One of my fairy-like friends

"Then why are you always the one who resolves these incidents?"

"Since we're already here, what do you say?"

Chapter 247 Ordered to Pick Up Girls

Ming Huiyin went back. Ming Yan watched his mother's departing figure and sighed softly. He realized that he did have too many women around him and felt overwhelmed.

Overall, both her mother and sister seem to support her finding more women... While her sister might want more excitement and a faster cultivation boost, her mother seems to only care about the latter. She doesn't necessarily enjoy excitement; judging from her current attitude, she completely embodies the "I don't care about anyone but Yan'er" sentiment, and she doesn't even seem to care much about herself...

Mingyan shook his head, but since his mother thought he should first win over Yu Mudan and Gu Hanshuang, then he could be considered to be following orders to woo girls.

Without hesitation, Mingyan rushed to Yu Mudan's room. As soon as he arrived at the courtyard where Yu Mudan and Gu Hanshuang lived, he saw Yu Mudan standing in the corridor, staring intently at the phoenix statue in the sky. When Mingyan approached, Yu Mudan noticed the movement and her gaze swept over instantly. But when she realized it was Mingyan, Yu Mudan smiled.

"Mingyan, did you come to see me?"

"What else?" Mingyan smiled and said, "As far as I know, it seems that neither Han Shuang nor Senior Bai Ze are here."

"So, you specifically chose this time to come? Was your purpose to prevent Master and Gu Hanshuang from finding out?" Yu Mudan smiled, looking at Ming Yan with a hint of ambiguity in her tone.

Since their last conversation, Yu Mudan no longer tried to hide her feelings and openly expressed her affection for Ming Yan.

Yu Mudan believed she had concealed it well; after all, in her understanding, it was normal to fall for someone who was excellent in every way.

But Mingyan never believed Yu Mudan's performance from the beginning. Of course, on the surface, he had to pretend to be fooled by Yu Mudan. Otherwise, why would Yu Mudan jump into the pit on her own initiative?

One day, Yu Mudan will become the real deal, and by then, it will be too late for her to back out.

Mingyan smiled and said nothing, avoiding the question, but this attitude solidified Yu Mudan's resolve.

Yu Mudan smiled and said, "You have such a good relationship with the Huang family, you must know the story of the phoenix, right?"

Mingyan nodded. He not only knew, but Feiyan had also used the tactic of switching players at crucial moments before...

“I admire her greatly. As the last pure-blooded phoenix of the Phoenix Clan, she was able to attain the Dao and become an Emperor in such circumstances, and even created the Phoenix Clan,” Yu Mudan said. “It’s a pity that I can’t witness her splendor in person.”

Actually, it's not that you can't see her if you want to... but even if Phoenix knew someone admired her, she probably wouldn't react much, since in her time, there were countless people who worshipped and revered her...

However, your idol just happened to be...

Mingyan wondered if he would get beaten up if he said it. He had a mischievous thought in his mind and really wanted to say it to see Yu Mudan's reaction, but the mischievous thought was just a thought and Mingyan did not take any actual action.

“If you hadn’t been born in this era, perhaps you could have reached the pinnacle as well,” Mingyan said with a smile.

"Perhaps, but if I hadn't been born in this era, would I really have achieved what I have today?" Yu Mudan saw things very clearly. "What about you? I think you are more qualified than me to reach the pinnacle. Do you think it's a pity?"

"That's not my only pursuit," Ming Yan said with a smile, avoiding the question, after all, he truly was capable of reaching the pinnacle...

"I've always been curious about what your ambitions are," Yu Mudan said, smiling as she looked at Ming Yan with her hands behind her back. "I don't see any desire for dominance in you, even though your cultivation has improved far beyond my expectations..."

"My pursuit? Does fighting against invaders from other realms count?"

“Of course it counts.” Yu Mudan nodded with a smile. “What else?”

"I have a lot of things I want to do, but it would be too much trouble to list them all out," Mingyan said with a smile. "May I ask about your pursuit? Peony."

"My goal? To defeat Gu Hanshuang and make her apologize to me honestly." Yu Mudan smiled mischievously.

"That's all? No other ambitions?" Mingyan was somewhat surprised.

"Of course, I'm actually not very ambitious." Yu Mudan smiled. Ming Yan couldn't see through her thoughts, but he knew that she was probably just trying to fool him. Yu Mudan wanted to create the image of a "simple woman." She knew that in Ming Yan's mind, she was probably a scheming woman.

Ming Yan naturally went along with Yu Mudan's wishes, and he sighed softly, "I didn't expect your pursuit to be so simple..."

“It’s not that simple either. After all these years, I haven’t been able to achieve this goal, and I’m afraid it won’t be possible for a long time to come…” Yu Mudan shook her head and smiled, “There’s no guarantee that there will be another chance to achieve it in the future. After all, aren’t you going to mediate our relationship? No matter what the outcome is, for now, I’m still willing to listen to you. At least during the time you’re mediating, there won’t be any conflict with Gu Hanshuang. If you really succeed, then there’s no need to achieve this goal.”

