"Do you know why you lost? Have you even thought about it in the first place? Let me tell you, it wasn't because your opponent's luck was good that time, nor was it because he mastered such a formidable technique that he used to defeat you, but it was because you were too hasty!" The elderly lectured me with fury and indignation.
"You should have slowly gauge your opponent first before moving in to kill. You should have cornered him slowly, wait until he uses all of his cards then finish him off!
"Now look at yourself. You, a 12 gates practitioner, got defeated by a nobody with only 9 gates unlocked!
"Wang Xie, are you even listening? Are you not even embarrassed of yourself?!"
Ugh, my face hurts like hell. My body feels like it's going to crumble at any moment. I can't even remember when the last time I got so beaten up.
Damn that guy. At least show some restraint when you want to beat someone up!
Ah, well at least he didn't kill me. Or so I say as I try to console myself from the pain. But that was futile since the reprimanding words of the elder over there would increase the pain even more.
And to how I landed myself in such a state, let me start by my introduction.
My name was Ben Li. Yes, was. I used past tense. And I was the author of 7 novels which I stated writing since I was just 15 years old.
Writing novels was something like a second life for me. I loved doing it. Especially how novels made such an impact to many lives different from my own. And after receiving inspirational enlightenment from novels like Xuanhuan, Wuxia, Rom-Coms, Isekais, and also yuri, I had finally finished my first novel... To which it sucked.
I had received multitude of bad reviews from avid readers for my first novel. Saying that characters sucks, the development sucks, the literature also sucks and that the Harem tagged novels weren't hyped anymore.
But I wasn't an idiot back then thus I didn't know when to stop writing all my bad ideas. To which, after struggling like a mad man for my place in the stars, I manage to land myself in the top hundreds in the competition of best authors with my seventh novel that was a huge success.
Hooray for me! Yea-no.
Unfortunately, before I got to relish in my new glory, I died... I think... not sure...
The last thing I could remember was that I was in a bar, drinking with my friends. With just 3 shots of that good stuff I started to get tipsy. I wanted to go home then to start writing my eighth novel tomorrow but I didn't because my gaze had accidently landed at the girl drinking by the pub. And God, she was definitely my fated one.
She looked like she was in her early 20's. Her figure was refined and splendidly slender. With how she wore that shoulder-less red shirt, thigh-less jeans, high heels and eyeglasses, she gave an intellectual vibe that blended well in her sexy grace.
Wondering what she was even doing here looking lonely for some reason, here gaze had landed on me as if she had sensed me with her sixth sense. To which, my heart skipped and my body momentarily froze.
She was pretty cute. Though not the cutest I ever saw, nobody would disagree with me when I said so. But my heart told there was more than what meets the eye. Hence, I had my undivided attention focused on her alone until...
Ding! It struck me like lightning. She was a fellow peer. An author just like me!
Though she was a complete stranger, that did not matter to us fellow authors for we all share the same goal through our lives; Inspire the masses through our writings!
I should go say hi. Said my heart palpitating.
But then to my astonishment, I was left warded off by the onion layers that formed a holy barrier around her as she gave me a cold look that seems to say 'Scram!' right on my face.
It seems that, she was a lot wary towards strangers trying to flirt with her. But considering all the crazy shit I did throughout my life; how can this girl scare this man away. Thus, I went in again, only this time, I was a lot friendlier and struck her with my eloquence and clever choice of words until finally, she saw that I was the same as her. A fellow author just like you!
As she laughed and giggled, I was about to ask for her name. That was until I saw the frown in her face like she was worried whether she left the stove open or not.
Not knowing what was wrong, a hand had furiously grabbed on to my shoulder, forcing me to turn around as a large fist came shooting down my face. Without any time to react at all, I was sent flying across a distance before my head had crashed onto the metallic edge of a round table. Knocking me unconscious.
By the time I had opened my eyes, what came to my view was a place outside in plain daylight. I was standing atop a platform where numerous people of different faces gazed at me with different expressions.
In my mouth, I tasted the blood that mixes with my saliva and feel the painful numbness that stunned my body for the whole moment.
I did not understand what was going on, nor could I even remember how to understand because the only thought revolving around my head was; Who am I?
Then, someone loudly shouted "Wang Xie!" As if he was a furious lion who had his entire pride provoked had its roar landing on my poor ears.
Just as I came aware, I saw a lightning-clad fist brimming with power abruptly appear in front of my view. To which it struck my face!
Again, without any time to react at all, I was sent flying off at an even further distance as my entire body suffers from violent electrocutions before crashing onto a hard wall head first. Knocking me unconscious.
By the time I opened my eyes again, I was not, in a hospital bed, where I should be at! Instead, I was inside a tub that was steaming hot with sweet medicinal fragrance. Bathing in it as it calmed my nerves by a notch, the pain I felt moments ago was starting to fade bit by bit.
As I started to recall what had actually happened, memories of two different individuals surfaces in my poor head giving me splitting headache. After going through all that suffering, I then muttered softly. "I am Ben Li... no, I am also Wang Xie."