Chapter One: Awakening to a World of Transcendence—Unexpectedly, Familiar Faces Arrive Alongside

"My name is Ji Shi. I once thought that becoming a king was nothing but a childish fantasy—until I truly became a king. A... lonely king!"

...

In the two hundred and ninety-first year of the Great Qian calendar, Emperor Qian Ling was coerced by the Marquis of Chen, Chen Bian, to change the nation’s name to Jian Ning. From that moment, chaos descended upon the land. Eighteen warlords rose in rebellion, and the entire country was engulfed in flames of war, misery spread across the fields. After six years of relentless conflict, the fate of the realm was mostly held in the hands of five men. The remaining lands were occupied by various petty lords, each ruling their own territories, constantly undermining the foundations of Great Qian. Thus, the tides of the world had settled; Great Qian existed in name only, its vitality utterly lost.

At that time, Great Qian appeared peaceful, yet beneath the surface, currents of unrest surged. No one knew who would be the first to strike, nor who would become the ultimate victor—the sole king.

Jian Ning, seventh year. In Ru Prefecture, Ru City.

"I'm so hungry. I even had a late-night snack yesterday, so why am I starving now?" Ji Shi opened his eyes and muttered to himself. Suddenly, he realized something was amiss. "This doesn’t seem like my home!" He jumped out of bed and quickly examined his surroundings. "Ouch!" At that moment, a sharp pain seized his mind. After the agony subsided, he found unfamiliar memories had invaded his mind. Once they had fully merged, Ji Shi was overwhelmed by an indescribable shock. He discovered he was now in a place called Kun World, in Ru City of Ru Prefecture, within the Great Qian dynasty, inhabiting the body of a boy who shared his name but not his fate. Looking around, he saw ancient furniture and carved window lattices, all exuding an atmosphere far removed from modern times.

"Damn it, I had two thousand five hundred left in my bank card, and my browser history too. My soul has crossed over—but what happened to my body? I’ll die of embarrassment!" As he reeled in disbelief, hurried footsteps sounded outside.

"Ji Shi, get out here now!" Ji Shi opened the door in confusion, greeted by a fierce, bearded man flanked by two others. "Well, Young Master Ji, you’re finally awake. When will you pay the two hundred taels of silver you owe the Emerald Fragrance Pavilion?" "Silver?" Ji Shi thought for a moment, realizing it was the debt incurred by his predecessor.

The original Ji had relied on his meager scholarly skills, acquired before his family’s downfall, hoping to win the literary contest hosted by the pavilion’s courtesan, thereby earning the privilege of her special services. Victory seemed assured, but he was unexpectedly outdone by another contestant whose poem stunned the assembly, leaving Ji utterly defeated. In his humiliation, he tried to start a fight.

Unfortunately, he was nothing more than a debauched playboy, his body ruined by wine and women. After losing both parents, instead of reforming, he continued to sell off family valuables to fund his vices. As a result, the other contestant easily knocked him down with a single blow, causing him to break a vase. Although it was an ordinary vase, the pavilion claimed it was worth two hundred taels. Ji promised to fetch the money from home the next day, only to discover, upon returning, that nothing of value remained. Overwhelmed by despair, he suffocated and died.

Facing the three men demanding payment, Ji Shi glanced at his now dilapidated home and felt deeply unsettled. "The original was a real piece of work! Ruined by his own indulgence, then left me to clean up the mess. What am I supposed to do?" Ji Shi thought miserably.

Suddenly, he remembered something shocking. "That contestant’s name was something like Chi Young Master? I recall his servants called him that. The poem he recited—what was the last line? 'Just left my brows, now weighs on my heart.' Isn’t that from Li Qingzhao’s 'One Cut of Plum'?" As he pondered Chi Young Master’s mannerisms, Ji Shi felt a strange familiarity, as if he were an old friend, though he couldn’t quite place him.

"Ji Shi, don’t push your luck. We’re asking for the silver, and you’re just standing there silent. Are you paying or not? Chi Young Master said, if you can’t pay, go find him tonight at the Dragon Soaring Inn. Fulfill a small request, and he’ll settle your debt." Hearing this, Ji Shi was certain he knew the man. "Who is it? Oh, right—Chi, my high school classmate! He crossed over too! No wonder he seemed so cheeky, using Li Qingzhao’s poem to slap my face—well, not mine, but the original’s. No matter, tonight I’ll show him who’s boss!"

