After being beaten for a while, the commotion died down.

It was thanks to the sleeping children who rushed over and stopped Makgae.

"Calm down, boss."

"That bastard always talked nonsense."

"It's not nonsense! He bit me! My ear! Look at this! Look at this!"

Makgae showed the children his ear, covered in saliva.

The bite marks were clear, a testament to how hard he had chewed.

"Why the hell did that son of a bitch suddenly bite my ear while sleeping! Does he want to die?"

"Boss, I'll talk to him and make him understand. It doesn't matter if that bastard dies, but what if you get hungry from shouting so much?"

At Yongcheon's words, Makgae's actions came to a halt.

Grumble.

A loud sound signaling hunger came from Makgae's stomach at the perfect time.

"Son of a bitch... I'll endure it. Hmph!!"

Hunger.

It might sound funny to some, but it was a very important issue for them.

Many of the vagrant children starved to death.

Hunger was practically synonymous with death.

Makgae, who had been fuming while touching his ear at Yongcheon's words, returned to his spot despite his anger not having fully subsided.

Once the situation was settled and the surroundings became quiet, Sagyo lay on the ground just as he had been beaten and pondered.

Getting hit?

It hurts.

I was really beaten to a pulp and even stomped on.

But, what was greater than the pain was the bewilderment.

What the hell... is this?

The pain in the dream is vivid.

It wasn't clear if he had been beaten like this back when he was a thirteen year old boy...

This place, these children.

Everything was exactly as he remembered.

Not back to the life of the assassin Sagyo, but back to the life of Cheonyeong...

"Huh? I, I'm back?"

That was the only conclusion he could draw.

The butterfly dream?

Zhuangzi said that his dream was so vivid that he didn't know if he was the butterfly in the dream or if the butterfly was him.

He was now experiencing that absurd situation himself.

Then, the life of an assassin... was a dream?

This is the reality?

No, that doesn't make sense either.

A whole thirty years of memories remain vividly in his mind, coming to life.

How long would he have had to sleep to have such a long dream?

Above all, yesterday as an assassin is much more vivid than yesterday as Cheonyeong.

And what are all these memories filling my head?

Childhood, creditors, the process of becoming an assassin.

Even the Samyang Divine Art, which he had memorized by reciting it thousands of times.

"Wait, wait a minute..."

As his thoughts deepened, a phrase from the preface of the Samyang Divine Art suddenly came to mind.

Twin-Cultivation Triple-Yang Core Art.

A phrase contained within it.

All Streams Return to the Origin.

All things will return to the beginning.

When I first read it, I thought it was just another way of expressing Every Martial Path Leads Back to One Origin, the idea that all truths eventually lead to a single answer...

Could it be that the phrase meant regression?

Regression... I don't know if that makes sense, but what if this is reality?

"Gasp! Then I really came back? To some point in the past?"

His eyes flew open.

It was a surprise that made all the pain disappear, so naturally his voice got louder and he forgot the throbbing and shot up.

"That bastard!"

Whoosh!

At the commotion, Makgae, who was just about to fall asleep again, threw the wooden block he was using as a pillow.

He saw it flying towards him, but.

"Ugh!"

As expected, he couldn't avoid it.

It hurts like hell.

Cheonyeong, who had just managed to get up, fell backward with a thud.

"You damn bastard! You still haven't come to your senses after being beaten like that? Alright, let's have a funeral today!"

He could see Makgae, who had barely suppressed his anger and gone to bed, approaching with a huff.

You bastard... you're still the same.

That nasty temper of yours...

Seeing the ends of his eyes soaring high as if they didn't know the sky and his two clenched fists... his anger must have overcome his hunger.

And I can clearly see what my fate will be.

"Die! Die! You damn bastard!"

Thwack! Thwack thwack thwack!

Makgae, who had climbed on top of me, relentlessly threw punches.

It hurts... but it doesn't hurt.

Right now, the joy is much greater.

I'm back. I'm really back.

This thrill I feel every time a fist lands... hit me more. More, more...

