Who Wouldn't Want To?

Su Qing was not at all surprised by Yudie's behavior; in fact, she was quite pleased to see it.

However, Su Qing wasn't annoyed either. She simply gave a helpless smile and said nothing more...

After all, her daughter only had that one interest. Aside from eating, she didn't seem interested in much else... There was no need to deprive her of this little joy. Let her eat if she wanted! In any case, the girl never seemed to gain weight...

As long as the girl knew when to show some restraint, it was fine.

Everything else was of little consequence.

Besides... the girl had done a good job earlier and was quite obedient when she needed to be, so it was only right to let her enjoy herself.

Nearby,

Ao Ning, who was very adept at reading people, noticed Yudie's impatience...

So, she silently moved to the front and quickly led the group to the dining hall.

Before long,

the group arrived at the dining hall.

The table was already laden with all sorts of delicacies from land and sea, some familiar and others never seen before.

Su Qing's expression remained unchanged, her face still wearing a faint smile...

But Yudie showed no such restraint. She became excited instantly, her eyes practically glowing.

Leng Xiang, naturally, saw Yudie's embarrassing display.

Although Su Qing hadn't said anything, Leng Xiang still instinctively tapped the girl on the head and said in a level tone, "Mind your image."

Yudie felt a bit slighted by the tap...

But she did restrain herself somewhat.

Su Qing chuckled at the sight, then took her seat and said:

"Alright, eat if you want to. No one is going to stop you."

Hearing this, Yudie beamed and immediately began to feast heartily...

However, while Yudie loved food and was eager to eat, she didn't abandon her manners once she actually started... After all, she just loved eating; she wasn't truly starving.

So, naturally, she didn't eat with unseemly haste...

Time passed.

Soon,

Su Qing and the others had finished their meal.

After lunch,

Su Qing intended to depart.

"The Sovereign is planning to leave already? Why not stay a while longer? I haven't had the chance to properly thank you for suppressing the black water!" When the North Sea Dragon King heard Su Qing was leaving, he made a gesture to urge her to stay.

Hearing this, Su Qing chuckled and shook her head, saying, "There is no need for words of thanks. If you truly wish to thank me... then properly fulfill the promises you made to me. I care far more about those than anything else."

Su Qing didn't care for empty formalities; tangible benefits were what moved her... especially regarding the matter of Incense Power.

Hearing this, the North Sea Dragon King nodded repeatedly and said, "The Sovereign can rest assured. I will certainly fulfill what I promised. I will not betray the Sovereign's trust in me... nor will I let the Sovereign's hard work go to waste."

Satisfied with this answer,

Su Qing nodded and said, "That is for the best... Well, there's nothing more to say. It is time for us to go."

Upon hearing this, the North Sea Dragon King stopped trying to persuade her to stay. He simply nodded and said, "Then I wish the Sovereign safe travels..."

The North Sea Dragon King had almost said 'safe journey to the afterlife,' but realizing it sounded ominous, he quickly corrected himself.

Su Qing chuckled, gave a slight nod, and then left the Dragon Palace, leaping out of the North Sea...

Above the North Sea,

the dark clouds had not yet dispersed.

And the seawater remained as black as ink.

'I wonder how long it will take for the North Sea to return to normal... Also, I'll have to ask the Old Mother or Laojun for an explanation regarding what this black water actually is.'

Su Qing floated in mid-air, looking at the dark clouds in the sky as she thought to herself.

Su Qing didn't linger...

After a brief look, she formed an incantation and sent Leng Xiang and Yudie back.

After Su Qing left, back in the Dragon Palace,

the North Sea Dragon King called his daughter to his side.

"Why has Father called for me?" Ao Ning asked, puzzled.

She had intended to go to the study to practice her calligraphy and painting, but her father had called her over. She was curious about what he wanted.

The North Sea Dragon King sat in his chair, looked at his daughter, and asked, "What kind of person do you think the Sovereign is?"

"Hmm?" Ao Ning was stunned, not knowing why her father would ask such a thing.

"Just answer truthfully based on your feelings," the North Sea Dragon King said, shaking his head without explaining.

