Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 2: Reading a Book a Hundred Times Reveals Its Meaning (1) A man was dead.
Gone with a single touch.
Is this… the power of the Heavenly Killing Star?
It was an irrational, terrifying force.
As the weight of reality finally crashed down on him, Yeon So-wol doubled over and retched. It wasn't so much guilt as it was a raw, physiological revulsion that turned his insides out.
"Whew. Haa."
Even after his stomach was empty, he struggled to soothe the bile rising in his throat. He thought to himself:
…Am I really supposed to get used to this? In a place like this?
According to the collective common sense of the ghosts lingering in his mind, the answer was a resounding yes.
The world known as the 'Jianghu' was a place where seeing a corpse, becoming a corpse, or making a corpse was a daily occurrence. This was the world Yeon So-wol had to survive in from now on.
"This is… insane."
It was horrific. Truly horrific.
But the most terrifying thing of all was that he still wanted to live. He wanted to keep going. This time, he didn't want to be screwed over by fate. He wanted to be rewarded for his efforts. He wanted to live a life that actually made sense.
The thought made his chest tighten.
"I'm going crazy…"
So-wol looked down at his hands.
"Will I have to keep using this power…?"
The Jianghu did not seem like a peaceful place. He might have to keep killing. To survive, to avoid being wronged, he might have to end lives as if they were nothing more than ragdolls.
Just like I did a moment ago.
So-wol suppressed his nausea and looked around.
The Skeleton Old Man.
The Neck-broken Monk.
Two corpses lay before him. Reflexively, So-wol realized what his next move had to be.
"God…"
He felt disgusted with himself for even thinking it, but he steeled his nerves.
"Sigh. I still have to do what needs to be done."
He slowly approached the bodies and began to search them.
"Ugh."
A body that hasn't yet succumbed to rigor mortis is unsettlingly soft. Though he gagged several times, he persisted.
Just do it. Do what needs to be done. You have to survive, don't you?
He searched the monk first. There wasn't much. He took the spare clothes and shoes from the monk's pack and changed into them; his modern attire was far too conspicuous for this world.
Next, he searched the Skeleton Old Man. Since the man's lower body was soaked in waste, he searched carefully to avoid the mess.
The Skeleton Old Man proved to be a much more lucrative find.
"…Is this gold? And silver? And this… a gemstone?"
From a pouch tied to the man's waist, he pulled out gold ingots, silver ingots, and a bead the size of a fingernail. The ingots were one-tael pieces, roughly the size of bite-sized chocolates. They were boat-shaped—flat on the bottom with raised ends—making them easy to stack.
Three gold ingots.
Seven silver ingots.
Three red beads.
So-wol recalled the common sense from the ghosts' memories. Even just counting the gold and silver, it was a fortune that would allow an ordinary farmer to live for years without working. He wasn't sure how much the beads were worth, but their luster suggested they were quite valuable.
He detached the entire pouch and tucked it inside his waistband, hidden from view. The heavy weight of it added to his tension.
"It's good to have money, but… I have to be careful."
Considering the abysmal state of public safety in the Jianghu, this wealth could easily invite disaster.
So-wol swallowed hard and continued his search. Feeling around the chest area, he pulled out a small wooden box.
"This is…"
He recognized it from the memories.
'Finally, Shaolin's Great Restoration Pill is in my hands.'
The Skeleton Old Man had said those words right after crushing the monk's throat.
"What exactly is this that they… Argh!"
As he muttered, flashes of memory pierced through So-wol's mind. They were fragments left behind by the ghosts that had been absorbed into his body.
「It is an elixir. It must only be consumed when one's condition is at its peak.」
「A supreme treasure.」
「If only I had a legendary elixir like the Great Restoration Pill…」
「Hand it over!」
「My martial arts are superior! If only my internal energy… if only my internal energy could keep up!」
「Aaaaaagh!」
Through the static-filled memories, voices of madness and greed, the flash of blades, and screams flickered by.
"Ugh."
So-wol bit his lip against the rising nausea. He had already vomited enough for one day.
"Whew. So… this is a peerless treasure to these martial artists. Something that can make you strong in an instant."
Click.
He opened the wooden box. Contrary to its grand reputation, a very ordinary-looking round pill sat inside. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought it was just a common herbal sedative.
"…It's probably better to learn martial arts and prepare my body before taking it, rather than just eating it blindly."
So-wol looked up at the sky. The rift he had fallen through was gone, replaced by a smooth, seamless blue, as if the heavens had never been torn open.
"I probably can't go back home."
The sky he fell from was unimaginably high. This wasn't just medieval China; it was an entirely different world. A world where ghosts were real, and where 'martial arts'—the ability to transcend human limits through Qi cultivation—actually existed.
