It turns out, they were the main characters.

Yunzhou wanted to reap the benefits without lifting a finger, but now it's secretly criticizing her?

Seeing that Luo Tan's expression was not very good, the Great Roc Emperor's eyes flickered, and he quickly smiled and said, "The Medicine Emperor has his own plans. If I really had any objections to this, I would have already told you. Why would I have waited until today?"

"Besides, it's too late to say anything now. The Azure Emperor has already ascended to heaven, and the Yaochi Holy Land is now the only dominant force. If, as Yaochi grows stronger in the future, she starts to have designs on other forces, then we'll be in trouble."

Emperor Dapeng changed the subject: "If I can ascend to heaven at this time, I can guarantee that Yuzhou will always be a steadfast ally of Yunzhou."

Luo Tan gave a soft "hmm": "I'll think about it first."

Emperor Dapeng frowned slightly. Although he was somewhat dissatisfied with the result, since the other party had not explicitly rejected him, it meant there was still hope. It was not appropriate to continue urging her now.

He quickly changed the subject: "If I remember correctly, my beloved concubine also came to Yuzhou. Is she in your palace now?"

Luo Tan nodded slightly: "If you want to see her, then go ahead. However, the Princess is an important guest of Yuzhou, and I do not wish to see unnecessary disputes on my territory."

The Great Roc Emperor nodded: "Of course, no matter what, I will not cause trouble for my allies."

Luo Tan smiled slightly, watching the Great Roc Emperor disappear from sight as a blur, a hint of indifference gradually appearing in his eyes.

ally?

Do you really think she doesn't know how Yunzhou has gradually become stronger over the years?

She casually withdrew her gaze and said indifferently, "Prepare a petal bath at Tangxue Palace."

The maid entered the hall and was taken aback when she heard the Empress's words: "Your Majesty is going to Tangxue Palace?"

Tangxue Palace is an extremely luxurious place. In the past, it was only occasionally bestowed upon the most talented daughters of noble families. There were even rumors that those who bathed in Tangxue Palace could improve their cultivation level by one grade in just a few days.

As the Medicine King of Yuzhou, a little extravagance is understandable, but His Majesty just visited a few days ago, and now he plans to go again today, which is rather unusual...

The maid quickly realized what was happening and bowed slightly: "Yes, this servant will take care of it right away."

……

Mu Zhian sat under the pavilion, seemingly casually admiring the scenery outside, but in reality, he was secretly sizing up the princess whose figure was as alluring as a ripe peach.

Without a doubt, the princess of Yunzhou was indeed a very beautiful woman.

When Mu Zhian sat down opposite her, he noticed that she was wearing a long dress with a cinched waist. A thin ribbon outlined her slender waist, and her beautiful eyes always looked dreamy, as if they were filled with spring passion, charming and gentle.

However, judging from the way this princess dared to argue with Yao Meng before, it is not hard to guess that this woman only appears to be gentle and tender on the surface. In reality, you will find that she is a deep pool of water, completely unfathomable, when you get close to her.

"There's something I'd like to confirm."

At this moment, the princess's voice pulled Mu Zhi'an back to reality. She was toying with a teacup in one hand, her gentle and charming eyes gazing at Mu Zhi'an: "You and the Azure Emperor are Daoist partners, aren't you?"

Although she didn't strike any seductive poses from beginning to end, every move she made seemed to exude an irresistible charm, like a ripe peach waiting to be picked.

It's no wonder that the Great Roc Emperor was so infatuated with her; this princess was not only exceptional in strength, but also in temperament and appearance.

"Sister Qingdi and I are indeed Daoist partners." Mu Zhian did not deny it. Everyone in the Nine Provinces knew about this, and besides, he had just met this princess when he came to Yuzhou with Yao Meng.

The princess had witnessed firsthand how close Yao Meng and Mu Zhi'an were at the time.

"Honesty is good, I like honest, good children."

Beneath the princess's veil, a captivating smile bloomed on her exquisite face. She tilted her head slightly, scrutinizing Mu Zhi'an: "So, what is your relationship with Luo Tan?"

Her words were always incredibly soft, as if she were asking a trivial question, but her tone was full of the arrogance of someone in a superior position.

Clearly, although Mu Zhian is the Azure Emperor's Daoist partner, a Void Returner is still a Void Returner. To her, Mu Zhian is just a junior.

There's no need to worry about how you treat younger people.

