Fragrance

Su Qing shook her head, feeling the old man was being far too humble.

"There's no need to sell yourself short," she said. "Since you've managed Flower-Fruit Mountain so well, you certainly have the ability to teach Wukong. You just need to teach him what you know."

The Earth God realized that Su Qing didn't quite understand why he was refusing.

While he knew she valued him by entrusting him with this task, it was simply too difficult for him—or rather, too dangerous.

Seeing that beating around the bush wasn't working, the Earth God decided to be blunt. Some things had to be laid out clearly.

"This... it's not that I'm being humble, but my abilities are truly limited. Besides, the Great Sage is so powerful; how could a nobody like me have the standing to tell him what to do?" the Earth God said, choosing his words carefully.

Su Qing finally understood the old man's true concern.

She chuckled. "Don't worry. With me backing you, he wouldn't dare lay a finger on you. Besides, Wukong has been through so many trials and has studied the Buddhist dharma; his temper has long since mellowed. He is also a diligent student. Teaching him the Way of Kings will not be a problem."

Su Qing knew exactly what kind of person Wukong was.

She also knew very well that he truly listened to her.

That was why she dared to make such a promise.

The Earth God remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Then... I shall give it a try."

He knew he couldn't refuse this job, so he might as well accept it. Since Su Qing had gone this far to reassure him, it would be inappropriate to decline again.

"However, if I truly find myself unable to guide the Great Sage... I hope the Sovereign will allow me to step down," the Earth God added, setting expectations early so he wouldn't be trapped later.

Su Qing didn't refuse him. "That's fair. Just give it a try first! Also, Jingyue, I'm afraid you'll have to help out a bit with this as well..."

Jingyue had been listening from the side, thinking this didn't involve her, but she nodded when Su Qing mentioned her name.

"Mhm, I'll do my best," Jingyue agreed without hesitation.

Su Qing clapped her hands happily and nodded. "Then it's settled. Wukong should return to Flower-Fruit Mountain before I leave, so I can probably help you teach that monkey for a bit. With me here to back you up, there's no way you can't handle him, right?"

The Earth God breathed a sigh of relief at her words.

After all, Wukong really did listen to Su Qing.

"This old man understands," the Earth God said with a nod.

Jingyue followed with a nod of her own. "Alright. It's getting late, and there isn't much work left. Let's call it a day! It's time to go back and rest."

Jingyue wasn't a workaholic like Liu Xixi.

She was very serious when she worked, but she was just as serious about her rest.

Maintaining a balance between work and leisure was her way of life.

Sacrificing rest for work was a losing trade in her eyes.

Besides, she wasn't even getting paid for this job.

She did it entirely out of passion.

Su Qing naturally had no objections. "Sounds good! We really should head back. I reckon those little girls are starting to get impatient by now."

Jingyue blinked, then remembered which girls Su Qing was talking about.

"In that case, let's go, Sister Xiao Qing."

Su Qing nodded with a beaming smile and followed Jingyue home.

After they left the yamen, the Earth God also vanished in a puff of green smoke instead of continuing to work.

Even though he was a spirit without a physical body, and thus didn't feel physical fatigue, his soul and mind still grew weary. He wouldn't give up his rest unless something was so important it required immediate attention—even if he might still worry about the work in the back of his mind.

Leaving the yamen, Su Qing and Jingyue quickly returned to the residence.

Jingyue's home was as clean and tidy as ever.

The arrival of the young girls hadn't made the place messy.

Though Chaoyan and Red Boy had the temperaments of children, they weren't brats; they wouldn't cause trouble in a place like this.

As for Bai Zhu, that went without saying.

Upon returning, Jingyue finally met Bai Zhu.

Like the others, she was curious about the girl's origins and why Su Qing had brought her along.

Su Qing was a bit tired of answering the same questions, but since Jingyue didn't know, she had to explain it all over again.

After listening, Jingyue rubbed her chin. "So, is she a wife-in-waiting?"

"What are you thinking! I told you, she's here to help my clone with work," Su Qing said, feeling like her reputation was being severely slandered.

Jingyue gave a light snort and turned her head away, dropping the subject.

Su Qing threw her hands up helplessly. "In any case, I'm not a lolicon. I might like children with small statures, but I don't want to marry them."

Jingyue curled her lip, giving her a look that said 'I believe you,' though her eyes seemed to say something else entirely.

However, she didn't tease Su Qing further. Instead, she changed the subject. "Since that's the case, I'll go start on dinner."

Su Qing sighed, knowing the girl didn't quite believe her.

"Fine, believe what you want," Su Qing said, waving her hand. "I'll help you cook. I might not be sure about other things, but I'm definitely an expert at this."

Jingyue knew Su Qing was a great cook, so she didn't refuse. "What does Sister Xiao Qing plan to make?"

"Let's see what ingredients you have," Su Qing shrugged with a smile. "My repertoire is quite large; I can make whatever you want to eat."