It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists

Mu Manor.

In a spacious and well-lit study, Mu Zhi’an leaned back in his chair, engrossed in a thin booklet.

In the world of cultivation, theoretical knowledge was just as important as practical training.

The Mu family, with its abundant resources, possessed detailed records on every aspect of cultivation, from Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment to Core Formation and Nascent Soul. Mu Zhi’an was currently at the third level of Foundation Establishment, still a long way from Core Formation. However, studying the insights of his predecessors would undoubtedly prove beneficial in the future.

After skimming through the booklet, Mu Zhi’an sighed. “My past self was a bit of an idiot,” he mused, “but at least he wasn’t stupid enough to indulge in pleasures before reaching Foundation Establishment.”

The formal path of cultivation began with Qi Condensation.

The ideal age for Qi Condensation was between ten and fifteen, a time when children’s fascination with the opposite sex was relatively subdued. They weren’t yet preoccupied with certain matters, making it the perfect age to focus on cultivation.

One of the most important requirements for Qi Condensation was to maintain one’s purity. This applied to both men and women.

Even the old Mu Zhi’an, obsessed with pleasure as he was, had waited until reaching Foundation Establishment before indulging in such pursuits.

As Mu Zhi’an continued reading, a flash of iridescent light caught his eye near the window.

“Another paper crane?” he murmured, his gaze sharpening.

He reached out a finger, and the crane, trailing a shimmering rainbow, flew towards him and landed gently on his fingertip.

“The spiritual energy on this crane is the same as yesterday’s.” Mu Zhi’an’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “The speed of this reply suggests the sender the sender be in Tianxuan City?”

Paper cranes were a common method of communication among cultivators. They could be sent to specific recipients or allowed to fly aimlessly, like messages in a bottle.

The speed of delivery depended on the distance.

For the reply to arrive so quickly, the sender had to be either in Tianxuan City… or a high-level cultivator capable of manipulating space.

However, the latter was highly unlikely.

Why would such a powerful being have the worries of a lovesick teenager?

As he pondered this, Mu Zhi’an unfolded the crane and read the message.

“The handwriting… it’s definitely the same person,” he thought to himself.

The message contained a request for advice on matters of the heart.

The sender was unsure how to prepare for their first journey away from their family. Should they leave a letter? Should they inform their elders?

Driven by a desire to help, Mu Zhi’an considered her questions carefully, then picked up his brush and ink and penned a thoughtful reply.

He folded the paper back into the shape of a crane and tossed it out the window.

The crane flapped its paper wings and soared into the sky.

“I hope my advice helps that ‘caged bird’ young lady,” Mu Zhi’an murmured, watching as the crane disappeared from view.

After spending some more time reading in his study, Mu Zhi’an left and headed to the main hall, where he summoned a servant. “Dispatch a spy to keep an eye on Ye Yu of the Ye family,” he instructed. “Report back to me immediately if you notice anything unusual.”

Ye Yu’s behavior yesterday had been far too composed for someone who had supposedly lost his talent and fallen into despair.

It warranted further investigation.

Ye Yu?

The servant was clearly confused. Why would the young master want to waste resources spying on a cripple?

However, he didn’t question the order. He simply bowed and replied, “Yes, Young Master,” before leaving the hall.

Knowing too much was rarely a good thing, especially for servants.

Now… to wait for the report.

Mu Zhi’an poured himself a cup of tea and relaxed in the hall for a while. Then, he headed to the training grounds for his daily session with Wei Mengrou.

She was already waiting for him, her sword strapped to her back. She wore a dark blue top and a patterned skirt, her ample bosom straining against the fabric, lending her a dignified beauty.

Curvaceous figure, long legs. No wonder my past self couldn’t resist her. Mu Zhi’an couldn’t help but steal a few glances at her, admiring her physique.

Unfortunately, she was a Core Formation Realm cultivator. If she wasn’t willing, no one could force her to do anything.

Wei Mengrou glanced at him, a hint of surprise in her eyes. “I didn’t expect you to last two days,” she remarked.

The old Mu Zhi’an would have been whining and complaining by now, begging to skip training. He’d probably be sneaking off to the pleasure quarters to enjoy the company of courtesans and drown himself in wine.

Yet, here he was, bright and early, ready to train.

Had the sun risen in the west?

Mu Zhi’an simply smiled in response. “I intend to keep this up.”

Wei Mengrou raised an eyebrow. “Let’s hope so.”

She paused, then asked, “Did you have someone investigate Ye Yu?”

Mu Zhi’an nodded. “He’s acting strangely. It’s piqued my curiosity.”

How did Ye Yu know that Bai Ruoxi was at the Mu Manor last night?

Someone must have leaked the information.

And their motives were clear. They wanted to stir up Ye Yu’s hatred for the Mu family and prevent them from interfering with the Bai family’s downfall.

They were worried that Bai Ruoxi’s offer would sway the Mu family into protecting the Bai family, so they used Ye Yu as a pawn.

The answer was obvious. The leak had to come from either the Gongsun family, the Morning Glory Chamber of Commerce, or both.

“The spiritual energy I sensed from Ye Yu last night was quite strong,” Wei Mengrou said. “He’s at least at the seventh level of Qi Condensation.”

Mu Zhi’an’s eyes widened. “I thought he couldn’t cultivate anymore. He couldn’t even absorb spiritual energy, and his Dantian was leaking. He was a cripple. Does this mean he’s solved the problem?”

