novelraw Chapter 3 : Chapter 3
Chapter 3 : Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Journey to the World of Martial Arts (1)
A large bronze mirror reflected the figure of a man.
The face partially revealed beneath the bamboo hat carried an air of mystery, and the spotless white robe flowed naturally along his finely trained body.
‘Khh… This is incredible!’
Jiwon could not help but admire himself inwardly.
Dressed like this, he truly looked like a wandering martial artist burdened with a story—just like the protagonist of a martial arts novel.
“Wow… It suits you very well.”
The middle-aged shopkeeper standing nearby also spoke in genuine admiration.
It was not mere exaggeration to sell clothes. Even to a merchant who had dressed countless customers, Jiwon’s current appearance looked exceptionally striking.
“I will take this. I like it very much.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
After paying with a satisfied smile, Jiwon slowly stepped out of the clothing shop.
Murmur! Bustle!
The wide streets overflowed with the lively energy of people.
This was Xi’an, in Shaanxi Province.
As the center of military, culture, and commerce, it was an extremely developed city.
‘Now it is time to deal with these gold ingots, is it?’
Lightly bouncing the heavy bundle on his back, Jiwon moved forward with a faint smile.
As he walked, admiring the grand Chinese-style buildings lining the road, he suddenly stopped in front of an especially splendid structure.
“…Wow.”
A quiet exclamation escaped him.
The massive, intricately carved entrance and the imposing red-brick exterior were breathtaking. At the center hung a large signboard, boldly inscribed in gold:
– Golden Toad Merchant Guild .
“Golden toad, huh. Not bad.”
Finding the name oddly familiar, he entered the building with a satisfied expression.
The vast interior was paved with pure white marble, and employees of the guild stood behind counters, attending to customers.
‘Let me see…’
After glancing around briefly, Jiwon found an empty counter and approached.
“How may I assist you, sir?”
A young man in his twenties greeted him with a polite smile.
The familiar atmosphere reminded him of a bank, and Jiwon smiled as he placed his bundle on the counter.
RATTLE—!
“I would like to deposit all of these gold ingots.”
“…!?”
At the sight of the gold ingots piled high, the man’s eyes widened in shock.
However, only for a moment.
He soon stiffened and rose from his seat.
“P-Please wait a moment!”
“Sure.”
At Jiwon’s nod, the man hurried upstairs.
‘It is quite a lot.’
Jiwon glanced at the gold. In modern terms, it would amount to roughly five hundred million won.
After a short while, the man returned and spoke respectfully.
“I will escort you to the guild master’s office.”
“Very well.”
Nodding, Jiwon followed him up the stairs.
Step. Step.
Passing the second floor, where numerous employees were busy at work, they reached the third floor, which seemed to house executive offices.
At the very end of the corridor, the man personally opened an ornate door.
“Welcome!”
A plump middle-aged man, dressed in a red robe embroidered with golden thread, greeted him with a bright smile.
Leading him to a table, the man clasped his hands in greeting and introduced himself.
“I am Jeong Manbok, the guild master of the Golden Toad Merchant Guild.”
‘…He really does look like a golden toad.’
Jiwon found himself staring for a moment before returning the greeting.
“I am Park… No, Cheon Siu.”
Catching himself just in time, he gave the name of his new identity.
Fortunately, Jeong Manbok showed no sign of suspicion and gestured for him to sit.
“Please, have a seat.”
“Yes.”
Sitting at the luxurious blackwood table, Jiwon watched as Jeong Manbok poured tea into a jade cup.
“This is Longjing tea, brought directly from West Lake in Zhejiang Province.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Jiwon lifted the cup, examining it with curiosity.
‘So this is the famous tea…’
The pale golden liquid carried a refreshing fragrance.
Though he was not particularly fond of tea, he took a sip out of curiosity.
‘Oh… It has a subtle sweetness. This is quite good.’
“You would see greater profit if you invested these gold ingots rather than simply depositing them. We are preparing a trade expedition to Beijing…”
The middle-aged man continued speaking as Jiwon drank.
Being subjected to a sales pitch was equally irritating whether in reality or in a novel, so Jiwon set down his cup and interrupted.
“Just convert it into a note.”
“…Very well.”
Though disappointment was evident on the man’s face, Jiwon did not care.
“Then please fill out your personal information for the issuance of the note.”
The man handed him a bamboo slip and an awl.
It seemed they used bamboo instead of paper for durability.
‘Let me see…’
Looking at the slip, he saw that the necessary fields were already engraved.
‘Name: Cheon Siu…’
Scratch, scratch.
He left sections such as residence and family blank, filling in only what he could.
After handing it back, a painter was summoned to sketch his likeness, and Jiwon could not help but be impressed by the thoroughness of the process.
“Would you like the note to be registered or unregistered?”
“A registered one, please.”
“Please wait a moment.”
After stepping outside briefly, the man returned with a broad smile.
“Here is your note for the deposited gold. You may exchange it for cash at any of our guild branches nationwide. However, as it is registered, you must come in person.”
“Thank you.”
“Haha, the pleasure is mine.”
Placing the note inside his robes, Jiwon bid farewell to Jeong Manbok and exited the building.
With noticeably lighter steps, he made his way forward.
‘Khh… This feels reassuring.’
Even if this was a world within a novel, he now carried a fortune equivalent to five hundred million won.
