Setting Out on an Outing

As for Su Qing's reasons...

Red Boy and Chaoyan didn't actually care that much. For the two of them, the main point was that Su Qing had said she would take them out to play.

Thus, after a brief silence, Red Boy and Chaoyan both nodded in unison, expressing their eagerness to go on an outing with Su Qing.

As for where they would go...

The two hadn't quite decided yet. However, Su Qing told them there was no rush; they could take their time thinking and give her an answer within the next two days.

After all, for Su Qing, the date she wanted to avoid was eight days away, so there was no need to leave too early.

Once the decision to go on a trip was made, Red Boy and Chaoyan seemed to be in high spirits, quickly returning to their normal, playful selves. Though they had been sparring just moments ago, they were now sitting together, whispering and discussing where to go in a few days.

Su Qing was quite satisfied with the psychological state of these children. She sat on a nearby chair, propping her chin on her hand with her elbow on the table, her gaze gradually drifting into the distance.

She was never truly bored. With her three bodies, there was always at least one that needed to handle affairs or was in a busy state. Her occasional dazing off was simply her shifting more of her focus to another body to concentrate on other matters. Therefore, it was incorrect to call her lazy; her focus was simply not always on the surface.

And so, time trickled by.

Before long, two days had passed, and Chaoyan and Red Boy had finally decided on their destinations.

The first was Chang'an City, and the second was Flower-Fruit Mountain.

Neither of these places was new to them, but after much discussion, they had chosen these familiar locations.

Chaoyan wanted to return to her old haunts to see if anything had changed over the years. To put it simply, she missed the place where she used to live. As for Flower-Fruit Mountain, that was Red Boy's choice. She was curious about what the mountain looked like now after so many years and wanted to see if anything interesting was happening there.

Su Qing had no objections to their choices; in fact, she was quite supportive. While she also enjoyed visiting new places to broaden her horizons, returning to familiar territory was also pleasant. Seeing familiar faces and revisiting old memories was always interesting. As the saying goes, 'A place visited often always feels new.' Familiar places always offer fresh discoveries.

Once the itinerary was set, Red Boy and Chaoyan became impatient. They both expressed their hope to set out as soon as possible, as if they had grown tired of staying at home.

Helpless against their constant pestering, Su Qing agreed to depart for Chang'an the following morning. This day was left for them to prepare—though in reality, there wasn't much to prepare. Letting them get ready was mostly a way to distract them so they would stop bothering her.

With the two of them occupied, Su Qing could finally focus on handling other affairs in peace. As the current highest authority in Great Emperor Zhenwu's Domain, she couldn't just up and leave without a word. Before departing, she needed to arrange matters and delegate tasks to the right person.

And that person, without question, was Liu Xixi.

Thus, the day before the trip was quite busy for Su Qing. Thanks to that busyness, the day passed in the blink of an eye.

The next morning, the weather was perfect.

Su Qing was dragged out of bed by Chaoyan and Red Boy at the crack of dawn. Although she usually woke up early anyway, being hauled up by the two of them still left her with a bit of morning grumpiness.

"You two certainly are in a hurry," Su Qing said with a yawn, looking at them with a helpless gaze.

Chaoyan gave a cheeky grin and said, "Amitabha! Isn't it because we're so excited?"

"Exactly! I haven't really spent much time in Chang'an! I wonder what the legendary, most prosperous city in the mortal world looks like! I want to see how it differs from your domain, Sister Xiao Qing!" Red Boy's eyes were full of anticipation as she spoke excitedly.

Su Qing reached out and tapped the two girls on their heads. "Even so, you shouldn't have dragged me out of bed. It's a good thing I don't have a bad temper when I wake up, or I'd have made your behinds bloom like flowers!"

Even though Chaoyan and Red Boy were technically grown young women, they were still children in Su Qing's eyes. After all, Su Qing was an old soul of over a thousand years, while these two were barely over a century old—hardly different from toddlers in her perspective. Of course, their mental maturity was a different story; both were quite mature, but they kept a sense of childlike wonder, especially around Su Qing.

Hearing Su Qing's threat, the two weren't scared at all. Instead, they continued to urge her to hurry up.

Nudged along by them, Su Qing could only sigh in resignation. She got up and began to prepare for the journey. It was her own fault for spoiling them, after all.

There wasn't much to do for the departure—just washing up and changing clothes. There was no need to speak to Liu Xixi again, as Su Qing had already briefed her the day before.

Soon enough, the group was ready to leave.

Chaoyan and Red Boy were exceptionally excited, looking forward to the trip with great fervor. Su Qing, by contrast, was relatively calm. For her, this trip was more about avoiding unnecessary trouble, so she felt more relaxed than excited.

Su Qing had the two stand beside her and performed a hand seal. A red cloud rose beneath them, carrying the group toward Chang'an City in the Great Tang of Shanbuzhou Jambudvipa.

Su Qing's Somersault Cloud was incredibly fast. However, she didn't accelerate to full speed as she had when traveling to Spirit Mountain with Puxian Bodhisattva. This was an outing, so the scenery along the way was not to be missed.

