The banquet at Juxiang Tower lasted for quite a long time...
However, for most of that time, Commandery Princess Ye Qingyu was busy chatting with the guests about this and that, seemingly enjoying herself immensely.
Su Qing had no interest in participating in the conversation, so she became the only person at the gathering who was seriously focused on eating.
After all, she had nothing else to do.
Once she had identified who the demon was, there was nothing left for her to accomplish. Therefore, besides eating her fill, there was simply nothing else to occupy her time.
Time slipped away bit by bit.
Soon, the banquet finally came to an end.
As the party concluded, the guests departed one after another. Eventually, only Su Qing and Ye Qingyu remained.
As for why the two of them hadn't left yet, it was naturally because they still had things to discuss.
"Sister Su~ earlier, did you really just want a drink?" Ye Qingyu asked, referring to the moment Su Qing had signaled her.
Su Qing shook her head and said, "It was just a reminder for you."
Hearing this, Ye Qingyu understood. She couldn't help but ask, "In other words, there really is a demon among them?"
"Yes, there is indeed a demon present," Su Qing nodded. "However, although there's a demon, I can't yet be certain of her intentions."
"What do you mean by that, Sister? Is it possible that the demon sincerely wants to stand on my side? Why? That's a demon!" Ye Qingyu froze for a moment, asking in confusion.
In Ye Qingyu's worldview, as long as something was a demon, it was definitely a villain. How could it possibly stand on the side of the good?
Su Qing chuckled and said, "Demons are like humans; there are good ones and bad ones. If that weren't the case, so many legends and stories wouldn't have been passed down through the ages."
"Aren't those legends and stories just things scholars imagined and fabricated? Is there any credibility to them?" Ye Qingyu shook her head.
"Naturally, there is... While most are indeed fabricated, a portion of them are genuine," Su Qing said with a light laugh. "Besides, you know my identity. Is my word not worth believing?"
"I naturally believe your words, Sister. It's just that this matter is a bit beyond my understanding, so I was just curious."
"I understand your doubt and confusion... but the fact remains as it is," Su Qing said. "In any case, before I'm certain of that demon's true thoughts, I won't be in a hurry to eliminate her. Moreover... if that demon truly wants to help you, she can do many things that are inconvenient for me to handle personally."
Su Qing's words made Ye Qingyu blink in surprise. "Sister, you mean..."
"I am restricted by the rules of the Buddhist Court and cannot easily intervene in the affairs of the mortal world personally. However, that demon is not bound by such things. So, if she is willing to submit... she can step in where I cannot." Su Qing briefly explained the reasoning and the stakes involved.
Ye Qingyu was not stupid. After Su Qing's explanation, she understood how much the demon could help her if she were to join their side.
However, she was also slightly surprised. She hadn't expected Su Qing to have already considered this angle.
"I really didn't expect you to have considered even this, Sister."
"It's not like I planned it long ago. I just noticed there was indeed a demon among the people you invited, so the thought occurred to me," Su Qing shook her head and replied.
"Regardless, I appreciate you putting so much thought into this, Sister."
"It's nothing... As for that person, I'll find some time to check on her. Just wait for my news... Where will you be staying these days? Will you be waiting at your mansion?" Su Qing didn't intend to dwell on the subject and changed the topic.
Ye Qingyu naturally had no problem with that. "Then I'll trouble you, Sister... You've helped me so much again; I really don't know how to thank you. As for my residence, I won't be leaving for a while... After all, it's the New Year festival. Even if I'm reluctant, I have to stay in the capital for a period. So, if you want to find me, Sister, just come to the mansion."
Su Qing nodded, ignoring the previous words of gratitude.
She didn't need any material thanks from the other party. As long as the Commandery Princess could maintain her goal and strive to become the new ruler of this country as soon as possible, that would be enough. She didn't care much about anything else.
"Mm, since you won't be leaving, you'll be easy to find. Once I've investigated thoroughly, I'll come and tell you," Su Qing said with a nod. "Also, if you have any other matters in the future, you can find me at the medical clinic. The people at the clinic are all on our side. If I'm not there, you can speak to them... they are all trustworthy. Oh, right, don't tell those little girls. They're still too young and don't know what should and shouldn't be said."
Su Qing actually didn't want to bring this up with the Princess separately, but the Princess was simply too cautious. If she didn't say it, the Princess probably wouldn't trust anyone else at the clinic. After all, to her, the only person truly worth trusting was Su Qing. Anyone else was unreliable.
Hearing Su Qing's words, the Princess nodded seriously. "I naturally trust your people, Sister."
Whether these words were sincere or just to please her, Su Qing knew the truth in her heart. However, Su Qing didn't comment further, only nodding. "Then I'm relieved. Alright, the time is about right; I should head back to the clinic..."
"Mm, let me give you a ride, Sister Xiao Qing." Ye Qingyu naturally couldn't let Su Qing leave just like that, so she decided to see her off.
Su Qing didn't refuse. If the Princess wanted to send her back, she could save herself some walking. The only downside was that the carriage was still incredibly bumpy. No matter how many times she sat in it, she found it extremely unpleasant.
'If I get the chance in the future, I must find a way to modify the carriage... otherwise, with all this jolting, my brains are nearly scrambled,' Su Qing thought helplessly.
Back at the medical clinic, Su Qing wasn't in a hurry to investigate the demon. Instead, she spent the day normally. She wasn't in a rush to investigate the demon for two reasons: first, the time wasn't right yet, and second, the task itself wasn't difficult.
