It turns out, they were the main characters.

Bai Ruoxi forced herself to stay awake, raised her eyes, and asked, "Where to...?"

"Of course we're going to our destination. What, you don't mean, my room?" Mu Zhian teased with a smile.

Bai Ruoxi's face flushed slightly. She raised her eyes, her gaze alluring, and asked softly, "Where is our destination...?"

"The Bai residence," Mu Zhian said. "I'll take you home."

Bai Ruoxi was clearly taken aback.

Mu Zhian invited her to the Mu family home just to sit there all day, and then send her back to the Bai family home as night was falling...?

Facing Bai Ruoxi's bewildered gaze, Mu Zhian gently put down his teacup and smiled:

"I wonder if Miss Bai has ever tried sneaking into her own home at night?"

Bai Ruoxi frowned slightly and said softly, "Why did I sneak home...?"

Bai Yuanfeng supported her daughter's marriage into the Mu family, and if she had known that Bai Ruoxi was at the Mu family tonight, she wouldn't have said anything.

Logically speaking, she had no reason to sneak home.

Mu Zhian glanced at the aloof beauty and said quietly, "You'll find out soon enough."

Chapter 23 A Woman's Heart

That night.

The carriage carrying Mu Zhian traveled through the streets late at night and stopped before reaching the Bai family's residence.

Mu Zhian jumped off the carriage, came to Bai Ruoxi's side, lifted the curtain, and reached out his hand to her.

Bai Ruoxi glanced at him in the dim light, reached out and grasped his hand, then stepped off the carriage.

She glanced around at her surroundings, and finally couldn't help but ask:

"Young Master Mu, why are we going to the Bai family secretly?"

This was clearly her family's residence, yet Mu Zhi'an made her sneak into the Bai residence at night like a thief, which was truly baffling.

"Miss Bai, I wonder where Uncle Bai is now after he was attacked and seriously injured?" Mu Zhian asked.

Bai Ruoxi was taken aback, first surprised that Mu Zhian knew about this.

But then I thought about it again. It had been so long since I had seen the Bai family patriarch. With the Mu family's influence in Tianxuan City, it wouldn't be difficult for them to investigate things secretly.

She said softly, "My father is currently recuperating in a very safe place, with two guards taking turns watching over him."

"So, it's your mother who's managing the Bai family now, right?" Mu Zhian asked.

Bai Ruoxi hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"In other words, after Miss Bai left, only a few servants and Madam Bai were left in the Bai residence, right?" Mu Zhian confirmed again.

"Young Master Mu, what exactly are you trying to say?" Bai Ruoxi frowned slightly, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable.

"Miss Bai will find out soon," Mu Zhian said, pausing for a moment. "However, it might not be until tomorrow night."

As he spoke, he turned to look at the maid hiding in the darkness and said, "Sister Mengrou, I'm leaving her to you."

Bai Ruoxi subconsciously turned around and saw that, without realizing it, a woman had been following them. She wore a pale yellow dress and ankle boots, and although she was dressed beautifully, she seemed to be hidden in the night.

If Mu Zhian hadn't spoken up, Bai Ruoxi probably wouldn't have even noticed the maid's presence.

"Don't be surprised. Putting everything else aside, she's definitely a top-tier expert in the Refining Spirit Realm when it comes to concealing her aura," Mu Zhian explained.

Among the cultivators at the Refining Spirit Realm whom Mu Zhian knew, Wei Mengrou might not be the strongest, but she was certainly the most versatile.

The black-robed man's intelligence was flawed that day because Wei Mengrou's ability to conceal her aura was unparalleled. He did not realize that besides the old man, there was another person in the Bai family, Wei Mengrou, who was constantly concealing her aura.

For this reason, Mu Zhian never treated Wei Mengrou as a maid from beginning to end.

After all, if you haven't treated others sincerely, how can you expect them to treat you sincerely?

"Don't exceed half an hour. Once that time is up, I can't guarantee that you two won't be noticed," Wei Mengrou warned earnestly.

Mu Zhian nodded, looked at the girl beside him, and said, "Let's go."

Bai Ruoxi was slightly confused, but seeing that Mu Zhian had already jumped onto the wall of the mansion, she no longer hesitated. She stepped on the ground and lightly leaped up, landing on the wall.

Then, she turned her head to look at Mu Zhian and said softly, "Young Master Mu, what exactly do you want to do?"

Mu Zhian surveyed the surroundings of the mansion. It was nighttime, and moonlight streamed into the courtyard. The wind rustled the leaves in the dim light.

It seems the Bai family really doesn't have many servants left... Mu Zhian understood slightly, glanced at Bai Ruoxi, and said:

"Wait here for me a moment, I'll be right back."

Before Bai Ruoxi could speak, Mu Zhian had already jumped off the wall.

If the Refining Essence stage is simply about strengthening one's physique, then the Qi Refining stage allows one to use "Qi," the spiritual energy within the body.

Using this energy, everyone can fly over rooftops and walk on walls.

