Chapter 39 The Storm Is Brewing 3 Rolling around like this is much easier...

After a moment of silence, Mingying said, "The next queen will not come from a noble family."

The empress's position has been vacant for three years without a clear outcome, most likely because the emperor is unwilling to choose from among the noble families and is still considering potential candidates.

Xiao Jingze's lips curled slightly: "That's not necessarily true. Apart from that old man from the aristocratic family, there's no other choice. And now that you two are having such a pleasant conversation, isn't that just perfect?"

Mingying glanced at him and asked bluntly, "Are you jealous?"

Why are they talking so strangely again? They clearly have a very good relationship.

She explained earnestly, "We just happened to run into each other on the road. I'm not even friends with the Emperor, so why are you so concerned about this?"

Xiao Jingze glanced at her with an inscrutable expression, said nothing more, and seemed to have returned to normal.

Feng Yi scratched his head and asked, "The Shen family has already produced three empresses. Will the empress be chosen from the Ming family this time?"

Mingying tilted her head and thought seriously for a while: "Even so, Father and Mother will not agree to let me enter the palace, and besides, the Ming family has never had an empress."

Ming Yan put down her teacup and snorted softly, "That's because the Ming clan are all cultivators, and the Empress can't be a cultivator... But you're different. You're a mortal, yet you have the prestige of a cultivator. The Ming clan has never participated in court disputes, so this move can also win them over. Besides, you won't live much longer. For the Emperor, you being the Empress only brings advantages, almost no disadvantages."

Mingying said "Oh," and concluded, "So, in other words, it's convenient for the Emperor to discard me after I've served my purpose, since I'm the Empress?"

She leaned closer and asked curiously, "Mingyan, if I were to enter the palace, wouldn't you miss me?"

Mingyan replied coldly, "You're overthinking it."

Seeing the conversation veering off course, Feng Yi remembered that he had initially only wanted to share his new discovery. Now, having come full circle, he turned to ask, "Brother Xiao, aren't you and Miss Ming still engaged?"

It sounds like Mingying is going to become the queen tomorrow.

Xiao Jingze said coldly, "She's dreaming."

He tapped the table, staring at Mingying with a half-smile: "Have you forgotten that you still have a marriage contract?"

Mingying touched her nose guiltily. She had almost forgotten, but it would be better to burn the marriage certificate, even though Xiao Jingze didn't seem like he would agree.

She rested her chin on her hand and asked him, "Do you really want to get married?"

She felt that things were fine as they were.

Xiao Jingze narrowed his eyes: "What do you mean?"

"It means I want to go back to Yunchuan."

Mingyan's gaze swept over the two of them scrutinizingly, and she frowned after hearing this: "You didn't stay in Shengjing voluntarily?"

She originally thought Mingying just wanted to go somewhere else to have fun. Could it be that the Imperial Advisor was going to imprison her?

Mingying pressed Mingyan, who had stood up, back down and poured her a cup of tea with a smile: "You're overthinking it."

Feng Yi tried to steer the conversation back on track: "You still have the marriage agreement set by the Immortal Venerable, so the Emperor can't just ignore the Immortal Venerable's seal."

Mingyan remained cold: "Whether this engagement will still be valid by then is another matter."

Feng Yi was puzzled; why did he always feel that these three were hiding something from him? Xiao Jingze looked over with a cool gaze, and Ming Ying blinked: "My thoughts on this matter are still very important. Ask me, I don't want to be the Empress."

She didn't want to be a wife of the Xiao family, much less an empress. She only wanted to be Miss Ming of Yunchuan; she felt she hadn't been home in a long time.

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, Feng Yi rubbed his hands and changed to a lighter topic: "Speaking of which, don't you guys think that Miss Ming and Empress Shen look a little alike?"

Xiao Jingze scoffed lightly: "Where are your eyes?"

Mingyan had never met Empress Shen before. She stared at Mingying for a while and said, "Mingying looks like Madam Shen. Madam Shen and Empress Shen are cousins, so it's normal for them to look alike."

Mingying had seen Empress Shen when she was a child, but she didn't quite remember what she looked like. She looked at Mingyan and said, "We don't look alike at all."

Mingyan pouted: "I don't want to look like you."

Feng Yi compared the two and said, "Actually, you two look a bit alike."

Xiao Jingze patted his shoulder: "Find a doctor to check your eyes."

Mingying pondered the reason carefully: "Could it be that writing too many talismans has damaged my eyes?"

Mingyan added, "Then we should take a look as soon as possible."

Feng Yi, made somewhat doubtful by their words, touched his face and asked, "Then do I need to wear a vision aid too?"

