Chapter 1. Damn, it won't come off
Just 30 li south of Jinan, the capital of Shandong province, lies Mount Tai, a must-visit destination before one dies. However, gazing up at its towering heights, one is easily overwhelmed by the sheer difficulty of the climb, leaving the locals to merely shake their heads in dismay.
Yet today, a crowd has gathered at the foot of Mount Tai.
It is because the Baek family, known as the Sword of the Orthodox Sect, is scheduled to execute Cheon Sal-gwi, the first among the Five Great Evils of the Martial World.
How could this day not be one of great joy?
[He buried alive five thousand martial artists in a cavern.]
[He lured the former leader of the Martial Alliance into a trap, beheading him and his entire family.]
[He massacred the nuns of the Ami sect using poison stolen from the Tang family.]
If only that were the extent of it. Cheon Sal-gwi is guilty of unspeakable slaughter and heinous deeds that one can scarcely bring oneself to utter.
So, for these people, today is a day of celebration.
‘From their perspective, of course.’
Damn it. For me, the one they call Cheon Sal-gwi, it’s a living hell. It’s all a lie. They’re the ones who manipulated me.
Thrust! Cough!
My breath caught in my throat as a cold, icy hand slipped between my ribs and gripped my heart.
The extreme cold caused my heartbeat to slow, and my vision began to turn blue. My lips had already turned pale, and despite it being summer, my breath came out in visible puffs.
In just a little while, my heart will surely cease its beat.
“Is this the legendary Yeomra Divine Technique? A lesser man would have died the moment it touched him, but you’re holding on. I suppose mastering such an impossible martial art is part of your talent. Whatever the case, beg for your life. Do that, and I might just let you live.”
“Screw… you.”
I used what little breath I had left to hurl an insult. I would rather die than beg for my life from my enemy.
I’ve been toyed with by his family my whole life. Filled with isolation, I was forced to kill, again and again, committing atrocities against my will.
The screams of the dead still echo in my ears. I was the one who gouged out the eyes and tore out the hearts of those who followed me, laughing all the while.
Though I later burned the Mind-Breaking Poison implanted in my brain and regained my sanity, I had already become Cheon Sal-gwi, the first among the Five Great Evils.
“What a pity. You could have been a useful dog. I suppose we should be grateful for what you’ve already done.”
“….”
“No, you’ve accomplished something extraordinary. Cheon Sal-gwi. With your death, our Baek family will once again be hailed as heroes. No one will ever know that we were the ones who created the monsters that killed so many. Truly, it pays to be clever, wouldn’t you agree?”
“….”
This was their method. Masquerading as the righteous sect, they would settle in, then destroy the very villains they had created.
As a result, the so-called righteous sects became heroes, and the martial world fell into their hands.
I was their puppet, driven by isolation, while they used deception to ensnare the righteous sects.
“People are amusing. They believe what they see is the truth. But who cares? Thanks to that, our family is poised to rule the martial world.”
He smirked playfully, twisting his fingers as he squeezed my heart.
Crunch.
I clenched my teeth so hard it felt like my jaw might break, and glared as if my eyes would burst, but there was nothing I could do.
The only reason I could endure was because the martial art I had mastered was of the extreme yang type.
‘Or so I thought.’
The Yeomra Divine Technique was also something they had given me, a concept developed by enhancing their own martial art.
They had generously gifted it to me because it was the perfect counter to their extreme yin techniques. A wave of futility washed over me.
I had lived solely for their prosperity.
“Looks like you figured something out? To be honest, we even anticipated that you would burn out the Mind-Breaking Poison. We expected this outcome.”
“….”
“Anyway, are you willing to become our dog again? If you do, I might just let you live. If you continue as ‘Cheon Sal-gwi,’ the righteous sects will have no choice but to depend on our family. Of course, you’d have to swallow the isolation again.”
‘Screw you.’
I mouthed another curse.
“What a shame.”
He clicked his tongue, but it was only for a brief moment.
After all, his plan was always to kill me and become a hero, not to spare me.
He was simply improvising when I proved to be more resilient than expected.
