Chapter 210 - 210 - Incubator

The little egg happily jumped from his shoulder onto the statue's shoulders. Behind the clay man's head was a little red jewel. The egg banged on it lightly, starting up an ancient enchantment. The mossy wall creaked out loud and opened into another crystal hallway.

Startled by this, Long jumped back a few steps, bringing his child in his arms. Since sun had already set, the crystal hallway was completely dark. He hugged his little egg in one hand and summoned an illuminating pearl in another. Step by step, he cautiously walked inside. Is it was just himself he would have walked in confidently but he had his little child in his hands and his Wifey was resting just in the next room?

A swift wind swept past him as he was walking. The air was very fresh and full of spiritual energy. 'How is there fresh draft underwater?' he wondered as he walked in step by step. As he walked deeper, the little egg because naughty. It rolled around and wiggled.

"Little red bean, don't move too much. This place is very dangerous" Long Ki rocked the egg softly.

The egg calmed down after a while, yet still it was excitedly jumping on his shoulders.

The hallway ended reviling a huge door. Unlike the other door, this one was made of iron.

Long Ki raised the illuminating pearl closer to the door. A deep design was carved out. Since the door was so huge he was not able to see the entire carving, but he could vaguely sense that it was of a woman. "The previous ancient cultivator must have carved this door," he whispered, caressing the carving softly. "Little child, your father too will one day build a huge cultivation cove like this for you," he whispered, patting the little egg's round body.

The little red bean jumped about and slightly banged on the door.

The heavy door opened without any resistance.

Long Ki gripped his little egg in one hand and held out the illuminating pearl inside. As soon as he stepped in, the whole room suddenly illuminated brightly. Long Ki stepped back and glanced around. The room looked similar to the other room, but this one's roof still had all the decorative illuminating pearls. "Looks like this room was not ransacked," he whispered.

Cautiously, he walked inside. The layout was the same as the other room except this room did not have a bed. Unlike their room, the walls of this room were covered in shimmering coat with a few clouds painted here and there. The bathroom also did not have a door. "Little red, is it too bright for you?" he whispered woodenly, glancing down.

The little egg shook itself. It confidently jumped down and rolled swiftly.

"wait… don't run around, this place might be dangerous," he anxiously said and followed behind. The egg rolled into the bathroom and paused. "what is it?" Ki whispered as he ran after it.

He paused as well. "This room…." The articles inside were collecting dust, but he could clearly see that this was a nursery. On the walls of the room a beautiful orange Koi's were painted. The fish's shimmering orange tail stood up like it was splashing water. Long Ki admired it for a while, but did not think much about it.

Picking up his little egg, he walked in. There was also a small baby crib in the corner of the room. And There was a huge gaping hole in the ground connecting to the outside river. He squatted down and touched the water's surface. "I think some child was raised here. But isn't it dangerous to have a pool connecting outside?" He whispered to himself confusedly.

In the other room, Yukiya glanced at the door. There was no way around outside. "Ki…little child? Where are you both?"

Holding her breath, she gripped the sides of the tuba and pulled herself up. Her new tail was stranger than she expected. She kneeled and gazed out. The bedroom was empty. "Ki? Where are you? Ki, answer me!!" she shouted until her voice turned hoarse. "Darn it!" with her spiritual energy, she controlled the water to for a small bag over her gills and jumped out of the crystal tub.

Crawling out, she saw the newly opened wall. "There is a room there?" she slowly crawled through. It was quite dark, but she could sense her lover on the other side. "KI!" she shouted, but there was no reply.

After wiggling like a worm for a long time, she finally reached the huge iron door. She pushed it open with her tail. "Ki!" she shouted, seeing that he was unharmed.

"Wifey, why are you out of water?" Long Ki rushed over to her and gently lifted her up. He rushed over and placed her in the small water hole. "That was dangerous, Yukiya. You could have suffocated on the way," he chided.

"But you guys were missing for a long time,"' She grumbled. The little egg jumped over into her arms and snuggled against her bosom. Patting her child softly, she glanced around. "Wow, this place looks like a….."

