Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Standing across the cliff, I was mesmerized by the endless streams of the waterfall. Beyond it, the Millennium Snow Ginseng lay dormant.

“Is there anyone else in this world who has consumed the elixir of life twice, other than me?”

Due to its once-in-a-century appearance, the Millennium Snow Ginseng had turned the world of martial artists into a battlefield soaked in blood. The odds of consuming such a rare elixir more than once were astronomically low. Putting aside my stray thoughts, I walked into the waterfall. As I passed through the cave behind the waterfall, the snow-covered field where the Millennium Snow Ginseng lay dormant appeared before my eyes.

I cleared the snow in the snowy field and set down the water container and fire starter I had hastily stolen from a nearby house. Just as I had done before, I had to chew the leaves and roots of the Black and White Lotus meticulously. Bringing cooking utensils was essential.

As I entered the cave, I once again marveled at the grandeur of the Millennium Snow Ginseng. As always, it proudly displayed its intricate white and jade patterns. I began to boil the Black and White Lotus next to the Ginseng.

Soon after everything was ready, I began to chew the roots of the Black and White Lotus without hesitation. As I had thought before, it tasted somewhat like a potato. Although the taste was not bad, the thought of the ordeal that would follow made me tense.

“Ugh…”

Shii-shii-shi

A tremendous amount of Yang energy surged from my Dantian. Recalling the hellish pain I had endured last time, I clenched my teeth. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as painful as before. Last time, it felt like my internal organs were melting from lava. This time, it was just a minor stomach ache.

“Hmm? It’s not that painful?”

While my energy was overflowing, it seemed my body had grown accustomed to a large amount of qi. However, I couldn’t let this massive Yang energy go unchecked, so I hastily uprooted the Millennium Snow Ginseng and began to chew it.

The cold energy flowed down my throat. Soon, a collision occurred inside my body between the immense Yin and Yang energies, beginning to condense. Last time, the pain had been so severe that it felt like every piece of my skin was being ripped off. Therefore, I couldn’t help but feel anxious. An overwhelming tension engulfed me.

Kuru-rung

“…?”

However, something strange happened. The colossal Yin and Yang energies swirling in my Dantian began to naturally dissipate, like water seeping into the ground. The Qi seemed to vanish as easily as melting snow, leaving me puzzled. I had been prepared to desperately struggle using my internal energy techniques, but my body stabilized just by practicing my primary internal energy technique.

“What’s going on?”

I checked the major meridians around the Life and Death Gate channel. The Life and Death Gate channel was still open, as were the surrounding meridians. However, there was no sign of the massive energy surging up to the Life and Death Gate.

I waited for a while, but apart from a mild headache, nothing happened.

“What’s this? Did I become stronger or weaker?”

Trying to gauge my internal energy, I found that it was as immeasurable as before. Could it be that the elixir doesn’t work after multiple consumptions? Doubting that I might be afflicted by Qi Deviation, I lightly cast the initial form of the Thunder Cloud Palm.

Koo-kwa-kwang

“…!!”

At that moment, the air exploded, and bolts of lightning danced wildly in the air. The power was much greater than before, making me realize that my internal energy had indeed increased. However, this also meant impending danger.

“Damn it!”

My face turned pale as a sheet.

As I screamed, the piles of snow around the area began to wriggle as if alive. The snow in this place began to quiver violently due to the sound and explosion.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Avalanche!

I ran towards the only available path, not even sparing a moment to gather my cooking utensils. Even with my swift Lightness Skill, I was barely faster than the cascading snow. A regular person would have been buried long ago.

Rumble

“Aaaaargh!”

I sprinted a full fifty paces, but when I saw the avalanche rolling down the mountain like a dense cloud, I let out a desperate scream. “Where the hell did all this snow come from, even if it’s an unexplored place?!” After running another thirty paces, I finally confirmed that the avalanche was slowing down. I sat down on a nearby rock to catch my breath.

“Heuk…heuk… That was close.”

This is no joke. I had taken a spiritual elixir but almost died in an avalanche while testing my inner energy. It was my mistake for not considering the possibility of an avalanche in this part of Huangshan, an area not known for heavy snowfall.

After calming myself, I contemplated whether my inner energy had doubled. I couldn’t conclusively say it had, as the power of my Thunder Cloud Palm technique had also increased. The lack of extreme pain like the first time I consumed the Millennium Snow Ginseng also made me uncomfortable. Both the absence of obvious signs of growth and the inability to confirm it bothered me.

