DSG Chapter 1
Feng Yu
***
In an old worn-down shack within an unusually quiet district, a 15-year-old boy was lying on the ground. His clothes were torn to shreds, and bloodstains covered both him and the wooden floor. His attractive face was bruised and battered, and his long red hair was unkempt. A few strands of hair dropped across his pale white face, giving him a sickly look, and the severe blood loss from his grave wounds made his skin grow paler by the second.
Outside of the shack, two figures chatted.
“We are finally done,” a young man said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He was dressed in black clothing and bore a handsome semblance, but this was ruined by the unpleasant ‘sideways-smirk’ on his face. If someone was to look closely, they would see traces of blood dripping from his hands.
“Haha! Now that we’ve got this over with, we should go before someone spots us here,” whispered the slender-looking figure, who was dressed in luxurious clothing. With a face like that of a mouse, and sharp eyes that portrayed his cunning nature, he looked around nervously and gestured towards the bloody body—or rather, the half-corpse that laid lifelessly on the ground.
“Brother Xiang! Don’t worry, I’ve personally arranged for no one to visit this district during this hour,” the youth in black clothing said, a sly look on his face.
“Very good, humph! Feng Yu, this is what you get for standing in this young master’s way to glory. Brother Huan, come—let’s go!” the youth wearing luxurious clothing said as he sped off into the distant district at a high speed.
The youth in black clothing shook his head silently for a while as he looked at the body one last time. Then he followed the youth who was now some distance away.
∞∞∞
Later that night, the stars shone brightly in Machen Town.
Various lights illuminated the streets as the night got livelier; there were many individuals idling about the districts, and the pubs were filled with activity. Every now and then, a different type of event took place within the crowded central square. The dancers were dancing, performers were performing, and martial artists were competing in friendly spars.
However, far away from the liveliness of the central square, there was an unusual aura growing around the empty and silent District 7.
A strange mist slowly began to fill the area, settling around the old and worn-down shack. The round moon that hung high in the sky started to glow in an odd and unrecognizable color, and an unusual array of lights formed in this strange, starry night sky.
These lights were of twelve different colors and were arranged in the form of a five-pointed star. Observing them carefully, one would notice that the lights didn’t stay in one fixed area—instead, they started to rotate faster and faster, creating a mirror-like space within the center of the diagram.
Pzzzzzzzz! Suddenly, there was a change.
Following an almost imperceptible sound, the rotating stars spun so fast they created a crack in the mirror-like space. As this mirror-like space broke to pieces, a shadow instantly appeared and quickly plunged towards the old shack at lightning speed.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In a single moment, time seemed to have stopped. The portal disappeared, and the night continued undisturbed . . . .
***
The sun rose brightly today, bringing with it a warm light that started to melt away the cold darkness of the night. Faintly, the crowing of roosters could be heard within the distance, and the sound breathed life into the silent districts and public squares.
Dawn had come to Machen Town.
Within District 7, inside of the old shack, warm rays of sunlight beamed their way through the cracks of the wooden structure, creating specks of light on the wooden floor. A beam of light made its way across the face of Feng Yu, pausing briefly over his closed eyes. He started to stir, opening his eyes bit by bit, and then gazed towards the old wooden ceiling.
“Where . . . ? Where am I?” Feng Yu muttered to himself.
Slowly, he started to look around the small space, a confused expression on his face. Old rusted weapons were stored into barrels, placed on top of tables, and scattered around on the wooden floor. He then looked carefully at his body and noticed his blood-covered, torn clothing, along with some dried-up blood and bruises on his skin. On the floor, he saw even more dried blood that must have been there for a while.
“What’s going on here?! Shouldn’t I . . . be dead? How could I—?” with a shocked expression, Feng Yu called out in alarm. Suddenly, his head started to hurt like someone was using an axe to split it from the inside out. He grabbed it with both of his hands as he groaned in agony.
“Damn this pain! What the hell is going—?” Feng Yu angrily exclaimed, but before he could finish his sentence, a stream of unknown memories started to flood his mind. After some time, the pain faded away. He then let go of his head in relief and looked at the token in his hand; it depicted a strange symbol of a red bird with a crown on its head.
“The Feng Clan huh! Interesting, who would have thought that I’d have a second chance at life? I, Feng Yu, will certainly reach the peak in this life if it’s the last thing I do!” Feng Yu declared while slowly picking himself up off the ground and adjusting his tattered clothes.
“Still, this poorly fated fellow surely has had it rough . . . to be betrayed by your best friends . . . hmph! No matter, now that I’ve taken charge, you are me, and I am you. Your enemies are my enemies, so I will certainly make them pay!” Feng Yu said with a firm look on his pale face. His eyes gleamed with a sharp light, sparking the fire of revenge.
In his previous life, Feng Yu was a martial practitioner who managed to cultivate the peak of Warrior realm. Sadly, due to his poor constitution, he was unable to achieve any further breakthroughs. Because of this, he ended up having to risk his life adventuring into dangerous ‘mystic realms’ as well as ‘forbidden-zones’ to seek a chance of a breakthrough. What a pity! The destiny that found him on his previous journey was death.
After stumbling upon an ancient unstable formation and mistakenly activating it, the Mystic Realm’s ruins exploded with a devastating blast, which not only destroyed his physical body but also, sent his soul through various dimensions of time and space.
The body he came to possess was also called Feng Yu, who was the only child of the leader of the Feng Clan in Machen Town, Feng Yunlong. The leader was fond of his son despite his incompetence and laziness.
