Leaving

Su Qing merely shook her head slightly.

Her eyes revealed a sense of helplessness.

She felt both annoyed and amused.

The four little ones had never really grasped the concept of life and death.

Perhaps for their peanut-sized brains, understanding such things was indeed a bit difficult?

Su Qing said helplessly, "Tell them not to disturb Su Qianxue's eternal rest! If they don't listen... then tell them they won't have any snacks tomorrow."

Leng Xiang nodded upon hearing this, then turned and left.

Su Qing, meanwhile, continued to drink her wine, waiting for the sunrise.

Soon, Leng Xiang returned.

She stayed with Su Qing in the room all night.

She only knew those few comforting words... and in the end, still didn't know how to properly console her.

So, she could only stay by her master's side.

The next morning.

Su Qing watched the sunrise, exhaling a deep breath.

The sorrow of yesterday, Su Qing had already buried deep within.

Watching the two children busy themselves, she didn't step in to help.

They would have more to do in the future... so these small matters could be left to them.

Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.

Su Qing also didn't leave, but stayed at home, observing the funeral.

However, even though it was called a 'joyful funeral,' a faint sadness still permeated the ceremony.

This was unavoidable.

Matters of life and death are always heavy.

In the eyes of ordinary people, even smiling at a funeral would be a great disrespect to the deceased.

Even a joyful funeral couldn't truly be as festive and celebratory as a wedding.

Soon, it was the day of the burial.

It was drizzling today.

The pattering rain made the muddy path somewhat slippery.

Fortunately, the pallbearers were already accustomed to various situations.

They steadily carried the coffin towards the graveyard.

Su Qing held an oil-paper umbrella, following at the very end of the procession.

Apart from Su Lian and Su Yu, no one present recognized her anymore.

Those who knew her with this appearance... were now all in their graves.

Many of them she had personally seen off.

Soon, the procession arrived at the graveyard.

Su Qing stood at the very back, watching Su Qianxue's body being placed into the grave, without any particular expression.

Leng Xiang stood by Su Qing's side, merely saying that it was Su Qianxue's old body, and the true Su Qianxue had already reincarnated.

Su Qing nodded slightly; she naturally understood these principles.

At this moment, she was no longer as sad as she had been that day; she was only here to personally witness Su Qianxue's burial.

Moreover... if Su Qianxue in the next life had no memories of this life, would she truly still be considered the same person?

This was also a question worth discussing.

However, Su Qing didn't want to delve deeply into this question...

Because it was meaningless... it would only increase her sorrow.

The coffin entered the grave.

Before long, only a stone tombstone and a small mound of earth remained at the spot.

The tombstone recounted Su Qianxue's life...

And the epitaph was written by Su Qing herself.

It served as a small memorial.

After the funeral procession concluded, Su Qing closed her oil-paper umbrella.

She merely said faintly, "The rain has stopped, let's go back!"

Leng Xiang nodded, then followed Su Qing as she turned and vanished from the spot.

After Su Lian and Su Yu finished everything, they offered incense and kowtowed before the grave.

They then turned to look for Su Qing, only to find that Su Qing, who had been following at the very end, was now nowhere to be seen.

"Sister, did Grandma go back?"

"Probably! Well, everything's over... let's go back too!"

Su Lian patted her sister's shoulder, looked at the people who were gradually walking away, and said:

"Now that Second Grandma has left... soon, First Grandma will also leave us. Let's spend these days well with her."

"Is Grandma still planning to leave?"

"First Grandma's lifespan is unknown, and we are just mortals, with only a few decades of life."

Su Lian sighed and said:

"You wouldn't want First Grandma to see us grow old and eventually die, would you? First Grandma has seen Second Grandma off, does she have to personally see us off in the future too? No, thinking about something like that is just too painful."

Su Yu looked at the clearing sky and sighed softly.

How could she not understand the reasoning?

But what good was understanding more truths?

"It's just, I can't bear to part with her!"

"I can't bear it either, but we can't let First Grandma be sad again."

Su Lian was also reluctant, but they couldn't stop Su Qing from leaving.

Su Qing was a demon, they were just mortals, how could they stop Su Qing?

"Let's go, let's go home!" Su Lian shook her head and walked towards their home.

The rain stopped, and the sky cleared.

The Su Lian sisters returned home.

They prepared to spend time with Su Qing, but did not see Su Qing sunbathing in the courtyard.

They only found a farewell letter on the table.

The two sat together, read the letter, and couldn't help but burst into tears...

Su Qing had actually left without saying goodbye like this.

The letter was long, filled with Su Qing's final arrangements and some words she wanted to say to the two of them.

"I'm leaving, don't worry!"

"I originally wanted to say a proper goodbye, but after much thought, it's better to leave without saying farewell, to spare us more sadness."

"Leaving this letter is also to tell you a few things, and incidentally, to say goodbye."

"In a few days, you can bury 'me' too!"

"I left a snakeskin in my room."

"I used a transformation spell to make that snakeskin look like me after death; you can use it as my remains for burial then!"

"After all, the neighbors don't know I'm not human. If I were to disappear, it would inevitably arouse suspicion. It would cause you unnecessary trouble."

"The snakeskin's transformation spell will only last for thirty days; once the magic is exhausted, it will revert to its original form."

"So, do it quickly, don't delay too much."

"..."

"Finally, Wang Chuan Tang is entrusted to you; from now on, you will be the second proprietors of Wang Chuan Tang."

"I hope... when I return to revisit this place in the future, I can see that Wang Chuan Tang is still here, and still bears the name Su!"

"Alright, I won't say more."

"Take care."

Although Su Lian and Su Yu were somewhat sad, First Grandma hadn't died; she had merely left...

The two of them didn't wail or lament; they just cried silently for a while, then wiped away their tears and began making preparations according to Su Qing's arrangements.

Outside Huai County.

Leng Xiang asked, "Master, are you truly not going to say goodbye to them?"

"No, no, leaving a letter is enough. What's wrong? Are you reluctant to leave too, Leng Xiang?" Su Qing asked.

"It's not that I'm reluctant, it just feels a bit unlike Master."

"People always change! Besides, saying goodbye in person would only add to the sadness, wouldn't it?" Su Qing said with a helpless smile.

Leng Xiang paused for a moment, nodded slightly, and then asked, "Then, Master, where are we going next?"

Su Qing looked at the white clouds in the sky, poked the Fatty on her shoulder, and said:

"Let me think... why don't we go back to Flower-Fruit Mountain? It's a good chance for me to see how the Stone Monkey has been doing after all these decades."

Actually, Su Qing also wanted to see.

After all these years...

If the Stone Monkey had left Flower-Fruit Mountain to seek tutelage from Patriarch Bodhi in Xi He Niu Zhou.