(Author: For those wondering: Yeah, I am the one addicted to xianxia novels. Can't help it. Ha ha. Anyway the xianxia I plan to write will involve martial families and war over land and territory. As the description of the story said, he will become a son of a martial family during a civil war. I like historical shows with warfare like The Myth made in 2010. Anyway I hope to incorporate military campaigns and xianxia elements together for this story. I hope you enjoy it and feel free to make comments and suggestions. I will be more responsive to comments for this story. Enjoy.)

Chapter 2: New Identity

"No, this planet has no life. This one is too primitive. This one has too much technology," the dragon muttered as he held Liao's soul in his hands. "Hey kid, know any martial arts?"

"I got a yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do," Liao said, curious for he didn't expect to be asked for his opinion.

"A novice than," the dragon said, displeased. "I was going to dump you in a body on a planet and watch you try to survive against martial experts until you die as a pass time. Now I have to make new plans. You will be representing me as I brought your soul there. You are only allowed to die gloriously, but you are not even strong enough to considered third-rate."

Liao scowled as he was also told that by the teenagers from his Tae Kwon Do class as they advanced to the next belt on their first try. He was only six than before he quit as his parents read him his first wuxia novel. Getting a green belt as a six year old isn't easy. Undergoing too much strenuous activity at a young age actually hinders growth. Besides, there were no Chinese martial arts schools in his neighborhood.

"Here we are. This planet seems fun. It's full of warring countries, divided views, blood, death, martial arts, and even qi cultivation," the dragon said, pleased as he approached a planet over seven thousand light years from the Milky Way galaxy. "Now all we need is a body for you. Preferably one with your real first name and a country of civil war. Convenience and entertainment. Two of my favorite words. Remember them well kid as you try to become an immortal."

"Like in xianxia novels?" Liao shouted, excited and momentarily forgetting the fact that the dragon kill him and held his soul in its hands.

"I don't know puny mortal terms," the dragon god sighed and gazed at the planet. The planet seemed to have the same requirement of one Earth year to rotate around the galaxy's sun. Liao waited silently for five minutes as the dragon god gazed at the blue and green planet that seemed similar to Earth save for an ice ring around the planet and two moons. Liao was wondering why one of the two moons was damaged and looked like a spherical chocolate chip cookie with missing pieces as if someone took a few bites of it.

"Hmm, the planet has colder nights and some countries are too puny and weak for my liking," the dragon sighed until he finally found one. "Aha! Finally, a country with a body that has a background that isn't entirely useless. Okay son of Sima, time for you to join the world of the mortals. Your soul and qi will be stronger as you already died and your soul was exposed to my energy. Be grateful. You may be weak but you have a better qi foundation than others."

"Whaaaaat?" Liao screamed as the dragon started shrinking as it breached the atmosphere of the planet. Liao extended his hand and touched the ice ring. He felt a cold shudder from the cold it emanated and wondered how the ice ring formed as it was close to the sun. His dad said that Earth didn't have an ice ring like other planets as it was too close.

Liao rubbed his eyes as they floated above a battlefield. Many dead bodies littered the forest below and two colored banners could be seen waving on both sides. One banner was red and had an image of a red phoenix spreading its wings with a bow in its talons. The other banner was green and had an image of a black tiger with crimson snakes under its front paws as it seemed to be leaping.

"Now to make things more convenient for your assimilation to this new identity," the dragon began. "As you receive the memories of the human brat who body you will inhabit, you will learn of the language and knowledge the brat had before death. As you are both eight, it isn't much but at least you can communicate and have an alibi."

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Alibi? What's that mean?" Liao asked. He had never read the word in a novel.

"I will also give you a black medallion with a jade dragon on the center," the dragon god went on, ignoring Liao.  "With it, I will give you orders if what you are doing doesn't keep me entertained or if you happen to see a dragon slayer. Some spirit beasts are dragons and YOU WILL KILL any dragon slayer I order you too. Don't worry, I am merciful enough to only order you to kill those you are able. Those damned Xu. If only I remembered which planet they came from. The daggers that were destroyed with your body will be made indestructible and ever-sharp. You can summon them at will from the dragon tattoo I will mark on your left shoulder down to the elbow. If you don't like tattoo, I can just not give you the daggers at all."

Liao hurriedly shook his head and said, "Thank you Great Dragon God,"

"Hmph," the dragon said and tossed the boy toward a corpse on the bank of a river with a sword embedded in the chest. Liao screamed in fright and closed his eyes as he entered the corpse. A bright flash of light appeared around the body but the fighting was too far away to be seen. Liao's head began to fill with the memories of the corpse. He also experienced the pain of the body and struggled to mentally take it all in.

His body used to be Liao of the Lu family, a martial arts family that was conscripted into the war by the emperor to quell an attack by rebels that sought to takeover one of the empire's major trade cities. Apparently the Wei dynasty he was a part of held the green banners. The corpse died under an ambush by the rebels who sought to burn the supply lines as they crossed the river bank.

The light dissipated as the memories of the corpse finished integrating itself into Liao's own memory like a dream and Liao struggled to keep his own self-identify and not that of the body. He succeeded as he remembered the pain of losing his parents was stronger than that of the death of the corpse. The sword and injuries the body had healed, but the tattered black armor and green linen clothes remained as they were, blood stains giving off a slight smell.

"Aaahh," Liao screamed as he woke up and touched his chest, surprised the sword was gone. He looked under his armor and saw the dragon tattoo and Liao knew it was no nightmare. He struggled to get up as the new body was slightly more muscular and the armor's weight was heavy and movement was slower and more restricted. The armor he and the soldiers wore were not full-body armor like knights and seemed to be worn in pieces and connected to his body by strings, just like ancient Chinese war dramas he watched.

"I can use qi!" Liao cried as he remembered the dragon god mention qi cultivation and sat down, cross-legged with his eyes closed, and began meditating. Within his dantian was a small dragon the size of a grain of sand that spewed lightning. Snowflakes seemed to fall around the dragon as it breathed lightning at the sky.

"So cool!" Liao cried as he opened his eyes and jumped for joy and his mind wondered with memories of the corpse. "Wait, I better head to father and his soldiers. I will be safe with them."

Liao looked around and found the double voulge that belonged to the corpse. It was a spear with a single-edge blade attached to both ends of the spear facing opposite directions. Liao didn't know any moves as the battle was the first of the corpse and he began running to the edge of the battlefield where his father, acting as a general, would be waiting for him.

Prologue and Chapter 1: Accidental DeathMAIN PAGE Chapter 3: Life or Death