It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists
Chapter 520: Speedrunning the Mu Zhian Level in One Night

The candlelight illuminated the dim bedchamber. A window, cracked open a sliver, let in the fresh night air.

A bright, ice-breaking smile graced the Reincarnated Empress’s exquisite and beautiful face. She stood elegantly, her long legs crossed, her dress clinging to her alluring figure.

She gazed at Mu Zhian with that captivating smile.

At this moment, she looked nothing like an emotionless puppet. If one didn’t know better, they might even mistake her for a naive and innocent young girl.

But Mu Zhian grew increasingly hesitant, secretly observing this breathtakingly beautiful ‘three-no’s’ woman (three-no’s – emotionless, voiceless, tearless).

“A condition? What condition?”

This was the first time he had seen this ‘puppet’ show emotions like a human, and even make a request.

However, the term ‘puppet’ didn’t literally mean a ‘puppet’. They simply lacked emotions most of the time, completing their tasks according to their initial ‘settings’, but they were still human, with their own joys and sorrows.

The Reincarnated Empress smiled and said, “It’s nothing much, just a promise from you.”

Under normal circumstances, he would have agreed, but he felt something was off about the way she spoke.

“Tsk.”

The Reincarnated Empress silently turned her face away, clicking her tongue, seemingly not expecting Mu Zhian to be so difficult.

This woman is a bit playful, I didn’t realize it before… Mu Zhian thought.

The Reincarnated Empress said, “Have you ever thought about how the Master plans to accept the Reincarnated Empress’s memories from her past eight lives? How exactly will she receive those memories?”

“Also, how do I know where the Flower of the Great Dao is hidden?”

The Reincarnated Empress deliberately kept him in suspense, continuing, “And why did I want you to make a promise just now… Aren’t you curious about all these things?”

If you say you won’t tell me, I swear I won’t beat you to death… Mu Zhian nodded slightly, “I am indeed a bit curious.”

He also wanted to know what the Reincarnated Empress was planning and what kind of promise she wanted.

“What do you want? Or rather… what do you need me to do?” Mu Zhian asked.

The Reincarnated Empress gently shook her head, “I don’t need you to do anything.”

Mu Zhian was stunned. Before he could speak again, he heard the woman gazing into his eyes and saying seriously, “But I want you.”

Mu Zhian: “?”

After a long moment of stunned silence, he asked doubtfully, “Did Sister Lingxuan tell you something?”

With the Reincarnated Empress’s personality, she wouldn’t possibly say such a thing on her own initiative. Clearly, Ye Lingxuan must have said something to make her say such shocking words.

The Reincarnated Empress’s eyes flickered, and she said faintly, “She didn’t tell me anything.”

However, the more she said that, the more suspicious Mu Zhian became, “If that’s the case, why did you suddenly say you want… me?”

Even Mu Zhian, a seasoned womanizer, felt inexplicably embarrassed saying these words.

The Reincarnated Empress placed a finger against her lips, looked up, thought for a moment, and said, “Perhaps it’s because I also like you?”

It was like walking down the street one day and suddenly having a beautiful woman tap you on the shoulder from behind and say, “Hey there, handsome, wanna go out sometime?”

One’s first reaction wouldn’t be joy, but suspicion. Was this a prank, a hidden camera show, or someone trying to harvest his kidneys…?

That’s how the Reincarnated Empress made Mu Zhian feel at this moment.

Although her beauty was breathtaking, and her expressions were much richer than usual, Mu Zhian didn’t believe a word she said.

After all, she had barely spoken to him before, how could she suddenly confess her love for no reason?

“Senior, although I don’t know what you’re planning, I’m not that kind of casual person…” Mu Zhian said demurely.

The Reincarnated Empress hummed softly, “I know, you’re someone who values rituals. Compared to being pursued by others, you prefer the women you pursue yourself.”

“However, there are always exceptions.”

