However, before her mother could reply, her father suddenly stepped forward from the crowd.
His expression was extremely serious, his roots tensing underneath the snow. This time, he had completely lost his patience with her stubbornness.
"Enough, Hua'er." His voice became deep and heavy.
"Do you have any idea what happened after you suddenly disappeared from the group? We searched for you everywhere! We retraced every single path we had ever travelled. We searched mountain after mountain, forest after forest, risking our lives near beast settlements, but we could not find a single trace of you."
He stepped closer, his shadow falling over her.
"We thought something terrible had happened to you. We thought you had been captured by hunters, or that you had died alone in the winter cold."
"We spent months in absolute agony searching for you. Only with your grandfather's great help were we finally able to locate a faint trace of your aura today."