"Since Your Highness saw everything just now, why ask again now?" Mu Zhian also saw through the princess's arrogance, so his tone became much more casual.

“I know you two are close, but I just can’t understand it. For the past ten thousand years since she achieved Dao, she has never had any physical intimacy with any man, immersing herself entirely in her immortal dynasty and alchemy. So why—”

Before the princess could finish speaking, Mu Zhian interrupted her calmly, saying, "Since you overheard my conversation with her earlier, you must have heard what she said afterward, right?"

The princess remained silent for a moment.

“The lifespan of a powerful being is extremely long, and since she is also the Medicine Queen, her lifespan is even more immeasurable… However, doing the same thing day after day inevitably becomes tedious over time.”

Mu Zhian said, "So His Majesty's closeness to me at this time is probably a way of finding some lubrication in this dull and boring life..."

Is this explanation reasonable enough? I know you're her best friend, but since you've already given such a reasonable explanation, please stop bothering me...

However, upon hearing this, the princess shook her head slowly: "Given her personality, she would never choose a mere cultivator who has just returned to the Void Realm, especially since you already have a Daoist partner."

She gazed tenderly at Mu Zhi'an with her beautiful eyes: "Can't you tell me the real reason?"

Mu Zhian sighed softly, "I have told you everything I know. If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Perhaps it's because when the alchemy competition was held at the Liangyi Sect in the past, His Majesty saw that I had some skill in alchemy, and thus developed a fondness for talent."

"A mere appreciation for talent wouldn't be enough to make her so infatuated with you."

The princess spoke again, her voice still gentle, like a light tickle in one's heart, as she softly said, "You should know Luo Tan's identity, right?"

Before Mu Zhian could answer, she said leisurely, "She is the Empress of Yuzhou. In Yuzhou, her status is equivalent to that of a god. If word gets out that you and she were being intimate today... what do you think will happen?"

Is this a deliberate attempt to break up a loving couple...? Mu Zhian nodded gently: "I know, that's why she and I weren't so intimate in public. If the Princess hadn't been there today, probably no one else would have known about this."

The princess's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly without her noticing.

This young cultivator seems easy to talk to, but he turns out to be stubborn and unyielding.

"What exactly do you want from me, young friend, to leave her?"

She had realized that Mu Zhi'an was a tough opponent, but she was also somewhat dissatisfied with his persistent pursuit. She said indifferently, "Is one imperial herb enough?"

Mu Zhian was taken aback, and his eyes became more playful: "I'll give the princess two imperial herbs, how about you pack yourself up and give them to me as well?"

For the first time, a hint of anger flashed in the princess's eyes, but it vanished in an instant, and her gaze returned to its usual gentleness: "As expected of the Azure Emperor's Daoist partner, his strength is not much, but he is quite eloquent."

Mu Zhian shrugged: "Senior, do you really think that a single imperial herb can subdue someone?"

Having finally managed to get close to Luo Tan, there's no way I'd give up just because of a single imperial herb, right?

Leaving aside the empress's status and position in Yuzhou, her appearance alone, and even the dual cultivation blessing brought by her innate furnace, are already beyond what a single imperial medicine can measure.

"What exactly do you want?" The princess's tone had lost some of its gentleness and gained some coldness.

If the affair between Mu Zhian and Luo Tan gets out, it will undoubtedly damage Luo Tan's reputation.

If Mu Zhian didn't have a Daoist partner, the rumors outside would at most be that His Majesty the Medicine Emperor liked to refine... well, you know. But the problem is... Mu Zhian does have a Daoist partner, and his Daoist partner is none other than the Azure Emperor.

What would happen if the Azure Emperor found out about this?

Mu Zhian wondered what would happen if, at this moment, someone said, "Your Highness, you wouldn't want the matter between Luo Tan and me to get out, would you?"

"You can't force feelings, so please don't interfere, senior." Despite his thoughts, Mu Zhian didn't waste any more time and got up to leave.

Seeing this, the princess parted her red lips slightly, about to call out to Mu Zhi'an.

Just then, a clear voice suddenly came from afar: "I've been looking for a long time but couldn't find anyone. It turns out my beloved concubine is sitting here all alone."

With a dazzling golden light flashing by, the Great Roc Emperor descended upon the pavilion almost instantly, and vast spiritual energy filled the entire world in an instant.

As the voice faded, Mu Zhian paused slightly, secretly observing the tall, imposing figure before him.

Is this the Lord of Yunzhou, the Great Peng Emperor?