The tall woman walked towards Mu Zhian with sexy strides and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

Her usually emotionless eyes were now slightly moist, a seductive smile playing on her lips.

The woman leaned down slightly and whispered in Mu Zhian’s ear, “Agree to my condition, and I’ll tell you where the Flower of the Great Dao is hidden.”

“You want the Spirit Dragon to transcend, right?”

The woman’s cool voice carried a unique charm, making Mu Zhian’s heart ripple slightly.

Then, he quickly noticed the look in the Reincarnated Empress’s eyes. Her expression was condescending, as if she had everything under control.

Mu Zhian quickly calmed down and asked, “Where did you learn these useless tricks?”

“This isn’t a useless trick,” the Reincarnated Empress said faintly. “At least, for the women around you, it’s much more important than any precious resource.”

Ignoring Mu Zhian, she continued, “Among the women you know, Bai Ruoxi’s figure is your favorite, and the Jade Empress best fits your XP. And towards her, you have the least resistance, easily tempted to (censored) her with just a little teasing.”

“I observed the Jade Empress’s behavior when she was with you, so I roughly know how she does it.”

The Reincarnated Empress’s long hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, her magnificent purple dress accentuating her graceful and toned figure. Her long, slender, snow-white legs were visible beneath her skirt, seemingly translucent like ice crystals under the candlelight.

She noticed Mu Zhian’s gaze, her expression remaining calm, and said, “You like pursuing women, but you have no resistance towards women who flirt with you.”

“However, most men seem to be the same.”

Mu Zhian thought for a moment and explained, “We usually call this kind of person a lecher. It’s not just me, most men are like this.”

The Reincarnated Empress tilted her head slightly and looked at Mu Zhian, “But most men wouldn’t actively pursue girls like you. Even if a small portion of men do, they would find it difficult to approach a proud girl like the Master.”

There was one thing she didn’t say. Not only was it difficult for others to approach a girl like Ye Lingxuan, but it was also difficult for most women to approach Mu Zhian.

Whether Mu Zhian wanted it or not, the fish in his pond would ‘unintentionally’ drive away any woman who tried to get close to him.

But the Reincarnated Empress was an exception.

She was Ye Lingxuan’s past life, always following her like a shadow, never taking the initiative to speak, thus easily overlooked.

Even Yao Meng overlooked the Reincarnated Empress’s existence and didn’t know that this woman had been silently watching while Ye Lingxuan read The Art of Managing Your Husband.

She felt this book should be called The Art of Managing Mu instead.

The content seemingly described methods to control men, but the entire book was actually about Mu Zhian’s personality and preferences… Just how well did one have to know someone to be able to write about their various preferences, when they would be shy, and when they would be moved, in such detail?

The Reincarnated Empress wasn’t sure either.

She stared at Mu Zhian, not speaking.

After an unknown amount of time, Mu Zhian sighed softly and said, “I’ll stay in the Forbidden Zone until you’re satisfied… Is that okay?”

After Mu Zhian finished speaking, he saw the woman finally reveal a satisfied smile.

For some reason, he felt her smile was genuine this time.

Seemingly sensing Mu Zhian’s gaze, the Reincarnated Empress looked at him questioningly.

They were very close, and Mu Zhian could even faintly smell the fragrance emanating from her body, the back of his hand brushing against hers.

Their eyes met for a moment, then the woman silently turned her face away.

“Are you shy?” Mu Zhian asked.

“Not shy, it’s just that you’re ultimately the Master’s man, I can’t be too intimate with you,” the Reincarnated Empress said faintly.

However, Mu Zhian felt like he had discovered her weakness and suddenly asked, “Do you know what it feels like to kiss?”

The woman was slightly stunned, seemingly curious, but also a bit too embarrassed to ask him.

She just stared at Mu Zhian with her beautiful eyes.

Mu Zhian finally smiled.

He thought this woman knew everything… It turned out she was only a theoretical expert.

