It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists-Chapter 493: I Suspect My Bestie is Sneaking Cake

In the Nine Provinces, second-grade pills were quite common. For alchemists, the Minor Rejuvenation Pill was even simpler to refine. Even in Yu State, novice alchemists with only a year or two of experience could refine it.

And such a second-grade pill appearing in the Pill Emperor’s quiet room was, in itself, quite strange.

If the pill on the table were a fifth-grade pill or higher, the Princess wouldn’t have been so curious.

But as it turned out, this wasn’t an ordinary second-grade Minor Rejuvenation Pill… It contained Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy.

Sensing the Spiritual Energy within the Minor Rejuvenation Pill, the Princess of Cloud Province’s expression changed: “This Minor Rejuvenation Pill contains Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy… Where did you get this?”

As she spoke, her gaze fixed on Luo Tan, her hands subconsciously gripping the table, her brows like distant mountains, her rosy lips slightly parted, her beautiful and alluring eyes filled with surprise.

Luo Tan was much calmer than expected. She took a sip of tea, glanced at the woman in the wide-sleeved dress, her figure impressive, and said, “The Path to Immortality descended within the Two Polarities Sect before, you should know about this, right?”

The Princess hummed softly in agreement, her delicate brows furrowing: “But that wasn’t a true Path to Immortality. The Great Peng Emperor tried to ascend to the Heavenly Court through that opportunity, but failed.”

“Could it be that you’ve been to the Heavenly Court?” the Princess asked again, her voice still gentle, her bosom full and perky, her skin fair and tender.

And what was most striking was the mature charm she exuded, like a ripe, juicy peach.

Luo Tan slowly shook her head: “If I had been to the Heavenly Court, you wouldn’t be seeing me in the Nine Provinces now.”

The Princess was silent.

That was true. If Transcendence and ascension were the dream of Dao Integration Realm experts, then stepping onto the Path to Immortality and ascending to the Heavenly Court was another wish of Dao Integration Realm experts.

The former allowed one to escape the constraints of the world, their lifespan becoming endless.

And the latter… as long as one reached the Heavenly Court, they would also have an endless lifespan, because the Heavenly Court’s Spiritual Energy was different from the Nine Provinces’. It was rumored that the Heavenly Court’s Spiritual Energy was incredibly dense. If an ordinary Qi Condensation Realm cultivator needed three to five years to reach Core Formation in the Nine Provinces, then in the Heavenly Court, it might only take half a year.

Moreover, the Heavenly Court itself wasn’t bound by the rules of heaven and earth; it could be said to be a paradise.

Her gentle eyes gazed into Luo Tan’s, she took a deep breath, and said, “Then where did you find this pill?”

Ordinary great powers, even if they saw this pill, might not recognize its origin.

But the Princess was different. She had forcibly tried to break through the Path to Immortality in the past. Although she failed, she vaguely saw a person at the end of the Path to Immortality.

And it was then that she sensed the Heavenly Court’s Spiritual Energy.

Luo Tan wore a gentle smile, looking like she had everything under control, but she was actually somewhat worried.

Even this Pill Emperor of Yu State hadn’t expected the Princess to discover the existence of the ‘Heavenly Court’ in this way.

Should she tell her the truth now?

As someone who had saved her life and was like a sister to her, it wouldn’t matter to tell her the truth… But the matter of the Heavenly Court was, after all, Mu Zhian’s secret. He was currently hiding under her table. If she rashly told the Princess without his consent, it wouldn’t be appropriate.

Just as Luo Tan thought of this, her body trembled slightly, and she almost covered her mouth to suppress an embarrassing sound.

Then, her expression quickly returned to normal, and she said with a smile, “Have you ever heard of the Ye Clan Ancestor?”

“Ye Qingxin?” The Princess had naturally heard of her. Or rather, she had met the Ye Clan Ancestor a few times in the past.

“Some time ago, the Path to Immortality descended, and the Ye Clan Ancestor used this opportunity to descend upon the Nine Provinces with a clone. At that time, she had many pills originating from the Heavenly Court, all refined by her personally.”

