Meanwhile.
The Lineage disciples returned to their clans like dogs with nowhere to go, bringing back only scant, worthless information from their investigation.
As Liu Gaoyuan listened to their reports, his brows knotted so tightly they seemed twisted into a rope.
The useful information these disciples had brought back was as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns, and they knew even less than nothing about the situation outside the city.
The city gates were shut tight, like walls of bronze and iron. The city walls were under the City Lord's Mansion's stringent guard as well. They could not rashly approach; if they went, they would be moths flying into the flame, courting their own destruction.
Liu Gaoyuan sank into deep thought. Though this investigation had not met with harsh obstruction from the City Lord's Mansion, it had yielded almost nothing—a bamboo basket drawing water, all for naught.
This made him clearly realize that uncovering the secrets beyond the city was far more difficult than he had imagined.
"It seems the City Lord's Mansion's defenses are exceedingly tight. Forcing our way through the gates will not be easy either. We must seek another method," Liu Gaoyuan muttered, a trace of unwillingness showing in his eyes.
After hearing the disciples' reports, the representatives of the other Lineages also revealed troubled expressions, like eggplants beaten by frost, limp and listless.
They had originally hoped to find a breakthrough through this investigation, to point the way toward their Lineages' future development. Now that their hopes had fallen through, they were naturally frantic with worry.
"What should we do? We can't just sit here and wait for death," one Lineage representative said anxiously.
"Don't panic yet. Let's carefully analyze the current situation again. Perhaps we can start from another angle."
Liu Gaoyuan tried to