“Then, die.”
As soon as he uttered my death sentence, he clenched his hand.
Crunch!
My heart, which had been beating weakly, shattered like thin ice. This time, I couldn’t even groan as my breath froze.
But I couldn’t die like this.
Even as my heart was being crushed, I gritted my teeth and smiled.
‘Yeomra Divine Technique’s final form, Great Destruction.’
It’s a move I had never used before. I knew it would cause my body to explode, as I hadn’t yet mastered it.
But there’s nothing left to lose. Let’s die together.
“What are you… doing?”
Baek Mu-hyuk, who had been squeezing my heart, flinched and tried to pull his hand away. But I used the last of my strength to grip his wrist tightly.
I took a moment to glance at the crowd.
I know what I did was wrong.
But it wasn’t something I chose to do.
The real demons aren’t me, but the people standing before me.
Still, no one would believe me. So I had no choice but to take at least one of them with me as a sacrifice.
Flare!
My eyes turned red, and my entire body burst into flames.
Baek Mu-hyuk panicked and tried to pull his arm out, but I leaped forward, grabbing him and pulling him into an embrace.
‘Let’s die together.’
Perhaps because the end was near, the people I had wronged came to mind.
Along with them, the faces of my family who had loved and believed in me, only to die because of me, flickered before my eyes.
I regret everything, but my greatest regret is them.
Boom!
My entire body exploded, sweeping everything around me. The two cycles of internal energy I had accumulated warped the landscape of Mount Tai.
My head, now light, was severed from my neck and spun in the air.
They say there’s a moment of consciousness even after decapitation. It turns out to be true.
In my spinning vision, I saw the Baek family, caught in the blast.
‘Dead.’
It’s a shame I couldn’t kill them all, but it’s enough that Baek Mu-hyuk is dead. The shocked expressions of the crowd are quite amusing.
I was controlled by them all my life, but in death, at least, I’m free to choose my fate.
Smirk.
For the first time, I was free.
“Brother! Are you out of your mind? Why are you flailing around on the ground!”
“…?”
Huh? Suddenly, my vision cleared, and a sharp voice struck my ears.
The voice was strangely familiar.
“What are you doing? Stop eating dirt! Spit it out, spit it out now.”
“…?”
What? What am I…? Before I could fully grasp the situation, I tasted the dry earth on my tongue.
Instinctively, I tried to spit it out but ended up swallowing more instead.
“Did you lose your mind after failing the Martial Arts Tournament? Good grief. Stop eating that! It’s a worm, you idiot.”
“…?”
Smack! Smack!
A sharp pain shot through my back. Even as Cheon Sal-gwi, I had never experienced such pain.
But more perplexing was why I felt pain at all. After all, I had died.
“Wait here. I’ll get some water. Don’t swallow that!”
Fortunately, the familiar voice of the woman who had been pounding my back quickly faded as she hurried off.
Judging by her clumsy footsteps, she wasn’t a martial artist, but why did her hits hurt so much?
Not knowing when the woman would return, I hurriedly sat up. I spat out the foreign objects in my mouth.
Spit.
A mess of dirt and worm remnants, drenched in saliva, fell out. The woman’s words were true?
I recoiled in disgust, scraping my tongue with my teeth to expel the remaining debris.
Only then did I regain my senses.
“What is this?”
The scene around me was both unfamiliar and familiar. It was a place that only existed in my distant memories.
An old building with a clean sign that seemed out of place. It was the inn where I had spent my childhood.
[Siwoo’s Inn]
Named after me, Siwoo, this inn was run by my mother and father.
They owned a couple of other inns, but they were particularly fond of this one, despite its age.
Maybe it was because it was named after their eldest son that business always thrived.
And here I was, in front of it, eating dirt and worms?
“No way…”
A wild thought crossed my mind, like something out of a fantastical story.
Rebirth—
Could it be that such an impossible thing has happened to me? The familiar yet irritating tone of the woman’s voice, the one who had just pounded my back, started to make sense.
It all made sense if she was the little sister I had longed for all those years. Her sharp, piercing voice certainly explained a lot.
