I dumbfoundedly checked the faces of the children one by one.
I seemed to recognize some of them.
"...Is there no other work?"
"Other work? What do you mean?"
"I... am also skilled in medicine. I am good at handling information, and confident in administrative tasks. Or I can take charge of poison or medicine production. Or..."
"That's enough. The production of medicine and poison is not something a mere mortal can offer to a cultivator. And we already have enough people for information and administration. As a martial artist of the Three Flowers Gather at the Summit realm, you'd be more useful as a martial arts instructor."
"...Is there no other job for a martial artist of Three Flowers?"
At this, the eyebrows of the elderly Qi Refiner twitched.
"Are you objecting? Didn't you want to work with the cultivator clan?"
"...No, I misspoke."
I sighed softly and reluctantly accepted his offer.
'If this is fate...'
The children whose necks I had personally severed.
Now, I was to train those same children.
'What an ironic fate.'
I approached the instructor who was teaching the basic martial arts forms to the children.
"Now, strike down from there! Then immediately follow up with a straight..."
"Excuse me, are you the martial arts instructor for these children?"
"Uh? Who are you?"
The instructor was demonstrating with a dagger, and as soon as I saw his martial arts form, I recognized it instantly.
'The dagger technique used by the assassins in my past life, it was taught by this man.'
As soon as he realized I was a martial artist, he seemed eager to test his skills against mine, emitting red intent.
However, I quickly merged my intent with his, covering his intent with purple.
His intent was completely visible to me.
A world where all other colors disappeared.
Only blue, red, and purple intents intermingled in the empty space.
I cut off all his intents and penetrated his guard with mine.
He tried to defend hastily, but I relentlessly attacked his intended position with my intent.
After a while, having been pushed back in the struggle of intents, he sighed deeply and bowed to me.
"Phew, I didnt recognize a master of Three Flowers. Please forgive me. Yes, I am the martial arts instructor Jeok Rae-ho."
"I am Seo Eun-hyun. Nice to meet you. I was appointed as a martial arts instructor by the true cultivators of the Jin Clan. So, can you tell me how far you've taught them so I can adjust accordingly..."
"Ah, so you're the new instructor!"
His face brightened noticeably.
"Ha ha ha! Come this way, then."
He pointed to a small hut next to the training ground, apparently his quarters.
"Everyone, repeat the same movement 500 times! Ill be back after entertaining the guest!"
"....?"
After assigning the children a seemingly meaningless repetitive task, he led me to the hut.
The inside of the hut was simple.
There wasnt much that could be considered his belongings.
"First, let me pour you a cup of tea. But you seem quite young for a Three Flowers master. Are you perhaps in the legendary realm of rejuvenation?"
"Um... not rejuvenation. Just think of it as a unique method."
"I see. Even among cultivators, all sorts of strange spells circulate, so a youth-restoring method isnt surprising...It seems like the cultivator clan brought in a new expert since I'm not making much progress."
As he prepared the tea, I turned my gaze outside.
"Is teaching not going well?"
"Huh... The kids have plenty of will. Of course, they've all lost their parents and siblings to the Makli cultivator clan and they're told they can seek revenge... But will is one thing, and the kids are... tsk."
Chrrrk.
He placed a small cup in front of me and poured the tea.
"They lack talent. They weren't selected for talent, just orphaned children taken for training, so it's strange if they had any. The most talented child Ive seen can probably only reach early first-rate. Maybe they can use sword energy at best. That's their limit.
And yet, the cultivator clan thinks I'm not teaching well enough and keeps pestering me. I'm already losing personal training time to those kids as it is. It's driving me mad. So, my motivation to teach is dropping."
"Hmm..."
"I tried to resign, but the clan insists I can't leave until a new instructor is found. But honestly, the cultivator clan seems to want at least a peak master as an instructor. Where can you find peak masters as common as neighborhood dogs?
I might be stuck here, but I was once a renowned eccentric in the martial world."
As he presented the tea, I asked while savoring the aroma.
"So, Instructor Jeok, now that Ive arrived, are you planning to resign?"
"Ha ha, yes, something like that. I've talked too much. I laid some foundation, so you should manage fine. I came for the high salary, but I don't want to waste time teaching those kids anymore. Ha ha ha, I'll be on my way then."
After finishing his tea, Jeok Rae-ho quickly packed his things and left the hut.
He seemed very eager to avoid further teaching responsibilities.
"..."
'I didnt expect this...'
I thought I would at least be able to teach alongside him, but on the first day, the other instructor ran away.
'What kind of person is he...'
I finished my tea with a sense of disbelief and went out to the training ground.
The children were still repetitively practicing stabbing motions with their daggers.
"...Everyone, stop!"
When I shouted with my internal energy, the children looked at me in surprise.
"Former instructor Jeok Rae-ho resigned and left. Now, I am your new martial arts..."
I was about to say 'instructor' but swallowed my words and said,
"Martial arts 'master'! From today, I will be teaching you!"
At my words, they all stopped their movements, stood in their spots in a well-arranged posture, and saluted me with a martial arts bow.
'I thought he taught them the basics, but did he teach them how to hold greet?'
By my estimate, there were about 500 children.
According to Jeok Rae-ho, besides this place, there were other training grounds where assassins were being trained.
'Why did he teach saluting to assassins?'
After clearing my mind of these thoughts, I went down to the training ground and approached the child at the front.
"What's your name?"
"My name is Fourteen..."
"I asked for your name, not your number. Don't you have a name given by your parents?"
At the mention of parents, the child's breathing seemed to become slightly rougher.
"...Man-ho."
"Alright. Everyone except Man-ho, go to the side of the training ground and rest! From now on, I'll be examining each of your levels!"
At my command, the children seemed to stir briefly before sitting down next to the training ground.
"Come at me. Attack me with the intent to kill, as if I were a cultivator of the Makli Clan."
Man-ho hesitated for a moment, then glared at me and kicked the ground, throwing sand in my eyes.
'Good judgment. He knows he can't compete in strength, so he attacks by blinding me with sand.'