I pondered what to do next. I had prepared the Heavenly Tome of Dark Mysteries manual and a spiritual elixir, but what should I do now? I wanted to join the Azure Dragon Martial Hall and train, but that seemed unrealistic, so I hesitated.

Suddenly, I was irritated.

“Should I just forget about martial arts training and live comfortably?”

Ordinary martial artists would be shocked by such a thought, especially given the opportunities I’ve had—twice consuming the Millennium Snow Ginseng. But during my third life, my doubts had intensified. What’s the point of struggling this hard to master martial arts and attempting to steal the Nameless Ritual Sacrifice Rites manual?

I’ve suffered enough.

If I want to live easily, no one can stop me.

I have sufficient power already.

“…”

After contemplating, I made my decision.

“Let’s live comfortably.”

No more troublesome dilemmas. Let’s just do what I’ve wanted to do all along.

I decided to forget about the Nameless Ritual Sacrifice Rites manual for now.

I already knew what I wanted to do. As soon as I reached the village below Huangshan, I sneaked into the house of a notorious local wealthy family known for mistreating tenant farmers. I took 50 taels of silver from there.

“This should be enough for travel expenses.”

It was outright theft, but I didn’t care. The guy was already hated by the village and cruel to tenant farmers. It’s fortunate I didn’t kill him. After leaving the village, I stood at the crossroads and pondered.

“…”

Where should I go from here? Though I hesitated, I decided to head east, back the way I came, towards my hometown of Small Yi Village.

I could visit Sagong Courier Agency to see Sagong Rin’s pretty face again.

Or visit Mang-ryang to learn more martial arts techniques and knowledge.

Various paths were available, but I returned to Small Yi Village.

It didn’t take much time to reach my village as I was departing from Huangshan with a relaxed mindset. I only used main roads, occasionally rented carriages, and sometimes even rode horses. It was an expense I could afford with 50 taels of silver.

Upon entering Small Yi Village, I laughed coldly.

“Ha ha ha!”

Why did I come back here?

To take the revenge I’ve always yearned for. It’s surprising that I didn’t think about it earlier after reincarnating this time.

The psychological shock from the village chief hiring assassins to kill me back then was significant. Maybe that’s why I avoided seeking revenge while preoccupied with other things. But now, after consuming the spiritual elixir twice, I felt both more relaxed and coldly rational.

Concerned about the village chief’s retaliation? If I kill them all, what’s there to worry about?

Even if there’s an investigation after my revenge, I can simply disappear.

“No one would believe it if they heard that Cow Dung annihilated the village chief’s family overnight.”

“People should live doing what they want.”

I walked slowly into the village with my eyes flashing, a grin on my face, and murderous intent in my eyes. I was ready to make an example out of anyone that crossed my path.

That’s when it happened.

“Cow Dung, you’re back!”

“…?”

I was baffled when a man greeted me warmly. He was a mere villager whom I hardly knew. We had never had a proper conversation before; he was just a tenant farmer who paid tribute to the village chief. I didn’t even know his name, so I replied awkwardly,

“Uh, yes, yes.”

My killing intent died down. I had held deep hatred for everyone in this village, but I never expected a greeting. The villager handed me some potatoes and said, “Why’d you come back to the village? You should’ve just lived somewhere else.”

“What?”

He sighed deeply as if feeling pity for me.

“I thought you ran away from the village chief because your life was so miserable.”

I was at a loss for words. Hadn’t the villagers always just watched me get tormented?

Further confounding me was his seemingly pitying words. As I sat there holding the potatoes, he continued speaking,

“If your parents hadn’t died abruptly due to the epidemic, you’d be growing up like any other kid in the village. Such is life…”

That’s true. Both my parents passed away when I was young due to a disease. I became an orphan and was raised by the village chief after the villagers argued over who would take care of me. I spent my teenage years living as a servant in his household.

I took a bite of the potato and said, “I’ve come back to kill that village chief.”

“Hahaha, wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

He smirked. It seemed he thought I was merely venting my frustrations. Who would think that a teenager like me possesses unparalleled inner power? But I had both the capability and the will to commit mass murder. I stared at him vacantly and asked, “What’s your name again? I forgot.”

“Me? I am Jang Su.”

“Such an ordinary name.”

“People like me have names like that.”

