One of my fairy-like friends

"Who is that man?"

"I don't know... He was actually walking side by side with the Moon Shadow Saintess and the eldest daughter of the Phoenix family, but his cultivation level was only at the Illumination Sea Realm... His identity is probably extremely terrifying."

"I've never seen such a person before. Could they be Feng Lingyueying's disciple?"

“How could Feng Lingyueying possibly have a male cultivator who can stand shoulder to shoulder with these two? Feng Lingyueying doesn’t even have a Holy Son now… I’m afraid his cultivation level isn’t as low as it appears; he might be hiding his true strength,” someone said skeptically.

"It seems quite a few people are curious about Junior Brother's identity." Yue Qingying's beautiful eyes sparkled, and she smiled brightly beneath her veil. "If they knew that Junior Brother was a disciple whom my master had exceptionally accepted into a closed-door sect, I wonder what they would think of him."

Mingyan didn't care much about other people's opinions. Hearing this, he smiled and said, "You'll probably be very surprised. After all, even I was surprised back then."

Huang Feiyan shook her head and chuckled, "It will probably cause a sensation. I've heard my mother and aunt talk about the Holy Lord's reputation back then. A male disciple that she would make an exception for must be a thorn in the side of many people, and they will pay extra attention to him."

"Your master not only gave you an identity, but also pressure," Yue Qingying said with a smile. "She hopes that you will continue to grow under such pressure, so that you will achieve even greater things in the future. Do you understand your master's thoughts?"

“Of course I understand.” Mingyan nodded. After his identity was revealed, the level of his competitors would rise significantly. Moreover, such an identity also brought pressure, and he could not lose face for his master or the Holy Land.

Upon hearing this, Huang Feiyan simply smiled and remained silent. These were all internal matters of Feng Lingyueying. Although she, Yue Qingying, and Ming Yan were best friends, it was not appropriate for her to interrupt at this time.

The place where Mingyan and his group lived was not far from the entrance of the inner courtyard, and the scenery along the way was pleasant. There was a stream on the side, which was full of spiritual energy. Occasionally, you could see ornamental fish swimming in it. They were colorful, lively and cute, and very spiritual.

The Huang family is, after all, an imperial family of the Eastern Continent, and moreover, they are descendants of the Phoenix. Therefore, they do not keep any spirit beasts for ornamental purposes or for labor, as this would cause dissatisfaction among the demon race.

Although Mingyan didn't care about other people's opinions of him, he had been observing the guests in the outer courtyard and did indeed discover some unusual people.

Some cultivators have tails and strange ears, completely different from normal humans. Some cultivators are even more obvious; although they have human bodies, they have thunder mouths and heads that resemble birds and beasts, clearly indicating that they are demons.

However, such creatures are relatively rare; the vast majority only possess certain characteristics of demonic beasts and are more like humans.

Many people on the road greeted Huang Feiyan and Yue Qingying with humility, and then began to look at Ming Yan. Most of them cast friendly glances at him, and Ming Yan responded with a smile.

At this moment, Huang Feiyan and Yue Qingying stopped, and Ming Yan also stopped and looked ahead.

A handsome man in flowing white robes with long, flowing hair stood before them. He had bright eyes and sharp eyebrows, and his face was as if carved by a knife. A pale red halo hung behind him. He was an unparalleled beauty, like a young god incarnate. In terms of appearance alone, he was almost indistinguishable from Ming Yan. Although Ming Yan did not usually care much about his appearance, his looks were extremely good and could easily make people feel good at first sight.

With a calm smile on his face, he raised his hand and gave a slight bow to the three of them. "Fairy Phoenix, Fairy Moon, it's been a long time. And this young fellow Daoist, how shall I address you?"

"His surname is Ming, and his given name is Yan. He is my junior brother. Junior brother, let me introduce you. This is Ning Zetian, the Holy Son of the Jade Balance Holy Land." Yue Qingying's voice was cold and clear, lacking the gentleness and care she showed to Ming Yan and Huang Feiyan. It was quite similar to when Ming Yan first met her.

"Oh?" Ning Zetian was quite surprised upon hearing this, then his smile gradually brightened. "That was rather impolite. My name is Ning Zetian. Fellow Daoist, you must have some extraordinary qualities to be accepted as a disciple by the Moon Shadow Saint Master, who does not accept female disciples, right?"

Huang Feiyan glanced at him and said, "I'm taking these two distinguished guests to the inner courtyard. We can talk about it later."

Ming Yan was somewhat surprised to hear this. He had tried to speak twice but was interrupted. Moreover, Huang Feiyan's words sounded rather cold, which made Ming Yan curious. It seemed that Feiyan disliked Ning Zetian. After all, he was a guest. To treat him with such an attitude must mean that she was very dissatisfied with him.

