As Li Meirong waited for them to reach her, she opened her pack, grabbed the flask and gulped down several mouthfuls of water. The thirst and fatigue caused her to forego grace. She drank so fast, water was seeping out of the corners of her lips, trickling down her chin and trailing its way down her pale neck. It was incredibly hot, even as the sun began to set.

Bai Qingyue stared hypnotized. Observing the water droplets making their way down Li Meirong's smooth flesh. How was it that even as she drank water so unceremoniously, she still managed to appear so enticing?

His golden orbs darkened intensely as he stood on his hind legs and stretched out to touch his snout to her long, pale neck. His little pink tongue protruded and gently licked the water from her sensitive flesh.

"Little Fox, What do you think you're doing?" Li Meirong felt ticklish and giggled as she gently pushed the cub away.

Realizing he must be thirsty, she took a little wooden bowl out of her pack, put it on the ground and filled it with water.

"I'm sorry, you must be so parched! Here you go." She positioned the cub in front of the bowl and gave him a little gentle pat on the head.

Bai Qingyue felt a vein on his forehead pulse with rage. He has never been treated like this before. The proud noble son of heaven, resorted to pretending he was a dumb fox, drinking from a bowl on the ground… Unheard of!

He cast his eyes up to his future wife, glaring the seductive long neck he just licked a moment ago.

He took a deep breath and contained his rage, analyzing her scent.

The girl's skin tasted so sweet and her intoxicating smell assaulted his senses. She had an addictive fragrance to her, mixed with herbs.

Yes, there it was. Her own special scent, perfectly complemented by the smell of jasmine and lavender.

He looked back at the bowl of water placed at his feet.

'Fine. It was worth it.'

He shall allow this insult to slide.

Bai Qingyue lapped the water with his tongue for a short while.

There were more important matters to focus on, like this Chou thing she spoke to, or those pesky humans who were now heading their way to disrupt his time.

Meanwhile, Chou unthreaded his pouch from the inside and crossed his vines around his little chubby form. Conveying his feelings to his master. He always used that pose when he was moody, she knew.

Noticing her Plant Spirit, Li Meirong grabbed the flask's cap, filled it with a bit of water and handed it to her grumpy pet.

This satisfied Chou. He grabbed the cap with his leaves and splashed the water on himself.

Suddenly, sensing a murderous gaze filled with animosity aimed at him, his little plant body shivered involuntarily from a sudden chill in the air.

Bai Qingyue's eyes narrowed down, spotting the plant as it emerged from the pouch.

'Oh, so this is the menace sticking to my girl, huh.' The thought boiled in his mind.

It'd been many years since Bai Qingyue had eaten a vegetarian dish, but suddenly, he craved one!

Chou had no eyes, but he could sense that powerful aura quite well. It was that fox! It was going to kill his precious plant body! Acting in frightened self preservation, he quickly threaded the pouch shut again to hide inside. He attempted to reason with his master again.

'I still think you should listen to me. This fox is especially dangerous! And these seniors… they're no good, master. Chou is scared!'

"Well, at least we now agree on one thing." Li Meirong whispered back. She, too, started getting a bad vibe from her seniors, but she did wonder what was passing through her plant's mind, who usually seemed so fearless, and had a habit of suggesting that he feast on those he disliked. His true form was as tall as an adult tree and he was, in fact, a carnivorous man eating entity. What could possibly make him scared?

'Master is stupid!!! We are in terrible danger! Boohoohoo...' Chou sobbed.

Li Meirong obliviously concluded Chou was a very odd fellow. She shrugged as she placed her hand over the pouch he resided in and said. "Please quiet now, my seniors are approaching."

'Master, we have to escape while we still can. The fox wants to eat us and the seniors are filled with an aura of malice. Not good, master.' Chou urged again.

Li Meirong kept quiet, considering Chou's telepathic words. The cub was probably just hungry and wanted to eat some meat, but as for her seniors? She waited for them to come back, and hoped they could part under amicable terms. Otherwise, Chou would be her only form of defense.

As she pondered this, her eyes staring focused at the ground noticed the finely crafted leather shoes of Senior Wei and Ying Yue come into her field of vision. They towered over her menacingly.

"What do you think you are doing right now?" Ying Yue asked, a threatening hint in her tone. Senior Wei stood by her side, his brows knitted in a frown.

Li Meirong lifted her gaze to stare up at them. Noticing their lack of cordial pretense, she said, "Seniors, my body is not practised in cultivation like yours is, I think at this point, it would be best if we go our separate ways."

Ying Yue's threatening tone was no longer a hint. Her next words were spoken with pure venom, "No. You will come with us whether you like it or not!"