Chapter Sixteen

Once the first large crack appeared, the egg grew still again, as though the small life inside was gathering its strength. Resting before its next move.

Ryuu and Masaki hovered over the nest in their damp robes for several moments, not wanting to miss another movement. They exchanged a glance after waiting for some time, making the mutual decision to swiftly done their clothing while the egg seemed inactive. They hurried through dressing, throwing on their robes, hair still wet and unbound, before dashing back to the nest to check on its progress.

Another sifen passed in silence before the egg rocked again, two more spider web fine cracks branching off the first larger crack. A faint chirp came from within, the little Shuilong sounding disgruntled that its efforts weren’t making much headway in breaking free from its confinement.

“Come on, little one,” Masaki leaned closer, cheering on the baby dragon as yet unseen. “You can do it. Just a little more!”

Masaki had to clasp his hands behind his back to stop himself from interfering with the hatching process. Hearing those disheartened chirps made his fingertips tingle with the urge to help. It would take little to no effort for him to peel away the leathery shell presenting such a barrier to this baby.

But he knew he mustn’t.

Hatching was just the first of many trials and tribulations any Shuilong must face during its lifetime. Successfully overcoming these tests enabled it to grow its power and cultivation levels. If Masaki helped it now, it could weaken the little dragon, and it might then fail to reach its full potential.

Ryuu, as though reading his mind, reached out and loosely grasped Masaki’s wrists, pulling him to his side, away from the temptation to intervene. His golden eyes never left the gently shuddering egg, even as he tugged his bouncing companion back onto his heels.

“Watch,” he admonished softly, tilting his head toward the nest. He could sense the energy gathering within the egg through the bond he shared with the beast. It was almost radiating with determination. Any moment now. “There.”

The collection of hair-fine cracks became a chip; a tiny piece of the iridescent shell falling free, revealing a glimpse of the shape within. The tip of a gleaming claw poked through the gap. A crackling, tearing sound followed, and then the egg split in two.

Out tumbled the baby Shuilong, more resembling a lizard than a dragon at this stage of its growth. No longer than a chopstick, and no wider than the breadth of two fingers, its scales were velvet soft and pastel pale as it squinted at the rooms’s brightness with eyes like diamonds.

Its head seemed to be almost too big and heavy for its long, slender neck to lift, crowned with a pair of pearlescent nubs that would one day become horns. Fluttering gills, as fragile and transparent as gauze, lined its throat, enabling it to breathe underwater.

The Shuilong had four tiny legs and two pairs of wings; one for flight, the other to enable it to cut through water like a knife, reaching staggering speeds. This baby possessed two sinuous, whip-like tails, sporting large fins at the tip to act as both rudder and extra propulsion.

The number of tails on a Shuilong indicated their cultivation level. Having two tails meant that at birth, this little water dragon had already reached the Houtian/Pre-Celestial (2nd) Stage. Already it was stronger than Masaki, and it wasn’t even the length of his forearm.

Reaching over, Ryuu lifted the little dragon out of the remnants of its egg, placing it on his palm as he raised it up to eye level. Crystal clear gaze met golden as the two stared at each other for several heartbeats before the tiny beast made a quiet ‘ying-ying’ sound, puffing a breath of warm mist from its pinprick nostrils. Ryuu chuckled softly, tapping its head with one finger tip before sliding its slim frame into the collar of his robe.

“Do we have any Wenrou Bolang (gentle waves) milk?” Ryuu asked as the Shuilong nuzzled affectionately against his neck.

Masaki quickly rummaged through his inventory of medicinal herbs and products, summoning a jade bottle into his hand. Wenrou Bolang (gentle waves) milk was mild, nurishing and neutral, beneficial for feeding newborn spiritual beasts, as well as being a good substitute ingredient in several pill formula. Masaki had made sure he had a plentiful supply when he stocked up on materials for refinement practice. This bottle alone contained a thousand drops.

