Surviving Among the Entities

Won-pyeong, age 6

The young boy living in the small village of Do-hyang-chon (Peach Fragrance Village) became aware of his past life on his birthday.

“I really reincarnated into the martial arts world!”

In his previous life, the boy had enjoyed dangerous and challenging pursuits.
He had tried nearly every extreme sport, came close to death several times, and was no stranger to the intensive care unit.

“I had thought it would be worthwhile even if I died.”

Always living with death by his side, marriage was unthinkable.
By his 50s, with titanium implants all over his body and declining physical abilities, he could no longer pursue challenges and led a mundane life. Then, by chance, he felt an inexplicable pull towards an internet advertisement.

“Could they really send me to the martial arts world?”

Was this the power of a solver?
Moreover, he had not usurped another’s body – he had genuinely reincarnated while simultaneously maintaining his past self and his current self as Won-pyeong.

“Father!”
“Yes, my son, what is it?”

Thus, still able to act like a child, the boy scampered over to his father tending the small peach orchard and made a request.

“I want to become a martial artist!”

Won-pyeong, age 7

“Huup!”
“Horse stance training is the ultimate cultivation for the lower body. You must never neglect it!”

The boy diligently strived to become a martial artist.
Being a small village, there were no sects, only a martial arts instructor who trained the body and taught basic martial arts, but it was sufficient for laying the foundations.

“Always be mindful of your breathing! In martial arts, breathing is the most crucial aspect!”

The effects were remarkable.
After a year of training, Won-pyeong’s stamina had increased exponentially, and his physique had grown considerably.

‘I seem to have a good constitution.’

According to the solver’s story he had heard in his previous life, one is definitely born with a special constitution.
In the martial arts world, one’s constitution equated to talent, and from Won-pyeong’s perspective, his talent did not seem bad at all.

‘As long as it’s above average, it’s fine.’

However, no matter his talent, he could not become a transcendent martial artist.

“In my youth, while traveling the martial world, I witnessed numerous masters.”
“Really? Instructor! Please tell me stories of the masters!”
“Very well, masters truly possess extraordinary martial arts prowess. The first master I met was a swordsman who could slice twenty falling leaves at once.”

This world followed the old school martial arts, not the new school.

“Dang Mun-yeong, the greatest under heaven, could hit his opponent’s brow from a hundred paces away by throwing a tiny blade.”
“Shin Seol-man, the greatest of Yunnan, carved words into a cliff face with his sword.”
“The divine skill of Woon Hyeon Do-in, the greatest of Kunlun, allows him to leap between cliffs as if soaring through the clouds, so it is called the Cloud-Soaring Dragon’s Eight Forms.”

A world where martial artists were superhumans, not transcendents.
Not all old school martial arts worlds were like this, but at least the world Won-pyeong was born into was such.

“Cheon Jung-mu, known as the greatest of Hanam, defeated eight bears with his bare fists.”
“Dok Go-tak, the Martial Lord, can cleave steel with his sword.”
“Kang Ma-soon, called the greatest martial artist, is a monster who prevailed against a hundred tigers.”

Even so, they had not transcended the human realm.
Won-pyeong’s dream of becoming a martial artist did not diminish in the slightest.

“Today, I’ve invited a guest. The Venerable Baek Yul from Shaolin Temple, to whom I owe a great debt from my youth.”
“Greetings-!”
“Heheh, children are so bright and pleasant to see.”

Upon the Shaolin monk’s visit, Won-pyeong moved with even more vigor than usual.

‘Perhaps if he sees my talent, he might accept me into Shaolin!’

Ah, but if I join Shaolin, I’ll have to become a vegetarian since they’re Buddhists.
Still, if it means I can become stronger, I can give up meat!

“Hmm?”

As expected, Venerable Baek Yul reacted to Won-pyeong.

“…..Little one, may I check your pulse for a moment?”
“Yes!”

The aged monk grasped the boy’s arm and kept his eyes closed for a while as he checked his pulse.

“Huhuh, what a pity.”
“Why is that?”
“You were born with the Lightless Physique (無光肢體).”

At the ominous name implying a lack of light in his physique, the boy asked:

“What does that mean?”
“It means you have superior physical stamina compared to others, but either no spirit channels or severely diminished ones.”

