36 Boiling Temperatures

The boy, who stayed silent since she made the request, suddenly erupted into laughter.

"I see. Fine! Sha Xi, gather the ingredients that this miss will write in a minute, and a thousand tael banknote!"

A man in white appeared beside the youth, handing Xuanmei a thousand tael banknote as she handed him the prescription.

"I'll be going now. Thank you for the daylight robbery, miss!"

The young fifteen year old walked out of the cave, with Sha Xi in tow, the latter holding the man up by his arms. Xuanmei quietly looked at her slightly dislocated arm, that had already begun snapping itself into place.

"Absolutely foolish. I would've been able to take him on."

Xuanmei glared at the Blue Pheonix near the cat. "That's a lie. You saw for yourself the power of that youth," Ming reminded.

'Bluey' groaned, glaring at Ming, annoyed at his commentary.

Xuanmei, though, was silent. Watching the shadows in the cave, she felt drawn into it. Not until deep into the night did the two animals stop quarrelling.

Intrigued by it, she walked along the walls, and in the deep, dimly lit cave, she saw a narrow tunnel that lead who knew where. Groping the walls as she walked among the darkness, she finally felt a wall in front of her.

Pressing and pushing herself against the wall, turning back, disappointed, she felt an uneven bump along the wall when her fingers were about to depart from the cold cave wall.

Her fingers lingering, Xuanmei suddenly felt the need to blast it with slight fire element. Against her own will, a tiny thread of red from her index finger blasted out, it's forceful ways accidentally pricking her pinky finger.

The blood from her finger fell to the ground. Scarlet red, like beautiful red roses, suddenly bloomed across the floor.

The cave shook, red runic lettering appearing on the cave walls.

Xuanmei looked around, somehow able to read the contract on the wall.

"Goddess blood has landed on this cave once again. With the presence of a coloured Pagoda, we shall now pass on this cave to thee."

An engraving on the cave wall lit up. A door appeared, shining red. Shaking open, Xuanmei's pinky felt a sudden pain as an unsuspicious blood red ring blinked into existence.

Fire engulfed the cave as the blue pheonix, now alert and very awake, turned into human form and picked up something in the fire. A small red egg surfaced in his hands.

The fire raging around them warmed the egg, as cracking sounds resounded in the hot, narrow tunnel. Xuanmei, with her forehead beaded with sweat, had problems keeping her eyes open. Suddenly, a chirp sounded, ringing in Xuanmei's ears.

A tiny yet warm presence engulfed Xuanmei as it chirped merrily. Yet, despite in the hot cave, she felt not a boiling temperature, but a feeling of drinking hot chocolate during winter.

"The red pheonix has smelled your blood and your fire element from when you released some into the door."