Wei Mengrou nodded.

“I saw him on the street two months ago. He wasn’t even at Qi Condensation then.” She paused. “To go from a cripple to the seventh level of Qi Condensation in less than two months. That Ye Yu truly is a genius.”

Mu Zhi’an nodded slowly.

Genius was an understatement. This was monstrous.

Normally, the most challenging aspect of Qi Condensation was forming a Dantian, a process that usually took two to three years.

For Ye Yu to regain his cultivation and reach the seventh level in just two months.

It was terrifying.

However, this couldn’t be solely attributed to his own talent.

There had to be a secret, something hidden, something that had drawn the attention of that mysterious black-robed man. Why else would he insist on taking Ye Yu after the deed was done?

Mu Zhi’an refused to believe that a Core Formation expert would travel all the way to Tianxuan City without a motive.

…Unless that black-robed man was interested in men and had taken a liking to Ye Yu?

Mu Zhi’an shook his head, pushing the absurd thought aside. He raised his sword, pointing it at Wei Mengrou. “Shall we begin, Mengrou?”

“Very well,” she replied, her tone still cool and distant.

However, as she raised her own sword to meet his, her gaze softened ever so slightly.

…

For the next two days, Mu Zhi’an received replies from the same paper crane every day.

The “caged bird” girl, initially hesitant, had gradually warmed up to his encouragement. In today’s letter, she declared her intention to finally leave her family and seek her own freedom.

Mu Zhi’an was happy for her. He wrote back, offering words of encouragement and reminding her to bring money.

Yes… He suspected she was a sheltered soul, accustomed to having servants cater to her every need. She probably wouldn’t even think to bring money or provisions for her journey.

He folded the message into a crane and tossed it out the window.

That afternoon, as Mu Zhi’an sat in his study reading, a soft knock sounded on the door.

“Young Master, I’ve returned.”

It was the spy he’d sent to monitor Ye Yu.

Back so soon? There must be something.

Mu Zhi’an’s voice was serious. “Enter.”

The man, his face veiled in black cloth, entered the study and bowed respectfully. “As you predicted, Young Master, there’s something strange about that Ye Yu.”

He glanced at Mu Zhi’an, who seemed calm and composed. “This morning, the Ye family held a clan competition. Ye Yu defeated several talented members of his clan. Based on my observations, his strength is at least at the seventh level of Qi Condensation.”

Mengrou was right, as expected of a Core Formation expert. Mu Zhi’an nodded inwardly. “Anything else?”

“Ye Yu has been spending a lot of time with the third young master of the Gongsun family,” the spy reported.

“Why would Ye Yu associate with Gongsun Zan?”

Mu Zhi’an frowned, surprised by this news.

The Gongsun family patriarch had six children. The third son, Gongsun Zan, was as notorious in Tianxuan City as Mu Zhi’an himself.

However, if they were to compare their reputations, Mu Zhi’an was still a few steps above Gongsun Zan.

Gongsun Zan pursued any woman who caught his fancy, regardless of whether they were married or not. Mu Zhi’an, on the other hand, at least drew the line at respectable women.

He usually confined his attentions to courtesans, and while he occasionally pursued other women, he generally tried to win their hearts through courtship.

In any era, money made courtship easier. And Mu Zhi’an, with his good looks and charm, had no trouble attracting female attention.

In short, most people in Tianxuan City avoided Gongsun Zan like the plague.

Logically, Ye Yu should be aware of Gongsun Zan’s reputation and steer clear of him. So why was he associating with him.?

Mu Zhi’an pondered this for a moment. He dismissed the spy, then left his study and headed towards the courtyard entrance.

“Are you going out, Young Master?”

Elder Ren, who was tending to the flowers in the courtyard, looked up as Mu Zhi’an approached.

“Yes. I’m going to the pleasure quarters,” Mu Zhi’an replied.

Elder Ren: “?”

Mu Zhi’an’s visits to the pleasure quarters were usually clandestine affairs. If caught, he’d try to laugh it off or make excuses. Why was he being so upfront today?

Had he finally decided to drop the act?

“I’m going there to meet someone,” Mu Zhi’an added.

Gongsun Zan was a regular at the pleasure quarters. He wanted to see if he could glean any information from him.

Elder Ren simply hummed in response. “Just remember to be discreet, Young Master.”

He clearly didn’t believe Mu Zhi’an’s explanation.

Meeting someone at the pleasure quarters? Who could that be?

A courtesan?

Mu Zhi’an didn’t bother explaining further. He smiled and was about to leave the courtyard when a servant hurried towards him.

“Young Master, Miss Bai Ruoxi requests an audience in the side hall,” the servant said, his eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and envy.

He was curious why the most beautiful woman in Tianxuan City had been frequenting the Mu Manor lately. He was envious because the young master got to spend time with her… Who knew what might be going on between them?

If the people of Tianxuan City knew that Mu Zhi’an had won her over, they’d probably lose sleep over it.

“Bai Ruoxi is here?”

Mu Zhi’an paused, then said, “Tell her to wait for me at the teahouse across from the pleasure quarters.”

The servant stared at him, dumbfounded. “Young Master, If Miss Bai asks where you’ve gone, what should I tell her?”

“Tell her the truth,” Mu Zhi’an replied with a smile.

“Or just tell her I’m at the pleasure quarters.”