Era of Mist

The face in the rearview mirror was, shockingly, Jia Guangsu’s. Even the sparse hair on his head was identical.

Shi Tiexin blurted out, "Old Jia," then felt a bit awkward, because in this world line, Old Jia shouldn’t know him.

But then, something unexpected happened.

The driver, Old Jia, glanced at him in the rearview mirror and calmly replied, "What is it? Why so jumpy?"

Shi Tiexin was taken aback. ’Does the Old Jia of this world line know me?’

His consciousness block trembled. Shi Tiexin had a vague sense that he did, in fact, know Old Jia, and that they were quite familiar. But as for how they met, or what their relationship was exactly, the details were hazy and indistinct.

The consciousness block didn’t shake loose any relevant information. ’It’s probably not that important, then.’

Shi Tiexin’s gut told him that his relationship with this Old Jia was probably decent, so he couldn’t just remain silent. But since he had no idea what was going on, he could only offer something ambiguous. "So, how’s the taxi business treating you?"

"So-so." Old Jia chattered on without turning his head as he drove. "In Tokyo these days, you’ve got a ton of people going bankrupt, a ton of people losing their jobs, a ton of people joining cults, and a ton of people killing themselves. The government won’t even give out basic welfare, so the common folk are poor as dirt. Who’s got the money to take a taxi? On top of that, this car’s a gas-guzzler. I have to rely on rich gangsters like you to make a living."

Shi Tiexin blinked. His face remained impassive, but his mind was racing, analyzing the situation.

’It seems this Old Jia knows my identity in this world, but he doesn’t seem to think it’s a big deal. The way he said "gangster" had a subtle emphasis, but also a hint of nonchalance.’

’I have no idea what’s going on.’

’Sigh. Every time I cross world lines, I have to deal with a whole new set of relationships, and it takes me forever to figure them out. It’s so damn annoying!’

"I hear you’ve been making quite a name for yourself lately, young man. I can’t even go listen to a comedy show without hearing about you. Your street cred is booming—Black Venerable."

Shi Tiexin couldn’t help but feel awkward.

’Why do I suddenly have that bizarrely awkward feeling of a delinquent student having a heart-to-heart with his homeroom teacher? Even those two words, "Black Venerable," sounded unbelievably cringey coming from Old Jia’s mouth!’

Old Jia glanced in the rearview mirror, saw Shi Tiexin’s sheepish face, then eyed the Scroll by his side. "I hear your top boss, that Brother Fa, has a birthday tonight. You just came out of a calligraphy shop. Planning on giving the big guy a painting?"

"It’s a work of calligraphy," Shi Tiexin answered. ’Wait,’ he thought, ’Old Jia’s information network is a little too good. He even knows it’s Brother Fa’s birthday.’

They say a mighty dragon is no match for a local serpent. ’Could it be that taxi drivers like Old Jia are the true, well-informed local serpents?’

"A work of calligraphy? Heh, I can’t imagine what you’re thinking." Old Jia suddenly laughed, his tone unreadable. ZZZT-CRACKLE, the car radio burst to life with a burst of static. Old Jia pounded the center console with his fist. THUMP! THUMP! "This damn car! I’m gonna tear you apart one day!" he cursed. "By the way, young man, you’re looking for a middle-aged, international police officer, aren’t you?"

’How does Old Jia even know about that?’

Doubt surged in Shi Tiexin’s mind. He was suddenly struck by an aura of unfathomable mystery surrounding Old Jia. But his own expression remained perfectly calm, as if he were just chatting with an old friend. "I am."

"You’re going after Ouyang Hong?"

’Holy crap, this guy’s psychic! He even knows I’m targeting Ouyang Hong?’ Shi Tiexin’s mind raced, and he ultimately decided to tell the truth. "Yes."

’Besides, the Daxing and the Hongshun Society are rivals, so openly admitting I’m going after Ouyang Hong shouldn’t be a problem anyway.’

"Alright. I can’t guarantee I’ll find him, but I can keep an eye out for you."

Shi Tiexin carefully observed Old Jia’s profile, but his expression was perfectly natural, showing no signs of anything unusual. ’It looks like Old Jia is on my side,’ he concluded.

Old Jia said no more after that, and Shi Tiexin was more than happy to remain silent. The less he said, the fewer mistakes he’d make.

They sped the entire way, breaking the limit, yet the unremarkable taxi remained surprisingly steady. There were no traffic cops on the roads and few other cars; the speed cameras were apparently just for show. Soon, they arrived at their destination in Shinjuku. SCREEECH! With a piercing squeal of tires, the taxi skidded for some distance before coming to a halt.

Night had fallen.

The mansion district in the distance was brightly lit.

Old Jia hit the meter, and a fare appeared. "Five-eighty. Time to pay up."

’What a rip-off!’

Still, Shi Tiexin obediently paid up, figuring he was just making a donation to the poor.

Shi Tiexin opened the door, got out, and was about to leave when Old Jia suddenly called out from inside the car, "Hey, kid!"

Shi Tiexin turned his head. Old Jia’s face was swallowed by the darkness of the night, his expression unreadable. Only his voice carried out: "You’re about to become an Incense Master. You’d better be careful."

With that, Old Jia started the car, peeling out with a sharp drift before speeding off into the distance.

Standing by the roadside, Shi Tiexin watched the taxi’s taillights disappear and felt an indescribable sense of strangeness. As he replayed their entire conversation in his mind, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

’It was too abrupt.’

’Our meeting today didn’t feel like a coincidence. It felt like Old Jia intentionally showed up to give me a ride. And everything he said... it felt like every sentence had a hidden meaning, a subtext, and even more meaning between the lines.’

’How bizarre.’

’What on earth is going on?’

Shi Tiexin stood by the road, mulling it over in silence for a moment, but he couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Just then, he saw a massive SUV barreling toward him with a roar.

"Big Bro!" "Boss!" Someone was leaning halfway out of the vehicle, shouting from afar. It was his underlings, the Four Celestial Kings.

Shi Tiexin immediately cleared his head, setting aside the matter of Old Jia for the time being.

After meeting up with his four followers, Shi Tiexin led the way toward the mansion district ahead. Ever since the Gloomtide, the real estate market in Japan had suffered a catastrophic collapse. Wealthy and powerful capitalists had fled in droves, leaving many homes in the exclusive residential areas vacant. As Shi Tiexin walked, he noted this particular district was only about half-occupied, and from many of the mansions, he could hear a cacophony of different Chinese dialects.

Before long, they arrived at the designated location.

Before them stood a three-story mansion with a front courtyard and a back garden, covering a massive area. The front courtyard was dazzlingly lit and crowded with visitors. Throngs of people were gathered there—men in sharp suits and beautiful women in skimpy outfits. It was just past seven, but the party was already in full swing. SPLASH... SPLASH... The sound echoed intermittently; despite the late-spring chill, someone was actually swimming in the front courtyard pool.

"Hey, if it isn’t the ’Black Venerable’! You’re pretty hot stuff lately!" a short, stout man in a garish floral jacket yelled from across the way, his expression over-the-top and his words dripping with disrespect. "How’s it going? I hear that Lady Pe is a real handful. Your dick hasn’t rotted off yet, has it?"