It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists

Mu Zhian’s mind short-circuited.

“Mu Lang…?” Lan Mulian repeated softly.

This form of address was very familiar to her, as Bai Ruoxi used it for Mu Zhian.

In this era, women usually added “Lang” after a man’s surname to address their beloved Dao Companion.

Lin Ling’s words were practically a self-imposed confession.

Lan Feiying narrowed her eyes, a dangerous glint within.

Lan Mulian’s face darkened, her eyes filled with a mix of amusement and anger.

“Senior Sister, it’s a long story,” Mu Zhian forced a smile. Even though he couldn’t see his own expression, he knew it must be awkward yet polite.

“You’re quite capable, Junior Brother. Not only did you trick Miss Bai into calling you Mu Lang, but you’ve even won over Senior Lin Ling?” Lan Mulian’s voice was cold, her face like frost.

Mu Zhian coughed, trying to hide his embarrassment. “It’s a long story. I’ll explain it to you later, Senior Sister.”

He looked at Lin Ling helplessly.

The silver-haired beauty blinked innocently, holding up her notebook: I’m sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose.

I don’t believe you!

Mu Zhian almost lost his composure.

Lin Ling clearly knew the meaning of ‘Mu Lang.’ Otherwise, she wouldn’t have blushed when she said it a few days ago… He couldn’t help but suspect her motives.

She looks innocent and harmless, but she’s actually quite mischievous…

Lan Mulian scoffed. “You can explain it now, or are you busy… being intimate with Senior Lin Ling?”

“My relationship with Sister Lin Ling is quite pure,” Mu Zhian explained.

“Pure love?” Lan Feiying joined the fray, smiling.

Lan Mulian’s clear eyes, as deep as an autumn pool, looked at him calmly. “So, you were the one who suppressed Senior Lin Ling’s karmic fire?”

“It’s a bit complicated. I didn’t know my constitution could suppress misfortune. Then I learned that Sister Lin Ling had transferred Sect Master Lin’s misfortune to herself, causing her karmic fire to act up, so I…”

He wasn’t worried that Lin Ling would interrupt. He had already told her on their way here that the… events of ‘Suppressing Karmic Fire.mp4’ were their little secret, and Lin Ling, happily munching on crystal elbow, had readily agreed.

But who would have thought that the usually unassuming Lin Ling would call him “Mu Lang” in front of her Senior Sisters…

Lan Mulian had been sneering, but now, a look of surprise appeared in her eyes. “Master is plagued by misfortune?”

Lan Feiying was also surprised. “How is that possible…? Isn’t a person’s luck fixed? How can misfortune suddenly befall her?”

“Sister Lin Ling’s karmic fire was almost under control, but because of the misfortune, it almost erupted.”

Mu Zhian shook his head gently. “I don’t know the details. Sister Lin Ling told me a few days ago after she arrived at the Lan family.”

Lan Mulian instinctively looked at Lin Ling. “Master… How is she now?”

Did Senior Sister just call her “old lady”…

Even the usually cold and aloof Senior Sister is… afraid of Master… Mu Zhian thought to himself.

The two sisters’ attention shifted from the term ‘Mu Lang’ to Shang Yanfei.

Lin Ling held up her notebook: She’s fine now. Don’t worry.

Her misfortune is temporarily suppressed.

Temporarily suppressed? It seems Sister Lin Ling knows quite a bit about Sect Master Lin… Mu Zhian sensed a wealth of information hidden in these words.

Lan Mulian was relieved, then she started to think. Why would Master suddenly be plagued by misfortune?

Despite interacting with Shang Yanfei for so long, she couldn’t understand her Master. She hadn’t felt this way about any other Dao Integration expert.

Perhaps Master couldn’t read minds, but she could always see through people’s thoughts… That was probably why she had never won a game of Go against her.

Such a remarkable woman, plagued by misfortune?

“How is Senior Lin Ling now?” Lan Mulian suddenly asked.

“You transferred Master’s misfortune to yourself. Are you alright?”

Lin Ling shook her head. “I’m fine.”

Just as Mu Zhian was relieved that the atmosphere had calmed down, he saw Lin Ling continue writing: He’s helped me a lot these past few days, so the karmic fire has been suppressed.

Sister Lin Ling, are you doing this on purpose?!

Mu Zhian’s heart sank again.

“Oh?”

Lan Mulian’s interest piqued, her voice softening slightly. “Come to think of it, Junior Brother has helped many women before. I didn’t expect him to even help Senior Lin Ling… What exactly did you do?”

Mu Zhian instinctively glanced at Lin Ling.

Lin Ling glanced at him and held up her notebook: It’s our secret.

Mu Zhian felt a sense of despair.

