Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Millennium Snow Ginseng
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The next day, I received twenty taels of travel money from the Village Chief and set off for the Guanzhong Azure Dragon Martial Hall.
Geum Manjae looked at me with eyes that said, "Who does a punk like you think you are?" The Village Chief's wife, his concubine Seo Ssi, and her children all shot me mocking glances as well.
I forced my twitching expression under control and departed.
'Hmph. Better than before. Back then, I didn't even have a single copper coin when I headed to an escort agency.'
The Village Chief hadn't asked, but thanks to my experience as an Escort Warrior at an escort agency, I knew the fastest way to Guanzhong.
It would take half a month on foot, with the risk of bandits along the way, but joining an escort caravan would minimize the danger.
The most reliable escort agency around here was the Three Pines Escort Agency.
The escort agency where I'd worked for over fifty years was the Plum Blossom Escort Agency, similar in scale to the Three Pines Escort Agency.
We were rivals, but escort agencies didn't gain much from clashing, so I remembered them being on decent terms, like neighboring roosters and dogs.
I'd heard the Three Pines Escort Agency had quite a few skilled Escort Warriors, so tagging along with their caravan should make for a relatively easy trip.
After walking half a day, I arrived in the city as night fell.
City nights were when thugs prowled and night predators roamed, so I hurried to the traveler's post.
The traveler's post was a temporary shelter for travelers, guarded by soldiers.
You could only stay one night, but it kept you safe from thieves.
A couple of travelers were huddled silently at the post, preparing to sleep.
A musty rotten stench wafted from the bedding.
I gazed absently at the moon for a moment, sorted my belongings, and lay down to sleep.
The next morning, I headed to the Three Pines Escort Agency.
The front gate, bearing the agency's signboard, bustled with Escort Warriors preparing their caravan and accompanying laborers even in broad daylight.
I approached one middle-aged Escort Warrior from the Three Pines Escort Agency.
"I'd like to join your caravan. Is that possible?"
"Huh? Who are you?"
"I'm Baek Woong from the village across the way. Here on the Village Chief's errand."
The Escort Warrior's expression turned peculiar.
"Huh... Where you headed?"
"To Guanzhong."
"An kid like you to Guanzhong... You got money?"
"No. But I can handle odd jobs, cooking, and carrying loads. Please let me come along."
The Escort Warrior fiddled with his chin beard and said,
"Follow me for a sec."
He led me to where the Escort Captain was.
An Escort Captain led about ten Escort Warriors, like a squad leader, usually a veteran handling middle management.
As such, they possessed far superior martial arts to regular Escort Warriors.
The Three Pines Escort Agency's Escort Captain had a horse-like face with a long lower jaw.
He was sitting, reading documents, and glanced at me.
"Hey, what's with the kid?"
"Escort Captain. This little squirt wants to tag along for odd jobs. Says he's Baek Woong from the village across the way."
"Hmm...?"
The Escort Captain eyed me up and down and said,
"Looks sturdy enough, and sharp. No problem. You handle him."
"Yes, sir."
The Escort Captain didn't bother asking about my background or destination in detail.
That fell to the middle-aged Escort Warrior.
So I felt more grateful to him than the Escort Captain's permission itself.
He'd taken on the extra hassle, after all.
As I followed the Escort Warrior back outside, I said,
"Thank you."
"I got a son just about your size."
The Escort Warrior grinned and said,
"But we're not going all the way to Guanzhong. We turn off midway for the Yangon region. You'll have to find your own way from Willow Moon Valley. Think you can manage?"
"Yes, that's fine. I'm grateful just to travel with you that far."
"Alright. Your jobs are meal prep, dishwashing, and carrying packs. I'll tell you more soon."
"Yes."
The caravan soon departed.
I felt things were going smoothly as I blended in without issue.
The first day, we walked and rested in turns for about six hours, crossing mountains.
When lunch and dinner came around, I started on the various chores.
Of course, I'd done this for years, so I handled everything well without the Escort Warriors needing to teach me.
The Escort Warrior was impressed.
"You're good at this! When this job's done, how about sticking around the agency for odd jobs?"
It might sound rude at first glance, but it was a good offer.
Kids from rural villages were dirt poor, starving for days on end.
Just getting regular meals doing odd jobs at an escort agency was considered a decent life.
But I smiled and replied,
"I'll think about it once my business is done."
"Sure, sure."
First, I needed to head to the Guanzhong Azure Dragon Martial Hall and test my current abilities.
Could I become a disciple there with the Six Harmonies Swordsmanship and Three Talents Heart Method I'd honed for forty years in my past life?
I was certain I could, which was why I'd forced my way out of the village.
No matter what, my training time and experience outstripped any other boy my age.
I could barely sleep from excitement at the thought of soon learning first-class martial arts at the Azure Dragon Martial Hall.
About ten days passed following the caravan.
No bandits appeared, and we proceeded without incident.
The Three Pines Escort Agency caravan was now heading from Willow Moon Valley to the Yangon region, so I had to split off.
I needed to go to Guanzhong separately.
"Thanks for everything."
"Hold up, come here."
The middle-aged Escort Warrior secretly slipped me two taels of silver.
I was shocked at the unexpectedly large sum, and he chuckled while ruffling my greasy hair.
"Hahaha. How tough must it be for a kid to go to Guanzhong alone? If you run into bandits or brigands, offer them that money. Should keep you alive in most cases."
"...Thank you so much."
My nose stung a bit.
Having worked as an Escort Warrior for decades myself, I knew exactly what was behind giving me this money.
Two taels of silver was a hefty sum for a single Escort Warrior.
He must've dug into his own pocket because I reminded him of his son.