Suddenly, he felt a wave of terror. It felt as if he were standing alone at the edge of a celestial cliff.
So-wol shuddered. He gripped the Great Restoration Pill tightly. Forcing his voice out, he made a vow to himself.
"Fine. Then… I'll become a martial artist."
They were also called 'people of the Jianghu.' Because they possessed power beyond ordinary humans, they were the ones who could live with relative freedom in this dangerous world. In other words, they were the people who didn't have to worry about being unfairly screwed over.
It won't be easy, though.
So-wol was already nineteen. Even on Earth, elite athletes started in elementary school. Martial arts, which dealt with mysterious powers, would surely be even more demanding.
It's like a high school senior suddenly deciding to become a professional soccer player…
However, as if by fate, the Great Restoration Pill had fallen into his hands. It was a legendary elixir said to instantly transform one's constitution and grant immense strength if consumed after learning the basics of martial arts.
And I have the power of the Heavenly Killing Star.
A power that had instantly killed a monster-like old man. Of course, it had clear limitations—he had to make physical contact to kill. But then again, humans died just by coming into contact with a blade. In the context of the Murim, perhaps it wasn't such an overwhelming ability.
But still.
If this power and martial arts are combined…
Perhaps he could walk tall even in the Jianghu, where might was everything.
"Let's do it. There's no other way. And the situation is in my favor."
Life as a martial artist. That was the most rational and sensible decision.
"Yeah. Let's go with that."
Having decided on his new path, So-wol hesitated. Was this really it? Would he never return to Earth? All sorts of thoughts tugged at his heels.
But in this strange world, a world where no one could help him, he couldn't afford to waste time.
So-wol forced his body to move. He bit his lip once more and looked up at the sky. He pressed his hands to his forehead and made a gesture of bowing.
"Please stay healthy…"
It seemed he would never see his family again.
Mom. Dad. Take care. I'll find a way to survive here, no matter what.
"…I'll make sure to live well."
Nearly nineteen years old. The second act of his life had begun abruptly. He felt a surge of emotion and almost cried, but he swallowed it down. He turned away.
As he climbed a bit higher up the mountain, his view opened up. A small city nestled within the hills came into view.
Guangdong Province, at the southern edge of the Central Plains.
It was the mountain city of Sinheung County.
*
Hiking down a mountain was no easy feat for a high school senior with poor stamina. By the time he finally reached the bottom, his clothes were covered in dirt.
I'm here!
Perhaps because of the struggle it took to get there, So-wol felt his tension ease slightly as he passed through the gates of Sinheung County. He even felt a hint of excitement.
Wasn't it fascinating? Walls built of stone and brick. Tiled roofs with wide, sweeping eaves. Cows and horses passing through the streets. The bustling noise of the crowd.
He felt a bit of the thrill one might get from playing a Wuxia game.
This… might actually be a little fun.
He had never been able to go on a proper trip because he was always studying. Was this what it felt like? Exotic scenery. The feeling of a fresh start.
Yeah. I ended up here because of some freak accident, but let's not think too negatively. At least I'm alive. If I work hard here, I can make something of myself.
People were the same everywhere. Would a Wuxia world be any different? If he lived sensibly and worked hard, he should be able to live a decent life without any major issues.
So-wol was filled with hope and determination—until the breath of a passerby hit him.
"Ugh!"
It was a smell that suggested something was rotting deep inside the person's stomach. It felt like a physical punch to the face, snapping So-wol back to reality. He blinked and took a closer look at the streets of Sinheung County.
"..."
The first thing he saw was the 'Beijing Bikini.' Middle-aged men with bellies as large as mountains had rolled up their shirts and tied them off, proudly exposing their unsightly midriffs to the world.
"..."
When he turned his head, he locked eyes with a woman who was relieving herself in an alleyway.
"..."
Turning his head again, he saw people haggling with street vendors so loudly they seemed to be on the verge of a fistfight. The air was pierced by the sharp, high-pitched tones of their heavily accented shouting.
He winced and looked away, only for his gaze to land on the filthy, unhygienic grime dripping from a street stall's counter.
Thud!
Someone walking past slammed their shoulder hard into So-wol's.
"Whoa!"
Startled by the impact, which felt more like a deliberate strike, he turned around. The man with the exposed belly glared at him.
"What are you looking at, standing in the middle of the road like an idiot? Hock-tuey!"
The man spat a thick glob of phlegm and continued to glare. So-wol quickly looked away. It was common sense not to engage with crazy people.
But inside, he was trembling.
This is insane…
This was a reality that an ordinary, sensible person from the 21st century could hardly bear.
Wait a minute.
In that moment, So-wol realized a horrific truth.
This is a Wuxia world, right?
Which meant…
In other words…
This was a parallel world of ancient 'China.'
Ah.
Yeon So-wol hated this world.
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