I learned that humans are animals meant to walk forward.

But what about the moment of death?

Could it be walking backwards?

Like now.

I didn’t resist and naturally accepted it.

But why…

Why are my eyes opening?

My mouth gaped in shock.

An unbelievable scene unfolded before me.

A familiar wind chime at the end of the eaves swayed in the breeze.

And beyond that, the Everlasting Snow Mountains stood unharmed.

I had split them in half with all my might, so why are they still intact?

I immediately got up and was greatly alarmed.

It was I who had gotten up.

I looked at my arms. I had undergone three major transformations in my life, yet scars had always formed.

But now, not a single scar was visible.

It was too clean. No, this wasn’t just clean.

They were the hands of someone around sixteen or seventeen years old.

I turned my head.

The door burst open and a man entered.

His face was all too familiar.

“Hehe… Master, you need to sign some documents today.”

His grinning face.

My eyebrows furrowed.

Before I fled from the Everlasting Snow Palace, I was the branch chief of the Snow Compression Branch.

And the man who had been in charge of a subsection since I first took office was this very scoundrel in front of me.

His name was Yawoon Sang.

He bowed and handed me a stack of documents, his face smeared with a malicious smile. I had seen it before in my past life. I had just been too busy avoiding it.

I looked around.

The structure of the walls, the tables and desks, the bedchamber.

Putting it all together, it was clear this moment was from when I was seventeen.

Whether this was a dream or not.

At this moment, there was something I had to do.

I reached out and took the documents Yawoon Sang was offering.

“Just stamp your seal here.”

I quietly skimmed the document.

“A plan for pioneering a new supply route through the northern ice cliffs?”

“Yes, that’s correct. There’s been a lot of demand for a new route. It would shorten the time…”

“Shorten the time, huh…”

A bitter smile spread across my lips as I flipped through the pages.

“You’ve signed a contract with the Cheongwoon Trade Company.”

“Yes, Branch Chief. Cheongwoon is the most trustworthy company in Snow Compression…”

“But do you know that this new route goes through an avalanche-prone area?”

The fact that he stopped talking was unusual for Yawoon Sang, and his expression hardened. It must have been the first time for him at this point.

Yawoon Sang forced a smile and opened his mouth.

“Ah, you don’t need to worry too much…”

“I am worried. The old route is safe but takes longer, the new one is faster but dangerous. And there are other strange points here.”

“What… What might those be?”

“Firstly, the transportation cost estimation for safety measures is too low. Even if warriors fly through the skies and shatter mountains, there are no such powerful individuals here in Snow Compression. Especially since most of the company consists of civilians and weak warriors… Hmm. Let’s skip that for now since there’s a bigger issue.”

Ignoring Yawoon Sang’s gulp, I continued.

“Second, the contract lists me as the responsible party, but the recipient of [N O V E L I G H T] the insurance money is you.”

“Well… Since you’re the transportation manager…”

“If I’m the manager, shouldn’t I be the recipient?”

“Ah… Master, haven’t I always managed the company’s operations? If an avalanche occurs, the insurance money received will quickly…”

It was an excuse.

I cut him off again. There was no reason to listen to such things.

“Third, the price of this Hanryung Jade Essence is listed as twenty silver pieces…”

Yawoon Sang’s face turned pale.

“As far as I know, the market price of Hanryung Jade Essence is about ten silver pieces. But if it’s inflated like this, the insurance money received in case of an accident will double.”

“That, that is…”

It was simple.

Signing insurance contracts with trade companies is common.

But why would a trade company…

Cheongwoon is not foolish, and they would know that ten silver pieces are sufficient for Hanryung Jade Essence, so why sign for twenty?

It was obvious.

“Have you heard that story?”

“What… story?”

“The one about a servant who dares to rise above his master should be torn apart.”

“Yes…?”

“Was the Cheongwoon trade company’s second daughter that appealing to you?”

“That… that is…”

“You seem to have grown quite a head while acting as the power behind Snow Compression. Has it grown so much that now you also desire women?”

Whether this situation was too surreal, Yawoon Sang seemed unable to gather his thoughts.

“Why… Why would you say that…”

His dumbfounded expression wasn’t too unpleasant to look at.

I continued solemnly.

“I’m not sure if you knew this, but about ten days after I sign these documents, an avalanche will occur.”

“Excuse me? What are you talking about…”

“Due to heavy snowfall the previous day, the ground will weaken there, and you, among about four others, will survive, and because of that incident, you will take over everything from Cheongwoon trade company.”

“…”

“You’ll take both the younger and older daughters. From what I remember, you were the one who executed the head of Cheongwoon trade company… Yes, that was it.”

Yawoon Sang started looking at me strangely. However, I could feel the faint fear in his eyes.