Ji Shi looked at the burly man and said, "I’ll go find Chi... Chi Young Master tonight. If there’s nothing else, you may go." The man muttered something about cowardice and strode off with his two companions. "Little Chi, just wait to be impressed!" Ji Shi thought as he stepped outside.

"First, I need to fully understand this world. Forget everything about the Dragon Nation—I probably can’t go back anyway!" Ji Shi set his first goal for this new world. Aside from eating, drinking, and profligacy, the original knew nothing, so Ji would have to gather information elsewhere. He headed to the Purple Glow Tavern, and as soon as he entered, the waiter rushed over. "Oh my, isn’t this Young Master Ji? I heard you made a scene last night at the Emerald Fragrance Pavilion and owe two hundred taels. Have you paid it off yet?" Ji Shi wanted to lash out, but restrained himself.

"Better not cause trouble before seeing Chi," Ji Shi thought. "I’ve already paid. Mind your own business and bring me a pot of old wine and a plate of peanuts." With only two taels left in his pocket, he considered the prices and decided to stick to those items. He was here to gather news, not indulge.

The waiter, seeing Ji Shi order so little, was about to mock him, but caught Ji Shi’s grim gaze and thought better of it, muttering as he walked away, "He thinks he’s still the old Young Master Ji? What a poseur." Ji Shi merely smiled, then began listening to the conversations around him for news.

Half an hour later, Ji Shi had finished his wine and learned what he needed. He was in Ru Prefecture, under the Great Qian dynasty, but the emperor was incompetent, leading to the nation’s collapse. Eighteen warlords rose, each vying for supremacy. Five major lords controlled vast territories, while lesser regions were carved up by minor lords.

Ru Prefecture was held by Zhu Sheng Zhiyin, the King of Ru. Ji Shi’s father had once been the wealthiest merchant in Ru City, which allowed the original to live a life of debauchery. But during a business trip, his father Ji Ba was killed by bandits. The mother, devastated, wasted away and soon died as well. Thus began the original’s downfall.

As for Chi Young Master, rumor had it he was the adopted son of Chen Shui, King of Jiangnan, his status not inferior to Zhu Sheng Zhiyin. "Damn it, why did Chi get lucky in his crossing, while I’m stuck suffering?" Ji Shi grew angrier with each thought, determined to seek Chi’s help that night.

With his last tael, Ji Shi bought a pot of wine and two buns for lunch and then napped. At sunset, he locked his door and made his way to the Dragon Soaring Inn. Upon arrival, he asked the innkeeper where to find Chi Young Master.

"You must be Young Master Ji. Chi Young Master said, if you arrived, go to Room Twenty, Section Five," the innkeeper said. Ji Shi climbed the stairs toward Chi’s room.

Knock, knock, knock... "Come in!" The strange tone made Ji Shi even more certain it was Chi. He opened the door and saw a handsome, bare-chested man standing by the bed, looking at him.

"Come here, my beautiful Ji Shi!" Ji Shi was struck speechless, feeling a sudden tension, but after a moment’s thought, he replied, "Enough, Chi, I’m Ji Shi, from the Dragon Nation in 2024!"

Chi Young Master paused, then said, "So you are Ji Shi. You crossed over too." He looked at Ji Shi, their eyes meeting, filled with joy, disbelief, and profound emotion, as if countless words were condensed into that gaze.

"I never thought I’d meet you in this world. Sorry for upstaging you yesterday," Chi Young Master said with a smile.

"No need to feel guilty, because I wasn’t the Ji Shi of yesterday," Ji Shi replied in a low voice. "Now, we must plan for the future. Since we’re in a feudal kingdom during a time of chaos, I want to carve out my own path. Chi, I need your help—what do you say?" Ji Shi’s heart was ablaze with ambition.

"Actually, I’ve had the same idea. I came to Ru Prefecture to win over Zhu Sheng Zhiyin. Since you share this ambition, let’s join forces and make our mark in this tumultuous world!"