Chapter 2 - What Did He Do To Deserve This

This was not home. Instead of cars and tall buildings, he saw small homes and horses.

People were dressed in robes and some had their hairs held up with ribbons. His eyes moved to the swords at their hips and to the rows of stalls with items. His eyes caught people eating outside on the benches and others traveling with their ox.

Where in the world was he at?

He heard the sound of footsteps nearing him, and that made him tense up. Running down the steps, he took off to any direction he could find. Down this road to the next, anywhere to get away from this strange world.

Turning another corner, he finally paused to catch his breath.

"Okay," he told himself, "You died. This is a nightmare or some mistake from the Gods. I just... I just need to die again and I will not be here. Easy."

He stood up feeling better from his pep talk, but it quickly deflated when he heard more footsteps near him. Turning around, he saw three men walking toward him with leering looks. Pursing his lips, the way their eyes moved from his face down to his toes made his body shiver with anger. He unconsciously tightened the robe.

"Where are you going pretty lady?" One of the men questioned adding a disgustingly thick sweetener to his tone.

"I'm a guy," Bai Lan stated with a frown, "I am needed elsewhere. I am sorry."

"A guy?" He saw the strangers look at one another before laughing.

"No guy is this pretty," one of them barked out.

'Why do they think I'm a girl?' He crossed his arms casually and noted there were no mounds of breasts.

"I mean that is a man's clothing, but that face is smooth and well kept," another wheezed out clamping his friend on the shoulder.

He frowned and crossed his legs to feel… yup. He was definitely a boy, no doubt about it.

"I should be going, please just-" Bai Lan tried but they blocked his escape.

"Oh, do not worry, pretty lady. We will take good care of you."

"Just leave me alone!" Bai Lan shouted annoyed and scared as the circle closed in on him.

The taller male grinned like a Cheshire cat, "Let us punish that pretty lips of yours for shouting at us!"

They came closer to him and he held his fists up. The only fighting skills he had were from movies and television. He never thought he would ever need to defend himself since that never happened before. Now, he regretted it.

All he saw were hands and he threw punches hoping it landed. He heard the crunch of his fist meeting skin, which made him happy, but-

'Ouch!' He winced, 'That really hurts.'

No time to care as those hands were more insistent on grabbing him. Though he would like to kick and bruise their precious members, whoever this person was seemed to not be wearing pants underneath. He only had an underwear, inner robe, and outer robe on.

'Who is this person,' he frowned at this shameless person, 'Why did I get stuck in this person's body? Why am I even here?'

He felt hands grabbed his arms and shoulders, then the tearing that loosened the robe fell over his shoulder.

"Ah! Get off me!" He screamed frightened, but the men around him just laughed.

"Let's hurry up," the bigger man puffed happily.

"Disgusting, shameless! Get off of me!" He shouted only to get a backhand to the face, in which the ring on that finger caused a gash to his face.

'This is definitely Hell. What did I do to deserve this?' He felt his eyes welled up.

"It isn't like you haven't done this before," the shorter one said sweetly, "You've bedded many men and women, nothing is off limit. So the three of us is easy peasy, right?"

'This person is a… is a…?!' He found himself shocked, 'HELL! This is HELL! What did I do to deserve this? Was it because I said no to whoever asked? Was it for falling in love with a dream? Where are you? Please save me!'

Fisting his hands and glaring at the men, he fought once more. There was no way he was going to  lay down and let them touch him. If he needed to get naked just to kick their asses, then he will! No one is going to take advantage of him, Bai Lan. He doesn't care whoever this body belonged to was before, it was not him dammit!

He only got the upper hand for a minute before he was pinned down to the ground, with his back to them. He felt someone tugging at his back collar to pull down, revealing his smooth milky skin. He tried to fight or wriggle away, kicking and flailing like a fish out of water, but the big one sat on his back while the other two held his hands down with their foot.

'I am so weak,' he shut his eyes and did the only thing he still could think of.

"HELP!!!" He screamed hoping someone, anyone, come stop these bastards.

