It turns out, they were the main characters.

After frankly expressing her past thoughts, she would no longer feel guilty towards Mu Zhian.

"Master, do you think it's possible... that I actually knew all along that you had ulterior motives towards me?"

Mu Zhian, with a faint smile on his face, suddenly asked a question out of the blue.

Yan Ruyu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening and looked up at Mu Zhian: "You knew all along?!"

She believed she hadn't revealed her true intentions, but little did she know that Mu Zhi'an already knew the reason she had invited him to become an inner disciple...

Coming to her senses, Yan Ruyu was slightly stunned. The admiring look that had been in her eyes as an elder looking at a junior vanished, replaced by a growing sense of shame. She glared at him and said, "Some things don't need to be said even if you know them. Can't you let me say goodbye properly and leave in peace?!"

There was no resentment or annoyance in his tone; rather, it sounded more like a reproach.

"So, Pavilion Master Yan is indeed planning to say a final goodbye to me?" Mu Zhian chuckled.

Those born with spiritual bodies, aside from other aspects, have a significant amplification in their perception of spiritual energy and even in some aspects of human emotions.

Mu Zhian had a vague feeling that Yan Ruyu seemed to have something on her mind, which is why she said goodbye to him.

Surprisingly, he was right.

Mu Zhian suddenly looked at Yan Ruyu mysteriously and said, "By the way, Pavilion Master Yan, I'll tell you another secret."

Yan Ruyu's beautiful eyes flickered as she stared hesitantly at Mu Zhian.

Mu Zhian looked around to make sure no one was there before leaning close to her ear and saying, "Actually, I was waiting for you to cheat on me too."

Sneaking food?

Before Yan Ruyu could even react, Mu Zhian had already wrapped his arms around her voluptuous waist.

Even through a layer of clothing, one could feel the breathtaking softness of that delicate body.

Yan Ruyu was still in a daze when Mu Zhian suddenly attacked her. Her body instinctively squeezed her legs together and lowered her hips, trying to break free from his embrace.

However, without using her spiritual energy, she was completely unable to break free from Mu Zhi'an's grasp.

However, if we use spiritual energy now, it will inevitably alert the spirit dragon and that mysterious senior... and might even attract that senior sister from Dao Peak, which would be really troublesome.

Suppressing her inner turmoil, Yan Ruyu frowned slightly and said reproachfully, "Do you know what you're doing?!"

Although she tried her best to maintain her dignity as an elder, her tone was shy, more like a young woman playfully scolding and coquettishly pleading.

"I just want to fulfill Pavilion Master Yan's wish," Mu Zhi'an said softly, gazing into her eyes.

"I no longer have that wish."

Yan Ruyu placed her hands on Mu Zhian's chest, as if trying to push him away: "Don't do this, I... I am your elder!"

Whether in terms of lifespan or seniority within the sect, Yan Ruyu is indeed much higher than Mu Zhian.

The moment these words were spoken, Mu Zhian's arm around Yan Ruyu stiffened slightly, almost breaking his composure in a second.

But he did not let go. Instead, he held her waist tightly and said softly, "Sect Master Yan, in my heart, I have always regarded you as my benefactor. If it weren't for you, I would probably still be a small outer disciple, and I would not have received the care of the other leaders."

Yan Ruyu glared at him: "Do you know what you're doing right now?!"

Being held so intimately by a boy much younger than herself, who was saying he considered her a benefactor while holding her so close, Yan Ruyu was so angry she almost laughed. Seeing that Mu Zhian didn't speak, she suddenly raised her head, about to speak.

However, the moment she looked up, Mu Zhian had already lowered his head and occupied her full, rosy lips.

Yan Ruyu's delicate body suddenly stiffened. She stared intently into Mu Zhian's eyes and transmitted her voice, a tone that seemed to convey both anger and shame:

"Is this how you treat your benefactor?!"

Mu Zhian smiled and said, "Of course, I'm a person who repays kindness."

Before Yan Ruyu could speak again, Mu Zhian transmitted his voice once more: "If Pavilion Master Yan has any worries, feel free to tell your disciple."

"Perhaps, I might be able to help you?"