Producing a dropper and a shallow jade bowl, Masaki transferred enough of the Wenrou Bolang (Gentle waves) milk to form a small puddle at the bottom. The milk, a creamy yellow colour that gave off a soothing, wholesome scent. The Shuilong tip-tapped its small, soft claws in a happy, excited, hungry dance against Ryuu’s neck, one of its tails wrapped around his nape for security as it ying- chirped with anticipation. When its movements became too vigorous, it lost its balance, slithering down Ryuu’s brocade clad chest, to land in an ungainly heap in his palm.

Completely unfazed by this unplanned descent, it continued to dance and cheep demandingly. When Masaki brought the bowl closer, it lunged forward, tipping head first into the milk, lapping it up with all the ravinous appetite of one who had just spent a great deal of energy.

Being born was hard work, after all.

Within moments, the milk was completely devoured, leaving a little creamy mustache beneath his nostrils. Lifting his head, the shuiling chirped, blinking big, multifaceted eyes in Masaki’s direction, obviously begging for more.

Masaki chuckled as he poured another equal amount into the bowl and the baby dragon dived straight back into to lap it up.

“What are you going to call him?” he asked Ryuu as they both watched the dragonling guzzle his meal.

Ryuu hummed thoughtfully, running the tip of his index finger over the still soft spines along the little beast’s back. It made happy eating noises, wagging its two tails to acknowledge its master’s touch.

“I think Haoqiong would be a good name,” Ryuu said softly. “‘Hao’ to symbolise the connection to water, and ‘qiong’ to reflect the rare, jewel-like nature of the Shuilong.”

“Haoqiong,” Masaki repeated, smiling as he touched a fingertip to the top of the dragonling’s head. “That’s a fine name for a water dragon. I like it.”

The newly christened little dragon raised its head as it finished the last of the Wenrou Bolang milk, cheeping with satisfaction and rubbing affectionately against that tapping finger. Haoqiong purred roughly, settling onto his belly in the crook of Ryuu’s arm, legs tucked comfortably beneath its body.

“What do you think?” Masaki spoke to the dragonling. “Do you like the name Haoqiong?”

Intelligent, as only a Spiritual Beast could be within a few Lazhu of birth, the small Shuilong tilted his head to the side, eyes narrowing slightly. Only a handful of heartbeats later, he nodded, chirping happily in confirmation and acceptance.

On the heels of this nod, Haoqiong’s mouth stretched wide open in a fair cracking yawn. His diamond bright eyes blinked languidly, drooping at the corners drowsily. Of course, after the exertion of breaking out of the egg and filling his little belly with the milk, the baby would be exhausted.

Unable to resist the undertow of sleep dragging at his mind and body, Haoqiong curled his head and tails into a tight ball, heaving out a deep sigh. Warm streams of mist billowed from black rimmed nostrils as he gave a whispy murmur, before quickly drifting off to sleep.

After tucking the snoozing Shuilong into the inner pocket of his robes, Ryuu and Masaki decided to take a stroll around the town to get their bearings. They had arrived in the late afternoon. Too early to sit down for the evening meal, yet too late for an excursion to the attractions that made the area famous. All they could do was wander the streets before nightfall to get an idea of where to go the next day.

Neither really minded the slight delay. Having been doing little else than travelling and cultivating or pill refining for the last several weeks, it was good for them to get out and stretch their legs.

And it wasn’t as though there was nothing to see. Since they started out from the inn, in what must have been the ‘tourist quarter’; a myriad of stalls, both small and large, lined the wide, well-maintained streets. Many sold little trinkets fashioned from local goods and materials; mostly souvenirs to act as a momento of their visit. Some of these carried traces of the healing or calming energies commonly encountered in the Secret Realm.

Others displayed bottles containing water from the hot springs, which boasted of the abundant Earthly Qi capable of enabling cultivators to overcome injury or bottlenecks in their progress. These small glass vials sparkled with dancing motes of light, scattered glimmers of spiritual energy swirling within the richly infused water.

