Chen Nianxin's Master?

Su Qing was stunned for a good while by Liu Xixi's sudden, out-of-the-blue question...

By the time she finally reacted, she couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, what are you thinking? How could something like that even be possible!" Su Qing said, her eyes narrowing with a smile. "They are clearly my wives, daughters, and friends, aren't they?"

"......"

Hearing this answer, Liu Xixi blinked, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over her.

In truth, she could have guessed as much... but for some reason, she had just blurted out that moment of madness.

Now she had gone and made a complete fool of herself.

"Cough, cough, cough... my apologies. I asked a stupid question." Embarrassed as she was, Liu Xixi knew that when you're wrong, you're wrong—you own up to it and take it on the chin.

So, even though it was quite humiliating, Liu Xixi honestly admitted her mistake.

Su Qing propped up her face with one hand, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "It was indeed a funny question, but it’s fine. Everyone has a moment of madness now and then."

Liu Xixi: "......"

After that, the two chatted briefly for a little longer before Liu Xixi excused herself, claiming she had matters to attend to.

She didn't know what else to say... if they kept talking, there would be nothing left but awkwardness.

Since Liu Xixi wanted to leave, Su Qing naturally didn't stop her. They had talked long enough anyway.

After Liu Xixi left, Ao Ying walked into the room.

She naturally sat down beside Su Qing and said, "So that’s the assistant official Great Emperor Zhenwu found for you? She seems a bit... well, rigid?"

Although Ao Ying hadn't interrupted their chat, she had been listening from outside the whole time. After listening for so long, she was naturally clear on Liu Xixi’s identity.

Su Qing pursed her lips and gave a slight nod. "Yes! Liu Xixi is indeed a bit rigid... but rigid as she may be, she handles her work very well. It's thanks to her that I have so much free time to do other things."

Regarding Liu Xixi, Su Qing spoke plainly, neither overpraising her nor belittling her.

Ao Ying touched her chin thoughtfully. "Mhm, perhaps that rigidity is a benefit. At the very least, she’ll never overstep the rules."

Su Qing nodded. "True, she places a great deal of importance on rules."

"Speaking of which, she’s of the Dragon Clan too, isn't she? Though her horns are a bit strange..."

"She is indeed dragon-kin... as for her horns, she told me about them once, but I suspect she was just pulling my leg. So, I’m not entirely sure what the actual situation is," Su Qing said, recalling their past conversation.

Ao Ying didn't comment on that, simply nodding. "Is that so? Then she probably just doesn't want to talk about it. Since it's something she's unwilling to share, it's best not to ask."

Su Qing glanced at Ao Ying, her gaze falling on her pair of silver-white horns. "I was thinking the same thing..."

Noticing Su Qing's gaze, Ao Ying chuckled. "What is it? Do you want to touch my horns? Should I let you touch my tail as well? Honestly, you've touched them more than once. Why are you still so fond of it?"

Seeing her thoughts seen through, Su Qing gave an embarrassed laugh. "There's no special reason, really. My hands are just a bit restless."

"You're quite honest when it suits you." Ao Ying looked at Su Qing with a beaming smile. Then, with a thought, a dragon tail settled onto Su Qing's lap. "Go ahead, touch away~"

They had been together for countless years; Ao Ying was more than happy to indulge her in such small matters.

Su Qing smiled and reached out to stroke it.

A dragon's tail actually felt quite wonderful to the touch—it had the warm, smooth texture of jade, yet possessed the softness that flesh should have. It was very satisfying to knead.

"Speaking of which, has your tail gotten a bit... chubbier?"

"???" Hearing this, Ao Ying was instantly displeased. She swung her tail and gave Su Qing a light thwack on the head.

Su Qing: "......"

Fine, I guess I'm not allowed to say it.

But Su Qing didn't mind much. Their daily life was full of such playful bickering.

And so, time slowly passed.

Soon, it was time for dinner.

By now, the sparrows who had been out roaming all day finally returned.

Upon seeing the group of familiar faces in the room, the sparrows were incredibly excited. They flapped their wings and flew around the room like a bunch of bloated flies.

Seeing this, Su Qing felt quite helpless. She performed a hand seal, netting the little fellows and tossing them onto the side table.

"Eat quietly..." Su Qing gave the fat sparrows a displeased look.

After being glared at by Su Qing, the sparrows immediately behaved themselves. There was no helping it—Su Qing was the head of the household, after all. She carried that much authority.

Watching this scene, Bai Rou'er couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle softly. "Sister's pets are truly adorable! What are these? Why do they look like little tangyuan?"

Bai Rou'er was obviously joking. She could tell these 'tangyuan' were sparrows. She just found them amusing and decided to tease them.

Su Qing looked at the little round things and said, "They're sparrows! Just a bit on the plump side."

"They certainly are round. I wonder if they're solid or hollow?" Bai Rou'er asked curiously.

Hearing the question, before Su Qing could even open her mouth, the sparrows beat her to it.

"Hollow, of course!"

"Right, right! We just have a lot of feathers!"

"Don't listen to the Big Green Snake's nonsense!"

"Don't let the Big Green Snake deceive you!"

The sparrows chirped frantically, desperate for Bai Rou'er to believe them... but Bai Rou'er chose to look at Su Qing instead.

Seeing Bai Rou'er's gaze, Su Qing replied, "Why don't you weigh them and see for yourself? These guys are genuinely fat!"

Hearing Su Qing's words, a look of surprise appeared in Bai Rou'er's eyes.

She had seen plenty of plump sparrows... especially when it snowed in winter; there was a type of round sparrow that was very cute. But those just had a thick coat of feathers and were actually very light. This was the first time she had seen sparrows that were genuinely, solidly fat.

"Sister's ability to raise pigs is truly evident here," Bai Rou'er said with a smile after a moment of silence.

The sparrows erupted in indignant chirps at the comment. But despite their protests, the atmosphere at the dinner table became quite cheerful.

Everyone finished their dinner in a pleasant mood.

Meanwhile, back at Changbai Mountain...

Su Qing's clone let out a long breath of turbid air. She felt an extraordinary sense of exhaustion.

"Handling so many prayers alone is truly exhausting..." Su Qing rubbed the space between her eyebrows. "But at least I've finished today's quota. Still, there will be new prayers tomorrow, along with plenty of other matters. It looks like I'll need to recruit some subordinates to help me with these prayers later on."

That said, she didn't have much of a plan for how to go about it. After all, she didn't know how many demons would be willing to work for her... as for immortals, those would likely be even harder to find.

Su Qing shook her head, tidied up, and returned to the courtyard.

The courtyard was empty and quiet, lacking its usual lively atmosphere.

In the entire place, only Chen Nianxin remained, staring blankly into space.

Su Qing walked over, looked at Chen Nianxin, and asked, "Well? Do you feel lonely now that they're gone?"

Hearing the voice of Su Qing's clone, Chen Nianxin gave a cold snort. "Who would feel lonely? Hmph, I am the Six-Eared Macaque. I've been without parents since childhood, raised by Heaven and Earth. If I felt lonely over something like this, would I still be the Six-Eared Macaque?"

Naturally, Chen Nianxin wouldn't admit it.

Su Qing gave a faint nod. "It's good that you don't feel lonely! I was worried you'd be bored and lonesome. After all, there are only the two of us left in this courtyard at Changbai Mountain now."

Hearing this, Chen Nianxin looked up at Su Qing, then frowned and asked, "You aren't planning to make a move on my body, are you?"

"......??"

Even Su Qing was stunned by that.

After a moment of silence, she burst into laughter. "What are you thinking? I would never make a move on someone like you—no figure, no personality!"

Su Qing said this partly to annoy her and partly to tease her. But there was truth in it too. She really wouldn't make a move on her. Su Qing had never been one to force others, especially into that kind of thing. Besides, if Su Qing really wanted to do that, she wouldn't have waited until now.

The Six-Eared Macaque froze for a second, then gave a cold snort and turned to leave... it was unclear if she was angry or relieved.

Su Qing just shook her head with a smile. After stretching, she went to prepare dinner.

Her main body had already eaten, but the clone had just finished working and was still hungry.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the next day arrived.

After Su Qing woke up and finished a simple wash, she threw herself back into the day's work.

After Su Qing left, Chen Nianxin was exceptionally bored in the courtyard. She didn't even bother messing with the flowers, instead just sitting in a chair and watching the clouds in the sky.

As she watched, snowflakes began to flutter down.

It was snowing at Changbai Mountain.

"A snowy day?" Chen Nianxin watched the falling snow and unconsciously drifted into her memories.

She was the Six-Eared Macaque... though raised by Heaven and Earth without parents, she wasn't without a past. But her past was far less beautiful than Sun Wukong's.