Seeing this, though Ao Ning was extremely confused, she thought for a moment and answered seriously.

She said, "The Sovereign is a gentle, sophisticated senior who doesn't put on airs... Even when facing a junior like me, she treats me as an equal. I admire her greatly and think she is a very good senior."

Ao Ning said this not just because Su Qing had saved the North Sea, but because of her genuine feelings after interacting with her for so long.

Su Qing had made an excellent first impression, and even more so after their long conversation.

As for those unfavorable rumors about Su Qing...

After this brief acquaintance,

she felt they were likely just rumors...

Wasn't the Sovereign completely different from the stories?

As expected, rumors were unreliable.

The North Sea Dragon King listened to his daughter's answer, stroked his beard, and nodded...

His feelings were similar to his daughter's...

He also felt that Su Qing was someone who didn't put on airs.

While she might lack common sense in some areas, she was sufficiently tolerant and easy to talk to...

Among the many Heavenly Immortals, she was one of the easiest to approach...

She truly was an extraordinary figure.

"By the way, did the Sovereign ever mention any special requests to you? Or say anything unusual?" The North Sea Dragon King didn't feel comfortable asking directly, so he asked indirectly: "For example, something that matches the rumors?"

Ao Ning was stunned for a moment. After a brief silence, she shook her head and said, "The Sovereign is very good. She is completely different from the rumors and never mentioned anything like that. We only talked about everything under the sun."

Hearing this, the North Sea Dragon King's eyebrows rose, somewhat surprised by his daughter's answer...

But after a moment of silence, he didn't say much more... he only gave a slight nod.

"If—and I mean if—what if one day the Sovereign actually came to propose marriage? How would you respond?"

Ao Ning was completely baffled by her father's question. She had no idea... why her father would suddenly ask such a thing.

But since her father asked, she had to answer. She replied helplessly, "I will follow Father's instructions in all things..."

Hearing his daughter's answer, the North Sea Dragon King shook his head and said, "It's not about following my instructions, but about what you think! I only want you to marry someone you like."

"Father... why are you suddenly asking this? Could it be that the Sovereign truly is like the rumors? Did she propose to you?" Ao Ning's heart was filled with doubt as she thought back to the rumors.

"Of course not. It's just that because of the rumors about the Sovereign, and because my daughter is so outstanding, I was worried. That's why I asked you so much, to see what you thought... so I could make plans early. After all, my daughter's happiness is the most important thing."

"Father... you're really worrying over nothing. Don't I know my own looks and talent? The Sovereign became a Heavenly Immortal at a thousand years old, while I'm barely an Earthly Immortal at three thousand. Even if I wanted to marry the Sovereign, I'd have to see if she even agreed!"

Ao Ning shook her head and said helplessly:

"So, Father, don't worry... However, if you're asking if I'm willing? I can only say, who wouldn't want to marry the Sovereign?"

On the other side, after Su Qing had left safely, General Tortoise and General Snake, watching from a distance, looked at each other and smiled.

"By the way, why didn't we just show ourselves? By not appearing, we missed out on a decent lunch..." General Tortoise stroked his beard, turned to look at General Snake, and asked.

Hearing this, General Snake shook his head and said, "You know that the Liu girl came to beg us for help against the Sovereign's orders... If we had shown ourselves, wouldn't that have exposed the matter? Although the Sovereign likely wouldn't blame her, the girl would inevitably punish herself. After all, she is quite an honest soul..."

General Snake said this for Liu Xixi's sake, not wanting the girl to trouble herself...

General Tortoise nodded, thinking General Snake's words made some sense.

He felt that this old snake was quite considerate of others, not at all like the cold and grim figure he was when fighting alongside Great Emperor Zhenwu ten thousand years ago.

However, after nodding, General Snake felt something wasn't quite right.

He stroked his beard and suddenly said, "But... you know that girl has an honest nature. Even if the Sovereign doesn't find out, she'll probably tell her herself after disobeying Su Qing's orders to seek our help. That girl... she cares quite a lot about the rules."

Hearing this, General Snake stroked his chin, raised an eyebrow, and clicked his tongue. "I forgot about that. That silly girl, she really is..."

