The Illusion of a Peasant's Life
It was about time he ran into a madman or two.
That was Han Yujin’s first thought.
It’s not as if my feats have been forgotten already…
Ten years was certainly a long time, yet it still wasn’t long enough for him to entertain a challenge from some ignorant brat who couldn’t tell heaven from earth.
In fact, there was far more room to interpret the situation differently.
I suppose I must have given off the air of a benevolent, heroic master.
If he had even the slightest reputation for ruthlessness, he wondered whether such a challenge would have come at all. Most madmen were never the genuine article; they usually weighed the odds in their heads before committing their acts of insanity.
In short, the fellow named Tae-geon standing before him might simply believe he wouldn’t suffer serious injury or death, and was trying to snatch a bit of fame for himself.
Just then the steward who had been waiting behind stepped closer and whispered softly in Han Yujin’s ear.
“He is only a junior, but I have heard the rumors. Despite his youth, he provided the decisive clue for restoring the Un-hae Sect’s lost high-level martial art, the Azure Cloud Dragon Technique. That is how he earned the title Cheong-un Yong-geom.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
A flicker of genuine interest stirred beneath the earlier feelings of ridicule and mild annoyance. If the rumor was true, the boy possessed the rare makings of a grandmaster.
“Supreme Ultimate Sovereign! Why do you hesitate against a mere challenge from the likes of me?!”
Yet Tae-geon could not even wait those few seconds and shouted again. To his own mind it probably seemed courageous and full of spirit, but he appeared utterly blind to the way everyone gathered around them had frozen, watching in tense silence.
Looking at him properly once more, Yujin saw he had only just crossed twenty. At the same time, the immaturity of someone who had known nothing but success and adoration poured off him in waves.
“Very well.”
Therefore Han Yujin decided to face the boy in the manner he would hate most.
“If you can endure for just three seconds, I will count it as your victory.”
Dream Illusion Mind Snatching Art
A purple light flashed in his eyes. At the same instant Tae-geon’s gaze went blank and his knees buckled, dropping him to the ground.
He began to sob uncontrollably, the sound of a man who had lost everything in the world. The onlookers stared at him in complete bewilderment.
“Now that is one ridiculous fellow.”
Someone sneered the words, and another laughed openly, piling on the mockery. The entire atmosphere quickly shifted in that direction, as though everyone had been waiting for the perfect moment to crush the rising star of the Un-hae Sect beneath their heels.
At that point Han Yujin spoke.
“If you have regained your senses and realized your own deficiencies, come find me at Golden Lotus Manor later. There may yet be a chance for you to display your talents.”
Whether the boy actually came or not was of little concern.
With those light words, he climbed into the carriage and continued his journey, leaving the still-sobbing Tae-geon behind.
A short while later, once they had put some distance between themselves and the scene, Eun Miryeong asked from the seat beside him.
“Was that the Six Paths of Reincarnation?”
“No.”
Han Yujin gave a small laugh.
“It was the Dream Illusion Mind Snatching Art. From the way he behaved, I could guess the kind of life he must have lived. Since he wanted fame, I gave him shame instead, and threw in a lesson while I was at it.”
“What sort of lesson?”
“I let him experience being born as a poor peasant with neither talent nor prospects.”
The technique had been deployed for only a brief moment, and there had been no need to invest great effort, so the illusion had been rough with many details omitted. Even so, the core framework had remained intact, and he had layered on the necessary pressure from the Six Paths of Reincarnation. To someone like Tae-geon, the shock must have felt as real as if he had truly lived that life.
“Do you think he will come?”
“Hard to say.”
It was not a matter of great importance, so after a little more conversation on the subject the pair turned to other topics related to their travels.
In truth, Han Yujin had another hidden purpose for suggesting the journey.
Visiting famous sights and building memories with his wife was certainly important, but in between he would slip away alone to thoroughly search lofty mountain ranges and deep forests.
He hoped to find spiritual plants at least ten thousand years old or spiritual beasts that had formed inner cores. Unfortunately, he found nothing of value and no clues whatsoever, making it difficult to justify pouring endless time into the search. He could not waste the precious days he had with Eun Miryeong in the name of seeking even more time with her later.
Still, they accumulated a wealth of memories while touring every notable location, so the original purpose of the trip had been more than fulfilled.
The rivers and lakes of the martial world were by no means small. Traveling in a straight line might be quick, but exploring every corner required far more than a few years.
Therefore their journey was not completed in one go. They would spend several months thoroughly enjoying one region before returning to Golden Lotus Manor to rest for a year or two. In this manner, the travels continued two or three times over the span of several years.
Naturally, many things happened during that period.
Han Wujeong, the White Flower Sword Sovereign who had once been an elder of the Supreme Yang Sect and leader of the Orthodox Alliance, finally reached the end of his natural lifespan. His death sent ripples across the entire martial world; he had been a towering figure with wide connections.
Though their relationship had not been particularly close, Han Yujin attended the funeral together with Eun Miryeong. Both the Orthodox Alliance and the Supreme Yang Sect expressed deep gratitude. Many inevitably interpreted the gesture through a political lens.
Of course, he had simply felt moved because it was the first time someone he knew from this awakened world had died of old age. There had been no other intention.
Then, sadly, the steward of Golden Lotus Manor—who had faithfully handled all manner of tasks since being hired—suddenly passed away from illness.
He had shown no signs of trouble the day before, yet his heart failed while he slept. In truth, having already reached his mid-sixties, it was an age at which death would not have been surprising by the standards of this world. The steward had never practiced martial arts, let alone undergone body refinement.
