like a large red windmill.
Seeing this red cloud, Su Qing's mouth couldn't help but twitch.
Because this red cloud was none other than Wukong's Somersault Cloud, and every time Wukong came, he brought Su Qing some trouble.
After all, that fellow was the type who 'never visits the Three Treasures Hall without a reason' – he wouldn't remember Su Qing unless he was in trouble...
So, seeing him, Su Qing couldn't help but get a headache.
Su Qing rolled her eyes speechlessly, complaining inwardly, "Why doesn't this guy go find Guanyin Bodhisattva! Why does he always come to me?"
However, despite Su Qing's exasperation, when it came to offering help, she still had to do it.
Who told her to promise the Buddha before?
If Su Qing had known Wukong would constantly seek her help, she wouldn't have agreed to that matter...
However, Su Qing felt that even if she hadn't agreed to that, Wukong would still constantly seek her help... After all, she was probably the only one who could help with anything.
"Speaking of which, which tribulation has Wukong reached now?"
Su Qing frowned, thought for a moment, then mused:
"After Pansi Cave, it should be the Lion Camel Ridge tribulation... If I remember correctly, in the original story's Lion Camel Ridge and Lion Camel Kingdom tribulation, Wukong didn't seem to seek help from anyone else, except for finally being driven to despair by the Golden-Winged Great Peng and having to invite the Buddha to subdue the demons. Could it be that because of me, the sequence of this tribulation has also changed?"
Su Qing frowned and shook her head at this thought. This wasn't something she could figure out clearly right now.
Besides, Wukong would be here soon; she could just ask him directly then. No need to rack her brains over it.
As Su Qing was thinking, a knock sounded at the door.
Without needing to think much, Su Qing knew it was Sun Wukong.
"Come in!" Su Qing said.
No sooner had she spoken than Liu Xixi pushed open the door, leading Sun Wukong inside.
Clearly, Wukong had once again used the main entrance... instead of flying straight in.
Elsewhere, making Wukong use the main entrance might indeed be a challenge.
But when facing Su Qing and other highly respected elders, or elders whose strength far surpassed his, he would still honestly use the main entrance, giving them full respect.
Stepping inside, Liu Xixi didn't waste much time with pleasantries. After a brief exchange, she excused herself, saying she had other matters, and left, not staying to eavesdrop.
Of course, Liu Xixi likely really did have other matters...
After all, she was an honest person, and she indeed had many tasks to handle.
After Liu Xixi left, Wukong hurried over to Su Qing.
"Big Sister, Big Sister, I've come to ask for your help again." Wukong said, a hint of embarrassment on his monkey face.
He actually felt that coming to Su Qing for help every time was a bit much...
But every time he encountered trouble, he couldn't help but first think of seeking help from his Big Sister.
After all, only his Big Sister was the most reliable and trustworthy.
No one else was as dependable as his Big Sister.
Even if Big Sister couldn't personally help, she could find an elder who could solve the problem, saving him the trouble of searching one by one...
If he had to search one by one, his master would probably have become fertilizer by now.
However, Wukong had sought Su Qing's help so many times, and Su Qing had helped him so many times, that he still felt a little embarrassed.
After all, he was only asking Su Qing for help without properly repaying her.
Last time, he had originally intended to bring some Spider Spirits to his Big Sister, but they were taken away by Pilanpo Bodhisattva.
So, this time, he felt even more awkward.
Su Qing looked at the embarrassed expression on his monkey face, shook her head helplessly, and said, "Tell me, what trouble have you run into this time? And where have you traveled to?"
Wukong scratched his head upon hearing this, then briefly explained his situation.
It turned out that Sun Wukong had indeed reached the territory of Lion Camel Ridge and Lion Camel Kingdom.
And had already passed Lion Camel Ridge and entered Lion Camel Kingdom.
Wukong's experience in the Lion Camel Ridge tribulation was largely the same as in the original story: he fought the three demons, escorting Tang Sanzang and his disciples over the mountain... and the Golden-Winged Great Peng, just like in the original, used a trick during the pretense of escorting them to capture Tang Sanzang and bring him into Lion Camel City.
After Wukong discovered this, he naturally had a great battle with the Golden-Winged Great Peng...
As a result, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing were captured first, forcing Wukong to make an early retreat to avoid fighting three against one.
Unfortunately, Wukong's speed ultimately couldn't match the Golden-Winged Great Peng's, and he was also captured and taken back...
