After receiving permission, Zhu Yuying turned to look at Yuan and said with a smile on her face, "Master just gave me the permission to go to the fourth floor to get the cultivation technique, so if you don't mind, give me a couple of minutes to get it for you since you cannot go there."
Yuan nodded, "Thank you very much. Your Master is Senior Bai, right? Please thank him for me as well."
"I will. You can wait for me in the guest area over there." Zhu Yuying pointed in a certain direction before leaving the scene.
However, to everyone's surprise, Zhu Yuying returned a few moments later and said, "Yuan, my Master said he'd like to speak with you again if you don't mind."
"I don't mind." Yuan nodded.
"Great. Do you still remember the way to the third floor? I cannot go with you since I will be going a different way this time."
"I remember."
"Alright. My Master is currently busy, but he will finish things up as soon as possible before coming to you. You can wait for him at the door in the meantime."
After saying that, Zhu Yuying left for good this time.
"I will be right back," Yuan said to the ladies before going to the third floor whilst the others went to the guest area to sit around.
Once he reached the staircase to the third floor, the guards there turned to look at him.
"Only authorized individuals may go up." One of them said to him.
Since they were not the same guard as previously and they weren't told by Zhu Yuying about Yuan, they had no idea that Yuan was authorized by Senior Bai to go upstairs.
"Senior Bai said he'd like to speak with me," Yuan said to them.
"What? Master Bai?"
The two guards exchanged glances, both filled with shock. They have worked here for hundreds of years yet this is the first time someone was given permission to speak with Senior Bai.
"Do you have any proof?" One of them asked a moment later.
"Uhh… I don't think so…" Yuan shook his head.
"As much as I want to let you go up, I don't want to risk it. What if you're lying to me? Our job— No, our lives are on the line here." The guard then said.
Yuan was also wearing a mask, which made the guards naturally wary of him.
"How problematic…" Yuan mumbled.
Without Zhu Yuying, he didn't know how to speak with Senior Bai.
"Guess I will just have to wait here until Senior Bai realizes that I am not showing up and let him speak with you two," Yuan said to the guards, and he began standing there.
"Uhh…"
The two guards began sweating. If what Yuan had told them was true and they made Senior Bai wait, that would be as bad as listening to Yuan if he lied.
"Shit… What should we do? Should we play it safe and make him wait or let him go?" One of the guards whispered to the other.
"Why the heck are you asking me? You're the senior one! You decide!"
"Don't pull that bullshit on me! I was here only 3 days earlier than you!"
While the two guards pondered whether they should let Yuan go or wait, Zhu Yuying arrived at the fourth floor.
However, she was blocked by the person managing the entrance.
"What are you doing on my floor, Disciple Zhu?" A pretty young girl with sharp facial features stood before her with a cold expression on her face.
"Why do you care, Fei Xinyi? It's none of your business." Zhu Yuying coldly snorted.
"Because this is my floor, and as the boss, I am entitled to know your business here," she responded.
"Is that right?" Zhu Yuying remained calm.
"That's right."
"I am here under Master's direction. I think that's the most you need to know."
"What? Master?" Fei Xinyi immediately frowned.
"I swear… If you're using the Master as an excuse…"
"If you're doubting me, you can go ahead and ask the Master himself. Anyways, I am going to do my job." Zhu Yuying said before she walked around Fei Xinyi.
"A-As if I can do that! You know he doesn't like being bothered by insignificant matters!" Fei Xinyi said as she followed Zhu Yuying to see what she was up to.
After walking for a few minutes, Zhu Yuying stopped before a certain shelf that was filled with techniques.
"Let's see… Ah, here it is…" Zhu Yuying reached for the technique when she found it.
"You… What are you doing with that technique? Why would the Master need that technique? Something's not right here!" Fei Xinyi said with a frown on her face.
Zhu Yuying shrugged her shoulders and said, "I never said this was for the Master. I am only doing something for the Master."
"Hmph! I don't believe you! I am going to see what you're up to, and if you're up to no good, I am going to complain to the Master!"
"Do whatever you want." Zhu Yuying shrugged again, and she began making her way back to the first floor but with an additional person.
Meanwhile, back at the first floor, while Meixiu and the others waited for Yuan, Meixiu would stare at Lan Yingying silently— or more specifically, Lan Yingying's stomach, almost like she wanted to say something.
Lan Yingying noticed this and asked her, "Is there something on me?"
"No… I was just wondering about something…" Meixiu subconsciously responded, and she continued, "You're pregnant with Yuan's baby, right? How does it feel? Pregnancy."
"Excuse me? Pregnant? Who's pregnant? And whose baby?" Feng Yuxiang suddenly turned to look at them with her eyes as wide as saucers.
Even Xiao Hua was staring at them with wide eyes, almost like she was in disbelief.
Lan Yingying looked at Feng Yuxiang and explained, "I asked the Lord to impregnate me, and he agreed."
Then she returned to Meixiu and continued as though it was normal, "Although I have accepted his blood, I am not actually pregnant yet so I don't feel any different from usual."
Feng Yuxiang's jaw dropped to the ground after hearing Lan Yingying's words, and then she recalled Meixiu's sudden and confusing question about how Divine Beasts make babies when Yuan was still in the Mystic Realm.
'E-Everything makes sense now!' she cried inwardly, feeling a huge headache coming.