Venerable Baek Yul looked at Won-pyeong with pity.

“You cannot become a martial artist.”

Won-pyeong, age 12

After turning 7, Won-pyeong quit his martial arts instructor and lived by helping with household chores.
Do-hyang-chon had many peach orchards as its name implied, and his family also made a living tending peach orchards, so every morning he went to work in the fields with his parents.

“Haaap, haaap!”

When the day’s work was done, he would enter the mountains alone and devote himself to cultivation.
He had learned all the basics from the instructor, leaving only solitary training, but whenever he recalled that day, his heart still stung.

[He has no spirit channels, they said.]
[So he can’t become a martial artist?]
[You need spirit channels to build inner energy, and you need inner energy to grow stronger, so he can’t do it, right?]

The whispers of the children who had attended the martial arts lessons together.
Shaking his head vigorously, Won-pyeong dashed up the mountain.

“It’s fine. In the martial arts novels, there were protagonists who became strong without spirit channels.”

If he lacked inner energy, he would simply train his techniques and body that much more.

“I’ll join a sect after honing my external skills and growing a bit more. If no sect will accept me, I’ll embark on a journey through the martial world.”

He would request guidance from various martial artists, accumulating experience and skills, eventually becoming a master.

“I can definitely make it happen.”

The boy’s dream had not ended yet.

Won-pyeong, age 18

Through ceaseless training without a single day of rest, the boy had grown into an admirable youth.

“Father, Mother, your son wishes to see the world.”
“You! You still haven’t given up on becoming a martial artist, have you!? This mother knows full well!”

Won-pyeong’s mother vehemently objected.
If her son had talent, it would be one thing, but having heard that he lacked spirit channels and was a cripple, she refused to allow him to pursue an impossible dream.

“If something happens to you out there, this mother won’t be able to sleep a wink!”
“Wife, that’s enough.”
“But dear!”
“How can we dissuade our son from the path he has chosen?”

Won-pyeong’s father consoled his wife and gave his only son a gift.

“Here, take this.”
“This is……”
“One is an iron sword I received from the Yang blacksmith. The other is a wooden sword carved from a peach tree struck by lightning in our orchard long ago, when I was young.”

Both swords had ‘Won-pyeong’ engraved on the hilts.

“Go, see the world, and return.”
“…..Thank you!”

The next morning, before leaving the village, his father handed him something.

“A peach from this year’s first harvest. Eat it on your journey.”

The peach was sweet and delicious.

Won-pyeong, age 21

“You’re still a whole one, aren’t you?”
“Pah, a cripple without inner energy, a martial artist? Don’t joke around!”
“You dare try to deceive me? Don’t you know that without inner energy, no amount of external skill training will be of any use!”

For three years, he traveled the martial world, knocking on many doors.

“Get lost!”

But he was turned away everywhere.

“One without spirit channels cannot become a martial artist!”
“Please, grant me just one chance!”
“My time is too precious to waste on the likes of you, so leave before I draw my sword!”

Many had been willing to accept him as a disciple based on his outward appearance alone.
His tall, imposing stature and bearing gave the impression of a formidable martial artist, but upon examining his physique and finding he lacked spirit channels, they rejected him as a cripple.

“All bravado without spirit channels. You’re no different from a eunuch, so your nickname shall be Eunuch Gong (無丸公)! Hahahahaha!”

He endured all manner of ridicule and contempt.
Still, Won-pyeong did not give up.

“Request a martial arts match, if you wish.”
“But do not blame me if you sustain injuries.”

He requested matches from numerous martial artists.
He had hoped to accumulate experience and skills through actual combat, but it was mere posturing.

“You’re truly pathetic.”
“Huhuh, you’re far too weak, let’s stop here. If I strike you, you might die.”
“Are you trying to make me a murderer? Stop this nonsense at once!”

Even in the old school martial arts world, martial artists far surpassed ordinary humans.
The difference exceeded that between adults and children, reaching the gulf between beasts and humans.

‘Is it impossible to become a martial artist without spirit channels?’

His resolve began to waver.

“Ugh!”
“Father!”
“This is why I told you to obediently give up, would have been better.”

One day, the sound of a commotion in an alley caught his attention.
A group of around seven ruffians were harassing a merchant and a woman who appeared to be his daughter.

