Working as a student assistant in the library might seem boring, but it was certainly not. Different kinds of people also set foot in the library – strange people like the woman in red scarf sitting royally at the corner table.
At first glance, she looked like a typical young urban woman who was probably a company employee. But Ace had witnessed her odd behavior and had heard her strange way of speaking that he knew the word 'typical' was not applicable to the girl named Meili.
After eating dinner, Ace's part-time shift in the library started, which would last until closing time at midnight. It was a city library frequented by university students especially at night. Surprisingly, Meili also insisted on staying. He was beginning to wonder if the girl had a place to go to.
The night passed by without any incident, and people started leaving one by one. Minutes before the closing time, a tall guy with thick eyebrows and with chiseled facial features stepped into the library. Ace didn't have to raise his head from the counter to know that his unreliable friend just walked in because he could smell his desperation from miles away. His friend probably needed a favor from him again.
The tall guy wearing the same uniform as Ace rested his folded arms on top of the counter and stared at him with a pitiful expression. It was his friend, classmate and dormmate, named Oreo, who undoubtedly got himself into trouble again. It could range from trouble with girls who wanted to date him, trouble with boys who were hunting his ass for flirting with their girlfriends, or trouble with teachers and parents due to his unruly behavior.
Oreo and Ace were polar opposites. Ace was the smart and calm one, Oreo was the self-proclaimed genius and the pioneer of bad decisions.
"No," Ace stated before Oreo could even ask a favor from him. They were on the same morning class that day and Ace recalled how his friend haughtily declared that his topic for the Comprehensive Writing project would be about the controversial ancient book that was currently in the city library. That meant, his friend planned to use his position as a part-time worker in the library for his sinister goal.
"Oh, come on, brother!" Oreo groaned. "Please just let me read the mysterious ancient book at the restricted section. Just lend me the keycard of the room, and we'll pretend that nothing happened. I promise this will be the last time I ask you a favor."
"No. Only authorized people are allowed to enter that room."
"I'm authorized by the power vested in me by the almighty honor student." Oreo opened both his palms to point at him. He seriously wanted to drown his friend in the ocean sometimes.
"I will never authorize you for anything," Ace replied dismissively. "You're useless to me."
"You're hurting my feelings, do you know that?" his friend declared in a dramatic tone. "But I will forgive you. In fact, I have forgiven you the moment you sinned, because friends forgive and help each other. Now, give me the keycard to the oh-so-sacred room and help a friend out."
"No."
"Give me the keycard to the sacred room and I promise to tell you the secrets of the sacred art of sex."
"Piss off."
"Come on, bro! Give me the keycard! Ace! ACEEE!"
Ace shut his eyes firmly and massaged his temples. Migraine. It was fortunate that not many people were in the library tonight to witness the murder that he was about to commit. Years of being with Oreo was honestly sucking his soul.
His eyes instantly fluttered open when he heard his friend gasp in pain.
"Ouch! Ouch! Older Sister, what did I do?" Oreo's head was tilted on the side as Meili yanked his ear.
"We bear no grudges against each other, but you are clearly making things difficult for this lad," the petite girl remarked with disinterest before shifting her gaze to Ace. "As my gratitude for your help earlier, just ask me if you want me to take his life and it shall be done."
Oreo gestured with his hands, asking Ace if the woman was crazy. The latter just shook his head subtly and said, "He's my friend."
"Your friend?" Meili let go of the tall guy's ear and frowned at the two.
"Yes, unfortunately." Ace sighed and introduced the two.
The two young guys had to suppress their laugh when Meili shook Oreo's hand like a robot. They could almost hear her mind counting each of her movement.
"She's not from this country," Ace explained to his friend afterward. "It seems she's also still not used to speaking our language."
"Oh. Which country are you from?" Oreo inquired.
"From a faraway land," the girl deadpanned. "I shall not disturb you any further." She spun around and made her way back to her seat, her movements displaying grace and pride that was uncommon in the eyes of the two guys from the modern era.
"Dude. Who the hell taught her to talk like an ancient person?" Oreo whispered. "I feel like time slows down whenever she talks."
Ace glared at his friend and responded, "Don't be rude. At least she's speaking our language."
"Have you seen her eyes? I really thought I was done for! That scared the hell out of me, bro. I need a hug." Oreo opened his arms wide and wiggled his fingers for added effect, further annoying his friend.
Ace looked at him sharply and threatened to hit him with a book. It was a wonder how this guy still breathes with how irritating he was.
Gathering the scattered books on the counter, Ace was about to prepare closing the library when his mischievous friend quickly grabbed the restricted section keycard hanging on his neck.
"Oreo! Give it back!" Ace hissed and chased after the guy. The restricted section contained some old books which were still being restored as well as a glass wall encasing the pages of the ancient book. If he wasn't on a night shift and the library head was still there, he would surely get in trouble.
