It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists
Chapter 502: The Place Closest to ‘Heaven’ p1

“A method to greatly increase a woman’s charm?”

The Princess’s curiosity was successfully piqued by Mu Zhian. She looked at him suspiciously and asked, “What method?”

“Since Your Highness is close friends with Empress Luo Tan, you must have visited Yu State often and seen the stockings there, right…?” Mu Zhian asked.

“Of course, I’ve seen them, but what does that have to do with what you just said?”

As soon as the Princess finished speaking, noticing Mu Zhian’s gaze, she seemed to immediately understand his meaning, and a hint of anger appeared in her eyes, “Young Master Mu, what does stockings have to do with a woman’s charm? Are you teasing this Seat?”

Mu Zhian shook his head, “Nirvana Silk is different from other silks. Stockings made from it are not only smooth and soft, but also brightly colored and sheer… It’s an excellent material.”

“Especially after being made into stockings, its texture against the skin is even more wonderful…”

The more the Princess listened, the more she felt something was off. Logically, since it was stockings, Mu Zhian shouldn’t have had any contact with them, so how could he know so much?

“Although this Seat isn’t interested in the charm boost you mentioned, keeping the Nirvana Silk here is of no use to me. At most, I’ll have it made into a dress later…”

Despite her thoughts, the Princess still readily accepted Mu Zhian’s suggestion: “Alright, since you say you have other uses for the Nirvana Silk, I’ll leave it to you, how about it?”

She took out an exquisitely crafted jade box from her storage ring and handed it to Mu Zhian.

“Leave everything to me,” Mu Zhian said with a smile.

The Princess glanced at Mu Zhian a few times and continued, “You’re coming to Cloud Province with me this time. Remember not to stray too far from my side, otherwise, I might not be able to guarantee your safety.”

She paused, gave the Green Lotus Ring on Mu Zhian’s finger a meaningful look, and smiled faintly, “However, with the Jade Empress’s protection on you, there shouldn’t be any major problems.”

Mu Zhian took the jade box, then said demurely, “Regardless, I’ll still need Your Highness’s protection during this trip to Cloud Province… This Mu’s abilities are limited, I can only repay Your Highness in this way.”

Looking at the young man’s respectful demeanor, the Princess’s gaze softened slightly, “You’re the Jade Empress’s Dao Companion, there’s no need to be so formal with me.”

Mu Zhian was stunned for a moment, then smiled, “Then I’ll gladly accept your offer.”

After chatting with the Princess for a while, Mu Zhian excused himself, then immediately found the imperial tailor in the palace and asked him to make a pair of white silk stockings with the Nirvana Silk according to his specifications. The remaining Nirvana Silk was to be made into a silver-white dress.

…

Two days later, Mu Zhian came to the main hall of the imperial palace and handed the finished clothes to the Princess.

Opening the exquisite wooden box, the Princess’s eyes couldn’t help but light up.

The design of the dress was truly beautiful, and the stockings also looked excellent, exceeding her expectations.

Luo Tan toyed with a white Go piece in her hand. A gentle breeze blew her white dress backwards, faintly revealing a glimpse of fair skin between her snow-white boots and thighs.

Her eyes also held surprise as she murmured, “I never thought stockings made from Nirvana Silk would have such a wonderful effect…”

If I had known, I would have asked the Jade Empress for some earlier.

Just touching the thin yet opaque white silk stockings felt amazing, and they even emitted a faint, holy glow. Wearing them would indeed enhance one’s charm.

The Princess’s eyes held surprise and delight. She accepted Mu Zhian’s ‘gift’ and nodded, “You’re very thoughtful.”

“More than just thoughtful, I’ve known him for so long, and I’ve never seen him so attentive,” Luo Tan snorted softly, a hint of resentment in her voice.

She looked directly at Mu Zhian across the long table and winked playfully, as if saying: How do you plan to appease this older sister?

“If Your Majesty needs some, after I return to the Eastern Continent, I’ll ask the Jade Pool Holy Maiden for some and have someone make them into stockings for you,” Mu Zhian said sincerely.

“Forget it, if it’s not from the heart, I don’t want it.”

Luo Tan feigned a complaint, placed a white Go piece on the board, then glanced at the Princess opposite her.

The Princess held a black Go piece, her brows relaxed, a faint smile on her face, clearly in a good mood.

Seeing the woman pondering her next move, Luo Tan glanced at the young man standing beside her and said with a faint smile, “You can sit down, it must be tiring standing like that.”

Mu Zhian sat down beside Luo Tan, his gaze lingering on the Empress’s breathtakingly beautiful side profile for a moment.

As if sensing Mu Zhian’s gaze, Luo Tan turned slightly, looking at him with a smile in her eyes, as if saying: What are you looking at?

