"You see?!"
Elder Zhao's voice cracked through the central meeting ground like a whip, echoing off the huts and scattering a flock of unfortunate birds from the nearby trees.
"THIS woman! THIS woman is ALWAYS a source of trouble and PROBLEMS!"
Bai Yue sat on a log at the edge of the gathering, arms crossed, one eyebrow arched so high it threatened to escape her forehead.
She was surrounded, not by guards, but by a very grumpy Snow Leopard, a very irritated Fox Lord, a very nervous Red Panda scholar, and approximately seven cubs who had decided that "Mama's Defense Squad" was their new favorite game.
"I didn't bring him anywhere," Bai Yue said flatly. "He showed up. On his own. I slapped him. He left. That's the whole story."