“You bastards! What do you think you’re doing!”

Though not a martial artist, he could not simply ignore such injustice and stepped forward.

“He was just some nobody after all?”
“All brawn without any substance, a complete nobody.”
“Hey, let’s take this. We can sell the iron sword for some money.”

And due to the numerical disadvantage, he suffered a resounding defeat.

“Phew! Next time, look before you leap. I’m Hyeon-ryeong Na-euri, known for being unable to tolerate murderers, so while I won’t kill you, if you attack again, I’ll cripple you for sure.”
“Should we take the wooden sword too?”
“No one would buy a wooden sword. Just leave it.”
“Let’s go.”

After the ruffians left, Won-pyeong wept bitterly.

“…..My strength can’t even defeat a single ruffian!”

The merchant and the woman had long since fled during the scuffle.
Just as he was consoling himself that at least he had saved them and preparing to leave, the two reappeared before Won-pyeong.

“Officers! Over here!”
“Where are the ruffians?”

After the officers finished taking their statements, the two bowed deeply to Won-pyeong.

“Thank you so much for saving us!”
“Ah, no need……”

The merchant’s daughter blushed as she used her sleeve to wipe the blood from Won-pyeong’s lips.

“Are you alright? Your injuries look serious. Please, allow me to treat you.”
“Uh, um.”

While he couldn’t defeat the ruffians,
he had conquered the woman’s heart.

Won-pyeong, age 25

After returning to his hometown, he married the merchant’s daughter.

“Dadda!”
“Heheh, this one! With such a robust physique, he’ll surely become a fine martial artist!”

He had a child. Rather than living as a martial artist, he discovered the joy of living as an ordinary man.

‘Though I may not have become a martial artist, I can still be a good husband and father.’

Then, one early morning while tending the peach orchard, a strange occurrence took place.

“!?”

Suddenly, the scenery before his eyes distorted.
The space in the center of the peach orchard swirled like a vortex, and a man soon emerged from within.

“Whew, I wonder what kind of world this is?”

Clad in white robes, the young man noticed Won-pyeong and waved with a bright smile.

“So it’s you? The one reincarnated into this world?”
“Wh, who are you!?”
“Ah, I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Shin Woo-jung, a fellow from Earth like yourself.”

An unexpected visitor had arrived.

“Since my original name sounds rustic, just call me the Invincible Child (無敵子).”

Won-pyeong, age 26

His daily routine changed slightly, working during the day and cultivating for a few hours at night.

[I was born with an exceptional physique from the start. Thanks to that, I became the greatest under heaven at 10 and have now transcended to become an immortal.]

One year since meeting his fellow earthling, the Invincible Child, his words still rang clearly.

[Dimensional traveling tracks the souls of fellow earthlings, which is why I appeared before you. By the way, the spiritual energy here is quite turbid. This must be an old school martial arts world, I suppose? Tsk, what a pity? I’m from the new school martial arts, so it would have been more fun for me.]

He swung his wooden sword.
The sword his father had gifted him in his childhood days, used to dispel idle thoughts.

[Since you lack spirit channels, no matter what martial arts I teach you, it would be useless.]

Some are born with robust physiques destined for martial prowess.
Others are born with physiques where no amount of effort will bear fruit.

[Here, let me share a maxim instead! Keep swinging that sword diligently! From my experience of achieving sword-spirit unity, swords possess a will of their own! While I don’t know if the swords of this world are the same, who knows, you might also achieve sword-spirit unity.]

He was well aware that life is inherently unfair.
Still, coming face-to-face with an immortal who could even traverse dimensions stirred his emotions.

[There’s a saying that those who know cannot compare to those who like, and those who like cannot compare to those who enjoy. So you should just enjoy it too. And if that doesn’t work, then accept it as your fate.]

Why was he not born into the same world?
Why did he not receive the same physique?
Why did he not have the same fortune?

[Well, I’ll be going now. I wonder what I can do to have some fun in this world?]

So he swung his sword with even more vigor.

“Enjoy it? Very well, I shall enjoy it.”

It was defiance.

Won-pyeong, age 30

His anger had dissipated. His defiance had dissipated, and he no longer harbored any negative emotions while swinging his sword.

