Dance of the blades

Chapter 7 Wisteria Trees

Lan Sizhui could feel the edge of a bamboo stick poking at his ribs and stirring him awake. In front of his vision was a slim young maiden with milky white eyes, staring at him. 

"Finally you're awake! Geeze you really look like you got beaten to a pulp by Daoshi! "

" Are you even a demon slayer?"

"You look pretty damn weak to me"

 the young maiden with a foul mouth stated while eyeing the boy's beat up state.

The said boy couldn't help but winced at the girl's foul words and harsh tone towards him. Using the lower body to push himself up Lan Sizhui faced the young maiden and enquired about her sudden appearance. The girl in question huffed at him and told him that from now on she would train him to beat the man, who he latter learned was called Xiao Xingchen. 

"Daoshi saved me from trouble and sent me to train under the old hag that lived here ,hoping to give me a better life" was the only thing Lan Sizhui could coax out of the girl about her origin.

Under the young maiden who referred to herself as A-qing's guidance, Lan Sizhui started vastly improve. Subconsciously A-qing had corrected many bad habits of the boy by correcting or rather hitting him with her bamboo stick and guiding the boy through his breathing techniques each step of the way.  And within a year's time, Lan Sizhui faced off against Xiao Xingchen again, with the difference from last times being the sword in Xiao Xingchen's hand.

"Lan gongzi I sincerely hope that the training you had with A-qing was not wasted"

"Everything that you have learnt will determine your victory in this battle"

"Are you ready?" Xiao Xingchen asked the boy.

"Mn"

" I will not disappoint!" Lan Sizhui said to Xiao Xingchen with full confidence as he rase his sword.

When the battle began Lan Sizhui could felt his opponent's movement much clearer than when they last battle. Ever since they last battled, Lan Sizhui would consciously and subconsciously mimic Xiao Xingchen's fighting style. Each step his opponent took, Lan Sizhui followed like a shadow. He was like a mirror reflecting the every attack of Xiao Xingchen, reading his every move like a book. And once Lan Sizhui could see the opening he needed, he strengthen the hold on his blade and sliced through Xiao Xingchen's blindfold, defeating him. The piece of fabric slowly descended down Xiao Xingchen's face revealing his dark brown eyes.

"He did it!"

"He finally did it Daoshi!" A-qing cheered and jumped up in joy at the boy's success.

"I did it" Lan Sizhui said in astonishment at his victory.

Xiao Xingchen huffed a breath of amusement at the two.

"You've done well, Lan gongzi" 

Xiao Xingchen said before a cloud of mist swallowed A-qing and him, leaving behind the boulder that was sliced in half from Lan Sizhui's attack. 

"So you've succeeded in slicing it" Baoshan Sanren stated as she approach Lan Sizhui.

She then turned towards the boy and patted his head.

"You have done well boy" 

As the sun was close to set, Baoshan Sanren brought Lan Sizhui back to the house to share a meal. She handed the boy his bowl of rice while on hand stirring the pot of soup.

"If I am to be honest I have never considered sending you to the final selection"

Her words made Lan Sizhui stop moving his chopsticks and stare at her, waiting for her to continue her speech.

"In truth I had trained many disciples in my life but most of my beloved children lost their life in the final selection"

"That's why I couldn't bear losing another child and decided to challenge you, hoping you would have given up"

"But to my surprise you have manage to overcome my expectations"

"So please promise me boy that you will return back alive from the final selection" she pleaded with Lan Sizhui.

Hearing his master's plea, Lan Sizhui set down his chopsticks on the table and faced his master with the biggest smile he could muster, reassuring her that he would make it back alive from the final selection.

 Lan Sizhui had reached the mountain hosting the final selection the very next day, the hypnotic purple glow of wisteria greeted Lan Sizhui's view as he stepped into the mountain. In the center of the mountain was a small clearing surrounded by participants, some participants stood out among the crowd with their unique weapons on display, some participants gathered in groups with similar robes worn on them while other were shattered among the crowd not interacting with anyone. Lan Sizhui couldn't help but feel nervous after looking at all the striking participants.

"It would seem that everyone has gathered so I will now explain the rules of the final selection"

 the voice of a woman could be heard throughout the crowd as the sound of the gong echoed behind it.

Lan Sizhui looked around to the find the source of the voice, catching the silhouette of the woman approaching the participants with refined steps. The light of the lantern in her left hand illuminated her figure as she strolled towards the center of the crowd.

" As all of you know within this forest are hordes of low ranking demons captured by our demon slayers"

"The wisteria trees planted here keeps the demons within the mountain but after this point forward there will be no wisteria trees"

"You're goal is to venture into the mountain, survive for seven days and relocate back to this clearing"

"Those who succeed will become full fledge demon slayers but if you were to leave the bounds of the mountain you will be disqualified"

"Good luck future demon slayers and may the strongest of you survive"

The woman said before letting the participants off towards the mountain.

Immediately Lan Sizhui ran passed half of the participants hoping to get a good start, the participants in front of him were already chasing any silhouette of demons they could find into the depths of the forest.