One of my fairy-like friends

Huang Feiyan transmitted her voice to Mingyan, "When I left the An family, An Ran was still in the Huang family. He only brought An Ran over after I left... You said Yuzhu asked you for help. I don't quite understand why she asked for help. If An Ran returns to the An family, it should be a good thing for her, right?"

An Ran has always been labeled a "pretty but useless vase" since childhood, enduring much scorn. However, she is, after all, a member of the An family, and judging from An Canhui's words, he seems to protect her. So, for An Ran, these things are a good thing, and there's nothing wrong with them...

“These are An family matters, and it’s not appropriate for us to interfere.” Although Mingyan likes to help others, how could he, an outsider, help with An family affairs? He and An Ran had no relationship whatsoever, and they weren’t even friends. Although he had wanted to befriend An Ran before, he gave up the idea after discovering that the veil incident was likely a staged event.

“Indeed…” Huang Feiyan pondered for a moment, then transmitted her voice again, “Besides, it was Yuzhu who asked for help, not Anran… But what use would the An family be to bring Anran back? To send her for a political marriage? But Anran suffers from a strange illness and can never cultivate immortality. As a woman, not being able to cultivate immortality means her lifespan is the same as a normal person's. In twenty or thirty years, her beauty will fade… Even if Anran is indeed very beautiful, I doubt many people would want her. There will definitely be people who want to get close to her, but marrying her…”

While it may sound harsh, in the world of cultivation, women without strong cultivation levels struggle to gain respect. In this world, cultivation level equates to status and position, like Ming Yan's master Yue Wuxia and Ning Feixuan's master Ning Mengru. An Ran, though possessing some cultivation, hasn't even extended her lifespan, let alone maintained her youth. Such women are essentially at the bottom of the cultivation world. If she were in the mortal realm, it might be manageable, but she is the daughter of the An family, born into the cultivation world...

She was of little use to the An family, so when Huang Feiyan discovered that the An family had actually sent people to protect her, she was very surprised, because she really couldn't see why the An family valued An Ran so much, or why An Canhui valued An Ran so much.

"Since there's nothing else, we'll take our leave." Seeing that none of the four spoke, An Canhui nodded slightly and was about to turn and leave when An Ran, who had been looking down, raised her head and looked at Ming Yan and Huang Feiyan with pleading eyes. Like Yu Zhu, she was also asking for help.

Yue Qingying and Ning Feixuan also noticed the anomaly, Ming Yan and Huang Feiyan exchanged a glance, and An Ran also cried for help... Should we just ignore it now?

Neither of them were really friends with An Ran. During the time An Ran lived at the Huang family's house, Huang Feiyan tried to befriend her, but An Ran was very shy and unwilling to make friends. The same was true for Ming Yan; although An Ran came to apologize, there was truly no relationship between them...

It seems best to leave it alone, since getting involved would likely mean making enemies of An Canhui. It's not that I'm afraid of An Canhui, but there's no need for that.

Huang Feiyan thought for a moment and then asked, "Has the An family found a way to treat Miss An? I remember Miss An suffers from a strange illness, right? We even looked for a solution, but unfortunately, we came up empty-handed."

An Canhui turned around and shook his head gently, "No, but we won't give up. If there's nothing else, we'll take our leave."

Ning Feixuan said, "Why don't we ask Miss An Ran's opinion, and ask her if she'd like to come with you?"

"Holy Maiden of Yaochi, what do you mean by that?" An Canhui's eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing this. "Of course An Ran is willing to come with us. An Ran is my family..."

An Ran looked hesitant, as if she was struggling with something, while Yu Zhu looked very anxious, probably communicating with An Ran telepathically.

Yue Qingying's expression was subtle. What was going on? She didn't actually intend to interfere, but if Mingyan wanted to do something, Yue Qingying was naturally willing to help him.

An Ran seemed to have finally made up her mind. She raised her head and said, "Holy Maiden of Yaochi, Holy Maiden of Moonshadow, Young Miss, Mingyan, I want to go with you."

An Canhui remained expressionless. "Surely you gentlemen won't interfere in the An family's affairs? My sister's matter should be decided by the An family."

Upon hearing An Ran's words, Yu Zhu grabbed An Ran and ran directly towards Ming Yan and the others. Seeing this, the other members of the An family immediately tried to stop them. Huang Feiyan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to meddle, saying, "Let's do it."

