Chapter 8 - 8 - Shit Everywhere

Xia Che stood in front of the energy barrier with his hands crushed the broken jade hairpin in his hands. Yesterday he was too distracted to notice but he could feel his spiritual connection with Yukiya flicker and weaken. That means that she is either trying to break their bond or that she is mortally hurt. Xia Che assumed the worst in this situation.

He held his hands up and touched the energy shield. "There comes the time where young birds need to leave their nest, so should I. Yukiya protected me all my life and i shall do the same for her" he said with renewed gusto. He blew the powdered jade hair pin on the shield.

Complicated ruin lines started to unlock itself and the blue shield disappeared.

The raven family watched this from the distance. "Mom, it's time for me to be a man as well. I will be leaving my nest today" the fledgling said and jumped. It landed on the ground in plop, with tears in its eyes "mom, I can't be a man".

"You stupid child, you don't have wing feathers yet. Where are you flying off to ahh." The mama raven cried trying to lift the baby bird to the nest. "You follow that perverted man again I will disown you" mama raven cawed at its stupid fledgling.

Xia Che thus started his first journey to the faraway lands without any parental support. The ravens were cawing, birds were chirping. It really was a good day to travel. Xia che took the first step outside the shielded area and stepped on shit.

"Oh it's nothing a little water can't solve." Xia che reached the river again to wash his shoes and stepped in a puddle on the way.

"It is just mud it can be washed" he was still optimistic as he tried to wash his shoes. As he was washing one shoe, another shoe got washed away in the river. "Waitttttt ...." he shouted towards the now floating shoe. But river listens to no man; it stole his shoes and gushed away.

Xia Che's life has officially gained its unlucky status again. 'Oh I miss my lucky snake' He thought as he started his journey one shoe and all.

On the other side Long Aotian was having a hard time dealing with the four mole rats. He was malnourished for very long time and his cultivation had dropped drastically. His underbelly was slashed brutally by the mole rats. He felt faint. He could feel his death nearing him. 'Majestic dragon undefeated by any, killed by a mole rat. What a shame' he thought as he lost consciousness.

Xia Che walked towards the Gillian tree to say good bye for the last time. He is not sure when he is going to return back here after all. He saw a few mole rats scurry away as they heard his footsteps. "Hey tree I am here to say goodbye for now. Maybe we will meet in a few years after you gain your human form" he waved. As he walked away he could feel he had stepped on something.

"Do gods hate me? Are they strategically placing shit every step I take" he cursed the gods as he hopped to the nearby rock. He started vigorously wiping his bare foot on the rock to clean away the shit. He lifted his foot to supervise his work.

"Ah why is there blood in my foot. Did i perhaps rub too vigorously?" he checked his foot for signs of injury. "Hmm that's weird there is no open wound there" he looked back at the spot he stepped on shit to find a dead animal.

"I stepped on a carcass? Strange, why does this snake look familiar? Ahh ugly snake is that you? Are you alive? Blink your eyes if you can hear me".

The snake blankly stared at him. 'Maybe it really was dead' he thought. The snake moved its tail a little replying to his calls. "You are alive. How do you have the luck of the century?" Xia che picked up the dirty snake with a random stick he found nearby.

He took the snake to the river to wash it and found his lost shoe washed up near the shore. 'this snake is definitely lucky. I have to convince him to come with me. Otherwise my travel will be a shit parade' he thought to himself.

He started washing the blood stained snake. "You know little snake this is the reason I asked you to travel with me. You are just a little hatchling after all. A weak creature like you can't survive in the wild" he smiled at the snake. The ugly snake did not move at all.

"I got an idea why don't I adopt you. You are little beast you need the guidance of a superior beast like me" Xia Che pride fully boasted to the ugly snake. Lond Aotian was too tired to listen the beast's yapping so he went back to sleep.

"Look at how much your body is hurt ah? Let me get you all patched up" Xia Che lifted the snake in his hands and went back to the Gillium tree. The tree bent its head and bloomed some lillium flowers for him. Xia Che thanked the tree and proceeded with mending the wounded snake.

He was pissed off that his son was bullied so he rolled up a ball of animal fecies and mud and tossed it into the mole rats hideout.

Dusting his hands he said "how dare you bully my son. You deserve a home that stinks like shit" and walked away.

That is how Xia che officially started his journey with his adopted snake son.