THE RISE OF THE FALLEN LEGENDARY HERO

“You're still breathing, you fucker.” The boot slammed on Ryan's stomach before he even cared to open his eyes. He felt the pain in his ribs and winced. He crouched, not because he was weak but because of his training. He wanted them to think he was done. He needed five seconds to find out where he was and what was happening. Firstly three people were standing over him beating him mercilessly and secondly his body was not in a good shape before the beating started and thirdly he was not in his own body. The last reason should have shocked him. But it didn't. Ryan Xu had spent five good years in special ops. He was awake in a dangerous territory before. He had practiced the same thing he always did. Study first and then react later. “100 stones, Wei.” The tall one among the men bent and grabbed his clothes. His head was shaved and he has a thick build. “I give you three weeks and failure to pay, you go to the mines.” He threw Ryan back into the pile of dirt and left. Ryan was stiff until the men left. Then he sat up. He pressed his hands on his rib cage, and he could feel it and it was broken. His lips were slightly cracked and blood was gushing out. His vision was slightly clear and his hands were thin. A sign that shows that he had not been eating good food in weeks. Old bruises on his body were being layered by fresh new ones. The body he was in had been beaten regularly for a long time. Next to him on the ground was a crumpled paper. It was a debt notice and the name on it read Wei Jiang. An outer disciple with no rank or spiritual background. The person's body he had found himself. He took the paper and folded it into his pocket then took a look around the room. It was made of stone walls that had no window. A mat was in one corner of the room with a robe hung on a peg. He had ten copper coins on him and on the floor was a folded paper. The paper was a hand copied meridian chart containing some information but was incomplete. He sat down, placed his back on the wall and grabbed the chart and went through it. *Asset: The room, the paper chart, ten copper coins and thirty days more to last in the body he was if he was more careful. *Threat: The debt and the three disciples that beat him. *Unknown: everything else. He was still going through the chat when the door flung open. There was no knock. It was the tallest man among the disciples who had dealt with him earlier. His name was Leng Chao, Ryan had caught the name earlier when one of the men called him. He was alone. He went to a corner of the room and stared at the floor like he was checking something. “Get the hell out of here now.” He said. “File an urgent transfer notice tonight.” “But..This...is…my room,.” Ryan stuttered. “No it is not, there's a spirit vein node under this floor and my master wants it, you don't have the cultivation to activate it so what's your use in this room, get out.” He clenched his fist and Ryan noticed it. A faint bright light gathered around his fingers and he fired at Ryan. Ryan ducked to the right as the energy hit the wall behind where he had been sitting. He grabbed Leng's shoulder before he could raise another hand, twisted it and lifted Leng, dropping him with a loud thud on the floor. Within a few seconds Leng was down. He pressed his knee on Leng's back and pulled his arms with force, Leng winced in pain and he went still. “You're going to be the one to leave and never come back, " Ryan said. He searched Leng's pocket and found thirty spirit stones and a few talismans. He took the stones and left the talisman. He dragged Leng out of the room to the outer gate and left him there with his face downwards. Nothing has changed, no lasting damage. It was an intentional choice he made. It's not out of pity for him but it's a strategy. He went back to his room and lit the oil lamp. He took the chart again and began to go through it the second time. Now he had thirty stones, a thirty day deadline and still the silver coins. And he was in a body every disciple has dismissed as filth and unworthy. He started from the worst part. By the time the light of the lamp was already burning low he had found what he was looking for. A path to cultivation that doesn't require spiritual origin or background. And every qualified disciple has taken no note of it. Ryan read it twice and he found out the process was simpler than he had imagined. He would force qi through his body manually and continuously until the muscles and bones in him are willing to accept it. No special skill or talent, it's just the ability to resist the pain until it works. He set the chart down and closed his eyes. Suddenly he could hear two footsteps outside the door. It was Leng's voice. And behind it was an older voice that was more low and slow without the need to make it loud. “He is in the room. This is it.” Leng said. There was silence for a brief moment. “I'll handle it.” The second voice said. Ryan blinked his eyes. If it was Leng he could handle him but whoever was with him was another problem entirely. And from the sound of his voice he had a few seconds before the problem walked in.