Chapter 2

Jin Jingcheng has been reborn, who could say otherwise?

Who can definitively state that there is no such thing as reincarnation in this world?

Just as no one can definitively state how fickle history can be!

In 1848, two men and one woman arrived in the United States on the sailing ship "Wandering Eagle," becoming the earliest Chinese immigrants to the country.

By 1851, the number of Chinese immigrants in the United States had reached 25,000. These early immigrants worked in mines, farms, and cigar factories, doing jobs that white Americans were unwilling to do.

In 1880, the United States experienced an economic crisis, leading to widespread unemployment among whites. However, the Chinese still had jobs, which caused resentment among whites. They accused the Chinese of taking their jobs. As a result, California passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, forcing the Chinese to move to the East Coast, and by 1890, Chinatown had formed.

Chinatown is located in Lower Manhattan, New York City, just a stone's throw from City Hall and the world-renowned international financial center, Wall Street, and is also adjacent to Broadway, the world's performing arts center.

The prime location has made Chinatown a significant part of New York.

It is now 2003, and New York's Chinatown has expanded to over forty streets, with a population of hundreds of thousands, making it the largest residential and commercial area for overseas Chinese in the Western Hemisphere.

Living here is like living in mainland China, with Chinese cuisine as the main staple. Many street corners have Chinese newspaper stands, and you can listen to Chinese radio in your car and watch Chinese TV at night.

...

At a street corner, Jin Jingcheng got out of a taxi and started walking.

There was no choice; the street was so crowded that cars had a hard time getting through. Few New York taxi drivers were willing to drive into such places.

Based on the memories and information in his mind, Jin Jingcheng headed directly to a martial arts school at the end of the street.

As he walked, he couldn't help but admire the street scenery. Although "that Jin Jingcheng" had left many memories of this place, it was his first time personally experiencing this environment.

It was wonderful! Most of the people on the street were Chinese with black hair and yellow skin.

On both sides of the street, nearly a third of the shops were restaurants, and there were also stalls piled high with fruits, herbs, and seafood, mixed with vendors selling various goods and prominent Chinese signs...

All of this was so familiar to Jin Jingcheng, and a sense of nostalgia welled up within him. There was also a sense of pride from his previous life as a Chinese person, especially when he saw a large red archway in the middle of the street, clearly inscribed with the three dragon-like characters "Chinatown," which stirred a surge of passion in his heart.

But in this life, his mother is Korean, and he grew up in Korea, seemingly having no connection to the country with a 5,000-year history.

"That Jin Jingcheng" came to the United States from Korea to study and is currently a high-achieving doctoral student at New York University. His studies are usually very demanding, but he has some free time during the summer break. However, he doesn't want to waste his time and uses it to learn Chinese martial arts from the master of a martial arts school in Chinatown.

The master's surname is Tang, and he has some genuine skills. A year ago, by chance, he met Master Tang, who observed his physique and learned about his background before offering to be his teacher. Jin Jingcheng was more than happy to accept and immediately became a disciple.

Although he has only been learning for a year, he has already acquired some genuine skills. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to create an opportunity for the woman to escape from a group of vicious motorcycle gang members that night.

"Having learned for only a year, if he had continued for another two years, wouldn't he have been able to escape that night? In that case, I might not exist now."

"That Master Tang really has some genuine skills. Such genuine martial arts experts are rare these days, but in a place like New York's Chinatown, where all sorts of people mix, it's not so surprising."

With these thoughts, Jin Jingcheng arrived at the martial arts school.

The name of the school is quite ordinary, simply called "Tang's Martial Arts School." The sign is just an old, painted wooden plaque hanging on the gate of a Chinese classical courtyard.

The courtyard is not very large. If it were in China, it would be roughly the size of two rural households combined, but here, it is considered quite luxurious.

Although it was Jin Jingcheng's first time here, he felt no sense of unfamiliarity.

The gate was half-open, and standing outside, Jin Jingcheng could hear faint sounds of sparring inside.

He gently pushed the gate open and walked in, then closed it behind him.

In the courtyard, only a few people in training uniforms were practicing, making it seem a bit desolate. They heard Jin Jingcheng's movements, turned to glance at him, recognized him, and then ignored him.

Jin Jingcheng greeted them with a smile and walked deeper into the courtyard.

At the back of the courtyard was a residence, and in front of it were two figures. One was a middle-aged man with a gentle face, Master Tang, the person Jin Jingcheng was looking for, and his teacher. At that moment, Master Tang was observing his disciples' training in the courtyard.

