It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists
Chapter 578: The Peak of Dao Integration is the Dao of the Bull

“Ancestor?”

Lan Feiying, receiving no response after calling softly, called out again.

A faint smile played on Lan Shihuai’s lips, and she replied gently, “Just say what you need.”

“Is it about the scriptures?” Lan Shihuai asked casually, then glanced sideways at the silent young man beside her.

Her eyes were like silk.

Under Mu Zhian’s surprised gaze, she placed her right hand on her lap, her slender, pale fingers toying with the hem of her icy-blue dress. Noticing the young man’s stare, the corner of her mouth twitched upwards, and her fingertip gently hooked the fabric.

A glimpse of her long, fair legs was revealed in the dim light, alluring and enticing.

Ancestor, are you really going to be this bold…? Mu Zhian almost couldn’t resist suppressing her right there and then.

“…Are you… occupied?” Lan Feiying’s hesitant voice came from outside.

Feiying’s getting suspicious… Mu Zhian’s heart skipped a beat, but Lan Shihuai’s expression remained calm, “Mu Zhian encountered some difficulties while reading the scriptures, and I’m explaining them to him.”

As she spoke, she glanced at him with a playful look in her eyes.

“Is he still here?” Lan Feiying asked doubtfully.

Under Lan Shihuai’s playful gaze, Mu Zhian forced himself to remain calm and called out, “Sister Feiying, long time no see.”

Seeing the helpless look on the young man’s face, a beautiful smile appeared on Lan Shihuai’s lips, her eyes filled with amusement.

She naturally didn’t want her descendant to know what was happening in the room. She was simply teasing this young man.

Lan Shihuai was certain Feiying wouldn’t barge in; after all, they were both well-mannered young ladies.

Mu Zhian chatted with Lan Feiying while observing the Lan Clan ancestor before him.

A playful smile danced in the woman’s eyes. Rather than enjoying the thrill of a secret affair, it seemed more like she was teasing him.

“That’s enough, you don’t want to be discovered, do you?” Mu Zhian reminded her via voice transmission.

A faint smile appeared in Lan Shihuai’s beautiful eyes as she replied via voice transmission, “Feiying is a good girl, she wouldn’t disobey me, so there’s no need for you to worry… as long as you don’t panic.”

“But Your Highness is tempting this junior like this, I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself…”

Mu Zhian looked at the alluring beauty pressed against him and transmitted his voice one last time, “So please restrain yourself a little…”

“What will happen if I don’t?”

Lan Shihuai savored Mu Zhian’s words, studying him carefully, then looked at him with a gentle smile, like an elder doting on a junior, “Are you planning to punish me?”

Mu Zhian suddenly grabbed Lan Shihuai’s wrist with one hand and her shoulder with the other, pressing her back against the door.

Fortunately, Lan Shihuai reacted quickly, using Spiritual Energy to cushion herself, preventing any loud noises.

However, before she could question him, Mu Zhian took half a step closer, and under Lan Shihuai’s flustered gaze, this young man, who was supposed to be the one being teased, captured her lips.

The kiss was passionate and gentle, carrying a forbidden thrill… and excitement.

This guy is so bold…?

Lan Shihuai’s back was pressed against the door, and she could clearly sense Feiying’s presence just outside.

It was almost as if she was being intimate with a young man right in front of her descendant.

And it was inexplicably exciting.

Lan Shihuai’s usually calm heart was stirred. Her feelings for Mu Zhian, if any, were simply the care of an elder for a junior.

She had taken the initiative with Mu Zhian earlier simply wanting to experience the Spiritual Energy of the Innate Celestial Furnace, to use it to rebuild her body.

However, with Mu Zhian’s actions now, a different kind of emotion arose within Lan Shihuai.

It was a mixture of guilt and an inexplicable excitement.

She was actually being dominated by a young man so much younger than her… and one of her most beloved descendants was right outside the door.

Mu Zhian’s warmth, the Spiritual Energy of the Innate Celestial Furnace, and even the Dao Rhymes of the Heavenly Dao, the New Heavenly Dao, and the Great Dao, were all clearly palpable.

