The Queen Acknowledges the Empress! Xiao Yi Xian Panics for a Moment

"Your Majesty, it is my honor that you have chosen me to be your maidservant."

Ya Fei was unwilling in her heart. Who would give up being a young lady of the Mittel Family to become someone's maidservant?

In the past, if Queen Medusa had been a Dou Zong expert, she might have agreed.

But now, not even a Dou Di could make her agree. After all, she was a woman who possessed a copy of the diary.

What was more, she had already helped the future Dou Di Xiao Yan on a few occasions. Her future was bright.

"But I think it would be better if you did not take me as your maidservant." Ya Fei stood before Medusa, neither humble nor overbearing.

"Oh?" Queen Medusa sat down on a nearby stool and spoke with interest. "Your circumstances are unusual. Since I have encountered you, I am certain to take you away. I am curious-how do you intend to persuade me?"

"A copy of the diary." Ya Fei picked up the teapot and spoke the four words.

Queen Medusa stiffened, her purple eyes narrowing.

Seeing Ya Fei standing there unharmed, she narrowed her eyes. "How bold of you to say it outright."

"Sister Queen." Ya Fei stepped forward with a freshly poured cup of hot tea, smoothly changing how she addressed her. "I am a merchant with ordinary cultivation talent and no particular abilities. All I have is a gambler's instinct and a little nerve, neither of which is fit to be shown in polite company."

"The diary copies do not allow us to reveal their existence or their contents to anyone else."

"But Sister, you are just like me. You have a copy, and you know what is written in it."

"So telling you does not count as revealing it."

A look of appreciation flashed in Medusa's eyes. Though the woman before her had poor cultivation talent, she was bold yet careful, willing to gamble and fight for what she wanted.

Those qualities were not particularly praiseworthy on the Dou Qi Continent, where strength reigned supreme.

But with the aid of a diary copy, she had the makings of an expert.

"Since you know I am like you, you should know why I wanted to take you as my maidservant." The Queen accepted the teacup, her gaze sharpening.

"I do, and that is why I said you should not." Ya Fei smiled sweetly. "I know the future, and so do you, Sister. Other people with copies know it too."

"According to what was written earlier in the diary, Xiao Yan and I are on good terms, and our paths will surely cross again in the future."

"If I become your maidservant now, the future will certainly be different from what it originally was."

"A change to my future is a small matter, but you would be exposed to the other copy holders, Sister."

"As the saying goes, a gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall. We do not know what the other diary copy holders are like. What if they want this opportunity all to themselves and see everyone else as an enemy?"

"Are the Dou Qi Continent's number one alchemist and the Great Thousand World's number one alchemist not an example?"

Queen Medusa narrowed her eyes. She had to admit that Ya Fei had a point.

Today, she could rely on her superior strength to force Ya Fei to become her maidservant.

But if another copy holder became stronger than her someday, they could make her their bodyguard too.

For instance, that young lady of the Gu Clan, Xun'er, could say a single word and have the Gu Clan seize her and turn her into snake soup.

As the saying went, do not impose on others what you would not want done to yourself. It was better for copy holders to avoid direct conflict with one another.

Until she had gained enough strength, she also had to avoid exposing herself as much as possible.

With that thought, Queen Medusa drank the tea in her hand, like a principal wife accepting a cup of tea from a concubine. Then she said, "You have a point. I will drop the matter of making you my maidservant."

"You have a copy, so you have a chance to become an expert. I acknowledge you as half a friend."

"For now, carry on as usual and do whatever you would have done."

"If anything else comes up, I will find you. You may contact me if you need something as well."

With that, Queen Medusa took out a seven-colored scale and placed it in Ya Fei's hand.

"Inject Dou Qi into it, and I will sense it. Do not use it without reason."

As her words fell, a rift tore open in the space behind Queen Medusa. She turned into a streak of seven-colored light, entered it, and vanished.

"Queen Medusa has probably already broken through to Dou Zong. Is it because of the diary copy?"

"The diary has not mentioned anything about her yet, so it is hard to tell."

Ya Fei tightened her grip on the seven-colored scale and let out a breath of relief. Then she carefully put it away.

Though the fact that she had a copy had been exposed, the result was a good thing instead.

She now had Queen Medusa, an expert who was likely a Dou Zong, as her backer.

"The Light Boat Has Passed Ten Thousand Mountains." Ya Fei sat down on a stool, propped her cheek on one hand, and murmured to herself, "Who is this person?"

"Why write a diary? Why are there copies of it? And why did those copies end up in the hands of people like us?"

Ya Fei had many questions, but for now, she could find no answers.

She needed enough strength. Only with strength might she be able to make contact with the diary's owner.

"Likes and rewards." Ya Fei's expression turned serious.

She would be sure to take an active part in the book reviews.

Meanwhile, in a town called Qingshan Town on the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, something else was unfolding.

Xiao Yi Xian lay in bed, eyes open as she gazed at the moonlight outside her window, her mind weighed down with thoughts.

"Tomorrow, that Xiao Yan will arrive."

"In the future, I will explore that cave with him."

"We say we will split the rewards equally, but in fact, he gets more."

Xiao Yi Xian wondered whether she should explore the cave in advance and sweep up all the benefits in one fell swoop.

She was the one who had discovered the cave in the first place. She had only explored it cautiously on several occasions because she had worried that danger lurked inside and feared that someone might discover her before she could find the benefits within.

Now that she knew the danger was nothing more than a rank-one Rock Snake, she could claim all those benefits for herself.

"No."

The moment the thought arose, Xiao Yi Xian snuffed it out.

If she kept all the benefits for herself, she would affect Xiao Yan's future.

If her actions differed from what was written in the diary, they would surely attract the attention of the other diary copy holders.

An opportunity like a diary copy was something any normal person would want to keep for themselves. An expert might even find her and silence her for good.

"The Seven-Colored Poison Scripture is important to me. I only need to get my hands on it and take a larger share when the other things are divided."

"As for the rest, I can give them to Xiao Yan, but not as his partner. I have to make him owe me a favor."

Having made up her mind, Xiao Yi Xian closed her eyes again, ready to rest and build up her strength for tomorrow's performance.

Ye Qingzhou, the one who had set all this in motion, knew nothing of it.

He cultivated diligently all night, leaving the secret chamber only at the appointed time in the morning to eat the breakfast Ye Xinlan had prepared.

Today, however, an uninvited guest had arrived.

"Granduncle." Ye Qingzhou came to the stone table and bowed.

"Sit down." Ye Zhong had Ye Qingzhou take a seat, then asked, "I hear you intend to go to Jia Nan Academy to cultivate."

"Yes, Granduncle." Ye Qingzhou had already guessed why Ye Zhong had come.

Sure enough, in the next moment, Ye Zhong spoke sternly. "Qingzhou, you are being foolish."