"Hey, handsome. Where did you come from? I havenât seen you around here before," one of the female tigers said, her movements teasing and suggestive as she approached Yuan.
Yuan calmly faced her and replied, "Thatâs probably because I havenât returned to this place in a few hundred years. What happened here? Itâs completely different from before."
"Thatâs... We decided to renovate the place," answered the female.
The female decided not to mention the Immortal Monarch even though Yuan was a Heavenly White Tiger at this moment, as it was essentially forbidden to mention the Immortal Monarch to keep his return a secret.
"Are you sure? I feel like youâre not telling me everything." Yuan said, sounding somewhat aggressive, to increase the pressure.
The woman then said, "If you give me a good time, Iâll consider telling you about it."
Yuan let out a quiet sigh. Without another word, he activated Shadow Veil and vanished like a ghost, disappearing before the stunned onlookers could react.
After leaving, he went deeper into the Heavenly White Tiger Clanâs territory. Although everything appeared normal at a glance, Yuan could tell that something was off about the atmosphere, as it felt unnaturally heavy.
âEveryone seems nervous. Theyâre probably still having a difficult time accepting the fact that the Immortal Monarch has returned,â Feng Yuxiang remarked after seeing the situation.
âOr, there could be another reason why theyâre so nervous,â said Yuan.
As Yuan wandered the streets, he continued to draw attention despite his efforts to suppress his aura.
As for those who were bold enough to approach him, he would question them about the state of their clan and if anything weird had happened recently. Of course, none of them would reveal anything about the Immortal Monarch, only mentioning that the clan had decided to change.
"What? The clan decided to change? Where did this come from? Itâs hard to believe."
"Itâs true. If you want to know more, you should speak with the elders," said the woman Yuan was speaking to.
Since he wasnât having any luck with the ordinary members of the Heavenly White Tiger Clan, Yuan decided to approach those of higher status. He made his way to the center of their residential area, where the most talented individuals and those with the purest bloodlines resided.
Once a strictly forbidden zone for anyone unqualified, Yuan was pleasantly surprised to find that no one even attempted to stop him. In fact, the area now resembled a tourist attraction, with people freely coming and going, many of whom had never been allowed to set foot there before.
The heavy, oppressive atmosphere that lingered in the outer areas was absent here. Instead, the people seemed more at ease, relaxed and carefree, as if untouched by the concerns weighing down the rest of the clan.
Of course, just like the outer areas, Yuan immediately attracted the people there with his presence.
When one of them approached him, Yuan made some small talk before asking about the situation.
"I havenât been to the clan for hundreds of years, and I couldnât help but notice how different this place has become. What happened while I was away?"
"The Clan Leader and the Elders received enlightenment and realized they had been managing the clan improperly, so they decided to change things for the better."
"What enlightened them? I doubt they woke up one day and decided to change the clan so drastically," Yuan continued to ask.
"Since youâre part of the clan, youâll eventually learn the truth, but itâs forbidden for us ordinary members to reveal it."
"Then, do you know why the atmosphere in the outer areas is so heavy?"
"Theyâre probably struggling to trust the Clan Leader, especially after so many generations of being treated poorly. I donât blame them. I was like that too for the first two months. The change was simply too sudden."
"Still struggling to adapt, huh? What about the Clan Leader? Whatâs he doing these days?"
"Who knows? Ever since that incident half a year ago, he hasnât shown himself. But thatâs nothing newâhe was rarely seen even before everything changed."
The residents in this area were far more willing to speak, yet not a single one mentioned the return of the Immortal Monarch.
âTheyâre really keeping a tight lip about your appearance, huh?â Feng Yuxiang chuckled.
Once he was satisfied, Yuan left to find Bai Sulan, but since he didnât know where she lived, he had to ask for directions.
"Young Lady Sulan? Sheâs currently living within the main household with the Clan Leader and the elders, so you wonât be able to meet her without their permission."
"Why did she move there, you ask? Well... letâs just say her bloodline has awakened, and now sheâs the clanâs top priority."
Yuan casually dropped a name to gauge their response. "Really? Thatâs amazing. Bai Xutao must be pretty upset about that."
As expected, the moment the name left his lips, the people around him exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions turning awkward and tense.
"Whatâs wrong?" Yuan asked after seeing their reaction.
"The Young MasterâNo, that troublemaker is no longer with us. Apparently, he died in an accident," one of them said.
"Heâs dead?" Yuanâs eyes widened, pretending to be shocked by this news. "How did he die?"
They shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders.
"I see. What about Bai Ning?"
"Sheâs also at the main household. I heard she went into closed cultivation."
"Thank you."
Since there were no other places he could go to investigate, Yuan decided to head to the main household to find the Clan Leader and the Elders.
However, unlike entering the center of their residential area, it was still prohibited for ordinary members to approach the main household without permission.
"Stop right there. Who are you, and what are you doing here?" The guard, a Bronze Immortal, questioned Yuan.
Yuan looked at the guard and spoke a single word in a commanding tone, "Sit."
Instantly, the guard sat down on the ground with a dazed look on his face.
"You... you canât be..." he swallowed hard, his eyes as wide as saucers.