Rui and Jin reached the temple courtyard in awkward silence.
"I think I'll nap for a while," Rui announced, tucking a damp strand of hair behind her ear.
Jin nodded stiffly, avoiding her gaze. "Of course. You should... recover your strength."
"I'll be at evening meditation if you need me," Jin said, bowing formally before walking away with measured steps.
"You two are painful to watch," Kee Kee muttered, climbing onto her shoulder.
"Shut up," Rui grumbled, heading toward her quarters.
Hours later, Rui emerged from her room feeling refreshed but restless.
She wandered through the temple grounds until she spotted Jin sweeping fallen leaves from the meditation pavilion.
"Need help?" she called, approaching casually.
Jin startled, nearly dropping his broom. "Princess. I wasn't expecting to see you until dinner."
"Thought I'd make myself useful." She grabbed a nearby broom.
"That is most... considerate of you." Jin's voice was painfully formal, his posture rigid.
"Most considerate indeed," Kee Kee mimicked from atop a stone lantern.
"Almost as considerate as how you considered each other at the creek."
Jin's face flushed crimson.
"Ignore him," Rui said, sweeping vigorously. "He's just jealous."
They worked in silence for several minutes, Jin keeping a careful distance.
"Jin," Rui finally said, "I need your help with something."
"What service may I provide, Princess?" His tone remained stiffly proper.
Rui sighed. "I think I need more training."
Jin paused his sweeping, finally looking directly at her.
"You want me to train you? In combat?"
"Who better? You're skilled, patient, and know what I'm facing."
Jin hesitated, apparent conflict flickering across his face. "It would be... unusual."
"Everything about me is unusual," Rui replied, not missing a beat. "That's never stopped you before."
She took a step closer, her voice softening. "Please, Jin. I need this."
Her words, or the look in her eyes, seemed to break through his hesitation. The stiff edge in his posture relaxed slightly.
"Fine, we'll start tomorrow morning," he said at last, voice low.
Relief flooded Rui's face. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet," Jin warned, a hint of his usual self returning. "You might not enjoy my teaching methods."
The next morning, Jin led Rui to a hidden clearing behind the temple, marked with worn stones and old training dummies.
"This is the Disciples' Circle," he said. "Usually for advanced students."
"And now graced by a princess," Rui said, eyeing the space with approval.
Jin knelt and placed glowing talismans around the circle.
"Please take this seriously, Princess."
"The boundary I'm creating will deflect your chaos energy."
"Oh, I'm very serious." Rui lunged sideways, extending one leg in an exaggerated split.
"See my serious stretching face?" She contorted her expression into an intense grimace.
"Combat is not a performance," Jin said, rising to his feet as the last talisman activated. The circle glowed with subtle energy.
"A real fight will test your discipline as much as your power."
"Discipline, schmiscipline." Rui rolled her eyes.
"I survived the previous trial by being myself."
Jin crossed his arms. "And nearly died in the process, from what you've told me."
Kee Kee sprawled on a flat rock at the edge of the clearing, a small pile of stolen temple fruits arranged before him.
"This should be entertaining," he mumbled through a mouthful of persimmon. "The monk teaching the demon how to fight."
"I know how to fight!" Rui protested.
"Knowing and mastering are different," Jin said, removing his outer robe to reveal a simple training tunic beneath.
"Fine, Master Jin." Rui bowed with exaggerated deference. "Enlighten this humble demon princess."
Jin stepped into the center of the circle, his movements fluid and precise. He settled into a low stance, hands in front of him with open palms.
"Attack me," he instructed. "Show me what you've got"
"Well, if you insist."
Rui lunged forward, throwing a flamboyant punch aimed at Jin's chest.
He sidestepped with minimal effort, redirecting her momentum with a gentle touch to her wrist.
Rui stumbled past him, spinning around with an indignant huff.
"I wasn't ready," she complained.
"Again," Jin said.
This time, Rui circled him, gathering her chaos energy until pink-gold light shimmered around her fingertips.
She feinted left, then attacked from the right, unleashing a burst of chaotic power.
Jin traced a quick seal in the air. The spiritual barrier absorbed Rui's chaos burst, dissipating it.
"Your technique lacks focus," Jin observed, maintaining his stance.
Rui growled in frustration, launching a rapid series of attacks—a high kick followed by two punches and another chaos burst.
Each move was flashy and powerful but unrefined. Her pink-gold aura flared wildly around her.
Jin countered each attack easily. Deflecting each of Rui's attacks.
Their energies clashed visibly—her erratic pink-gold flames against his structured blue barriers.
The space between them sparked with the collision of opposing forces.
Rui gathered a massive surge of chaos energy, her eyes flashing with determination as she channeled it into her palm.
She thrust forward with everything she had.
