After attending their classes, Ace and Oreo went directly to Dana's condo where Meili was. The witch was sitting on the floor, still preoccupied with learning the Arabic numerals as well as the letters of the Roman alphabet. She was also trying to learn the new characters used in place of the ancient characters.
The previous day, the woman insisted to have a Twitter account to battle it out with Thorn in the internetverse. When they told her that the characters used for writing were not the ancient characters anymore, she boasted that she had impeccable memory and that she could learn them in one night. Looking at the papers where she practiced writing, it seemed like she wasn't lying.
A startled yelp made Ace and Meili jerk back in surprise. When they swung their heads toward the direction of the sound, they saw Oreo panting while staring at the bedroom with bulging eyes. It wasn't hard to guess what frightened the guy.
"It's just that maiden named Dana. I took her out of the 'boundless realm' to recuperate my qi," the witch explained. "I don't understand why you look flustered."
"Meili, your expectation level of me is abnormal. I gotta bring it down a notch. Listen." Oreo slumped on the floor next to the woman and held her gaze. "I'm brave, but my bravery is selective. That means, if there is a corpse within my line of sight, there's gonna be a situation. I will scream, cry, and run away – strictly in that particular order."
"Like I told you before, he's a coward," Ace chimed in as he occupied the couch.
"Selective bravery is what I call it."
"You are indeed a coward," the witch mumbled.
"You guys have comprehension problem." Oreo leaned his back against the edge of the couch and bent his knee upwards, resting his arm on it. "Hey, you're getting better in writing the modern characters," he remarked as he browsed through Meili's practice papers.
"It's odd, but these modern characters seem familiar to me. It's as though I've encountered them before. I just couldn't figure out when and where," she mumbled to herself before shifting her attention toward the two. "Shouldn't we be heading to your school so I can try to communicate to Dana through water linking?"
Ace shook his head and sighed. "Not today. There was a group of students in that area when we checked earlier. And it looked like they'd be there until later since they were filming something for their group project."
While Meili was listening to his friend, Oreo took a picture of her and quickly edited it. The photo turned out quite nice, with the witch looking away from the camera having a serious expression on her face while wearing her red, Chun Empire clothes.
"This is going to be your profile picture in your social media account," Oreo declared as he showed it to the witch. "I'll create a Twitter account for you later."
A trace of smile curved on the woman's lips as she stared intently at her first photo. For Meili, it was a frozen memory of the past. The modern world was truly fortunate to have such devices that would enable them to preserve a glimpse of the time that was already gone.
"Since we're not going to the temple ruins in our school today, why don't we go to the amusement park instead?" Ace nudged his friend with his knee. "It'll be good for Meili to get used to different things and places in the modern world."
"That's a brilliant idea!" Oreo exclaimed and darted his gaze back at the witch. "Quick, change your clothes and place Dana in your closet realm—"
"Boundless realm."
"Whatever." Oreo waved his hand dismissively. "Wait. Shouldn't we take Dana to the hospital? Her physical body should be taken care of while she's sleeping."
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.
After her morning practice of the sword and bow and arrow, Da Xia headed to the marketplace to buy some food since she wasn't in the mood to cook. Her master continued practicing martial arts in the forest and only allowed her to leave for a few hours when she successfully hit the stationary target with a bow and arrow. In the afternoon, she would resume her training. Dying of exhaustion was rapidly becoming a possibility with how strict the warrior was.
When the famous little maiden set foot in the restaurant owned by Madame Lian – the middle-aged lady who participated with her in the abacus competition – she was received by the attendants with a warm welcome. She went straight to the short, chubby girl with plump cheeks and adorable smile named Jingyi, the maidservant of Madame Lian. Aside from buying their lunch, Da Xia had another purpose for coming: she wanted to learn the proper etiquette between master and maidservant from Jingyi.
"Da Xia!" Jingyi waved merrily behind the restaurant counter.
Da Xia went behind the counter and sat on the chair beside the girl. "I'll have the same order as last time."
Jingyi immediately instructed one of the attendants to prepare her food and to put it in the wooden basket that she was carrying. While her food was being prepared, Da Xia began asking Jingyi questions about the etiquettes that a maidservant should follow after explaining to her that she served as a low-ranked servant in the inner courtyard of the manor ever since she was young and was thus ignorant of the rules. Since Jingyi yearned to chat with someone of the same age as her, the girl was rather enthusiastic in answering all her inquiries.
"There are many customs in Chun Empire especially between a master and maidservant," Jingyi stated. "You are fortunate since your master is quite lenient, but you have to be careful when interacting with Master Jie especially in cities and large villages. Plum Mist village is rather small and not as progressive as other villages. Hence, the people are also not that strict. Still, unlike you, the maidservants and manservants here don't eat on the same table as their masters and don't share the same things at home."
Jingyi nudged her and arched her eyebrows before continuing, "I even saw Master Jie carrying all of your purchases while walking beside you. Even though I am allowed to walk beside Madame Lian, if I make her carry anything, I'd probably face harsh punishments for such misconduct."
"P-punishment?" Da Xia stuttered. That particular detail totally escaped her mind since the warrior never punished her. But in the ancient book, she remembered skimming through the pages where it was described that the masters could discipline their servants in accordance with the Chun Empire rules. "What kind of punishments?"
"The usual," Jingyi shrugged. "It depends on the severity of your wrongdoing. Since you're a girl, it could be being forced to grind grain, squeezing of fingers between sticks, being beaten with wooden staves, forced suicide, or confinement. For guys, it could be ten to fifty lashes of bamboo cane, sixty to one hundred strokes of large stick—Da Xia? What's the matter?"