When Ace reached the restricted room, it was already locked. And from the glass on the door, he could see that Oreo was already reading the pages on the panel. He knocked furiously to get his attention.
Oreo was smirking triumphantly as he opened the door and grabbed his wrist, dragging him inside.
"We're not allowed here!" Ace snapped, hitting the guy's shoulder.
"We're already inside, mom. Come on, help me to read the pages. I can't understand some of the ancient characters."
They were still in the middle of bickering when they saw Meili standing outside.
"Let her in," Oreo coaxed his friend. "Maybe she could read this since she's cosplaying the part of an ancient woman quite well."
Ace rolled his eyes at the guy before opening the door. Admittedly, he was also curious at the contents of the ancient book, but the translation was in the hands of the library head.
The girl stepped inside and placed her bag on the table before joining them.
"Meili, can you read these old characters?" Oreo asked as the three of them stood in front of the glass panel encasing the pages.
"Is there no one who can read this?" Meili asked cautiously.
"The book translation is in the library head's office, but we can't enter it. We're just curious about the contents of this novel," Ace reasoned.
"Novel?" An eerie smile crossed the girl's lips. " A novel is a creation based on imagination. Hence, this is not a novel."
The two guys looked at each other in bewilderment as the girl continued, "This story is based on facts. It was definitely written by someone who possess unimaginable power."
While Meili was preoccupied with staring at the ancient pages, Oreo silently took a step back and made circular motions with his fingers while holding Ace's gaze, mouthing the word 'crazy'.
Ace elbowed his friend to make him stop, but the force made Oreo take a couple of steps back. He accidentally toppled Meili's bag which was on the table. The contents of the bag scattered on the floor, startling the three.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to—" Oreo frowned when he saw the ID card on the floor. Ace, on the other hand, saw the copy of the book translation as well as the girl's authorization card for the restricted section.
"Dana?" the two guys spoke simultaneously and looked at each other, with Oreo holding the ID card, and with Ace holding the authorization card as well as the book translation copy.
Looking at the book translation, Ace saw a familiar name: the practitioner of dark arts and villain, Meili.
Oreo cleared his throat and asked, "Your shift is about to end, right Ace?"
"Uh, yes," Ace replied while hastily stuffing the things inside the girl's bag. He then stood up and faced her. "I have to close the library and we all have to leave now."
A slight hesitation passed through the girl's eyes before nodding. It seemed like she had no choice but to roam around the place until morning.
*****
After closing the library, the two young guys bade farewell to Meili and quickly strode toward the alleyway – their usual path toward their dorm. The two were dormmates in the city, and their families were in the northern province. They had been friends ever since they could remember since their families were quite close.
Oreo draped an arm on his friend's shoulder and sighed. "Her name is Dana but she introduced herself as Meili. She's speaking like an ancient woman, but according to her employee ID, she's working in News86 which is our country's most popular newspaper," Oreo noted. "Dude, that girl is weird. And you said she's been hanging around the library since this afternoon?"
Ace pondered for a while and recalled seeing the girl yelling by the door when he picked up some stuff from the library before his morning class.
"She was in the library since this morning," Ace responded. "She even yelled in front of the door saying she was the witch from Yellow Dirt City."
"Cuh-razy, I'm telling you."
"You know what's weird?" Ace continued, "The witch from Yellow Dirt City named Meili is a character from that ancient book."
The two halted their steps and looked at each other in puzzlement, deep creases marring their forehead.
"Shit, did she really lose her mind?" Oreo exclaimed. "What the hell did you do to her?"
"I didn't do anything, dumbass!"
"I knew it. That library is making people sick," the tall guy declared. "Don't worry, bro. If you speak in ancient tongue, I'm gonna slap your face so hard you will magically gain your sanity back."
"Asshole," Ace chuckled and punched his friend's shoulder. The two continued being rowdy as they walked down the alleyway.
Suddenly, a group of guys emerged from the corner of the alleyway wearing the same uniform as theirs, causing the two to abruptly stop. The leader of the group, named Hipo, approached them while puffing a cigarette, his other hand shoved inside his pocket.
"Ace, Ace," he started, blowing a cloud of smoke on the guy's face. "I heard it was you who ratted on us to the guidance office for getting money from Beam. You think we're extorting money from your nerd squad, huh? That little shrimp owe us money. Just because you're an honor student, don't think we're not going to mess with you."
The free-spirited Oreo instantly turned serious as he stepped forward, shielding his friend from the thug. "Beam doesn't owe you anything," he countered. "You asked him money as fee for entering the clubroom."
"That clubroom is ours."
"That clubroom belongs to the Physics Club. You and your minions are just hanging out there because you know the nerds won't say anything."
"You're starting to get on my nerves, Oreo." Hipo pushed Oreo by the chest, causing the guy to step back.
Ace grabbed his friend's shoulders and glared at the thug. "You asshole!" he yelled.
