Ryu Jin-Ho

902 AD, Ancient China

"What in the..."

"I-Is he dead..."

"He suddenly passed out..."

"I'm sure..."

"Hey, kid..."

"Wake up..."

"Wake up!"

Vincent was awoken with a jolt as he took a long deep breath.

He was lying in the middle of a dirt road covered in dust from head to toe. The bright blue sky stung his eyes as his ears were engulfed by the noise of crowds that goes around him.

'W-What happened?' he thought to himself, confused.

He then took a look around and an unfamiliar surrounding hit him like a turbulent wave. He seems to have woken up in some kind of ancient eastern town, surrounded by a crowd of people looking at him with worried expressions.

Each of them wore ragged robes that looks to have only existed in ancient China. All of them were whispering among themselves as they glanced at Vincent.

'Where in the world am I? Wasn't I killed by that damn time traveler?' he thought to himself in confusion.

"Damn brat, you scared us there! You fainted all of a sudden and we all thought there was a murder going around. If you are truly exhausted then just take a rest or something... Sigh..." said a man from the crowd.

Seeing that Vincent was fine and uninjured, the crowds then let out a sigh of relief as all of them left one by one.

Vincent stood there, even more confused. They were all speaking in Chinese and he couldn't understand a single word the man said. He was about to approach a nearby man to question him when he noticed something off about his perception.

His eyesight only managed to reach the man's chest, and the man wasn't even that tall compared to others.

'Why am I so small!?' he screamed on the inside.

Usually, he stood at a majestic two and a half meters tall, but now he only stood about half the height of an average man. He quickly lifted his hand and also noticed that his hand was as tiny as a child's. His clothing was brown and worn like that of a beggar.

His face then turned as pale as paper as he had a small guess at what is happening.

'I have a rough guess at my current situation, but I should confirm something...'

He then looked up and stared into the blue sky.

The sky was very blue and was not as bright as it used to be. The coolness of the surrounding temperatures and refreshing air around made it evident that there were no signs of global warming in this place.

'I knew it.'

He glanced back around and saw that the buildings were mostly made out of wood and stone. They were also quite small and the biggest building he could see was the inn, which was two stories tall. Everywhere around the town was filled with lush greeneries that made the surroundings look beautiful and natural.

After seeing that there was no sign of advanced technology, but only the tools of the middle ages, He doesn't even need to think to come to a conclusion.

'This body... is not mine, neither was the place nor era. I have been sent back into the past.'

He remembered the last thing he saw before waking up was the time traveler sending his memories into the tunnel of time in order to kill him. He must have miscalculated since he managed to survive. Still...

'I need to look around and gather some information...' he concluded.

Without further ado, Vincent stretched his body before he started to walk across the streets.

The gentle breeze of spring blew across his face as the rustling of the trees could be heard all around. He saw children running and playing across the streets, giggling and laughing as the happy atmosphere spread around.

The sound of reeling carts was heard from every household as merchants sold their goods along the streets. Men and women chatted among themselves cheerfully, talking about their day as Vincent kept on traveling across the town.

The frugal beauty of this town was truly something that Vincent had never experienced before in the past. A pleasant sense of peace was deeply imprinted into his heart.

'I should stay in this town for now...' he thought as he smiled.

The harmonious atmosphere was still going around until Vincent heard a voice that came out of nowhere,

"B-Brother, there you are!"

Vincent turned around and saw a girl that was wearing similar clothes to him, like that of a beggar. She looks to be around thirteen years old and an expression of anxiety was present on her face.

"I have been looking for you everywhere but you suddenly disappeared! Where were you? What did you do? You didn't do anything stupid, did you?" she spoke quickly.

Though... Vincent could only tilt his head to the side in confusion.

The girl was speaking in Chinese, and Vincent doesn't understand a single word she was saying. In the past, he had never learned nor understood Chinese, let alone an ancient version at that.

'How should I reply?' he asked himself in his mind.

Seeing the lack of response, the girl's brows furrowed and she grabbed Vincent's hand, dragging him into an alley at the side of the streets, between the gaps of two small houses.

"Seriously, try responding to me at least, big brother. How could you leave your little sister alone like this..."

They kept on getting deeper into the alley as the sunlight gets dimmer, blocked by the households' large roof. Along the way, Vincent saw other beggars chilling around, laying on the walls of the alley.

