Senior

The Daoist nodded slightly upon hearing those words. He had naturally heard of Su Qing; her various rumors had reached his ears as well.

However, he didn't care much for such things.

He hadn't come here to see Su Qing, after all.

Su Qing’s arrival at the Old Mother's Hall was unexpected, and the Old Mother calling her in had been a sudden whim.

Thus, this meeting was purely coincidental.

The Daoist thought for a moment, then turned to the Old Mother and spoke calmly, "You two chat. I shall take my leave for a moment."

It was quite awkward for a man like him to sit there while two women conversed. He chose to leave to avoid further embarrassment.

Seeing this, Li Shan Lao Mu nodded with a smile and did not ask him to stay.

After all, the things she wanted to discuss with Su Qing were indeed not for an outsider to overhear; his presence would only add to the awkwardness.

Once they finished their private matters and moved on to official business, it wouldn't be too late to call him back.

Besides, she wasn't the one driving him away; the Daoist had offered to leave on his own.

Su Qing gave a respectful bow to the Great Emperor of Antarctic Longevity as he departed but said nothing more.

Once the Great Emperor had left, Su Qing sat in the chair near the Old Mother as signaled and said, "Your Celestial Abode is truly magnificent, Senior. It looks even more beautiful than the last time I saw it."

"Hmph, stop with the useless flattery. You aren't the type to suck up to people by nature." Li Shan Lao Mu chuckled, covering her mouth, and shook her head. "However, I actually failed to divine your arrival this time. It seems that since the Journey to the West ended, your qi signature has become chaotic again. Trying to calculate your movements has become quite difficult..."

"Ah?" Su Qing was stunned for a moment. "So it's not that you didn't check, Senior, but that you simply couldn't see it?"

"Hehe, indeed... According to my last divination, you weren't supposed to visit for at least another month, yet here you are today." Li Shan Lao Mu shook her head, looking at Su Qing with a light smile.

In her eyes, the qi surrounding Su Qing had turned into a swirl of multicolored light, indecipherable and incomprehensible. While she could still force a vague divination with effort, it was becoming exhausting.

If it was like this for her, it would be even more difficult for those weaker than her.

'She was too deeply involved in the Journey to the West, and she is a special existence to begin with—one who disrupts Fate. This has resulted in her being obscured by the secrets of heaven. I imagine the Will of Heaven noticed something and simply veiled her qi to prevent us from using her again. However... Heaven likely doesn't know that we no longer need to use her for interference; we only need to follow the plan step by step.'

Li Shan Lao Mu mused before saying, "But this is a good thing. If anyone tries to harm you in the future, it will be much harder for them to find you."

"You're joking, Senior... Who in the world would want to harm me? At most, I'll just pop up unexpectedly to give you all a surprise." Su Qing was quite happy to hear that she was harder to track, though she didn't show it too obviously, responding with humility.

Li Shan Lao Mu tapped the armrest of her chair and said, "Hahaha, while there aren't many who would dare or want to harm you, being hard to predict is still a benefit. Just take the win..."

Su Qing smiled and nodded.

Li Shan Lao Mu continued, "More importantly, you and that disciple of mine have been intimate many times now. She has that secret method, so why hasn't there been any news after all this time? Could there be some flaw in that secret method?"

Although Li Shan Lao Mu was reluctant to let Bai Suzhen leave Mount Li, staying there forever wouldn't benefit the girl. She hoped Bai Suzhen would travel with Su Qing.

However, Bai Suzhen was burdened by her own destiny. While it wasn't as unbreakable as the Fate of the Journey to the West, if she couldn't break through it, she would easily be led by the nose by destiny once she left, likely ending in a tragic fate.

Furthermore, beyond those factors, the Old Mother was quite eager to hold a grand-disciple.

Thus, she truly hoped Su Qing and Bai Suzhen would produce results soon.

Seeing that so much time had passed without any success, she couldn't help but feel a bit anxious, which led to her question.

Upon hearing this, Su Qing couldn't help but flash a bitter smile.

She then explained the reasons to Li Shan Lao Mu.

