“Because within the Sacred Dragon Clan, apart from the Gold Dragon Clan, no other dragon race is deemed worthy to hold the position of Clan Leader; this has been the rule for tens of thousands of years. Moreover, the Gold Dragon Clan has historically been the sovereign among all dragon races, in both power and prestige. Even the most supreme magics of the Dragon Clan can only be mastered by us Gold Dragons; even if other Sacred Dragons wished to learn them, without the unique constitution of the Gold Dragon Clan, it would be futile.”

Upon hearing this, Mo Han finally nodded, understanding why the Sacred Dragon Clan Leader harbored no worries about the Elders’ Council denying his authority.

The Sacred Dragon Clan Leader continued speaking, “Furthermore, the members of the Elder Council are not fools. They would absolutely not dare risk offending the entire Sacred Dragon Clan by rejecting the supremacy of the Gold Dragon Clan. Even if they were to deny it, the rest of the Sacred Dragons would still recognize our status. Given this situation, do you truly believe the Elder Council would act rashly? Therefore, the scenarios you described will absolutely not occur.”

Mo Han, hearing this, nodded and then spoke, “But I still don't understand. If that is the case, why did your Sacred Dragon Clan establish this Elder Council in the first place, inviting such trouble upon yourselves?”

The Sacred Dragon Clan Leader shook his head and replied, “Although the Elder Council possesses some power to check the Clan Leader’s authority, in reality, the Elders throughout history have been highly supportive of the Clan Leader's decisions. They generally do not object to the Clan Leader’s resolutions. It is only in the last few centuries that the nature of the Elder Council has slowly changed, developing a tendency to vie against us, the Gold Dragon Clan.”

Listening to the explanation, Mo Han speculated aloud, “Only these few centuries? Could this be related to Elder Blaid?” The Sacred Dragon Clan Leader looked deeply at Mo Han, a flicker of approval crossing his eyes, and spoke, “Prince Dianxia is indeed astute. Since Blaid entered the Elder Council, through some unknown means, he has gained the trust of those old fellows, to the point where they almost automatically follow his counsel. Blaid himself seems to harbor a prejudice against me. Thus, since I assumed the mantle of Clan Leader, the Elder Council has, on several occasions surpassing recorded history, opposed my proposals, including the investigation into the truth behind the Old Clan Leader’s demise. The Elders believe the cause of the late Clan Leader’s death is linked to Blaid, and that no further useless effort is needed.”

At this point, the Sacred Dragon Clan Leader spoke with resignation, “You must understand. While I possess the authority of the Clan Leader to order a thorough investigation, setting aside whether a true result could even be found, the mere act of doing so would immediately place me in opposition to the Elder Council. This is not the outcome I wish to see.”

Mo Han understood that the Clan Leader spoke the truth. Since the Elder Council held such significant influence within the Sacred Dragon Clan, falling out with them would undoubtedly be detrimental to the Clan Leader. It was no wonder he harbored suspicions but had refrained from acting.

The Sacred Dragon Clan Leader continued, “Moreover, it would be one thing if the investigation yielded results. But if nothing were uncovered, I would instantly alienate those in the Elder Council and might even provoke internal conflict within our Sacred Dragon Clan. You must remember, Blaid still commands considerable support within the Clan. The current Sacred Dragon Clan cannot endure such strife. If an internal conflict were to erupt, although Blaid and his faction would undoubtedly perish, the Sacred Dragon Clan would suffer grievous losses. Furthermore, this would be an even heavier blow to us, the Dragon race, psychologically.”

“That is why, despite my suspicions about Blaid’s claims, I have been unable to initiate an investigation against him. Meanwhile, this girl, Rou Xue, has persistently clung to these matters, secretly investigating on her own. While I know she lacks the means to uncover any real discrepancies, I simultaneously hope she might truly find some evidence. And even if the Elder Council learned that Rou Xue was investigating these matters, given the general perception of her, coupled with her relationship with Blaid, they certainly wouldn't say much, dismissing it as childish antics that warrant no concern.”

Hearing the Clan Leader’s explanation, Mo Han finally spoke, “So, you knew that Rou Xue asked me to go to the Gulan Ruins later to deal with Blaid, and you deliberately allowed me to stall for time, hoping she might discover something, is that right?” The Sacred Dragon Clan Leader nodded, effectively confirming it.

“But if you suspected foul play, why did you initially ask me to step forward and kill Blaid? If Blaid were truly dead, wouldn’t that make further investigation impossible?” Mo Han voiced the lingering doubt in his heart.

The Sacred Dragon Clan Leader smiled, answering quite frankly, “The reasons are simple. First, this was the resolution established by the Elder Council and the Clan at the time: Blaid must be killed. Even as Clan Leader, I cannot overturn it. Second, at that time, I did not fully understand you, nor did I intend to disclose these matters to you. Naturally, I could only instruct you to eliminate Blaid according to the Clan’s regulation.”

“But you must have known Rou Xue would seek my help, so you were confident I wouldn't go directly to the Gulan Ruins to cause trouble for Blaid, right? It seems everything I do is calculated by you.” Mo Han expressed his suspicion with a hint of annoyance, feeling as though he had been manipulated.

The Sacred Dragon Clan Leader chuckled, “But you haven't been disadvantaged, have you? I helped you break the seal on the Light Sacred Sword; that was a great favor. Remember, there is no such thing as a free lunch.” A hint of cunning flashed in the Sacred Dragon Clan Leader’s eyes, leaving Mo Han feeling frustrated but utterly helpless.