'Is this the place where they live?' Vincent thought after seeing more beggars.

There was a slight tingling in his head as if he had forgotten something. The deeper they went, the stronger the tingling feeling gets until Vincent started to become very uncomfortable.

All of a sudden, a massive headache hits Vincent and he suddenly dropped to his knees with both of his hands holding his head. He grunted as a torrent of information and foreign memories entered his mind like a crashing wave.

"Ugh!"

"B-Brother, are you okay!?" the girl screamed.

The girl started to panic after seeing him in pain and started to rush around back and forth trying to find a way to help him. This commotion has drawn the attention of nearby beggars as they looked at both of them with a snort.

'Ryu Jin-Ho? Ryu Sang-Hee? Wudang Mountains? What is this...' he muttered quietly.

The information won't stop flooding his mind even when the pain level reached an extreme, giving him an urge to puke. Thankfully, it stopped after five minutes have passed. The girl came back with a bag of water and gave it to Vincent, and he drank a gulp of it.

His eyes then shined after his mind finished processing the information that came inside his head. It turns out that it was the memories of this body's original owner that he had merged with after traveling back in time.

'So this is who I currently am...'

Right now, he was currently living in the Tang Dynasty around the year 903 AD.

His name was Ryu Jin-Ho, a fourteen-year-old child born into a poor family. He was a young beggar that wandered the streets of Hubei in search of food and money, though his efforts were in vain since almost no one give a damn.

The only reason he didn't resort to thievery was due to his kind and pure heart.

Thus, every day he would only eat some plants he managed to forage and bread from the small amount of money he managed to earn. He would also share them with his sister from time to time since he had no one else to rely on.

Due to this arduous life, he managed to obtain much knowledge and experience with wild plants and herbs. He could somewhat distinguish which plant was poisonous and which one is safe to eat with just a glance and whiff.

After reminiscing about this body's memory, Ryu Jin-Ho finally understood his current situation.

He glanced at the girl who was trying hard to pull his hand to follow her into their shack, in the deeper parts of the alley.

It turns out that she was his sister, Ryu Sang-Hee.

'She was quite close to this body's original owner due to them spending their entire life together. That's why she would not stop worrying and pestering me to stick close to her...' he thought in his mind.

The original Ryu Jin-Ho would probably try to comfort her and give his best to make her live her best life. However, Vincent doesn't really care.

He looked at her with a cold stare.

'Right now, I should focus on gathering as much material as possible and return to the twenty-third century, before giving that damn time traveler the ass-whooping he deserves... I don't have time to babysit this troublesome little girl.'

He then turned around and walked back to the main street.

His sister was surprised and shouted,

"B-Brother? We need to go back home before it's dark and cold... What's wrong with you, why are you suddenly like this? Come back!"

She quickly followed him and continued to pester him as she tried to drag him back as hard as she could, but to no avail.

Ryu Jin-Ho was starting to get annoyed with her and he turned around to give her a slight smile,

"Sang-Hee, I have an important business to do before heading home," he replied gently, trying his best to act like a gentle and loving brother.

"R-Really? Did you get hired by someone!? Is it the blacksmith, the innkeeper, or maybe... did you get hired by a noble family!?" she asked with a tone full of excitement.

Ryu Sang-Hee stared at him with bright eyes as she suddenly became hyped up. Well, it's normal for her to act like this since even any kind of job would gain them more money than begging on the streets.

"Yes, I did. Now you can stay back in our safe area to sleep while your brother will do his job... You are quite tired aren't you?"

"No, I'm fine! Brother, I want to help too! Don't leave me!"

'How stubborn...' Ryu Jin-Ho frowned in his heart.

Seeing that he can't deter his sister away, Ryu Jin-Ho sighs and nodded slowly after thinking it through carefully.

He can't decline an extra companion to work his plans through. Since he might need one to make some extra money to create his own business, Ryu Sang-Hee, his sister, might be a great person to work with despite being annoying.

There were many reasons behind this.

First of all, she is loyal to him, since she was his sister that spent most of her time with him. Second of all, she is still young and has a lot of potential to learn a lot of things that would be helpful. And lastly, she is pretty easy to trick and made use of, unlike his old subordinates that would betray him the moment they had the chance to.

Due to these reasons, he decided to let her follow him to search for jobs. This could gain him more earnings.