For Su Qing, she didn't want to quietly collect data and then make deductions. What she needed to do was simply find the demon, catch her, and interrogate her. That was the most efficient way.
In fact, even if the other party wasn't sincerely planning to help the Princess, Su Qing could make her sincere. That's right—Su Qing didn't strictly need the other party to want to help the Princess of her own accord. If she truly intended to help and stand on the Princess's side, it would save a lot of trouble. But if not, if the demon was there to cause trouble... it didn't matter. She would only need to use a bit of physical persuasion to make her become sincere.
So, was there any need to rush? Clearly not.
Time passed.
In the blink of an eye, it was midnight.
By now, everyone was asleep, so it was time for Su Qing to act.
Su Qing left her room, performed a hand seal, and headed toward the demon's manor.
Before long, Su Qing was hovering in the air above the manor. The residence didn't have much demonic Qi, nor was there any evil energy. It was completely unlike the places she had encountered before.
Su Qing stroked her chin, pondering, 'Could this demon actually be a good person?'
Su Qing didn't know, and she didn't care to think too deeply. She would just ask clearly and investigate thoroughly when the time came.
Su Qing lowered her cloud and landed inside the manor. The residence wasn't particularly luxurious; it was just a typical home for a government official.
'Is this demon really a good demon?' Su Qing looked around, her divine sense sweeping through the manor to see what was hidden beneath the surface and if there were any other demons besides the one she already knew about.
After her investigation, Su Qing discovered that there truly seemed to be only that one demon. Furthermore, there were no hidden compartments beneath the manor. This surprised Su Qing. Was this demon really that honest?
Su Qing wasn't sure, thinking to herself, 'Is she truly honest, or has she hidden everything so well that she only appears honest on the surface?'
Just as she was pondering, a woman's voice suddenly came from inside the house.
"Senior, what is the meaning of this late-night visit?" The woman's voice was cold, suppressing anger. Su Qing recognized it immediately; it was the demon she had seen earlier that day.
Su Qing was slightly taken aback. She hadn't expected her arrival to be noticed by this creature.
'This demon's strength isn't much, but her perception is quite good. She actually noticed my probe...' Su Qing smiled inwardly. 'However, she probably sensed that I'm stronger than her, but she hasn't realized the true gap between us. If she had, she wouldn't be speaking to me like this...'
This wasn't Su Qing being overconfident in her own strength; it was simply a fact. Most demons weren't stupid and knew when to back down. Stubborn creatures like the Six-Eared Macaque or the Golden-Winged Great Peng were, after all, a minority. Besides, even the Golden-Winged Great Peng had eventually backed down in the original story.
Su Qing knew the other party didn't know her identity or the gap between them, but she didn't care much. She simply said, "It's nothing. I just found it interesting that an official living here is actually a demon, so I came to take a look."
Hearing this, the demon snorted coldly and said, "What? Where is it written in the law that a demon cannot be a mortal official? I am doing my job properly and haven't committed any robbery or murder. Why are you interfering with me?"
Su Qing chuckled and said, "If you truly are as you say, I naturally have no reason to interfere... but since I don't know your situation, I naturally can't just ignore it."
"..." The demon felt that Su Qing was speaking nonsense, but she didn't know how to refute it. After all, she didn't want to start a fight immediately. Although she spoke toughly, she was actually a bit afraid to fight. There was a gap in their strength. If it wasn't necessary... why risk her life?
Seeing the demon fall silent, Su Qing gave a light laugh and said, "Alright, why don't you come out and chat? I'm also curious to see exactly what kind of demon you are."
Hearing Su Qing's words, the demon was somewhat reluctant but had no choice but to agree. For her, this was likely a form of humiliation, right? To suddenly become the subject of someone's investigation for no reason.
"Hmph." The demon snorted coldly and finally walked slowly out of the room.
She was wearing a white undergarment, clearly having just climbed out of bed... and she hadn't bothered to change into formal attire when she came out.
Su Qing looked at her and pointed to a nearby table with a smile. "Sit down, and let's chat slowly!"
At this, the demon nodded and then looked at Su Qing intently. The moonlight tonight wasn't very bright, so the demon had to rely on her superior vision to see Su Qing's face clearly. And when she saw Su Qing's features...
She couldn't help but freeze.
"You're that Divine Doctor from earlier today?"
She wasn't a forgetful person; she wouldn't forget someone she had seen just that day. So, upon seeing Su Qing's face, she immediately remembered her.
That's right. Su Qing hadn't hidden herself this time; she had met the demon with her true appearance. For Su Qing, there was no need to change her face. Whether she killed the other party or recruited her, there would be no problem with her seeing Su Qing's face. So, there was no need for such a superfluous action.
"That's right... what? Are you surprised?" Su Qing chuckled and asked, "Liu Qian?"
Liu Qian was naturally the demon's name. As for whether it was her real name or a pseudonym, that remained unknown.
"I am indeed surprised... I didn't expect the doctor I saw today to be a cultivator." Liu Qian was truly shocked. During the day, she hadn't sensed at all that Su Qing was a practitioner of the Dao. But then again, it made sense. Since her strength was inferior, it would be extremely difficult for her to see through the other's disguise.
Su Qing smiled and said, "Haha, now you know. Alright, let's sit down and chat! You don't need to be formal; just act as if you're in your own home."
"This is my own home," Liu Qian replied, completely speechless.
Rate on N.U.
