His younger cousin, Bai Qiang, his young face similar to him but always frowning. He was wearing a full Bai clan’s uniform. When he saw Bai Chun wasn’t well dressed, he angried.

‘Why are you still undressed? We had to go!’

Bai Chun frowned and asked ‘Go where?’ but he found his voice too fierce, he smoothen his voice ‘Where are we going?’

Bai Qiang was moody and not answering. He threw Bai Chun’s clothes at him. ‘How bad your memory is! Dad just said yesterday!’

Bai Chun was wearing his shirt. He tied the clothes loosely since the pain on his back started to hurt. He replied ‘Yes, yes. I unintentionally listened. Tell me again.

His cousin sighed ‘The Lu’s house. Demons rampant.’

The Lu’s house?

Bai Chun dazed for a few minutes and made Bai qiang hurried him again.

Out of nowhere he asked Bai Qiang ‘A-Qiang. Who am I?’

‘What? Are you crazy?’ He stared at him angrily then walked away ‘No talking! Hurried up!’

Bai Qiang left. The reason he asked was to check his current status. He was confident that he was now reincarnated in his own body looking at his brother's action. He was just a disrespectful brother, not Hechun Jun anymore.

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Bai’s clan is a medium-sized clan with general popularity. They looked after Shan town which is urban with mountain-side.

Their building is on the mountain. It has to walk up one hundred sixty eight ladder steps to reach the study building and disciple practice yard. And another one hundred sixty eight steps to reach the master’s building.

The first level contains saber yard, archery yard, spell yard, canteen, disciple dormitories, public bath, infirmary and study building. The second building contains the master's building, guest’s buildings and teacher’s buildings.

Each building was separated by hillside making them disorderly. Footpath mostly stone. Trees grew all along the path. At the back of the clan there was a mountain range with a waterfall making a small river as the town's headwater.

Bai Chun walked along the stone path. Trail down hundreds of steps to foothills slowly. There were disciples standing, everyone had one horse. Bai Qiang was also there.

Bai’s clan uniform was White-blue with silver accessories that match the clan’s name.(1) Only Bai Qiang and Bai Chun wore gold accessories. But there was another man who stood out.

(1 White in chinese is 白 (Bái) which is the Bai’s clan name)

Tall male grandmaster stood still. He wore White-light blue clothes that make him look highness and deity.

His face is pale white. His lips weren't red. He had ice almond-eyes. His eyebrows were slightly oblique as if he was always frowning. Only his black hair stood out of whiteness.

This is Fong Leng, his damned teacher.

He used to praise this look in the last incarnation.

Fong Leng looked back at him. They stared at each other for a second.

Unspeaking, Fong Leng jumped up white horse and the waiting disciples started to climb up the horse too. Bai Chun hurriedly jumped up the horse and hurried to follow after.

Bai Chun had a feeling of remembering this event, it seems to happen at Lu’s house. That time he was careless. He only cared about wandering around outside.

The only thing he well remembered was he was badly injured. This time he must be cautious.

He rode towards Bai Qiang. The gallop’s shock made his back ache. He scowled and quietly whined. Bai Qiang looked at him frowning ‘If I didn’t call you earlier, will you come?’

‘Nope’

He didn’t even think. Bai Qiang was irritated but didn’t scold. He took a bottle of pills to give to him.

‘Medicine, you didn’t drink it yet, did you?’

Bai Chun opened the lid. The smell told him that this was surely a painkiller. He still looked at it closely.

Bai Qiang saw that he was still joking around so he scolded. ‘Just drink it! I must not see you throw it away!’

Bai Chun ‘No throwing, no throwing.’

He was just paranoid. If he was Hechun Jun, Bai Qiang would definitely poison him. But now, Bai Qiang was only a young pure-hearted boy. So he drank it all.

‘Drink and heal already! Then we will finally get back to practise!’

