The Twelve Trials Starting from Zero

"How about we try my method?" he suggested. "If there's no pressure, we can create pressure. Maybe that will bring out Ye's potential. What do you think?"

This guy is up to no good again.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Hot Springs. A VI

During Su Qi's training, Asakura Yoh, being the weakest of the four, was severely punished.

Despite all this, despite the terrifying experience at the training center and the bruises he suffered, he felt... very happy.

The reason for this is certainly not because Yoh Asakura is a masochist who gets happier the more he is beaten, but because his life has been too lonely all this time.

It was the first time he had spoken with so many people his age, the first time he had practiced with so many people his age, the first time he had dined with so many people his age, the first time he had taken a bath with so many people his age, the first time so many people his age had come to his home... So many firsts made Yoh Asakura feel like he was part of a group, surrounded by friends. So despite being physically tired, he felt happier than ever before.

This is different from the condescending concern of parents and elders, different from Yu Xu's admiration from below, and different from the intimate and cautious love between him and his fiancée Anna. It is an equal, distant but not estranged, close but not intimate, same-sex friendship where they can open their hearts and laugh freely.

Of course, having only known each other for a day, he knew that the other three might not consider him a friend yet, but he himself longed to become their friend.

"What are you grinning about? It looks kind of disgusting."

At night, in the open-air hot spring bath at the Asakura family's residence, Dao Ren frowned slightly as he watched Asakura Yoh suddenly grinning foolishly across from him, and mercilessly teased him.

"It's nothing, I just feel really happy." Bare-chested, resting her head on the edge of the pool made of pebbles, Yoh Asakura looked up at the starry sky and smiled broadly. "I've never soaked in a hot spring with everyone like this before."

"What's there to be happy about?"

"Of course it does! It can chase away loneliness, isn't that something to be happy about?"

Dao Lian crossed her arms and straightened her back even while soaking in the hot spring, saying proudly, "Hmph, only the weak are afraid of loneliness, but I am destined to become the strong."

"Then I'll just become the weak one." Yoh Asakura said with a grin, "I guess it's more fun to live a leisurely life with everyone than to become stronger."

“That’s right, that’s right, Ye’s words resonate with me.” Daohe sat down next to him and echoed, “Life is only a hundred years long, why live so hard? If I could, I would really like to take a global trip and go wherever I want, to take a free walk every day and appreciate the scenery I’ve never seen before. That kind of relaxed and carefree life is the truly beautiful life.”

“Travel? I also have a friend who loves to travel.” Holding a simple necklace with three cat paws around his neck, Yoh Asakura looked nostalgic. “His name is Tsutsumi, a cat ghost that has existed for over a thousand years, and he also loves to read.”

He then smiled gently and said, "I made a promise with it that we would meet again. Daohe, if that day ever comes—no, that day will definitely come! When that day comes, shall the three of us travel the world together?"

Daohe paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay, let's travel together then, it will be a lot of fun."

Perhaps it was because of their similar personalities—neither of them was interested in fame, fortune, or power, and both wanted to live a leisurely life—that he developed a strong liking for Asakura Yoh in just one day. Of course, the latter felt the same way; it was probably a case of like attracts like.

"Hmph, like an idiot."

Through the thin mist, watching the two laughing happily, Dao Lian pursed his lips, but didn't utter a sarcastic remark. He simply muttered to himself. After spending the day together, his opinion of Ma Cangye had actually changed somewhat.

Despite his weakness, his initial reluctance, and the fact that he endured the most attacks and pain during training, he never complained or considered giving up. He simply endured it silently, without even showing much pain on his face to gain sympathy. Such a resilient person could never be a good-for-nothing.

"Dao Lian, are you envious?" Su Qi suddenly spoke up, his deep black eyes seemingly able to see through people's hearts. "You want a friend like that too, right?"

"Nonsense." Dao Lian crossed her arms and said coldly, "The strong don't need friends, and they certainly won't befriend the weak."

"Here we go again, acting all high and mighty again." Su Qi shook his head slightly, looking at him with a disappointed expression. "Master Chang Geng once said that humility makes one progress, while pride makes one fall behind. Dao Lian, your level of thinking is still far from that."

