“I am well aware that this is your home.”
Su Qing didn’t feel the slightest bit of embarrassment at the other woman's speechless tone. Instead, she chuckled and said, “I only want you to relax a little! After all, if you are a good person, I won't do anything to you. In fact, I might even be able to cooperate with you. However... if you lie to me, or if you are a person of unpardonable evil, then regardless of whether you are nervous or relaxed, you will die.”
Su Qing didn’t hide anything from her, directly and clearly telling her what she was facing.
As for whether Liu Qian would lie to her later, that was another matter entirely.
However, Su Qing wasn’t worried about her lying...
Although Su Qing couldn’t read minds, it was a simple matter to use a spell to determine if someone was lying.
If she did lie, Su Qing wouldn't mind using some more... specialized methods. She had learned plenty of miscellaneous tricks, and there was bound to be one that would work.
Liu Qian didn’t know what Su Qing was thinking.
She only looked at Su Qing silently and nodded, then followed her to a small pavilion, preparing to have a slow chat there.
After hearing Su Qing's words, Liu Qian stopped worrying about what Su Qing might do to her.
After all, she knew herself best. She lived an upright and honest life, had never done anything to harm heaven or earth, and had certainly never eaten a human.
As long as Su Qing wasn’t lying, she would definitely be fine.
As for cooperation...
She didn’t know what this supposed cooperation Su Qing mentioned entailed.
But it didn't matter. She would find out once they were finished.
The two of them sat down in the pavilion.
“So, how does Senior intend to determine whether I am good or evil?” Liu Qian took a deep breath, looking at Su Qing as she spoke as calmly as possible.
Seeing her forced composure, Su Qing couldn't help but smile, then said indifferently, “It’s nothing much. You just need to answer a few questions. I will make my own judgment then...”
Liu Qian nodded and said, “Then please, ask away...”
Liu Qian was self-aware and very cooperative.
She knew that cooperation was her only choice.
Her strength was inferior to Su Qing’s. If she tried to flee by force, not only would she lose the official position she had worked so hard to build, but she might even end up meeting a tragic end. It simply wasn't worth it.
Especially since she hadn't actually done anything wrong.
It was even less worth it to resist. It was better to cooperate fully; that way, there was less danger.
Seeing her cooperative attitude, Su Qing gave a light laugh and began asking various questions.
Liu Qian answered exceptionally well, hiding almost nothing from Su Qing.
As Su Qing listened to her answers, she used a spell to calculate whether she was lying.
She didn't perform the spell secretly but did it right in front of Liu Qian. This not only saved a few steps but also put more pressure on Liu Qian so she wouldn't dare lie.
In this manner, time slipped away as the interrogation continued.
After about an hour, Su Qing had asked everything she wanted to know and everything she could think of.
Throughout the process, the other woman had barely lied at all, honestly answering everything she was asked.
The result of the inquiry was that Liu Qian was indeed a good demon. She had never eaten humans, nor was she like the demon Su Qing had encountered before. Liu Qian had always been a diligent and conscientious official, never doing anything out of line.
This result was somewhat beyond Su Qing’s expectations.
She had thought this creature would have at least some minor misdeeds, but she hadn't expected her to be so honest.
Was this woman raised on a diet of honesty? She was incredibly straightforward.
Of course, this was based on the moral standards for demons.
If judged by human moral standards, she might not necessarily be a perfect official.
But that didn't matter. As long as she had no fatal flaws, there was no problem; she was still at a level where she could be recruited as a subordinate.
“I really didn't expect you to be such a diligent official! I thought you took this post just to make it easier to eat people!” Su Qing looked at Liu Qian and said with a smile, “It seems I misjudged you... You really are a good demon.”
Hearing Su Qing say this, Liu Qian breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed she had passed the test, and Su Qing didn't seem to have any intention of lying to her.
She asked, “Since there are no problems with me, can I leave now?”
Although Liu Qian was somewhat curious about what the cooperation was, she was more mentally exhausted than anything else. She didn't want to take the initiative to ask. After all, who knew if this was just something Su Qing was using to fool her?
Su Qing replied, “Don’t be in such a hurry to leave... Don’t forget what I said before. Since you are a good demon, we can cooperate!”
At this, Liu Qian looked at Su Qing and asked gloomily, “Then how does Senior intend for us to cooperate?”
Su Qing smiled and said, “You help the Commandery Princess, and I help you... Right now, you are just an ordinary demon. Being discovered by me serving as a mortal official isn't a huge problem; once I’ve investigated thoroughly, I’ll naturally let you continue. But if you were discovered by other immortals, it might not be so easy to say. After all, both the Heavenly Court and the Buddhist Court have many rigid deities... Whether they would listen to your explanation is something I don't know.”
Liu Qian fell silent.
The reason she had cultivated her aura-hiding techniques to such a level was precisely to avoid being noticed by those deities.
As Liu Qian was still thinking, Su Qing spoke again:
“However, if you are willing to cooperate with me, I can give you an identity within the Buddhist Court. Although it would only be a minor position, it would count as an official endorsement. That way, as long as you don't do anything heinous, you won't have any trouble when encountering such situations.”
Su Qing knew exactly what Liu Qian lacked and what she needed most. More importantly, she knew what she herself had and what she could offer. And what she had was exactly what Liu Qian lacked most.
Liu Qian listened to Su Qing's words... After a moment of silence, she knew that Su Qing's offer was extremely tempting, but she didn't know if she should agree.
After all... she didn't know what Su Qing needed her to do for the Commandery Princess.
“I am curious, what exactly does Senior need me to do for the Commandery Princess? Also, how can Senior give me an identity in the Buddhist Court? Could it be that Senior is a member of the Buddhist sect?”