"a nursery…. Yeah, it is. Wifey, I think a child was raised here before you. Isn't it awesome, we can raise little red bean here!" he cheerfully whispered.

Yukiya glanced in awe. Nodding she said, "yes, it is really a good place to raise Little child," she gestured from him to the pool and slowly lowered herself. The cool river water soothed her aching core. "aggghh," she sighed in content. "Quick, give little bean, his outer coating is a little dry," she said.

Long Ki carefully handed the child over to her. But the naughty little egg kept jumping from her hands into the free flowing current under. "Baby, don't be naughty," he whispered, caressing the slimy coating softly.

Yukiya firmly gripped the little egg. "The child is not listening at all," she chuckled lovingly gazing at her red egg.

"It's too dangerous to let him jump around in free flowing water….." Long Ki murmured as he kept a careful watch over the jubilant little thing.

Yukiya too sighed. She was quite tired after the ordeal and really wanted to rest. But her child was full of energy. "Ki~ can you take care of him for a while? I'm very tired," she murmured with a guilty look in her eyes.

"Of course, sleep, sleep," he patted her back softly. With her tail still hanging inside water Yukiya pulled her torso out of water and leaned against the pool edge. Her tired eyes shut close immediately, plunging her in a dreamless sleep.

With a fond smile on his face, long Ki squatted next to the pool and played with his child. The naughty little red bean always wanted to jump in water. He tried, stopping the egg multiple times. But the egg was relentless. After a while the little red bean got tired. Long Ki softly placed the egg in Yukiya's arms, partially submerged in water. But since she was deeply in sleep, the egg kept falling down. Holding the egg underwater, Long ki thought to himself,, "maybe we should get a bed for little bean as well …."

Suddenly he remembered the little glass bowl his mother had gifted him. He rushed over to the other room with the egg in hand. The bowl was carelessly tossed in the side. He picked it up, filled it with fresh cold water and placed the jubilant little egg inside. Just after he placed it in the bowl, let out a small hum. The bowls mouth expanded and closed, leaving the egg floating sleepily inside.

Long Ki panicked for a second. He held the bowl carefully and touched the new cap part of it. It opened to his touch. "Oh it's wonderful; he then placed it on the counter. The cap closed again. He carefully lifted the bowl in his arms and went over to the room Yukiya was sleeping.

Just as he entered, Yukiya blinked awake. She beckoned him close and kissed his chin. "It's okay now, I've had my sleep. I'll take care of red bean. You sleep," she whispered, caressing his tired eyes.

"No, you should get more sleep. Red bean is sleeping." Long Ki whispered, showing her the bowl.

Yukiya's eyes went wide. "Ki, where did you find this?"

"I had its lying around," Long Ki said nonchalantly.

Yukiya raised a quizzical brow. "You had a Mer egg incubator lying around?"

"What Mer egg incubator? Isn't this a bowl?" Long Ki glanced at it from all sides. It was just a normal looking bowl with a lid.

Yukiya chuckled out loud. She leaned over and kissed his lips. "My silly dragon, this is a specialized fish egg incubator. I've only read about it in books. In a book I've read that Mers used a specialized bowl to keep the little eggs. It keeps the water fresh and also controls the temperature." She lifted the bowl and showed him the temperature control spell on it sits bottom. "So where did you find it?"

"My mom gave it," Long ki whispered confusedly. He seated down and placed their child in the middle. "You know, when I was about two thousand years old, my mother started a special training for me saying that my emotional quotient was not enough to win over a wife. That class was....very painfully boring. Every day I used to sneak out and hide in my little brother's room. Little Aotian always hide me in his closer and protected me from my mother's rage," he said with a soft smile.

"But one day he did not help me at all. He tossed me out the room and said, { "you should listen to mother. She can see the future. If she is putting so much work on you, then it is painfully obvious that you might desperately need it in the future,"} I never believed that silly words. But now I vaguely feel that his words might be true," Long Ki whispered.

"So your mother can see the future? That's why she forced us to get married, put this ring on our finger and pushed us off the ledge?" Yukiya said with her eyes narrowed.

Long ki gulped. "I'm not excusing her behavior. She might be over the top sometimes but she is......not that bad," he finished his words in a whisper.