A few days after the Selection Tournament ended,
the sun set, and another New Year dawned.
I passed down the Baekwon Heart Method, Cheonwon Heart Method, and the First Swing of the Azure Cloud Sword to Seo I-ryeong and Jo Yong-sang. To be honest, it wasn’t a spectacular sword technique, but it was versatile enough for them to use until they found a proper martial arts skill.
Jaso-gyeong worked hard to draw out her martial energy, but it seemed she wasn’t making much progress.
Sometimes, I could see regret and conflict in her eyes when looking at me, but she never asked for enlightenment until the day we left the Outcast Inn.
Experienced hires joined in, and soon more people started using Black Rib alongside Seo I-ryeong and Jo Yong-sang.
As usual, a long line of those wishing to make requests stretched outside the Outcast Inn.
Together with the new experienced recruits, Seo I-ryeong and Jo Yong-sang started taking on requests.
And as the New Year arrived, I set off on a new journey.
“We’ve arrived.”
I stepped out of the Bicheongmacha and gazed at Yeonghwi Mountain.
…The place where I first regained my senses after falling into this Martial World.
After accepting the fact that I had landed in the Martial World and thinking about that damn Rebirth Truck, I gritted my teeth.
I vowed to show just how well I could thrive as Ho Cheon-an, a veteran in this Martial World.
Well, after checking my status screen, I got discouraged right away.
Suddenly, I felt an urge to see my status screen again and called it up after a long time.
————————
Name: Ho Cheon-an
Age: 25
Level: Peak Stage
Personality: Neutral
Strength: 113 Agility: 151
Stamina: 192 Inner Power: 181
Luck: 9 Endurance: 255
Muscle: 15 Spirit: 15
Concentration: 16 Vitality: 15
Empathy: 15
Traits:
[Wanderer] – You are unwelcome anywhere. (Relationship with others -5)
[Torn Tendon] – The tendon in your left pinkie has been torn. However, due to the power of Barley Lotus Pool, it has healed. (Strength -0)
[Undergrown Body] – Growth was hindered during childhood, but efforts and the power of Barley Lotus Pool have compensated later. (Muscle -0)
[Resilience] – Injury effects are reduced, and survival chances at the crossroads of life and death increase.
[Indomitable Spirit] – Regardless of body condition, your mental fortitude is exceptional. (Concentration +1)
[Calcium Deficiency] – You have shed much of the past. However, your blood remains tainted. (Final Level -?)
[Luck] – Skills reaching the heavens occasionally deceive even the heavens themselves.
[Charmer] – Those who recognize you hold a favor towards you. (Relationship with others +10)
[Clean Body] – The impurities in your body were expelled by the purifying power of Barley Lotus Pool. (All stats +5)
Final Level: Peak Stage
Realization: None
————————————
Looking at the stats screen, I felt a wave of nostalgia.
It had been a year since I wandered the world as an Outcast.
After that, I had been living as an Outcast for 7 years.
In the past 2 years, I sought clues to resolve my blood problem, gaining various experiences that helped me raise my level.
In the ten years I spent, my average stat was fewer than 5 points, but now I had reached peak stage.
“Is this the first place the Honorable Person remembers?”
I nodded at Miss Yeo Il-ye’s question.
I told my companions that I had amnesia. My true identity was too complicated to reveal.
“I see… um.”
Yeo Il-ye took a moment to think before speaking.
“Isn’t it possible to regain lost memories? I hope we can find a clue.”
“Exactly! Whether it’s memories or clues, we’ll find them soon!”
With Miss Yeo Il-ye and Hyeok Gi-rin comforting me about my memory loss.
“Phew, I tried investigating, but I didn’t find any clues.”
Two years ago, the Black Cat took the time to investigate my past while I was teaching the Tang Family Head martial arts. The result came when I met the Poison Doctor and reached a top level at Hwa-gyeong Hyeong Gwi-san.
It had been two years since then.
As time goes by, the clues must have blurred even more, and it was unlikely that the Black Cat would uncover anything further.
In this situation, I felt completely stuck.
“Well, I never expected this to be resolved in a day or two.”
But I decided to keep my mind easy. After all, I had no idea if there would even be traces of my past in this Yeonghwi Mountain.
