Chapter 2: A Family Should Be Together

In "The Proud Twins," Jiang Yuyan infiltrated the palace by taking the place of her sister, Jiang Yufeng. At this point in time, her descent into darkness was already complete. It was not that there was no one in that world who could pull her back from the abyss, but Lin Bei was certainly not that person.

After learning of the circumstances surrounding the "Comprehensive Martial Arts" Lin Bei, the "Hong Kong Cinema" Lin Bei gave his shoulder a sympathetic pat. "Seeing that everyone is having just as miserable a time as I am, I feel much better."

The Comprehensive Martial Arts Lin Bei rolled his eyes in annoyance. He was about to retort when, suddenly struck by a thought, he broke into a grin. "By the way, looking at your memories, you've never heard of any supernatural events before, right?"

The Hong Kong Cinema Lin Bei frowned. "What are you trying to say?"

The Comprehensive Martial Arts Lin Bei chuckled gleefully. "I have two theories. The first is that the world you inhabit actually follows the leveling-up tropes of a novel; once you cleared the initial stages, the world upgraded, which is why these supernatural power systems are appearing now. The second is that these groups were simply hiding too well and are only now beginning to surface. You should be grateful that the events occurring so far are still within the realm of what can be handled. If one day you run into those 'hair-gel' lunatics from 'My Date with a Vampire' who have nothing but romance on their brains, or those magnetic-field maniacs who start a rebellion in the middle of a fight, you won't even have a place to hide!"

Upon hearing this, the expression on the Hong Kong Cinema Lin Bei’s face stiffened.

The "Demon Slayer" Lin Bei began to gloat as well. Even though they were all versions of himself, finding amusement in each other’s misfortune was an instinct welded into Lin Bei’s DNA.

After finally calming down, the Hong Kong Cinema Lin Bei scanned the other two versions of himself and said expressionlessly, "Since none of us are having an easy time, we should work together to survive in our respective worlds. From the moment we made contact, we inherited each other’s abilities. The combat skills I’ve honed in the Hong Kong cinema world are only good for dealing with ordinary people and won't be of much use to you. Your breathing techniques and Tai Chi, however, might just shine in my world."

At this, the Hong Kong Cinema Lin Bei looked intently at the Comprehensive Martial Arts Lin Bei. "You’re an emperor, at least; can’t you find a way to get your hands on some legendary martial arts manuals?"

The Comprehensive Martial Arts Lin Bei rolled his eyes. "I’ll look into it when I get back. You two shouldn't slack off either, or we’ll all end up meeting the same tragic end together."

Thinking of their respective predicaments, the three Lin Beis sighed in unison. To survive, relying on one person alone wouldn't cut it—they had to work together.

***

Hong Kong Cinema World.

Lin Bei opened his eyes to the familiar sight of his office as the CEO of Pan-Asia Group.

After standing up from the sofa, Lin Bei stretched, his body popping like firecrackers. He lifted his shirt to look at his stomach; the faint outline of his abs had transformed into well-defined muscle. It wasn't just his core—every muscle on his body had shifted into more graceful, powerful lines. This was the effect of the Breathing Technique.

The Hinokami Kagura, also known as the Sun Breathing, was the progenitor of all breathing styles. It allowed the user to absorb the power of the sun through their breath to strengthen themselves, and the solar energy carried in their strikes could slay demons even without a Nichirin sword. Originally the unique power of Yoriichi Tsugikuni, it was later inherited by the Kamado family.

Now, Lin Bei possessed this power as well. He had a feeling that the combined strength of his three selves was enough for him to successfully execute the second form of the Hinokami Kagura—Burning Bones, Summer Sun!

However, he didn't rush to test it. Not having a weapon was one reason, and the fear of setting his office on fire was another.

Suppressing his excitement, Lin Bei picked up the phone on his desk. "Salina, have all the senior management of the security team wait for me in the gym."

"Yes, Boss!"

After receiving the call, Salina immediately relayed Lin Bei's orders to the security team. The security team, which had taken Lin Bei three years to assemble, was packed with talent. Aside from the three experts who took turns protecting him 24/7—Gao Jin, Wang Jianjun, and Xiao Fu—there were mercenaries like the seven members of the Tianyang family, intelligence experts poached at great cost from the police force, and traditional martial artists from the mainland.

The timeline of this world was a chaotic mess, forcing figures from different eras together; otherwise, Lin Bei wouldn't have been able to collect so many protagonists and villains. Under Lin Bei's arrangements, these people were all on the payroll of the Pan-Asia Group. They had money and status; as long as they were willing to work, the company had plenty of positions to offer.

The benefits were so generous that people outside were practically breaking down the doors to join the Pan-Asia security team. Yet, very few made the cut. If nothing else, getting past Wang Jianjun's brother, Wang Jianguo, was no easy task. Wang Jianguo might not have been as skilled as his brother, but he was a veteran who had seen combat and cut down many enemies; ordinary people were no match for him.

Half an hour later, the Pan-Asia Group's gym was filled with people, both men and women.

Having changed into a training outfit, Lin Bei held a simple-looking Tang sword. He walked to the edge of the ring and hoisted himself up with one hand. Scanning the energetic bodyguards below, a satisfied smile appeared on his face. This group was the foundation of his ability to operate in this world with peace of mind. With them around, as long as no heavy weaponry was involved, Lin Bei had no need to worry about his safety.

But now that supernatural forces had appeared in this world, it was time to find a way to improve their capabilities. A versatile skill like the Breathing Technique was a perfect choice.

Lin Bei didn't rush to teach them immediately. Until they saw the true power of the technique with their own eyes, these people wouldn't easily believe his words.

"I’ve gathered you all here today to announce a few things, but before that, I want to demonstrate something. Everyone, step back, so you don't get hurt."

Gao Jin and the others were confused, but since the boss had spoken, they obediently stepped back a few paces.

Lin Bei frowned at this. "Further back!"

With no other choice, the group continued to retreat until they were five or six meters away from the ring. Seeing that the area was clear, Lin Bei drew the Tang sword. It was just a prop Salina had found on short notice, not even sharpened. It certainly wouldn't work for cutting down demons, but it was more than enough for a demonstration.

Lin Bei took a horse stance, gripped the sword with both hands, gritted his teeth, and began to adjust his breathing.

*Hiss~*

Gao Jin, Wang Jianjun, and the others clearly saw the white mist exhaled from Lin Bei’s mouth and nose. As practitioners of traditional martial arts, Xia Houwu and Feng Yuxiu looked on in astonishment. Lin Bei’s performance made them instinctively think of a legendary realm within their craft.

Just as they were pondering this, Lin Bei moved.