This is Bai Qiang, just a fouled mouth. But he wanted Bai Chun to fully recover. Bai Chun absorbed his brother's warm heart feeling.

New life.

Am I worth this chance?

Beside him was Bai Chun, looking at him worriedly. After him was a group of junior and senior principles. His heart felt warm.

But looking at the man at the front made him irritated. He looked like a god but his heart was a demon.

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Lu’s house was on the border of Shan town. The journey started around 7 am, and arrived around 4 pm.

The convoy walked in Lu’s village. The door mostly shut tight. No children were outside playing. Everyone was scared.

Lu Lan, the current master, welcomed them to Lu’s house and started telling a story. Bai Chun listened carefully this time.

This village had a story. Twenty years before, there was a demon rampant in the village. It killed a number of people. There were ascetics helping Lu’s son in time.

But he is young with a few experiences. He can’t destroy it nor send it to the abyss. He just locked it in the boy’s room using a talisman. And he told Lu’s master to tell the landlord clan before they leave.

But Lu’s village is just a small urban village. Lu’s clan is just a small, not rich family. If there were to tell the landlord clan would be high cost. So, as the ascetics told them that they are now saved, they let it be.

Now, the helped boy was a grown up. He was a master. He was cautious of his own room which had a demon inside letting no one interfere. Days passed, he married a woman and had a daughter.

Little lady unknowingly joked around, she stripped all the talisman off. The demon was freed, it killed her that instant. Chaos was back to the village once again.

And this is Lu’s village legend.

‘Lian-Er (2). Because I didn’t look after you well. I make the village in danger! My fault! My fault!’ Lu Lan told the story while crying ‘If I tried to tell the landlord clan beforehand as the ascetic said, this would never happen!’

(2 Er is the word calling that person a child)

Disciple looked around, this house showed a clue of a new ruin. Lu Lan, his wife and his servant were dressed in black mourning clothes.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

The eldest senior asked, ‘Excuse me, may I ask? Are there others who are injured or killed?’

Lu Lan nodded, ‘Yes, the first was Lian-Er. Next night was one of my servants. And later night was villages almost everyday’

Disciples screamed ‘How ruthless!’

The demon must be full of hatred.

Bai Qiang asked ‘As you tell, this demon did not wander around in daytime?’

Lu Lan replied ‘As you think’

Fong Leng who had been quiet suddenly said ‘Well then, please tell everyone to stay at the East building, we had to use the west building tonight.’

His sound was still. Low volume but masterful. His voice was the same as Bai Chun remembered.

Lu’s master could guess that Fong Leng was the leader, he assured enthusiastically ‘If you want anything, tell me!’

Fong Leng led students to the west building. He drew a spell on the yard and ordered ‘This is a spell that lures demons. Tonight it will come. Be cautious. At the meantime, asked for more clues. No staying alone.’

Disciples consented and went out to ask more clues for villagers. Only Bai Chun was still standing , thinking of the past event.

Last incarnation, Fong Leng lured the demon with spells too. And that night it came.

Bai Chun was careless. He napped all evening and reunited at night. He stood beside a senior. But the demon lunged at him, its claws pinched his shoulder. His flesh and blood was spread wide.

It stabbed him again in the stomach hardly, nearly making his intestine tear apart. He screamed loudly. The vision blacked out. After that was a ‘Nightmare’.

When he woke up, he was already lying on his bed in Bai’s clan. He cried in pain loudly. He couldn’t move for half a month. He recovered after a season passed.

As he thought, Bai Chun planned to slack off. But Fong Leng walked towards him.

‘Bai Chun’ Fong Leng called him for the first time in this new life. His voice was low sounding as usual. His heart skipped a beat. Fong Leng asked ‘What were you thinking?’

‘I just hungry, thanks for caring, teach’ Bai Chun gritted his teeth to speak politely. Fong Leng frowned. He hesitated for a few seconds then picked his qiankun bag (3) out.

