Chapter 2: Death and Rebirth in Murim

Zhang Ye's breath hitched. His mind screamed that this wasn't real, that it couldn't be. Yet the warmth of the little girl's grip, the way she trembled as she clung to him it was real.

Xiao Lan. His little sister. The one he had lost so long ago.

But she looked… younger. No older than seven or eight.

His chest tightened. What the hell is going on?

"Brother!" Xiao Lan's voice cracked, and fresh tears welled in her eyes. "You you weren't breathing! I thought " She hiccupped, her tiny hands squeezing his sleeve as if he'd disappear.

Zhang Ye swallowed hard, pushing aside his confusion. He had no answers, but right now, this little girl his sister needed him.

"I'm fine," he said, forcing his voice to stay steady. "Just… a little dizzy."

Xiao Lan wiped her face with her sleeve, sniffling. "You scared me, Brother."

Zhang Ye slowly sat up, ignoring the dull ache in his limbs. His clothes were different. Gone was his convenience store uniform he wore a rough, patched-up robe, the kind from ancient Chinese dramas. His hands were calloused, rougher than he remembered.

He looked around. A forest. Tall trees surrounded them, their thick canopies blocking most of the sunlight. The air smelled fresher, untouched by pollution. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear a river.

No streetlights. No honking cars. No city skyline.

Just wilderness.

His stomach twisted.

This isn't Earth.

Then, a sharp pain flared in his head.

Memories.

Flashes of a life that wasn't his but somehow was.

A run-down village. A sickly mother who had passed years ago. A father who had left and never returned. A small house with a leaking roof. Scraping by for food. Protecting Xiao Lan from bullies.

Zhang Ye gritted his teeth.

This isn't reincarnation. It's a takeover.

He had died. But instead of moving on, his soul had been pulled into this body, into a boy who shared his name, his face but not his past.

Before he could fully process it, a new sound cut through the trees.

Rustling. Footsteps.

Xiao Lan's grip on his sleeve tightened. Her face paled.

"Brother," she whispered. "They're back."

A chill crawled down Zhang Ye's spine.

They?

Then, from the shadows of the forest, three men stepped out.

Their clothes were ragged, their faces covered in scars and grime. One had a rusted sword slung over his shoulder. Another chewed on a thin straw, his eyes gleaming with amusement. The last, the tallest, cracked his knuckles.

Zhang Ye didn't need memories to know what they were.

Bandits.

The tallest one sneered. "Well, well. Look who decided to wake up."

Xiao Lan trembled beside him.

Zhang Ye exhaled slowly. His body was weak. His mind was still adjusting. But even if he didn't know everything about this world yet…

One thing was clear.

These bastards were trouble.

The tallest bandit stepped forward, his boots crunching against the dirt. He had a thick scar running down his cheek and a grin that made Zhang Ye's skin crawl.

"Thought you were dead, brat," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Guess we get to kill you again."

Xiao Lan clutched Zhang Ye's sleeve even tighter. "Brother… I"

"Stay behind me," Zhang Ye murmured. His mind raced.

His body was weak. He had no idea what level of martial arts these men knew if any. His memories of this world were fragmented, but he knew one thing: this version of Zhang Ye was a malnourished village kid. He had no formal training. No strength.

But I do.

His body might be different, but his instincts from his past life remained. The way he fought off those gangsters before dying the movements, the reactions they were still there.

The bandit with the rusted sword scoffed. "What's that look for? Gonna cry?"

Zhang Ye exhaled. His stance shifted subtle, but prepared.

The scarred leader's grin widened. "Heh. Fine. Let's see if you can last longer than last time."

Then, he lunged.

Zhang Ye moved.

The bandit's fist shot forward, aiming for Zhang Ye's face. Slow. Sloppy. Predictable. Zhang Ye tilted his head just slightly the punch missed by a hair.

Before the bandit could react, Zhang Ye grabbed his outstretched arm. He twisted his body, using the man's momentum against him and drove his knee into the bandit's gut.

THUD!

The impact sent a shockwave through the man's body. His eyes bulged. He staggered back, gasping for air.

Silence.

The other two bandits froze, their cocky expressions twisting into shock.

Zhang Ye straightened, rolling his shoulders. This body is weak, but technique wins over brute strength.

He smirked. "Huh. That was disappointing."

The second bandit, the one chewing straw, spat onto the ground. His eyes darkened. "Little bastard."

He reached for the sword on his waist.

Zhang Ye's muscles tensed.

The sword came free with a shing. The man sneered. "Let's see you dodge this."

Then, he charged.

The bandit rushed in, sword flashing under the dappled forest light. His movements were crude more like a butcher swinging a cleaver than a trained swordsman. But a weapon was still a weapon.

Zhang Ye's mind sharpened. His instincts screamed. Too slow. Too obvious.

The blade came down in a brutal arc. Zhang Ye stepped sideways just enough. The rusted sword whistled past his ear, missing by a breath.

The bandit's balance wavered.

Now.

