TOTG 1

Episode 1

Orphan of the Heavens

He was a child of no one — a heavenly orphan.

Working day and night, he scraped together coins to buy martial arts manuals sold on the streets, one by one.

Heaven had granted Cheongun talent — but had taken everything else away so that talent could bloom in isolation.

Starting his training late in life, he shone all the brighter, growing stronger than anyone else.

But one tragic accident — the shattering of his energy core (danjeon) — took everything from him.

He had even succeeded in creating his own martial technique using his outstanding talent, but that was all.

“That doesn’t mean a broken danjeon can ever be restored.”

He never forgot what he saw, could understand things as though he had studied them countless times—

But when his danjeon shattered, that gift turned into a curse.

“To be almost omniscient, yet never omnipotent — what a cruel curse.”

He wanted to at least die as a martial artist. But before the great tide of the Great waters of the Jeongma War., a grain of sand could never become anything more.

He wasn’t even killed by some grand technique—
He simply got caught between the colossal forces of the righteous and the demonic, and died.

“How could a life be filled with nothing but injustice?”

As his consciousness drifted away, and his sight grew hazy, Cheongun felt even pain had become familiar.

Then, a voice spoke to him.

“If you could be reborn… what would you wish for most?”

Or was it someone else’s voice? No… it felt like his own.

It didn’t matter either way.
He knew answering was meaningless—
Yet Cheongun, his name ironically meaning Blue Sky, looked up at the blood-red heavens and quietly murmured,

“…A wealthy house.”

A wealthy house — not just a home with means, but one that possessed everything, or could easily obtain anything it lacked.

That was Cheongun’s final wish.

“A house that has everything.”

He could feel someone’s footsteps trampling over his dying body —
probably soldiers like him, caught in the same war.

Their fading footsteps stirred his dimming consciousness,
but he had already lost too much blood.

“Haa…”

So this was what peace felt like.
If he had known it would be this easy, maybe he would have let go sooner.

Then— nothing.

His awareness faded completely, and the sensation of his body vanished.

Was this what awaited beyond death?
There was nothing. No light, no darkness. Nothing at all.

He tried to open his eyes— but they wouldn’t open.

“Strange… why isn’t our young master crying?”

A voice he had never heard before.

“Forgive me, young master!”

Who was being apologized to?

And then— his butt suddenly stung.

“Waaah! Waaaah!!”

…That apology had been for him.

Before he could even think, Cheongun lost consciousness again.

He must have fallen into a deep sleep, because when he finally woke up again, he could think clearly once more.

“…I’ve become a baby.”

Strangely, it didn’t surprise him.
He adapted easily, too.

“So when people die… they really do just become someone else and start again.”

That was all he thought.

Still, he suspected something was wrong — maybe he’d retained all his past life’s memories by accident.

He wasn’t nostalgic for his old life.
In fact, he’d rather forget it entirely.

But all the knowledge he’d gained wandering the world — that, he could use someday.

“My son. Time to eat.”

The only hardship, really, was having to nurse like a baby while keeping the mind of an adult.

“Madam, it’s time.”
“Already? Just a moment — Cheongun should finish eating first.”

For the first time since regaining consciousness, something new was happening.

He finished feeding, closed his eyes, and followed his mother as the servants guided them to another room.

Inside were three elderly men — and the man who was probably his father.

“Ho… so that’s the child.”
“Even as an infant, his eyes already shine with life.”
“Thank you. Hearing such words from you, masters, brings me joy.”

Cheongun watched them carefully.
Those old men — definitely not ordinary elders.

“Place him here.”

He was laid down gently. His bright eyes shifted between his father and the elders.

“Let’s begin.”

They exchanged glances and extended their hands, channeling internal energy.

He could feel it flow into him.

“This technique… the Body Refinement Ritual?”

It was a process said to perfect one’s body for martial arts.

Something he could only dream of in his past life— yet here he was, receiving it as a baby.

“Hm?”
“Oh ho…”
“Heh, what is this…?”

The elders’ expressions changed — astonishment mixed with awe.

They had never seen meridians so pure and wide.

There wasn’t even a trace of impurity.
Even newborns naturally gathered some the moment they breathed air— but this child had none.

“Is something wrong?”
“No, no, not at all.”
“Master Jang, you need not worry.”

Even martial masters like these showed respect toward Cheongun’s father.

Who was this man, exactly?

