Chapter - 265 - It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists

### Chapter 275: So They Were the Protagonists All Along **Author:** ccc Wei Mengrou turned her head slightly, her eyes as clear as a cold autumn pool, reflecting calmness as usual. She gently shook her head, "It's nothing." She paused briefly before continuing, "It's getting late; you should head back and rest early." "I'm not in a rush, and since you aren't resting either, why don't we sit and chat for a while?" Mu Zhian suggested with a smile, then sat boldly on the chair. His gaze casually fell on the books on the desk. "Do you typically read, Dream Sister?" Mu Zhian asked curiously. Wei Mengrou’s eyes slightly narrowed, intending to stop him. However, Mu Zhian had already picked up a book, reading its title aloud. "Guides to Husbandry..." he said, momentarily stunned. "?" Instinctively looking up, he saw Wei Mengrou in her yellow dress, her face as cold as frost. "Dream Sister, this is...?" "Miss Bai lent it to me after she finished reading. I flip through it occasionally," Wei Mengrou's voice was icy, her expression unchanged, as she took the book from his hand and casually stored it in her spatial ring without meeting his gaze. Mu Zhian rubbed his chin, observing the aloof maid with a gaze that carried a hint of meaningful scrutiny. "Is there... something else you need? If not, please leave," Wei Mengrou said calmly, though clearly uneasy under Mu Zhian's scrutiny. In the candlelight, her usually composed face seemed to have a slight reddish hue. Mu Zhian didn't leave, instead looked at the black mist around her, saying, "If I remember right, after you got a piece of bronze, your misfortune seemed to be suppressed quite a bit. But it still seems exaggerated?" Successfully steering the conversation away, Wei Mengrou silently took out the piece of bronze from her bosom. Unlike Bai Ruoxi's piece, the pattern on Wei Mengrou’s could not be discerned. However, after refining it, her misfortune had indeed lessened. Yet, even under such circumstances, the misfortune seemed overly exaggerated. Looking at the bronze against the backdrop of her pale skin, Mu Zhian couldn't help but secretly sigh. So big and so white... He glanced enviously at the place where the bronze was often kept, involuntarily sighing to himself. Tsk, truly envious... If possible, he’d love to nestle into Dream Sister's embrace and see what it feels like. "Have you seen enough?" Wei Mengrou's cool voice cut through his thoughts, disdain obvious in her bright, watery eyes. Knew this young master wasn’t up to any good... Mu Zhian quickly gathered his thoughts, a touch of seriousness entering his demeanor. He asked, "The celestial phenomenon tonight, did it affect you in any other way?" With the maid by his side, he wasn’t in a hurry to advance any further... Building affection over time would eventually grant him the opportunity to experience Dream Sister’s embrace. Wei Mengrou scrutinized Mu Zhian suspiciously, seeing him earnestly focused on her eyes as if genuinely concerned. Only then did she shake her head, "Other than my luck appearing through that white light, there were no effects." "But..." She paused, lifting her hand to observe the faint black mist emanating from her slender fingers, frowning slightly, "This doesn’t seem like luck." If she remembered correctly, luck should manifest as black light. On the night Ye Lingxuan caused the celestial event, a mysterious white light appeared, after which Wei Mengrou's luck indeed glowed black. However, somewhere along the line, the black glow turned into a shroud of black mist. "It really does seem strange; this black mist doesn't resemble luck..." Mu Zhian watched the soft black mist shroud her pale skin, his brow furrowing with thought. Just then, a soft, melodious voice outside interrupted, "Is now a good time to come in?" Almost as soon as the voice fell, both Wei Mengrou and Mu Zhian looked up. The door opened, revealing Yu Ziyan standing in the doorway, her mature allure accentuated by a black robe. "Sister Yu?" Mu Zhian said, surprised to see her, "What brings you here?" Yu Ziyan smiled faintly, "Am I interrupting?" Why did it sound like we were doing something inappropriate... Mu Zhian shook his head with a smile, "Just a bit curious why Sister Yu's here so late..." He glanced questioningly at the head of the sect peak. Yu Ziyan's bright eyes calmly surveyed the room, her gaze eventually landing on Wei Mengrou. Under their curious eyes, she began, "I think I've found the source of her misfortune." Following Yu Ziyan's words, silence descended over the room. The candles flickered, their wax slowly melting away. Mu Zhian's gaze froze on Yu Ziyan, and after a long moment, he broke the silence, incredulously asking, "Sister Yu, you've figured out why Dream Sister's misfortune exists?" Wei Mengrou, beside him, fixed her gaze on Yu Ziyan, awaiting her explanation. Yu Ziyan nodded slightly, "Earlier, I was puzzled why someone's misfortune could be so extreme. But tonight, the celestial phenomenon gave me a hint." She stepped into the room, reaching out to lift the bronze pendant hanging against Wei Mengrou's chest, "Everyone is born within the rules of the heavens, allowing cultivators to advance up to a certain realm." "But what about someone not within these heavenly rules?" Under their watchful gaze, Yu Ziyan continued, "They would attract divine retribution." "But I heard the heavens only punish those extremely unlucky—" Mu Zhian suddenly recalled something, hesitantly saying, "It’s not about punishing the unlucky, but the heavens punishing those who transcend the rules, affecting their luck directly?" Yu Ziyan's hypothesis opened up new thoughts for him... "Yet if the heavens punish those beyond the rules, why hasn’t Dream Sister faced any divine retribution? Why only extremely poor luck?" Mu Zhian wondered. "Perhaps there's some spell cloaking her from heavenly perception." Yu Ziyan looked out into the night through the window, "Like this sect formation." Tonight’s array aimed to cloak heavenly perception. Prior sect leaders wondered why it was activated and what it was meant to hide. Now, it seems it was to shield