One struck the table, others hiss showing their sharp fangs and red eyes ready to fight.
"Watch your words! We have admitted negligence! But we will not tolerate slander! Our council never approved such an operation!"
"Then perhaps your council has lost control of its own people!" The Lycan elders shot back.
"We refuse to accept responsibility for actions we never authorized!"
"And we refuse to believe this ridiculous excuse!"
Voices overlapped.
The conference hall erupted into intense shouts and murmurs.
Human officials exchanged uneasy glances, their composure beginning to crack under the weight of the discussion.
At the head of the table, the Prime Minister quietly wiped the sheen of sweat from his forehead.
The air conditioning was running at full blast.
Yet it did nothing to ease the nervousness settling over the room.
Several Internal Bureau officers subtly shifted closer to the walls, while security personnel rested their hands near their weapons getting ready for the worst.
The tension was becoming dangerous.
One Lycan elder took a step forward, and a Vampire noble did the same.
The meeting was rapidly descending into exactly what everyone had hoped to avoid.
War, or at least, the beginning of one, but then suddenly a chair scraped softly across the floor.
The sound wasn't loud.
Yet somehow, everyone heard it.
Hei Bao stood.
He neither raised his voice nor released his Alpha pressure.
He simply stood.
Even Rong Qiqiang and Yun He, who had been quietly observing from the sidelines, turned to look at him, each raising a brow in silent curiosity.
An expectant hush settled over the room.
Within seconds, every pair of eyes settled on the Royal Lycan Pact Leader.
Hei Bao looked first toward the Lycan elders, before shifting it toward the vampire delegation, and finally he spoke.
"Have you all finished?"
His voice was calm. Yet it carried an authority that left no room for interruption.
No one answered.
"If your all intention today was to reopen a century-old war..."
His gaze swept across both factions.
"Then you've chosen the wrong meeting place."
The Lycan elders fell in silence.
Even the vampire nobles gulped and straightened unconsciously.
Hei Bao continued.
"The investigation has established one fact."
He looked toward Yun He, who only gave him an unconcerned expression.
"The Vampire Clan has acknowledged that Fei Nian entered Lycan territory through one of their own."
He shifted his gaze back toward the Lycan delegation.
"They have also admitted negligence."
Then toward everyone.
"Whether you believe the explanation or not… the responsibility has been accepted."
No one argued.
Even the angriest elder remained quiet.
Hei Bao's expression remained unreadable.
"The purpose of this council is not revenge. It's for accountability."
The Prime Minister gave a small nod.
Hei Bao continued.
"The Vampire Clan now owes the Lycan Clan an answer."
Before anyone else could speak, Rong Qiqiang slowly rose.
"The Vampire Council apologizes."
His voice was steady.
"We accept responsibility for our failure."
He glanced toward Yun He.
"My younger brother acted carelessly. The consequences are ours to bear."
He inhaled slowly.
"As compensation. We will hand Fei Nian over to the Lycan Clan."
A murmur spread through the conference room once again, yet Rong Qiqiang ignored it all and continued.
"She violated our laws as well. If execution is your judgment… We will not interfere."
"There is no need." Hei Bao replied.
Confusion quickly spread across the Vampire delegation.
"Fei Nian is already dead."
The revelation landed like thunder.
Even the Prime Minister blinked.
"What?"
"I carried out her execution yesterday." Hei Bao continued without emotion.
Rong Qiqiang's expression changed for the first time, even Yun He froze.
"But her death changes nothing." Hei Bao's eyes swept across every representative present.
"One execution does not restore the trust that has already been broken."
The Prime Minister folded his hands.
"I agree."
His calm voice carried through the hall.
"Trust cannot be rebuilt through apologies alone."
Several ministers nodded.
It's true. Trust once broken demanded more than punishment.
One elderly member of the Vampire clan frowned.
"Then what do you propose?"
Hei Bao looked directly at Yun He.
"Monitoring."
Every person in the room listened.
"A government-monitored tracking device will be installed in Lord Yun He's official vehicle, and all his personal belongings."
All of them are now attentively listening.
"The device will be managed solely by the Mundane Government."
Hei Bao's gaze shifted toward the Prime Minister.
"Neither the Lycan Clan nor the Vampire Clan will possess exclusive access."
The Prime Minister nodded, agreeing to such an idea.
"The records will remain under government authority. It will not interfere with his daily life. It will simply ensure that nothing similar happens again."
One young vampire representative immediately objected.