Upon hearing this, Mingyan nodded and rushed forward with Huang Feiyan to stop the people who wanted to stop An Ran and Yuzhu from escaping. When An Canhui saw this, he raised his hand as if he wanted to make a move, but Yue Qingying and Ning Feixuan had already unknowingly blocked his way.

An Canhui lowered his hand, ultimately not making a move, but his face darkened. "Do you gentlemen really insist on meddling in the An family's affairs?"

Chapter 107 Punishment

"Family matters? What kind of family would want to use their sister as a sacrifice?" Yu Zhu breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Ming Yan and the others had actually made a move. She glared at An Canhui and cursed him.

Sacrifice?

Mingyan shielded Yuzhu and Anran behind him, and was immediately surprised when he heard this word.

An Canhui's face was grim. "I will protect her."

“You know perfectly well what the consequences will be if An Ran returns to the An family. You knew this in the first place, which is why you sent Miss away. Now you want to bring her back? Just so she can help that old bastard prolong his life?” Yu Zhu gritted her teeth and looked at An Canhui. “I’ve said it before, you can’t change anything in the An family. The only thing you can change is yourself!”

An Ran tugged at Yu Zhu, "Yu Zhu, don't say anymore. I believe my brother didn't mean to harm me..."

Yu Zhu snorted and obediently shut her mouth.

"You really don't believe your brother can protect you?" An Canhui looked at An Ran, took a deep breath, and asked.

An Ran pursed her lips. "Brother, thank you for your long-term protection and care, but... by forcibly protecting me, you're only hurting yourself..."

Ning Feixuan's eyes flickered slightly as she recalled a rumor. She transmitted her voice to the others, "I've heard that the An family of Rusty Lake has a special and cruel secret method that can prolong one's lifespan... It's rumored that it requires a virgin of the same clan of exceptional quality, but I don't know the specific procedures."

Yaochi has good relations with many holy lands and noble families, and is extremely well-informed, knowing many secrets. In fact, there are quite a few strange and unusual things happening within these holy lands and noble families.

An Canhui let out a deep breath, then suddenly turned around, raised his hand, and a long spear flew out from the void, piercing through the other two members of the An family, killing them instantly.

Ming Yan was initially wary when he saw An Canhui raise his hand, and had already distanced himself when the spear appeared. However, he was somewhat taken aback that An Canhui would actually attack someone from the An family.

An Canhui sheathed his spear, turned around and looked at An Ran with a cold gaze. "I brought An Ran into the Extreme Dao Hall, but some unexpected events occurred. An Ran, her maid Yu Zhu, and two other An family disciples all died tragically. From then on, An Ran ceased to exist in this world!"

An Ran's expression was complicated as she bowed to An Canhui, saying, "Thank you, brother, for sparing my life..."

“I don’t know you. My sister An Ran is dead and gone. From now on, we are strangers.” An Canhui looked at An Ran deeply, then turned around and strode away without looking back.

An Ran sighed as she watched An Canhui's retreating figure.

Yu Zhu bowed to the four people, "Thank you for your help, Holy Maidens, Young Miss, and Young Master Ming..."

After saying this, Yu Zhu hesitated for a moment, then knelt down in front of Ming Yan. "I know that Young Master Ming already has some suspicions about me. I was the one who attacked Young Master Ming back then. Miss was completely unaware of this matter. Please don't blame Miss. I don't ask for your forgiveness. You can do whatever you want with me, as long as you can vent your anger..."

Upon hearing this, Huang Feiyan glanced at Ming Yan with a strange expression, not expecting that it really was Yu Zhu who had directed and acted out the whole thing.

An Ran was taken aback by Yu Zhu's words, and then asked with concern, "Why did you attack Young Master Ming?"

“I received news before that Young Master Ming is different from others. I secretly investigated and found that Miss Huang attaches great importance to Young Master Ming. I also remembered the incident when Fairy Huang Qingfei was in a coma. So I suspected that Ming Yan might be the person that Miss Huang invited back to treat Fairy Huang Qingfei. Therefore, I had a wicked thought about Young Master Ming, thinking that perhaps Young Master Ming could also save Miss Huang…” Yu Zhu lowered her head. “Young Master Ming is willing to help us. This matter can no longer be hidden, otherwise I will always feel uneasy. Please punish me, Young Master Ming.”