“What’s the point of getting angry? It only burns me from within.”

Instead, he genuinely enjoyed wielding the sword.
He savored the refreshing sensation of cutting through the wind, relished the descent of each strike, and delighted in the familiarity of the grip in his hands.

“You’ve been cultivating swordsmanship lately? Take a look at this.”
“Father?”
“It’s a sword technique an acquaintance shared with me.”

The name of the sword technique was the Three Postures Sword Art.
A basic among basics commonly found in martial arts novels, and its evaluation here was not much different.

“I paid four taels of silver for it, so diligently master it.”
“…..Yes.”

So what if it’s a scam?
So what if it’s just an ordinary sword art?

“Thank you.”
“But if you neglect your family duties, I’ll confiscate that wooden sword.”
“I will attend to them together.”
“The same goes for tending the fields.”
“I will keep that in mind.”

That was what truly mattered.

Won-pyeong, age 35

He lived diligently.
Never neglecting his family nor the peach orchard.

“Crushing Mountain Subduing Peak.”

In the evenings, he would venture up the mountain behind their home to cultivate his swordsmanship.

“Revolving Around the Heavens.”

One stance, a thousand swings.

“Immortal’s Path.”

Three stances, three thousand swings.
Initially, it took a long time. Starting late at night an d continuing until dawn, sometimes oversleeping and hampering his work.

“How enjoyable.”

Five years later, he could complete all three stances before the moon had fully risen.

“Listen to my story.”

Instead of returning early, he would spend the remaining time conversing with his sword.

“Young Poong helped with the work today. That little rascal who was once so tiny has grown up without me realizing, bringing tears to my eyes.”

The Invincible Child had said that swords possess a will.
If swinging a willful being, how could one simply swing without fostering a relationship, like an aloof noble treating a loyal servant?

“The second child was clinging to his elder brother’s hand, toddling after him. Anyone watching would think the second was the elder’s child.”
“Father has also grown old. As has Mother. I truly miss the health foods from the world I originally lived in.”
“I heard news of the Invincible Child. Apparently he has unified the martial world and become the greatest under heaven? Haha, truly remarkable, isn’t it? Well, for an immortal, such a feat must be child’s play. Ah, but this world doesn’t have candy, does it? Candy is……”

And he even gave it a name.

“I’ll tell you more next time, Heavenly Peach (天桃).”

Won-pyeong, age 40

“Father has passed away. It took a long time to hold his funeral rites.”

He unfolded his stances on the mountain where he always practiced his swordsmanship.

“Whew.”

A downpour fell while he swung the heavy yet swift sword.
Such a heavy rain that visibility was severely impaired.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t practice with you for a while.”

He descended the mountain, treading the parched earth.

Won-pyeong, age 45

At some point, a strange sensation began to arise.

“Crushing Mountain Subduing Peak.”

While swinging his sword, he could no longer distinguish whether he was wielding the sword or guiding the sword along its destined path.

“Revolving Around the Heavens.”

He no longer bothered distinguishing. He simply savored each moment.

“Immortal’s Path.”

Won-pyeong, age 70

A considerably long time had passed.
Having bid farewell to his mother and wife, he now lived as the family elder, making major decisions for the household alongside his children.

“Poong-a, have you finished harvesting the peaches?”
“Yes!”
“Then it’s your turn.”
“Me?”
“I’ll go cultivate with my friend.”

For the first few years, he entrusted the role of family elder to his eldest.
Every day, he would ascend the mountain behind their home alone.

“Heheh, this is better.”
“Ah, doesn’t this path feel even more enjoyable?”

Murmuring to himself while unfolding the Three Postures Sword Art, the villagers of Do-hyang-chon would point fingers, saying he had gone senile.

“So what if they do this, so what if they do that.”

Perceiving the will of his sword, he quietly devoted himself to cultivation.

“Revolving Around the Heavens.”

With a single stance, he bisected fifty falling leaves simultaneously.

“Crushing Mountain Subduing Peak.”

His descending sword strike cleaved an abruptly appearing wild boar in two.

“Immortal’s Path.”

Far in the distance, a charging tiger’s brow was pierced with a hole.

“Though it was merely a false sword art, our combined will has forged a new path.”

