Yijiang City

Yijiang City.

The Patrol Inspection Office.

Chen Xia was young and somewhat gaunt, with dark circles under his eyes, as if he'd gone several days without sleep.

Dressed in a black uniform, with a peaked cap bearing the National Emblem and an electric baton hanging at his waist, Chen Xia stepped into the Patrol Inspection Office and began another busy day.

He'd worked at the Patrol Inspection Office for six years, making him a seasoned employee. Still, he usually arrived half an hour earlier than everyone else, did a quick clean of the floor, and boiled a kettle of water. For six years, he'd been a model employee.

The Patrol Inspection Office had many departments. Chen Xia was a member of the Eighth Squad of the Patrol Inspection Brigade, which handled public security.

"Morning."

"Morning, Brother Zhang!"

Chen Xia had been arriving a little late for the past three days, and many of his colleagues had already started work. Seeing how he looked, his colleague Zhang Feng laughed. "Those dark circles are almost as bad as a panda's. Up all night again?"

"I practiced martial arts too late last night. Didn't get much sleep."

"Heh. Chen Xia, take it from me: you're still young. Don't ruin your health. Know your limits!"

Zhang Feng was a year older than Chen Xia, and both of them were seasoned hands at the Patrol Inspection Office.

When they first started working, everyone was full of confidence. But after a while, they learned that becoming a martial artist was unrealistic. They had neither connections nor resources, so they might as well keep their heads down and get by. Ruining their health would only be a loss.

"Yeah, I get it." Chen Xia rubbed his head and nodded reluctantly.

As they were talking, the office suddenly grew lively.

A young man in his early twenties walked in through the door.

Unlike the casual greetings Chen Xia received, the seven or eight people in the office stood up when they saw the newcomer and hurried to greet him.

Everyone was also eager to flatter the young man.

"Yang Hua graduated from Handong University as a Martial Arts Student. He was assigned to our Patrol Inspection Office as a full-time employee, and he's already close to becoming a Grade 1 martial artist at such a young age!"

"Yeah, he's about to be promoted to deputy captain. If he breaks through to become a martial artist within six months, he's sure to become an Official Team Member."...

Zhang Feng gave the newcomer, Yang Hua, a simple, honest smile and raised a hand to greet him. At the same time, he nudged Chen Xia's arm, silently urging him to join in.

Chen Xia saw the young man but said nothing.

Yang Hua's eyes flickered as he approached. But when he noticed Chen Xia's dark circles, he couldn't help finding the sight amusing.

He knew this colleague. He'd heard that ever since Yang Hua was nominated for deputy captain, the man had grown dispirited and thrown a bit of a fit. He'd gone from arriving early every day to boil water and clean for everyone to showing up at the last minute for the past few days and refusing to do any work. In Yang Hua's eyes, this man was a little dense, putting on a show for him on purpose.

Didn't he understand? Yang Hua was a top university graduate with real ability. Now that he'd joined the office, he was bound to become a leader. With that attitude, even if another opportunity came up later, Chen Xia wouldn't get it. In the end, Chen Xia was just too straightforward and lacked tact.

Besides, his family really did have connections. They'd helped him take over Chen Xia's nomination for deputy captain. But how could he be blamed for that? The world had never been fair.

"You'll still have a chance to be nominated for deputy captain later. Don't offend him."

"Yang Hua graduated from a top university, and I heard his family has connections too. I've given up on getting promoted, so I don't care. But you're different."...

Listening to Zhang Feng quietly advise him, Chen Xia shook his head.

He wasn't deliberately giving anyone the cold shoulder. It was just that the memories from his transmigration were still merging, like a dull knife churning back and forth inside his head.

That was right.

He didn't belong to this world.

Three days ago, he'd stayed out late drinking with a client.

When he woke up, he'd become Chen Xia of this world—a low-ranking patrol officer whose promotion opportunity had been snatched away.

He could more or less understand what was going on in the office.

His predecessor had shared his name and had joined the Patrol Inspection Office six years ago. His cultivation was at the seventh stage of Ningyuan, but he was still two stages short of the cultivation required to become a captain.

