Chapter 256: Mu Zhi’an’s True Harem Crisis p2 |
After opening the door, Mu Zhi’an was greeted by a bright full moon hanging in the night sky.
Despite the heavy snow and the dark, cloud-filled sky, the moon seemed strangely out of place.
“What’s going on…?”
Mu Zhi’an’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the moon. It emitted a soft, warm glow.
However, for some reason, he felt a sense of awe… and a strange aversion towards it.
“Brother Mu…?”
A confused voice came from nearby. Mu Zhi’an turned to see Ye Qian standing in the corridor, her body emitting a faint golden light, her fair skin seemingly bathed in a holy glow.
She wore a light blue jacket that accentuated her ample bosom, her hands clasped before her, her beautiful eyes wide with surprise.
“What are you doing outside my sister’s room…?”
Mu Zhi’an’s expression remained calm as he walked towards her and chuckled. “Your sister encountered some problems during her cultivation, so I came to give her some guidance.”
“Tonight’s celestial phenomenon was caused by that.”
Ye Lingxuan had gathered the nine traces of Spiritual Energy within her Vessel and even comprehended a trace of Dao Rhyme. Although he didn’t know which Dao she had chosen, this ‘moon’ was clearly related to her.
Ye Qian’s eyes widened slightly as realization dawned upon her. “I see…” she murmured.
Her voice held a hint of disappointment and relief.
She wanted her sister and Mu Zhi’an to be closer, but she also didn’t want to be left behind.
However, the thought of her sister being intimate with Mu Zhi’an in her room filled her with a mix of jealousy and excitement. Her gaze towards him became complex.
“Did you also meet Princess Yongning today, Brother Mu?” Ye Qian suddenly asked.
“I ran into her on my way to the Book Pavilion… How did you know?” Mu Zhi’an asked, wondering if she had been following him.
“I met someone from the Imperial Palace today. They mentioned you,” Ye Qian replied.
“Someone else from the Imperial Palace besides Princess Yongning?” Mu Zhi’an’s eyes flickered.
Ye Qian nodded slightly. “It seemed to be the Crown Prince’s companion. He was investigating something and asked me some questions.”
“The Crown Prince’s companion?” Mu Zhi’an murmured.
Then, he remembered what Yan Ruyu had said about the Calamity Body.
A single person’s luck shouldn’t be able to affect a dynasty’s fate. However, with the Great Qian Dynasty’s decline, the Imperial Advisor was helpless, the Emperor was obsessed with cultivation, and the Crown Prince naturally didn’t want the dynasty to fall before he could ascend the throne. Therefore, he had sent someone to investigate the Calamity Body.
Mu Zhi’an understood. He looked at the faint golden glow emanating from Ye Qian’s skin and asked, “By the way, what’s with the light around you, Qian’er?”
Ye Qian looked down at her body, then back at him. “You have it too, Brother Mu,” she said.
“There’s a pink glow around you.”
Mu Zhi’an was stunned. He looked down at himself and noticed a faint pink glow surrounding his body.
No, it wasn’t exactly pink. It was more like a mix of pink, red, and even a hint of black…
“It’s probably luck,” a familiar voice suddenly said from behind him. Mu Zhi’an turned to look.
She wore a black dress with a thin black ribbon cinched around her waist. Her long hair cascaded down her back, tied with a white ribbon near her calves.
She was dressed entirely in black and white, but the black fabric accentuated her fair skin.
My future aunt has also been alerted… Mu Zhi’an chuckled. “Siyu, why are you out here?”
Ye Siyu narrowed her eyes and walked towards them, her hands behind her back. She chuckled. “Why do you sound disappointed? Did I interrupt something good?”
He’s already so close to Lingxuan, yet he doesn’t even spare her younger sister… This guy is indeed a scoundrel, just as I suspected… Although she was smiling, her eyes held a hint of danger.
Mu Zhi’an shook his head, smiling. “Of course not. Although it’s surprising to see you here, Siyu, I’m actually quite happy.”
Ye Siyu stared at him, and he met her gaze calmly.
After a moment, she scoffed. “I’ll let you off the hook this time, but don’t let me catch you again. Otherwise, I’ll tell my sister everything.”