However,
'It's useless against a peak master.'
I closed my eyes and sensed Man-ho's intent, catching the end of his dagger and disarming him.
"I understand your level. You may go. Next, you come out."
The next child to come out hesitated briefly before saluting me.
"Don't salute. Would you salute your enemy in a real fight? Attack me with the intention to kill."
The child grabbed ahis dagger and thrust it at me quickly.
I moved slightly to dodge and disarmed him.
"Good thrust. What's your name?"
"...Yeo-lo."
"Alright, Yeo-lo, go back. Next, come out."
I continued to call the children out for sparring to assess their levels.
By the time I called the two hundred thirty-third child and was about to call the next one,
I was startled!
I was startled to see the face of the next child who came out.
She was a girl, and quite pretty, but her expression was filled with murderous intent.
I knew that face.
'The day I realized Sword Silk.'
She was the female assassin I had personally beheaded.
"...What's your name?"
"Kae-hwa."
"...Alright. Attack."
Swoosh!
Kae-hwa attacked me with quick hand movements, thrusting her dagger.
She was among the fastest I had seen.
But,
'Something's off.'
I deflected Kae-hwa's dagger with the tip of my foot and thought.
Fast, but that's all.
Her form was poor, and her internal energy was weak.
Third-rate, and early third-rate at that.
She has some talent among the children, but...
'No real talent.'
This level of talent would only be slightly above average in a local dojo.
How could such talent have threatened me in my past life?
'Did the cultivators use some strange ability?'
In my past life, Kim Young-hoon had mentioned that spirits were used to awaken the assassins' talents.
'Forced awakening of talent... I don't know how that works, so it's hard to predict their future growth.'
I finished my thoughts, sent Kae-hwa back, and continued testing the children.
By the time I had tested all 500 children, it was evening.
'There are eighty of them.'
The number of children I had personally beheaded and confirmed in my past life.
Adding the assassins whose faces I hadn't seen, the number would be much more.
I felt a complex emotion.
In my past life, I had merely done my duty, but in this life, that duty feels like a sin.
'...Can't help it. The past is the past.'
If I can't wash away this unease, then I'll do my duty to the best of my ability in this life too.
"Listen well, everyone. From now on, you'll come out one by one and demonstrate martial arts in front of me, starting with Man-ho!"
"Instructor..."
"Call me 'Master' or 'Teacher.'"
"Yes... Master. The previous instructor used to let us practice internal energy after sunset..."
"Internal energy?"
I chuckled and said,
"Listen, everyone. You are all dullards. From my sparring with you, I've realized you can never reach the pinnacle realm of martial arts, not even first-rate, through normal training!
To reach that level, you must become mad! Only with madness and ambition beyond a genius is there a glimmer of hope.
From today, you won't practice internal energy even after sunset. You'll only start internal energy training when you can perform martial art moves as natural as breathing. You can't return to your quarters until you meet my standards either, whether it's night or day, without proper training!
If you can't do at least one thing correctly, there will be no rest for you! Again, start by demonstrating martial arts in front of me, one person at a time!"
I started with Man-ho and continued to have the children demonstrate their martial arts in turn.
'They are all basically trained in dagger martial arts, probably influenced by the previous instructor.'
I watched the children demonstrate their martial arts and thought,
'But dagger martial arts are not suitable for everyone.'
Some are better with swords, some with spears, and others with maces.
Some say such martial arts are too flashy or have large movements for assassination.
But that's nonsense.
'The leader of the Shadow Guards wielded a large halberd and still protected the Emperor in the shadows. Assassins don't have to use only small weapons.'
I thought of suitable weapons for each child while watching their martial arts demonstration.
'Man-ho suits a greatsword. Yeo-lo a spear, and Kae-hwa is good with daggers.'
I recalled the martial art manuals I had seen during my time as the chief strategist of the Wulin Alliance and thought of martial arts suitable for the weapons.
After the martial arts demonstration, I had the disciples cut down nearby trees to carve weapons suitable for the martial arts they would learn.
After they had made crude weapons from wood, I taught them weapon techniques and martial arts.
Once they memorized the appropriate martial art forms, weapons, and training methods, dawn was breaking again.
The children, having learned the basic forms of the martial arts I taught, swung their weapons with faces that looked like they were about to collapse.
By noon, children began to collapse from exhaustion in the training ground.
I pulled out the exhausted ones, laid them down in a cool place, and used acupuncture to activate their life force and energy, enhancing their self-healing ability.
Eventually, all the children in the training ground fainted.
I pulled them all out and used acupuncture to activate their life force, then went to find the cultivator clan.
The cultivator clan had an internal financial manager who managed the clans assets like gold and silver that were used in the mortal world.
I went to the external financial manager.
"I need new weapons."
"What kind?"
"The types are..."
I took out a paper with the types of weapons I had listed and handed it to the external financial manager, who was from the mortal world.
The external financial manager looked at the paper and growled at me, glaring.
"Are you crazy? You want all this?"
"Just one of each. The cultivator clan is rich, so it shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"This... still, there's a limit."
"And not just weapons, but also some herbs."
"What? Herbs? What herbs!"
"Herbs to aid in training recovery. Hmm, I definitely said I wanted them. If the children's martial arts progress is hindered, it's all your fault."
"What, how can that be..."
The external financial manager seemed flustered but eventually agreed to my request for weapons and herbs.
A few days later, I received the herbs and weapons, distributed them to the disciples, and taught them how to properly wield the weapons.
They trained with the weapons I chose until they were exhausted, and then I fed them medicines I had made to recover their strength.
After about a year of teaching, the eyes of the disciples were filled with venom.
Now, they could all follow the basic moves of their weapon techniques even with their eyes closed.
At that time, I finally taught them internal energy cultivation methods.
Of course, I didn't let them sit comfortably and practice internal energy.
They had to train with their weapons, combining form and practice.
Another year passed, and the eyes of the disciples were filled with a murderous intent to kill me.
