Chapter 151: The Fox Demon Empress
On the day of the Sheng Yuan Dynasty’s crown prince’s wedding, Zhong Jing City was bustling with activity. Bright red lanterns hung from the eaves of buildings, and the entire city was immersed in a festive atmosphere.
It was said that the crown princess was the daughter of a court minister, her beauty breathtaking, and the crown prince himself was also very handsome. They were a perfect match.
Their marriage had been arranged by the Empress, Yin Hanyan. The crown princess was also her niece, showing the empress’s profound influence in the Sheng Yuan Dynasty. If the old emperor passed away, the empress would rule from behind a curtain until the new crown prince reached the half-step Human Gateway Realm… although she was already doing so now. And after the new crown prince ascended the throne, the current crown princess would likely become the new empress.
And it was said that although the crown prince was not the empress’s biological son, he respected her greatly. And the old emperor had not been involved in state affairs for a long time. The dynasty was now essentially the empress’s one-woman show, which was why she could arrange the crown prince’s wedding.
The wedding ceremony was extremely elaborate, but Mingyan and the other guests didn’t need to participate. They only needed to attend the subsequent banquet.
Yue Qingying and Mingyan stood on the side of the street, watching the festive procession. Yue Qingying smiled faintly. “Junior Brother, have you ever imagined your own wedding?”
Mingyan was slightly taken aback, then shook his head. “I haven’t.”
Although he had thought about marrying Ning Feixuan, he hadn’t imagined the scene in detail.
Yue Qingying clasped her hands behind her back and looked at him sideways, her smile widening. “It’s time to go. Ning Feixuan and Feiyan have already gone ahead. We shouldn’t keep them waiting.”
“Yes.”
Mingyan didn’t know why his senior sister had suddenly asked that question. Could it be that she was thinking about her own future wedding?
Thinking of this, he felt a tinge of melancholy. Yes, no matter how close he was to his senior sister, she was still just his senior sister. He was devoted to Ning Feixuan… Perhaps his senior sister would leave him one day… and marry someone else.
His heart grew heavy for a moment, then he came back to his senses and chided himself for being greedy. Did he want to possess his senior sister?
The banquet was held in the Eastern Palace, the crown prince’s residence, which was also located above Zhong Jing City, floating in the air, accompanied by dozens of huge floating islands.
Yue Qingying was at the Divine Gate Realm, and Mingyan was at the Qi Sea Realm. They could both fly. After showing their invitations, no one stopped them, and they quickly entered the banquet.
The Eastern Palace was already filled with guests, a lively scene.
Shortly after they arrived, Mingyan saw a familiar figure approaching them.
He narrowed his eyes. It was Jade Peony. She wore a veil, thin and translucent, but her features beneath it were blurry. She smiled at them. “Brother Ming, Celestial Yue.”
Mingyan sent a mental message to Yue Qingying, telling her Jade Peony’s true identity.
Yue Qingying nodded slightly, her expression calm. When she was out, she was always like this, not talkative, appearing a bit cold.
Mingyan also nodded. “Celestial Jade, we meet again.”
Jade Peony walked gracefully, her cherry-colored eyes sparkling with amusement. She moved closer. “Brother Ming, have you met the Empress of the Sheng Yuan Dynasty, Yin Hanyan?”
Mingyan shook his head. How could he have met the empress of the Sheng Yuan Dynasty?
“I wonder if you know that this empress is actually from the Demon Clan?” Jade Peony smiled. “She’s a fox demon. Her entire family are fox demons.”
Mingyan nodded. He had heard this these past few days. It wasn’t a secret. Many in the Sheng Yuan Dynasty knew.
Although the union of demons and humans was a taboo, often met with resistance from both sides, the old emperor was a Human Gateway Realm cultivator, and the empress was a peak Rotating Core, half-step Human Gateway cultivator. In this era ruled by a Great Emperor, they were among the top combat powers below the Emperor. Few dared to gossip.
And it was because the empress was a demon that Jade Peony, Bei Ming Ni, and the other demons had been invited.
“She wants to see you.” Jade Peony looked at him with a strange expression. “Alone.”
“…?” Mingyan’s eyebrow twitched. “Why would she want to see me?”
Yue Qingying, standing beside him, also frowned.
“She knows you defeated Bei Ming Ni, so she wants to meet you. Also… she wants to mediate the conflict between you and him.” Jade Peony smiled. “I’m just a messenger. Whether you go or not is up to you.”
Mediate the conflict between him and Bei Ming Ni? This conflict was likely impossible to mediate. He liked Ning Feixuan, and so did Mingyan… Unless one of them gave up on her, they would be rivals. And he had even defeated Bei Ming Ni, stomping on his head. Bei Ming Ni was arrogant. How could he let go of these things so easily?
Mingyan shook his head. “Please thank the empress for me, Celestial Jade, but I’ll pass on the meeting.”
Jade Peony chuckled and nodded. “If that’s the case, then I’ll inform her. And one more thing, about my identity. If possible, I hope you, Celestial Yue, and Eldest Miss Huang will keep it a secret for now. I told you my identity to show my sincerity. As I said before, we can be friends. There’s no need to be enemies.”
Mingyan nodded in agreement. Jade Peony seemed to trust him and left with a satisfied look.
“Jade Peony… she’s the number one of the Demon Clan in the Eastern Continent… Her aura is very strong, no less than Gu Hanshuang’s. Her true strength is likely terrifying.” Yue Qingying sent him a mental message after Jade Peony left. “Jade Peony of the Eastern Continent, Gu Hanshuang of the Southern Continent, these two women…”
They were both at the late Divine Gate Realm and incredibly powerful. Gu Hanshuang, with her Tai’a Physique, had an innate affinity for weapons. Not only was she powerful, but in a battle with her, one could easily be disarmed, their own weapon becoming her tool of attack.
Jade Peony was more mysterious. The Demon Clan had kept her existence under wraps. Besides her title as the number one, little was known about her.
But from her seeking him out and mentioning Gu Hanshuang, it seemed they had fought before.
It was just unknown what the outcome was, who was stronger.
Regardless, they were likely enemies. Otherwise, Jade Peony wouldn’t have such an attitude towards Gu Hanshuang.
Mingyan had also heard before that Jade Peony seemed to have been born in the Southern Continent and had later come to the Eastern Continent for some reason.
The Southern Continent… a truly magical place.