'Right now, my priority is to work in the smithy while having Ryu Sang-Hee work in the inn as a performer for some time until I have enough money to create a business. Although she looks quite ragged right now, she does have a premature beauty in her. All she needs to do is clean up and I bet any inn would accept her as a waiter or an entertainer...' he thought as he glanced at his sister.

She walked along the streets with a bright smile on her face.

Her body was graceful like a crane, without excessive muscle or fat. She has bright brown eyes that were complemented by her ragged black hair that flowed down to her back. Her fair skin was tainted with dust and grease which signify her lack of hygiene maintenance as a beggar.

Ryu Jin-Ho's face distorts as he smelled the foul smell coming from her. She really needs a shower.

"We are going to the lake," he said firmly.

"Huh? Why?"

"You smell like pure grease."

"Hey! What's wrong with it!?"

"Everything."

...

...

...

They continued to walk slowly and slowly. From the dark alley, into the city that was bustling with people, before entering the forest, and finally into a large lake. It took them quite some time to get here and it was already afternoon.

They stared at the lake that was as clean as a mirror.

Ryu Jin-Ho admired the scene of the lake that was surrounded by beautiful trees and massive rocks. Complemented by the setting sun and birds chirping, it created a relaxing and dreamy scenery that could never be found in modern times.

'I guess this era is not so bad after all...' he thought in his head as he smiled.

He then stared into the lake water and took a good look at his own appearance.

Just like his sister, he has shoulder-length black hair along with sharp brown eyes. His body was toned and skinny from malnutrition, but his fair skin shows a healthy complexion that says otherwise.

His brows furrowed as shivers traveled down his spine. Seeing himself with a different appearance feels really weird.

Without messing around, he and his sister stripped and took a bath on different sides of the lake while enjoying the view. The greasiness on their skin and hair sticks to their body like glue due to how long they have not showered, making the cleaning take way longer than usual.

An hour later after Ryu Jin-Ho was truly satisfied, they quickly left the lake and put their ragged clothes back on.

He then took a good look at himself and Ryu Sang-Hee. Their skin is now much cleaner and their hair was not as greasy as before. The foul smell was still quite there, but not as evident as before.

'She could do much better with some soap and shampoo, but this should be good enough.' he nodded with satisfaction.

"Brother, what are we waiting for? Come on, let's go to our new jobs!" Ryu Sang-Hee plead impatiently as Ryu Jin-Ho nodded with a smile.

"Sure, we should go now..."

It took another thirty minutes before they arrived back in town and arrived at an inn.

The inn was somewhat bustling with people and the atmosphere was quite happy and cheerful. He saw some people playing some board games that he doesn't know about, and some people were simply talking drunkenly with one another. This inn seems to be the favorite place for people to come after a long day of work.

'This inn should be good enough to give a nice pay.'

He then walked inside without hesitation.

Ryu Sang-Hee stuck timidly beside him as she had never entered an inn before. Usually, she would be kicked out if she ever tried to enter it due to being a beggar, but right now, everyone doesn't seem to mind her.

For the first time in a while, they were treated like a normal person.

'I-Is this what happens when you put up a good appearance? I can't believe my brother thought it through...' she thought in her head as she glanced back at Ryu Jin-Ho, who simply kept on walking indifferently.

Her stare was full of admiration and reliance. Her brother has never acted this domineering before, but she doesn't mind it. She's simply glad that her brother has great capability and seems like he has a bright future.

To be honest, she doesn't care if they have a bright future or not. She's simply glad that they are together, safe and sound.

They kept on walking until they approached the innkeeper.

The innkeeper was serving some customers as he gave a gentle smile with his wide lips. He was quite fat in size and looked quite comical. Even when he dress himself in loose humble robes, one could still see even the outline of his large stomach from a distance. He has a bald head that shone with his fair complexion, while his eyes also narrowed to a slit like a sly fox.

"Do you have any business with me, brat?" the innkeeper smiled at Ryu Jin-Ho.

Ryu Jin-Ho nodded quickly,

"Yes, I was about to ask if you could hire my poor sister as a waitress," he replied straightforwardly.

"Hire your sister as a waitress? Are your parents here? Listen, kid. I don't mind hiring your sister, but work is not something that you can simply play around with. If you are truly serious then you should bring your paren-"

"I don't have parents." Ryu Jin-Ho cut through with a dark expression.

