Tang Xilong got furious and sat up then glared at him "Again! And again with this friends stuff!! Why does everyone just meet a stranger and call him their friend for absolutely no damn freaking reason!! Are you guys crazy!!?"
Ning Caiyu was frightened by his bellow and the glare then closed his eyes and shrunk back shivering "I..I am sorry... was only trying to make a c-conversation since .. sorry, hunger got the best of me, was only trying to distract myself.. i-i didn't mean t-to offend... you"
Tang Xilong saw his reaction and realized that he might have been too harsh then sighed in stress and threw something at him then when he caught it, Ning Caiyu asked "Ehnn, a fruit?"
Tang Xilong squinted at him as he was about to snatch it back "What? Don't want it? Here give it back"
Ning Caiyu hugged it tight "You already gave it so you can't take it back, what kind of fruit is it?"
Tang Xilong held out his hand "Its called dragon fruit, pretty common"
Ning Caiyu saw him stretch out his hand and asked "Why are you stretching out your hands again?"
Tang Caiyu rolled his eyes "By the fact that you don't even know the fruit, it means you don't know how to eat it. Give it, I'll.. I'll reluctantly slice it open for you so you can eat quickly before the other two come so they won't think I am treating you special"
The system realized that his host had forgotten him and wanted to speak but kept quiet to watch the show
Ning Caiyu gave the fruit to him and said "Since you're gonna slice it open, use my dagger"
Tang Xilong didn't respond as he condensed his devil energy at his fingertips then sharpened it and sliced the fruit clean in half then a spoon and a bowl appeared in his other hand so he scooped the inside of the dragon fruit into the bowl and gave it to Ning Caiyu "Here, eat, quickly"
Ning Caiyu collected the bowl and started eating happily "Mmm, sweet"
Tang Xilong asked as he threw the remains of the fruit away "As a prince of royal blood, why do you have a dagger and not a long sword or some other stronger weapon that can actually defend you"
Ning Caiyu replied while eating "Nnh.. I'm not favored by.. nnh my mum or my dad.. nnh so they didn't give me any.. nnh money or weapons or artefacts.. nnh and I bought this dagger.. nnh with the money I earned.. nnh from missions that's why.. nnh I haven't leveled up much.. nnh cause I can't save enough for mortal energy.. nnh stones or pills to boost.. nnh cultivation"
Tang Xilong said impatiently "Don't talk with food in your mouth"
Ning Caiyu nodded and quickly finished the fruit then rinsed the bowl and spoon with the water from the pond then gave it back to Tang Xilong who just threw it into his inventory
Ning Caiyu patted his tummy with glee "Not much but filling for now"
Tang Xilong rolled his eyes "Glutton"
Ning Caiyu blushed and giggled
Tang Xilong looked at the boy then he sighed in frustration and loosened his belt then Ning Caiyu covered his face "W-what are you doing?"
Tang Xilong rolled his eyes as he took off his belt "What? Open your eyes, silly boy"
Ning Caiyu hesitantly opened his eyes only to see Tang Xilong's belt turn to a long sword a meter long "Y-your belt is a sword?"
Tang Xilong pushed the sword into Ning Caiyu's arm as an actual belt appeared in his hand then he wore it on while Ning Caiyu just shyly watched him
Tang Xilong laid on the ground "That's yours now, take care of it, you don't need to use that cheap looking dagger anymore. In a real fight, it would break. A con man definitely sold you that thing for a high price"
Ning Caiyu's body shook "W-why would you give me such a thing?"
Tang Xilong glanced at him then looked away "Didn't you talk about that friend nonsense stuff, just take it and stop asking questions before I change my mind"
Ning Caiyu delightfully asked "Are we friends now?"
Tang Xilong scoffed and closed his eyes "I said no more questions"
Ning Caiyu tied the sword around his waist with a big smile on his eyes 'Maybe he isn't so mean afterall, this is the first gift he gave me. I must cherish it'
Meanwhile, Tang Xilong was crying on the inside as he took out another belt to hold his clothes 'Ahh, what the heck has come over me? Why did I give this fragile dummy my sword that costs a whole freaking platinum coin! Well anyways, I have Xie'er's weapon forms or else I would never give him such an expensive and good sword'
.
A while later, Tang Xi'an and Tang Xie'er came back with a lot of stuff then Ning Caiyu helped them set it as he asked "Me and Xilong Ge were wondering what took you so long. So you guys went to look for tree stumps to use as seats and tree branches to roast the meat. Ooh you even found firewood too. It's a lot. How many beasts did you catch?"
