Su Qing nodded slightly upon hearing those words.
Of course, that was only one of the reasons she hadn't bothered to investigate further. If she truly wanted to know, she had many ways to find out. As long as she willed it, there were very few things in this world that could remain hidden from her.
She simply didn't care much about what he might be planning. While the Prime Minister's strength was decent, it was still worlds apart from her original body. So, what was there to worry about?
It wasn't that Su Qing was being blindly confident; she simply had the power to back up that confidence.
Commandery Princess Ye Qingyu had no idea what was going through Su Qing's mind, and Su Qing, in turn, didn't know if the Princess actually believed her words.
Both women harbored their own thoughts and remained silent for a long time.
Finally, Ye Qingyu spoke. "Then, Sister... what should we do next? Or rather, when should I set out? I... I hope to make a move tonight. Strike while the spirit is high; to delay is to let it flag and eventually wither. I want to take the imperial palace in one fell swoop! Is that possible?"
Su Qing turned to look at the Princess's eyes, which seemed to burn with fire. Her expression didn't change, but she nodded with a smile. "You won't have to wait long... it will be very soon. I'll notify you when it's time to depart."
The speed of Su Qing's Somersault Cloud went without saying. Moreover, her original body had the boost from that hairpin, making her speed truly terrifying. Why would the Princess need to wait long?
The reason Su Qing had come to speak with her in advance was merely to keep all the variables under her control.
Su Qing didn't want Ye Qingyu to rush into the palace only to be wiped out instantly. If that happened, all the effort and preparation she had put in would be completely wasted.
Seeing Su Qing's firm stance, Ye Qingyu went silent for a moment before nodding. "I understand, Sister. I'll wait for your signal."
Ye Qingyu still trusted Su Qing implicitly. If Su Qing told her not to rush, it was naturally for her own good. How could she not listen? Besides, she was well aware of how much effort Su Qing had put into making her journey this far so smooth.
Seeing how receptive she was to advice, Su Qing nodded with a smile.
Afterward, the two of them waited silently atop the city wall.
The wait didn't last long—hardly the time it took for half an incense stick to burn.
Su Qing narrowed her eyes slightly and, pretending she had received word from the Bodhisattva, said, "The Bodhisattva has arrived nearby. You may set out now."
"So fast?" Ye Qingyu had been prepared to wait for an hour or two. She hadn't expected that they could leave after only half an incense stick's time.
Su Qing let out a light laugh. "Did you think that with the Bodhisattva's abilities, it would take her a long time to get here? The only reason I had you wait a moment was because even a Bodhisattva needs time to do her makeup."
Ye Qingyu was stunned. "A Bodhisattva... needs to do her makeup?"
"Why wouldn't she? Even though she is a high and mighty Bodhisattva, she is still a woman. Naturally, she needs to dress up a bit," Su Qing said, her smile deepening as if she had heard something hilarious. "You must understand, the one coming this time isn't a clay-molded statue, but a living, breathing Bodhisattva. You shouldn't try to guess her nature based on your own assumptions. A Bodhisattva is a Bodhisattva, not just a figment of someone's imagination."
Su Qing was quite skilled at talking nonsense. With just a few simple sentences, she had the already-devout Ye Qingyu completely dazed.
"That's true... I almost forgot. The Bodhisattva I worship isn't a clay statue, but a true Bodhisattva living in the Great Thunder Monastery—a kind Bodhisattva who cares for the common people!" Ye Qingyu sighed softly, muttering to herself, "Perhaps only a Bodhisattva like her would be willing to step in and help us mortals at a time like this."
Su Qing glanced at Ye Qingyu, not knowing what the girl was thinking. She simply smiled and said, "She's just very warm-hearted. Don't blame the other Bodhisattvas for not acting; Buddhism has all sorts of strict precepts, so they are often unable to do as they wish."
Ye Qingyu smiled and shook her head. "Regardless, since One-Leaf Bodhisattva has truly helped me so much, I cannot let her down! Once I become the new ruler... I will never allow this country to remain in such a state of desolation."
Su Qing nodded. She leaned against the edge of the wall, half her body hanging over as she looked toward the distant palace shrouded in crimson clouds. With a light laugh, she said, "I believe you. I've heard quite a bit about your deeds over the past year or two from the commoners. I believe you will definitely become a good Emperor! Now, let's not waste time. Move out! The Bodhisattva is already watching. Once that Prime Minister makes his move, the Bodhisattva will have every reason to strike. Once that demon Prime Minister is dead, everything can finally come to an end."
"Thank you, Sister... thank you for helping me for so long," Ye Qingyu said after a moment of silence, looking at Su Qing.
Su Qing simply shook her head. "It's not time to thank me yet! Wait until everything is over, then it won't be too late to thank me properly."
The demonic aura in the palace had become so thick it could practically be touched. Without a doubt, a bloodbath was inevitable once they arrived.
High in the night sky, Su Qing sat atop her Somersault Cloud, a slightly excited smile playing on her lips. "A bloodbath! It's been a long time since I've seen one." She flexed her wrists and muttered to herself, "I wonder how long this rat spirit can keep me entertained?"
Su Qing was a snake, and what she feared least were rats. The relationship between a snake and a mouse was one of natural suppression.
With that thought, Su Qing exhaled a cloud of white smoke, and a short sword appeared in her hand. The sword had a wooden hilt, and plum blossoms were carved around the blade, making it look exquisitely beautiful—almost like a decorative toy with no real combat power.