This young man was the Jade Empress’s husband and the Dao Companion of her two descendants… yet the current Mu Zhian was completely captivated by her charm, eagerly seeking her out.

If Lan Shihuai’s earlier proposition to Mu Zhian was purely for a transaction, to rebuild her body, then now, her heart was filled with an inexplicable pleasure.

This seemed to be the true destination for all Dao Integration Empresses.

The thrill of ‘NTRing’ someone else’s Dao Companion, the intoxicating pleasure of it.

At this moment, the Lan Clan ancestor seemed to have glimpsed the Dao of the Bull (牛道 – internet slang for cuckolding/being a “bull”).

“Ancestor, are you alright…?” Lan Feiying’s puzzled voice suddenly came, having heard the sudden silence from inside.

Lan Shihuai glanced at the young man before her. After releasing his lips, she exhaled softly, a slight tremor in her voice, “It’s nothing… Young Master Mu probably exhausted himself reading too many scriptures, so he fell asleep.”

She glanced at the hand on her slender waist and gently pushed it away.

“You can go back now, it’s best not to wake him. After this, he… Mmm~”

Her voice suddenly stopped. Lan Shihuai glanced at Mu Zhian seductively, then slowly brought her lips close to his, whispering, “I’ll have him come find you later.”

She gently pressed her cool lips against Mu Zhian’s.

…

Within the quiet cabin.

It was practically a sealed room, tattered scriptures, jade slips, and other remnants from the era of ancient great powers occasionally drifting from the void.

Besides that, there was nothing else in the cabin… just some scattered clothes.

Lan Shihuai licked her lips, looking at Mu Zhian leaning against the table, lost in thought, and blinked her bright eyes, “I heard men tend to reflect after that, are you already having regrets?”

As she spoke, she tied the sash around her blue dress, accentuating her slender waist, and tidied her slightly messy hair.

Mu Zhian looked at the woman who had knelt beside him and suddenly said, “I was just thinking, Senior chose me because you’re interested in my Innate Celestial Furnace, right? After you rebuild your body, will our relationship remain the same?”

Lan Shihuai placed a hand on Mu Zhian’s head, letting him rest his head on her lap, and pondered for a moment, “I’ve never had a lover, nor anyone I truly liked… My feelings for you are more like the care Lian’er and Feiying have for you, as an elder to a junior.”

Although he had anticipated this answer, hearing her say it still made Mu Zhian feel a twinge of regret.

“I’ve always believed that anyone who can’t suppress me isn’t worthy of being my Dao Companion,” Lan Shihuai’s fingertips gently caressed Mu Zhian’s face, and she said faintly, “But you did suppress me just now.”

“Although not through strength.”

These words were quite meaningful.

“But you could barely suppress me at Soul Transformation Realm. If you reach Dao Integration in the future—” Lan Shihuai leaned close to his ear and whispered in a soft, sweet voice, “You can do whatever you want then.”

Hearing Lan Shihuai’s words, Mu Zhian couldn’t help but fall into deep thought.

It had to be said, the Dao Integration Realm experts he knew were much more open-minded than he imagined.

The ancestor of the Lan Clan, actually willing to risk playing such games with him in the cabin… How exciting.

Just then, Lan Shihuai stood up and said, “Come to think of it, it’s been thousands of years since I left the Second Ark. Come with me for a walk.”

“I also have something I want to discuss with the current Lan Clan Leader.”

This was also one of the few things she could do for those two girls.

No…

Rather than making amends, it was more about easing her own conscience.

She was the ancestor of the Lan Clan, practically Lan Mulian and Lan Feiying’s master, yet she had just done that with their Dao Companion in this dim little cabin…

With her strength, rejecting Mu Zhian would have been child’s play… But not only did she not reject him, she even seduced him.

Such guilt could only be alleviated by doing something for them.

Although even if they knew about her and Mu Zhian, Lan Mulian and Lan Feiying probably wouldn’t say anything,

Lan Shihuai still felt guilty.

“Do you regret it…?” Mu Zhian suddenly asked.

Lan Shihuai gently shook her head, “I was just thinking about something.”

