Chapter 27: The Final Test

"Today is the last day of your training, are you ready?"

"Hmm!", Ai Lie nodded a few times.

"Good. We can continue our training after the ritual has done."

"O-Okay!"

The two are leaving the manor since early morning. The sky is already brighten up, but the sun is still nowhere to be found. Ai Lie feels fresh, she had sleep enough, but her anxiety is haunting her mind. Today may be the last training she will had, but it will be the hardest one. Xin Suan will test her skills and her concentration by a duel. Her heart is pounding whenever she imagines what will happen to her after this. They both still feel awkward, therefore the two begin their journey to the empty lot without speaking a word.

"Ai, about yesterday...", Xin Suan breaks the silence.

"...", Ai Lie is still lost in her mind, imagining how strong the asura she will face.

"Hey, Ai. What are you thinking about?", Xin Suan pats her shoulder.

"E-Eh?? I-I'm sorry, I was daydreaming..."

"Are you still sleepy? Do you want to take a nap?"

"N-No, no need to, I'm perfectly fine..."

"I'm sorry, I have to make you wake up earlier than usual. Today will be a long training, I don't want us to come home late."

"N-No, I'm the one who should say sorry, my mind is still hazy...", She took a short pause. She remembered that she should apologize to him for what she said, "... Your Majesty, I'm sorry about what happened two days ago... Let's forget what I said."

"No, why should you be sorry for?", He feels awkward after she called him with formal title.

"I... I didn't mean to be so shameless... I really am a weirdo... Uhm... Please don't mind me, just pretend you were listening to babbling kid."

"Don't say that. I'm the one who should apologize to you. I'm the one who is shameless and also a perv, not you. You are innocent."

"T-That's not true-"

"Very well, before we start the a battle of apologizing, we better get going. We are still far from our usual spot."

"O-Okay..."

The two continue their steps to the empty lot. The closer their way to that place, the faster Ai Lie's heart beating. She is not ready to be in a battle with a real demon, and the demon is the strongest in this realm. Even with bare hands, he could easily breaks her arms, and pops her head off from her body. Ai Lie's brain begin to overthink.

"Here we are. Before we begin, should I train your dance once more?"

"Uh... Up to you, Your Majesty."

"Don't call me that way, I don't like it."

"Ah I'm sorry, how could I forget that... Hahaha...", Deep inside her heart, she still feels so awkward to call him Ge Ge after what she has done.

"Hmm... Or maybe not. Tomorrow, I will deliver you to the Riverside Shrine. You can learn the rest of the performance with Xiu Zhen. She is the former Sword Maiden after all, she knows the dance better than I do."

"Oh... Then I won't stay in this manor for a while, right?", Ai Lie worries about her baby bunnies.

"Yeah."

"O-Okay..."

"Alright. Now, I will test you in two ways, your skill and your concentration. Which one do you prefer to be done first?"

"Ahhh.....", Her voice is trembling as her heart beats faster, "..... Up to you?"

"Very well, let's test your sword skill first. Take your sword.", Xin Suan summons her usual weapon.

'Gulp!', Her hands are trembling as they reach the hilt of the sword.

"Your enemy isn't a dummy anymore, but don't worry, I won't use any weapon or magic that will harm you."

"Hahaha of course....", She chuckles awkwardly.

"Before we begin, I'll explain the rule. You will get a score everytime you attack a part of my body. You may attack my chest, belly, or my head, but arms and legs won't be counted. You may slash me, or stab me, or..."

"W-Wait wait wait!!!! Isn't that too dangerous!? What if you are injured!?

"I'm a demon, Ai. One stab won't be a trouble for me, I can easily heal the wound."

"No, I can't do that! I don't want to hurt you!"

"You are really kind. Very well, I will make it easier, even if it's just a scratch will make a score."

"... Isn't that the same? I still have to hurt you to make a score.", Ai Lie lowers her voice.

"And this rule works for me too. I will make it different, I will only make a score if I'm able to touch your head."

"Touch my head?"

"Even if it's only a poke, I will make a score. Deal or not, the rule can't be contested. Understand?"

"U-Uh... Okay."

"Let's begin. Raise your sword."

'Gulp!', Ai Lie can't stop her hands from shaking. She feels too nervous.

