I Will Leave Before Dawn

Chapter 2: History

Lu Ye had taken a bath. Just a while ago, the junior assistants were complaining of how badly he smelled and how dare he present himself in such a state to Qing Zhu Jun. Truthfully, he was ashamed but was that really his fault? He didn't know anything after all!

After a warm bath, Lu Ye quickly dumped himself onto the bed. It was his first proper rest after two days!

Lu Ye was surprised that it didn't take a lot of work to ask Damu Lan to be his master. The worst thing he thought he had to do was to kneel and beg him.

However, Lu Ye soon realized that he had been blindly following the instructions in the letter, despite not knowing who wrote it or why he was supposed to seek out Damu Lan as his master. He couldn't recall the details of why he had come to the Qing Shan Sect, but he was too mentally exhausted to dwell on it further. With that, he decided to call it a night and get some rest —

Lu Ye found himself in a desolated realm, standing on a pitch black ground, and surrounded by impenetrable obsidian walls. It felt like a wide open space, however, it also seemed like he was stuck in a regular sized room. When he tried to touch things, it was like they were all illusions, including himself.

Suddenly, a multitude of eerie hands grew from the darkness, grabbing his legs and dragging him downward. The sensation of being pulled into the abyss left him utterly bewildered. Despite his efforts to free himself, he found himself powerless to resist the overwhelming force. "Wh-what," he stammered, his mind began reeling in fear and confusion.

After being yanked down, he fell into an endless darkness at a high speed. Powerless to find anything to cling onto, he was left with no recourse.

During the endless descent, a horrifying sight greeted him. A horde of unrecognizable figures, more of a living corpses, their bodies drenched in fresh blood and their skin hanging loosely, viciously grasped his neck, squeezing the life out of him while the haunting echoes of countless screams filled the voice tormenting his senses.

Desperately gasping for air, he struggled to free himself from the relentless grip, but his attempts were futile. His touch was useless, leaving him at the mercy of his assailants.

"He...help," he choked out, sensing that his final moment was near. Darkness crept over his face as his consciousness slipped away.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice pierced through, shattering the bleak surroundings.

" My lord. You must remember your purpose. "

That was the only line that entered and ended his dream before he woke up. He had been sleeping for a long time even though the dream had only lasted for a few moments that it felt surreal to Lu Ye. His heart raced, and his body was drenched in sweat. He wiped away the moisture from his eyes with the back of his sleeve and took a deep breath, trying to steady himself before he moved on for the day.

"It was just a nightmare..."
.

Lu Ye was led to the courtyard where Damu Lan would start his teachings early in the morning. Damu Lan appeared to stand very elegantly as he held a book folded to one side as he read.

"Good morning, master."

"..." Damu Lan didn't bother to look at Lu Ye but he knew exactly that he had arrived. Without sparing Lu Ye a glance, Damu Lan proceeded to ask, "What is your name?"

Lu Ye merely replied, "Lu Ye."

With such a brief introduction, Damu Lan figured Lu Ye must be a youth of few words. Yet, unbothered by this observation, he casually proceeded to the next question. "Are you new to martial arts? Have you ever trained yourself before?"