Chapter 2057: Imperial Gate Bei Qing Is a Woman?

The Ninefoot Mirror was like the ancient well in miniature. The patterns around it were identical to the ones that had been on the well.

Zu An smiled. From the very start, he had felt that the well was a bit special; it was just that he hadn’t expected it to be none other than the Ninefoot Mirror. Everything around it had become a world unto itself, where even the sun, moon, and buildings could be moved. It turned out all of that was possible through the miraculous effects of the item.

He walked over, and was about to take the Ninefoot Mirror when he suddenly stopped. He looked at it with a serious expression.

The Ninefoot Mirror suddenly emanated a streak of white mist. An illusory shadow gradually appeared.

Zu An secretly prepared for battle. Incredible treasures often had things protecting them. Could it be that this was some form of protection Immortal Gate Bei Qing had left behind? But if he had prepared a protector in addition to the puzzle that had so much invested into it, wasn’t this Immortal Gate Bei Qing a bit too much of a busybody?

The white figure gradually appeared. It didn’t look like a monster, but rather like a slender and elegant woman; she was an extremely beautiful woman, at that. She was dressed in a voluminous black and white gown, and on her head was a tall hat. She looked a bit like the onmyoji Zu An had seen on the internet. She was clearly extremely beautiful, but Zu An's first reaction wasn’t to admire her beauty, but rather to admire her aura of transcendence. She seemed like an incredible being from beyond this world, so pure that it was impossible to think of any evil thoughts about her.

Zu An was actually a bit confused. He had clearly never seen this woman before, so why did she feel a bit familiar? After all, with his current cultivation, his memory was already incredibly strong. He wouldn’t even forget a stranger he passed by on the street, let alone a woman with such an incredible presence.

The woman looked back at him. It felt as if countless emotions passed through her eyes in an instant, but in the end, she only released a soft sigh. She said, “Even though I really want to see you, that might not be a good thing. It seems as if things really are headed in the worst direction.”

Zu An was stunned. He exclaimed, “You recognize me?”

Judging from her tone, it was as if the two of them were really close friends, and perhaps even more than that.

What the heck? Do I have memory loss or something? If not, why can’t I think of anything?

The woman nodded, but then shook her head.

Zu An chuckled, remarking, “Don’t you think your way of flirting is a bit too overused?” Even though he was full of doubts, he quickly calmed down and didn’t show any of it.

The woman smiled and said, “Sure enough, some things never change.”

When he heard her familiar voice, Zu An felt even more confused. He asked, “Are you the protector Immortal Gate Bei Qing left behind to guard the Ninefoot Mirror? Speak up already if there’s some kind of trial, or if we have to fight. I’m in a hurry.”

This woman was indeed extremely pretty, but it had been a long time since he couldn't move on when he saw a beautiful woman. Furthermore, he had already spent more time than he would have liked here, and he was worried that the seal could completely break. Everything would be too late then.

The beautiful woman shook her head slightly and said, “I am not the protector of the Ninefoot Mirror; I am Imperial Gate Bei Qing.”

When he heard her words, Zu An’s eyes almost popped out. He had many guesses, but he never could have predicted this.

Wasn’t Immortal Gate Bei Qing a man? Even children know about his story.

How did he become a woman, and such a beautiful woman at that?

The woman smiled when she saw his look of puzzlement, saying, “Of course, this is not me, but rather just a fragment of my will that I left in the Ninefoot Mirror to await the one who shares this destiny. I simply did not expect that person to be you. As expected, you were the only one who could solve my puzzle.”

Zu An was speechless. He replied, “Excuse me, beautiful miss, can you please not talk in riddles and just tell me what's going on directly?”

The more the woman spoke, the more confused Zu An grew, especially when he heard her mention that things were headed in the worst direction, which gave him an ominous feeling.

The beautiful woman didn’t respond to his question, and instead looked at him quietly. Her eyes were filled with endless reluctance, and her entire figure gradually grew faint. It was clear that the fragment of her will couldn't stay in this world for that long.

Zu An panicked and continued, “You're already about to disappear, and yet you can’t even tell me a bit of useful information? Do you really like being mysterious that much? Or is there a way for me to preserve this fragment of will?”

