The Art of Managing Mu

The carriage stopped near the Great Qian Dynasty’s imperial library. After Princess Yongning dismissed the attendants, she and Mu Zhian entered the seemingly luxurious library.

“Is it alright to leave your friend outside?” Princess Yongning asked softly, her beautiful eyes gazing tenderly at Mu Zhian.

Mu Zhian smiled gently, “Don’t worry, Your Highness, your attendants won’t notice her.”

If the will of the Heavenly Dao wished, no one in this world could detect her aura, let alone a few mortal cultivators.

Reassured, Princess Yongning nodded. After freshening up, she changed into a palace gown, her demeanor dignified and elegant. Her hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, and the golden hair ornament swayed gently with every step, its pale golden tassels shimmering in the dim light.

“Your Highness, you must be tired from your journey, and now you’re even taking me to the imperial library, I apologize for the trouble,” Mu Zhian said sincerely.

Princess Yongning smiled brightly, “You’re always so polite, Young Master Mu. If it weren’t for you, I might still be trapped in the Forbidden Zone.”

Mu Zhian shook his head, “That was Sister Lingxuan’s doing, I didn’t do anything…”

“But didn’t the Forbidden Zone Holy Maiden release you because of you?”

Princess Yongning chuckled, “After that incident, the Crown Prince was severely scolded by my father and confined for half a year. He’s still not out yet.”

Although the old emperor neglected government affairs, it didn’t mean he was foolish. Spies kept him informed of important matters within the palace.

He didn’t care about the power struggles and even fratricide among his children, but offending a behemoth like the Forbidden Zone… was a different story.

“So there’s no need for you to be so humble, Young Master Mu. Being able to have the Forbidden Zone Holy Maiden personally release someone, that’s also a testament to your own abilities,” Princess Yongning said softly.

Her beautiful eyes shimmered as she looked deeply at Mu Zhian, seemingly recalling what happened that day in the Forbidden Zone when she went to bid him farewell before leaving, a faint blush appearing on her face as she turned away to lead the way.

Her earrings swayed gently with her elegant steps, her figure slender and graceful. Although the palace gown was a bit bulky, it couldn’t conceal her elegant and noble aura.

Mu Zhian silently followed Princess Yongning. The library was empty, sunlight streaming through the windows, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air, a faint scent of books and ink lingering.

Breaking the silence, Princess Yongning suddenly spoke, “What information are you looking for in the imperial library this time, Young Master Mu?”

“I’ve read quite a few books here, perhaps I can be of assistance.”

As she spoke, she turned to look at the young man behind her. In such a short time, she had already regained her composure, once again the elegant and noble Princess Yongning.

Mu Zhian came back to his senses and said with a smile, “Actually, I’ve recently become interested in the history of the Eastern Continent dynasties, which is why I came to the Great Qian Dynasty.”

However, Princess Yongning pursed her lips and said with a faint smile, “Are you interested in the Eastern Continent dynasties, or how they fell?”

A hint of surprise flickered in Mu Zhian’s eyes, “How did you know?”

“Many cultivators from other places have come to the capital recently. You must have noticed this on the streets earlier, Young Master Mu,” Princess Yongning asked.

Mu Zhian hummed softly in agreement.

There were indeed too many people in the capital this time, unusually so.

More importantly, many of them were cultivators, and not from the Eastern Continent.

Clearly, they had all heard that the national fortune would become masterless after the dynasty’s collapse and came from all over the Nine Provinces, hoping to get a share.

“There’s only one reason to come to the Great Qian Dynasty at such a sensitive time.”

A complex look appeared in Princess Yongning’s eyes, and she said softly, “Young Master Mu, are you also here for the national fortune?”

“National fortune? Do you think I need such a thing?”

Mu Zhian couldn’t help but smile, slowly opening his palm.

A palm-sized stone tablet appeared.

He gently tossed it out, and the stone tablet instantly grew to the size of a bookshelf.

Under Princess Yongning’s gaze, Mu Zhian touched the stone tablet.

A pink and gold light shot up into the sky, a soft halo seemingly enveloping the entire library.

“A person of great luck?” Princess Yongning murmured subconsciously.

Having absorbed the luck of three Heaven-Chosen Ones and suppressed Lan Feiying, a system holder, Mu Zhian had truly become a person of great luck.

Although he transferred this immense luck to Wei Mengrou to suppress her misfortune, he still benefited somewhat from her feedback.

Just this small amount of luck was enough to make him a person of great luck, but the combined luck of four Heaven-Chosen Ones still couldn’t completely suppress Wei Mengrou’s misfortune.

This was enough to show just how immense Wei Mengrou’s misfortune truly was.

Under Princess Yongning’s slightly dazed gaze, Mu Zhian put away the testing tablet and looked up with a smile, “Does Your Highness still think I’m here for the national fortune?”

