CH 53

Stay

"Alright, you take him back, he will wake up after three days of slumber."

The old man withdrew his hand, the green colour on Yan Yuan's forehead completely melted into him, and his originally ghastly white face regained its rosy colour. He had just died, his soul had not yet left his body; he only needed the inner elixir to repair his physical body, and he would be as healthy as ever, and even stronger than before.

What he took away was not only Xuan Long's ten thousand years of Taoism, but also the merit and qi he had accumulated over ten thousand years.

"... Many thanks, Senior." Xuan Long whispered his thanks and retreated a few steps, his long sword appearing in his hand, while at the same time, an ink-coloured dragon horn extended from his hair on the left side, about the length of an adult man's hand, and only half of one on the right side. He swung the long sword, and before the old man could react, the sword shadow flashed and chopped off the intact dragon horn right down to the root.

"Unh..."

The dragon's horn fell to the ground, leaving an inch-long circular wound at the fracture. Blood instantly gushed out, dripping down his forehead and seeping into his eyes. Xuan Long did not mind, slowly bending down and picking up the horn.

The old man noticed and turned around, surprised: "What are you doing?

Xuan Long pursed his lips and slowly handed over the blood-stained dragon horn in his hand, saying hoarsely, "The kindness of Senior... Han Po will certainly remember it."

His Tao has been exhausted, the only reward he can give is this dragon horn.

When he came last time, he promised to pay back double the reward for keeping the baby after he had safely passed the heavenly tribulation, but he could not do that anymore.

The old man's face turned blue: "I said I wanted it, but I didn't ask you to give it now. What are you doing in such a hurry?!"

Xuan Long was breathing heavily, the sudden loss of his inner elixir had already left him vulnerable, and to lose his horn at this time was like cutting off a hand when he was terminally ill, the pain was no different.

He was now no different from a mortal, to be precise, no different from a mortal who was terminally ill, no better than a delicate porcelain that would break if it was accidentally knocked to the ground. If the human race wanted him dead, it would be easy.

The only remaining power he had was enough to maintain his human form and to create a sword that was no longer as powerful as it once was.

"......"

When Xuan Long didn't say anything, the old man slapped his thigh and took the dragon horn, pulling Xuan Long to sit down on the edge of the bed, aiming the broken horn at the blood-red fracture and casting a healing spell, with a purple light appearing in his palm.

"This old man said that only to test your resolve. You're good, you have to break yourself here to be happy, don't you?"

"Senior..." Xuan Long, who was never used to taking kindness from others for nothing, looked sideways at the old man and tried to get up.

The old man held him back by the shoulders: "Don't move!"

"If you move again, I really won't be able to reattach it."

A slight coolness came from the wound on top of his head, covering the pain a little, and Xuan Long was a little helpless.

"I can no longer afford to pay..."

"I know." The old man held Xuan Long's horn and watched as the wound gradually healed at a rate visible to the naked eye.

"This old man didn't want that from you either."

"I save demons all by eye contact. If the eye is good, I won't take a penny, if the eye is not good, I will take ten thousand years of Taoism."

"I see that you are good, so I will help you, what's the harm?"

"Senior's kindness, I will never forget it." Xuan Long's throat felt as if something was sticking in it.

"If you really want to repay me, then live well." The old man sighed, "This old man would hate to see my clan's dragons die for love and for people."

"It is too late for that." Xuan Long's eyes fell to the ground, his heart without regret.

"It is not too late." The dragon's horn was already attached and the old man conjured up a white handkerchief and gently wiped the blood from Xuan Long's face, "If you take the child away, you will be able to live like a human being, at least for another hundred years."

"... I don't want to part with it." Xuan Long said.

"Even if you give birth to this child safely, you will have at most two years to live. You can stay with him for two years, but what about after two years?" The old man's gaze raked over Yan Yuan on the bed, and discerned for him the situation at hand without any delay, "If this human can accept the child in your womb, it means that he really loves you, and if he loves you so much, how can he live if you leave him and the child to sleep underground? If he doesn't love you, he won't accept the child in your womb, and then you will pass away, leaving the child alone in this world, without a loving father or mother. To leave a child alone in this world, without a loving father or mother, is cruel."

Xuan Long had not had time to think so much about it; he had originally thought of living alone with his child after he gave birth to it. Now, with only three years left to live, he must find a peaceful place for the child before he leaves.

As the child's biological father, Yan Yuan's side was the best haven for the child.

But can he really accept an heir born of a dragon...

"Dare I ask Senior, is this child born... a dragon or a human." Xuan Long asked in a low voice.

The old man frowned as his handkerchief disappeared from his palm, "It's hard to say, it could be human, it could be a dragon, or it could be half human and half dragon."

Xuan Long's throat twitched slightly, a sign of his nervousness: "What is half human and half dragon?"

"It's a human with dragon horns from birth." The old man said, "Such a child is a monster in the human race, and an alien in the dragon race. Dragons of impure blood will not be accepted by the dragon race."

"......" Xuan Long fell silent at his words.

The old man looked at him with worry and said in a serious tone, "Han Po, you need to bear too much when you give birth to him. Without your protection, this child's future will certainly be stormy and dangerous."

Xuan Long's lips moved, and the sound that came out was nearly nothing: "He should... protect him."

"Hey..." The old man knew his mind was made up, and ceased to advise, turning with a long sigh and going outside the house.

Two days later, Xuan Long took Yan Yuan and left the Dragon Realm.

