Dana trailed behind Yong Jie as they exited the gambling den. She stared up at the dark sky, multitude of thoughts running through her mind. It was early morning when she went to the library and read the mysterious, ancient book, but it was night time when she arrived in this world.
She regretted that she didn't fully read the contents of all the pages. It would have been very helpful to her if she knew all the details of what was going to happen. She inwardly cursed the author of the ancient book for not describing everything in detail. The name of Old Hai wasn't even mentioned in the book! It was only mentioned that Da Xia was bought from the local official and was later sold to a brothel where she met her demise.
Her gaze landed at the back of the man walking in front of her. With her short height, she didn't even reach his shoulders. Looking at his build and the way he carried himself, one could sense he was a man who was not easy to be messed with. Fire conjurer, she pondered.
Based on the pages she read, she was now in the eighth year of what was called the Tiger Dynasty in Chun Empire. And their current location was the Yellow Dirt City in the South River country. In the ancient book, there were three prominent countries among all countries in Chun Empire: North Mountain country, Middle Lake country, and South River country. Scattered around them were the villages and towns of various tribes and sects.
Upon birth, babies of this world were tested if they were capable of 'awakening'. People who were capable of 'awakening' could release their qi and could use it as a form of weapon. It could be used for offense and defense, which was why the 'awakened' ones, both male and female, often joined the military or the local government or earned a living by swearing servitude to high-ranking officials. Those who did not wish to serve others would sometimes just stay within the sect that they belonged to.
The released qi would be in the form of white light. It could be as sharp as a knife, as sturdy as a shield, as high as a wall, and so on. To be able to release qi in various ways, the 'awakened' people should study different yin gestures or hand seals. The strength of 'awakened' ones varied depending on the qi in their core and the amount of training they went through.
Unfortunately, some 'awakened' ones chose to walk the dark path by practicing forbidden arts. It was for a variety of reasons, but the most common was for revenge or their thirst for power. Dark arts practitioners were called witches or sorcerers, and their qi would be in the form of dark light.
Among the 'awakened' people, the fire conjurers were said to be the abnormal and weakest ones since they couldn't release their qi in the form of powerful white light and could instead just conjure fire which could hastily consume their qi. The biggest fire they could conjure was a fireball as big as a fist and only up to a maximum of two fireballs.
Only the common folks would be scared of the fire conjurers, but the 'awakened' ones could easily extinguish those fireballs with minimal release of qi. Furthermore, the summoned fireballs could only exist within a few meters of the conjurer, so they wouldn't be able to throw them in a very far distance. In the 'awakened' circle, fire conjurers were teased to be the 'candles' since their power could only help in lighting up the path.
Lost in her own thoughts, Dana bumped on Yong Jie's back when the latter abruptly halted his steps. She hastily stepped back while nursing her nose, her eyes cast downward.
"Maiden," Yong Jie called out, making her lift her gaze. "This is where we will part." He handed the papers to her and added, "That's your servitude contract as well as the contract I signed with Old Hai handing you to me. You are now a commoner."
Dana received the documents and hastily read them. Any servant would be grateful to be granted their freedom and to live as a commoner, but Dana had a different thought. Panic engulfed her as she realized that she was all alone, trapped in this world. Admittedly, she needed the help of someone to stay alive until she finds out how to get back to the modern parallel world. If she roamed alone, being nabbed by some ruffians and being sold to a brothel was a big possibility. And the brothel was where the original Da Xia was killed.
No, this can't be. I need to stay alive, she thought worriedly. The best way to stay alive was to stay with the male lead or the female lead of the story because the main characters always had a high chance of survival. Since the female lead had yet to meet the male lead in a few more years, and since Yong Jie was the one in front of her at the moment, the guy was the obvious choice.
Furthermore, she knew that the warrior was heading to North Mountain country where the capital and the palace was located. To be able to get back to the modern world, she needed the help of someone powerful from this world, which was the old hermit living in seclusion in the North Mountain country. Dana decided that she would stick with Yong Jie no matter what.
From the pages of the ancient book she read, it was obvious that this era was rather conservative. A man and a woman must maintain their distance unless they were related, a couple, or they had a special relationship such as being master and servant, colleagues, disciples in their pursuit of scholarly arts or martial arts, among others. Yong Jie would certainly refuse to let her accompany him unless they had a special connection. Dana heaved a deep sigh as she came up with a decision. Being the male lead's maidservant was her highest chance of survival, and she was willing to take that chance.
