Once Yuan and Feng Yuxiang entered the guest house, Bai Sulan retrieved a silver medallion and placed it on the doorstep before leaving to find the servants.
Shortly after Bai Sulan left, the presences that had been shadowing them from a distance finally revealed themselves and began approaching the guest house. However, when they saw Bai Sulanâs medallion resting on the doorstep like a ward for ghosts, these Heavenly White Tigers hesitated to approach the door.
Just as they were preparing to leave, the door swung open and Yuan stepped out to meet the tigers head-on.
At a glance, there were around two hundred of them, all sharing similar traitsâwhite and black hair that marked their lineage. As for the gender ratio, about 90 percent of them were females.
"How can I help you guys?" Yuan asked.
The female tigers exchanged glances with each other before one of them spoke, "Um...Sorry, we didnât know you were Lady Sulanâs partner."
Yuan raised his eyebrows at this remark and said, "What are you talking about?"
The tiger pointed at the medallion by his feet and explained, "That is Lady Sulanâs medallion. Itâs a declaration that you belong to her..."
Yuan looked at the medallion and picked it up.
"What were you going to do if I werenât her partner?" Yuan then asked.
The female tigers exchanged glances again.
"We wanted to see if you wanted to have some fun..." one of them eventually responded.
Yuan cleared his throat and said, "Ah, then Iâll respectfully decline."
The female tigers lowered their heads in a dejected manner. As for the men, one of them said, "Weâre here for the lady with you."
"Get lost!" Feng Yuxiangâs irritated voice rang out from inside the house.
The tigers immediately scattered, scrambling away in a panic.
Yuan then placed Bai Sulanâs medallion back down on the doorstep and returned inside the house.
A few hours later, three figures approached the house.
"Handsome little brother, I am back." Bai Sulan spoke as she knocked on the door.
Yuan opened the door.
"Welcome back."
Bai Sulan and the two servants entered the house shortly after.
"They are Senior Brother Xutao and Senior Sister Ningâs servants," Bai Sulan gestured toward the two female tigers.
The one on the left, who had short hair, bowed and said, "I am Young Master Xutaoâs servant."
The one on the right, whose long hair reached all the way to her lower back, followed suit. "I am Lady Ningâs servant."
"Iâd like to meet with your masters," said Yuan, going straight to the point.
The short-haired servant responded first, "I apologize, but Young Master Xutao is currently in closed cultivation and wonât be able to meet you."
The long-haired servant then spoke, "Lady Ning is also in closed cultivation right now."
"Any idea when theyâll come out?" Yuan asked.
"No." They both shook their heads.
Yuan pondered for a moment before retrieving a jade slip from his spatial ring. He offered it to the long-haired servant and said, "Iâd like to return this to your master."
"This...?" The servant raised her eyebrows in a puzzled manner.
"This isâ!"
When she glimpsed inside the jade slip and saw what was inside, her eyes widened with shock and disbelief. She was so shocked that she almost dropped the jade slip.
"Whatâs that?" Bai Sulan asked, her eyes flickering with curiosity.
"T-This is Lady Ningâs personal logbook..."
"A logbook? On what?"
"The Immortal Monarch..."
"WHAT?!" Bai Sulan exclaimed, her face filled with bewilderment.
Everyone in the Heavenly White Tiger Clan knew of Bai Ningâs obsession with the Immortal Monarch. It had reached the point where even the Clan Leader had given up trying to convince her to find a suitable partner.
"Senior Sister Ning actually handed you something so precious? She wouldnât even let father touch it, let alone borrow it... Unless... you actually stole it from her?" Bai Sulan looked at Yuan with worry.
Yuan chuckled, "Of course not. She allowed me to borrow it. If you donât believe me, youâll know once you return it to her."
The long-haired servant nodded and said, "Iâll return it to her immediately. Is there anything else you need me for?"
"No, you can go."
"I understand."
The long-haired servant left shortly after.
"What about me?" asked the short-haired servant.
Yuan paused for a moment before asking, "Iâd like to learn more about your master, Bai Xutao. Is that possible?"
The servant hesitatedâsharing such information could easily be seen as betrayal, a crime punishable by death. Yet Yuan was clearly someone important to Bai Ning, and refusing him outright didnât seem wise.
Noticing this, Bai Sulan spoke, "She might get in trouble with Bai Xutao if she reveals information about him. I donât know as much as his personal servant, but Iâll tell you everything I know about him."
Yuan nodded, "Sure."
While Bai Sulan revealed everything she knew about Bai Xutao to Yuan, the long-haired servant headed straight to Bai Ning.
Somewhere deep within the Heavenly White Valley, Bai Ning was honing her techniquesâeach strike demolishing entire mountains with ease. Ever since her humiliating defeat to Yuan, she had been training in this place without rest.
"Lady Ning, I apologize for interrupting your training, but this is an emergency."
The servant dropped to her knees the moment she appeared before her.
"I donât care," Bai Ning immediately dismissed her.
"..."
After a moment of silence, the servant retrieved the jade slip and placed it on the ground.
"Then Iâll leave this here for when you have time."
Bai Ning subconsciously glanced at the jade slip, her eyes narrowing slightly as she caught a familiar scent lingering on it.
The moment she recognized the object, her eyes widened with shock.
Just as the servant stood and turned to leave, Bai Ning suddenly roared, "STOP RIGHT THERE!"
The servant was so startled by her voice that she tripped over her own feet and fell face-first to the ground.
As the servant scrambled back to her feet and turned around, she saw Bai Ning charging toward her with a terrifying expression, scaring the living soul out of her.