Chapter 38: Incognito (4)

High pitch sound of flute played inside the wood. The last signal those bandits gave before the final battle begin. 'Rustle Rustle!', The bushes surrounding Yin Ling and Xin Suan moved.

"Don't hold back, Yin Ling, release your power. This isn't game of masquerade anymore.", Xin Suan raised his sword.

"Understood, Your Majesty.", Yin Ling closed his eyes, and when he opened them, the purple light in his eyes glow brightly.

"Be ready for it."

'Whoosh!', A man ambushed them from their back. With one swing of Yin Ling's sword that man fall. This ambush attack marks the beginning of the final battle. A huge wave of muscled men approaching them. With their maces and axes that they swing powerfully, they are destroying the whole place. The trees are falling down, made the battlefield become wider than before. The graveyard for the dead bandits are now in disarray, exposing their mutilated body that now covered in dirt.

Those barbarian fighters pushed Yin Ling and Xin Suan back, they jumped backward further and further from the brutal attacks until they reach one point where they could no longer avoid. Suddenly another group of pretas appeared behind them, and now they are surrounded by their enemies. Xin Suan and Yin Ling have their backs to each other, raising their own swords.

'Yin Ling, let's change our weapon. We are clearly outnumbered right now.', Xin Suan connects his mind to Yin Ling.

'Well, since this is no longer a game, I'll gladly use my beloved swords that I haven't touch for thousand years.'

'Swish!', the sword on Yin Ling's grip changes into two handed black thin sabers. With no words spoken, the battle begin. Those barbarians approached them with no will to defense themselves but aim to strike them down. The two dancing madly with their spiritual weapons, they use the brute force to slain them all. Swinging, thrusting, slashing, spinning around, and blood splattering everywhere, along with the falling of those barbarian heads and limbs. No ordinary people would dare to see this bloody scene.

One of those bandits ambush Xin Suan from his blind spot, yet when the sharp edge of the axe touching Xin Suan's neck, it breaks to pieces, as if Xin Suan's neck is as hard as iron steel. The bandit couldn't believe his own eyes, but it's too late for him. Xin Suan's anger begin to be triggered, and he became the first victim for Xin Suan unleashing his wrath. Xin Suan lands his barefist to that bandit face powerfully until his head detached from his body. Everyone who watched that scene immediately stunned. Fear controlling their mind until they couldn't even move their hands anymore. Yet the rest who didn't realized Xin Suan's true power, they keep foolishly attacking him, as if they stood a chance to win against him.

'Yin Ling, they are endless so let me end this. Go protect yourself.'

'Understood, Your Majesty.

Xin Suan jumps high to the air while Yin Ling summons his barrier. He grips the hilt of his crimson blade with both of his palm, and raises it behind his neck. His blade covered with fiery red aura, while his crimson eyes shining brightly. The full crimson moon that shining behind his back made his face look darker. Everyone couldn't take off their eyes from him as if he is the grim reaper that ready to take their lives away. Well, he is. It's their own fault to ever made a fuss with the master of the demon realm that chosen by the nature itself. They just didn't know they will dig their own graves, if only they knew it sooner, maybe they will think twice before playing with fire.

'BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM!', Xin Suan unleashed four whips of fiery red aura from his blade powerfully. Any spots where the red aura touches will blast off, causing the ground to be slashed away, along with every obstacles that stood on it. Four large scale of deep scars created on the ground, those bandits obviously had been vanished from this realm, easily flattened just like a group of ants. Only Yin Ling that stood perfectly fine there. He already know how strong his master is.

"Hosh... Hosh...", Xin Suan drop himself from the sky slowly.

"Your Majesty!", Yin Ling runs towards Xin Suan, "Are you alright!? You are sweating!"

"Sweat?", Xin Suan wiped his forehead. So this is how it feels to be sweaty, Xin Suan finally remembers it.

"Yeah, I just need to catch a breath."

'It's very rare to see him sweaty. That means he used too much energy.', Yin Ling flinched his eyebrows.

"No need to push your limit anymore, Your Majesty, we've won.", Yin Ling scans their surrounding.

"U-Ugh....", One survivor is laid on the ground. It seems he manage to escape from Xin Suan's wrath. He bore a few cuts but his body's still a whole.

"Cih! There's another rat!"

"Wait.", Xin Suan pulls Yin Ling arms, "What a coincidence. He will make an advantage for me.", Xin Suan smirks.