(3 Qiankun bag 乾坤包 : Qiánkūn bāo is the bag that can keep numerous things inside)

‘Eat this’ Fong Leng gave him a grilled dough. Bai Chun grabbed it.

‘Thank you teacher’

He hurriedly left, he had a bite on the dough so as not to make suspicious but Fong Leng called him again.

‘Wait’ Fong Leng frowned and hesitated. He said quietly, only them can hear ‘Tonight…don’t get too far from me…’

Bai Chun stunned.

Fong Leng definitely didn’t say this to me last time.

But the strange action made him giggle ‘Tonight? When? Reunited time or…bedtime’

Fong Leng fliched, his ears were bright red. He turned away shouting ‘Reunited time!’

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Disciples mostly worked in groups, starting to ask villagers for information.

Only Bai Qiang, who was unfriendly, was standing scowling. No one asked him to join. When he saw Bai Chun, he called out. ‘Bai Chun, let’s go.’

Bai Chun smiled, ``Called me brother first.’

Bai Qiang raised his voice ‘Never! Stop joking around! Let’s go find some clues!’

Bai Chun ate up grilled dough. He pointed in one direction ‘Why are we going? Data source is over there!’

The direction he pointed is Lu Lan who was ordering his servant. Bai Qiang frowned. ‘Ask him for what?’

Bai Chun answered, ‘Remember the story he told? Lu’s son who was attacked but survived became Lu’s master. Who other than Lu Lan! It is him who was saved. He must know well about the demon!’

Two Bai walked to him. Bai Chun asked politely ‘Uncle Lu. I wanted to ask more about the demon in detail. Can I?’

Lu Lan seems to be enthusiastics, he replied, ‘Sure, sure ,young masters. I am willing to tell you all. Sit down and drink some tea (4)’

(4 This was not weird speaking out of nowhere due to Chinese tradition. They normally said 请坐, 请喝茶 (Qǐng zuò, qǐng hē chá) means ‘Please sit, please have a tea’)

After tea was served, Lu Lan said ‘So, ask me.’

Bai Chun started ‘Well then, the boy who survived 20 years ago was you, wasn’t it?’

Lu Lan nodded ‘It’s me.’

Bai Chun continued ‘Then, what can the demons do?’

Lu Lan answered seriously ‘It usually wanders at nighttime. The night it attacked me, it came in the black smoke form. After that it changed to an ugly man with sharp claws.

That year, I hadn't reached ten yet, so I screamed loudly. And…a young male ascetic saved me.’

Bai Qiang ‘A young male?’

Lu Lan ‘Yes, same as the town legend. But the ascetic was only fourteen or fifteen years old. He rushed to save me. He used a saber to fight for a few positions. And the demon changed back to smoke and attacked him. He passed out.’

Bai Qiang ‘What? Passed out? Isn’t he the saver?’

Lu Lan laughed ‘How impatient young master. Yes, he passed out. There was a young female ascetic who came after, she told me that he was fighting against the demon in the dream. He was only sleeping, not injured.’

Bai Chun frowned.

Yes, he was careless in the previous incarnation. This demon attacked him. He was dragged into the ‘nightmare’. His body had injuries. He wobbly walked in the dream from his worst memories. The demon was still after him, and attacked him in the dream.

It was a dream from his memory … memory when he was eight.

He screamed and screamed until he was dragged out of dreamed. After that he can’t remember anymore.

Bai Qiang was surprised ‘This demon can create a dream world? Why are you not telling us?’

Lu Lan shook his head ‘I…I wasn’t sure. I don’t know if she was lying to make a child me not worry. So I have told no one. And she also ordered me to go to my parents. She wanted me away from danger.’

Bai Chun urged ‘Then after that?’

Lu Lan shook his head again ‘I rushed down the corridor to my parents. I tried to tell them and it took too long. When we came back, the male ascetic was awake. My room was completely shut down with talismans. They locked the demon tight in. I don’t know how they did it.’