The elegant and noble Empress tapped the table with her fingertip and continued, “A few days before the Jade Empress’s Transcendence, Ye Qingxin came to Yu State to find me.”

The Princess frowned in thought, “She came to find you right before the Jade Empress’s Transcendence? What’s her relationship with the Jade Empress?”

“Ye Qingxin hoped I wouldn’t interfere with the Jade Empress’s Transcendence,” Luo Tan said.

When did Ye Qingxin become involved with the Jade Empress…?

At this moment, a confused look appeared on the beautiful woman’s face, as elegant as a lilac flower, as if countless question marks were popping up above her head: “Could it be that you didn’t intervene with the Jade Empress’s Transcendence because of Ye Qingxin?”

“But Ye Qingxin ascended to the Heavenly Court long ago, when did she become involved with the Jade Empress—”

The Princess’s train of thought suddenly stopped. Looking at the playful look in the beautiful Empress’s eyes, a person came to mind, and she hesitated, “…Mu Zhian? Did Ye Qingxin intervene for Mu Zhian?”

“She exchanged Heavenly Court pills for your non-interference during the Jade Empress’s Transcendence?”

At this moment, the Princess finally understood everything.

“No wonder there was commotion throughout the Nine Provinces at that time, but only you remained calm… So it was because Ye Qingxin brought you pills from the Heavenly Court.”

The Princess’s eyes gradually brightened, and she asked, “So the secret of Transcendence you mentioned earlier is also related to this?”

Luo Tan hummed softly with a subtle expression: “Sort of…”

“However, although this Minor Rejuvenation Pill contains Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy, it shouldn’t be enough for you to transcend, right…? Are you confident?” the Princess asked gently. Although her feelings were complicated, she was genuinely happy for Luo Tan finding a way to transcend.

“I’m still somewhat confident.” As Luo Tan spoke, her beautiful legs under the table subconsciously rubbed against each other slightly.

This table wasn’t big. To avoid the Princess accidentally touching Mu Zhian after sitting down, she had Mu Zhian crouch beside her feet earlier.

And just now, to avoid being discovered by the Princess, Mu Zhian didn’t use voice transmission, but wrote the name ‘Ye Qingxin’ on Luo Tan’s leg with his finger.

Perhaps because they were too close, she could even faintly feel the young man’s breath now.

The Princess clearly didn’t expect her close friend to not only be talking to her, but also dealing with Mu Zhian at the same time. She picked up her chopsticks, took a bite of the medicinal dish, and said with a smile, “If they knew you were also going to transcend, those people would probably be even more restless.”

Luo Tan gently pressed her skirt with her slender hand, tilted her head slightly, and said with a smile, “If they knew I was also attempting Transcendence, perhaps even Cloud Province would become an enemy of Yu State in the future.”

She had just bathed and changed, a captivating fragrance emanating from her body. A jade hairpin and a golden hair ornament adorned her exquisite hairstyle, the golden tassels swaying gently in the quiet room, adding a touch of nobility to her stunning beauty.

The Princess was silent for a moment, then said faintly, “Cloud Province will never be your enemy. Although the Great Peng Emperor has a high status in Cloud Province, he can’t make the entire Cloud Province obey his orders.”

The meaning of her words was clear: no matter what, she was on Luo Tan’s side.

Such a deep sisterhood was truly touching.

After all, in the Nine Provinces, there were many examples of brothers turning against each other for a single pill.

And the Princess, after seeing this Minor Rejuvenation Pill, and even learning about Luo Tan’s opportunity for Transcendence, not only wasn’t she jealous, but she firmly stood by her side.

This alone was commendable.

Luo Tan silently looked at the Princess. At this moment, even this Empress, whose state of mind was usually as still as a well, couldn’t help but feel a ripple of emotion.

And Mu Zhian under the table was also somewhat surprised. This Princess seemed to be truly considering Luo Tan’s best interests, which was why she wanted him to leave Luo Tan earlier…

After all, from the Princess’s perspective, having an intimate relationship with Mu Zhian was completely disadvantageous.