Fortunately, Wukong escaped...
Of course, if he hadn't escaped, he wouldn't be here now.
"Heh heh... Big Sister, let me tell you, that Great Peng actually tried to trick me into thinking my master had been eaten. How could I, Old Sun, be so foolish? I long anticipated my master would face many tribulations, so I left a strand of my hair on him early on to ensure his safety. As long as this strand of hair isn't destroyed, it means my master is temporarily safe."
Wukong chuckled, looking quite disdainful of the Golden-Winged Great Peng.
Su Qing's brow raised slightly at this... Wukong actually left a strand of his hair on his master to ensure his safety?
This was something not present in the original story.
In the original story, Wukong was directly tricked by the Golden-Winged Great Peng...
And finally had to go directly to invite the Buddha to subdue those demons.
However, it was no wonder Wukong came looking for her; he hadn't actually been tricked, which was why he came to find a way to deal with the Golden-Winged Great Peng first.
"You're quite clever..." Su Qing nodded and said, "So, you want me to go with you to deal with the Golden-Winged Great Peng?"
Wukong scratched his head, his monkey face grinning, and said, "If Big Sister is willing to go with me to deal with the Golden-Winged Great Peng, that would naturally be the best. If Big Sister is unwilling to go, then I beg Big Sister to point me to someone who can deal with the Golden-Winged Great Peng."
Su Qing nodded upon hearing this, then stroked her chin.
If asked whether she wanted to kill the Golden-Winged Great Peng, she naturally did.
That Golden-Winged Great Peng had committed numerous evils, killing countless people over the past few centuries, even massacring the entire population of Lion Camel City five hundred years ago...
How could one not want to kill such a demon?
However, while she wanted to kill him, she estimated that she probably couldn't kill the Golden-Winged Great Peng...
Not being able to kill him didn't mean she couldn't defeat him.
It was because the Buddha might intervene.
After all... both the Great Peng and the Mahamayuri were born of the Phoenix.
When chaos first parted, heaven and earth mingled to give birth to all things.
The Phoenix, chief of all birds, received the essence of union and gave birth to the Mahamayuri and the Great Peng.
The Mahamayuri once swallowed Ru Lai whole. After Ru Lai cut open the Mahamayuri's back and escaped, all the Buddhas considered the Mahamayuri to be Ru Lai's birth mother.
Ru Lai had originally intended to take the Mahamayuri's life...
But all the Buddhas believed that Ru Lai killing the Mahamayuri would be like harming his birth mother, which was contrary to Buddhist law... In the end, the Buddha had no choice but to spare the Mahamayuri and acknowledge her as his birth mother...
Therefore, according to the Buddhas, the Great Peng could be considered Ru Lai's uncle.
So, this Golden-Winged Great Peng was considered a relative of the Buddha...
And the Buddha would surely not stand by and watch Su Qing send his 'relative' to be reincarnated.
After all, that would damage the Buddha's prestige.
Moreover... even in the original story, the Buddha ultimately didn't destroy the Golden-Winged Great Peng; instead, he gave the Golden-Winged Great Peng a position of worship.
While not killing the Golden-Winged Great Peng might have been due to the Buddha's 'boundless compassion,' regardless of the reason, the fact that the Buddha didn't kill the Golden-Winged Great Peng and even gave him a position of worship was undeniable.
So Su Qing wasn't sure if she could kill him...
After a moment of thought, Su Qing decided to go deal with him anyway.
Even if she couldn't kill him, she could still teach the Golden-Winged Great Peng a lesson.
That Golden-Winged Great Peng had killed so many people...
Yet, not only did he escape punishment, but he even became part of the 'regular army' (celestial bureaucracy).
What kind of logic was that?
Su Qing thought, "Hmm, if the Buddha doesn't intervene, then I'll just send that Golden-Winged Great Peng to the Western Heaven myself..."
Thinking this, Su Qing said, "Fine, I'll go with you! I'm actually a little curious just how fast this Golden-Winged Great Peng is, to be even swifter than your Somersault Cloud."
Su Qing casually found a reason to intervene and agreed to the matter.
Seeing Su Qing decide to help, Wukong quickly expressed his gratitude...
In Wukong's eyes, with Su Qing intervening, rescuing his master was already assured...
After all, he had great confidence in his Big Sister's strength.
Wukong quickly said, "Then, Big Sister, let's not delay and depart quickly! If we're late, I'm afraid my master will be cooked."
Rate on N.U.
