One of my fairy-like friends

"It seems they've adapted to their new life," Mingyan said with a smile.

Ning Feixuan nodded. "Miss An's talent is actually quite good. Previously, Miss An had reached the end of a short circuit and could hardly move forward even a little bit. Now that she has reopened the broken path, she is no different from a normal cultivator. If there is any difference, it is that her talent for cultivation is actually very outstanding."

Ning Feixuan took good care of An Ran, after all, she was a displaced person, and Yaochi was always happy to take in women like her.

This young lady, born into the wealthy An family in Rusty Lake, has been known as a "pretty face" since childhood, and is most famous for the saying, "She has no other merits besides her beauty."

This also proves that An Ran's appearance is indeed outstanding.

She is indeed very beautiful, and she also has some connection with Mingyan...

It wasn't that Ning Feixuan deliberately imagined Ming Yan as the kind of womanizer, but rather that Ming Yan was indeed surrounded by too many women, and none of them were ordinary women.

Perhaps he didn't intentionally get involved, but this indirectly shows how terrifying Mingyan is. Even without deliberately getting involved, so many women have appeared around him. If this person deliberately gets close to someone... that's why Ning Feixuan wanted to keep her distance from Mingyan.

Ning Feixuan sighed. Unfortunately, maintaining this distance wasn't something she could do at will. Her master's attitude towards Ming Yan was subtle. Although she had never said it, the relationship between her master and Ming Yan's master didn't allow her to keep a great distance from Ming Yan, nor did it allow her to be cold towards him.

Thinking of that tomb, Ning Feixuan frowned slightly. She vaguely felt that there was probably a deeper entanglement between Mingyan and Yaochi. If things continued like this, it would be even more difficult for her to distance herself from Mingyan and draw a clear line.

"That's good then." Mingyan nodded. "Sometimes I worry that Anran might cause some trouble for Yaochi while she's there..."

"As far as the An family is concerned, Miss An Ran is already dead in the Extreme Dao Palace, isn't she?" Ning Feixuan smiled and said, "Even if the An family finds out something later and discovers that An Ran is in Yaochi, they won't say anything more."

Yaochi Holy Land is very special, completely different from ordinary holy lands. It has good relations with too many holy land families, which makes most people unwilling to be enemies of Yaochi and become the outlier.

If you have a conflict with Yaochi, you will easily be attacked by the masses.

Mingyan nodded and walked into the courtyard with Ning Feixuan, looking at the magnificent palace in the distance.

Ning Feixuan stood beside Ming Yan, maintaining a subtle distance between them, neither too distant nor too intimate. She parted her lips slightly and said, "Before I left Yaochi, my master told me that I must be careful on this trip to the Holy Yuan Dynasty. My master rarely gave me such a solemn reminder."

Mingyan paused for a moment upon hearing this, and asked, "Do you have any news about Fairy Ning?"

“Although my master reminded me, he didn’t specify what to be careful of…” Ning Feixuan shook her head. “However, I went to the Holy Yuan Dynasty a few days ago and did some investigation, so I heard some things.”

Ning Feixuan raised her eyelids and said, "In recent years, the Holy Yuan Dynasty has been collecting medicinal herbs to prolong life, presumably for the old Holy Emperor. It seems that the old Holy Emperor's lifespan is about to run out."

“Aren’t cultivators at the Human Realm supposed to live for over two thousand years?” Ming Yan was a little surprised to hear this. He remembered that this old Holy Emperor was only over 1,500 years old. How could his lifespan have run out?

“Under normal circumstances, that would indeed be the case. The basis for this rumor is that the old Holy Emperor suffered a major injury when he was young, which damaged his Dao techniques. Although he was later healed, it left him with hidden dangers,” Ning Feixuan said. “If it’s true, then the old Holy Emperor’s lifespan is probably indeed coming to an end. But I wonder if this matter is related to the warning my master gave me…”

Mingyan frowned and asked, "Didn't Aunt Ning say anything else?"

Hearing his address to his master, Ning Feixuan's expression was subtle, but she still nodded gently.

Mingyan thought for a moment, "Since Aunt Ning reminded us, we should indeed be more careful..."

"Aunt Ning, Aunt Ning, Aunt Ning..." Upon hearing this address, Ning Feixuan pursed her lips, feeling incredibly strange. On one hand, she felt that he seemed very close to her master, making her uncomfortable and giving her a sense of being pressured by his closeness. On the other hand, she herself also shared the surname Ning...

However, Mingyan's behavior was quite natural. Compared to when he stood in front of her before, he was less reserved. She wondered if he had let go of his feelings for her... Ning Feixuan breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that Mingyan had given up.

She didn't dislike Ming Yan; her feelings towards him were complicated. Strictly speaking, Ning Feixuan considered herself somewhat afraid of Ming Yan.

