Two men were in a pavilion at the foot of Fatepath Peak. One of them slumped on the long bench as he drank and ate some peanuts. He looked dirty all over, as if he hadn't bathed for a while. The other was dressed in a green robe and stood ramrod straight as he looked in the direction of Li Mausoleum.

"Be honest with me. When Yuwen Shendu lifted your daughter up by the neck, you were about to pull out the Venomdrake Spike, right?" Ye Shaoqing asked.

"Of course. She's my precious baby, you know," Li Wudi said, then took a few more swigs and burped.

"Really? I almost couldn't tell."

"You don't have a daughter, so you can’t understand. True fatherly love is formless and subdued. Most people can't spot it."

"Huh, so your skin did get...