“You take the money, and I take the blame… It’s still fresh in my memory.”

I slammed the documents shut.

“Yawoon Sang, did I not see this before?”

“Yes…?”

“Or did I see it but chose not to want to see?”

“Branch… Branch Chief…”

“Even if there is an accident, the responsibility I can take is minimal. Why? I may be a bastard, but I’m still of the blood of the Everlasting Snow Palace. Thinking it’s natural to run away, being a pile of inferiority complex, makes you a perfect candidate for assuming power. A fool like you above makes it right for someone like you to act this way. After all, in this world, the one who gets stepped on becomes a fool. It’s a world where stepping on others is how you prove yourself.”

“That’s… absolutely not the case.”

“You say it’s absolutely not the case, but isn’t this similar to what has happened more than once?”

I slowly stood up.

This is the martial world. In the martial world, if you don’t have power, you’re eaten.

That couldn’t be denied.

That’s the world where martial artists live.

“But let me say this. If you’ve risked everything to gain something, you should be prepared to lose everything if you fail to obtain it. Are you fully prepared for that?”

“That’s…”

“It’s settled. Talking more makes my mouth hurt.”

I swung the bundle of documents.

Fwoosh!

Yawoon Sang’s head jerked back.

I utilized the Snow Mountain Heart Method still lingering in my memory.

Though weak, a definite surge of internal energy rose from my blood vessels.

It soon moved towards the bundle of documents, and not long after, a very faint level of sword energy emerged at its end.

After adjusting my grip, I brought it down sharply.

Thwack!

Yawoon Sang blocked it with his hand.

“Master! What are you doing?!”

I swung my foot.

Wham!

Yawoon Sang, struck in the jaw, fell backward and rolled before quickly getting up.

Anger and murderous intent filled his face.

As I walked towards him, Yawoon Sang cried out.

“Stop! Please, stop!”

Ignoring him, I kicked, striking his abdomen.

Thud!

He staggered back.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at his technique to soften the impact with his internal energy.

“Master… can’t you hear when someone says stop?”

Yawoon Sang’s tone changed, but it didn’t matter.

No matter how much anger he unleashed or murderous intent he spread, his lingering ‘hesitation’ was still there.

“Hesitation dulls the sword, and determination sharpens it.”

“…”

“I’m already intent on killing you, yet you hesitate. Whether you’re a ghost or a real entity doesn’t matter.”

I let the bundle of documents hang down.

“At least come at me like a man, not a scared dog, in your final moment.”

“Fine. Even if you are the master, attacking a subsection chief like me ‘without cause’ is wrong. So, I will restrain you first.”

Saying this, Yawoon Sang drew his sword and stamped his foot.

His sword embroidered the air.

Above, beside, below.

It was excessively flashy.

Illusory swords are dazzling, and real swords are tranquil.

I took a light step forward.

Yawoon Sang’s sword missed the mark, and I moved in close to him.

Shock filled his face.

“How… how did you…!”

Silently, I thrust the document bundle, filled with my internal energy.

Poomph!

“Guh…ugh…”

It struck his abdomen, but I wasn’t satisfied. Casually, I tossed it aside and drew the dagger from my waist.

As Yawoon Sang, clutching his abdomen, staggered backward, I looked at him.

“…ple…please spare me…”

A smile formed on my lips at his pitiful voice.

Such a small man he was.

In the past, such a trivial man had exploited me.

I had been mocked as a puppet and used.

All because I lacked power.

Thinking that avoiding the situation was the best option was the biggest mistake and regret of my naive youth.

Everything started here.

It was time to shake it off.

As I walked slowly, I continued.

“If there’s a next life, live within your means. Don’t climb higher than your station.”

I struck down decisively.

Poomph!

It pierced his heart. I withdrew it and then thrust it into Yawoon Sang’s neck.

Poomph.

“Gah…ack…”

Quietly, I watched his dying eyes.

Soon, they lost their strength.

At that moment, I felt certain.

All of this was not a dream but reality.

Just as I was standing up, the door burst open and three men rushed in.

“What’s going… oh…”

Wiping the blood on my face, I spoke briefly.

“Clean this up.”

“…Excuse me?”

That wasn’t the response I wanted.

I turned my head.

“The discipline of the Snow Compression Branch is a mess.”

“…That…”

“Don’t make me say it twice. Clean this up and gather all the branch members.”

“Immediately!”

Truly.

It was a refreshing morning.

****

Even if I felt certain, I couldn’t help but doubt.

Traveling back in time was just too surreal.

But dreams, no matter how vague or realistic they might feel, can’t be as realistic as this.

This is clear reality.

I have traveled back in time.

By as much as 40 years.

I touched my face.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep