"It may sound boastful, but I was once taught by the venerable Master Taesan . The Blue Dragon Martial Officer, one of the 'Three Absolutes', Master Lee Gwang, is a close friend of Master Taesan. During my studies at Mount Taesan, I had the rare chance to personally witness Master Lee Gwang's martial skills."
"…!!"
Master Taesan!
That name, even thirty years from now, and even today, is known as the greatest eccentric of the righteous sects. He is the most senior member among them, recognized as one of the top ten masters under heaven , and deeply revered by all righteous sect martial artists around Mount Taesan.
'So that's what it was! Sagong Lin is the unrivaled prodigy personally taught by Master Taesan!'
It's no wonder her older brother Sagong Pae and other members of the Sagong clan treat her with such respect and awe. She was born with an extraordinary natural talent, and since there was no one left within the clan to properly train her, she was recommended to become the disciple of Master Taesan, the most legendary figure of the righteous sects.
In truth, at this moment in time, Sagong Lin is considered one of the top five post-generation masters in all of the Central Plains.
And I… had crossed swords with such a person. Of course, she had been holding back a lot, but still — it was suffocating to suddenly face someone of such immense stature.
While I was still speechless, Sagong Lin gently touched my cheek.
"I can tell that you must have your reasons, young hero. And from exchanging swords, I can also tell that you have a kind and upright heart."
"…Thank you."
I realized then — she knew everything, but chose to let it go.
If she had told the whole truth, the Blue Dragon Martial Hall would've been summoned immediately, leading to cross-examinations and a tangled mess.
But because she showed me compassion and intentionally hid the truth, I was able to get through this as a bodyguard.
Sagong Lin smiled brightly.
"I hope you'll be able to take what you want from our escort agency from now on."
I watched from afar as her silhouette faded into the distance.
And suddenly, a thought struck me.
Will I ever be able to reach her?
Forget catching up — would there ever come a day when I could even talk to her properly?
"…No, that's impossible."
Until now, I had been too focused on getting stronger to think about it, but now I recalled another one of my fatal flaws:
I'm ugly.
Right now, because I'm still young, there's baby fat on my face, so I don't look as bad. But the truth is, I'm just plain unattractive by nature.
Even after becoming an adult, I had below-average looks. For someone like me, even an ordinary woman as a partner would've been a blessing.
In fact, the reason I never got married in my first life, back when I worked as a bodyguard, was because of that.
Too many women were startled just by looking at my face — it drained any chance of romance.
"…No matter how much martial strength I gain, there's nothing I can do about my appearance."
It's not that I had to marry Sagong Lin or even form a connection with her.
But thinking about her — someone I genuinely admired — made me reflect on my circumstances.
And in doing so, I was overwhelmed by a wave of self-loathing.
Even if one possesses the greatest martial skills under heaven, there's still nothing that can be done about the face they were born with.
"Get it together."
I shook my head and stepped back into the room, murmuring a saying that Jin So-cheong had once told me:
"It's not too late to think about that after becoming stronger."
***
The first task I was given as an official escort for the Sagong Escort Agency was to transport moving cargo to another village.
More specifically, a wealthy man who lived by the royal river had bought a house in another village, and it seemed one of his daughters was planning to move in.
My job was to escort the moving caravan and keep any petty bandits away.
"This is too easy."
Over the past several decades, I've handled many escort missions like this. So I felt no tension at all and set out comfortably with the cargo.
There were three bodyguards including me assigned to this mission. No senior escort captain accompanied us, because the cargo wasn't particularly valuable, and the area was known to be relatively free of bandits.
A few hours into the journey, we stopped briefly to let the horses rest — they seemed slightly tired.
The bodyguards and workers took the opportunity to sit down, have snacks, and relax.
"Why did you become a bodyguard?"
One of the other bodyguards asked me. He looked to be in his 30s — a typical lower-ranked escort.
He probably joined this line of work for the same reason I did: to make a living.
I looked at his plain face for a moment and replied,
"I had no other way to survive."
"With martial arts like yours, you could've entered an official military position and aimed for advancement."
There was a hint of pity in his voice.
And he wasn't wrong. At my current level, I could participate in the national martial arts exams or tournaments hosted by the imperial court once a year.
Though strong masters gather for those, I wouldn't necessarily lose.
From that perspective, continuing to do escort work with my current skills might seem like a waste.
But becoming an official and climbing the ranks isn't what matters to me right now.
First, I need to obtain the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, then uncover the secrets of the Heavenly Darkness Manual.
And on top of that, I still owe a bloody debt of revenge to the village chief.