She seemed to have said nothing, yet she had said everything.

These words, even if he hadn’t actually dual cultivated with Lin Ling, would still be misunderstood.

A cold snort came from beside him, and Mu Zhian looked at the aloof woman in the white dress.

Her face was expressionless, her eyes cold as she looked at the fickle man.

Lan Feiying’s face was also cold as she turned her head away, unwilling to look at him.

There’s no way out. I’ll just have to take the beating… Mu Zhian sighed inwardly and decided to leave with Lin Ling.

“Although Senior Lin Ling is a Dao Integration expert, she’s still naive. Take care of her, Junior Brother,” Lan Mulian said coldly, her expression even colder than usual.

Mu Zhian was silent for a moment, then transmitted his voice to the two sisters, “Sister Lin Ling and I went to the Lan family’s ancestral grounds today.”

Lan Mulian’s clear eyes flickered, and she looked at Mu Zhian instinctively, her curiosity piqued.

Today’s events are related to him… Lan Feiying also realized something and glanced at Mu Zhian discreetly.

Good, they’re curious. This ‘cliffhanger’ worked… Mu Zhian didn’t explain further, seeing their curious yet hesitant expressions, and left with Lin Ling.

After leaving the main hall, Lin Ling’s beautiful face was filled with unease, and she glanced at Mu Zhian.

“Aaa…” she tugged on his sleeve gently.

“What is it?” Mu Zhian asked, slightly irritated.

Then, seeing her pitiful expression, like a kitten abandoned by its owner, he softened. “You caused me a lot of trouble today, Sister Lin Ling.”

“Sorry,” Lin Ling immediately held up her notebook.

Seeing you with other women makes me unhappy.

You told me to follow my heart and not always consider you.

But it seems like I’m causing trouble for you?

Yes, definitely…

Seeing Lin Ling’s downcast expression, Mu Zhian’s eye twitched. He stroked her silver hair. “But you did great.”

“Making you unhappy… means I did great?” Lin Ling tilted her head, puzzled.

Mu Zhian also tilted his head. “Why do you have to make me happy? As long as you’re happy, it’s fine.”

“Did you call me that on purpose today?” Mu Zhian suddenly asked.

Lin Ling nodded slightly.

“Do you know what ‘Mu Lang’ means?”

“No, but I can guess,” Lin Ling wrote.

She’s not stupid, just usually acts innocent… Mu Zhian looked at her, standing in the rain, and remained silent.

…

Late at night, Mu Zhian returned to his room, lit a candle, and sat by the window, watching the rain outside.

The deep darkness and the sound of rain had a calming effect.

Mu Zhian took out the ancient bell, a thoughtful look in his eyes, and began to organize the information he had gathered these past few days.

Undoubtedly, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox’s arrangements in the Eastern Continent were related to the Lan family.

He was even certain that her consciousness was within the Lan family’s ancestral grounds.

The question was, did the Lan family’s elders know about this?

If they did, why didn’t they deal with her consciousness earlier, instead of keeping it in the ancestral grounds, even enshrining it?

During every ancestral worship ceremony, a divine oracle was bestowed from the ancestral grounds… and it wasn’t the Lan family ancestor who was doing it, but likely the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox.

This wasn’t just collusion with a demon cultivator, but a Dao Integration demon cultivator!

If this secret were revealed, the Lan family wouldn’t just be attacked. They would be destroyed.

This was a matter of principle.

“So, the Clear Moon Holy Land probably knows something and is secretly colluding with the Grand Elder of the Lan family, planning something big during the ancestral worship ceremony…?”

After all, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox’s demonic qi was so powerful that even with the formations suppressing it, they would definitely find a way to release it.

Once everyone in the Eastern Continent knew about this, the Lan family would be attacked by the other ancient clans…

Mu Zhian sighed softly, collecting his thoughts.

He couldn’t think of a solution now. He could only take things one step at a time.

He raised his finger, and a ruler, emitting a soft glow, appeared.

The Heaven-Measuring Ruler, the ancestral artifact of the former Lord of the Heavenly Court, possessing unique divinity, was now his weapon.

“I wonder if I can use the Heaven-Measuring Ruler to block the demonic qi emanating from the Lan family’s ancestral grounds…” Mu Zhian murmured.

Then, he quickly shook his head, dismissing the thought.

If he were at the Nascent Soul realm, he might be able to do it with the Heaven-Measuring Ruler, but he was still a step away.

And he didn’t know how long it would take him to reach Nascent Soul.

Just as he was about to put the Heaven-Measuring Ruler away, his attention was drawn to its surface.

Nine marks were engraved on the faintly glowing ruler, and ancient characters had appeared on four of them.