Zhang Ye struck. His foot shot out, kicking the man's wrist. CRACK! The sword flew from his grip, spinning through the air before embedding itself into the dirt.

The bandit yelped. "Bastard"

Zhang Ye didn't let him finish. He surged forward, his elbow driving into the bandit's jaw. A solid impact bone against bone. The man's head snapped back, his body collapsing onto the ground like a sack of rice.

Xiao Lan gasped. The remaining bandit, the scarred leader, stared at Zhang Ye like he had just grown a second head.

Zhang Ye exhaled, shaking out his hand. This body is weak, but technique makes up for it.

The scarred leader's grin had vanished. "What the hell…?" He spat to the side. "You weren't like this before."

Zhang Ye smirked. "Guess I had a good night's sleep."

The leader's eyes darkened. He cracked his knuckles again, this time slower. Measured.

"Fine," he muttered. "I'll do it myself."

Then, he rushed in.

And Zhang Ye felt it.

The shift in air. The sheer weight behind his movements. This one was different he knew how to fight.

Zhang Ye braced himself.

The real battle had just begun.

The scarred bandit moved fast faster than the others. His fist shot forward, aimed straight for Zhang Ye's chest. No wasted movement, no hesitation. This one had real experience.

Zhang Ye twisted, barely dodging as the punch skimmed past his ribs. Close. Too close.

Before he could counter, the bandit's other fist came a brutal hook toward his temple. Zhang Ye ducked, feeling the rush of air as it missed by inches.

He's stronger than me. The realization was instant, cold, undeniable.

This wasn't like the previous two. His body was weak, and this man wasn't some street thug swinging blindly. He knew how to fight.

Then I can't fight strength with strength.

Zhang Ye changed his approach.

The bandit launched another punch this time, Zhang Ye didn't dodge. He shifted inward, closing the distance before the full force could build. His hands snapped up, grabbing the man's wrist and elbow.

Then, he pulled.

Using the enemy's strength against them.

The bandit's own momentum betrayed him his body lurched forward. Zhang Ye twisted his hip and slammed his knee up straight into the man's gut.

THUD!

The scarred bandit's breath left him in a choked gasp.

Zhang Ye didn't stop. He pivoted, twisting the bandit's arm SNAP! The man roared in pain as his shoulder dislocated.

Zhang Ye let go. The bandit staggered back, gripping his useless arm, rage and disbelief in his eyes.

"Y-You… what the hell…?" he panted.

Zhang Ye rolled his shoulders. His body ached, but the adrenaline masked it.

He smirked. "What? Thought I'd just let you beat me?"

The bandit's eyes flickered with something new.

Not just rage.

Fear.

Then rustling.

A second later, the first bandit the one Zhang Ye had kneed earlier groaned and started pushing himself up.

Tch. They were recovering.

Zhang Ye inhaled. His body was reaching its limit. He had to finish this now.

The scarred bandit grit his teeth. "Damn brat… I'll kill you!" He charged again, this time a reckless rush of desperation.

Zhang Ye exhaled.

Fine.

He stepped forward, bracing himself and threw a punch of his own.

Zhang Ye's fist collided with the bandit's jaw. A sharp, solid impact. The man's head snapped back, spit flying from his mouth as his body froze.

Then he dropped.

THUD!

Silence.

For a long moment, the only sound was Zhang Ye's heavy breathing. His arms trembled, his knuckles stinging from the hit. His body screamed at him too weak, too drained.

But he'd won.

The scarred bandit lay motionless, his chest barely rising. The first bandit, still groaning on the ground, took one look at his fallen leader and froze. His face went pale.

Zhang Ye turned to him, his eyes cold.

"Still want to try your luck?" he asked.

The bandit flinched, scrambling backward. "Shit, shit...!" He clutched his bruised ribs, then turned and ran into the trees, disappearing into the forest.

Zhang Ye exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Smart choice."

Xiao Lan had been completely silent the entire fight. Now, she blinked, her tiny hands still clutched to the edge of his robe.

"Brother…?" she whispered.

Zhang Ye turned to her. His expression softened.

"It's okay," he murmured, placing a hand on her head. "They won't bother us anymore."

Xiao Lan's lower lip quivered, then she burst into tears.

Zhang Ye stiffened. "H-Hey"

But before he could react, she threw herself into his arms, sobbing into his chest.

"You're okay! I.....I thought you were dead!"

Zhang Ye hesitated. Then, slowly, he wrapped his arms around her, feeling the warmth of his little sister his second chance.

His chest ached. Not from exhaustion. Not from pain.

But from something else.

Something he hadn't felt in a long, long time.

Family.

He closed his eyes for a moment.

Then, when Xiao Lan's sobs quieted, he gently pulled away.

"Come on," he said, brushing dirt from her cheek. "We need to leave before more trouble finds us."

Xiao Lan sniffled and nodded.

Zhang Ye glanced at the fallen bandits one last time.

Then, taking his sister's hand, he stepped forward toward whatever fate awaited him in this strange new world.