With the man's arrival, the princess's smile turned colder as she calmly asked, "Why have you come?"

"I have some things I want to discuss with the Medicine King, and I came to see you while I was at it."

As the Great Roc Emperor spoke, he noticed the awkwardness and distance in the Princess's smile, and his mood immediately darkened.

Soon after, he noticed Mu Zhian not far from his beloved concubine and frowned, asking, "And who is this little cultivator?"

As she spoke, her sharp gaze swept over Mu Zhi'an, as if she were looking down on him from a superior position. On the surface, she was questioning the princess, but in reality, she was waiting for Mu Zhi'an to give her a humble and subservient answer.

The princess glanced at Mu Zhi'an and took the initiative to help him out of the predicament, saying softly, "I have some questions for him, so I asked him to stay here for the time being."

Upon hearing this, the Great Roc Emperor's eyes turned cold: "What's there to talk about with a mere cultivator who has only just reached the Void Refinement stage?"

Although the Great Peng Emperor has never touched this princess in all these years, in the heart of this ruler of Yunzhou, he has long regarded the most beautiful woman in Yunzhou as his own.

After all, no matter what, the princess was still his fiancée in name only.

To his dismay, he found himself in the sight of a handsome but frail young cultivator chatting with his fiancée under a pavilion. How could the ruler of a state not be furious?

Moreover, to him, this little cultivator was nothing but an ant, which he could crush with a single step... Yet the other party showed no fear whatsoever when he saw him. Did he really think that he wouldn't dare to kill him just because the princess was present?

The Great Roc Emperor's eyes were cold, filled with killing intent, and he said calmly, "What were you talking about with my beloved concubine just now?"

There was an invisible pressure in his words.

Sure enough, he saw a hint of fear on the young cultivator's face.

Then, he looked at the princess with a troubled expression: "Your Highness, the things I just talked with you about, shouldn't we keep quiet about them?"

What just happened involved Luo Tan's privacy, so it couldn't be mentioned. The princess knew this too, and could only say in a gentle tone, "Well... this has nothing to do with you, you should go back now."

Mu Zhian turned to leave, but at that moment, he felt an immense surge of spiritual energy quietly descending behind him.

The spiritual energy surged in like a tsunami, overwhelming everything, as if it would crush a person's knees; it was incredibly powerful.

"Great Roc Emperor, he came here at my invitation. What do you intend to do to him now?" The princess frowned, and the moment she spoke, an invisible wall of spiritual energy blocked the oppressive aura emanating from the Great Roc Emperor.

If the princess hadn't intervened, it would have been fine. However, her protection of Mu Zhi'an only ignited the Great Roc Emperor's fury: "What important matters could you possibly discuss with a mere cultivator? And why can't you even tell me?"

The princess frowned slightly: "As I just said, this matter has nothing to do with you, nor does it involve you."

"Also, we are husband and wife in public, but we do not interfere with each other. You agreed to this back then, didn't you?" This time, the princess used telepathy.

Seeing his fiancée so protective of an outsider, the Great Roc Emperor's eyes now held an undisguised murderous intent and rage.

No matter what his purpose was in approaching his beloved concubine, a mere cultivator who had just returned to the Void Realm deserved to die.

"You're going to turn against me just for a mere cultivator?"

Emperor Dapeng's face turned cold. He wanted to see how the princess would react if he made a move.

However, just as he took half a step, a clear and melodious voice came from afar: "Young Master Mu is an honored guest of Yuzhou. If you harm him, don't blame me for not showing any consideration for our past alliance."

As the woman's voice fell, the spiritual energy that the Great Roc Emperor had been gathering paused. He seemed to have realized something, his eyes widened slightly, and he looked at Mu Zhi'an with some surprise: "Young Master Mu... Mu Zhi'an? You are the little cultivator who married the Azure Emperor?"

Mu Zhian ignored him.

This person's words and actions exude an air of superiority and arrogance. Respect is mutual, so why should he bother with the other party if they don't give him face?

A hint of anger flashed in the eyes of the Great Roc Emperor. In his opinion, the Azure Emperor was the Azure Emperor and Mu Zhian was Mu Zhian. Even though the two were married, Mu Zhian was still just a young cultivator who had only recently entered the world of cultivation, yet he was putting on airs in front of him.

However… even the Medicine Emperor cares so much about him. Is it because the Medicine Emperor wants to curry favor with the Azure Emperor, or is there some secret about this person that the Medicine Emperor is willing to protect?