'Now they've all grown to late third-rate.'
Excluding the time for meals and necessary daily tasks, my disciples practiced martial arts incessantly, without a moment to rest.
There was no time set aside for sleep.
They trained continuously from sunrise to sunset, and then from sunrise again, only resting when they fainted from exhaustion.
Their bodies did not easily succumb to harm. Thanks to the herbs sent from the cultivator clan, which I used to make medicine, and my use of acupuncture to prevent exhaustion-related damage, they were kept in good health.
I allowed them to rest fully only twice a month, and the rest of the time was dedicated to relentless training, training, and more training.
Thanks to my, perhaps, insane teaching methods, all my disciples reached the early stages of the second tier in just three years.
'I'm glad they've all followed well.'
I thought this as I sparred with my disciples today.
The training was grueling to the point of nausea, but none of them ever gave up.
'Their deep-seated anger towards the Makli Clan, responsible for the death of their families, must be driving them.'
Whoosh!
Swinging a great sword, a disciple named Hae-woong followed my movements with eyes ablaze with murderous intent.
Yet, I closed my eyes, dodged his sword, and kicked his legs.
"Your lower body is exposed."
Thud!
But the disciple didn't flinch, continuing his attack even as his leg was kicked.
'Good, he's grown in spirit.'
I dodged the sword again and then thrust my hand deep into his side.
"Cough!"
"Next."
The next opponent was a girl named Cheong-ya. I heard she had watched her parents turn into a pool of blood at the hands of a cultivator.
Swish!
Cheong-ya, wielding hidden weapons in both hands, launched them at me. I had personally taught her my Infinite Fighting Hidden Weapon Technique.
"The initial form of 'Double Killing Snake' is not used like that. You need to create a very slight delay."
I caught all the hidden weapons she threw and returned them, advising her.
Though they all showed remarkable growth compared to three years ago, they still fell short in my eyes.
'But they all have more talent than I do.'
When I was third-tier, it took me ten years just to barely step into the next realm.
Of course, back in my days, there were no peak master or crazy martial arts training schedules. Even the time to practice martial arts was limited. But these children were still better than me.
'Even I, at their stage, had only taken a single step forward, while they had leaped across realms.'
I wasn't just idling. While overseeing my disciples' martial arts, I continuously operated the vision of a peak master every day, delving into the world of intent and observing consciousness.
While teaching, I used the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts to its limits, observing the results and analyzing the patterns of consciousness. My efforts in delving deeper into intent were not in vain.
Only recently, within the realm of Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, was I able to take another step forward.
As I grew accustomed to handling intent and practicing the Record, I discovered the world beyond the three colors, finding the next color.
The fourth color!
I discovered it the day after an endless sparring session with my disciples, on one of their bi-monthly rest days.
This intent was not as clear as the others. Unlike intent during combat, it did not take the form of a thread, and the actions it led to were not precise.
Compared to the intentions I had felt so far, this was utterly alien!
Yet, paradoxically, it was precisely because it was so alien that I could detect it.
The color of the fourth intent was pale pink.
The name of this intent was 'Love.'
The loving intent stretched from Man-ho to Kae-hwa.
'How pure.'
I was quite surprised when I discovered this intent.
To think that love could blossom even during such grueling training.
Of course, besides Man-ho, several other disciples also had loving intent towards others.
'Humans are truly remarkable.'
Even in hellish conditions, emotions can bloom.
That's what it means to be human.
I continued to observe my disciples' intents and oversee their martial arts training.
Two years had passed since I discovered the intent of Love.
Having become adept in understanding intent I discovered a fifth intent in just two years.
This new intention was a dark crimson hue.
Its name was 'Hatred.'
The intent of hatred had been so naturally mixed with my disciples' intents that it took me some time to notice.
The intent of hatred was faintly directed towards me, occasionally towards each other, but mostly it extended towards some unseen place.
It was probably directed towards the cultivators of the Makli Clan.
'Intriguing.'
The intents discovered after Three Flowers seemed somewhat removed from martial arts.
Yet why does one find such emotions in the pursuit of martial arts?
In combat, how can these emotions be of any significance?
'...The promised time is approaching.'
The day to meet Kim Young-hoon was drawing near.
For the first time in a long while, I left the Jin Clan's territory and headed to Cheolryong City.
As I entered the manor I had bought previously, Kim Young-hoon was waiting for me.
"It's been a while, Seo Eun-hyeon. I couldn't find you anywhere for five years. Where have you been?"
"Hmm, well... I just went to a quiet mountain village. By the way, Kim Hyung..."
I asked him, measuring his intent.
"Have you reached the edge of Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, or have you already stepped into the next realm?"
He was on the verge of reaching Five Energies Converging to the Origin.
"Haha, it seems so. Challenging the greatest in the world, I found myself at Five Energies before I knew it. It's all thanks to the Secrets of Gazing Cultivation and Exceeding Martial Arts. It truly deserves to be called divine martial arts."
The Secret Methods was indeed a tremendous martial art.
The minimum entry requirement was Three Flowers, and even I, who had reached that realm, found it difficult and only studied its lesser counterpart, the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts.
"Anyway, thanks to the Secret Methods, I've come this far... And you've made some progress too?"
"Yes. I've successfully discovered the fourth and fifth intent."
"Haha, congratulations. It's definitely fascinating, isn't it? The world of martial arts. Just when I thought I had finally reached the end, it turned out to be just the beginning of discovering more intent...How joyful!"
Joy...
Do I find joy in martial arts?
I'm not sure. I've just been mindlessly challenging myself.
Perhaps that's the source of Kim Young-hoon's talent.
I asked him what I had been curious about.
"By the way, Kim Hyung. I've never considered emotions like love or hatred in my martial arts practice. I've always thought they were useless in exerting force. Indeed, they don't help in combat.
But why do we discover these emotions while pursuing martial arts?"
"Hmm..."
Kim Young-hoon pondered my question for a moment, then drew his saber with a grin.
"What use is there in only talking? Let's have a match."
