The moment they reappeared at the open space balcony of Temperance Hall, the girl bit hard on the hand holding her mouth hostage. He pulled away, frowning at her in disbelief when her bite was painful. She wiggled free of his hold, putting as much distance between them as she could.
He stared at her vicious bite mark on his left palm and wondered just how dangerous she could be sometimes.
''What?'' She challenged when he wouldn't stop glaring at her like he wanted her head chopped into a million pieces. ''Don't you deserve it?''
The ancient dragon sighed before pushing his hands to posed arrogantly before her. If only she were strong enough to give him the beating he deserved.
''That's not how you treat the person who just saved your life, Xueyao.''
The way he said her name felt like the wind blew strongly past her ears.
''I was just about to thank you when you kidnapped me and forced your stay here. I thought you hated my guts, Black dragon immortal. What made you change your mind that you want to be stuck with me from now on?''
He could never let go of the fact of how she had chosen to call him. He didn't want to take it as her being dense and not knowing how to call him properly. But a deliberate act from her to subtly insult him every time.
His eyes darkened on her figure as he began to take slow predatory steps towards her. Xueyao saw this and told him to stand back as she also drew back to avoid being too close to him again.
When he was close enough to her to his satisfaction, he said in a much darker tone empty of any amusements.
''Why can't you accept that we are always going to be together from now?''
She brought her hands over her body and trembled.''The way you just said that terrified me a lot. You are talking as if we would still want to be together even after the tribulations.''
His silence bothered her a lot and she thought of making it very clear to him.
''The only reason we are staying together like this is because of the tribulations. And after the tribulations, we both go our separate ways. You return to the Undying Realm to sleep while I leave the immortal realm for good with my best friend.''
That alone was enough to pique his interest as he inquired in a softer tone, ''Your…best friend?''
Xueyao shouldn't have made mention of Sheng Chong's existence to him. But either way…''It doesn't matter. Let's just try as much as possible to get well with each other, alright? So we could save the world as quickly as possible and be done with it.''
The ancient dragon didn't know what else to say to her.
''How did you even know how to locate this place?'' Xueyao shook her head as it didn't really really matter anymore. He is the almighty immortal dragon. Of course, finding where she lives wouldn't be much of a problem.
She looked at him again and had no choice but to accept he wasn't going anywhere but here and said, ''Try to make yourself at home here while I go inform my master about your stay here, alright?''
She waited a while before she received a small nod from him.
The immortal dragon moved a bit to watch her until she disappeared from his sight. He brought his hands slowly across his chest as one thought began to bother him.
If she would eventually leave the world he was willingly to risk it all to save, then what was the point of agreeing to all this in the first place?
He wondered just how terrible this world has been on her that she still wanted to leave even at the possibility of a new beginning.
That scene of her being bullied by those dragons because she was weak also found a way into his heart and for some reasons he couldn't let go.
Who was that best friend she mentioned that she wanted to elope with?
One thing he made sure to himself was that.
I am doing everything for your sake. And I wouldn't just let you slip out of my hands so easily like that once all is said and done.
You are stuck with me as much as I am to you now.
His gaze grew more possessive as he watched the setting sun on the horizon.
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He moved aimlessly around every corner of her house. Observing even the smallest noticeable thing and silently satisfied that she lived in a decent place and this 'master' of hers must take good care of her for her to feel so free here.
He could guess some of her handiwork in the decorations of the place. He paused by a peculiar indoor garden of green plants and wondered what an earthly attachment is doing so freely here. These plants looked so much like the one they cultivate in the mortal world and he thought the rules of ascension meant letting go of everything in one's past life.
''Ah! There you are.''
He turned around to see her rushing down towards him. He stood with his hands crossed until she reached him and said, ''My Master left a note that she wouldn't return from her journey until tomorrow night. But I sent her a message informing her of your presence and stay here so when she returns, she wouldn't be so surprised.''
He nodded.
''Have you explored everywhere?''
He nodded again.
''So…do you like it here?''
He turned to her and nodded.
Xueyao couldn't decide whether she should be happy or sad about it. Either way, they are going to be housemates. The more she starts accepting that fact the better for her.
''So…why were you standing out here?''
He moved to point at the silly little indoor garden of her house and asked, ''Does your master still hold on to her earthly attachments so much as to cultivate in the manner of mortals?''
Xueyao looked a bit guilty.
''It's…actually…mine.'' She confessed and it kept getting better from there. He turned to point a finger down at her and asked, ''Yours?''
She nodded and turned to face her other friends, Ao Yin and Zhao and the likes.
Then it all made perfect sense to him why she was still a very weak blue dragon. Given her age, she should have advanced far more, and her dragon bead should have advanced far more, and her dragon bead should not have responded so weekly to him.
''No wonder you are still one weak underdeveloped blue dragon.'' He voiced his thoughts out loud and Xueyao took quick offense to his truth.
''What? Who told you I am an underdeveloped blue dragon?''
He stared down at her after letting out a sigh, ''No one has to tell me for me to see it for myself.''
So it even shows to strangers that she was weak and underdeveloped. That made her feel terrible, and he quickly noticed.
''Don't cry. As long as you are willing to let go of your past as a mortal, you can still develop and grow strong.'' He encouraged while staring at her plants. But her silence and the eerie look he detected on her face alarmed him the most.
''You don't even want to let go?!''
''Yes, and why? Do I really need to forget everything just to become an immortal?''
It was the ancient dragon's turn to be horrified by her mindset.
''Have you lost it? Do you want to be rejected and cast away to die and fall as an immortal if you are not ready to let go and ascend?!''
When she subtly looked like she would break down in tears anytime soon…
''Alright,'' he calmed down a bit. ''Why aren't you willing to let go and live again?''
''I don't know,'' She lied.
And he decided to go easy on her instead of doing what he originally planned on doing the moment the truth of her still holding on to her past memories rang in his ears. But his gaze remained cold and unfriendly.
''How much of your past life do you still remember, Xueyao?''
The intensity of his burning gaze against her soft and helpless one lasted as the tension rose in response to what her answer would be.
''E..very…thing.''
His mind was blown at the level of damage she was doing to her immortal growth by remembering everything.