Black-Haired Foreigner In The Martial Arts World – Chapter 1

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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I woke up to a strange sight.

Something felt off.

“What is this?” I muttered.

A street scene that looked like something out of the past stretched before me.

Where the hell was I? Some kind of Joseon Dynasty era?

No. This was very different from the Joseon period I knew.

If anything, it had a Chinese feel to it.

I looked around.

People in old-fashioned clothes walked by.

The buildings, too, had an ancient vibe.
Could this be a historical drama set?

The thought flashed through my mind, but that was impossible.

I’d stormed out of work and hadn’t gone home…

Could all of that have been a dream?

Did I have some kind of sleepwalking issue?

That didn’t make sense.

That crazy director was too vivid and obnoxious to be a figment of a dream.

He couldn’t possibly be a beautiful dream creature.

Besides, if I had a sleepwalking problem, my aunt would have had a fit long ago.

“What the…?”

It was so sudden; it didn’t feel real at all.

Just as that thought crossed my mind, I heard shouts.

“Catch him!”

“The Strange Thief!”

“We’ll get you this time!”

Suddenly, people were sprinting like professional runners, leaping over walls!

They scaled walls and buildings, performing acrobatic feats.

“Whoa!” I exclaimed.

“Who are these guys? They’re parkour masters!”

It looked like some kind of chase scene, and it was incredible.

Both the fleeing figure and the pursuers were moving like they trained in parkour all day, every day.

Their skills were impressive, even awe-inspiring.

I remembered trying parkour myself back in middle school after watching Yamakasi, only to end up with a fractured shin.

This kind of acrobatics wasn’t for everyone.

“Wow,”

I thought,

“I wonder if those guys ever had similar experiences?”

The thought of shared memories warmed my chest with a strange sense of camaraderie… but I brushed it aside.

Something even more shocking had caught my eye.

The pursuing guy was holding what looked like a sword.

“Severing Blade!”

He shouted, swinging his sword.

A light even erupted from the blade!

“Gah!”

What the hell was this?!

My jaw dropped; I clutched my head and collapsed onto the ground.

It was shocking, but at the same time, a chill ran down my spine.

“Martial arts?”

The pieces clicked into place in my mind.

The Chinese-inspired setting.

The person leaping like they were using Qinggong, suddenly swinging a sword and unleashing what looked like a blade aura.

This was insane, but what I’d just seen was real.

My eyes weren’t deceiving me.

Which meant… was this a real-life wuxia world?

“Holy crap…!”

Fear washed over me as reality set in.

Had I been transported to a martial arts world?

Was this real?

Sudden, intense fear gripped me, my legs trembling.

“Damn it! Did we lose him?!”

“You there, pursue the Strange Thief! Capture him at all costs!”

I swear, my back was burning, cold sweat dripped from my forehead, and my head spun…

Wuxia, a wuxia world!

A world where martial artists with cultivated powers flew and leaped, wielding swords!

I’d read a few fantasy and wuxia novels, so I had a general idea of what they were like.

There were even stories about people suddenly being transported to such worlds, but now that it was happening to me, it was a nightmare!

“No way…!”

I couldn’t survive in a martial arts world!

It was fun to read about, but the reality was terrifying!

In a panic, I ran. I couldn’t help it.

Like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, I just ran and ran.

“…Status window!”

I remembered.

“Status windoooow!”

I yelled reflexively, but nothing happened.

“No!”

No status window?

How was that possible?!

This was defying all the tropes!

Getting transported to another world meant you got a status window, didn’t it?!

Or wait, was it trendy now to not have a status window?

I couldn’t believe it. I was in a wuxia world!

I’d never imagined I’d end up in such a place!

“Huff… huff…”

My heart pounded. Clutching my chest, I took deep breaths.

I was still in the wuxia world.

I’d hoped I’d wake up back home, but I was really in another world.

Suddenly, without any warning.

“Damn it…!”

I had to get a grip.

It was hard to believe I was in another world, but this was reality.

Not a dream, not fake, but real.

I had to find a way to survive.

Martial arts or not, people starved without food.

My aunt wasn’t here to cook for me.
But what was I supposed to do?

I knew I was in a wuxia world, but that was it.

I didn’t have any other information.

If I’d at least been transported into a wuxia novel I was reading, I might have known something, but I was clueless.

Zero knowledge.

Surviving without knowledge was tough.

Was I going to die here?

That thought jolted me.

“No…!”

I couldn’t afford to be weak!

My motto was that as an adult, I had to be able to survive anywhere.

That’s why I’d left the comfort of my aunt’s home to become a responsible, respectable, and even cool member of society… hadn’t I?

If I just kept my wits about me, society and the martial arts world couldn’t be that different.

I wiped my face with my sleeve.

At least I could understand the language.

I had no idea how I, a Korean, could understand the language of a wuxia world, but the fact that I could drastically increased my chances of survival.

Okay.

Let’s move.

I couldn’t eat without money.

I had to find a way to earn a living while I still had the energy.

Staying put to conserve energy would only delay the inevitable.

I couldn’t do anything on an empty stomach.

