Chapter 8: Irresistible, Resignation Without Notice

A crescent moon guandao rested in Su Yi’s hands. He spun the heavy blade with a casual flourish, the weapon obedient to his will. Childhood memories of playful swordsmanship surfaced, and he shook his head—nothing from that time could be taken seriously. Though Su Yi had never wielded such a weapon before, his wealth of experience suggested that in ancient times, few blade techniques could master such a weighty armament. But as the saying goes, understanding one principle enlightens a hundred others. In his previous world, Su Yi had become Sonam, inheriting all his combat instincts and skills.

In that world, humans had battled monsters lurking in darkness for centuries, honing cold weapon techniques through endless strife. Sonam, though merely a regular member of the Redstone Town security squad, ranked just below the captain, Yousi, in both strength and skill—levels no ordinary human in Su Yi’s own world could hope to achieve.

Had it been yesterday, even with Sonam’s memories, Su Yi’s body would have been too limited to wield the guandao before him. But now, after his comprehensive physical enhancement, twenty-eight jin of steel felt no heavier than a light longsword in an ordinary man’s grip.

He stilled his mind, his eyes wide and commanding. An intangible aura of coldness radiated from him, and the elderly man standing nearby sensed a blade’s flash, keen and swift, as if a white arc slashed through the air. The sudden, chilling resonance startled the old man, who—despite years of meditative cultivation—couldn’t help but close his eyes and take a step back.

When he looked again, the young man was already in motion, wielding the great blade with fluidity along the lakeside clearing—leaping, spinning, as agile as a dragon. The display was nothing short of spectacular.

The old man couldn’t help but give silent praise. He himself had practiced with the guandao for over a decade, well aware that most people could barely wave such a weapon before their arms gave out. Even among the early morning regulars, he’d never thought much of those practicing flowery, ornamental moves. Over time, he’d grown used to solitude.

But in Su Yi’s hands, the guandao was no longer a dead weight—it was as nimble as a dagger, exuding a deadly grace. On an ancient battlefield, a man like this could only be described as a peerless warrior straight from the tales of old.

Unnoticed, a crowd of elderly onlookers had gathered, applauding as if watching a performance in an old theater. In truth, the scene surpassed any stage play; if a younger person were to describe it, they’d say it was as thrilling as the vintage kung fu films from Hong Kong—something none of them had ever witnessed in real life.

Born in the wrong era, the old man mused. For him, practicing by the lakeside each morning was merely a hobby for health, personal prowess rendered insignificant in the face of ever-advancing technology.

At length, Su Yi steadied his breath and wiped the sweat from his brow. While Sonam’s world had no guandao, they wielded polearms of similar or even greater weight. Once he’d familiarized himself with the weapon’s characteristics, Su Yi adapted Sonam’s spear techniques to the guandao, managing a convincing and formidable display.

"Here’s your blade, sir. Thank you," Su Yi said respectfully as he handed it back. After that flurry of movement, he could feel every muscle in his body had adapted to its new strength; his control over explosive power had grown more refined. Though the old man was no match for him, there was little doubt he was something of an eccentric in this mundane world.

"You’ve got fine skills, young man," the old man replied with a genial smile, accepting the guandao. "You must have started training from childhood?"

Su Yi smiled awkwardly—hardly about to admit that until yesterday he’d never known a single martial art.

"The name’s Guo Yunchao. May I know yours, young man?" The old man extended his hand.

"My name is Su Yi, sir."

Sensing Su Yi’s reserve, the old man didn’t press further. After a few more lighthearted words, he chuckled and waved. "Well, I should be going. The rice cake stall on the main street gets crowded every morning—any later and there’s not a seat left."

Su Yi helped tidy up. The old man packed his towel, speaker, and other items in a reusable bag, sheathed the blade in a cloth cover, checked the time on a first-generation antique 1100 phone from eighteen years ago, and then waved goodbye with a hearty laugh. "Till we meet again, young man."

Watching the old man walk off, leaning on his guandao, Su Yi pondered and then murmured, "Looks like he was a soldier in his youth."

The city awakened as the morning light grew. Su Yi strolled through the urban lanes, making his way toward his company.

Around eight, he found a bustling breakfast shop and sat down. While waiting for his meal, he began to consider his next steps.

In six days, the next world would open. If time truly ran parallel, he’d be gone from this world for a full month. That meant continuing his job was impossible—he’d likely never return to work in this life.

It was best to settle his resignation this morning, Su Yi decided.

Soon, the waitress brought his meal—enough for two. Though he no longer needed to gorge himself after his enhancement, his appetite was still much larger than before. Eating well was nothing special to him; he’d never cared much for the pleasures of the table, which was why he’d always been underweight.

At that moment, his phone chimed with a text message: "Account ending XXXX received 7XXXX yuan." (After tax.)

Ah, sweet indeed.

After finishing his breakfast and lingering a while, Su Yi made his way to the office.

Ordinarily, resignation required a written notice a month in advance, followed by a month of tedious handover procedures. Su Yi had no patience for such formalities—he’d be heading to another world in a few days, after all.

So, after stating his intentions to his department head, the two of them went straight to the boss. As a diligent four-year employee with a solid reputation, and in a small company of just a few dozen people, things were less rigid. Su Yi offered to compensate with a month’s wages, and the matter was settled swiftly. The boss even patted his shoulder in encouragement and reduced the compensation to half a month’s salary.