It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists

Mu Zhi’an sat on the bed, absorbing the refined spiritual energy provided by the Heavenly Dao Aura, waiting for nightfall.

The aura, a treasure left behind by an ancient immortal, was incredibly potent. It was no wonder those protagonists with cheat-like abilities were so powerful.

However, to benefit from its effects, he had to be near Bai Ruoxi… It was bound to her, and it would only refine the spiritual energy around her.

And due to the aura’s amplification, her cultivation speed was far greater than his.

At this rate, she would reach the peak of Foundation Establishment soon.

But after that, she would likely be stuck there for a while.

Reaching Core Formation wasn’t simply about accumulating spiritual energy. It required comprehension, insight into the nature of the Dao.

And each person’s path to Core Formation was unique.

Wei Mengrou’s abilities stemmed from her childhood experiences, granting her an unparalleled mastery of stealth and concealment.

As for Mu Zhi’an… he wasn’t in a hurry.

He was a former “wastrel,” after all. He had a lot of lost time to make up for.

However, ever since Bai Ruoxi had activated the bronze sword, he’d been wondering.

Who was the true protagonist? Ye Yu… or Bai Ruoxi?

Or perhaps… after suppressing Ye Yu, the “protagonist” role had shifted to Bai Ruoxi?

Well… either way, she was a better choice than that arrogant Ye boy. At least she was on his side.

And her lipstick tasted good.

Mu Zhi’an regulated his breathing, then opened his eyes.

Bai Ruoxi had fallen asleep. She lay in the dim light, her alluring curves hidden beneath a thin blanket, the slight rise and fall of her chest hinting at her ample bosom.

He admired her for a moment, then turned and quietly left the room.

Before she’d fallen asleep, he’d asked her to purify the surrounding spiritual energy with the Heavenly Dao Aura. The refined energy hadn’t dissipated yet.

And neither had the demonic aura.

He looked up, spotting the faint pink mist rising from the small building in the back. He approached it cautiously.

He hid in the shadows near the window, just as he had before.

After nearly an hour, the door creaked open.

Mu Zhi’an held his breath as a voluptuous woman stepped out of the room.

It was the middle of the night, yet she was dressed in a thin robe, her face adorned with light makeup. She walked gracefully through the courtyard, her hips swaying with each step.

“Madam Bai, where are you going so late?” Mu Zhi’an asked suddenly.

She froze, turning to face him, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Young Master Mu.., when did you get here?!”

“I had someone use a special technique. As long as I don’t harbor any ill intentions towards you, you won’t be able to detect me,” he replied with a smile.

Wei Mengrou’s Core Formation ability was quite useful, as long as he didn’t have any murderous intent towards the target.

And he certainly didn’t want to harm Madam Bai… yet.

Bai Yuanfeng’s eyes narrowed. She quickly recovered, a seductive smile spreading across her lips. “Sneaking into the Bai Manor in the middle of the night… are you here to see my daughter, Young Master Mu?”

She walked towards him, stopping a few feet away.

“Young girls don’t appreciate being disturbed at this hour. I suggest you be more discreet.”

Mu Zhi’an chuckled. “I was just in Ruoxi’s room.”

Her smile vanished.

After a moment, she spoke softly, her voice laced with a hint of warning. “I still approve of your marriage. If you need anything, let me know.”

“Are you trying to plant a spy in the Mu family? Or are you worried that your daughter will be implicated when your secret is revealed?” Mu Zhi’an asked, his smile widening.

A cold glint appeared in her eyes.

He quickly added, “Don’t worry, Ruoxi and I were just chatting.”

His implication was clear: I might be your future son-in-law. Think carefully before you act.

Her smile returned, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Such bold words, in front of her mother…”

“We’re truly in love,” Mu Zhi’an insisted, feigning sincerity.

“Half the men in Tianxuan City claim to be in love with my daughter,” she retorted, scoffing.

“Why don’t we find a place to sit and chat?” he asked tentatively.

