One of my fairy-like friends

These must be fairies too, but they seem to have never seen a man before, and they get shy so easily.

Mingyan withdrew his gaze, walked to the front door, hesitated for a moment, and then pushed open the door with both hands.

Behind the door was a magnificent palace, but there was no one there. Mingyan went inside and saw several maids resting there. When they saw him, they hid like the maids outside.

Mingyan stood in the hall and waited for a while. Suddenly, a female voice came from the inner side. It was a little muffled, but still audible.

"Come in."

Is it the Demon King Bai Ze?

Mingyan went further in, and beyond the main hall was another palace. At the very top of the palace, a woman leaned back lazily, a faint smile on her face. "You've finally arrived."

She did not conceal her figure or features, and presented herself to Mingyan in this way. She was wearing an elegant white dress, with something shimmering on the fabric, like stars in the night sky, quite dazzling and very beautiful.

Her facial features were also extremely well-proportioned, making her appear very elegant and exuding a strong sense of maturity. Every smile and frown of hers could captivate people.

But who is Mingyan? He has seen his master's true face, his sister, and even Empress Qingzi. He is not so easily swayed.

"This junior pays respects to the Demon King Bai Ze," Ming Yan said, bowing his head and speaking softly.

"No need for formalities." The Demon King smiled coolly. "I once met your master and marveled at the time that your master was a goddess who could reach the heavens. If she had not been born in this era, she might have been able to recreate the splendor of the Moon Shadow Empress. Her disciple is also a handsome and powerful person. I did not misjudge her."

Mingyan lowered his head and remained silent.

“I know you have many questions, such as why Feng Shiyi appeared by your side... and what exactly is Feng Shiyi's identity…” The Demon King slowly stood up, walked down the steps, and stood in front of Ming Yan. “Before answering your questions, I need to say a few things.”

“I’ve known of your existence since you were born. You were born in Sun and Moon Village and adopted by the village chief, Ming Zhong,” said Demon King Bai Ze. “What would you think if I told you that I watched you grow up?”

Mingyan frowned and looked at the Demon King Bai Ze, wondering what she meant by those words.

Chapter Fifty-Four: Feng Shiyi's Identity

Sure enough, Bai Ze had been paying attention to him for a long time...

“I know clearly that you have the Human King Physique.” Bai Ze did not stop walking. She circled around Ming Yan, moving her plump legs under her skirt, and a faint fragrance wafted from her body. “I have seen some things about your destiny. Perhaps you already know. I once told Gu Han Shuang that she would become your Daoist partner. I also said the same thing to Mu Dan.”

Mingyan raised an eyebrow slightly. "You're a professional matchmaker, aren't you?"

"Did the senior see my future?"

"To be precise, I saw some fragments of your future." Bai Ze finally stopped, placed her jade hand on Ming Yan's shoulder, and chuckled, "But I saw two completely different futures. One is that you die and disappear, and the other is that you survive."

“These two futures are not just about your life; they will lead to completely different futures, taking two different paths.” Bai Ze lowered his hand, walked up to Ming Yan, and smiled. “And obviously, I don’t want you to die.”

Ming Yan asked, "Senior, are you so certain that what you saw as the 'future' is correct?"

Bai Ze smiled and said, "This is the future I see. Whether it is correct or not depends on what we do now. There is nothing absolute in this world. What I said to Gu Hanshuang and Mudan was not a 'prophecy,' but a vision of the future that I saw."

"The only way to verify whether the future I see is correct is to wait for the future to arrive. But if it does arrive, it will be too late to change it."

“So, just in case, I want you to move towards the correct future that I see, a future in which you will survive.” Bai Ze paused for a moment, then continued, “And your survival is of paramount importance.”

Mingyan suddenly remembered the dream his senior sister had had many times, which she had told him about.

In that incredibly realistic dream, he died, his master died, Empress Qingzi died, and his sister Wang Qingchu withered away in front of his grave.

The older sister is a fully grown adult, and she has emphasized several times that she has already saved the world. Now, she cares about nothing but him, her only family member.

If I die, my sister won't save the world. She'll most likely either stay by my grave or accompany me in death, just like my senior sister dreamed.