"Absolutely not! That is an insult to our dignity!"
Another added,
"Lord Yun He has committed no crime deserving such treatment!"
One of the Lycan representative quickly struck back.
"No crime? Your negligence endangered our Pact Leader." His voice boomed through the room.
"If Lord Bao wished to pursue this under Lycan law..."
His gaze hardened.
"Lord Yun He's actions would already qualify as a capital offense."
Several Lycan representatives nodded in agreement.
"He endangered a Pact Leader. He crossed territorial boundaries. Execution would not be excessive."
The Vampire representative fell silent.
The Prime Minister finally spoke.
"Lord Hei Bao's proposal is reasonable. It protects public safety. It avoids unnecessary bloodshed. And it provides accountability without escalating this incident into another conflict."
The room grew quiet.
Rong Qiqiang slowly turned toward his younger brother.
Yun He looked down for several long seconds, before finally sighing and said.
"...I'll accept it."
Every eye turned toward him.
"If carrying a monitoring chip is enough to prove my sincerity..."
He lifted his head.
"Then I have no objection."
The elder beside him released a long breath.
Though visibly displeased, they eventually inclined their heads.
"The Vampire Council accepts Lord Bao's proposal."
Rong Qiqiang turned toward the Lycan delegation, before also slowly inclining his head in a formal bow, joining the others.
Outwardly, his expression remained composed.
Only the tight clench of his jaw and the rigid set of his shoulders betrayed the effort it took to keep his emotions in check.
When he finally spoke, his voice was calm and measured.
"Once again, we offer our sincerest apologies. For my brother's negligence..."
His fingers curled ever so slightly at his sides.
"and for Fei Nian's actions."
The Prime Minister nodded once in satisfaction.
"Then let today's resolution be entered into the official record."
The tension that had threatened to ignite into war slowly began to dissolve.
Not because either side had forgiven the other, but because, for today at least, reason had prevailed over pride.
Inside a white sedan parked in a quiet roadside parking lot, the sharp crack of a slap cut through the silence.
Smack!
"You fool!"
Rong Qiqiang's cold voice filled the car.
"Are you trying to make the Council question my authority?"
Across from him, Yun He raised a hand and gently brushed his thumb over the fresh red mark on his cheek. Instead of looking offended, he smiled.
Slowly, he ran his tongue over the small cut at the corner of his lip, savoring the faint metallic taste of blood as though the slap had amused him more than it had angered him.
"You hit hard, Brother."
His amusement only deepened Rong Qiqiang's irritation.
"I asked you a question!"
Yun He shrugged lazily.
"And I don't see the problem."
Smack!
Another slap landed across his face.
"If you wish to settle your personal grudge with Hei Bao," Rong Qiqiang said through clenched teeth,
"then do it without dragging our entire clan into your personal vendetta."
The smile from Yun He's face finally disappear.
"If you had helped me from the very beginning," he shot back,
"none of this would've happened."
Rong Qiqiang slowly leaned back against his seat and closed his eyes.
After a long moment, he exhaled.
"So now you're blaming everyone except yourself."
His voice had become calm again, but somehow even colder.
"You've always been like this. You mistake recklessness for courage. You act first, then expect others to clean up the mess afterward."
Yun He clicked his tongue but remained silent.
"If you had simply waited..." Rong Qiqiang continued, brushing his long black hair behind his shoulder,
"We could've chosen the right moment to strike."
His gaze shifted toward the window.
"Instead, you allowed your emotions to dictate your decisions. And now the Council is watching us."
Another heavy sigh escaped him.
"Forget it. What's done is done. From this moment onward, you will follow every decision the Council makes."
He turned to face his younger brother.
"And you will not move without informing me first."
Yun He scoffed.
"You sound more impressed with that big dog than your own brother."
Rong Qiqiang didn't deny it.
"At least Hei Bao knows how to separate emotion from strategy. He thinks before he moves. You on the other hand…"
His eyes narrowed.
"...still haven't learned that lesson."
Yun He laughed dryly.
"Fine. But at least I'm more useful than the spies you've been paying."
That single remark instantly drew Rong Qiqiang's attention. The annoyance on his face disappeared, replaced by quiet intrigue.
"What do you mean?"
Yun He crossed one leg over the other.
"I found something far more valuable."
Rong Qiqiang lifted one of his brows.
"...Go on."
A satisfied smile slowly spread across Yun He's face.
"I discovered someone."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Someone I believe holds considerable value within the Lycan Clan."