Her anxious gaze met the questioning look on Yong Jie's face. Clearly, the man was confused as to why a maidservant was not ecstatic on gaining her freedom.
"M-Master Jie," Dana started, recalling how the servant in the gambling den formally addressed the man. "Master Jie, I don't have anywhere to go. Please take me with you. I'm willing to be your maidservant."
Yong Jie frowned at the quivering short girl. "Masters choose their maidservants. Maidservants don't choose their masters."
Oh no. Dana bowed her head down nervously, biting her lower lip.
"I told you, you are now a commoner. What servant doesn't dream of being a commoner? With the skills you have, you can be employed in any stores within this city."
"Please let me accompany you in your journey," the girl insisted. "I don't feel safe being in the same city as Old Hai and his wife."
"My journey is perilous. Bringing a maiden with me will be disadvantageous."
Yong Jie fastened the fabric containing all his belongings across his body and slung the bow and arrow holder on his shoulder. Afterward, he raised his right fist held by his left hand on his chest, giving the little maiden a fist and palm salute while bowing slightly. He then spun on his heels and walked away with long strides, leaving the girl behind.
*****
The small, hurried steps behind Yong Jie continued to follow him. He glanced back and saw the short maiden hastily turning around, trying to conceal her face with the darkness of the night. Across her body, a huge fabric of makeshift bag was tied, probably containing all her clothes.
The guy exhaled audibly while shaking his head in resignation. Being raised in a sect of martial artists after his parents left him there when he was a baby, there were not many things that could interest or concern him. There were also not many things that could threaten or worry him. For Yong Jie, achieving the peak of 'awakening' was something interesting. Having a maidservant tag along in his journey was not.
Ignoring the girl, he continued walking until he came across a group of men garbed in guard uniform. They were the guards of the traveling merchants who temporarily employed him to help them traverse the bandit-ridden forest and to safely arrive at Yellow Dirt City. But the merchants appointed him to be the head of the troop despite being the youngest, earning the ire of the other guards. It didn't help that Yong Jie was someone who wouldn't sit still when he was slighted, so he had constantly provoked the former leader of the guards during their journey.
The moment they arrived in Yellow Dirt City, he bade farewell to the traveling merchants. But it seemed that the group of guards still had some score to settle.
"Little Jie," the leader of the guards said teasingly as the group approached him, their mocking smirk plastered on their lips. The leader was obviously using the nickname 'Little Jie' to assert his seniority since he was older than Yong Jie. "You hastily left and didn't even give a proper farewell to us brothers. Are you avoiding us?"
"I don't consider any of you as my brother."
In a near distance, hiding behind a tree, Dana fiddled nervously with her fingers while her eyes were focused on the scene. Just like what was written in the ancient book, the guy could sometimes be hot-tempered. And with his sharp tongue, he was basically asking for trouble.
She continued to watch as the leader of the guards and Yong Jie threw insults at each other, her heart thumping in worry. She knew it would end up in a fight, but there was a tremendous difference between reading what was going to happen and seeing everything unfold with her own eyes.
When one of the guards standing behind Yong Jie pulled out a sword and attacked the guy, Dana screamed in fright. "Look out!"
But it seemed her warning was not needed because the warrior had an amazing awareness and was able to quickly dodge the guard's blade. Dana watched in awe as Yong Jie kicked a stick lying on the ground upward, caught it with his hand, and swiftly used it to deflect the swords of the enemies charging toward him. Whenever someone was about to stab him, he would simply sidestep and easily avoid the blade. There were even instances when he would smack the enemy's nape with the stick while grinning mischievously.
With Yong Jie's movements, his opponents' rhythm was disrupted and they ended up hurting each other instead. It was like an adult making fun of kids. Clearly, the guards were of no match to him as he didn't even have to use his sword to defeat them. In just a couple of minutes, the arrogant guards who tried to cause him trouble were all slumped on the ground – some unconscious while the others were wounded.
With what Dana witnessed, her resolve to stick with Yong Jie strengthened.
*****
He was about to enter the forest when the girl's voice made him stop.
"Master Jie," the little maiden called out urgently.
Yong Jie turned around with an impassive expression on his face.
"Master, please reconsider," the girl, who was named Da Xia as written in the servitude contract, stood in front of him with outstretched arms, holding the documents that he gave her a while ago.
"If you don't want to take me as your maidservant, please just let me come along with you," she pleaded.
"A man and a woman must keep their distance. I cannot bring an unrelated maiden."
