It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists
Chapter 559: Pavilion Master Yan Harvests the Crop

Sensing Lin Ling’s gaze, Mu Zhian didn’t answer immediately, but looked at the elegant and intellectual Pavilion Master beside him.

“Pavilion Master Yan, what brings you here…?” Mu Zhian asked with a smile, his tone as respectful as ever.

Yan Ruyu glanced at the young man and said, “Can’t I come visit your courtyard if I have nothing else to do?”

“Pavilion Master is welcome anytime, I was just curious why you’re with Senior Spirit Dragon,” Mu Zhian said with a smile. Although his current realm was higher than Yan Ruyu’s, Mu Zhian was always grateful for past kindness, so he naturally remained respectful towards her.

Hearing this, Yan Ruyu’s eyes softened slightly, a hint of emotion within.

She didn’t expect Mu Zhian to have reached Soul Transformation so quickly after leaving the Two Polarities Sect.

“A disciple reported seeing a silver dragon on Boundless Sea Peak earlier. I guessed Senior Spirit Dragon might be after Senior Brother Yi Hao’s Eight Treasure Cranes again, so I went to check, and I happened to run into her on the main peak,” Yan Ruyu explained with a smile. “After that, I had the Imperial Kitchen prepare Eight Treasure Crane dishes for Senior Spirit Dragon.”

Mu Zhian was stunned, “Senior Brother Yi still has Eight Treasure Cranes…?”

Yan Ruyu hummed in affirmation, a hint of helplessness in her tone, “Eight Treasure Cranes are heavenly materials and earthly treasures meant to reward inner disciples, but they’ve been disappearing frequently recently… Senior Brother Yi Hao knows who’s responsible, so he used pills to accelerate the growth of more Eight Treasure Cranes.”

“But these Eight Treasure Cranes don’t have the same effects as the original ones.”

Got it, so it’s the difference between free-range and farm-raised…

Lin Ling held up her notebook and commented: “The meat isn’t as tender as before.”

Mu Zhian chuckled, “So Senior Brother Yi is hoping Senior Spirit Dragon will leave him a couple of proper Eight Treasure Cranes?”

For some reason, he suddenly felt a bit sorry for Senior Brother Yi.

Yan Ruyu gently shook her head, “Senior Spirit Dragon bestowed some luck upon Senior Brother Yi Hao not long ago… He’s currently still celebrating in his cave. I don’t think he’ll mind even if Senior Spirit Dragon eats all his Eight Treasure Cranes.”

Luck was something innate. Only an existence like the Spirit Dragon could directly bestow it upon others.

But even the Spirit Dragon couldn’t bestow luck frequently. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have used a ‘trial’ to give a small portion of disciples luck in the past.

It could be said that luck was an incredibly precious thing.

It was no wonder Yi Hao was so overjoyed.

Blessed with luck, his future cultivation path would be much smoother.

This news hadn’t spread yet. If the other Peak Masters found out, who knew how jealous they would be.

“You’ve indeed reached Soul Transformation, but that doesn’t mean you’re safe in the Nine Provinces. Several Forbidden Lands are currently restless. After returning this time, it’s best not to leave again,” Yan Ruyu suddenly said, a gentle warning in her voice. “The sect’s formations can ensure your safety, but it’s different outside.”

Mu Zhian nodded slightly, “Thank you for the reminder, Pavilion Master. I understand.”

“After returning this time, I indeed don’t plan to leave the sect for now.”

Hearing this, Lin Ling’s eyes lit up, staring intently at him.

Yan Ruyu silently observed this scene, thinking, Lin Ling and Mu Zhian were already close back then, but the atmosphere wasn’t this ambiguous… But the way Senior Lin Ling is looking at Mu Zhian now feels a bit different.

Just then, Lin Ling held up her small notebook: “What did the Daughter of the Great Dao mean just now?”

“Transcendence and ascension.”

Mu Zhian gently stroked her silver hair and asked, “Where’s your Dao Comprehension Flower?”

“I haven’t eaten it yet, because it takes a long time to refine.”

Lin Ling took out a translucent flower from her bosom and handed it to Mu Zhian.

Mu Zhian smiled, “I know, that’s why I asked the Princess to help you.”

“Why ask her to help refine the Dao Comprehension Flower?” Lin Ling tilted her head slightly and wrote in her notebook.

This time, Mu Zhian didn’t answer directly, but took her notebook, wrote something, and handed it back to her.

Lin Ling’s red eyes widened as she read the words in the notebook, so stunned that she didn’t even notice the roasted crane meat falling from her hand.