“If she finds out her daughter’s lover is two-timing her, hmph…”
Her trip to the Two Polarities Sect wasn’t primarily about the Ascension Ceremony. Her true purpose was to assess Mu Zhi’an and report her findings to her sister.
Mu Zhi’an sighed helplessly. “You’re misunderstanding me, Siyu.”
I was finally making progress with Lingxuan and Qian’er, and now their aunt has appeared… It seems I need to avoid being too intimate with Qian’er within this courtyard…
If we want to be intimate, we’ll have to go outside…
“Do you know what this light around us is, Siyu?” Mu Zhi’an asked, changing the subject.
He had just noticed that not only he and Ye Qian, but Ye Siyu also had a similar faint golden glow around her.
Although his aunt’s cultivation level wasn’t high, she had been sealed since ancient times and had seen much more of the world than them. Perhaps she knew the answer.
“Luck,” Ye Siyu replied, stating the truth.
Then, she observed Mu Zhi’an carefully, her finger tapping her chin. “But why does your luck look so strange…?”
“I’d like to know that too…” Mu Zhi’an muttered.
He looked at her and asked, “You said it’s luck? But why is it manifesting like this?”
“It’s related to that thing in the sky,” Ye Siyu said, pointing at the moon.
“What is that…?” Mu Zhi’an asked, not understanding.
“Dao,” Ye Siyu replied.
“The Heavenly Dao, the Human Dao, and the Earthly Dao. Whenever someone comprehends a Dao Rhyme, it triggers a celestial phenomenon. Someone in the Jade Glass Palace must have comprehended a Dao Rhyme, causing this reaction. It will disappear soon.”
“And before it disappears, everyone’s luck will be revealed in this manner.”
Her eyes twinkled with amusement. “However, the person who comprehended the Dao Rhyme seems to be in the Jade Glass Palace. This Ascension Ceremony will be more interesting than I expected.”
No one knew how powerful a Core Formation cultivator who had comprehended a Dao Rhyme would be.
But they would soon find out at the Ascension Ceremony.
You’ll find it even more interesting when you realize it’s Lingxuan… Mu Zhi’an thought to himself.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, he looked up at Ye Siyu and asked, “You said everyone’s luck would be revealed?”
Ye Siyu nodded slightly. “It’s like a large-scale spell. Apart from those powerful experts, no cultivator can conceal their luck from it. It will manifest directly on their bodies.”
“If someone’s bad luck is too severe, they might even be punished by the heavens.”
“What’s wrong?” Ye Siyu asked, noticing his strange expression.
Mu Zhi’an shook his head and smiled. “Tell Lingxuan I had to leave when she comes out. There’s no need for her to see me off. I’ll visit her in the next few days.”
Then, he turned and left Dexin Courtyard.
Ye Siyu tilted her head slightly, her gaze following him curiously.
Ye Qian looked at Mu Zhi’an’s retreating figure, worry in her eyes.
It was the first time she had seen him so flustered.
…
Garden of Heavenly Harmony.
Lan Mulian gracefully descended from the sky and landed before the Garden of Heavenly Harmony.
A faint golden glow surrounded her, a manifestation of her luck.
She scanned the courtyard and quickly noticed the maid in a yellow dress standing silently in the darkness, a thick black mist emanating from her body.
“He hasn’t returned to the Garden of Heavenly Harmony tonight. You’ve come to the wrong place,” Wei Mengrou said.
Lan Mulian’s eyes held a thoughtful glint. “It seems tonight’s celestial phenomenon is indeed related to him,” she murmured.
Mu Zhi’an’s constitution was unique, and he had caused quite a stir in the past. Lan Mulian had already suspected something before coming here.
She quickly collected her thoughts and looked at Wei Mengrou. The maid’s beautiful face was nearly concealed by the black mist, her fair skin tainted with a deep darkness.
Even her long, fair legs beneath the yellow dress were shrouded in a black glow.
“What’s with your luck? It seems much worse than before,” Lan Mulian asked, observing her carefully.
Wei Mengrou shook her head gently. “I’m not sure, but it doesn’t affect me, so it doesn’t matter.”
Although she said that, her eyes held a hint of gloom.
Her bad luck should have been partially suppressed after obtaining the bronze fragment, but judging from tonight’s situation, it seemed to have returned.
