TKTCJ 01

Chapter 1

Soldier

You cannot stop the passage of time.

I was swept along by the passing years, unable to stop where I should have stopped, and even passing by the places where I should have settled down.

…When did things turn out like this?

Whenever the seasons changed, so did my jobs.

I would work loading and unloading delivery trucks, move to construction sites, then switch to demolition work.

Getting through a single day was nothing unusual anymore, but not once had I felt like my life was actually getting better.

My body gradually grew accustomed to the work, and my heart became just as numb. I had thought that if I endured long enough, things would improve, but nothing changed.

A few years ago.

One of my friends had persistently urged me to invest.

“Hey, I know a good stock. Invest in it. We’ve gotta turn our lives around at least once.”

“You invest as much as you want. Even if you told me I’d get fed until I died, I wouldn’t do it.”

Investing?

It was something that didn’t suit me at all.

But in the end, I scraped together every penny I had and put it all in.

It was supposed to be a chance to turn my life around. How could I resist that?

But after that day, I simply forgot about it.

I had invested because my friend had badgered me into it, but I had assumed it wouldn’t amount to anything anyway.

That day was no different from any other.

After finishing work and dusting myself off, I habitually turned on my phone.

And for the first time in a very long while, I opened the exchange app.

At first, I thought I was seeing things.

I narrowed my eyes and looked again. Then I looked again.

The numbers displayed on the screen kept moving.

I closed the app and opened it once more.

My breath caught in my throat.

…What is this?

All the days I had endured flashed before my eyes at once.

The days when it felt like my back would snap,

the days when the skin on my palms split open,

the moments when I had to keep moving my body on winter mornings before the sweat on my body had even had a chance to cool—

Every one of them flashed through my mind.

And beyond all those memories, the numbers continued to sparkle before my eyes.

It felt like my heart was about to burst.

I wouldn’t have to worry about finding work tomorrow.

My mind went completely blank.

For a while.

Little by little, the numbers finally began to register properly.

That was when—

Brrr—

My phone vibrated.

It was the very same guy who had followed me around practically carrying a lunchbox, begging me to invest.

Wow, what a guy!

He really was practically psychic.

Naturally, we ended up drinking together.

As always, the street food tent was bustling, and the smell of alcohol stung my nose.

He hadn’t changed.

He had nagged me so much to invest.

Yet apparently he himself hadn’t invested a single penny and had missed the opportunity.

The skin beneath his eyes was dark.

His complaints about how exhausting his daily life was were almost unbearable to listen to.

Unlike me, who had missed the timing, he had gotten married and even had children.

Right. He probably hadn’t had any money to spare for investing. He had to make a living, after all.

Haah. What am I supposed to do with this guy?

From the way he talked, he sounded like he was one step away from handing in his resignation.

The drinking session didn’t last long.

He said he had to go home and play with his kids or something.

I pulled my collar tight and stepped outside, and the cold night air immediately swept over me.

“I’m heading out. See you again.”

“Yeah. Get home quickly. It’s cold.”

Left alone, Jeong Gyeom slowly walked along the road.

In truth, I hadn’t had any great ambitions.

I thought having one small house in my own name and enough money that I wouldn’t have to worry about food would be more than enough.

People came and went between the crosswalks.

That was when—

A light bright enough to blind me covered my vision.

BANG—

My body was flying through the air.

…What?

There was no doubt that something had gone terribly wrong.

The smell of burning tires passed through my dazed mind.

And then—

Only one thought remained.

…I haven’t even had the chance to live properly yet.

Late Eastern Han, Zhongping Year 5.

The character Han embroidered upon the red banners gazed down upon the realm.

Yet the order of the empire had already collapsed long ago.

Eunuchs secretly held the reins of power and manipulated everything from the shadows,

while the imperial court danced in the palms of their hands.

As a result, local warlords began building their own independent forces and establishing themselves,

and the court’s commands gradually ceased to reach the provinces—or were simply ignored.

That year.

Liu Yan, the Inspector of Youzhou, left Youzhou and moved to Yizhou.

To anyone watching, it looked as though he had been demoted for failing to curry favor with the eunuchs.

The position he left behind quietly waited for a new master.

Zhang Shun, the Administrator of Zhongshan, quietly made his move.

He brought in Zhang Ju, the former Administrator of Taishan, and eventually the two men launched a rebellion.

They gathered the scattered remnants of the Yellow Turbans and expanded their power by misleading the common people.

“We will restore order to the chaotic Youzhou and make sure the people have enough to eat.”

As the masses gathered, their strength continued to grow.

The rebellion began in Zhuo Commandery.

Zhuo Commandery had long been known as the great gateway of Youzhou. Once Zhang Shun seized it under a convincing banner, powerful local clans flocked beneath his flag like clouds.

As the local clans joined them, their finances swelled.

And as their finances grew, so did their manpower.

Youzhou was rapidly engulfed in the flames of war.

The rebellion continued to grow in scale, until the imperial court could no longer stand by and watch.

Rumors began spreading throughout Youzhou.

