Chapter 2
The rain hadn't stopped in three days.
The sky wept, as if the heavens had offended it.
A heavy gush of wind nearly blew the thatch roof of a hut situated somewhere far on the outskirts of the western continent.
The inhabitants of this hut hadn't come out since the rains began. And constantly, random bolts of lightning would hit the house, as if the inhabitant were undergoing a heavenly tribulation.
But that was impossible.
The inhabitant was a nobody in cultivation, he was still stuck in the Qi condensation realm after 4 years.
The interior of the hut looked far worse than the exterior. The hut only had one room, the bamboo walls were stained with blood, on the ground were shards of glass and clay gourds. There was a foul stench coming from the house, it smelled like fecal matter, death and the unmistakable smell of fermented cheese.
On a brown straw mat lay a young man who looked no younger than seventeen. He had olive skin with short wavy dark hair, so dark it looked like shadows had been used to form his head. He wore robes that were stained with food remnants, and the robes looked torn. His eyes were shut, and his breathing was steady as if he was in a deep slumber.
Then a single bolt of lightning pierced the roof, hitting the man square in the chest.
CRACKKK!!!
He gasped.
His eyes flew open, they were wide and bloodshot. Veins bulged around his temples, his body arched off the straw mat as though something was slithering up his spine. For a moment, his mouth opened, but no sound came out. Just a long, pained breath, like the first inhale of a drowned rising from the depths of the ocean.
Then he let out a scream. Not from agony.
But from the sensation of more than a century's worth of knowledge rushing at you and striking you at point blank range.
Liang Chen was back.
And he remembered.
He sat up slowly, but the pain made him cough, spitting black phlegm onto the floor. Blood dripped from his nose, ears, even the corners of his eyes.
He sat up straight, his bones creaking, a ray of sunlight was peaking in from the hole in the roof, he leaned over and looked down at the puddle of water.
And he froze.
Staring at him was his younger version, when he was seventeen. He looked younger now, his silver-grey eyes were bloodshot, his lips were parched as if he hadn't tasted water in weeks.
Then a familiar ding echoed through his mind.
DINGG!!
[Regression Complete. Soul Synchronization: 100%.]
[Timeframe Set: 300 Years in the Past.]
[Host Body: Confirmed. Liang Chen, Age 17. Cultivation Realm: Mid Qi Condensation.]
[Initializing Status Display…]
A transparent golden screen appeared in front of him.
Name: Liang Chen
Age: 17
Realm: Qi Condensation (Mid-stage)
Physique: Mortal Grade Physique(Rank 4)
Bloodline: Crimson Lotus Sect - Liang Clan (Downgraded)
Soul Type: [Awakened] - Fragmented Deva Soul
Martial Path: Undefined
System Integration: 12% (Basic Functions Available)
Known Techniques:
— Crimson Flow Spear Art (Fragmented)
— Lotus Steps (Level 1)
— Blazing Qi Palm (Level 1)
Liang Chen stared blankly at the screen, transfixed and confused.
Another ding resounded.
[Due to timeline shift and soul regression, host has lost access to most previously acquired skills and soul imprints.]
[System currently operating under emergency recovery mode.]
[Full access to legacy abilities locked behind synchronization milestones and cultivation breakthroughs.]
Liang Chen groaned, clutching his head. A wave of nausea washed over him.
"You mean to tell me I was brought back three hundred years… and you dumped me in a broken body with a leaking dantian and the combat strength of a piglet?"
For a moment, there was silence. Then…
[Correct.]
[Would you like to enable "Beginner's Pack"?]
Liang Chen's brow twitched.
"…Beginner's pack?"
[Includes: Basic Healing Pill (x2), Cultivation Speed Boost x1 (24 hours), Sect Contribution Points: +50, and Personal Journal Archive (Past Life Memory Access Log – Locked Until Martial Expert Realm)]
[Warning: Once claimed, Beginner's Pack will bind to the host. Reset is impossible.]
Liang Chen exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples. The rain outside was only increasing with intensity.
"...Fine. I'll take it."
[Beginner's Pack Claimed. Inventory Slot Opened.]
[Items received. Boost Active: Cultivation Speed x2 for 24 hours.]
Immediately, he felt the familiar warmth of qi circulating round his meridians and flowing into his dantian.
The fog in his brain had cleared allowing him to think better. He stood up fully, his legs wobbly, his head spinning and hurting like crazy, but he managed to balance on his two feet.
'300 years ago, the Liang clan probably doesn't exist now'
Liang Chen was now regressed into the same world, with a weird screen showing up. But he remembered. He remembered the face of his fiancee, the face of his executioner and the faces of all those who wronged him. He was going to get his revenge, even if the heavens bled.
But for now, one step at a time.
He walked over to a corner of the hut and picked up a wooden bo-staff, he twirled it in his hands a few times, remembering the way he used to train when he was younger.
