Inside the large, imposing hall sat a rather menacing fox god, whose ire was so great it took him extra effort to mask his emotions.

While Li Meirong was admonished by her peers and huddled in fear before him, he barely managed to restrain himself, doing his best to heed his father's reprimands.

"Reign in your temper," Bai Zhang told him.

Bai Qingyue had a reputation as a fearsome being, who rarely displayed any expression or emotion. His reputation meant nothing with his one weak point being mistreated right in front of him. It took every ounce of his control to hold himself back from lashing out at the offensive mob.

Li Meirong was the future High Goddess of the Huli Jing clan in Celestial Realm. How dare these vermin speak ill of her?

Still, he ground his teeth and managed to remain composed, observing the hall in silence.

Taking note of Bai Qingyue's twitching jaw, Bai Zhang sent his son a pointed look, as if to say 'Let your father handle this.'

Right at that instant, Shopkeeper Mu was no longer able to keep his silence. He kowtowed three times.

"Grandmaster!" he yelled, "I beseech you to judge this case fairly!"

Zhu Zhang grimaced, rubbing one of his ears and gritting his teeth.

"Tsk. I am judging fairly. Why are you shouting in my halls?"

"My- my apologies, Grandmaster." Shopkeeper Mu's face paled, his jaw going slack. This was not the first time he had attended a sect trial, and he knew that justice was only determined by the judge's opinion. Clearly, the Grandmaster was biased in this case – but why? Why would he side with that wretched girl?!

Shopkeeper Mu was a senior inner sect disciple, and had been part of the sect for many years. His status was far greater than Li Meirong's, and even his brothers and sisters in the sect supported his stance!

The shopkeeper was feeling rather wronged by the Grandmaster's decision; he did not want to concede, to declare the issue a misunderstanding, and so he stood to push his point.

"The culprit herself admitted to her misdeeds! How can this be a misunderstanding? Grandmaster, please, consider your judgment again!" Shopkeeper Mu cried out.

The aggrieved disciples who supported his stance shouted their approval, and the Grandmaster pinched the space between his brows.

This was taking far longer than he had expected. The younger generation sure knew how to make a mess of things…

Bai Zhang expected his daughter-in-law to serve him many pastries once he finished handling her blunder!

While Bai Zhang contemplated how to pacify his disciples without bloodshed, Li Meirong stood up unexpectedly. She bobbed her head towards the shopkeeper and the attendees compliantly.

"I apologize for ruining your shop," she said, her soft voice resonating like a silver bell. "I could have handled the situation better, but I do not regret my actions." She then addressed the crowd. "I am also sorry about burning your shops and clothes. The fox spirit who did this is my familiar, so I will take responsibility for his actions. I will leave the sect at once and distribute all my goods in recompense, except for my pets."

The attending disciples were itching for blood, and were disappointed to find the Grandmaster rejecting the possibility of retribution. The prospect of receiving some form of compensation, however, was better than nothing. A hum of agreement was heard within the hall.

"That is acceptable, but your familiar should be executed for causing harm!"

"Hurry up and leave! Let your spirit beast remain to be held accountable," a bald senior disciple cried out. His hair had been his crowning glory – it would take him years to grow it all back!

Shopkeeper Mu quickly pointed an accusing finger at Li Meirong and inserted his own demand. It would be a waste to kill such a powerful spirit – he wanted it for his own!

"You should hand me the fox spirit as compensation for the damage incurred to my shop." He quickly said.

Li Meirong's clear almond-shaped eyes flashed in outrage. She was relieved, now, that she had left Snowball with Bao Li. She'd had a feeling this matter would escalate like this.

"You want to take my baby?" Her polite manner disappeared as she began to circulate her qi, spreading her arms into a boxing stance. "Over my dead body!"

Shopkeeper Mu knew the girl was more powerful than she looked, but he had numbers on his side this time! He approached her, joined by other disciples. Everyone took out their weapons, ready for battle, while the servants fled the hall in fear of their lives.

Bai Zhang was supposed to be supervising the trial, but it had been quite a long time since he'd seen such a show that he was completely sidetracked by Li Meirong's unexpected change in attitude. His daughter-in-law had been so meek and vulnerable only a few moments ago, yet as soon as her baby, supposedly Bai Qingyue, was threatened, she snapped!

Witnessing this shift happen a second time made him wonder if, perhaps, Bai Qingyue was blessed enough for the curse to influence his fated partner as well, seeing how Li Meirong was so protective of his son!

The problem was, in his amusement, Bai Zhang neglected to settle the situation. By the time he remembered to take control, Bai Qingyue had left the dais, standing like a tall mountain in front of Li Meirong. His bloodthirsty aura consumed the halls, and his eyes flashed with a tint of murderous purple.

'Come back here, foolish child!' Before the sect would undoubtedly be massacred by his enraged son, Bai Zhang shouted across the hall to Bai Qingyue.

"Zhu Qingyue, stop! Remember what I told you!"

The enraged Fox Lord, about to extend his claws, halted when he heard his father's reprimand. He slowly turned, taking in the sight of his shell-shocked wife. The sound of her sleepy voice from the night before echoed in his mind.

Sincerity, honesty, humility…

He took a deep breath and turned back to the crowd. He could not bear to scare his wife away from him.

"I am to blame for what happened in the marketplace," Zhu Qingyue breathed loudly and wistfully, absorbing his oppressive energy back into himself.

Bai Zhang's jaw dropped, and he covered his gaping mouth before any could take note of it. Was his son finally admitting the truth?!