A dizzying sensation enveloped her, and beads of cold sweat broke on her forehead. Wooden staves. Forced suicide. Da Xia shuddered with the thought.
In the modern society where she was from, such punishments were not implemented. She could predict with absolute certainty that if she were to be punished, she would faint at the first beating of the wooden stave.
"Da Xia!" Jingyi held her shoulders and shook her. "What's happening to you?"
"Huh?" She swallowed hard and blinked nervously at the girl. "Jingyi, tell me more about the rules between a master and maidservant. Tell me everything I need to know."
*****
Even when Da Xia already arrived home and began preparing the table for their lunch, her conversation with Jingyi still invaded her mind.
In Plum Mist village and in the mountains where there were only the two of them, her unreserved actions toward her master were fine. But she should be very mindful of her conduct once they entered the City of Lanterns. It seemed that Chun Empire's traditions and culture were a mixture of various ancient dynasties in Chinese history, which made things more complicated for her to understand.
Their lunch passed in silence with Da Xia frequently stealing glances at the guy. While it was true that the warrior was unlike other masters, would there be a time that he would punish her? She wondered what kind of wrongdoing would drive him to do that and what kind of punishment he would bestow on her. She sincerely wished she wouldn't be able to find out. As Jingyi told her, she should be aware of the likes and dislikes of her master to prevent such thing from happening.
The girl began clearing the plates with many thoughts running through her mind.
"Da Xia, I—"
She yelped in surprise when she turned around and collided with the guy, causing the plates and bowls to crash on the ground. A loud gasp escaped her lips when she saw that her master's clothes were drenched with the leftover soup from the bowl. And when she dropped her gaze, the shards of the broken tableware were scattered all over the place. The stories that Jingyi told her about maidservants being beaten by wooden staves whenever they broke something popped up in her memory, making her more nervous than she already was.
"M-Master, I'll clean it up," she said in panic while wiping the guy's clothes with the hem of her outer robe.
"Da Xia..."
"Be careful of the shards, I'll pick—"
"Da Xia." The warrior gripped her wrists before she could crouch on the ground to pick up the broken plates, forcing her to stand upright and direct her eyes at him.
"M-Master?" Her voice trembled as she met his serious gaze.
"Are you hurt?" he asked.
"No."
"Wounds?"
"None."
To her surprise, Yong Jie suddenly grabbed her hands and brought them near his face, carefully inspecting them with a furrowed brow. Afterward, he released her hands and crouched down, lifting the hem of her trousers, probably to check if the shards scratched her lower legs and feet.
He then stood up and frowned at her. "Why are you so careless?" he muttered and flicked her forehead. "You almost hurt yourself."
As she was rubbing the spot he hit, she breathed out a relieved sigh. It seemed breaking something wasn't the limit of the warrior's patience.
"Go to the foot of the forest and practice the sword," he instructed. "I'll follow you after changing my clothes and after cleaning this up."
Da Xia was about to insist on cleaning the shards, but her master's piercing glare left her no choice but to abide by his order. She quietly grabbed the sword, gloves, and her winter cloak and strode toward the backyard, climbing over the fence and entering the foot of the forest.
It had been a couple of months since she started practicing the sword and bow and arrow. The weight of the weapons had already been familiar to her, and her grip and handling were starting to improve. Part of her training included interchanging the sword between her left and right hand, and she had also grown accustomed to doing that with minimal mistakes.
Da Xia paused briefly, and her gaze roamed the surroundings. The continuous snow of the previous days transformed the forest into a white paradise, the blanket of ice spreading for miles. She breathed in the frozen air, a small smile blossoming on her face as she took in the captivating scene once again.
When the warrior finally arrived, he was carrying a thick wooden stick. Oh no! Did he intend to beat her with it? Jingyi was right! Breaking something in the house would incur punishment!
Her heart almost climbed up her throat as the guy approached her. She stood still on her spot, her stomach tightening with anxiety. When Yong Jie raised the wooden stick, she shrieked in fear and dropped the sword as she crossed her arms over her face.
"No, Da Xia!" the warrior exclaimed in alarm as he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him. She collided against the guy's chest as she heard the muffled thud of the sword falling on the ground. He then quickly released her and picked up the sword before facing her again. "What is wrong with you? I reminded you before that even the tip of the blade is sharp and can cause you harm," he scolded her. "I told you never to drop it."
"I'm sorry," she murmured meekly.
He handed her the sword and raised the wooden stick again. "Starting today, you have to practice sword fighting. We have to make do with a wooden stick."
Realization struck her as she stared at the stick. So, it was for sword fighting practice after all. Her conversation with Jingyi kept on messing her mind. Or probably, she just hadn't stepped over the limit of his patience yet? With that thought, she became guarded again.
"Master, if you keep on teaching me, wouldn't this delay your training?"
"There is only so much I can do alone. Training you is part of my training too," he responded. "Be aware of your stance at all times, Da Xia."
The warrior began teaching her the basics before they began with the sword practice. Knowing that she was reluctant to kill, he taught her how to injure the opponents on vital parts of the body and how to knock them out. But he also forced her to learn the quick way of assassinating the opponents.
Da Xia knew that to be able to survive in Chun Empire, she had to toughen her heart, so she shoved down her uneasiness and listened attentively. It was a 'kill or get killed' society and some of her modern values and beliefs might have no place in this parallel world. To be able to return to her world, she better grit her teeth and face this reality.
Her master's movements were slow at first, then they gradually became faster. Even if the sword was in her hands, she was no match for the warrior's wooden stick. She couldn't even graze the stick with the blade as the guy expertly dodged her slashes.