He had no more spiritual power and could not fly. The old man sent them to the bottom of the hill and arranged for a spacious carriage, which was suitable for Yan Yuan as he was still unconscious and the couch in the carriage was soft and comfortable for him to sleep on.

When they crossed the Meridian Gate, Xuan Long showed the jade pendant with the dragon pattern that Yan Yuan was carrying and entered the palace without any problems.

Chen Yan saw Yan Yuan die with his own eyes, but as his body disappeared into thin air, he was unable to give an explanation to his ministers, so he concealed the news of his death and secretly sent someone out of the palace to look for him.

When Xuan Long appeared in Qiankun Palace with an unharmed Yan Yuan, Chen Yan almost thought he was hallucinating, but at that moment, Yan Yuan was lying on the dragon bed, wearing a neat white robe, his face rosy and his breath calm.

Combined with what Yan Yuan had said earlier, that he had met the dragon, and seeing with his own eyes that Yan Yuan had come ashore safely after spending two days in the thousand-year old pond, Chen Yan was more or less certain of the identity of this ‘Master Han'.

This was the true dragon's manifestation.

Chen Yan's cloudy eyes were red as he knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Xuan Long, thanking him for saving the Emperor's life. Xuan Long got up from the side of the bed and bent down to help him up. Chen Yan cried for a while and then withdrew of his own accord.

Early the next morning, Yan Yuan woke up in his bed. The bright yellow tent above him made him a little confused about his situation. He raised his hand and touched his chest, and felt that it was as good as ever, with no signs of injury on his body at all. A soothing energy flowed through his muscles and bones, making him feel full of energy, as if he had taken a magic elixir, and he was incredibly comfortable.

There was a distinct breathing sound in his ears, and when he turned his head to look, he saw a cold, angular face with eyelashes as thick as shadows on a tree. A dark gold mask covered the right side of the man’s face, but it was still difficult to block the paleness of the face.

Yan Yuan's heart stirred. He was certain that he was not dreaming, and opened his mouth to call out, "A'Po..."

Xuan Long was sleeping heavily, a little far away from Yan Yuan, with at least half a metre separating them. Yan Yuan moved over and embraced his strong, thin waist, calling out to Xuan Long several times before he woke up, his icey turquoise eyes full of drowsiness.

Yan Yuan's eyes reddened and he clasped his waist tightly, the two of them pressed close together, so close that the other's breath was close by: "I thought I'd never see you again."

"You saved me, didn't you?"

"En." Xuan Long's eyes gradually regained their clarity.

"The fact that you were willing to save me proves that you still love me." The tip of Yan Yuan's nose rested against Xuan Long's, speaking with a thick nasal tone:

"This time I will never let go of you again."

"A'Po, stay here, okay?..."

Xuan Long looked at Yan Yuan and did not speak.

Yan Yuan nuzzled against his nose and said, "I said that if I had another life, I would treat you well. I was dead, but now I am alive again, so I am living another life, I will keep my promise."

"Why don't you stay with me? Okay?…"

Xuan Long's face was expressionless, only looking at Yan Yuan with those icy turquoise eyes, making Yan Yuan confused as to what he was thinking, and his heart became more and more anxious as he said dumbly.

"Actually, speaking of something like growing old together... is indeed coaxing you to be happy. You see, you are a dragon, you have lived for ten thousand years and are still this handsome and young, while I am a human, I can only live for a hundred years at most."

"You just stay by my side and accompany me through these hundred years, okay?..."

"When I die, you may prefer to travel the rivers and lakes or live at the bottom of the pond for a long time, I won't be able to see it, you still have a lot of life to enjoy, I just want to possess you for a short period of less than a hundred years, so just make me whole..."

"A'Po..."

"Is that okay..."

Not knowing whether it was because his heart had softened, or because he couldn't resist Yan Yuan's pampering, after a long silence, Xuan Long opened his mouth in a low voice, "... Okay."

Just one word was enough for Yan Yuan to leap for joy, and his eyes widened in surprise, "Really?"

"Mm." Xuan Long responded softly.

"I knew you loved me the most!" Yan Yuan rubbed the man in his arms, and dropped delicate kisses on his ears, working his way from his ears to Xuan Long's lips.

Xuan Long's lips were slightly thin, but very soft. Yan Yuan first tasted them lightly, but when he did not refuse, he deepened the kiss. He hadn’t vented his feelings for a long time, and when he became intimate with Xuan Long, he soon caught fire. 

The lust-laced kiss was so domineering and irresistible that it was difficult for Xuan Long to breathe. He raised his hands to push the man away from him, but Yan Yuan had no intention of giving way, so Xuan Long slowly relaxed his strength and let him manipulate him with his eyes downcast, his eyelashes trembling slightly as Yan Yuan dug his hands into the hem of his shirt.

When he was about to be suffocated, Yan Yuan finally let him go and instead attacked the belt around Xuan Long's waist. Xuan Long subconsciously pressed his hand and met Yan Yuan's lust-filled light brown eyes.

"A'Po, I want..." Yan Yuan lowered his head and pecked Xuan Long's lips, pampering himself with him.

"... I'm tired today." Xuan Long's throat twitched slightly and his voice did sound a little tired.

Seeing that he was ever so pale, Yan Yuan didn't care: "I haven't even been close to you for a long time, just once, is that okay?..."

After staring at each other for a long time, Xuan Long slowly let go.