Tang Xi'an said as she set up a fireplace and breathed fire onto the wood to roast the meat "Just seven rabbits, very weak"
Tang Xie'er said "Also we didn't look for tree stumps, we made them and got the wood from the trees"
Ning Caiyu said in surprise as he arranged the stumps "You cut down five trees? I won't even bother asking"
Tang Xiaomi woke up to the smell of roasted meat "Yay! Meat!! Am starving"
When she was about to grab one, Ning Caiyu stopped her and she asked "Yu Gege, why'd you stop me? Xiaomi's hungry"
Ning Caiyu took out a few wraps from his waist pouch and sprinkled a few onto the meat "I have a little seasoning here to make it tasty. Will you be able to eat it like this or should I cut it into smaller pieces for you"
Tang Xiaomi excitedly clapped her hands "Smaller pieces! Smaller pieces!"
Ning Caiyu nodded and as he was about to ask Tang Xilong for a plate to slice the meat into. When turned around, he was met with Tang Xilong whose eyes were closed and some plates in his hand which was stretched out "Take it"
Tang Xiaomi said to the other two with spiritual sense 'Xie Gege, Xi Jie, looks like Xi Gege's finally accepting Yu Gege into the family'
Tang Xie'er and Tang Xi'an looked at the two then they nodded
Ning Caiyu was surprised but gladly took the plate and as he was slicing the meat with his dagger, he asked "Xilong Ge, won't you have a piece?"
Tang Xilong shook his head as he thought 'Since I have to take demon cores to level up, I won't be able to eat ordinary food anymore'
*{System: And who the heck told you that?}
Tang Xilong replied 'It's widely known that cultivators who cultivate with beast cores can't eat normal food but only spiritual herbs or whatnot for some I forgot'
*{System: Bro, you have me so you don't have to worry about such meaningless things, they're just exaggerating. With me around, you can eat as much as you want, no biggie}
Tang Xilong said to Tang Xi'an who had finished roasting all the meat "Xi'an, throw two over"
She immediately complied and Ning Caiyu watched the two roasted rabbit meat fly over his head and was sliced into smaller pieces by devil energy then he saw Tang Xilong bring out two bowls and the sliced meat fell into the bowls without one falling on the ground then he gave one to Ning Caiyu
Ning Caiyu happily collected the bowl, sprinkled seasoning on both and sat down beside Tang Xilong who had sat up then Tang Xilong said "Share the remaining amongst yourself, this is enough for us"
Tang Xi'an nodded then Tang Xie'er said "Xi Gege, I want to try eating, may I?'
Tang Xilong asked the system 'Why is he asking that, has he never eaten before?'
*{System: Our former masters never let him stay in his human form for long unless they needed him so we never knew if he could eat or not}
Tang Xilong nodded and Tang Xie'er secretly turned two of his fingers to a blade while Ning Caiyu wasn't looking and quickly sliced the meat into his plate but Tang Xilong and Tang Xi'an saw him and were like 'He can do that??'
Ning Caiyu whispered "Xilong Ge, why did you give them plates and we are using bowls. It's best to eat in bowls so as to not spill food over"
Tang Xilong glanced at him "I only have two bowls and four plates. One is mine permanently and you already used one so that's yours to use now. I don't like people passing germs to each other'
Ning Caiyu nodded "Oh so you're a clean freak"
Tang Xilong said "Don't talk while eating "
Ning Caiyu kept quiet and ate his meal
Then when everyone was done with their meal, Tang Xiaomi slept on Tang Xie'er's lap while Tang Xi'an went to collect Tang Xilong and Ning Caiyu's bowls but Ning Caiyu said "You roasted the meat let me wash the bowls and plates this time"
Tang Xi'an looked over to Tang Xilong and he said "If he wants to work, let him work. He shouldn't be allowed to laze around just cause he's feeble like a girl"
Ning Caiyu pouted and said "I am not feeble like a girl. I am a disciple with stable cultivation"
Tang Xilong rolled his eyes "Yeah, whatever. Some disciple you are"
Ning Caiyu squinted his eyes at him "Ohoh teasing me eh, aren't ya?"
Tang Xi'an giggled at their bickering then snatched the bowls from the two of them and ran to the pond quickly "I'll just wash it, hehe"
Ning Caiyu wanted to get up but Tang Xilong pulled him back down "Just sit down, you're already so fragile, what if you faint again just from washing a few utensils"
Ning Caiyu pouted and hugged his knees then Tang Xilong sneered at his posture "What's wrong now?"
Ning Caiyu replied softly while looking at Tang Xilong "It's just that, you're really strong while I am also a cultivator but I can't compare to you at all"
Tang Xilong separated his hands from his knees and pressed it down then placed his hands by his side "Sit like a man, I almost thought you were gonna cry when you sat like that"
Ning Caiyu curiously asked "What's your cultivation level? Am in the first level peak stage, you?"
Tang Xilong replied absentmindedly as he collected the things from Tang Xi'an and threw it into his inventory "Third level peak stage"
Ning Caiyu was astounded "Wow, I knew you were strong but not this strong!! You'll become an inner disciple right away once you enter the sect"
Tang Xilong shook his head "I wanna start from low, only you and my siblings will know my true level, no one else"
Ning Caiyu asked worriedly "But how are you gonna hide it from everyone? Before you officially join the sect, after the seven days of test, you'll still have to go through a bone age and cultivation level test to know your true age and level. They'll know the instant they test you"
Tang Xilong was worried 'Yo, system, anyway to defend against that for the four of us?'
