Snacking on a bit of dried meat, Chen Wuya walked along. A gentle wind stirred his hair and whispered through the trees around him. Dappled sunlight danced across the path ahead. Despite the weights on his body, he walked lightly.

He yawned and reached over his shoulder, dragging the package the couple had left him back over his shoulder. Digging through it, he searched out another scrap of dried meat and took a bite. With a contented hum, he walked on.

So peaceful.

Howling broke into his reverie. Chen Wuya put a hand on his hilt, instantly alert. He bit the dried meat to have both hands free. The end hung out of his mouth, dangling as he chewed.

Paws trod the ground behind him. Low bodies shoved out of the undergrowth. Ahead of him, a huge wolf stepped out and blocked the path, head held high. It lifted its lips and growled.

Narrowing his eyes, Chen Wuya lowered his stance. He drew his sword just an inch. Dark killing intent rushed out from him, soaring toward the lead wolf.

The wolf whimpered and lowered its head. It backed away, ears low and ears tucked.

Chen Wuya took a step toward.

The lead wolf pivoted and fled, darting into the woods. The other wolves followed it, vanishing into the woods as suddenly as they’d appeared.

Sighing, Chen Wuya tore a bite off the dried meat. He shook his head at the retreating wolves. Too peaceful!

He clicked his tongue. “Back when I was an evil deity, you couldn’t take a dozen steps into this forest without getting attacked! Where have all the monsters gone? The demonic beasts and the hideous spiritual creatures? I came here to train, dammit!”

Killing intent pierced at his back. Chen Wuya drew his sword and whirled. A long black spine deflected off his sword and fell to the ground.

Deep in the woods, a shadowy figure glowered at him. Indistinct, but massive, their eyes glowed a deep red.

“A challenger, at last?” Chen Wuya asked, grinning.

The figure whirled and rushed deeper into the woods.

“Hey, come back! Don’t you want to fight!” Leaping off the path, he chased after the figure. He burst out into a clearing and looked around, sword bared. The clearing stood empty. Deep footsteps left behind by the figure led to the edge of the clearing, then vanished, as if the figure simply dissipated into midair.

Again, he clicked his tongue. Sheathing his sword, he picked his way back to the path. Brambles caught at his robes and branches dragged at his body. “Stupid… forest. No… damn… demons anymore, what is this? What happened?”

A buzzing drone filled his head. Chen Wuya bent over, hands clasped to his ears. What? What’s—

The world zoomed past in intense color. Tiny wings worked on his back, fluttering at double-pace. Thick, sweet scents billowed all around him, beckoning him to their source. Black splotches loomed in his vision, but fresh growth crawled over them, eating away at the darkness.

Argh, that’s right! I forgot! The forest was purified, and I helped purify it!

Growling at his past self, he stomped his way through a thick vine and finally reached the path. The spine stuck in the ground, end jutting out of the earth. He knelt and examined it. Barbs jutted out along the spine’s length. Razor-sharp tips on both ends glinted in the low sunlight, and black liquid welled up from within them. Carefully, he extracted the spine from the ground, then slid it into his pack.

Rattling rang out through the forest. Something snorted, loud as thunder.

Chen Wuya’s ears perked up. Stuffing the last of the dried meat into his mouth, he put his hand on his sword and stepped out into the center of the path. At last, could it be?

Louder and louder. Heavy footfalls drummed against the ground. Swallowing the meat, he readied his stance.

A caravan burst around the corner. Horses pounded down the path, bits jangling. Panicked eyes rolled back in their heads, mouths frothing, they sped toward Chen Wuya at top speed. The driver, a heavyset man, stared at Chen Wuya, eyes wide with horror. He yanked at the reins to no avail. “Out of the way, kid!”

Chen Wuya dove into the underbrush.

Wagons rattled by, throwing up dust, arrows stuck in their sides. Another volley of arrows hung in the air, slamming into the wagons and the path. A woman screamed in pain.

