Chapter 15
“Take this.”
Before I left home, Father held out a sword fastened to a heavy leather belt.
“What am I supposed to do with a sword when I don’t even know how to use one?”
“The world outside is a harsh place. You may be a cultivator, but you’re still just a child. You need to carry at least one weapon for self-defense, or bands of bandits will think you an easy target.” Father said this with a grave expression.
I mean, I was about to wander around a country where firearms were legal with nothing but my bare hands. I should probably have some kind of weapon.
I found a spot at the corner of an alley and fidgeted with the sword’s hilt.
‘Ooh, this is fascinating!’
It was the first time in either of my lives that I’d ever touched a real sword.
I’d acted calm just now, but every man carried at least one martial-arts fantasy in his heart!
I gave myself an inner “Hup!” and gripped the hilt tightly, trying to draw it in one smooth motion like the hero in a movie.
Clink… clatter!
“Heave… huh?”
‘Damn, it’s heavy!’
The sword stopped before it had even cleared half a span from its scabbard.
My wrist buckled under its weight, and the tip stabbed into the ground with a thunk. Grunting with both hands, I finally pulled it free as if hauling an anchor up from the sea floor.
‘If a man draws his sword, he has to slice something—even if it’s just a radish. That’s the romance of it!’
I took a deep breath and got ready to swing.
One, two, three!
Whoooosh—
The sword cut through empty air.
No, to be precise, it was more like the sword was dragging me along with it.
“Whoa?”
I was swept along by the centrifugal force, spun around, and finally got my feet tangled.
Thump.
“Ow!”
I landed hard on my butt. My cheeks burned with embarrassment. Thank goodness there was no one around; it would’ve been a complete disaster.
Before I could embarrass myself any further, I hurried to put the sword away. But my delicate frame made it impossible even to sheathe it while standing.
In the end, I had to lay the scabbard on the ground before I could finally stuff the sword back in with a lot of grunting.
‘At this rate, swordsmanship is out of the question… Father said it wasn’t a famous blade, but that it was well-balanced.’
My wrists were trembling, and my shoulders were throbbing. I’d forgotten this body was that of a frail young lady who’d spent her whole life riding in a palanquin.
Contrary to my expectations, becoming a Qi Refining cultivator hadn’t instantly turned me into a muscle-bound powerhouse.
Swordsmanship would have to wait for now.
I’d have to find a way to build up my stamina or do some strength training.
‘But… who cares about the sword or romance? I’m free!’
I dusted myself off and got to my feet.
This refreshing feeling of savoring freedom.
Even the breeze brushing my nose felt sweet.
“Hmm-hmm-hmm.”
Humming to myself, the first place I headed was the market.
‘I’ll stop by the market, then run a whole bunch of physics experiments.’
Since I’d never visited the market in person, even when riding in a palanquin, every little thing seemed so fascinating and novel.
The world I’d glimpsed out of the corner of my eye was on a completely different level from the world I walked through on my own two feet.
‘It’s dirtier than I expected.’
The market grounds were filthy with mud and waste.
Still, true to its reputation as a traditional market, the air was thick with the scent of freshly baked pancakes and steam from freshly steamed dumplings.
The fishy stink of dried fish.
Clang, clang—the sound of iron being hammered at the smithy.
Even commoners and slaves moved about like bundles of cargo.
Seeing commoners again after so long drove home just how thoroughly this was a society ruled by status.
At least commoners were treated like human beings; slaves were classified as furniture or other property, not people.
It was a considerable shock to me, coming from a democratic country in the twenty-first century, but there was nothing I could do about it right now.
This place wasn’t beautiful, but it was alive. That was enough to make my heart race.
As I looked around the market, I noticed a strange undercurrent.
Every time I took a step, people of all ages and genders seemed to fix their gazes on me.
‘Did this disguise actually work?’
“What family does that young master belong to? I’ve never seen a man so handsome in all my life!”
“Look at that skin, as white as jade. He looks like a celestial maiden.”
