Following his proclamation, Zhu Qingyue reluctantly released his hold over Li Meirong, and she used the opportunity to hastily scurry from his side.
It was at that moment that s...o...b..ll dashed to the doorstep. The maids Zhu Qingyue had previously ordered to serve Li Meirong followed cautiously behind the snow fox cub.
"Master!" "s...o...b..ll" called out. He stood at the entrance with one paw hanging in mid-air, appearing to be unsure of where to place himself. In the end, he decided to settle himself a few steps away from the bickering couple.
Li Meirong immediately reached for "s...o...b..ll" and a.s.sumed a protective stance in front of him. She used her body as a s.h.i.+eld for the little fox, boldly hiding him from her teacher"s murderous glare.
The wary fox cub lowered his head to the floor in absolute submission to the Sovereign Lord. He used this position to sneak a covert peek at the Sovereign Lord from behind Li Meirong, evaluating the danger level of the war zone he just dashed into. "Not good!" He silently deduced.
The Sovereign Lord didn"t even move, his body still as a statue. However, it was his terrifying gaze, the tension in his back, and the way he stood there unmoving that showed just how much he restrained himself from physically las.h.i.+ng out and ripping everything apart. Violence emanated from him like something thick and tangible.
Li Meirong turned to face her teacher only to see the frown on his face deepening into a furious scowl. The extent of his terrible rage not only frightened her, but it also left her deeply puzzled. It seemed to be mostly directed at s...o...b..ll instead of her.
Bai Yu, who had disguised himself as s...o...b..ll, was about to shed tears of blood, watching his own demise unfolding before his very eyes. "My Ladys.h.i.+p, ah! Your husband is going to flay this poor fox alive if you keep opposing him and defending this poor soul!"
As if prompted by Bai Yu"s non-verbal speech, the Huli Jing"s Fox Lord that masqueraded as a human, advanced on Li Meirong and Bai Yu.
"You would protect him from me?" He snarled in disbelief, his eyes slightly widening. "Him?!" The Sovereign Lord sent a glacial, piercing glare at s...o...b..ll, and practically growled out the words. His liquid golden eyes glowed from the shadows as he threateningly cracked his knuckles. He looked ready to pounce on the fox cub and throttle him.
Li Meirong"s obsidian eyes hardened, her lips stretching into a thin line and her brow furrowing in anger. She immediately took up a fighting stance, conjuring blue flames in her hands. Her voice trembled as she ordered, "Stay back, Zhu Qingyue! I don"t want to fight you, but I will if I must."
Bai Yu panicked and cowered behind Li Meirong, his white paws crossed over his little snout. He looked entreatingly at the beautiful girl standing protectively above him. "M-master… please don"t fight!"
He had rushed inside to prevent the couple"s conflict, but Her Ladys.h.i.+p"s protective stance only riled His Lords.h.i.+p further!
"My Ladys.h.i.+p is making everything worse! This husband of yours is filled with bad traits and you"re triggering every single one of them! As if His Lords.h.i.+p being an overly possessive man wasn"t enough. No, he has to be incredibly jealous too!"
Bai Yu"s pitiful request fell on deaf ears, the Huli Jing"s Lord and Lady spoke over him as though he wasn"t even there.
"Insolent wife." The Sovereign Lord hissed, narrowing his eyes and directing the full weight of his anger at Li Meirong. He took another step forward and their skin nearly brushed against each other as he loomed over her.
His lips curled into a disparaging smile. "Are you purposefully trying to provoke me? Testing my limits?"
"I don"t know what you"re going on about, but if you come any closer, I swear I"ll use my powers on you." Li Meirong glared back at him even though she knew he could beat her in a fight. She had already sworn to defend s...o...b..ll from any harm, even if that meant exchanging blows with the man she began to have feelings for. In spite of her threat, she took a step back to avoid harming him.
Bai Yu hastily rolled sideways, out of their way. He suddenly realized how true the saying was; Family should never get in between a husband and a wife!
Li Meirong"s words and actions didn"t seem to affect Zhu Qingyue in the least. Unfazed by her threat, he reached for her again, and she desperately moved away until the wall"s rough texture pressed against her back. Beads of sweat began to trickle down her temple as he set her flame-filled hands protectively in front of her, restraining him from coming any closer.
Zhu Qingyue slammed his hand against the wall right above Li Meirong"s head, causing the wooden cottage to shake under the impact.
He didn"t even spare a glance to the destructive blue flames conjured by Li Meirong, the fire apparently didn"t matter to him whatsoever. A condescending sneer still stretched on his face as he pinned her against the wall, trapping her in place once again. "Go ahead," he urged, "Burn me."
The flames were only an inch away from scorching him, and yet he still pressed himself against her, so close that her palms met with his rock hard chest.
When the flames began to burn his clothes, Li Meirong immediately revoked her powers. "Zhu Qingyue, are you trying to kill yourself?!" She squawked in disbelief, frustrated by his carelessness.
Meanwhile, Xiao An Hua and Xiao An Fei tiptoed over to Bai Yu"s side near the entrance, silently exchanging an apprehensive glance of inquiry with the former second in command as if to demand, "Fix this situation!"
Bai Yu took in a deep breath and gathered his courage before interjecting, applying the same commanding tone that he had been using to order hundreds and thousands of demi-G.o.d soldiers to obey his will, roaring at the top of his lungs, "Wait! Stop! Stop right now. s...o...b..ll will explain everything!"