It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists

Chapter 285: The Maid’s Secret

The Primordial Witch was Wei Mengrou… Although Mu Zhi’an had learned this from the Primordial Witch herself, he still couldn’t quite believe it.

After all, their personalities were completely different.

Simply put, Wei Mengrou was a proud and aloof maid, while the Primordial Witch was… well, completely different.

And now, he was being told that these two women with completely different personalities were the same person… If this had happened before, Mu Zhi’an wouldn’t have believed it.

…

But Wei Mengrou’s current demeanor and reactions made him believe it.

“Are you Mengrou or the Primordial Witch…?” Mu Zhi’an asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Wei Mengrou looked at him, her finger gently touching his lips. Then, under everyone’s stunned gazes, her other hand rested on his chest.

She took another step forward, pressing her alluring body against his.

Her finger traced his lips slowly, her gaze filled with a longing he had never seen before.

“Whether it’s her or me, we’re the same person, aren’t we? Does it really matter?”

She tilted her head slightly, feigning innocence. “Hmm… or could it be that you prefer your Mengrou to me?”

If they were alone, Mu Zhi’an would have chosen ‘I want both’. However, with so many eyes watching—Bai Ruoxi, the Ye sisters, Lan Mulian, and Lan Feiying—he had to maintain his composure.

After all, the current Wei Mengrou wasn’t entirely herself. If she remembered this incident later, realizing she had acted so boldly in front of everyone, she would probably die of embarrassment…

As Mu Zhi’an was about to respond to the Primordial Witch, who was displaying a personality completely different from Wei Mengrou’s, a golden light flashed across the ground.

Gu Bo Xing, clutching his chest, transformed into a streak of light and fled towards the Martial Realm’s exit, his heart pounding with fear.

Even if someone held a sword to his throat, he wouldn’t have believed that a Core Formation female cultivator could be connected to the Primordial Witch.

The Calamity Body was Wei Mengrou, and she was also the Primordial Witch?!

This realization sent a shiver down Gu Bo Xing’s spine. He often used divination to predict future events, but he hadn’t foreseen this at all.

If he had acted decisively and captured Wei Mengrou earlier, he might have discovered the Primordial Witch’s presence within her.

However, he had misjudged the situation… He had mistaken Mu Zhi’an for the Calamity Body and even risked offending the Two Polarities Sect to take him to the Great Qian Dynasty, only to attract the Demon Realm Empress…

And now, the Primordial Witch had also awakened…

Recalling the Primordial Witch’s terrifying abilities, Gu Bo Xing lost all desire to fight and fled towards the Martial Realm’s exit as fast as he could.

The Primordial Witch didn’t pursue him. To her, a Nascent Soul cultivator was just an ant. She could deal with him later. Besides, her current condition didn’t allow her to exert herself too much.

She looked up at the black mist in the sky, her gaze seemingly piercing through it, landing on the Demon Realm Empress within.

“Why are you helping him?”

Her previously sweet smile vanished, replaced by a cold indifference, as if she had transformed from the Primordial Witch back into Wei Mengrou.

The Demon Realm Empress looked down at the young man on the ground, a mischievous smile curving her lips. “He’s one of my people. I couldn’t just stand by and watch,” she said, her voice reaching the Primordial Witch’s ears.

“One of your people?” The Primordial Witch glanced at Mu Zhi’an, her voice soft and melodious. “Since when is the Demon Realm Empress so concerned about a mere Core Formation cultivator?”

“Besides…” she paused, then continued, “He’s not one of your people.”

Their voices, amplified by a special technique, echoed through the space, inaudible to the others. However, Mu Zhi’an, standing beside the Primordial Witch, could hear their conversation clearly.

The Demon Realm Empress’s gaze fixed on Mu Zhi’an, a seductive smile curving her lips.

“Whether he’s one of my people or not, it’s not up to you to decide.”

“But I am here on someone’s behalf,” she added.

On someone’s behalf…?

Mu Zhi’an’s eyes flickered. He had heard a crucial detail.

The Demon Realm Empress had appeared in the Martial Realm because someone had asked her to, helping him escape Gu Bo Xing’s grasp?

But that didn’t make sense. He had reloaded nearly twenty times before finally managing to suppress Wei Mengrou’s Heavenly Dao Energy within his body.