“We can talk here. No one else is around,” she replied with a sigh.

“Ask your questions, Young Master Mu. You’ve been waiting for me, haven’t you?”

He nodded. “Where is the Meridian Connecting Pill?”

“You should have asked my daughter,” she said, her voice soft and seductive. “I gave it to Gongsun Xiong.”

Mu Zhi’an frowned. “Gongsun Xiong can’t die… yet.”

“Why not?” she asked, feigning ignorance, her gaze fixed on him.

She wanted to test him, to see how clever this potential son-in-law truly was.

“If he dies, the Gongsun family will choose a new leader. The Bai family isn’t strong enough to absorb them,” he explained.

She chuckled softly. “Who said I wanted to kill him?”

“I simply wanted to keep him bedridden for a few months.”

Gongsun Xiong was at the peak of Core Formation. Once he recovered from his injuries, he would surely use the Meridian Connecting Pill to attempt a breakthrough to Nascent Soul.

But if the pill was tampered with… the outcome would be quite different.

Compared to her mother, Bai Ruoxi was as innocent as a lamb.

But Mu Zhi’an had a fondness for lambs.

And while she might seem naive, there was a hidden strength within her.

“And that ambush, when Father returned from the neighboring city, did you provide the Gongsun family with information?” he asked.

She nodded, and he frowned. “Weren’t you worried they might kill him?”

A seductive smile spread across her lips. “You’re a clever boy, Young Master Mu. I would feel at ease entrusting Ruoxi to you. However, your cultivation is too low. You don’t understand the true power of a Core Formation expert.”

She opened her palm.

Mu Zhi’an’s eyes widened as he saw a spirit hovering above her hand.

It was the spirit of a Bai family servant, captured moments ago.

With a flick of her wrist, she sent the spirit back into the servant’s body.

Noticing his astonishment, she explained, “I was there. If “your” father had been in danger, I would have retrieved his spirit.”

Her technique was similar to Elder Ren’s, but while his was used for interrogation, capturing only dead spirits, hers could save lives. But there must be a drawback…

She was right. He knew very little about Core Formation.

If he’d known that some Core Formation experts could capture living spirits, he would have been more cautious, and he might have discovered the truth sooner.

“Why did you choose me for Ruoxi… instead of Ye Yu?” he asked suddenly.

“Ye Yu might be talented, but he’s arrogant. I’ve seen countless geniuses like him, and most of them met an early demise,” she replied.

“Honestly, I wasn’t satisfied with either of you. But if I had to choose, the Mu family’s support is more reassuring.”

“And you and Gongsun Xiong… are you truly…?”

She narrowed her eyes. “What do you think?”

Her body began to shift, her shadow rippling, three tails unfurling behind her like a peacock’s feathers.

Mu Zhi’an stared at her, his eyes widening.

A demon, a three-tailed fox.

That explained her flawless disguise, her ability to deceive Gongsun Xiong…

He had assumed they were lovers, but perhaps he had been embracing nothing but an illusion every night.

And if that was the case, Bai Ruoxi was the child of a fox demon and a human?

That explains why I couldn’t stop staring at her… He suddenly understood.

He’d thought he was just being a pervert, but it was simply her inherited charm, her mother’s seductive aura.

It’s not my fault. And my reaction to her tonight… it’s the fox demon’s fault.

“What are your plans now?” he asked.

“I was planning to absorb the Gongsun family, but the Two Polarities Sect examiner arrived early,” she replied, frowning slightly.

Lan Mulian’s arrival had disrupted her plans.

Gongsun Xiong was power-hungry. Once he consumed the Meridian Connecting Pill and suffered the consequences, she would have made her move.

Unwilling to relinquish control, the Gongsun family would have been in disarray, easy prey for the Bai family.

But with the examiner in Tianxuan City, any major conflict would attract their attention.

“The Bai family can’t afford to make any drastic moves. It would alert the examiner,” Mu Zhi’an said.

She nodded silently.