Even though I’d bound my chest with cotton cloth and pulled my bamboo hat low, the destructive power of my looks seemed to transcend gender.
Maybe because I’d ended up looking like an androgynous, ethereal young martial artist, I was hitting both the maternal instincts and romantic hearts of the women around me.
“Hey, handsome young man! Have a freshly steamed rice cake before you go!”
“Ah, I don’t have any money…”
“Who said anything about money? You’re such a fine-looking young man, I’m giving it to you for free. Here, take some fruit, too!”
“Young man! Have a cup of our fruit syrup, too! Heehee!”
Is this what life as a face genius is like? I’m in heaven.
I’d only made it halfway around the market, but my arms were already full of dumplings, tanghulu, apples, and rice cakes.
What’s more, when people saw my arms full of food, they acted as if a wealthy merchant had come to town, and their attempts to drum up business only got more aggressive.
Who would’ve thought I’d enjoy this kind of luxury, after living as a STEM nerd in my previous life who could barely talk to women?
‘Was my face really the reason I was forever single?’
To soothe my bitter feelings, I headed to the apothecary.
The lethal sweetness of sugar, something I’d never tasted at home, seemed to ease my sadness.
‘Sweet. Delicious. Hehe.’
If I were the protagonist of a wuxia novel, surely I’d stumble across a legendary manual or a divine pill (神丹) by chance, wouldn’t I?
Inside the shop, thick with the smell of dried herbs, the mustachioed owner set down his long-stemmed pipe.
“Welcome, young master. What are you looking for?”
“Shopkeeper, do you have any pills? Maybe a pill to sober up?”
“A sobering pill? A decoction of kudzu root is the best remedy for drunkenness.”
“No, not a hangover cure. I mean a pill to help with spiritual qi. Even a low-grade one would be fine.”
At my words, the apothecary owner prostrated himself in alarm.
“Oh my! Are you a cultivator, young master? What an honor to have an immortal visit this humble shop! I knew there was something extraordinary about your appearance!”
“Ahem… What are you doing? Get up. I’m not anyone that important.”
“How could a lowly man like me dare? Unfortunately, though, the thing you’re looking for isn’t available in this village.”
“Where could I get it?”
“You might find one at the market below the Xuan Yang Sect’s gates…”
Xuan Yang Sect—that was the sect where that bastard Jin Mu-ak was, wasn’t it?
“Is it nearby?”
“It’s about two hundred li away. It’s famous for its mountains shrouded in thick clouds and mist.”
I’d even managed to get the valuable information that it was about eighty kilometers away.
As a South Korean soldier who’d done marches, and having lived in America, the distance seemed close to me. It felt manageable.
Of course, it was several times more treacherous than the journey our ancestors took to sit the civil service exam, crossing mountains inhabited by tigers.
But they said yaoshou and monsters lived in those mountains.
There were bound to be bandits, too, so it wasn’t something I could take lightly.
Still, I’d gotten useful information, so I gave him a few coins as a tip, and he was overjoyed.
He even said he’d treasure them as a family heirloom, since they’d been bestowed by an immortal.
On top of that, he forcibly pressed several pills into my hands—some kind of tonic pills that worldly martial artists supposedly ate.
“This one’s very effective at night.”
‘No matter how potent it is, it’s useless to me… Anyway, a mountain shrouded in mist…’
Leaving behind my disappointment at not finding a pill, I stopped by the bookshop next.
‘Come to think of it, I feel like I’ve forgotten something important… Whatever! Let’s look for a secret manual!’
Secret manuals.
What a heart-pounding phrase.
The romantic notion of finding a dusty book in the corner of an old bookshop that contained an unparalleled divine technique. Or discovering that some unreadable old book was actually the legacy of an ancient immortal.
But reality was cold.
『Three Talents Sword Art』
『Peerless Footwork Even a Monkey Can Copy』
『Three Things Young People in Their Thirties Must Never Give Up On』
『One Hundred Ways I Went from Second-Rate to Peak Expert』
『The Health-Preserving Art of a Man Who Rules the Night』
The titles were flashy, but most were introductory manuals on worldly martial arts.
