LONG TIAN: THE DRAGON'S SECOND CHANCE

Ch 9

Long Tian's steps suddenly slowed when the inn finally came into clear view.

A two-story wooden building stood firmly beside the trade road. Lanterns hung in front of the main entrance, illuminating the signboard that swayed gently in the night breeze. Several merchant carriages were neatly parked in the courtyard, while the sounds of merchants laughing and glasses clinking could be faintly heard from inside.

The scene should have felt ordinary.

However, Long Tian's heart began beating faster.

His brows slowly furrowed, and his gaze never left the building.

"Why...?"

He desperately searched through his memories.

The longer he thought about it, the stronger the strange feeling in his chest became.

"It shouldn't be this early."

Memories from his previous life resurfaced one after another.

Back then, he and Xuan Mo had arrived at this place after a journey that had been much longer.

Long Tian had still been a young child, walking without enthusiasm because of the loss of his parents. He cried almost every day and often stopped in the middle of their journey.

Because of that, they had arrived nearly a week late.

By the time they finally reached this place, the inn had already been reduced to a sea of ruins.

Its walls had collapsed. Flames were still burning through parts of the building. Dozens of corpses were scattered everywhere, and the air was filled with the stench of blood.

He still remembered how Xuan Mo had examined the situation with an extremely serious expression while Long Tian followed closely behind.

However, they had not walked very far when his consciousness suddenly disappeared.

When he woke up again, they were already far away from that place.

Even until now, Long Tian had never discovered what had actually happened that night.

But now, the inn was still standing intact.

There was no blood.

There were no corpses.

There were no signs of destruction either.

Long Tian clenched his fists.

"Could it be... because I traveled much faster with Master this time, we arrived nearly a week earlier? If so, could it be that the terrifying incident hasn't happened yet? Will everything happen tonight?"

The thought sent a chill down his spine.

He unconsciously stopped walking.

Ahead of him, Xuan Mo, who had already reached the entrance, turned around.

Seeing his young disciple standing motionless in the distance, he smiled faintly.

"Tian'er, why are you still standing there? Are you too tired to walk? Come inside quickly. The night is getting colder, and you must be hungry by now."

The familiar call brought Long Tian back to his senses.

He walked toward his Master, but doubt still filled his expression.

After thinking for a while, he finally gathered the courage to ask.

"Master... what if we don't stop here? Shouldn't we continue traveling toward your home? Tian'er can't wait to see our new home. If we keep walking tonight, won't we arrive sooner?"

Xuan Mo looked at Long Tian for several moments before laughing softly.

"Tian'er, you really are a restless child. The sect doesn't have legs, so it can't run away. Tomorrow or the day after, it will still be there waiting for us.

"If we force ourselves to travel at night, the risks will only be greater. Wild beasts often come out after dark, not to mention bandits who favor dark roads. Getting enough rest is far more important than rushing toward a destination that isn't going anywhere."

Long Tian could only smile awkwardly.

His hand slowly scratched his head, even though it did not actually itch.

"Master is right... but..."

He could not bring himself to continue.

His mind felt even heavier.

"Why does it have to be this place? Why does it have to be tonight? I have only just received a second chance after dying. Do I really have to face a danger whose origin I don't even know?"

He bit his lip softly.

In his previous life, he had never discovered what had caused this inn to become a sea of death.

Was there a massacre?

A battle between martial artists?

Or perhaps something far more terrifying?

He had no idea.

The only thing he knew was that he had lost consciousness again.

Long Tian lowered his head.

"If I keep forcing Master to leave, he will definitely ask me why. But what am I supposed to tell him?

"I can't possibly say that I once died, returned to the past, and know that this place will turn into hell within a few hours.

"Who would believe such a story?

"Even if Master believed me, he would certainly start questioning my identity."

The more he thought about it, the more hopeless the situation seemed.

He was truly caught in a dilemma.

Several times, he opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.

Finally, Long Tian let out a long sigh.

"All right, Master. Tian'er will listen to you. Let's go inside."

Xuan Mo nodded with satisfaction.

"That's a good disciple. After dinner, you must rest immediately. Your body is still too small to travel long distances every day."

Without the slightest suspicion, Xuan Mo stepped into the inn.

Long Tian followed behind him.

The moment he crossed the threshold, he carefully observed every corner of the room.

The merchants were still enjoying their meals.

Several martial artists sat together while drinking wine.

The servants moved back and forth carrying dishes.

Everything looked peaceful.

Yet that very peace made Long Tian even more uneasy.

Inside his heart, he continued praying.

"Hopefully my memories are wrong. Hopefully everything has changed because I returned to the past. Hopefully tonight will pass peacefully."

However, the uncomfortable feeling refused to disappear.

For some reason, his instincts continued telling him that something terrifying was approaching.

And if that disaster truly happened tonight, all Long Tian could do was clench both fists bitterly.

"I'm still too weak.

"Even if I know the future, I still don't have the strength to change it.

"If something really happens, I won't even be able to help Master..."