“But that’s impossible…”
Yet I couldn’t find any other explanation. Perhaps what everyone experiences after death is rebirth.
Maybe it’s a chance to clear up the regrets of the past before fully crossing over to the afterlife.
I wandered aimlessly in front of the inn, lost in thought. Familiar faces from the neighborhood passed by, casting me curious glances.
Pity and disdain in their eyes.
My sister had mentioned that I had failed the Martial Arts Tournament again. That’s why they were looking at me like that.
Have I truly been reborn?
“Brother! Here’s the water.”
I flinched!
I didn’t notice her approach, but my sister had come up close, holding a cup of water.
In my previous life as Cheon Sal-gwi, if anyone approached me without my noticing, I would crush their head. But that would be a disaster here.
My sister, misunderstanding my sudden movement, thrust the cup of water into my hand.
“Here. Drink it. But don’t swallow; you need to spit it out.”
But I couldn’t drink the water. The moment I saw my sister’s face, an overwhelming emotion welled up inside me.
I had abandoned my family to live in isolation, only to be manipulated by the Baek family for over a decade.
Now, having been reborn and seeing my sister again, I couldn’t find it in me to take a sip of water.
Tears welled up, and my vision blurred.
“B-brother? Why, why are you crying?”
What good is being a notorious villain with powerful martial arts? My heart crumbles at the sight of my sister’s face.
Perhaps it’s another sign of my inadequate training.
“There, there. You can try the Martial Arts Tournament again. So stop crying. Please.”
I decided to cry in my sister’s arms. I’ll save heart training for later.
I didn’t want to miss this moment, even if it might be a dream.
Slap! Slap!
My sister patted my back hard. The pain spread sharply. Ouch. Wait a minute. Is there some anger in those slaps?
“You’ve failed the tournament seven times now. Why are you crying over it again? It’s fine. We’ll just sell another inn, and our parents can work a little harder. You’ll pass the tournament eventually, right? Though I’m not sure you’ll be able to repay all the money you’ve spent.”
“…….”
Was I really like that?
After a bit of back-patting, my sister kindly led me inside to my room.
Even though she scolded me the whole way, I believed it was all out of concern, which made my eyes tear up again.
I never cried once as Cheon Sal-gwi, but now it seemed like my tear ducts were on overdrive.
Perhaps it was only natural, considering that being raised as a demon by the Baek family had resulted in so much resentment and the death of my loved ones.
But as soon as I returned to my room, I immediately sat down in the lotus position. As much as I wanted to see my parents right away, there was something more urgent.
‘I need to confirm this.’
I was still skeptical about my rebirth. Perhaps the loneliness that I thought I had burned away was still alive, breathing down my neck.
It could be that the Baek family was using the Mind-Breaking Poison to manipulate me again, plunging me into an illusion.
The Mind-Breaking Poison doesn’t just control the body; it clouds the mind, making one believe they’re moving of their own accord.
But as soon as I sat down in the lotus position, I was a bit taken aback.
‘What’s going on with my internal energy?’
I wasn’t expecting to have the two cycles of internal energy I’d built up with the Yeomra Divine Technique. After all, the immense internal energy I had was thanks to the Baek family’s Honwon Pill.
But even at this age, I had trained diligently to prepare for the Martial Arts Tournament.
Yet, the internal energy in my dantian was less than the dirt under my fingernails.
About five years’ worth, perhaps?
‘What the hell? Didn’t I train for ten years by this age?’
At the age of twenty-one, I should have at least that much. My parents even sold an inn to support me, providing plenty of lower-grade elixirs.
Even so, having only five years of internal energy was a serious problem.
Now that I think about it, it makes sense that my little sister slapped me on the back. No, she was a saint for letting it go at that.
The previous me would’ve cut out my dantian immediately. Better to discard something useless.
‘But I can’t very well cut out my own dantian.’
If this is indeed a rebirth, I’ll need to learn a new martial art, so perhaps it’s just as well.
But first, I must confirm if this rebirth is real.