Some stalls offered relics from the Secret Realm, talisman and other highly sought after resources they claimed were unique to the region. And interspersed between them were merchants selling snacks and drinks, all reportedly made from plants and ferocious beasts hunted from their Secret Realm. The claim was that they had a unique taste and flavour having grown amid the energy there.

Excited by the different sights, sounds and smells, Masaki tugged Ryuu from stall to stall, examining and exclaiming over all the items on offer. Ryuu followed the younger boy without protest, a soft, indulgent curve to his lips as he kept hold of his companion. Losing track of one another in such a busy, crowded, unfamiliar place would have been less than ideal.

Especially for Masaki, who still wasn’t used to being among the press of so many people. He still panicked easily if Ryuu was not immediately visible.

As the pair roamed, they snacked on the street food that took their fancy. Cultivators had massive apetites and could easily polish of several portions of the tasty treats available, while still having room for a full meal at dinner.

They started off with platters of lightly battered, deep fried leaves and tubers of various spiritual and medicinal plants commonly found near the hot springs. Combined with a light brown dipping sauce that carried a faintly fishy flavour, the overall taste was light and refreshing, clearing the mouth and senses.

Next came bamboo cups of thin rice noodles in the bone broth of a Bai Chishi Renyu (White Toothed Piranha) which lived and hunted in large shoals in some of the deeper rivers formed from the springs. Small mushrooms resembling draped lace, green and young, tender shoots of Ziya Zhu (Purple Sprout Bamboo) floated within the broth. Its flavour was savoury and salty with an unctiousness that made one crave more.

The delicious scent of roasting meat drew Masaki across the street and led to them devouring several kin (1 Kin = 600g) of mixed savage beast meat skewers based in chili infused honey. They washed this down with cups of Huangse (Yellow) Lotus Root and ginger tea to help with digestion and absorption of the spiritual energy within the food. All of which was of the first or second stage, so that Masaki could tolerate it and utilise it without consequences.

While Ryuu derived little benefit from this energy at his current cultivation stage, he enjoyed the flavours and companionship of their shared meal.

Even though Masaki appeared to be distracted by the various culinary delicacies, he didn’t neglect their other reason for venturing out. Whenever they passed an apothecary, he would dart inside, appearing to seek a few moments of respite from the busy streets within the cool, herb-scented dimness of the shop’s atmosphere. Both would browse the selection of pills on display before drifting to the counter, usually manned by an assistant with a low cultivation stage.

“How much for Jingluo Tongqiao Dan (Meridian Opening Pill)?” Masaki asked.

“Low grade ten coppers, mid-grade twenty, high- grade thirty and top-grade forty coppers,” the assistant answered politely, looking between the two well-dressed youths, before focusing on Masaki who was much more approachable with his wide eyes and open expression. Ryuu’s habitual neutral expression was unsettlingly blank and mildly off-putting.

“What about Dapo Jiasuo Dan (Shackle Breaking Pill)?” Masaki queried.

“Dapo Jiasuo Dan is of similar value and effectiveness as the Jingluo Tongqiao Dan, so we price it the same,” the assistant responded immediately.

“And the Chuantou Dan (Penetrating Pill?”

All three of the formula Masaki mentioned would assist in the opening of the meridians during the mid-tier of the Pulse Condensation (1st) Stage. They had a similar effect and were of a similar difficulty in refining. Since Masaki had a ready supply of top-grade Jing Luo Tong qiao Dan, he had little need for the other kinds of pills, but it was also good to know the market value of each one. Perhaps he would learn to refine another variation before moving on to another type if there was sufficient demand for it.

“The Chuantou Dan requires slightly more expensive ingredients, so is more costly to produce,” the assistant, who appeared as a kindly middle-aged man with rounded cheeks and a friendly smile, said patiently. “We price it at twenty coppers for a low grade pill, mid-grade thirty, high grade forty and top-grade fifty coppers. However, they appear to be more popular with the young masters and misses from the top tier sects that visit here.”

“How much do you purchase these pills for?”