He didn’t expect to see such a considerate person on the path of cultivation…

Crouching under the table, leaning against Luo Tan’s thigh, Mu Zhian also sighed inwardly. From his perspective, he couldn’t see anything, only the Princess’s legs pressed together, her dark, wrinkled skirt swaying gently, and the faint glimpse of her tender white feet and faint blue veins.

Although he couldn’t see anything, he could imagine the gentle expression on the Princess’s face as she looked at her close friend.

“Can I borrow this pill for a few days?” the Princess suddenly asked.

Luo Tan was silent for a moment, then, seemingly casually smoothing the wrinkles on her magnificent white dress, she gently touched Mu Zhian’s face, as if seeking his opinion.

Mu Zhian wrote a single word on her hand.

“If you like it, I’ll give you this Minor Rejuvenation Pill,” Luo Tan’s elegant and calm voice echoed through the quiet room. “Ye Qingxin refined many pills containing Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy before descending, this isn’t the only one.”

This time, the Princess didn’t refuse, readily accepting Luo Tan’s kindness: “Then thank you.”

After she finished speaking, she put down her teacup and said, “I haven’t been in Cloud Province these past few days and don’t know what the Great Peng Emperor is planning. I’ll have people secretly investigate later. I won’t disturb you any longer.”

She paused, her beautiful eyes casually glancing under the table, the corner of her mouth curving upwards, and looked at Luo Tan with a playful smile: “Lest I spoil your fun.”

…

After the Princess left the quiet room, she walked along the corridor back to her guest room.

She sat down gracefully on the soft couch, gently rubbed her brows, looked at the jade bottle in her hand, and fell into deep thought.

“Your Highness, what are you thinking about?”

Just then, her personal maid, who had accompanied her on this trip, asked tentatively.

The Princess’s thoughts returned to reality. She gently shook her head: “Nothing, it’s just that the events of the past two days have been beyond my comprehension.”

The maid hesitated: “Are you referring to the matter between Her Majesty the Pill Emperor and Young Master Mu…?”

The Princess nodded silently.

She still couldn’t understand why Luo Tan, who didn’t like anyone, took a liking to the Jade Empress’s Dao Companion, that little cultivator who just reached Nascent Soul Realm.

And Ye Qingxin, a great power who descended from the Heavenly Court, why was she also involved with Mu Zhian?

Logically, Ye Qingxin had always been in the Heavenly Court and shouldn’t know Mu Zhian, yet she was willing to intervene for him, personally coming to see the Pill Emperor, even giving her pills from the Heavenly Court?

The Princess took out the jade bottle containing the Minor Rejuvenation Pill, pondered for a moment, and said, “The Great Peng Emperor seems to be making some big moves recently. Send someone to keep a close eye on him and report to me immediately if anything happens.”

The maid bowed slightly in agreement and turned to leave.

“Wait.”

The Princess suddenly called out to the maid: “You studied alchemy with Luo Tan for a while in the past, do you recognize this pill?”

The maid took the pill and hesitated, “In reply to Your Highness, this is a Minor Rejuvenation Pill…”

Just as she finished speaking, she seemed to sense something, lowered her head and sniffed slightly, then said incredulously, “The Spiritual Energy in this pill is too dense… It’s a pity the refining method is too crude, somewhat wasting such dense Spiritual Energy. It doesn’t seem like the work of a qualified alchemist.”

The Princess hummed softly, rubbed her brows, and waved her hand slightly, intending to dismiss the maid.

Just then, her train of thought suddenly stopped, as if recalling something. She subconsciously looked up and called out to the maid: “What did you just say?”

The maid was stunned: “This servant said the Spiritual Energy in this pill is too dense—”

“The next sentence,” the Princess interrupted.

“The refining method of this pill is too crude, and its hardness has been deliberately reinforced. This servant personally believes that such a refining method is somewhat wasteful of the dense Spiritual Energy within the pill, not like the work of a qualified alchemist.”

The Princess’s beautiful eyes slowly widened, her full bosom heaving slightly, her heart pounding. She abruptly stood up, surprise and astonishment appearing on her beautiful and sexy face, as if she had discovered some truth.

“Yes, that’s the sentence!”

