The first time the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng appeared in the world of martial arts was when I was in my early thirties, about twenty years before my death. At that time, I was steadily building my career as a bodyguard, and it was the most peaceful and leisurely period of my life.
The first person to discover the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng was Dan Mu Su (檀木蘇), the young master of the Dan Mu family (檀木世家). Dan Mu Su, a young martial artist who loved to travel through the mountains and rivers, accidentally discovered a strange place on Mount Huang (黃山). This place, despite being in the mountains, was said to have ice that never melted throughout the year. It was there that Dan Mu Su collected the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.
The problems began from that moment.
Dan Mu Su was not alone when he discovered the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng; he was accompanied by Wu Long (五龍), a talented young martial artist from the orthodox martial arts community. Wu Long, an outstanding young martial artist, noticed the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng that Dan Mu Su had obtained and immediately began to fight for ownership. A life-and-death struggle ensued, and the martial arts sects around Mount Huang were also involved, causing a commotion that lasted for a whole month.
In the end, the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng became the property of the leader of the Zheng Tian Alliance (正天盟主), and the commotion over the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng came to an end. I don't know the exact details of how it happened, as I was just a low-ranking bodyguard struggling to make ends meet.
'But one thing is certain. There is Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng on Mount Huang, and I can find it before anyone else.'
I will be the first to find and eat the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng!
Is there a more certain and powerful opportunity in the world?
The Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng is said to instantly increase one's internal energy by sixty years and guarantee eternal youth and immortality. Considering that even among the top martial arts sects in the world of martial arts, few have the internal energy of sixty years, it is clear that the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng is worth risking one's life to obtain.
Of course, eating the elixir alone won't make you a master overnight. You need to have a high-level martial arts technique to support it. However, if you eat the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, becoming a master is only a matter of time, which is why I was very anxious inside.
'Mount Huang is far. I need enough travel money and stamina.'
Mount Huang is about a month's journey on horseback. As a teenager, the likelihood of starving or exhausting myself on the way there is high, and even if I make it, I won't be able to conduct a thorough search for the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.
So, there is only one answer. I need to save enough travel money. Only then can I ride a horse and search for the elixir without starving when I arrive at Mount Huang. Based on my experience as a bodyguard, I thought about how much money I would need.
The result was exactly ten silver taels. It was a considerable amount of money. Thinking about what actions I needed to take to save this money made me feel overwhelmed, as it would take nearly half a year of work as a low-ranking bodyguard to save this much.
I need to save money, but I don't know what to do. What should I do in this situation?
'No, let me think slowly.'
Historically, Dan Mu Su discovered the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng at least twenty years from now. This means that if I can find it by then, I have a good chance of monopolizing it. I realized that the reason I was in a hurry was to escape this wretched life as a servant in a village chief's house, and I let out a bitter smile.
"Hmm..."
I'm still in a daze. Why did I not die after being hit by an arrow in the chest and instead return to the past? I quickly adapted to the reality and started making plans, but I have no idea what happened to me.
One thing is certain.
I need 'power' and money.
Only then can I figure out the reason for the reverse time travel that happened to me.
I can't achieve this by being content with just making a living as a low-ranking bodyguard.
I went to the stable and finished cleaning up the cow dung. It took me an hour to finish, and after I was done, I went to the stream to wash and lay down to rest. After such intense labor, I was hungry, but the village chief wouldn't give me any food, so I just closed my eyes.
'Going straight to the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng is impossible. First, I need to persuade the village chief.'
Persuading the village chief.
This means negotiating to escape the life of a servant in this household.
As I waited, the village chief's son, Jin Man Jae, came back from the study hall, walking slowly. The study hall was a place where the children of local influential families gathered to prepare for the imperial examinations, known for having excellent teachers. However, I knew that Jin Man Jae pretended to study but often skipped classes, drinking and eating meat with his friends. He was a worrying young man who already knew the taste of alcohol at such a young age.
When I saw the pockmarked face of Jin Man Jae, I immediately spoke.
"Master, I have something to say to the elder. Do you know where he is?"
I was not allowed to leave the area near the stable, so I didn't know where the village chief and his family were. I had no choice but to ask.
"Huh? Did you finish the work I assigned you?"
"Yes, I finished cleaning the stable."
Jin Man Jae glanced at the stable as if inspecting it and nodded.
"He should be in the annex. Don't bother me."
He said this and went to his room to lie down. Despite being a young boy like me, I didn't feel angry when I saw Jin Man Jae. I knew he would end up as a good-for-nothing who lived off his parents and indulged in drinking and women. I ignored him and headed to the annex where the village chief was.
Fortunately, the village chief was walking leisurely in the courtyard of the annex. As soon as I saw him, I greeted him and said,
"Elder, I have something to say."
"Hmm?"
The village chief was a middle-aged man with a goatee and a cunning look. He squinted his small eyes and tilted his head.
