So Little Bai has given birth? I've been so busy with the incense matters these past few days that I completely forgot. When... when will the full moon banquet be held?
Leng Xiang was momentarily stunned after hearing Su Qing's words. A moment later, she offered a faint smile and asked about the official arrangements.
Su Qing nodded and said, "In about seven or eight days. You should come back with me today. The whole family can gather and celebrate together first."
Hearing this, Leng Xiang fell silent for a moment before nodding. "But if I leave, who will look after this place?"
"Leaving it for a few days won't cause any major issues," Su Qing said dismissively.
"Besides, as the chief deity being worshipped here, I can hear prayers even from ten thousand miles away. Granting a few wishes isn't difficult. It's just that an incense avatar won't be able to handle things as directly as you personally would."
As a goddess, such things were naturally easy for Su Qing.
In the places where seeds had been planted and in the areas developed by Leng Xiang and the others, Su Qing used this method to maintain her reputation for being 'efficacious' whenever they were away.
After all, the people of this world were very practical.
If there were no benefits or tangible hope, who would worship you?
Perhaps there were a few incredibly devout, simple-minded folk, but they were the minority. One had to give out a bit of sugar to keep the followers coming.
Leng Xiang nodded and said no more, agreeing to return with Su Qing.
"Good. Then let's go get that girl Yudie and those silly fat birds!" Su Qing said with a satisfied nod and a cheerful smile.
The fat birds had been following Yudie and Leng Xiang. Because Yudie always had good food and drink, the little things were closest to her.
In Su Qing's opinion, it was simply a case of birds of a feather flocking together—they were all gluttons.
Leng Xiang went along to find Yudie and the fat birds.
Yudie was a restless soul who couldn't stay still in the temple for long. Consequently, Leng Xiang usually assigned her tasks that required going out.
Fortunately, although the girl seemed unreliable—and in many ways, truly was—the results always met the requirements, regardless of the chaotic process.
Could that be considered... a different kind of reliability?
Finding Yudie wasn't difficult. As Su Qing's daughter and her personal sword, there was a psychic connection between them. Even at a great distance, Su Qing could vaguely sense her location.
Moreover, since they were currently in the same city, Yudie couldn't hide even if she wanted to.
Before long, Su Qing found the girl with ease and informed her of the situation.
Yudie didn't have many complicated thoughts. Upon learning they could return to the domain and soon attend a feast, she was so excited she wanted to pull Su Qing away immediately.
The Little Sparrows listening nearby were equally thrilled, seemingly unable to wait for the banquet.
"You little fellows, haven't you eaten enough good things in the mortal world? Why are you still so greedy?" Su Qing asked, unable to suppress a smile.
"It's not the same, it's not the same! The taste of food depends on who makes it, and the environment changes the feeling!"
"Exactly, exactly!" the birds chirped in unison.
Speechless, Su Qing didn't bother teasing them further. She performed a hand seal and asked, "Do you have anything to pack? If so, I'll take you back to get it. If not, we're going to pick up Ao Ying and the others."
For the impatient little ones, there was naturally nothing worth packing. They wished they could skip straight to the day of the full moon banquet.
As for Leng Xiang, she had already gathered her belongings before coming to find Yudie, so there was no need for a return trip.
Seeing that no one needed to turn back, Su Qing summoned a cloud and flew everyone toward Ao Ying's location.
Before long, Su Qing and the others arrived above another city.
This city was near the sea and boasted a massive port. It was incredibly prosperous—though not quite as grand as the capital, it was a rare center of wealth.
Su Qing didn't pay much attention to the city itself. Upon arrival, she sensed the location of the temple, cast an invisibility spell, and descended into the courtyard.
Their arrival went unnoticed by the mortals. People only felt a gentle breeze carrying a faint, sweet fragrance, though no one knew its source.
After some thought, they simply attributed it to the special nature of the temple. After all, the Lady of this temple was known to be very efficacious. It was only normal for there to be something unusual about the place.
As before, Su Qing ignored the temple's affairs and went straight to find Ao Ying.
Ao Ying was slightly surprised to see Su Qing, and even more puzzled when she saw Leng Xiang.
"You've all come... has something happened?" Ao Ying instinctively assumed there was trouble. But before Su Qing could speak, she corrected herself. "No, wait. It must be that Bai Suzhen has given birth. The full moon banquet must be soon, and you've come to call us back to prepare?"
Ao Ying was sharp-witted and quickly deduced their intent.
Seeing she had guessed correctly, Su Qing nodded. "That's right! But I didn't come to ask for help with the preparations. It's mainly for the feast and so we can all live together for a while."
Ao Ying fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "I see. In that case, I can't refuse. As for this place... well, with your abilities, it shouldn't be hard to use the incense here to create an incense avatar to handle the prayers. I don't need to worry too much."
Su Qing watched her finish her own train of thought, feeling both speechless and amused. She hadn't even gotten a word in! All she could do was nod and say, "Where is Su Ying? Get her, and we'll head back."
Ao Ying nodded. "Understood. I'll go get her."
Su Qing and Leng Xiang watched Ao Ying walk away, sharing a smile. Their thoughts were likely different, and neither knew exactly what the other was thinking. However, as Ao Ying turned to find Su Ying, her mind was filled with a thousand swirling thoughts.
Soon, Su Ying was brought along.
Su Qing summoned the Somersault Cloud and headed back to the Northern Continent domain.
With Su Qing's speed, even with so many people in tow, they arrived at the domain in no time.
In the courtyard, Bai Suzhen was sitting alone, feeling a bit bored. Suddenly seeing a red cloud drift in, she instinctively stood up.
"Sister, you're back?"
