I changed the world.

“That makes sense…” Wang Tao stroked his chin, somewhat puzzled, and asked, “Then, Ah Jin, what’s this… could it be that you’ve finally acknowledged your ancestors and returned to your roots?”

Seeing Zhang Jing's somewhat displeased expression, he quickly said, "I was just saying, but with your stubborn temper, you wouldn't go back even if I begged you..."

"Okay, stop guessing. I made a small program and sold it for a while. The original landlord of this house passed away, so the house was being rented out cheaply, and that's how it all happened." Zhang Jing came up with an excuse. He knew that his friend was a police academy graduate and knew nothing about programming, while he himself studied network engineering in college and wasn't afraid of being exposed.

"Is it really that amazing?" In this world, due to the rapid development of technology, there are indeed many tech tycoons who have become rich overnight, and these stories are often reported in various media. Wang Tao did not doubt it and just happily patted his friend on the shoulder: "Ah Jin, your luck is about to change! If I had known that programming was so profitable, I would not have gone to police academy back then."

"It's not that easy. I was just lucky," Zhang Jing said. "You police officers have no worries about food and drink. Many people envy that."

Zhang Jing knew that his parents had gone to great lengths to get Wang Tao into the police academy. You see, while most police officers were so-called administrative officers, or what are commonly known as "clerks," things were different now than hundreds of years ago. Administrative officers could potentially become political officers, which meant they were truly officials with official ranks.

Moreover, even if they don't get promoted in the end, as a government-funded position, the police's salary, while not much higher than that of the average middle class, is always enviable in terms of hidden income, which is an open secret.

“You only realize how glamorous it is once you get there…” Wang Tao sighed. “The disciplined forces are all about seniority; newcomers have no rights.” As he spoke, he touched his head, where there was an exquisite silver hair ornament. Zhang Jing remembered that his friend used to have short hair, just like him.

"You tied your hair up?"

"Doesn't this make you look more imposing?" Wang Tao said somewhat embarrassedly, "The big shots in the police force all wear their hair up, and my parents also said that it makes them look more dignified."

"I must say, it's actually quite nice." Zhang Jing nodded. The Great Zhao of this world has been known as the country of crowns and belts since ancient times, and it has not experienced foreign rule and a century of humiliation like in the previous life. Therefore, in terms of hairstyles, it is a combination of Chinese and Western styles.

According to Zhang Jing's observation, the upper class of Dazhao generally admired the so-called refined and scholarly demeanor, especially since several chief ministers always referred to the Three Dynasties. As the saying goes, what the superiors like, the inferiors will follow even more fervently; the political atmosphere can be glimpsed from the fashion of hairstyles.

"By the way, has there been any progress on your assignment?" Zhang Jing led Wang Tao on a tour of several rooms, and then took him back to the inner courtyard.

"My internship just ended, and there's no definite news yet." Wang Tao shook his head, then, in a furtive manner, said to Zhang Jing, "Remember that beautiful police superintendent I told you about last time?"

"Is it that tall, leggy guy you mentioned, the youngest superintendent in the entire police force, the one who must have connections?"

"Yes, yes, that's the one. I heard they might assign me to work with her."

"Isn't that exactly what you wanted, Taozi? Your chance to shine has arrived..."

"Ha ha ha ha……"

"Come on, I noticed there's a lobster restaurant over there. Let's go have a meal there and wish you success in winning the heart of your sweetheart."

........................

Chapter Twenty-Six: Listen, the knocking sound in the middle of the night...

Zhang Jing, who had enjoyed dinner and had a few drinks, went to bed early for his first night in his new home.

The bedroom was free of the faint musty smell, and the lingering, strange odor of rotting garbage that permeated the air of the slums was gone. The air was fresh, and the surroundings were quiet, with only the occasional rhythmic chirping of crickets. This familiar yet strange environment gave Zhang Jing the illusion that he had returned to his home in his previous life.

I wonder what happened to my loved ones... I secretly breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that there is another version of myself in that world who is still living a normal life.

“Tap...tap...tap...tap…” Just as he closed his eyes and was about to fall asleep, a rhythmic knocking sound suddenly came from outside the window.

"Hmm?" Zhang Jing sat up in bed, listening intently.

