Chapter 236 - 236 - Dissipate

Two hours..... For bloody two hours Xia had to act like he was asleep. The worse was that the scar faced man already knew he was awake, yet he was doing 'this and that' with Hua Jung right next to him. Xia silently bit the duvet, holding back his tears. 'Long, I'm being bullied. My poor ears have been assaulted by their torturous act. Darn it when will they leave I have to enter the pearl space,'

He heard a low moan next to him. He silently held back his tears of agony. 'my poor dragon soul, I think I understand your pain now only.'

Soon enough she heard soft snores. 'Is it over? Is it done?'

"Enough acting. Go to sleep for really this time. Staying up too late is not good for you," the scar faced man said with a smile on his face.

Xia peaked out and glared at him. "Why didn't you leave? My poor ears are bleeding,"

"Then put some medicine on it." he laughed softly and lifted the snoring little prince in his arms. The prince's head was slouching back, so he gently helped him lean against his chest. "Troublesome little prince. I had a wonderful time,"

"Get out and gloat on your victory," Xia shouted.

"Yes, your wish is my command, he-he," he chuckled mysteriously and walked out the room.

After the door was closed behind them, Xia came out of the duvet and sighed. "At last I can jump in,"

Thankfully, that guy didn't take away his space ring. He pulled out his huge pearl from it and glanced at it with a huge smile. The pearl shone brightly, and he disappeared into the space.

He appeared inside the space and cheerfully rushed in. "old master, where are you?" he shouted in glee. But as he passed through the dark passageway he felt something was wrong. "Old soul?" he whispered softly with his sword in hand.

The huge was space was completely dark. His things were randomly scattered on the ground. 'Something must have happened to my master,'

He rushed into the room and saw a small light in the corner. It was slightly flickering. "master!" he rushed to the dragon soul and squatted next to him. His figure was flickering. "What—what happened to you master?"

The old soul slowly opened his eyes. "Little student... you are here. At least I can see you before I go....,"

"No, it is not possible. You are a mighty dragon, aren't dragon considered immortal. You soul can't die master," he frantically whispered. He tried holding onto his hand, but his hand completely passed through.

"Xia, don't worry so much. I have completed all my tasks and my soul is finally sated. Its—it's a good end for me," he stuttered slowly.

"Master, you are lying. Your soul is just unstable. What did you do? I thought you were taking good care of yourself," Xia shouted out loud and peered at his flickering figure.

The soul paused. "I took good care of myself. It is just that my soul has gone weak," he mumbled softly. But it was in fact due to his carelessness that he was in this situation. Last time when his apprentice came to him crying that his lover had gone missing, he went out of his space to search. Since he was away from the space for long, his soul got damaged inexplicably.

"Why didn't you say you were sick master? Why?" Xia cried out loud. His tears streamed down his face, wetting his cheeks and lips.

The old dragon soul sighed. "I tried contacting you, but I was not able to get through. It was as if my space was being restricted by something,"

Xia paused. "Was it last month?"

"Y—yes, I think it was,"

"Oh master, I was in a lower realm. My space ability was restricted. I was not able to contact you because of it. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry master...." Xia shouted loudly and crawled close. Even though he was so close, he was unable to touch his master. This broke his heart to pieces. "Master...you can't go now. You—you have unfinished business," while he was talking he subtly send over his spiritual energy, but it was not even able to touch his flickering soul. He tried again and again and again.

The old dragon soul sighed. He hovered his hand over his clenched fist and smile at him. "But I have completed all my wants and needs. Before I dissipate, I have to tell you about the space ownership. This space will fully be under your control. Since my soul will dissipate my blood inside ancestor Long will also disappear. He will lose control of his ownership of this space..so," the dragon soul slowly said with a wide smile.

"Don't talk like you dying. You can't..... you can't die!!!' Xia shouted. He watched his master give him a sweet smile. His heart stopped for a moment.

