Interaction

Regarding these spider spirits...

Su Qing had always been somewhat conflicted.

She was torn over what exactly these girls could do.

As maids, these spider spirits were actually a bit redundant...

When it came to attendants, Su Qing already had the dragon girls, and that was more than enough.

Those four dragon girls were practically all-around experts; they could do almost anything and do it well. Moreover, her private chambers weren't that large; the four of them were sufficient to keep everything here in perfect order...

She had absolutely no need for several spider spirits who were inferior to the dragon girls in every respect.

Therefore, Su Qing didn't know what use they could serve by staying here.

As for letting them go...

That wasn't an easy option either.

After all, they had been sent by Pilanpo Bodhisattva, and it was the intention of Guanyin Bodhisattva.

Out of respect for the reputation of these two seniors...

Simply releasing them was clearly not feasible.

Consequently,

If these spider spirits truly possessed exceptional talent in dressmaking,

Then Su Qing could finally arrange a suitable job for them.

Furthermore, if that were the case, she could send them to the Changbai Mountains...

They wouldn't have to stay by her side working all the time.

It would also save these spider spirits from constantly being afraid of her,

As if she were treating them poorly.

Su Qing pondered...

The teacup in her hand had not yet reached her lips.

Zhu Xue, who had just gone back to fetch the clothing, had already returned with the finished gown.

"Sovereign!" Zhu Xue said as she handed the gown to Su Qing.

Su Qing took the dress and examined it.

She found that the craftsmanship of these spider spirits was indeed excellent.

While not quite on the level of the Seven Fairies of the Heavenly Palace, it was countless times better than any mortal tailor.

And most importantly... the aesthetic of this gown was quite pleasing.

"Hmm, it looks quite good... I'll go change and try it on!" Su Qing nodded and gave Zhu Xue a smile.

Seeing that Su Qing seemed to genuinely like the gown, Zhu Xue couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, a hint of a smile appearing on her face.

"Then, does this lowly one need to assist the Sovereign with her change?" Zhu Xue asked after a moment of thought.

Su Qing shook her head upon hearing this...

She didn't particularly like having others help her dress.

After all, she had her own hands and feet.

It wasn't as if she couldn't even manage to change her own clothes.

"No need, I'll do it myself."

After saying that, Su Qing took the gown and returned to her room to change.

Zhu Xue waited obediently outside...

Waiting for Su Qing to finish changing and come out.

Changing didn't take long.

In just a short while,

Su Qing had already changed and stepped out.

It was a very typical Qi-chest Ruqun... however, the colors were elegant and understated, lacking a bit of cuteness but gaining a touch of gentleness and maturity.

It suited Su Qing perfectly...

After all...

Her appearance was naturally the very gentle type.

Like a woman from the Jiangnan water towns, she was as mild and clear as water...

So she naturally suited this kind of attire.

When Su Qing walked out the door,

Zhu Xue also saw her in the outfit.

Only, for some reason...

Even though Su Qing looked exceptionally gentle and kind,

Zhu Xue still didn't dare to speak easily.

Perhaps this was simply the gap in status.

Su Qing didn't know what Zhu Xue was thinking.

She simply walked up to Zhu Xue, nodded at her with satisfaction, and said, "Your craftsmanship is very good. I am quite pleased."

Hearing Su Qing say this, Zhu Xue was overjoyed.

If Su Qing said she liked it after putting it on, then she must truly like it.

This allowed Zhu Xue to finally set her heart at ease.

She hurriedly said, "As long as the Sovereign is satisfied... we will definitely continue to work hard. If the Sovereign desires any other gowns, you can command us at any time."

Zhu Xue was naturally very happy that Su Qing liked the gown they had made.

After all, this meant that besides being maids who couldn't help much...

They finally had some other use.

As long as they were useful, they didn't have to worry about being discarded,

Or being sent directly to the Underworld to greet King Yama.

In fact, it wasn't just Su Qing who felt that the spider spirits were useless as maids; even the spider spirits themselves felt that they were indeed inferior to the dragon girls in that role.

Especially since the dragon girls didn't particularly like them...