"This is the best way to train your attack and defend skills at the same time."

"Haa.... O-Okay... Let me tie my hair first.", She is buying time. Her heart beats to fast, it's almost burst.

"Are you ready?"

"U-Uh... I think?", she is certainly not ready.

"Very well."

'Whoosh!', Xin Suan jumps forward, directly points his index finger towards Ai Lie's forehead. Controlled by fear, she runs away instead of blocking his attack.

"Kyaaa!!"

"..."

"Ugh! What the hell is this!?", She bumps into something invisible that blocking her way, she can't move any further.

"You may not run away! Don't repeat the same mistake, and show me what you have learn!", Xin Suan is disappointed with her cowardness.

"I-I'm so sorry! I-I can't control my mind!"

"Ai, do you remember the reason why you ask me to teach you martial arts? You hate for being weak, right? You are an independent girl, and I know for sure that you don't want to rely yourself too much on someone else. This world is more cruel than you thought, Ai, sooner or later you will have to wield your own sword to protect yourself. Running away will never keep yourself from harm!"

"A-Ah... I-I-I'm really sorry... I-I was just unready...", She is terrified by his anger.

"Remember, Ai, you need to believe in me and yourself in order to make my blessing work. So don't be afraid, I will never hurt you. This training is just a simulation."

'Gulp!', "O-Okay..."

"I will summon a barrier.", a thin red aura circles on the ground. Now they both can't step outside the circle. It's feels like a boxing ring.

"O-Okay..."

"Ready or not, let the battle begin!"

'Whoosh!', Xin Suan jumps forward once more. However, after being scolded by Xin Suan, Ai Lie's cowardness is still controling her body. Instead of swinging her sword, she prefers to dodge his poke attack. Yet Xin Suan mercilessly spamming his finger without a pause, Ai Lie begin to panic and 'Poke!'

"Eek!!", She is surprised.

"You lose."

"Ah..."

"I didn't ask you to dodge my attacks, but I ask you to fight me back. Come on, young lady, raise your sword! Show me what you were made of!"

"O-okay...", Her mood is a bit ruined. She feels disappointed of herself. She can't even fight her cowardness, let alone to fight this intimidating man in front of her.

"Very well... Let me try to be concentrated."

"Hmm. As you wish."

She shuts her eyes, and inhale the fresh air. She tried to calm her heart, and threw away her useless fear. Xin Suan's words are ringing loudly inside her mind. Her will inside her heart begin to burn, she wants to achieve only one goal, and that's her victory.

'A scratch is already more than enough. Even if I win only one score that will be fine. I have to keep going, I have to make a progress. I may not surrender now eventhough this man is very ruthless.', She is silently encouraging herself.

"Are you ready?"

"Haa... Yes, I'm ready. I will do my best!"

"That's my girl. Let's begin the next round."

"O-Okay!", Ai Lie grips the hilt of her silver thin sword with tighter.

'Whoosh!', Xin Suan launches an ambushed attack. He doesn't warn her anymore. For him, this is just a game, he knows so well that Ai Lie could never lay her sword on him. And of course, what he thought became true.

"You lose."

"You lose."

"You lose.", His index finger kept reaching her forehead.

No matter how hard Ai Lie tried to strike his body, he could parry her sword like it was nothing but the wind. Ai Lie begin to get tired, she has swing her sword powerfully for so many times with no result.

"Hyah!!", Ai Lie almost lands her sword at his head when she saw her chance.

"Nice move.", Xin Suan blocks it with one bare hand.

"Hosh... Hosh... This is pointless! You are way too powerful!"

"I'm not."

"That's so... Not true! You can move in a high speed... You can easily block my sword with your hand... At this rate, I can do nothing but only wishing you to beat me. Our gap is too far!"

"No, you just haven't get the feeling yet. You have never been in a real battle, I understand that. Practice makes perfect, Ai. But I need to tell you your mistakes, you need to defend yourself too. Your head is too open, I can easily touch it without any obstacle."

"Hosh... Hosh... I'm so suck at this."

"...", Xin Suan sits on the grass, "Come, let's take a rest for a while."

"Phew...", She sits beside him, "Whoa! I'm sweating like a pig! The weather is hot today...", She wipes her sweat with the collar of her t-shirt.