"Haha, as expected of Kim Hyung."
Swoosh-
Yes, that's what it means to be a martial artist.
Swish!
Kim Young-hoon's intent shot towards me.
A red line intertwined with my intent, turning purple.
I read his intent, understood his purpose, and swung my sword.
Severing Vein Saber Method
Mountain Wind!
Beyond the purple intent that connected us, it seemed like I could hear Kim Young-hoon's martial art moves.
Swish!
An incredibly fast thrust aimed at me.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship
Entering Mountain!
Boom!
I switched to a low stance to dodge his thrust and then...
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship
Qi Mountain, Heart Heaven
I opened my meridians and extended the length of my sword, aiming for Kim Young-hoon's ankle.
Severing Vein Saber Method
Mountain Echo!
Ting!
The sound of the saber resonated.
Kim Young-hoon's energy vibrated through his saber blade.
The subtly vibrating blade aimed straight at my sword silk.
'I mustn't let it touch.'
My sword silk wouldn't be able to handle it!
Boom!
I infused my sword silk with intent, connecting with Kim Young-hoon's intent, and turning it into Sword Gang.
Whoom-
As his vibrating saber touched my Sword Gang, my Sword Gang visibly faded, and its speed slowed.
'If I hadn't converted it to Sword Gang, it wouldn't just have dispersed; the sword silk would have shattered, and the impact would have reached me.'
Kim Young-hoon's intent spread widely.
Severing Vein Saber Method
Mountain Sound
The energy flowing from his saber spread out like waves.
Seemingly resonating in all directions but ultimately focusing a single powerful blow at me!
Such a technique couldn't be blocked by ordinary martial arts.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship
Mountain Echoes, Valley Responds
I also transformed my sword energy into a waveform, neutralizing his technique.
Beyond Mountain Sound, numerous intents whirled as Kim Young-hoon slowly approached.
Exhilarating.
His steps were free, yet each movement avoided even the slightest disturbance in the air, approaching along the utmost efficient trajectory.
Severing Vein Saber Method
Mountain Bird
His movement was akin to a small bird.
As I read the trajectory of his intent and prepared to respond to his next move...
"...?"
From the depths of Kim Young-hoon's emotions, the intent of love burst forth, intertwining with the trajectory of intent I was trying to discern. Simultaneously, the trajectory of intent I had been reading became a chaotic mess, making it difficult to understand.
As he approached with Mountain Bird, his saber was already swinging right in front of me.
'What...!'
To counter his trajectory, I first used Transcendent Peaks Step to pressurize his movements and responded to his Mountain Bird.
As Kim Young-hoon came closer to me, he seemed to smile slightly and thrust his saber.
Severing Vein Saber Method
Mountain Opening
Chwaak!
Numerous saber blades whirled around.
I countered with Landscape Painting and exchanged blows with him.
From one technique to the next, his intent surged forth, and my intent countered his.
With every exchange of techniques, countless lines intersected in the world of intent, engaging in a battle of harmony.
It was when my blue thread blocked his red trajectory.
Whoosh!
Kim Young-hoon's red trajectory turned into a dark crimson hue.
The intent of hatred.
This intent of hatred easily penetrated my blue intent and disrupted my inner harmony, leading to an actual collision between my sword and his saber.
The energy on his saber blazed as if on fire.
Just like in the world of intent, his blade cut through my sword and aimed straight for my heart.
Boom!
Our sparring ended there.
"...What was that just now?"
"You saw it, didn't you?"
Kim Young-hoon smiled.
"Emotions can be infused in martial arts."
"..."
I couldn't calm my shaken mind for a moment and asked him in return.
"Does it mean that martial arts are alive when you say emotions exist in martial arts?"
He smiled and asked back.
"What do you think? Is martial arts alive?"
"...No."
I spoke of what I felt while practicing martial arts, the realization I had when I understood Sword Silk.
"Martial arts are not alive. It's me who's alive, and it's only martial arts when I infuse my intent into it."
"Right. The sword isn't alive. But the martial artist wielding and swinging it is alive. Sword Silk is the intent infused by the martial artist, and the Sword Gang is the communication of that intent with the world. Then..."
He continued.
"If infusing our own intent into martial arts means that martial arts becomes a part of ourselves, then emotions like love and hatred, integral to our being, are also a part of us. Even though you said that they have no meaning in the pursuit of martial arts, we are ultimately made of such emotions."
"...Ah..."
Somehow, it made sense.
"Martial arts aren't alive, but the human wielding them is. What makes up that human are emotions. So, the more we delves into martial arts, we also deepen our understanding of ourselves, exploring the very core of our existence.
If understanding oneself reaches a certain level, like I just did, it's possible to influence the trajectory of intent."
"...Thank you for the advice."
"Hahaha. If blue and red is the level of survival instinct, and purple is the level of true understanding, then the colors beyond them are about ourselves. And..."
He looked up at the sky and said.
"When we understand all the colors that humans possess, we earn the right to see the colors beyond human reach. That is..."
"Five Energies Converging to the Origin."
Kim Young-hoon nodded.
"Thanks to the Secrets of Gazing Cultivation and Exceeding Martial Arts, I'm qualified to challenge Five Energies. So, I wonder... could you stand guard for me?"
I nodded.
"Of course."
In the manor where no one else was present, Kim Young-hoon immediately sat in meditation and began his challenge to transcend the realm.
I also watched intently, hoping to see him crossover.
The vision of a peak master.
Blue and red.
Beyond is the vision of Three Flowers.
Purple and many other different colors.
'Those are the colors Kim Young-hoon has realized.'
In my sight, only pale pink and dark crimson of Kim Young-hoon's intents were visible.
However, I could guess his other intents through these two hues.
Intents not visible to me, writhing beyond love and hatred.
'Ah...!'
His red intent began to branch out.
Up to this point, it was a sight I had seen in my past life.
But now, having reached Three Flowers, I saw another realm.
The intent of love and hatred intertwined, filling the gaps in his red intent.
They began to connect.
