They talked through the night, the skies gradually shifting colors from coal black to midnight blue. As Bai Qingyue made his demands, Bai Zhang's heart and expression only sank further.

He could not help but voice his concerns on the matter.

"Are you not afraid she may leave when she eventually finds out about all your… mischief?" Bai Zhang asked. Privately, he thought he was putting the matter mildly.

Bai Qingyue snorted, waving a hand as if to emphasize how ridiculous he considered such a notion.

"Leave me?" he asked, incredulous. "You speak as though I would allow her to." His response was short, yet filled with oppressive force. The very idea of her escaping him only riled him further, and made him more determined to enact his plans.

Bai Zhang wished to shed a little light on how little his son understood about romantic relationships, but before he was able to do so, Bai Qingyue had already left.

The lone man stood in his intricately-crafted chambers. The ice encasing his walls had melted, though the cracked floor and the dust of the disintegrated chair remained – the remaining evidence of the family meeting.

"… ungrateful whelp," the Grandmaster grumbled to himself.

 ***

Upon concluding the conversation with his father, Bai Qingyue disappeared from the pagoda and materialized instantly in the lush, verdant garden that was Li Meirong's backyard. The stars graced his ethereal presence with shimmers. The paleness of his tresses and the light of his eyes shone in the darkness.

The silken silver hair, cascading lightly down his back, swayed with his unhurried gait as he circled the perimeter. As he went, he studied his new 'residence'.

A wordless command was uttered as the bewitching fox god parted his thin lips. Similar to an underwater animal communicating through a particular frequency, the vibrations of his command transcended the fabric of reality, connecting between the realms and reaching the desired destination immediately.

The silhouette of a man, kneeling on the ground, came into instant view in the garden, right behind the Sovereign Lord. It was his second in command, the captain of his guard.

"Sire, it has been too long! Your servant has grown ill with worry!" Bai Yu's intimidatingly tall figure and broad shoulders did not match his groveling or worried cries.

"Would it be impossible for you to be more quiet? Do you believe I will not chop your head off if you wake her?" the Fox Lord hissed.

'Her?' Bai Yu gulped, wondering if his Lord was referring to the new Huli Jing matron. 

Not daring to ask, he kept his mouth shut.

Bai Yu lifted his head slowly, carefully, only to be met with the sight of the Sovereign Lord's back. He knew, for all his years of service, that His Lordship could mercilessly chop him into pieces quicker than an eye could blink, if he was so inclined.

Bai Qingyue turned around and approached his kneeling subordinate, signaling him to rise.

"It has been less than a day in the upper realm since I left," he commented. "Why are you so anxious?"

Bai Yu refused to move, remaining on his knees on the ground. Despite his Lord's exquisite eyes appearing as calm as ever, he knew all too well how still waters could turn into raging waves.

The sky turned brighter. Dawn was swiftly approaching.

"Tsk." Bai Qingyue clicked his tongue impatiently. "Speak now. My time is running short."

Aware of the need to inform Bai Qingyue of the urgent news he carried, Bai Yu rose to his feet, barely managing to muster the courage needed to speak of passing events to the Fox Lord.

"While you were away, Hong Meigui… your mother fled from her quarters. We are suspecting the Red Fox Clan's infiltration aided her escape." Bai Yu paused, eyeing his Lord warily. He continued at seeing that same tranquil expression. 

"When Hong Meigui fled…" He paused, gulped. "She unlocked the eternal dungeons and released the monster Taotie. I dread to think what she may have plotted all this time."

Bai Yu heaved a sigh as he reached the end of his report, relieved to still be alive by the final word of his sentence. He had been certain he faced potential death just by speaking.

Bai Qingyue remained completely still, the moon beginning to set behind him. The only movement that portrayed any emotion was the sudden clenching of his fists. His sharp claws dug into his ivory flesh, and his palms began to bleed upon the damp soil.

At the intent look His Lordship was giving him, the slightly taller, burlier man, Bai Yu, ended up stammering out a comment.

"I see you have regained your powers! Well done, Sire! I always had faith in you!"

Golden eyes gleamed furiously in the early morning light while the Fox Lord disregarded his subordinate's comment. He instead pointed his bloody palm towards the ground, one pale finger outstretched. A single word was spoken aloud, a clear order.

"Kneel."

The calm before the storm – that was what Bai Yu had felt.

'It was not my fault!' the second in command cried inwardly. Hong Meigui had ruled the Huli Jing for eons. Despite the heavy guard, she had connections everywhere that could assist her escape.

Bai Yu knew he was not permitted to speak, and so kept all possible explanations to himself. He followed the Fox Lord's order immediately, dutifully falling to his knees and directing his gaze at the ground once more. His wide, muscular back was currently shuddering.

"You tell me that you, the person I left in charge of my clan while I deal with highly important matters, failed your duties?" Bai Qingyue's authoritative voice sounded from above. "You permitted my mother to escape, despite my strict warnings to keep her under close watch…" Bai Qingyue's killing intent heightened, his eyes glinting with malevolence. "And that my supposedly impenetrable prison has been invaded. That is what you are telling me?"

Bai Yu did not dare respond.

As the sun rose in the sky, the sickening crack of breaking bones could be heard from Li Meirong's garden.