To his surprised, he heard people shouting for them to stop and get off him. Bai Lan was so happy and relieved that once he was released, he quickly covered himself the best he could and bowed.

"Thank you, thank you," he was so grateful.

'Finally, something good happens,' he sighed, but suddenly felt a grip on his hair lifting his head.

"Sheng Shui," the man in gold with intricate design stared coldly at him, "We have been looking for you."

'Oh please don't tell me-' he could not believe his bad luck.

"Sect Leader Feng will give his punishment now," the man said pulling him up by his hair.

He could hear the men from earlier laughing as they watched him be pulled by the hair like an animal. He was really dead. Please just kill him. He was tired of the humiliation from waking up next to a woman, getting touched and almost… and now being dragged by his hair. Even worse, the leader had a beef with him or something! If there were a God or Goddess, they truly hated him. This was the worse life he ever had. He would rather choose to live with his bad heart than this.

He felt the scalp of his head itching as they walked through places and up numerous steps. Then he saw rows and rows of people just staring at him with disgust and pity. Feeling the blood drop from his face, he swallowed the nerves bundled up in his throat.

'An execution. This was what it was, wasn't it?' He frowned, 'Hanged, stabbed, burned to death? What was it? I just got here and so many things had happened. I am so tired.'

He was tugged forward and dropped to the floor at the top of the steps. Letting out a groan as his knees hit the concrete, he lifted himself up to see the man on the seat before him. Dressed even more intricate than the bastard who dragged him, the elder sat straight with hair ornaments adorned in his tresses. His face had wrinkles and his hair was graying, but there was an elegance to him.

"Sect Leader Feng," the hair dragging bastard greeted the elder, "I have found Sheng Shui."

"So you are finally caught," the leader looked at him and Bai Lan felt a tremble of fear go through his body, "You are elusive," he paused to stare at him, "You definitely are a beautiful woman."

"I'm a man, sir," he spoke up to feel a kick to his back and he fell forward gritting his teeth.

"My daughter said you used her and played with her heart," the elder continued and the daughter he spoke of walked up the steps to stand beside her father.

'Who? Oh,' he took in her big brown eyes and petite nose.

"This is the one, correct?" The leader looked at his daughter who nodded.

"Yes father," she kneeled down, "She told me we would be friends forever if I were to help her, but then she left with all my expensive items."

"What?!" He could not believe what he was hearing, "I didn-"

A foot pressed against his back pushed him back down further.

"Shut up you lowlife," the bastard shouted and Bai Lan growled. This was not fair! This was unjust!

"I am a man not a girl!" He shouted and felt the pressure at his shoulder blade press harder, "Ugh!"

"Then strip," the elder stated casually, "If you are a man, then strip down and we will know."

Bai Lan laid there for a moment thinking to himself. Strip… in front of everyone… it wasn't something he was comfortable with in his other life and definitely not in this life. However, the thought of finally being called correctly and not be accused of this stupid crime or whatever was tempting.

"If you are a man, then the punishment would be more extreme," the Sect Leader finished and he felt his face drop.

'He cannot win.'

He felt the foot leave his back and he felt relieved slightly, but there was a pull at the back of his collar before that bastard's hands had pushed opened his robes enough to reveal his shoulders, but not enough to show cleavage.

"I'm a girl, I'm a girl!" He shouted grabbing the front of his robe tightly, so nothing was revealed.

The hands left him, and he looked at the elder with fright.

'This place is so shameless! To strip someone bare without their consent! Am I in some sort of messed up novel!' He found himself screaming inward as he pulled his robe back over his shoulders.

"Your punishment Sheng Shui," the leader announced, "... is to be the Ghost King's wife."

Before he could process that, he heard the gasps and loud murmurs from the crowd. Even the daughter who accused him seemed to be shocked by the announcement.

"Fa… father," she grabbed her father's hand, "Please… there must be a different punishment. Not that… please."

"My decision is final," the elder stated.

"I… it was a lie, father please, he is a man not a woman," the girl continued to speak the truth, but her father paid no mind.

"Take off her outer robe and dress her up," the leader stated, "We will bring The Ghost King his bride within the hour."

What had he gotten himself into?