Had Han Yujin not examined the cause with his divine sense, no one would have even realized the death had been due to heart failure.
So this is what ordinary life is like…
A seemingly healthy person in their sixties dying suddenly of heart disease was not uncommon even on modern Earth. In a world at this level of civilization, it was even less surprising.
When he looked around, he noticed that many of the long-serving laborers were also retiring due to old age. If not for Eun Miryeong, the mistress of the manor and a Qi Condensation cultivator, generously providing healing techniques whenever needed, quite a few of them would have died as well.
The steward’s position was soon filled by a new appointee, and the laborers’ ranks were likewise replenished. Yet Han Yujin could not help feeling a strange emptiness where those familiar faces had once been. Especially when he sat in the garden pavilion, he would suddenly recall the old steward bringing wine and snacks at Eun Miryeong’s request.
Fortunately, not all news concerned death.
Seogwang Gahu, who had been vigorously raising his fame throughout the martial world, fell in love with a woman known as the Silver Lotus Snow Painting, Seodan Yu, and decided to marry her.
He had visited Golden Lotus Manor regularly even before that, sharing the story. On the day of the wedding, Han Yujin and Eun Miryeong visited the Seogwang Clan in person to offer their sincere congratulations.
So much time has already passed.
Only then did Han Yujin fully realize that more than ten years had gone by since his own marriage to Eun Miryeong. A complex mix of emotions washed over him.
After returning to Golden Lotus Manor, he naturally asked Dok Junseong whether he had any thoughts of marriage.
The man merely laughed and said he would consider it after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage. Given that he had the potential and would gain at least another century of lifespan, it was a perfectly reasonable answer.
Roughly a year later, Seogwang Gahu and Seodan Yu welcomed a child. In fact they had twins, and after the infants remained healthy past the hundredth day, a grand celebration was held.
This time Han Yujin and Eun Miryeong did not attend. Not because anything felt off, but simply because that was the custom of this world.
After the banquet, Seogwang Gahu personally visited with his wife and the twins to pay his respects to his master.
“Why do you look so apologetic?”
“It is nothing, Master. I merely…”
Having read the man’s emotions through the Six Paths of Reincarnation, Han Yujin spoke with a smile. Seogwang Gahu fidgeted, at a loss. Beside him, Seodan Yu—who had heard the full story from her husband—also looked deeply embarrassed.
“Such behavior is actually more disrespectful. This is a joyous occasion that deserves celebration. From now on, do not tiptoe around the matter out of needless caution.”
“Yes… Master. This disciple was ignorant.”
Around the time they had celebrated Seogwang Gahu’s good fortune, the very madman Yujin had assumed would never appear finally arrived at Golden Lotus Manor. The Cheong-un Yong-geom of the Un-hae Sect, Tae-geon, came accompanied by one of the sect’s elders.
In the reception hall where guests were welcomed, Han Yujin almost failed to recognize him at first. Had Eun Miryeong been present, she too would have been shocked by how much he had changed.
Tae-geon bowed deeply with perfect courtesy and humility.
“This junior pays his respects to the Supreme Ultimate Sovereign.”
“Your entire demeanor has transformed. It is almost as if your soul itself has been replaced.”
At the half-teasing remark, Tae-geon’s face flushed red. The Un-hae Sect elder who had heard the full story of that day afterward also looked rather ashamed, yet he did not step forward on the young man’s behalf.
“Not a single day has passed in which I have forgotten my shameful behavior that day. Moreover… I have never forgotten the profound teaching the Supreme Ultimate Sovereign bestowed upon me through mysterious means.”
“People experience the same event yet draw different lessons from it. That is your own ability and fortune; there is no need to thank me so profusely.”
Those words only seemed to move Tae-geon even more deeply. He repeatedly apologized for his past faults.
After such casual conversation had run its course, Han Yujin brought up the main topic.
“The reason I told you to come see me was not complicated. You once provided a clue for restoring a high-level martial art, correct?”
“I was merely lucky enough to do so.”
“If it was simply luck, that would be troublesome… I am in the middle of creating a new martial art based on the Wonryeok Sim-gong. I thought I might borrow your help for a while.”
At that moment, sparks seemed to fly from the eyes of both Tae-geon and the elder beside him.
“Y-you would grant someone like me such a tremendous opportunity?”
“It will not be as grand as you imagine. I simply need some unique perspectives, that is all.”
Han Yujin then briefly explained the martial techniques he had been developing in his spare time, all rooted in the Wonryeok Sim-gong. He asked several questions, and every answer that came back satisfied him.
“Good. I like what I hear. However, simply including you for free somehow feels like a loss…”
So saying, Han Yujin glanced toward the elder.
“In exchange for allowing Tae-geon to participate in the creation of my new art, I would like to take a look at the Life-and-Death Realm secret techniques of the Un-hae Sect. Would that be possible?”
“Of course it is possible.”
Surprisingly, the elder answered without the slightest hesitation.
“Who in the martial world does not know that the Supreme Ultimate Sovereign peruses every secret manual in existence in order to create new techniques? If our sect’s future pillar can take part in such a process, showing you our techniques once or twice is a small price.”
“How refreshingly straightforward. You need not worry about leaks; I will not spread them.”
“There is no need to even say it. We already understand.”
The conversation flowed so smoothly that Han Yujin found himself smiling.
It seemed the harvest he would reap from the martial world had just become a little more substantial.