On one hand, the dragon girls felt they were competing for work, and on the other hand, they were indeed a bit in the way.

Therefore, since they weren't qualified as maids,

The spider spirits were also trying to find a new use for themselves.

Actually, at first, the spider spirits wanted to take a risk and offer themselves up as mounts... but after discovering that Su Qing didn't seem to need such a thing and didn't like it, they abandoned that idea and turned to other ways to make themselves appear useful.

And so, they turned to dressmaking...

Fortunately, this decision seemed to be the right one. Su Qing was very satisfied with the gown they produced... successfully allowing them to demonstrate their value.

Su Qing looked at the expression of the spider spirit Zhu Xue and knew the girl was happy about this.

She nodded and said, "Mhm, I naturally have my plans... Also, seeing how hard you've worked, I've decided to give you a reward. You've been in this courtyard for quite some time; from now on, you no longer need to be confined to this small area."

"You may also walk around the areas outside this palace... but I must remind you that allowing you into other parts of the dao field does not mean you can leave the dao field entirely. I hope you understand that."

Su Qing's words made Zhu Xue startle slightly, and then she became even happier. Finally, they didn't have to be confined to this tiny patch of land; they could finally walk around outside.

Even if this didn't mean they were free, it at least showed that Su Qing had developed a certain level of trust in them.

This represented a glimmer of hope that they might truly regain their freedom in the future...

Even if the possibility was low, it was at least something to look forward to.

"Please rest assured, Sovereign, we will definitely not run around!" Zhu Xue nodded quickly, swearing on behalf of her other two sisters.

Seeing this, Su Qing also nodded with satisfaction and said, "Alright, in that case, go back and tell your sisters the news!"

With this matter settled, Su Qing naturally didn't plan to continue chatting with Zhu Xue.

Unless it was a necessary conversation or there was something specific to talk about, Su Qing was always the type who wanted to stop talking once she had said what she needed to say.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xue immediately gave Su Qing a salute and said, "Yes, I'll go back and tell my sisters right away!"

Su Qing nodded and then waved her hand, signaling for her to leave quickly...

After Zhu Xue left,

Su Qing sat back down at the table and began drinking tea again.

Su Qing wasn't in a hurry to tell these girls that she planned to take them back to the Changbai Mountains...

She planned to observe them for a while longer.

To ensure that these spider spirits wouldn't cause any trouble once they returned to the Changbai Mountains.

If bringing them back would only add to her mess,

Then she might as well forget it!

She would rather let these girls continue being useless.

"Let's leave it like this for now..."

Su Qing thought to herself, shaking her head slightly.

After that,

Another half-month passed.

Everything was still going smoothly at the dao field...

Though during this time, Su Qing had resolved another natural disaster,

Earning quite a bit of Incense Power.

On the other side, in Xingyang City...

The situation here was also progressing very smoothly.

The Commandery Princess hadn't come to find her again... it seemed that during this time, the Commandery Princess's various tasks were also proceeding very well.

However, just because the Commandery Princess didn't come to find her didn't mean Su Qing had nothing to do in her daily life.

Besides treating the commoners...

Su Qing also created a tool for the Commandery Princess to use to call for her help.

For Su Qing, things like messenger birds were simply too slow.

After all, speed is the soul of war... being one step too slow could change the entire battlefield.

If she relied on those clumsy birds to deliver messages,

By the time the bird brought the letter to her,

The Commandery Princess's situation would likely have turned as bad as it could possibly get. By then, even if she went, she might not be able to change anything.

So she needed a faster communication tool.

As for having the Commandery Princess notify her by praying to the Bodhisattva...

While that method was feasible, it still wasn't as convenient as having a faster tool.

As for this tool, it actually wasn't particularly difficult to make...

She only needed to create a mother-child paired treasure.

This way, if the child piece was destroyed, the mother piece would receive the message...

Though simple, it was sufficient.

Because Su Qing didn't need to know the specific details; she only needed to know that something had gone wrong and where it had happened. That was enough.

So there was no need to make it overly complicated.

Of course, the main reason was that Su Qing's artifact-refining level was truly limited; she couldn't make anything particularly powerful.