Mu Zhian immediately gave her an apologetic look.

Honestly, he hadn’t thought of preparing a pair of stockings for Luo Tan before… This time, it was just going with the flow, making them on a whim because the Princess asked for Nirvana Silk.

Luo Tan didn’t pay attention to Mu Zhian’s gaze. She rested her cheek on her hand, her full and perky bosom pressing gently against the table, waiting for the Princess’s next move.

Before Mu Zhian could figure out Luo Tan’s thoughts, he suddenly felt a warm and delicate hand gently touch the back of his hand, then move his hand away…

A strange feeling arose in Mu Zhian’s heart. He discreetly glanced at Luo Tan and transmitted his voice, “Your Majesty, you—”

Before he could finish speaking, his body suddenly stiffened slightly, and he subconsciously looked down at Luo Tan’s delicate hand.

The Pill Emperor of Yu State winked at Mu Zhian, then casually glanced at the Princess opposite her, her red lips parting slightly, isolating the possibility of the Princess eavesdropping, and transmitted her voice, “Don’t speak… You wouldn’t want the Princess to know you’re being bullied, would you?”

…

Nearly half an hour later, their game of Go ended.

Mu Zhian still hadn’t fully come back to his senses. He stood up somewhat absentmindedly and looked at Luo Tan, who was having someone clean up the Go board, with a strange expression.

He now had reason to suspect that Luo Tan might really play some little games with him during the morning court session one day…

“Did you hear what I said?”

Just then, the woman’s gentle and pleasant voice came from beside him, pulling Mu Zhian back to reality. He saw the Princess standing beside him at some unknown time.

“Please speak, Your Highness,” Mu Zhian said with his usual warm smile.

“Thank you for the dress and stockings… Just as you said, they are truly beautiful.”

The Princess lowered her eyelids slightly and said softly, “This is the first time I’ve received a gift from a man.”

“The Great Peng Emperor hasn’t given you gifts before?” Mu Zhian asked, somewhat surprised.

“The things he gives are mostly valuable antiques or heavenly materials and earthly treasures,” the Princess said softly.

But she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

Despite being with her for so long, the Great Peng Emperor didn’t understand her as well as this young cultivator she just met.

As a woman, who would like precious antiques, even if they were worth hundreds of thousands of spirit stones?

And as a Dao Integration Realm expert, heavenly materials and earthly treasures were useless to her. What use would they be even if he gave them to her?

But things like dresses and stockings… were practical things that could make a woman more charming.

“Sigh.”

Hearing this, Mu Zhian couldn’t help but sigh, “I think His Majesty the Great Peng Emperor is busy with official duties and probably doesn’t have much time to think about these insignificant things like I do.”

The Princess’s eyes flickered, but she didn’t say anything.

After a while, she said, “Go back and prepare. I’ll take you to Cloud Province today, so we can find the Cloud Smoke Willow early.”

Mu Zhian didn’t say anything more, just cupped his hands towards the Princess and left the main hall.

The more you say, the more mistakes you make. One should know when to stop, whether it’s pursuing a woman or scheming.

…

In the Nine Provinces, a legend had been circulating since ancient times: Cloud Province was the place closest to ‘Heaven’.

And another rumor circulated among cultivators: In Cloud Province, one could touch the clouds just by reaching out, hence the name Cloud Province.

And the ‘Heaven’ referred to here was the Heavenly Dao.

In the past, Mu Zhian wouldn’t have believed such rumors.

However, as the Princess tore open a spatial rift and brought Mu Zhian to Cloud Province, his previous doubts were completely shattered.

What appeared before his eyes was a sea of rolling clouds. The setting sun painted the clouds in dazzling shades of gold, and just by reaching out, Mu Zhian could touch the clouds.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

The Princess, wearing silver-white embroidered shoes, walked to Mu Zhian’s side and looked up at the boundless sea of clouds.

“This is the edge of Cloud Province. Beyond this is a void, which people usually call the Firmament.”

Mu Zhian’s eyes flickered slightly, “The Firmament…? The place where the Luck collected during the Sabbath is ultimately transferred to?”

The Princess nodded slightly. She extended her hands, gently cupping a wisp of cloud and smoke, then blew gently, her gaze following the dissipating smoke, and said softly, “Whenever I finish handling troublesome government affairs, I come here alone to look at the edge of Cloud Province.”

“So I’m the second?” Mu Zhian asked, feigning surprise.

The Princess nodded gently: “I once thought about coming here with Luo Tan, but her identity is special, she can’t come here with me.”

Mu Zhian was silent.

The two were rulers of two major provinces. Bringing Luo Tan to such a place was indeed inappropriate.