"So that's how it went. Do you understand now?" After finishing his explanation, Masashi leisurely took a sip of his Tieguanyin tea.
"So, Master, you're saying you've reincarnated into this high schooler's body? But you died ten years ago, and this high schooler is already sixteen or seventeen. That doesn't add up."
"Dammit, did I just waste my breath?" Masashi gave Lei Li a hard knock on the head.
"I didn't understand! Why do you always hit me?" Lei Li whined, sounding like a child. Though he felt wronged, he hadn't been scolded like this in almost ten years, and the familiar touch stirred a sense of nostalgia.
"This isn't your typical reincarnation but a body-seizing rebirth," Masashi explained. "It means that when my soul passed through a particular place, if someone had just died, and the time since death wasn't too long—plus some other conditions were met, which I won't bother explaining since you wouldn't understand—I could reincarnate by inhabiting that body and reviving in it. Now, do you get it?"
"Oh, so that's how it works. Why didn't you just say so in the first place? My head was spinning!"
Masashi raised his hand to smack him again, and Lei Li quickly jumped back, pleading.
"But, Master, why'd you have to end up in a kid's body? It feels so weird."
Masashi sighed. "I had no control over it. Every time I reincarnate, it's random—I could end up as a child, a young man, an adult, an old person, a man, or even a woman. And as for the time gap, I can't control that either. This time, it was only a ten-year difference. But the last time, there was a gap of 150 years. That's why I didn't tell you about it when I died. I didn't want you waiting in vain." Recalling his experiences reincarnating as a woman, Masashi still felt a shiver down his spine.
"But isn't that amazing? You've essentially achieved immortality. Even if you look different, you're still yourself."
"Is that so? If I could, I'd simply want to die peacefully." Masashi's smile was tinged with bitterness.
Lei Li and Chang'an pondered this, starting to understand that this endless cycle of reincarnation might not be as desirable as they'd imagined.
"But, Master, how did you become this way?" This question intrigued even Chang'an.
"I was born into an unremarkable family of sword fighters in the Northern Song Dynasty. When I was a child, my father offended some people, and our entire family was wiped out in revenge. My nursemaid risked her life to sneak me away from our pursuers. After learning the truth, I became obsessed with training, hoping to get revenge. But my enemy was too powerful, and I barely escaped with my life after a failed assassination attempt. While recovering in a mountain valley, I stumbled upon the path of enlightenment for swordsmanship. When I went back to take my revenge, I found that my enemy's family had already been destroyed by someone else. Have you ever heard of anything more ironic? It was like something out of a cheap martial arts novel.
"With no one left to care about, I returned to the valley. One day, while practicing my swordsmanship in the rain, I was struck by lightning, and that's when this started—this endless existence. I guess I'm the world's first human lightning rod," he said with a hint of helplessness in his voice.
Lei Li and Chang'an fell into silence.
Suddenly, Masashi burst out laughing. "Come on, enough brooding like old men. Today's a rare chance for us to meet again. Forget all this nonsense! Lei Li, bring the wine—we're drinking until we can't!"
Seeing Masashi's old bravado return, the two finally relaxed. Lei Li hurried to get the drinks.
***
The three drank from morning to afternoon, even pulling in the bodyguards to join the revelry. Lei Li, caught up in the excitement, even did a striptease, creating a chaotic but joyful scene.
The next morning, though his head was pounding, Masashi, accustomed to an early routine, was already up.
In the backyard, he heard the sound of a sword being wielded. It was Chang'an, practicing.
When Chang'an finished, Masashi clapped in admiration.
"My lord." Chang'an bowed respectfully.
"It's been thirty years now, including the ten I wasn't around. You still won't stop calling me that?" Masashi sighed.
"In my heart, you will always be my lord, and I will always be your Chang'an."
"I can never win an argument with you. These past few years, Lei Li has caused you no end of trouble, hasn't he? It must have been hard."
"My lord, though Lei Li can be a bit impulsive, he's smart. He's built much of this empire himself. I've had very little to do with it."