She was aware of that, which was why she’d been so cautious these past few days.

“But the Mu family can,” he added.

She stared at him, surprised. “You want to absorb the Gongsun family?”

“I have no intention of absorbing them,” he replied with a smile. “But I do intend to relieve them of some of their assets.”

Gongsun Xiong was clinging to power, but he was injured. It was the perfect opportunity to strike.

She stared at him, a mix of emotions swirling in her eyes.

She had spent years laying the groundwork, and now… someone else was reaping the rewards. It was frustrating.

But then perhaps it could be considered a dowry for her daughter. That thought made her feel slightly better.

If Ruoxi and Mu Zhi’an ended up together, uniting the Mu and Bai families, it wouldn’t be a bad outcome.

“You’re a lucky boy,” she said, her voice a soft murmur.

He chuckled. “Consider it a filial gesture, Madam Bai. I’m simply taking care of a… problem you can’t handle.”

She scoffed.

Why hadn’t she noticed how clever this Mu boy was before? Had he been hiding his true nature?

She studied him, her eyes gleaming with a newfound respect, a hint of motherly approval.

“There’s one thing I don’t understand, Madam Bai,” Mu Zhi’an said suddenly.

“Ask away,” she replied.

“How did the black-robed man know you were in Tianxuan City?”

According to her husband, she had grown up here. Why would the Demon Realm know about her?

“The Demon Realm has spies everywhere. I’m just one of them. I received orders this year, instructing me to prepare a base of operations for our comrades.”

She paused, then added, “I don’t know the details, but the Seventh Seat’s intelligence network is vast. It’s not surprising that they knew about me.”

“The Seventh Seat…” Mu Zhi’an murmured.

Both the black-robed man and Bai Yuanfeng were connected to this Seventh Seat…

It was strange. Tianxuan City was practically at the foot of the Two Polarities Sect. How could demons operate so freely right under their noses?

Unless the Seventh Seat was within the Two Polarities Sect. He dismissed the thought as absurd.

But a nagging feeling told him it might be true.

He shook his head, pushing aside those thoughts. “You have a good family, Madam Bai. If you wish to live a peaceful life, I suggest you… tone down your activities.”

He turned and walked towards the Bai Manor’s entrance.

He had made his position clear. If she was smart, she would listen.

She watched him go, the moonlight casting long shadows, her three tails swaying gently behind her, an eerie sight in the darkness.

As he vanished from sight, she turned and went back to her room.

She had planned to visit Gongsun Xiong tonight to “check on him”, but Mu Zhi’an was right. She needed to be more cautious.

Her comrades were dead. There was no need to risk everything for Tianxuan City.

Besides, if not for the Seventh Seat’s orders, she wouldn’t be involved in this mess.

…

“What are you going to do about her?”

As Mu Zhi’an walked back to the Mu Manor, the shadows beside him rippled, and Wei Mengrou materialized, her gaze fixed on his face.

“We’ll let her be for now. Have Elder Ren keep an eye on her,” he replied.

Bai Yuanfeng had been testing him, but she didn’t realize he was testing her as well.

If she had attacked him after he left, Wei Mengrou would have intervened.

She might be stronger than a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but they could still escape.

And once they left the Bai Manor, Lan Mulian would know the identity of the third demon.

The Bai family would be finished.

Demons and humans were sworn enemies. Harboring a demon was a grave offense.

“Are you going to tell Lan Mulian about the demon?” Wei Mengrou asked.

Mu Zhi’an chuckled. “The entrance exams are approaching. Senior Sister Lan doesn’t have time for this. And as long as Madam Bai stays at the manor, no one will detect her demonic aura.”

“However, the Heavenly Dao Aura seems to suppress demonic energy. Inform the servants to invite Ruoxi to the Mu Manor tomorrow morning. Tell them I have something to discuss with her.”

Wei Mengrou glanced at him, her lips twitching slightly.

Discuss… right. It wouldn’t just be a simple chat.