I merely came here with the notion of starting from this Yeonghwi Mountain and searching for clues from the beginning.
I walked up the mountain slowly, retracing the memories of ten years ago.
As I walked up slowly, memories began to resurface. It felt incredibly strange that I had nothing but simple memories of descending the mountain.
Since all I remembered was coming down the mountain, I returned repeatedly to check if this was indeed the place, but somehow I managed to succeed in retracing my mind…
And there I stood, in the place where I first fell into this Martial World.
…Maybe.
“Hmm.”
Ten years is more than enough time for a landscape to change. Honestly, I was uncertain, but this felt like it might be the place where I regained my senses.
“Is this where the martial artist’s memory began?”
“…It seems like it.”
Perhaps being at the place of origin imbued me with an odd emotion, and I looked around, but nothing special stood out.
Tang So-yeol chimed in.
“Why, are you unsure? If you don’t know, let’s just take a stroll and return.”
“Sounds good.”
We hiked until the sun set, searching high and low, but no discernible clues emerged.
It felt rather empty to have concluded the first day’s search.
* *
Martial artists awaken early.
Boom!
Once again, I heard the vibrant thunder of the Enlightened Cloud Thunder Technique as I finished my meditation and released my seated posture.
Then proceeded directly to physical training.
I donned the training steel vest stored in the Bicheongmacha and worked up a sweat.
While exercising, I observed my companions also practicing in their own ways.
“Why am I… Aaah!”
“Bend more deeply!”
“Your waist is folding!”
Other than Tang So-yeol, who was being forced to train by Tang Do-yeon, everyone else was hard at work.
Since the Unknown Elder disappeared, I had continued training alone. I even asked Hyeok Gi-rin if I could teach him, but he shook his head.
“There might be arrangements by the elder. Besides, I wouldn’t be able to provide proper guidance since I am not well-versed in the Enlightened Cloud Thunder Technique.”
Ultimately, it meant I had to chart my own path from here on out.
Boom!
Gathering my focus to channel my energy, I prepared to unleash the Enlightened Cloud Thunder Technique.
This technique was difficult to master from the start.
Everything would typically begin with repetitive practice, but Enlightened Cloud Thunder Technique was inherently tough to practice.
Concentrating all my inner power into energy for a singular flash was the essence of the technique.
In other words, after a few practices, my inner power would be depleted, and I wouldn’t even have the opportunity to continue training.
How could I learn a skill quickly like this?
That’s why I needed to strike a bolt of lightning through my body and concentrate my mind to the utmost. I couldn’t waste this precious training opportunity.
Boom!
With the thunder booming, my feet lifted off the ground. I was gradually getting accustomed to controlling the energy rushing into me.
The energy was supposed to exit my body at an instant, flowing through my meridians. Controlling that energy while moving was my mission.
One step.
And another.
The second form of the Seven Thunder Defense Technique, the Twin Thunder Strikes, unfolded. It seemed to point left, but in reality, it was a simple trick that led right, yet if the simple trick unfolded at an overwhelming speed, it becomes a devastating technique.
I calculated if I could instantly link it to the third form, the Triple Thunder Strike, but the energy within me was already dissipating.
The limit of controlling my internal energy had arrived.
Feeling electric currents sparking from my body, I entwined the energy into my sword intent.
And continued onto the Single Cut Blade Technique’s thunder strike.
The destructive sword intent tore through the air.
And with the final thunder strike, I caught my breath.
“Phew.”
As the momentary tension eased, I felt a wave of relaxation, and at the same time, my inner power was completely drained, leaving me feeling empty.
I couldn’t train in martial arts for long, but in a short time, I could give my all… I had no idea whether that was good efficiency or not.
Anyway, after recovering my inner power through meditation, the vague energy dissipated, and morning broke clearly.
Over breakfast, we discussed how to explore this Yeonghwi Mountain from that point on.
“From what I’ve investigated, there’s a high likelihood that something was hidden around here. Regardless of being a solitary person on the mountain, it’s natural to have witnessed tales after living for a while. But during that time, there weren’t any sightings of anyone resembling the senior nearby.”
“Hmm. That could indeed be a clue.”