“This is the fastest way I can think of to help you transcend, and also the best way to permanently get rid of the Karmic Fire,” Mu Zhian’s tone was sincere and helpless, “Although it will be a bit taxing for me, I can endure it.”

The Princess glanced at him, a mixture of shyness and annoyance in her gentle, beautiful eyes, a hint of resentment on her face beneath the veil.

He made it sound like he was the one making the sacrifice…

In a way, Mu Zhian wasn’t exactly taking advantage… after all, for the Spirit Dragon’s Transcendence, he might have to make a considerable sacrifice.

Even for the Princess, using the Dao Comprehension Flower to connect with the Great Dao would consume a lot of energy.

And the best way for her to accelerate the connection was for Mu Zhian to… supplement her while she used the Dao Comprehension Flower.

This would require an enormous amount of Spiritual Energy.

“Actually, I don’t mind whether I transcend or not,” Lin Ling suddenly wrote in her notebook.

Before Mu Zhian could speak, she looked up at him, “But if transcending can help you, I’m willing to try.”

In the past, some of Lin Ling’s Words Manifest Reality only worked within the Two Polarities Sect because the sect’s formations isolated the Heavenly Dao, allowing her to be unrestricted by the heavenly rules.

But even unrestricted by the heavenly rules, she would still suffer karmic backlash, which was the origin of the Karmic Fire.

But if she could transcend, Lin Ling would be able to use most of her Words Manifest Reality without suffering karmic backlash.

Seeing the words in the notebook, Mu Zhian couldn’t help but be stunned.

Indeed… Lin Ling was a being naturally favored by heaven, the embodiment of luck, and with her innocent nature, she didn’t actually care about Transcendence… After all, blessed by immense luck, she was already immortal.

He had been mistaken from the very beginning… Not all great powers desired Transcendence.

At least, Lin Ling didn’t.

After a moment of silence, Mu Zhian said, “Thank you… But I might have to trouble you.”

Lin Ling peeked at Mu Zhian’s face, then at the Princess, who also seemed shy, so nervous that even the Eight Treasure Crane in her hand suddenly lost its appeal.

“It’s no trouble,” she continued writing in her notebook, “I’ll go take a medicinal bath.”

After writing this, she lowered her head, stood up, and walked towards a nearby room.

“…I’ll also go take a medicinal bath.”

Seemingly finding the atmosphere somewhat awkward, the Princess also quietly stood up and left.

This is making even me feel awkward… Mu Zhian felt the awkwardness in the air and complained inwardly.

Just then, Yan Ruyu also stood up.

Mu Zhian was stunned: “Pavilion Master is also going to bathe?”

The intelligent beauty paused, then understood, and shot him a look, “Do you think that after reaching Soul Transformation, you can even tease your nominal master?”

Mu Zhian shook his head, “Pavilion Master isn’t my master. I’ve always seen you as my benefactor who guided me when I entered the sect.”

Yan Ruyu was stunned for a moment, then smiled, “Indeed, I haven’t helped you much since you joined the sect. I’m not worthy of being your master.”

“Moreover, the reason I chose you as an inner disciple of the Book Pavilion back then was actually because of your…”

“Innate Celestial Furnace?” Mu Zhian asked tentatively.

Yan Ruyu chuckled softly and said, “But after you saved Fairy Yao Meng, with her always in your cauldron, it wasn’t convenient for me, or the other Peak Masters, to make a move.”

Exposed by Mu Zhian, Yan Ruyu felt a sense of relief. Although she occasionally regretted not being able to taste the Spiritual Energy of the Innate Celestial Furnace… if she had really taken Mu Zhian back then, she would probably feel guilty.

Perhaps she could have obtained the Innate Celestial Furnace, but it might have affected her Dao Heart, hindering her future cultivation progress.

After all, she took Mu Zhian as her inner disciple with ulterior motives from the start, which made her feel apologetic towards him.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have compensated him with a second-grade technique back then.

Come to think of it, Fairy Yao Meng had actually done her and the other three Peak Masters a huge favor.

After all, Mu Zhian already had Bai Ruoxi as his Dao Companion at the time… Using her position to seduce or coerce Mu Zhian would definitely affect her Dao Heart.

As for why it didn’t affect Fairy Yao Meng’s Dao Heart… It could only be said that either that fairy’s Dao Heart was incredibly strong, or she simply didn’t mind cuckolding Mu Zhian’s Dao Companion… or even found it enjoyable.