The group stepped forward, ready to beat up the two with their leader's signal. A cold wind whooshed through the alleyway, the howling sound concealing the footsteps of the approaching petite girl. She was walking slowly with her hands tucked inside her long coat, her eyes devoid of emotion, as though nothing in this world could shake her.
The two opposing parties were baffled when the girl suddenly stood in the middle after discarding her bag and faced the leader of the thugs. In a nonchalant tone, she said, "Ace, my offer still stands. Ask me to kill him, and it shall be done."
"Who's this bitch?"
"Meili, get away from him!" Ace exclaimed urgently. He and Oreo were about to grab Meili's arms, but two scumbags quickly blocked their path.
"Who are you going to kill now, bitch?" Hipo taunted and pushed Meili's forehead with his finger, causing her head to tilt back. Without a change in expression, the girl looked directly at the guy.
"You think you're something, huh?" the thug sneered. "No one can save yo—aahh!"
Everyone jerked back in shock when the short girl swiftly raised her hand and snapped the guy's wrist. She then spun around, her hands moving in strange circular gestures. Before the two thugs blocking Ace and Oreo could react, the girl pushed her palms on their backs, causing them to puke out blood and pass out.
"Get her!" the leader of the group shouted while nursing his wrist.
Ace and Oreo were rooted on their spots as they watched the short girl fight, unable to believe their eyes. The scumbags couldn't even touch a strand of her hair as Meili dodged each of their attacks, as if all of her opponents' movements were in slow motion.
A guy tried to hit Meili with a piece of wood, but the girl just slightly moved her body sideways, avoiding it. She then hit the scumbag's nape, causing the guy to faint, before moving to her next opponent. Even though the thugs were attacking simultaneously, it seemed like it was not even a challenge to the girl. Meili was moving in a calm manner, dodging and attacking rapidly as the number of unconscious bodies on the ground kept increasing.
In just a few minutes, only the leader of the group was left standing. Hipo took a step back while holding his broken wrist, panic written on his face. The eyes of the short girl before him was merciless, making him feel like he was just a speck of dust that she could easily wipe away.
"Ask me to kill him, and it shall be done," Meili repeated impatiently.
Ace swallowed hard before speaking, "N-no. Don't kill him."
"As you wish," she said. In a blink of an eye, Meili was already in front of Hipo, her finger pointing at his forehead. "Consider yourself lucky," she muttered before pushing her finger at the guy's forehead and chest. The thug instantly slid unconscious on the ground.
She then turned around and faced the two flabbergasted boys. "My debt to you is now paid."
There was no way anyone in modern era could do what the girl did. The hand gestures, her movements, her martial arts skill were something that could only be seen in movies and dramas. An odd thought struck the two guys' minds.
"M-Meili," Ace stuttered. "Meili, the witch from Yellow Dirt City?"
A chilling silence enveloped the alleyway. Another gust of wind blew, and the light in the lamp post flickered momentarily. Then, the girl slowly spoke, "I failed to hide my identity."
The two boys stepped back as Meili began striding toward them. Their eyes widened in shock when the short girl gradually changed in appearance on every step – her height increasing, her long hair swaying gracefully, and her red dress as dark as blood flowing with the wind.
*****
A small waterfall was hidden in the midst of the forest, the loud noise of the water slapping on the rocks disturbing the solemn place. The yellow and red leaves crowning the surrounding trees as well as the beautiful rocks carved by nature gave the place an enchanting charm. But despite the beauty before her, there was still an absence of smile in Da Xia's lips.
After filling their tattered water containers, the girl insisted that she wanted to bathe despite the cold weather. If it was any other day, Yong Jie would've flicked his maidservant's forehead and nagged at her. But not that day. Because that day was the first time that the petite girl soiled her hands with blood and killed a person.
After their encounter with Cheng Bai earlier, the two walked in silence until they arrived at the waterfalls. The girl seemed to be moving mechanically, but her mind was elsewhere.
It was a long time ago when Yong Jie first killed a man back in the Land of Flowing Wind, and he harbored no feelings about it. It was something he had to do. Still, he understood what Da Xia was going through.
As sons and daughters of the Chun Empire under the reign of Tiger Dynasty, people would have bloodstains on their hands at a point in their life. Not because they desired to kill, but because they had to survive. Living in this dynasty entailed sacrifices, and that was what Da Xia had to realize.
Yong Jie eyed the water with a stoic expression. If he could warm up the water with his qi, he would have done so. But the area was large, not to mention water and fire were clashing elements. Even if he used up all of his qi, he wouldn't be able to do it.
"Master, I promise I'll be quick. I just need to get the blood—t-the dirt out of my body," Da Xia assured him. The girl was acting like nothing happened, like nothing was wrong, but her eyes couldn't conceal the weight that she was trying to bear.