Feeling triumphant, he looked up at the sky and spoke mockingly.
“Hey. Why not just send me back? In the real world, I am drowning in loan payments every month.”
He held a small hope.
“…Tch.”
But as expected, nothing happened, and he clicked his tongue before continuing on his way.
A quiet mountain path outside the city.
Jiwon walked leisurely, gazing at the crimson sky as the sun began to set.
‘In the original story, he enters the Martial Alliance after a year…’
He would need to do the same.
However, unlike the original, where Jin Yun lost his martial arts and suffered as a mere laborer, he intended to take a different path.
‘First, I need to build a reputation as a wandering martial artist.’
Then, he would apply to the Martial Alliance and become an affiliated warrior. After all, even in the original story, Jin Yun eventually became a low-ranking warrior of the Martial Alliance.
“…Hm?”
Lost in thought, Jiwon soon noticed a man leaning against a tree in the distance.
A man in his mid-forties, wearing worn-out martial attire.
His roughly cut black hair, the scar etched across his face, and the rugged aura surrounding him all marked him clearly as a martial artist.
Moreover, his sharp eyes were fixed directly on Jiwon.
“Puhaha! Judging by how you are dressed, you must be a greenhorn just entering the martial world!”
As expected, the man openly mocked him as the distance closed.
‘What is this? A setup for a lesson?’
Jiwon’s expression turned indifferent.
Such characters appeared often in novels—minor thugs who picked fights only to be beaten by the protagonist.
Having no intention of entertaining whoever might be watching from above, he simply ignored the man and continued walking.
SHIIING!
“…!?”
At that moment, a chilling sensation shot toward his neck.
Jiwon’s eyes widened as he quickly pushed off the ground.
Step—!
WHOOSH!
The dagger sliced through empty air, and the man clicked his tongue in disappointment.
“Tch. You dodged, you bastard?”
Though he spoke brazenly, Jiwon’s expression hardened as he sensed presences behind him and created some distance.
“Hahaha! Brother! You lost the bet, so buy us drinks!”
“It has been a while since I got something for free.”
Step. Step.
Two figures appeared from behind, surrounding him at an unhurried pace.
One was bald with a beard like a bandit.
The other was thin, with snake-like eyes.
Both were clearly martial artists.
Narrowing his eyes coldly, Jiwon spoke.
“Who are you?”
“We are known as the Three Ghosts of Sangsan.”
The bandit-like man answered readily.
It was a name Jiwon had never heard in the original story.
“Three Ghosts of Sangsan? You are nothing but bandit scum.”
“…What?!”
“We were going to grant you a clean death.”
“Brothers! Let us tear him apart!!”
At Jiwon’s habitual sarcasm, killing intent erupted from them as they reached for their weapons.
Their aura and reactions were far from ordinary.
They were not mere fodder.
‘What is this? Did the Black Blood Clan already find me?’
His brows furrowed at the unexpected situation.
But only for a moment.
Step—!
The scarred man suddenly lunged forward, launching another ambush with his dagger aimed at Jiwon’s philtrum.
‘You bastard!’
Faced with unmistakable killing intent, Jiwon cursed and twisted his neck to evade.
Then, his fist—darkened to black—pierced through the air toward the man’s face.
– Black Blood Asura Martial Art, First Form: Blood-Shattering Strike!
THUD.
The man’s head exploded like a bursting watermelon.
“…What?”
Jiwon froze, his fist still extended.
The two men charging behind him were no different.
“W-What?!”
“H-Huh?!”
The horrifying sensation still lingered in his fist.
Unable to endure it, Jiwon doubled over.
“Blargh—!”
“R-Run!”
“Eek!!”
Snapping back to their senses at his retching, the two men fled in opposite directions.
Still pale and trembling, Jiwon gritted his teeth and launched himself forward.
WHOOOSH!
Piercing through the air at terrifying speed, he seized the bald man by the neck and slammed him to the ground.
THUD!
“Aaagh! P-Please spare me, sir! I did not recognize your greatness!!”
“Shut up.”
After snapping at him, Jiwon took a moment to steady his breathing.
“Huff… Damn it…”
He had killed someone.
An act that an ordinary person would never commit in their entire life.
‘That is right. This is not reality. It is like a game… a game.’
He closed his eyes and repeated it to himself.
After some time, his mind calmed.
Opening his eyes, he looked down at the bald man with a cold gaze.
“Who are you? Why are you trying to kill me?”
“W-We were deceived!”
“…What?”
At the incomprehensible answer, Jiwon frowned.
“Golden Toad Merchant Guild! Those bastards asked us to kill a worthless wandering martial artist! If we had known you were a master, we would never have accepted!”
The man’s desperate cry only deepened Jiwon’s confusion.
“The Golden Toad Merchant Guild…? Why…?”
“It is true! I have the portrait on me!!”
Thinking he was being doubted, the man hurriedly presented evidence.
Searching his clothes, Jiwon found a sheet of paper.
On it was a detailed drawing of Jin Yun’s face.
‘…This is exactly the same as the one drawn at the guild.’
That meant they had truly commissioned his assassination.
But why? He could not understand.
The note was registered—he would have to appear in person to exchange it.
“…Well, I will just ask them directly.”
Jiwon narrowed his eyes coldly and turned his gaze back toward the city he had just left.