Yongning couldn’t help but look him over a few more times, then subconsciously asked, “If not for the national fortune, then why did Young Master Mu come to the Great Qian Dynasty…?”

Having left in a hurry earlier, she had only dressed simply, but she still looked incredibly beautiful. Her eyebrows were like painted strokes, her lips full and rosy. She wore a dark palace gown embroidered with gold threads and a golden hair ornament, adding a touch of mature nobility to her elegant appearance.

“Who do you think I’m here for?” Mu Zhian suddenly asked, gazing at her intently.

Princess Yongning was slightly stunned, her beautiful eyes flickering. Then, under Mu Zhian’s gaze, she quickly lowered her eyelids, turning her face away, only showing him a beautiful side profile, and whispered, “Don’t tease me, Young Master Mu. I’m asking you seriously…”

Mu Zhian couldn’t help but smile, “I’m not teasing you… Does Your Highness really think I would make such a joke?”

“Have you forgotten how you teased me before leaving the Forbidden Zone that day?”

Princess Yongning was momentarily speechless.

She didn’t know what she was thinking at the time. She had just heard the Holy Maiden of Xuanyin Temple praising Mu Zhian’s good looks and couldn’t help but take a few more glances… Princess Yongning didn’t consider herself a face person, but for some reason, she found his appearance very appealing.

This attraction was partly due to the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox’s influence, and partly because Mu Zhian had saved her when she was most lost and helpless in the Forbidden Zone.

From a minor character she initially underestimated to his current state, Mu Zhian’s journey could be considered quite legendary.

“A-anyway, let me take you to the second floor. The ancient texts you’re looking for are all in the vault on the second floor.”

Princess Yongning turned and walked towards the second floor, her pace quickening, her palace gown swaying gently with her steps, her ample bosom also swaying slightly, the golden tassels on her hair ornament shimmering.

Seeing the usually composed and dignified eldest princess so flustered, Mu Zhian couldn’t help but smile, then followed her to the second floor vault.

Princess Yongning placed a stack of ancient texts before Mu Zhian and was about to leave.

Mu Zhian was stunned, “Are you leaving, Your Highness?”

Princess Yongning glanced at him and said softly, “If the palace staff find out, it might cause some gossip, so…”

“Is there anyone still paying attention to us?” Mu Zhian couldn’t help but ask with a smile.

Yongning was momentarily speechless.

He was right. The Great Qian Dynasty was currently in turmoil, rumors of its impending collapse spreading everywhere. Even those who disliked Princess Yongning in the past were now only thinking about finding a way out.

Yongning sat back down opposite Mu Zhian, also taking out a thin, ancient text to read.

Mu Zhian scanned the contents of the ancient text and asked casually, “Rumors of the Great Qian Dynasty’s impending doom are spreading everywhere, but Your Highness seems calmer than expected… Did you foresee this, or do you have a solution?”

“You’re always teasing, Young Master Mu. I’m just a woman, even if I wanted to change the situation, I couldn’t, could I?” Princess Yongning said calmly. “However, if it were me, I would first send troops to provide disaster relief and appease the people… I actually believe the Great Qian Dynasty’s reign isn’t over yet, but with these rumors spreading, if they’re not addressed soon, even falsehoods can become reality.”

Mu Zhian’s thoughts stirred. He suddenly recalled Miss Heavenly Dao’s words.

She said the Great Qian Dynasty’s reign had come to an end… But could the fate of a dynasty truly be determined by a single sentence from Miss Heavenly Dao?

Suppose, despite the declining national fortune, the emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty managed to govern the country well, what would happen then?

Would there be constant natural disasters?

If so, it wouldn’t be the Great Qian Dynasty’s fate running out, but the Heavenly Dao ‘artificially’ ending it.

Just as he was thinking about this, Mu Zhian’s gaze fell upon a sentence in the ancient text.

It was a record of the previous dynasty of the Great Qian.

And at the end of the record was a note: On the day the dynasty fell, the Heavenly Dao’s light enveloped the Nine Provinces, purifying the Calamity Body, until its demise, then the light faded.

What did this mean…?

After the birth of a Calamity Body, the Heavenly Dao would remain in the Nine Provinces until it sent down Heavenly Punishment and eliminated the Calamity Body?

Why?

A mere Calamity Body, could it really be that important to the Heavenly Dao?

Mu Zhian frowned, staring at the sentence, lost in thought.

Just now, he had been thinking about something.

… Since the Heavenly Dao only descended when a dynasty was about to fall, did that mean, as long as the dynasty didn’t fall, the Heavenly Dao wouldn’t appear?