Many other invisible intents must be doing the same.
The red intent expanded, the dark crimson brushed past, and the pale pink filled the interior.
Beautiful.
Eventually, all his intent converged and overtook the surrounding area.
Whoong-
Energy from the surroundings was drawn in.
Though I couldn't see it in detail, I surmised that Kim Young-hoon was already seeing another world.
The energies gathered around him soon clustered above his head into five circles, then merged into a five-colored cloud that flowed into Kim Young-hoon's mouth and nose.
A moment later.
Crack, crackle-
Kim Young-hoon's body began a transformation, undergoing a metamorphosis.
I observed this process, pushing my brain to its limits.
His skin cleared, wrinkles smoothed out.
Dead cells revived, and hair grew on his head.
His aged face became younger, even younger than mine.
A complete rejuvenation!
Kim Young-hoon, who had succeeded in rejuvenation, half-opened his eyes.
"Did you see it, Eun-hyun?"
"...Yes. It's beautiful."
"I hope it was helpful to you."
"Thank you."
I bowed to him in gratitude.
The scene I had just witnessed would be immensely helpful for when I reach Five Energies Converging to the Origin.
I spent a few days discussing martial arts with him and then returned to the Jin Clan's territory.
On the way back, I realized another intent.
The color was gold.
It was the intent of joy.
***
My disciples were growing rapidly.
In the sixth year of my hellish training regime, they had grown to mid second-rate.
Ater meeting Kim Young-hoon, I realized something. Handling martial arts ultimately means handling humans, and humans are essentially made of emotions. Since then, significant growth has occurred in me.
'I have discovered a few more intentions.'
Gold joy ().
Blood-red anger ().
Dark blue sorrow ().
Violet pleasure ().
Pale pink love ().
Dark crimson hatred ().
Based on these six intentions, I have been steadily growing.
'How peculiar.'
I thought the realm of Five Energies Converging to the Origin would be the most challenging and treacherous of all realms.
Surprisingly, I found myself progressing sequentially towards the realm of Five Energies.
'Why is that?'
As I walked among my disciples, observing the fabric of their intentions, I felt there were many more colors within humans.
It was just my inability to see beyond, but even that would someday be possible if I continued to train in the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts and reflected deeply.
'Why? What makes the realm of Five Energies different from other realms...'
I was pondering this when...
"Instructor Seo. You were here."
An old man of the Jin Clan, at Qi Refining, arrived on a flying device.
He was in charge of the assassination squads, checking on the disciples' progress at regular intervals.
"What brings you here today? It's not your usual visit."
"Hmm, well, the higher-ups of the clan have been hoping to see some results soon."
"Results... you mean?"
He must be talking about deploying them for assassinations.
Hearing this, my face scrunched up.
"That's nonsensical. These kids are only at mid second-rate. Even the Palace Guards are peak masters. They wouldn't stand a chance and would be beheaded before even getting close."
"Hmm, I know. The higher-ups are somewhat aware too. But they don't want to delay any longer. We've been preparing for a time like this."
"Preparing...?"
"Follow me."
I followed him on the flying device to somewhere within the Jin Clan's domain.
That place, a hidden warehouse, had an eerie aura swirling around it.
The old man led me inside the warehouse.
Inside were thousands of crystal balls lined up in rows.
"This is..."
"I've heard that masters of Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, like cultivators, have some intuition even if they aren't fully conscious. Do you see it?"
Although I couldn't see it clearly, I noticed strange intents writhing inside the crystal balls.
Dark blue, dark crimson, and bright red hues were swirling around.
"It seems... something is suffering inside."
"Yes. These are the souls of your disciples' families. The remnants collected by us after the Makli Clan's cultivators drained their blood and vitality."
"....!"
The old man caressed a ball and said,
"I've informed all the other instructors teaching different groups. From today, we'll infuse each child with the soul of their kin, forcibly stimulating their upper dantian (in the forehead). This will enable them to fully awaken their talents."
"..."
"Of course, their lifespan will be shortened a bit, and there might be some mental issues, but it's not a major problem. As long as they know who their assassination target is..."
"I refuse."
I glared at him.
"My training methods are sufficient for them to grow stronger. Even if they grow stronger through such external methods, they can't reach the Pinnacle Realm"
"Hmph, I know you train them well. The groups trained by other instructors are barely late third-rate. Still, they can't even match the weakest of the Qi Refining 1st Star.
Rather than that, it's better to use external methods to elevate them to a higher realm sooner!"
"But you said it would cause mental issues and shorten their lifespan."
"Those kids are assassins. They were all warned in advance that while they could avenge their parents, they might die. They don't plan to live long."
I barely restrained myself from punching the cultivator's face.
'Warned those young, ignorant kids and got their consent?'
How absurd is that?
"Is there a risk of death from receiving this treatment?"
"Hahaha, don't worry. Why do you think we went to the trouble of collecting the souls of mortals? They are all souls of their kin. Even if they've become vengeful spirits, they'll recognize their blood, so there won't be any deaths."
"...Understood."
I gritted my teeth inwardly and left the warehouse.
I headed to the training ground and shouted at my disciples.
"Everyone, listen!"
Despite my call, the disciples didn't stop training.
I had instructed them to do so.
They just listened while continuing their training.
But I spoke to them again.
"Stop your training for a moment. I have something important to say."
Then, all the disciples stopped and looked at me.
I relayed to them what I had learned from the assassination overseer.
"...So, you will now receive the souls of your kin to awaken your talents and train for assassination. But!"
I made eye contact with each disciple and continued.
"If anyone does not wish to, I will ensure they don't have to receive a soul. Those who don't want to become assassins, I will negotiate with the cultivator clan to let them out as external forces..."
But before I could finish,
All my disciples answered in unison.
"We don't care when we die if it's for revenge!"
"..."
Blood-red and dark crimson intents burst forth around them.
From every single one of them.
'...Is this really the right thing to do?'
I bit my lip softly.
Their eyes were all bloodshot.
I couldn't understand them.