'Whoosh!', Xin Suan summons a clean towel, "Let me take a look of you."

"E-Eh? Don't touch me, my sweat will wet your hand! It's disgusting!"

"Not at all.", He cleans her face with the clean towel. He tucks her bangs away from her face, and wipes her forehead.

"I-I-I can do it by myself, Ge Ge...", She feels nervous. Her face grows redder as Xin Suan brings his face closer to hers.

"That's okay. Let me do it for you. It's been a long time since I touch a human's sweat. I forgot when the last time I'm sweating like this."

"U-Uh... Are the demons can't sweat?"

"Very less than humans, or maybe not at all. Our bodies are nothing more than shells, and these shells are just imitation of humans bodies."

"A-Ah... I see. I wonder, do you ever miss to be a human?"

"...", He stops patting her face.

"A-Ah! Sorry, please forget it."

"Hmm... I don't know. My life as a human has ended 3000 years ago, I can't remember it well."

"I see... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to open up your past..."

"That's okay, I hold no grudge towards my past anymore. I enjoy my current life, so I don't really care.", He continues to wipe her face and then to her neck.

"Hihihi it's ticklish!! Le-Let me do it by myself!", Her weakness spot is her neck.

"Oh, how cute.", He keeps poking her neck.

"Hahahaha!! No, please stop!!", Ai Lie drags his wrist away.

"Hahaha... It's always nice to see you smile."

"A-Ah....", Ai Lie widened her eyes. She is stunned by seeing his gentle smile. A part of her heart begin to melts away.

"Do you want to drink?", He summons a drinking container, "After this let's continue our training."

"A-Ah thank you... And thank you for caring me..."

"...", He didn't reply anything but a smile. He strokes her head a few times.

There is no reason for Ai Lie not to fall for the man beside her. Xin Suan, the legend said to be the world's biggest mistake, who was once become the main villain for the three realms, shows nothing but affection towards her. His affection is beyond her own father, her own mother, her own brother, her big family, and her friends. He replaced those important roles in her life that have been long gone. Someone as kind as him, how could the whole world wrote him as the huge criminal? She began to curious about his past, what kind of crimes he has committed in his whole life as a demon, but of course she didn't dare to ask.

"How do you feel? Are you tired?"

"Hmm.", She shooked her head, "I feel good."

"Good. Let's continue.", He stands on his feet, "Take my hand."

"Hup!", Xin Suan helps her to stand.

"Ai, let's move to the next level. Now, I will test your concentration too. The rule is still the same as before, but I will make it more challenging."

"H-Huh!?"

'Whoosh!', He summons ten of his own illusions. There are eleven Xin Suans standing in front of her.

"W-WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?"

"These...", He raised his hand, "... Are my shadows. Your mission is to find the real me."

"WHAT THE...!? THIS IS TOO MUCH!! IF YOU ARE ALL LOOKING THE SAME, HOW CAN I FIND THE REAL YOU!?"

"Of course I will make the real me easy to find. Look at this.", He raised his hand, he used a bracelet with a bell hung on it.

"This is the muted bell.", 'Clack!', He wiggles his wrist, "It doesn't ring but it still has a sound. The sound is the one that differs me to my other shadows. To make it easier for you to find me, I will make my shadows and myself mute."

"HAAAAAAAA YOU ARE VERY CRUEL!!!", Ai Lie still can't believe the only thing that differs real Xin Suan to the other is just a broken bell. It doesn't even ring like the normal one. It will be very difficult to find a small clacking sound in the middle of so many noises inside the forest.

"Not really, this test is easy. Remember, Ai, focus is the key. Strike the real me, or else I will keep attack your forehead."

'Easy my ass. This man is heartless.', Ai Lie silently cursing him.

"Let's begin."

'Whoosh!', All of the Xin Suans in front of her starts to jumping around her. All of them are moving in very high speed. In Ai Lie's sight, she can only their black robes, even their faces are blur.

"H-HOW CAN I FIND YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF... YOU!?", She is scanning the moving black things jumping around her.

'Clack!', "You lose.", He pokes her back of her head.

'Gasp!', "There you are-", She turns her head and he has gone, back to the middle of the crowd.

"Huh!? Where did he go!?"