Looking down from the sky, the landscape below was magnificent. Many spectacles could only be truly appreciated from a bird's-eye view. It was a fascinating experience; not only was Su Qing enthralled, but Chaoyan and Red Boy were also mesmerized. Even though they saw such sights often, they were still drawn in every time.

Su Qing maintained a steady pace. It took half a day to reach the borders of the Great Tang. This was slow for Su Qing, but still quite fast compared to the average speed of most immortals.

"We've reached the Great Tang."

As soon as they entered the territory, Chaoyan spoke up before Su Qing could.

"I really miss this place... To think that Godmother and I once walked all the way from the Great Tang to Spirit Mountain to bring back the true scriptures for Master." Chaoyan looked at the beautiful mountains and rivers, her eyes slightly misty as she drifted into her memories.

Su Qing nodded and said, "I didn't think my goddaughter would have such a sentimental side. I thought that after hanging around Yudie and Red Boy for so long, you'd have become as heartless as them!"

Red Boy immediately let out a cry of protest, grabbing Su Qing's hand. "That's not fair! I'm not heartless! I care about you the most, Sister Xiao Qing! If anyone's heartless, it's Yudie!"

At that moment, in a town in the Northern Continent, Yudie—who was helping Leng Xiang handle prayers in the temple—suddenly sneezed violently. She felt a bit depressed, certain that someone was talking about her behind her back. Unfortunately, she had no idea who it was.

Su Qing looked down at Red Boy and said tenderly, "You're not much better than Yudie."

"..." Red Boy puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

Beside them, Chaoyan, whose emotional state had been perfectly prepared, felt her lips twitch. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Her godmother was really something... with just one sentence, she had completely ruined the atmosphere. She couldn't tell if it was intentional or an accident.

Seeing Red Boy's pouting face, Su Qing found it amusing—and indeed, she laughed. Seeing Su Qing teasing her, Red Boy pursed her lips and quickly changed the subject. "Since we're in the Great Tang, how much further to Chang'an? It must be close, right?"

Red Boy wasn't stupid; she only occasionally acted a bit dim-witted in front of Su Qing. On one hand, her affection for Su Qing made her subconsciously stop thinking and rely on her; on the other, she was just playing a part. People generally liked those who seemed a bit weaker or simpler than themselves, as it created a natural sense of closeness. Of course, if the gap was too large, one just became a laughingstock. Red Boy knew when to pivot to avoid losing face.

Su Qing didn't mind the change of subject and replied with a smile, "Yes, it's not far now. Even if we fly slowly, it will only take about the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn."

"In that case, Godmother... can we fly slowly? It's been so long since I've been back to the Great Tang. If we go slowly, we can admire the beautiful rivers and mountains..." Chaoyan suggested.

Chaoyan naturally felt a strong sense of belonging to the Great Tang. Returning after such a long absence, she hoped to take a good look at the land and perhaps reminisce about the path she had once walked. Perhaps because Su Qing had sensed her thoughts, the route they were taking followed the very path of the pilgrimage. Every sight along the way matched her memories.

Su Qing steered the Somersault Cloud toward Chang'an. As they flew, she glanced at Chaoyan's face and saw her happy expression. She couldn't help but think that this child was actually quite easy to read.

"Chang'an is almost here. Let's go to the place where I used to live first. I wonder if it's still habitable," Su Qing said, looking at the great city in the distance.

Su Qing hadn't been back to Chang'an in many years. Although she had said she would visit occasionally, she rarely actually went. The last time she had been there was about five or six years ago. Thus, even she didn't know if the maids and servants she had left behind had kept her courtyard in good order during her absence. However, it didn't matter if they hadn't; for an immortal, cleaning was just a matter of using a bit of magic. She wouldn't even have to do it herself; she could leave it to the two young ones.

Red Boy's eyes filled with anticipation. Chaoyan, however, said, "Then, can we also visit the nunnery where I used to live? Even though Master isn't there anymore, my other sisters are still there. I want to go back and say hello."

Chaoyan wasn't actually that old, and not many years had passed since the pilgrimage ended. Therefore, the place where she once lived still existed, and most of her acquaintances were still alive. In fact, if she were willing to look for them, her parents were likely still alive as well, though their hair would be white by now.

Su Qing smiled and nodded. "Of course that's not a problem. Since we've returned to Chang'an, we should visit all the familiar places and see the people we want to see. After all, we can't come all this way for nothing. But there's no need to rush; we can take it slow. Since we're here, staying for a few extra days is perfectly fine."

There was still some time before Wukong's Buddhahood, so Su Qing was in no hurry to return. She wanted to avoid running into any Bodhisattvas coming to notify her. Thus, she had plenty of time to wander.

Hearing this, Chaoyan was delighted. She said with a beaming smile, "Really? That's wonderful! There are so many places I want to visit!"

Su Qing chuckled and nodded. "No problem. But when you see your old acquaintances, don't use your current appearance. Remember to transform yourself a bit so you don't scare anyone. Understood?"