Chapter 00

Prologue

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Prologue

There is a martial arts novel I enjoyed reading.

The title is [Return of the Mount Hua Sect].

The story is about the protagonist, a master swordsman, who returns to his youth after dying in a fight against the Heavenly Demon, and challenges him again.

Watching the protagonist, who consumes every opportunity he encounters, slowly dismantle the Demon Sect from the ground up was quite entertaining.

While reading it, a question crossed my mind.

Is there no unorthodox sect in this novel?

There were a few bandits here and there, but not a single master introduced themselves as an unorthodox martial artist.

I have always enjoyed novels where the protagonist belongs to the unorthodox sect, so the absence of a significant unorthodox presence in [Return of the Mount Hua Sect] was disappointing.

Yes, it was disappointing.

…But that didn’t mean I wanted to be reborn as the son of an unorthodox martial artist. My father was a bandit, after all.

When I turned three and started to think clearly, I understood why there were no unorthodox characters in [Return of the Mount Hua Sect].

They were too weak.

In this world, unorthodox characters were just bandits or hired killers.

There were no unorthodox sects worth mentioning, let alone large organizations like the righteous martial alliance or the Heavenly Demon Cult. The reason was that the martial arts of the unorthodox sects in this world were too simple.

I began learning the Thousand Power Blade Technique from my father when I was eight and mastered it by the time I was nine.

It wasn’t because I was a genius. The Thousand Power Blade Technique was designed to be used immediately without any internal energy cultivation.

Without the opportunity to accumulate internal energy, the limits were clear. With only the Thousand Power Blade Technique, I would remain a third-rate bandit for life.

Moreover, my father began teaching me banditry. Although my father and his men praised my talent for banditry, continuing on that path would only make me a well-known bandit.

That’s why I left home at ten.

Despite my father's attempts to dissuade me with various reasons, like how leaving would be incredibly tough and staying hidden to live as a bandit was bliss, I scoffed and walked away.

After all, if I reincarnated into a novel, I should also seize opportunities, join a prestigious sect, and make a name for myself.

…At least, that’s what I thought at the time.

And it turned out my father was right about the hardship.

The major sects I knew, like Mount Hua, Wudang, and Zhongnan, wouldn't accept someone with an unknown background like me.

And opportunities? Seriously, who remembers the exact details of minor settings in a novel after ten years? Even I only went to places I vaguely remembered, but naturally, I couldn’t find any miraculous herbs or secret techniques.

So I lived like a beggar for ten years. It was a tough life, and I always longed to return home.

But when I finally returned, my father and his bandit group were gone.

Given the world where the righteous sects thrived and the unorthodox sects waned, they might have been eradicated by a passing righteous martial artist or government troops.

It was devastating.

The home I longed to return to had nothing left.

I lay on the remains of our bandit hideout and thought.

Had I been wrong all along? Perhaps living a normal life was the true happiness, and my baseless ambition led to this hardship.

Suddenly, I recalled what my father had told me.

‘Living an ordinary life is the best.’

…Yes, that was the answer to life. Trying to be special only brought pain.

If I lived comfortably and peacefully, I wouldn't need to suffer such pain.

“Father, I finally understand.”

Yes, I decided.

What’s wrong with being unorthodox or an extra?

As long as I didn’t interfere, the story would follow its course, with the righteous sects defeating the Demon Sect and restoring peace. There was no need for me to meddle in this already sufficient world.

I sprang up and shouted to the sky.

“Protagonist! I’ll leave the world to you! I’ll just live a normal bandit’s life here!”

All I had was a young body just over twenty, shabby clothes, and a worn-out sword, but I would start over from here.

From now on, I’ll live a simple life as a bandit without worrying about the original story.

This thought brought peace to my heart and warmth to a corner of my chest.

I had a feeling that things would go well from now on.