Chapter 2
I was taught that humans are creatures who walk forward.
Then what is the moment of death?
Could it be walking backward?
Just like now.
I did not resist. I accepted it naturally.
But why…
Why are my eyes opening?
My mouth hung open in disbelief.
An unbelievable sight unfolded before me.
A familiar wind chime at the end of the eaves swayed in the breeze.
And beyond that, a towering, untouched snow-capped mountain stood tall.
I had split it in half with all my might, so why was it still standing there, completely intact?
I immediately sat up, and then, I panicked.
I sat up.
I raised my arms. Over the course of my life, I had undergone three major physical transformations, yet scars continued to accumulate on my body.
But now, there was not a single scar in sight.
It was unbelievably clean. No, it was not just clean.
These were the hands of someone around sixteen or seventeen years old.
I turned my head.
The door burst open, and a man stepped inside.
His face was all too familiar.
“Hehe… Master, I need your approval on some documents today as well.”
That grinning face.
My brows furrowed.
Before I left the Snowy Mountain Palace, my position was the branch master of the Snow Pressure Division.
And from the moment I first took office, this man had been serving as my assistant branch master.
This was him.
His name was Yao Unsang.
He bowed and held out a stack of documents. That sly smile on his face was now visible—no, it had been visible even in my past life. I had just been too busy avoiding it.
I glanced around.
The structure of the walls, the table, the desk, the bed.
Everything added up to one conclusion: this was my seventeen-year-old self’s timeline.
Whether this was a dream or not…
At this moment, there was something I absolutely had to do.
I reached out and took the documents Yao Unsang handed me.
“Just stamp your seal here.”
I silently skimmed through the papers.
“A proposal for the development of a northern ice wall transportation route?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Many people believe a new route is necessary. The new path will be faster than the existing one—”
“Faster, huh…”
A bitter smile formed on my lips as I flipped through the papers.
“You signed an insurance contract with the Blue Cloud Trading Company.”
“Yes, Master. The Blue Cloud Trading Company is the most trustworthy partner in the Snow Pressure Division…”
“But are you aware that this transportation route passes through an avalanche-prone area?”
Yao Unsang’s expression stiffened. This must have been the first time I had ever questioned him.
He forced a smile and spoke.
“Ah, you needn’t worry too much about that…”
“I do worry. The existing route is safe but slower, while the new route is faster but riskier. And there are other suspicious aspects.”
“W-what do you mean?”
“First, the safety budget in the transportation cost estimate is far too low. Even if there are skilled martial artists who can leap over mountains, the Snow Pressure Division lacks such warriors. Most of the merchants traveling this route are ordinary people or weak martial artists. But let’s set that aside for now, as there is a bigger issue.”
Yao Unsang swallowed hard, sensing something was off. I ignored him.
“Second, the contract names me as the responsible party, but the insurance beneficiary is you.”
“Well… since you are in charge of transportation…”
“If I’m in charge, shouldn’t I be the beneficiary as well?”
“Come on, Master. I’m the one who usually leads the trade convoys. If an avalanche occurs, the insurance money will help us recover quickly—”
A poor excuse.
I cut him off. There was no reason to listen any further.
“Third, this Hallyng Jade is priced at twenty silver pieces in this document.”
Yao Unsang’s face turned pale.
“To my knowledge, the market price for Hallyng Jade is around ten silver pieces. By inflating the price, the insurance payout will double in case of an accident.”
“T-that’s…”
The situation was simple.
Insurance contracts with trading companies were common.
But why would a trading company accept such a deal?
The Blue Cloud Trading Company was no fool. They knew that ten silver pieces were sufficient for Hallyng Jade, yet they agreed to twenty.
The answer was obvious.
“Have you ever heard the saying?”
“…What saying?”
“A servant who dares to stand above his master must be torn apart.”
“…What?”
“Did you really fancy the Blue Cloud Trading Company’s second daughter that much?”
“T-that’s…”
“You’ve grown ambitious as the real power behind the Snow Pressure Division. Now, you’re even lusting after women?”
Yao Unsang seemed unable to comprehend the situation. He stared at me in shock, but I could see the faint trace of fear in his eyes.
“Did you know? If I approve this document, an avalanche will occur in about ten days.”
“What are you saying…?”
“A heavy snowfall the day before will weaken the ground, causing an avalanche at the site. You and about four others will survive, and you will seize control of the entire Blue Cloud Trading Company.”
“…”
“You’ll take the second daughter… and then the eldest daughter too. If memory serves, you personally beheaded the company’s master.”
Yao Unsang stared at me like I was insane, but I could see the growing terror behind his eyes.
“You took the money, and I took the blame… I still remember it clearly.”
I slammed the documents shut.
“Yao Unsang, did I fail to see this before?”
“What…?”
“Or did I see it but choose to ignore it?”
“M-Master…”
“Even if an accident occurs, my responsibility will be minimal. Why? Because I may be illegitimate, but I still carry the blood of the Snowy Mountain Palace. I was seen as a coward who would flee rather than take responsibility. A convenient puppet for you to manipulate. A fool standing above you would only make it easier for you to rise. That’s the kind of world we live in. The one who gets trampled is the fool. This world rewards those who step on others.”
“T-that’s not true…”
“Not true? Then why has this happened more than once?”
I slowly rose to my feet.
This was the martial world. The weak were devoured.
I could not deny it.
That was the way of a warrior’s life.
“However, if you gamble everything to gain something, you must be prepared to lose everything if you fail. Are you prepared?”
Yao Unsang stammered.
“Enough. Talking any further is pointless.”
I swung the stack of documents.
Thwack!