She was afraid of being influenced by Mingyan, afraid that she might develop some other thoughts about him. This man seemed to have a natural attraction to women, and it seemed to be invisible, something he himself was unaware of.

Ning Feixuan once said that she dared not indulge in love and romance until she had avenged her parents. She did not think that she would necessarily like or even fall in love with Ming Yan, but she did not want to allow herself to have even the slightest possibility. She should extinguish the flame as soon as it appeared.

Ning Feixuan pursed her cherry lips, turned around and said, "If Fellow Daoist Mingyan has nothing else to say, then I will return."

"It seems that Fairy Ning is very resistant to being with me. Did I make you feel uncomfortable?" Upon hearing this, Ming Yan turned his head to look at Ning Feixuan and asked softly.

“...I didn’t say that…” Ning Feixuan shook her head, but that was indeed what she thought. She didn’t want to be with Ming Yan, especially in this situation where a man and a woman were alone together.

“I know that Fairy Ning still has things to accomplish, which are even more important, but being friends shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Mingyan smiled. This was something his senior sister had taught him: to retreat in order to advance. Ning Feixuan already knew what Mingyan thought of her. If he continued to maintain this attitude, it was very likely that things would remain lukewarm. In that case, how could their relationship progress?

So he simply made it seem like Ming Yan had given up, letting the two of them get along as friends first, and then make plans after they gradually became familiar with each other.

Ning Feixuan pursed her lips. She didn't actually mind being friends with Ming Yan, but... she had promised to extinguish any sparks that might ignite. Becoming friends with Ming Yan meant that she was tolerating his approach and accepting the possibility that she might fall for him.

"If Fairy Ning really minds, then let's just forget about it." Ming Yan took the initiative to distance himself from Ning Feixuan. His senior sister hadn't taught him this step, but Ming Yan felt that he could still take another step back.

This is a gamble, and it's risky. If Ning Feixuan turns and leaves, then Mingyan will lose the opportunity to befriend her and will have to find another way to win her over. But if that happens, it will be very difficult, because if Ning Feixuan turns away, it means she really doesn't like being with Mingyan and may even dislike him.

Mingyan felt that if that was really the case... then perhaps he should repay the favor, but he shouldn't have any other thoughts.

Ning Feixuan opened her mouth, noticing Ming Yan taking a step back. She raised her eyes, her beautiful eyes looking at Ming Yan with a slightly complicated expression.

She knew that if she left now, she could sever her relationship with Mingyan directly, without even being friends with him. Mingyan wasn't the shameless type, and he probably wouldn't come near her again.

But could it really be like that? Ning Feixuan pursed her lips, sighed slightly in her heart, and turned to leave, which was not in line with her personality; she could not be so rude.

Moreover, Ning Feixuan looked at Ming Yan with her beautiful eyes and saw that his eyes were clear and there was no emotion in them...

Perhaps I should trust Mingyan; perhaps he has already given up...

“...Then we are friends…” Ning Feixuan shifted her beautiful eyes to the side and said softly, her voice filled with complex emotions, a mixture of helplessness and relief.

She still followed her nature and made the choice that she knew was actually the most correct one.

She should have kept her distance from this kind of man, but she ultimately chose to remain friends...

Mingyan smiled slightly, "I thought Fairy Ning no longer wanted to believe me."

Ning Feixuan gently shook her head, blinked her beautiful eyes twice, and said softly, "We're just friends."

“Of course, we’re just friends,” Mingyan said with a smile.

Chapter 141 The two of us can go.

friend.

The word "friend" encompasses too much.

Ming Yan watched Ning Feixuan's departing figure, narrowed his eyes, then turned to look to the side and found Huang Feiyan standing in the distance at some point.

"Feiyan," Mingyan greeted her with a smile.

When Huang Feiyan realized she had been discovered, she walked over.

She loved wearing red clothes, which were trimmed with gold and looked quite noble. A brocade belt cinched her waist, showing off her slender figure.

Huang Feiyan, tall and slender, strolled over with a light, leisurely sway, her beautiful eyes smiling. "Did I disturb you?"

"What do you mean by disturbing us?" Mingyan asked helplessly, then asked, "Have you finished dealing with things on your end?"

Huang Feiyan gently shook her head, "It's a bit complicated. I'm afraid we'll have to go out and investigate later. But since we've just arrived in Zhongjing City, let's rest for a while first... How's the relationship between you and Feixuan progressing?"

“Progress... there’s been no progress at all.” Mingyan shook his head. “I did manage to become friends with her.”

"Just want to be friends?" Huang Feiyan asked playfully, her beautiful eyes sparkling with a smile.

“Of course, it’s not just about being friends…” Mingyan whispered, “I’ll tell you secretly, but don’t tell Ning Feixuan.”

"...Yes, I'm very tight-lipped." Huang Feiyan nodded.

Mingyan transmitted his voice to Huang Feiyan, "I have already confessed to Fairy Ning before. Although it was an accident, it did let Fairy Ning know my feelings for her, so Fairy Ning rejected me."