But a bo-staff was as good a weapon as a sword.
He turned to the door, still bare-chested, water dripping down his body. He pushed it open.
Outside, the rains had stopped.
The air outside smelled of damp earth and wet stone. The weather was cold and a natural mist hung in the air.
It had been 3 days since anyone had last seen him.
And now, they were all looking.
As he walked past the first few houses nestled along the path into the outer sect quarters, gazes started to drift his way. Peeking through cracked windows. From behind laundry lines. A few whispered.
"Isn't that Liang Chen?"
"I thought he starved to death already."
"Still wearing the same torn robe, huh? Tch."
"Why is he shirtless? Gross…"
He didn't respond. He just kept walking, the tip of his staff clicking against the wet stone.
The whispers only continued, this time, he began hearing new details.
"He's the guy who tried to peek on Senior Sister Jinhai when she was cultivating near the lake, remember?"
"Disgusting. No wonder his cultivation hasn't progressed in four years."
"Didn't he try to sneak into the girl's baths too?"
"He was framed," someone mumbled.
"Yeah, by his own stupidity."
Liang Chen said nothing, but a smirk appeared on his face. If this is how they remembered him, then his revenge would be even sweeter.
By the time he had reached the outskirts of the outer sect, the whispers had stopped. He stood before the Kenkai forest. The air was colder now. The leaves dripped with water and crickets chirpped.
He began making his way into the forest, looking for food or herbs to collect.
He crouched down near a patch of blueleaf shrubs, inspecting them. The system highlighted their name faintly in his mind's eye.
[Blueleaf Herb – Grade 1]
[Use: Relieves dizziness, good for minor qi deviation. Value: 5 Contribution Points.]
'Tch. Trash-tier… but it's something atleast.'
He gathered a handful of them into a pouch he tied at his waist, then scanned the area for signs of spirit beasts.
That was when he heard the laughter.
"Well, well. What do we have here? The infamous pervert finally crawled out of his rat-hole."
Liang Chen turned slowly, eyes narrowing.
Three inner sect disciples stood beneath a tall, crooked willow tree. Their robes were clean, their belts embroidered with silver lotuses, a sign of elite status. The leader stood in the center, taller than the rest of the two, with golden bands tying up his black hair and a sleek saber strapped to his back.
Liang Chen recognized him.
Fan Wuyi. Inner disciple. Saber expert. Son of the Elder in charge of Law Enforcement.
'In the old timeline… you crippled my hand in a sparring match just because your girlfriend smiled at me.'
Behind him were two lackeys, probably from low-ranked families, clinging to Wuyi like leeches to prestige.
'They'd probably betray him if someone offered them a massive pay'.
"Didn't know rodents grew this bold," Wuyi mocked, walking forward slowly. "What, you finally figured out where to put your dick and your dantian?"
The lackeys cackled.
Liang Chen had to admit, it was actually a pretty good joke.
"Well I figured since you're all dicks and no brains, maybe you could show me how to grow a bigger ego instead."
The laughter stopped.
Even Liang Chen was surprised. In the previous timeline, he had never been one to talk back to anyone, even those lower than him.
The smirk vanished from Wuyi's face, replaced with the blank stare of someone who'd never been spoken back to in his life. One of his lackeys stepped forward, hand on his hilt.
"Don't," Wuyi said, lifting his hand.
He took a step forward.
Then another.
And without warning,
CRACKK!
A vicious backhand landed on Liang Chen's cheek, snapping his head to the side. His vision blurred for a second. Blood trickled from his lip.
"Watch your mouth, outer sect trash," Wuyi said. "Or next time, I won't stop at your face. Maybe I'll break your wrist. Or your legs. Or maybe I'll shove that stick of yours so far up your—"
Liang Chen slowly turned his head back, still smiling.
"You strike me now…" he said softly, "…but one day, I'll bury you with the same hand."
Wuyi blinked. "What did you just say?"
Liang Chen's smile widened just a little. His cheek still stung, red and swelling, but he didn't flinch.
"I said," he repeated, voice flat, "you should remember this hand. It'll be the last thing you see when you die."
For a moment, Wuyi stared at him, genuinely confused.
Then he scoffed. "You're insane."
He turned away.
"Let's go. Not worth getting blood on my boots."
The three disciples vanished into the trees.
Liang Chen stood there, rubbing the side of his face. His cheek throbbed, his lip was split, but yet, he was still eerily calm.
And a new notification rang in his mind:
[New Quest: Slap the Bastard Who Slapped You]
Difficulty: Very High
Reward: 50 EXP, +15 Contribution Points, Satisfaction Bonus, +1 Grade 1 Herb.
Optional Bonus: Slap with the same hand he used.
He chuckled, wiping the blood from his mouth.
"System," he muttered. "Track that one."
[Tracking enabled.]
Liang Chen twirled his bo-staff one more time and followed the three disciples.