After a series of sparring, she was beginning to feel exhausted. Her chest heaved up and down and steam came out of her mouth as she exhaled. Her hands inside the gloves were also starting to ache from cold since the gloves she bought from the marketplace wasn't of the highest quality.
"Let's take a rest," the warrior declared.
She hastily put down the sword and removed her gloves, rubbing her hands and exhaling a warm breath afterward to alleviate the chill. Yong Jie's curious gaze was instantly replaced with concern when he saw what she was doing. He hastily approached her and grabbed the gloves from her grasp.
"What is this?" His face was tight with worry as he inspected the material of the gloves before staring at her. "You've been practicing for days using this? No wonder your fingers are frozen. I told you to use the money as you please. Why do you keep on buying things with subpar material?"
He hastily formed a hand seal and released a sliver of qi to warm his body. Afterward, he grabbed her hands and covered them with his, occasionally rubbing the back of her hands with his fingers.
Da Xia couldn't take her eyes off the guy as he fussed over her. Was she mistaken when she thought that Yong Jie was capable of administering punishment to her in accordance with the Chun Empire's rules? Despite being her master, he showed how deeply he cared for her well-being multiple times. A conflicted expression passed through her face. Was she overthinking things?
"Better?" the warrior asked, his eyes still focused on her hands.
"Hmm..." she murmured in response.
"I'll buy you a new pair of gloves later."
"Master."
The guy lifted his gaze and looked at her questioningly.
"What kind of wrongdoing would I commit that would force you to beat me with a wooden stave?"
"What?" His eyebrows creased as he added, "You've been asking odd questions ever since we arrived in this village."
"It didn't cross my mind when we were traversing the mountains," Da Xia explained. "But now that we are surrounded with people, I was reminded that by Chun Empire's rules, you hold the power to punish me for my misconduct. I'd like to know what I shouldn't do to prevent it."
His grip on her hands became firm and a stiff air hung between them. It seemed like the guy didn't like what she said.
"Were you always punished severely in the witch's manor?" he muttered, his expression becoming grim. "Is that why you're being cautious?"
Da Xia tilted her head in bewilderment. Was the original Da Xia punished by Meili? Perhaps. Unbeknownst to her, her silence made the guy draw his own conclusion.
"Wooden stave?" His voice hiked up a notch, making her jerk back. "What else did the witch do?"
"Mistress Meili never punished me," she quickly lied to appease the warrior. With the fury in his eyes, he might decide to go back to Yellow Dirt City to burn the witch's manor. "She never punished me because I was careful in serving her. That's why I wanted to know what I should be cautious about when I'm with you."
Relief was evident on his face upon hearing her response. "You silly woman. You are always making me worry."
"Master, you will never punish me, will you?" she pressed on.
The corners of his lips lifted in an amused smirk as he stated, "I will certainly punish you."
"W-what?"
"You received your punishment a while ago when you were careless, don't you remember?"
The earlier events flitted through her mind, but she couldn't recall any punishment. Was it the training? It must be the damn martial arts training!
"Are you making me practice hard as a form of punishment?" she confirmed.
"No," the guy chuckled.
"No?" Da Xia creased her forehead in confusion.
"Haven't you realized it yet?" Yong Jie lifted his hand and flicked her forehead gently. "This."
She was stunned for a moment before what he said registered in her mind. That was the punishment? Slowly, a relieved smile spread on her face as she pulled her hands from his grasp and rubbed her forehead.
"I've been worrying the entire day for nothing," she exclaimed.
"That was the reason why you were being careless since earlier?"
"Yes!"
"Then you deserve another punishment," he declared.
"No," Da Xia protested and was about to run away, but the guy swiftly held her arm. She tried to wiggle free, but to no avail. "Master!"
"I hold the power to punish you by Chun Empire rules!"
When the warrior lifted his hand, she gasped and shut her eyes firmly. Even with her eyes closed, she could picture his fingers getting ready to flick her forehead. It would be painful! She could almost hear the crisp sound of his fingers hitting her.
She flinched when she felt his hand on top of her head. Her eyes fluttered open, and his smile was the first thing that she noticed. Somehow, it reminded her of the day when they first met – when her blindfold was removed and his indifferent eyes welcomed her.
It had been a long time since then, and they had been through various experiences together. Unlike before, the warrior's gaze that was directed at her was warm and tender, and his lips was curved in a smile. Unlike before, she didn't have to plead for him to save her.
"Are you that scared of a forehead flick?" the warrior teased. "You were—"
His words were cut short when the little maiden stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, startling him. Da Xia felt him stiffen as she rested her cheek against his chest while trapping him in an embrace. A soft murmur of satisfaction escaped her lips as she felt his warmth, her eyes fluttering to a close.
"Da Xia, let go," he said softly.
"Just for a little while."
"A man and a woman must keep their distance."
"Hmm..." the girl mumbled but didn't let go.
"Da Xia."
"Hmm?"
A long pause followed, and only their shallow breathing could be heard. It was as though the world became still and only the two of them remained in the middle of the snowy forest. As the sun melted into the horizon, their shadows that appeared to be one began to slowly fade against the white snow.
Her eyes remained shut when she felt the warrior gathering her in his arms, pressing her closer to him. A contented smile blossomed on her lips as she reminded him teasingly, "A man and a woman must keep their distance."
She felt him tightening his embrace as he rested his chin on top of her head.
"That rule doesn't apply to us anymore," he whispered.
*****
Judging from the strange grin of the two lads, Meili concluded that the things they told her earlier about this 'rollercoaster' were nothing but lies. They said it would be fun. They said it would be an experience she would never forget. Lies. How could sitting in a cramped chair be fun?
