Chapter 3: Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng
*Cough.*
Regaining consciousness, I was shivering in the cold wind. Though I tried to block it with straw, my cough persisted due to the dawn chill.
“…?!”
What is going on?!
I was perplexed by the incomprehensible situation following my loss of consciousness. Hastily checking my chest, I found no wounds; however, my clothes were different, and my body was smaller.
I had shrunk.
I got up and looked around. Through the crack in the straw blocking the darkness, I saw a cold draft, the smell of cow dung, and the shadows of an old, familiar barn. Sitting there dumbfounded, I recognized the scene.
‘Am I dreaming?’
I knew.
I knew exactly what was happening.
It was undoubtedly the time, at the age of 13, when I lost my parents to illness and was taken in as a servant at the village chief’s house. Living as an unappreciated servant, I slept in an empty barn near the stable. With trembling hands, I cautiously removed the straw.
It was the stable.
“Ah…!!”
I nearly screamed.
The only word to describe the current situation is one: regression to the past!
And not just any past, but my childhood, over 40 years ago!
‘How is this even possible?’
In a state of shock, I calmed down.
I decided to move my body. My arms and legs responded well, the soreness and cold reminding me that this was unmistakably real. It felt too real to be illusionary magic.
I slightly adjusted my posture and began circulating the Small Heavenly Circulation.
Then, I discovered something astonishing.
“Hmm…! My internal energy is intact.”
Surprisingly, despite being in a child’s body, the internal energy I had cultivated for over 50 years remained. While the effects of the basic techniques were shallow, I was confident that this would greatly help me in the future. Knowing the importance of having cultivated internal energy, I was reassured.
“Cough, cough! Damn bastards.”
Cursing, I coughed.
Of course, the target of my curses was the village chief and his family.
I was an orphan taken in and raised by them, but for three years, until I left, I was treated like a mere servant. Tormented by local children, I often endured physical abuse. The chief’s son, in particular, would laugh at my suffering, never offering help.
This situation was no different. I mainly cared for three cows, handled their dung, and even had to feed myself. My living quarters were a barn full of cow dung. Living like this, I felt like a madman.
‘Ugh… living again is one thing, but returning to this time…’
I stepped back into the hell of my past.
It left a bitter taste in my mouth.
The only relatively normal period was from around age 15 when I first started working as a low-ranking martial artist, until at 18, when I became a proper warrior. Now, I had to endure at least five more years of this hellish existence. The thought made me tremble with irritation and fear.
Sitting there, I recollected my life for a moment.
Looking back, there had been very few good moments. Becoming a warrior at 18 was a turning point, though the job was far from easy. I had almost died in bandit fights and even received a slap in the face from a venerable martial artist. Physical labor and constant heavy drinking to numb the pain were part of the routine.
Because of this, my life was always spent soothing my tired body with a drink and then passing out.
The reason I was angry about my current state? Obviously, my wretched life as a lowly retainer was worse than my boyhood, which was more dog-like! I’d rather not go through that dog-like existence again. Even though my body hurt, being a retainer with the freedom to spend my own money was much better.
“Now, what should I do?”
I thought for a long time.
And I came to a conclusion.
“Just for one day. I need to confirm if this is really the past.”
The next day, about three hours after waking up, I first checked the stables. The cows were not in bad health despite the cold wind. It had been decades since I had worked in a stable, so I was a bit awkward at first, but soon the routine came back to me.
I groomed the big ox named Goldie.
“You’re Goldie, right? I remember.”
Looking back, I had lived off the cows in the stable. Among them, I gave the big ox the name Goldie, and I took special care of him. The cows were kind and gentle.
Goldie blinked as if understanding me, nuzzling my hand.
At that simple act, I felt a lump in my throat.
“Better than humans.”
After living for more than fifty years, I had come to detest humans. Living a life without family or friends, I had seen countless cruel people who preyed on the weak. Betraying someone for profit was all too common. So, thinking that animals that couldn’t talk were better than humans was only natural.
At that moment.
“Coming at me!”
