Rebirth: The Fierce Dao Companion

Chapter 2 – Bullying

Straightening his back, Lu Li looked up at the clear, azure sky. A wave of lightness washed over him. He had been here for five years now and was already well-acquainted with this world.

The original owner of this body was no more, so Lu Li resolved to live well on his behalf—and to take good care of the original owner’s parents as well.

As he idly pondered whether his mother had finished preparing lunch at home, a group of boys, also around thirteen or fourteen years old, suddenly blocked his path. From their expressions, it was clear they weren’t there for a friendly chat.

Lu Li wasn’t the least bit flustered. In the five years he’d been here, he’d been ambushed by this group for four of them.

That first year, after they had pushed him into the freezing pond, they seemed frightened and left him alone for a while. But once they saw he was fine, they resumed their bullying.

Because Lu Li’s family was out of favor within the clan, these bullies could torment him without facing any real consequences. As with most children, they preyed on the weak.

The leader, a haughty boy named Lu Zheng, sneered maliciously at Lu Li and said, “Well, if it isn’t Lu the Useless! Hiding here again? What, afraid of us so much that you always take the long way around?”

In his past life, Lu Li had died at the age of twenty-five. Add to that the five years he had lived in this world, and his mental age was now pushing thirty. There was no way he’d get angry over the taunts of a few genuine children.

His expression remained calm. “I’m heading home.”

Lu Zheng’s face darkened immediately. Ever since he’d pushed Lu Li into the pond five years ago, the boy had changed. He no longer cried out when beaten and even dared to fight back. Just a few days ago, Lu Li had punched him square in the face.

Although the family head punished Lu Li afterward, Lu Zheng still couldn’t let it go. Lu Li was just a useless nobody—how dare he lay a hand on his face?

Seeing the anger on Lu Zheng’s face, Lu Li realized that today wouldn’t end peacefully.

His back still ached faintly from the lashings he’d received days earlier, and Lu Li quickly weighed his options: endure the beating or fight back.

But Lu Zheng didn’t give him much time to think. With a wave of his hand, his lackeys charged forward, fists clenched.

Instinctively, Lu Li adopted a defensive stance using the techniques he had learned. While he lacked spiritual energy, the moves were still effective as basic martial arts.

With a single deft move, Lu Li easily toppled one of the lackeys.

Lu Zheng’s face twisted with fury at the sight, and he ordered the rest of his gang to rush in all at once.

Though Lu Li had only scratched the surface of his training, he could handle one or two opponents. But against a group, he knew he didn’t stand a chance. He wasn’t foolish enough to try.

Turning on his heel, he bolted.

“Stop right there! Where do you think you’re going? When I catch you, I’ll beat you to death!”

As he ran, Lu Li couldn’t help but grumble inwardly: If I didn’t run, you really would beat me to death.

He ran without direction, focusing solely on the diminishing sound of footsteps behind him.

After a while, the pursuit finally ceased. Lu Li’s heart pounded so hard it felt like it might leap out of his throat.

He continued running for a bit longer, just to be safe, before collapsing against a large tree, utterly exhausted.

His clothes were drenched in sweat, his breaths came in ragged gasps, and his vision blurred from overexertion. The silent forest echoed only with the sound of his heavy breathing.

After resting for what felt like the time it would take to sip a cup of tea, Lu Li finally caught his breath. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he used the sturdy trunk to pull himself upright.

Looking up at the dense canopy above, it took him only a moment to realize where he was.

The back mountain.

The Lu family had a strict rule forbidding anyone from entering the back mountain alone.

The area was infested with demonic beasts, making it extremely dangerous. The town itself was protected by a powerful formation that kept the beasts from descending, but anyone venturing into the mountain was unlikely to return alive.

Lu Li felt a twinge of unease. He wasn’t eager to throw away this second chance at life so easily.

But now that he’d blundered in during his desperate escape, he had no idea how to get back out.

His priority was to find an exit while it was still daylight. Once night fell, the forest would become even more perilous.

