Chapter 17: Taking Refuge
The following day, Xia Zuo performed fire breathing in the arena.
Behind the stage curtain, several pairs of eyes were fixed on the figure spewing flames in the arena.
Sneck's eyes reflected the blaze, his face displaying sheer astonishment. "Boss, Xia Zuo's fire skills are so high! This kid's a natural at breathing fire, far more impressive than Fan Er Si, who relies on breathing techniques!"
"Mm-hmm."
The clown siblings covered each other's mouths, only managing muffled agreements.
Every time Xia Zuo breathed out a three-meter-long flame, these siblings would get excited, their eyes widening with each display.
If it weren't for the massive strongman blocking their way, they would have rushed onto the stage to surround Xia Zuo.
Pole Pie placed an arm in front of the clown siblings and ran his hand through his cream-like hair. "Boss, hey, this kid won't get poisoned, will he?"
As soon as Pole Pie spoke, everyone turned their gaze to the boss.
Even the clown siblings quieted down, their faces displaying concern.
Audrey gazed at Xia Zuo's figure, her eyes somewhat distant, recalling the words the boy had spoken to her last night.
"Don't worry, everyone." Audrey looked at the members, smiling as she displayed a bottle of potion to them. "I bought this for him—a versatile antidote."
The versatile antidote could neutralize or immunize against most forms of poisoning within an hour of consumption.
"Xia Zuo uses a fire-breathing mixture with fireproof oil. Before going on stage, he drinks a diluted versatile antidote to weaken the toxicity of the fire-breathing potion."
"With these two potions, his performance isn't much different from Fan Er Si's, just earning a little less, considering the cost of the potions."
Audrey glanced back at the stage, a happy curve on her lips. "And, as you all know, he entrusts his earnings to me. He won't misuse addictive painkillers like Fan Er Si did."
"Boss."
Sneck hesitated, his dark face showing uncertainty before continuing after a few seconds. "I want to contribute some money for Xia Zuo's versatile antidote expenses..."
"Mm-hmm!" The clown siblings nodded with their mouths covered.
"Hey, I'm thinking the same thing." Pole Pie stroked his stubble. "Can't let the new member spend for us old bones."
"Alright then. I'll arrange it." Audrey responded with a nod, very pleased with the members' reactions.
This was how a team should be—helping each other, supporting one another, jointly managing the circus's business.
In truth, even if Sneck and the others didn't offer to share the antidote costs, Audrey would have done so anyway.
Maintaining fairness among team members was one of her consistent principles.
But that was just one reason.
Audrey tucked away the versatile antidote into her trunk, recalling the six words Xia Zuo had said: "Acting means playing the whole role."
Xia Zuo decided not to reveal his extraordinary recovery ability to the other members. He had already discussed various strategies with the boss to avoid any slip-ups, including how to deal with everyone else's reactions.
One bottle of versatile antidote, one bottle diluted, and an empty vial.
These three would become the future veteran performers.
Before the performance, Xia Zuo would collect the diluted versatile antidote from the boss.
Once in the dressing room, while changing clothes, he'd pretend to drink the potion, then take out the previously prepared empty vial and return it to the boss.
That was the rough plan.
As for the expenses, Xia Zuo would naturally handle the accounting work.
The fire-breathing performance on stage lasted a good five minutes.
At such a young age, he already possessed six to seven tenths of Fan Er Si's stage skills.
Even though many times it relied on small flames, maneuvers, and jumps to transition, it was enough to puzzle Sneck and the others.
As per Audrey's planned strategy, she squarely placed the blame on the versatile antidote. Although Xia Zuo consumed a diluted version, its effects lasted a good five minutes. There was no point in wasting it; better to stall and perform a bit longer.
Applause erupted from the audience.
Xia Zuo had successfully cooked a raw chicken on stage.
Audrey signaled to the few beside her, leading the way to open the curtain and step onto the performance stage.
"The performance went smoothly. Let's thank our audience for their support."
...
The circus had three shows from morning till evening.
By evening, Xia Zuo sat backstage, trembling arms, and cheeks twitching, teetering on the brink of cramps.
All he wanted now was to return to the inn, take a comforting hot bath, and find a place for a satisfying meal.
While everyone rested, the boss efficiently managed the miscellaneous tasks.
Xia Zuo no longer had to cook for the members; each handled their own dinner.
Everyone's payment had been distributed before dinner.
Without Fan Er Si, the money box remained well-behaved and didn't vanish selfishly.
Audrey scooped out a handful of coins from the money box, counted carefully, and then threw them into bags, distributing them to each member.
"Boss, you can just keep my money." Xia Zuo lifted his sore arms, motioning to Audrey to stop her from tossing the bag.
"Alright then, I'll hold onto it for you. For today's three performances, after deducting the potion expenses, it amounts to 310 copper coins."
Audrey stowed the bag into her trunk, clapped her hands, and announced, "We'll take a day off tomorrow, and the day after, we'll head to the next stop."
Approaching the tired boy, she extended her arm. "Little one, want me to assist you back to the inn?"
Xia Zuo stood up shakily, leaning on the boss's sturdy arm, flipping through the information in his mind.
"Successfully completed today's fire-breathing performance.
"Average fire-breathing intensity and duration per show:
"Flames - 50 seconds
"Small flames - 40 seconds
"Medium flames - 30 seconds
"Strong flames - 15 seconds
"Average audience count per show: 40 people
"Average audience satisfaction: 85%
"Total experience gained from 3 shows: 30 points."
【Level】LV.5
【Experience】31+30→61/200
An average of 10 experience points per show.
Under normal circumstances, the audience count would be around 25, equating to 6.25 experience points.
Performing three times a day for six days, it meant gaining 110 experience points at each stop.
The circus spent half the month traveling, performing at two stops, tallying up to 220 experience points!
A tired yet smiling Xia Zuo realized he was back to leveling up once a month.
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