“These characters seem to be from some ancient dynasty. I can read, but I can’t understand them…”

Mu Zhian, puzzled, infused the Heaven-Measuring Ruler with a wisp of spiritual energy.

Hum!

The space vibrated, and Mu Zhian felt the first rune on the ruler light up with a green glow.

The rain outside suddenly stopped, and Mu Zhian looked up in surprise, seeing the raindrops frozen in mid-air, like a painting.

The world was silent.

“This rune is related to the power of time, and I can use it?”

Mu Zhian was both surprised and delighted, then a wave of dizziness washed over him, and the spiritual energy in his cauldron was instantly drained, as if he had been dual cultivating for three days and nights straight, making him want to vomit.

He quickly put away the Heaven-Measuring Ruler, and time resumed its flow, his forehead covered in sweat.

A graceful, melodious voice came from beside him: “Aaa?”

Lin Ling handed him a cup of tea, concern in her eyes.

“Thank you,” Mu Zhian forced a smile, taking the teacup, his hands trembling slightly.

“Are you alright?”

Lin Ling knelt beside him, poking the chain in his hand with her finger, and continued writing in her notebook: Were you cultivating just now? Why did your weapon… regress?

Mu Zhian looked down. The Heaven-Measuring Ruler had also… collapsed, reverting from a ruler back to its chain form.

“It’s nothing. I was just too focused on my cultivation,” Mu Zhian chuckled.

Lin Ling nodded, gently stroking the smooth surface of the Heaven-Asking Lock.

“It looks like a necklace,” she wrote.

Mu Zhian unclasped the chain and placed it around Lin Ling’s neck.

“It really does look like a necklace…” Mu Zhian said in surprise, gently stroking the smooth surface of the Heaven-Asking Lock. He tugged on the chain lightly, and Lin Ling’s face moved closer to his.

Mu Zhian couldn’t help but look at the silver-haired beauty kneeling beside him.

As if to hide his embarrassment, he coughed lightly. “Let me help you undo it.”

Lin Ling looked up at him, blinking her clear red eyes, and wrote in her notebook: Did pulling on it like that… excite you?

Mu Zhian’s expression remained unchanged. “Why are you asking?”

“Your heart was racing.”

Lin Ling’s innocent red eyes looked at Mu Zhian. “Do you like me wearing this necklace?”

That’s not a necklace… Mu Zhian looked at her beautiful face and complained inwardly.

I have to calm down… If Sect Master Lin finds out I’m bullying Sister Lin Ling like this, she’ll kill me… He quickly suppressed his thoughts and put the Heaven-Asking Lock away.

“Not really. I just think you look good in anything, Sister Lin Ling,” he quickly said with a smile.

Lin Ling blushed, lowering her head shyly, then burying her face in Mu Zhian’s embrace, kneeling beside him.

She’s not a dragon, but a docile cat… Mu Zhian thought to himself.

Many cats were like this, clinging to their owners, licking their faces, or kneading their laps.

After a while, Lin Ling looked up at him. “You seem troubled. Is it because of what happened at the ancestral grounds tonight?”

Mu Zhian hummed softly. “The Lan family’s matters have nothing to do with me, but Senior Sister and Feiying are still members of the Lan family. If anything happens to the Lan family, they’ll be affected—”

Mu Zhian’s thoughts stirred.

If he remembered correctly, only the Grand Elder of the Lan family had agreed to the Lan sisters’ return, while most of the other elders had opposed it.

Even the Clan Leader hadn’t invited them…

Could it be because he was also worried about them being ‘affected’?

Lin Ling wrote in her notebook: Is there any way to help them?

Lian’er is like a daughter to me. I want to help her.

Mu Zhian sighed. “The Lan family’s matters are their own. It’s not appropriate for us outsiders to interfere… Even if we warn them about the traitor, they probably won’t believe us.”

Between the Grand Elder of the Lan family and an outsider… who would they believe? The answer was obvious.

“But if the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox’s demonic qi leaks out during the ancestral worship ceremony, it will cause a huge commotion.”

“Unless the demonic qi can be concealed,” Mu Zhian whispered.

He suddenly paused, a thought striking him like lightning.

“Conceal the demonic qi…” he murmured, his gaze instinctively falling on Lin Ling.

A playful smile appeared on his lips.

“I think I have a solution…”

Lin Ling blinked at him. “Aaa?”

“Don’t worry. You’ll find out in a few days,” Mu Zhian gently stroked Lin Ling’s silver hair.

“More importantly, you caused me a lot of trouble today, Sister Lin Ling. You have to compensate me.”

Under Lin Ling’s puzzled gaze, Mu Zhian leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Come here.”

…