Chapter 30: Arrival

"Long ago, Xiu Zhen was also a priestess in her human life. She lived in a shrine in a small village. She had so many disciples, and highly respected by the people in that village. That village was near volcano mountain, so everytime the mountain erupted, that village affected badly. She was the one who tried to defend that small village."

"Oh... It must be hard for her."

"Hmm. But no matter how hard she tried, the disaster that caused by the volcano kept getting worse. Then she had her own way to end the volcano from being erupted."

"Really? By doing what?"

"Xiu Zhen, eventhough she is a priestess who supposed to be holy and white, in the end she committed her own sins. She sacrificed her own people in some demonic rituals in purpose of defending her village."

"H-HUH!?", Ai Lie can't believe her ears, "Sacrifice!? But sacrificing them to who???"

"Me, of course."

"Wait, what?? To you??"

"Yeah. One day, one of my soldier presented me with a human's head. He said it was a gift from a human. I wondered who dared enough to kill their own kind just to feed me. As time goes by, I kept receiving some gifts from the same sender, but the the presents are varied. From human's hand, organs, head, and..."

"S-STOP. NO NEED TO EXPLAIN THAT PART."

"Very well. Then I became curious and traveled to your realm just to meet the mysterious sender. Then I found out that the sender was a priestess. I was surprised, she dared enough to use white alibi in order to hide the black stain inside her heart."

"Oh my..... Then, what kind of reasons that made her presented those to you?"

"To gain my attention. She wanted my help to stop the disaster."

"H-Huh!? Why didn't she ask the gods? I mean, she is a priestess, she could pray or anything like that..."

"I was curious about that too. But her answer was interesting, she said the asuras answered prayer faster than the gods, so she searched a way to 'contact' me."

"That's so... Unbelievable."

"Her reason is not wrong though. The pretas and asuras were living near the mortal realm than the gods. Even more, we could roaming freely in the mortal world without the humans noticed, different than the gods who were arrogant and chose to hide themselves up there."

"I see... That makes sense."

"After that, I stopped the mountain from being erupted. The people were saved, and thank Xiu Zhen because they thought she was the heroine. Yet her loyalty towards me was no joke, even after two years of peace she kept sending me presents. I guess she tried to impress me, so that if she ever needed a help, I will come to her. But then, the people in the village noticed their precious ones kept missing without any traces. The people began to suspecting each other, to find the real culprit. But no matter how clever the squirrel jumps, it will fall too."

"One day, a young man searched for his missing wife that lost for a week without a single trace. He was wandering alone in the forest, in the middle of the night. He found a pile of rotten mutilated corpses, hidden in the deepest place inside a cave. After rummaging that pile, he found his wife's body but it was already rotten and headless."

'Gulp!', Actually Ai Lie is uncomfortable by hearing those horror stories. But it's her own fault to ask about a sinner's past.

"After that one night, the parents of that young man were searching for him. They asked for a help from the people, and in their way, they asked Xiu Zhen if she ever saw him. But she had no idea where he went, so she helped them to search for him. They lead her to look into the forest. They were parting their ways, split into small groups."

"Xiu Zhen chose to be alone, because she was controlled by fear if someone ever found the graveyard that she made for her victims. So she entered the cave, and being ambushed by that young man. That young man was clever, he noticed her greatest fear from her strange behavior, and that made her the real culprit. She was arrested, and being skinned alive. Her disciples too were all slained, and her shrine being burnt down. And that's how her life as a human ended."

"Oh my God.... I really don't know how to feel... One side I feel pity of her tragic death, but in the other side she already killed so many people..."

"Hmm. But after her death, I immediately found her soul has been reincarnated as an asura. Then she joined me to be my comrade."

"I see... Ge Ge, before the peaceful contract, did she ever ate a human?"

"Of course. In addition, she didn't torn the human flesh with her own teeth just like me and the other demons did, yet she kept doing sort of odd rituals before eating her preys. Sometimes, she is more creepy than us."

"A-Ahh....", Her voice is trembling. An imagination of Xin Suan biting a human's neck is popped inside her mind, and it gives her chill somehow. She can't believe just now she kissed a man's lips that were stained with blood with no hesitation.

"Xiu Zhen is mastered at spiritual things, and she understands everything that we don't, even the true nature of this realm."