them from heavenly oversight. "You practiced dual cultivation with my disciple tonight, and she gleaned a strand of Dao resonance from your innate cauldron, a resonance not belonging to the established triad but a new heavenly Dao." Yu Ziyan revealed. How could she speak of dual cultivation so naturally... Mu Zhian covered his face, slowly regaining composure to absorb Yu Ziyan’s revelation. "So Dream Sister exists outside the rules, attracting heavenly punishment. And Lingxuan's descent also violated the 'rules', so it too would attract punishment, but the sect’s array concealed it from heaven?" Yu Ziyan nodded silently. Mu Zhian recalled another incident. In Sword Palace, the master spoke similarly. Gong Lianyue cut away her own heavenly path, intending to merge anew. But why? Was it to avoid merging with the heavenly path? At that moment, despite his confusion, Mu Zhian began to understand slightly. This explanation made sense... Perhaps, Wei Mengrou’s not innately unlucky, but too extraordinary, born outside the rules, unacknowledged by the heavens, hence such misfortune restricting her cultivation. As for why... nobody knew. Unsurprising from a peak leader, her insight and judgment were truly remarkable... Mu Zhian admired Yu Ziyan's brilliant beauty silently, filled with awe. Then, he turned his gaze to the bronze piece on Wei Mengrou’s chest, earnestly asking, "After refining the bronze piece, Dream Sister’s misfortune seemed to reduce. Why is that?" "This bronze likely has some ability to cloak heavenly perception; the more cloaked, the less her misfortune might affect her." Yu Ziyan frowned slightly, observing the receding black mist from Wei Mengrou, continuing, "This black mist seems reminiscent of a southern wilderness secret art. Understanding its origins might bring us closer to the truth." Mu Zhian ventured a suggestion, "Could we perhaps inquire with the Holy Maiden of the Southern Wilderness?" Yu Ziyan shook her head. "The secret arts of the Southern Wilderness are known only to a select few, and given the Holy Maiden's extraordinary status, she likely knows about them. But this is a weighty matter—she wouldn't divulge such secrets easily." She couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret at that thought. However, tonight hadn't been in vain. At least they now had a trace to follow. Pursuing this lead might eventually uncover all the secrets surrounding Wei Mengrou. Composing herself, Yu Ziyan looked over at Mu Zhian, offering a reassuring smile. "We've made substantial progress tonight, so don't let it dampen your spirits. Keep investigating slowly." Nevertheless, after she finished speaking, Mu Zhian remained silent. After a brief pause, he suddenly mused, "Maybe I could give it a try tomorrow?" "What do you mean?" Yu Ziyan asked, her eyes deep with curiosity. "I might have a way to get Lejana to open up," Mu Zhian pondered out loud, finally saying, "Though it might take some persuasion." **Notice: This chapter hasn't passed approval yet.** **Updating in progress. Please check back later for the latest chapter! If you like the app, don't forget to share it with your friends!** **Chapter 260: The Secrets of Wei Mengrou 6K** "Thank you, Sister Yu. Without your help, I might never have considered the possibility that Dream Sister's luck might have such a cause," Mu Zhian sincerely expressed his gratitude as he escorted Yu Ziyan to the entrance of Tianhe Courtyard. It was late at night, and the secluded courtyard lay in winter's grip with withered plants. The surface of the pond rippled gently, reflecting the sky's faint white glow. Yu Ziyan, dressed in casual black robes, had a dot of vermilion on her brow, her beauty serene yet slightly enchanting. Her aura naturally drew attention. Existences outside the rules of the heavens might face such misfortune. Therefore, Wei Mengrou’s misfortune might not be misfortune at all, but rather a 'restriction' from the heavens. This hypothesis overturned Mu Zhian's understanding of luck. If Yu Ziyan hadn't come to him tonight, he might never have considered this angle in his lifetime. Yu Ziyan shook her head and laughed lightly. "No need to thank me. She is a disciple of our sect, and I promised to investigate the source of her misfortune." "However, I probably can't help you with the origin of that black mist," she said. As the head of Liyue Sect, any direct interaction with the entourage from the Southern Wilderness might raise their suspicions. Mu Zhian nodded slightly and replied, "I'll handle it carefully." "They might not be wary of you, but do be cautious about your safety," Yu Ziyan warned, giving Mu Zhian a meaningful look. The natural cauldron within this disciple had become even more 'tempting.' However, she had just broken through her bottleneck and wouldn't need the natural cauldron for a while. After that... Mu Zhian smiled and reassured her, "I'll proceed with caution." In any case, completing the deal with Lejana before the Ascension Conference was not viable. After all, three imperial-grade herbs must remain in the Eastern Continent. In simpler terms, he intended to gather more information for free before any exchange, seeking to uncover the source of the black mist cloaking Wei Mengrou's fate. Whether he could achieve this was uncertain... but he could at least try to open a conversation. After all, he did have some experience with the art of persuasion. Seeing Yu Ziyan off, Mu Zhian watched the disappearing silhouette of the woman, exhaling slowly once she was out of sight. It seemed the secrets surrounding Dream Sister might extend beyond the Eastern Continent, hinting at ties to the Southern Wilderness... Lejana held a significant status in the Southern Wilderness, but she might not know about Wei Mengrou. Regardless, he believed he could find some clues through her. ... Due to the sect's protective array, the sky's white light had started to dim. Initially, many cultivators had gathered in front of the Liuli Hall to discover the source of the phenomenon, but as the white glow faded, they eventually dispersed. Mu Zhian pulled back his attention and prepared to return to his courtyard. Then, he heard a melodious voice behind him.