Chapter 1

The sky was shrouded in mist, and as far as the eye could see, the world was filled with dust, a sense of death permeating the air. There was not a trace of vitality, and a nauseating, pungent smell lingered in the air.

Looking around at the ruins, Chishangzhen still found it hard to believe, despite having confirmed it repeatedly. He had indeed traveled through time, and he had landed in Hiroshima, Japan, just after it had been bombed by an atomic bomb.

Chishangzhen's original name was Chishang, an orphan who had been adopted by a wandering Taoist. According to the Taoist, he had found Chishang by a pond, hence the name. As a child, Chishang followed the Taoist, wandering aimlessly across half of China. The Taoist had no fixed abode and was not recognized by any organization, essentially a blacklisted person. However, the Taoist often ran around trying to get his household registration sorted out, claiming that he had a lineage, and his grandmaster had been a highly respected Taoist in the Republic of China era, even serving as an advisor to Yuan Shikai. It was said that the grandmaster had used certain talismans to help President Yuan catch ghosts and subdue demons, though whether this was true, only heaven knew.

Perhaps it was because of the grandmaster, or perhaps the organization was just tired of the Taoist's persistence, or for some other reason, by the time Chishang was nine, the Taoist was finally accepted by the Taoist Association. He left the ranks of the wandering and became a recognized Taoist, assigned to be the abbot of a small temple in a county in Liaoning. Chishang, of course, also left his wandering life behind and settled down with the Taoist. From then on, he lived a life similar to that of other ordinary children, attending school and studying, but with the added task of learning Taoist practices like drawing talismans and chanting spells. Chishang never knew if these practices were effective, as he had never seen a ghost, but the Taoist claimed they were very powerful, citing his grandmaster's success in helping President Yuan.

Life was not bad, considering there were many children who were even worse off, struggling to get enough to eat. Despite knowing he was an orphan, Chishang was grateful for his current life. If he hadn't met the Taoist, he might not have had any life at all. So, what was there to complain about?

Unfortunately, good times didn't last. When Chishang was 15, the old Taoist fell seriously ill due to his poor health. Despite Chishang's devoted care, it was to no avail. The illness was too sudden and severe, and the old Taoist didn't survive. One winter night, the old Taoist passed away, leaving Chishang with nothing but some money, a few scriptures, and a copper ring, said to be a legacy from the grandmaster. That was all.

The old Taoist's death brought significant changes to Chishang's life, both mentally and physically. With the old Taoist gone, Chishang's position became awkward. The Taoist Association would soon appoint a new abbot, and there was no reason for the new abbot to support him. Inheriting the old Taoist's position was out of the question, as Chishang had no connections or influence, and he was just a young Taoist novice. Since he couldn't inherit the position, he had to face the pressure of earning a living. Fortunately, the old Taoist left him some money, and the Taoist Association provided some consolation money (which was essentially a severance package). This was enough for Chishang to survive.

Thus, Chishang left the temple that had given him warmth in his childhood and began living as a boarding student. Whether it was the old Taoist's death that spurred him on or the need to live independently that matured him, Chishang's academic performance soared. Before long, he became the top student in the school. His middle school entrance exam results were the best in the city, much to the delight of the school leadership. Top students were valuable assets to any school, and some schools even offered high salaries and various incentives to attract them. For the school leadership, Chishang was a treasure. To retain him, the principal waived all his tuition and fees, and soon he received scholarships. This meant Chishang no longer had to worry about his living expenses and could focus on his studies. Without the burden of financial concerns, Chishang's academic performance continued to improve. By the time he was in his second year of high school, no one in the city could challenge his position. He was always the top student, and both the city education committee and the school leadership were confident that he was a sure bet for Tsinghua University. For a county-level city, having a potential Tsinghua student was a rare and valuable asset, and Chishang was sent as an exchange student to Japan for a year, the only one from the entire county.

However, Chishang didn't survive the year. While working part-time at a Western restaurant, an explosion occurred in the kitchen, and Chishang was among those who didn't make it, leaving nothing behind.

When Chishang woke up, he found that his mind was filled with new information. He had been reborn in the body of a Japanese teenager named Chishangzhen, the young master of a hidden family of Onmyoji in Hiroshima. This family possessed extraordinary abilities and was considered extremely mysterious by the world. In fact, they were a traditional Japanese Onmyoji family, skilled in divination, geomancy, exorcism, and the raising of god-slaying creatures. Before the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, the family's patriarch, Chishangzhen's father, had predicted a catastrophic event but didn't know what it would be. He prepared an underground shelter (a basement nearly 10 meters deep) and had his son hide there while he stayed outside to take care of the family.

Of course, when the atomic bomb fell, all preparations were useless. The underground shelter was too close to the blast site, and Chishangzhen was killed by the shockwave. This gave Chishang the opportunity to be reborn in his body.

After some time, the new Chishangzhen had a basic understanding of the information in his mind. He then began to examine his surroundings. He was in a sealed basement with only one exit, a thick iron door leading upstairs. The room was filled with food and money, mostly the latter. Chishangzhen quickly checked and found that the largest denomination was 200 yen, which was likely the highest denomination at the time. The yen was still very valuable, with an exchange rate of 15 yen to 1 US dollar. There were 60 bundles of 200 yen notes, and the loose bills added up to about 100,000 yen. There was also a bankbook with a balance of 6 million yen, which was probably the family's entire savings. There were also about 100 gold bars and some antiques and paintings.

After understanding his situation, Chishangzhen thought to himself, "From now on, I will be Chishangzhen. Since I have taken your body, I will also inherit everything and live on."

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