"A-Ah... I see..."

"Well then, do you want to ask something else?"

"Uh... What about Queen Bai Wu? What was her past life like?"

"Ah. She was a queen, and her son was a crown prince. Nothing really special about her, except her selfish hedonism and ruthlessness as a ruler."

"A ruler?"

"Yeah. Her country was unique, it was ruled by a woman. A Queendom instead of Kingdom. But her loves towards her son was bigger than the throne, so she broke the rules and made him the crown prince instead of her own daughter."

"Eh?? Then what happened to her daughter??"

"Common political problems, her daughter led a huge group of rebels. Her daughter brought Bai Wu and Yu Wen to their deaths."

"Impossible...", A mother who stands for his son more than her own daughter although they both as siblings share the same blood, that story reminds her of her own family.

"Hahaha. You really are pure as a water. You must be unfamiliar to such violence."

"Uh... I don't know. In my world, there are so many criminal cases like that too. But the thing that differs here and there is I know the victims, and the victims have died long ago... Somehow, I feel pity to them."

"Hmm. No need to pity us, we have been freed from the suffer of death. Anything else you want to know?"

"Umm...."

"What about me? You must be curious about my past."

It's obvious Ai Lie has so many questions about his past. About who he was in his human life, about how he died, about his ex lover, about the crimes he committed, about how he reincarnated from preta to asura. But Ai Lie is afraid of open up his old wound if she ever raised a sensitive topic.

"May I ask a thing or two about you?"

"Sure. Don't be hesitate."

"Umm... If Lord Water was a priestess yet now she still a priestess, and Queen Bai Wu was a queen yet now she still a queen... Does that means you were also a king?"

"Nope. Sadly, that doesn't goes the same way for me."

"Really? Then who were you in your past, Ge Ge?"

"I was a soldier. A soldier who devoted his whole life for his country."

"From a soldier to a king...? Then you must be very strong."

"Ha, not really. Especially right now, I'm not as strong as before. Half of my true power has been sealed away, along with Wang Jin's."

"If you are 'not really' strong, then I am nothing but the soles of your shoes... Hahaha."

"That's not important. You don't have to be as strong as me, it's my duty to protect you in the first place.", Xin Suan begin to embrace her tighter than before, "Anything else you want to know?"

"Umm... Out of topic, but who was the fire ghost that kidnapped me?"

"I can't remember well but I guess he was one of the front gate guard. No one special."

"Okay...."

"Have you satisfied?"

"Umm....", Ai Lie begin to lost in her mind, looking for a question to be thrown to the oldest man in this realm.

"Hahaha, thirst for answers, aren't you?"

"Spare me... I am a 'new born baby' in this realm..."

"That's okay. Ask me anything you want, I don't mind."

"Ge Ge Hei She ever said that it's only natural for someone forgetting their past life. Is that true?"

"Half right but half not. If someone chose to hold onto his hatred deeply before his death, his memories will not be erased. But there is a special case when someone who didn't held any grudges but his memories didn't erased. The nature has its own plans towards every creatures."

"Ah I see... And your memories weren't erased, right?"

"Yup."

"So... That means, you held hatred towards your life before you died, or....?"

"Yeah. I'm not innocent like you, Ai. You may be merciful, but I am not. If only I was a righteous person, I won't be reincarnated as a demon."

"I see....", Ai Lie feels the topic become more sensitive than before so she stops it, "Alright, I guess I'm satisfied now. Hehehe."

"Are you sure?"

"Hmm! Hehehehe.", She smiles widely until her cheek shows a dimple.

"Very well. Just now we have reached the eastern territory, do you want to take a nap for a while? I will wake you up when we have arrived at her shrine."

"Ah, there's no need. I'm not tired. Thank you for your attention, hehehe."

"Then, let's stay like this for a while.", Xin Suan strokes her head while Ai Lie puts her head on his chest.

What a lovely scene to be watched. If someone ever seen this situation, they will think the two of them are a pair of lovers. Yet they both are not having any special relationship except a buyer and his 'purchased item'. Somehow Xin Suan's cold body feels warm for Ai Lie, and it brought a bliss in her heart. For a whole month they won't meet each other, can she survive without Xin Suan around her?

