Ayu stood outside Qiming Palace, gazing in the direction Bajie and A-Hu had gone.
Two streaks of cloud light, one behind the other, soon vanished into the Cloud Sea, disappearing from sight.
She lowered her hand, turned, and headed away.
After a few steps, she stopped again.
To the left was a white jade bridge; to the right stood several tiers of golden palace gates.
Ayu looked left, then right.
"Huh?"
She remembered seeming to pass a white jade bridge on her way here.
But had that bridge been above or below?
Ayu furrowed her brow and thought hard for a while.
"It should be this way..."
She took a few steps to the left, then felt something was wrong again.
She had come from that direction. Now that she was returning to Doushuai Palace, shouldn't she go the opposite way?
Ayu turned around and returned to the palace entrance.
Seeing her return, the guard at the gate hurriedly bowed.
"Fairy, is there anything else you need?"
Ayu hastily waved her hands.
"No, no!"
She stepped aside a little and looked up at the cloud paths again.
Seeing that she lingered, the guard did not dare urge her to leave.
After a while, Ayu finally gave a soft cough.
"Um... fellow immortal."
"Please speak, Fairy."
"I wanted to ask..."
She lowered her voice and glanced behind her. Only after making sure Tiger Sister and the others were long gone did she ask quietly:
"How do I get to Doushuai Palace?"
The guard froze for a moment.
"Doushuai Palace?"
"Yes."
"Didn't you come from Doushuai Palace, Fairy?"
Ayu mumbled, "My master worries I'll get lost... he usually doesn't let me go out alone..."
The guard looked at her, momentarily at a loss for words.
After a while, he cupped his hands.