He could see the flow of the world.
The path the sword’s will traveled, the flow of life, the flow of space.
As if having grasped a power akin to mysticism, yet he did not boast of it.

“How enjoyable.”

He simply savored each moment.

Won-pyeong, age 80

Recent ominous news had reached Do-hyang-chon.

“The one called the Invincible Child, the supposed greatest under heaven, has assassinated the emperor.”
“What? Didn’t His Majesty personally invite him over a decade ago?”
“Seeking eternal life, His Majesty invited him, being called an immortal, but it seems things didn’t go well. When His Majesty accused him of being a charlatan and tried to execute the Invincible Child……”

The ominous news only snowballed from there.

“They say the Invincible Child has gone mad, killing people everywhere he goes!”
“But why?”
“I don’t know! He seems to have become a maniac!”

Wherever he went, a sea of blood was left in his wake.
The ominous news continued to be relayed through refugees, their numbers increasing and gradually drawing nearer to Do-hyang-chon.

“Father, we must flee.”
“Grandfather, we have to escape!”

Now the head of an extended family, Won-pyeong’s children and grandchildren pleaded with him.
Won-pyeong silently nodded his head.

‘The Invincible Child cannot be defeated. He is an absolute being from the new school martial arts world.’

The rumors corroborated this.
When the Invincible Child waved his hand, a crimson aura would erupt, crumbling mountains.
When he swung his sword, mountains were cleaved, and when he struck with his fists, the earth was overturned.

“How can human strength possibly prevail against such a celestial calamity!”

Thus, leaving behind the land bequeathed by his parents, they prepared to flee.
At that moment, his great-grandson came toddling over and extended his hand.

“Gwampaww! Eaww dish!”
“…..””

A single small peach.
Though not the harvest season, the soil-covered peach that must have fallen due to the wind was still unripe.

“Very well.”

Won-pyeong bit into the peach.
It was incredibly sour.

“Truly delicious.”

“Hmm.”
“Long time no see.”

At the entrance to Do-hyang-chon, the Invincible Child furrowed his brow upon encountering Won-pyeong, who had been waiting.

“Who are you?”
“A fellow earthling like yourself.”
“A fellow earthling? Ah, wait, you! You’re that guy from back then! I almost didn’t recognize you due to your old age.”

The Invincible Child’s appearance was the same as before.
However, their initial meeting had been an act, and his current manner of speech was rather crass, revealing his true self.

“Haha! The life of a mortal is truly pitiful! So what’s this about? Have you come to beg for your life, appealing to the bond between fellow earthlings?”
“I was merely curious as to why you’re doing such things.”
“Ah, it’s nothing. I was planning to move to another dimension anyway. Even for me, dimensional traveling isn’t exactly easy, you see.”

He opened his palm, revealing a dazzlingly white spirit pill.

“It requires an immense amount of innate primordial energy. If this were a new school martial arts world, I could absorb spiritual energy or use spirit herbs or spirit pills instead, but since it’s an old school world, those don’t exist here.”
“So you’ve been accumulating karmic sins?”
“Exactly, a person’s innate primordial energy is the same here. Ah! Don’t worry! As a favor to a fellow earthling, I’ll spare your village.”

Won-pyeong raised Heavenly Peach.

“I cannot allow that.”
“…..””

His surprised expression was short-lived.

“Ahahahaha!”

The Invincible Child burst into laughter.
He laughed so hard that tears streamed down his face.

“You? A cripple born in the old school martial arts world without spirit channels?”
“Can I simply allow one who would harm others to have their way?”
“Hey, I’m sparing you and your village, you know?”
“I cannot commit such a shameful act before heaven.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me……”

The Invincible Child’s expression hardened.

“It seems you’ve mistaken my kindness for foolishness.”

And he soon laughed again.

“I’ll engrave the difference in our innate talents into your very bones.”

Like a cat spotting a mouse.

“Wow! You’re pretty impressive, aren’t you!?”

An intense battle ensued thereafter.
No, it was an intense battle for Won-pyeong alone.

“How did you manage that? Did you achieve sword-spirit unity or something? That’s no easy feat in the old school martial arts realm!”

Communing with his sword to read the flow and swing accordingly.
It was undoubtedly an extraordinary ability, but no match for the Invincible Child, an immortal born in the new school martial arts realm.