The Feng Yu of this world was always out chasing skirts and causing trouble with his friends, Xiang Shu and Huan Shan. Because of this, his father became prone to stress; he began to worry about the successorship of the family. Still, he didn’t try to force Feng Yu, as he believed his rebellion was filling the gap of a missing mother. In Feng Yu’s early years, his mother was said to have died of a chronic illness that no alchemist in all of Machen Town could cure.
However, recently, an announcement was released by one of the top martial sects in the Bright Flame Kingdom—the Sky Splitting Sword Sect—that there would be an emissary visiting Machen Town in less than two months of time. This emissary would hold a ‘Talent Selection,’ which came as a shock to the Machen Town’s residents; never before had a selection taken place in such a remote area. Upon hearing the news, the prominent clans in Machen Town began to direct all their resources to the main family descendants with the most talent, to ensure that their own were selected.
A family expert checked Feng Yu’s talent at his recent coming-of-age ceremony. To their surprise, the check showed that Feng Yu possessed a ‘top-tier aura pulse.’ The discovery shocked the Feng Family Clan to the point of jubilant celebration; they invited all the prominent clans and held an event for two days.
However, a day after the event, Feng Yu was called out by his best friends to go out drinking and partying. After an afternoon of idleness, they then brought him to a more remote area where they violently beat and killed him. This resulted in the switching of Feng Yu’s souls.
“Hmm, my body’s adaptability with the energies of heaven and earth is amazing. So, this is what it feels like to have an aura pulse! I need to leave here and recuperate quickly, so I can start training,” Feng Yu said as he quickly made his way through the foggy district.
The coldness of the morning was beginning to fade. After walking out of the district and approaching the central area, Feng Yu noticed that most shops were already open. Others had also begun to quickly set up for business, and people were starting to gather bit by bit. The citizens of Machen Town were used to the early activity, which contributed to the liveliness of the morning. Some individuals were even doing short exercises in open spaces.
One of the peddlers soon noticed Feng Yu passing by, and his excellent mood faded swiftly.
“Damn! What’s this troublemaker doing out so early? Could he have something planned today?” the peddler said while trying to hide his most valuable stock.
Another peddler overheard and looked up in shock; he then quickly moved to gather his valuables as his life depended on it.
The sudden commotion sparked a domino effect, and all peddlers began to complain secretly to themselves while on the surface acting businesslike and friendly.
Looking at their reactions, Feng Yu felt uncomfortable in his heart. “You know, this young master has done nothing wrong . . .” he muttered silently and sighed. Sadly though, the reactions couldn’t be changed. The previous Feng Yu was too much of a nuisance.
“Damn it! I’ve got to clear this shitty reputation soon,” Feng Yu whispered. He took a quick glance at the suspicious peddlers and then no longer paid them any mind.
One of the peddlers managed to work up some courage, and he went forward in hopes of driving the evil spirit away. “Young Master Yu! You’re out early today. What are you seeking to purchase on this fine morning?”
“Nothing! I’m fine—just heading home,” Feng Yu said indifferently. He nonchalantly gestured at the peddler while walking towards the northern district of Machen Town.
“Am I dreaming? How could this brat not cause us any trouble in the morning?” The peddler wondered aloud.
“I don’t believe it! Maybe that brat is planning to do something tonight,” another peddler responded.
“That’s right!” the peddler said, and sighed. “We had better clear out early today.”
The peddlers couldn’t believe the interaction and started making plans for the afternoon. Thankfully, Feng Yu didn’t seem to overhear their following conversations.
In a large section of the northern district of Machen Town, the Feng Clan Manor stood out imposingly, with a large courtyard the size of two training fields. An arrangement of structures surrounded the main building, and the entrance gate was of medium height by this world’s standard. Hanging high on top of the gate was the symbol of the Feng Clan—the phoenix—giving off an aura of ancient history and noble prestige.
The Feng Clan was a family of ancient history and had existed for countless years. Sadly, though, due to the mark of time, it began to decline; the diminishment led to the Clan’s decision to settle down in Machen Town about a hundred years ago, or so it was said.
Noticing someone approaching the gate dressed in shabby clothing covered with dirt and dried up bloodstains, the lookout guards immediately acted.
“Halt! You are approaching the Feng residency! State your purpose for visiting or leave,” one of the guards proclaimed, gesturing at the figure threateningly while holding the hilt of his sword.
“It’s me, Feng Yu—clear the path!” Feng Yu shouted at the guards while showing the family token, still upset about the encounter with peddlers.
Hearing the familiar voice and seeing the token in Feng Yu’s hand, the guard then bowed promptly as he replied. “Young Master Yu, pardon my negligence!”
He then waved his hand at the other guards, who opened the gate and let Feng Yu pass through. After the young man entered, the gate quickly closed with a loud boom.
Once he entered the residence, Feng Yu made his way through the courtyard and along the neatly tiled path towards the main building. Spirit orchard trees lined the path towards the main building, creating magnificent scenery. Maids were busy cleaning the various areas of the courtyard, and a few family members were scattered about on different practice fields, training and doing other exercises.
No longer paying too much attention to the scenery, Feng Yu quickly entered the main building and headed toward his room. As he was about to enter his room, he heard a loud beckoning.
“Feng Yu! Get in here now!” the voice of Feng Yunlong could be heard echoing even to the guards at the gate. Feng Yu looked around the main room, finally resting his gaze on a large door located at the end of the hallway.
Feeling a bit awkward, he sighed while making his way towards the large door.
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