The secluded spot was a clearing behind an old tree.
Father and son stood a few paces apart.
Ao Run spoke, his voice tightening as he slipped back into the tone Little White Dragon had heard all his life.
"Lie'er."
"After this ordeal, you should understand that this journey west to retrieve the scriptures is fraught with danger, with death lurking at every step."
He stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the son who had somehow grown half a head taller than him:
"Remember, think things through when trouble comes. Never be as impulsive and reckless as you were this time! You weren't sent here to throw your life away!"
"If you keep acting like this, what happens when you make an irreversible mistake? There are so many uncertainties in this affair that I doubt even Guanyin Bodhisattva can be sure of the outcome! What are you trying to prove?"
Little White Dragon said nothing.
He simply listened quietly, then looked at his father and noticed that vertical creases had somehow appeared between his brows, deepening slightly with every word he spoke.
Ao Run paused, his tone growing heavier:
"When something happens, listen to your master."
"Having witnessed his words and conduct this time, I can see that he possesses great virtue and wisdom. He truly is a sage of this age."
"Just follow him and do as he says. Your senior brothers and the mighty powers will handle everything else. It isn't your place!"
Something in his tone softened ever so slightly.
Like a hard stone that had soaked in water so long its sharp edges had worn smooth. It was still a stone, but no longer quite so painful to press against.
He finished and paused, the hands tucked into his sleeves tightening slightly before