CHAPTER-7

The clanging of wooden swords spread through the air. On a mountain, two people, a boy and his father, practised swordsmanship. Time flew by, and the little boy could be seen growing up. Suddenly, the father starts to slowly disappear, leaving the boy standing all alone.

Time goes by again, and the boy had already grown into a man as beards covered his face. All of a sudden, a little boy walks up to him with a wooden sword, and another round of clangings ensued as their swords danced in the wind.

As they practised, their eyes would meet with smiles on their faces. Abruptly, the mountains began to quake and from the dark clouds, descended a black dragon of fire! The dragon hurled a wave of fire at the two, setting everythig in its part ablaze.

"Father!" The boy screamed out in pain as the fire slowly starts to consume him.

"Long Xue!" The man called out as he walked towards his son with his body totally engulfed in the flames.

"Father! Ah!" Long Xue scattered into flames.

"Noooo!"

...

"Long Xue!" Long Qiao shot open his eyes as he rose up from his bed.

Ahli who was also sleeping beside him was awoken by the sudden outburst.

"Long Qiao!" She screamed out as he hugged him.

Long Qiao released himself from her embrace and asked, "Where is Long Xue?"

Long Ahli frowned as she stood up in anger, "You just woke up and you're asking about him?"

"Why are you getting worked up? I only asked to see my son."

"You almost got killed because of that bastard!" Ahli replied.

"What!" Long Qiao arose, " He's your son! Don't you–"

Ahli shouted back, "We both know he's not my son!"

"..." Long Qiao was speechless, his wife's sudden behavior spooked him.

"You and that bloody witch, Li Ya got together to produce that bastard!"

"Enough!" Long Qiao raised his hand in an attempt to slap Ahli, but stopped and asked, "Who are you?"

Ahli's eyes widened at the question, "What... are you talking about?"

"The Ahli I know would never say such things." Long Qiao answered before exiting the room.

Ahli wore a confused expression as she uttered, "He is right, what is wrong with me?"

...

"Master, you're awake!" Gam Hou smiled as he saw Long Qiao walk out of his room.

"Where is Long Xue?" Long Qiao asked.

"He should probably still be in his room." Gam Hou answered, "Everyone was worried about you. We all expected you to have woken yesterday, but you didn't."

"How long have I been in bed?"

"Two days." Gam Hou replied.

I can't believe I was in bed for so long.

"Father! Father!" Haiyin ran towards a

her father as tears flowed down her face.

"Haiyin!" Long Qiao embraced her warmly. Pulling away from the warm embrace, he asked, "What happened?"

"It's Long Xue... He... he left!" She sobbed.

"What! Left?" Long Qiao exclaimed. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"All he left was this letter for you! I haven't read it yet." She sobbed.

"Then how do you know that he left? He might still be in his room." Long Qiao tried to sound optimistic.

Haiyin looked into his eyes as more tears gathered, "It was noon yesterday when he told me about his plan to leave and train with Long Zhi. I thought he was bluffing so I shrugged it off like I had done earlier. Little did know that he wasn't bluffing at all. I went to check on him early this morning, but... but he was already gone! His room completely cleared out!"

"Where is the letter?" Long Qiao asked as he felt his heart almost shatter.

"Here." Haiyin brought out the letter and Long Qiao grabbed it almost immediately.

He shakingly opened the letter as tears gathered in his eyes. Seeing his son's beautiful calligraphy, he smiled.

"Father, I'm really sorry for the heavy burden I've been to you and mother. I've always believed in your words father, I believe I am a Dragon progeny, I know that the blood of the dragon's flow through my veins, and because of that I had to go. I remember the story you always told Haiyin and me. The story of 'The Dragon and the two fates.'

In the story, there was a little dragon that had to face reality, no little dragon is a little dragon forever. Every little dragon had to grow up one day, and when it did, it would have to take a path. In the world of the dragon, battles after battles would be fought leading to the death of countless dragons. There were two paths the dragon could take, and each path led to a particular fate. The first path lead to a fate of certain death with no accomplishment, but probably a longer lifespan.

By taking this path, the dragon would be counted among those who were cowards, running till death finally catches up to it. The second path lead to a fate of uncertain death, but with accomplishents and probably a shorter lifespan. This path, if taken, would put the dragon amongst the soldiers of battle.The dragon will fight to survive rather than scurry away in fear like a coward, but, a long life should not be part of its expectancies.

Father, I'm taking the second path. The time has come, Long Zhi has been reborn in me, and I must pepare for the battle that is to come. Take care of Haiyin, and stop trying to stop her from seeing Gangsheng, she loves him wholeheartedly.

With Long Zhi as my master, I'm going to become the strongest cultivator in the world, and I'll be back to permanently establish our title as the Progenies of the Dragons. Bye father, I love you."

Long Qiao looked at Haiyin, and began laughing with tears falling out of his eyes, "Crazy boy."

...

"Ever been here before?" The master of the Yin Lord's son, Yin Chen, asked.

Yin Chen contemplated before answering, "Yes, but it was a long time ago. I can't remember it vividly, but I know I've been here before."

"Good to know you have a retentive memory. You were three years old when I took you out of Liliang. We used this same route." The master replied. His name was Yao Lan, and he was a very dangerous alchemist.

"Master if I may ask, why are the white mountains all lined up?" Yin Chen asked as he noticed that the pairs of mountains were in a straight line, each one behind the other.

"Hahahaha!" Yao Lan laughed, "These aren't mountains at all my young disciple."

"Then what are they?"

Yao Lan smiled, "Why do you think this place is called Gigantis Python's Valley?"

Yin Chen answered, "There's probably a large python somewhere around here."

"Obvious answer, and partly correct." Yao Lan retorted. "Do you know what the nightmare of this place is?" He asked his disciple as he walked a few metres forward and raised his hands into the air.

A large amount of Yin gathered around his palm and then, he threw it into the black fog. A few seconds later, the area began to rumble.

"Yin Chen." Yao Lan called out.

"Yes master." Yin Chen replied.

A large bridge slowly floated out of the black fog just as Yao Lan spoke, "Those white mountains you see aren't mountains at all. You see, the nightmare of this place is the fact of you knowing that you're going to be walking over the remains of a Gigantis Python. Those white mountains you see are the ribs of the largest species of reptiles ever to roam this planet!"

...

"Do you regret it?" Long Zhi asked as he glanced at the boy with a woeful look written all over his face.

Long Xue muttered, "I don't know."

"Your father should have woken up by now, don't you think?" Long Zhi asked.

"I don't know."

"Don't worry, I'll make you the strongest cultivator in the world." Long Zhi said.

Long Xhe threw him a glare, "Do you think I want any of this? I just want to be with my family, I just want a normal life."

"Sorry lad, you can never have that." Long Zhi replied as he bit off his nails.

"What!" Long Xue flared up.

"Calm down, we both know I'm only saying the truth. You call yourselves the progenies of a species that has been extinct for nearly two centuries ago, a very powerful species at that, and you want a normal life?" Long Zhi chuckled.

"Why do you always have to be so pessimistic?" Long Xue sighed, realising that Long Zhi spoke nothing but the truth.

Long Zhi spotted a bracelet around Long Xue's wrist and asked, "Where did you get that?"

"My father bought it for me. This is the last present I ever received from him, and I'll make sure I never lose it!" Long Xue cried as he walked.

"It's beautiful." Long Zhi kept staring at the bracelet as he felt the bracelet give off a slight smell of Yin!