“The Administrator of Beiping, Gongsun Zan, has moved.”

“An imperial order has been issued to suppress the rebels Zhang Shun and Zhang Ju.”

The White Horse Volunteers under Gongsun Zan were a mighty force whose name reverberated throughout Youzhou and even across the realm.

The rebels had a fire under their feet.

They knew it, too.

There was no way they could dare face Gongsun Zan with their current strength.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Zhang Shun and Zhang Ju’s forces collapsed and scattered.

It would have been nice if that had been the end.

But it wasn’t.

Beyond the Great Wall, upon the grasslands.

Geliqi, the great chieftain of the Wuhuan who ruled over those vast lands.

Zhang Shun had lured him into joining his side.

When Geliqi arrived with several thousand cavalrymen, the battlefield completely changed.

The scattered army regrouped, and the rebels began gaining the upper hand once again.

Even Gongsun Zan was unable to overwhelm them and was forced to retreat to Beiping.

That alone showed just how formidable Zhang Shun’s momentum had become.

Perhaps that was when Zhang Shun began to change.

He began elevating himself and placing himself above others.

The banner he had first raised had disappeared without a trace,

and he began eliminating, one by one, the generals and powerful clans who spoke out against him.

All that remained was tyranny.

Did someone put a rock inside my head?

It kept pounding.

It was so dull that it had become painful.

I lay there without moving for a long time in that state.

As time passed, my eyes naturally opened, but the headache showed no sign of subsiding.

Murmuring voices came from all around me.

“I heard the Administrator Gongsun has left Beiping. He isn’t coming this way, is he?”

“If we have to fight the White Horse Volunteers again, won’t this really be the end for us?”

“This is all because of those damn eunuchs. They all deserve to drop dead…”

“I heard the Administrator of Bohai has also obeyed the court’s orders.”

“I heard the remnants of the Yellow Turbans invaded Qingzhou. Isn’t that place in serious trouble?”

What on earth were they talking about?

And yet, strangely enough, the words ringing in my ears were ones I had never heard in my entire life.

But—

What country’s language is this? Why can I understand it?

The headache continued to intensify.

I thought I had been hit by a truck and died.

Then where the hell… am I?

Enduring the throbbing pain, I tried to regain consciousness. I couldn’t remember where or when I had learned this, but I slowly began controlling my breathing, inhaling and exhaling deeply.

Gradually, my vision brightened, and the headache began to subside.

Rags layered over one another until they had become thick.

A rough, crude hand, darkened almost black from dried blood.

I raised my hand and examined it carefully.

The voices of the people around me continued pouring into my ears without end.

Gongsun Zan.

Eunuchs.

White Horse Volunteers.

Yellow Turbans.

The words began lodging themselves in my mind one after another.

And at some point, everything became clear.

The late Eastern Han.

Everything began to sharpen and come into focus.

As the headache faded, reality gradually fell into place.

Jeong Gyeom slowly began putting his thoughts in order.

So I had come to the Eastern Han.

Names immediately came to mind.

Liu Bei.

Guan Yu.

Zhang Fei.

And—

Cao Cao.

Sun Quan.

Weren’t these the names I had admired while reading books?

His heart pounded.

He was living in the same era as them.

Just thinking about it made his heart race.

Everyone who had read those books had probably imagined it at least once.

What would it have been like if I had been born in that era?

His eyes quietly gleamed.

But—

Right now, he just wanted to cry.

What the hell was this shabby outfit supposed to be?

No matter how he looked at it, he was dressed no differently from cannon fodder.

And what he was holding in his hand was unmistakably a crude spear.

“…Damn it.”

About a month later.

Zhang Shun, having suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of Gongsun Zan’s White Horse Volunteers, had withdrawn his troops and was concentrating on reorganizing his forces after suffering enormous losses.

If Geliqi, who had been lured deep into enemy territory, hadn’t realized what was happening and turned his cavalry around at the last possible moment—

There was no doubt they would have been annihilated.

In the previous battle, Jeong Gyeom had narrowly escaped death.

Having survived when he should have died, his mind was now a mess.

Could my luck really be this terrible?

Of all places, he had ended up in the same camp as a traitor.

What kind of joke is fate playing on me?

Fortunately, he had survived this time, but it wouldn’t have been strange for him to die at any moment.

And yet, even amid all this fear, Jeong Gyeom’s body was astonishingly strong.

This sturdy body could swing the heavy crude spear, hardened by being soaked in saltwater, as if it were lighter than a sheet of paper.

He was also as agile as a fox.

Even more surprisingly, Jeong Gyeom had managed to remember who he was.

Even in this land, Jeong Gyeom was still Jeong Gyeom.

And he was the son of a family of officials that had once possessed considerable power.

Of course, with both of his parents having died suddenly, he was now practically an orphan.

He hadn’t even reached twenty yet.

Judging roughly from the circumstances, he seemed to be over eighteen but not yet nineteen.

I have to find a way to survive on my own.

From that day on, Jeong Gyeom began searching for a way to survive.

After some effort, he came to know several people whose goals aligned with his own.