"I'll be sitting on that rock to recuperate my qi," Yong Jie said as he pointed at a protruding rock nearby. In a firm voice, he added, "Be quick in bathing since the water is cold. Dry your body thoroughly. Otherwise, you might get sick."
Not waiting for her reply, the guy grabbed a handful of pebbles and strode toward the rock. With his back facing the girl, Yong Jie began throwing pebbles in regular interval while Da Xia discarded her clothes and dipped in the water.
The freezing water pierced her skin like tiny needles, but she didn't mind the pain. She scrubbed her body thoroughly, hoping that doing so would erase the horrific memories of the bandit with an eye patch and the men struck by arrows.
Oh God, I killed a man. I killed a man, that thought kept echoing in her mind. And the guilt began to bubble up inside her, threatening to consume he sanity. Her chest felt so tight, making it hard to breathe.
Da Xia glanced back, and after confirming that her master was still preoccupied with throwing pebbles, she covered her mouth and let her tears fall quietly. In this world, it was the second time that she cried. The first time for being dragged into this unknown world, and the second time for staining her hands with blood.
She clamped her hands tightly over her mouth to prevent the sound of her sobs from escaping. When her breathing finally calmed down and her tears ceased to fall, she inhaled deeply and submerged her head in the water. She was done crying.
Even back in the modern world, she would force herself out of a miserable state and put on a brave face because she didn't want to be a burden to other people. She had no one to lean on other than herself, especially after her parents passed away.
When Da Xia raised herself up from the water, two fireballs were hovering on the air above her, providing warmth and light as the sun began to hide in the horizon. The hovering fireballs was an enthralling sight – dancing on the air as though comforting her. Then, the fireballs began to separate into little flickers of fire – appearing like multiple fireflies playing above her.
In a near distance, sitting on a rock with his arm resting on his bent knee, she could see the back of the warrior seemingly uncaring of his surroundings. But Da Xia knew it was far from the truth. Her lips trembled and the corners of her eyes began to moist again as a peaceful feeling surprisingly settled inside her while looking at the mini-fireballs conjured by her master. She exhaled audibly, and a smile finally formed on her lips.
"Master, you're wasting your qi," she remarked in a loud voice.
"Hmph!" she heard the guy harrumphed as he continuously threw pebbles elsewhere, making her chuckle.
What she failed to hear, however, was the warrior's whispered words, "Who told you to cry, you silly girl."
*****
Meili's face was momentarily shrouded in darkness when the light on the lamp post switched off. When it flickered on again, the two young guys were able to have a good look at the true form of the witch from Yellow Dirt City.
As there were no 'awakened' ones and practitioners of dark arts in the modern parallel world, what the two witnessed was beyond their comprehension. Their school uniforms hung uncomfortably on their bodies as they began to sweat despite the cold night.
The witch crossed her hands in front of her chest and slightly bowed her head as she formally introduced herself. "Greetings, young gentlemen of this world. I am Meili, the witch from Yellow Dirt City."
Ace swallowed hard and forced the words out of his mouth. "H-how were you able to come here in our world?"
"That is also something I wish to know," Meili replied.
"But you're a character in the novel," Oreo interjected in a breathless voice. "Isn't that ancient book a fictional story?"
"No. Our world is real, just like your world. My ancestors wrote a similar experience of visiting a realm vastly different from ours – a world that lacks qi cultivation, but is abundant in wisdom," the witch explained. "It was a long time ago when I read my ancestors' chronicles. It was a knowledge that was passed down to us, which we unfortunately ignored."
Ace pondered for a moment before inquiring, "Is the ancient book in the library written by your ancestor?"
"No, it isn't. Whoever wrote that book is a powerful being. A lot of pages are missing, but the events that I read are something that have yet to happen."
"Do you know how to go back to your world?"
A hint of helplessness passed the witch's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a determined gaze.
"I don't. But I will find a way," she declared. "I came from South River country, and you spoke of South River being the name of your academy. There must have been a reason for such similarity. I also intend to find out about the origin of that ancient book."
She then looked at the two before continuing, "But first, I must survive in this world without attracting suspicion. For that, I would require your help."
Oreo massaged his temples and exhaled exasperatedly. The absurdity of the entire situation was hurting his brain. His last surviving brain cell was already gasping for its last breath. Witch from another world? What the hell!
"I knew she was trouble when she used the word 'shall'," Oreo told Ace in a hushed tone. "The next time you're gonna pick up a chick, call me first. I'm going to make the decisions on your behalf from now on."
Ace ignored his panic-stricken friend and addressed Meili. "You have a different appearance a while ago, and that girl has the documents of our world. Who is that girl?"
"When I came into this world, she was lying unconscious next to me and was devoid of soul. I only copied her appearance to be able to move around freely."
"You mean she's dead?" Oreo exclaimed in disbelief.
Oh. Oh! The stress! Oreo widened his eyes at Ace. A dead body! He couldn't even wrap his head around the idea that a witch was in front of them. Now, they even had to deal with a dead body? His remaining brain cell was officially having a heart attack.