"Tap...tap...tap..." Another rhythmic tapping sound rang out.

Since embarking on his cultivation journey, Zhang Jing's five senses have become far more powerful than those of ordinary people.

The sound was coming from the front yard! He was certain he wasn't mistaken, and he was also certain he had locked the door beforehand.

So, what is this sound?

Has a thief broken in?!

"Tap...tap...tap..." The unhurried sound continued.

The last vestiges of his drunkenness vanished instantly. Zhang Jing sat up, grabbed the pants from the bedside, put them on, and barefoot, tiptoed to the front door.

With a tense grip, Zhang Jing gently turned the doorknob, slipped on his usual running shoes, and glanced at the inner courtyard by the moonlight.

There was nothing unusual in the inner courtyard. A gentle breeze blew by, causing the osmanthus branches and leaves to sway slightly.

"Tap...tap..."

Zhang Jing darted across the inner courtyard with the agility of a monkey, following the sound to the hanging flower gate. Stepping through the gate, he clearly saw a figure dressed in a scholar's robe and wearing a Dongpo hat. The figure's face was indistinct in the darkness, and he was walking slowly in circles with a cane, tapping the ground with his cane as he went.

"Tap...tap...tap..."

He was an old man.

This kind of elderly person is quite common among intellectuals with a certain status and position. But why would he be wandering around his front yard in the middle of the night? Zhang Jing was a little confused.

He walked through the archway of the hanging flower gate, but the old man seemed oblivious, simply walking in circles with his head down, slowly going around and around...

Zhang Jing noticed a faint black aura rising from the old man and spreading throughout the surrounding world.

"Tap...tap...tap..." The bright moon hung high in the sky, the old man twirled around, and black mist rose. Zhang sensed an eerie atmosphere...

“This old gentleman…” he couldn’t help but say.

The old man didn't react at all and continued walking slowly.

“Old sir? This old sir…” Zhang Jing took a few steps closer to the old man: “This old sir…”

"Hmm?" The old man finally reacted, stopping in his tracks and raising his head. This time, Zhang Jing could clearly see the old man's face. It was a pale, wrinkled face with a wound on his forehead from which dark blood was gushing out…

"Are you calling me?"

“Yes, sir…” But before Zhang Jing could finish speaking, the old man asked again, “Who are you, and why are you in my house?”

The old man stared straight at Zhang Jing with his eyes wide open. Zhang Jing noticed that the old man's eyes were so dark that they seemed to have no whites.

This is clearly not human, Zhang Jing thought to himself, taking a step back. Remembering the fact that someone had died in this room earlier, could it be... a ghost?!

"Who are you, and why are you in my house?" The old man stared straight at Zhang Jing, repeating the same question once again.

"Who are you, and why are you in my house?"

Seeing that the old man seemed to be mentally unstable, Zhang Jing couldn't help but reply, "Sir, I am the tenant here. You fell here before and passed away. Your son rented this house to me."

“I’m dead…I’m dead…” The old man was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then lowered his head again and murmured, “I’m dead…I’m already dead…”

As he spoke, the old man's head slowly turned again, rotating a full 180 degrees without moving his body, twisting to an angle no normal person could achieve. His two dark eyes stared at Zhang Jing, and tears of blood streamed down his face: "I'm not dead... I'm not dead... You're lying..."

As he spoke, his face gradually became extremely ferocious, his mouth splitting open to reveal a mouthful of sharp teeth, and his voice became shrill: "You're lying! I'm not dead..."

The next moment, the monster stretched out its hands, its fingers now sharp claws, and lunged at Zhang Jing.

The attack came extremely fast, but fortunately Zhang Jing had already anticipated the danger and was prepared. Just as the monster lunged out, he dodged to the side and avoided the attack.

The monster missed its target, but didn't stop. It turned around and swung its claws, one after the other, towards Zhang Jing again. Zhang Jing ducked, but was only half a step too slow, and the claws grazed his arm.

The next moment, Zhang Jing passed through the hanging flower gate and hid in the inner courtyard.

The claws scraped across the stone hanging flower gate, leaving several white marks.

The brief encounter had made Zhang Jing realize that this monster possessed a physical form and was not a so-called spirit.

