âSo, I have been waiting all this time. I never lost hope that the one Iâm waiting for would join me eventually.â The woman with the green dress stumbles to a halt, her face showing hope and surprise when reaching out with that hand to touch Bai Yanâs face: âI could sense it when you approached the palace. You are the one, the person Iâve been waiting all this time in the past century.â
âWhat is your name?â Bai Yanâs hands were slightly shaking when reaching up to meet the other sides. Thereâs so much emotion flowing in those pupils that words are in no way enough to describe them.
âTsing Yi, my name is Tsing Yi. I thought I wouldnât make it with my injuries, but now I could finally meet youâ¦â
Upon thinking of how close she came to not meeting Bai Yan, a trickle of tear would come rolling down the corner of the dragonessâs eye
âTsing Yiâ¦.â Hugging the woman, Bai Yan could feel her heart pumping with pain over what sheâs heard. âIâm here now, donât worry. From now on no one can hurt you again because I wonât let them.â
Tsing Yi has the blood of the Azure Dragon in her veins so the womanâs identity speaks for itself. However, Suzaku (Vermillion Bird) did mention Azure Dragon was a manâ¦. Well, a change of sex during a reincarnation couldnât be ruled out here, right?
âI believe in you,â the womanâs voice sounded very nice to the ear like the flowing water of a mountain creek.
âTsing Yi, let me see your body right now.â Letting go of her hug, Bai Yan inserts her spiritual feelers through the skin in order to examine the dragoness. Almost immediately, her expression had turned grim: âWho caused you to become like this?â
The current Azure Dragon could hardly be considered the great sacred beast thatâs been described in those stories. In fact, her life force was on the edge of flickering out. If Bai Yan came even a day later, its very likely the dragoness wouldâve died on her own.
Casting that face down to the ground, Tsing Yiâs aura turned weak and gloomy: âThe Misty Fairy House is home to a clan of dragons. Because of how well we are hidden from the world, the humanâs have never bothered us.â
Without interruption, Bai Yan quietly listens in on the story.
âOne hundred years ago, my clan had an infighting and my father was imprisoned as a result of the traitors among our ranks. They not only stole my fatherâs position as chief, they also framed me, claiming I colluded with a human man and kidnapped my own father!â
âHa, itâs funny they would say that honestly. How could I have colluded with a human to harm my own father? If the other clan members had just investigated a bit then they wouldâve known the man was merely my friend that I met on a trip. In the end, the rest of the clan members were swayed into hunting me and nearly took my life in the following pursuit.â
âOriginally I wouldnât have lasted long after the injuries I sustained, but I just couldnât accept my fate ending like that. From birth, Iâve been waiting for you so I couldnât bring myself to die like they wished!â
Tsing Yiâs expression looked lifeless and sad then, knowing full well about her own condition. âIâm sorry, I canât stay with you longer. At most I can only live for a few more daysâ¦.â
As for rescuing her father and reclaiming the clan, thatâs nothing but a pipe dream at this point.
âI will find a way to heal you,â Bai Yanâs complexion was seething with rage, âdonât give up Tsing Yi, I will definitely save you. I just need to find the right ingredients. Once I do, your injuries will immediately be cured with my help.â
Shooting up her eyes in surprise, the dragonessâs voice became emotionally excited: âI⦠I can really live?â
Giving a heavy nod in confirmation: âI wonât let you die!â
âAlsoâ¦â going silent for a moment, Bai Yan then rummages through her storage bag before pulling out a bottle. âThis here will help you keep going for another three months. I will use this period to gather what I need. Do not give up until I return!â
âYes Mistress!â Overjoyed in her smile, Tsing Yi collects the gift with careful precision: âBut please donât leave yet, thereâs something I want to do first⦠Can we form a contract?â