Yu Zhu's decisive admission of her mistake left Ming Yan somewhat at a loss as to how to handle the situation.

He had indeed been thinking of asking Yuzhu about this later, since if he had helped her, perhaps Yuzhu would tell him the truth. He thought it was "perhaps," but Yuzhu showed it with her actions; she directly admitted it.

Yue Qingying, Huang Feiyan, and Ning Feixuan did not interrupt. They had no right to make decisions for Mingyan. Although An Ran wanted to speak, she ultimately stopped herself, since Yuzhu had done something wrong.

Mingyan looked at Yuzhu, remained silent for a moment, and said, "Get up. I didn't suffer any losses in that incident, since you didn't succeed in your attack."

Yu Zhu did not stand up. She bent down and placed her hands on the ground. "Young Master Ming has repaid evil with kindness. I feel extremely guilty. If Young Master Ming does not punish me, I will have no face to stand in front of you again. Please punish me!"

Yue Qingying tugged at Ming Yan's hand and whispered to him, "Have you softened your heart?"

"No... I just don't know what to do..." Mingyan transmitted his voice to Yue Qingying. What could he do with Yuzhu? Could he beat her up? Although Mingyan didn't have a rule against hitting women, he really didn't want to lay a hand on them, especially since Yuzhu was the only one who could protect Anran now.

When Yu Zhu attacked him, although she used poison, it was only to paralyze him and prevent him from moving. She did not intend to take his life. Ming Yan thought about it and decided that punishing him would be good, at least to put Yu Zhu at ease.

But how to punish them... Hmm... Mingyan thought for a moment, how about drawing a slave mark... Cough cough, that's a bit too much. If the slave mark is drawn, the other party will be completely unable to resist him, and will be punished if they don't obey him.

"Okay, you promise me one thing. I haven't thought about it yet, so let's put it aside for now and talk about it later," Mingyan said.

Upon hearing this, Yu Zhu looked up at Ming Yan, thought for a moment, and nodded, "As long as it's not something that would be detrimental to Miss, I'll agree to anything you ask."

"Don't worry, I won't let you do anything excessive." Ming Yan nodded upon hearing this.

"Thank you for forgiving me, Young Master Ming." Yu Zhu looked at Ming Yan gratefully. "All my previous offenses to you were just an act. I hope you won't take them to heart, Young Master Ming."

Mingyan shook his head and said with a smile, "Don't worry, I won't take it to heart."

"You're so magnanimous." Yu Zhu felt a little embarrassed. She thought Ming Yan was really very magnanimous, but this made her feel even more guilty. She couldn't help but blame herself for taking action against such a person.

"Thank you for forgiving Yuzhu, Young Master Ming." An Ran also bowed. She was rather frail, so her movements were small, but the gratitude on her face was evident.

Beautiful things are always fragile. Even if they can help her now, An Ran will ultimately be trapped by that strange illness...

What is it that we are born lacking?

Mingyan still remembered Anran's strange illness. He had also considered whether or not to help her, and if so, how to help her...

Chapter 108 False Positive

Yue Qingying transmitted her voice to Ming Yan, "Junior brother, you wouldn't have forgiven her just because she's pretty, would you?"

Is Yu Zhu pretty? Ming Yan thought that although she was indeed pretty, she was far inferior to his senior sister, Ning Feixuan, Huang Feiyan, and An Ran.

It's more plausible to say that An Ran forgave Yu Zhu because she was pretty, rather than because Yu Zhu was pretty. This is because An Ran only had Yu Zhu to protect her. If Ming Yan really did something to Yu Zhu and insisted on getting to the bottom of it, what would happen to An Ran?

People always like those who are beautiful and pretty.

There are many ways to express affection for beautiful, aesthetically pleasing objects, including protective instincts, possessiveness, and even destructive tendencies...

Mingyan's feelings for Anran were mostly protective; she was too delicate, to the point that one might suspect she would collapse at the slightest breeze.

The existence of the jade bead, to some extent, can be considered as protecting An Ran...

Ning Feixuan asked, "Miss An, what are your plans?"