Could it be that she knew how many times he would reload and had planned this in advance, asking the Demon Realm Empress to intervene at the right moment?

As Mu Zhi’an’s mind raced, he suddenly felt a surge of energy from within his Innate Celestial Furnace. The black Heavenly Dao Energy was struggling violently, as if trying to break free from his body.

Mu Zhi’an’s expression changed, and he immediately channeled his Spiritual Energy, forcefully suppressing the black Heavenly Dao Energy.

However, even so, black light continued to flicker around his body.

The Demon Realm Empress glanced at him. “It seems he can’t hold it back much longer.”

The Primordial Witch said softly, “I’ll guide the Heavenly Dao Energy out of his body.”

The Heavenly Dao Energy Wei Mengrou had obtained was unique, and because Mu Zhi’an had forcefully suppressed it within his body, if he continued to do so, he might trigger another Heavenly Punishment.

“Let’s return to the Two Polarities Sect,” the Primordial Witch said.

Mu Zhi’an, struggling to control the Heavenly Dao Energy, glanced at Bai Ruoxi and the others, then met the Primordial Witch’s gaze and nodded slightly.

Since his tribulation had eliminated most of the other cultivators, and some of their tokens had been left behind, even if he only obtained a single point from each, it would be enough for him to pass the Martial Realm trial.

Moreover, compared to the Martial Realm trial, Mu Zhi’an was more concerned about Wei Mengrou’s current state.

The Demon Realm Empress watched them leave, then waved her hand, disappearing into the black mist.

Huang Manting’s identity couldn’t be exposed yet.

As they left, the cultivators in the area breathed a sigh of relief.

Many noticed that their backs were drenched in cold sweat.

The Great Qian Dynasty’s Imperial Advisor had tried to take away the Calamity Body, but he had been stopped by a mysterious expert. And then, another being, suspected to be a reincarnated expert, had appeared and taken Mu Zhi’an away.

If this news spread, it would shake the Nine Realms.

Why would three powerful beings be so interested in a mere Core Formation cultivator?

Mu Zhi’an’s name began to spread throughout the Martial Realm…

Bai Ruoxi looked in the direction he had gone, her gentle eyes filled with worry.

Ye Lingxuan’s pure and innocent face remained calm, but a hint of concern lingered in her eyes as she looked at the sky.

“Sister, let’s quickly obtain enough points and return to the Garden of Heavenly Harmony,” Ye Qian said, turning to her sister.

If it were the Wei Mengrou from before, she wouldn’t be so worried.

But the current Mengrou seemed different. Her intimate gestures towards Mu Zhi’an and the look in her eyes were unusual.

…This was concerning.

…

There was no doubt that Mu Zhi’an was truly fond of Wei Mengrou. Even when he was still a spoiled young master, he had been attracted to her legs, but whenever he approached her, he would only be met with a disdainful glare.

Although her opinion of him had changed later, knowing his fickle nature, Wei Mengrou’s attitude towards him remained the same.

However, Mu Zhi’an didn’t mind.

In fact, he found it rather enjoyable to be looked at with disdain, like a bug, by someone like his maid…

But today, their relationship seemed to have become much more… ambiguous…

Garden of Heavenly Harmony.

Wei Mengrou stood with her back to Mu Zhi’an, her yellow dress outlining her slender figure.

She hadn’t spoken a word since entering the room, and he didn’t know why.

“Mengrou, are you the Primordial Witch now, or… yourself?”

Mu Zhi’an finally broke the silence.

He was curious about the words she had spoken in the Martial Realm. Were they spoken by the Primordial Witch, or by Wei Mengrou?

Wei Mengrou turned her head slightly and looked at him, her expression emotionless. “She and I are the same person.”

The problem is, your personalities are completely different… Mu Zhi’an hesitated. “Were you serious about what you said in the Martial Realm?”

He was referring to her words about him taking responsibility… Based on his understanding of her, Wei Mengrou wouldn’t say such suggestive things.

However, based on his experiences with the other girls, he had learned one thing: girls were unpredictable.

Sometimes, when overwhelmed by emotions, they might act out of character.

But Wei Mengrou simply tilted her head slightly. “What words?”

