Grasping the bell, I had wanted to call Bi Qingshen Jun's name in my name a few times, but was afraid that after I made the call, I would be too afraid to speak – he was probably still angry, and probably already hate Miao Miao.
This was my first taste at the human's so-called insomnia. I was tossing and turning until dawn. By then, Blue Feather Goddess' emissary appeared in front of me and wanted to bring me back to the heavenly realm, but I was hesitant.
The emissary seeing my dejected look, incessantly comforted me, "Not passing the trials is a normal occurrence, you can always try again next time again, so do not despair."
To the surprise of the Big Bird Devil, I took out my chain of copper coins, and mounted on his back to return to the heavens. Blue Feather Goddess was waiting outside of the young demon school to greet us. Many students had already arrived and were excited discussing about what they saw and experienced.
Bai Cai was the one that earned the most money. Using the demons' abilities to travel thousands of miles, she cooperated with a major peddler, and brought and sold goods between the North and the South. Although the she sold the goods for very low prices, she was able to sell in vast quantities, and earned a tens of silvers.
The amount of money Han Jing earned wasn't little either. She had said that she used fortune-telling to calculate other people's ill omens, and wanted to help them overcome, but unfortunately, not only did the people talk bad about her and not pay, they also almost destroyed her stall. Afterwards, she just told nonsense or whatever people wanted to hear, like how many of their children will become successful. Whenever she saw a few particularly rich looking customers, she would quickly tell them that they would become future queens, imperial concubines, or prime ministers, and the result of this, was elated customers and a lot of money coming out from their pockets.
Shao Zhong and Xiao Zi came back together after a long time. The both of them no longer argued with each other, and was even smiling and laughing while returning, as if their friendship had improved from their former. When Xiao Zi saw that I had crouched near a corner alone, she dragged Shao Zhong over to play with me. Normally, if she asked to play with me, then I would have happily play to the end, but today, I wasn't in the mood to play. I just stood there and did not reply to them, and since they did not receive an answer, they just dispersed to play by themselves from boredom.
Blue Feather Goddess sent all of the money we earned back, as well as announcing the students that have successfully passed the mortal realm trial. Among the names that were called, there was myself, also one of the students that would be promoted to the school for matured demons in the future.
The school for the matured demons would begin in half a year's time. Because of the phases of transformation that many of the students were experiencing or would soon to experience to become a full-fledge demon, which included Shao Zhong and Han Jing, their body's need some time to gather and refine the worldly earth aura. During this period of refinement, their body would become weak and vulnerable. They would not even be able to block or do anything to an incoming strike, but after a successful completion of this process, their bodies' would become those of matured human beings, and their demonic powers would thus multiply in strength.
This was also the necessary second stage for all monsters that have successfully become demons.
Xiao Zi was extremely excited, "Shao Zhong. When you become a demon, you become a bit more handsome like a flower! And remember, the first person that you should show it to is me!"
Shao Zhong only quickly replied back to her with these words, "You obsessed flower lover!"
Although there was the sound of laughter everywhere, it was unable to enter my ears. In my heart, there was only yesterday's dream, and Bi Qingshen Jun's face. My mind was a mess and a many thoughts kept appearing unknowingly in my brain.
After Blue Feather Goddess had announce for us to dissolve, I secretly glanced to the Wawa and Jin Wen waiting for me outside by the front gates, and then quietly snuck out by the back door because I didn't want to go home nor did I want to or know how to face Bi Qingshen Jun.
I was afraid…..afraid that he never liked me at all, afraid that he already hates me…..
The air around Xuan Qing appeared to be lonely and cold. I had lingered on a tree near the entrance quietly sticking my head out from time to time to look at the setting. I was surprise to discover that Bi Qingshen Jun had put on some ordinary clothing and was walking back and forth by the entrance with annoyance. I had wanted to go out a few times, but did not in the end. Xiaolin was always by his side constantly persuading him.
His eyes seemed to glance at the tree tops several times, as though he had seen through my camouflage. This scared me into immediately retracting my head. I took a few steps back. But could soon after, I could no longer hold back my curiosity and looked outside again.
To return or not return…..this was a very difficult decision.
As the sky had darkened, Wawa and Jin Wen ran back to Shen Jun's residence to report everything back to him.
Bi Qingshen Jun nodded his head and let them go rest, and then suddenly moved over to the me who didn't have enough time to leap away yet.
"Meow woo~" I cast my head down and was afraid to stare into his eyes.
"Come back." Bi Qingshen Jun softly said.
I rubbed his clothes, but did not move my feet, and quietly whispered, "You don't like my cat form….."
Bi Qingshen Jun came up and sat by the base of the tree, pulled me towards him, and then asked earnestly, "Do you like me?"
"I like." I answered without hesitation.
"I don't have a beautiful coat of fur, do you still like me?"
"I like!"
"I don't have a soft and fluffy tail, do you still like me?"
"I like!"
"I don't have cute pink paw pads, do you still like me?"
"I like!"
"Then I will let you look at…..my real appearance….." Bi Qingshen Jun stood up, chanted something, and then began to transform. There was a bunch of green smoke that enveloped him, his figure within the smoke became larger and longer.
After the smoke cleared, an unearthly and gigantic serpent appeared. His body was several meters in length, and was covered all over with blue and green coloured scales. On his head, he had a sharp and long horn on his forehead. His twitching red tongue, and body entrenched on the ground, as well as his green eyes like lanterns that seemed to see through hell itself, was as hideous as one could describe.
I was scared into taking several paces back and my mouth had shut close.
The serpent slowly opened his mouth, his voice contained some hoarseness and helplessness to it, "Miao Miao, this appearance, do you still like me?"
I stared with intrigued, and carefully walked over. I touched his scales and felt a familiar coolness to it. I then sniffed him a couple of times and felt that this nice and faint scent definitely belonged to him.
It was him without a doubt.
The serpent's body trembled. He lowered his white eyes, became somewhat gentle, slowly turned around, and muttered, "Miao Miao….."
It was as if he had some expectations, but was also afraid.
After thinking about it, I rubbed his body again and said, "Although this appearance is a little strange, and although I normally don't snakes…..but if the snake is you, then I will like it."
As the smoke emerged once more, the serpent let out a long sigh, and his body had once again started to slowly change. After Bi Qingshen Jun turned back into his human form, he held me into his embrace and said, "It's not that I don't like your cat form, and not that I don't like your cat nature, but it's just that I will never truly be able to become a cat. Only when we're as human beings can we close this distance apart."
I suddenly understood something, and then quickly raised my head to ask, "Is that why you like human beings and human nature? Because we can all become humans and become even more close, so we can close the distance apart, and live together forever?"
He gently nodded his head and said, "If you really want to stay as a cat…..I will not force you."
I was stumped all of a sudden. And thought long and hard before firmly replying with, "If…..you like me in my human form, then I will transform into a human being in front of you, okay? I will also work hard to understand the principles of human nature so that I can stay with you."
Bi Qingshen Jun leaned back and said, "I will slowly wait for you, wait for the day until you understand what love is."
Love? This is a word that I have heard many times, was there really such a deep meaning behind it?
In my train of thoughts, a gentle but genial kiss swept across my lips. It was cold yet soft, and my heart could not could not calm down from this kiss. Slowly becoming secretly happy, was this the so-called love?