Su Qingyu stopped asking more questions and ceased her ruminations. She intended to simply enjoy the days her master was by her side, temporarily forgetting that Su Qing would eventually leave.
Only by doing so could she find true happiness, rather than spending every day worrying and casting a shadow over what should be a beautiful time. Su Qingyu’s approach was undoubtedly the correct one. Why overthink it? It was better to just enjoy the moment.
Dinner was ready soon, and everyone gathered around the dining table once more. This time, there was an extra person.
"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you. This child is the black cat from before; she has already transformed," Su Qing said with a beaming smile.
For Su Qingyu and the others, who had already been shocked several times, this revelation was no longer surprising. They simply said with smiles, "Now that Coal Ball has transformed, she’s actually quite cute. Though, I still think she was even cuter when she was a cat."
Hearing the praise, Coal Ball immediately broke into a grin. If her tail hadn't disappeared after her transformation, one would likely see it held high in the air. Clearly, she was very happy.
Little Coal Ball had a very simple nature, without many special thoughts or schemes. If she was happy, she was happy; if she wasn't, she wasn't. She wouldn't hide it or fail to show it. Even when she tried to save face by being coy, it was generally easy to see through her at a glance.
At this moment, her expression naturally couldn't escape everyone's keen eyes. Su Qingyu, seeing the girl in such a state, added a few more compliments, making the child even happier. Coal Ball even grew much closer to Su Qingyu because of it.
Watching Coal Ball being led by the nose by Su Qingyu, Su Qing wasn't surprised at all. After all, Su Qingyu had been tempered by society for many years and was naturally far more capable than she had been in the past. Despite Su Qingyu always saying how easy her life had been, only she truly knew the minor troubles and hardships she had faced.
Everyone enjoyed the dinner immensely. It was the happiest they had been in years.
Afterward, they gathered in the courtyard, sitting together to continue the unfinished topics. In thirty years, even without major events, there were bound to be some interesting stories. There was certainly no shortage of things to talk about.
Time passed slowly in this pleasant atmosphere. Before they knew it, several days had gone by.
After those few days, Su Qing and the others prepared to leave. Although they could return to play for a while, it was clearly impossible to stay forever, and it wasn't ideal to linger too long. Therefore, it was time to head back.
Su Qing did not hide the departure from Su Qingyu. On the morning of that day, she told her before breakfast began.
"Are you leaving so soon?" Su Qingyu was slightly surprised to hear they were departing. Although it was expected, she still felt a sense of reluctance when the moment arrived.
Su Qing nodded and said, "It is indeed time to go. But don't worry, we will come back to see you whenever we have time in the future."
"Master... I heard those same words thirty years ago, and then you waited thirty years to see me again! For an immortal, thirty years might be very short, but for a mortal like me, thirty years is truly a bit too long."
Su Qingyu looked at Su Qing, speaking with a face full of helplessness. Thirty years was indeed far too long for her. When Su Qing left, she was just a little girl; now that she had returned, she was already in her forties. And this time Su Qing was leaving, how long would she be gone? How many years would pass before their next meeting? She hardly dared to think about it. She even wondered if she would still be alive when Su Qing came next time.
Seeing Su Qingyu like this, Su Qing shook her head helplessly and said, "Thirty years was somewhat long for me as well... The reason I was unwilling to return was simply the fear that I wouldn't be able to let go. This time... rest assured, I will return for a few days every few years! I only hope that you won't find us unwelcome in the future."
Su Qing didn't want Su Qingyu to be sad, so she made this promise. Although it meant more traveling for her, it was worth it to keep her disciple from being heartbroken. A situation like not meeting for thirty years should be avoided if possible. Su Qingyu didn't have many thirty-year periods left to wait. Since mortals only had a lifespan of about a hundred years, Su Qing decided to accompany her as much as she could. After all, for her, it was just a short trip on the Somersault Cloud.
Su Qing's words made Su Qingyu dazed for a moment, and her sadness eased slightly. For Su Qingyu, two or three years was still a long time, but it was certainly much better than thirty. Perhaps because the thirty-year absence had set such a low baseline, Su Qingyu easily agreed to the proposal of returning every two or three years. It was the classic logic of compromise: because the 'roof' of a thirty-year absence had already been 'torn off,' the 'window' of a two or three-year interval was now easily accepted.
"Fine then, but Master, you must not forget what you promised!" Su Qingyu warned seriously, worried that Su Qing might break her word.
Su Qing laughed, patted her head, and nodded. "Of course I won't forget. You can rest easy."
"In that case... I'll believe you for now! But Master, you really are a wicked person!" Su Qingyu said.
Su Qing felt helpless, not knowing where her 'wickedness' lay. She smiled and said, "I'm perfectly fine! Alright, we'll be going now!"
With that, Su Qing pinched a hand seal and summoned the Somersault Cloud.
"Oh, right, please don't tell anyone about us! This is a secret between us. As for the maids, don't worry; they will forget the memories of these past few days."
Since Su Qing was leaving, she would naturally clean up after herself to avoid any negative impact. As for Su Qingyu's memory, she naturally couldn't erase it. After all, if the child's memory were gone, wouldn't their return have been for nothing?
Su Qingyu nodded upon hearing this. "Don't worry, I understand that much."
At that moment, Li Yichou spoke up. "Remember to come back often! I hope you'll be there for my funeral, Sister Su. The thought of being sent off by a powerful immortal like you makes me quite look forward to it."