In the end, Mo Han could only offer a wry smile, “Alright, you certainly know how to argue your case. But if you wanted Rou Xue to investigate in secret, why rush to tell me all this now? Shouldn't the longer the time dragged on, the more helpful it would be to Rou Xue?”

“That should have been the case,” the Sacred Dragon Clan Leader replied slowly. “But circumstances have now changed, and you must hasten to the Gulan Ruins to meet Blaid.”

“What happened? Why the sudden urgency?” Mo Han questioned, voicing his confusion.

The Sacred Dragon Clan Leader did not answer Mo Han’s question immediately. Instead, he stared intently at Mo Han and said, “Have you been to Demon Dragon Island and met with the Demon Dragon Clan members?”

Mo Han realized then that this matter could not be concealed from the Sacred Dragon Clan, so he admitted it straightforwardly. “Could this matter be related to the Demon Dragon Clan?” Mo Han asked doubtfully.

The Sacred Dragon Clan Leader nodded. “You know that the Demon Dragon Clan has always been the enemy of our Sacred Dragon Clan. Though we share draconic blood, the conflict between us has never ceased. Furthermore, to my knowledge, you seem to have reached some sort of agreement with the Demon Dragon Clan Leader.” Having said this, the Sacred Dragon Clan Leader watched Mo Han quietly with deep, probing eyes.

Hearing the Clan Leader suddenly mention these matters, Mo Han’s heart skipped a beat. He had indeed reached an agreement with the Demon Dragon Clan Leader. However, only he, Bai Ling, and the Demon Dragon Clan knew about it. Bai Ling and Dai Li would never reveal such things. So how did the Sacred Dragon Clan Leader find out? If the Sacred Dragon Clan discovered he agreed to the Demon Dragon Clan Leader’s demands, they probably wouldn't let him off so easily, Mo Han thought bitterly. Yet, judging by the Clan Leader’s tone, there seemed to be no intention to blame him. If the Clan Leader truly meant to deal with him, Mo Han knew he would be no match. Furthermore, the Clan Leader’s demeanor suggested no intention of attack.

Mo Han could only answer honestly, “I am surprised your intelligence network is so efficient, Clan Leader. You know everything, haha. May I ask where you heard about these things?”

The Sacred Dragon Clan Leader merely allowed a slight smile to curve his lips. “That is none of your concern. I assume the Demon Dragon Clan Leader demanded that you bring the Seven-Star Dragon Pearl back to them? But you must know, the Seven-Star Dragon Pearl is the foundational treasure of our Sacred Dragon Clan. Since you previously promised us you would retrieve it, why would you agree to the Demon Dragon Clan Leader’s request? I genuinely cannot comprehend this. From what I know of you, even if your friends were captured by the Demon Dragon Clan Leader to coerce you, you would never be someone so treacherous. I require an explanation.”

Mo Han felt a sense of helplessness, replying, “It is true that I agreed to the Demon Dragon Clan Leader’s demand, but the reasons behind it are something I cannot disclose. I fear that even if I explained, you might not believe me.”

Seeing Mo Han refuse him, the Sacred Dragon Clan Leader’s brow furrowed slightly. He spoke slowly, “You must understand, with your current actions, I would be entirely justified in killing you right now, as you were the first to break faith. You have only yourself to blame.”

Mo Han, however, showed no fear, remaining calm as he stated, “I am well aware of these implications. If I had truly done as you claim, I would not deny it. But why are you so certain that I, Mo Han, am treacherous? Do you have any proof?”

The Sacred Dragon Clan Leader simply stared silently at Mo Han and replied, “Since you have already agreed to hand the Seven-Star Dragon Pearl to the Demon Dragon Clan Leader, you naturally cannot fulfill our request. Where will you find a Seven-Star Dragon Pearl to give us then? What is that if not perfidy?”

“Indeed, I agreed to bring the Seven-Star Dragon Pearl to the Demon Dragon Clan Leader, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I have broken my promise to you, does it?” Mo Han maintained his composed demeanor.

Now, even the Sacred Dragon Clan Leader seemed slightly bewildered, but his expression remained unchanged as he spoke plainly, “Oh? Then I should like to hear Your Highness’s profound insight. Do you perhaps possess a second Seven-Star Dragon Pearl?”

Mo Han smiled faintly and began to speak slowly, “I naturally do not possess another one from the Dragon race, but I can explain why my actions do not constitute a violation of your requirement.”

The Sacred Dragon Clan Leader remained silent, gazing steadily at Mo Han, waiting to see what he intended to say.

Mo Han continued, “Firstly, I only promised Clan Leader that upon obtaining the Seven-Star Dragon Pearl, I would hand it over to the Sacred Dragon Clan. But I don't recall promising the Clan Leader that I would return it immediately, do I?”

The Sacred Dragon Clan Leader frowned, “While it wasn't explicitly stated, I assumed, given your current strength and status, Your Highness, that such things needed no declaration? If you claim you will hold the Dragon Pearl for decades before returning it to the Sacred Dragon Clan, I would be profoundly disappointed, as that would be nothing short of the behavior of a rogue.”

Mo Han shook his head. “That situation certainly won't occur, so please rest assured, Clan Leader. However, if I return it a few days late, I trust you wouldn't object? Surely, a mission of this immense difficulty allows for a little extra time due to unforeseen delays? I believe taking a bit more time is warranted, yes?” Seeing Mo Han’s unfathomable smile, the Sacred Dragon Clan Leader felt, for the first time, unable to penetrate his thoughts, but he still nodded. “If it is only a matter of a few days, then naturally, that is not an issue.”

Mo Han laughed even harder. “That further proves I have not broken my word.”