Dao Lian's expression froze for a moment, then she said, "Alright, you're right. I'm not a strong person yet, but I will keep moving towards that goal, so I don't need friends."

"Dao Lian is being arrogant again."

The speaker was Daohe. Over the past year, he had been arguing and chatting with Su Qi whenever he had a spare moment, and had passively learned a lot of new vocabulary in the process.

What did you say about me?

Dao Lian also knew the meaning of the word, and immediately stood up with a dissatisfied look, glaring at Dao He. He wasn't Dao Cheng, who could easily crush him, and there was no need for him to tolerate that guy.

"So arrogant, what's wrong?" Having fought countless times over the past year, Daohe stood up and retorted sharply, "You're still the same arrogant Lian, unable to take even the smallest joke. I'm telling you, if you continue like this, you might end up alone for the rest of your life."

"you wanna die!"

"Come on! Come at me head-on!"

Suddenly, the two of them were wrestling in the hot spring.

"Wait, why did they start fighting?"

Seeing this, Yoh Asakura was startled and rushed over to stop it, but he was also dragged into the mess.

"Stop it! Stop fighting! Go fight in the locker room!"

Su Qi tried to mediate the fight in a monotone, insincere tone, without even moving an inch. He simply watched with amusement as the three rascals tangled together, fighting with such passion and intensity, that he even provided voice-over for them:

"Oh... Liquid color!"

"Ah~~~~"

"Stand still!"

"Brother Lian, no!"

"Wow, you're in pretty good shape. Have you been working out lately?"

"No, don't touch there!"

"Oh my, are you blushing? Come here, let me see."

"No...no...please...don't stop!"

……

Meanwhile, in the changing room outside the bathhouse, an adorable little girl of eight or nine years old was holding a basket of clothes. Her face was as red as a ripe peach, and puffs of steam seemed to be rising from her head.

Oh...how embarrassing! I never imagined that Lord Ye would like boys. I must tell Lady Anna about this! But how do boys show affection to each other?

Originally, she came to deliver a bathrobe, but unexpectedly discovered such a shocking secret. Yu Xu blushed, feeling shocked, shy, and a little curious and excited.

So, without realizing it, I moved behind the curtain closest to the bathhouse, listening intently to the sounds coming from inside, while imagining in my mind, and then beautifying it with a BL (Boys' Love) filter, imagining a beautiful scene of four handsome young men happily playing in the hot spring.

Only when the sounds inside suddenly stopped and footsteps approached did they hurriedly pick up the basket and run out like startled rabbits.

Then Su Qi, wrapped in a bath towel, lifted the curtain and came out, looking at the bathrobe that had just been delivered to the closet with an interested smile on his face.

……

The following afternoon, since not all the members of the Asakura family had arrived, Su Qi and the others continued their training for battle.

boom!

Yoh Asakura was sent flying far away, sliding along the ground to the doorway. Just as he was about to get up, the door opened, and a slender girl who looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years old walked in.

She had delicate features and a cool demeanor. Her blonde hair was medium-length and she wore a red headscarf. She was dressed in a black sleeveless short dress, with two rosary beads hanging around her long, fair neck. She wore thick-soled wooden slippers. Overall, she looked cold and beautiful with a touch of heroic spirit and a hint of nonchalant laziness.

She is Asakura Yoh's fiancée, Anna Kyoyama, from Osoryuyama, one of Japan's three great sacred sites.

She opened the door and stepped forward, stopping right in front of Yoh Asakura. Looking down at her expressionlessly, she said, "Yoh, why are you lying on the ground? Can you give me an explanation?"

Lying sprawled on the ground, Asakura Yoh didn't need to lift his head; his view perfectly encompassed the area under his fiancée's skirt. He smiled gently and said, "Anna, welcome home. You're wearing black today."

puff!

Anna stepped down, the thick wooden sole of her slipper making direct, intimate contact with Yoh Asakura's face.

"Aaaaaah... It hurts so much, it hurts so much, it hurts so much! My face!"

The latter immediately screamed and rolled on the ground.

"Don't get too cocky, you idiot."

Anna kicked Yoh Asakura in the waist, forcibly stopping him, then stepped on him with one foot and said coldly, "I'm not happy to see my incompetent fiancé being beaten to the ground as soon as I get here, Yoh. It seems you need a transformative training."