There wasn’t even a basic breathing technique, let alone an unparalleled divine art.
“I think the Three Talents Sword Art would suit you, young master. You’re wearing a sword, after all.”
“I am wearing a sword, but I can’t even swing it properly.”
“Oh my. You’re so modest.”
No, it’s true.
I turned the pages and found a picture book dressed up with plausible-sounding explanations.
From the looks of it, the Three Talents were a basic martial art that represented horizontal slashes, vertical slashes, and thrusts as Heaven, Earth, and Man.
It wasn’t the peerless secret manual I’d hoped for, but it was just what I needed right now.
Even if I was a cultivator, surely I should at least be able to use a sword.
“I’ll buy this.”
“It’s half a tael of silver… but for such a handsome young master, I’ll only charge two hundred cash.”
“Why?”
“Because I hope you’ll come back again, young master. Hehe.”
‘A handsome face really is the greatest ability of all.’
I pulled my bamboo hat low and hurried out of the bookshop.
To soothe my even more bitter feelings, I entered an inn, the sacred ground of the jianghu.
Didn’t they say every incident began at an inn?
A waiter led me to a quiet table, and I ordered a bowl of meat noodles. As soon as I took off my bamboo hat and set it down, an unbelievable scene unfolded.
“Here are the noodles you ordered!”
I’d definitely ordered a single bowl of noodles, but the table was piled high with dumplings, slices of boiled pork, pickled vegetables, and even a fine jar of local wine, as if the table were about to collapse.
“The kitchen told us to give you some extra dumplings.”
“What about the meat?”
The waiter pointed behind a pillar. A girl who looked like the innkeeper’s daughter peeked out, met my eyes, and hurriedly hid again.
“You only have to pay for the noodles.”
Was this what life was like for a face genius who charmed every woman?
I decided not to refuse their kindness. I sent the wine back and put a piece of meat in my mouth.
‘But even though it’s free, it doesn’t taste good.’
It was a popular restaurant, so the food couldn’t be bad, but lately, most food tasted bitter and stale to me.
It was as if something in my body were screening out the qi in food.
Just then.
Thump.
A dirty foot landed on my table.
“Hey, pretty boy.”
Three men who reeked of alcohol were looking down at me. Scarred faces, rough hands, axes at their waists. They were the stereotypical third-rate villains.
The stereotypical third-rate villains had arrived.
“You look like some young master from a rich family. Your big brothers here are a little short on drinking money these days.”
“……”
“Why don’t you hand over the purse in your sleeve nice and easy?”
I was less scared than intrigued.
It felt exciting, like I’d stepped into a wuxia game.
So these kinds of people really existed.
“What, did you stuff your mouth with rice? You think our big brother’s words don’t mean anything? Hey!”
KWA-GWANG!
The moment he stomped down, the wooden table collapsed.
The precious noodles and meat I hadn’t managed to finish ended up in the broken bowls.
My curiosity and excitement quickly turned to irritation.
Picking a fight was honestly fun, but this was just a nuisance, wasn’t it?
I jumped to my feet and glared at the man acting like their boss.
“Look at that glare. What are you gonna do, skinny little gentleman?”
“Look at those hands! He’s never even held a sword before! Puhahahaha!”
“What kind of brothel did this guy run away from? Hahaha!”
The waiter didn’t know what to do, and the women by the kitchen looked at me with worried expressions.
Thanks to constantly circulating the Five-Element Return-Flow Method, I’d built up a fair amount of true qi.
I’d already experienced its power. If I used about three percent, I should be able to subdue these three.
Just as I was about to circulate my true qi, one of the men raised his axe high.
“You bastard! I’ll have to smash that pretty face in before you open your mouth!”
A real fight was about to begin. The moment I drew up my true qi—
Whiiiiish—thunk!
“Aaaagh!”
A pair of chopsticks came flying from somewhere and pierced the gang leader’s hand.
I turned and realized an old man in a worn gray martial robe was responsible.