After all, while Su Qing was decent at refining people, she really wasn't that skilled when it came to refining artifacts...

She couldn't produce treasures like those made by Lin Jiu.

She would just have to make do!

As long as the message could be delivered, it was fine!

Inside the medical clinic,

Su Qing called Hu Lin'er to the backyard and said, "Go find the Commandery Princess and have her come personally or send a trusted person over. Tell her I have some things to give her. If she asks what they are, say they are some medicinal herbs for nourishing the body."

Hu Lin'er didn't know exactly what Su Qing was planning.

But since it was Su Qing's instruction, Hu Lin'er would naturally carry it out well.

So Hu Lin'er nodded and said, "I understand... I'll go right now."

Su Qing nodded and said, "Mhm, be careful not to let too many people notice. After all, that Rat Prime Minister is likely still keeping an eye on us! Although that fellow doesn't know we're his enemies yet, it's still better to avoid drawing too much attention."

Though Su Qing knew this was likely redundant, it was better to be cautious... after all, there was never anything wrong with being careful.

Hu Lin'er didn't object and simply nodded, saying, "Don't worry, I'll be careful."

Upon hearing this, Su Qing said no more...

Since Su Qing had nothing more to say, Hu Lin'er set off.

Su Qing naturally wasn't worried about Hu Lin'er; though her realm wasn't much, she still had some strength... at the very least, delivering a message was no problem.

After Hu Lin'er left,

Su Qing didn't leave the backyard.

Instead, she called back the resting Su Qingyu...

Preparing to have her continue her cultivation.

If this girl wanted to become a martial arts expert, she couldn't be lazy... she had rested long enough and needed to get back to it.

"Huh? Starting again?!" When Su Qingyu heard she had to start practicing again, she was a bit depressed and couldn't help but say, "My arms are still sore..."

"It's fine. I'll prepare a medicinal bath for you when we get back. I guarantee you'll be as energetic as ever when you wake up tomorrow," Su Qing said with a smile.

Su Qingyu curled her lip and said, "I feel like I'm about to be pickled by those medicinal baths... now everyone says I have a very strong scent of medicine on me."

"That's a good thing!"

"But the other sisters all smell fragrant, and I'm the only one who smells like medicine..." Su Qingyu said gloomily.

Seeing this, Su Qing could only say, "If you want to become a martial arts expert, you always have to pay a price! Didn't you want to beat me? If you can't even endure this little bit of hardship, how can you be a martial arts expert?"

Su Qingyu would occasionally act up like this...

But facing Su Qing, it was completely useless.

After all, Su Qing was already well-versed in handling her...

No matter what excuse the girl had, Su Qing could always make her go back to her cultivation obediently.

Su Qingyu curled her lip upon hearing this and said, "I know... I just wanted to rest a bit longer!"

Su Qing smiled helplessly and said, "Then rest after you finish this part of the practice!"

"Ugh..." Su Qingyu pouted.

She thought she could rest a bit more!

As it turned out, she still had to finish this part before resting?

She was a bit speechless.

But there was absolutely nothing she could do.

After all, the practice had to continue.

Seeing this, Su Qing added, "How about this? Once Hu Lin'er returns, you can rest! How's that? Do you want to rest after finishing this part, or rest when Hu Lin'er gets back?"

Hearing this, Su Qingyu immediately made her choice.

"I want to rest when Sister Lin'er gets back!"

Seeing this, Su Qing also nodded and said, "Alright then, it's a deal. However... if you end up practicing longer than usual, you can't say I tricked you, since I don't know how long it will take Hu Lin'er to return."

Su Qingyu couldn't help but open her mouth wide at this, but then she stubbornly said, "I won't! I'm not that kind of petty girl!"

Hearing Su Qingyu's words, Su Qing couldn't help but break into a smile.

"Good! I'll remember those words."

"Hmph, remember them then."

"Alright, start practicing now!"

At those words, Su Qingyu began her cultivation.

And so, time passed minute by minute.

Before they knew it, half an hour had gone by...

And finally, after all that time, Hu Lin'er had finally returned.

And returning with her was the Commandery Princess!