Fortunately, some time ago, the higher-ups had decided to give him a nomination for deputy captain and an opportunity for an Official Appointment, in recognition of his seniority and performance. Even without becoming a martial artist, he could still take a deputy post if a vacancy opened up later.

At the time, he'd been thrilled and even treated everyone to drinks.

But good times never lasted.

A few days later, the Patrol Inspection Office got a new colleague, Yang Hua. Since he'd graduated from Handong University and had already reached the eighth stage of Ningyuan, the higher-ups transferred Chen Xia's nomination to him as soon as he joined the office.

Nominations weren't usually changed once they'd been made. It was said that Yang Hua had used his connections to snatch the opportunity. His predecessor had been rather unhappy about it.

Faced with the harsh blow of reality, he'd decided to take a dangerous shortcut and look for a technique with side effects that could help him become a martial artist in a short time.

Then he could become an Official Team Member outright.

But techniques like that cost seventy or eighty thousand at the very least. He couldn't afford one.

Fortunately, during a mission, the local Blazing Fire Mercenary Group and Gathering Justice Mercenary Group had fought to the death in a dark alley, leaving many dead and wounded. As a member of the Patrol Inspection Office, he'd searched the scene for a little extra income—and really had found a technique with severe side effects: Seven Injuries Fist.

The technique had been stored on a USB drive. After returning home, his predecessor began practicing it.

But after years of martial arts training without any nutritional supplements, his body was already under strain. This technique hadn't increased his cultivation at all. Instead, he'd practiced until he coughed up blood and died before his time, leaving behind a regret.

Since he'd already transmigrated, Chen Xia gradually accepted his new identity.

He also recalled the technique his predecessor had practiced. The more he looked at it, the more he shook his head.

Technique: Seven Injuries Fist. One practice, seven injuries! It wounds Yin and Yang, and the Five Elements of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. First, it harms the self; then, it harms the enemy. Once mastered, its power is immense! A touch to the body can shatter a person's Five Viscera, leaving them certain to die. Flaw: Each time it is practiced, the internal organs are damaged. If one's internal energy is not sufficiently powerful and abundant, it will destroy the heart meridian, drive one mad, and cause Qi Deviation. Practice with caution...

Chen Xia could only sigh when he saw this.

His predecessor really hadn't cared whether he lived or died.

How could anyone dare practice a technique like this?

His predecessor had been in poor health and come from a poor family. Taking a dangerous shortcut hadn't worked either. Now that Chen Xia had inherited his life, getting promoted would probably be difficult.

But Chen Xia had one advantage: he was easygoing. If he could get promoted, great. If not, so be it.

Once his head felt a little better, Chen Xia threw himself into work and decided to take things as they came.

There was nothing he could do about his predecessor's regrets. Some things were up to fate.

As the saying went: What is destined to be yours will be yours; what is not destined to be yours, don't force.

Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly froze while looking at the computer screen.

What was this...

Several lines of text floated before his eyes over the computer screen.

Chen Xia thought there was something wrong with the computer, but when he looked away, the text remained.

He blinked, but the words didn't disappear. They simply hung in the air, motionless.

[Technique detected... Seven Injuries Fist (not yet mastered)]

[Would you like to reverse it?]...

At the sight of the sudden change, Chen Xia trembled from head to toe.

At last, a smile spread across his face.

Seeing this, Zhang Feng grew worried.

His colleague seemed to be having some kind of mental breakdown. If nobody talked him through it, things might go badly.

There wasn't much to do that day. After waiting until the end of the shift, Zhang Feng patted Chen Xia on the shoulder, looking concerned.

"Brother, let me buy you a drink! Whatever's going on, talk to me about it. Nothing's impossible to get through..."

Chen Xia shook his head and smiled. "Thanks, Brother Zhang, but I'll pass."

His top priority was getting home after work and figuring out what he'd just gained.

Seeing that Chen Xia wouldn't change his mind, Zhang Feng felt helpless. He'd wanted to say more, but in the end he just shook his head and left.

"Nice weather today..."

After work, Chen Xia pedaled his bicycle as fast as he could.

He arrived in Yijiang Old Town, rode through several blocks of low-rise buildings, and followed the road straight ahead.

Before long, a small shop came into view, with a red sign bearing white characters: Wangwang Convenience Store.