I carefully guided the meager five years of internal energy through my body. It spread throughout, exploring every corner.
The Central Palace, Shoulder Well, Yang’s Valley, Celestial Pivot, Victory Shoulder.
I scoured all the acupoints where the Mind-Breaking Poison liked to hide. But I found nothing unusual.
Just to be sure, I focused all five years’ worth of internal energy on crushing one acupoint.
‘The Mind-Breaking Poison prioritizes my health above all. In my past life, I used that to my advantage, burning my body with the Yeomra Divine Technique to incinerate it.’
But there was no reaction.
Which means that this rebirth phenomenon isn’t due to the Mind-Breaking Poison.
‘In that case…!’
I’ve been given a second chance. The perfect opportunity to overturn the mistakes of the past.
Family, dreams, happiness.
Perhaps I can reclaim what was stolen from my life. I can rewrite a life filled with regrets.
‘In this life…’
I clenched my fists, my resolve solidifying. I accepted the rebirth and decided to live this new life.
There was no need to think about how. I would simply live the opposite of how I did before.
A wave of gratitude washed over me.
Tears stream down.
Oh, damn it, these tears. Is this a side effect of the loneliness? I seem to cry a lot now.
“Hey. Siwoo. Is this bastard not home?”
Just as I was about to rush out to see my parents, someone outside called my name.
Who could it be? What bastard is calling me?
Before I could think, my body moved on its own.
Clatter!
When I opened the door, three pale-faced men stood before me.
“Who are you?”
“This bastard. Don’t you know who I am? I’m your older brother.”
“Older brother?”
“Did failing the Martial Arts Tournament drive you mad? I heard you cried and threw a fit in the marketplace.”
They must be friends from my previous life. If I try hard enough, I might remember.
“Oh, um, ah? Jang Gi-tae?”
“That’s right. Finally remembered? Come on down. I heard you failed the tournament. I’ve brought some booze to cheer you up.”
“Come on, let’s go.”
“Hurry up. I’m hungry. I skipped lunch today because I knew you’d be home. I’m starving.”
My memory fully returned.
Jang Gi-tae, Jang Gi-yu, Jang Gi-pyeong.
They were the Jang brothers, whom I was close with before being abducted by the Baek family.
To be precise, they were the ones who considered me a friend.
At this time, I was indecisive, immature, and easily swayed by those around me.
My parents were wealthy, and that attracted leeches, including them.
Now that I think about it, they ate a few of the elixirs meant for me. No wonder my internal energy was so lacking.
Even when I tried to train for the Martial Arts Tournament, they constantly dragged me away, hindering my progress.
The Jang brothers were fellow students at the martial arts academy. They envied and resented my talent, so they would sabotage me in petty ways.
Because of them, I repeatedly failed the Martial Arts Tournament.
The fact that I blossomed so late under the Baek family’s harsh training proves that.
‘Of course, it’s my own fault for being an idiot.’
I can’t blame anyone else for failing to cut off harmful relationships.
In the end, it was my own fault that I disappointed my parents and sister by letting these scoundrels manipulate me.
But that doesn’t mean they didn’t play a role in it.
“What are you doing? Not coming down? Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“Where else? The tavern, of course.”
“The tavern?”
“Yes. I’m starving. Damn it. Are you coming down or not? Do you want to die?”
I took a moment to savor the freshness of the insults. It’s been a while since I’ve heard them. Sweet yet filthy.
Given the circumstances, this might be the perfect opportunity.
I should see my parents first, but it wouldn’t hurt to settle past relationships now.
They always said that you should be careful about the people you associate with.
“Sure. I’m coming down. Let’s go.”
“That’s more like it.”
As I descended to the yard, Jang Gi-tae quickly threw his right arm over my shoulder.
The force he applied was strong, as if to prevent me from running away.
‘There’s no need for that. Alright, let’s start by breaking your arm.’
Crunch!
“Aaaaah, damn it, my arm!”
Jang Gi-tae howled in pain.
“……Um?”
It seems my body acted before I could think.
But it didn’t break. I need to hurry and restore my martial arts.
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