Ren's POV

It was a stupid old tradition that all great warriors and royals were burned. To everyone else, I should feel honored that I was chosen to burn the body of the one girl, who could had murdered so many people and still be as pure as Yoh Asakura could be. Just yesterday Soujirou, Sui's spirit which was ordered to return to Heaven came back. He had not passed through the gates yet. The spirit had chosen to return to this world of which his mistress/friend's body lays, about to be burned to ashes and thrown into the scattered winds. She was quite like a mix of Anna and Yoh. And maybe like Hao. Had it been a year ago I would have killed her if Yoh hadn't been making sure I wasn't killing.

"Master, they're waiting," Bason interrupted my thoughts. I stared hard at the pale lifeless figure. She was dead and couldn't be brought back to life. I gave a stiff nod and lit the oil covered wood. It burned brightly meant for the Great Spirit and all Shamans to see that the 'Great Sui Ming' was dead. I continued to stare into the lifeless blue eyes. I had thought they were closed but then flames burned close to her face. As if protecting her from all harm except their own deadly embers. I saw the jade necklace glisten. I wanted to reach out and pull it out of the fire. I had found and bought the matching necklace. It was the exact same down to the last petal. Both were perfectly kept safe but now one would be burned to ashes while the other nested comfortably in his undershirt. I heard a loud screech as did everyone else. We turned our heads towards the sky where a single white feather fell. It started to melt because of the heat then it landed softly on Sui's hand. A strong wind had blown the smoke towards the east. Since we were engaged, Jun had the idea of making Sui's tombstone have the words, "Shuei Tao". So she would die as my wife. I didn't understand why or what gave her that idea.

At the ceremony, something that intrigued me the most was that no soul escaped from Sui's body. Nothing left her body, her now empty body. Hao had asked Anna to summon Sui's spirit but the itako said she could not find the pure soul. There was no sign that a soul like hers had ever existed. Now the question that exists in my mind is,

'Who is Shuei Ming?'

"Ah, it's a pleasure to meet you," The old man croaked. His voice sounded like he hadn't drank anything for months. He was pale and his eyes were bloodshot.

"I have a question I need you to answer," I replied as gently as I could.

"What is it?" His raspy voice questioned.

"Who is Shuei Ming?" I asked clearly.

"Shuei?" He echoed. I nodded. He began the tale of where he first met Sui.

Flashback (in the teacher's POV)

I examined each child carefully eying the stronger ones from the weaker. The only child who seemed powerful enough and strong enough was a young and prideful boy. Four down from this boy was an underweight black haired girl. A strange smile on her lips, she didn't seem to notice that I wasn't interested to bring her in as a student. I tested her reflexes and aimed a round house kick to her neck. The underweight child brought her left arm and caught the kick then dropped my foot. I tried the arrogant boy next. He blocked fairly well, a little weaker then the black haired girl, stumbling a bit.

"Good, you two, move forward," I ordered. The arrogant boy just sneered at the other children then stepped up. The underweight girl bowed respectfully then walked forward. The girl was 5 or 4. The boy was already 9 or 8. I narrowed my eyes at the disrespectful child. "You boy, go back. Those without respect do not belong here."

"What!?" He shouted. "Why?!"

"You have the pride needed but you do not have the respect as this child does," I answered calmly pointing at the smiling child.

"Look at her!" He screamed. "She's not clothed in silk. She's a servant. She has no money. And look at her size!"

"She will make a fine student," I answered.

End of Flashback

Ren's POV

I seem to ignore everything else he was saying. It had nothing to do with who was Sui just how Sui was introduced to martial arts. But it had said what her passion, something that released her mind was. Something violent she would never really do. Martial arts.

End of this Chapter

Kage Blade: I need some help from any reviews... ANY at all! But here are some choices of where Ren goes next:

To En at some fancy restaurant

To Hao in an old shrine

To Sui's foster mother in a festival