It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists

The next morning.

Bai Manor, side hall. Bai Ruoxi, clad in a white dress that accentuated her curvaceous figure, sat sipping tea, her demeanor refined and elegant.

Beside her, a beautiful woman, who resembled Bai Ruoxi but with a few more wrinkles around her eyes, also held a teacup.

The woman, dressed in a more mature style that highlighted her voluptuous figure, possessed a charming and alluring face, like a blooming peony.

She set down her cup, her mood clearly cheerful. She turned to her daughter and smiled. “See, Ruoxi? I told you that boy from the Mu family wouldn’t be able to resist you.”

Bai Ruoxi shook her head. “It wasn’t because of me, Mother. Young Master Mu simply had his own reasons for helping the Bai family.”

Yes… saving the Bai family was merely a side effect.

Mu Zhi’an’s true goal wasn’t to rescue them, but to shift the conflict.

To redirect the Gongsun family’s animosity from himself to the black-robed man.

Bai Ruoxi blushed, glaring at her mother. “Mother! What are you saying? Young Master Mu hasn’t done anything inappropriate!”

Bai Yuanfeng was confused. “That’s strange. Does he really have no interest in you?”

“He said that I’m not a bargaining chip… because I’m a person,” Bai Ruoxi replied, watching her mother’s reaction closely. There was a hint of hope in her eyes, as if she wanted her mother to contradict Mu Zhi’an’s words.

Bai Yuanfeng chuckled. “Ruoxi, men always say things like that. Don’t take it to heart. Those are just empty words.”

Bai Ruoxi fell silent, then nodded slowly.

Whether Mu Zhi’an’s words were sincere or not, he had said them. And he had acted accordingly.

They had only held hands. Nothing more.

Any other man would have taken advantage of the situation, especially during their first encounter in the carriage.

“Mother, the Bai family might have a reprieve for now, but eventually, the Gongsun family and the Morning Glory Chamber of Commerce will…”

Bai Ruoxi paused. “Since the Meridian Connecting Pill won’t be of any use to us for several years… perhaps we should use it to negotiate?”

She looked at her mother, her eyes filled with a desperate hope.

However, Bai Yuanfeng’s answer shattered her hopes.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Ruoxi. The Meridian Connecting Pill might be useless to us, but we can’t give it to the Mu family. If they use it to help one of their own reach the Nascent Soul Realm, the Bai family will be doomed.”

Bai Yuanfeng took a sip of tea and glanced at her daughter.

“You should just focus on marrying into the Mu family. Once we’re in-laws, all our problems will be solved.”

Bai Ruoxi remained silent, sipping her tea.

Bai Yuanfeng looked at her daughter curiously. “You know, you used to be dead set against marrying Mu Zhi’an… but lately, you don’t seem as opposed to the idea.”

Bai Ruoxi’s eyes flickered. “It’s not like I have a choice, do I?” she murmured.

She didn’t know if it was resignation or something else… but she wasn’t as repulsed by the idea of marrying Mu Zhi’an as she had been before.

“Speaking of which, why do you think the Gongsun family and the Chamber of Commerce have stopped targeting us?” Bai Yuanfeng asked suddenly.

She’d only heard from her daughter that the Bai family was safe for now. She didn’t know the details.

“It has something to do with the raid on the Chen Manor yesterday” Bai Ruoxi replied.

Bai Yuanfeng pondered this. “I did hear from the servants that Gongsun Zan led a raid yesterday and ended up being killed by Mu Zhi’an.”

“Are you saying they’ve shifted their focus to the Mu family? But they wouldn’t dare” Bai Yuanfeng looked at her daughter, confused.

“It’s because the Gongsun family, the Chamber of Commerce, and even the Mu family have a new enemy,” Bai Ruoxi explained.

“Gongsun Zan was actually killed by a mysterious black-robed cultivator.”

Bai Yuanfeng was skeptical. “You’re saying that there’s a twist to the story? Mu Zhi’an didn’t kill him? Someone else did?”

Bai Ruoxi nodded.

Bai Yuanfeng shook her head. “Impossible. Even if the citizens believe that, the Gongsun family won’t.”

Just then, a maid rushed into the room. “Madam, Miss!”

“Why are you so flustered?” Bai Yuanfeng scolded.

Then, remembering that they didn’t have many servants left, she softened her tone. “What is it? Why are you panicking?”