"That girl is devoid of soul but is not dead," Meili said. "If my suspicion is correct, her soul might have been pulled in my world. As for her real body, I decided to hide it in the 'boundless realm' for the time being."
Years of friendship with Ace taught Oreo that his friend had a soft spot for those in need. He already knew how this whole mess was going to end. A witch with a dead body in tow? That right there was a recipe for disaster. The only ending that he could envision was not a happy one, but one that involved the police.
As Ace and Meili were conversing while Oreo was sulking, one of the thugs began to stir awake. Oreo's plan was to make a run for it and bust their asses out of there. But his moronic friend, Ace, on the other hand...
"Quick, Meili, change your appearance again," Ace instructed hurriedly. "Oreo, grab her bag!"
"But—"
"Hurry!"
Oreo groaned in frustration and stomped his feet like a kid. Nothing good would come out from helping a witch. They should've saved their asses first. That bastard, Ace. This whole thing would surely explode in their faces someday.
*****
Inside Dana's wallet was her condo keycard as well as an identification with her address in it. Since the two boys lived in a male dormitory, they decided to continue the discussion with Meili in the condo of the owner of the soulless body.
The three were sitting in the dining room, with Oreo banging his head on the table. He was so close to shedding manly tears, to be honest. Helping a witch – the villain of the mysterious book – was insanity.
If it was him whom Meili first encountered and not Ace, the moment the girl spoke in ancient tongue would be the exact moment that he would disappear from her eyes. He would give her zero chance to be associated with him.
He sighed and lifted his head to look at the two who were discussing Meili's situation. The witch recounted everything that happened before she was pulled in the modern world. They also found out that the history and geography of the woman's world were entirely different. However, their customs and traditions were almost similar to the ancient era.
Afterward, Ace began yapping about the existence of parallel worlds which he heard from the library head. Oreo could almost see rainbows shooting up his friend's ass as he enthusiastically explained what multiverse was.
Whenever Ace was 'in the zone', somebody needed to intervene. That somebody was always him.
"Bro, stop the nerd talk!" Oreo hissed at Ace. He then rubbed his face with his palms before directing his gaze at Meili.
"You said the dark arts practitioners in your world are called witches and sorcerers, and they are hunted and executed by a certain sect. What exactly is the forbidden arts and why did you practice it?"
The woman sitting in front of them with her back straight and with her hands neatly folded on her lap responded without a hint of regret, "I practiced the forbidden arts to protect my people."
Deep creases marred the two young guys' forehead as they continued listening to the woman.
"I am originally from the Poison Blood tribe, and our people were shepherds and hunters in the West Plains. With our humble way of living, no one expected that the world would regard us as their enemies because of a misguided information instigated by the Flaming Rock sect."
"Flaming Rock sect?" Ace repeated curiously.
"There are three prominent sects in Chun Empire where I was from. The Southern Guardians sect is the elusive sect of the South River country. People say they are the first and last defense of Twin Stones, which is a stone wall mountain with a pathway connecting the desertland and Chun Empire. The imperial family never stationed any military troops in the south, and people speculated it was because of the Southern Guardians sect. There is little to no information about them. The core of their teachings and the way they recruited their disciples remained a mystery. Disciples of that sect are said to be dangerous, reckless, and are not bound by any rules. Even though there are barely any details about them, there are prominent Southern Guardians that are known to the people because of what they did. Still, those information are thought to be a legend rather than facts."
"The Snow Cloud sect of Middle Lake country, on the other hand, is a sect of virtue and honor. It is a quiet and rule-abiding sect which is admired by the young 'awakened' ones and for that, they have the most followers. The core of their teachings is compassion, purity of the heart, and heroism."
"Flaming Rock sect of the North Mountain country is located in the capital where the palace is. The sect is said to be the shadow controlling the politics in the capital. Their teachings involve rooting out all evil and sacrificing oneself for the greater good. In essence, they are similar to Snow Cloud but only more extreme in their stance and implementation."
Oreo inquired with a furrowed brow, "Rooting out all evil, which includes rooting out all dark arts practitioners?"
Meili nodded before continuing, "There was a time when the Poison Blood tribe's ancestors studied the forbidden arts to protect our land. Living in the West Plains, our ancestors suffered tremendously from the continuous attacks of the West Plains barbarians. But there was little help sent by the government. Hence, they created curses and talismans utilizing the dark arts."
"Dark arts, if not used properly, can harm the life force of other people while the practitioner remained unharmed. Thus, the misconception that forbidden arts practitioners sacrifice lives to the devil was widely spread. That part of our tribe's history was a long time ago, and the current Poison Blood tribe was living peacefully as shepherds and hunters for years. Oddly, however, during my coming of age at fifteen, Flaming Rock sect began spreading a baseless information that the entire tribe was worshipping the demon for greater power and that everyone of us was a dark arts practitioner."