'Clack!', "You Lose.", He poke her forehead.

'Gasp!', She immediately swings her sword, but it's too late, he has vanished.

"This... This is impossible!!"

'Clack!', "Don't give up."

"Ah... I need to gain my focus."

She closed her eyes, trying to distinguish every sound around her. Back when she was a student, music was her favorite subject, so she knows well how to memorize voices. 'Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Clack!', He is near! But she still hasn't get the right moment yet. He pokes her forehead once more.

"You lose."

"Get away from me, you broke my concentration!", Ai Lie slaps his finger away from her forehead.

'Wait. I just touch him!', She didn't realized that because she saw nothing but absolute darkness. She keeps closing her eyes. The sound of the muted bell is the key. When the bell rings near her ears, it means the real Xin Suan is already close to her. 'Clack!', A second ago, the bell rings near her ear.

She could feel that Xin Suan is jumping behind her, and she is guessing her back head will be his next target. She gains her full concentration before entering the right moment to attack Xin Suan. When Xin Suan trying to reach her head, she turns her body away, and 'SPLAT!'.

Xin Suan is stunned. The edge of his neck is scratched pretty deep, his black blood is dripping down to his robe, and splattered to the ground. He couldn't believe what was happened to him in only one second.

"GASP! GE GE!!!", Ai Lie throws her sword away and rushingly running to him, along with Xin Suan's feet lose the energy to stand. His shadows are now vanished within air.

"You win. Hahaha, good job, Ai.", He presses his wound with his palm.

Ai Lie immediately checks the wound, "NO... NO!! I'M SO SORRY, I'M REALLY REALLY SORRY!!", The wound is pretty deep. Her eyes start to burst with tears as she stares at the opened flesh on his neck, her heart fills with full of guilt.

"Don't worry, I can heal myself. Don't cry, Ai...", He wipes her tears.

"Huhuhuhu... I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry....", Ai Lie immediately hugs him, she doesn't know what to do.

"Don't cry, I'll be alright in no time..."

'Srrrr', the blood keeps dripping away. He couldn't heal his neck.

'Shit. I'm prohibited to regenerate myself. Does that means she actually has spiritual magic? But since when? Why did I sense no power from her? What will happen if I didn't dodge her attack? Am I going to die?', Xin Suan's still lost in his mind, wondering why the harmless little bunny could bit him this deep.

"No... No... What should we do!?", Ai Lie keeps checking the deep scratch on his neck.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine. A small wound will not affect me.", He is lying.

"But your neck keeps bleeding! I need to do something to stop the bleed! Where is it...?", Ai Lie is searching for the towel that used for her sweat, but it's already gone.

'Rip!', She tears her own t-shirt with her teeth, and pull it off powerfully, exposing her bellybutton, her stomach, her waist, until her back.

"W-What are you doing!?", Xin Suan doesn't feel comfortable by looking at her exposed part.

"...", She wraps his neck with the torn part of her shirt, and tied it tightly. She could only wish it could help to stop the bleed.

"H-Huh...!? You don't have to do it this far!"

"You are injured because of me! I can't do anything, I have no healing spell, I'm not a magical creature just like you... The medicine I have in my room can't help a wound this deep! What if... What if you lose your life because of my carelessness? I'm an idiot, I really deserve to die!"

"Stop that. I told you, I'll be fine. But your clothes... You don't have much clothes like this, right?"

"Don't mind me... Even in the time like this, you are still caring me instead of yourself... You have to focus on healing your neck!"

"You are more important, Ai."

"You are stupid! You have to think about yourself!", She curles her arms on his shoulders.

"Hahahaha... Ha... I'm a demon yet you are treating me like a human. You are really kind, even towards another creatures. Are you sure you aren't a goddess? Or maybe... An angel?"

"That's ridiculous! Why would a goddess hurting someone else this bad!? I'm so sorry, Ge Ge, I'm so sorry...", She keeps crying inside his embrace. Xin Suan's blood is staining her clothes.

"... Let's get back home, Ai. Our training is done, and you have complete your mission. The sun is still up there, we have lots of time to take a rest for today. You have to be prepared for tomorrow."

"Sob... Sob... O-Okay..."

'Swoosh!', The two vanished in only one second.