"Advantage?"

In the meantime, Ai Lie laid herself on the cotton bed. It feels comfortable. Her feet felt sore and tingle. She's totally exhausted. Still, she endured her sleepiness and waited for Xin Suan to call.

'Ge Ge?', Ai Lie has been waiting for him for 2 hours.

'....', No one replied.

"Sigh.... He must be busy right now.", Ai Lie curled her body inside Xin Suan's robe.

'Drap Drap Drap!', Xia Xiaoli holding all of the loots he brought inside the gunny sack inside his arms. Foot after foot, miles after miles, he didn't take a pause for a while since he heard the last signal his minion gave. He doesn't care anymore even if they dead, what's inside his mind right now is to find a way out back to the capital city and his house.

"Not so fast, thief.", A man's voice came behind him.

'GASP!', "W-WHO'S THERE!?", Xia Xiaoli turned his body around, but no one was there. But when he turned his body back suddenly two men appeared in front of him, out of nowhere. He immediately gasped in shocked until his butt fell to the ground. He can't see those men's faces clearly because the forest was too dark.

"W-WHO ARE YOU!? W-WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?"

"Your Majesty, it seems this jerk still doesn't know who we are."

'Your Majesty?', Xia Xiaoli silently talking to himself.

'Snap!', Yin Ling summons a ball of fire on his palm. Now Xia Xiaoli could see their faces clearly, too clear until he trembling in fear.

"Y-YOUR MAJESTY! MY LORD!!"

Xin Suan doesn't reply anything but deadly glared him with his crimson eyes.

"Look at you now. Where do you wanna go? Why don't you invite us too?", Yin Ling squatted.

"I-I-IF YOUR M-MAJESTY I-IS HERE, T-T-THEN Y-YOU MUST BE G-GENERAL Y-YIN!"

"Oh, he knows us, Your Majesty!! That means we are famous, aren't we?? Ahahahaha!", Yin Ling laughs so hard.

"But unfortunately, we don't even know who you are, yet you make a fuss with the asuras.", In an instance, the atmosphere change when Yin Ling lowers his voice and stares at him sharply.

"M-MY NAME IS XIA XIAOLI, Y-YOUR M-MAJESTY, M-MY FATHER IS XIA XIAOJIAN! P-PLEASE, SPARE ME, MY LORDS!! I WILL COMPENSATE YOU ONCE I GET BACK TO MY HOME!!"

"Compensation? Ha, don't make me laugh."

"Ughh!!", Yin Ling strained Xia Xiaoli with magical chains.

"Are you well aware for how much trouble you make for this territory? Is this brain of yours is still working perfectly?", Yin Ling flicked Xia Xiaoli's forehead.

"P-PLEASE, LORD ASURA, I-I-I CAN GIVE YOU MY EXPLANATIONS!!"

"Let him speak, Yin Ling.", Xin Suan crossed his arms.

"M-my businesses, yes, my family businesses are going to be busted, my Lords!! I-I have no choice, please, understand me! B-Beside, this isn't my idea, it was.... I-It was all Chairman Zhou's idea!!"

"I'll read your mind.", Xin Suan summoned a crimson sphere.

"Y-YOUR MAJESTY! IT'S AGAINSTS THE LAW TO READ THE NOBLEMAN'S MIND!!"

"Shut your mouth up!! Who are you to speak about the law?? Oh why?? Are you feeling humiliated!? YOU DON'T DESERVE TO FEEL THAT WAY, YOU BASTARD!", Yin Ling slaps him powerfully. Black blood splattered on the ground.

"B-BUT P-PLEASE, MY LORD, IT'S AGAINTS THE LAW!!"

"Hehehehe...", Xin Suan chuckled, "Got some secret to share with me? Chairman Zhou you said? All of the sudden, you point your finger on the only councillor who stand on my side. Who told you to do so, lowly nobleman?"

"B-BUT YOUR MAJESTY, I-I'M SAYING THE TRUTH!"

"TRUTH MY ASS!! YOU THINK WE ARE MORON!?", Yin Ling lands his blow directly to Xia Xiaoli's face.

"Yin Ling, it seems he doesn't understand the difference between pretas and asuras, can you explain to him? Make sure you don't lay a finger on him."

"Understood, Your Majesty. I will gladly to do so.", Yin Ling grins widely.

"P-PLEASE, GENER- AARGHHH!!!!"