“By the way, if you can persuade Lian’er and Feiying…”

She stood in her ice crystal-encrusted high heels, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, “Sister wouldn’t mind serving them together with you~”

…

Even after leaving the ancient ship, Lan Shihuai’s words still echoed in Mu Zhian’s mind.

She said she wouldn’t mind being with Senior Sister and Feiying together. Did that mean as long as Senior Sister and Feiying agreed, they could have a big party…?

Lan Shihuai’s spiritual sense was currently within his Innate Celestial Furnace. Should he ask her again, just to confirm…?

“Brother Mu, when did you arrive at Immortal Emperor Mountain?”

Just then, a surprised voice came from behind, pulling Mu Zhian back to reality.

He turned and saw the young master of the Lan Clan, Lan Wu.

“Brother-in-law, what are you doing here?” Mu Zhian greeted with a smile, feigning surprise.

Lan Wu’s forehead creased, “It’s fine if you call me that in front of me, but don’t do it in front of Father.”

“Lan Clan members patrol the ancestral land every day, and it’s my turn today,” Lan Wu added.

Mu Zhian looked thoughtful and asked, “How’s Dad doing recently?”

Knowing Mu Zhian was deliberately teasing him, Lan Wu didn’t bother correcting him and said, “Not long ago, he finally placed Mother’s memorial tablet in the Lan Clan ancestral hall, fulfilling her last wish… But he’s been arguing with the elders quite a bit recently.”

The memorial tablet Lan Wu mentioned naturally referred to Lan Mulian and Lan Feiying’s mother.

Mu Zhian thought for a moment and said with a smile, “Is it because Senior Sister and Feiying haven’t officially become Lan Clan members yet?”

Lan Wu nodded gently.

Their childhood experiences were still a thorn in Lan Mulian and Lan Feiying’s hearts. Even though their mother’s last wish was fulfilled, and her memorial tablet was placed in the Lan Clan ancestral hall, the two sisters still had reservations about becoming Lan Clan members.

After all, those clan elders who forced Lan Pingzhi to abandon his wife and children still hadn’t apologized.

With the two sisters’ stubborn personalities, since those elders hadn’t apologized, they naturally wouldn’t return to the Lan Clan.

This was also the reason for the recent arguments between Lan Pingzhi and the elders.

Lan Wu sighed helplessly, “Those elders are all heroes of the Lan Clan, their seniority even higher than my father’s, their positions in the clan unshakeable. Having them admit their mistakes and apologize to my two sisters before the clan members… is practically impossible.”

Mu Zhian said with a smile, “So they know they were wrong, but they refuse to admit it, clinging to their seniority?”

Lan Wu couldn’t help but glance at Mu Zhian.

Only Mu Zhian would dare say such a thing. Even the Lan Clan members wouldn’t dare comment on those ‘living fossils’ like this.

He leaned closer and whispered, “You’re here to see my two sisters, right? What’s their situation in the ancestral land now?”

The entire Lan Clan now knew that his two sisters seemed to have received the ancestor’s blessing, even inheriting a large part of her legacy. This made some of the old monsters who had been dormant in the Lan Clan restless.

The Lan Clan ancestor’s inheritance, to the clan members, was a recognition of their bloodline.

And the Lan Clan ancestor chose those two ‘branch family’ members as her true successors, how could they accept this?

“If you want to know, why don’t you ask them yourself?” Mu Zhian said.

Lan Wu said helplessly, “I would if I could, but you know how strained the relationship between my two sisters and the Lan Clan is. Besides you, no one else can get close to them.”

Mu Zhian thought for a moment and said with a smile, “If your father and those elders are willing to lower their heads, I think Senior Sister and Feiying might forgive them.”

“It’s impossible for those stubborn old fools to lower their heads. Besides the First Elder, no one in the current Lan Clan has higher seniority than them.”

Lan Wu gently shook his head. Just as he was about to speak again, an old and deep voice suddenly came, “This must be Young Friend Mu, right?”

Lan Wu’s expression changed slightly, and he transmitted his voice, “Be careful. He was one of those who supported Father remarrying. You could say he’s the Lan Clan’s ‘shadow’, always prioritizing the clan’s future, even resorting to unscrupulous methods.”