There was once a disciple of Yinxuan Pavilion who drew talismans day and night. He won first place but damaged his eyesight and could not recognize people more than two zhang away. Could it be that he also has this symptom?

Mingying swung her legs with glee, sunlight filtering through the gauze curtains and falling on her face. She suddenly yawned, rubbing her eyes, and said, "I feel a little dizzy, I need to take a nap."

Mingyan put down her teacup and stood up: "You can mail these letters yourself. I have a mission to complete and will not return to the Ming family."

Her gaze swept over the other two, noting that they seemed just as relaxed as Mingying: "You guys didn't get any missions?"

Feng Yi also stood up and arranged the chairs for each other: "Yinxuan Pavilion has few tasks to begin with, and Brother Xiao can spend most of his time making artifacts for the academy."

In short, neither of them needed to run around like the disciples of the Thousand Machine Pavilion. Only Ming Yan had traveled a long way to bicker with Ming Ying.

Mingyan: "..."

Mingying smiled and waved at her, "Please come again next time!"

Ming Yan ignored her and turned to leave, vowing never to come again, no matter what Ming Ying said. Feng Yi pulled out his improved flying artifact and, before leaving, enthusiastically invited, "Shengjing has many Jin family properties. If Miss Ming wishes to tour Shengjing sometime, then I..."

Xiao Jingze waved his hand lazily: "You don't need to worry about it."

After the two had said their goodbyes and left, Mingying yawned, took off her shoes, covered herself with the blanket, patted it down, and looked curiously at Xiao Jingze, who was still sitting in the same spot: "Aren't you leaving?"

Xiao Jingze tapped his ring, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Everything here is mine, can't I stay here?"

Mingying tilted her head, wanting to say something, but she was so sleepy that her eyes were almost closed. She covered her forehead and mumbled groggily, "How strange..."

Xiao Jingze looked down at her. Mingying was too preoccupied to think about anything else. She shrank her head further under the covers and fell asleep in less than two breaths.

Xiao Jingze watched her quietly for a while, then stepped onto the observation platform by the railing. He wanted to ask the Imperial Advisor what the current situation was and what was not to be said.

——

The Imperial Advisor was not at the Observatory. Xiao Jingze glanced around, threw out a golden ring to draw an array, when Xiao Qingyi suddenly appeared behind him: "What is it now?"

Xiao Jingze put away the golden ring, turned around, and raised an eyebrow: "This junior has come to visit you, Grand Preceptor. If you don't sleep well at night, I also made an incense burner here. My grandfather used it and said it was good."

He spoke leisurely, and actually took out an incense burner from his storage ring and placed it on the ground, looking very filial.

Xiao Qingyi said, "...Since you've guessed it, this matter is difficult to resolve."

Xiao Jingze casually placed the incense burner aside, a smile playing on his lips: "The Immortal Venerable has not appeared in the world for nine hundred years, so why is Mingying the only exception?"

The heavens follow their own rules, and the human soul is bound to one another; taking a soul is easy, but giving it away is difficult. Mingying could not have willingly given her body to the Immortal Venerable, so how could the Immortal Venerable have possessed her body?

Xiao Qingyi sat down quietly: "Mingying exists between life and death, and is detached from the laws of nature. She is actually a dead person, and the dead are naturally different from the living."

Xiao Jingze stood still, and Xiao Qingyi sighed: "When a person dies, the contract is dissolved. Ordinary dead people cannot move even if their souls are sent away. But I replaced her heart with the Mountain and River Bell back then. She is a dead person in the law, but a living person in the world."

Xiao Jingze's gaze was deep: "Didn't your Heavenly Prophecy say that she was a goddess? Is this the so-called savior goddess?"

"The goddess will surely face tribulations; she will overcome them."

Xiao Jingze chuckled, but there was no smile in his eyes: "Stop talking nonsense. Just tell me if you can solve it or not. She can't be locked up here by you forever."

Xiao Qingyi glanced at him and slowly said, "The Emperor is investigating the Ming family."

Xiao Jingze frowned: "What does this have to do with anything?"

"Go and intercept the message; Mingying must not know about this."

Xiao Jingze twitched the corner of his mouth, not really wanting to know what it was about: "And then?"

"The Star Gazing Tower will be sealed off for seven days. I will draw out her soul from here."

Xiao Jingze stared at her, his lips flattening: "So you want me to leave for seven days?"

Xiao Qingyi nodded slightly: "Now you can leave."

Xiao Jingze's eyes darkened slightly. Without saying a word, he turned and jumped off the stage.

Xiao Qingyi looked up at the sky; it was midday, and the sun was blazing.

She pondered for a moment, then slowly walked downstairs and stopped.

