The cave became quiet after Bai Qingluo’s question.
The fire crackled softly.
Outside, snow drifted peacefully beneath the moonlight.
For a long moment, none of the three males answered.
Finally—
Lin Huan sighed.
“…Because we were idiots.”
The cubs blinked.
That wasn’t the answer they expected.
Wu Ye nodded.
“Accurate.”
Even Xue Linyuan didn’t disagree.
Which was even more shocking.
Bai Yan frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Lin Huan leaned back against the cave wall.
Years ago, after Bai Xueyin disappeared…
They searched separately.
Each believed:
> “I’ll find her first.”
They were powerful.
Proud.
Stubborn.
None of them wanted help.
Especially not from rivals.
Wu Ye smiled bitterly.
“I thought I could find her through my information network.”
Lin Huan nodded.
“I searched wandering beast territories.”
Xue Linyuan’s gaze lowered.
“I searched the northern continent.”
Years passed.
No clues.
No traces.
Nothing.
One year.
Two years.
Three years.
Then more.
The cubs listened silently.
“Eventually,” Wu Ye said quietly, “we started running into each other again.”
Because every lead ended the same way.
Dead end.
Every rumor.
Every witness.
Every clue.
Gone.
As if someone had erased Bai Xueyin from the world.
The fire crackled.
The atmosphere became heavy.
Then Bai Chen spoke softly.
“So you worked together?”
Lin Huan laughed weakly.
“No.”
“Not at first.”
The cubs weren’t surprised.
Apparently their fathers were all stubborn.
“It happened because of him.”
Wu Ye pointed toward Xue Linyuan.
The snow leopard prince looked annoyed.
Years ago.
After another failed search—
Xue Linyuan finally came to a conclusion.
Someone was hiding Bai Xueyin.
Not accidentally.
Deliberately.
And if that was true—
Searching separately would never work.
Because whoever erased her traces was powerful enough to deceive all of them.
For the first time—
The three males sat at the same table.
Not as rivals.
Not as enemies.
But as people searching for the same woman.
Lin Huan smiled faintly.
“It was awful.”
Wu Ye immediately agreed.
“Horrible.”
“Terrible.”
The cubs laughed.
The adults looked offended.
“We still argued.”
“Constantly.”
“Every day.”
The cubs laughed even harder.
But despite the arguments…
Something changed.
The years passed.
The search continued.
They began sharing information.
Protecting each other’s territories.
Following clues together.
And slowly—
Without realizing it—
They became something strange.
Not friends.
Never friends.
But no longer enemies.
A silence settled over the cave.
Then Wu Yin suddenly asked from beside the sleeping Xueyin:
“Then why did you all arrive together now?”
The adults froze.
Because that was the real question.
Why now?
After years of failure.
After years without clues. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Why did all three suddenly find Bai Xueyin within days of each other?
The cave became silent.
Then Xue Linyuan’s gaze shifted toward the silver pendant resting beside the bed.
“The seal.”
Everyone looked at him.
“The memory seal.”
His voice was calm.
“For years, nobody could find her.”
“Then suddenly…”
His silver eyes settled on the sleeping Xueyin.
“She began remembering.”
The cubs froze.
Lin Huan slowly nodded.
“My scouts felt strange spiritual fluctuations near this territory.”
Wu Ye added quietly:
“My shadow ravens reported the same thing.”
The moment the seal weakened—
A hidden aura escaped.
Not enough for ordinary beasts to notice.
But enough for those who had spent years searching.
Enough for mates.
Enough for people connected to her soul.
Bai Qingluo looked toward her sleeping mother.
“So…”
The fox cub’s eyes widened.
“The reason all of you found Mother…”
Wu Ye finished softly.
> “Is because Mother finally started finding herself.”
The cave fell silent.
No one noticed.
Not even the adults.
On the bed.
The sleeping Bai Xueyin’s fingers unconsciously tightened around the silver pendant.
And for a brief moment—
A faint moon-shaped mark appeared beneath her collarbone.
Then vanished.
Far away.
Beyond mountains.
Beyond oceans.
Beyond the frozen north.
Several powerful beings opened their eyes at the same time.
Because the seal that had remained dormant for years…
Had started breaking.