“I will take Miss away from the world of cultivation. This place does not belong to Miss.” Yu Zhu lowered her head, her attitude sincere. “We have already caused you a lot of trouble, and we will not cause you any more trouble.”

“Perhaps living as an ordinary person is more suitable for me.” An Ran nodded. “Thank you all for your help. I hope I will have the opportunity to repay your kindness in this lifetime.”

Her cultivation level was too low, and she would remain at that level for the rest of her life, so she had no way to do anything for these people in front of her.

An Ran looked at Ming Yan, pursed her lips, and bowed to him, saying, "Thank you all again..."

"Excuse my intrusion, but... could you allow me to examine your physical condition?" Mingyan thought for a moment before asking.

Huang Feiyan glanced at Ming Yan and smiled slightly. She knew that Ming Yan wouldn't do nothing. If Ming Yan was the kind of person who could try but was unwilling to do anything, then she and Ming Yan would not have met, and she would probably be dead by now.

Upon hearing this, Yuzhu knelt down before Mingyan again, prostrating herself on the ground. "If you are willing to help Miss, I am willing to serve you like a slave! This is to atone for the mistake I made when I attacked you and to repay your kindness to Miss."

"Yuzhu, don't be like this, get up quickly." An Ran squatted down, wanting to help Yuzhu up. "If anyone should repay kindness, it should be me, not you. How can you repay Young Master Ming's kindness to me? Besides... I don't have high expectations for it..."

The master and servant have a deep bond... They're willing to be slaves to others for their mistress... Hmm.

Huang Feiyan said, "Miss An, why don't you let Mingyan give it a try? Perhaps it can really help you?"

“Yes, we should give it a try. Miss An must be quite unwilling to accept that her cultivation can only stop here.” Ning Feixuan nodded.

Yue Qingying stood behind Ming Yan without expressing her own opinion, but she unconditionally supported Ming Yan's idea and would not refute it.

An Ran hesitated for a moment upon hearing this, but finally nodded and extended her fair and delicate wrist. "Young Master Ming... please examine it."

Mingyan reached out and grasped Anran's wrist. Yuzhu seemed to want to say something, but seeing that Anran was not in any discomfort, she did not say anything more.

An Ran had previously been very resistant to being touched by others, regardless of whether they were men or women, but she was clearly grateful to Ming Yan and the others and did not show that resistance.

Mingyan transferred his spiritual energy over, but the flow of spiritual energy was extremely sluggish. Mingyan was used to the speed at which spiritual energy flowed in the natural spiritual veins in his body, and he felt that the spiritual energy entering Anran's body was as slow as ants crawling.

Moreover, Mingyan needs to explore carefully, as Anran doesn't have many spiritual veins, and if the spiritual energy runs rampant, it will cause considerable harm to Anran.

An Ran felt Ming Yan's spiritual energy flowing slowly through her body. This feeling was very strange, and she was a little surprised because this cool and refreshing spiritual energy was more comfortable than the thin spiritual energy in her own body. It was so gentle and slow that she was almost addicted to it.

Mingyan slowly examined Anran's body with his spiritual energy, but found nothing. Her body did not seem to be much different from that of a normal person.

If there is any difference, it is that the physical body is more fragile. Not to mention comparing his body, it is far inferior to that of his senior sister.

Had he been exploring in the wrong direction? Mingyan pondered for a moment, then used his spiritual energy to carry the power of Taiyin back into Anran's body.

As soon as the Yin energy entered An Ran's body, her expression became subtle. Her body began to tremble slightly uncontrollably, and a faint flush appeared on her face. "Young Master Ming... wait, wait..."

"Are you feeling unwell?" Mingyan stopped channeling his spiritual energy and asked.

An Ran gasped for breath, her face flushed, radiant and beautiful, her eyes glistening and incredibly alluring. "No, no, it's...it feels so good..."

An Ran had never experienced such a comfortable moment. She had been frail and sickly since childhood, and had been surrounded by illness for most of her life since birth. She had gotten used to it, but now that she was experiencing such a comfortable feeling, she felt very uncomfortable and her breathing became rapid.

Seeing An Ran's expression, Ning Feixuan raised her eyebrows slightly... Although it wasn't the best way to put it, Ning Feixuan always felt that Ming Yan had an unsettling air about him. Although she could tell from their interactions that he was actually a fairly upright person, there was just something sinister about him...