I had to figure something out before I got hungry.

“Alright.”

Finding work to survive.

Thankfully, I had experience with this.

More than anything, since this had already happened, I had no choice but to believe I could do it and keep moving forward.

Whoever threw me into this wuxia world was dead meat.

I’d kill them if I ever found them.

Anyway, let’s get going.

I wandered until I reached what looked like a market street.

“How much is this?”
“50 mun.”

“I think we need to haggle a bit.”

“Sir, this is already a good price.”

People were haggling over all sorts of goods.

Watching them gave me an idea.
Right.

First, learn the lingo and the market prices.

That was the first step to blending in, wasn’t it?

It was strange, but being in this extreme situation seemed to sharpen my mind, making me resourceful.

This was the power of Kim Geun-hyeop’s finely-tuned optimism.

It is said that the people of a certain tribe in the Amazon rainforest have something called a ‘wish stone’ in their hearts.

When they experience excessive stress, the stone shatters with a ‘pakin’ sound, ending their lives.

However, conversely, they believe that if the wish stone doesn’t break, they can overcome any hardship.

I felt my own internal wish stone holding strong.

Keeping that in mind, I turned my attention to the shops, observing the merchants and customers like a spy gathering intel.

“Hahaha! You, sir, have a fortunate face! I’ll only charge you one tael of silver for this!”

“One tael? Half a tael should suffice.”

“Now, now, customer…”

From what I could gather, cheap items went for a few dozen copper coins, while more expensive goods were priced in silver.

I’d read enough wuxia novels to know the basics.

People typically carried small pieces of silver called taels and used scissors to cut off the necessary amount for payment.

But they didn’t only use silver.

Copper coins were used for cheaper items.

Actually, it seemed like copper coins were used quite frequently.

It was rare to see anyone pull out a tael of silver.

It figured commoners mostly used copper coins.

As I walked around, getting a feel for the prices, a delicious aroma wafted towards me…

Man, what was that delicious smell?
It made my mouth water.

I wished I could ask my aunt to whip me up some ramen, but alas, I couldn’t.

I couldn’t resist.

I had to investigate.

There it was, a restaurant with a sign that read ‘Big Foot Restaurant.’

The delicious smell was coming from there.

Thank goodness I could read the sign.

If I couldn’t understand the language, I’d be a goner.

“Waiter! One order of dumplings!”

“Certainly! 10 copper coins!”

So, were dumplings a full meal? Or a side dish?

One order of dumplings for 10 copper coins… good.

I was accumulating vital survival knowledge.

After gathering this intel, I examined my appearance.

“A bit dirty, but…”

Luckily, I was wearing the historical drama extra costume I’d brought with me, which helped me blend in.

The outfit itself was a bit stained and dirty, but that actually worked in my favor.

Everyone else looked about the same.

In these clothes, I wouldn’t look out of place entering a shop.

I went into the fabric shop across the street.

“Welcome, customer!”

“Hmm.”

I nodded in greeting and looked at the clothes on display.

Ordinary clothes.

The kind commoners wore.

They were different from what I was wearing, but not drastically so.

“Are you looking for something in particular?”

“I’ll have to look around.”

“Certainly, sir.”

I tried out the speech patterns I’d picked up from eavesdropping, and no one seemed to find it odd.

Maybe I had a hidden talent for acting?

If I ever got back home, I’d seriously consider pursuing an acting career.

I’d make my aunt proud.

And I’d get that director blacklisted from the industry and force him to issue a public apology.

Then I’d hire him as my sparring partner and spar with him every single day.

My grudges were not cheap…

As long as I lived, he would pay.
Now then…

“Shopkeeper, where’s the best place in this city to find work?”

I asked casually, pretending to browse the clothes.

Would he answer?

“Ah, customer, you seem to be from out of town.”

“That’s right.”

“Is this your first time in Anhui Province?”

Anhui Province!

He mentioned something I knew!

I was in Anhui Province!

So, I did have some wuxia knowledge after all.

Anhui Province was located somewhere on the eastern side of the continent.

If my wuxia knowledge was accurate, the Nangong Clan should be around here somewhere.

“I’m from Henan Province,” I lied.

“Ah, Henan.

If you’re looking for work… and since you don’t seem to be a martial artist, you should try the Dahwebang.”

“Dahwebang?”

“They’re a brokerage for all sorts of jobs. You should be able to find something there.”

This guy was a saint!

He told me everything!

I’d never met anyone so kind in my life!
“Thank you, shopkeeper. You’re a very kind person.”

“You’re welcome.”

I had the information I needed.

I bowed deeply and practically ran out of the shop.

It was pretty rude to get information without buying anything.

A wave of shame washed over me.

This was the kind of information you were supposed to get after making a purchase.

But I couldn’t help it… I knew it was wrong, but I didn’t have any money.

I made a mental note to buy all my clothes from this shop once I had some money.

As I walked, I replayed the shopkeeper’s words in my head.

“The Dahwebang…”

It sounded like some kind of employment agency.

I’d just have to go and see for myself.
My next destination was the Dahwebang.