Chapter 1: The Little Prince of the Gu Clan (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 1: The Little Prince of the Gu Clan (1)
What’s going on…? What is this…?
Without warning, I was standing in the middle of a bustling marketplace.
I lifted my gaze slowly toward the sky. A cloudless expanse, with only a single sun that forced me to squint. After so long in darkness, the sheer brightness was dazzling.
All around me, townsfolk weaved between stalls while vendors shouted to attract passersby. Steam rose from food stands, filling the air with the rich scent of steamed dumplings. The cries of merchants hawking their wares blended with the lively chatter of the crowd, growing louder and more chaotic.
It reminded me of a marketplace from my distant childhood—one I hadn’t seen in over ten years.
Am I dreaming?
My heart had shattered. I should be dead.
So why… why was I here? Was this some final illusion before the end—a glimpse of a peaceful past I’d longed for so desperately? My life had been bleak enough to make even an ordinary one seem like a fantasy.
“What a joke.”
The moment I spoke, my eyes widened in shock. My throat had been wounded years ago, leaving me mute. This shouldn’t be possible. And the voice that came out was thin and high-pitched, like that of a young boy. As the realization set in, I noticed my hands—small, smooth, and free of the scars I remembered. These weren’t the hands of an adult.
My perspective was lower, as though I’d been returned to my childhood.
“Is this… an old memory?”
But if so, when did it happen? I had no recollection of visiting a marketplace at this age.
Just then, I spotted a young man frantically searching through the crowd. My childhood escort.
And then it came back to me—the day I’d sneaked out to the market was also the day I’d met that girl.
While wandering recklessly among the stalls, I’d bumped into a girl around my age. She greeted me cheerfully and pulled a warm potato from a basket nearly as big as she was.
“Want a potato?”
It was happening again, right now.
“Huh?”
Lost in thought, I’d barely registered her words. The shock of the moment left me speechless.
What had I said to her back then? Something like, How dare you hand me such a thing! Maybe worse. I’d been an immature, arrogant brat—no excuse, but the truth.
If I had known what she would become, or what would happen to me… would I have acted differently? I couldn’t say. I’d been that ignorant.
“Um… d-do you not like potatoes?”
The girl hesitated when I didn’t respond. Her clothes were dirty, her long hair messy and covering most of her face. Anyone would mistake her for a beggar. I scoffed quietly, finally understanding.
“If this memory is what’s being shown to me… I must have regretted it deeply.”
“Eh?”
She tilted her head, confused by my muttering.
Could an illusion like this really erase my regrets?
No.
And yet… this time, I reached out and took a potato from her basket.
Her lips bloomed into a bright, gap-toothed smile.
“Thank you,” I said. “I’ll eat it gladly.”
A completely different reply than before.
“Y-Yes! It’s from my grandpa’s farm!” she stammered excitedly, then picked out a potato for herself and took a big bite.
I did the same.
But it was still steaming hot.
How can I feel the heat in a dream?
Was this real? Or just that vivid?
I couldn’t take another bite.
“Ahaha! Your face is all red!”
She laughed as I struggled. Even though her potato was just as hot, she ate it without trouble. After a moment, I managed to finish mine, enduring the scalding in my mouth.
“It’s tasty, right?”
“Yes… delicious.”
And it was. Surprisingly flavorful for a dream.
Just as I finished, my escort approached.
“Young Master…?”
He frowned, his eyes locking onto the girl in front of me. Instinctively, his left hand moved to his sword.
“How dare you lay hands on—”
“Do you have any yakgwa?” I cut him off.
“Huh?”
“Yakgwa. Do you have any?”
He stared at me, puzzled. What escort carried honey cookies? Yet, surprisingly, he did. He handed me one with a confused expression.
I offered it to the girl.
Though her face was still hidden by her hair, I could tell she was stunned.
“R-Really? You’re giving this to me!?”
“You gave me a delicious potato. This is a meager repayment.”
Back then, I was practically raised on sweets. My escort always carried yakgwa to calm me during my tantrums. Forced to do such things despite being a martial artist… I felt a twinge of guilt now.
Unaware of my thoughts, the girl jumped for joy, carefully holding the treat. I grew nervous every time she moved, worried her potatoes would spill.
“Thank you so much! I’ve never eaten anything like this!”
“Is that so? Do you have any more?” I asked my escort.
“I apologize, Young Master, but that was the last one.”
I was disappointed I couldn’t give her more. My escort kept watching me strangely.
“Why are you staring?”
“It’s nothing, Young Master.”
The girl set down her basket and took a small bite of the yakgwa, handling it as though it were precious. Her shoulders lifted with delight.
“It’s so good…”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t give you more.”
