THE VILLAIN's APPRENTICE ✔

10 🗡 Sword Dance

Ace directed his worried eyes at Meili as he added, "He's right. Dana needs medical attention. She needs a physician."

The witch seemed unperturbed as she stood up and faced the two. "A physician would be of little help since her condition is the lack of spiritual core. That is the reason why I infuse my qi to her body every day – to support her life force. I also constantly clean her body. Didn't you notice that she was fine when she woke up before?"

The two guys heaved a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that the witch could use her sorcery since taking Dana in the hospital would just invite questions, which they couldn't answer.

"Be quick and change your clothes," Oreo instructed.

The three headed to the amusement park as soon as Meili changed her clothes and hid Dana in the 'boundless realm'.

At the entrance of the amusement park right after the ticketing booth was a store selling headbands, balloons and various things to better enjoy the people's visit. Oreo and Ace bought headbands with bear ears and wore them. The witch refused to wear one seeing how ridiculous it looked. How could those be bear ears? Anyone with eyes would know a bear's ears didn't look like that.

"Just wear it," Oreo insisted and forcefully placed the headband on her. "They're not real bear's ears, all right? We're here to have fun, so no matter what we tell you, you have to do it."

"But—"

"No buts! Let's go!"

Hesitantly, Meili followed the two while looking around. Most of the people she saw were with their families, and some were with their group of friends.

Friends? she thought as her eyes focused at the back of the two lads. Ever since the Poison Blood tribe was wiped out and the surviving tribespeople dispersed and hid, she walked the path of life on her own. Learning the forbidden arts became her priority, and she couldn't remember the last time she went out to have fun.

Her train of thoughts halted the moment they entered the amusement park. Her mouth slightly parted and her eyes widened in awe as she darted her gaze around. The scene before her was like an entirely different world. There were tall structures with fast moving carriages, people were screaming with glee, and a loud sound of what seemed like metal grinding against metal could be heard all over the place. The thrilling energy in the atmosphere was very uplifting, and the varying hues and blinking lights enhanced the enchanting sight. Her heart pounded rapidly as she immersed herself in the liveliness of the surroundings.

"This is...incredible," she murmured breathlessly.

The two young guys smiled at her and they draped their arms over her shoulder, making her stiffen. "A man and a woman must keep their distance," she told them.

"Oh, loosen up will you?" Oreo countered. "Here in our world, this is nothing between friends."

"Friends?"

"Let's go to the roller coaster first." Ace dragged them before she could protest.

*****

Da Xia's amazing display of her math skills became the talk of the entire village. It astounded her that wherever she went, people recognized her as the 'computing genius' in the abacus competition. The scratch papers she used during the contest were even treated as treasures and were hanged in the receiving hall of the academy where the panel of scholars taught, on the wall of the store of the old merchant and on the wall of the restaurant of the middle-aged lady who were both participants in the competition.

As a modern woman shaped by technology and was a recipient of education far advanced than the Chun Empire's, simple arithmetic was basic knowledge for her. It was the reason why the high praises she was receiving made her cringe. She sincerely wished they would stop because it was already making her feel guilty. Was entering the competition equipped with modern knowledge considered cheating? She hoped not.