She was like those female doctors with maxed-out theoretical knowledge. Although highly educated, when it came to practical application… they were completely clueless.

“Lingxuan never dated in her past nine lives?” Mu Zhian asked doubtfully.

The Reincarnated Empress gently shook her head, “She easily reached Dao Integration in her past lives, naturally looking down on the men around her.”

She added, “Actually, even if you don’t give her a Heavenly Court seat, she can still transcend through her own abilities.”

“Ultimately, the reason she decided to reincarnate nine times was because she knew she had a chance to strive for immortality in this life.”

A girl like Ye Lingxuan, there was only a chance to get close to her before her memories awakened, when she was still a little fish. As she matured, even if you were a Dao Integration Realm expert, she might not even look at you.

Because from the very beginning, Ye Lingxuan’s goal wasn’t Dao Integration, but Transcendence.

Transcendence without relying on a Heavenly Court seat.

Mu Zhian looked thoughtful and asked, “Speaking of which, what did you experience in your past life?”

He was suddenly curious why Ye Lingxuan in this life was a talented young girl, while her past life was a three-no’s beauty… Something must have happened to make her like this?

The Reincarnated Empress gently shook her head and said calmly, “Just ordinary cultivation, then I smoothly reached Dao Integration.”

“Just that? No thrilling experiences or stories?” Mu Zhian asked, filled with doubt.

Logically, before reaching Dao Integration, one would encounter some extremely dangerous situations.

After all, Dao Integration depended on destiny, not just effort. Mu Zhian originally thought the Reincarnated Empress must have experienced something that made her close off her heart.

“No,” the Reincarnated Empress shook her head. “I just meditated and cultivated often, and casually dealt with some small fry who disturbed my cultivation.”

It seems Lingxuan’s past life might have simply been meditating and cultivating every day, not liking to interact with people, which is why she seems a bit ‘dorky’…?

Miss Spirit Dragon silently gave a thumbs-up.

“Where is the Flower of the Great Dao hidden?” Mu Zhian changed the subject.

However, the Reincarnated Empress didn’t answer directly, but instead asked, “Did you just promise to stay in the Forbidden Zone?”

Why is she asking again…?

Mu Zhian felt some doubt and became slightly wary. He carefully chose his words and said, “I’ll stay in the Forbidden Zone until Sister Lingxuan inherits the position of Forbidden Zone Empress, but why are you suddenly so concerned about this?”

Rumble…

As soon as his voice fell, thunder rumbled in the sky. He hadn’t made an oath, yet the Great Dao witnessed his words and treated them as an ‘oath’!

Then, as Mu Zhian looked at her with a shocked expression of You tricked me?!, the Reincarnated Empress slowly took out a translucent white flower from her chest.

Almost at that instant, vast Spiritual Energy emanated from the white flower, filling the entire room.

Under Mu Zhian’s astonished gaze, the Reincarnated Empress said calmly, “Do you know where the Flower of the Great Dao comes from, where Immortal Medicine comes from?”

“People used to say there are only nine stalks of Immortal Medicine in this world, each hidden within one of the nine Forbidden Lands. They also said that Immortal Medicine was left behind by that Immortal Ascension Realm Immortal.”

“No one knows the truth of these matters, and I don’t know either, but one thing is certain, the Flower of the Great Dao wasn’t left behind by that Immortal, but a miracle naturally born from the world. No one knows how long it has existed in the Nine Provinces, but it can indeed connect with the Great Dao, and if a cultivator obtains it, they can use the Great Dao to continuously evolve themselves, becoming a flawless being.”

The Reincarnated Empress handed the ‘Flower of the Great Dao’ to Mu Zhian: “And this flower is a ‘husk’ shed by the Flower of the Great Dao during its evolution. It’s more accurate to call it a Dao Comprehension Flower than the Flower of the Great Dao.”

“So, there’s no Flower of the Great Dao in the Forbidden Zone?” Mu Zhian felt somewhat disappointed hearing this news, but then he quickly sensed the aura of the ‘Great Dao’ from this flower.