Liu Qian poured out all the questions in her heart at once.
She knew that if she didn't ask, Su Qing wouldn't explain, and she would be left in a daze, knowing nothing.
So, she had to ask.
This was one of the things she had learned from being an official for so long.
Su Qing chuckled and said, “ I do indeed have an identity in the Buddhist Court. As for how high it is, it’s not that high—I’m just a Bodhisattva. But even so, I have a bit of face in the Buddhist Court! With my endorsement, you will certainly be safe. As for what you should help the Princess with... well! Whatever she wants you to help her with, you just help her.”
After Su Qing finished speaking, she looked at Liu Qian with a peaceful gaze. Her cherry-colored lips curved at a perfect angle, making her look exceptionally harmless.
Liu Qian remained silent for a long while after hearing this.
Because what Su Qing said was far too vague, almost as if she hadn't explained anything clearly at all.
So, she was still a bit hesitant.
However, she didn't hesitate for long and soon made a decision.
She said, “I agree! As long as Senior does not lie to me.”
In the end, Liu Qian decided to take a gamble.
Prosperity was right before her eyes. If she didn't seize it, she would surely regret it later.
This matter... was essentially a guaranteed profit if she won, and no loss if she lost.
So, she had to grab it.
Seeing this, Su Qing nodded in satisfaction. Liu Qian's decision hadn't exceeded her expectations. Because Liu Qian truly needed a proper identity, she couldn't possibly refuse unless she had no ambition at all and only wanted to scrape by.
But Su Qing knew she wasn't that kind of person. She had known that from the moment Liu Qian first spoke to her.
Therefore, she had known the outcome all along.
“Good! You certainly won't regret your decision,” Su Qing said.
“I also hope I won't regret it... but I am still curious, what exactly will the Commandery Princess have me do?” Liu Qian asked again.
Su Qing looked at her, the smile still on her face, and said, “If you're curious, you can just ask her when the time comes.”
Liu Qian: “...”
Seeing her helpless expression, Su Qing said, “Alright, everything I needed to say has been said. I should head back to rest. Let's end today's chat here! Tomorrow morning, we will go find the Commandery Princess. I'm sure she will be very surprised to see you.”
Hearing this, Liu Qian's lips twitched, but she nodded and said, “I understand...”
Su Qing said no more and vanished on the spot.
She disappeared so quickly that even Liu Qian couldn't see how she had left.
“Just how strong is this Senior? I'm afraid... she's more than just a little bit stronger than me. But then again, if she really is a Bodhisattva, she certainly wouldn't be weak.”
Liu Qian looked up at the moonlight and sighed deeply, talking to herself:
“But... what exactly does the Commandery Princess want to do? I always feel... what she wants to do definitely isn't just what she said during the day. Her ambitions are vast... Could it be... she wants to topple that person?”
The more Liu Qian thought about it, the more troubled she became. She felt she likely wouldn't get a good night's sleep tonight.
On the other side.
After settling the matter, Su Qing went back to rest.
She didn't worry about what would come next and instead had a peaceful, beautiful sleep.
The next day.
Having slept her fill, Su Qing was full of energy today.
After finishing her morning routine,
Su Qing first went to the medical clinic to open the doors.
Then she boarded a carriage and went to find the Commandery Princess.
Inside the Commandery Princess's mansion.
Su Qing's arrival took the Princess by surprise.
She had thought Su Qing would take at least some time before coming to find her, but she hadn't expected her to come so quickly—visiting on the very next day.
“Sister Su, you’ve come so soon? Did something unexpected happen?” the Princess asked.
Su Qing shook her head and said, “No accidents, I’ve just resolved everything.”
Ye Qingyu blinked, asking in confusion, “So, is that demon good or bad? And who is it?”
Su Qing stroked her chin, deciding to keep her in suspense. “That demon is naturally good; otherwise, I would have brought you her head... As for who she is, well, you’ll find out in a moment.”
“Does that mean... Sister really did recruit her?” Ye Qingyu was also quite surprised. She hadn't expected Su Qing's efficiency to be so high.
“I wouldn't exactly call it recruiting, it's more of a cooperation,” Su Qing said with a shrug. “Since she’s a good person, I couldn't very well use violent means, so it can only be considered a cooperation. Recruiting doesn't quite fit.”
Hearing this answer, Ye Qingyu wasn't too surprised. After all, Su Qing had her own principles, and there was no need for her to say more.
“I see. In that case, I’ll wait with you for her arrival,” the Princess said with a nod.
Although the Princess was also very curious about who the other person was, she didn't show much impatience.
However, this made Su Qing a bit frustrated. The Princess's temperament was truly something else. If it were anyone else being kept in suspense, they would likely be anxious, but this woman was perfectly content to wait.
‘Still, this kind of mindset is quite good,’ Su Qing thought to herself.
Time passed quickly.
And Liu Qian finally arrived, albeit a bit late.
She even brought some gifts with her...
She certainly knew the ways of the world.
“Greetings, Commandery Princess~” Liu Qian bowed to the Princess.
“I didn't expect it to be you,” the Princess said, looking at Liu Qian with slight surprise.
Liu Qian knew from the Princess's tone that she was now aware of everything.
Thus, she gave a helpless smile and said, “I also didn't expect the Commandery Princess to have the help of a Bodhisattva...”
“It was just good luck,” the Princess said with a smile, shaking her head.
Liu Qian looked at Su Qing, then nodded and said, “The Commandery Princess's luck is indeed quite good...”
“Alright, alright, the two of you don't need to waste time with this useless talk. Come, let's go inside, sit down, and talk about serious business!” Seeing this, Su Qing quickly interrupted the awkward small talk, reminding the two of them to go inside and get to work.
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