I never experienced losing someone dear in such a brutal way at a young age.
I couldn't fully understand the depth of their anger and hatred.
I could only confirm that they had anger and hatred.
"...Alright."
I nodded, accepting their will.
"Do as you wish."
There was no one in this place who didn't want revenge.
That night.
Cultivators from the Jin Clan came and took my disciples away.
Even then, no one said they wouldn't receive the souls or gave up on assassination.
Despite explaining the side effects, they were all resolute.
The sun dawned the next day.
"Is everyone alright?"
I looked around and asked.
Their intents seemed a bit more clouded.
"We're fine!!"
In their eyes, there was now a strange madness that hadn't been there before.
I bit my lip softly and resumed training.
Four years passed.
Sshh!
I dodged the hidden weapons flying towards me and exchanged blows with Cheong-ya.
Somewhat matured, she raised red intent, recognizing her own trajectory and reading mine.
Chang, chang, chang!
I deflected her weapons and then pointed my blade at her chin.
"That's enough. Go back in."
"Yes."
She briefly greeted me and returned to her place.
After sparring with the next disciple, I sent them back as well.
In the past four years.
All my disciples had become peak masters.
They had reached a realm I had barely achieved in several lifetimes, but I felt neither admiration nor pride in their advancement.
In exchange for their radical awakening of talents, their lifespan was significantly shortened.
Their lifespan would continue to decrease as long as they harbored souls.
Additionally, their eyes no longer showed any vitality.
Their eyes now flowed with ghostly energy, and sometimes their murderous intent even startled me.
Moreover, I knew their limits even better.
'These kids, in this state, can never go beyond mid-peak. In fact, they won't even realize their intent at mid-peak,'
In short, they could never use sword silk.
I knew.
If these kids infiltrated the Imperial palace, they would be doomed against the Shadow Guards.
'Is it right to send them on assassinations?'
Recently, that thought dominated my mind.
Until now, I had been training them out of slight guilt from my past life.
And the responsibility of being their master.
But now, my thoughts changed.
The more I practiced the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts and felt the fabric of intent.
The deeper I delved into Three Flowers, feeling more and more intents.
The longer I spent time with my disciples.
'These children are alive.'
The more I vividly felt the life in my disciples.
Despite the dense ghostly energy and even more intense murderous and poisonous intentions.
Still, Man-ho likes Kae-hwa.
Yeo-lo is happiest when eating dumplings.
Cheong-ya emits happy intent when resting.
Kae-hwa, diligent in martial arts, feels faint joy when praised by me.
Seong-jin remembers his parents when he sees dandelions and becomes sad.
Jin-sam dislikes when I correct his posture.
Hui-a has been yearning for one of the good-looking young masters of the cultivator clan ever since she saw him.
...
All of them are alive.
And I felt like I could never bear to see them die.
"Master, when can we participate in assassinations?"
Man-ho, after finishing sparring with me, asked.
The other disciples also pricked up their ears, curious about my answer.
I smiled wryly and said,
"You'd be severely beaten even by the weakest of the Emperor's guards. Each of the Shadow Guards is equivalent to the head of a major sect or an elder. You are at least one, two, or three levels below them. What nonsense are you spouting regarding assassinations?"
"Umm... But if all 500 of us rush in, it might be worth a try, right...?"
I looked at Man-ho as if he was talking nonsense and said,
"Is it assassination if 500 people rush in? That's a war. The Jin Clan wants to assassinate Makli Jung quickly and silently, not start a war. Why don't we try waging a war without the support of the Jin Clan?"
"Umm..."
He scratched his head with an annoyed look.
I recalled a time when I was in the Shadow Guards and all the members gathered to face a master of Three Flowers.
"The Shadow Guards can eliminate even a master of my level once they pass the test. Stop these pointless thoughts and focus more on your training."
Up until now, the Jin Clan had been sending assassins from other areas to the Imperial family one by one.
Already, these assassins from other areas had surpassed the skills of their martial arts instructors through forced talent awakening using resentful spirits.
But I still hadn't sent any of my disciples for assassination, using their underachievement as an excuse.
However, I knew their skills better than anyone.
These disciples, to whom I had taught all my medical and poison skills, each had the combat power of a mid-level peak master.
If more than five of them attacked together, they could potentially assassinate the Emperor by breaking through the Shadow Guards.
But...
"They can't come back alive."
I wished for my disciples to return alive.
What's the use of killing the Emperor?
The Emperor is a cultivator after all.
Considering the size of his consciousness, he's about a 4th or 5th Star Qi Refining cultivator.
Moreover, like the Crown Prince, he probably has one or two life-saving devices and techniques at his disposal.
Even if two or three of them sacrifice themselves to kill the Emperor, it will certainly cause a significant disturbance, attracting not only the Shadow Guards but also the Emperor's Personal Guards.
Going to kill the Emperor meant, at the same time, going to die.
'If I had this mindset from the beginning, I would have given them maps of the palace and secret passages, prepared all the poison and medicine I could make, and sent them for assassination. Then I would have come to terms with it.'
But now, I can not do that anymore.
Because I realized that these children are alive.
They each have their own life.
A few days later, I headed back to Cheollyung City to keep my appointment with Kim Young-hoon.
"It's been a long time, Eun-hyun."
"It's been a long time, Kim Hyung. It seems your level has risen again."
I said, looking at the sphere of Gang Qi spinning around him.
He had apparently reached a new realm, surpassing Secrets of Gazing Cultivation and Exceeding Martial Arts.
"Yes, I've successfully reached the stage of using Gang Qi Compression Sphere. Now, there's almost nothing to fear. And you too..."
Kim Young-hoon's eyes sparkled as he looked at me.
"Amazing, you've already mastered six of the Seven Emotions."
"Yes, the progress is surprisingly fast. Of course, it's just six out of the thousands, if not millions, of intent..."
"Hahaha, just six, you say. The Seven Emotions are the most basic intents. Excluding the survival instincts of blue and red, the Seven Emotions are the foundation of intent. From these seven basic intents, human emotions, ranging in the thousands and millions, are formed."