A mixture of anger, pain, and sorrow were reflected in the witch's eyes, her voice trembling in fury as she spoke. "The entire tribe was executed by the sect with the help of the citizens, and those that survived dispersed and were living like rodents. The heads of those they killed were displayed in the gates. Men, women, kids, infants... They spared no one. Just because of a misguided information from a sect, we were hunted like wild animals. Hence, I practiced the forbidden arts – to protect myself...to protect my people." Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she looked at the two guys. "And to avenge the death of my kin."
"Those bastards!" Oreo slammed his fist on the table, startling Ace and Meili. "Quick, Meili! Take me with you! I'll wreak havoc to that Flaming Rock sect. Creating chaos is what I'm good at!"
"Oreo—"
"Don't stop me, Ace! Flaming Rock my ass! I will show them what a modern man is capable of!"
Ace shook his head in resignation as his friend went on and on. What 'modern man is capable of'? The modern man, Oreo, would undoubtedly be lying unconscious in his own puddle of pee the moment he encountered those sect people from Meili's world. Wasn't he listening when the witch explained about qi, the 'awakened' ones, and those martial arts shizz?
The only way Oreo could survive in that world was if he acquired some super awesome powers. Actually, scratch that. The guy wouldn't last in that world, period. Oreo couldn't even sit still if his phone had no Wi-Fi. How would he even function if his phone, which was his sole source of knowledge, ran out of battery? To be honest, he couldn't probably remember the last time he ran out of battery. If his phone turned off, Oreo would probably lose his mind.
"Young lad," Meili's cold voice grabbed the guy's attention. "Though I appreciate the thought, you wouldn't survive in my world if you encounter the Flaming Rock sect."
"How can you be so sure? I—"
Oreo was stunned to silence when a knife flew from the kitchen and hovered dangerously in front of his face.
"I am certain because you would've lost your life in a blink of an eye if you go against the 'awakened' ones. I doubt you would even be able to put up a fight against the common soldiers."
"M-Meili. The knife..." Ace stuttered.
With a wave of the witch's hand, the knife flew again and went back in the knife holder at the kitchen. Only then did Oreo released his breath that he didn't realize he was holding.
"Y-you..." Oreo panted, his chest heaving up and down. "Are you really a villain? Ace said he saw that you're the villain in the ancient book."
"Preposterous!" Meili hollered, frightening the two young guys. Her face was contorted in rage, and her expression could only be aptly described as villainous. "Do I look like a villain?"
Oreo threw a side-glance at Ace. He knew it was a trick question, similar to when girls asked if they looked fat. First of all, yes, Meili looked like a villain who hated happy people and who was annoyed at society in general. Her sharp eyes alone could instill fear in his heart, but that was something Oreo would never admit. And she exhibited the familiar symptoms of a villain, what with the desire to kill and all. So, the answer was yes, but that was not the answer that Meili would want to hear.
"No," Oreo responded.
"Yes," Ace replied and groaned in pain when his friend suddenly hit his head.
"You idiot!" Oreo hissed. Didn't this unreliable moron see the flying knife a while ago? If they annoyed this witch, she could probably cut them to bite-size little pieces before they could even beg for mercy.
"Meili, don't listen to him. He's an idiot," he added.
Fortunately, the witch just touched her face while tilting her head curiously. "I look like a villain?" she questioned. "I also wonder why I was written as the evil character. I read the ancient book and it was not clear as to why I would do such a thing due to the missing pages. But apparently, I would try to kill a maiden who appeared to be the heroine."
Ace rubbed his chin while analyzing the things that the witch told them. "You mentioned that the book contained events that haven't happened yet. Which part in the book already happened?"
Meili's eyes went wide when she realized Ace's train of thoughts. "Only the part until I left my manor, and my servants were imprisoned by the local town officials. That means..."
Ace nodded as he finished what the woman was about to say. "That means the story in the ancient book is now different from what is actually happening because you're here when you're supposed to be there."
"Wait, guys," Oreo raised his hands to stop the two while frowning. "Let my last surviving brain cell recuperate. My brain doesn't even know what it's supposed to be doing anymore."
Meili stood up and darted her gaze around. "I need to recuperate my qi. For that, I need to expel the girl's body from the 'boundless realm'."
"Put her on the bed," Ace instructed and guided her toward the bedroom, with Oreo following behind them.
The witch formed a hand seal with swift movements and pushed her open palms in the air. In an instant, Dana's body materialized on the bed, causing great shock to both Ace and Oreo. Witnessing Meili using her power was still incredibly hard to believe.
"Bro, I think I peed a little," Oreo whispered, his eyes still directed at the body of the short girl on the bed. "Is this real life?"
Ace ignored his friend and followed Meili back to the dining area to continue their discussion. He had a huge interest about parallel worlds and multiverse, and asking Meili questions was his top priority at the moment. They were in the middle of their conversation when Oreo's panicked voice distracted them.