Ning Zetian chuckled and stepped aside, "Then I won't disturb you any longer."

He gave Mingyan a deep look, then turned and left, his graceful and otherworldly demeanor enough to make some female cultivators swoon. Even if Mingyan couldn't sense the other's cultivation level, he could still faintly feel the oppressive aura emanating from him.

“Junior brother...you have to be careful of this person in the future.” Yue Qingying frowned slightly after he walked away and said, “Although he has always been so gentle and unassuming, I have a very strange feeling about him.”

“That’s right… He’s Fei Xuan’s enemy.” Huang Feiyan nodded solemnly. “He and Fei Xuan share the same surname, Ning, and were once from the same family. But Fei Xuan told me that he showed talent in cultivation from a young age and is cruel and bloodthirsty by nature… Her parents… Fei Xuan once told me that she wanted to kill him herself to vent her hatred… No matter what, we can’t trust this person easily.”

Ming Yan nodded upon hearing this, making Ning Zetian's name in his mind. "I understand."

His senior sister said something was wrong with him, and Fei Yan said he was cruel and bloodthirsty by nature, and was also Ning Feixuan's enemy... His first impression of the other party was that he was a gentle person. Sure enough, first impressions are often deceptive.

This little incident didn't disturb the three of them. They arrived together at the gate leading to the inner courtyard. Mingyan, who hadn't known they were going to the inner courtyard before, asked, "Are we going to the inner courtyard?"

“Hmm.” Huang Feiyan nodded and smiled. “You don’t need to worry. You are now a great benefactor of our Huang family. Although the inner courtyard is never open to the opposite sex, you are the special one. Moreover, we have already informed our relatives in the inner courtyard. You don’t need to worry about encountering any awkward situations.”

Oh...am I that special?

Chapter Seventy: The Queen Mother of the West

Since Huang Feiyan had said so, Mingyan didn't dwell on it too much.

He followed Yue Qingying and Huang Feiyan into the inner courtyard of the Huang family.

What Mingyan didn't know was that he was the first man to enter the inner courtyard.

The Huang family is very special; women of the Huang family never marry outside the family, and there is no precedent for any woman from the Huang family to marry outside the family.

In reality, the women of the Phoenix Clan are quite proud. As descendants of the Phoenix, they do not allow their bloodline to be tainted by other bloodlines. Therefore, no woman from the Phoenix Clan has ever fallen in love with a man from the outside world, let alone had any contact with men that they consider shameful.

However, this arrogance is hidden in their bones. They never lose their manners when dealing with others. Just like Huang Feiyan, she does not ignore Mingyan's help to her just because he is a man.

Upon entering the inner courtyard, Mingyan could clearly feel the temperature rise, but it felt comfortable and warm, not scorching.

Mingyan raised his head, and there stood the towering phoenix statue in the inner courtyard. Its eyes were as dazzling as two extremely bright suns, illuminating the entire Huang family. Even though it was just a statue, one could feel the intense pressure upon getting close. He wondered how great the phoenix must have been when it was still alive.

Upon entering the inner courtyard, one can see numerous pavilions standing within it. The inner courtyard is picturesque, with clear streams flowing gently, creating a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere. The richness of spiritual energy here is not much different from that of the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Holy Land.

Most of those pavilions were inhabited by women dressed in red, though their attire differed slightly. All of them were very beautiful. The women of the Phoenix family were all beauties. Judging from this, the genes of the Phoenix who reached the Extreme Dao Realm were so outstanding that none of their descendants were ugly.

Many women from the Huang family looked at Ming Yan with great curiosity. They probably knew Ming Yan's identity, so they were not surprised that this man had come to the inner courtyard with Huang Feiyan.

"As far as I know, Junior Brother is the first male to enter the Inner Court?" Yue Qingying asked, her beautiful eyes slightly narrowed.

“Yes… From the birth of the Huang family’s ancestor to the establishment of the Huang family, and now, Mingyan is indeed the first man to step into the inner courtyard.” Huang Feiyan nodded. “We would like to express our gratitude to Mingyan for his help.”

I'm afraid it's not just that... Yue Qingying pursed her lips, clearly sensing that the Huang family's attitude towards Mingyan was somewhat subtle. Mingyan had indeed helped the Huang family a lot, but was this kindness enough for the Huang family to abandon the rules they had upheld for so long?

My best friend is probably hiding something from me, and it's probably something very important, otherwise she wouldn't need to hide it from me.

Yue Qingying thought about it and felt that she didn't need to worry about anything. The Huang family shouldn't be harmful to Mingyan, so there was no need to get to the bottom of it.

