Reincarnated Swordmaster

The journey to Huangshan would roughly take around 15 days if riding a horse. Of course, that’s if one had the luxury of a mount. On foot, it would undoubtedly take over a month. Before embarking on this trip to Huangshan, I felt the need to exchange the silver ingots I had acquired.

In this world, merely showing off a heap of silver ingots won’t earn you submissive respect. The moment you carelessly expose your silver, thugs will start clinging to you, and soon enough, a strife for the ingots will erupt among the martial artists. I had to discreetly keep these silver treasures while converting them into a more manageable form of cash.

“The silver chest is too conspicuous. It would be better to bury it somewhere and retrieve it later.”

Carrying it around was cumbersome as the chest was roughly the size that one could embrace. While heading deep into the mountains, an idea occurred to me.

“Ah, right! Should I try to find the cave where I died in my past life?”

The cave where I had no choice but to die due to a trap!

Could it be that I’ve traveled back in time to obtain the secret treasure that was in that cave?

“I should change my plan.”

The thought compelled me to act immediately. I stopped by a nearby village to buy some iron spikes, a bundle of rope, and a copper shield. Knowing the geography of the area better than anyone else, I navigated through the perilous forest unerringly.

It would be better to first uncover the secrets of the cave.

Soon, darkness enveloped the night.

I broke off some dry branches to start a fire and prepared to camp. Unlike three years ago, I now had sufficient equipment and internal energy to protect myself from the cold. Clearing away some rocks and pebbles on the ground would allow me a good night’s sleep.

*Crackle…*

The fire flared up. I warmed myself by the fire, lost in thought.

Why had I returned to the past?

I had lost my life due to a trap, and in the final moment, my hand reached into a box. I remember holding a book. But the last memory was too vague to tell what kind of book it was.

“Could it be that I returned to the past because I held that book?”

There are too many uncertainties. Shaking my head, I decided to sleep. Finding the cave could wait until tomorrow.

At dawn, I began scouring the mountains. I knew exactly where I had secluded myself for sword training in my past life. It was a secluded valley, not too far from a village, yet not too harsh. Soon enough, I stumbled upon the familiar stream and the flat terrain where I had built a straw hut.

Now, all I had to do was find the ‘cave’ nearby. As I sifted through my memories, I remembered walking down a mountain trail while bathing in the sunlight rising from beyond the mountains.

“……!!”

I stopped midway. Concealed cleverly was a cliff about three meters high, right in front of me. It was hidden so well that it would be easy to trip and fall. A large branch had grown between the cliffs, obscuring the view below.

I peeked below and saw the cave, just as I remembered it. My heart pounding, I temporarily set down the silver chest. Since I had to descend the cliff, I planted an iron spike into the ground, tied a rope around myself, and began to slowly descend. As I found footholds under my feet, I cautiously walked into the cave.

The inside of the cave was pitch black as expected. Loosening the rope around me, I ventured a bit deeper and felt light seeping in.

*Swoosh!*

“Ugh… As expected…”

Before I died, the spectacle that I had seen appeared vividly before my eyes, making me swallow hard. A box that appeared miraculous was wrapped in the light of the cave, and the inner space was quite spacious.

‘ There’s a trap mechanism here. The arrows fly incredibly fast…’

Even now, I wondered whether I could easily dodge them. With tension in my eyes, I stared at the box and took out a short sword from my robes, then threw it at the box.

*Jjaeng!*

The short sword precisely hit the mouth of the box and flew to the side. Judging that the trap mechanism didn’t activate, it seemed to be set up to activate upon human approach. Although there must be a sensor on the floor or walls, with my abilities, it was impossible to figure that out. A professional thief or treasure hunter would have to come.

“But people use tools.”

I swiftly picked up a copper shield that I had bought from the village blacksmith. Rather than dodging the arrows solely with agility, it was more realistic to protect the vital parts with the copper shield while advancing. In front of such a trap mechanism, the pride of an expert is meaningless.

*Tadat*

*Kkaang!*

‘I did it!’

An arrow hit the front of the copper shield and bounced off. The speed of the arrow was fast enough to barely be seen with my dynamic vision, and dodging it with my current skills was out of the question. All I could do was to hold the copper shield up to the estimated position where the arrow would be fired.

The arrows fired by the trap mechanism were several times faster than those shot by humans. I took a breath of relief and took another step closer to the box.

It seemed like there were no more traps. Carefully, I tapped the lid of the box with the edge of my blade and then opened it.

*Kkiieek…*

“……”

I took out a book (冊, wooden book) that was inside. As I took out the book, I thought I might return to the past, but there was no sign of that. I sat down on the spot and started examining the book.

The title of the book was ‘Heavenly Tome of Dark Mysteries’.

‘What is this…?’

It was a peculiar name for a martial arts manual. It was neither grandiose like that of a magic faction nor felt like an orthodox martial arts manual. Flipping the first page to see the contents, I was utterly surprised.