“It’s about Gongsun Zan…” the maid replied.

Bai Yuanfeng set down her cup. “I already know what happened yesterday. There’s no need to repeat it.”

“It’s not about yesterday. It’s about something that happened this morning,” the maid said. “There’s been a… twist to the story.”

Bai Yuanfeng’s eyes widened. “What twist?”

Could it be that what her daughter had said was true? That Mu Zhi’an wasn’t responsible…?

But regardless of who was responsible, Gongsun Xiong would surely use this opportunity to cause trouble and demand compensation.

“Young Master Mu didn’t kill Gongsun Zan. He was simply trying to protect the woman. The one who actually killed Gongsun Zan was a mysterious black-robed cultivator.”

“Are you sure about this?” Bai Yuanfeng asked, her voice laced with disbelief.

The maid nodded. “The Gongsun family confirmed it this morning. The young lady from the Chen Manor, the servants, and even the Gongsun family servants all testified that there was indeed a black-robed man present.”

Bai Yuanfeng was stunned.

There really was a black-robed man?

But if that was true, why would the Gongsun family corroborate Mu Zhi’an’s story?

She snapped out of her thoughts and dismissed the maid. She took a sip of tea, her mind racing.

Moments later, she rose to her feet and left the side hall. She went to her room and carefully applied her makeup, then hurried out of the Bai Manor.

…

Meanwhile, the news of the mysterious black-robed cultivator’s involvement in Gongsun Zan’s death had spread throughout Tianxuan City.

That morning, the inns and teahouses were buzzing with speculation about the black-robed man’s identity.

People praised Mu Zhi’an for his heroism, condemning Gongsun Zan’s cruelty. Then, they turned their attention to the black-robed man, wondering who he was and what he looked like beneath his concealing robes.

Just as Mu Zhi’an had predicted, no one cared about how Gongsun Zan had actually died.

As the city buzzed with gossip, a man in black robes descended the stairs of an inn.

His face was hidden beneath his hood. As he walked down, he overheard the conversations of the patrons.

“I told you, Young Master Mu might be a playboy, but he would never do something like assault a woman.”

“I said it yesterday, he intervened because he couldn’t stand to watch Gongsun Zan’s cruelty.”

“Young Master Mu might have a questionable past, but he’s a good person at heart.”

“Only the Mu family could get away with something like this. Any other family would be facing the Gongsun family’s wrath right now,” someone remarked.

“Well, he still frequents the pleasure quarters. He’s not exactly a saint,” someone muttered, clearly still harboring a grudge against Mu Zhi’an.

A burly man, who had been drinking since early morning, laughed heartily. “Don’t be so uptight! The young master stood up for what’s right! So what if he visits the pleasure quarters? If a beautiful courtesan showed up at your door, you wouldn’t hesitate to invite her in!”

The other patrons roared with laughter. The inn was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

The black-robed man, hidden among them, sneered inwardly.

He was running out of time, but there was nothing he could do. He had to wait for Mu Zhi’an.

At least he had some entertainment.

Watching the Gongsun and Mu families tear each other apart was quite amusing.

“Speaking of which, who do you think that black-robed man is? To think he’d dare to kill Gongsun Zan,” someone said.

“Anyone who would attack a member of the Gongsun family must be either incredibly powerful or from outside the city, unaware of the Gongsun family’s influence,” another replied.

“I wonder what he looks like…”

As the last words left the speaker’s lips, the chatter in the inn died down. Countless eyes turned towards the black-robed man descending the stairs.

Whispers erupted.

“Look at him”

“Black robes… Sinister aura… Could he be the black-robed man the Gongsun family is searching for…?”

That morning, the Gongsun family had issued a bounty. Whoever captured the black-robed man would be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold. Even information about his whereabouts would fetch a thousand taels.

To the patrons of the inn, the black-robed man was walking gold.

The black-robed man frowned, noticing their hostile gazes and hearing their whispers.

He froze for a moment, then realization dawned. He cursed inwardly, tossed a few silver coins on the table, and hurried out of the inn.

Several cultivators, their eyes gleaming with greed, followed him, but he had vanished by the time they reached the entrance.

From that day forward, no one in Tianxuan City dared to wear black robes.

NMSL(1)*: Chinese internet slang term. It is a highly offensive and vulgar … translates to “Your mother is dead” in English.

-It is often used by internet users in China to insult or provoke others during heated online arguments or disputes.