Mingyan also vaguely sensed that something was wrong. He had felt this unease when Huang Junyi's attitude towards him became slightly closer, and now it had reached its peak.

The Huang family's attitude towards him was too ambiguous; it was as if they wanted something from him...

Mingyan pondered this question. The Huang family still respected him. When they brought him back, if they really had any designs on him, they could have brought it up then, instead of sending him to the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Holy Land and giving him protection before bringing up these issues. Back then, even if the Huang family wanted to use him to do things he didn't want to do, they could force him to do them. But now that he had become his master's closed-door disciple, the Huang family obviously couldn't do that anymore.

It seems that the Huang family will still consider their own wishes...

I just don't know what their various needs are.

The inner courtyard is picturesque and pleasant, with even the streams and flowers seemingly imbued with spiritual energy. Adorned by the beautiful women of the Huang family, it resembles a fairyland. Walking through it feels like stepping into a magical realm, where fairies abound, dazzling the eye.

Mingyan didn't keep observing these fairies; he only smiled back when he noticed them casting glances at him.

"The Huang family has a large population, and everyone cultivates immortality. However, due to individual differences, their cultivation levels vary." Huang Feiyan smiled and said, "For us, cultivating immortality is for the purpose of maintaining the family and prolonging our own lifespan. Because we have the blood of the Phoenix God flowing in our veins, it is easier for the women of the Huang family to cultivate than for most people. In recent years, I have spent a lot of time searching for a way to cure my aunt. Although I also try to cultivate diligently in my spare time, it is still relatively slow. I have only reached the Qi Sea stage now, and my mother is quite disappointed with my cultivation."

At this point, Huang Feiyan became quite embarrassed.

She's still not satisfied with her Qi Sea reaching the maximum level... It seems Fei Yan's mother is really strict with her. However, the requirements for disciples vary among aristocratic families. Fei Yan is the daughter of the family head, so it's understandable that the requirements for her are even stricter.

Mingyan also noticed that the cultivation levels of the women from the Huang family around him were all higher than his own, and there wasn't a single woman whose cultivation level he could discern... However, he didn't see anyone his age. The women from the Huang family all seemed to be adults. He wondered what their cultivation levels were when he was his age.

The inner courtyard seemed to be larger than the outer courtyard, and there were some small teleportation arrays inside. Huang Feiyan led Mingyan and Yue Qingying to a nearby small teleportation array, and in the blink of an eye, they were teleported to other places.

This inner courtyard alone is hundreds of times larger than the former Yutai Blessed Land. The imperial families and clans that have produced emperors here possess such profound resources that the former Yutai Mountain is now merely a scenic spot within this inner courtyard...

The three of them stepped out of the teleportation array and found several exquisite mansions, which were even more beautiful than the pavilions where the women of the Huang family had lived. Huang Feiyan did not introduce them but led the two of them inside.

As soon as he got close, Mingyan could feel the vibrant life around him. Even the flowers and plants seemed more vivid and beautiful, as if some mysterious and unpredictable rule was influencing them.

Huang Feiyan stopped at the door and smiled, "Aunt Ning, I'm sorry to bother you~"

"Hehe, how could I be bothering you? Feixuan was just saying she was going to look for you. Come in." A gentle voice came from inside the mansion, as if it had a special magic that could instantly soothe the ripples in one's heart and calm one down.

Mingyan was surprised. Huang Qingfei's voice was already considered gentle before, but it was still inferior to this voice. It was as if her words carried the laws of nature and could directly affect the cultivator's heart!

"Feiyan also brought two friends with her this time. They are both old friends of Aunt Ning and disciples of the Moon Shadow Saint Master. One is the Moon Shadow Saintess of the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Holy Land, and the other is her junior brother, Mingyan. Both of them are very good friends of Feiyan."

"Yes, come in together." The Queen Mother of the West was not surprised that Yue Wuxia had made an exception to recruit disciples, presumably because Ning Feixuan had already reported this matter upon returning.

Huang Feiyan then led Mingyan and Yue Qingying into the mansion.

Upon entering, Ming Yan saw Ning Feixuan, who was standing next to another woman. When she saw his gaze sweep over, she gave him a faint smile and nodded in acknowledgment.

Mingyan nodded, then turned his gaze to the woman beside her, but he almost couldn't look away...

Mingyan had seen many stunningly beautiful women: Huang Feiyan beside him, his senior sister Yue Qingying, Ning Feixuan before him, the enchanting Huang Junyi, the ethereal Huang Qingfei, and even his most extraordinary master, Yue Wuxia. But he never expected to almost fall for her at first sight...

The woman was dressed in a light red palace gown, obscuring her figure, but her stunningly beautiful face was no less captivating than that of her master, Yue Wuxia. Beneath her willow-leaf eyebrows were a pair of clear, beautiful eyes that seemed to see right through her, shimmering with a faint light.