He was old, but his eyes were sharp. He’d pierced someone’s hand with a pair of wooden chopsticks, so he must be a worldly martial artist.
But was I the only one who’d noticed?
They looked rather flustered, unable to tell where the attack had come from.
“What are you doing, you bastards? I don’t care who it was—if someone ambushed us while our guard was down, beat him to death!”
“Who goes there!”
Then the old man bellowed at them.
“To bully a defenseless woman in broad daylight! The principles of the jianghu have fallen into ruin!”
For an old man, it was a thunderous shout, but I’d thought it was just an ordinary yell.
But then these thugs screamed, “Eek! A peak expert!” and fled as if their tails were on fire.
“A peak expert!”
“Run!”
As the situation was settled in an instant, I clicked my tongue inwardly.
‘Wait a second. He just called me a woman. Did he figure out my identity?’
I carefully approached the old man and clasped my hands in a martial salute.
“Senior, thank you for helping me.”
The old man chuckled.
“There’s no need to thank me. This old man merely saved the lives of a few pitiful souls.”
“What do you mean, you saved the lives of pitiful souls…?”
“Do you truly not understand what I mean?”
The old man’s gaze passed over the area around my dantian.
It seemed he’d noticed.
That I’d drawn up my true qi….
“I spared them the fare for a trip to the afterlife. A cup of that wine is all this old man needs.”
I had the bamboo-leaf wine I’d sent back brought over again.
“Would you mind if I joined you?”
“With this worthless old man?”
“I’d like to hear your wise counsel.”
The old man’s dimples deepened.
“It would be my honor.”
The inn gradually regained its liveliness. Perhaps relieved that the commotion had been settled, the owner sent a bottle of wine to every table.
Amid the hubbub, the old man spoke up.
“Allow this old man to ask first.”
“I hope you’ll forgive my impertinence, but please go ahead.”
“Which cultivation sect do you come from? Xuan Yang Sect (玄陽宗)? Or White Cloud Sect (白雲宗)?”
“……Neither.”
“I see. Since you don’t wish to say… then let me ask you something else.”
‘That’s not it… Huh? What is this?’
A shiver swept over me.
I even felt as though I were sitting face-to-face with a ghost.
The chill was so intense my knees started shaking.
What an incredible aura.
‘So this is what a peak expert is like?’
A mysterious yellow aura shimmered and billowed from the old man like heat haze as he spoke in a low voice.
“I’m ashamed to ask this of you, but I would like to ask one thing.”
“……”
“If you were to truly cross swords with this old man, how many exchanges do you think I could last?”
What? I’m sorry, but what did you say?
‘Did I hear that wrong? Of course I’d lose if I fought a monster who could pierce someone’s hand with chopsticks. Has this man seriously mistaken me for someone else?’
Wasn’t I so hopeless I couldn’t even learn swordsmanship?
There was no need to weigh the ‘amount of true qi,’ which was obviously the measure of strength in this world.
My defeat was already certain.
Still, I decided to look into his dantian.
But something was strange.
‘That can’t be right. Have my eyes gotten blurry in the meantime…? Why is it so tiny and pitiful?’
I saw his small, unimpressive dantian and the pitiful quantity and quality of his true qi compared to mine.
“Heh heh. Just as I thought. You’re at a level where you don’t even bat an eye!”
“That’s not it at all…”
The old man drained his bamboo-leaf wine in one gulp, as if his throat were parched.
“This may be this worthless old man’s final wish.”
‘Your final wish? What on earth am I supposed to be?’
“I’m Yan Nan-cheon, an insignificant old recluse who’s earned the undeserved title of Sword Demon among worldly martial artists.”
‘Sword Demon? Insignificant? That’s obviously a terrifying title!’
“I humbly ask the immortal who has attained ascension to teach me a move. What say you?”
‘What are you talking about! You’re asking me to fight you, right? That’s what this is?’
This is ridiculous. I’ve never even been in a fistfight before.
No way, no way, absolutely no way!
