A year can be long or short.
However, it was enough time to accomplish many things.
Over the past year, Su Qing had once again developed her incense power. While it wasn't as explosive as it had been in the previous town, her temple was now among the most prominent in the city.
Although Su Qing wanted to see the temple's incense power grow even further, she knew that at this stage, it was mostly a matter of slow, steady persistence. The remaining work would likely fall to the children and the reliable Daoist nuns she had brought from the Changbai Mountains.
Admittedly, the temperaments of some of those children were not ideal, and a few had even left her somewhat dissatisfied. However, in terms of getting things done, they were decent enough. She didn't mind the rest, so long as they performed their duties well.
As for anything else...
The demons from the Changbai Mountains were watching over them. Even if someone with a crooked heart wanted to stir up trouble, they wouldn't be able to achieve much. After all, those girls truly didn't know a single bit of magic. Without someone to lead them onto the path, they were merely mortals.
In the courtyard, Su Qing stretched comfortably. Looking up at the azure sky, she couldn't help but reveal a sweet smile.
"In that case, it's about time to leave."
Su Qing had no intention of lingering in one place for too long. Similarly, she had no plans to form deep emotional bonds with mortals. Thus, her departure was, as always, free of any heavy burden. In fact, she felt a hint of excitement. Soon, she would be in a new place, experiencing different local customs and culture.
What about the children? She had simply saved them. Her relationship with them wasn't particularly close; she rarely even visited the temple to see them. Most of the time, the demons would occasionally send word back to report on the current situation. Therefore, Su Qing naturally felt no reluctance about leaving.
That evening, Su Qing did exactly what she had done before her last departure. During dinner, she shared the news with everyone.
Ao Ying had no objections; she simply nodded silently and continued eating. Jin Xin didn't even listen, just talking to herself, which made Su Qing's lip twitch. Hu Lin'er, it went without saying, always deferred to Su Qing; whatever Su Qing said was law, and she rarely contradicted her.
Only Coal Ball...
The only little cat who got motion sickness raised its voice in protest, just as it had last time. Unfortunately, its protest was far too weak. Su Qing acted as if she couldn't hear it at all.
Coal Ball crossed its paws, looking unhappy. "You never listen to me! Why even ask me then?"
Hearing this, Su Qing replied with a beaming smile, "Naturally, it's to give you a sense of participation! I can't just not ask you at all. Besides, whose fault is it that your opinion always goes against the majority? The minority must yield to the majority; it's always been that way."
Coal Ball remained unconvinced...
Alas, what could it do even if it wasn't convinced? It couldn't change the outcome. Coal Ball grew even more dissatisfied, crossing its paws and puffing out its cheeks.
Su Qing found it amusing and reached out to poke its cheek. This poke was one thing, but it caused the air to leak out, making a strange sound that even made Ao Ying laugh.
Consequently, Coal Ball became even more indignant. No one paid any mind to its displeasure, except for Su Qing, who patted its head to offer some comfort.
She also promised that before they left, she would take it to the market—just like last time—to buy several fish to serve as its exclusive travel rations for the journey ahead. With this promise, the easily bribed Coal Ball was quickly appeased. It agreed with an air of feigned reluctance, further demanding that she buy several more fish and some other items, including tools for sharpening its claws. In short, it wanted all the little trinkets it liked.
Su Qing naturally had no reason to refuse and agreed to everything.
Seeing this, Ao Ying couldn't help but smile. "Big Green Sister truly dotes on it."
Hearing this, Su Qing simply shook her head with a smile. "It's not exactly doting. I'd have to buy those things sooner or later anyway."
Ao Ying just shook her head, a knowing, playful smile on her face at Su Qing's seemingly stubborn words. Su Qing merely shrugged and continued eating.
Night fell. After everyone had retired for the night, Su Qing also went to bed. However, in the middle of the night, Su Qing—who was never a deep sleeper—vaguely felt something moving in the room.
This body was a clone, after all; what she called 'sleep' was merely resting the mental energy injected into this body. Therefore, even in a sleeping state, her perception of the outside world was not weak at all. Otherwise, she wouldn't have woken up so quickly when Coal Ball dealt with the weasel that day.
'If nothing unexpected happens, it's probably that fellow again.'
Su Qing opened her eyes. A face appeared before her. Unsurprisingly, it was Jin Xin.
"After so long, you've come for another night raid?" Su Qing asked with a helpless smile.
Jin Xin gave a graceful smile and said, "Why is it that Sister Su can always discover me so quickly?"
"Why don't you guess?" Su Qing played the mystery card again, letting Jin Xin wonder for herself.
Hearing this, Jin Xin simply shook her head. "I can't guess... However, since Sister Su has already let me get this far, could you let me do a bit more? For example, let me have a touch~"
"That is clearly not going to happen. Once there's a first time, there will be a second. If I let you start, where would it end?" Su Qing shook her head, rejecting Jin Xin's request with righteous indignation.
If it were anything else, Su Qing might have humored her willful behavior, but this was clearly impossible.
Jin Xin wasn't surprised at all by Su Qing's answer. This was the expected outcome. However, she still feigned disappointment, putting on the look of an abandoned puppy. "Since Sister Su won't let me touch her, then can Sister Su touch me?"
As she spoke, she undid the sash at her waist...
Her smooth shoulders slid out, revealing exquisite collarbones and the soft mounds not far below them. This scene was quite seductive. Unfortunately, Su Qing had seen it many times before, so her resistance was strong.
She looked at Jin Xin and asked, "Is a head pat okay?"
Jin Xin shook her head. Su Qing spread her hands and said, "But you fled the field last time."
