Noticing the conversation was taking a turn for the worst, Bai Zhang frowned in thought while rubbing his chin as he contemplated any possible ways to a.s.sist his son.
Remembering the sect"s upcoming compet.i.tion, he mentioned, "The Forgotten Water sect"s once every century tournament is nearing. Usually, the sect will allow inner disciples skilled in combat to spar each other before the final winner is sent to a champions.h.i.+p tournament against allied prominent and righteous sects. Such an opportunity would be ideal for my daughter-in-law, but unfortunately, she has no knowledge of any martial arts. I fear that it would be inappropriate to make her battle without training for at least a decade. How about this, you head back to handle the clan and I shall train Li Meirong, meanwhile, by then she should have progressed her cultivation a little further."
"Absolutely not!" Bai Qingyue exclaimed, thumping his paw on the chair.
He left her for such a short while and she has already attracted vermin!
"My wife is not useless, she has her own special merits and will be more than qualified to attend the upcoming tournament, humph." Bai Qingyue haughtily replied.
He would make sure of it, the faster, the better.
"I refuse to wait thousands of years for her to turn into an immortal."
"..." Said Bai Zhang. His son was deluding himself…
Li Meirong had no proper foundation nor the pa.s.sion for cultivating and in the short amount of time she lived in the sect, not once did she complain about her position or aspire to reach the inner disciple"s cla.s.ses as many of the other servants have attempted to.
No, she seemed all too content with her life. It was a miracle that she even managed to reach the second stage of cultivation thanks to his son"s trickery, trying to defy heaven"s rules.
Honestly, Bai Zhang wasn"t sure whether to sympathize with Bai Qingyue or Li Meirong at this point. It seems that even between a fortuitous and fated couple, there were still many issues left to resolve.
Reaching a dead end, Bai Zhang promptly initiated the transfer of half his internal energy to Bai Qingyue.
Knowing Li Meirong may come back at any given time, Bai Zhang masked his appearance to look like the same human cultivator sh.e.l.l he glamoured prior and summoned a recliner with a tap of his fingers. He positioned the chair near Bai Qingyue and sat as close as possible to the young fox. Placing his palm on the silver-furred back, he focused on the qi circulation coursing through him when he transferred his cultivated powers to his son.
Bai Qingyue absorbed the qi transfer in comfort, his spiritual essence rejuvenating with every pa.s.sing second. It might be a difficult process to receive G.o.dly qi from a stranger, however, the qi of his own father was absorbed inside of him effortlessly. His immortal core gulped the onslaught of power until he was intoxicated from it.
The image of an adorable cub had vanished altogether. His fox form took on a s.h.i.+mmering glow the moment his body reshaped itself into that of a heartrending, stunning man. Bai Qingyue"s animal eyes had transformed into long, seductive, narrow eyes curving upwards at the end, his dark snout turned into a high-bridged, straight nose and his small furry hind legs morphed into long, smooth and muscular limbs. He kept his ears and tails hidden, pa.s.sing for a human with only his hair and eye colours marking his different heritage.
The corners of his reddened lips tilted upwards in a subtle smile, silver strands of flowing hair fell on his face, cloaking his golden eyes. Sensing the revitalized and tremendous energy swimming right under the surface of his skin anew, Bai Qingyue"s contempt towards his father lessened significantly. He may have been a terrible Sovereign Lord but as a father, he a.s.sisted him in his time of need.
Feeling a silken cloth draped over his shoulders made Bai Qingyue turn around to see a black outer garment covering his exposed back. Bai Zhang"s face had paled considerably and his breathing got heavier, for the person who transfers so much energy out of himself, the effects are much harder to handle. He needed to rest and cultivate for proper recuperation.
Bai Zhang summoned a stack of robes that were the same as the garments belonging to the rest of the disciples in the sect.
"Dress yourself, your wife will be returning soon." He reminded Bai Qingyue, who sat still with his sword-like eyebrows frowning at the robes with utmost disdain.
Relenting to the circ.u.mstances, Bai Qingyue sighed as he garbed himself with the sect robes. The sleeves were long and wide, with an open cross collar s.h.i.+rt and a light coloured sash to secure the separate pieces together. When he was done, Bai Qingyue wore the black outer garment on top.
It wasn"t long before they settled again as though nothing grand had just occurred, standing side by side, father and son staring at each other from the same height.
Bai Zhang"s curiosity got the better of him when he asked. "Will you tell my daughter-in-law of her ident.i.ty today?"
Averting his gaze in thought, he swept his hair back and contemplated his next course of actions. Bai Qingyue had grown tired of pretending to be "s...o...b..ll", yet he had a p.r.i.c.kly feeling that Li Meirong would not jump into his arms happily when she finds out the truth. The woman"s thoughts were difficult to perceive at times. He preferred acquiring enough information and only after knowing he would certainly succeed would he admit his ident.i.ty.
"I will speak with her tonight and should all go well, by tomorrow she will be informed."
Bazi Zhang nodded in understanding, feeling sympathetic of his son. Seeing Bai Qingyue"s human form bearing a striking resemblance to his own made Bai Zhang reckon his child received the best of both worlds.
He carried the domineering presence of a Sovereign Lord and also the seductive softness in his features from his mother"s side. With such a handsome and peerless bearing, his Qingyue should have no trouble getting his wife to become obsessed with him, although he agreed with his son"s concerns as there were exceptions to everything. They might be G.o.ds, their appearance and status the dream of every mortal, but there were still those select few who refused the courts.h.i.+p of the Bai clan when they were met with their fated person. The curse only affects their clan which made the foxes desperate to consolidate their partner"s feelings for themselves.
There was nothing worse than being eternally caught in a one-sided love affair.
The two family members continued conversing, catching up on important information. Bai Qingyue"s answers were kept brief but he replied to all of his father"s questions relating to the clan.
Amidst their discussion, a gentle knock sounded from the entrance. Bai Qingyue held a hand to his chest and grasped his robes as if to still his heart from beating any faster.
Li Meirong materialized right outside of the study chamber with a platter of tea and a plate filled with pastries. Unable to access the room directly due to the barrier, she tapped her dainty fingers on the door.