With a wave of his palm. Jin's seal expanded, absorbing her attack completely.
He countered by tapping two fingers against Rui's shoulder.
The contact sent Rui flying backward. She landed hard, skidding across the packed earth with a pained gasp.
"Princess!" He rushed to her side with a worried look, kneeling beside her.
"I didn't—" He stopped, genuine surprise crossing his features. "Your cultivation level..."
Rui winced, pushing herself up on her elbows.
"Don't sound so shocked."
"But you're the Demon King's daughter. How can your core be so..." He trailed off, searching for a diplomatic word.
"Pathetic?" Rui replied, rubbing her shoulder.
"No, its my fault." he said softly. "I shouldn't have struck so hard."
"It's fine," Rui muttered, wincing as she rotated her shoulder.
"Allow me." Jin placed his palm gently over her injury. Warm energy flowed from his touch, easing the pain almost instantly.
Rui watched his face as he worked, noting the concentration in his eyes.
"You've been avoiding me since the creek."
Jin's healing energy faltered momentarily. "I... needed to maintain proper boundaries."
"Why? Because I'm a demon?" A note of hurt crept into her voice.
"Because you're..." Jin sighed, his healing energy stabilizing again.
"I'm not what you expected, am I?" Rui asked quietly.
"The fearsome demon princess with the cultivation level of a novice."
Jin's eyes met hers. "Power isn't measured by cultivation level alone."
"Says the monk who just tossed me across the training ground with two fingers", countered Rui.
"Feeling better?" Jin asked, finishing the healing.
"Much better." Rui rolled her shoulder experimentally. "That's a useful trick."
Jin smiled, the first genuine smile she'd seen from him since their creek encounter.
"Just a simple healing spell."
"You humble yourself." Rui stepped back into the circle's center.
"Again", demanded Rui.
"Are you certain?" Jin asked with concern.
"Absolutely." Her eyes flashed with determination.
They resumed their positions.
This time, Rui observed Jin's movements before attacking.
Rather than wild bursts of chaotic energy, she focused her power into controlled streams, mimicking Jin's precision.
Jin nodded approvingly as he deflected her attacks with increasing effort.
"Direct your energy with purpose, not emotion."
Rui crouched low, then spun into a high kick that Jin barely blocked. She followed with a quick jab that nearly connected with his chest.
"You're learning fast, Princess." Jin acknowledged, creating a more complex barrier seal.
Rui grinned as her confidence raised.
She studied his pattern, noting how his energy flowed through his prayer beads before manifesting as barriers.
His movements had rhythm, a predictable sequence she could exploit.
When Jin shifted to create his next seal, Rui struck—not where he was, but where she predicted he would be.
Her palm connected solidly with his chest, sending a controlled burst of chaos energy directly into his core.
Jin's eyes widened in surprise. His prayer beads flashed uncontrollably—then a hairline crack appeared on the largest bead.
A wave of crimson energy erupted from the fracture, pulsing outward with explosive force.
Rui and Jin were thrown backward by the blast.
Rui tumbled across the dirt; she felt something inside Jin that reacted to her chaotic energy.
Jin scrambled to his feet, clutching his beads tightly as he chanted an incantation.
Slowly, the red glow subsided.
"Just a minor backfire," Jin said quickly, helping Rui up while avoiding her eyes.
"I think that's enough for today," he said, his voice strained.
"You've made excellent progress."
"What? We've barely started!" Rui protested, dusting herself off.
"I finally landed a hit."
Jin shook his head firmly, gathering the boundary talismans from the circle's perimeter.
"Training must be progressive. Too much at once can be dangerous."
"But—"
"Princess!" Jin's tone was firm and authoritative, unlike his usual demeanor.
"Please. We'll continue tomorrow."
Rui studied him, noting the subtle tremor in his hands and the tightness around his mouth.
Something had shaken him deeply.
"Fine," she conceded.
Jin nodded curtly, folding the talismans with meticulous care.
"I have other duties to attend to."
"Please excuse me, and try to stay out of trouble."
He bowed stiffly and walked away, his shoulders rigid beneath his robes as he passed into the temple's shadow.
The beast within him had stirred at Rui's touch, responding to her chaos energy with hungry recognition.
Jin quickened his pace, desperate to reach the solitude of the meditation hall before his composure cracked completely.
Back in the training circle, Rui watched as Jin retreated.
"Something's not right," she murmured as Kee Kee scrambled over her shoulder.
"You mean besides your terrible fighting technique?" the little demon quipped, licking persimmon juice from his paws.
"I'm serious," Rui said. "Did you feel that energy when my chaos connected with him? It wasn't just cultivation backfire."
Kee Kee's ears flattened. "Oh ya, I felt it. Old power. Angry power."
"I have a bad feeling about this," Rui whispered.