Ch. 12 – Dual Essence

"Uhm… you must be hungry, right?"

"Now that you mention it… I guess I am a little hungry."

"Then we will go to the kitchen right away! I am an amazing cook!"

After hearing his last sentence, Xiao Huoyan began feeling dizzy. Then he closed his eyes and saw a man in front of him, saying the exact same thing. 'I am an amazing cook!', the man said. He looked a little like his uncle Jin Niao, but he felt way more familiar. He felt… important.

Xiao Huoyan were smart enough to understand that the man in front of him was nothing but a fragment of his hidden memories. He also understood that this man probably were his father, Jin Long.

He kept his eyes closed until the fragment began to fade. Everything turned black again, and Xiao Huoyan slowly opened his eyes.

"Why did you stop all of a sudden?"

"O-oh, it is nothing."

"Okay, but hurry up!"

"Ah, yes!"

Xiao Huoyan felt grateful for his uncle's care, but he also felt that he should not trust him. Xiao Huoyan knew that something was not right, but until he had regained his memories, it would be better if he just smiled obediently to avoid suspicion.

"Here we are! This is the kitchen! Now, what do you want to eat?"

"I do not know. Whatever is fine, thank you."

"Thanking me already? I have not even started cooking yet. Are you always so polite towards everyone?"

"Uhm, I think so. I can not remember how I used to act before but acting this way just felt natural. Sorry if it bothers you. I will try to stop."

"Why stop? Since I am going to take care of you, I am only happy that you are not some kind of arrogant brat without manners. Showing everybody respect is hard even for adults. You are naturally polite to everybody even when you insult them, haha!

That thing that happened with the guy who claimed to be your father, really made my blood boil! I would have just killed him on spot if it were not for you counterattacking so well! Hearing you say all of those things with such a polite, yet irritated tone was extremely fun! That is why I find you quite admirable for a five years old kid!"

"Thank you for your praise, Jin Niao of the Jin Clan!"

"That is a little too polite… how about you just call me uncle? Or maybe just Niao?"

"Okay, uncle Niao."

"Fair enough! Well, since you do not know what you want to eat, I shall choose! We will eat… grilled Fire Serpent!"

"…"

"What? Do you not like it?"

"No, that is not it! I do like it, since that is what I have been eating very often before."

"Oh, so that is why you were so quiet! You regained some memory fragments, right?"

"Yes, I did."

"When was your memory from?"

"I am not sure… Perhaps it was two or three days ago."

"Then… were you eating alone?"

"No. I was with someone."

"Who?"

"I think it was father. I could not see his face, nor could I hear his voice."

"Then how do you know he is your father?"

"I do not know. It is just that he felt familiar. Very familiar."

"Well, whatever. I will be right back!"

"Where are you going?"

"I am going to ask someone to bring us a Fire Serpent to grill!"

"There is really no need for tha--"

"--Just wait here, I will be right back!"

And so he was gone. When Xiao Huoyan saw his memory of eating grilled Fire Serpent, he also saw other things that happened during the same day.

He saw himself speaking with someone, killing a Fire Serpent of the 7th rank, roasting it with a fire coming out of his palm and eating together with someone. He remembered that his ring were not an ordinary one, but a storage ring. He did not know how to get his things out of the ring, but he decided to take a guess!

First he tried to focus his thoughts on the ring, as if entering a space. Then he could see what he had inside of his storage ring. There were many things, but something that one could not miss, was the enormous Fire Serpent.

Then he felt as if his consciousness began to move towards the Fire Serpent. He stretched his hand out and lightly touched the Fire Serpent. Then he felt as if everything turned back to normal, except for the enormous Fire Serpent now laying on the floor.

"Now to the 'strange flame from my palm'-part!"

Xiao Huoyan said excitedly while releasing a beaming smile.

He began to concentrate on how to release the flame. He pictured that memory of him grilling the Fire Serpent before. After a little while, he could feel as his palm got warmer and warmer. Then… Finally! A flame! It was not particularly big or anything, but it had a rather peculiar colour. The flame was black.

He remembered that the flame from his memory had the exact same colour, and decided to stop thinking, since it did not seem especially important. He also remembered that he had more than just one spirit essence.

He decided to do the same thing as in his memories. He somehow made the Fire Serpent float in the air, by concentrating. Then he used his Demonic Flame to slowly grill it.

Around fifteen minutes later, Jin Niao came in through the door, at full speed.

"S-sorry l-little one! I-I could n-not get the…"

One could barely hear what he said.

"Did you run a marathon, uncle Niao?"

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny…"

"Hahahaha, sorry!"

"Hmm? It smells good."

"Really? I am a little worried about the taste though…"

"Taste? What?"

"Oh, sorry. I forgot to mention it. The food is ready and on the table!"

"The food? Did you call someone here to cook for you? Geez you are impatient!"

"Hahaha, no. I did not call someone here. I grilled it all by myself!"

"You grilled 'it'?"

"Yes, I did! I found out that I just happened to have a Fire Serpent inside of my storage ring, so I just took it out and grilled it!"

"How did you get your hands on a Fire Serpent?!"

"I killed it a couple of days ago."

"… Okay, but how did you know how to use the grill?"

"Oh, I did not!"

"Then, how the hell did you grill it?"

"I just made the Fire Serpent float in the air and then I used my Demonic Flame to—"

"D-Demonic Flame?! Demonic Flame, as in one of the top fifty spirit essences?!"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Now I understand what my brother meant when he said that you were a genius within geniuses! But something I do not understand is how you could kill that Fire Serpent with your Demonic Flame?!"

"What is so special about that?"

"Your Demonic Flame could eliminate an entire city if you were to accidently set a small stick on fire! Nothing can naturalise Demonic Flames except for Absolute Ice!"

"Oh, then you do not have to worry about the city."

"What?"

"If I were to accidently set something on fire, I could just cool it down with my Absolute Ice."

"WHAT?!?!"

"You have dual essence?!"