Her eyes were adorned with a light peach-pink eyeshadow, and a lotus flower adorned her brow. However, the lotus flower on her brow was different from those of Ning Feixuan and the other fairies of Yaochi that Mingyan had seen before. The lotus flower on her brow was in full bloom, extremely gorgeous and noble, shimmering with a faint silver light, exuding elegance and nobility, making her already exceptionally beautiful face even more stunning... Mingyan couldn't find a word to describe her appearance for the time being.

Chapter 71 How to Melt the Iceberg

Fortunately, Mingyan had seen Yue Wuxia's true face before, and now that he thought of his master's beautiful face, he was able to barely control himself.

That face... so gentle and calm, yet so alluring like a fairy sister, is deeply etched in Mingyan's heart, and he can never forget it.

Is this... Ning Mengru, the Queen Mother of the West, a former friend of Master? Mingyan sighed inwardly, thinking that he should pay more attention to her strength rather than her appearance. What was wrong with him? Why did he always care about whether others were pretty or not?

The Queen Mother of the West smiled gently, “Although I haven’t seen Wuxia for many years, I have heard of your name long ago. Seeing you now is like seeing the Wuxia of the past. However, you are not quite the same as Wuxia. Wuxia was aloof, while you seem quite peaceful.”

As her words fell, they left everyone feeling somewhat mesmerized, as if the ethereal music they had just heard was incredibly beautiful. Ming Yan was now absolutely certain that her voice had touched upon the laws of nature and could influence others. This was too powerful; if used to bewitch someone...

"Greetings, elders," Yue Qingying said, bowing. She then smiled and added, "Master is simply not good at expressing his feelings..."

The Queen Mother of the West nodded gently. "That's true. She is actually quite caring, but she's not good at expressing it."

After saying that, the Queen Mother of the West looked at Ming Yan and examined him carefully. Her smile remained unchanged. "I heard that you were once saved by Fei Xuan, and now you have become Wu Xia's disciple. This can be considered as having formed a good relationship. I see that your appearance is quite extraordinary. Although you are only at the Zhaohai Realm, your future achievements will definitely be extraordinary. You will surely have a place in the Eastern Continent."

Mingyan also bowed. The other person seemed oblivious to his brief lapse in manners, and Mingyan breathed a sigh of relief. However, he quickly realized that if he had been so impolite, others probably had too; she was likely used to it...

"You flatter me, elders..."

"There's no need to address me as an elder. Since you two are Wuxia's disciples, just like Feiyan, you can call me Aunt Ning. There's no need for such formality." The Queen Mother of the West shook her head and chuckled. Although she was sitting in front of me, in the mortal realm, she seemed like a fairy from beyond the city, making it impossible for anyone to feel any sense of disrespect. They could only feel that she was holy and dared not be defiled in the slightest.

"I suppose Wuxia will remain in the Holy Land as usual this time?" The Queen Mother of the West asked after a pause.

"Master has also arrived this time, Aunt Ning." Yue Qingying was very sweet-talking. Since the Queen Mother of the West had told them to call her Aunt Ning, she didn't stand on ceremony.

"Oh?" The Queen Mother of the West seemed slightly surprised, then chuckled. "It seems I was wrong. I thought I wouldn't be able to see her for another year and a half. I didn't expect that we would be so close already... It has been a hundred years since we last met."

"Is Master going to see Senior Yue?" Ning Feixuan asked.

"No need. She's aloof and reserved. Even if I took the initiative to visit her, she wouldn't necessarily be very welcoming. Now that I'm at the Huang family, we'll meet sooner or later," the Queen Mother of the West said with a gentle shake of her head and a smile.

Mingyan and Yue Qingying both had slightly strange expressions. Is this how their master treats his friends...?

The other party, being in a high position, would naturally not say anything false. Moreover, both of them knew that Yue Wuxia's personality was indeed that of a cold and aloof person. Although she could care about people, she would never show it openly. They wondered what would happen to melt this cold and aloof beauty.

"So many years have passed, yet you still enjoy talking behind people's backs." Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out. Everyone turned around and found a woman in a light blue Taoist robe who had appeared in the room at some point, looking at the Queen Mother of the West with a cool and aloof expression.

"Is that considered bad talk?" The Queen Mother of the West smiled gently. "I'm just telling the truth."

"Master." Yue Qingying and Ming Yan then bowed, and Huang Feiyan and Ning Feixuan also quickly bowed.

Yue Wuxia nodded slightly, acknowledging her agreement. "After all these years, the first thing I heard upon arriving was that you said I didn't like you. Is that the truth?"