Beneath the scattered moonlight, Tang Enxuan walked to his small courtyard and looked around. He saw neither the old steward nor his father's attendants. Only two martial cultivator puppets from the Devil Sect stood at the entrance, like two gaunt old men.
Tang Enxuan glanced at the martial puppets' emerald-green eyes, and a chill ran through his heart. He climbed the steps, crossed the threshold, and walked to the desk, looking at his father.
Prince Yuan was past forty. He wore a small black crown and a pale yellow robe embroidered with coiling dragons. His face was thin, his gaze sharp, and he quietly flipped through the book on the desk.
At one corner of the desk, candlelight flickered. A wine pot and cups rested on a redwood tray beside the candle.
"Father, your son has been unfilial. Please punish me." Tang Enxuan lowered his head slightly and secretly watched his father.
Prince Yuan slowly raised his head. His face was lean, his nose high, his blue-green pupils set deep in their sockets. His blade-like gaze scraped over Tang Enxuan, sending cold through his entire body.
Prince Yuan pointed at the book on the desk and spoke gently. "I let you out and allowed you to study. How many books have you read over these past six months?"
"Reporting to Father, only one or two." Tang Enxuan bent at the waist.
"When I was your age, I had already reached the Sixth Rank. What rank martial cultivator are you now?"
"Eighth Rank."
"And you only got there by taking medicine." Prince Yuan's gaze softened.
Tang Enxuan slowly let out a breath.
"Your son has been unfilial and failed Father's teachings." Tang Enxuan spoke with utmost sincerity.
Prince Yuan closed the book and gazed out at the moonlight beyond the window.