One of my fairy-like friends

“That’s right, my master is one of the demon kings of the Southern Continent.” Yu Mudan nodded.

"...Your master is Bai Ze?" Ming Yan was taken aback.

Yu Mudan smiled demurely, "It is indeed my master."

Bai Ze lives on the sacred mountain of the demon race, namely Lijing Mountain, which is also Ming Yan's destination on this trip.

And Mount Lijing is the mountain that Master mentioned.

Chapter 44 Jade Peony, United in Heart 15/30

To ascend the sacred mountain of the demon race, one must have a deep friendship with the demon race and obtain the permission of the demon king Bai Ze. Only in this way can one personally obtain the crystal that the master mentioned.

But if Bai Ze had a good enough personal relationship with Yu Mudan, would he allow him to ascend the sacred mountain?

Seeing Mingyan deep in thought, Yu Mudan maintained her smile and didn't disturb him. Although she didn't understand why Mingyan had suddenly changed his mind, it was a good thing for her. As long as Mingyan was on her side, over time... Gu Hanshuang would eventually stand against Mingyan, and ultimately, Gu Hanshuang would become their common enemy...

At that time, she wouldn't need to do anything; Mingyan would naturally become an enemy of Gu Hanshuang.

Of course, if she and Mingyan really become friends during this process, that's fine too. Yu Mudan doesn't object. Isn't it better to have more friends than more enemies?

Ming Yan originally did not want to get involved in the entanglement between Yu Mudan and Gu Hanshuang. It had nothing to do with him, and these two were too strong, which would likely cause a lot of trouble.

But if it's for his master... under normal circumstances, gaining the approval of the demon race would probably take a long time, not something that can be done in a short time.

But Bai Ze is the demon king who guards the sacred mountain, and Yu Mudan is her personal disciple. So as long as he has a good relationship with Yu Mudan, it is actually possible for him to go up the mountain to obtain that kind of crystal.

After thinking it over, Mingyan finally made a decision.

Master has done so much for me, so I should do something in return.

Master said that if he wanted that kind of thing, he would definitely get it.

Seeing Ming Yan's eyes harden, Yu Mudan smiled and said, "Trust me, I won't embarrass Brother Ming. Since Brother Ming is going to the Holy Mountain, I will accompany you on this trip."

Since Yu Mudan's master is Bai Ze, and Feng Shiyi was sent by Bai Ze, it's no surprise that Yu Mudan knew she was going to the Holy Mountain.

Mingyan didn't seem very proactive. Judging from the current situation, although Yu Mudan said she was just making sure he wouldn't side with Gu Hanshuang, deep down she was definitely thinking that she could cooperate with him to target Gu Hanshuang.

Therefore, under these circumstances, Yu Mudan would definitely take the initiative to get closer to her in order to ensure that she would stand by her side and even help her deal with Gu Hanshuang.

Mingyan doesn't need to be too proactive. Being too proactive might not only arouse Yu Mudan's suspicion and make her doubt her motives, but it might also make Yu Mudan feel that if Mingyan is too proactive, she doesn't need to be so proactive. In the end, it might even be that he is the one who has to go to great lengths to become friends with Yu Mudan.

Not only was that difficult, but it also threw away the real initiative between the two of them. Mingyan is not stupid.

So the best course of action right now is to maintain this relationship, a lukewarm one, and then, after Yu Mudan has made some sacrifices, give her some appropriate compensation.

Thinking about it this way, I realized that I was actually using the Jade Peony to get what I wanted.

She wanted to use him, and he wanted to use her... Can two people who use each other really become friends?

Mingyan sighed inwardly. If it weren't for his master, he wouldn't have been willing to do this. But with his master as an excuse, could he still fall into depravity?

To be frank, I'm not exactly a noble person myself.

Mingyan put aside his own thoughts and nodded, "Thank you, Fairy Yu."

Seeing Ming Yan's indifferent expression, Yu Mudan couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Someone who knew her identity was begging her to be friends, but this guy just acted like he didn't care.

But there's no other way; Mingyan is special, so to ensure he's by my side, this is the only option. Hopefully, this guy isn't difficult to get along with...

Huang Feiyan had no idea what the two had talked about. Yu Mudan was still wearing a veil, so she could only see the expression on Mingyan's face. Mingyan's expression had changed. She was very curious about what Mingyan and Yu Mudan had talked about, but she didn't want to ask or disturb Mingyan. She could only sit there bored, propping her chin up and watching Mingyan's face.

Feng Shiyi remained silent. When no one else was around, she would speak to Mingyan on her own initiative, but if there were outsiders present, she rarely spoke to him. Instead, she would sit idly to the side, fiddling with the hem of his clothes.

Mingyan looked at Huang Feiyan and whispered to her, "Yu Mudan wants to travel with us."

Hearing this, Huang Feiyan snapped out of her daze, and felt a wave of frustration. However, she suppressed her emotions and asked, "Why does she want to travel with us?"