Su Qing vividly remembered that the last time she had rubbed those soft mounds, Jin Xin had bolted. That display of surrendering without a fight had truly left Su Qing speechless.
Hearing this, Jin Xin thought back to her previous defeat and gave a light huff. "The past is the past, and the present is the present. Don't treat my past mistakes as my current failure! Try it again now; I definitely won't make the same mistake twice."
Jin Xin was still full of confidence, not believing for a second that she would flee like last time. Thus, she couldn't help but make such a bold claim. This change in her emotions surprised Su Qing slightly; this girl usually lacked emotional variation.
Despite her seemingly rich expressions on a daily basis, a closer look would reveal that her expressions were always perfectly measured—neither too much nor too little. It was as if they were performances rehearsed countless times. One couldn't find a single flaw in them. That was why Su Qing said she usually had almost no emotional change. Even in the face of major events, she rarely showed anger or dissatisfaction.
And now, this girl actually showed an emotional shift because of a bit of teasing. This was a novel discovery... It could be considered a form of growth for her, right?
Su Qing smiled inwardly and said, "Do you really think you won't flee again?"
Although she didn't intend to do anything too extreme, seeing the girl's confident look made her want to tease or provoke her a bit. Of course, if this girl was truly that brave and didn't retreat, Su Qing would be at a loss. She couldn't actually do those intimate things with her as if she were her wife. At most, she would just play a prank on her and eventually toss her out of the room by the collar.
Jin Xin remained confident, her tone calm but firm. "Naturally! I have never been one to trip in the same place twice."
Jin Xin's confident declaration surprised Su Qing slightly. However, she also revealed a smile.
"In that case, don't blame me, okay?" Su Qing, of course, wouldn't lose in a battle of words.
Jin Xin tugged at her dudou and laughed. "Sister Su, please do as you wish."
Jin Xin's seemingly super-brave appearance made Su Qing's smile widen. She then reached into the dudou and began to knead them like dough.
Su Qing was a veteran, after all. Her technique was far beyond anything a theorist like Jin Xin could compare to. Sure enough, after only a brief moment, Jin Xin pushed Su Qing away and fled the room as if escaping for her life. She even nearly tripped over the threshold on her way out.
Seeing her flee in such a pathetic state, Su Qing felt quite cheerful and couldn't help but laugh.
"Honestly, this girl really hasn't made much progress!" Su Qing thought with a chuckle.
She had thought the girl could hold out for longer. Who would have guessed that after only a moment, she couldn't take it anymore? It seemed she was only brave in spirit; in this regard, she was still a total novice.
Su Qing shook her head and muttered to herself, "Looking at this, I'll probably have some peace and quiet for a while."
Su Qing was certain that after suffering such a loss, the girl wouldn't be attempting any night raids for some time.
'Hmm, maybe I can use this move again in the future to drive her away,' Su Qing thought with a smile. However, while it was a useful trick, she also understood she couldn't overdo it. Once the girl completely adapted to it, the move would lose its intended effect.
Su Qing thought for a bit and then lay back down to continue resting. She had to get enough rest; after all, her main body and the other clone had many daily affairs to handle, which consumed a great deal of mental energy. This side was also exhausted as a result. Therefore, she had to rest when it was time to rest to avoid excessive mental depletion that would affect her main body.
Su Qing fell asleep quickly. However, Jin Xin, who had fled the field, couldn't sleep.
She returned to her room with her clothes in disarray, clutching her chest and panting heavily. She touched her face; it was exceptionally hot, as if she had been poisoned. Not only that, but she felt her head throbbing and her bones feeling a bit weak.
This sensation was even more intense than the last time she had fled. It was so strong that she had nearly cried out at the time.
'What's going on... Why is my heart racing so much? Why did I flee again? No, no, how can you be so useless? Next time, there absolutely cannot be a situation like this again. You are Jin Xin; you've learned so many things, how can you be so useless?'
Jin Xin sat back on her bed, constantly questioning herself in her heart. She asked and asked for a long time but couldn't find an answer. However, when she recalled the sensation from earlier, her heart couldn't help but race again. It felt as if ants were crawling in her heart or a cat was scratching it; it was incredibly uncomfortable.
She lay down, biting her nails tightly, constantly reminiscing...
Reminiscing.
A sense of regret for her earlier flight actually sprouted in her heart, along with an impulse to try again. Even if she would flee again, even if these symptoms would appear again, she still wanted to try.
'But not now. Now is not the time.'
Although Jin Xin wanted to try again, she had already fled once today; returning now would be embarrassing even for her. Therefore, even if she wanted to try, she wouldn't seek out Su Qing at this moment. Instead, she would wait for an opportunity in the future.
'But I'll have to wait so long. Ah, the wait is so hard!'
Jin Xin clutched her heart, muttering to herself.
At this moment, Su Qing was still unaware of the gravity of the situation. She didn't realize that her actions had opened a new path for Jin Xin, adding more trouble for her future self. At this moment... she was still fast asleep!
The next day, Su Qing got up as usual to prepare for what came next. However, when she saw Jin Xin again, Su Qing didn't mention the events of the previous night; she simply gave a slight smile and acted as she always did.
On the contrary, when Jin Xin looked at Su Qing, Su Qing felt that the look in her eyes seemed to have changed. But as for what exactly was different, Su Qing couldn't say for the moment. Therefore, she could only set the matter aside and focus on completing the tasks planned for today. Once they were on the road tomorrow, she would have time to slowly ponder Jin Xin's changes.
Seeing that she didn't mention the previous night, Jin Xin also breathed a slight sigh of relief. She then began helping Su Qing with her work, just as she always had.
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