Days passed, times changed.

    A wooden hut in the woods is shrouded in cooking smoke.

    ¡°Teacher, Aunt White, time to eat.¡±

    A boy of seven- or eight-years-old walked out of the smoky hut with hot plates of food.

    ¡°Jeez, how did you start a fire from cooking dinner? Where did Yun Gui find you to be his student?¡°

    Aunt White was originally named Bai Yihuang. When his teacher found him at four-years-old in the snow, she was already by his teacher¡¯s side. He knew nothing else about her.

    If he wasn¡¯t outstanding in any way, Bai Yihuang was no better. She hid in the hut all day and just ate and slept. If she wanted sunlight, his teacher would have to carry her out, although he didn¡¯t seem to mind the task and never delegated the work.

    He didn¡¯t mind, however, even if he sometimes had complaints about her since he traveled so much with his teacher. He did sometimes miss her stunning face; he supposed it was natural, as everyone liked beauty.

    ¡°Hah!¡± He looked at Bai Yihuang, who was sunning herself on a chair. He put down the food before looking for his teacher in the woods.

    Maybe it was because his teacher saved his life and raised him, he was very attached to him. Every time he was in the woods, he¡¯d stare at his teacher, who usually meditated or practiced martial arts.

    Whenever he asked his teacher why he practiced so much, rain or shine, without rest, he¡¯d only say, I practice so I could protect the most important person to me, and that is your Aunt White. She¡¯s the person I have to protect to my death in this lifetime!

    Aunt White¡­¡­ Someone his teacher swore to protect¡­¡­ Yet, the last words his teacher said before dying was, Win without force!

    To win without force¡­¡­ to use martial arts to stop fighting. He only knew his teacher traveled to many places, making a lot of money but spending all of it to save the world.

    When his teacher died, monsters came, the wolf appeared, and Aunt White was captured while he lost to the wolf. He died at Taohua Village.

    While losing his consciousness, he thought he¡¯d died for sure, but when he woke up, he realized he was actually alive again.

    Only this awakening took 10 years.

    ******

    Ten years later ¡ª¡ª

    On a stormy night, thunder slashed through the dark like snakes of fire, hitting the ocean and bringing up enormous waves. A black coffin floated on the ocean, bobbing up and down. When dawn came, the coffin finally floated to the shore like a fallen leaf.

    This part of the shore was known as the River Coast, which was not far from two small islands known as Cloud River Islands.

    Thousands of years ago, the Cloud River Islands were one island. The energy from one catastrophic event split the island into two, and almost annihilated the humans who once lived on the island. The island then welcomed a group of small monsters in addition to the few remaining humans. The monsters fought and two leaders emerged, and they were the tree monster of Black Mountain Village, The Faceless Girl, and the snake monster of the Cloud Water Village, the Snake Woman.

    ¡°Aiya, I found a treasure! Let me bring it back to the Faceless Girl, she¡¯d be impressed!¡±

    One little monster on an errand from Black Mountain Village found the black coffin by the shore. When he saw the rare black wood used in making the coffin, he thought he¡¯d found a prize. Carrying the coffin up the mountain, he put it inside the village¡¯s treasure room. After he registered the coffin in the ledger, he locked up the room and left.

    Before he walked away very far, he was hit and killed by a hammer which fell from the sky.

    ¡°Blast¡ª¡ª¡±

    ¡°Blast¡ª¡ª¡±

    Explosions came from the entrance to the village¡­¡­

    A group of monsters came to the Black Mountain Village asking for a fight, and they were from the Cloud Water Village, under Snake Woman¡¯s leadership.

    There was a spring at the foot of the mountain on the Cloud River Islands known as Cloud River Springs, since it was part of both islands, it was a source of conflict for the Snake Woman and the Faceless Girl. A few days ago, the Faceless Girl pretended to be a young woman to bathe in the springs, lured a few human hunters, and killed them for their essence.

    When the Snake Woman found out, she was livid and came to challenge the Faceless Girl at Black Mountain Village. The long-running conflict flared into a big war, everything alive and dead nearby was used as weapons. Both sides wanted to kill the other and win more turf. One monster¡¯s hammer was used in the fight, and accidentally killed the little monster who found the black coffin.