Three of them were thinking hard. Bai Qiang asked more ‘How about the other victims? Have any of them found a dream world?’

Lu Lan shook his head desperately ‘Death one can’t speak’

Bai Chun asked, 'That male ascetic, was he a practice master?’

Lu Lan answered ‘Yes’

Bai Chun ‘Then, are there any victims who practise master?’

Lu Lan thought for a few minutes then he answered with excitement ‘There is, there is! He has self-practice for a little. He fought for a few postures and was attacked. He passed out for a while before dying. Is it possible that he was dragged into a dream world?’

Everything was matched. Bai Qiang hurriedly rushed out, ‘We have to tell the teacher! Thank you uncle Lu!’

Bai Qiang has already left. Bai Chun just slowly moved. He will let Bai Qiang the teacher alone and he will take a short nap instead. However, Lu Lan called him.

‘Wait a minute young master, what is your name?’

Bai Chun ‘It’s Bai Chun, what else?’

Lu Lan ‘Ah, so you are Bai’s young master. As expected from your cleverness…’

Bai Chun ‘Then, what do you need?’

Lu Lan looked at him closely ‘You…you somehow familiar…I have a feeling meeting you before’

Bai Chun frowned. The only encounter was in the last incarnation so he insisted ‘I am sure we have never met before. I definitely insist that I have never been to Lu’s village.’

Lu Lan’s shoulder dropped ‘Is it….but I feel familiar…as if we have met a long, long time before.’

Bai Chun slightly nodded, ‘Well then, I will take my leave.’

He now knew why Lu Lan sometimes peek at him, last incarnation too. He usually looked at him while frowning.

His face is similar to whom?

----------------------------------------

Even though Fong Leng said not to go too far from him, Bai Chun stood beside Bai Qiang instead. He was fully cautious. He always had a hand on the saber.

The sky turned from maple to black. The village was in silence. Suddenly, there was a small growl.

The hiding disciple made a good grip on the sword and talisman. Fong Leng just stood still.

The experience gathering is for student practice. He would help only in danger.

There was a sound of whistling wind. The atmosphere became strict. The black smoke landed on the yard, turned into a demon.

It was more ugly than Lu Lan told! It was more like an ugly male corpse! Its eyes were shining red with feud. It stood there confused.

The target was shown. The disciples started attacking it. Saber, spells and talisman were all in use. Bau Chun just stood still, not joining the party. He just held the saber with well-guard.

Numerous elements of spells made a light. This demon was fierce. It turned itself into black smoke making no one can hurt. Then switch to corpse form to attack. Some disciples were injured.

The demon changed into corpse form. It screamed and dashed to one of the boy, it drew its claws up high. That boy was Bai Qiang! Bai Chun threw his saber towards it before he even thought.

He unintentionally used too much force. His back felt pain run. He felt the flesh's slight tear. The blood’s smell flew out.

The demon changed its attention to Bai Chun. Its eyes were bright red. It screamed and dashed towards Bai Chun.

Why did it aim at me again!?

The demon drew its claws on him. His saber was thrown away before, he didn’t have any weapons to protect himself anymore.

He was also hesitant to use the spells. He didn’t know his current power whether it was fifteen Bai Chun or Hechun Jun. Also didn’t know if he would unintentionally use the demon spells out of nowhere in front of these people.

All he could do was scream. He raised his arm to make a shield.

The sound of flesh tearing apart, but he felt no pain.

It was Fong Leng who guarded him with his body. Claws stabbed through his left shoulder making blood soaked half of his white clothes. Some spilt on Bai Chun cheek.

Fong Leng didn’t whine or scream. He was just frowning hard. He made a spell to attack the demon. It was pushed back for meters.

The demon tried to attack again and was pushed away again too. It angried and turned to black smoke and rushed to Bai Chun once again.

The dusk made Bai Chun feel unconscious. He heard his name being called. He felt the softness around his body.

The vision was blackout.