Yan Ruyu naturally didn’t know which possibility it was, nor was she interested. She just looked at Mu Zhian and said gently, “Regardless, I ultimately didn’t make a move on you. A sage is judged by their actions, not their intentions. I’ve also fulfilled my duty as your guide.”

“You don’t blame me for having ulterior motives towards you back then, do you?” Yan Ruyu asked, her tone carrying a hint of playfulness.

Her words were spoken with a sense of relief, as if bidding farewell to her past self, who had feelings for Mu Zhian.

The reason she appeared here today was also because she suddenly thought that since Lin Ling was here, she might also be able to see Mu Zhian.

After frankly expressing her past thoughts, she would no longer feel guilty towards Mu Zhian.

“Pavilion Master, is there a possibility… that I actually knew about your ulterior motives all along?” Mu Zhian asked suddenly, a faint smile on his face.

Yan Ruyu was stunned, then, after a moment of confusion, she suddenly reacted, looked up at Mu Zhian, and exclaimed, “You knew all along?!”

She hadn’t thought she had exposed her intentions, but Mu Zhian had already known the reason she invited him to become an inner disciple…

After coming to her senses, Yan Ruyu was slightly dazed, the look of appreciation she usually had for him as her junior replaced by a surge of embarrassment. She glared at him, “Some things don’t need to be said out loud, even if you know. Can’t you just let me say goodbye and leave peacefully?!”

Her tone wasn’t angry or annoyed, but more like a playful complaint.

“Pavilion Master truly intends to say your final goodbye?” Mu Zhian chuckled.

The Innate Spiritual Body, besides other things, greatly enhanced one’s perception of Spiritual Energy, and even a person’s emotions.

Mu Zhian had vaguely sensed Yan Ruyu’s troubled thoughts earlier, hence her saying goodbye.

Unexpectedly, he guessed correctly.

Mu Zhian suddenly looked at Yan Ruyu mysteriously and said, “Right, Pavilion Master, let me tell you a secret.”

Yan Ruyu’s eyes flickered, staring at Mu Zhian hesitantly.

Mu Zhian looked around, confirming no one was present, then leaned close to her ear, “Actually, I’ve been waiting for you to make a move all along.”

Make a move?

Before Yan Ruyu could even react, Mu Zhian wrapped his arms around her slender waist.

Even through her clothes, he could feel the breathtaking softness of her body.

Caught off guard by Mu Zhian’s sudden embrace, Yan Ruyu’s mind was still reeling as her body instinctively reacted, trying to break free.

However, without using Spiritual Energy, she couldn’t escape Mu Zhian’s grasp.

But if she used Spiritual Energy now, it would definitely alert Lin Ling and that mysterious senior… It might even attract that Senior Sister from Dao Peak, which would be truly troublesome.

Yan Ruyu suppressed the fluttering in her heart, her delicate brows furrowing slightly as she scolded, “Do you know what you’re doing?!”

Although she tried to maintain her dignity as a senior, her tone was shy, more like a coquettish complaint.

“I just want to fulfill Pavilion Master’s wish,” Mu Zhian said softly, gazing into her eyes.

“I don’t have that wish anymore.”

Yan Ruyu placed her hands on Mu Zhian’s chest, as if trying to push him away, “Don’t do this, I… I’m your senior!”

Whether in terms of lifespan or seniority within the sect, Yan Ruyu was indeed Mu Zhian’s senior.

These words made Mu Zhian’s embrace stiffen slightly, almost breaking his composure.

But he didn’t let go, instead tightening his grip around her waist and whispering, “Pavilion Master, in my heart, I’ve always seen you as my benefactor. If it weren’t for you, I would still be a lowly outer disciple, and wouldn’t have received the kindness of the other Peak Masters.”

Yan Ruyu glared at him, “Do you know what you’re doing?!”

Being held so intimately by a young man so much younger than her, who was even calling her his benefactor while embracing her, Yan Ruyu was so exasperated she almost laughed. Seeing Mu Zhian not speaking, she abruptly looked up, about to say something.

However, the moment she looked up, Mu Zhian lowered his head and captured her full, rosy lips.

Yan Ruyu’s body froze, her eyes staring intently at Mu Zhian, transmitting her voice with a mixture of anger and embarrassment, “Is this how you treat your benefactor?!”

Mu Zhian smiled, “Of course, I’m someone who repays kindness.”

Before Yan Ruyu could respond, Mu Zhian transmitted his voice again, “If Pavilion Master has any troubles, feel free to tell this disciple.”

“Perhaps… this disciple can help you.”