The wind howled through the narrow alleys of the outer district. Lanterns flickered weakly, casting long shadows across cracked walls and dirt paths. Jin Seol's breath was steady now—his training was paying off, slowly but surely. The bruises from the bone-grinding exercises were layered with salve, his joints ached from flexibility drills, and his muscles burned with every movement. But it was working.
He could feel it.
Qi moved now—just faint wisps—trailing through veins he had spent this second life unlocking inch by inch. It was different this time. No shortcuts. No handouts. Just pain and persistence.
But today wasn't just about training.
⸻
Jin Seol knelt beside a small brazier in the run-down storage building he used as a temporary base. Scattered scrolls and dried herbs lined the floor. He crushed the last of the Ten-Star Moon Grass, mixing it with powdered bone and drops of Blood Lotus extract. The pill he was forming wasn't high-grade, but it would help—reduce internal damage, restore Qi. A beggar wouldn't afford this, but Jin Seol wasn't a beggar anymore.
He had sold the crossbow design. So Taek, the merchant, paid more than expected.
Greedy, but smart. A man like So Taek didn't need to be threatened—he could smell profit before it even breathed.
Now, Jin Seol pocketed the pills and tightened the straps on his waist.
A sharp chill ran through him.
He looked up.
Someone was watching.
From the rooftop, just above the courtyard, a shadow leaned against a chimney stack. The stranger didn't move. Didn't speak. But Jin Seol felt the presence—familiar. Like a scent from long ago. His muscles tensed. His hand hovered near his blade.
The figure finally dropped.
Soft as falling dust.
And as he stepped into view—moonlight brushed across his features.
A smirk. A scar across the cheek. Narrow eyes that once laughed too much for someone in a world this cruel.
"Still alive, Jin?"
The voice was unmistakable.
Do Yeon.
Friend? Traitor? Brother in arms? In his past life, they had fought together. Bled together. Then drifted apart when the world grew cruel and the sect turned to rot.
Jin's eyes narrowed. His lips didn't move.
They just stared at each other.
And then—Do Yeon gave a half-smile.
"Didn't think I'd find a ghost here."
No explanations.
No answers.
But something had begun.
Something that wasn't part of Jin Seol's plan.
⸻
End of Chapter 5
*Do Yeons character description-handsome ,brown eyes ,dark brown ,mid sized hair and a lean healthy body