Besides, bandits and brigands often killed kids they found troublesome.
Or they'd capture and sell them as slaves, but that was the lucky case.
At least offering silver to thieves meant you'd get sold as a slave rather than killed outright.
Even thieves—mostly bandit folk or escaped slaves—had a minimum of mercy.
In other words, these two taels weren't pocket money—they were a lifeline.
I sniffled a little and said,
"I never asked your name this whole time. What is it?"
"I'm Jang Cheol of the Three Pines Escort Agency. Come find me later."
"Yes. I definitely will."
I vowed in my heart.
Once I gained power and grasped wealth and fame, I'd repay Jang Cheol's kindness tenfold.
Willow Moon Valley had small villages dotted along its gentle streambeds.
Scattered remote hamlets, bandit-free—maybe the farmers had formed a militia.
I camped one night near Willow Moon Valley, then steadily made my way toward Guanzhong.
I hoped no bandits would show.
As I thought that, with just a day's travel left to Guanzhong, trouble struck.
Shaaaak
Two bandits burst from the brush ahead on the mountain path.
They carried ring sabers and had animal bone ornaments at their waists—greenwood bandits for sure.
I cursed inwardly and backpedaled, but the skinny-faced bandit smirked and said,
"Caught ourselves a kid. What now?"
The one-eyed bandit beside him scratched his chest hair and replied,
"Take everything he's got and let him go. The young fortress master hates seeing blood these days."
"Yeah... Killing a kid would just mess up my sleep anyway."
The skinny bandit nodded in agreement and said,
"Drop your pack and take off your top! Stay quiet, and we'll let you live."
"Yes..."
No choice.
Risking my meager possessions against two proper greenwood fortress bandits was too dangerous.
I could handle them with my martial arts, but my odds weren't great.
Proper greenwood bandits were systematically trained like Escort Warriors, possibly even stronger than my past-life self.
I might win gambling my life, but better to obey meekly.
Plus, I had no weapon, putting me at a huge disadvantage.
If I'd at least had a sword, I wouldn't have chosen this humiliating path.
The bandits found the two taels of silver in my pack and looked stunned.
"Whoa, this punk had some real money!"
"Let him go. We're square now."
"Consider yourself lucky, kid. Heh... Put your shirt back on and scram."
The skinny bandit playfully smacked the back of my head and tossed me my top.
I hastily pulled on the filthy shirt and fled the scene.
'Damn... Humiliating.'
If I hadn't been stuck in a young teen body—if I'd at least been late teens—I might've escaped somehow.
My internal energy was there, but my bones and muscles hadn't developed, so I couldn't exert full power.
Surviving with my life was blessing enough.
A sudden thought hit me.
'How long do I have to live like this?'
I wanted power.
Not even world-domination level—just enough to have self-respect.
I'd lost all my luggage and money, so from here on, I'd starve and camp my way to Guanzhong.
The silver lining: it was only a day's walk, so hustling would get me there.
Passing through Guanzhong's gates into the city streets, I finally felt alive.
I camped again.
I'd camped plenty before, but hunger made the dawn chill bite extra hard.
I crawled under a rock, dug into the earth, and lay down forcibly.
The ground was slightly warmer, making nights bearable.
'Now I just go to the Guanzhong Azure Dragon Martial Hall, learn first-class martial arts, train, gain power, and eat the Millennium Snow Ginseng on Yellow Mountain. This hardship's nothing.'
My future plans warmed me against the cold.
The next day, I asked around and found the Guanzhong Azure Dragon Martial Hall.
As one of Guanzhong's famed halls, its walls were ten feet high, and the signboard bore grand calligraphy.
Even for a martial hall, it had a gatekeeper at the entrance.
More like a low-rank disciple, probably.
Spotting me in front of the Azure Dragon Martial Hall, they said,
"Kid, what're you doing here since morning? No begging or mooching—get lost."
"......"
Seeing my state, I could only sigh.
They weren't wrong to mistake me for a beggar boy; I was filthy and caked in grime.
But I mustered courage and said,
"I'm here for the Azure Dragon Martial Hall entrance exam."
"Entrance exam? Hahaha, what a joker."
The gatekeepers roared with laughter, mocking me.
Realizing I wasn't joking, they eyed me ambiguously.
Then one said,
"Kid. You from one of Guanzhong's six great families?"
"No."
"Then you built a foundation in internal energy from childhood?"
"Yes."
"Huh..."
The fat gatekeeper grinned cruelly.
"How about we test the internal energy of this future junior brother?"
"Go easy."
Thud
The fat gatekeeper stomped the ground showily with a powerful Stamp Foot.
He extended his pot-lid hand and said,
"Kid. Grab my hand."
We clasped hands, and he grinned stickily, aligning his foot sideways with mine.
It turned into an arm-wrestling setup, one side tilting.
"If you hold your ground against me for even half a notch, I'll go tell the hall master myself."
"What if I win?"
"Hahaha! Win? Then I'll kowtow to you."
"Alright."
Whoooosh
"......!!"
As arm-wrestling began, the fat gatekeeper's face twisted in shock.
My Three Talents Heart Method internal energy gathered, overwhelming his raw strength.
I focused until veins bulged on my forehead, then shoved him aside in one go.
Thud!
"Wha... wha..."
The fat gatekeeper looked dumbfounded.
He'd toppled sideways onto his butt in one shot.
I hadn't won easily either—sweat poured from me, face beet red—but I forced a smile and said,
"Forget the kowtow. Just put in a good word with the hall master."
No matter that I'd trained the Three Talents Heart Method for decades.
I wouldn't lag behind some random Azure Dragon Martial Hall disciple in internal energy.
============================ Author's Note ============================
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