Li Shan Lao Mu listened, stroking her chin with her lily-white fingers. After a moment of silence, she couldn't help but say, "Could it be that you've been hoodwinked by that girl?"

Li Shan Lao Mu knew Bai Suzhen's nature well. She was very much a snake at heart and particularly enjoyed their intimate activities.

Once she became pregnant, she would inevitably have to cease such things for a while.

Therefore... she suspected the girl was doing it on purpose.

Su Qing shook her head and said, "Little Bai wouldn't lie to me... It's likely just the nature of the magic."

Though Su Qing trusted Bai Suzhen, she didn't speak with absolute certainty. This wasn't due to doubt, but simply a habit of hers.

Li Shan Lao Mu chuckled and shook her head. "You really do trust that girl... Well, that's a good thing, and I don't blame you. I just hope you two have a child soon so I can hold my grand-disciple."

As for why Li Shan Lao Mu was so certain it would be a girl...

It was because such secret methods for same-sex conception always had the same limitation: the offspring could only be female. Having lived for so many years, she knew this better than anyone. She was certain that the descendant of Su Qing and Bai Suzhen would be a girl.

After all, even the secret methods of the Dragon Clan couldn't produce a male through such means, let alone this one.

Su Qing could only nod repeatedly at the Old Mother's words. "I know, I know. Don't worry, Senior. I'll definitely make sure you get to hold your grand-disciple..."

"Sigh, why do I feel like I'm acting like your mother?"

Li Shan Lao Mu seemed to think of something and shook her head with dissatisfaction.

"Fine, we'll leave it at that for now. As long as you're aware of it, that's enough. More importantly, you must be careful. Now that the Journey to the West is over, the world will certainly not be peaceful for a while. You must be mentally prepared... No one knows what will happen before the Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth arrives."

Su Qing looked at the Old Mother and thanked her. "Thank you for the warning, Old Mother. I will be very careful."

"Mhm, I believe you aren't the careless type." Li Shan Lao Mu nodded. "That's about all I had to say. Go find your Little Bai! I still have some things to discuss with Yuqing..."

Su Qing nodded but didn't ask what she needed to discuss with Yuqing.

She stood up, bowed, and prepared to leave.

However, just as she turned around, Su Qing realized she didn't actually know how to get out.

She turned back awkwardly and looked at the Old Mother. "Um, Senior... how do I leave this place?"

"..." Li Shan Lao Mu was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "That was my mistake... I told you how to get in but forgot to tell you how to get out."

This place was a grotto-heaven; there was no traditional door.

Even the 'gate' used to enter was something she had established specifically for the convenience of her juniors.

Otherwise, the entry process wouldn't be so complicated.

Usually, she simply entered or left with a thought.

"Never mind. I'll teach you a mantra. Use it to enter and exit from now on. It'll save you from having to offer incense every time." Li Shan Lao Mu thought for a moment and decided to settle it once and for all by teaching Su Qing the mantra.

Having received the mantra, Su Qing thanked the Old Mother and finally made her formal exit.

After Su Qing left, the Great Emperor of Antarctic Longevity returned to the hall.

The Old Mother looked at him and said, "Yuqing, are you sure you don't want me to go with you to the Thirty-Sixth Heaven? Even with your strength, it will be very dangerous there, won't it? That is the place closest to the Will of Heaven; even the Three Pure Ones do not dare go there lightly... Isn't it a bit too reckless to rush there just to find a trace of the Jianmu Tree's qi? Even without that trace, the Jianmu Tree will surely mature within a hundred years. But if you provoke the Will of Heaven, you might not be able to escape unscathed... The Heavenly Court cannot afford to lose you."

"Don't worry. Since I dare to go, I am confident... You only need to lend me your Tuoshen artifact." The Great Emperor of Antarctic Longevity chuckled and shook his head. "Don't forget, my status was won through blood and battle."

The Old Mother was silent for a moment, then shook her head. "I know you fought for your position, but..."