"Ace! Ace! Come here quickly! Look!" his friend yelled while pointing at the bedroom.
*****
Looking up the night sky while warming themselves in front of the campfire, the master and the maidservant were in the middle of an expanse of grass, sitting beside each other as they talked and bickered over trivial things. A blanket was wrapped on the girl's body, but it was still not enough to fight the chilly wind. How she wished she had a cup of hot tea. Something that was so easy to obtain in the modern world was such a luxury in her current situation.
Da Xia shivered involuntarily as the wind blew. She cupped her hands on her mouth and warmed them with her breath, rubbing her hands afterward. The temperature was continuously dropping, and she couldn't imagine what would be their fate once winter season starts.
"I told you not to bathe in the cold water too long. You simply wouldn't listen to me," the guy beside her complained as he removed the blanket from her.
Knowing that her master would use his fire conjuring skills again to warm the blanket, Da Xia protested and tried to grab it back.
"Master, you don't have to waste your qi. I'm fine."
The guy didn't listen as he quickly formed the hand seal while holding the blanket. His eyebrows were mashed together as he concentrated on controlling his qi.
Like what the common folks already knew, warming up something was difficult for a fire conjurer instead of burning it. Controlling qi to heat up anything without setting it ablaze was such an exhausting task which no fire conjurer had the patience to do. It was useless anyway. But Yong Jie still insisted on doing this exhausting task for his maidservant.
Having read the facts about fire conjurers in the ancient book, it was a knowledge that Da Xia also knew, which was why a feeling of guilt swelled up inside her. Sticking with the male lead of the mysterious book was something she decided to do to be able to survive, but she didn't want to be a burden to him.
"Done," Yong Jie said as he draped the blanket over her again. There was sweat in his forehead and his breathing became ragged after finishing the task. He then exhaled audibly as he rested his arms on his bent knees.
Da Xia raised her hand and wiped the sweat off the guy's face as she asked jokingly, "Master, are you thinking again that you should've brought a hen instead of a maidservant like me?"
"Yes," the guy grunted in response.
"Once we reach the village at the foot of the next mountain, I'll prove to you that I'm better than a hen."
"How? Do you plan on unveiling your egg-laying capability once we reach that village?"
The girl twitched her lips with her master's response.
"You always talk about laying eggs," she whined. "Are you going to keep on mentioning that?"
Yong Jie arched his eyebrows up while looking at her teasingly.
"Master, you look so evil right now," the girl remarked and instantly flinched when the guy threatened to flick her forehead. Having experienced it multiple times, her body was already conditioned to react as she hastily covered her forehead with both her hands.
"You dare call your master evil."
"Did I say 'evil'?" she asked while blinking her eyes at him innocently. "I said 'handsome'. You misheard me, 'handsome' master."
The corners of Yong Jie's lips curved in an amused grin. His maidservant was perhaps the most brazen among the maidens in Chun Empire.
"I did probably misheard you," he stated as he directed his eyes at the dark sky.
"Yes, you did," Da Xia responded in a deceptively cheerful voice, her hands still on her forehead. Inch by inch, she was trying to scoot away from the guy whose eyes were still directed elsewhere. She knew the drill. There was no way her master would let it go just like that.
When Yong Jie abruptly turned his body to face her with a mischievous smirk on his lips, a high-pitched shriek escaped from her mouth. She struggled to dodge as he tried to peel her hands covering her forehead, even using her feet to keep him away.
Their laughter echoed in the forest and mixed with the sound of crickets and the sound of swaying leaves as they continued messing around.
"I'll kick you! I swear!" Da Xia threatened the guy in between chuckles, with her hands still on her forehead and her right foot hovering on Yong Jie's chest.
"You wicked girl!" the guy laughed as he swatted her foot away and quickly stretched his arms to peel her hands off. When he successfully grabbed both her wrists and exposed her forehead, the short girl began wobbling her head left and right rapidly to avoid his flick, which made the two laugh even more.
"Go ahead! Hit me! Hit me!" Da Xia dared as she continuously moved her head like a lunatic. The guy couldn't even raise his fingers from laughing and was already gasping for breath. Even speaking was proving to be a challenge with how ridiculous the girl looked right now.
"Stop it! You look silly!" Yong Jie exclaimed as he continuously chuckled.
"I'm powered by organic fruits and roasted pheasant bird! I will not be defeated!" the girl boasted.
To her surprise, her master suddenly lifted her on his shoulder and stood up, making her yelp. When the guy started spinning in circles while carrying her, she screamed in surrender.
"I give up! Master, just flick my forehead!" Da Xia pleaded. The organic fruits and roasted pheasant bird that she was proud of earlier were crawling their way up her throat because of dizziness.
When, finally, her master set her down, the girl instantly lay her back on the ground while whimpering like a wounded animal.
