Yan Qing Shan gaped in amus.e.m.e.nt at her friends whose forms were slumping unto their seats in the dining table. They almost resembled slimes who lost their forms and had morphed into a puddle of goo. It almost made her laugh just as much as it made her pity them. After all, they were experiencing literal h.e.l.l under the four guardians. Yan Qing Shan wouldn"t be surprised if they saw the four as demons straight from the underworld. In her defense, Yan Qing Shan had undergone the same training as they were now and more. If these people were truly resolved to become her companions, they must be able to survive these much. As much as she wanted them not to suffer such grievances, Yan Qing Shan couldn"t spare them such mercy. It will only prove to be detrimental to them and their growth. Anyhow, they will become part of the elite no matter what since they are Aces. This training will only bring them benefits in the future.
"Sister Qing Shan, your guardians, they really don"t possess any shred of pity, do they? I mean we"re about to die here. That 30 laps around the oval already zapped every reserve of my energy. And that was just the beginning. I say, is this really necessary?" Ning Xie Zhi eyed Yan Qing Shan pitifully, his beautiful face mashed up against the dining table.
"Yes, it is." Yan Qing Shan replied curtly as she set down an array of food. The people who seemed to have lost their spirits roused up at the sight.
"Fine. I"ll endure it if it means I get eat this kind of feast everyday." Ning Xie Zhi replied lively as he started to dig in. The others, though they chose to remain silent be it due to exhaustion or not, did the same not letting Ning Xie Zhi monopolize the food.
Yan Qing Shan smiled lightly at their appet.i.tes, though feeling a bit sorry that they will once again suffer after this meal. And that suffering will just be doubled since Aki had given the go signal for the second phase of their training. The first one merely involved in tempering their endurance and stamina, hence the running and what not. The second phase is the true start of it all. h.e.l.l will just become more h.e.l.lish at this point.
She figured that organization of their Ace project would need to be pushed back at this point since Yan Qing Shan was pretty sure they will also be mentally exhausted in the coming days.
"After the meal, Aki-nii said to go straight to the training grounds. Anyone late will do another 30 laps at the track and 1000 push ups." Yan Qing Shan blandly stated. The Aces paused at this their expressions devastated. Each one groaned in futile protest.
Yan Qing Shan shook her head at their expression. She raised a brow especially at the Aces who were more or less part of Hade, Zi Jue"s faction in the underworld. Since they were part of his people, shouldn"t it be a norm for them to endure these kinds of training. Zi Jue was quite a powerful person that even Yan Qing Shan would concede to. It would be laughable if his subordinates aren"t up to par.
"Could it be that they are slacking off in training? Or is it that Zi Jue isn"t paying attention to his men? I"d need to reprimand him about this. He"s being too careless." Yan Qing Shan resolved in her mind.
In truth, it wasn"t that Hades failed to train their men. It was only that Qi Xia, Qin Jiran, and Ning Xie Zhi were more of administrative types hence their training wasn"t as intensive as what they are going through under Yan Qing Shan"s mind. Consequently, it seems that the entire Hades group was about to suffer the same h.e.l.l as the Aces due to this oversight.
"Ami-chan, I"ve brought it our finished products." Akane bounced happily in Yan Qing Shan"s direction dragging a suitcase half her size. The Aces had already finished their meals and promptly proceeded to the training grounds as per Aki"s command. Yan Qing Shan grinned back at Akane and stood from her seat.
"Let"s go then. We"ll be able to test the potency of our creations this time around. I"m excited to see the results since this is our upgraded version." A rare trace of excitement colored Yan Qing Shan"s voice as she walked along with Akane.
It didn"t take them long to arrive at the large field at the back of the villa which served as the Aces" training ground. It was a high-end facility which suited their intentions well. However, within the wide trackfield which was usually just that stood an obstacle course reminiscent of one that soldiers go through. Except this one was a lot more difficult in magnitude.
There was a trace of terror in the faces of the Aces. Yan Qing Shan wasn"t the least bit surprised. She can"t also blame them for their reactions. They were after all young masters and miss on their own right. Truthfully, even she was wary of the course in front of her. Aki"s means were truly frightening.
"Alright, I"ve already explained what you"re all supposed to do. It is fairly simple that your brilliant minds won"t have difficulty comprehending it. The last person who finishes last will be punished. Trust me, you won"t like it." Aki spoke with nonchalance that bordered on cold. Yan Qing Shan caught the shudder that pa.s.sed through the bodies of the Aces.
"Aki-nii, what do you think of their abilities?" Yan Qing Shan approached the stern-faced Aki as he looked over the pandemonium the Aces were creating at the obstacle course.
"Fairly good. To be honest, I was surprised at their potentials. Who would have thought that these seemingly fragile children would last my especially tailored training for them? Jia Yi Lan and Luo Chen especially astonished me. Jia Yi Lan, despite her soft and feminine manners, had an obstinate tenacity to her. This made her keep up, even surpa.s.s the men. And Luo Chen looks timid, it"s as if he"s used to these kinds of exercise. He"s particularly fit and quite strong as well. He doesn"t lose out to Hong Zhen Yue. A mystery, that one. I wonder what happened to him." Aki blabbered on while Yan Qing Shan held a slightly stunned expression. Well, that last bit was unexpected. It seems she needs to get to know these people a lot more. Although, Yan Qing Shan would rather that they open up to her on their own. She wasn"t one to force the people she deems important to her.
"I"ve always known Luo Luo was fit and strong. Those muscles and abs are definitely not just for show." Akane murmured lowly though Yan Qing Shan was still able to perceive it. Her head snapped up at the woman, her brows rose questioningly.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that for? If you"re curious as to how I know, I asked Luo Luo permission to feel "em up alright?" Akane responded defensively to Yan Qing Shan"s burning stare.
"Wow, Akane Onee-sama I didn"t know you had that kind of hobby." Yan Qing Shan smiled wryly at the fl.u.s.tered face of Akane. Curious as she was to the nature of their interaction, Yan Qing Shan surmised that it was still harmless and innocent. Unruly as Akane was, she still had a semblance of naivety on her, especially when it comes to the opposite s.e.x.
"Yo! Is it finished? I"m looking forward to punishment time." The teasing voice of Mamoru echoed in the ears of the three observers, behind him was a smiling Yui.
"Admit it, Mamoru-nii. You"re just here to relish the schadenfreude. If you don"t behave, I might let you have a taste of their punishment first." Yan Qing Shan smirked at the newcomer. Mamoru held his palms up as sign of defeat.
"Just kidding, Ami-chan. Chill." Yan Qing Shan giggled at his immediate retreat. Not that he blamed him, the trauma that this particular punishment that she and Akane had devised imbued enough terror to him and the other guardians as well as their subordinates. Terror that even followed their dreams.
As she pondered this, an idea popped up in Yan Qing Shan"s mind. Zi Jue wasn"t aware of this particular hobby of hers. She might as well let him try and see his reaction. Yan Qing Shan squirmed delightfully at the prospect of pranking Zi Jue.
The Aces took up around two hours in order to finish the obstacle course. Unsurprisingly, Hong Zhen Yue, the fighting maniac, came at first. He was followed by Luo Chen, Qi Xia, Jia Yi Lan, Ning Xie Zhi, Jia Wei Ren, Qin Jiran, with Xu Lei who had a scowl on his face coming at the last.
Aki had them line up according to their places. Akane had an offhand smile in her face as she opened the case she was dragging around on their way. In it were five rows of seven vials of liquid in different colors.
"Each of you take a vial according to your succession." The Aces obediently took one, their faces br.i.m.m.i.n.g with curiosity at the liquid.