"Oh, is that so?" the innkeeper replied with a frown, expressing his guilt.

"Please, sir. We don't have anywhere else to go and we are running out of money to buy food. I'm begging you..." Ryu Jin-Ho put on a sad expression as he pleads.

The innkeeper was now feeling quite conflicted. Simply noticing their ragged and worn clothes was enough for him to confirm that this pair of siblings has lived a hard life. At the same time, he was also in need of a waitress since the number of people that went to his inn had increased by a lot these past few months.

After some quick thinking, the innkeeper came to a decision.

"Alright, kid. I'll hire your sister as a waitress, but she will need some training from other waitresses as well. I'll pay her ten copper coins a week." the innkeeper concluded with a smile.

'Tch. Sly old bastard...' Ryu Jin-Ho grimaced inside his head.

"Sir, don't you think that is quite petty? Please take a good look at her," he said as he pulled his sister in front of him.

"She has a beauty that truly shined among the common people. I'm sure more customers would come if she were to work here, so she's worth quite more than your average waiter, right? How about thirty copper coins a week?" Ryu Jin-Ho smiled as he showcased his sister like a product.

Ryu Sang-Hee jolted as she became very embarrassed. Even the innkeeper couldn't hold his surprise at how sly this kid truly is.

"Kid, aren't you the one being petty here? Listen, you pair of siblings are not as special as you think. I simply hired your sister out of pure benevolence. I could simply hire another person as a waitress and all my problems would be solved." the innkeeper replied with a slightly threatening tone to Ryu Jin-Ho.

However, Ryu Jin-Ho completely smiled, his face completely unfazed.

'As long as I don't go over the line and truly anger him, we should be safe from getting kicked out of this place...' he planned in his mind.

"Oh please, what kind of inn wouldn't want more customers? I can see that this building could fit way more customers than right now. You can't simply pull a fast one on me like this, sir."

"Ugh, fine. Then how about fourteen copper? That should be enough to cover your daily expenses."

"No, it should be twenty-seven copper."

...

...

...

...

Ryu Sang-Hee simply stared at this battle of words between her brother and the innkeeper with wide eyes. Her mind simply can't catch up to these conversations and her brother even blatantly lied from time to time.

After a while, the result then concluded. The innkeeper would pay Ryu Sang-Hee twenty-two copper a week for working as a waitress.

The innkeeper grabbed a cloth from his pocket and wiped some sweat from his forehead. He has not gotten tired from a conversation in years. He then glanced back toward Ryu Jin-Ho who was grinning playfully.

For the first time in his life, he saw someone that was truly as stubborn as a mule. This kid would not back out of negotiation until he was satisfied with his gains.

'This kid is truly terrifying. I've never seen someone so shameless and sly in my life, and he's still a child at that...' the innkeeper thought in his head with a dark expression.

"Thank you for the benevolence, sir innkeeper." Ryu Jin-Ho replied with a smile full of satisfaction.

He then gestured to the innkeeper as he glanced back at his sister,

"Sang-Hee, follow sir innkeeper to the back and you will be tutored how to be a waitress. Remember to work hard!"

"Uh, yes brother."

Ryu Sang-Hee then walked toward the back of the inn uncomfortably while Ryu Jin-Ho walked back into the door and exit the inn.

'Now that has been taken care of, it's time to get a job for myself...'

He walked slowly along the road for a while in search of a smithy. But then suddenly, he crossed something along the road.

It was an old building with a lot of people waiting in line to get inside. The building reeks with the smell of medicine and even though he couldn't read the sign at the top of the building, he could clearly tell what this building is.

It was the town's pharmacy.

'So this is what the pharmacy looks like...' he thought as he eyed the building carefully.

Most of the people who were lining up to get treated were people with only physical injuries. Each of these treatments used took quite a long time, thus some people decided to go back home instead to treat the wounds by themselves.

'This town seems to be in dire need of healthcare institutes. Even in modern times, people who could truly achieve a high medical degree were quite rare, let alone in ancient times.'

After watching the pharmacy for quite some time, a small idea popped up in his mind.

'What if I build my own pharmacy? Although I'm not too well-versed in medicine, I know some small recipes such as pain relief pills and stomachache medicines... This is an opportunity!' he thought as his eyes started to shine.

It seems like I have a good plan for the future...