With the loss of Empress Qingzi and the loss of her elder sister, who possessed the body of a fully grown adult, is there truly any hope for humanity and the demon race?

This dark upheaval is different from the past, my sister said. When she met Empress Qingzi before, the empress also said that he needed to be prepared.

The Empress must have discerned his physique, and thus knew her own growth ceiling...

His death itself may not have meant much, but its impact was enormous.

"I will not die," Mingyan said.

“Then we need to make sure you don’t go down the wrong path.” Bai Ze smiled and said, “In the two futures I see, the two endings of you are clearly different.”

"In the death ending, you are only accompanied by your senior sister and a strange woman."

"And another thing is that you have many women around you, including Gu Hanshuang and Yu Mudan."

"I don't know where these two future paths will diverge, but I think my relationship with them might be key."

"Huh?" Mingyan didn't understand. In the death ending, he had his senior sister by his side, as well as another unfamiliar woman, who should be referring to his sister Wang Qingchu.

And if he survives, he'll be surrounded by many women? Mingyan was taken aback.

"Moreover, these women have very close relationships with you. Some are definitely your Dao partners, while others seem to have a more subtle relationship with you, which I cannot confirm." Bai Ze smiled and said, "Those who are definitely your Dao partners are... Gu Hanshuang, Mudan, and even... Feng Shiyi, including Huang Feiyan, who came with you."

Upon hearing this, Ming Yan asked, almost as if possessed, "Is Ning Feixuan there?"

After asking, Mingyan came to his senses; Bai Ze might not even recognize Ning Feixuan...

"Are you referring to the Holy Maiden of Yaochi? I don't recall seeing her in those future scenes." Bai Ze shook his head. She actually knew Ning Feixuan, but didn't she?

Mingyan lowered his head, unsure of what to feel. He then recalled what Bai Ze had said earlier: Gu Hanshuang... Yu Mudan and Feng Shiyi—would these people become his Daoist partners? Judging from Bai Ze's words, it seemed he had more than just these Daoist partners?

Mingyan was somewhat surprised. Could this be? Isn't it supposed to be a lifelong commitment to one person? How come there are so many Daoist partners?

And what the heck is Feng Shiyi...?

"So, senior, could you tell me Feng Shiyi's identity?"

"Of course, I wonder how much you know about Empress Qingzi?" Bai Ze stood with his hands behind his back, his black hair coiled behind his head, adorned with various small decorations, making him look gorgeous and noble.

"I don't know much..." How could he know anything about an extreme female emperor? If it were his sister Wang Qingchu, then he would know more, because he knew what Wang Qingchu tasted like.

"Empress Qingzi attained the Dao and became an emperor more than 1,500 years ago. Before she became famous, she was extremely low-key. She was a rogue cultivator who used many identities. The most widely circulated story is that her name is Ji Qingzi, but that is not actually the case. The empress's real name is Feng Shiyi."

Mingyan's eyes widened upon hearing this. "Wait... what does that mean?!"

"The Feng Shiyi beside you is the Empress herself." Bai Ze smiled, her tone calm, seemingly unaware of how frightening her words were.

"...Are you sure?! The Empress has descended before, I've seen her. I know Feng Shiyi is extraordinary, but you're saying she's the Empress herself, this..." Ming Yan couldn't quite believe it. If Feng Shiyi really was the Empress, how could she behave like this in front of him?

If Mingyan were to judge, then the woman who exuded majesty and possessed the supreme imperial aura was definitely the Empress. Feng Shiyi didn't seem like an Empress at all, even though her physical body was indeed extraordinary.

"Whether you believe her or not is entirely up to you." Bai Ze's smile remained unchanged. "I have already told you her identity, and you cannot send her here. I cannot let her stay here. She must stay by your side. This is the Empress's own will, and it is not something I can control."

“…” Ming Yan fell silent. What was all this? What was going on?

"Stay here for a while. Something big is about to happen in Nanzhou, and I'm sure you don't want to miss it." Bai Ze chuckled and patted Ming Yan's shoulder. "Try to get along with Mudan. I'm not saying you and Mudan have to be together. After all, although I see that kind of future, there's nothing to prove that Mudan is the choice you made at the crossroads. Of course, I still hope you two are together, because that would be more secure."