So that the joy of being alive can be added.

"Hee hee, hee hee hee hee."

"You, you crazy bastard!"

"Hee hee hee."

Cheonyeong laughed like that.

Like a madman.

No matter how much he hit him, Makgae's fists gradually slowed down at the sight of Cheonyeong laughing with a bloodied face.

Who can defeat a madman who laughs even when beaten?

"Boss, wait a minute... that guy's a little strange."

"Huh?"

"He keeps laughing."

"..."

"Maybe he got hit in the head and went crazy?"

"..."

"Look, he's laughing again."

At Yongcheon's restraining hand, Makgae, who had moved away from Cheonyeong, watched him from a distance.

A wide, torn mouth.

"Hee hee hee hee. Hit me... more, hit me more."

At the sight of him laughing even while lying down and covered in blood, Makgae flinched.

That's how kids are.

They only talk about killing, but they have no experience of actually killing someone.

Also, because they are not yet mature, they get scared when they realize that no matter how much they hit, it's useless.

There are plenty of guys who cry just at the sight of blood, but he's laughing and asking to be hit even when he's covered in blood.

"Hit me... hit me more... hurry..."

Finally, when Cheonyeong used all his strength to sit up and look at him, Makgae's eyes widened as if the back of his neck had gone cold.

"I said hit me more..."

As he started to crawl on all fours, spitting blood from his mouth and straining, Makgae was startled and stepped back.

This bastard, I even laid out the mat for you!

Hit me! Hit me!

Let me feel more certain that I've returned!

"This won't do. This guy's condition is too strange. Boss, you go to sleep for now. I'll take care of this guy."

"Huh? Oh... okay."

At Yongcheon's words, Makgae quickly ran away.

He probably won't be able to sleep deeply.

For fear of being done something terrible to in his sleep.

"Cheonyeong, are you okay?"

Yongcheon asks as he wipes the blood from Cheonyeong's face.

"Hee hee..."

He just laughed.

What greater joy could there be?

Pain means I'm alive, and the existence of Makgae and Yongcheon is also proof that I've returned.

To a point where I can start my life all over again from the beginning...

Of course, it would have been better if they had sent me back to an even younger age.

Not to the vagrant village, but to when he was a rich young master, before his family was ruined.

This damn heaven...

"..."

Cheonyeong unknowingly stopped even his thoughts.

Because there was a precedent of living the life of an assassin after cursing the heaven for no reason.

Heaven, I didn't mean to curse you.

I think I got too excited.

Thank you.

Cheonyeong laughed as he looked at the night sky full of stars, held in Yongcheon's arms.

"Hee hee hee..."

Yongcheon, who was staring at him, made a crying face.

"Oh my, Cheonyeong. What's wrong with you, really."

What do you mean what's wrong, it's because I'm happy.

So happy.

* * *

The next day.

The children of the vagrant village, who got up only after the sun was high in the sky, staggered and gathered in front of the extinguished bonfire.

It was to go out begging.

Waking up late is their own survival rule.

The saying that the early bird catches the worm only applies to the children of well off families.

Imagine smelly and shabby children going to someone's house to beg first thing in the morning.

What else would they get but a beating for being unlucky in the morning or being chased by a hungry dog?

The earlier you wake up, the more you lose.

The hunger only gets worse.

Also, even if they go early, they can't get a good spot for begging.

It's natural. There is a strict hierarchy in the vagrant village, and the powerless children are the lowest ranking group among them.

A position worse than a neighborhood dog.

But today, Makgae's expression was quite different.

There was a seriousness like a triumphant general?

"You guys, you know there's a feast at Lord Kang's house today, right?"

"Yeah!"

"Brother Ucheol has specially allowed our gang to participate."

"What? Really?"

At Makgae's words, the children's eyes widened.

Ucheol was one of the top figures in the vagrant village.

In other words, he was a predator of the vagrant village who monopolized the good begging spots.

There were rumors that he was also close to the delinquent gangs that ruled the back alleys...

"You guys, I'm that great of a person. Got it?"