The current emperor was incompetent, the Crown Prince had indulged in debauchery and political schemes in the past and was now imprisoned…

They needed to find someone mature, steady, and capable of governing, to stabilize the current situation of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Mu Zhian subconsciously looked at the mature and beautiful Princess Yongning sitting opposite him.

Perhaps because she hadn’t been sleeping well recently, or because of the journey, Yongning, while reading, slowly leaned against the table, her ample bosom resting against it, a few strands of hair falling across her delicate face, her alluring eyes even more captivating.

She seemed to sense Mu Zhian’s gaze and, following it, looked down at herself. A blush quickly spread across her fair face, and she sat up straight, straightening her back.

“Sorry… I was just a bit tired.”

This guy has no manners, staring at someone like that.

Although he’s quite handsome, with an innocent and harmless air… As expected, appearances can be deceiving.

Princess Yongning quickly collected her thoughts, coughed lightly, and said seriously, “Did you find the information you were looking for, Young Master Mu?”

Mu Zhian nodded slightly, “Sort of.”

Whether the Calamity Body referred to the same person or different people, he still wasn’t sure, but one thing was certain now—no matter what, he couldn’t let the Heavenly Dao exploit the loophole in the rules and descend upon the Nine Provinces.

Mu Zhian didn’t know why he was being targeted by the Heavenly Dao, but he knew one thing…

If the Heavenly Dao truly descended, it would definitely try to eliminate him first.

He was lucky last time, successfully ambushing the Heavenly Dao’s will and using the Innate Celestial Furnace to twist her will.

But if he faced the Heavenly Dao itself… he probably wouldn’t even have the chance to approach it.

“Princess Yongning, I think I asked you this before, but I want to confirm again,” Mu Zhian gazed at the dignified and mature eldest princess, “Are you interested in the throne of the Great Qian Dynasty?”

Yongning was stunned.

After a moment, an unusual glint flickered in her eyes, her red lips parted slightly, and she whispered something.

…

Undoubtedly, for Mu Zhian, supporting Yongning’s ascension was the safest option.

At least among the people he knew, Yongning was the most suitable candidate.

And while Mu Zhian was secretly preparing for this, within the Jade Pool Holy Land, Yao Meng, who had recently received a certain request and was studying ancient texts, suddenly heard about Mu Zhian going to the Great Qian Dynasty.

The Great Qian Dynasty had been in turmoil recently, with various factions secretly sending people to observe the situation. The Jade Pool Holy Land was naturally no exception.

Yao Meng wasn’t surprised by Mu Zhian’s visit.

If the records in the ancient texts were correct, there was a possibility of the Heavenly Dao descending after every dynastic collapse. Whether for Wei Mengrou or herself, Mu Zhian had to go to the Great Qian Dynasty.

“Have Yao Yue represent the Jade Pool Holy Land and go to the Great Qian Dynasty. If necessary, allow Yao Yue to unconditionally support any of his decisions,” Yao Meng said softly to her disciple, holding the ancient text in her hand.

The female disciple was stunned for a moment, then murmured, “What if Young Master Mu makes some strange requests…?”

Yao Meng paused, then shook her head with a smile, “He won’t, just do as I say.”

Mu Lang is indeed unreliable… But Yao Yue is one of the top geniuses among the Jade Pool Holy Maidens in history. Her Dao of Tranquility is incredibly refined. Give her some more time, and she might even reach my level.

She herself took a liking to Mu Zhian because her Dao of Tranquility had reached its peak, allowing her to follow her heart.

But Yao Yue’s Dao of Tranquility had just begun; she wouldn’t be swayed by matters of the heart.

Yao Meng was at ease with this descendant of the Jade Pool Holy Land.

“You may leave,” she said softly, turning another page in the ancient text, her gaze scanning the words.

Seemingly tired after reading for a while, Yao Meng picked up another book.

The Art of Managing Your Husband.

This book was simply too perfect. If she didn’t know that nothing had happened between Shang Yanfei and Mu Zhian, she would even suspect that woman wrote about her own personal experiences.

From the unspeakable sphere to stockings, to how to tease a man and make him submit.

Even the latest chapter was about candles…

But what exactly was this… method…?

Yao Meng’s gaze swept over the latest chapter of The Art of Managing Your Husband. The more she read, the more surprised she became, until finally, she couldn’t help but frown slightly.

How did this woman, Shang Yanfei, come up with so many strange ideas, without even leaving the sect…?

Yao Meng casually tossed the book aside, a disdainful look on her face.

No matter what, this method was too outrageous. She was a Transcendence Realm Human Emperor, one of the only three in the Nine Provinces… How could she willingly let a little guy do that to her?

She could even imagine Mu Zhian’s excited expression, how he would look at her with infatuation…

Yao Meng gently placed a fingertip against her red lips, a moist glint in her usually cold eyes.

Mmm… maybe I’ll try it next time~

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay