After returning to Great Emperor Zhenwu's domain, Su Qing naturally found Liu Xixi first. Together, they worked through the accumulated backlog of tasks.
Since Su Qing hadn't been away for very long, the amount of work wasn't overwhelming. Even without rushing, she managed to resolve everything within a single day.
Once all official business was settled, Su Qing returned to her private chambers.
The palace was the same as always, yet it felt quite a bit more deserted.
Though Su Qing had already guessed the reason, she still made an inquiry.
The result was exactly as she had suspected: they had all gone out to help her develop her Incense Power.
"Suddenly, it's become completely quiet again!" Su Qing couldn't help but sigh.
Hearing her lament, Zi Qiu, who had been standing nearby, spoke up. "Please do not be troubled, Master. Miss Bai Rou'er said she would return to visit you every once in a while."
Su Qing glanced at Zi Qiu and couldn't help but shake her head with a smile. "Those words sound far too familiar."
Of course they were familiar—after all, that was exactly what she used to say to others! It was just that she had changed from the one saying it to the one hearing it. It was actually quite amusing.
Su Qing shook her head. "Alright, I'm not troubled. I'm just a bit bored! Although I'm a guardian, this position is even more leisurely than I expected. Ultimately, it's because I'm not actually tied down here."
Stretching her limbs, Su Qing looked up at the bright moon in the night sky and murmured to herself, "Mhm, I'll go play with Bai Yuhe and Bai Suzhen first, and then I'll visit Chang'e. It's been quite a while since I last saw her. If I don't go drink with her soon, she'll probably start nagging me again."
Su Qing didn't bother to lower her voice, so Zi Qiu naturally overheard her self-muttering.
However, hearing it was one thing; Zi Qiu didn't dare to say much. The only thing she could do was stand to the side with a polite, closed-mouth smile.
Su Qing looked up at her and said, "Zi Qiu, go fetch a jar of wine for me."
Following the order, Zi Qiu nodded and went to do as she was told without a word.
After Zi Qiu left, Su Qing stared at the moon in a daze.
She wasn't truly idle, though. Her other two bodies were still quite busy.
Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was the next morning.
Once dawn broke, Su Qing prepared to set out. Her purpose in returning to the domain had simply been to clear out some of the work first.
Now that it was done, it was time to continue her journey.
As for when she would return? Naturally, she would come back after she had visited all the places she wanted to go!
Regardless, nothing here was particularly urgent. Whether she, the so-called guardian, was present or not didn't change much. It wasn't nearly as busy or laden with heavy responsibility as she had initially anticipated.
"The Sovereign is leaving again? But you only just returned yesterday," Liu Xixi said, looking at Su Qing with disbelief when she heard the news.
Su Qing nodded. "Yes! There are still a few things I haven't settled yet, so I plan to visit a few more places."
Su Qing wasn't about to say exactly what she was going to do—that would be being a bit too honest. By simply saying she had business, she could let Liu Xixi guess for herself.
As for what she would guess, Su Qing didn't know. But given Liu Xixi's personality, she certainly wouldn't guess that Su Qing was just going to play with friends.
Liu Xixi looked at Su Qing and nodded helplessly. "If the Sovereign wishes to go out, I naturally have no power to stop you. I only hope you return soon... and please be careful on the road."
Hearing this, Su Qing smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, I'm safer than anyone! No one can cause me trouble on the road. As for returning, it won't be long—five or six days at most. I'll be back soon."
She wasn't lying about that. Since she was just visiting friends and not going out to cause trouble, how long could she possibly stay away?
Besides, even if there wasn't much work and it wasn't particularly vital, staying away forever clearly wouldn't do. She was, after all, the acting guardian here. She had to show at least a little bit of professional attitude. She didn't have to be incredibly hardworking, but she couldn't just slack off indefinitely.
Seeing Su Qing's response, Liu Xixi said no more and simply nodded. "In that case, I wish the Sovereign a safe journey!"
Su Qing chuckled. "Alright, I'm off then!"
Without waiting for a reply, Su Qing mounted a cloud and departed from the domain, vanishing from sight in an instant.
Watching the red cloud disappear into the horizon, Liu Xixi's lip twitched slightly as she murmured, "The Sovereign certainly moves fast..."
With a light sigh and a shake of her head, she turned back to her duties. Regardless of what the Sovereign did, her own work remained unchanged. She had to get back to it.
After leaving the domain, Su Qing headed straight for Mount Li.
Although she had mentioned seeing Sister Chang'e, she planned to spend a day playing with Little Bai first. After all, she had promised Little Bai she would visit.
Traveling at high speed, she arrived at Mount Li in no time.
Just like before, Su Qing arrived at the Old Mother's Hall. The Daoist boy from years ago still hadn't returned; the one on duty was still the replacement.
Su Qing didn't talk much with the boy, merely giving him some snacks before heading off on her own to find Bai Suzhen.
For Su Qing, the sooner she saw Bai Suzhen, the better. Moving unhindered, she reached the familiar small courtyard in just a few steps.
In the yard, Bai Suzhen was seriously practicing a sword routine. The technique appeared to be one that used softness to overcome hardness—very suitable for women. However, Su Qing was still a bit surprised by the sight.
Given Bai Suzhen's personality, she would have expected her to practice a more aggressive style first. The Bai Suzhen here wasn't the gentle, soft-natured version from the legends. She was far more demonic and exotic—less like the legendary White Snake and more like the legendary Xiao Qing. She was full of charm and aggression.
Don't let this girl's seemingly gentle appearance in front of Su Qing fool you. That gentleness was merely a facade; she simply hid her aggressive nature beneath that layer of softness. Most of the time, she was more proactive than anyone, almost always being the one to initiate the seduction.