She was seated in the middle of Ace and Oreo in a carriage without roof. In her eyes, the rollercoaster was simply a series of chairs clustered together, with three chairs per row. Oddly, some of the people behind them appeared scared and were even clutching the hands of their friends.
"You are not allowed to use your witchcraft, okay?" Oreo reminded her.
Ace suddenly grabbed her hand, startling her. Why were the lads in this parallel world so brazen?
"Oreo, grab her other hand," Ace instructed. "We should prevent her from doing her hand seals."
With that, the two lads gripped each of her hand firmly. She wondered what they were worried about. The rollercoaster was simply a cluster of seats facing a beautiful view of the sky. They were on top of a tall structure granting them an alluring sight of the clouds and the ground below. It seemed that the modern world's idea of fun amounted to going to high places and sitting together to marvel nature.
"Meili, don't panic," Ace reminded her. "You're safe. You're not going to fall."
"I'm used to high places," she boasted. "I often use my light step technique to jump on a tall tree at the peak of the mountain to view the scenery of the Chun Empire."
Oreo snorted at her ramblings. He then focused his eyes forward with an amused smirk. "Do you think we came here just to see the scenery?"
"Isn't it so?"
"Ohhh," the tall guy chuckled and threw her a side-way glance. "You are in for a big surprise."
"I am already dumbfounded that we are sitting with a number of strangers in this cramped carriage to appreciate the view."
The two guys chuckled at her remark.
"Ace, we better prepare ourselves. Meili is gonna lose her mind," Oreo warned his friend.
"Why would I—What is this?" The witch sat rigidly when the restraints automatically snapped shut. "Why are they restraining us?"
"It's starting," Ace told her mysteriously after the staff finished checking each seat.
Meili's eyes widened in alarm when their seats jolted abruptly and slowly started moving. They were moving toward the edge of the steel slope while being restrained! At this height, even with her full qi, she wouldn't survive the fall!
"They are going to kill us all!" she yelled and pulled her hands from the two guys' grasp, but they gripped her hands again. "What are you doing? We must abandon this carriage!"
"It's safe. Don't panic," Ace assured her.
Before she could protest, the rollercoaster dropped on the steep slope and immediately soared upward in the elevated railroad track. The scream that came out of her mouth was almost humanly impossible. When other people hear it, they would think she was being slaughtered.
Wind was mercilessly slapping her face and her long hair was exploding in a million directions. She couldn't comprehend what was happening anymore as the scene blurred with how unbelievably fast they were moving. The carriage would sometimes shake abruptly like they were about to be hurled out to the sky, which frightened her to the point of almost losing her consciousness.
Oreo and Ace couldn't hold back their laughter as they watched the woman screaming her lungs out. When the rollercoaster surged forward and entered the inverted railroad track, Meili unleashed a terrifying growl as though she was being exorcised. Oreo actually thought demons would ascend from hell to aid her.
The witch already abandoned all grace and elegance as she kept on shrieking wildly. How could the people of this parallel world consider this death-defying experience as fun? It was simply inconceivable!
When the rollercoaster finally came to a halt and the restraints were released, Meili scampered out of her seat. Her knees were wobbly and she would've slumped on the ground if not for Oreo and Ace holding her arms. The color of her face was alarmingly pale, and her stomach felt like it wanted to eject everything inside.
"L-let go of me," the witch struggled to say as she pulled her arms. She raised her trembling hands while glaring at the rollercoaster in pure rage. "T-this thing needs to perish!"
As she was about to form her hand seals, the two lads hastily hooked their arms on each of her arms and dragged her away. They dumped her in front of what seemed like a giant monitor showing glimpses of what happened in the rollercoaster ride.
"Meili, look!" Oreo exclaimed excitedly. "That's us!"
When the witch focused her gaze on the screen, her world shook when she saw an image of herself with her mouth opened wide, her eyes bulging out of their sockets, and her hair scattered all over the place. It was utterly humiliating! The two lads, on the other hand, had their arms raised up in the air, completely having fun. The stark contrast in the picture only highlighted how frightened she was.
"H-how could we erase that?" Meili stuttered as she looked interchangeably at the two. "We must erase such abomination!"
Oreo snickered and directed his gaze at the photo. "Let's get one copy for each of us."
"What?"
Ace nodded in agreement. "Then let's tweet it to the world."
"You two are ruthless!"
*****
After the terrifying rollercoaster ordeal, the two guys kept on dragging the witch to the different amusement rides. They took a lot of pictures using their phones and also tried various games in the booths. Even though she wouldn't admit it, Meili was beginning to enjoy the new experience.
For their last ride, they decided to go to the Ferris wheel. Meili didn't make a fuss anymore as their designated cabin car ascended slowly. Her eyes were focused on Oreo's phone in her hand displaying the photos they took throughout the day.
She shifted her gaze outside the window and watched the descending sun, its orange rays gracing the sky. Another day in this parallel world had gone by. Still, she had not found a way to return to where she belonged.
"Are you all right?" Oreo asked as she handed the phone back, noticing her sullen expression.
"I was just wondering if there is another way for me to go back to my world."
Ace pondered for a moment before saying, "I'm on a night shift in my part-time job at the library. You should come with me to the library later. You might get some clues after reading the ancient book again."
Her face lit up with the lad's suggestion. Why didn't she think of that? She was too caught up with the strange things in the modern world that she completely forgot to revisit and reread the ancient book. Indeed, there might be a clue written in the pages.
"That is a clever idea," she remarked. "Thank you."