“What is this?”

Strange Language!

A language so bizarre that it felt otherworldly, filled the pages like bugs. From how carefully it was written, it clearly had a structure – the problem was, I had never seen such a language. I’ve seen scripts from the Buddhist regions and the West while traveling, but this was an entirely different dimension.

One thing was certain, I couldn’t read or decipher this ‘Heavenly Tome of Dark Mysteries’ with my abilities. But it seemed to have taken me back in time.

What should I do with this suspicious book?

I pondered for a long while, but no conclusion was reached. Crossing my arms and sitting, I put the ‘Heavenly Tome of Dark Mysteries’ into my robes.

“I’ll have to carry it around.”

In some sense, this book was far more important than silver ingots. I returned to the cliff to hide the silver chest and ingots in the cave and came outside. Having one silver ingot for exchange, my travel expenses should be fine.

It was a cave expedition that ended more disappointingly and uneventfully than I had thought. Though unresolved, it was a bit disappointing that I only had to risk my life once and had nothing but a book in my hands.

However, I had an ominous feeling.

I felt that this ‘Heavenly Tome of Dark Mysteries’ contained secrets far beyond a mere martial arts manual.

‘I’ll have to consult some distinguished scholars later. There must be a sage in the world who can decipher  ‘Heavenly Tome of Dark Mysteries’.’

After coming out of the cave, I set off straight to Huangshan.

A few days had passed since I raided the village chief’s house and stole silver ingots, but there was no sign that the officials were suspicious of me. It could be that the wanted poster hadn’t reached this region, but more likely, the village chief hadn’t told anyone.

Indeed, he had no choice. The only actual deed I committed was beating to death a handful of local thugs, and there were no witnesses to that.

Moreover, if the transaction with the village head were exposed, it would become public knowledge that he was wealthy. There would be no end to the outlaws from the martial world asking him, ‘Do you have more silver ingots?’ So, reporting me and having me sought after would be impractical for him.

“I still can’t let my guard down. They might hire martial artists to assassinate me.”

However, this was merely a possibility. Most top-tier or peak martial artists were too proud to accept tasks from a mere village chief. To hire a martial artist so skilled that I couldn’t even lift a finger against them, they’d likely need as much money as the silver and gold I had stolen.

In other words, there was no need to worry about retaliation from the village chief for now.

I felt too lazy and tired to walk to Huangshan, so I rented a horse midway. The horse was definitely faster, cutting the distance by about three times. A few days later, when I arrived at the village at the base of Huangshan and looked up, I felt like my troubles were nearly over.

*Da-dak* 

Sitting on the horse’s back, a grumble naturally escaped my lips. The sight of the mist-covered peaks gave me a sense of the hardships ahead.

“Whew… but Huangshan is so vast, it won’t be easy.”

Huangshan, a mountain held in even higher regard than the Five Great Mountains¹ of the continent, boasted incredible scenery, so much so that there’s a saying: “After seeing the Five Great Mountains, you won’t want to see any other mountains; after seeing Huangshan, you won’t want to see the Five Great Mountains.”

Furthermore, Huangshan consists of 72 peaks, each towering hundreds of meters high. While its peaks have been frequently visited, there are also many uncharted hazardous terrains that require caution.

I plan to explore all 72 peaks!

And that too, to find the Millennium Snow Ginseng of unknown whereabouts!

It seemed like madness, but I had no choice. I was certain from my own experiences that millennium snow ginseng exists in Huangshan. I also had three clues.

First, the ginseng does not exist on the 24 outer peaks. Because the first discoverer Danmok Soe heard that the place where his ancestor found the Millennium Snow Ginseng  was among the 48 scenic spots within the inner peaks. The inner areas, unlike the outer ones, were less touched by human hands and had many secret spots, significantly narrowing the search area.

Second, it does not exist near the bases of the Huangshan Sect. They joined the scramble for the Millennium Snow Ginseng much later, reportedly because their stronghold was quite far from the discovery spot.

Third, it was found in a place where “white and black lotuses bloom together.” Whether that was metaphorical or not, this was the most reliable information.

I chuckled, thinking about the journey ahead.

“One silver ingot should fetch at least a hundred coins at the nearby marketplace. That should cover my exploration and food expenses. A year should be enough to find the Millennium Snow Ginseng .”

If I eliminate the Huangshan Sect’s base area, the search area will be significantly narrowed down. Searching one peak per week should suffice, and I should find it in 1 to 2 years.

Just as I was starting to feel hungry and was about to head to a nearby inn,

An ominous feeling struck me.

“Hey, young man! Nice to meet you!”

A man dressed in crumpled black clothes was waving at me at the inn’s entrance.

“What’s this now?”

Ignoring the stranger, his next words were something I couldn’t overlook.

“What’s your name… Baek-woong, was it? There’s a bounty of about 500 silver taels on your head. How about you quietly surrender?”

Clink clink clink.