Chapter 55 I'm Not That Kind of Person

Mingyan stood at the entrance of Bai Ze's main hall, pondering Bai Ze's words, unable to process them for a moment.

Feng Shiyi is an empress, so who was the person who appeared before him with the supreme imperial aura that he had seen before?

What about the future...

How could he have so many Daoist partners? This was something Mingyan found hard to understand; he didn't seem like that kind of person, did he?

How could this be?

And then there's Feiyan... This is so weird. I'm just friends with Feiyan.

Mingyan let out a sigh of relief. The future... is this really what the future looks like?

Bai Ze knew that he possessed the Human King Physique, and although Ming Yan did not show it, he was actually extremely surprised.

Mingyan had never told anyone he didn't trust about the Human King Body.

Only the Yaochi Huang family, Master, Senior Sister, and Sister Wang Qingchu knew about this; Bai Ze would never have known about it.

Moreover, after she revealed Mingyan's background, Mingyan almost believed Bai Ze's words...

She may very well have actually seen those two futures.

Of course, we can't completely believe her just because she knows about her past and told a few truths...

Mingyan remained silent for a while, then used the Yin-Yang Heart-to-Heart Pendant to contact Yue Wuxia and tell his master about his trip.

"..." Yue Wuxia paused for a moment, then said, "Bai Ze should not lie about Empress Qingzi. She is definitely not stupid enough to fabricate the lie of the Supreme Emperor. Every time we think of the Empress, she can feel it. As for your future, I don't know."

“My senior sister had a similar dream before. In the dream, Master would leave us, and my sister Wang Qingchu would wither and die in front of my grave. Master, I think the bad ending and bad future that Bai Ze mentioned is entirely possible.” Ming Yan said, “But I can’t quite understand the good future she mentioned.”

"Because of the fact that you have many Daoist partners?" Yue Wuxia's tone was somewhat subtle.

“I guess so…” Mingyan said, “This seems to be quite different from the self I know.”

"Do you really understand yourself?" Yue Wuxia asked calmly.

"..."

“The Empress thing is unlikely to be false. In the future where you survive, Feng Shiyi is also your Daoist partner. If Feng Shiyi is indeed the Empress, then Bai Ze would certainly not dare to speak recklessly. So it is possible that it is true. Whether you believe it or not depends on your own judgment.” Yue Wuxia’s tone softened slightly. “Moreover, the future is not necessarily limited to these two. Just focus on being yourself.”

Mingyan nodded. "Thank you for clearing up my doubts, Master. Oh, there's something else I need to tell you, Master. I forgot to mention it before. My sister wants to meet you, Master."

"See me?" Yue Wuxia frowned slightly. "That senior lady from Yaochi?"

"Well, if Master has time... well, if Master doesn't want to go, you don't have to. I'll explain to my sister." Mingyan didn't want his words to put his master in a difficult position. What if his master didn't want to go?

"No need, I will go to Yaochi." Yue Wuxia thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "If you encounter any problems, remember to notify me immediately."

"I understand." Mingyan nodded. He could see his master's figure, and a faint infatuation appeared deep in his eyes.

Mingyan found that his infatuation with his master was growing deeper and deeper, but precisely because of this, he needed to hide it well, always feeling that it wouldn't be a good thing if his master found out.

After the two lost contact, Mingyan went to find Huang Feiyan and the others.

Feng Shiyi was naturally with Huang Feiyan, and Yu Mudan was also there.

Seeing Yu Mudan's veiled face, Mingyan felt a strange unease, because in the future where he had survived, Yu Mudan had become his Daoist partner...

Mingyan shook his head, banishing these distracting thoughts, and looked at Feng Shiyi.

When Feng Shiyi saw Mingyan approaching, she immediately rushed over, hugged him, and pouted pitifully, "Mingyan..."

Looking back now, it's a bit strange that Feng Shiyi mentioned "her" countless times, but never specifically named Bai Ze.

The empress who briefly appeared might also be an empress, and the Feng Shiyi before us could very well be an empress as well...

Two empresses?

On the way here, Mingyan thought about it carefully and concluded that it was very likely that Feng Shiyi was a part of the Empress who had been separated.

Otherwise, it's hard to explain why the empress who attained enlightenment and became emperor would be such a crybaby...