Suddenly, the Ferris wheel made a weird sound, and their cabin car jolted abruptly before halting. A horrified shriek emanating from outside was heard, followed by panicked shouts. When they peered through the window, they saw a crowd forming on the ground while looking up, pointing at something.
"Help!" another scream was heard, which seemed to belong to a teenage girl.
"Shit. Did this Ferris wheel malfunction?" Oreo gripped the handlebars and darted his worried gaze at the two.
"Somebody is screaming for help. Why is no one helping?" Meili asked calmly. Unlike in the rollercoaster where her movements were restrained, riding in a Ferris wheel didn't bother her.
"Don't move, Meili," Ace instructed, concern laced in his voice. "I'm sure help is coming."
"Please save me! I can't hold on any longer!" The wails and sobs of the young girl filled the air, making the witch frown.
"It seemed like she is in a precarious situation. Are you certain help will arrive before she dies?" Meili watched as the two stiffened in fear. The young guys obviously hadn't been in a situation where they had to witness a gruesome death. She looked outside and asked, "Should I help her?"
"W-what?" Oreo stuttered.
"I am also curious as to what happened to this 'Ferris wheel'. And it is better to check what went wrong so that we can be prepared if we will face the same fate," she explained. "I'll go and take a quick look."
Before the two guys could stop the witch, Meili forced the cabin car open and stood at the edge.
"Meili!" Oreo and Ace yelled when the witch took a step forward and let herself fall.
The crowd below screamed in shock when they saw a woman falling from one of the cabin cars. Everything was being captured in phone cameras since they had already been filming earlier as soon as they saw a teenage girl dangling from one of the broken Ferris wheel cabins.
They all gasped in astonishment when the woman spun around and easily landed on the center shaft of the wheel. She then turned her head toward the direction of the screaming teenager and tapped her feet, jumping from one steel bar to another until she reached the girl.
Everything happened so fast, as though they were just watching a film. Everyone stared disbelievingly at the mysterious woman wearing a bear ears headband, long skirt, and long-sleeved sweater as she stood on one of the steel bars while staring at the teenage girl who was struggling to hold onto the base of the broken cabin.
Another shriek of terror enveloped the crowd when the girl couldn't hold on any longer and fell down. But their screams instantly turned to loud cheers and applause as the mysterious woman let herself fall as well and grabbed the girl's waist before jumping from one steel bar to the next until they safely descended to the ground.
After leaving the sobbing teenage girl, the woman hastily pushed her right foot on the ground and used the force to ascend the Ferris wheel again. The dumbfounded crowd helped the teenage girl while wondering who the elusive savior was. They caught a glimpse of her face, and her beauty was both captivating and intimidating.
When Meili finally reached their cabin car, Oreo and Ace pulled her inside and closed the door. She faced the two worried guys who hastily questioned her of what happened. She recounted the events and frowned at their flabbergasted expression.
"Shouldn't I save that lass?"
"It's great that you saved her, but people would be curious about you after you showed your skills," Ace responded.
"Doesn't anybody in this world know martial arts?" she asked. "I merely used light step techniques."
Oreo planted his face in his palms and groaned. "We're doomed!"
"When you left the girl on the ground, did you see anybody filming you using their cellphones?" Ace asked and demonstrated the action of filming using his phone.
"Yes, I saw most of them doing that."
"Oh no!" Oreo exclaimed and directed his eyes at his friend. "What do we do? I'm sure people will upload it in all social media platforms! Meili's face will be seen while doing her witchcraft!"
"It was not witchcraft!" Meili shot back. "It was basic martial arts technique!"
While the two were bickering, Ace stroked his chin and pondered. "I think I know how to use this to our advantage," the guy murmured.
*****
The marketplace was even more lively at night as the young scholars roamed around after the dismissal of their classes from the academy. It was also the perfect time for these young men to have a glimpse of the maidens who would often meet with their friends and hang out at the pavilion along the stream or at the restaurants. The freezing cold did not deter the youths of Plum Mist village to enjoy the winter night.
Yong Jie had already bought a new pair of gloves for his maidservant and was on his way home. As his gaze roamed around, he thought of bringing along Da Xia next time. The girl would surely be delighted to experience the exhilarating atmosphere of the marketplace at night. Picturing the girl bouncing about excitedly made his lips lift up in a smile.
His steps halted when he felt someone following him. The person didn't even try to hide his presence as though challenging the warrior to find him. Yong Jie smirked and continued walking calmly. Then, as the crowd of people engulfed him, he quickly dashed to the corner and jumped on the roof.
He used his light step technique, which was the martial arts skill of making the body extremely light by distributing the flow of qi, and jumped from one roof to the next. The guy who was following him earlier was not easy to chase as he used every nook and cranny to evade him. It took a while before Yong Jie finally found him in a narrow pathway.
The guy was only a few years older than him and had an average height and plain appearance – someone who wouldn't stand out in a crowd. He was wearing ordinary clothes and a conical straw hat, and his face could easily be forgotten as he looked like any ordinary Chun male. It was people like him who would be very effective in committing crimes as they were unnoticeable.
Yong Jie jumped down and blocked the guy's path. He then cupped his fist over his chest and bowed down. "Older Brother Zhou," he greeted.
"Younger brother," the guy exclaimed merrily and patted his shoulder. It was none other than Plain-Faced Wan Zhou, Yong Jie's senior from the Southern Guardians sect. He was one of his seniors with a reputation that was widely known all over the empire. But just like the young warrior, the Chun people only knew his alias 'Plain Face' but not the person behind it.
His alias echoed throughout the empire when a series of attacks were made to the prominent gangs of the City of Frozen Pines located in Middle Lake country. At that time, the gangs were making a ruckus almost every day, disrupting the lives of the common folks. The Snow Cloud sect, which was based in Middle Lake country, extended their help. However, their disciples were not enough to subdue all the gangs. The thugs were just too many in number.
