"Master, you.....you have advanced!" The old dragon soul shouted.
With a wide smirk xia strode over to him. "Yes I did, now all I have to do is become super strong so that Long will not leave behind like last time," as he spoke his smile faded away.
He was still mildly upset that Long had left him alone in that cave. Even though it was Long's way of protecting him, he did not like it one bit. What he wanted is to fight alongside his lover.
"Through life or death," He finished his thoughts.
Hearing this, the old dragon's soul panicked. He flew over to him. "Eh, what's wrong, master? Are you still sick?" he panicked.
"No no… I was thinking about something else," xia waved him off. His wet sleeve stuck to his skin as he moved. "Hmm, I guess i have to change again,"
He ran over to the changing screen and pulled out a new pair of shirt from his ring. This was the third time he had to change his clothes.
"Ugh, I wish I had waterproof clothes," he grunted.
The glove on his hand subtly vibrated. A pair of white shirt and pant appeared out of thin air.
Xia Che was astonished. "Eh, what is this?" he whispered as he held it close. The shirt looked silky, but it was sturdy also at the same time. He checked the pants as well. It was a pair black pant with small lotus embroidery at the bottom. The clothes had a faint sandalwood smell.
"Where did they come from?" he gazed at the jewel encrusted ceiling. "Maybe the dragon soul sent it to me," he thought as wore it.
The floor-length mirror revealed his full form. The shirt fit loosely on his body and the pants fit snug. He turned around, admiring the beautiful clothes. He also wore Long's black outer shirt. It dropped to his feet, almost. And it always drags behind him.
"Matching outerwear would have been nice though," he mumbled.
Suddenly a Hanfu* fell down onto his face.
Xia gazed at it. It was a purple outer robe with small Ikuchi* coiled around a green lotus flower embroidered near the sleeves, "wow, Old dragon soul is too generous," he whispered.
He happily woe his clothes and walked out.
"Wow master those clothes looks good on you," the old dragon soul exclaimed.
Xia twirled his wide sleeve around like a kid. "Yeah, thanks for giving me them," he said.
The old dragon soul was confused for a second. "Master, what did I give you?"
"The clothes of course,"
"But I didn't," The old dragon soul said.
Xia watched him with his eyes narrowed. "But this was throw at me when I was changing," he mumbled.
The old soul did not have an answer for this. He blinked and stared at him.
"Never mind, I wanted to ask you a favour," he said.
"what is it master, let me know I will do anything in my power to help you," the soul enthusiastically said.
"I need to borrow a pill cauldron," Xia said.
"I have," the soul shouted and dashed away into one of the dark pathways.
Xia sat cross-legged on the floor and pulled out all the herbs. He also pulled out the jade box which contained the Luciha herb. He had all the herbs needed to heal Felia and the puppy, but he need to process them into a pill.
Pill cauldron is an essential when making pills. And a pill fire is needed to operate it. He had neither.
Gazing at the spread out herbs, Xia felt his heart conflicted. Usually his mother, Yukiya, will process the pills while he would collect the herbs. But now he did not have his mother nearby.
'I guess i will do everything by trial-and-error method,' he thought, biting his lips.
Soon the dragon soul brought back a huge silver cauldron. It had a small mouth with a stout but sturdy body. Life like phoenixes was carved into the handle. And its cap also had a huge emerald encrusted on it.
"Wow, this looks nice," Xia whispered.
"Yes master, this cauldron was made almost ten thousand years ago. It was said that one of the great demon lords, Feng Ji, owned this," the old dragon enthusiastically explained. "See here," he pointed to the carved handles. "This is said to be made to look just like that demon lord,"
"Oh, that's nice," Xia blankly said. The talk about demons dampened his mood. Knowing that he might be a demon and that Long hates this kind. Made his heart ache.
"Do you have a pill fire as well," he whispered.
"Yes, yes, I brought it along,"
The old soul brought out a small jade bottle. It was completely black, its cap tightly sealed.
"This is my final dragon's breath," the old dragon soul whispered with a sad look.
Xia held onto it carefully. "I will make sure to use it wisely," he whispered.
With a small smile, the soul nodded.
Xia took the small red flames out of the jade bottle and placed it under the cauldron.
He had seen his mother do this multiple times. She would just toss them in and the pill will be ready. 'This is going to be super easy,' he thought.
Soon the cauldron started to become flaming red.
"Oh I should add my herbs," he mumbled and picked randomly. It was a blooming moon flower, that only blooms during full moon, but when harvested on time it will retain its beauty forever. then he picked up a clover like herb. It was called the gleem clover.
He opened the cauldron and tossed them both in.
The soul watching him pick herbs with a hesitant look. "Master….um.. This herb should not be used first. Otherwise you will burn it out," the soul said.
Just as he finished saying it, a faint burnt smell wafted out of the cauldron.
"Why?" Xia whispered.
"This herb and this herb," the soul pointed to the Gleem clover and the moon blooming flower. "It is actually yin in nature, so you have to add it only later in the process otherwise you might ruin this good herb," he explained.
"Oh, I see… so that's how it is," Xia mumbled and picked up another one. It was a "then this?"
The old dragon gazed at him weirdly. "Master… do you know what you are doing?"
Xia gazed up at him with an awkward smirk. "ahh that…. I don't know how to make pills," he mumbled. "But I can learn. Can you please teach me?" he said with a small smile.
The old dragon gazed at him with its eyes wide open. After a while the old soul had a crafty look on his face. "Fine, but you have to call me master when your lover is not here,"
"Okay master," Xia shouted cheerfully.
That is how a master and student relationship was born.
Note-
Ikuchi- a water demon that looks like an eel, it strangles ships with its huge body and sinks them.
Hanfu – a type of outerwear that is kind of similar to a wrap coat.