NOVPUBIf this had happened before, Mu Zhi’an would have been terrified. But now, he simply looked at Bai Ruoxi with a calm smile.
His expression was serene, as if nothing could faze him. But beneath this calmness, there was a hint of… helplessness, and a gentle tenderness as he looked at Bai Ruoxi.
He perfectly portrayed the image of a devoted young man.
“Don’t you have anything to say, Mu Lang?” Bai Ruoxi asked, her gaze soft.
She had expected him to be surprised, flustered, or even apologetic upon seeing the stockings, the undeniable evidence of his ‘crime’. But his helpless smile caught her off guard.
“Since you already know, Ruoxi, there’s nothing more to say,” Mu Zhi’an sighed softly.
“What do you mean?” Bai Ruoxi raised an eyebrow.
He was acting as if she was the one being unreasonable… But it was clearly his fault.
“Ruoxi, you know I refined that black Heavenly Dao Energy, right?” Mu Zhi’an asked, looking down at the Heart-Binding Lock on his wrist.
Bai Ruoxi remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
“The Heavenly Dao Energy was suppressed within my Innate Celestial Furnace. I needed to release some of its energy before I could guide it out of my body.”
Bai Ruoxi frowned slightly. “Couldn’t you have done it yourself?”
Mu Zhi’an sighed. “If I could, I would have… But it was an emergency. Asking Mengrou for help was faster.”
Be reasonable. Imagine, your aloof maid is right beside you, and she just confessed her feelings for you. In that situation, wouldn’t it be better to ask for her help, perhaps even have her wear those black and white stockings while she’s at it, than to struggle alone?
Mu Zhi’an paused, then shook his head with a wry smile. “But it’s my fault, regardless of how I try to explain it. Do as you please, Ruoxi. But I hope you understand one thing.”
Under her puzzled gaze, he said with a sincere expression, “You’re my Dao Companion, and you’re also the first girl I truly loved. That will never change. Whether you hit me or scold me, as long as it makes you feel better, I’ll accept it.”
Despite her resolve, Bai Ruoxi’s heart softened as she looked into his sincere eyes.
Her beautiful eyes, usually so gentle, welled up with tears. She looked away, her cheeks flushed. “You’re always like this, Mu Lang… How can I punish you when you’re like this?” she murmured.
The Heart-Binding Lock on his wrist didn’t react, which meant he was telling the truth. Knowing his sincerity, Bai Ruoxi couldn’t bring herself to be angry with him.
She looked up at him and asked softly, “Who do you like the most, Mu Lang?”
Mu Zhi’an looked at her, about to answer, when he saw her take out a pair of black stockings. “Mengrou was wearing the gift you gave her when she helped you, wasn’t she…?” she said softly.
Just seeing the stockings made Mu Zhi’an’s heart race, the image of his maid’s alluring figure flashing through his mind.
She’s deliberately trying to trigger the Heart-Binding Lock so she can punish me… He instantly understood her intentions.
Mu Zhi’an lowered his head and buried his face in her bosom.
“M-Mu Lang…?” Bai Ruoxi hadn’t expected him to do this. She froze, her hands hovering awkwardly above his head, unsure whether to hug him back.
Enjoying the warmth of her embrace, Mu Zhi’an said firmly, “Of course, it’s you, Ruoxi.”
Her warmth, her softness, her sweet fragrance… How could he not love her?
Bai Ruoxi glanced at the Heart-Binding Lock. It still hadn’t reacted.
Her heart swelled with happiness, her eyes sparkling.
It seems I’ve succeeded… Mu Zhi’an breathed a sigh of relief.
The Heart-Binding Lock on his wrist rattled slightly, as if protesting its dissatisfaction.
It had been completely outplayed by Mu Zhi’an.
He smiled, relieved that his plan had worked. He pressed his advantage. “Ruoxi, the Martial Realm trial ends in two days, and then the Ascension Ceremony begins. We won’t have much time to spend together like this. We should cherish this moment… Why don’t you remove this Heart-Binding Lock—”
“No.”
Before he could finish speaking, Bai Ruoxi’s gentle voice interrupted him.
She stroked his hair, her gaze soft as she looked down at him, feeling his breath against her ample bosom. “Although you’ve explained everything, Mu Lang, and I understand that it was an emergency, and you needed to guide out the Heavenly Dao Energy quickly,” she said softly.
Her tone changed. “But you still did it. Even if it’s Mengrou, I still feel jealous.”
I understand, but please let go of me… Mu Zhi’an struggled to break free from her grasp, but she held him tightly, his face buried in her bosom.
His breathing quickened, but Bai Ruoxi, as if oblivious to his discomfort, continued, “Since we have this opportunity, Mu Lang, why don’t you tell me everything that happened last night?”
She gently combed his hair, a seductive smile curving her lips. “Perhaps… I can help you too.”
Her white dress seemed to be tinged with black patterns, a strand of hair falling over her alluring shoulder, her beauty breathtaking.
…
Later that night.
Mu Zhi’an sat in his study, staring blankly at his personal interface, lost in thought.
After a while, he instinctively touched his sore back and took out two Essence Replenishing Pills from his storage ring, swallowing them.
It’s a good thing I chose to strengthen my physique in the Core Formation Realm. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to handle this.
He opened his personal interface and glanced at his titles.
Besides the ones he had seen before, there was a new one: ‘System Holder’.
He still didn’t know who had obtained the system. It was definitely one of the girls around him, but he wasn’t sure who.
Above the title, previously concealed by a pink heart, were five dazzling characters: [Heaven’s Chosen Female Lead].
I’d rather be the male lead… Mu Zhi’an sighed inwardly.