As the last wagon passed, Chen Wuya stepped out onto the path once more. Brushing leaves out of his hair, he walked to the center of the path and struck the first stance of the Seven Forms of Autumn.

“Get ‘em, boys!”

Four horsemen pounded down the path after the caravan. Four held bows, and one held an old military spear. The leader, the man with the spear, caught sight of Chen Wuya and scoffed. Lowering his spear, he kicked his horse faster and charged headlong at the boy.

As the man reached him, Chen Wuya leaped into the air. The man’s eyes went wide. His spear jabbed downward into the empty space where Chen Wuya had been.

“First Form: Threshing Grain, Adapted Form One: High Grains.”

His sword keened, leaping out of its sheath. It flashed through the air in a flat horizontal slash. The man’s throat opened wide. Blood gushed. The man clasped his hand to his neck and sagged sideways, falling off his horse.

Three bows pointed at Chen Wuya.

He dropped out of the air. Arrows blasted past, narrowly avoiding the fallen man’s horse. Chen Wuya yanked the spine out of his pack and threw it at the retreating bowmen. It stuck in one’s back, and he cried out, grabbing at his shoulder.

The fallen man’s horse jogged to a halt, lost without its rider. Chen Wuya sprinted at it and leaped onto its back. Holding his sword out to his side, he urged it on, chasing after the bowmen. In a breath’s time, he drew within arms’ reach of the bowmen.

One turned back. Raising his bow, he pointed it at Chen Wuya’s horse and loosed an arrow.

Chen Wuya hopped up to crouch on the saddle. He cut down the arrow, then leaped onto the back of the bowman’s horse. Panicking, the bowman grabbed another arrow.

“Too slow.”

A flash of silver. The bowman’s head fell away.

The other two bowmen turned on him. Peeling to the left, one raised his bow. The other, the spine stuck in his shoulder, drew a dagger. He yanked his reins, slamming his horse into Chen Wuya’s.

Ignoring the slam, Chen Wuya jumped onto the dagger-wielder’s horse. He grabbed the man by the armpits and jerked him up out of his saddle and to the left, as the remaining bowman loosed an arrow. The man slashed backward. His dagger whooshed over Chen Wuya’s head, and then he screamed as an arrow slammed into his chest.

Tossing the injured man off the horse, Chen Wuya leaped at the final man. Eyes wide, the man raised his bow to block. Chen Wuya sliced through the bow, but the shove pushed his blade off-path. It cut a narrow slash down the man’s chest. The man threw the halves of the bow at Wuya and drew a dagger, stabbing up at Chen Wuya even as the boy landed, feet braced against the side of his horse.

Twisting his sword, Chen Wuya reversed his strike and slammed the man’s hand with the butt of his sword. The dagger clattered to the dusty road. He began to fall backward, off-balance, barely finding purchase on the horse’s flank. He grabbed a handful of robes to catch himself and thrust his sword through the man’s ribs. The man fell toward Chen Wuya, blood gushing down his robes.

Jumping backward off the horse, Chen Wuya followed the man to the ground. He stabbed him again, just to be sure, then advanced on the bowman. Stuck with both arrow and spine, he crawled sideways away.

As Chen Wuya advanced, he shook his head wildly. Fearful tears leaked out of his eyes. “St-stay back! No! I’ll do anything, I’ll give you anything!”

Chen Wuya crouched beside him. “Anything?”

Face covered in snot, tears leaking down his face, he nodded repeatedly. “A-anything!”

“Then give me a better fight in your next life!” he snapped. He cut the man’s throat with a short blow.

Blood soaked into the path. Chest heaving, Chen Wuya watched the man’s life spill out. A faint red light sparked to life deep in his pupils. Entranced, he wobbled in place, eyes wide.