“Usually, all pills are purchased at four-fifths of their market value. So for the JingLuo Tongqiao and Dapo Jiasuo Dan, that would be eight coppers for low-grade, sixteen for mid-grade, twenty-four for high grade and thirty-two coppers each for top grade. For the Chuantou Dan a low-grade pill would be sixteen coppers, mid-grade twenty-four, high grade thirty two and top-grade forty coppers per pill,” the assistant quickly rattled off these prices, then paused and peered closely at the fresh-faced young man across the counter. “Does the young master know of an Alchemist looking to sell a consignment of these pills?”

Although these common formulas were more readily available than more complex pills, and the town had more than the average number of Alchemists residing there, demand was often high. An Alchemist could only produce pills based on their aptitude and many in the lower cultivation stages were slow to learn new formula. Some struggled to produce a full batch, while others could only produce a single type of pill.

The assistant knew if he identified a new source of pills, even if they were the simplest kind, the owner would reward him handsomely.

“I was merely curious,” Masaki waved away the inquiry with an airy hand and breezy smile. “But I would like to purchase some Shen Shen dew, if you have some.”

The assistant scrutinised the pair in front of him for a couple of heartbeats before moving past his suspicion.

Even if one of them was, or they knew of, an Alchemist further questioning might only lead to giving offence. The apothecary could not afford the reputation of prying into their customer’s business. Besides, the silent, stoic youth was more powerful than the assistant, and he had no desire to provoke a confrontation.

“We sell Shen Shen Dew in one hundred, five hundred or one thousand drop bottles,” he moved on swiftly, producing a white porcelain bottle of each size and placing it before the two as reference. “What stage do you require?”

Shen Shen Dew; derived from the Shen Shen (What-What) Reed, so called because the sound the thick stems make when in strong wind was familiar to someone asking ‘what’ repeatedly, was almost solely used to nurture newly hatched beast souls. The requirement was based on the stage of the little beast alone.

“Second Stage. We’ll take ten thousand drops, please.”

“That will be ten silver coins, please. One silver per thousand drops.”

Like the pills discussed earlier, the Shen Shen Dew was a relatively common and, therefore, inexpensive resource that was readily available. Quickly Ryuu handed over the required amount, and they completed the transaction as he placed the bottles into Masaki’s hands. He stored it away in his zhucun ring as they departed from the apothecary and back into the bright vibrancy of the busy street.

By the time they returned to the inn, they had visited over a dozen Apothecaries, and stuffed themselves with tens of different tasty treats. Feet aching from the unaccustomed amount of walking, Masaki flopped backward, arms outstretched onto the large sleeping platform with a loud exhale.

“I’m exhausted,” he mumbled tiredly. “I don’t want to move anymore.”

Chuckling, Ryuu moved across the room to stand beside his feet, accompanied by the quiet chirps on a newly awakened Haoqiong. He poured the lively baby out of his palm onto Masaki’s chest, causing ying-yings of delight to issue from his mouth. The dragonling began to determinedly use its short legs to climb upward, scaling all the way up to Masaki’s neck before slender, jade-like hands scooped him up to suspend him at arm’s length in the air. His long tails, neck and dual wings hung down, pulled by gravity as he chatted animatedly in his dragon-speak.

“You’ve been sleeping all afternoon, that’s why you’re so full of beans,” he scolded jokingly. “Fiesty baby.”

“Will you sell any of your pills while we are here?” Ryuu asked as he sat at Masaki’s side, reaching over to fiddle with and tug on the soft claws and sinuous tails of the little Shuilong.

“Mm, I think so,” Masaki murmured. “But anonymusly. I don’t want to publically say I’m an Alchemist right now.”

“Send the puppet,” Ryuu responded. “No one will know then who refined the pills. We have puppets that will not be associated with us, and we’ll only be here for a short time.”

“That sounds sensible,” Masaki agreed. “Although the amount isn’t much, its still better than holding onto pills I will not use. I’ll wait a couple of days and then send out the puppet with a consignment. Hopefully, then the Apothecaries won’t associate it with us.”