Li Yichou's words earned her a flick on the forehead from Su Qing. Although Li Yichou was quite old now, Su Qing was still merciless with her strikes; after all, no one was older than her. She said, "It's better not to say such things! I don't want to send you off. Just stay alive and well for me."
Hearing this, Li Yichou laughed heartily and nodded, not showing the slightest bit of emotion over what had just happened. Seeing this, Su Qing nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, it's about time for me to go. Goodbye."
"Until we meet again!" Li Yichou said with a nod.
Su Qing gave a soft hum, then with a thought, she steered the cloud and led everyone away.
On the cloud, Ao Yiyi looked down at the courtyard with a hint of reluctance. However, she soon withdrew her gaze.
"As expected, if we hadn't come, we wouldn't feel this reluctance to leave!" Ao Yiyi said with a chuckle.
Su Qing replied with a smile, "Isn't that only natural? Well, just remember them. We'll go back to see them every few years... until we've sent every last one of them off!"
These words sounded somewhat cruel, yet they were also somewhat romantic. Ao Yiyi fell silent for a moment before nodding helplessly. "What an interesting yet frustrating affair!"
"Frustrating? What is there to be frustrated about? It's just... the way of the world." Su Qing was much more open-minded than Ao Yiyi. "Besides, doesn't your Buddhist sect always talk about reincarnation? If you really want to see them after death, just go look for their reincarnations."
"Reincarnation... Is the person after reincarnation still the same one?" Ao Yiyi suddenly asked.
"Who knows? In my view, since the soul is the same, then they are the same!" Su Qing shrugged.
Hearing this, Ao Yiyi was silent for a while, her brow furrowing slightly as she let out a sigh. "Sometimes I feel that Sister Su's thinking is truly unique."
"Unique? Hahaha, not really. I've just learned to be more open-minded," Su Qing said, shaking her head. "After all, if you don't look at things more openly, life becomes very difficult."
Over the years, Su Qing had come to understand many things. In the past, she had been somewhat able to pick things up but unable to put them down; now, she was gradually becoming someone who could do both. As time slowly passed, there would be more and more things she would need to let go of in the future. At the same time, she felt she needed to learn to be a bit more detached. Just a little bit would be enough; she never intended to become a person completely devoid of emotion.
Su Qing's thoughts drifted further away as her Somersault Cloud flew into the distance. Soon, they returned to that seaside.
On the other side, the Su Qing in the Northern Continent arrived at the study. However, she hadn't come here today for work. She had something else to attend to.
"The Sovereign is going out for a while?" Liu Xixi asked with a hint of curiosity. "Why?"
"There are some very important things to do. If I don't handle them properly during this time, I might regret it for the rest of my life. So... I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you for a while."
Su Qing gave a shallow smile as she answered. She didn't want to mention the specifics of what she was going to do to Liu Xixi, as she didn't want the other woman to worry. Her words made Liu Xixi pause, then the latter smiled slightly. "I understand. In that case, the Sovereign isn't going to find Ao Ying and the others?"
"That's right. I'm not going to see them; I have other matters to attend to." Su Qing nodded without contradiction.
Liu Xixi nodded. "I see. Then Sovereign, please go ahead. I can handle things here."
In truth, Liu Xixi wouldn't stop Su Qing from going anywhere; she was simply curious. After all, she was just an employee, and how could an employee manage the boss's affairs too much?
Su Qing smiled and nodded. "Mhm, don't worry, it won't be long—just a few days."
"I am naturally at ease!" Liu Xixi nodded. "Actually, there was no need for the Sovereign to tell me all this."
"It's just a habit!" Su Qing stretched her limbs. "Alright, I'm off! Don't be too much of a workaholic; if you can't finish everything, just leave it for when I get back and we'll handle it together. Just like a few days ago when I went to see Ao Ying and the others."
"Mhm, I will." Liu Xixi no longer insisted on that point and simply nodded in response.
Su Qing laughed, then departed on a cloud. The destination of this trip was, without surprise, the Women's Kingdom.
As for the reason she was going there... it was time for Bai Yuhe to abdicate and leave the mortal realm with her! Bai Yuhe was getting older. Although she still looked very young and remained as beautiful as ever, that was merely the effect of the Youth-Preserving Pill. In just a few more years, her physical health would decline rapidly. After all, a Youth-Preserving Pill was just that; it was not a true longevity pill.
While the pill could help her maintain her body and appearance, it could not extend her lifespan. Once she reached the limit of the pill and her allotted lifespan, she would still die. Therefore, if she didn't leave with Su Qing now, she would likely die in the mortal world. When that time came, Su Qing would have to go looking for her reincarnation yet again. Thus, she no longer planned to wait for her to train a new queen and intended to take her away directly.
Su Qing's Somersault Cloud was incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, she had already arrived above the Women's Kingdom. This time, she didn't look at the changes in the kingdom over the years; she was tired of seeing them anyway.
She descended into the imperial palace. At this moment, Bai Yuhe was in the palace, frustratedly scolding the new queen, who was already over thirty years old. It seemed that even now, she was still somewhat dissatisfied with the woman. She didn't even immediately notice Su Qing's arrival.
But was she truly dissatisfied? No... it was just that her expectations for the woman were too high, combined with her inability to let go of the country. In the end, it wasn't that the woman was incompetent; it was simply that Bai Yuhe couldn't let go.
"Ahem!" Su Qing gave a light cough to announce her presence.
Bai Yuhe heard the sound and finally snapped back to reality. She let out a long sigh and said, "You've come. If I remember correctly, you said last month that today... you would come to take me away, right?"
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