It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists
Chapter 518: On the Value of “The Art of Managing Your Husband”p1

It had to be said, this woman always seemed to know exactly how to hit Mu Zhian’s XP.

Just like now, with just a few simple words, she had managed to capture his heart…

There was no helping it.

She was just too alluring.

Actually, it wasn’t just Yao Meng. Even Ye Lingxuan now seemed to know his XP, always managing to tug at his heartstrings unintentionally.

It was as if someone was secretly observing Mu Zhian’s every move, then writing down his preferences in a guidebook and distributing it to the fish in his pond.

Mu Zhian was filled with emotion.

“What are you thinking about?”

Yao Meng covered her chest with one hand, her other hand gently toying with the young man’s hair, and asked with a smile.

A faint blush colored her cheeks, and a look of satisfaction lingered on her face.

Mu Zhian came back to his senses, glanced at the still wind outside the window, then at his shrunken body, and hesitated, “Could you let me return to normal first?”

A charming smile bloomed on Yao Meng’s beautiful face, “Don’t you think you’re cuter like this?”

Although she said that, she still raised her fingertip. The Principles of Time accelerated Mu Zhian’s body, transforming him from a young boy back into a handsome young man.

Yao Meng, who could now perfectly control the Principles of Time, could freely rewind or restore Mu Zhian’s age.

Feeling the renewed vigor flowing through him, Mu Zhian stretched lazily and said, “I was just thinking about Lin Ling.”

Yao Meng narrowed her eyes: “You mean the Immortal Medicine that can connect with the Great Dao, the Flower of the Great Dao?”

“I know you came to the Forbidden Zone for it, but I’ve already met with the Forbidden Zone Lord, and even she doesn’t know what the Flower of the Great Dao is.”

Mu Zhian asked in surprise, “Isn’t the Immortal Medicine something from the Forbidden Zone? Why haven’t they seen it before?”

Yao Meng didn’t answer, but instead asked, “Do you know what the Forbidden Zone was originally?”

“One of the Nine Forbidden Lands of the Nine Provinces… But isn’t the current Forbidden Zone built upon the ruins of the Forbidden Land?” Mu Zhian hesitated.

He found it unbelievable that the Forbidden Zone Lord didn’t know what the Immortal Medicine was, or where it was hidden.

“The Forbidden Zone’s predecessor was indeed the Eastern Continent’s Forbidden Land, but do you know who the first Forbidden Zone Lord was?”

Yao Meng said, “The Eastern Continent’s Forbidden Land was the most powerful in the Nine Provinces, but also the most unfortunate. Since its birth, it has been purged by more than three Dao Integration Realm experts. The identity of the first person who suppressed the Forbidden Land is unknown, and the second was the ancestor of the Lan Clan.”

“As for the third… you’ve also heard of her name.”

“The Reincarnated Empress?” Mu Zhian’s eyes flickered, “So the first Forbidden Zone Lord was actually the Reincarnated Empress?”

“The Reincarnated Empress only cultivated in the Forbidden Land, waiting for her next life. The one who actually improved the Forbidden Land’s rules later was the current Forbidden Zone Lord.”

Yao Meng lowered her voice, “But speaking of the Flower of the Great Dao, even the Forbidden Zone Lord probably doesn’t know about it. Otherwise, he would have taken the Immortal Medicine to the Pill Emperor long ago. I suspect the Immortal Medicine was taken away before he entered the Forbidden Zone. Even if it wasn’t, it must be hidden somewhere even a Dao Integration Realm expert can’t detect.”

“So, I think only the three people who initially suppressed the Forbidden Land know about the Flower of the Great Dao.”

Mu Zhian pondered for a moment, “So, the only ones who might know where the Flower of the Great Dao is hidden now are the Lan Clan ancestor and the Reincarnated Empress?”

“After all, only three people knew about the Flower of the Great Dao’s whereabouts, and the identity of the first person who entered the Forbidden Land is currently a mystery, they might even be dead.”

Judging by the timeline, the first person who suppressed the Forbidden Land lived an immeasurable time ago.

One hundred thousand years? Several hundred thousand years?

Mu Zhian wasn’t sure.

But a Dao Integration Realm expert couldn’t possibly live for that long. Only those who transcended could achieve longevity.

However, there probably weren’t any Transcendence Realm experts back then.

Just then, Yao Meng suddenly said, “I think that person might still be alive.”

“A place like the Forbidden Land, even Dao Integration Realm experts risk death entering, because even they can’t escape the rules of heaven and earth. Therefore… the one who could suppress the nine Forbidden Lands can only be at Transcendence Realm or even higher.”

Mu Zhian frowned in thought.

That’s right…

He had overlooked one fact. The reason the Forbidden Lands were called forbidden was because their rules were different from the outside world. Even Dao Integration Realm experts would be affected by the rules within the Forbidden Lands.