'Splash! Splash! Splash!', Ai Lie can hear the sound of the water splashing, the squawking of seagulls, and vague giggling voices. It seems like they are at the top of the ocean. Ai Lie begin to curious where they are right now.

"Ge Ge, may I open the window?"

"Sure."

When she opened the window, the first thing she saw is an ocean. This ocean is odd, there are so many half-human women sea creatures with fish tails jumping forward to the air, and back to the water. They are giggling, as if they are in the middle of conversations. They are beautiful as fairies, their skin colors are turquoise blue as well as the scales on their fish tails, their hair are long flowing and golden bright. There's no mistaking it, they are mermaids, fictional creatures in the human world.

"W-WHAT!? THERE ARE MERMAIDS HERE!?"

"Yeah. They are magical spirits."

"WHAT!? I THOUGHT THEY ARE ONLY EXIST IN THE FAIRYTALE BOOKS!!"

"Do you know why the humans spreaded those mythical stories?"

"No?"

"Because they were once really existed in the human world, but the greediness inside the humans hearts threatening their population. They keep hunted them down as if their dead bodies were worthy as treasures. To protect themselves from being extinct, some of the survivor hide themselves in our realm, but the others hide themselves in the heavenly realm. As time goes by, their existence became a legend to humans."

"Ah... I see!"

"There are so many kind of magical spirits in this realm, not only mermaids."

"Wow! I can't wait to see them all!"

"Then let's explore this world after the Jinghua Ritual has done. It's a promise from me."

"Hehehe okay! Oh, are they dangerous?"

"Some of them, but as long as I am with you, it will be fine. They are clever creatures, we can communicate with them."

"We can talk to them!? Whoa! This realm is super cool!", Excitement written all over her face.

"Hahahaha. Interesting, isn't it?"

"Hmm!", She nodded a few times.

Up high in the sky, Ai Lie could see the coastline, stretching across the forest. In the middle of the forest there are many small buildings, it looks like it is a village. The buildings are separated by a very large and long river. The water is very clean and clear, if she looks harder, Ai Lie can see fish swimming in it. It seems its very fresh to drink that pure water. A few minutes after looking at the beauty of the river, she finally saw a large and majestic temple located next to the river, near a fairly high waterfall. She could see women in white robes cleaning their clothes in the river, and several men meditating under the waterfall. This is where the demons who have repented gather, to calm their minds, and distance themselves from all temptation.

"Here we are, the Riverside Shrine."

"Whoaa... This place... The calmness in this place is absolute! I'm afraid after I lived here for a month I will become a priestess too!"

"Don't do that. If you become a priestess, I can't kiss and touch you anymore."

"What!? You are such a pervert!!", Ai Lie's face grows redder than before.

"Hahahaha I'm just joking, but still, half of it I'm serious. I don't want you to be a priestess."

"Don't worry... I was being hyperbole. My mind is not that strong to be a priestess, you know? I have my own desire."

"Really? Like what?", He bumps his shoulder to hers.

Ai Lie staring at his lips and blush, "Y-YOU AREN'T ALLOWED TO KNOW ABOUT IT!!"

"Why? You asked so many questions and I answered to each of them. Now it's your turn to answer me.", He bumps her shoulder once more.

"S-STOP THAT!! I-IT'S MY SECRET!!", Ai Lie frowns her eyebrows.

"You know, you are scary when you give me that kind of expression."

"T-THAT'S WHY STOP TEASING ME!", Ai Lie crossed her arms.

"Yes, My Lady. Now hold on tight to me."

"Why?"

"We almost arrived."

Ai Lie locked her arms at his waist and 'Whoosh!'

"KYAAAAA!!!", Ai Lie screams as hard as she can.

"....", Xin Suan's ears are hurt.

The palanquin that was steadily floating at the sky now is landing to the ground in a high speed. Ai Lie's heart is almost burst, but Xin Suan is cruel enough not to make the palanquin lands slower. He might have forgot that Ai Lie is just a normal human that can't fly, she isn't used to falling down so fast just like this. The moment palanquin landed on the ground, Ai Lie started to open her eyes. They both come out from the palanquin, and there are two beautiful women dressed in blue robe, standing in front of the shrine, bowing to them.