Huang Feiyan had already heard Ning Feixuan's explanation, but a look of surprise still appeared on her pretty face, her mouth agape. She then comforted her, "Feixuan... Feixuan really doesn't have any thoughts about romance right now, you should know that too."

Mingyan nodded and continued to transmit his voice, "If things continue like this, I'm afraid that Fairy Ning and I will only grow more and more distant until we can't even talk to each other anymore. That's why I took the initiative to say that we should be friends."

"...A strategic retreat?" Huang Feiyan blinked her beautiful eyes upon hearing this.

Mingyan nodded. "Being able to be friends now is better than not being able to talk to each other at all."

Huang Feiyan pursed her lips, thought about what Ning Feixuan had said before, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn't say anything. She smiled and asked, "Are you confident?"

"To be honest, I'm not very confident." Ming Yan shook his head. Although his senior sister was helping him, he wasn't very confident about pursuing Ning Feixuan. He could only say that he saw hope.

Huang Feiyan brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her gaze shifting, and said, "Mingyan... could you come with me later?"

"Hmm? Sure, do you need my help?" Upon hearing this, Mingyan nodded without any hesitation and asked.

“Yes, I’m here to handle some matters related to the Huang family’s businesses,” Huang Feiyan said. “The Huang family has some mineral resources in the northern region of the Holy Yuan Dynasty. Some time ago, we received news that a batch of high-quality ore had been unearthed, which is extremely suitable for forging weapons.”

“But as time went by, we didn’t receive the ore. Later, we discovered that the ore, along with the miners in that mine, had disappeared,” Huang Feiyan said. “So I would like to ask you to come with me to investigate this matter.”

Mingyan nodded. "Should we tell Fairy Ning and the other senior sisters?"

"No need, it's not a big deal, the two of us can go." Huang Feiyan's gaze unconsciously shifted to the side, her tone somewhat guilty.

Mingyan noticed Huang Feiyan's unusual behavior and found it strange, but it was indeed unnecessary for all four of them to go out together for everything. Mingyan nodded, "Then let's say goodbye and leave."

"Let's go first. I've already sent someone to inform Qingying. They'll both know soon," Huang Feiyan said softly, blinking her beautiful eyes.

"Alright."

------------------

After a short while, Yue Qingying finally heard the news that Ming Yan and Huang Feiyan had left together. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and her eyes flickered.

Meanwhile, Huang Feiyan and Ming Yan hurried on their way, leaving Zhongjing City and heading north to the location of the Huang family's mines.

Heading north from Zhongjing City lies a vast wasteland, sparsely populated and dotted with abandoned mines.

These mines have been almost completely mined out and have long been abandoned.

These mines are extremely long and deep, some even leading directly underground. There are rumors that there are several mines on this wasteland that lead directly to the underworld.

The underworld... is the place where people go after they die, also known as the netherworld or the nether realm.

The abandoned mines are filled with toxic gases, and because they are sparsely populated, they are extremely prone to the birth of ghosts. Therefore, few people come to these abandoned mines on weekdays, and only those who work in the area pass through them.

As Mingyan walked onto this wasteland, he sensed that the yin energy above the wasteland was extremely dense, and the yin-yang balance of this place had been completely broken.

Mingyan frowned. "The yin energy here is far too heavy."

"These mines haven't been entered for a long time, so it's normal for them to be filled with yin energy," Huang Feiyan explained softly, clearly not a first-timer, as she led Mingyan forward.

Upon hearing Huang Feiyan's words, Mingyan hesitated for a moment before nodding, no longer taking the immense Yin energy of the place to heart.

After crossing the abandoned mine area, the two saw signs of human habitation and could see many miners working in the area.

Most of the mineral resources here were sold by the Holy Yuan Dynasty to various holy land families. These holy lands would then send people to mine. Some of these miners were disciples of the holy land families. Generally, those who came to this place were either passively exiled or actively came here to earn extra money.

In some sacred sites, if you want to obtain extra cultivation resources, you naturally have to work hard. The way to work hard is like this: you can exchange special ores for spirit crystals, or you can directly mine spirit crystals and then use them to buy various resources within the sacred site.

Besides the disciples of the Holy Land, there are also people who specialize in this kind of work and come here to mine.

After Mingyan joined Fenglingyueying, he was taken in as a disciple by Yue Wuxia. These things that he might have experienced were all skipped.

Because it's close to the central abyss, not many powerful cultivators will approach this place.

The Central Abyss is a forbidden zone for life, and the only one that radiates outwards. It has a very special attribute: the stronger one's cultivation and the closer one gets to the Central Abyss, the stronger the backlash one will suffer.

Unless one is a human king or a great emperor, once one enters the Saintly Realm, one will generally not approach the central abyss, as the risk is either injury or a drop in cultivation.