Two figures stood on the two steps, one tall and one short, facing each other through a gauze curtain. "Mingying" smiled and said, "Teacher, I only wanted to leave Xuanji Palace. I didn't attack anyone. Why are you stopping me?"

Xiao Qingyi lowered her eyes and said calmly, "Going against the will of Heaven will only lead to bitter consequences. Immortal Venerable, do not be so stubborn."

Mingying's expression was mocking as she suddenly covered her forehead. Xiao Qingyi remained calm and waved her hand, casting a talisman: "Wake up."

Mingying's head was throbbing with pain. She slowly squatted down, her eyes slightly moist. Xiao Qingyi landed in front of her. Mingying took a couple of breaths, looked up, and said, "Grand Preceptor, the Immortal Venerable has appeared in my heart."

Xiao Qingyi observed her for a moment: "I have a method to separate the two of you. Your soul will be attached to something compatible with you for seven days."

Mingying squatted down and thought for a moment, then let out a breath and decisively agreed: "I think it's feasible."

Seeing that she agreed so readily, Xiao Qingyi gently reminded her, "This method was created by Ming Sheng and is only recorded in words. You need to consider it carefully."

Mingying leaned against the wall to stand up. The Imperial Advisor's words implied that the outcome was unknown. But since even she said so, it must be because this method was the most suitable.

She smiled and said, "Let's begin now."

Runes flowed around the Star Gazing Tower. Mingying lay within the formation, her hands neatly placed on her waist and abdomen, her eyes wide open. The Imperial Advisor had told her that she couldn't fall asleep now.

Xiao Qingyi had no expression. Her spiritual energy drew symbols in the air that she couldn't understand, until Mingying became increasingly sleepy, her consciousness slowly dissipated, and she drifted away in the direction of the light.

——

In the blink of an eye, Mingying landed lightly, opened her "eyes," and saw a pile of white bones. She was sitting on the bones, covered by a small red cloak.

Mingying: ...

She knew where she was. Her consciousness stirred, and Mingying rolled over, trying to get off the bones. The dragon scales were flat, and she struggled to walk. Whew, so tired.

She wiped away non-existent sweat, rolled into the pile of gold and jade in the center, stuck it to the pile, and lo and behold, it turned into gold beads! It was indeed much easier to roll around like this.

Mingying rolled around wildly, and suddenly a large hole appeared in the ground. She couldn't stop and fell in, landing in a hand with distinct knuckles. The gold bead hit the ring, and her head buzzed.

Amidst the comings and goings of people, Xiao Jingze tapped the countertop with his fingertips and said with a smile, "I'd like to ask you about someone."

The shopkeeper was all smiles as he reached out to take the gold bead, but Xiao Jingze suddenly clasped his hands together.

Guy: ...Are you kidding me?

Xiao Jingze's expression was inscrutable as he took another one from his Sumeru Ring and handed it to him.

The shopkeeper took it with both hands, glanced at his back, then looked at the gold bead in his palm. Wasn't it exactly the same? He scratched his head, somewhat puzzled. Perhaps these noble people always had some unknown quirks.

Xiao Jingze took the message and sat down, his gaze turning strangely to the golden bead rolling around in his palm.

Why did he think this golden bead looked so lively, even a bit like... Mingying?!

——

Xiao Qingyi closed her eyes to locate Mingying, but found nothing. She opened her eyes and looked towards the Star Gazing Platform. Mingying's body was pinned to the formation, and one more thing was needed—the Soul-Swapping Talisman made by Ming Sheng. It had been given to her years ago, and now it could be used on Mingying to settle this matter.

She took out a golden box from the void and opened it. The box was empty, and the Soul-Swapping Talisman was nowhere to be found.

Xiao Qingyi paused slightly, then with a flick of her sleeve landed in the formation. Mingying's body had vanished without her noticing.

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Author's note: I'm almost out of drafts, but it feels like there's only a tiny bit left. [Sigh]

If the plot follows the usual formula... the villain should possess the female lead's body and do a bunch of messy things, like murder and arson. Then, after the initial shock, her family and friends will be disappointed and disgusted with her, while the righteous faction will also want to kill her, saying she's a good actress and has been a fool for so many years. The female lead will be imprisoned and shout that she's innocent, but no one will believe her.

Mingying: ...Are you trying to say that everyone is an idiot?

Xi: Since ancient times, routines have won people's hearts, and I have come up with a brilliant plan—the female lead wakes up to find that the world's IQ has dropped by 10,000 times, but hers remains unchanged!

Mingying: ^-^?

Xi: Sister Ying, I'm having so much trouble writing this, why don't you go to my computer and act out a couple of episodes yourself? (Wishing)