Chapter 560 You unfaithful husband!

Faced with Mu Zhian's unchaste behavior and his tendency to resort to sneak attacks at the slightest disagreement, Yan Ruyu instinctively wanted to resist and push him away.

But as Mu Zhian finished asking the question, her beautiful eyes widened instantly, seemingly surprised.

Yan Ruyu quickly came to her senses. Looking at that handsome face, her delicate brows furrowed, and she said reproachfully, "I have no worries, but you, do you know what you're doing right now?"

"If Senior Spirit Dragon were to come out and see this at this moment..."

His tone carried the reprimand of an elder lecturing a junior, but it was not hard to see from his expression that Yan Ruyu did not feel any resentment at all, but rather showed more care for his disciple.

Mu Zhi'an held her slender waist, looking at this intelligent woman in the prime of her life, and said softly, "Is Pavilion Master Yan just worried about being discovered by Senior Linglong? So, you actually don't mind this kind of thing... right?"

Feeling the warmth of the boy's chest, and realizing that her delicate body was being held tightly in his arms, Yan Ruyu's eyes glazed over for a moment.

She immediately realized what was happening, a blush spreading across her fair face. She turned away and spat, "I shouldn't have taken you in as an inner disciple of my library in the first place. Now that you've attained enlightenment, instead of being grateful, you've come up with wicked ideas."

"Sect Master is just one step away from enlightenment. I'm only doing this to help you," Mu Zhian chuckled.

"You should be able to sense the spiritual energy of the innate furnace now, right?"

Yan Ruyu was stunned for a moment, and then, after noticing Mu Zhian's gaze, she quickly realized what he meant by the innate spiritual energy of the furnace.

"I...I don't feel anything."

Having said that, she tried her best to maintain the aloof and composed image she usually projected in front of her disciples, and said in a gentle tone, "I will not mention today's events to anyone, and you should not continue down this wrong path..."

Mu Zhian silently gazed at the woman, never loosening his arms that were tightly embracing her delicate body.

For no reason, he thought of Gong Lianyue and felt that Yan Ruyu's personality was exactly the same as the Palace Master's. Their arrogant and stubborn demeanor was almost identical.

Gong Lianyue and Bai Ruoxi are like the body and the blade of a sword. No matter who controls the body, the other can experience the same feelings in the world of the heart.

At that time, Gong Lianyue often stubbornly insisted that she had no interest in the innate furnace, and that she only reluctantly accepted it because Bai Ruoxi wanted the spiritual energy of the innate furnace.

As a result, Bai Ruoxi forcibly changed the spiritual consciousness and let Gong Lianyue take control of the body. After only a short while, Gong Lianyue couldn't help but give in half-heartedly.

In fact, halfway through, Mu Zhian took the initiative, while Gong Lianyue took the initiative.

Actually, in Mu Zhian's fishpond, the easiest girls to coax are not girls like Lingxuan and Qian'er, nor the simple and kind Linglong, but rather the proud and arrogant Gong Lianyue.

Despite possessing the world's most formidable fighting power, when it comes to matters of the heart, Gong Lian Yue is arguably even less capable than Xiao Bai.

Rather than scheming and plotting, she preferred to directly wield the bronze sword and cut off all troubles.

As for Linglong... she is simple-minded, but not stupid. She actually knows a lot about Mu Zhian's bad intentions, and even knows when Mu Zhian is lying, but she is usually too lazy to expose him.

Because this would put Mu Zhian in a difficult position.

But if you accidentally anger that spirit dragon lady, you'll probably get a verbal attack.

For example: 'Mu Zhi'an will be obsessed with me all night.'

Or perhaps it's a kind of spiritual saying like 'Mu Zhian cannot bestow upon others the innate spiritual energy of a furnace'.

Just as the thought was flashing through his mind, Yan Ruyu's soft body had already lightly broken free from his embrace. Her soft little hand gently stroked Mu Zhian's face, and she said softly, "You are now married to Fairy Yao Meng... Although it is not a real marriage, it is still a grand wedding witnessed by countless people in Kyushu."

