The pair reached their destination without a problem or delay. Li Meirong guided Snowball to the outer sect disciples' quarters, hoping to meet with Bao Li before the chef left for work.

The residence of the outer sect disciples was structured as a double courtyard house, but with the rooms divided into separate sleeping quarters. Male disciples were kept on one end, and female disciples on the other.

The establishment was in far better condition than Li Meirong's badly constructed cabin, though it was not altogether impressive. The walls were made from mud bricks, stacked into a solid mass, and the roof tiles were molded from clay and painted dark blue.

'Snowball' inspected his surroundings as they entered the courtyard. There was a small, gated enclosure for pigs and hens, and mounds of hay were collected in a corner. A line of rope extended across the yard, robes and sheets hanging from it to dry.

Internally, Bai Yu was surprised and even a little repulsed. He knew this was a cultivation sect, but he could not see any difference between it and a poverty stricken farming village!

He thought himself quite good at masking his expressions, so when Li Meirong whispered to him, he was slightly taken aback.

"That's why I chose to build my own place!" His new lady spoke with pride, clearly expecting some kind of praise.

Bai Yu dearly wished to say that even his pets had better living conditions than her, but he dared not insult Her Ladyship.

"Your house is most impressive,"'Snowball' answered blandly. He was rather perturbed that she had managed to catch the gist of his inner thoughts. She could not possibly be a mind reader, right? If she was, His Lordship would be in a huge mess by now!

When the servants' rooms came into view, the residence took on less of a 'farmhouse' appearance to something a little more suitable for living quarters.

There were only women to be seen. Most of them had busied themselves with preparations for the day ahead, many drying their bedding and coiling their hair into braids.

'Snowball' kept his eyes tactfully aimed at the floor.

Suddenly a loud voice cheerfully yelled out. "Sister Meirong! You finally came to visit me!"

Bao Li came to greet the pair, clutching a damp cloth to her wet curls. Li Meirong's worries lessened the moment she saw Bao Li. The head chef had a certain charm to her, one which managed to calm her soul. She greeted her with a courteous bob of her head.

'Snowball' peered curiously at the noisy woman.

So, this was his lady's subordinate…

A short yet attractive, curvy woman, wearing the same robe as Her Ladyship greeted his sight. Her mouth was stretched into a bright, youthful smile, and her almond shaped eyes narrowed into beguiling crescents. She smelled fresh and clean; tiny drops of water trickled down to the tips of her dark brown hair and dampened the top of her garment. She had likely bathed very recently, Bai Yu presumed.

While he observed Her Ladyship's "subordinate", Bao Li returned the favor. Her mouth dropped open slightly as she stared at the adorable fox.

"I cannot believe he was the cause of that mess in the marketplace…" Bao Li said, awed. Her gaze remained fixed on the baby fox.

"What do you mean? I was the one responsible for ruining the shop," Li Meirong protested, hiding Snowball behind her. "Snowball had nothing to do with it."

Bai Yu's fluffy eyebrows rose high at Li Meirong's movement. His impression of his lady just kept getting better. She was so protective! She would be a good mother for the future generation.

Bao Li was silent for a moment, and she glanced around, taking note of the intrusive glances of her fellow outer sect disciples.

"Come into my room," she said, "We will speak of this privately."

She grabbed Li Meirong's hand, and dragged her into her private bedroom.

Before they entered, 'Snowball' stood by the open door. He already felt awkward enough, being in the female courtyard!

"I do not think it is appropriate for me to go inside an unmarried lady's room," he declared. Li Meirong groaned, grabbing him by the belly and unceremoniously draping the white-furred cub over her shoulder.

"Stop being so silly, Snowball. Even if you weren't a fox, you're too young to worry about these kinds of things!"

Bao Li giggled, sitting on a chair as she continued to dry her hair.

"He is so considerate!"

Li Meirong wasn't quite so cheerful anymore. She was too scared of her previous actions somehow implicating Snowball.

She dropped 'Snowball' onto one of Bao Li's unoccupied stools and questioned her friend.

"Please, tell me what you meant before. Why is my fox spirit being blamed?"

Bai Yu was too ashamed to eavesdrop. Was this not the most shameful moment of his life? She had carried him like a sack of potatoes!

His impression of his lady had changed once again. Li Meirong certainly had her own vicious way of handling people, by stripping them of their dignity!

The words of the female 'subordinate' interrupted Bai Yu's self pitying thoughts. He just barely managed to catch the final parts of her explanation.

"I do not mean what happened to the Spirit Beast shop, I mean the part that everyone is talking about. There is gossip swirling about, saying that your fox fried all the disciples in the marketplace!"

The term 'shocked expression' did not quite fit the look on Li Meirong's face at that moment as she looked from Bao Li to 'snowball', then back to Bao Li. 'Fried all of the disciples in the marketplace? My snowball? He's just a baby!'

Li Meirong couldn't bring herself to believe it. How could her cute little fox spirit be capable of doing something like that?

She frowned deeply as she tried to discern the truth of those words.

Bao Li scratched the back of her head awkwardly upon noticing her friend's reaction. "I swear I'm not lying."