Suddenly, a cold chuckle came from behind him, as if someone was enjoying his misfortune.
Mu Zhi’an glanced at his maid. “You told Ruoxi about it, didn’t you?”
Wei Mengrou looked at his personal interface and the ‘Heaven’s Chosen Female Lead’ title, pursed her lips, and said solemnly, “I didn’t tell her. She asked me.”
“She happened to see us in the room.”
“So you sold me out? What happened to your oath to protect me?” Mu Zhi’an said dramatically, his gaze lingering on her alluring figure.
Wei Mengrou glared at him. “What we did was wrong. I couldn’t lie to her.”
Then, seeing his silence, she shifted uncomfortably. “I’m sorry… But I couldn’t lie to her in that situation.”
Silence fell over the study, broken only by the sound of the wind and snow outside.
After a while, Mu Zhi’an broke the silence, looking at Wei Mengrou. “Mengrou…”
“I just realized you look beautiful even without stockings.”
Wei Mengrou: “…”
After a moment of silence, she looked down at him, her beautiful face as cold and flawless as snow, her long hair cascading down to her slender waist, her yellow dress outlining her alluring figure, her long, smooth legs bare, her feet clad in white boots, her aura aloof and unattainable.
It was hard to imagine that she had used those beautiful legs to help him refine his Spiritual Energy earlier… Mu Zhi’an thought, a sense of wonder filling him.
Sensing his genuine admiration, Wei Mengrou placed a foot on a chair, her beautiful eyes filled with disdain. “What? Do you want to lick them?”
Mu Zhi’an smiled. “I’ll try next time.”
“If you don’t mind, Mengrou.”
Wei Mengrou looked away, her voice cold. “Then I’ll despise you for the rest of my life.”
“I don’t mind,” Mu Zhi’an chuckled.
Being despised by his maid was one of his greatest pleasures.
“Do you feel any discomfort after refining the Heavenly Dao Energy?” Mu Zhi’an asked, changing the subject.
Wei Mengrou shook her head gently. “It feels like it’s become a part of me. I don’t feel anything different.”
“And… I can now temporarily stop time.”
Za Warudo?
“For how long?” Mu Zhi’an asked, surprised.
“Three seconds,” Wei Mengrou replied.
“If I reach the Nascent Soul Realm, it should last longer.”
“So it’s a combat-type Heavenly Dao Energy?” Mu Zhi’an thought, his eyes filled with curiosity.
Then, he frowned slightly. “If I remember correctly, the Demon Realm Empress is collecting Heavenly Dao Energy, but she hasn’t attacked either of us. That’s strange.”
Wei Mengrou’s eyes also held a thoughtful glint. She looked at Mu Zhi’an strangely. “Do you know her? She helped you in the Martial Realm because you know each other, right?”
“I don’t have that kind of influence,” Mu Zhi’an chuckled, shaking his head. “Didn’t she say she was there on someone’s behalf?” 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝒑𝙪𝒃.𝒄𝒐𝙢
Wei Mengrou clearly didn’t believe him. “Who could command the Demon Realm Empress?”
“No one can command her, so there must have been some kind of deal,” Mu Zhi’an said with a smile.
Besides him, who could occasionally order Yao Meng and Bai Ruoxi around in bed, no one could command a Dao Integration cultivator. No one.
“For the Demon Realm Empress to come all the way to the Eastern Realm, there must be something here that she’s interested in,” Mu Zhi’an said, closing his personal interface and looking at the falling snow outside the window.
“Based on the stories of the Demon Realm and the events in the Eastern Realm, besides the Heavenly Dao Energy, there’s probably something else she’s after.”
“The last time she came to the Jade Pool Holy Land, it was also for that.”
Wei Mengrou pondered his words, trying to piece together the clues.
Then, as if realizing something, she looked up. “The Primordial Demon Emperor?!”
Boom!
Dust fell from the ceiling as a thunderous roar echoed through the Two Polarities Sect.
The disciples left their residences and flew into the sky on their swords, their eyes filled with panic as they searched for the source of the sound.
“Where did that sound come from?!”
“An enemy attack? But this is the Two Polarities Sect!”
“That aura… It’s at least at the Nascent Soul Realm! Is there a monster sealed within the Two Polarities Sect?!”
The disciples’ voices filled the air. More and more of them gathered outside, their gazes fixed on the Pilgrimage Palace. The disciples of the Jade Glass Palace were still participating in the Martial Realm trial, so only the Garden of Heavenly Harmony was illuminated by candlelight.
Many realized that something within the Pilgrimage Palace was struggling to break free, trying to escape its millennia-old seal!
Then, a sinister voice echoed through the sect.
“Shang Yanfei, I’ll give you half an hour. Either release me from this seal, or these disciples will perish with me!”
An earsplitting screech echoed above the Pilgrimage Palace, and a phoenix, engulfed in black flames, appeared in the sky.
The Primordial Demon Emperor!
Wei Mengrou glanced at Mu Zhi’an, who seemed unfazed, and said calmly, “It seems the demonic cultivator in the Pilgrimage Palace has finally lost his patience. Aren’t you going to evacuate? Or are you too scared to move?”
Mu Zhi’an smiled calmly. “The Sect Master is here, Lingxuan’s puppet is here, the Demon Realm Empress is here, and Lady Bai’s other consciousness will probably awaken soon… And then there’s Fairy Yao Meng, and the backing of those cultivators participating in the trial.”
Mu Zhi’an paused, then continued, “There’s probably no safer place in the world right now than the Two Polarities Sect.”
“We can just sit here, enjoy the snow, and watch the show.”