"Besides, our relationship is ultimately special. If other disciples in the sect see it in the future, there will inevitably be some gossip."

Upon hearing this, Mu Zhian stared at her blankly.

Yan Ruyu has gentle features and a faint smile. Her skin is firm, but what is even more remarkable is the mature charm that time has bestowed upon her, as well as the care and tenderness that an elder should show when looking at a disciple.

As for Yan Ruyu, although she initially chose Mu Zhian purely because she discovered that he was born with the body of a furnace, after spending more time with this inner disciple, she gradually developed a better impression of this fair-skinned and handsome disciple.

However, she always felt a little guilty towards Mu Zhian at that time, and Mu Zhian was still a 'little cabbage' back then... so she never made a move.

Unexpectedly, he entered the pilgrimage hall and happened to rescue the spirit of Fairy Yao Meng.

Moreover, that fairy also showed great favor to Mu Zhian.

"So, it turns out that Pavilion Master Yan was considering my needs in every way, which is why she's rejecting me now?" Mu Zhian stared at Yan Ruyu's mature and sexy face, momentarily lost in thought.

Soon after, as if he had lost all his strength, he released his hand from her slender waist.

"I'm sorry, I was too willful just now..."

Yan Ruyu was stunned for a moment, looking at Mu Zhian whose face was full of disappointment, and remained silent.

Mu Zhian turned his head slightly and looked at the sect disciples who occasionally flew by on their swords outside Tianhe Garden. His expression was full of melancholy and loneliness.

"I know that in Pavilion Master Yan's mind, I am already someone who often lies, right?"

"However, what I said to you earlier was truly from the bottom of my heart."

"Back when I was completely useless, you were the only one who chose me as an inner disciple of the library. At that time, I actually suspected that you had discovered the secret of the innate furnace body."

At that time, Mu Zhian not only had doubts, but he had also confirmed the matter.

"To be honest, I was really looking forward to it at that time... but I was also a little nervous."

At this point, Mu Zhian paused slightly, turned his head to look at me with a melancholy look in his eyes: "Because I have always secretly admired you, I once hoped that we could have a beautiful love story... But I was also a little uneasy, worried that if you knew that I had other thoughts about you back then, would you look down on me?"

These words were actually largely Mu Zhian's true feelings. At that time, he did have some feelings for Yan Ruyu, and he was afraid that if she knew what he was thinking, she would distance herself from him.

So I've never revealed my feelings.

Yan Ruyu had also secretly admired...or rather, coveted the innate furnace, because she always felt guilty towards Mu Zhian.

The fact that she so frankly expressed her past thoughts about Mu Zhian just now shows that she had already given up and was prepared to gradually distance herself from him from now on.

But unexpectedly, Mu Zhian confessed his feelings and even kissed her...

Mu Zhian's confession made her realize that they had both had feelings for each other in the past... which meant that the two of them were back on the same level.

"I'm telling you all this today in the hope that you can understand."

Mu Zhian tightened his grip on Yan Ruyu's small hand again, gently pulled it, lowered his head slightly and rested his face against her chest, and whispered, "It wasn't just you who had any thoughts about me back then... Actually, I felt the same way as you."

Yan Ruyu stared at him intently.

The initial resistance in my heart gradually softened, turning into an indescribable sweetness and joy.

"But...but I am still your guide, your elder...Everyone in the sect knows about this, and if it gets out in the future, it might affect your reputation." Her tone was full of complex emotions.

"Besides, if either Fairy Yao Meng or Ruoxi knew about this, I'm afraid..."

As soon as Yan Ruyu finished speaking, she saw Mu Zhian raise his head, gazing at her with a look of infatuation and tenderness.

He reached out and placed his hand on Yan Ruyu's delicate and smooth face, and said in a low voice, "Sect Master Yan, I will handle this matter well. You were my benefactor when I first joined the sect, so no matter what, I will try my best to repay your kindness."

"Is this how you repay kindness—by behaving disrespectfully towards your elders?" Yan Ruyu gave him a charming glare, but then lowered her head shyly under Mu Zhian's affectionate gaze.

She turned her face slightly away, not daring to look at the sect disciple's face again.