“This is fun. Then I’ll fight with a sword too!”

In fact, the very notion of a battle was only possible because the Invincible Child was humoring him.

“It’s called the Eternal Annihilation Sword, a divine weapon with its own self. I plundered it from the celestial realms.”

From afar, refugees observed their battle.
Won-pyeong’s appearance of being on the verge of death at any moment, contrasted with the Invincible Child’s nonchalant toying, rendered it embarrassing to even call a battle.

“Come on! Put in a bit more effort! I’m deliberately not slicing your wooden sword in half!”

Still, Won-pyeong’s stamina gradually waned.
Pressing on with his aged body, at some point he entered a state of unconscious martial artistry.

‘I can hear your voice.’

He heard Heavenly Peach’s voice.
Continuing further would lead to his death.

‘I can hear your voice too.’

He also heard the voice of the Eternal Annihilation Sword.
Lamenting the anguish of being oppressed by its wielder with each moment.

‘You’re being used.’

The Invincible Child had not achieved sword-spirit unity.
He was simply dominating it through brute force, handling it as he pleased.

‘I can see the flow.’

The flow he had perceived from long ago now felt even clearer.

‘To me, the sword is the flow.’

Beyond that, he saw the flow leading towards the Invincible Child.
He also glimpsed the path to victory at its end, but it was too distant for his current stamina to reach.

‘Heavenly Peach, I beg of you. Create a flow that can draw forth my entire being.’

The sword did not respond.

‘I implore you, my friend.’

Instead, a path opened.

“Come on! Got nothing else to show me? Hurry up and show me! I’m deliberately not using any divine skills, spells, or arts, you know? I’m going this easy on you, so at least land one hit! What should I do to let you hit me?”

The moment the Invincible Child finished speaking,
Won-pyeong unleashed the stance he had cultivated his entire life.

“Immortal’s Path.”

The path that reaches immortals.
A thrust bearing that name pierced through space, riding the flow to strike the Invincible Child.

“!?”

In that instant, the Invincible Child coughed up blood.

“Ugh, Uhok!?”

His once youthful body lost its vitality, rapidly aging in an instant.

“How!? How did you sever my primordial spirit!? My primordial spirit, it’s been severed!?”

Soon, he crumbled into a pile of dust.

“I didn’t even get to say……”

Won-pyeong was not unscathed either.

‘It seems my innate primordial energy has been completely expended.’

He instinctively realized that his life force had been entirely depleted.
The price for momentarily opening a flow he could not reach was his life.

‘Do not grieve too much.’

He felt Heavenly Peach’s sorrow.
Eventually, the sword asked:

‘Do you not regret it? Regret it. Who in this world wishes for death?’

The sword asked again.
Why had he stepped forward? When the Invincible Child had offered to spare him, could he not have simply lived?

‘The peaches of our village are the finest on the continent.’

Won-pyeong smiled as he spoke.

‘I had hoped many could taste them.’

In the distance, the figures of his approaching family shimmered before his eyes.

‘I’m feeling sleepy.’

Eventually, a brilliant light appeared.
Within it, those who had departed before him were waiting.
His father, mother, parents-in-law, and even his late wife.

‘Ah.’

With an awkward smile, Won-pyeong walked towards them.

‘My apologies for being late.’

There was a small village called Do-hyang-chon on the continent.
In the peach-famous village, there were two graves that countless martial artists visited.

[Grave of the Demonic Killer]
[Evil Sinner Who Will Eternally Burn in Hell]
[Seal Containing the Fiend Who Donned the Guise of an Immortal]

One grave bore no name.
Each time they came, they would spit or urinate on the nameless gravestone.

But upon reaching the gravestone erected at the entrance to a small peach orchard, they would respectfully bow their heads in humble reverence.

[The Greatest Under Heaven]
[Martial God]
[Sword Immortal]
[The Greatest Hero Under Heaven]
[The Grave of Won-pyeong]

After a long time passed, there were accounts of the buried wooden sword taking root and growing into a massive peach tree.

The peaches that bloomed from it were far more delicious than ordinary peaches, so sweet that they were called Heavenly Peaches, implying peaches bestowed by heaven itself.