There's just too much on my plate right now to chase status or government posts.
I chuckled lightly and said,
"I don't think escort work is so bad. As long as you do your job properly, you can make a living steadily, can't you?"
"Well, that makes sense."
The fellow bodyguard seemed to accept my answer.
In this world, no escort agency could recklessly mistreat or abuse its bodyguards.
There were countless escort agencies out there, all fiercely competing within the commercial sphere.
Even if a bodyguard was considered a low-ranking warrior, those with even moderate martial skills weren't so easily looked down upon.
After all, a bodyguard was a martial artist with at least basic combat ability — an asset in and of themselves.
As such, it was customary for agencies to ensure that bodyguards were paid well enough to live decently.
That was simply standard practice in the industry.
Once our idle chat ended, the escort team resumed its journey.
Since the morning dew would settle if dawn broke, which could damage the cargo, we needed to keep moving as quickly as possible.
Thanks to the steady pace of the wagons, we managed to reach our destination before midnight .
The bodyguards and workers, including myself, moved quickly to carry the furniture and goods into the house.
By the time everything was done, it was already early dawn.
The surroundings were pitch black, and aside from the dim lantern light, we couldn't see much.
The senior escort on this mission — acting as the leader — stepped out holding a lantern and shouted:
"We'll rest for four hours at the inn due to fatigue! We'll depart tomorrow morning, so get plenty of rest!"
"Yes, sir!"
We could have crossed the mountains right away and returned to the agency quickly, but the senior bodyguard seemed to have judged that traveling through the mountain paths at dawn would be dangerous.
Soon after, the bodyguards and workers went to a nearby inn in the village, dropped their loads, and began to rest.
Naturally, not everyone could get their own room.
Some of the workers laid out sleeping bags on the floor and slept right there inside the building.
Since I wasn't sleepy, I stood on the second floor of the inn, quietly watching everyone prepare for sleep.
The workers, exhausted, curled up into fetal positions and dozed off wherever they could.
'This is why I didn't want to be a porter.'
Porters don't face robbers on the front lines like bodyguards do, but they were treated worse overall.
Even now, the three bodyguards — myself included — had each been given a private room, while the workers had to sleep on the floor of the inn.
'I'd like a drink right about now.'
I don't dislike alcohol. In fact, I rather enjoy it.
Back when I worked as a bodyguard in my previous life, having a drink and knocking myself out helped me forget my troubles.
But ever since I regressed, I hadn't had the chance to drink.
Even now, I was holding back — since I was still in a child's body, drinking would attract unwanted attention.
Instead, I returned to my room and began training my internal energy.
By circulating the Minor Heavenly Cycle of the Thunder Dragon Internal Technique, I could relieve my fatigue and recover stamina without even sleeping.
And the more I trained, the stronger I would become — killing two birds with one stone.
There was still much to do, so this wasn't the time to rest or play around.
***
After the escort mission was completed and we returned to the agency, Sagong Pae greeted me.
He was not only Sagong Lin's father, but also a senior escort and an executive of the Sagong Escort Agency — I couldn't ignore his words.
"Escort Baek Woong! Did your first mission go well?"
"It wasn't difficult at all," I replied.
"Hahaha, so you're the rising star of our escort agency."
Sagong Pae chatted with me for about one quarter of an hour, engaging in idle talk.
He asked about my background and past, rambled on about what he was up to these days, and casually mentioned how pretty Sagong Lin was.
I couldn't figure out why he was talking to me like this — it was perplexing.
"See you next time."
"Yes, sir."
But it became clear: Sagong Pae had taken a liking to me.
Most likely, it was because someone useful had joined the agency, and he wanted to establish a friendly relationship.
It was a somewhat unfamiliar feeling… but eventually, I just accepted it.
'Power changes everything.'
It was the same emotion I'd felt when taking revenge on the village chief.
Once you gain power, the world treats you differently.
Conversely, being powerless is truly a miserable thing.
This was only the beginning.
I would bide my time here, working while waiting for my body to fully mature — and then, at the right moment, I would seek out the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng in Mount Hwang.
***
From that point forward, I spent about three uneventful years working at the escort agency.
At first, my fellow bodyguards didn't trust me — probably because I was so young.
But thanks to my martial prowess, which surpassed even that of a standard escort leader, I often helped them in critical moments.
During those three years, I saved the lives of fellow bodyguards more than a dozen times.
Eventually, they accepted me as one of their own.
I fought against bandits, robbers, and river pirates over 20 times during escort missions.
It wasn't as frequent as you might think, but every time, I had to draw my sword and risk my life.