He showed me the flow of his intent, dividing them intricately, as if to explain.
"If you've mastered the six basic intents, you'll continue to discover new shades just by observing the derived intents."
"Hmm... I see. Thank you for the advice. But about the enlightenment in Three Flowers Gather at the Summit..."
I asked him something I was curious about.
"Hmm, you think you're progressing fast?"
"Yes."
"You?"
"...."
I felt somewhat embarrassed by Kim Young-hoon's question, a man who had reached Five Energies from Three Flowers in just five years.
But I nodded.
Considering my talent, I should have been discovering the colors much more slowly.
In fact, at the beginning, I was prepared to go through two or three regressions to reach Five Energies.
It was surprising how fast I was discovering the colors.
"Well... Honestly, I'm not sure if you're fast..."
"...."
"But if you say so, maybe you have a special aptitude for Three Flowers."
I shook my head.
"That doesn't seem right."
I really had no talent for martial arts.
So why am I so suited for Three Flowers?
"Hmm. Indeed, compared to me, you're lacking, but your growth seems a bit faster than other masters of Three Flowers I've seen. Strange. From what I've observed... Enlightenment in Three Flowers tends to favor older people."
"What?"
I asked, slightly surprised.
Age?
"From Three Flowers onwards, not only martial arts but also one's life becomes important. It's a stage where you excavate the Seven Emotions constituting life, and contemplate the millions of intents derived from them. The more experiences and feelings one has from living a long life, the more advantageous it is in the enlightenment of Three Flowers."
"...Huh."
"Actually, I thought that the reason I reached Five Energies from Three Flowers in just five years was because I'm quite old. I was a manager in a major corporation, after all. Thinking back to my younger days when I struggled to save our company..."
Kim Young-hoon seemed to reminisce about his company days for the first time in a while.
Listening to him, I finally understood my enlightenment.
'...It wasn't that I was fast.'
It wasn't that I was fast in observing six intents over ten years.
'It would have been strange if I hadn't realized that much at my age.'
In terms of physical age, I'm 39 years old.
But mentally, I'm as old as Kim Young-hoon's ancestor.
I've lived several different lives over hundreds of years through multiple regressions.
There might be no one older than me in the martial world of Yanguo.
In fact, compared to other masters of Three Flowers, I had a much more advantageous condition, but my talent was so terribly poor that I was only able to achieve enlightenment at this rate.
'...Should I be happy?'
I was in the best condition to gain enlightenment in Three Flowers. Thanks to that, I'm realizing intents and understanding intents faster than ever in my life.
But my talent is so terribly poor that in the same time, when others would have realized thousands or even tens of thousands of intents, I only realized six.
'If Kim Young-hoon had lived the same time as me, he would have moved from Three Flowers to Five Energies in two or three seconds.'
I felt a bit odd.
"...By the way, about the information you've sent me over the past few years..."
Over the past few years, I've been sending Kim Young-hoon information about cultivators while teaching my disciples.
Especially about a few places in the territory of Makli Clan and the places they connect to.
"Thanks to that information, I was able to enter the territory of the Makli Clan."
"Is that so?"
Anger gradually appeared in his eyes.
"They are committing atrocious acts hidden behind a formation in a secret place... They are making elixir out of humans!"
He continued with his angry explanation.
"...So, will you join me in dealing with these atrocious cultivators? Those people, they shouldn't be alive in this world!"
"...Yes, you're right. But... It will be impossible for you alone to kill them all."
"Of course, that's why I'm gathering willing people..."
"That won't be enough."
I looked him in the eye and said,
"Use poison to fight poison. To punish evil, we need to use another evil."
"Hmm...?"
I told him about the Jin Clan.
A cultivating clan opposed to the current Imperial family, Makli Clan.
The previous Imperial family of Yanguo.
A somewhat better cultivating clan than the openly devilish Makli Clan.
"How about reaching out to them?"
"Hmm... Certainly. It's better than challenging them bare-handed..."
He pondered for a moment and then accepted my request.
I headed with Kim Young-hoon to the territory of the Jin Clan.
"Hmm, you seem like a new cultivator. What brings you to the Jin Clan's territory?"
An elderly cultivator from Yanguo, guarding the formation of the Jin Clan's territory, asked Kim Young-hoon.
He must have recognized Kim Young-hoon's consciousness.
"A cultivator... I am a martial artist."
"Hmm...? A martial artist? Stop joking and state your purpose for being in the territory."
Kim Young-hoon calmly explained his purpose, and the old man's face changed to a look of disdain.
"You're really a martial artist, not a cultivator. You seem to have learned martial arts without knowing you were born with spiritual roots. How about joining our clan as an external member?
Without even learning cultivation methods, and not even being a 1st Star Qi Refining cultivator, but having such a large consciousness indicates you have potential..."
"Did you even listen to me? I'm here to stop the wicked deeds of the Makli Clan and join forces with you..."
"Hmph, how do you confront cultivators with mere martial arts? Don't talk nonsense. Think about becoming an external member as I said."
Kim Young-hoon looked at the old cultivator for a moment, then drew his saber from its sheath.
I sighed softly.
'He lost his temper.'
"Ha, put that saber away. The moment you swing it at me, you'll turn to ashes..."
Boom-
Wham!
Kim Young-hoon's action was brief.
He sent his Gang Qi flying towards the formation covering the Jin Clan's territory.
A huge crack appeared in one corner of the formation due to his bundle of Gang Qi.
Seeing this, the old Qi Refining cultivator just opened his mouth in shock and stared.
After that, Kim Young-hoon's demands were easily met.
A Qi Building cultivator from the Jin Clan assessed his strength, and after being beaten up by Kim Young-hoon's Gang Sphere to the point of getting dusty on a rainy day, had to acknowledge his prowess.
In the Jin Clan, Kim Young-hoon was recognized as a cultivator of Qi Building stage in strength.