Black Cat proposed one of two situations: either I had lived here hidden really deeply, or I had collapsed here for some unavoidable reason.
There was no need to assume the second situation.
Did I simply collapse here by coincidence and wasn’t a person living near here? Then how on earth could I trace my past?
At least until new clues emerged, I had to assume that I had been living in hiding in or around Yeonghwi Mountain and continue the search.
After finishing the meal, Tang So-yeol spoke while puffing on his pipe:
“However, it is also true that it feels overwhelming. Searching through an entire mountain isn’t easy.”
“With only these clues, we have no choice. We’ll have to look directly for signs of hidden apparatuses or formations.”
The search began, akin to finding a needle in a haystack.
A day passed, then two days, and three.
While my companions searched every inch of Yeonghwi Mountain for three days, no traces of formations or mechanisms arose.
There were still many places left to search, but it was inevitable that my thoughts grew heavier.
Did the body of Ho Cheon-an truly hold a past?
If this body indeed had a past, why had its owner collapsed here?
“Phew.”
A sigh slipped out unknowingly. With no clues emerging, anxiety piled on.
While searching Yeonghwi Mountain for the last three days, I was struck with the reality of finding the past of this body I inhabited, Ho Cheon-an.
I had never really thought deeply about what it meant to inhabit this body.
No, I had been avoiding it.
Did I truly seize the life of Ho Cheon-an, who once existed in this Martial World?
If that’s the case, certainly Ho Cheon-an had a life before turning 15.
In that life, it must have endured a chain of circumstances that led to his body’s impurities.
There must have been family and friends who shared life with Ho Cheon-an.
To uncover Ho Cheon-an’s past meant directly confronting such truths.
Was I prepared to face such a reality?
“Ah~ I don’t know.”
My head felt like it would burst with complexities, and I sighed. That Rebirth Truck… why didn’t it leave behind some hints in the system window so I wouldn’t have to struggle with this?
Suddenly, anger flared up.
I didn’t choose to invade Ho Cheon-an’s body; this was all because of that Rebirth Truck!
This isn’t a joyless obligation!
No, it wasn’t even a joy at all.
I’d been near death in this Martial World many times over, suffering greatly; why should I fret about such worries?
“Is that you, Honorable Person?”
Distracted by my thoughts, I stumbled upon Yeo Il-ye.
She looked me over and gave a subtle smile.
“It seems your mind is quite troubled.”
“Um…”
I managed a wry smile. My tangled feelings seemed to have shown on my face.
“It’s okay.”
Yeo Il-ye said something unexpected.
“All the events you’ve overcome so far were never easy. You have triumphed through all of those, after all. I have no doubt you’ll handle this one well too.”
I gazed at Yeo Il-ye in silence. Her gentle smile bore sincere trust.
Gazing into her trusting eyes made me feel a wave of pressure, yet oddly, a sense of calm.
“Hmm.”
I seemed to be quite simple after all.
With just a bit of comfort, my heart relaxed, flowed away.
Was it visible on my face? Yeo Il-ye’s smile deepened.
“It seems it’s past time to descend. The mountain night comes quickly, so it would be best to head down now.”
“Indeed.”
Descending with Yeo Il-ye, I noticed our companions preparing dinner. I took a moment to look at them.
These were the people who believed in me, teamed up with me, missed the Unknown Elder, and were now helping me search here.
“Well, aren’t we going to dash down and prepare dinner?”
“Tang So-yeol was already down here playing!”
“Those who finish work should take it easy.”
“Haha, has sister always been so reckless?”
Watching my arguing companions warmed my heart a little.
My past isn’t just a key to unraveling my blood issue; wasn’t it also a response to the feelings that Black Cat and Yeo Il-ye had shown me long ago?
Had I been staring too intently? The Black Cat turned to me.
“…Senior? Is there something on my face?”
“No, no.”
Seeing her tilt her head, confused, made me chuckle.
That sight made my resolve feel a little firmer. I was tired of whining and avoiding this; it seemed I had made everyone wait too long.
“Let’s eat!”
So tomorrow, I would shake off all these heavy thoughts and focus wholeheartedly on the search.
With that thought, I finished dinner and headed to bed.
And in that dream…
I found myself running through a mountain.