The beautiful woman smiled faintly and replied, “The fact that I could even remain here for this long is already a miracle in itself. There is no other method that can prolong my life further. However, there is no need for you to worry, because we will meet again.”

Zu An was a bit speechless. He said, “Miss, you are already an ancient senior who died who knows how many years ago, so how can I possibly meet you? Hm? Could it be that you left another will fragment somewhere else?”

The beautiful woman didn’t reply, and instead looked at him with a complicated expression. She said, “You only need to firmly remember one thing. Cause is not necessarily the beginning, and effect is not necessarily the end.”

Afterward, she dissolved into specks of starlight.

Zu An was speechless.

What the f*ck? What in the world is going on?

“Big sis empress, why is this woman just like you, someone who loves to talk in riddles?” Zu An remarked mockingly.

“Hmph, what big sis? Call me master,” Mi Li said as she appeared nearby, seeming really dissatisfied with what he called her. Amid this world of ice and snow, her red garb seemed even more striking.

“Okay, big sis empress,” Zu An said, before belatedly exclaiming in shock and surprise,“You woke up!”

At first, he had just been making a casual remark, and hadn’t expected Mi Li to actually wake up.

“I might not wake up if you say good things about me, but I definitely will when you’re saying bad things about me.” Mi Li harrumphed.

Zu An chuckled, saying, “But I didn’t say anything bad. This Imperial Gate Bei Qing came out and spoke a bunch of obscure crap, and just refused to tell it to me straight. I really wonder where she picked up that bad habit from.”

“Why are you dragging me into this too?” Mi Li retorted in annoyance, then added, “Do you think Imperial Gate Bei Qing is an idiot?”

Zu An shook his head and said, “Of course not.”

Ever since ancient times, there had been countless stories surrounding Imperial Gate Bei Qing circulating among the Fiend races, and her name had almost become synonymous with the word 'wisdom'. How could someone like that possibly be an idiot?

“Then isn’t that enough? If she isn’t an idiot, and she can’t tell it to you straight, she definitely has a reason, and has no choice but to talk that way,” Mi Li said with an annoyed look.

“What reason?” Zu An asked.

Mi Li reflexively answered, “For example, she could be worried that knowing more would only bring you danger, or that it would provoke a certain being...” She shut her mouth midway through her sentence and shot him a look, asking, “Are you messing with me again?”

“I really was confused...” Zu An said, chuckling in embarrassment.

“There’s no need to think too much about it. Just remember what she told you. You’ll naturally understand once the time comes,” Mi Li said. She stretched lazily and added, “Sigh, this was a rare chance to emerge. I’ll have to go back to sleep again.”

Zu An was a bit reluctant, asking, “Just who are you hiding from? Can’t you just stay with me for a bit?”

“The world barrier has already been activated, so I can only do my best to remain asleep. Otherwise, I’ll end up drawing the attention of a certain being you have absolutely no chance against,” Mi Li said with a sigh. If not for the fact that she knew this was a space created by the Ninefoot Mirror, she wouldn’t have dared to come out like this.

When she saw the reluctance on his face, a hint of warmth appeared on Mi Li’s face. She said, “If you want me to spend more time outside, then you should hurry and become stronger.”

“How strong do I have to be?”

“You'll know when the time comes.”

Zu An was speechless.

In the end, Mi Li returned to the Tai’e Sword. Zu An put away the Ninefoot Mirror and continued to the third location without taking any time to rest.

He wondered just what kind of nonsense he’d have to deal with once he arrived at the Soul Capturing Jade’s location. When he recalled what Imperial Gate Bei Qing had looked like, he actually felt a bit annoyed. He really wanted to prop her up on his knees and give her a vicious spanking. She had spoken so much, and yet she hadn’t even told him how to obtain the Soul Capturing Jade.

Does she really have that much confidence that I’ll be able to solve her incredibly hard prompts?

...

Soon after, he arrived at the final region marked on the map. After searching around for a bit, in the end, he focused his attention on an ice hole he couldn't see the bottom of. There was a dim blue light coming from inside, and there was a special kind of chill coming out from it that made even him, with his current cultivation, shiver. The Wind Fire Wheels’ flames became really weak, as if they could go out at any time.