Chapter 176 - 176 - Swallow It

"Master, do you know what this is? It is your life's cultivation. It explains everything.....why you easily died like that. I was wondering for so long, why you died like that, why you did not even lift your sword to defend yourself. I know now, it's because you couldn't," Bao Hu whispered with his head in his hands. Till this date he had been wondering why his master, he got the answer at last.

'Master Hong had predicted all. so he sealed away his cultivation in this ruby and went to war,'

Xia tilted his head and glanced at him with a frown. He then softly caressed the sharp contours of the ruby in hand. 'This is my cultivation....'

"How will it help Long. can this restore his cultivation?"

"Yes, yes, it can. This is the only way he can gain his cultivation back. But it can only be used when he is conscious." Bao said, fiddling with his fingers.

Xia nodded and placed the ruby carefully in the box.

"it's sad though, I thought he would become a human and die of old age. Tsk, why is his luck so exponential?" the demon lord brooded in the corner. but his voice was slightly above a whispered was heard by Xia.

The crayfish snapped his head towards him and glared. "I heard that,"

"It was meant to be heard," he mumbled and pouted. "If he died of natural causes then I can be your lover, right?"

"NO you can't! don't even think about it," Xia snapped at him.

Bao pouted hard and slouched in the corner of the room. he was drawing circles on the fluffy carpet. "Not even ten percent?"

"Not even zero percent so stop asking," Xia grumbled out loud. He then slowly wrung the wash cloth and started cleaning Long's neck. "How long will you be asleep, darling? see someone else is trying to seduce me."

Long's eyelids trembled softly.

Little Xia who was wringing the wash cloth in warm water did not notice this. he kept whispering what nots into his ears. "and.....you did promise me many things when we are in closed quarters. now look, poor me is all alone aching for you,"

The demon lord coughed out loud with a blush on his face. "it's better not be so...explicit,"

"well you can leave so that I can whisper more explicit content to MY LOVER," he firmly said with a snort.

"Boho master, haven't you heard of the saying, 'Friends before hoes?'. you shrugged me off as soon as he came in your life. I'm deeply hurt," he whispered with a pout.

Xia glanced at him pouting and chuckled. "What's a hoe?"

"Its better you don't know the meaning,"

Xia glared at him and popped his tongue out. "Someday I would know the meaning....but I am pretty sure you were cussing at me,"

"Not you...him," he pointed at Long.

Xia tossed the towel at him, covering his pouting face. "I still have not forgiven you," he whispered.

Right then Long's fingers twitched. He could hear vague voices. it sounded like his lover. 'Xia.....was he hurt? Did that demon hurt him as well? No, I need to wake up soon. I have to protect him,'

Long's lashes trembled as he tried his hardest to open his eyes. they weirdly felt like led. 'What is wrong.....why is my eyelid so heavy?' he then tried lifting his hands a little. But it felt too heavy. 'Something is wrong. Did the demon mess up my body?'

By then Xia noticed this anomaly. "Long? baby, are you awake?" he gently held his cold hands and rubbed them to heaven it up. His dragon's fingers twitched. "Oh, you are awake my love."

"Xia.." Long hoarsely whispered.

"Yes, I'm here, love. Open your eyes, I'm always next to you." he softly kissed his fingers.

The golden dragon slowly blinked with his heavy eyes. "Xia.....you hurt?" he groaned and tried sitting up.

"No, no, I'm not love. Stay still you are the one who is hurt."

"But I heal quickly." he tried sitting up but his body felt heavy. He wiggled his fingers around, they felt stiff. 'why is my body so heavy? Is this a spell? I need to break it soon,' he thought and summoned his spiritual energy. That's when he realised that his entire body was empty.

With his eyes wide open, he peered at his lover's face. "Xia something is wrong...my spiritual energy its....."

Xia hugged his lover tight. "Shh, shh, it's okay. it can be healed so don't fret darling,"

Long hugged him back. in his hind sight he saw the familiar demon squatting in the corner. "Xia stay back." he shouted and pushed him behind him.

Xia rolled on the bed and chuckled out loud. "Its fine now. he won't hurt us," he whispered softly.

Yet still the dragon remained vigilant. he knew that demons are not tame as they look. but somehow all of them behaved decently in his lover's presence. 'Why so....is Xia's father somehow connected to the demon lords? but how? what if.....Xia is a demon himself?' his hands trembled in just the thought.

Xia felt it and softly patted his back. "It's okay, baby. it's okay. everything is okay. so calm down,"

The golden dragon finally got hold of his emotions. he attention first returned to the warmth in his arms. "Xia, Xia...Xia baby."

"Yes, love yes. I'm here," he chuckled with tears in his eyes. the anxiousness in his heart finally dissipated. the four days wait was the most painful experience.

Bao hu grimaced. 'god darn it, I feel like a major third wheel. I could almost imagine replacing that 'Long' if only he was dead.' he bit his nails and glared at him.

Long noticed this and chased him away.

"Stay, tell me how to use the ruby," Xia shouted at his retreating back.

Bao Hu pouted and whispered, "I'm cross with you, master. Figure it out yourself," he mumbled and walked out.

"What ruby? what is it about?" Long whispered curiously.

The little crayfish cheerfully handed him a small ornate box. "Open it," he said.

Long open it to find a small red ruby inside. it looked like an ordinary jewel on first glance, but he could feel a familiar presence within it. "What is this?" he whispered.

"Its...Its something to help heal you," Xia stuttered.

"Heal me? what sickness have I contracted? I feel very heavy, like the ground forces are pulling me down. I have never felt this.....this inflexible before," Long mumbled, flexing his arms.

Xia started sweating. 'Should I tell him he is feeling that way because he is human now? should I? should I? ahhh decision making is so hard. I want to be truthful with him but what if he gets depressed hearing the news? anyway the ruby will heal him, it's better not to tell,' Xia thought and nodded.

"Xia...Xia...XIA..." Long shouted at his dazed lover. "what is wrong," he whispered. "what disease do I have? Tell me. it's okay,"

The crayfish fidgeted with his hands. "you....you...there is nothing wrong with you," he shouted. "you just need this ruby," he showed the ruby to his hands.

Long could feel that Xia was hiding something from him. Holding the ruby carefully, he felt around its smooth surface. "What is this thing? it has some kind of spiritual energy in it,"

Xia brushed off his question and hugged him tight. "Baby, that's irrelevant. eat this,"

"This ruby? I would choke dear," Long whispered awkwardly. the ruby was almost as big as his thumb how could he possibly swallow this thing.

"Eat it!" Xia instantly shoved it to his face.

Long dodged him and rolled around on the bed. But his lover was quite faster than him.

Soon Xia, got him and held the ruby to his mouth. "Eat it now!" he shouted.

Long refused to open his mouth.'na-ah its not happening. I'm not eating it. I would probably have indigestion of I swallow that thing.'

Xia knelt on top of him and held him down. "Long song be stubborn. eat the darn thing,"

Long did not budge his mouth. he shook his head nope.

Xia glared at him. "If you don't eat it, then....." he leaned down and softly licked his lips.

His warm tongue made the dragon shiver in pleasure. He very much wanted to kiss him back, but he knew that this was his ploy to feed him the ruby.

Xia pouted. "Baby.... are you not tempted to kiss me back? I ache for you, here," Xia held the dragon's hands to his heated JJ.

Long growled loudly, yet still he did not open his mouth. he cupped his lover's slender waist and rolled over. 'What if I cant kiss him? I can still touch him,' he thought with a naughty grin.

'I think I've tempted the beast,' Xia gulped.