While Su Qing was lost in thought, Bai Suzhen finished her routine. Su Qing took the opportunity to applaud.
"That was beautiful!" Su Qing said with a smile, offering her praise.
Hearing the compliment, Bai Suzhen put on a slightly bashful act. "Sister, you overpraise me. When did you arrive? I didn't even notice you were here."
Su Qing found this amusing. While the girl was dancing with her sword, she had glanced toward Su Qing countless times, yet she claimed she hadn't noticed. Su Qing curled her lip and refused to play along. "You didn't notice me? I clearly saw you looking my way more than once."
Caught in her lie, Bai Suzhen covered her mouth and laughed, not feeling the least bit embarrassed. "Oh, Sister found me out... But really, Sister, couldn't you have cooperated a little? You have no sense of romance. I'm kept under supervision here and can't leave; I'm quite pitiful! And yet, Sister is so unromantic~ Isn't that just too cruel?"
Bai Suzhen never liked to mince words, so in the face of Su Qing's teasing, she naturally chose to fire right back.
Su Qing reached out and pinched her cheek. "Romance? What on earth are you thinking about every day?"
"Thinking about you, of course!" Bai Suzhen answered without hesitation. "I think of you by day and dream of you by night~ Every day, I think about being entwined with you!"
When this girl talked about being entwined... she meant it quite literally.
Hearing this, Su Qing tapped her lightly on the forehead. "You really have no shame."
Even after the tap, Bai Suzhen showed no sign of stopping. She merely said with a beaming smile, "Shame? Why should I be ashamed? You are my sister, my most beloved sister—and my 'husband.' Isn't it only right to be like this with you? So why would I need shame?"
Su Qing was helpless against her. "Fine, fine! You have no shame, you have no shame."
She was at her wit's end with this girl. If she had no shame, then so be it. Since Su Qing had come here, she already knew what was going to happen next. She didn't dislike it, of course; she just preferred a bit more foreplay.
Bai Suzhen chuckled. "Alright, alright, Sister~ Let's sit down and chat slowly! Sigh, the weather is getting cold now. If it were warmer, I could go for a soak in the lake with you. What a pity, what a pity~ We'll just have to settle for the bathhouse."
What this girl called 'bathing' wasn't entirely about washing. It was just that she naturally loved water, and when they were being intimate, she preferred to do it while soaking.
Su Qing nodded and tapped her head again. "You girl, is there really nothing in your head besides 'yellow' thoughts?"
"Of course there is! There's you, Sister!"
Su Qing's lip twitched. For a moment, she couldn't tell if that was just a cheesy pick-up line or the girl's sincere feelings.
Su Qing shook her head. "Forget it, let's just sit and talk."
"Okay, okay!" Bai Suzhen nodded eagerly.
And so, Su Qing and Bai Suzhen sat down to 'chat.'
However, while they called it chatting, it was mostly Bai Suzhen being unable to keep her hands to herself. To her, since no one else could see them here, there was no problem with being a bit handsy. Thus, this child's idea of 'sitting and chatting' wasn't exactly what it sounded like. Her desires were quite immense.
Time flew by. In an instant, evening had arrived.
Seeing that the time was right, Bai Suzhen very proactively went to prepare dinner and heat the water. Clearly, what she looked forward to most was the evening's 'entwinement' in the pool.
Su Qing watched the busy Bai Suzhen and propped her chin on her hand, thinking, 'This girl is truly... impressive~'
She gave a helpless smile and waited.
Time trickled away. Before they knew it, it was already the early hours of the morning.
The water in the bathhouse had long since dried up, leaving only two large snakes still entwined together. Clearly, this was the handiwork of the two serpents... and even now, both seemed to want more!
The next day, Su Qing transformed back into her human form and put on her dress.
Then, as if remembering something, she said while tying her sash, "That was nothing special~"
Hearing this, Bai Suzhen looked up slightly and flashed a smile. "Then shall I try harder next time?"
At this moment, Su Qing had no idea just how ridiculous Bai Suzhen's 'trying harder' would turn out to be.
She simply glanced back at her and chuckled. "Fine, fine, you try harder~"
Bai Suzhen returned the smile and asked, "Is Sister planning to head back now?"
Su Qing nodded. "Yes! I'm preparing to leave... I'll come see you again in a few days."
"Oh~" Bai Suzhen asked, "Then which pretty little sister are you going to see next?"
Su Qing paused for a moment, then didn't hide it from her. "I still have to go see Bai Yuhe!"
"That Queen?" Bai Suzhen tilted her head in question.
"Yes~ What, have you still not remembered her name clearly?"
"Besides you, Sister, I don't remember anyone else!"
"Another cheesy line?"
"What cheesy line? I'm just telling the truth. Besides, who bothers to remember a love rival's name?"
"Is that so?"
Su Qing rubbed her chin, skeptical. If it were her, she would certainly remember it well and then find an opportunity to teach them a harsh lesson... so she found it a bit strange.
However, she didn't ask further, merely saying, "Anyway, I'm leaving! But I am curious—when exactly will you be able to leave Mount Li?"
"I don't know. I have to wait for my Master's answer," Bai Suzhen said after a moment of thought, shaking her head.
Whether she could leave depended entirely on what her Master said. If her Master still felt her strength was insufficient, she certainly wouldn't be able to leave. As for sneaking away, she could probably pull it off... but if her Master got angry afterward, she would definitely be dragged back and punished. It might even involve Su Qing, so she couldn't just do as she pleased.
Rate on N.U.