Carefully, he began searching for a way out. Fortunately, he didn’t encounter any demonic beasts along the way. Unfortunately, no matter how far he walked, he always ended up back at the same marked tree.

As the sky darkened, Lu Li grew increasingly fatigued—and hungry.

Slumping against the tree in defeat, he ruffled his hair in frustration.

I should’ve just let them beat me up. At least I wouldn’t have died.

Now, however, he wasn’t sure if he would even make it out alive.

Touching his growling stomach, Lu Li looked up at the bright moon overhead. The hunger gnawed at him, growing worse by the second.

Lu Li’s stomach growled in protest as he leaned against the tree, one leg propped up, teetering on the edge of sleep.

The sky had grown darker, heavy clouds blocking out even the faintest glimmer of light.

Slapping his cheeks lightly, Lu Li forced himself to stay awake. If he fell asleep here, he couldn’t be sure he’d live to see the sunrise.

Using the tree trunk for support, he pushed himself to his feet, determined to search for a way out once more.

But just as he stood, a beast’s howl suddenly pierced the night.

Lu Li froze, his heart skipping a beat as he instinctively grew alert.

He stood by the tree, holding his breath and straining to catch any sound in the silence that followed. Yet, after that single, bone-chilling howl, no other sounds emerged.

Only after waiting for a long time, when he was certain the forest had returned to stillness, did he allow himself to relax slightly.

But then, faint whimpering reached his ears.

Lu Li swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he hesitated for a moment. Finally, unable to resist his curiosity, he stepped cautiously toward the source of the sound.

By now, his eyes had fully adjusted to the darkness, making it easier to navigate the forest.

As he moved closer, a strong, metallic stench hit his nose—blood.

The smell made him reel, nearly gagging, but the soft whimpering grew louder and more distinct.

Emerging from behind a tree trunk, he was hit by an overwhelming wave of the blood’s pungency. Before him lay the massive, lifeless bodies of two beasts sprawled on the ground.

Lu Li started in shock but quickly composed himself upon realizing that both creatures were completely devoid of life.

The whimpering sound came from the abdomen of one of the beasts, a creature covered in pure white fur now matted with blood.

Cautiously, Lu Li approached. The white beast was riddled with wounds, its body a grim canvas of blood and gashes. A particularly deep s***h across its neck suggested the fatal blow.

Lu Li didn’t linger on the corpse. Circling around it, his attention was drawn to a tiny, white puff of fur nestled against the beast’s belly. The small creature was whimpering softly.

The little ball of fluff was no larger than the size of his palm, starkly out of proportion to the massive beast beside it. Judging by its appearance, it seemed to be the cub of the white beast.

The tiny creature’s fur was stained with traces of blood but otherwise looked remarkably clean and well-protected. It was a fluffy, chubby little thing, resembling a miniature ball of yarn.

Its appearance reminded Lu Li of the Pomeranians he had seen in his past life, though it was even smaller. Its rounded ears, perched atop its head, gave it a resemblance to a bear cub.

Its limbs were short and stubby, and its tail, just a tiny tuft, looked more like a rabbit’s.

What stood out most were its eyes—two large, translucent orbs of deep violet, shimmering like amethyst crystals. They were enchanting, almost otherworldly.

If any girl had been here, she would have undoubtedly squealed at its cuteness. Even Lu Li, a mentally thirty-year-old man, found the little creature irresistibly adorable.

The cub tilted its fluffy head, its violet eyes fixed on Lu Li with a calm, unblinking gaze, devoid of fear or emotion, as lifeless as a stagnant pond.

Lu Li squatted down and waved a hand in front of the little creature. Seeing that it neither bit him nor shied away, he reached out and scooped it up.

In his current youthful body, the cub was slightly larger than his two palms put together. It was surprisingly hefty, a testament to how well it had been cared for.

Sitting down on the ground, Lu Li cradled the little one in his arms. Lowering his head, he spoke softly to it.

“Your mother’s gone. From now on, will you come with me?”