Mu Zhian followed the voice and looked up. Several figures had appeared on Immortal Emperor Mountain, some of whom he recognized from the Ancestor Worship Ceremony.

His future father-in-law was also among them.

“It seems they discovered I left Immortal Emperor Mountain and came to check,” Mu Zhian realized.

Currently, besides him, only the Lan sisters could enter the deepest part of the Lan Clan Ancestral Land. But those two sisters wouldn’t bother with them, so they could only place their hopes on Mu Zhian.

Mu Zhian nodded politely.

His current realm wasn’t inferior to these elders, so there was no need for him to act humbly like before.

Lan Pingzhi descended from the sky, looking at Mu Zhian with gentle eyes, “Young Friend Mu, it seems the Jade Empress didn’t come to Immortal Emperor Mountain with you this time?”

Mu Zhian smiled, “Yao Meng brought me to the ancestral land. She’s currently meditating there.”

The elders’ eyelids twitched almost visibly, their hearts trembling slightly.

Lan Pingzhi nodded slightly, then after some casual small talk, finally got to the point, “Young Friend Mu, did you see my two daughters when you entered our Lan Clan Ancestral Land?”

“I did,” Mu Zhian said.

Hearing this, the elders, including the First Elder, all looked at Mu Zhian.

Lan Pingzhi continued, “Then how much of Ancestor’s inheritance did my two daughters receive?”

Mu Zhian gently shook his head, “I’m not sure about that… If you want to know, you can ask them yourselves after they come out.”

Lan Pingzhi smiled wryly, “Young Friend Mu, you know my two daughters are quite cold towards me… They haven’t even acknowledged me since entering the Lan Clan.”

Mu Zhian couldn’t help but smile, “Don’t you know why they haven’t acknowledged you?”

“When Senior Sister and Feiying were suffering outside, the Lan Clan ignored them, not even knowing when your wife died from illness. Even now, no one has taken responsibility for what happened, no one has apologized. Are you waiting for them to lower their heads and beg to rejoin the Lan Clan?”

“Frankly, if it were me, I would hang those elders who advised you to abandon your wife and remarry and beat them to vent my anger.”

Mu Zhian’s words were merciless. The moment he finished speaking, the faces of several elders darkened.

“Mu Zhian, this is a family matter of the Lan Clan, it’s not your place, an outsider, to interfere,” an old woman glared at him angrily.

Mu Zhian shrugged, “If I were the Clan Leader, I wouldn’t leave such talented young ladies outside, not even caring about them, to the point that they now have no feelings for the Lan Clan.”

“You—” Another elder couldn’t help but frown.

He was one of the ‘shadows’ Lan Wu mentioned earlier, also an important foundation of the Lan Clan.

Clearly, Mu Zhian’s words had struck a nerve with several elders present.

If they had known about Lan Mulian and Lan Feiying’s talent earlier, they wouldn’t have left them and their mother outside, no matter what.

“Mu Zhian, we’re only being polite because you’re the Jade Empress’s Dao Companion, but this is a family matter of the Lan Clan. And this is the resting place of our ancestor’s soul, it’s not your place, an outsider, to make a fuss here,” an elder said coldly.

“I was just stating my honest opinion. If it were me, I would take revenge on those who pressured and forced me to abandon my wife and children, suppressing them in the ancestral land for three thousand years of self-reflection,” Mu Zhian said with a faint smile.

“Oh, although I would never abandon my wife and children,” he added.

Is he crazy…? Hearing this, Lan Wu looked at Mu Zhian incredulously, his first thought being that this guy had lost his mind.

Even with the Jade Empress backing him, mocking these elders, and even his father, wasn’t a wise move.

A clan elder from a branch family was so angry he laughed, “Suppress for three thousand years? In terms of seniority, not to mention you, even Lan Pingzhi isn’t qualified!”

Lan Pingzhi frowned slightly, about to speak.

Just then, a calm and emotionless voice echoed faintly through the ancestral land, “He isn’t qualified, but what about me?”