In that moment, as if they had all agreed upon a signal, the sound of swords being unsheathed resounded loudly throughout the first and second floors of the inn. From that noise alone, I sensed that the number of warriors present was at least between twenty and thirty.

“……!!”

“What’s with that face?”

A warrior clad in black clothes chuckled.

“Don’t worry. We have no interest in torture. We’ll just swiftly cut your throat and be done with it.”

Those words were anything but reassuring.

‘I… I can’t win this!’

The moment I gauged the skills of the warriors surrounding the inn, my whole body felt paralyzed, and my mind seemed to fade away. Whether it was their swordsmanship, the killing intent they exuded, or their internal energy, not a single one among them was subpar. They were all elite warriors who had been properly trained. Fighting ten of them would be questionable, let alone three-to-one odds. If they all attacked me at once, I’d surely die, twisted like a pretzel.

They are incredibly strong!

The question was, why was a sect capable of mobilizing such elite warriors targeting me? My voice trembling, I asked, “Who are you… and who sent you to kill me?”

“Of course, we’ll tell you. It would be somewhat discomforting to kill a young man without explaining.”

The warrior in black adjusted his posture and spoke.

“We are the Black Night Clan’s Assassination Group. Do you know of us?”

“… The Eight Gates of the Demonic Path!”

“Oh, you know.”

I let out a scream in horror.

The Eight Gates of the Demonic Path!

It was a term referring to eight major clans and sects that held influence comparable to the Nine Ancient Schools and the Five Great Sects. Among them, the Black Night Clan specialized in assassination and was known for having the most refined martial arts skills. In particular, their Assassination Group was so fearsome that they were considered Death Gods among the orthodox sects.

Even if I were a top-tier expert, there would be no escaping once targeted by the Black Night Clan’s Assassination Group. That’s how fearsome they were. My vision grew dim, but I clung to my fading consciousness and asked,

“By the way, I’m the leader of the Assassination Group. Nice to meet you, Baek-woong.”

The man in black grinned as he introduced himself, though it was not at all a pleasant introduction.

“Who ordered this?”

The leader of the Assassination Group shrugged.

“You should know, shouldn’t you? Recently, there’s probably only one person who holds a grudge against you.”

“The village chief…”

“Something like that. The client must have paid a hefty price, but he seemed keen on settling his grudge against you, no matter the cost.”

I glanced at him and said,

“If you spare me, I will give you double the money. I mean it.”

Then the leader of the Assassination Group burst into laughter.

“Hahaha… Even if what you say is true, we can’t accept it. If we betray so easily for more money, who would trust us to take assassination jobs? Unused money will just be spending money in the afterlife.”

Feeling the urgency as the assassin leader was about to give an order, I shouted out again.

“Then I have another proposal!”

“What is it?”

“If I can defeat you in one-on-one combat, call off the pursuit.”

The assassin leader is likely the strongest among the assassin martial artists, so he wouldn’t be able to refuse this offer easily. It’s also why the organization isn’t attacked despite taking assassination contracts. I’ve heard that they don’t refuse challenges or fights because they showcase their skills openly.

“Hoho… You’ve got spirit!”

*Murmurs*

The assassin martial artists looked at me as if they were looking at a madman after hearing my words. The assassin leader seemed amused and just chuckled.

“Well, if that’s what you wish… I was planning to behead you myself anyway, this will save me some trouble.”

*Unsheathe*

The assassin leader unsheathed his long sword and slowly took his position opposite me. The assassin martial artists surrounded the inn, seemingly to prevent me from escaping. Clenching my iron sword in one hand and gritting my teeth, I braced myself.

I must survive.

I must bring out all the martial arts I’ve learned up to today to survive.

I haven’t even properly searched for the thousand-year ginseng yet; I can’t die here!

“Shall we begin?”

The assassin leader swung his sword at me with a lively smile.

*Swish, swish, swish, swish!*

*Swoosh!*

In just ten seconds, my sword broke and I was hit by a Void Palm Strike at my vital point. In an instant, I found myself flying up into the sky. For a moment, I couldn’t understand why there was such a gap in our abilities.

‘What…?’

This feeling… I’ve experienced it somewhere before…

*Swish*

“Farewell.”

The next moment, I saw the blue light of sword qi. Only then did I realize: the assassin leader was a top-level expert, similar or even superior to Master Jin So-cheong.

Soon, my neck was severed.

Breathless pain and overflowing memories flooded in.

‘Ah, shit…’

This was my second death.

1. The Five Great Mountains of China, also known as the “Wu Yue,” are a set of five sacred and culturally significant mountain ranges in various parts of China. These are Mount Tai in Shandong, Mount Hua in Shaanxi, Mount Heng in Shanxi, Mount Heng in Hunan, and Mount Song in Henan. Each mountain is associated with a cardinal direction and an element, and they hold immense historical, religious, and cultural importance. Temples, pagodas, and other religious structures dot these mountains, which have been pilgrimage sites for centuries.[↩]

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