One of them was Gongsun Gi.

After cautiously looking around, Gongsun Gi spoke in a quiet voice.

“Gyeom, if we stay like this, both you and I are going to die.”

Tell me something I don’t know. Why say it now?

Jeong Gyeom let out a quiet sigh, rolled his eyes, and nodded.

Gongsun Gi glanced at Jeong Gyeom’s expression before speaking again.

“Let’s run away today. I looked into it, and the defenses around the eastern gate are weak. Today is the perfect day to escape.”

What kind of nonsense is that?

Jeong Gyeom shook his head with a stiff expression.

“If we’re caught trying to escape, we’ll be branded traitors and torn limb from limb. If you don’t want to die like that, don’t even bring it up.”

“Then what do you suggest? Stay here and wave our crude spears around until we just fucking die?”

“What kind of bullshit is that? There’s only one way for us to survive. We have to cut off Zhang Shun’s head.”

Gongsun Gi snorted.

Recently, after sharing life and death with the man, Jeong Gyeom had come to realize just how remarkable he was.

But taking Zhang Shun’s head was by no means an easy task, even for someone like Jeong Gyeom.

“Good grief. You make it sound so easy.”

“If we endure and wait for the right moment, an opportunity will always present itself. So don’t waste time talking nonsense about running away. Wait until I give you the signal.”

“Gongsun Zan is coming. You know that too, don’t you?”

“Even so, wait. Do you want to spend the rest of your life being hunted?”

At Jeong Gyeom’s firm nod, Gongsun Gi eventually backed down.

Then, glancing outside the tent, he muttered,

“…Jeon Ye seems pretty useful. Should I try to recruit him? Ask him to escape with us.”

Jeong Gyeom froze.

“What did you just say? Who?”

“Jeon Ye. You saw him too, didn’t you? The kid who walks around with some vicious-looking axe slung over his shoulder. Who knows where he picked it up.”

“Ah, that young kid was Jeon Ye?”

“Yeah. Why? You know him?”

“Not personally, but I’ve heard rumors. Bring him here for now. To be honest, I was a little uneasy about carrying this out with just the two of us.”

No sooner had Jeong Gyeom finished speaking than Gongsun Gi sprang to his feet.

“I saw him nearby on my way here. Wait just a moment. I’ll bring him back in no time.”

Watching Gongsun Gi hurry out, Jeong Gyeom shook his head slightly.

To think Jeon Ye had been right nearby.

If he had known earlier, he would never have left him unattended.

A short while later,

Gongsun Gi returned with a boy.

“I heard you wanted to see me.”

His voice was young but firm.

Gongsun Gi jerked his chin toward Jeong Gyeom.

“This is Jeong Gyeom. You’ve heard of him too, right? The White-Cleaver of the Battlefield.”

Jeon Ye’s gaze immediately locked onto Jeong Gyeom.

Of course he knew him.

In every battle, that man grabbed a single crude spear and gave the White Horse Volunteers hell.

Jeon Ye stared at Jeong Gyeom in surprise before respectfully cupping his hands and introducing himself.

“I am Guk Yang of Eoyang. It is an honor to meet the White-Cleaver.”

“It’s good to meet you. I wanted to see you myself, actually. I’m glad you came.”

“I should have come to see you sooner. I’m sorry I was late.”

“What are you talking about? More importantly, why is a brave warrior like you in a place like this? Don’t tell me you were dragged here.”

Jeon Ye hesitated for a moment before answering.

“…Administrator Zhang said he would feed us well, so I came here of my own accord. What about you, Elder Brother?”

Look at this kid. He’s pretty damn friendly.

When did I become his elder brother?

Jeong Gyeom happily answered.

“Why would I be any different? That sly Gongsun brother over there is no different from me.”

At Jeong Gyeom’s answer, a strange light began to appear in Jeon Ye’s eyes.

Not only did he feel a sense of kinship, but he had also taken an immediate liking to Jeong Gyeom despite having exchanged only a few words.

“When I got here, they turned out to be nothing but bandits.”

“That’s right.”

Gongsun Gi immediately burst out laughing and slapped his palm.

Seeing that, the corners of Jeon Ye’s mouth lifted slightly before falling again.

But then, as though something had occurred to him, he uttered a heavy sentence.

“My mother is waiting for me. I don’t intend to stay here for long.”

“Neither I nor Gongsun brother have any intention of staying.”

“Then we should leave.”

“I told Gongsun brother the same thing, but if we simply run away like this, we’ll never see the light of day again. You know that too, don’t you?”

“……”

“So I’m working on a plan. Rather than running away, we’re going to become heroes. So join us.”

“Good. Just tell me what you need me to do.”

The answer came without hesitation.

Jeong Gyeom held out his palm.

Gongsun Gi and Jeon Ye each slapped it lightly in turn before pulling their hands away.

A strange atmosphere began to flow between the three of them.

It had been a brief meeting, but that was enough.

Jeong Gyeom drove home his resolve in a solemn voice.

“Endure and be patient. I promise you this. When the opportunity comes, I will never let it slip away.”