Of course, only those who had actually been killed by this short sword knew that it was far from a joke.
Indeed, the sword Su Qing had brought was Yudie. Since Leng Xiang was currently away handling matters related to Incense Power, she had brought Yudie along for the fight instead.
As for that long spear? While it had indeed changed and grown, she preferred using her own daughter when she was by her side. After all, their hearts were connected, allowing her to exert her full combat strength. Besides, it was a good chance to take this restless girl out for some exercise.
"Mother, can we go all out tonight?"
Yudie was, after all, a sword. As a sword, she was a weapon meant for killing. Thus, when she learned there was a fight to be had, she was naturally incredibly excited. Since Su Qing had reached the Heavenly Immortal realm, it had become difficult to find battles that required her to truly exert herself, and even rarer for Yudie to get a chance to act.
"Who knows? I just hope the opponent isn't too disappointing," Su Qing said, shaking her head.
Su Qing wasn't sure how powerful the grand display the Prime Minister had prepared would be, or how long he could last against her. At the very least, she hoped he wouldn't be killed instantly.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot. I'm a Bodhisattva now; I need to change my look."
Yudie looked up at Su Qing's fair face and asked, "What kind of look do you plan to change into, Mother?"
"One that looks more like a Bodhisattva, obviously," Su Qing replied with a roll of her eyes at the silly girl.
Yudie scratched her head. If she had known what that look was, she wouldn't have asked. However, seeing that Su Qing was already a bit exasperated with her, Yudie knew it was better not to press further. If she kept asking, she would inevitably be teased, so she decided to just stay quiet and watch.
Su Qing didn't know that Yudie had already predicted her reaction. She simply formed a hand seal, and after a flash of Buddha Light, her entire appearance was completely transformed. Even the immortal Qi she radiated had turned into divine Buddha Light.
At this moment, Su Qing looked like a merciful Bodhisattva standing atop a red cloud—a world away from her previous appearance as a mountain goddess or immortal maiden.
Even Yudie, standing beside her, couldn't help but gasp, marveling at how versatile her mother was—not in personality, but in form.
Still, she didn't care much. No matter what she looked like, her mother was her mother, and the best mother was one who took her out to fight.
"By the way, Mother, should I change my appearance too?" Yudie asked, tilting her head.
Su Qing shook her head. "You? There's no need. Just return to your original form... I'll add some special effects for you later."
"Special effects? What are those?"
"Don't worry about it, just listen to me! If you don't behave, I won't let you join the fight." Su Qing didn't want to explain too much, mainly because she didn't know how, so she simply went with a mild threat.
Hearing this, Yudie puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction but truly didn't ask anything else.
Seeing Yudie so obedient, Su Qing stopped talking. She sat on the cloud, quietly observing the developments below.
Ye Qingyu's army advanced without any obstacles. Even the commoners didn't panic or flee when the army entered the city; they simply stayed in their homes, quietly watching the events unfold. Clearly, the Princess's previous actions had won the hearts of the people. Even as she marched on the capital, the citizens had deep faith in the discipline of her soldiers. This was why no major chaos had broken out.
This outcome was actually beyond Su Qing's expectations. According to her original prediction, no matter how good the Princess was, entering the city would inevitably cause some level of disturbance. Yet, the result was far from what she had imagined—it wasn't even related. This was not a bad thing. At the very least, if the Princess truly became the Emperor, the people would likely support her.
'It seems the person I chose was not bad at all,' Su Qing thought with a hint of pride.
However, her wandering thoughts didn't last long. Because the army faced no resistance, they were now standing before the great gates of the imperial city. Su Qing had to focus more on the show.
Standing before the palace gates, even a mortal like Ye Qingyu, who had no cultivation, could smell the incredibly thick scent of blood. At the same time, her heart began to throb with unease, as if something terrifying awaited her behind those massive vermillion doors.
It wasn't just the Princess who felt this way; most of the army felt it too. Even Liu Qian, who was following the Princess, used Sound Transmission to say, "Something terrible seems to have happened inside... I have a very uneasy feeling. It's as if an infinite hell awaits us if we truly step through those gates."
As a demon, Liu Qian's senses were naturally sharper than a mortal's, so she felt the horror even more vividly. Because of this, her voice trembled slightly as she spoke. It seemed she was truly frightened.
On the other hand, the Su Qing clone following the Princess remained perfectly calm. Although she felt everything more clearly than anyone else, it was precisely because she saw it so clearly that she didn't care at all, let alone feel afraid. Naturally, with her strength, she had no reason to fear such amateurish displays.
After hearing Liu Qian's words, Ye Qingyu turned to look at the calm and composed Su Qing. She took a deep breath of the blood-tinged air and thought to herself, 'No need to worry, everything will go according to plan.'
Despite her thoughts, she still looked at Su Qing with an inquiring gaze. Sensing the Princess's look, Su Qing gave her a reassuring smile and transmitted her voice: "Go ahead and attack the city without worry. The Bodhisattva is watching from above! Recite the Heart-Clearing Sutra to dispel the influence this place has on you."
Hearing Su Qing's steady tone and reassuring answer, Ye Qingyu let out a long breath. She followed Su Qing's instructions and began silently reciting the sutra in her heart. Then, she let out a thunderous roar: "Open the gates!"
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