Her tone remained cold and indifferent, but Mu Zhi’an noticed a hint of shyness hidden in her eyes.

He took two steps towards her and gently took her hand, his gaze sincere and affectionate as he looked at her.

“To be honest, Mengrou, your words made me very happy.”

As he expected, Wei Mengrou’s gaze met his, and she instinctively tried to pull her hand away. However, Mu Zhi’an held on tightly, as if afraid she would disappear.

Although she had seen Mu Zhi’an use similar methods to get close to other girls, it was different when it happened to her. She felt flustered and didn’t know how to react.

Seeing this, Mu Zhi’an continued earnestly, “I know you dislike me because of my past actions, Mengrou, but I was truly happy to hear your words earlier.”

“Because, whether it was before or now, my feelings for you have never changed.”

Wei Mengrou looked at him calmly. “How many other women have you said that to?”

Mu Zhi’an shook his head. “I’ve only ever said that to you, Mengrou.”

However, Wei Mengrou’s expression remained unchanged. She scoffed. “You’ve only said those specific words to me. I’m sure you’ve said similar things to other girls, haven’t you?”

She glanced at the flickering black light around his body, a strange emotion appearing in her usually cold eyes.

As his maid, she knew exactly how flirtatious her young master was. She had even witnessed his smooth moves firsthand.

She had always thought she would only protect Mu Zhi’an from the shadows and never have any intimate relationship with him.

After all, she knew him too well.

However…

Even when you knew someone well, matters of the heart were often beyond your control…

Looking at the black light around Mu Zhi’an, Wei Mengrou hesitated for a moment, then asked, “How many times have you reset time?”

She was referring to the ‘reload’ ability he had used earlier.

After the Primordial Witch’s will awakened within her body, Wei Mengrou remembered everything that had happened in the Martial Realm, including Mu Zhi’an resetting time.

After all, it was her ability. She knew everything about it.

Mu Zhi’an pondered for a moment, then chuckled. “Not many times. But it’s quite a fun ability.”

His seemingly casual and carefree smile made Wei Mengrou’s heart ache. No matter how hard she tried to maintain her usual aloofness, her gaze softened slightly, like snow melting under the sun.

‘Fun’… Did he mean repeatedly resetting time, enduring exhaustion, and struggling to suppress her Heavenly Dao Energy within his body…?

How could that be fun?

But his smile seemed genuine, and he didn’t mention the hardships he had endured, as if it were just an ordinary task.

Looking at his carefree smile, Wei Mengrou hesitated for a moment, then said, “About what I said earlier…”

“I know. It was the Primordial Witch who did that. It had nothing to do with you, Mengrou,” Mu Zhi’an said with a smile.

He knew that with Wei Mengrou’s personality, she would never initiate such an intimate act, especially in front of so many people.

Then, he suddenly asked, “If the Heavenly Dao Energy returns to your body, will it attract the heavens’ attention again?”

Wei Mengrou shook her head slowly. “I’ve found a way to conceal Heavenly Secrets. It won’t be a problem for now.”

Mu Zhi’an nodded thoughtfully. “Then I’ll prepare a medicinal bath. After you’ve recovered some Spiritual Energy, I’ll transfer the Heavenly Dao Energy back to you.”

He took out a bottle of pills and handed it to her. “You’ve exhausted a lot of energy. Replenish your Spiritual Energy first. Refining the Heavenly Dao Energy will be another tough battle… It’s quite disobedient.”

After Wei Mengrou took the pills, Mu Zhi’an turned to leave and prepare the medicinal bath.

Just as he turned, he felt a pair of soft mounds pressing against his back, and delicate arms wrapped around his waist.

Mu Zhi’an froze, his body stiffening.

A strange sensation washed over him. He slowly turned his head and saw Wei Mengrou looking up at him, her beautiful eyes filled with a strange light. “A-actually… what I said in the Martial Realm… wasn’t entirely the Primordial Witch’s intention,” she said, her voice slightly strained.

She paused, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, as if gathering her courage.

Then, as if making up her mind, she looked into his eyes.

“…It was also what I felt.”

For the first time in his life, Mu Zhi’an’s heart raced uncontrollably from being ‘attacked’ by someone. He stared at the maid’s cold and beautiful face, a single thought echoing in his mind:

Why is she not following the script?!