"What do you want, cow dung?"
I gritted my teeth.
That's right.
Before becoming a bodyguard, I didn't have a proper name. The village chief's family just called me 'cow dung' or 'cow dung.' They treated me with contempt and disrespect as if it were normal. I stood there for a moment, clenched my fists, and said,
"Elder, I am not 'cow dung.' My name is Bai Xiong (白雄)."
After becoming an independent bodyguard, I lived by the name my parents gave me. The village chief was taken aback by my straightforward answer.
"Tsk! Don't you know your nickname? Stupid kid... tsk tsk."
He clicked his tongue and glared at me. He seemed displeased that I, who had never complained, was now voicing my opinion. But I was the one who was truly upset. The village chief knew my real name but never called me Bai Xiong during the years I lived as a servant. He deliberately treated me like a stupid servant to keep me in that role.
Before he could get angry, I said,
"I want to take an exam at a martial arts school. Can I go to the city tomorrow?"
"What?"
The village chief looked flabbergasted.
"Are you in your right mind?"
Taking an exam at a martial arts school!
A martial arts school is a place where martial arts are taught for a significant amount of money, and the goal is to produce outstanding martial artists who can join the major sects in the world of martial arts. This village is not far from the city, and there are more than ten martial arts schools nearby.
To enter a martial arts school, a considerable amount of money is usually required. The people who run these schools are top martial artists or come from the nine major sects or five major families. They typically charge a lot of money to teach martial arts. It's normal for commoners to want to learn martial arts but not be able to afford it.
However, there is one way to receive martial arts training without paying a lot of money.
This is by passing the entrance exam at a martial arts school and proving your exceptional talent.
While the instructors at martial arts schools aim to make a profit, their primary goal is to train outstanding students and grow their sect. If a student shows exceptional talent, they will often train them at their own expense.
I said quietly,
"Is there any reason why I can't?"
"There are many reasons. What talent do you have to knock on the door of a martial arts school?"
The village chief laughed and said,
"Tell me which martial arts school you want to take the exam for. It's so amusing, I might let you go once."
"Guanzhong Qinglong Martial Arts School (關中靑龍武館)."
"......!!"
The village chief's small eyes widened. He said in disbelief,
"Cow dung, do you even know what the Qinglong Martial Arts School is?"
He called me 'cow dung' again, but I decided to ignore it.
"Yes."
"What is it?"
"It's a martial arts school founded by Li Guang (李光), a former royal guard instructor. It's the largest and most famous martial arts school in Guanzhong."
Li Guang was a top martial artist in the Guanzhong area, known for his mastery of swordsmanship, spear techniques, and boxing, earning him the title of 'Three Perfections.' Many martial artists admired his skills and character.
"You know well!"
The village chief's face twisted like a fierce catfish. He pointed at me and pressed his finger into my forehead, losing his temper.
"You, a cow dung cleaner, want to take an exam there? That's a place where even top martial artists struggle to get into, and you want to take an exam there?"
"......"
"If you become a laughingstock, I, who raised you in place of your parents, will be ridiculed. Don't have foolish thoughts. Go back and sleep."
I grabbed the village chief's arm.
Crack!
"Ow, ow, ow!!"
The village chief screamed in pain from the sudden pressure on his arm. It wasn't enough to break his arm, but it left a red mark. When I let go, he stammered in shock.
"You, you, you dare to... to..."
"Look closely. I have this strength."
I went to a nearby tree and grabbed a large branch. I applied force and snapped the branch, which was as thick as my arm, in one go. It was a feat that even a grown man would find difficult, and the village chief's eyes widened as he looked at me. Even a third-rate martial arts technique like the Three Disasters Heart Method can produce this level of power after nearly half a century of practice.
I smiled and said,
"If I get into the Qinglong Martial Arts School, I won't be a burden to you anymore, and your reputation will improve. Even if I fail, I won't tarnish your name. Isn't it worth a try?"
"......"
The village chief seemed to be thinking, stroking his goatee a few times. Then he nodded reluctantly.
"Alright, fine. But if you become a student at the Qinglong Martial Arts School, you must pay back the money we spent raising you."
"Excuse me?"
What does he mean?
I thought I might have heard him wrong, but he said calmly,
"We spent a lot of money raising you for two years. Isn't it only fair? If you become a student there, you should pay us back."
"Ha... How much do you want?"
"Fifty silver taels."
Something rose in my chest. To demand fifty silver taels for two years of living expenses from a teenage boy who was made to work in the stable and not given proper food? I thought this man was beyond reason.
But I decided to hold back. I suppressed my boiling anger and smiled.
"Ha ha! I'll go tomorrow."
We'll see.
Once I gain power, I will definitely kill you and your son, Jin Man Jae.
I pretended to be genuinely happy while harboring such vicious thoughts.
I could kill these people with a knife right now, but since I have a new life, I want to find a way to survive first.