Since killing bandits during an escort was not considered a crime, bodyguards never hesitated to strike first.
Even though I tried not to kill unless absolutely necessary, I still ended up killing at least 30 people during those three years.
There was no helping it.
Before I knew it, my body had grown enough to fully utilize my advanced martial techniques.
One snowy winter day, I sat indoors warming myself and gazed out the window, lost in thought.
'This escort agency is practically an extension of the Sagong clan. That's why, unlike most escort companies, its members are so skilled in martial arts and treat each other like family.'
You could tell just from the fact that the executives were blood relatives of the Sagong family.
Rather than hired contractors, the bodyguards were more like lower-ranking warriors belonging to the Sagong household.
Even Sagong Pae constantly acting friendly toward me seemed to stem from a shared-sailing mindset — we were all part of the same ship.
But there was one thing I couldn't understand:
Why would a prestigious martial clan like the Sagong family bother with the escort business at all?
With their skills, they could easily produce military officials, influence commerce across regions, or squeeze tribute from territories.
That would be a far more efficient and profitable way to accumulate wealth.
So why go through the trouble of running an escort company?
And then — there was Sagong Lin.
It wasn't just a problem that I'd fallen for her after seeing her — the real problem was that:
"I don't know who she is."
That might sound like a strange thing to say, but it was no small issue.
Throughout all my decades of experience in the martial world, I had never once heard of the Sagong family, let alone Sagong Lin.
Even if I could dismiss the family's obscurity, Sagong Lin's case was clearly unnatural — someone like her should've been a renowned figure.
Sagong Lin — a peerless genius, comparable even to Jin Socheong, and a disciple of the greatest eccentric of the orthodox sects, Master Taesan — yet she was not known in the martial world as a top expert?
That didn't make any sense.
Even if she was a woman, the martial world wasn't so closed-minded.
If one's martial skills were outstanding, they could gain fame regardless of gender.
So how was it that someone like her remained unknown?
'I should find out what I can before leaving the escort agency.'
Lately, I'd been thinking about leaving the agency.
My Thunder Dragon Internal Technique had developed significantly, and I had gained a wealth of real combat experience.
My martial arts had advanced dramatically — I felt confident I could now hold my own even against top-class masters.
I'd also saved up enough from my escort salary to fund my next steps.
It seemed like the right time to begin my search for the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng in Mount Hwang.
But first, I needed answers.
Who should I ask?
After a brief consideration, I decided to go to Sagong Lin.
I could have asked Sagong Pae directly — we were on friendly enough terms — but I realized that I simply wanted to see her face again.
"Escort Leader Sagong Lin, do you have a moment?"
"Come in."
She was reading quietly in her private room, a space reserved only for senior bodyguards.
Snow was falling gently outside the window behind her, and her figure — absorbed in a book, calm and graceful — looked like something straight out of a painting.
'Beautiful…'
I stood there blankly for a moment, almost thinking she had stepped out from the painting itself.
Snapping out of it, I spoke.
"I came to ask you something, Escort Leader Sagong Lin."
"What is it?"
"Why is the Sagong family involved in the escort business?"
Sagong Lin closed her book and stared at me.
Her large, deer-like eyes blinked slowly.
Then she smiled faintly and said:
"Haha… Have you been wondering about that for all three years?"
"Well… yes."
"It's not exactly a big secret. Our main family just doesn't want to clash with the Hwangsan Sect."
"The Hwangsan Sect…"
I frowned.
'So that's what it was.'
The Hwangsan Sect!
A newly ascended sect that had recently taken the last seat among the Nine Great Sects — known for their brilliant swordsmanship.
Previously, that position belonged to the Gongdong Sect, which suddenly collapsed after its leader and elders mysteriously disappeared.
Hwangsan took its place, and had been rapidly expanding its influence in the Mount Hwang region.
The Sagong family was certainly strong — high-level martial artists in their own right — but against the top-tier martial arts and masters of a Nine Sect school like Hwangsan, they were still at a disadvantage.
If a conflict arose — whether through combat or political dispute — the Sagong family would be overwhelmed.
So they decided to stay out of military and financial politics, and instead focused on earning wealth through escort work.
Unable to hold back, I spoke up:
"Even if you avoid open confrontation now, won't the Hwangsan Sect eventually expand their influence all the way into Guanzhong? Is it really okay to deal with them so passively? In the end… you might be forced to choose between submission and disappearance."
Sagong Lin's eyes lit up with a curious glint.
"Young hero… you speak as though you're certain that's how things will unfold."
"I…"
Ah—
I had let something slip.
Without realizing it, I had spoken of something that hadn't happened yet.