“What was your son’s name?”

“Jang Tae (長太).”

“……”

[TL/N: Jang Su (長水) and Jang Tae (長太): The first character “長” means “long,” the second character in Jang Su “水” means “water,” and the second character in Jang Tae “太” means “big or great.”]

I knew Jang Tae well; he was the son of the village elder. He was the guy who would gang up with other kids in the village to beat me up, usually kicking me when I was down. He was also the one who’d pour cold water on me while I was sleeping in the barn.

Naturally, I have memories of getting my revenge on him in my previous life. I had kicked him in the head, sending him to the afterlife. I laughed like a madman as his head burst open and flopped around. That bastard was the elder’s son.

‘Why does the elder seem kind while his son is such a waste?’

Though to be fair, the elder can’t be considered wholly good either. He turned a blind eye to the abuse I suffered from the village chief’s family, probably because it was none of his business. Realistically, he had neither the power nor the authority to intervene.

After some pondering, I asked him, “If you could live your life again, how would you like to live?”

“Live again? You mean go back to the past?”

“Yes.”

“Well… I would try to live without regrets, doing what I want and striving for happiness.”

I nodded at the elder’s response. “I intend to do the same.”

Thud.

The elder suddenly collapsed, fainting on the spot. I had quickly applied a pressure point on him. Though he was unconscious, it wasn’t a deep pressure point, so he would be able to get up after some time. I roughly set him down against a tree and muttered, “Shall we go?”

Living without regrets.

Doing what you want.

Living happily.

This sounds simple but is the hardest thing in the world. I banished any further hesitation and headed toward the house of the village chief. It was early evening, and it seemed that the village chief’s family was preparing for dinner.

Ordinary people might find this scene heartwarming, but I felt something surge inside me when I saw the village chief’s face. A mixture of memories of my previous life and the anger from my previous life boiled within me.

I walked slowly toward the village chief. Seeing me, he frowned and started yelling, “You little brat! Where have you been all this…”

“Village chief!”

I roared, stopping everyone in their tracks. Sensing something off, the village chief took a step back.

I spat out my words, “Choose one person here that you want to keep alive. I’ll spare them.”

“…”

“Answer me right now!”

The village chief stammered for a moment before abruptly ceasing his fumbling. Then he pointed at himself.

“Me, me…”

“I knew it would be like this.”

Thud!!

The next moment, the village chief’s head was sent flying by a sudden strike, blood and brain matter splattering. I could have tormented him before killing him, but I was confused due to the earlier conversation with the elder, so I wanted to end it quickly.

“Aaaahhhhh!!”

“Village Chief!! Ahhh!”

“Honey!!”

Pandemonium broke out, and people screamed in horror. Some sensed the dire situation and tried to flee, but I quickly closed the distance and took them down first.

Thwack

Crash

“Aaaahhh!!”

Each of my punches killed one person, and after barely ten steps, only one living person remained in the sea of blood. Amidst the carnage, not a drop of blood had touched me.

The remaining Geum Man-jae stood stupefied amidst the sudden massacre, seemingly unable to comprehend what had just happened—or perhaps he was in a state of denial.

I walked up to Geum Man-jae and slapped him across the face.

“Ugh.”

It was a mere flick imbued with a small amount of inner energy, but Geum Man-jae’s teeth flew out, and he collapsed on the spot. I had intentionally controlled my strength so he wouldn’t fall unconscious. Looking down at the fallen Geum Man-jae, I spoke.

“Do you not understand why this is happening?”

“Ah… uh… why… why on earth…”

“Let me tell you, I’ve harbored a grudge against you for 50 years. Today is the first day I’m properly getting my revenge.”

“……”

Geum Man-jae was shaking all over, unable to speak, consumed by both fear and anger. If he had been of a strong enough mind to comprehend the situation, I wouldn’t have held this grudge against him for so long.

I grinned and spoke.

“Damned bastard! Is it that hard for a silver spoon like you, born into wealth and luxury, to show a shred of decency?”

Thud

Geum Man-jae crumpled to the ground, clutching his stomach and gasping for air. Although the attack wasn’t powered by inner energy, it was more than enough to cause him agony. Seeing him writhe in pain seemed to wash away decades of resentment I had held inside.

My memories of how this man tormented me were vivid. He was the instigator (main culprit) behind the collective bullying and assaults by the village children. He had also treated me like a mere servant in his household, showing me no shred of human decency. As a child, I had wept, blending my tears with my sighs in a secluded barn countless times.