Abruptly, Chen Wuya shook his head. He sucked in a breath and pushed his hair out of his face, forcing his eyes away. Dammit. I’ve barely used any demonic techniques, and my bloodlust is already this intense? I need to train harder. More strength, a stronger mind! At this rate, I’m going to succumb to madness before I get anywhere.

He closed his eyes and circulated his qi until his breathing calmed. When he opened his eyes again, no light remained in his pupils. Casually, he went from bandit to bandit, collecting their purses and tucking them into his own belt.

Returning to the last one he’d killed, he kicked the man over and yanked his robe down. Bruising spread from the spine he’d thrown down the man’s back, purple and black, eating into his muscle. He pulled a face. Nasty poison on that thing. Even more carefully than before, he extracted the spine from the man’s back and tucked the barbed weapon into his pack.

Five horses stared at him. Lounging around, they stood randomly across the path. One lowered its head and began to graze.

“Go home. Go on, scram!” he said.

The horses ignored him.

“As you were, then.” He shrugged and knelt to clean his sword on the fallen man’s clothes.

A group of horsemen ran back from the caravan. One carried a hammer, another a saw, and a third sported a rusty sword. “Kid! Are you—”

They stopped dead and stared, jaws agape.

In the middle of wiping a sword on a dead man’s robes, Chen Wuya froze. He laughed awkwardly and sheathed his sword as casually as he could manage. “Ah… hello.”

The horsemen stared between each other. The one with the hammer openly gaped. Swallowing, the horseman with the rusty sword glanced at the carnage around him. “Did you… do all this?”

Chen Wuya nodded, silently.

“Four men… by one kid?” one of the men muttered.

Another murmured back, “Is that even possible?”

Chen Wuya cleared his throat and tucked his hands behind him like a merchant in the marketplace. “My lords, I have four horses for sale. Are you interested?”

The three men boggled at him again. Chen Wuya glanced at them, tipping his head.

At last, the man with the rusty sword laughed. He tossed a purse at Chen Wuya. “Four horses? I’ll take them!”

“Many thanks, illustrious sir!” Chen Wuya said, snatching the purse out of midair.

“No need for formalities. Call me Zhao Guoren. What is your name, little hero? Are you travelling alone?” he asked.

Ah? Who’s a little hero? You want to fight? Chen Wuya scowled. “Chen Wuya. I’m alone.”

Zhao Guoren turned his horse to the side and offered Chen Wuya a hand up. “It’s dangerous to travel alone in these woods. A fearsome demonic beast dwells in its heart. Come with us.”

He crossed his arms. “I’m fine travelling alone. Are you sure you aren’t the ones asking for my protection?”

Zhao Guoren laughed, slightly embarrassed. “I can’t leave a boy alone in the woods.”

Chen Wuya harrumphed. It’s fine. The caravan attracts danger, and I’m looking for a fight. This arrangement works to my advantage. He stepped up and took the man’s hand.

Heaving him up onto the horse, Zhao Guoren nodded to the other two. They drew their horses around and gathered up the extra horses, drawing the five horses along after them.

“How did you find yourself alone in the forest? A boy like you…” Zhao Guoren trailed off.

“I walked,” Chen Wuya replied shortly. It’s not that surprising to see a peasant boy alone. No one thought it odd to see Lie Zhang begging in the streets.

The men stared back, looking over him, and their brows furrowed. He glanced down at himself, at his fine new robes and his newly-athletic body, then sighed. No, I understand.

Rather than a starving peasant boy, he carried himself like a young lord. His training strengthened his limbs and better food filled them out, leaving him a far cry from the body he'd reincarnated into. A boy his age might be found alone, but not a boy as fit, well-fed, and well-dressed as himself.

Zhao Guoren let out a hearty laugh. He shook his head. “You’re safe with us now, boy.”

Unwilling to acknowledge the man’s statement, Chen Wuya grunted noncommittally. Bear with it, Chen Wuya. They need to protect their pride, idiots though they are.