Undoubtedly, this was also the Flower of the Great Dao and could connect with the Great Dao.

However, it wasn’t true Immortal Medicine, but a husk shed by it.

“Who gave you this Dao Comprehension Flower?” Mu Zhian couldn’t help asking.

“The ancient being of the Eastern Continent’s Forbidden Land,” the Reincarnated Empress said.

Mu Zhian asked in surprise, “The ancient being of the Forbidden Land? Why would it give you the Dao Comprehension Flower?”

After interacting with the Princess and Luo Tan these past few days, Mu Zhian had realized something important – the ancient being of the Forbidden Land had once tried to cover the entire Nine Provinces with the Forbidden Land’s rules. Back then, most of the Nine Provinces were Forbidden Lands.

But later, a great battle took place in the Nine Provinces, and someone suppressed the nine Forbidden Lands.

Logically, they should be enemies, yet it actively gave the Dao Comprehension Flower to the Reincarnated Empress?

“I encountered some trouble during my Dao Integration, and it gave me the Dao Comprehension Flower to save me,” the Reincarnated Empress said.

“And according to it, it was only acting on someone else’s behalf.”

“As for who that person is, I’m not sure either,” the Reincarnated Empress said.

“But in any case, if the Spirit Dragon wants to use the Dao Comprehension Flower to comprehend the Great Dao, her success rate is extremely high.”

“After all, the Spirit Dragon is a creation beloved by the Great Dao. If it senses the Spirit Dragon, the Great Dao probably won’t refuse.”

The Reincarnated Empress continued.

“Are you sure it’s okay to give me such an important item?” Mu Zhian hesitated.

Although he liked getting things without effort, his relationship with the Reincarnated Empress wasn’t particularly close. Taking this quasi-immortal medicine felt a bit uneasy.

The Reincarnated Empress said calmly, “It’s fine. After all, the Dao Comprehension Flower is no longer of much use to me.”

Before Mu Zhian could thank her, she continued, “However, if you want this Dao Comprehension Flower, you’ll have to do me a favor.”

“Tell me what you want me to do first,” Mu Zhian was already wary of this cool and aloof beauty.

She looked like a pure and innocent little white rabbit, but her heart was black. She had just tricked him, turning his words into an ‘oath’ using the Dao Comprehension Flower.

Fortunately, he was quick-witted, otherwise, it would have been a headache.

“I made a bet with the Master that you would be captivated by my charm, so can you cooperate later?” the Reincarnated Empress asked.

“How do I cooperate?” Mu Zhian was doubtful.

A captivating smile reappeared on the woman’s face, and she said softly, “Just listen to me when I tell you what to do.”

The Master is currently at the Elders’ Council. She’ll probably peek at us through the Desolate Time Lock soon. When the Master uses the Desolate Time Lock, she’ll naturally be able to sense it.

As long as the Master sees my ‘results’ tonight, I’ll win the bet.

“What should I do?” Mu Zhian asked.

“It’s very simple—”

Just as the Reincarnated Empress said this, her eyes flickered slightly, casually glancing in a certain direction.

Then, a faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. She looked at Mu Zhian and said, “Close your eyes.”

Mu Zhian hesitated, then noticed the Reincarnated Empress looking at the Dao Comprehension Flower, as if saying: Please cooperate, you don’t want to lose the Dao Comprehension Flower, do you?

He ultimately closed his eyes.

“Raise your head.”

A hint of charm laced her cool voice, followed by her breath and a faint fragrance.

Mu Zhian seemed to already know what she was planning. He glanced at her strangely, silently put the Dao Comprehension Flower into his storage ring, and raised his head.

The woman nodded with satisfaction, then casually glanced in a certain direction, her eyes as if saying: Master, see? I told you.

Tonight, I’ll show you what it means to speedrun the Mu Zhian level!

…