Martial Wild West

[For a millennium, the Central Plains have been united as one entity.

This indicates that for over a thousand years, the supreme martial arts of consecutive emperors and their formidable imperial armies have maintained a tight grip on this territory. It was also a period when the descendants of heroes, who had once risen to protect the people and the world from turmoil, had ample chances to become corrupted by power.

The founding emperor’s vision of creating a new empire to counterbalance the first emperor’s tyranny has long been marred by the blood of the populace and the repulsive sweat and avarice of those in power, rendering it nearly unrecognizable.

The unyielding emperor, who tolerated no opposition, and the imperial army that blindly obeyed his commands, evolved into a monstrous force that feasted on innumerable lives throughout the years. The cities and roads that flourished under the dominant imperial reign shimmered brilliantly at night as if the stars had descended to Earth, but the shadows of those towering structures were tainted with the congealed blood and tears of famished citizens and the pus oozing from their battered bodies.

It may have been inevitable that countless righteous fighters, warriors, outlaws, and purpose-driven individuals took up arms, having been raised on tales of the founding emperor who established the empire.

However, among the innumerable bandits, none managed to vanquish the emperor and the imperial army.

Perhaps that was to be expected as well. It would have been nearly insurmountable for those who trained in ancient martial arts individually or in small groups in remote mountains to defeat the emperor and the imperial army, who had mastered unparalleled martial arts with the full backing of the nation.

Even if the powerless masses assembled and raised an army of a million, they could not withstand the imperial army of ten thousand, who could effortlessly annihilate them with just ten strokes of their blades. Ultimately, it was only natural that the martial arts taught in the various factions across the Central Plains were tailored towards joining the imperial army or capturing the emperor’s attention.

Ultimately, innumerable citizens of the empire were exploited by affluent merchants and power-driven officials, never having the opportunity to possess even a single plot of land or their own workshop until they were laid to rest in their shallow graves. They merely became tiny components of the empire, devoting their entire lives to satisfying the appetites of those above them.

Amid those desperate days, which resembled another version of hell, a new land was discovered one day.

It was a territory revealed after traveling eastward across the vast ocean for many days on a colossal ship. An immense expanse with sprawling plains, forests, towering mountains, deep valleys, unforgiving wilderness, and proud rivers. Along with them were plants and animals akin to those in the Central Plains, as well as monsters and individuals who weren’t much different.

The reigning emperor, who had recently ascended to the throne, was astonished that the project his predecessor had backed out of mere boredom had actually succeeded, but that was the extent of his reaction.

According to someone present at the time, the emperor seemed fairly uninterested when he observed the plants, animals, and slightly different people from the New Continent brought by the explorers, as well as the gold and silver.

It was an appropriate demeanor for a steely emperor of an empire that had thrived for over a thousand years and continued to grow stronger each day.

However, that indifference might not have reflected his true intentions, as the New Continent’s explorers were soon bestowed numerous treasures and additional ships. This was accompanied by an order to establish a stable maritime route between the empire and the New Continent.

With the full support of the emperor – even if it was merely a diversion for him – the exploration team and the shipbuilding industry promptly completed the maritime routes and maps. Consequently, numerous imperial citizens began crossing the ocean on the newly established routes and vast ships.

The indigenous people of the New Continent only formed tribal groups of just over a hundred individuals. Furthermore, they didn’t engage in large-scale agriculture. Naturally, there was a wealth of unclaimed land, and for the empire’s new settlers, it appeared to be their sole chance to own land and break free from the grip of merciless officials and ruthless aristocrats.

Over several decades, tens and hundreds of millions of people crossed the ocean, and the emperor not only refrained from hindering them but also constructed a fleet under the royal court to compete with other merchants’ ships and transport people. Furthermore, he proclaimed that the land cultivated by the people belonged to them.

In my view, the emperor must have foreseen that even if billions of people from the empire traversed the small ocean, there would be no significant problems. He might have even been secretly pleased that the people would till the land on their own, without requiring the royal court to expend resources opening up new territories.

And then, several decades later, either at the end of his rule or during his son’s reign, it became evident that he planned to send his ruthless imperial army to consume the land once it was ripe for the taking.

However, there was something the iron-fisted emperor and his imperial army could not have anticipated.

It was not only the powerless people who crossed the ocean.

Bandits who struggled to keep their organizations alive while evading the imperial army, assassins who hid in remote mountains and valleys awaiting opportunities, descendants of long-lost royal families, and those who concealed themselves from the emperor’s might and cultivated their power all ventured across the ocean, dreaming of a new dynasty and a new world.

