[Evergreen High School – Martial Arts Track Division. Afternoon.]

  (Ye Hann): It’s like a dream.

  After dying as a grown man… to be back here.

  Same squeaky hallway tiles. Same rusty lockers. Same smell of cheap body spray and disappointment.

  Evergreen High—a prestigious school that produced future martial elites. My father pulled strings to get me in back then. A final act of generosity before cutting me loose.

  Last time, I treated this place like a cage. This time?

  It’s a battlefield. And I already know where the traps are.

  [Classroom 2-D. Students chatter, some in training uniforms. A mix of bored nobles and street cultivators-in-training.]

  Instructor WEN (mid-30s, stern face, Qi Practitioner):

  Eyes forward. Today, we’re testing Qi resonance and control. Pair up. No excuses.

  Student A (scoffing):

  Ugh, why do we even test control when half of us are stuck at Beginner Rank?

  Student B (grinning):

  Just hope you don’t get stuck with Ye Hann.

  [Laughter spreads. Ye Hann ignores them, calmly standing.]

  Last time, their words cut.

  Now? They're background noise.

  Instructor Wen:

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Ye Hann. You’re up. Partner with—

  ???:

  I’ll take him.

  [All heads turn. Enter: LAN RUOQI—the top student. Fierce eyes. Quiet aura. Strong cultivation base. Also… the only one who ever treated Ye Hann like a person in the past.]

  Wen (surprised):

  Lan Ruoqi? You’re sure?

  Ruoqi:

  If he’s weak, I’ll know. If not… maybe you’ve all underestimated him.

  [She stands opposite Ye Hann, palm raised.]

  Ruoqi:

  Ready?

  Ye Hann (softly):

  Always.

  [Qi Control Sparring – Test of Flow & Pressure]

  Control isn’t about strength.

  It’s about timing. Precision. Patience.

  The same way a single drop of water can erode stone… if placed just right.

  [Their palms connect. Sparks of energy shimmer between them.]

  Ruoqi (thinking):

  …His Qi is calm. Too calm. Like still water over a deep current.

  Ye Hann (internally):

  She’s sharp. Focused. I see now why she survived the storm in my first life.

  If I gain her trust early… she might become more than an ally.

  [He adjusts the pressure, his Qi subtly shifting around hers—no aggression, just control.]

  Ruoqi (surprised):

  You’re not forcing it. You’re guiding it.

  Ye Hann:

  Qi isn’t just power. It’s intent.

  Most people only learn that after they bleed.

  [After the Test – Back of the Courtyard]

  Ruoqi (handing him a towel):

  You’re not the same as last semester.

  Ye Hann (quietly):

  Maybe I finally woke up.

  Ruoqi:

  If you’re serious about improving… you’ll need allies. This school isn’t kind to those without names.

  Ye Hann:

  I don’t need allies who follow names. I need ones who follow truth.

  Ruoqi (smiling faintly):

  That’s rare. Dangerous, even.

  Ye Hann (smirking):

  So is the truth.

  [Rooftop – Later That Day]

  The city shines below, dressed in neon and secrets.

  But I see the cracks beneath the glow.

  Families like mine run the undercurrent of this place. The martial world hides behind stock markets and handshakes now—but it's still a battlefield.

  And I’ve already died on it once.

  Not again.

  Ye Hann (internal):

  Jianxun. Father. Every smiling traitor. You built your throne on broken things.

  This time, I’m here to flip the table