Unfortunately, if I had reached the Refining Spirit Realm, I should be patrolling the sky on a flying sword right now... Mu Zhian strolled leisurely in the backyard of the Bai residence, feeling a little regretful.

Despite his thoughts, he didn't dare to let his guard down. He walked silently through the courtyard of the Bai residence, searching for Bai Yuanfeng's room.

His gaze quickly fell on the second room from the right in the backyard. Behind the door, the candlelight could be clearly seen flickering, and the curves of a woman could be vaguely seen.

Despite Wei Mengrou's help in concealing his aura, Mu Zhian still concealed his own aura on his own, just in case.

He walked slowly forward to the door and listened intently.

I didn't hear anything.

It's a pity that there aren't any paper doors here that could be easily poked with a finger in ancient times. Otherwise, you could just poke a hole in the door and see what's inside.

Mu Zhian couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

However, he did not give up. He searched his surroundings and soon spotted an open window next to the house.

He adjusted his breathing slightly, quietly stepped forward, and looked at the scene inside the window.

Then, his eyes suddenly showed some disappointment.

Bai Yuanfeng was the only one sitting on the brocade couch in the room, wearing a silk nightgown. After removing her light makeup, she looked much older, but her appearance was still considered top-notch among her peers.

However, after removing her makeup, she still looks quite different from her daughter.

Was the man in black lying to me, or was Bai Yuanfeng just being too cautious...?

Mu Zhian thought to himself.

Logically speaking, the man in the black robe shouldn't have told such an easily exposed lie.

In other words, Bai Yuanfeng was indeed too cautious...?

Just as Mu Zhian was thinking of this, someone suddenly patted his shoulder gently from behind.

Mu Zhian's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously turned his head to look.

Bai Ruoxi appeared behind him unnoticed, her beautiful eyes filled with anger, but she tried her best to keep her voice low as she said, "Young Master Mu, why did you sneak into my mother's room so late at night—"

Before he could finish speaking, Mu Zhian suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He covered Bai Ruoxi's mouth with one hand, pulled her into his arms, and hid her by the window, pressing her against the wall.

Bai Ruoxi's eyes widened slightly as she turned to look at the boy behind her in surprise.

Having finally managed to pry Mu Zhian's hand away, she was about to ask a question when, as if sensing something, she subconsciously turned her head to look at the air.

Suddenly, a streak of light descended silently into the once quiet backyard.

As the light faded, a man who looked extremely majestic jumped down on a flying sword.

Gongsun Xiong.

Bai Ruoxi's eyes slowly widened, her shock barely concealed.

Why would Gongsun Xiong appear at the Bai residence?

What happened next was even more unbelievable to Bai Ruoxi. Not long after, the door quietly opened, and Bai Yuanfeng pushed it open, inviting Gongsun Xiong into the room with a smile.

Chapter 24 It's time to meet the parents.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Bai Ruoxi seemed somewhat incredulous. She wanted to get up and look out the window to see what was happening in the room.

Mu Zhian immediately grabbed her hand, put his fingers to his lips, and shushed her.

Bai Yuanfeng's cultivation level was average, so she wouldn't be detected if she spied on her, but Gongsun Xiong was different.

Even though he has lowered his guard after seeing Bai Yuanfeng and has Wei Mengrou to help him conceal his aura, he cannot guarantee that he will not be detected.

Even so, Mu Zhian could still faintly hear the sounds of affectionate playfulness coming from the room.

Hearing those intimate sounds alone was enough to confirm it.

Looking at Bai Ruoxi's pale face, Mu Zhian knew that the blow to her spirit was immense.

He called out softly twice, but Bai Ruoxi did not respond.

Upon seeing this, Mu Zhian immediately grabbed Bai Ruoxi's hand, picked her up in his arms, and quietly left the Bai residence.

It wasn't until she boarded the carriage and heard the sound of horses' hooves pounding the ground that Bai Ruoxi seemed to come back to her senses a little. She turned her head to look at the late-night street scene that was slowly moving backward, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

Everything is now quite obvious. No wonder Bai Yuanfeng refused to hand over the Meridian Opening Pill, and no wonder Bai's father was attacked and seriously injured on his way back.

All of this was not accidental, but rather the result of a pre-planned scheme orchestrated by Bai Yuanfeng and the Gongsun family.

"Young Master Mu, why do you think my mother said that?" Bai Ruoxi suddenly asked softly.

She turned to look at the boy beside her, "What good would it do her to destroy the Bai family?"

Mu Zhian sighed softly: "There's no benefit to it."

"But human emotions and behaviors are inherently difficult to fathom. If we could understand the thoughts of some people simply by relying on ordinary thinking, there wouldn't be so many shocking crimes."

"You can never understand how a person's brain circuits are structured."

What's truly terrifying is never a wild beast, but the human heart.

A woman's heart.

After a long silence, Bai Ruoxi seemed to have made up her mind. She looked up at Mu Zhian's profile and said, "Young Master Mu, if you can save the Bai family, I will present the Meridian Opening Pill tomorrow."

Mu Zhian glanced at the girl and sighed, "Miss Bai, do you think the Meridian Opening Pill is still in the Bai family?"