“As an outsider, it’s really impossible for you to unconditionally forgive the other party…” Mingyan sighed softly.

"...Mingyan, I'm actually a little curious. Do you think the problem between me and Gu Hanshuang is mine or hers?" Yu Mudan paused for a moment and then suddenly asked.

"At this point, it seems irrelevant."

"That's true, but who do you think is right?" Yu Mudan asked with a smile.

Mingyan looked at Yu Mudan, remained silent for a moment, and then asked, "Do you want to hear the truth?"

"Of course, even if you say it's biased towards me but it's a lie, I won't be happy." Yu Mudan nodded.

“From a rational perspective, I would naturally lean towards balance, neither towards you nor towards her. But from an emotional perspective…” Mingyan glanced at Yu Mudan and said, “I lean more towards Han Shuang.”

When Yu Mudan asked the question, she already knew that Ming Yan wouldn't say he was biased towards her. After all, although she had some ambiguous contact with him, if Ming Yan, who had previously clearly favored Gu Hanshuang, suddenly switched sides, she would have to question his true motives. However, hearing Ming Yan say to her face that he was biased towards Gu Hanshuang, although Yu Mudan knew that Ming Yan should answer like this under normal circumstances, his directness still made her a little sad.

"Is that so..." Yu Mudan pursed her lips. "That's true. Someone as meticulous and complex as me is indeed less worthy of being trusted. I understand your thoughts..."

Mingyan could see that Yu Mudan was in low spirits. He hesitated for a moment and said, "However, recently, my opinion of you has changed somewhat."

"..." Yu Mudan raised her head to look at Ming Yan, a bitter smile in her eyes, "Are you trying to comfort me?"

“No, it’s because in my interactions with Han Shuang, I found her to be a very straightforward person. She speaks her mind directly, and I feel that such a person can’t hide her feelings. If it were truly her fault, I should have noticed it quickly.” Ming Yan shook his head. “But after spending some time with you, I also feel that you are very sincere... Indeed, your thoughts are more complex than Han Shuang’s, but that doesn’t directly prove that the mistake was yours…”

"Rather than that, I think the current situation was probably caused by some misunderstanding. It's not the fault of either of you, but rather a lack of communication that led to this hostile relationship," Mingyan shook his head.

Hearing the word "sincerity," Yu Mudan was somewhat surprised; she hadn't expected Ming Yan to use that word to describe herself.

She had been observing Mingyan's expression the whole time, but couldn't find any flaws in his face. It seemed that he really did think that way...

It seemed that her previous actions had had some effect, and thinking of this, Yu Mudan felt much happier.

"Thank you... thank you for believing in me." Yu Mudan pursed her lips and smiled, but the smile was somewhat bitter.

Chapter 248 The Jade Peony Wavered

"Do I need to thank you for something like this?" Mingyan shook his head.

"...You don't know...I've always been scheming since I was little. My conflict with Gu Hanshuang has lasted for so many years. Although my master has never said it, I know that she actually feels that I was the one who made the mistake back then, because she always hoped that I would take the initiative to go to Gu Hanshuang..." Yu Mudan sighed softly, "I hate this feeling, just because I usually hide my thoughts very well, so it's probably my fault..."

Mingyan sighed, "Your master definitely didn't mean that..."

Yu Mudan chuckled, "It doesn't matter anymore. I'm still very happy that you're willing to believe me... At least I haven't made a mistake in befriending you."

Mingyan scratched his head.

"Come in and have a seat," Yu Mudan said with a smile. "I feel bad having you standing here the whole time."

Mingyan laughed and said, "We are all cultivators, standing for a while won't do us any harm."

“But that would be impolite of me.” Yu Mudan made an inviting gesture, and Ming Yan smiled and nodded, following Yu Mudan into her room.

"Your aura seems stronger than when I last saw you. It seems you've gained something new during this time?" After welcoming Ming Yan in, Yu Mudan personally brewed him a cup of tea, and as she was about to put it down, she asked curiously.

Yu Mudan's cultivation level is lower than Ming Yan's, so it is impossible to discern Ming Yan's specific cultivation level.

"Well, I guess so. I've already arrived at Xuanji." Mingyan nodded.

Yu Mudan's hand holding the tea trembled, and a little tea spilled out. Although the tea was scalding hot, Yu Mudan was a cultivator at the Taiyi Realm, so she was naturally not injured.

She was utterly astonished. "Didn't you just break through to the Divine Sealing Realm? How did you become Xuanji?!"

This speed left Yu Mudan utterly bewildered. Even those young Great Emperors had to admit defeat before Ming Yan. What kind of speed was this?! Did he even want the other cultivators to survive?!

That is, in an era where the Great Dao is suppressed. If it were an era of heroes vying for supremacy without a Great Emperor, Mingyan could make all the geniuses of the time leave the stage with regret.