The torturing moment has begin. Slash and slice, the voice of the flesh being skinned by invisible magical power. Xia Xiaoli is now being tied under the tree. He couldn't scream anymore, he lost too much blood and his body grow weaker and weaker each slices, yet Yin Ling mercilessly forbid him for losing his consciousness.

"That's enough.", Xin Suan pats Yin Ling shoulder.

"U-Ugh...."

"Now, shall we begin?", Xin Suan raised his hand.

Red light emits from the sphere that Xin Suan hold in his palm. Xin Suan entered Xia Xiaoli's mind and he could see what exactly happened to Xia Xiaoli. Yes, it's true, his family is almost out of business, but there are some reasons behind it. Firstly, Xia Xiaoli is hedon, he spent his family's saving and the income from his shops just for fun. Secondly, he is secretly work together with those who oppose Xin Suan, and become one of the funder of a project to create new weapon that could bring down the asuras, and yes, it was the poisonous arrow. It turns out, the poison was made from the water that is highly contaminated by Qiong that collected near the middle area. Xin Suan could see some of the councillors involved in this new experiment, and the mastermind is Chairman Ma, the preta consultant that bore hatred towards Xin Suan the most. His plot is obvious, he has the ambition to erase all of the 10 remaining asuras, and be the new king of the demon realm. Xia Xiaoli became one of his accomplice without his father knowledge.

"Your memories will be recorded inside this sphere."

"Hehehehe....", Xia Xiaoli chuckled, "You jerk. That's why the councillors hate you so much."

"You dare to insult His Highness?", Yin Ling pulled Xia Xiaoli's collar.

"Let him speak. I'll hear you."

"YOU JERK! YOU ARE UNFAIR!", Xia Xiaoli yelled until his voice hoarse.

"And what makes me unfair, I wonder? Share me your opinion.", Xin Suan moved in front of Xia Xiaoli.

"Your so called mandatory tax... Your so called helping the poor... You have make us suffer. Do you know how hard it is to make money!?"

"Hey bitch, I'll tell you, the mandatory tax is only 5% of total income per year. His Majesty is kind enough not to required you assholes to report your wealth and your TRUE income, which means,YOU DAMN ASSHOLES CAN EASILY MANIPULATE IT!!", Yin Ling pulled Xia Xiaoli collar stronger.

"BUT WHY!? WHY WOULD ONLY US WHO PAY THE TAX!? WHAT ABOUT THE LOWER RANK PEOPLE!?"

"You just wanna make an excuse because your legacy has been fallen, right? That's what you get from being hedon, you moron."

"Yeah... Our young lord is only care about the poor people after all. He burdened the whole territories duties to us the nobles. Even you makes us suffer by creating the peaceful contract with those so called gods. I wonder why my dad is so obsessed of you after all what you did... My poor little sister."

"Your little sister? Why so sudden?", Xin Suan flinched his eyebrows.

"DON'T ACT LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW AFTER WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO HER!"

"Huh? Did you do something to her, Your Majesty?"

"Not at all, I don't even know her name let alone her face."

"Hahahahaha how arrogant. Of course, you don't know her name or her face. You were always locked yourself up in your stupid old fashioned manor, after all."

"Then, as her eldest brother, allow me to tell you. Because of your rude refusal, she became a laughstock for my whole big family and among the other nobles for years. Your rude rejection letter, you didn't even met her nor gave her the refusal token. Of course, this incident reached those damn head families ears, and no one wants to marry her until now. Meanwhile, she grows older and older, and her elder siblings are all have married. Do you have any idea how hard it is for her!? She is innocent, she has no guilt towards you, why would you ruined her life!?"

"Wait.", Xin Suan raised his palm, "Refusal token? What the hell is that?"

"Ha. Gold for accept, silver for denied. Of course you won't know that. You celibate freak!"

"C-CELIBATE FREAK!?", Half of Yin Ling's heart agreed to that statement, but of course he can't let his master know that.

"But why would the nobles meddle in our business? It's between me and your sister, and I'm not interested to meet her too, let alone to marry someone I don't know."

"Not interested, huh..? Why? Do you think she's ugly? She is very pretty, just like a doll. But I'm glad she didn't marry someone cocky just like you, she deserves better. You will regret it when you see her face, but I pray she'll never meet you."

"Why should I? I have my own woman now, and I only care about her."

"Y-YOUR MAJESTY!", Yin Ling gasped in surprised after he remembered the rumor that has been spread among the commoner and how they wanted to kidnap her.