Bai Suzhen revealed a pure, beautiful smile. Though her smile was sweet and innocent, that inherent allure in her features could not be hidden. Especially now, her charm was soul-stirringly potent, impossible to mask even with her most genuine expression.
Su Qing nodded to her and asked, "Is the little girl asleep?"
"Only when she's asleep can I sit here and daydream in peace," Bai Suzhen replied with a smile.
Then, she looked at Ao Ying and Leng Xiang. "Big Sister, Second Sister, you're back as well?"
Although Bai Suzhen had spent her time secluded with the Old Mother, she was not entirely ignorant of the ways of the world. Even if she were, the Old Mother would have certainly taught her.
After all, as Bai Suzhen's master, the Old Mother had kept her confined for many years and felt responsible for teaching her such things to prevent her from suffering in the future.
While she was unlikely to suffer at the hands of outsiders while by Su Qing's side, she could still suffer at the hands of those within the household.
The Old Mother had lived a long time and understood that 'harem harmony' was often a joke; if things could remain harmonious on the surface, that was already a great success. After all, a woman always hopes her lover loves only her—and the love between women was no different.
So, even though the people around Su Qing seemed exceptionally harmonious, the Old Mother felt compelled to teach her more, lest she be at a disadvantage. There was no helping it; Bai Suzhen had never been out in the world and hadn't experienced its harsh realities. Plus, she hadn't always been by Su Qing's side, making her vulnerable.
Ao Ying was slightly surprised to be addressed that way, but she understood Bai Suzhen's meaning. She offered a smile and a nod. "It has been a long time, Sister! I've forgotten how long it's been since we last met... but you've grown even more beautiful, and your strength seems to have improved?"
Bai Suzhen gave a gentle smile. "Sister, you flatter me. In terms of looks, you are naturally the more beautiful one!"
Such words were pleasing to hear, regardless of sincerity. At the very least, they were comfortable to the ear. At the same time, Ao Ying realized that Bai Suzhen wasn't one to fight for dominance—at least not on the surface.
As for the details... Ao Ying hadn't spent much time with her and didn't know her well. Most of her knowledge of Bai Suzhen came from Su Qing's brief mentions.
"Alright, where is the little girl? Can you take me to see her?"
"Of course." Bai Suzhen nodded and led Ao Ying to see the baby.
To the side, Su Qing breathed a sigh of relief seeing them get along so well. She had expected them to be at each other's throats, or at least trade a few barbs, but their harmonious interaction took her by surprise.
After all, Bai Suzhen was prone to jealousy, and Ao Ying wasn't exactly immune to it either.
Though she didn't know the reason for the peace, she was glad her heart could finally settle. As for the rest, she would just have to observe. If everything remained normal, she could truly relax.
'Perhaps... it's because the three of them were together when we were married?' Su Qing thought to herself.
Nearby, Leng Xiang watched the two leave without much change in expression. She was merely curious as to why Ao Ying was acting this way. After a moment, she couldn't figure it out and simply stopped thinking about it.
She stayed by Su Qing's side, never leaving her, waiting to see if there was anything she could help with.
As for the other little ones, seeing Ao Ying and Bai Suzhen go to see Su Tingtong, they followed along to meet their new sister. Although they were more anxious for the feast, they still had to get to know her—after all, the banquet was for her.
The family had returned, and the bedchamber was instantly filled with life.
However, Su Qing didn't stay to enjoy the commotion. She had a few sips of tea, gave Leng Xiang a few instructions, and departed on her Somersault Cloud once more.
She still had a few more people to pick up and didn't want to delay.
Su Qing flew toward the South Sea. Before long, she arrived at the South Sea Purple Bamboo Grove.
She came here not only to pick up Jingyue but also to inform Guanyin Bodhisattva. Although the Bodhisattva had schemed against her quite a bit, she had also helped her significantly. One thing is one thing; she still had to invite her to the meal.
Upon arriving at the Purple Bamboo Grove, no one came to greet her this time. It seemed even Guanyin couldn't predict exactly when she would arrive.
Seeing no one, Su Qing simply let herself in. They were old acquaintances, after all; knocking made little difference.
Inside the grove, she found the area shrouded in immortal mist and echoing with lingering Sanskrit chants, quite different from her usual visits.
'Oh? Did I arrive just in time to witness someone breaking through?'
Just as the thought occurred, Su Qing's brow twitched. She suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind her.
Turning around, she saw the Black Bear Spirit with a head full of bumps, clutching a honeycomb and running for his life in a pathetic yet hilarious state.
Su Qing smiled helplessly and waved her hand, stopping the spirit bees. Then, she performed a gesture and pulled the Black Bear Spirit toward her.
"Bodhisattva, have mercy! Bodhisattva, have mercy! Old Black won't dare steal honey again!" Feeling himself seized by an invisible force, the bear assumed he had been caught by the Bodhisattva and immediately pleaded for mercy.
Su Qing chuckled. "Look closely at who I am."
Hearing the voice, the Black Bear Spirit opened his swollen eyes and peered at the person before him.
He quickly exclaimed, "So it is the Azure Spirit Sovereign! G-Greetings, Sovereign! I... I knew you were coming, so I specially prepared some honey for you! Please, accept it!"
The Black Bear Spirit suppressed his heartache and handed the honeycomb to Su Qing.
Su Qing knew the fellow was likely loath to part with it and was only offering it to prevent her from telling the Bodhisattva.
'I didn't expect this bear to have grown a bit of wit...'
Su Qing chuckled and tucked the honeycomb away with a flip of her hand. Free honey was free honey, regardless of whether the bear was willing. Since he offered, she would take it.
Seeing this, the Black Bear Spirit's heart bled, but he didn't dare say a word. He merely bowed and asked, "Has the Sovereign come to see the Bodhisattva?"
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