The Way of Reincarnation

He died nine times, each time on the same day, and each time at the hands of the same executioner acting on Heaven's behalf. He had always believed he was a sacrifice chosen by the Heavenly Dao. Until his tenth life, when he returned with that blade in hand.

Awakening in his tenth life, he gathers the power accumulated over nine lifetimes and resolves to break this endless cycle. But the Heavenly Dao has already laid out two paths for him: sacrifice himself for the world and become a benevolent corpse, or refuse and fall into evil. He chooses neither, instead finding a third path: living for everyone, and for himself.

Three hundred years later, two dragon-and-phoenix pendants, separated for three hundred years, finally come together. There is no earth-shattering roar, only rough tea on the desk, a chipped bowl by the table, and the soft chirp of a sparrow outside the window. At the end, he realizes: darkness was never the enemy. It was only a room for someone to hide in and rest awhile when they were too tired.

Like someone far away, who lit a lamp and forgot to blow it out.