    As the two monster leaders battled, their underlings also fiercely fought and ended up inside the treasure room. And one hammer just happened to fly toward the black coffin¡­¡­

    The monsters were stunned to see what was inside the coffin; they rushed to find their respective leaders to relay the news.

    ¡°Boss, there¡¯s a human, a human!¡±

    Movements came from inside the coffin, gradually, a young man¡¯s hand came out, followed by a head with dirty hair and face. His eyes were glazed and he could barely talk, ¡°so hungry¡­¡­ I need food¡­¡­ but¡­¡­ where am I?¡±

    The young man looked to be seventeen- or eighteen-years-old. His hair was disheveled and his clothes were shabby. He crawled out of the black coffin and left the treasure room.

    He followed the scent of food and walked, not knowing there was a black and white monster following him. The monster was covered by a red flame, and disappeared as soon as someone noticed it.

    This young man was none other than Bird Three, who died at Taohua Village.

    He thought of how his teacher had died, the monsters came, and Aunt White was captured, yet he had somehow reincarnated after dying. It was now 10 years later, was Aunt White, who was kidnapped, still alive? He still had hope as he left Taohua Village to look for her. She was his only family left in this world.

    Wherever he went, the villages were barren and the few villagers still alive had nothing to spare. He had no food and had no use for any of the skills his teacher taught him. When he fainted from hunger, some good samaritans gave him a bowl of soup.

    He then stayed with some villagers, exchanging farm work for the free lodging. Every day, he¡¯d make offerings with incense, worship, and recite Buddhist mantras. One day, as a ball of light appeared, he became covered with a red flame, then a black and white monster came out from behind him.

    Then, something hard hit the back of his head. The last thing he remembered was being tossed into a coffin, and faces of terror as they recited Buddhist mantras.

    ¡°Ow, my head hurt, my back hurt, so tired¡­¡­¡±

    Bird felt lightheaded as he ambled to where the monsters had gathered. The monsters were frozen by his scent, and couldn¡¯t move again until he left.

    The scent he released was useless on the monsters¡¯ leaders, however. As he walked past, he could hear the monsters chant, ¡°Boss, there is a human!¡±

    The two monsters looked overjoyed, it was as if they¡¯d found a treasure in Bird.

    ¡°Such a handsome boy, he¡¯d be quite a catch when he grew up.¡± The Faceless Girl grinned.

    ¡°How long do you think he¡¯ll stay alive with you? You really think he¡¯ll get to grow up? Hah!¡± Snake Woman snorted as she thrust out her chest.

    The two monsters stared at each other while Bird walked away. When they realized he¡¯d gone, they angrily shouted, ¡°whoever catches that human gets a big reward!¡±

    The prize motivated all the monsters as they scattered to look for Bird.

    Meanwhile, Bird found his way to the kitchen. An old lady in plain clothes was making a delicious meal. Bird fell upon the food and gorged.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been cooking all these years but no monster has ever eaten my food! You must be a brave monster!¡± The old lady was blind but not deaf, she chuckled as she said, ¡°it¡¯s getting late, I better bring the food to the humans.¡±

    Bird watched the old woman leave, but he was soon spotted by the Snake Woman.

    ¡°Kid, here you are! You really wasted my time looking for you!¡±

    ¡°Snake Woman, this is my turf, get out unless you want to die!¡± The Faceless Girl shouted.

    ¡°Hah, I haven¡¯t even made you pay for the humans you killed in Cloud River Springs yet. How about this, consider those humans a free gift, but this kid is mine!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    The monsters started fighting again.

    When Bird finished eating, he said to the empty kitchen, ¡°thanks for the food!¡± He put down one gold coin as payment, while the two monsters were still obsessed with fighting each other and forgot about him.

    As soon as Bird left, the old lady came back. She bit the gold coin to test it and looked shocked,

    ¡°This is a gold coin from Taohua Village, has this kid been there?¡±