Although it didn’t affect her daily life, it still bothered her.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, Wei Mengrou looked up towards the outside of the Garden of Heavenly Harmony.
“What’s wrong?” Lan Mulian asked.
“It seems someone is trying to enter. Please have a seat, Senior Sister Lan. I’ll go take a look,” Wei Mengrou said.
The Garden of Heavenly Harmony was protected by formations. Apart from a few authorized individuals, no one could enter unless they forcefully broke through the formations.
Clearly, this outsider was someone who had never been to the Garden of Heavenly Harmony before.
Wei Mengrou walked towards the entrance.
She saw a young man with a sharp, unpleasant face, his eyes filled with excitement. He pointed at Wei Mengrou and said, seemingly trying to take credit, “See, Tutor? I told you her luck is different from ordinary bad luck!”
Beside him stood an elder, his cloudy eyes observing Wei Mengrou. After a while, a knowing glint appeared in his eyes.
“Such bad luck… It’s truly unusual.”
He scrutinized the black glow emanating from her body.
His gaze, as if he were looking at a rare creature, made Wei Mengrou’s eyes turn cold. “Who are you?” she asked.
The elder smiled gently. “Young friend, I am the current Crown Prince’s tutor. We’re here on a matter related to the dynasty’s fate.”
“What does the dynasty’s fate have to do with me?” Wei Mengrou frowned.
“The Calamity Body is a mysterious and ominous constitution. It brings misfortune to a dynasty, causing its downfall. The Imperial Advisor’s divination revealed that the Calamity Body is within the Two Polarities Sect, so we’ve come here to investigate,” the tutor explained.
He smiled as he observed the black glow around Wei Mengrou, but deep within his cloudy eyes lay a hint of fear.
However, this was a mission assigned by the Imperial Advisor, so he had to complete it…
They had searched the sect for a day but hadn’t found the Calamity Body. Unexpectedly, this celestial phenomenon had helped them.
If it weren’t for the phenomenon revealing everyone’s luck, they wouldn’t have noticed that this beautiful maid possessed such terrifyingly bad luck.
“Would you be willing to accompany us to the Great Qian Dynasty, young lady? The Imperial Advisor would like to speak with you,” the tutor asked politely, but his tone left no room for refusal.
Wei Mengrou was sensitive to malice and instantly sensed their ill intentions. “I’m not interested,” she said coldly.
She turned to leave.
Suddenly, the Crown Prince’s companion said, “No one dares to touch Mu Zhi’an within the Two Polarities Sect, but the Mu family isn’t within the sect… Are you sure you want to disobey us, young lady?”
Wei Mengrou paused and turned around, her gaze icy.
The tutor, playing the ‘good cop’, said gently, “Young lady, the Imperial Advisor simply wants to know if the dynasty’s fate is related to the Calamity Body. We hope you’ll cooperate and come with us.”
“After all, you wouldn’t want to cause trouble for your loved ones, would you?” he added, a cold glint in his eyes.
If they weren’t within the Two Polarities Sect, there would be no need for such pleasantries. They would have simply subdued her.
Although the Core Formation Realm was powerful, Earthly Immortals could still suppress them.
“Even if you don’t care about yourself, you should consider your young master’s future,” the companion sneered, having found her weakness.
Wei Mengrou looked at them, hesitated for a moment, then opened her mouth, as if about to say something.
The tutor gestured for her to come with them. “Please,” he said with a smile.
After a brief hesitation, Wei Mengrou was about to step forward.
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out, “I’ve been with her for almost ten years and wouldn’t dare to threaten her. What the hell are you talking about?”
The tutor’s eyes flashed with anger at being so rudely insulted. But seeing the young man behind them, he forced a smile. “Ah, Young friend Mu. You’re just in time. We have some matters to discuss with you.”
“Not interested. Please leave,” Mu Zhi’an said coldly.
He took Wei Mengrou’s hand and, without even looking at the two men, turned to enter the Garden of Heavenly Harmony.
At that moment, Lan Mulian and Bai Ruoxi, seemingly sensing the commotion outside, also emerged from the courtyard.
They looked at Mu Zhi’an and Wei Mengrou, then at the two officials, whose expressions were grim, and instantly understood the situation.
“Young friend, this is a matter of great importance. If the dynasty’s fate is lost, the Great Qian Dynasty will be destroyed. Can you bear to see the common people suffer?” the tutor said, trying to guilt-trip Mu Zhi’an.