Zhang Jing followed the monster into the inner courtyard. The monster pounced on all fours like a wild beast. Zhang Jing raised a leg and kicked the monster in the chest.

With a muffled thud, Zhang Jing felt as if he had kicked a broken leather, sending the monster flying and rolling to the ground. However, it seemed that it had not caused much damage. The monster quickly got up and pounced on Zhang Jing again.

What to do? This monster seems very resilient... Zhang Jing thought to himself as he leaped onto the courtyard wall to escape the monster's pursuit.

The monster held on tightly, running straight up the courtyard wall as if defying gravity. Seeing this, Zhang Jing quickly jumped down, grabbed a rake from the wall, and swung it at the monster.

The blow was extremely powerful, and the monster let out a howl as one of its arms drooped down, seemingly injured by Zhang Jing.

At this moment, Zhang Jing had a sudden inspiration. Taking advantage of the monster's injury and the slight difficulty in moving its body, he focused his mind and channeled the "Qi" he had gained from the past few days of cultivation into his palm, then clenched his fist and struck...

With a muffled thud, Zhang Jing felt as if he had punched a snowman. The monster shattered completely with the punch, its body turning into countless fragments that scattered in all directions. These fragments continued to break into smaller pieces in mid-air, eventually turning into a wisp of luminous dust and disappearing into the air...

PS: I saw some people discussing the origin of the protagonist's courtesy name in the comments, so I'll explain it here:

The person who mentioned the Book of Changes is correct; it comes from the fifth volume of the Book of Changes, the hexagram "Gradual Progress".

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Daily Routine of Becoming Stronger

Zhang Jing subconsciously glanced at his fist; clearly, the effect of this strike had exceeded his expectations…

After defeating the monster, Zhang Jing suddenly felt a chill under his feet. Looking down, he realized that his right trousers had been ripped open in three places, leaving his thigh exposed and looking rather disheveled.

Upon inspection, there were three red marks on the skin of his leg, fortunately without any broken skin, and a wound on his arm, which was from when he was scratched at the beginning of the fight. Fortunately, the wound was not deep. Zhang Jing tried to channel his "Qi" to the wound and saw it immediately contract. The wound, which had been slightly open, closed on its own.

Zhang Jing then went back to his room to change his pants. Afterward, he checked the front and back yards again. Apart from a few broken flowerpots, some broken tiles, and white scratches on the hanging flower gate, which reminded him of the terrifying incident that had just occurred, everything else seemed as if nothing had happened.

Unexpectedly, he had rented a haunted house... But what kind of being was this monster? Zhang Jing frowned; he had absolutely no experience with this. He was certain that the original owner of his body had never had anything like this before, and in this world, at least until this afternoon, everything seemed normal.

Could this be a side effect of making a wish?

After repeatedly checking himself out of suspicion, he went back to his room to rest. Only then did he feel a slight soreness in the joints of his arms and legs, as if he had strained them during the fierce fight. Zhang Jing thought to himself that his body still lacked exercise.

Because of what happened, he didn't sleep well that night.

***

The next morning, Zhang Jing got up early and first checked the wound on his right arm. He found that there was only a faint red line left, and it was almost healed. He realized that his recovery ability was much better than he had expected.

After a quick wash, Zhang Jing decided to start exercising every day from today.

Bare-chested, he walked into the inner courtyard and carried over a water vat, about 60 centimeters in diameter, which was originally used for watering flowers, and placed it in front of him.

After slightly loosening his joints, Zhang Jing squatted down into a horse stance, then stretched out his hands and held the large water vat level with his palms. The vat was half full of water; it was originally a tool used to water flowers in the yard, but Zhang Jing was now using it as exercise equipment.

In his previous life, Zhang Jing had learned some basic traditional martial arts from his elders, but he never picked it up again after starting work. In this world, the original owner of Zhang Jing's body had no experience in martial arts or even long-term training, which led to a problem: he had a significant lack of control over his body. This lack of control was exposed in a situation like yesterday.

Although practicing "All Rivers Converge into the Sea" every day has brought about tremendous changes in his various qualities, when facing equally agile opponents, his body's reactions cannot keep up with the changes in his consciousness. This disconnect in control can sometimes lead to fatal problems.