That night.
Su Qing didn't sleep well.
She wasn't sure if Bai Suzhen had developed an addiction to clinging, or if it was something else…
When she slept that night, the girl's tail remained tightly wrapped around her thigh.
What was worse, though.
The girl was sleeping soundly! So deeply, in fact, that she couldn't be woken.
However, that wasn't the worst part.
The absolute worst was this:
Unable to sleep, her thoughts drifted, and she recalled the evening's events in the bathroom.
And because of that memory, she inadvertently thought of something even more troublesome.
In an instant, her mind was filled with impure thoughts.
It took quite a while, chanting a Clear Heart Incantation, to drive those defiling thoughts from her mind.
She was utterly consumed by regret…
Why had she been so curious?
Why, with nothing else to do, did she have to pull out the farewell gift from the Dragon Queen and look through it for amusement…
Perhaps… the saying 'curiosity killed the cat' really applied to situations like this.
Fortunately, however.
The night passed rather peacefully, without any unexpected incidents.
It was just that Su Qing on the second day was a little lacking in energy.
After all, not sleeping well all night naturally meant her spirits were low.
The next morning.
After Su Qing had eaten breakfast.
She bid farewell to Bai Suzhen.
This time, Bai Suzhen didn't cling to Su Qing, urging her to stay…
Because she knew there was a limit to how far one could push their luck… staying one extra night was already pushing it.
Though reluctant to part, she knew she had to.
“Big Sister Xiao Qing… see you next year.”
Bai Suzhen smiled as she said goodbye to Su Qing, watching her leave the small hut.
On her way back to the Old Mother's Hall, Su Qing looked at the rising sun and couldn't help but smile, thinking:
“Why do I feel like the legendary Cowherd, only meeting someone once a year?”
However.
While it was indeed a once-a-year meeting, she was different from the legendary Cowherd and Weaver Girl.
She certainly had no mythical Magpie Bridge…
Soon, Su Qing left the bamboo grove and once again arrived outside the side hall of the Old Mother's Hall.
No sooner had Su Qing arrived than she saw the little Daoist boy waiting for her.
And he was holding a few mochi balls in his arms.
“You've gone to a lot of trouble,” Su Qing said upon seeing this. “It must be heavy, right?”
The little Daoist boy heard her words, shook his head slightly, and said:
“It's not that heavy, really. It's much lighter than the stone blocks Master makes me lift when I make a mistake.”
Hearing this, the little sparrows immediately seemed to find a kindred spirit.
They all began to praise the little Daoist boy.
As if they had never had any disagreements before.
Su Qing's lips twitched slightly as she listened to the little Daoist boy's comparison…
Especially when she heard the little sparrows praising the little Daoist boy because of his words, her lips twitched even more intensely.
“Then you must be quite strong,” Su Qing mused, speaking casually.
“Hmm… just average, I guess,” the little Daoist boy tilted his head and replied with a smile. “Alright, Master is already waiting for you inside, hurry up and go! Oh, right, leave the sword here.”
Su Qing knew the rules… so she took Leng Xiang off and placed it in the little Daoist boy's hand.
However, Su Qing felt a little strange.
Why was this one even too lazy to transform into human form?
Previously, she would always revert to human form immediately after leaving Su Qing's hair.
What was going on today?
Had something happened?
Su Qing pondered, and couldn't help but perform a quick divination…
But the result revealed that Leng Xiang was fine… completely out of danger.
This made Su Qing frown, her gaze falling upon the Cold Fragrance Sword…
Seeing the plum blossoms on the Cold Fragrance Sword still intact, she felt relieved.
She decided to ask her what happened later.
Entering the side hall.
The Old Mother was smiling as she looked at Su Qing.
Seeing that she hadn't slept well all night, she couldn't help but say, “It looks like you were up very late last night, little one? Or did you not sleep at all?”
“I slept for a little while, but not well,” Su Qing shook her head and replied.
Hearing this, the Old Mother's folding fan snapped open in her hand, and she then used it to cover her smile.
“Is that so? Well, children must learn to be moderate. You shouldn't overexert yourself.”
“……???”
Su Qing wore a bewildered expression, somewhat unsure what the Old Mother was talking about.
However, the Old Mother apparently had no intention of explaining herself.
She merely said, “Little one, after you return to the Changbai Mountains this time, you must strive to be a proper immortal. Collecting incense power is a long and arduous task; remember not to resort to crooked ways!”
Hearing this, Su Qing didn't inquire about the previous words, but instead nodded earnestly.
“This junior will bear your teachings in mind.”
“Good, that's good! Now, you may return. You can come see that girl again next year.”
The Old Mother smiled slightly, her folding fan closing, and a moment later, she transformed into a wisp of green smoke and vanished.
Seeing this, Su Qing bid farewell to the Old Mother's statue.
Then she turned and left the side hall.
When the little Daoist boy saw Su Qing return.
He naturally returned the little sparrows and the Cold Fragrance Sword to Su Qing.
“Here, they're yours.”
“Thank you.”
Su Qing thanked him, then reinserted the Cold Fragrance Sword into her hair bun, while cradling the little sparrows in her arms.
“No need to thank me~”
The little Daoist boy shook his head, then said:
“Um… Big Green Snake, could you bring me some Osmanthus Cake next year? I'm craving Osmanthus Cake. Can you?”
“Of course, no problem. I'll bring it for you next year,” Su Qing promised.
“Yay! Thank you, Big Green Snake!”
The little Daoist boy's face immediately lit up with a beaming smile, and he then waved goodbye to Su Qing.
After bidding farewell to the little Daoist boy, Su Qing formed a hand seal and chanted a True Word Incantation.
Instantly, a crimson auspicious cloud rose beneath her feet, carrying her towards the Changbai Mountains.
On the Somersault Cloud, Su Qing touched the hairpin in her hair and asked:
“Leng Xiang… why were you silent all day yesterday?”
“……” Leng Xiang sighed deeply and said, “Master… it's not that I didn't want to speak, it's just that I couldn't.”
After leaving Li Shan Mount Li, Leng Xiang, who had been silenced for an entire day, was finally able to speak again…
Being cooped up for a whole day had truly driven her crazy.
“Oh? Couldn't speak? What happened? Could it be that the previous spell malfunctioned?” Su Qing raised an eyebrow slightly and asked.
“No, it wasn't that…”
Leng Xiang sighed again, her tone slightly resentful as she said:
“It was that little Daoist boy…”
“She cast a Silence Curse and a Confinement Curse on my sword body.”
“It made me unable to speak or even call upon my spiritual power for the entire day yesterday.”
“I couldn't even… see anything outside.”
“She kept me confined for a whole day.”
Su Qing was stunned upon hearing this, then asked, “It was really that little Daoist boy?”
“Of course it was her… she even told me when she cast the spell on me.”
Leng Xiang said helplessly:
“Although that Daoist boy looks very young, his power is terrifying. After he cast the spell on me, I spent an entire day unable to break through it, and it only automatically lifted after we left Li Shan Mount Li.”
Su Qing heard this and rubbed her chin…
While she felt a little surprised, she wasn't entirely taken aback.
After all, he was a Daoist boy who served by the Old Mother's side.
How could he possibly be a simple being?
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