So the only ones who could suppress the Forbidden Lands were Transcendence Realm experts.

Because there were ancient beings residing within the Forbidden Lands, and these ancient beings weren’t affected by the rules within.

The strength of the ancient beings in the nine Forbidden Lands was unfathomable.

Just as Mu Zhian thought of this, his train of thought suddenly stopped. He turned to Yao Meng and asked in a low voice, “You just said only three people know about the Flower of the Great Dao? But the Princess also mentioned it to me before…”

Yao Meng explained, “The Princess is innately connected to the Great Dao, so in a sense, she’s omniscient. However, she’s still at Dao Integration Realm, so many things she knows are still blurry.”

“So, I need to ask the Reincarnated Empress, or go to the Lan Clan?” Mu Zhian murmured to himself.

He couldn’t possibly search the entire world for the person who suppressed the Forbidden Land back then, right?

Yao Meng pondered slightly, then looked at the young girl nestled in Mu Zhian’s arms and said with a faint smile, “The Reincarnated Empress is in the Forbidden Zone, you can start with her, perhaps you can find the answer.”

The ‘Reincarnated Empress’ beside Ye Lingxuan inherited the memories of her eight past lives, so she might know the whereabouts of the Flower of the Great Dao.

Mu Zhian nodded gently, still pondering Yao Meng’s words.

Only three people knew about the Flower of the Great Dao. The Princess, because she was connected to the Great Dao, was omniscient to a certain extent…

He seemed to realize something, his expression suddenly freezing.

“I’ll restore time now.”

Yao Meng noticed Mu Zhian’s unusual behavior, her delicate brows furrowing slightly, “What’s wrong? Did you think of something?”

Mu Zhian didn’t answer, just stared blankly for a long time, then murmured softly, “So it was her…”

“What are you talking about?” Yao Meng asked doubtfully.

Mu Zhian came back to his senses, shook his head, and smiled, “Nothing… Unfreeze time.”

He paused, glanced at the young girl in his arms, and asked, “Right… Aren’t you leaving?”

If Ye Lingxuan found out that her Brother Mu was being intimate with the woman she hated most in her bed… Mu Zhian felt that even if he found the Flower of the Great Dao, whether he could bring it out was another question.

Yao Meng smiled playfully, “You’re really considerate of the Forbidden Zone imperial daughter.”

“I can leave, but I have a condition.”

She gently caressed the young man’s face and smiled tenderly, “If you don’t want your Sister Lingxuan to find out about tonight, come see me alone tomorrow night~”

The joy of cuckolding someone was always so delightful.

Mu Zhian was stunned, then said helplessly, “This is the Forbidden Zone, after all, filled with Lingxuan’s people. If we’re discovered, you can naturally leave, but I’ll be in trouble.”

Yao Meng said with a faint smile, “This is also to train your counter-reconnaissance abilities. I’ll be waiting for you in the guest room tomorrow night.”

A faint light enveloped her body. The next moment, her green dress covered her smooth and firm skin, her long hair cascading down like a waterfall.

She glanced at the frozen time and snapped her fingers.

Time resumed its flow.

…

“Mmm…”

Ye Lingxuan frowned slightly and slowly opened her eyes.

She lazily looked around, her delicate body covered by a thin white inner garment, her messy hair framing her pure and pretty face.

She seemed somewhat dazed.

Did I fall asleep? Why does it feel like I just had a very long dream?

Ye Lingxuan felt puzzled. Cultivators above Core Formation could go without sleep as long as their mental power was sufficient, especially her.

Yet she actually felt sleepy after just a short while?

The bedchamber was quiet in the night, without a sound.

In mid-air, the golden light of the Desolate Time Lock enveloped the room, freezing time within the entire bedchamber.

The golden light made the young girl’s face appear especially holy and captivating. She looked up slightly at the young man before her and asked softly, “Brother Mu, how long did I sleep just now?”

Mu Zhian thought for a moment and said, “About half an hour.”

Ye Lingxuan’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she murmured to herself, “I actually fell asleep? That’s strange, I didn’t feel that tired.”

Yao Meng froze the time that the Desolate Time Lock paused, but Lingxuan can still sense the abnormality… Mu Zhian thought inwardly, somewhat surprised.

But that made sense. Both of them controlled time, but Ye Lingxuan hadn’t fully matured into a big shark yet, so she was naturally inferior to Yao Meng in terms of the Principles of Time.

Mu Zhian gently stroked Ye Lingxuan’s head and said softly, “You’ve been busy with the inheritance ceremony recently. Even if your body isn’t tired, you should pay attention to your mental state and not put too much pressure on yourself.”

The warmth of his hand brought an inexplicable sense of security, making the young girl involuntarily close her eyes and immerse herself in it, dismissing the doubts in her heart.