"Then please take this contract back so that there would be a relation between us." She tried to hand him the documents, but Yong Jie stepped back.
"Why do you insist on coming with me?" he asked, not hiding his frustration anymore. "If you are afraid to stay here because of Old Hai and his wife, you can travel to the north and settle in a different place."
"I can help you."
"I don't require help."
"B-but, I need to be with you to be—"
Before the maidservant could finish, the guy kicked the ground and used the force to jump toward the tree at the entrance of the forest. He then jumped toward the next tree, the dark night engulfing his form.
"I need to be with you to be safe," the girl whispered morosely.
*****
The fierce-looking woman was wearing a flowy, red dress with a gold fabric waist band coupled with a soft, blood red outer robe with wide sleeves. Her long hair that fell below her waist was black and shiny, and her head was ornamented with a beautiful jewelry. She darted her eyes around curiously, disbelief evident on her face.
Where am I? Is this the other world that my ancestors wrote in their chronicles? she pondered.
Her gaze landed on the unconscious girl lying on the floor.
"Da Xia?" she murmured as she slouched. A deep frown marred her forehead when she realized that the girl, who had a face similar to her apprentice, was a different person. And surprisingly, the body of the girl had no soul.
She stood up and strode toward the table where a couple of things were placed. There was a hard, small rectangular object with the girl's 'mini-portrait', but she couldn't understand what was written in it. She placed it back on the table, unaware that it was Dana's ID.
The woman then looked around and saw the pages of the ancient book displayed on what seemed to be a glass wall. Upon reading the contents, her eyes narrowed in anger. She recognized the story, because she was in it. And she was written as the villain – the evil witch, Meili.
*****
"Master! Master Jie!" the petite girl yelled loudly as she trudged through the bushes in the forest. Unknown to her, the one she was looking for was sitting on top of a tree with his back leaning against the tree trunk.
Yong Jie had his hands clasped behind his head, and his right knee was bent upwards while his left foot dangled as he sat on the giant tree branch. He was observing the girl below who was painstakingly looking for him.
It was already the middle of the night, but the maidservant continued on following him. He thought that she would eventually give up, but it seemed that was not the case. He was beginning to regret helping her escape the clutches of Old Hai.
"Master Jie! Master! Where are you?"
Yong Jie tuned off the girl's voice as he stared at the moon, the sight of which made him think of his homeland – the Land of Flowing Wind. It was located in an unknown mountain at the very bottom of South River country, and it was where the sect of Southern Guardians was hidden – the sect where he belonged.
The Land of Flowing Wind was concealed in a forest overlooking the Twin Stones – a stone wall mountain which was split by a pathway – which was the only entrance between the desertland and the Chun Empire. Yong Jie, along with the other disciples, were raised in the shade of trees and under the scorching heat of the desert. The disciples of the sect were well-trained since young in martial arts and scholarly arts, and most of their teachers were old masters who reached the peak of 'awakening'.
Poems and songs were created about the enigmatic sect. Some were mocking them – calling them the outcasts of the martial arts circle. Some were revering them – calling them the heroes whose names would never be known.
They were the dependable Guardians of the South – warding off barbarians and foreign invaders for centuries. They were the unbeatable wall blocking the pathway of the Twin Stones. But not many people knew that. There were a lot of things that the people didn't know about the elusive sect.
If he had a choice, he would rather stay in Flowing Wind. But the sect had a tradition of sending out their disciples after their coming of age ceremony at the age of twenty to experience the world and to achieve excellence. It was the time for them to further hone their skills as Guardians of the South. Afterward, they could choose to return to the Land of Flowing Wind or to settle somewhere else, but they would still remain tied to the sect.
Yong Jie was already twenty-one years old and had been wandering for a year. His goal was to train himself for another two years before participating in the imperial military exam. Those who passed the imperial military exam were given ranks in the military or the local government that could help them improve their skills. Once he reaches the peak of 'awakening', he would return to his homeland. But somehow, his gut feeling was telling him that not everything would go as planned.
His thoughts were cut off when he heard the girl's sobs. She was crouching on a puddle of water and was looking at her reflection illuminated by the moon.
"How will I survive in this world? This is not even my body," he heard her say. "Da Xia. Why do I look like you? Where are you? What happened to my body?"
Yong Jie rolled his eyes. Clearly, the maiden had lost her mind.
