Slave Binding Contracts can only hold back the inevitable for so long. After a time, the contracted must return to the Palace of the Four Gates to both filter out the corruption by vital energy and to reforge the contract. Should this not be done and the time missed, the protections of the contract would wane till it snapped. The prolonged exposure to the vital energy of the Mortal Realm would have those originally of the Spirit Realm slipping into insanity.

Therefore, from quite early this morning, Li Yu Rong had been renewing contracts after Lu Se Ying purified their bodies of the vital energy's taint. This was aside from the preparations and meticulous planning -in response to the information gathered- that was necessary to be done before journeying to the Spirit Realm.

Around late wushi, after renewing around twenty contracts, Li Yu Rong paused his work to take a break. Having exhausted his energy in reforming so many contracts, he was feeling rather sluggish and so was laying out on a couch near the pond to relax. Although his dark black hair was hanging loose the light gray robes lined in black trim and embroidered bamboo along the edges was still as neat as when he first wore it.

The servant that had been sent to check on whether Nastasia was still asleep or if she were awake returned. The hesitant and unwilling look across the spirit's face had Li Yu Rong sitting up straighter. He could tell the news being brought back to him wasn't going to be anything pleasant.

The servant couldn't bear to look at his master, turning his gaze to his cloth shoed feet. "Ma-Master, it would appear that the young lady has left the palace with Paoxiao." His eyes couldn't help it, they looked up to catch his master's blackening face. It was so terrifying, Ah, why did he have to be the one sent to deliver this bad news?

Well, at least he wasn't on guard duty. It had been a long-standing order not to allow her to wander out from the Palace of the Four Gates. Although master had allowed her to leave yesterday, he never directly said that they no longer had a need to prevent her from going outside.

"Tell the two who were on guard duty at the time to await punishment."

"Of course master." Cupping his fist and bowing his head respectfully, the servant was more than happy to carry out this duty so long as it could get him away from his master's darkening and suffocating presence.

Li Yu Rong's face was drawn up into an angry frown. Just the other night they had discussed her need to rest. Not even a day had passed since her fainting, yet she was already disregarding her health. He understood that Asya wanted to go home, but did she really have to strive so hard to leave him that much quicker.

"…."

Ah, that last thought was rather depressing even though he knew that her purpose wasn't to leave him but to get home. Even so, did she really have to work that hard? It was like the vast amount of time he thought he had dwindled to such small and difficult to move space that it was suffocating.

It made him want to push her down and have his way with her. If he took her first time than she'd have no choice but to remain with him. Although he never paid much attention to human courtships, this much he was aware of.

He'd never be able to do it.

Although he would gain her body, he wouldn't have her heart. Asya would hate him for it and that was something he wouldn't be able to bear.

Banishing his depressing thoughts, Li Yu Rong let his eyes fall closed. His vision was filled with a map of Mencheng. Considering Paoxiao's complete lack of directional sense coupled with Asya's lack of familiarity, they were probably lost somewhere.

As he concentrated on the arrays that would delineate her location included in mark he placed on her arm, a little moving speck appeared. Although they were some distance from the Palace of the Four Gates the direction they were heading in, without error, was the Jiang family estate.

The Jiang estate wasn't far from here. It was about a ten to twenty-minute walk depending on factors of traffic and walking speed. The only reason it had ever been an all-day affair was due to Paoxiao's complete lack of directional sense. Somewhere along the line, as it appeared they were moving in the right direction without veering off, they must have gotten someone to lead the way.

For Li Yu Rong, being so light on his feet, it wouldn't take long to meet the troublesome pair. Thus he leisurely stood from the mahogany couch to slowly make his way to the front gate. All the while his mind was plotting out punishments.

Luckily for Asya, he was no longer restricted by the laws of this place that prevented him from leaving after his long absence to entertain his brother at the imperial palace. He was now able to move about freely.

-------------------------------

Thus, is how we came to this point in time.

Although Cheung Fai Guang had only seen this man once from some distance away, his frightful appearance had been etched deeply into his memories. The Elemental Spirit Master of their time, the emperor's younger brother, was nothing short of a terrifying nightmare that lingered long after waking.

No matter how you tried to shake it from you, the fear wouldn't fade.

So no matter what he did, Fai Guang couldn't stop the trembling that started from his fingers and worked its away down to the tips of his toes. He tried to stand up, desperately wanting his feet to carry him away from this frightening man, but it was as if he were paralyzed.

He could only remain on the ground watching as that man, who very much resembled a demon with that red eye, fawned over the girl in his arms.

Li Yu Rong pulled the girl against him to calm his anger. Feeling her warmth in his embrace was comforting. Leaning forward a bit, his lips placed by her ear, he murmured. "I thought we agreed that you would stay and rest for the day?"

'You said it,' Nastasia thought rebelliously, 'but I agreed to nothing.' These were words she would never say out loud. At least not while she was still in this disadvantageous position. Instead, she leaned against him and patted the arms that held her tight, aiming to pacify him, and said.

"Came to talk with Ya Lin, not work. I sleep again when I get back." She assured him, hoping that her willingness to rest would move him to calm his anger.

However, the aroused displeasure making his jaw clench at the moment came not from Asya sneaking away, but rather the scene that he had stumbled upon. How dare that swine reach out for her with ill intent! How dare he try to curse her with such disgusting words!

Turning her around his embrace so that he could look at her, his hand that reached up to tuck away an errant strand of hair froze. His black and red depths deepened as they filled with irreconcilable rage. Li Yu Rong had desired to look upon her to staunched back his violent feelings only to have them rage out of control.

On her fair cheek was deep red welt the well displayed a palm and five fingers. The strength of the hit was painfully evident. If it wasn't taken care of soon it would quickly develop into a nasty bruise.

Taking in a shuddering breath he swept Asya up into his arms. With barely conceal acrimony he said to Jiang Ya Lin. "Though this happened in your estate, I won't hold the Jiang family responsible. Whatever discussions you were going to have with my pet, you can have them later."

He turned and slowly walked back the way he came in. As he passed by Paoxiao he said, voice seeting. "Break the hands that dared to touch her, break the jaw that dared to slander her, and break whatever else will see him bedridden six months or more." After he said so, Paoxiao was able to move. He then added as an extra punishment for both. "Don't leave him for the Jiangs to clean up. Return him to wherever he comes from."

Li Yu Rong then left without a backward glance. His thoughts were centered around finding Lu Se Ying in order to tend to Aysa's wounded cheek. The anger he felt at her disappearing without a word had been pressed to the back of his mind. Through his worrying, he didn't notice the boy that followed after him with a look of contemplation on his face.

Paoxiao nodded and took to his task with relish. At their backs, Cheung Fai Guang's screams, which sounded like a slaughtered pig, along with his cracking bones, resounded through the air with a gruesome clarity. Those that heard it, those that saw it, felt their teeth set on edge from the horror of it.

Afterward was another type of torture. The bumpy way back, as Paoxiao fumbled around to find his way, jarred Fai Guang's wounds horribly with every step. The humiliation at being slung over a man's shoulder like a sac of rice, while people whispered and stared and pointed toward his face that had been beaten until it was pig-like with his jaw hanging crooked, was devastating.

Soon the pain became too much that his mind gave out, falling into unconsciousness. Before his thoughts faded, Cheung Fai Guang made the decision to steer clear of anything related to that demon called the Elemental Spirit Master, for fear of losing his life faster. This included the young miss of the Jiang family.

Nothing was more important than his life.