Who was Ye Qingxin? The ancestor of the Ye Clan, the only Dao Integration Realm expert in the Ye Clan, and also proficient in alchemy. Although not as skilled as Luo Tan, she was at least a seventh-grade alchemist.

Would a seventh-grade alchemist be an amateur? Would she refine such a crude second-grade pill?

The answer was obvious.

This pill wasn’t refined by Ye Qingxin.

“Your Highness…” the maid called out tentatively.

“It’s nothing, you may leave now and make the arrangements I mentioned earlier,” the Princess’s voice regained its usual gentleness as she realized her gaffe.

After the maid left, the Princess was silent for a long time, looking out the window with a complex expression, recalling her conversation with Luo Tan just now, and Mu Zhian’s figure.

A crudely refined pill containing Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy…

For some reason, an extremely absurd guess arose in her heart.

…

After the Princess left the quiet room, Luo Tan pulled Mu Zhian out from under the table. Seeing the young man’s slightly flushed face, seemingly from the heat, she couldn’t help but feel apologetic, “Sorry.”

“I’m fine, but when she came just now, she probably already sensed I was under the table, right?” Mu Zhian said helplessly.

“Perhaps. The Princess reached Dao Integration earlier than me, and she’s innately connected to the Great Dao, her perception is astonishing.”

Luo Tan smiled and glanced at the young man: “But we still have to keep up appearances.”

Mu Zhian nodded: “I understand.”

The Princess just had a minor conflict with him, and he immediately turned around and continued being intimate with Luo Tan… Even if it was just for show, as long as the Great Peng Emperor’s fiancée had a bit of emotional intelligence, she wouldn’t have exposed their intimacy in the quiet room just now.

The three people in the room all understood this, but they didn’t say anything.

“However, after this, she’ll probably be suspicious of your identity,” Luo Tan sighed softly.

Mu Zhian shrugged: “Since you trust her, I also believe she’ll keep the secret of the Innate Celestial Furnace even if she finds out.”

Luo Tan’s eyes flickered, a deep look in her eyes, “I do trust her… But I don’t want her to find out so soon.”

Mu Zhian asked doubtfully, “Why?”

Luo Tan was silent for a long time, then walked over in her snow-white knee-high boots, stopped before Mu Zhian, and said softly, “The Jade Empress isn’t here, and there are no women you know in Yu State… So you are my man.”

“I don’t want to share… Although I don’t think the Princess, with her pride, would take the initiative after learning the Heavenly Court Spiritual Energy originates from your cauldron, I don’t want to gamble on even the slightest possibility.”

Although the ancients often said ‘love grows over time’,

this hadn’t even started yet, and this Empress already had such possessiveness.

“Do you think I’m being too petty?” Seeing Mu Zhian’s silence, Luo Tan suddenly asked.

Mu Zhian sensed the gentleness hidden beneath the Empress’s elegant demeanor, shook his head, and said seriously, “Everyone has possessiveness, and I also like Your Majesty’s current possessiveness.”

Then, he saw a blush appear on the noble, elegant, and breathtakingly beautiful Empress of Yu State’s face as she glared at him.

Mu Zhian couldn’t help but smile.

Compared to her usually lofty and elegant demeanor, he preferred her current state, because this Luo Tan seemed more down-to-earth, not so distant.

Mu Zhian reached out and held Luo Tan’s slender hand, saying softly, “Your Majesty, how about now…”

Luo Tan gently caressed the young man’s face, trying to calm her heart, her voice soft and elegant, “Not yet, there are many more memorials during the Sabbath, I still have to deal with them later.”

Damn Sabbath… Mu Zhian nodded: “Then I won’t disturb Your Majesty any longer.”

He turned to leave the quiet room, but the woman behind him suddenly called out to him.

The moment Mu Zhian turned around, someone gently tugged on his collar. Looking up, he saw Luo Tan’s devastatingly beautiful and charming face.

Luo Tan slightly raised her head, their noses almost touching, their warm breaths brushing against each other’s faces.

The next moment, Luo Tan’s rosy and delicate lips lightly brushed against Mu Zhian’s, then she leaned close to his ear and whispered in a moist and sweet voice:

“Come to my bedchamber tonight and wait for me.”