Before she could finish, the Great Emperor interrupted her. "I am aware of the danger... and because I know it's dangerous, I'm borrowing your escape artifact. Besides, you know how dangerous the Thirty-Sixth Heaven is; how could I let you come with me? If I go alone, I can still make it back. If I take you, it will only be harder."

"..." The Old Mother looked at him and gave a light huff. "Are you looking down on me?"

"I wouldn't dare... It's just easier for me alone."

"..." Li Shan Lao Mu said speechlessly, "You old man, you really don't know how to talk. Fine... go alone if you must. But if you don't come back, I'll be sure to tell all your embarrassing past stories to the juniors."

"Hehehe. As you wish... whatever makes you happy."

The Great Emperor naturally didn't mind her joke; instead, he showed a smile, indicating she could do as she pleased.

Seeing this, Li Shan Lao Mu didn't bother saying anything more.

She simply tossed the artifact to the Great Emperor and said, "Now get out of here!"

The Great Emperor caught the artifact, shook his head, and turned to leave, tearing through space to exit the grotto-heaven.

After he left, Li Shan Lao Mu also shook her head, stood up, and left her Celestial Abode... preparing to return to the Heavenly Court to check on the status of the Jianmu Tree.

Currently, the safety of the Heavenly Court rested entirely on that tree...

She couldn't afford to be careless.

On the other side.

Su Qing arrived at the bamboo forest courtyard in Mount Li.

This was where Bai Suzhen lived.

Over the years, almost nothing had changed here.

Su Qing walked into the courtyard and saw Bai Suzhen sitting in a chair, fiddling with her wood carvings again. She seemed to be using the carvings to act out some scene, like a child playing house, murmuring to herself.

Seeing this, Su Qing was quite surprised.

She hadn't expected this girl to have such a childish side.

Su Qing gave a light cough to alert Bai Suzhen of her presence.

The sudden cough startled Bai Suzhen so much she nearly dropped the wood carving in her hand.

When she recovered and saw Su Qing, her face turned crimson as she hid the object in her sleeve, seemingly terrified that Su Qing had seen it. Of course, what she feared even more was Su Qing finding out what kind of scene she had been acting out.

After all, the plot was a bit... stimulating. It was the kind of thing that would make one's blood pump.

If Su Qing found out, she would inevitably be teased or lectured.

"Sister, why are you here?" Bai Suzhen looked at Su Qing and asked, "I thought you weren't coming!"

There was a hint of shyness in her voice, but more so a complaint about Su Qing not visiting her for a long time.

Hearing the complaint, Su Qing said somewhat sheepishly, "Didn't something come up? That's why it took me so long to see you. Besides, I'm here now, aren't I?"

Bai Suzhen pouted, put the wood carving into her Sleeve Universe, and walked up to Su Qing. She sniffed her and said, "There's the scent of a woman I don't recognize? Could it be that the 'something' you mentioned... was a woman?"

Su Qing gave a light cough, then reached out to pinch her nose. "Are you a dog, girl? It wasn't because of a woman, but because of my little brother..."

"The Great Sage Equal to Heaven?" Bai Suzhen was stunned, then asked, "Then why is there such a strong scent of another woman on you? A scent I've never smelled before..."

Bai Suzhen was a snake; her sensitivity to smells was not necessarily weaker than that of a dog demon.

She could naturally pick up on it.

Su Qing said with a bit of helplessness, "I just saved a girl from the Dragon Clan on the way... That must be her scent."

"Oh? You really do love dragon girls, Sister! How about I dress up as one tonight?" Bai Suzhen looked at Su Qing with a hint of dissatisfaction in her eyes. It was unclear if she was upset that Su Qing liked dragon-kin or if she was annoyed that Su Qing had picked up another girl.

Su Qing shook her head and said, "That won't be necessary. I prefer you as you are. As for the dragon girl... let me explain everything to you in detail. In short, it's definitely not what you think."

Su Qing knew the girl was being jealous.

So, she decided to explain everything clearly.

It was better to lay it all out than to let the girl keep teasing her. After all, she had a clear conscience; being secretive would only make things look worse.