Yong Jie let out a soft laugh while crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at the little maiden. It was a wonder how a maidservant could act impetuously. But the guy was already used to her odd behavior.
Without uttering a word, he grabbed the blanket that was discarded on the ground and draped it on the girl's body before adjusting her red scarf around her neck. Afterward, he lay on his back near the girl, his left arm folded behind his head.
They only had one blanket in their possession, and Da Xia was always the one who used it. Yong Jie only needed his cloak since he was used to the cold even back in the Land of Flowing Wind.
The two lay near each other silently while staring at the sky, their minds occupied with various thoughts. It was one of those rare nights when everything appeared to be magical, like the heavens was trying to impress them of what it was capable of doing. But despite the dazzling sight of the vast, starry sky, the heart of the little maiden was still hurting.
"Master," she called out in a whisper to the guy lying near her.
"Hmm?"
"Today... I killed a man for the first time," she said in a tight voice.
There was a brief pause before the guy responded, "Living in this dynasty entailed sacrifices. If you didn't stab the bandit, your hands wouldn't be stained by blood, but you would be dead. Either you lose your life or you lose your purity. It was not a hard choice."
That was a very logical answer, and Da Xia knew that the guy was right. Still, there was a knot in her chest that wouldn't go away. It was an uncomfortable feeling that she was struggling to shake off.
A gust of wind blew, its whooshing sound tearing the stillness of the autumn night, making Da Xia shiver. Yong Jie frowned upon noticing it, and a sigh escaped his lips when he touched the blanket and felt its coldness.
"Come here," he instructed.
The girl instantly complied and moved near him, putting the blanket on both of them.
Yong Jie was already exhausted not just from warming her blanket but from controlling his fireballs as well. It was his first time to attempt separating his fireballs into tiny flickers of fire just to comfort Da Xia, and it consumed a lot of his qi. But the skin of his maidservant was as cold as ice, so he decided to try something that he hadn't done before.
He shut his eyes and meditated, focusing on controlling his qi to warm his body. He released a sliver of his energy at regular interval, intending to do this for the rest of the night to ensure that the little maiden beside him wouldn't suffer from chill.
"Wrap your arms around me," he ordered as his eyes fluttered open.
Da Xia did as she was told and felt the comfortable warmth radiating from the body of the warrior. A soft murmur of satisfaction escaped her lips as she snuggled closer to the guy.
"Master, you're wasting your qi again," she noted. To which the warrior answered with an exhausted sigh, "Go to sleep."
"I wish I were a hen," the girl mumbled as she tilted her head to look at the guy who was still staring at the sky.
"I wish that too."
"So that I could lay eggs?"
"So that your heart would be at ease," the guy responded.
Da Xia swallowed the lump forming in her throat. It had been a while since she had talked about her grievances to someone.
"My mind is telling me that killing him isn't my fault. But my heart still hurts."
"Then don't listen to your mind and your heart. Listen to your master," the warrior declared. "You made the right choice."
"You made the right choice." It was those simple words that made her feel like it was not wrong for her to survive.
A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Even though her master was a rough man who seemed to solve everything with brute force, Da Xia had long known there was more to Yong Jie than what the eyes could see...more than what was written in the ancient book.
"Starting tomorrow, you will practice martial arts with me. I will teach you the basics so you will be able to better defend yourself," he added.
"All right."
A brief pause followed as the two continued staring at the stars.
"Master."
"Hmm?"
"You're a warm person."
"I'm a fire conjurer after all."
Both of them knew that was not what she meant. Da Xia shut her eyes firmly before bringing her gaze back to the full moon bathing them with dim light while the stillness of the forest cradled them. She took a deep breath, the knot in her heart slightly loosening.
"The sky is so beautiful," she murmured after a while.
"It is."
It was indeed a beautiful night. There was nothing more majestic and breathtaking than the sight of the dark sky, with beautiful stars shining like tiny gems scattered around the full moon. But for Da Xia, its beauty was nothing compared to the warmth of the warrior lying next to her.
*****
It was that feeling again: the feeling of floating in a limbo surrounded by darkness and silence. Then, she was pulled in an unknown destination and hurled downwards.
Dana's eyes slowly opened, and the familiar sight of her condo's ceiling welcomed her. It was quiet at first, then the commotion and panicked voices gradually grew in volume. She shut her eyes firmly before opening them again, trying to ascertain what was going on.
"She's awake! Ace, she's awake!"
"What?"
Sounds of multiple hurried footsteps followed, and the next thing she knew, three faces of strangers were staring at her as she remained lying on her bed.
"W-who are you?" Dana mumbled groggily, still a bit disoriented. Then, when her hazy mind started to become clearer, the girl abruptly sat up.
"I'm back," she whispered while looking at her hands and her body. Shen then dragged her gaze around her bedroom, her eyes wide with shock. "I'm back!"
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