“A manor so vast its end can’t be seen… halls lined with gold…”

It was clear this wasn’t an ordinary household.

“There’s no need for further refinement today. The child’s body is already perfect.”
“Indeed. Every art has its season. Let him grow naturally.”
“I see… ha ha.”

A smile — filled with both worry and pride.

“Feed him only the best. But remember, the balance of yin and yang is crucial.”
“I’ll rely on your wisdom.”

They began listing off rare herbs and miraculous medicines.

Cheongun recognized some— names that only existed in legends.

“So it’s either medicine… or poison.”

Still, he couldn’t help but be amazed.
In his past life, he could barely afford to eat a full meal, let alone precious elixirs.

“Thank you. I’ll never forget this favor.”
“Ha ha, it’s hardly a favor. We’re simply honored to serve the Master of Cheongeum Manor.”

“…Cheongeum Manor?”

He’d heard that name before.
Everyone had.

A place said to control half the wealth of the entire continent.

And surprisingly, it wasn’t just a rumor.

“Cheongeum” — it didn’t mean ‘a thousand golds.’
It meant ‘Heavenly Gold.’

“Our eldest son seems gifted in martial arts.”
“Dear, is everything done?”
“Yes. Our Cheongun’s body is pure and strong.”
“That’s because I’ve been feeding him only the best.”
“Ha ha. A body follows the heart. Your pure heart made him this way.”

A loving couple.
How strange.

For a brief moment, memories of his old parents surfaced —
his mother’s death by his father’s hands, his own near death.

He felt no hatred anymore.

“Look at Cheongun’s face — just like yours.”
“Ha ha ha, such calm, deep eyes.”

The warmth in their smiles made even Cheongun’s lips curl slightly.

“Oh my! He smiled!”
“He must understand what we’re saying.”

That proud joy was infectious.

From that day on, Cheongun grew surrounded by love and care.

He was fed rare elixirs, and later received the postponed Body Refinement again.

For ordinary children, it would’ve been unbearable—
But for him, every moment was bliss.

“To live in an environment beyond luxury… and to be loved.”

In his past life, all he had was his body— and even that was broken.
Now, he had everything.

“If you have much… you’ll have many enemies too.”

Especially as the heir of Cheongeum Manor.

Ten years of effort had produced a single heir— him.

Having lived a life once before, he knew:
to protect something precious, one must become untouchable.

“I must reach a level none can even dream of approaching — in every way.”

That started with forming a new danjeon.
If he could do that at this age, he could absorb all the medicine he’d been given perfectly.

“Focus.”

This was the one thing he had confidence in.

The Cheonuisimgong — The Heaven’s Will Heart Technique (Cheonui Shimgong).

The name itself was arrogant.
The Will of Heaven.

But it was the most profound technique he’d ever seen.

“One breath… stretched to a single interval of time.”

Impossible for most, but Cheongun didn’t believe in impossibilities.

He began by extending his breath slightly, then longer each time.
Even if he failed today, the effort itself was training.

With steady focus, he guided the flow of energy into the place where a danjeon would form.

It was hard— painfully hard—
But he didn’t stop.

He began training at midnight and continued until dawn.

He couldn’t yet stretch a breath to a full il-gak (interval), but for a first attempt, it was promising.

“No need to rush. I’m years ahead of everyone already.”

And so three years passed.

Never missing a single night, he trained tirelessly—
until, at last, he formed a danjeon the size of a fingernail.

“Ha… such pure energy…”

Not a speck of impurity remained.

He had done it.
At the age of five, he had created a danjeon.

By then, he had also fully grasped the structure of Cheongeum Manor—
its layout, its people, its secrets.

“Young master— are you awake?”

It was his personal maid, Souun.

He’d been caught once before, but had managed to pretend to be asleep.

“Mm. Come in.”

The childish tone now came naturally.

“You’re always up before me, young master.”
“You came a little early today, didn’t you?”
“That’s right! Today’s an important day. You remember, don’t you?”
“Yeah. I remember.”

“Today, we’re meeting the former master of Cheongeum Manor.”

The very man who had raised this family to its current glory—
a man whose name would go down in history.

“You’ve never met him before, right?”
“No. What kind of person is he?”
“He’s… incredible. Honestly, he’s more powerful than the former Emperor—”

Cheongun listened with half an ear.

He already knew the name, had seen the man from afar in his previous life.

But today, he would meet him not as a bystander—

“Today, I meet him as the heir… the next master of Cheongeumjang .”