A deep, searing pain ripped through my skull, like my brain was being crushed under immense pressure. It was unbearable—a thousand needles stabbing into my mind, twisting, drilling, forcing something into me that didn't belong.

I gasped, my body jerking violently as if I had just been thrown into ice-cold water. My chest heaved, and for a moment, I couldn't breathe. A foreign force invaded my mind, flooding it with countless emotions, thoughts, and memories that weren't my own. They crashed into me, relentless, suffocating.

And then—just as suddenly as it came—the pain receded.

I sucked in a ragged breath, my body trembling as if I had just clawed my way out of drowning. My limbs were heavy, weighed down by exhaustion. Sweat clung to my skin, soaking into the thin, tattered clothes I wore. My fingers curled into the coarse fabric of the blanket draped over me—rough, frayed at the edges.

Slowly, I forced my eyelids open.

A wooden ceiling came into view—old, cracked beams lined with cobwebs. Dust floated in the dim light filtering through a broken window. The scent of damp wood, stale fabric, and lingering ash clung to the air.

I turned my head slightly, taking in my surroundings. The room was small, barely furnished. The wooden walls were faded and peeling. A rickety desk sat against the far end, cluttered with ink-stained scrolls and a half-burnt candle. A wooden chair, its leg slightly chipped, leaned against the wall. The entire place looked... poorly kept, as if its owner had long stopped caring.

Yet, something about it felt familiar.

And that's when it hit me.

A sharp breath left my lips as another surge of memories crashed through my mind. Faces. Voices. A different life. A different name.

Long Jian.

This body… belonged to someone named Long Jian. And now, so did I.

A shiver crawled down my spine. The realization sent my heart pounding. I had reincarnated.

The thought was absurd, yet the proof was undeniable. The memories lingering in my mind weren't just fragments—they were his. They were mine now. The past life I once knew was gone, and in its place, I had been thrust into a world completely foreign to me.

But why? How?

I swallowed, my throat dry and parched. My body felt sluggish, weak. His body. My body. The lines blurred. The previous Long Jian had died, but now, I was here in his place.

I exhaled slowly, pushing past the dizziness. As I attempted to move, a sharp ache pulsed through my chest. I winced, pressing a hand to the sore spot. Faint bruises dotted my arms, and my clothes—worn and slightly torn—suggested that something had happened before I woke up.

A fight? An accident?

The memories were still unsettled, scattered like puzzle pieces waiting to be put together. The only thing I was certain of was this: Long Jian hadn't died naturally.

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the damp strands stick to my forehead. This room, this body, this life—everything felt unreal, yet it was painfully real.

I wasn't dreaming.

Just as I was beginning to process everything, a sudden knock shattered the silence.

Thud. Thud.

I stiffened.

"Long Jian! Are you still sleeping?!" A voice called out, sharp with irritation.

The sound jolted something within me—more memories surfacing, unraveling the haze. Chen Mu. The name floated to the surface, as if dredged from deep waters.

Someone that the previous owner of this body dreaded so badly and now he's here

I clenched my fists, forcing my breath to

steady.

This was just the beginning.