She hadn't met Su Qing like Wukong had, nor was she a child of destiny. No one had 'paved the way' for her future. Her memories were somewhat bitter.

However, just as she was lost in thought while staring at the snow, a figure suddenly appeared in the sky.

She narrowed her eyes, watching the figure land right in front of her.

Startled, she instinctively scrambled out of her chair, looking at the newcomer with wariness.

But when she saw the person's face, she cried out in pleasant surprise, "Master!? Why are you here?"

Before her stood a woman, her face veiled in light gauze. Her features were hidden, but she exuded a holy aura, much like Guanyin Bodhisattva upon her lotus pedestal.

This person was indeed her master... though, calling her 'master' wasn't entirely accurate. After all, the woman had never truly accepted her as a disciple. Chen Nianxin simply viewed her as such unilaterally.

Because the woman had taught her so much—taught her to shed her savagery, taught her how to use her innate talents, and guided her toward her future—she viewed her as her master. Or perhaps... as a mother.

"I happened to be passing by and saw a familiar face, so I came to take a look," the veiled woman said in a flat, cold tone, devoid of any ripple of emotion.

Chen Nianxin wasn't bothered by the tone; instead, she was extremely excited. Her first instinct was to ask her master to rescue her. But she quickly suppressed that thought.

Instead, she said, "Master, you should leave quickly! The master of this place is Azure Spirit Sovereign, and she is very strong... plus, she has a grudge against me. I'm currently her prisoner. If she sees you, she will definitely attack... so please leave quickly, don't try to face her head-on."

She didn't know her master's actual strength, but she was very clear on Su Qing's. Since Su Qing could subdue her so easily, it meant her strength was terrifying. To avoid a direct conflict between her master and Su Qing, she decided not to ask for rescue.

The veiled woman nodded and said, "So it seems your plan failed?"

Chen Nianxin nodded. "Yes, it failed... although my transformations are very powerful, they were useless before the Buddha... in the end, I was caught by Su Qing and brought here."

"As long as your life isn't in danger, it's fine." The veiled woman nodded. Her tone was icy, but her words showed exceptional concern. "As long as one is alive, there is always a way to leave. But... do you truly not need me to take you away?"

In truth, she hadn't planned on taking her away. She had only asked out of curiosity after hearing the girl say those things.

"If I run away, it will surely bring trouble to Master... so forget it!"

"......I am your master."

"It is precisely because you are my master that I..."

Just as the two were getting into their conversation, a light cough interrupted them.

"Um, did I come back at a bad time?" Su Qing stood at the gate, looking at the two of them as they went back and forth. She teased with a smile, "Or should you two continue while I step out for a moment?"

Su Qing's voice cut Chen Nianxin off mid-sentence. She looked at Su Qing's smiling face in terror, wondering how on earth she had returned at such a perfect time.

Chen Nianxin didn't have time to think; she instinctively stepped in front of her master.

"Master was just passing by and saw me, so she came to visit... if you have a problem, take it out on me! Don't trouble my master!" Chen Nianxin looked as if she were ready to die for the cause.

In truth, Chen Nianxin knew Su Qing wouldn't do anything to her. She understood that the Buddha had placed her with Su Qing for safekeeping, rather than truly handing over the power of life and death. So she was certain Su Qing wouldn't actually kill her.

But... the same couldn't be said for her master. After all, her master and Su Qing didn't know each other at all.

Su Qing was actually a bit surprised by Chen Nianxin's words. She hadn't expected the girl to be so loyal. She clearly cherished her master, even going so far as to shield her.

Of course, what surprised Su Qing even more was that Chen Nianxin actually had a master. And this master looked somewhat familiar, like someone she knew.

But more than that, Su Qing felt that Chen Nianxin had absolutely no reason to worry about her master... after all, her master was far stronger than Chen Nianxin.

Rather than worrying about her master, she should be worrying about herself.

Su Qing looked at Chen Nianxin and gave an instinctive chuckle. "Oh? Interesting! You actually have a master."

Saying this, Su Qing turned her gaze toward the 'master' and began to scrutinize her carefully.

The more she looked at this so-called master, the more familiar she felt... combined with the feedback from her own formations, Su Qing felt she had already guessed which of her acquaintances this person was.

Finally, she raised an eyebrow and simply sent a Sound Transmission: 'Guanyin Bodhisattva, why are you here?'

Hearing Su Qing's transmission, the veiled woman was stunned for a moment. Then, a Sanskrit chant came back: 'How did you see through me?'