The other was an old man with white hair, at least in his seventies. The old man was holding a large pair of scissors, hunched over a small flower bed by the corridor, trimming the plants, looking somewhat melancholic.

"That Jin Jingcheng" was not familiar with the old man, only knowing that he was an old servant at the martial arts school, surnamed Ji. Every time he tried to greet Ji, the old man would deliberately ignore him and avoid him, never even looking at him.

But now, as Jin Jingcheng approached Master Tang, the old man in the flower bed suddenly turned and stared at him, making him feel puzzled. However, he still greeted him warmly.

"You're here," Master Tang greeted Jin Jingcheng.

"Master," Jin Jingcheng respectfully called out, feeling a bit nervous inside.

He came to Tang's Martial Arts School not just to continue "that Jin Jingcheng's" life but also with a personal agenda.

He wanted to learn genuine martial arts. His tragic death in his previous life had made him deeply realize how secure and proud it felt to have some fighting skills, and how meaningful it was. He didn't want to repeat the same mistake. Moreover, based on his future plans, he might need these skills.

Additionally, he wanted to test whether Master Tang could see through his disguise and recognize that he was no longer "that Jin Jingcheng." "That Jin Jingcheng" was somewhat introverted and didn't have many close friends, and Master Tang was one of them. If even Master Tang couldn't tell, Jin Jingcheng believed he could continue his life smoothly.

Fortunately, after some greetings and conversation, Master Tang didn't notice anything unusual. This was understandable, as reincarnation is such a mysterious phenomenon that even a skilled master like Master Tang would find it hard to discern.

Relaxing, Jin Jingcheng said, "Master, I had an accident half a month ago and was injured. I stayed in the hospital for half a month, which is why I couldn't come to the martial arts school during this time."

Master Tang asked, puzzled, "What happened?"

Jin Jingcheng then recounted how he was stabbed by a motorcycle gang.

After listening, Master Tang said, "You haven't been practicing for long. If you had practiced for a few more years, you might not have been able to fight off a dozen motorcycle gang members, but you would have had the ability to escape."

Jin Jingcheng quickly replied, "Yes, so from now on, I will work harder to learn martial arts from Master."

Master Tang smiled in satisfaction. "Just working hard isn't enough; you also need to focus on technique. Chinese martial arts are profound. Your foundation is weak, and you probably won't have much time to delve deeply into them in the future. How about this: specialize in one skill. From now on, in addition to basic physical training, focus on one specific martial arts technique."

Jin Jingcheng was secretly pleased. He had the same idea. He had many plans for this new life and couldn't afford to spend too much time and energy on martial arts. What he wanted was to quickly improve his combat skills to ensure his personal safety.

"Master, what do you want me to learn?" Jin Jingcheng asked.

Master Tang seemed to have been thinking about this for a while and turned to go into the residence to get something.

Taking this opportunity, the old man, who had been quietly trimming the flowers nearby, suddenly turned and asked Jin Jingcheng, "What month were you born in?"

Jin Jingcheng was puzzled. On one hand, he didn't understand why the usually aloof and cold old man would suddenly ask him this. On the other hand, he was born in the summer in his previous life, while the body he now inhabited was born in the autumn of October.

Jin Jingcheng replied, "October."

The old man paused, then turned back, ignoring Jin Jingcheng, leaving him even more confused.

At this moment, Master Tang came out of the residence and handed Jin Jingcheng a small package.

Jin Jingcheng asked, puzzled, "What is this?"

Master Tang smiled and said, "You'll see."

Jin Jingcheng opened the package, glanced inside, and looked surprised. "Does Master want me to learn this?"

Master Tang said, "This is the most suitable for you."

After a pause, Master Tang sternly instructed, "But remember, use it mainly for self-defense, and be cautious when attacking."

Jin Jingcheng understood that "attacking" here meant taking the initiative to attack.

Jin Jingcheng nodded, feeling a strange sense of trust in Master Tang, perhaps inherited from "that Jin Jingcheng."

Jin Jingcheng then tried to return the small package to Master Tang, but was stopped. Master Tang said, "This was passed down from my ancestors. Keep it. It's a gift from me to you as my disciple."

Jin Jingcheng didn't refuse and silently remembered this kindness.

"Since you've just recovered from a serious illness, rest for a few more days. Once you feel better, get back on track. Come to the martial arts school to practice when you have time," Master Tang said with concern.

Jin Jingcheng nodded and left the martial arts school, while Master Tang returned to his work.

What Jin Jingcheng didn't know was that as he left the martial arts school, the unassuming old man in the flower bed quietly watched his back and muttered, "Clearly a restless summer, how did it become autumn? Sigh, a time of many troubles!"