'I have to give him a reason to stay,' Xia sniffed loudly and wiped his tears. "you still have one unfulfilled wish!!! You haven't taught me anything. How can you leave before that? Didn't you want to have an apprentice to teach all your medical skill to?"

The dragon soul that was flickering cleared up for a second. He glanced at him and nodded. "I did. I did wish to pass upon my skill to my apprentice. But my little Xia, I have to wrong you, even though I want to stay I can't anymore. I'm mortally wounded and my soul is disappearing as we speak,'

"NO!! I don't accept this. I don't accept this,"

"Death is a part of life, my dear. Even if you don't accept it, it happens," he softly caressed his cheeks. His cold transparent hands went thought him again.

Sighing, he leaned back against the corner. He glanced down at his wailing student and smiled. "Xia, I'm happy I got to know you and I'm honoured that I got to meet you in this lifetime....do you know? When I was alive, I was called a mud dragon, but in fact I was a small earthworm with a small trace of dragon heritage. Inside, I was always insecure that I was not myself. I travelled the world, saw places, found treasures, but my heart was not sated. My greatest wish was to meet a real dragon. And thanks to you, I got to fulfill it. I—I am honoured that I got to meet my great ancestral dragon prince. I'm happy that I got to meet a cheerful student like you...I am happy, Xia. This QinYin can finally rest in peace,"

A small blue tear escaped his eyes and his figure dissipated into small shimmering dust.

Xia watched this wide eyed. With palm outstretched, he caught the dust that was fluttering around and hugged it. "M—master...I was not even able to hug you goodbye...next life....next life I wish that I can doo that honours of being your master as well." He glanced at the innumerous book shelves and sobbed. "I—I will pass on this knowledge to you.....until then I will never accept an apprentice. You were a great master but you have to promise, next life you have to be my student master!!" he cried out loud.

Wailing his heart out, he slowly got up and sat on the bed. All around him, only darkness gave him company. Every corner he saw he could remember his master. "Master..... You left me all alone," he sobbed, hugging the pillow tightly.

Crying for a long time, he fell asleep. The soft bed did not give him solace. Rather, he was haunted by the memories of his lover. "Long when will you come get me....it so lonely here," he whispered glancing at the decorate ceiling. Silent tears rolled down the sides of his face, disappearing into his hairline.

In the village of Hales:

Long Aotian who was frantically running from ship docks to another suddenly paused. He felt something weird. His heart lurched and tightened. He patted his chest. "Xia baby, I—I will find you mom and track you down. Until then you have to stay safe," he whispered, wiping his unshed tears away.

On his side long Ki sighed, "even if you fly, it will take you a day's time to get there. It's not applicable. Come on Xiao Tian, Don't you have anything that connects you to your lover?"

"We....wait, we have a shared space pearl." Long Aotian shouted all of a sudden. Seeing his brother's quizzical expression, he continued, "Unlike our normal space ring, this space pearl can accompany living things. It will help, right?"

Long Ki sighed, "but that won't help."

"No it can. Long ki you are a genius. Last time also he went missing he was inside the space. Like a silly goose, I was searching for him everywhere. Maybe this time as well he might be there," he cheerfully said and closed his eyes. He opened them again to find himself it the same spot.

"M—maybe I did a mistake. Let me try again," he anxiously closed his eyes again but this time also it did not work. He held his brother's shoulders and glared into his eyes. "Why am I not able to enter the space?"

"Spaces like that—they don't work when the initial holder of it is dead,"

Long Aotian froze with his eyes wide open. "You—you are kidding right...he can't be dead. I'm a shared owner of the space. I'm still alive so he had to be too,"

Long ki frowned and stepped closer. He hugged his stunned little brother tightly and patted his back. "It doesn't work that way....it doesn't,"

"You are lying, you are!!!" Aotian pushed him away.

"Xiao Tian.....the space like that only recognises one owner. And when the owner dies....."