Trouble Makers

As time stretched infinitely, Zhang Haoyun felt himself slipping away, his senses dulling as if submerged in a vast, endless void.

He no longer felt the weight of his body, nor the cold embrace of the abyss around him. Instead, he floated in a state of weightlessness, his consciousness flickering like a fragile flame in the face of a raging storm.

Yet, even as his awareness faded, his grip on the Golden Box remained unyielding, his fingers clenched tightly around its ornate surface. It was as if the box had become an extension of himself, a final tether to the world he was leaving behind.

In his last moments, memories of his past life flashed before him like pages of a book being rapidly flipped.

He saw himself as a young deity, full of pride and ambition, his laughter echoing through the heavens. He saw the battles he had fought, the enemies he had crushed, and the fleeting moments of joy he had shared with those he once called allies.

As these memories played out, a calm and relaxed smile spread across his face. He had lived a life of defiance, and even in death, he would not bow to fate.

However…

Just as his consciousness was about to dissipate completely, a strange power intervened. It was as if the universe itself had paused, its infinite machinery grinding to a halt.

This power, mysterious and sentient, latched onto Zhang Haoyun's fading divine essence, pulling it back from the brink of oblivion.

In his final moments, Zhang Haoyun's grip on the Golden Box tightened instinctively, as if the box itself had willed it.

This subtle action triggered a ripple effect in the flow of time around him. The Golden Box, as if awakened by his determination, broke free from his embrace and began to glow with an otherworldly light.

It exhibited a strange intelligence, its actions deliberate and purposeful. It seemed to recognize Zhang Haoyun as its fated owner, and in a display of sentience, it began to collect his scattered consciousness, piece by piece.

For an unknown amount of time, this process continued, the Golden Box working tirelessly to gather every fragment of Zhang Haoyun's being.

Once it had completed its task, the box began to shrink, its form condensing until it was no larger than a microscopic dot. Then, with a burst of golden light, it shot into the sky, vanishing from sight as if it had never existed.

***********

Purple Dragon Continent: Zhang Clan

In a dimly lit room, a figure lay motionless on the cold, hard floor. The room was in disarray, with weapons scattered haphazardly and bloodstains marring the walls and floor.

The figure's clothes, though tattered and torn, still bore the faint traces of nobility, suggesting that he had once been someone of importance—perhaps a young master or the son of a wealthy merchant.

Yet, here he was, beaten and left for dead, a stark reminder of life's unpredictability.

Suddenly, the air in the room grew heavy, and a narrow glitch appeared in the fabric of space. A strange aura descended, isolating the room from the rest of the continent. Time itself seemed to pause, as if the universe had taken a breath.

From the glitch emerged a microscopic, atom-like golden substance. It hovered cautiously, scanning the room with an almost sentient awareness.

Its movements were deliberate, as if it were searching for something—or someone. Finally, it halted above the still figure, its golden light flickering with recognition.

SING!

The golden substance shot into the figure's body, and the oppressive aura dissipated as quickly as it had appeared. Time resumed its flow, and the room returned to its previous state.

To the outside world, it was as if nothing had happened. But within the room, a profound change had taken place.

Several incense sticks' worth of time later, the figure stirred. At first, the movement was subtle—a twitch of the fingers, a faint shift in posture.

But soon, the movements became more pronounced, resulting in the figure sitting up abruptly, his eyes snapping open.

The figure—now unmistakably Zhang Haoyun—assumed a meditative lotus position, his forehead glowing with a blinding golden light.

His eyes, when they opened, were filled with a fierce, ruthless glint. The arrogance, the defiance, the unyielding will—it was all there, overlapping with the memories of his past life.

"Hahaha! I actually reincarnated!" Zhang Haoyun cackled, his voice filled with a mixture of disbelief and excitement.

He took a moment to inspect his new body, his expression one of mild approval.

"Not bad. But I expected more," he muttered, his tone indifferent.

Closing his eyes, he focused inward, and his lips curled into a smirk.

"Holy Shit," he exclaimed, his voice tinged with awe. "The Golden Box? It actually followed me here… This is interesting."

It was clear now that the Golden Box had played a pivotal role in his reincarnation.

It had not only preserved his consciousness, but it had also bonded it to the body of the young master of the Zhang Family.

The box had compensated the original soul of the body, allowing Zhang Haoyun to take its place seamlessly.

Even as a True God in his past life, Zhang Haoyun was awed by the box's power. It was no ordinary divine artifact—it was something far greater, something that defied comprehension.

"This is too good to be true!" Zhang Haoyun laughed, his excitement palpable.

He could feel the box's presence within him, its power intertwined with his very essence. It was a treasure beyond measure, and he was eager to uncover its secrets.

But his moment of glee was short-lived. A loud, chaotic knocking echoed through the room, followed by angry voices.

"Zhang Haoyun, come out now! We know you're in there!"

"If you don't come out, we'll break in, and you'll regret being born!"

Zhang Haoyun frowned, his meditation interrupted. He quickly sifted through the memories of the body's original owner.

"Is this a joke?" he muttered under his breath. "The owner of this body is the Young Master of the Zhang Family? And he shares my name? But his profile is… weak."

Ignoring the pounding on the door, Zhang Haoyun flexed his wrists, the joints creaking as he tested his new body. The voices outside grew more aggressive, their taunts escalating.

"Zhang Haoyun, you don't know your place as trash! Come out and kiss Senior Brother's feet!"

"Pfft! What a nasty pervert," Zhang Haoyun sneered, his eyes flashing coldly. He had no intention of bowing to these fools.

BANG!

The door burst open, and two figures stormed into the room.

Zhang Haoyun recognized them immediately—Zhang Yunshan and Zhang Zhehan, grandsons of the Zhang Family's Sixth Elder.

They were infamous troublemakers, always picking on the weak and flaunting their status.

Today, they had come to torment the young master, unaware that the person they were dealing with was no longer the same.

"Well, well," Zhang Haoyun said, a dangerous smile spreading across his face. "Looks like you two are in for a rude awakening."