You should know that the mainstream holy sons and daughters have only just broken through to the Divine Palace level after several years of accumulation, and you, on the other hand, have already caught up with the cultivation level of the elders of those holy lands...

I'll give you some more time; even the Holy Land's Holy Lord isn't enough for you to defeat...

Yu Mudan put down her teacup. No, this can't go on... she had to win Mingyan over...

Previously, Yu Mudan wanted to win over Ming Yan because she felt that Ming Yan had the ability to influence the balance between her and Gu Hanshuang. After all, two against one is always an advantage. If it really didn't work, then there was nothing she could do.

But things are different now. Mingyan no longer possesses the strength to maintain a balance between the two sides, but the strength to determine who will be the victor. Moreover, as time goes on, the value that Mingyan brings is not just about enabling her to defeat Gu Hanshuang... More importantly... the rapid improvement of the cultivation levels of the women around Mingyan has also given Yu Mudan a bold guess.

"What's wrong?" Noticing Yu Mudan's outburst, Mingyan asked curiously.

"Hmm...it's nothing." Yu Mudan smiled slightly. "It's just that I feel you...are no longer from this world...I used to try to keep up with you, but now it seems that trying to do so was just too arrogant of me..."

"Don't say that..." Mingyan sighed, "My...sigh...my method...is rather special..."

"Do you mean dual cultivation?" Seeing that Mingyan was about to bring up this topic, Yu Mudan naturally had to speak up and make the subject clear.

"...Well, I guess so." Seeing that Yu Mudan had brought it up, Ming Yan went straight to the point: "So... don't be discouraged. If it were normal cultivation, I might not have even surpassed you..."

Yu Mudan pursed her lips, "No matter what method you use, if you're less skilled, you're less skilled..."

Mingyan revealed the matter of dual cultivation because he had a good grasp of Yu Mudan's personality. Yu Mudan might indeed have some feelings for him, but it was definitely not to the point of sacrificing herself for him. Moreover, in her heart, self-interest must be more important. Therefore, Mingyan needed to give her enough motivation to waver.

The next step is to create a reasonable opportunity for Yu Mudan to side with him...

"Look at what you're saying..." Mingyan sighed. "You know, when I first met you, I thought you were a fairy descended from heaven, and I felt I'd have a hard time catching up with you... Now you think you can't catch up with me, but in the future... who knows..."

As they reminisced about their first meeting, Yu Mudan's heart stirred. She sighed softly, "Even when we first met, I felt you were extraordinary, but I never imagined you would reach such heights now..."

"I still remember being amazed by you back then." Ming Yan smiled slightly. "At that time, everyone knew that Gu Han Shuang was the number one beauty in Nan Zhou, but when I saw you, I couldn't say whether she was the number one beauty in Nan Zhou, but as for the number one beauty in Nan Zhou... Han Shuang was probably a bit inferior to you..."

Yu Mudan blushed slightly. "Beauty is a gift from heaven; there's nothing to be proud of."

Even a demon cannot decide what it looks like when it transforms. Although there are techniques for disguise in the world, they are not the true face. They can fool others, but they cannot fool themselves.

"..." Mingyan looked at the blushing Yu Mudan, seemed slightly taken aback, then sighed softly, "Even now, I am occasionally amazed by your beauty..."

Yu Mudan chuckled, "How could you make it sound so absurd..."

“You seem completely unaware of how beautiful you are,” Mingyan said with a smile.

"...No matter how beautiful...so what..." Yu Mudan glanced at Ming Yan and sighed softly, "Beauty can't make people trust me, it will only make them think I'm a femme fatale."

“I don’t think so.” Mingyan shook his head. “Peony, are you willing to reconcile with Frost?”

“…From my personal perspective, I’m unwilling, but I know it will embarrass you…” Yu Mudan raised her hand, playing with the ends of her hair with her fingers. She was silent for a while before finally saying, “I’m willing. What about Gu Hanshuang? Have you asked her what she thinks?”

Yu Mudan made a decision: no matter what, she would put aside those conflicts and satisfy Mingyan first. Once she had truly won Mingyan over, she could then educate Gu Hanshuang however she wanted.

“I haven’t asked her what she thinks yet. Before, she…” Mingyan hesitated for a moment, “I will persuade her.”

In fact, Gu Hanshuang had already agreed to reconcile with Yu Mudan, as she genuinely considered Mingyan a friend. However, at this moment, Mingyan deliberately hesitated for a moment, and then added, "I will persuade her," which was very misleading. Upon hearing this, Yu Mudan thought that she had agreed first, while Gu Hanshuang seemed to have refused once before. She was secretly delighted, finally getting the upper hand...

Then my relationship with Mingyan will definitely take another step forward... Next...

Not only does she already have feelings for Ming Yan, but getting close to him would also allow her to suppress Gu Han Shuang. If she were to team up with Ming Yan, she could teach Gu Han Shuang a lesson and even improve her strength through dual cultivation...

Mingyan, you never give me a chance to refuse...

This truly shook Yu Mudan's resolve, as she had originally intended to be with Ming Yan...