Mu Zhi’an, holding Wei Mengrou’s hand, glanced at the two men and chuckled. “Then you should ask your Emperor why he’s neglecting his duties, squandering the national treasury on his cultivation. If I were you, I would present a memorial to the throne and urge the old emperor to change his ways, instead of blaming everything on a single person’s luck.”
“You dare question the Emperor?!” the companion exclaimed angrily.
“Isn’t what the Emperor doing stupid?” Mu Zhi’an retorted.
The companion fumed. “I’ll report this to His Majesty—”
Mu Zhi’an interrupted him. “Do you dare swear to the heavens that you don’t think the Emperor is a fool? If you swear, I’ll go to the Great Qian Dynasty with Mengrou.”
“You—”
“You don’t dare swear, which means you also think the Emperor is a fool,” Mu Zhi’an said with a chuckle.
The companion was so enraged that his Spiritual Energy fluctuated, and he almost attacked.
But the tutor remained calm. He placed a hand on the companion’s shoulder, looked at Mu Zhi’an, and said with a smile, “Young friend, I know you’re close to your maid, and we don’t intend to harm her. The Imperial Advisor simply wants to speak with her.”
“Even if you don’t care about yourself, you should consider the future of your clan.”
Lan Mulian raised an eyebrow, about to speak.
Suddenly, a melodious voice came from behind them, “Shouldn’t you be considering the future of the Great Qian Dynasty?”
The voice was calm and gentle, but its tone was undeniably threatening.
Someone dared to threaten the Great Qian Dynasty?!
The tutor narrowed his eyes and turned to look.
In the snowy night, a young woman in a purple dress, her appearance elegant and refined, stood there silently, her gaze fixed on them.
“Who are you?” he asked.
Ye Siyu, the young lady’s aunt in a dark dress, stepped forward and tossed a token at them. “If you have any questions, you can discuss them with my brother-in-law in the Forbidden Zone, if he’s willing to see you.”
The tutor was stunned. Seeing the symbol on the token, his eyes widened in shock. He looked up at Ye Siyu. “People from the Forbidden Zone?”
“The real deal is right there. Don’t look at me,” Ye Siyu said, retracting the token and gesturing towards the young lady.
The tutor hesitated for a moment, then his eyes widened as he stared at Ye Lingxuan. “You’re the Forbidden Zone’s Holy Maiden?!”
He could sense a unique aura emanating from the girl in the purple dress. The girl in the black dress was already a high-ranking individual in the Forbidden Zone. The only person who could be higher than her was the Holy Maiden.
If it were anyone else making such a bold claim, the tutor would have simply laughed it off.
But the Forbidden Zone… They weren’t afraid of the Great Qian Dynasty…
He hadn’t expected the Forbidden Zone’s Holy Maiden to stand up for a mere sect disciple…
The tutor frowned. “Miss Ye, this is a matter of national importance. Please don’t be rash—”
He assumed that Mu Zhi’an and Ye Lingxuan were just close friends within the sect.
Even if she was the Holy Maiden, the Forbidden Zone wouldn’t risk antagonizing the Great Qian Dynasty for an unrelated person.
Ye Lingxuan looked up at Mu Zhi’an and saw him looking back at her. Behind him stood Lan Mulian and Bai Ruoxi, observing the scene.
Clearly, if she weren’t here, Senior Sister Lan would have intervened.
Even without Senior Sister Lan, someone else would have stepped in to drive them away.
She had arrived at the perfect time.
Ignoring the tutor’s attempt at persuasion, Ye Lingxuan looked at Mu Zhi’an with a gentle gaze and said calmly, “Brother Mu and I are Dao Companions.”
Silence descended upon them, the air thickening.
Bai Ruoxi froze, her head tilting slightly as she looked at Mu Zhi’an, her eyes darkening.
Lan Mulian raised an eyebrow, choosing to remain silent.
Ye Siyu, enjoying the reactions of everyone present, looked at them with a knowing glint in her eyes.
Ye Qian didn’t seem surprised. After a brief moment of shock, her eyes even held a hint of excitement.
Under their stunned gazes, Ye Lingxuan turned to the tutor and his companion.
“Is that reason enough?”