“We originally intended to send Feng Shiyi back to Bai Ze, who is Yu Mudan’s master,” Ming Yan said. “In addition, for some reasons, I may be planning to get involved in her and Gu Hanshuang’s affairs.”

"Hmm? Why did you suddenly change your mind?" Huang Feiyan was a little surprised. In fact, Huang Feiyan would not interfere with Mingyan's decisions, but this matter... involved Gu Hanshuang and Yu Mudan, two women, and both of them were extremely outstanding among women.

Of course she was willing to let Mingyan get involved. What if they got too close and something inappropriate happened... like feelings?

“…” Mingyan found it difficult to explain. After thinking for a moment, he said, “I have some considerations of my own.”

"...Since that's the case, I won't ask any more questions." Although she cared a lot, Huang Feiyan didn't want to embarrass Mingyan, so she ultimately gave up asking. She looked at Yu Mudan, feeling a tightness in her chest. Having Feng Shiyi was troublesome enough, and now Yu Mudan had appeared as well...

She sighed inwardly, but unfortunately, she couldn't say or do anything right now. Because she and Mingyan were friends, even if Mingyan developed feelings for other women, she could only watch helplessly.

Feixuan, you've really caused a lot of harm.

Mingyan got up and didn't linger. The four of them left the restaurant together. The city was very large and full of small teleportation arrays similar to those of the Huang family. They left Tongtian City and continued their journey towards the sacred mountain of the demon race, Lijing.

Although Mingyan knew that the destination of this trip was Yushan, he was not clear about the specific route. Now that Yu Mudan was with them, they had an extra person to help them find their way.

Yu Mudan was somewhat surprised after entering the carriage, not expecting that Ming Yan would actually have a Saint Lord-level carriage for transportation.

Before releasing the carriage, Mingyan asked Huang Feiyan about something. After all, this was Huang Feiyan's mother Huang Junru's carriage, and since her aunt wasn't around, he naturally had to ask Feiyan's opinion.

Huang Feiyan, of course, did not refuse. She was not such a petty person. Although she did not want Yu Mudan to travel with them, she would not refuse Yu Mudan from getting on the carriage.

Huang Feiyan arranged a room for Yu Mudan. There are now four rooms, three of which are available. Mingyan and Feng Shiyi did not move in. Although Huang Feiyan had her own room, she sat with Mingyan in the hall.

She was uneasy about letting the man she loved be alone with a stunningly beautiful woman. Although she was a gentleman, what if he suddenly had an epiphany one day? If that happened, Huang Feiyan hoped to be by Mingyan's side so she could stop him. Even if that didn't work out... she could always take matters into her own hands.

"It seems that Fairy Huang and Brother Ming have a very good personal relationship?"

Inside the room, Yu Mudan chuckled softly.

Huang Feiyan smiled and said, "My family all consider Mingyan as one of their own."

“I’ve heard that Mingyan seems to have helped the Huang family a lot.” Yu Mudan nodded gently. “It’s a good relationship, which is quite enviable.”

Seeing that she didn't react in any particular way to what she had said, Huang Feiyan felt somewhat relieved. The fact that the other party didn't react to her almost implying a close relationship with Mingyan meant that Yu Mudan definitely didn't have any romantic feelings for Mingyan. At least for now, she didn't have to worry.

Huang Feiyan didn't appear cold. She chatted with Yu Mudan for a while and then inquired about Feng Shiyi's situation. "Fairy Yu, may I ask? If Miss Feng was sent to Mingyan's side by your master, why did she do that?"

Yu Mudan gently shook her head, "I am not very clear about Master's thoughts... I dare not make wild guesses, but my Master has known about Ming Yan for a long time and thinks highly of him. He will definitely not do anything to harm him. Please do not worry about this, Fairy Huang."

What I'm worried about is your presence...

Huang Feiyan sighed inwardly, "If you weren't so devastatingly beautiful, who would worry about you..."

Chapter Forty-Five: Let's deal with your peach blossom luck.

"Can you tell me what the conflict is between you and Gu Hanshuang?" Mingyan asked on the way.

"It's just a competition to see who's better." Yu Mudan shook her head slightly and smiled, "Young Master Ming is very interested in the conflicts between women."

"It's just strange that you two are at odds and unwilling to reconcile," Mingyan said calmly.

“Everyone wants to prove they are the best, they always have to prove themselves. In the process of competing, we might forget why we started competing in the first place.” Yu Mudan looked away. “Does Young Master Ming know Gu Hanshuang’s identity?”

"Isn't she a holy maiden from a certain holy land in the Southern Continent?" Mingyan asked.

"She is the Holy Maiden of the Myriad Weapons Holy Land, and the lineage of the Myriad Weapons Holy Land... Young Master Ming first met Gu Hanshuang at Lijianfeng, right?" Yu Mudan smiled, her expression hidden behind her veil. "Have you heard of the legend of Lijianfeng?"

Upon hearing this, Ming Yan's heart stirred. There had been rumors that the Sword Edge had once been an imperial weapon of a certain supreme being, and at the time, there was also a saying that the emperor at that time seemed to have the surname Gu.