I quickly dodged.
Swoosh!
“…”
“Huh…?”
A bewildered voice. The person had thrown water at me to humiliate me, but I easily avoided it, hence the confusion. But even with weakened martial arts skills, after fifty years, one developed much better reflexes and instincts than an average person. Dodging a child’s attack was easy.
Staring squarely at the one who tried to douse me, a surge of anger and resentment filled me. Despite this, I clenched my fists tightly and managed to contain my anger.
“What’s the matter, young master?”
Instead of my anger, my voice remained calm.
The “young master,” a chubby, ugly kid, was none other than the [Chief’s Son].
He was Kim Manje, though his name was unnecessarily grand. Despite his grand name, he had no talent at all, just like me. We were the same age. His showy arrogance made him torment me, and as an adult, he squandered his father’s wealth on luxury and women.
“Hmm~”
Kim Manje wandered around the stable as if searching for something to criticize. Eventually, he turned to me.
“Clean the dung from the stable until I return from school.”
“What?”
“Do it~ Or do you refuse?”
It was a random act of tyranny.
I was so suddenly engulfed in anger that I forgot what to say.
‘This bastard?’
I wanted to beat Kim Manje senseless right then and there, then march to the kitchen, grab a knife, and murder the village chief’s family. It was a real possibility, my hands trembled. But remembering that such tyranny was a daily occurrence in the past, I calmed my racing heart and spoke calmly.
I entered the room, holding a kitchen knife, with the intention of massacring the village chief’s family. It was a frighteningly possible task, and my hands were shaking. After calming my racing heart, I calmly said, “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.”
“…?”
My oddly composed tone seemed to unsettle Kim Manje, who paused awkwardly. Without another thought, he triumphantly let out a snort and disappeared. As he vanished, I spat on the ground.
“Tch! Damn bastard… Just wait.”
If I ever gained the strength, I would seek revenge for the three years of humiliation I endured. It was thrilling to imagine either slaughtering the village chief’s family or reducing Kim Manje to a cripple.
Put simply, now was not the time.
Yesterday, I had thought a lot.
I had concluded that I needed to maintain my “current” life in the village chief’s house, as simply running away into the world would leave me with no means of survival. It was better to endure this life, with food and shelter provided.
However, I had decided to avoid recklessly entering the martial world as I used to.
“Can’t live as a lowly swordsman again.”
Entering the martial world as a swordsman would only teach basic martial techniques and core methods.
It was better to learn higher-level techniques for a chance at a better life.
In my previous life, I had considered this, but I lacked the ability and desperation to escape the chief’s house. It was lucky to be hired as the lowest-level swordsman.
But now was different.
I possessed fifty years’ worth of internal energy from the Three-Refinements Heart Technique and proficiency in swordsmanship. I could easily overpower an average adult male.
Although facing a top martial artist would be my end, I was already stronger than an average third-rate swordsman.
“If I show such prowess to the martial world, they would surely accept me as their disciple.”
Becoming a renowned master’s disciple!
It was not only the solution to my survival but also an opportunity to live the life of a master I had always dreamed of. Satisfied with this realization, I chuckled.
It was clear that I needed to gather information to progress. Without knowing how and where martial artists lived, I couldn’t make plans.
“Argh… I should clean the stables first.”
Grumbling, I picked up a pitchfork and shovel and headed to the stables. The stench of dung spread through the room. Cleaning every time was unreasonable, yet Kim Manje’s order was relentless.
Cleaning the dung was essential for the cows’ health, but I couldn’t see this favorably, especially because Kim Manje was setting me up in front of the chief.
“Ugh…”
Midway through cleaning, the overpowering stench made me dizzy. I staggered to the bushes and retched. Even without food in my stomach, the smell lingered. Sitting down, I gazed at the clear sky.
“…!!”
An epiphany struck me like lightning.
My hands trembled.
“That’s right! I forgot about that!”
I was a fool.
Why had I abandoned the easier path for the harder one?
Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng!
The legendary herb that, when consumed, grants incredible power, had come to mind.
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