"Alright, Anna, there are still guests present, so don't be too rude."

As the aged voice spoke, Yuxu helped an elderly woman with white hair, short stature, wearing a simple white kimono and reading glasses, into the room.

"Munai, you've finally arrived."

At this moment, through the monitoring of the shikigami in front of the door, Asakura Yomei also knew that Anna and her group had arrived, and went directly to the front courtyard.

After a few moments, the three groups exchanged a few pleasantries, crossed the front courtyard, and went directly into the large room opposite the door to discuss matters.

"Everyone's here. Shall we go and unseal the 'Super Divination Manual' now?"

The Taoist and the Asakura families sat facing each other in two rows. Asakura Kino got straight to the point.

Ye Ming looked at Su Qi, then at Kino Asakura. Their gazes met, and they nodded slightly, seemingly reaching some kind of consensus. Then he said, "Let's begin. We'll head to Ye Wang Hall immediately."

……

Ye Wang Hall, as its name suggests, is a shrine dedicated to the great Onmyoji Asakura Ye Wang from a thousand years ago, and the place where the "Super Divination Manual" was sealed. It has been hidden by a barrier for over a thousand years, concealed in a secluded spot behind the Asakura family residence, and its location has always been known only to the head of the Asakura family.

However, with the current head of the Asakura family leading the way, the group quickly passed through the barrier and arrived at the Ye Wang Hall.

Anna should be eleven years old at this time; I've described her appearance as slightly more mature...

Chapter Twenty-Seven: You're courting death.

Ye Wang Temple is built inside a mountain wall. The interior is paved with stone slabs and has a spacious layout. It still retains an altar, a long table, and a banner with a bellflower pattern. There are paper lanterns and water fountains along the way. The structure is like a small shrine.

"Munai, just in case, let's set up a barrier to prevent those two ghosts from escaping."

"understood."

There were ready-made ritual implements inside the hall, and Kono Asakura and Anna Kyoyama quickly set up a barrier at the entrance using shimenawa (sacred rope) and lamps.

Ye Ming turned to Su Qi and the others and asked, "Is there anything you need to prepare?"

The latter looked at the shrine deep in the cave and shook his head slightly. "No need, we can start anytime."

The first and second demons are merely shikigami left behind by Emperor Hao a thousand years ago; he doesn't believe they pose any threat to him. Besides, they weren't particularly strong in the original story, easily subdued by Anna. Could he possibly be weaker than the current Anna?

Seeing Su Qi's confidence, Ye Ming said no more, and instead said to Asakura Yoh with a serious expression, "Ye, you need to see clearly the power of a truly powerful shaman later. Also, if anything unexpected happens, don't hesitate, run outside immediately, understand?"

"Grandpa, you're worrying too much." The latter put his hands behind his head and said with a relaxed expression, "Dao Cheng is very strong. Nothing will happen to him. Besides, I would never abandon my family and run away."

Over the past day, he had been deeply impressed by Su Qi's strength and did not believe that Su Qi would lose.

"Ugh……"

Knowing his grandson's character well, Ye Ming sighed deeply and didn't mention it again, but silently made a decision in his heart. No, this can't go on. Lacking a sense of crisis, lacking ambition, and trusting others too easily, Ye Ming, even without physical strength, is completely unable to contend with Ye Wang in terms of willpower… He must become stronger before fighting Ye Wang!

Soon after, the barrier was set up, and the group walked along the central path and entered the wooden shrine at the deepest part of the cave.

The ancestral hall is decorated with various ancient scrolls and displays a large number of items related to Yin-Yang philosophy. In the innermost central hall is a portrait of a handsome young man dressed in a white hunting robe and a tall eboshi hat, dressed as an Yin-Yang master with flowing black hair.

Asakura Yeming led everyone directly to the portrait, picked up an ancient book covered with talismans and looking very worn from the long table in front of the painting, turned around and handed it to Su Qi, "This is the 'Super Divination Secrets' left by King Ye. It records all the spells he could use a thousand years ago. What do you plan to do?"

Su Qi took the ancient book, glanced at the narrow interior of the ancestral hall, and said, "Let's go outside."