"The Sword of the Standing Edge is indeed an Imperial Weapon?" Ming Yan raised an eyebrow. "And Gu Hanshuang is a descendant of the owner of that Imperial Weapon?"

"To be precise, she is the daughter of the Emperor, the Emperor's own daughter," said Yu Mudan. "She does not belong to this era at all. She has been sealed away by that Emperor using supreme means until now, in order to allow her to avoid his suppression of the Great Dao, and then become an Emperor with her powerful talent."

"But in this life, with Empress Qingzi on the throne, even if Gu Hanshuang is a genius, she can't become an emperor, right?" Mingyan frowned and said. The Great Dao is ruthless in its suppression. Wasn't it the same for Empress Yueying and King Fengling back then? They were both top geniuses, but after Empress Yueying became an emperor, King Fengling could no longer become an emperor. Did these two not want to spend 20,000 years together?

In the end, the Wind Spirit King's lifespan was exhausted, and the Moon Shadow Empress was unwilling to live a second life, choosing instead to commit suicide for love.

The cruelty of the Great Dao's suppression has been proven over the long years. As long as Empress Qingzi is on the throne, Gu Hanshuang has no chance of becoming an emperor. Even if Empress Qingzi falls, it will take ten thousand years before Gu Hanshuang has a chance to become an emperor.

“She came to the wrong era,” Yu Mudan chuckled. “But she is also a genuine daughter of the Great Emperor, and her strength is incomparably formidable.”

"So, it seems that Fairy Yu is indeed a prodigy, capable of competing with the Emperor's own daughter," Ming Yan said. This Jade Peony has a mysterious origin. Although we know that her master is the disciple of the Demon King Bai Ze, her background is still a mystery.

She appears to be a flower fairy, yet she can rival the emperor's own daughter. Although she has always kept a low profile, her strength is beyond question.

What's even more terrifying is that, compared to the rather arrogant Gu Hanshuang, Yu Mudan's demeanor is even more frightening.

Someone like Gu Hanshuang probably wouldn't stoop to using any underhanded tactics, but Yu Mudan... well, that's another story.

Although it seems more comfortable to be with Yu Mudan than with Gu Hanshuang, to be honest, Mingyan doesn't really want to get too close to a woman like Yu Mudan unless absolutely necessary.

Who were the people around him before? They were all women like his older sister, senior sister, and master Fei Yan, who treated him extremely well. He instinctively resisted Yu Mudan.

However, if the master wants something and wants to obtain it in a relatively short period of time, this is the only way.

"It was just a lucky coincidence," Yu Mudan said casually.

Some kind of opportunity? Perhaps an incredibly great opportunity?

The two chatted, causing Huang Feiyan, who was standing nearby, to sigh repeatedly. Although she could hear what they were saying, she felt unable to join in, giving her a sense of helplessness, as if someone was trying to steal her away from her, and she couldn't do anything about it.

Although she knew there was no possibility between them, Huang Feiyan still felt an indescribable sadness. But she couldn't say anything, since their words hadn't crossed any lines. Besides, even if there had been some, what could she do? She was just Mingyan's friend, not his Daoist partner or wife.

So all she could do was sit and listen, watch, and do nothing.

"Did Fairy Yu grow up in the Southern Continent?" Mingyan asked.

“Hmm…” Jade Peony nodded. “You may have heard of me before. I used to be just an ordinary flower, a peony.”

Peonies are not uncommon in this world. Although they are less common than ordinary roadside wildflowers, they are by no means rare flowers, and they are far from being as unique as a tranquil half-moon.

A mere peony flower has now become a force to be reckoned with, capable of rivaling even the Emperor's own daughter. Mingyan sighed inwardly, thinking that no matter what, at least in this respect, Jade Peony was truly worthy of admiration.

"I also realize how difficult it has been for Fairy Jade to get to where she is now," Mingyan sighed.

"...Hehe, thank you." Yu Mudan smiled gently. "I was just lucky. Otherwise, I might have been dug up and used as an ornamental flower by now."

Although peonies are not uncommon, they are indeed extremely beautiful when in full bloom, exuding elegance and grace, and many people like to regard them as ornamental flowers.

Mingyan didn't know much about Yu Mudan, but Yu Mudan herself was quite elegant. In front of Mingyan, she was always elegant, graceful, and charming, rarely losing her composure.

Her brocade dress was very special; the upper part was elegant white, while the skirt gradually turned into a peach-pink color, making it very beautiful.

If this weren't a cultivation world, her beauty alone would be enough to make her famous throughout the land. But in this cultivation world, strength is more important than appearance. She's too low-key, so low-key that people only know there's a number one demon race member, but they don't know who that number one demon race member is.

Despite revealing her origins, she remains shrouded in mystery.

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With the presence of the Jade Peony, there is no need to worry about the direction of this journey.

Huang Junyi in the carriage did not speak to Ming Yan. Feng Shiyi had been eating and sleeping these past few days. To be honest, if it weren't for her special constitution, her figure would probably have changed long ago. She would not be as curvy and slim as she is now.