What pained me the most in my first life, as a mere courier, wasn’t the daily struggle to survive. It was that the man who tormented me was still living in wealth and luxury, while I had no means to exact my revenge. Now that I could settle the score, a torrent of emotions surged within me.

A seething anger welled up inside me. I couldn’t stand the fearful look Geum Man-jae was giving me. So, I did something that even I found incomprehensible.

“Your eyes are repulsive. You won’t be needing them.”

*Squish*

“Aaaaaaahhhhhhh!”

In that instant, I had gouged out both of Geum Man-jae’s eyes. Severing the connecting veins and removing the eyeballs, he screamed as he transformed into a mass of blood and fury. I was subjecting him to the worst pain imaginable.

“Now you try living with no eyes, Geum Man-jae.”

Satisfied with my revenge, I left the slaughter behind.

I entered the village chief’s house, activated the secret mechanism, and took out a safe containing silver and gold bars. With this, my future sustenance was assured.

Originally, I intended to annihilate the entire village, but after meeting Jangsu, I decided to hold off. If he hadn’t shown a semblance of humanity, the village would’ve turned into a sea of blood, and I would have doused that bloody sea with oil and set it ablaze.

I came out of the village, set down the silver chest, and washed my bloodstained hands in the stream.

While washing for a while, I felt my hands trembling uncontrollably.

“……”

My face reflected in the stream was wavering.

‘Am I happy now?’

Today, I’ve finally exacted the revenge I’d been planning for decades. I didn’t think about any repercussions and did it properly. Whether Geum Man-jae would survive or not, I don’t know, but even if he does survive with his eyes gouged out, he won’t be able to live like a human. I’ve truly avenged decades of resentment and the grudges that have died unresolved. There’s no need to worry about any repercussions.

Repercussions? That only happens when there is a ‘force’ to resent me. Plum Blossom Courier Agency  and Currency Exchange may be able to identify me as the culprit, but there’s no obligation to chase me to the end for the village chief’s family. At most, they will search the surrounding area for a criminal that resembles Cow Dung for a year or two and it will remain an unresolved case.

With the village chief dead, I had no worries. I had been worrying too much all along.

However, I didn’t feel as exhilarated as I had imagined. Unlike the intense pleasure I felt when I kicked the young men of the village to death, a dark gloom settled in my heart. It was due to the guilt and self-reproach for having committed such a brutal slaughter.

What bothered me the most was that the village chief and his family died without sufficiently repenting for their wrongdoings. Killing was too easy, but looking at the cold corpses in the sea of blood, I regretted it. It felt as if the knot in my heart was loosening, but then tightened again.

I am not happy now.

I’m just irritated.

I shook my head vigorously and took another step.

I thought the emotions I was feeling right now might be the rebelliousness that has tormented me all my life bursting out. Yet, after committing such a slaughter, I somehow felt that it didn’t matter anymore. I went with the flow.

I thought calmly.

First of all, I need to find out whether I can exchange these silver ingots at the currency market.

‘Hmm, I can’t exchange them right away. I’ll have to keep them for a few years before exchanging them.’

Since the village chief’s family was slaughtered, Plum Blossom Courier Agency and Currency Exchange would take action. They will definitely investigate suspicious activities around the area. If they hear that a child has suddenly exchanged a large amount of silver ingots for money, it’s obvious they would trace it back to me. I felt the need to keep the silver ingots for at least a few years before exchanging them.

I hid the silver chest in a familiar pine grove, thinking I could find it again someday. I planned to dig it up after three years.

Then the real dilemma approached.

Where should I go now?

I could go anywhere, but that made choosing even more difficult.

“……”

After contemplating for a while, I decided to head to Mang-ryang’s house.

‘I need wisdom now.’

While joining Azure Dragon Martial Hall and learning martial arts would make me a master, that’s not possible right now. Even if I make money, I don’t have any idea what kind of ingenuity I should show. Since I’m not that smart, I thought I should consult Mang-ryang about my current situation.

Maybe Mang-ryang will give me the wisdom to enter Azure Dragon Martial Hall. Of course, I have no intention of discussing the Heavenly Tome of Dark Mysteries with Mang-ryang at this point. First of all, improving my current situation is crucial.

My destination is Jinrang Valley, where Mang-ryang’s house is!