"Hehehehe, that human, right? Do you think you could always protect her? Hehehehe what would she do after knowing your hideous past, I wonder? She just doesn't know yet, right? You must've tried to make yourself look good in front of her."

"....", Xin Suan didn't reply anything, but behind his silence, there lies a burning wrath.

"I swear it, Xin Suan, she will be taken away from your arms!! She will be ravished then eaten by the poor pretas that you care the most, and when that happens you couldn't do anything but watch her death! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

'BLAM!', Xin Suan lands a blow on Xia Xiaoli's face. His jaw and his nose crashed until they are formless. This bloody scene, somehow Yin Ling felt pity on his enemy.

"I don't care who you are, but once your mouth spew bad words about her, I'll smash it."

"Y-Your Majesty! W-We should stop! We may not lay another hand on him, or else we will leave a trace on his body!"

"Your luck. Now, come here.", Xin Suan waved his hand at the bushes far behind them.

The last survivor, he walked closer to them slowly. His hand carries an axe. His eyes are glowing red. It seems his mind is controlled by Xin Suan, he didn't speak a word or blink his eyes. He keep staring at Xia Xiaoli that is tied on the tree, full in wrath.

"Kill him."

'Caw Caw Caw!', Some black crows flying away, and now they're disturbed by quiver of the last survivor attacks. Xin Suan and Yin Ling calmly went away from the scene, and once that man had done with his task, he sliced his own stomach and immediately laid on the ground. Xin Suan made him take his own life. That wasn't his first plan, he was meant to use the wild beasts to devour Xia Xiaoli, but it turned out Xia Xiaoli was killed by his own minion.

"Your Majesty, I wonder what you wrote on that letter."

"Ugh, it's not important, Yin Ling."

"No, I mean, what did you wrote until his sister became a laughstock?"

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"No. That's all I wrote."

"HUH!? NO?? THAT'S ALL??", Yin Ling stopped his feet.

"Yeah."

"W-WHAT!? NO REASON AT ALL!?"

"Why should I wrote my reason?"

"Y-you could just say sorry, or say that you already have someone in mind, or et cetra...."

"I was already nice, you know, it will be worse if I wrote that I'm not interested in her."

"Tsk tsk tsk.", Yin Ling shooked his head.

"Hey, Yin Ling, tell me, what is refusal token?"

"Gold for accept, silver for denied. It's more like a symbol of the engagement. If you accept her proposal, you give her gold, but if you reject her, you give her silver. The jewelry you gave is up to you, you can give her necklace, hairpin, bracelet or whatever you want, and if you gave her silver one, she will use it until she found another candidate. That tradition will only happened if a woman propose to the man first, and this will only did between noblemen, not with the commoner. Oh and also, the token you gave should describe from which family you came from. For example, Xia Xiaoli accepted a proposal, he gave his future wife a gold bracelet with his clan's name written on it."

"Huh? Why didn't I know there's an odd tradition like that? What good would it do for others to know that the proposal was rejected?"

"Well, it's symbolize her dignity. It's odd though, but that's what they think. That's why if the nobles know Xia Xiaoli's sister didn't have any token from her proposal, they will think that you rejected her because she failed from the quality to be wed with you. This odd tradition only happened in this damn realm, so it's natural for you not to know this kind of shit."

"Hmm... I see. I guess someday I should meet her then."

"Huh? Why? You have rejected her before, right?"

"I'm responsible for her future marriage too since I didn't give her a proper rejection, so I think I'll give her a token this time."

"Haa... You really have gotten softer, aren't you? When did your proposal happen actually?"

"Hmm.... About 400 years ago, I guess?"

"WHAT!? 400 YEARS AGO AND YOU WANTED TO GIVE HER THE TOKEN LIKE RIGHT NOW!?"

"Better late than never. Beside, she might have some important informations for us."

"What do you wanna search from her?"

"This.", Xin Suan summoned the crimson sphere, "We should discuss everything I've collected inside this sphere. You should watch it by yourself."

"Okay...?", Yin Ling begin to curious about it.

'Sniff sniff!', "Oh wow, what is this smell?", Yin Ling covered his nose.

Xin Suan and Yin Ling stared at the direction where the strong smell came. The two dared themselves to move closer to it, and once Yin Ling raised his flamming palm to see what's behind the trees, they saw something that is unbelievable.

"T-This..!?", Yin Ling widened his eyes.