'So I really did guess right?' Su Qing raised an eyebrow and replied via transmission. 'There's no special reason, really. It's just because of the formations, plus a bit of logical guessing... that's how I recognized you, Bodhisattva.'

'Formations?'

'Mhm, formations...'

'The ones you use to hide your residence?'

'Exactly.'

'......'

Su Qing had many formations here. Their original purpose was just to hide her home and avoid being disturbed. Detecting identities was just a side effect. Without her permission, ordinary immortals couldn't get in—at least, those weaker than her main body couldn't. And even if an immortal stronger than her entered, it would trigger the formation's mechanism, informing Su Qing's main body so she could respond.

This time, Su Qing's return really was a coincidence. She had suddenly remembered she'd forgotten her wine gourd and came back to get it while slacking off for a bit. Who would have thought she'd walk in on such a touching display of master-disciple devotion?

So, combining these conditions, the 'master' before her had to be someone she knew and someone with the authority to pass through her wards. There weren't many such people. And those who met the criteria to be the Six-Eared Macaque's master were even fewer. When she narrowed it down, only Guanyin Bodhisattva remained.

As for why? Naturally, because she was one of the planners of the Journey to the West. And she was the most important executor among them. So, aside from her, Su Qing really couldn't think of anyone else.

'I didn't expect you to see through it,' Guanyin Bodhisattva said helplessly via transmission.

'Actually, you probably intended to reveal your identity anyway, didn't you? After all, if you didn't want to be exposed, you could have just stayed hidden,' Su Qing transmitted. 'As long as you didn't appear in this form, I wouldn't even have known Chen Nianxin had a master.'

Su Qing's guess was logical. She had never known Chen Nianxin had a master, and Chen Nianxin had never told her. So as long as Guanyin didn't want Su Qing to find out, she could have just stayed away. Since she had appeared, and specifically as Chen Nianxin's master, it was clear she had intended for this to happen.

Hearing Su Qing's words, Guanyin Bodhisattva didn't bother with nonsense. She frankly admitted to Su Qing's guess, saying:

'Correct... I did indeed intend to reveal my identity to you. However, the current situation has exceeded my expectations. I had originally planned to reveal it to you myself, rather than being seen through right away. Being suddenly exposed like this is a bit... frustrating.'

'Why?' Su Qing asked.

'Why what? Why did I intend to reveal my identity to you? Or why did I not want to be discovered first?'

'Why did you want to reveal this identity to me? I don't quite understand why you would do that. What's the point?'

Su Qing didn't believe Guanyin would do this on a whim. Most of what she did had some sort of purpose. Especially things involving Su Qing—they almost always had an ulterior motive. Well, except for things involving her disciple, Ao Yiyi.

Hearing Su Qing's question, Guanyin chuckled inwardly and sent a mischievous transmission: 'Take a guess.'

'......'

Guess your... [expletive deleted].

Su Qing was utterly speechless, even wanting to curse. What do you mean, 'take a guess'...

In a situation like this, shouldn't you just give a straight answer? What's the point of being an enigma and annoying people? Su Qing would bet anything that Guanyin was doing this specifically to tease her. Given Guanyin's personality, it wasn't surprising at all. After all, the woman was full of mischief.

Su Qing snorted inwardly and asked directly, 'How should I know... so, Senior Guanyin, please stop talking in circles and just tell me the reason, alright?'

Su Qing's transmission tone carried a hint of resentment. Hearing this, Guanyin's transmission held a trace of delight, as if her prank had succeeded.

She truly was full of bad ideas. She transmitted: 'Actually, my goal is very simple! I just intend to change the relationship between you and Chen Nianxin. And while I'm at it... give you a breakthrough point to enter her heart.'

Guanyin's answer left Su Qing a bit dazed, her mind failing to process it for a moment. What did she mean by 'entering Chen Nianxin's heart'?

Su Qing: '???'

'Change my relationship with Chen Nianxin? And why on earth would I want to enter her heart? It's not like I've taken a liking to her. You don't think that just because she's staying in my courtyard, I have designs on her, do you? I'm not that kind of person,' Su Qing retorted with an internal roll of her eyes.

Hearing Su Qing's slightly displeased response, Guanyin Bodhisattva explained:

'Who told you that entering someone's heart means you have to like them or they have to like you? Even good friends can share their hearts, can't they? What kind of messy things are filling your head? You say you're not that kind of person... yet isn't your way of thinking exactly like one?'