Fear enveloped the entire city when the gangs blocked the entryways, preventing help from coming. It was then that an unknown man began attacking the camps of each gang, leaving a sea of blood and a mountain of corpses. For those who survived and were arrested by the local officials, they couldn't clearly describe what the assailant looked like. But two words kept on being repeated: plain face. The city's hero had a plain face, average height, normal body build, and had no noteworthy mannerisms even in his style of fighting.
The officials dismissed the case since the enigmatic man actually did them a favor for cleaning up the gangs that threatened the city. The alias 'Plain Face' resonated throughout the empire, and he achieved quite a reputation. Just like Yong Jie's story, Wan Zhou's deeds were exaggerated by the storytellers until his existence sounded like a legend or a fictional character.
The senior disciple and the younger disciple of the Southern Guardian sect decided to grab a couple of drinks in a nearby restaurant to catch up. It had been more than a year since they last saw each other after Yong Jie left the Land of Flowing Wind to find his fate.
"Yong Jie, you have grown," Wan Zhou remarked. "You easily spotted and caught me when I tailed you."
"You left me an opening, Brother Zhou," the young warrior said as he poured wine in the guy's cup. He knew that his senior wouldn't easily be spotted if he took it seriously. "If you erased your aura by using your qi, I wouldn't be able to find you."
Wan Zhou chuckled as he stroked the cup of wine with his fingers. "You even determined that I didn't use my qi. Your development is quite frightening." He lifted his gaze and studied the young man, a faint smile curving his lips. "I sense a change in you."
"I am the same as when I left more than a year ago." A wide grin spread on the young warrior's face as he added, "Except now, I have Da Xia."
"Da Xia?"
"My maidservant."
The older guy arched his eyebrows curiously. "Why not take a manservant instead? At least a male aide could act as your guard and possess a sword."
"I'd rather have Da Xia."
Seeing that Yong Jie's stubbornness surfaced again, Wan Zhou decided to drop the topic. He had watched the young warrior grow, and he knew that the guy wouldn't budge easily once he set his mind on something.
"Are you not taking the imperial military exam this year?"
"I'll take it after training for two summers. Since the number of 'awakened' ones who take it have increased, I have to strengthen my qi to prepare," the young warrior replied.
The imperial military exam was usually held during fall of each year. When Yong Jie left the Land of Flowing Wind, he told them his desire of passing the exam. Only a few of the hopefuls pass each year, and the others with satisfactory marks were invited to join the military, although of lower position.
Being a fire conjurer, Yong Jie had a slimmer chance of passing especially if there were 'awakened' examinees who have reached the middle state of awakening. Fire conjurers could only achieve the initial state, and that was the young warrior's level at the moment. Wan Zhou didn't have the heart to remind him that no fire conjurer had broken through the higher states regardless of the amount of training.
"I will keep on looking for a way to achieve the peak state, Brother Zhou." His determined eyes shifted toward the bright moon. "And I plan on taking the exam even if I am still in initial state."
Wan Zhou nodded and poured wine in his sect brother's cup. "Your brothers are all behind you."
The two gave each other a toast before draining their cups. Yong Jie wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before asking, "What brought you here in Plum Mist village?"
"Mission," the older guy replied flatly.
That word meant another thing: somebody would die in Plum Mist village. Bloody memories of his youth filled Yong Jie's mind. There was more to their sect aside from being guardians of the south that he hadn't told Da Xia yet, and he didn't know how to tell the little maiden about it.
"Why don't you join me? I'll execute it a week from now. I'll let you do the killing. Consider it as a part of your training." His senior directed his eyes at him and smiled, as though he was just asking him to do a menial task. For Southern Guardians sect disciples like them, such mission was nothing extraordinary.
"All right, I'll join you." He sighed and cupped his chin with his palm. "But I have to buy new clothes to be able to accompany you."
Wan Zhou looked at him with a bewildered expression. "Why would you need new clothes?"
"I plan on burning the clothes after using it for the mission," he answered simply.
Still not understanding why he had to do that, the older guy furrowed a brow.
"I don't want to go home wearing blood-stained clothes," Yong Jie added, as if that would explain everything.
Seeing that his senior couldn't make sense of what he was saying, he poured wine in their cups before elaborating, "Da Xia knew all of my clothes. She will certainly notice if I'm missing one, hence I have to buy new clothes. I don't want to go home wearing blood-stained clothes because Da Xia will ask questions. And it isn't the right time for her to know about us."
"Da Xia? Your maidservant?"
The young guy nodded.
"You would rather go through all that trouble because of your maidservant?" Wan Zhou asked in disbelief. "You can simply order her not to ask questions."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"She's Da Xia." His response was simple, yet its meaning seemed to hold a heavy weight. Yong Jie dropped his gaze to his cup of wine as he added, "She gets to ask questions."
*****
The problem of Meili's skill being exposed to the people was quickly resolved by Ace after calling Vodka and telling her what happened since he knew it would be a good publicity stunt. He just used Oreo's excuse that the witch was raised by her grandmother in the mountains and added that she was taught martial arts at an early age. He was slowly becoming better in lying thanks to his friend.
Vodka was actually delighted to learn about Meili's heroic deed. Ace almost shuddered when she mentioned the words 'heroic' and 'Meili' in one sentence. If she only knew that the woman would not hesitate to kill for trivial reasons, she would absolutely regret signing up the witch in their company.