*{System: Don't worry, I have got you covered, just decide what their age and you and Zichao's cultivation level is and I'll make it seem like that for you guys}
Tang Xilong said "Time to check on your ages again, Tang Xie'er, wake Xiaomi up"
Ning Caiyu looked at him puzzledly then thought 'Oh he must be saying it like that cause he doesn't want me to know, well better listen'
Tang Xie'er woke Tang Xiaomi up and Tang Xilong said "Mimi, you're fourteen, right?"
Tang Xiaomi nodded, gave a thumbs up and went back to sleep "Am in first level middle stage now lemme sleep"
Tang Xilong faced Tang Xi'an "Xi'an, you're fifteen, right?"
Tang Xi'an nodded "Okay, Xi Gege"
Tang Xilong faced Tang Xie'er who immediately said "And am Sixteen, Xi Gege"
Tang Xilong asked both Tang Xi'an and Tang Xie'er "And your cultivation level is?"
They were about to speak when Tang Xiaomi told them something through spiritual sense then they said in unison "Same as Caiyu Ge"
Tang Xilong looked at Ning Caiyu who was looking at him too then he shrugged "That's fine too"
Tang Xilong spoke in his thoughts as he stood up 'System, make my cultivation same as Caiyu, also hide my aura'
Ning Caiyu suddenly felt Tang Xilong's aura disappear 'What the? How did he?'
Tang Xilong stretched his legs as he stood up "Okay, guys, let's get moving, hold your breath when we enter the pond. When we get to cave, we'll roll the stone to block the water like it is, understood?"
Tang Xi'an and Ning Caiyu nodded then Tang Xie'er carried the sleeping Tang Xiaomi to Tang Xilong who woke up when Tang Xilong pulled her cheek "How long can you hold your breath underwater?"
Tang Xiaomi replied "For as long as you can, remember we're one soul two bodies"
Tang Xilong nodded then asked the other three "How long can you guys hold your breath?"
Tang Xi'an counted her fingers and replied "I'll use my spiritual energy to breath so I don't need to hold my breath"
*{System: The Zichao don't breath, they only pretend to}
Tang Xie'er didn't answer cause he knew Tang Xilong already knew the answer and Ning Caiyu said "You don't have to worry about me, am good"
Tang Xilong nodded and asked the system 'So how long before we get to the cave or tunnel or whatever'
*{System: Oh I forgot to tell you, the pond is the cave, it's an underground stream, it takes ten minutes to swim out to the pond at the foot of the seventh mountain. You should be able to last ten minutes effortlessly and there is no beast in the pond right now}
Tang Xilong then asked "Ning Caiyu, can you last ten minutes underwater"
Ning Caiyu nodded "No biggie, I have had some experience when I was younger"
Tang Xilong took a deep breath before diving in "Okay everyone dive in and follow me"
Ning Caiyu also took a deep breath and followed him then the other three followed in after them
After about ten minutes of swimming, Tang Xilong was the first to get out followed by Tang Xiaomi then Tang Xi'an and Tang Xie'er. They waited for a while but Ning Caiyu didn't come out
Tang Xi'an said worriedly "The water is dark but narrow and we couldn't see each other so we just swam until we met a wall then swam upwards so none of us keep track of each other"
Tang Xilong sneered and dived back in 'He said I shouldn't worry about him that he's good and he can handle it but now, he hasn't come out after five minutes so what the heck is he doing but making me worry now?'
After swimming a few meters, Tang Xilong found him unconscious sinking to the bottom meters away from him and he rushed towards him grabbing his body then swam back up quickly 'Damnit! Damnit! I should have held him as we swam! Argh! This is all my fault!'
Tang Xilong laid him on the ground as he checked for his breathing then started doing chest compressions for him "Ning Caiyu, you better wake up! Wake up, you dummy!"
Tang Xiaomi said "Xi Gege, you have to perform two rescue breaths for him and not only chest compressions"
Tang Xilong replied anxiously "What the heck is rescue breaths?! This is what I have seen people do and they wake up, are you saying I am doing the wrong thing"
Tang Xiaomi shook her head and patted his shoulder "Dad, you're not doing the wrong thing. Just calm down and breathe into his mouth with yours twice then repeat the chest compressions and do it again till he wakes up"
Tang Xilong calmed down then when he saw about to do it, Ning Caiyu coughed out water profusely then woke up only to be met with Tang Xilong's furious but worried eyes and he muttered "I- I'm sorry... i-"
Without letting him finish, Tang Xiaomi immediately spoke up "Yu Gege, why didn't you tell us if you were afraid of water, Xi Gege was so worried about you! He himself couldn't breathe properly"
Ning Caiyu looked towards him while Tang Xilong looked away probably still upset then Tang Xi'an said to Tang Xiaomi "Let's give them a minute to settle things"