She shook her head. Was she saying it was fine, or was she disappointed? The cookie vanished in a few bites—unsurprising, since she’d devoured a fist-sized potato just as quickly.
Tears welled in her eyes.
“This is the first time I’ve tasted something so delicious…”
“I’m glad you liked it.”
She picked up another potato and ate it, but without the same satisfaction. Had one taste of sweetness already changed her?
After a moment’s hesitation, she asked shyly, “Thank you… May I know your name?”
“Gu Yangcheon. My name is Gu Yangcheon.”
I hadn’t spoken my own name aloud in years.
“Gu Yangcheon…”
She smiled shyly, but before she could say more, an old man rushed through the crowd and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“Hey!”
“Grandpa!”
“I told you not to wander off without me!”
Rather than push him away, she nestled into his arms, smiling up at his worried face.
“I’m fine! The potatoes are fine, too!”
She proudly showed him her still-full basket. Ignoring the fact the potatoes were somehow still steaming, the old man turned a trembling gaze toward me—as though afraid of how I might react. My fine clothes stood out, and he seemed worried his granddaughter had offended me.
“My girl doesn’t know much about the world… Young Master, I hope she didn’t cause any trouble…”
I knew he was pretending to be a feeble, pitiable old man.
In truth, he was one of the Three Venerables Under Heaven, a figure even the Murim Alliance Leader wouldn’t dare disrespect.
“There’s no trouble at all, Senior. I was hungry, and your granddaughter kindly shared her potato with me. I’m the one who should be grateful.”
The old man stared, shocked by my formal tone despite my youthful appearance. Had I overdone it? Well, it was only a dream.
“All I could offer in return was a small yakgwa. I should be the one apologizing.”
He fell silent, studying me more intently. Had I said something wrong?
A strange stillness lingered between us amid the noisy crowd.
Finally, my escort broke the silence. “…Young Master, it’s time to return.”
Though his voice was calm, his eyes were trembling violently, as if he couldn’t make sense of any of this.
I turned slowly. “Already?”
“Yes. If we delay further, we won’t make it back before sunset.”
“Very well. Let’s go.”
When I turned back to the old man, his expression had returned to its usual gloom.
“Senior, I must take my leave.”
Before he could reply, the girl spoke, her voice filled with disappointment. “You’re leaving already?”
But that was enough.
The memory I’d tried to change, my pitiful life… it was all coming to an end.
It’s time to wake up.
I’ve done enough.
If you asked what changed, my answer would benothing.
If you asked whether I feel relieved…not at all.
Still, even these thoughts would soon fade.
Hiding my feelings, I smiled at the girl. “If we get the chance, let’s meet again. The potato was very good.”
I waved lightly. She grinned and waved back with both hands.
The old man apologized repeatedly, which only unnerved me—I knew exactly who he was.
Then he hugged the girl and disappeared into the crowd.
“…I was scared to death.”
That old man was Wi Hyogun.
The first to unite a crumbling world. The man who stabbed his sword into the heart of the Black Dragon, saving the world from destruction. For decades, he presided as Leader of the Murim Alliance, striking fear into all who challenged him.
He was known as the Sword Venerable.
After passing leadership to a successor, he vanished. Why he was now raising a child while acting so pitifully, I couldn’t fathom. No one would suspect this feeble elder was one of the three most revered men in the world.
After staring at the spot where he’d disappeared, I finally turned to leave with my escort.
Whether he was the Sword Venerable or not didn’t matter.
All I could think of was the girl who’d waved goodbye from his arms.
The girl who’d smiled so brightly while handing me a potato, who’d been overjoyed by a simple cookie.
She was nothing like the woman who would later behead the Heavenly Demon with cold, merciless eyes.
Celestial Sword Wi Seol-Ah.
That little girl was her.
And this was the day we first met.
In my original memory, of course, it hadn’t ended so pleasantly.
I’d thrown her basket of potatoes to the ground and laughed as she cried. Even for a brat, my behavior had been unjustifiable.
“…I’ll take my leave as well.”
I didn’t know why or how I was reliving this on the verge of death. But if I could reshape the memory to my satisfaction, perhaps I’d have no more regrets.
I hoped so, at least.
“Yes, let’s return,” my escort replied.
I smiled bitterly. He thought I meant going home. But I couldn’t even remember the way.
More importantly, why haven’t I woken up yet?
I’d done what I came to do. Shouldn’t the dream be over? I’d never had one this long before.
“Young Master? You’re going the wrong way.”
Lost in thought, I kept straying off path. Each time, my escort corrected me, guiding me home.
Whatever. It’ll be over soon.
I resented this dream for dragging on when I was already prepared to die, but there was nothing I could do. I surrendered to its flow, believing it would end shortly.
But a few days later, I realized…
…Why won’t this damn dream end?
…that this was no dream.