Hearing this, Su Qing raised an eyebrow, instinctively wanting to argue... but after thinking over her rebuttal, she realized the other woman's point seemed sound. This only made her more frustrated because she didn't know how to argue back.

Su Qing was silent for a moment, then said, 'But why would I do that? I have no intention of becoming good friends with her, and Chen Nianxin views me as an enemy. What's the point?'

'Of course there's a point!'

'So what is it?'

'You promised the Buddha that you would reform Chen Nianxin. So, that is the point!'

Upon hearing Su Qing's question, Guanyin immediately replied:

'Once your relationship with Chen Nianxin improves, she naturally won't be so distant and constantly work against you. Only then can you successfully fulfill the promise you made to the Buddha...'

'......'

Su Qing was momentarily stunned. Could her promise be interpreted that way?

'I feel like you're twisting the meaning.'

'Am I? This is simply the correct interpretation.'

'......'

Su Qing was speechless for a moment. She truly felt that the older ginger was indeed spicier. A thousand-year-old youngster like herself could hardly win an argument against an old-timer who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years.

'So, do you understand now?' Guanyin asked with a chuckle when she saw Su Qing go silent.

'Hmph...'

Su Qing was frustrated but had no choice. Guanyin's explanation of her promise wasn't technically wrong, so she really couldn't refuse. But if she agreed, it meant she couldn't slack off anymore. She couldn't just leave Chen Nianxin to her own devices as she had before; she had to actually get serious.

'Fine... but if it has the opposite effect, don't blame me,' Su Qing replied via transmission, essentially accepting the task. Of course, she had already accepted it long ago; she just couldn't keep slacking off now.

Thinking of this, Su Qing felt even more tired.

Hearing this, Guanyin sent a smiling transmission:

'I understand that... if it really backfires, there's nothing to be done. The Buddha and I naturally won't blame you. After all, things in this world are hard to predict!'

Su Qing chuckled and didn't bother to retort further, ending the transmission.

The exchange of thoughts via transmission was incredibly fast. Thus, while they seemed to have talked a lot, in reality, only a few breaths had passed. It looked as if Su Qing had merely given Guanyin a long, deep look.

After ending the chat, Su Qing turned her gaze back to Chen Nianxin and said with a chuckle:

"Hehe, why are you making me out to be some kind of villain? I'm not some maniac who kills everyone I see. Although your master came uninvited, since she was able to enter my courtyard, she can be considered someone destined to be here. Since she's a person of destiny, I naturally won't attack her. Besides, even if she weren't, if she doesn't attack me, why should I attack her? Just how bad of a person am I in your eyes?"

Chen Nianxin looked into Su Qing's eyes. Seeing that she didn't seem to be lying, she fell silent for a moment and chose to believe her.

After spending some time with Su Qing, Chen Nianxin had a decent understanding of her character. Su Qing wouldn't deign to lie about such things. If she had wanted to attack, she would have done so already, rather than talking for so long. And Chen Nianxin likely wouldn't have been able to stop her anyway.

So, Su Qing's words were probably true.

"Hmph..." Chen Nianxin snorted.

Even though she believed Su Qing, she couldn't lose face. If she lost her momentum, it would be too humiliating. As for Su Qing's image in her heart... it wasn't exactly good, but it wasn't too bad either.

However, thinking about it carefully, she really had been a bit too hasty just now. The other woman hadn't even done anything yet!

But even though she understood that, she certainly wasn't going to apologize. If she apologized, wouldn't that make her look stupid?

Su Qing didn't know what little schemes were running through Chen Nianxin's head. She just chuckled and said to Guanyin Bodhisattva, who was disguised as the veiled woman:

"This... well, Master of the Six-Eared Macaque! Since you're here, why don't you sit down and have a long chat with me? As it happens, I have plenty of questions about Chen Nianxin that I'd like to ask her master!"

Hearing Su Qing's words, Guanyin nodded with a calm expression and sat down at the table with her. Her expression was exceptionally serene, her face devoid of any emotion, further hidden by the veil. It made it impossible to guess her thoughts.

Once seated, Guanyin looked at Su Qing and said in a flat tone, "As it happens, I have quite a few things I'd like to discuss with you as well."

Hearing this, Su Qing put her acting skills to use. She raised an eyebrow, showing a hint of surprise, and said, "Oh? In that case, why don't you ask first? After all, you are the guest... and Chen Nianxin's master."

Since she had agreed to help, she had to play along with the performance. It was a matter of professional ethics, after all.