"That kid could use some tempering."
Seeing a high schooler refer to a grown man as "kid" while wearing such a mature expression on his youthful face was both amusing and strange to Chang'an.
"Master, there you are. I looked everywhere and almost thought I'd dreamt it," Lei Li said, his eyes welling up.
"You're such a child," Masashi teased, though he felt his own eyes prickling as he remembered how Lei Li had been by his side since childhood. Quickly, he changed the subject. "Speaking of which, I should reprimand you. Why did it take so long for you to come find me? I thought you'd forgotten about your master."
Lei Li smiled wryly. "How could I? It's just, all you left was a message saying, 'Your deadbeat master has returned.' I thought it was some prank. Who'd have guessed you'd actually come back this way? By the time I returned to the U.S. and mentioned it to Chang'an, he felt something was off and looked into it. That's when we found out someone had withdrawn money from your private Swiss account. I thought someone had stolen your funds and was furious. After investigating your whereabouts, we finally tracked you down. Who could've guessed you'd actually be Master?"
"Everything is so convenient now; transferring money is just a phone call. In the old days, I'd have to go there in person. Anyway, I won't hold it against you. But tell me, are the three rules I set for our group still in effect?" Masashi's expression turned serious.
When Masashi had first established his organization, he set three absolute rules, the first of which was a zero-tolerance policy on drugs.
He knew nearly every gang dealt drugs in some way, but he couldn't bear it. No one hated drugs more than him. He had once reincarnated at the end of the Qing Dynasty, watching China suffer endless humiliations. Though he couldn't change the country's fate alone and took out many foreign invaders, he ultimately died with a deep sense of defeat. Opium might not have been the primary reason, but it was certainly a trigger.
Lei Li looked him in the eyes. "Master, I've done nothing against your rules, nor have I allowed anyone else to. If anyone dares break the rules, I'll deal with them personally."
"Good, I trust you. Even outlaws must have honor. Remember that."
"I will. Master, when will you come back to Black Dragon?"
"I won't be returning."
"What? Black Dragon is yours! How could you not return?" Lei Li almost jumped up.
"The Black Dragon today isn't mine alone; it belongs to you all. You've managed it well these years, and I'm happy with that. I came back to see you, not to reclaim power. People like me are lucky to see living friends and family. Material wealth and power mean nothing to me now. I only created Black Dragon to bring stability to the chaotic gang scene back then. How it's grown since then is beyond anything I imagined. I'm tired of all the killing from my past life. If possible, I'd like to live a normal life this time around. Do you still want me to return?"
Lei Li was left speechless, unsure of how to respond.
Masashi patted him on the shoulder and continued, "Relax. I'm still the former boss of Black Dragon. If it ever faces trouble, I won't stand by. And you're not getting any younger; it's about time you found yourself a wife."
"I… I want a few more years of fun."
"Damn, with so many women around, haven't you had enough fun? Aren't you worried about getting AIDS?" Masashi joked, almost tempted to smack him again.
Lei Li fled, but Masashi kicked him into the pool.
Watching the banter between master and disciple, Chang'an felt like time had rewound.
On the way to take Masashi home, Lei Li pointed out the woman in the garden and the man with the scar on his face. "Master, they're our Tokyo branch heads, Sakurai Mion and Akamatsu Ryuichiro. They oversee both the legal and underground operations. If you ever need anything, they're at your service."
"Please guide us, my lord," the two said, bowing respectfully.
Understanding Lei Li's intention, Masashi couldn't refuse. "Hopefully, I won't need much help. I'm just a regular guy now. Please, call me by my name in public."
"Understood, my lord."
Masashi turned to Lei Li. "Chang'an told me you have business tomorrow. You should get back early."
"Master, I want to stay with you for a few more days."
"Damn it, when did you become so sentimental? We have plenty of time ahead, are you worried we won't have time to meet again? Alright, go back now, and I'll contact you if anything comes up."
Lei Li reluctantly left.