Bonfire Dance

As night fell, the sky was dyed with the last touch of dark red from the sunset, then gradually swallowed by the deep ink blue, like a deep piece of silk slowly spreading out.

And the bright full moon quietly rose, hanging in the sky like a silver plate, scattering soft, clear light.

Stars also lit up one by one, like countless fluorescent silver sands sewn onto the silk of the night sky.

Under the Old Oak Tree, in the open space in the center of the village, more than a dozen pieces of firewood were piled up to form a huge bonfire. The flames leaped and crackled, bursting out countless firefly-like sparks that danced in the night sky.

On two long wooden tables, wooden bowls filled with bright Red Fruit Wine were placed. A whole wild wolf, more than a meter long, was placed on a wooden rack next to the bonfire to roast, and the grease dripped into the fire, making a sizzling sound.

"Come on, Berg, have another glass of Red Fruit Wine. If I can't beat you, I will definitely get you drunk!"

"Beautiful girls, who wants to dance with me?"

"Maria, I love you, please be my wife, I will love you with my whole life."

"Wolf meat, delicious!"

The villagers danced wildly around the bonfire. Some people pulled Berg to drink, and they didn't give up even when they were drunk and their eyes were full of stars. Some people clamored to find a dance partner, but no one responded after looking around several times. Some people held wildflowers and woven garlands, knelt on one knee to propose to their beloved girl, and finally hugged each other tightly under everyone's blessings. Still others didn't care about anything, just buried themselves in eating wolf meat, and didn't stop until their stomachs were round and their mouths were full of oil.

The scene was lively, and almost everyone's face was filled with a bright smile, with only one exception.

Not far from the bonfire, Xian sat alone on the ground, leaning against the Old Oak Tree, his head lowered and his brows furrowed.

He was still thinking about the profession he had just obtained.

Clarity, Foolishness, and Absent-mindedness—these three abilities don't look like combat-related abilities at all! Moreover, how can the College Student profession be promoted? I can't go back and take a master's or doctoral degree!

Xian sighed heavily. He was very worried that he would remain in the Mortal Rank profession for the rest of his life.

In that case, even if his Status Blessing was noble, he would only be a vase or a think tank.

What's more, his Status Blessing is fake. "The lord of Black Wolf Territory will most likely come to me soon. How should I face him?"

"Should I be arrogant, calm, or silent, but what if he asks me about my origins?"

Xian rubbed his temples, feeling a terrible headache.

"Your Highness, are you alright?"

Just then, a slightly worried, spring-like clear female voice awakened him.

Xian raised his head slightly and saw Anlìyà walking towards him.

The girl changed back into the blue dress, her exposed snow-white shoulders were slightly red, and the skirt swayed with her light steps, like a bluebell flower swaying in the night wind.

Her bright golden hair shone with a soft luster under the warm yellow light of the bonfire, and her beautiful azure eyes were full of concern and worry.

Xian nodded slightly, indicating that he was fine.

The girl thought for a while, then lifted her skirt and sat on the ground leaning against the Old Oak Tree like him, seemingly not afraid of getting her only dress dirty.

"Your Highness, you don't seem very happy. Is it because of your profession?" Anlìyà asked cautiously, while imperceptibly moving closer to the young man's position.

She noticed that Xian's expression had been a little sullen since he obtained his profession.

"A little bit, after all, to be honest, I also have a dream of breaking through thousands of riders alone, and being so powerful as to uproot mountains, but now it seems a bit difficult." Xian shrugged.

"Haha, most men seem to think so, even Berg is like that. When he was a child, he kept clamoring to ride a dragon to fly into the sky and become a general." Anlìyà covered her mouth and chuckled.

"But..." The girl changed the subject.

She first stole a glance at the face of the person beside her. The firelight cast flickering shadows on Xian's face, setting off his perfect facial contours and making his already handsome face even more captivating.

So... so handsome! It feels like Your Highness is even more handsome after obtaining a Profession than before!

Then, she turned her gaze to the Profession Blessing above Xian's head—"College Student." Although she had never heard of this Profession, the presence of the word "student" undoubtedly indicated the high level of knowledge required for this Profession.

Moreover, such a noble person like Your Highness even knows how to build cellars to store fruits and make jams, these trivial pieces of knowledge. "I still think that Your Highness, a person with such extensive knowledge, is more charming!" Anlìyà shouted, her face flushed.

The sound was so loud that even Xian was startled.

It was the first time he had heard the girl speak in such a loud voice. In his previous impression, Anlìyà had always been the image of a gentlewoman with a voice as soft as a mosquito's hum.

"Phew, thank you for comforting me."

Xian breathed a sigh of relief and raised his hand to gently pat the girl's head.

Although he knew that what Anlìyà said was of no benefit to his current situation, when you are in a daze and troubled, having a beautiful girl with long legs and a slender waist sitting on the ground next to you, not minding the dirt, and comforting you, your mood will always be much better.

Seeing the youth's brow relax, Anlìyà finally felt relieved, her eyes narrowed into crescents, carefully feeling the warmth of the big hand on her head.

After a moment, she patted her skirt and slowly stood up.

"Your Highness," the girl called softly, her voice like a clear spring in the night breeze.

"Everyone is dancing, would you like to dance too?"

"If you don't mind..."

Anlìyà took two small steps back, put her hands behind her back, and gently tiptoed. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and then she revealed a smile as bright as the sun.

"I can be your dance partner."

"...Okay."

Xian wanted to refuse, but the girl's smile was too dazzling.

Crackling sounds.

The bonfire was burning brightly.

An old villager with white hair and beard held a wooden flute and gently played a cheerful tune.

And Xian, following Anlìyà's guidance, held her soft hand in one of his, placed the other on her shoulder, and moved gently to the rhythm of the flute.

The girl's steps were very elegant, but his steps seemed clumsy and stiff, his feet always missing the beat, and his arms as stiff as wood.

The two were never on the same rhythm.

"Cough, cough, Anlìyà, I'm sorry, I'm dragging you down a bit."

Xian coughed twice, his face a little embarrassed.

His physical coordination had always been quite terrible. He even failed Tai Chi in college, which directly dragged down his grade point average.

"It's okay, Your Highness. After all, I'm not as good as you in anything. If I can slightly surpass you in dancing, it would be my lifelong honor."

Anlìyà lifted her skirt, bowed slightly, and said with a hint of playfulness on her delicate face.

Just then, Xian suddenly thought that this might be a good opportunity to test his ability.

He still remembered the information about that ability—Absent-mindedness: You can empty your mind and let your body take over the action.

"Anlìyà, one more time," Xian said calmly.