Of course, not only those with a purpose crossed the ocean.

Criminals who committed atrocities in the dark recesses of cities, worthless opportunists hoping to profit in the New Continent, depraved sorcerers who mastered wicked magic, and a variety of evil and selfish individuals also made the journey.

At the time, observers feared that all these people would converge in one location and erupt like water poured into boiling oil. They speculated that such a disaster would result in many casualties.

However, that was merely a groundless worry. In my opinion, there were several reasons for this, but the primary one was that the New Continent was vast, and the number of people was minuscule in comparison to its size.

···I am aware that many observers have produced countless books and writings, reflecting on the current situation. I would like to contribute my humble thoughts to theirs.

It is that the emperor’s intention to seize this land will fail.

Over a thousand years ago, martial arts were not taught to those who were not human or who lacked connections, a principle called “non-human non-transmission.” Consequently, most of those who rose up and fought against the chaotic Warring States period and the tyranny of Emperor Qin were bandits.

However, the empire established after the defeat of Emperor Qin and the tyrant king was vastly different from the bandits’ expectations, and under the empire’s powerful authority and surveillance, they had no choice but to aimlessly wander underground.

But this place was distinct. This new land, far removed from the empire, the emperor, and the imperial army, was unique.

This territory, teeming with bandits, villains, virtuous individuals, and sorcerers, was, in my daring opinion, a return to the ancient martial arts world of a thousand years ago.

Numerous convictions, aspirations, selfishness, greed, and all sorts of martial arts from around the world will clash in pursuit of fulfilling their individual desires. The sparks and sweat from these battles will invigorate the new martial arts world, thriving and growing stronger and more tenacious, defying the emperor’s expectations.

The struggle for each martial artist’s beliefs, unburdened by the empire’s oppression, will embody the essence of ancient romanticism and ignite the fire in their hearts.

Thus, the spark of the martial arts world, reborn after a thousand years, will not be readily extinguished by the power of the emperor and his imperial army from across the ocean…]

The remaining portion of the text was drenched in blood, rendering it unreadable.

“What time this tale is set in?”

The man, crouching as he thumbed through the book, aimlessly flipped the pages before tossing it to the ground. It landed on the chest of a lifeless body lying face-up. Due to the large wound, the unblemished part of the book started to gradually absorb blood.

“Listen up, amigo, true romanticism is kickin’ back on a soft bed in a snug abode, munchin’ on some snacks, and gettin’ lost in wuxia novels. See, them martial arts and the folks who practice ’em are the reason why the human nation, which was only supposed to last 500 years, has lasted a whole dang millennium. So why bother lookin’ for romanticism in that?”

The man, who had admonished the deceased, soon pursed his lips and averted his gaze. He squinted at the dazzling reddish glow of the setting sun.

The sun, leaning over the expansive plain and tracing a lengthy horizon, was casting its final rays of daylight. Wispy clouds sprawled across the sky, distinctly separated into areas illuminated by the sunset and those that were not, flaunting their vibrant hues.

The surrounding lifeless bodies shared a similar fate.

Men and women, along with the elderly, approximately eighteen lifeless bodies in total, were strewn about haphazardly, each bearing a large wound. A wagon with a broken wheel leaned awkwardly, and given the disarray of its cargo and the missing horse, it seemed to have been targeted by bandits.

The crouching man surveyed the cooling bodies with a gaze as skewed as the tilted wagon before gradually standing up. His attention was drawn to the clothing scattered messily around the wagon. He sifted through the garments, hoping to discover something of value, but ultimately came up empty-handed. However, he did find a few items that appeared to fit a small child.

Since no children were among the lifeless bodies, it was plausible that the thieves had abducted them. They were either raising the children as fellow bandits or had sold them off for a meager sum.

“What a darn shame.”

Mumbling to himself, the man donned the traditional Korean hat he had been clutching in his left hand, spat lightly, and then let out a brief whistle. In response, his horse, which had been some distance away, ambled toward him. The man, adjusting the sword at his waist, swiftly mounted the saddle and then nudged the horse’s side with his boot heels.

Comprehending its master’s intent, the horse neighed and immediately broke into a gallop, leaving the scene behind.

The man and his horse raced across the crimson plain. Wind laden with sand whipped under his clothing and hat, while the saddle and his body swayed in rhythm with the horse’s movements. Departing from the bodies that hadn’t been lifeless for even half a day, he charged toward the sinking sun.

It was a late afternoon on the vast, uncharted continent.