Chapter 126: What’s Wrong with Calling Me Dad?

Zhang Ning understood the wisdom of not putting all his eggs in one basket. Given his current status, it was far safer to keep his wealth within the Great Freedom Demon Sect. Thus, he stored a portion of his treasury there, kept some in the storage bag he carried on his person, and tucked the remainder into the system’s storage grid.

However, his previous trip to another world had been well-prepared. After informing his master about the source energy crystals, Zhang Ning had fully expected that his next journey would be just as meticulously planned. Who could have foreseen that the system would be so devious, suddenly forcing him into a trip? He hadn't even brought his physical body, let alone his storage bag. He was now, quite literally, penniless... wait, what about the body he was currently inhabiting? What was his situation?

Coming to his senses, Zhang Ning looked around and found himself in a secluded alley. It was clean enough, not the kind of filthy place one might expect. But it seemed terribly out of place for a child to be left alone here like this. Had the boy collapsed from hunger and exhaustion? That would certainly explain his current state.

Zhang Ning rummaged through the pockets of his clothes and the backpack he was carrying. His findings only solidified his suspicion: the boy had a significant amount of cash, a complete set of spare clothes, and all his identification documents—a student ID, a library card, a social security card... Zhang Ning checked the age on the documents. Only eight years old. How, in the name of reason, had he ended up in a situation where he needed Zhang Ning to possess him?

Could it be... Zhang Ning had a sudden epiphany. The kid had run away from home! That explained why he had all his documents and belongings with him, and why he had collapsed alone.

Zhang Ning felt a bit helpless. Because the occupant was a child, many of the seemingly irrational aspects of the situation suddenly made sense. After all, for a child this young to set out on his own—even with the resolve to run away—the sheer terror and anxiety would leave his body in a state of extreme vulnerability. Many children, once they faint, might never wake up if left in such a state for too long. "Why do I always end up picking up the bodies of such miserable hosts?" Zhang Ning sighed to himself.

He wondered how his master was doing. His master had truly been dragged into this mess because of him. With this sudden trans-world jump, what would happen if his master suffered any setbacks?

As he worried, a wisp of purple substance—indistinguishable between smoke and flame—emerged from his shoulder blade. It drifted out and slowly coalesced in the air.

Zhang Ning was startled, then immediately bowed. "Master!"

He didn't even need to look at the lines forming the figure to know it was Chu Hanyu. What exactly had his master tapped when he struck him earlier? That technique was incredibly high-level—crossing worlds and switching bodies, could it really be used like this?

After Chu Hanyu had displayed this ability once before, Zhang Ning had asked about it out of curiosity. Chu Hanyu had simply replied that it was a projection of his martial arts primordial spirit, a real-time projection.

Zhang Ning then realized it must be a method of imbuing a projection with a portion of one's power. Such tropes were common in novels—like sealing a great master's strike into a scroll, to be torn open in a moment of crisis for combat or escape. But Zhang Ning could bet that none of those were as sophisticated as his master’s technique. This persistent, shadow-like ability that followed him everywhere... wait, could this be used to catch someone cheating?

As Zhang Ning’s mind wandered, he heard Chu Hanyu’s voice. "You seem fine. Remember to take care of yourself. I will come to find you after some time."

...So, he wasn't going to worry about me for the time being?

Zhang Ning looked up in confusion and froze. A real-time projection, as the name implied, should show one's current state. Last time, in the Azure Realm, the projection had been crystal clear, down to every strand of hair and the embroidery on the hem of his robe, looking exactly like Chu Hanyu at that moment. But now... why was there only a head?

It was the face of a strange man—cold, handsome, with features as sharp as if carved by a knife. If Zhang Ning had to guess his profession, he would peg him as a mercenary. It bore no resemblance to Chu Hanyu’s true appearance at all.

Yet, Zhang Ning knew for certain that this was his master.

This was the first time Zhang Ning realized how much a person’s temperament could alter their presence. Just looking at those eyes, as detached as clouds and as divine as a deity, Zhang Ning knew that a world focused on scientific and technological development could never produce someone with such a gaze.

Zhang Ning felt relieved and bowed his head in acknowledgment. Chu Hanyu nodded. "If you encounter danger, tap your shoulder blade lightly and focus your mind." With that, the projection dissipated.

Beyond marveling at how eccentric his master was—not even finding it ominous to project only a head—Zhang Ning didn't think much of it.

The Azure Realm and the Water Blue Star were vastly different. On Water Blue Star, even a twenty-something-year-old who wasn't married or employed might still be viewed as a child by their parents. But in the Azure Realm, where martial power reigned supreme and life was often treated as cheap, thirteen or fourteen was considered an age to establish a household and career. Thus, Zhang Ning found his master's instructions perfectly normal, accompanied by a sense of satisfaction at being trusted.

His plan for the immediate future became clear: accumulate attention points to grow stronger, and wait quietly for the reunion with his master.

As it turned out, in modern society, as long as you had some money and weren't completely dim-witted, you could live quite well.

Zhang Ning simply walked into a modest hotel with the cash he had, used a sweet smile and some glib talk to charm the receptionist, and secured a room. He explored the room with great interest and discovered that this world also had televisions... it seemed the development of many worlds was largely the same.

He watched television for a while. The news seemed quite normal, though it was a bit strange that the local news channel was encouraging citizens to go out and travel—wasn't this already a tourist area? Then, it dawned on him: the people here were also speaking Chinese!

What was going on?

If Zhang Ning hadn't discovered in the Azure Realm that Chinese was only spoken by a portion of the population there due to the existence of a predecessor—the Senior Brother who was a transmigrator—he would have assumed that all worlds spoke Chinese and felt nothing out of the ordinary. But now... he couldn't help but wonder if this place had some connection to Water Blue Star.

However, Zhang Ning wasn't the type to obsess over profound philosophical questions until he found an answer. He easily brushed it aside, hummed a tune, and headed out to grab a meal. As he passed the front desk, he greeted the receptionist.

The lovely young woman was amused by Zhang Ning’s grown-up demeanor and asked with concern, "Little brother, hasn't your father arrived yet? You're going out to eat by yourself? Be careful, okay!"

"Don't worry, I will!"

Indeed, Zhang Ning had lied to the receptionist, painting the image of a slightly irresponsible father. After all, a master is like a father; what was wrong with calling Chu Hanyu "Dad" in this modern society? He didn't believe his master would scold him for it once he found out.