Chapter 6

Bai Lang only saw a blur before his eyes. The jade-carved fish flicked before him as if diving, then vanished without a trace. A voice sounded by his ear. "Find the Jade Fish within ten years, or bear the consequences yourself." The youth had not even figured out what was happening before a tremendous force shoved him. Luckily, his martial training had given him decent balance. He merely tilted slightly, regained his center of gravity, and stood firmly on the ground.

Yet the scenery around him had changed. It was the modern cityscape he knew so well. For a moment, Bai Lang was so moved he wanted to cry. "I-I'm back!" He had not yet considered whether this was his original world, but it was close enough. Whether it was his original modern world or not, it was still infinitely better than that world that had seemed like ancient China. "Computers! Phones! Internet! Here I come!"

Three years had cleared his head somewhat. At least, he did not hold much hope that this latest "transmigration" had returned him to his original world—the previous one had proven that the multiverse existed. He probably was not lucky enough to return to his own world. Besides, what was with that voice? That voice that said he had to find the Jade Fish within ten years or bear the consequences himself—just how serious would those consequences be? Those were all questions.

Still, there was no harm in relaxing for now.

There were skyscrapers around him, so this should be modern society. But just from the writing on the buildings, Bai Lang knew where he was—where besides Japan had so many Japanese signs? There was no one on the streets, though that was normal enough for Japan at night. This did not seem to be downtown. Bai Lang checked himself and, sure enough, that voice was apparently quite capable, because his clothes had changed too. He now wore an ordinary hoodie and sweatpants, though he seemingly had no money.

"What the hell am I supposed to do now? Forget finding some damned Jade Fish—even surviving here will be a problem! I fucking can't speak Japanese! Unless I can get by on 'yamete' and 'baka yarou'! Wait, I've got martial arts. Maybe I can survive by robbing people?" Before and after transmigrating, Bai Lang had never had much social experience. He basically had no idea how to make money, though he knew how to spend it. Now that he had been thrown into an unfamiliar place where he could not even understand the language, his initial joy was quickly followed by the realization that life might not be so easy.

He had only taken one step when he spotted the jade fish by his feet. Its black jade eye seemed to still be watching him. Bai Lang stared expressionlessly at the Jade Fish on the ground. About a minute later, he bent down and picked it up. "Charging. Fully charged in ten years." The voice sounded again. Bai Lang immediately wanted to throw the fish as far away as he could, but the unknown consequences stopped his impulse. After carefully putting the Jade Fish away, he turned around—because someone had arrived.

"Hey, Bai Lang. What are you doing out here? Listen, don't run off—you're better off not overstaying in Japan right now." He did not recognize the newcomer, but the man seemed to know him and spoke to him so casually. "Oh? Who said I was planning to overstay in Japan?" Bai Lang muttered. "Forget it, forget it. Don't smoke here either—there's no sign, but still. If there's nothing else, go back to the hotel. We're going to Oshino Hakkai tomorrow."

Bai Lang more or less understood now. His original identity here was apparently someone traveling with a tour group. It seemed the owner of that voice was not completely shameless after all and had at least given him an identity. Bai Lang clenched his fists, feeling the power surging through his body and the inner force flowing through his meridians. His abilities had not been "sealed," so it seemed he could still accomplish great things. There was also a room key in his hoodie pocket. Bai Lang had no intention of lingering outside, so he followed this man who seemed to know him back to the hotel.

Hot water, a smart bidet toilet, a Simmons mattress, a television, and a laptop—Bai Lang once again felt long-lost emotion. As the hot water blasted his ass, tears streamed down his face. "Wooden sticks, rough as hell straw paper. Today, today at last... And those goddamned stinking dry latrines! At least let me live comfortably for these ten years. But when I think about having to live like that again in ten years, I really want to die!" Compared to consequences he knew nothing about, Bai Lang felt it was better to listen and eat his fill. Once the Jade Fish finished "charging," it could do whatever it wanted.

The laptop had been brought by his current identity. Not many Japanese hotels had Wi-Fi, but Bai Lang still awkwardly turned on his phone's hotspot and went online, greedily browsing everywhere. "There are subtle differences. So this really isn't my world." He could not describe the feeling rising in his heart as he stared blankly at the 2016 date displayed at the bottom of the screen.

"Is it the same year as when I came here?" he murmured unconsciously. Bai Lang took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, unconsciously beginning to circulate his internal cultivation method. In that state, he drifted hazily into cultivation. His inner force completed one cycle. Since he had only opened the Ren Meridian and three other meridians, one cycle took less than half an hour. Bai Lang had already calmed down.

He turned off the computer, climbed onto the Simmons mattress, and let his breathing become almost imperceptible as he sank into deep sleep.

At five the next morning, Bai Lang was already awake. He sprang from the bed and put on loose clothes, preparing to go downstairs and practice. "Train the tendons, bones, and skin externally; cultivate a breath internally"—this had been his unshakable habit for three years. Otherwise, how could he have become the best fighter in the labor brokerage in only three years? There were even seasoned thugs in their twenties and thirties there, but they had all grown lazy and rusty.

The hotel was not located in a bustling area. It seemed to be the sort of chain hotel that specialized in tour groups, though there was an electric railway station nearby. There was also a park in front of the hotel, and Bai Lang prepared to practice in an open area there. Bai Lang had long since mastered the Thirty-two Forms Long Fist along with the techniques from the Fist Manual. After checking online yesterday, he had found that they did not seem very different from Pigua Fist, Xingyi, or Baji Fist. Yet empowered by the inner force cultivated from that single breath, these techniques should be far stronger than their original forms.

Bai Lang calmed his mind and steadied his breath. He stamped his foot, and though no dust rose from the ground, it trembled slightly. He threw a punch and began to slowly perform Long Fist, loosening his muscles and bones. His intent was wholly contained within his fists and feet, but his lips remained tightly sealed without a sound—his inner force circulated through one breath, so there was no need to exhale and shout. Howling and yelling at five in the morning was rather inconsiderate, and Bai Lang had thought of that beforehand.