"Amazing! Boss!"

"As expected of the boss!"

"I'm glad I joined the Makgae gang!"

As the children burst into cheers, Makgae shrugged his shoulders smugly.

"But boss."

Yongcheon suddenly raised his hand and asked for permission to speak.

"Speak."

"Um... what about Cheonyeong? He was groaning all night..."

"That bastard."

At Yongcheon's words, Makgae grimaced and glanced at Cheonyeong, who was lying down covered in a straw mat.

I couldn't even sleep properly because of that bastard.

Because of the dream of him chasing me, covered in blood.

"How does he look?"

"Well... he kept laughing while groaning. I think he might have been hit in the head wrong. Shouldn't we take him to a doctor?"

"You're talking nonsense. Just a check up costs a penny. Do you have money?"

"Well... no."

"Leave him alone. It's his own fault, what can we do."

"That's true, but."

When Yongcheon made a sullen face, Makgae said irritably.

"Then, why don't you take care of him?"

"Huh?"

"That'll work. We'll go to the feast. You take care of your friend."

"No, that's not it..."

"Shut up!"

"..."

"Damn it, how did I get this spot... why am I worrying about a guy like that?"

Yongcheon, unable to say anything, just glanced at Cheonyeong with worried eyes.

"We're late. Run!"

"Yeah!"

As Makgae turned around and ran towards the village, the children followed him in a line.

Yongcheon, who was looking back and forth between their backs and Cheonyeong, also quickly chased after Makgae.

He was worried about Cheonyeong, but he didn't want to starve.

Cheonyeong, left alone after the children quickly disappeared, finally lifted the straw mat and got up after a long time.

"Cold hearted bastards..."

But that is their life.

Comradeship?

Where would there be such a thing when there's not enough to eat?

But you can't blame them.

Their life is one where they might starve to death if they don't beg right away...

Death was just a part of their daily lives.

When winter comes, those who fail to secure a spot on the side of the blacksmith's street, where the heat lingers, do not wake up the next day.

And some starve to death because they are too timid to even beg.

And yet another dies fighting over a single coin dropped on the ground.

That is the life given to them.

Most of the people here are children who were abandoned at birth and have witnessed various deaths through numerous seasons.

To survive, they had to rely on strength, curry favor, and be quick witted.

"My life in the vagrant village wasn't long, but... it was a lot of help."

Just about three months.

It was enough time to learn to be quick witted.

Cheonyeong suddenly smiled as he recalled a part of the past, no, the future that had passed.

"Well, then it's certain that I've returned... Now, what should I do?"

Cheonyeong rested his chin on his hand and carefully organized his thoughts.

Grumble.

"Tsk, my body is so honest."

First, I need to fill my stomach no matter what I do.

Begging?

There's no need for that.

He was no longer a powerless boy who hid in the vagrant village after his family was ruined and was chased by creditors.

Although he died without living out my natural lifespan, he was an assassin who was called the strongest, having accumulated numerous experiences and knowledge.

What he learned from that life was not some pie in the sky talk like Confucius says, Mencius says, but knowledge that could be immediately applied to real life, so hunting was basic, and sleeping in the wild was a way of life.

But.

"I don't have any strength right now... so I'll have to eat some grass."

Hunting is impossible in his current physical condition.

Cheonyeong staggered and headed towards the mountain, in the opposite direction of the children.

His body ached with every step.

It seems I was beaten a lot.

That damn Makgae bastard.

I swear, if it weren't for the old days, you would have died last night.

But this is the body of a thirteen year old.

Weak and weak.

Even if I evaluate it objectively, it's still impossible to deal with Makgae.

In terms of fighting experience alone, he would be no match for him, but... whatever he does, his stamina has to support it.

Isn't that why they made him run first when he was first captured by the assassin organization?

For now, let's endure.

It's okay to endure.

The moment it became certain that I had returned, all possibilities for the future were open.

So let's forgive.

Not you, Makgae, but me.

Next time, there will be no mercy.

(End of Chapter)