The three headed to the city library so that Meili could find clues in the ancient book. When there were only a few people left, Ace used his keycard to open the restricted section. They stood in front of the glass panel encasing the pages and waited for the witch to finish reading.
"It's difficult to understand some parts because of the missing pages," she noted before scowling. "I still can't believe I'm written as the villain."
"Maybe because of your love for murdering people," Oreo remarked.
"I do not kill without purpose."
"Will you focus?" the guy said. "You have to find clues on how to return to your world."
Meili massaged her temple with her hand and shook her head. "As Dana and I discussed when she woke up, our only hope is the old hermit in North Mountain country. It's also written in the book that the old hermit is quite powerful and knows things beyond the realm of Chun Empire."
She reread some pages and let out a defeated sigh. "Even though Dana was transported to our world, the events in this book didn't change. It's still written that the Southern Guardian warrior is traveling alone even though Dana is now accompanying him."
"Didn't Dana say that this ancient book was the one that pulled her into your world?" Ace asked. "Maybe it has magic in it that you can use to return."
The witch rested her hand on the glass panel and closed her eyes. After a while, she directed her gaze at the two guys and said, "I can't feel any trace of qi. Now, it is just an ordinary book."
Since the ancient book was of no help, they exited the restricted section and sat in one of the library tables to continue their discussion.
"I need to communicate with Dana to know what's currently happening in Chun Empire," Meili stated as she occupied the seat beside Ace. "There are certainly changes as compared to the events written in the book because of what happened to us. I'm quite worried for that little maiden as well. Our world is nothing like your world."
"Don't worry. Tomorrow, I'm sure there'll be no more students hanging around the temple ruins. You can try communicating with her again," Ace assured her. "And Dana is with the male lead of the story. She also said they're heading to North Mountain country. So, she's safe and she will definitely find a way to ask the help of the old hermit."
"I also hope my apprentice is fine," she added. "I wonder where she is in this world. Since I only retained a part of my qi when I was pulled here, then Da Xia might be in the same situation as me."
While the two were discussing, Oreo was fiddling with his phone. His eyebrows drew together when he read a particular tweet.
"This bastard!" he huffed and lifted his gaze. "Thorn tweeted about Meili. He said Meili is a self-entitled bitch who refused to do the caster's instructions during VTR. He even warned the advertisement agencies not to cast her."
Oreo showed his phone to the two and added, "I swear, he's a genetically engineered creature meant to annoy the living hell out of all of us. This bastard is the common enemy of mankind."
"I refused to do the instructions?" Meili frowned. "That's a lie."
"Of course he's lying!" the guy erupted in anger as he focused his eyes on his phone again to look at Thorn's account. "God! Just looking at his picture is making my blood boil. I honestly want to kick him off my phone screen."
"And people believe what he wrote without checking?" the witch asked in disbelief.
"There are a lot of idiots in this world, and Thorn is their reigning emperor. Don't pay attention to that dumb piece of shit, Meili. I'm gonna slap him for you once I see him."
Ace crossed his arms and leaned his back against his seat, unperturbed of what Thorn did. "Oreo, calm down. I told you to drink holy water whenever you can to purify your soul," he joked.
Noticing that his friend was unaffected, a thought crossed Oreo's mind. "You already knew that Thorn would do this, didn't you?"
"Of course."
"Did you prepare something to counter this bastard?"
Ace pulled out his phone and waved it to them while grinning. "When I told Vodka about what Meili did in the amusement park, I also informed her that Thorn would probably post something about Meili in his social media because of what she did. And surprisingly, Vodka also predicted the same. She asked me if Meili has a social media account, so I gave her the Twitter account that you created. She said DME is ready to counter Thorn."
Oreo hastily fiddled his phone and switched to Meili's account that he created earlier. A mixture of delight and surprise dawned on his face as he saw the tagged tweet from DME.
"Look! DME tweeted a video of what really happened earlier!" he exclaimed excitedly. The three watched the short clip. It showed Meili's VTR until the part where she patted the guy's head and walked away.
The two guys laughed while the witch was still in awe after watching herself in the small screen. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't imagine how people in this parallel world could capture moving images. And even though she had seen a lot of moving images in the television, it gave her a different feeling to see herself being captured in the screen.
Her train of thoughts were cut short when Ace handed her his phone.
"That's your Twitter account," he said. He then began explaining on how to use the phone to write her tweets. Afterward, he coaxed her to write a reply to Thorn's tweet.
"I already tagged Thorn. That means, he will be able to see your tweet."
Oreo folded his arms on the table and leaned forward while smirking tauntingly. "That will be your first message that the entire world will see. Are you scared? Can you really fight Thorn and his followers?"
A menacing grin formed on the witch's lips as she responded, "I'm written as the villain in the ancient book. Are you seriously asking what a villain can do?"
*****
It was already late at night but the warrior continued his training in the backyard. He was practicing using his sword while Da Xia sat at the bottom of the kitchen's doorway, watching him. She was hugging her knees with one arm while resting her chin on her palm, quietly following his movements with her gaze.
The swift movements of her master as well as the way he handled the sword was extremely fascinating. Each slash and swing were done with ease, but the whistling sound of the blade hinted about the frightening force behind it. His inscrutable eyes and formidable countenance inspired fear and respect, probably forged by his countless battles during his younger years.
The warrior suddenly halted and strode toward her. He then slumped in front of her and brushed the strands of hair away from her face. "Go inside. It's cold out here."
"I'm fine," she mumbled. As she stared at the guy, she was reminded that Yong Jie was indeed worthy of being the male lead. His sharp eyes that seemed to conceal a dark secret, his prominent nose, his lips, and his well-defined jawline – his handsome features would captivate any maiden. No wonder the famed lady of Rose Petal sect was so smitten with him.
Without thinking, Da Xia slowly raised her hands and cupped the warrior's face. Her master stiffened at first, but eventually relaxed. He placed a hand over her hand before asking, "Are you sleepy? You need to rest. I will join you in a short while."
If only the female lead wasn't the one written in the ancient book. Yong Jie deserved someone who would cherish him. It would have been better if it was Qian Ru whom he liked instead of the female lead who was described as a strong-willed woman who would often poke her nose onto things with the excuse of upholding justice and ended up always causing trouble for the warrior. Just thinking about the things that the female lead would do in the future was giving her mental issues.
Even back in her world, she didn't like the online novels with heroines depicted as righteous and compassionate but were abrasive toward their male leads. Why were they kind to other people and rude to the male leads? And they would often act like the guys had the moral obligation to always help them when they were in a pinch.
She withdrew her hands and folded her arms on her lap. "Master, don't you like Lady Qian Ru?" she asked. "She's kind and very pretty."
"I do like her."
Her eyes squinted in delight and a teasing smile appeared on her lips. "You do?"
"Hmm," he murmured in response. "She was nice to you, so I like her."
"Not that kind of like!" she whined. "I mean, don't you like her as a woman?"
The guy frowned before responding, "I don't think about such things. Passing the imperial military exam is my current priority. I will look for a suitable wife after achieving my goals."
A resigned sigh graced Da Xia's lips. These Chun males had no concept of dating and would go straight to marriage. If the people of Chun Empire were to have a glimpse of the dating scene in the modern world, they would probably have a heart attack.
"Since you are idling around, why don't you train with me?" the warrior suggested.
Da Xia whimpered in protest and creased her eyebrows. "I already trained for the entire day," she complained. Then, an idea filled her mind, making her smile. "Why don't you teach me a sword dance instead?"
A brief pause followed as the guy pondered briefly. "I do know some sword dances, but I'm not exceptional like Qian Ru." He then stood up and offered his hand to the little maiden.
"It's okay. I just want to learn one," Da Xia replied as she accepted her master's hand and pulled herself up.
They then stood in the middle of their backyard with Da Xia holding the sword while facing the guy.
"Turn around," he instructed. "I will slowly guide you on each step."
The girl complied and spun around, her back facing the warrior. She sensed her master stepping toward her, bridging the distance between them. Then, she felt his chest against her back as the guy wrapped his left arm on her waist while his right hand held her hand that was gripping the sword.
"You must feel my movement," he told her.
She let out a soft gasp and her heart raced rapidly when the guy tightened his arm across her stomach.
"Stand up straight. Be aware of your stance."
He then started moving, guiding her hand to raise the sword, pointing it to the sky before slowly bringing it down, pointing it to the side. He turned around, bringing her with him, while moving her hand to swing the sword, as though challenging some opponents around them.
For each step, her master would guide her hand and her body while instructing her in a quiet voice, her movements becoming smoother as they continued. Their slow and calm pace made her feel the solemnity of the dance, each wave and thrust of the blade bearing a meaning behind it.
Her back would sometimes lean against his chest, and he would sometimes lean forward to whisper something on her ear. Their movements molded into one, with the calm night as their only witness to their slow performance. The snow started falling, but the two remained focus, as though no one and nothing could disrupt them.
When the sword dance came to an end, Da Xia slowly turned around and faced her master. His unwavering pair of eyes directed at her and the loud thumping of her heart caused her to feel restless. She didn't know why, but her mind was telling her she was doing something wrong.
She slightly flinched when the guy raised his hand and gently brushed the snow off her hair. He then rested his hand on top of her head and held her gaze. It was as though he was searching for something in her eyes but also didn't know what he was looking for, only that if he stared intently, he would eventually find it.
"Why do I sense fear in you?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I'm not sure why I'm feeling anxious. It feels like I'm doing something that I will later regret," she admitted. "Master, wouldn't it be better for you if I didn't insist on accompanying you back in Yellow Dirt City?"
"Da Xia," he mumbled, his eyes lingering on her face. "You are with me...because beside me is the place where you're supposed to be."
His words rang clearly amidst the howling wind. The falling snow was obscuring her vision, but she remained still while her eyes was settled on the guy.
"Do you now understand?" There was a faintly discernible fondness in his voice that was hard to ignore. She understood, but she chose to keep her silence. Because deep in her heart, it simply wasn't her place.
*****
Hoofbeats disrupted the stillness of the night as a few men wearing black winter cloaks over red cross-robes rode their horses amidst the freezing winter. They gradually slowed down as they entered the Plum Mist village, the leader of the group darting his gaze around. When his eyes landed on a signage of an inn, he dismounted from his horse and strode toward it. The others followed the guy, dragging their horses with them.
If anyone were to look closely, they would see the insignia of the Flaming Rock sect engraved in the brooch fastened in their winter cloaks. The group radiated an intimidating air, and anyone would know not to slight them. Their eyes mirrored their indomitable spirit – unflinching and impossible to subdue no matter what kind of hurdle they had to face.
Back in Yellow Dirt City, Yanyu mounted the horse and held the rein, applying pressure on its body until it went on a full run. She took the most inconspicuous route toward Plum Mist village, trying to evade the Flaming Rock sect disciples who seemed to flock to Yellow Dirt City as well as the neighboring villages. In her possession was a torn page from the missing Poison Blood tribe chronicles, which was the only clue she found from her sworn sister's manor library.
_________________________________________
⭐⭐Please click the VOTE button!⭐⭐
✔✔FOLLOW me here in WP!✔✔
_________________________________________