"You old snake, hahaha! But no matter, let her be. With the Sovereign's personality, she won't actually let the girl punish herself." General Tortoise shook his head and said.

General Snake said, "True... that's not for us two old fogies to worry about. Forget it, let's go! It's time for us to head back as well."

General Tortoise chuckled and nodded, and the two flew off together.

Elsewhere,

Su Qing was flying extremely fast.

Before long,

Su Qing had returned to the temple with Leng Xiang and Yudie.

They had only been gone for half a day...

Upon their return, the temple was as bustling as ever, filled with the thick scent of Incense Power.

"Mother, since the black water in the North Sea has been suppressed, why don't you stay for a day instead of rushing off? Stay and play with us for a day, how about it?" Although Yudie, this 'dear daughter,' was often a handful, she knew when to step up.

She knew her mother wanted to spend more time with her wife...

And she knew her other mother wasn't the type to speak of such things.

So, she took the initiative to say it herself...

To save her mother from regretting not speaking up later.

Sure enough, after Yudie spoke, the look Leng Xiang gave her was filled with much more satisfaction...

This made Yudie's tail curl high with pride...

She felt quite proud of herself.

Hearing this, Su Qing didn't think much about it. She simply nodded with a beaming smile and said:

"That is certainly not a problem. I didn't plan on going back immediately after resolving the North Sea matter anyway. Besides, since it was settled so quickly, there's even less reason to rush back. Since you want me to stay and keep you company, Yudie, then I shall stay."

Su Qing knew what the girl was thinking; she just chose not to call her out on it...

In fact, even if the girl hadn't said anything, Su Qing had intended to stay here for a day with Leng Xiang.

After all, since she was already here, it would be a bit of a pity if they didn't enjoy some intimacy.

Hearing Su Qing's answer, a joyful smile appeared on Leng Xiang's face...

She didn't speak, but simply looked at Su Qing with a smile. Her usually cold eyes held a touch of tenderness and delight. Her happy appearance was enough to make one's heart flutter, wishing to hold and cherish her.

Seeing this, Su Qing chuckled and was about to continue when she was interrupted by Yudie's voice...

"Hooray! Then let's ignore the temple matters for today! Let's go out and play! There are so many fun places around here!" Yudie said excitedly.

Su Qing gave a helpless smile. This brat really knew how to break the mood...

However, she wasn't angry. She simply nodded and said, "Since the opportunity is rare, I'll accompany you for a stroll. However, tonight you must sleep by yourself... do you understand?"

"Eh?! Why! I want to sleep with Mother."

"How old are you, still wanting to sleep next to your mother? Sleep by yourself tonight, do you hear me?"

"..." Yudie felt wronged, but she still nodded and said, "I understand."

However, though she agreed, she couldn't help but grumble in her heart: 'Mother and Mama want to be intimate, so they don't want Yudie around. How unfair... Hmph, I'm never helping Mama again.'

She naturally understood that Su Qing said this to be alone with Leng Xiang, but excluding her own biological daughter was a bit much.

It wasn't like they were doing anything shameful!

Was this really necessary?

How truly unfair.

Su Qing knew Yudie's childish temper was flaring up again, so she smilingly patted her on the head and said, "I wonder where the street with the most delicious food is... Oh dear, how frustrating!"

Hearing this, Yudie, who had been a bit angry, immediately jumped up and said, "I know, I know! I'll take Mother and Mama there together!"

"Oh? Weren't you just angry?"

"Hmph, for the sake of good food, I'll stop being angry for now. I'll be angry again once we get home..."

"Heh." Su Qing laughed and said, "Does your anger come with a halftime break?"

"It's a break, it's a break!" Yudie said with a giggle, showing no shame whatsoever.

Su Qing found it funny but didn't tease her further. She simply nodded and said, "Hmph, let's go then!"

"Hehehe..." Yudie gave a silly laugh, then went skipping off ahead.

Su Qing smiled and reached out her hand toward Leng Xiang, looking into her eyes as she said, "Let's go!"

Leng Xiang was stunned for a moment, then nodded with a beaming smile, took Su Qing's hand, and set off with her.