*****
A ripple occurred on the puddle of water when the wind blew. Dana stared at it as she remained crouching down, waiting for the water to become still again. The reflection she saw illuminated by the moonlight was the same with her face when she was nineteen years old, only with rougher skin. Nineteen. She was twenty-one years old in the modern world, but in this world, she was nineteen.
Her eyes fell on the clothes that she was wearing. It was a brown outer robe with white underclothes. A thin strip of brown fabric was tied on her waist for a makeshift belt. The skirt of her robe fell on her ankles, hiding her white underpants. And her tattered shoes were barely giving warmth to her feet.
The tears on her face already dried up. Her body shivered as the cold night embraced her. Recalling the ancient book, she realized that the story already deviated the moment Yong Jie decided to save her. Fear gripped her when she again remembered about her supposed death in a brothel. She wasn't able to read the details on how and why she was killed, but she would do anything to prevent it.
Dana raised her hands and stared at her palms. Dark arts? She couldn't feel anything special in her body. Perhaps the real Da Xia didn't practice the dark arts or perhaps she took her magic with her. Perhaps the real Da Xia was now in her body in the modern world.
Most of the witches were hunted and imprisoned by Flaming Rock sect in this era. She should be careful and hide her true identity so as not to be suspected of practicing the forbidden arts. To do that, she should live her life in this world as Da Xia, not Dana. Da Xia – the witch's maidservant who was imprisoned after the witch escaped the manhunt, bought by Old Hai, and eventually saved by Yong Jie. And she had the proper papers to prove her identity as Da Xia. Dana, however, did not exist in this world.
"I am Da Xia," she murmured, trying to get accustomed to the name. She then stood up and inhaled deeply.
"Master Jie! Master! Please take me with you!"
*****
Angered by the words written in the ancient book, Meili raised her right hand with her palm facing upwards, intending to destroy the glass wall encasing the pages of the book. Her action halted when she felt something odd within her body. Her qi was not as strong as when she was in her world. Only a fraction of her power was left.
Unfamiliar sounds emanated from the outside, startling Meili. She knew she should not stay in that strange room any longer. Staring at the unconscious girl on the floor, she quickly came up with a decision.
Meili raised her hands over her chest, her left hand facing upwards and her right hand facing downwards. She closed her eyes and chanted. Then, she swept her right hand over the girl. A black light engulfed Dana's body before it vanished into thin air.
With another wave of Meili's hand, her face and body changed into Dana's, but the cold glint in her eyes remained. She then gathered the things on the table and left.
*****
With a flick of his finger, Yong Jie lit the firewood and created a campfire. Being the only fire conjurer in the sect of Southern Guardians, the elders often reminded him to be aware of his limits since no fire conjurer in the history of 'awakening' had ever reached the peak of awakening state. Being a fire conjurer was considered a disability, and it would be dangerous for him to continue doing sect missions, especially since the enemies were increasing in number. He was stubborn and reckless since he was young, so he was not deterred by these comments.
Even with his disability, he excelled in almost all his lessons in the sect. At a young age, he already led a small troop in killing the foreign invaders and barbarians who were threatening to claim Chun Empire's lands. He also already built quite a reputation for himself, and his alias was even uttered by the empire's people alongside the aliases of the famous seniors of the Southern Guardians sect. But they were regarded more as legends, and their deeds were thought to be just hearsay.
Yong Jie was well-liked by his peers and by the sect masters. No one ever teased him for being a fire conjurer. It was only when he left the Land of Flowing Wind that he heard that in the 'awakened' circle, people of his type were called 'candles'.
An unamused smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. Being put down was one of the things he hated the most. Even if he had to crawl to be able to achieve the peak state of 'awakening', he would ceaselessly strive until he reaches it. Even if there was no answer recorded in the history on how a fire conjurer could overcome their disability, he would not stop searching until he finds it...just like how the little maiden strived to reach him.
Yong Jie shifted his gaze to the side and waited until the maidservant emerged from the bushes.
"I found you!" she declared merrily and strode toward him. Her hair, tied in a half bun, was disheveled and her clothes was a mess, but the happy smile on her face and the delight in her eyes didn't waver. It was as if the pitiful maiden sobbing a while ago was not her.
"Master," the girl mumbled and stretched her arms, holding the papers that could give away her freedom. Her bright eyes reflecting the dancing fire were like precious gems against the dark night. She was putting up a brave face even though the stains of tears on her cheeks were still there.
Without uttering a word, Yong Jie accepted the contract and placed it in his bag.
Without uttering a word, Da Xia sat on the nearest tree and closed her eyes, a small smile still lingering on her lips.
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