Having gained the Jin Clan's approval, Kim Young-hoon was recognized as a combatant of the clan, gaining the authority to roam around the territory.
I took Kim Young-hoon to the training grounds where my disciples were.
"These are the kids, Kim Hyung."
"Hmm... Eh? Why do these kids have several souls in one body?"
"That is..."
As I explained about the disciples, a subtle anger appeared in Kim Young-hoon's eyes.
"Honestly, they might seem better than the Makli Clan, but from your explanation, I'm not sure if these guys are really any better. Instead of helping the spirits of the dead rest in peace, they put them into the bodies of their kin, shortening their kin's lifespan?"
"Well, according to them, the spirits can fulfill their grudges through the bodies of their kin."
"Hmph. Nonsense. The dead should entrust their future to the living and rest in peace. This is just another way of desecrating the dead."
"That's right. That's why I brought you here, Kim Hyung."
I looked at the training disciples and asked Kim Young-hoon.
"Could you please help detach the spirits attached to my disciples' bodies, so they can finally go to the afterlife?"
Kim Young-hoon shook his head after looking at my disciples for a while.
"It's going to be tough. With Secrets of Gazing Cultivation and Exceeding Martial Arts, it's possible to interfere with spirits. Anyone who has reached Five Energies can do it. But... these kids are clinging to the souls of their own family members."
"..."
"They probably don't want to be separated from their families. In this state, it's hard even for my martial arts. The only way is for the kids to let go themselves, or they die and go to the afterlife together."
"I see."
"Or... if there's someone they trust enough to open up their hearts, it might be possible through them. But in this state, even cultivators won't have much of a way. The kids are clinging to their families themselves..."
He clicked his tongue and left, apologizing for not being able to help.
Kim Young-hoon was going to wander the martial world, gathering like-minded peak masters and Three Flower martial artists.
I sat quietly, watching my disciples train.
'I'm sorry, Kim Hyung. I too... can't be of any help to these kids.'
The Jin Clan was starting to put pressure on me.
They were suggesting that it's time to send someone for an assassination attempt.
I proposed sending a group of 20 for the assassination, but it was rejected as being too noisy and unnecessary.
In fact, bringing Kim Young-hoon this time was also a part of getting out of that pressure.
'...I'm sorry.'
There's nothing else I can do.
I quietly closed my eyes while watching the movements of my disciples' intents in the training ground.
Days passed like that.
"What... what's this...!"
I used to give my disciples two days off a month, but after they became peak masters, I let them rest two days every seven weeks.
I hoped they would take a break and live a more human life, especially since they were already tired from the spirits within them.
However, this time on their day off, one of my disciples, Nok-hyeon, left a letter in my quarters and disappeared.
I can't just keep spending time like this. I'm going to avenge my brother and sister. Even if I die, it doesn't matter. Thank you for everything you taught me.
'Damn it...!'
I clenched my teeth and crumpled the letter in my pocket.
"Man-ho! Did you see where Nok-hyeon went?"
I asked Man-ho, the de facto leader of my disciples, about Nok-hyeon's whereabouts.
But Man-ho just kept his mouth shut.
"I'm asking you. Tell me where Nok-hyeon went."
"..."
"Man-ho!"
Then it happened.
"Why are you scolding that kid for no reason? Don't be too harsh."
"...You."
I glared at the old man who had flown in on a flying device, the overseer of the assassin squad.
"The kid volunteered himself. He said he at least wanted to strike the Makli Clan bastards who killed his siblings. I admired his spirit and praised him."
"You egged him on. Didn't I tell you! My disciples are far from ready for assassination! If you must send them, they should go in groups of twenty!"
"The elders of the clan were displeased to hear that there is a group that only trains and never participates in assassinations. We had to send at least one.
As for twenty, that's nonsense. We need to move stealthily. Sending such a large group of assassins would only give the Makli Clan more reason to act."
Clench-
I gathered my weapons, poisons, and hidden weapons.
"Where are you going?"
"Nok-hyeon can't go. He had an accident today and broke both legs. He has no choice but to rest."
Absolutely not.
Without forming a group of at least twenty, it's impossible to penetrate the Shadow Guards.
It's a death sentence.
The old man just looked at me and clicked his tongue, not stopping me.
I followed Nok-hyeon's trail and left the territory.
'He seems to have covered his tracks.'
Apparently, he underestimated my martial arts experience.
Since operating the intelligence organization Gwiyeonggak, covering and tracking trails has been my specialty.
'Dare to move so clumsily in front of me?'
I'm an old martial arts master who has spent over a hundred years in the martial world.
In terms of actual combat experience, even Kim Young-hoon can't raise his head in front of me.
I followed Nok-hyeon's trail, chasing after him.
Crossing mountains and valleys with Mountain Lords Soaring Flight, I began to smell Nok-hyeon from afar.
He seemed to have hidden his scent, but hiding it was meaningless against me, who could always maximize my senses.
Swoosh!
As I rushed towards him with the wind, a metal whip suddenly struck through the air.
Three strands of intent emanated from the whip.
Three combo moves.
In a sparring match, I would have adjusted to his rhythm.
But right now, I was not in the mood.
Slash!
With the drawing of my sword, my Sword Gang crystallized on the blade.
My single strike pierced through the gap in his intent and cut his metal whip.
Thud-
"Come out, Nok-hyeon."
Nok-hyeon, who had been hiding in the bushes targeting me, came out after releasing his concealment.
"Where are you going?"
"To kill the trash that devoured my brother and sister."
"To the Imperial Palace?"
He nodded silently.
I clicked my tongue and said,
"With your skills, it's impossible. The Shadow Guards are not a group to be gambled with. Unless twenty of you with good synergy attack together..."
"Twenty aren't necessary."
Nok-hyeon interrupted me.
"With just about nine, we can kill the Emperor. But why do you keep setting such impossible conditions and stop us?"
"Sure, nine of you might be able to threaten the Emperor. But... all of you will die."
"I don't care if we die!!"
His eyes blazed with fury.
"What do you know! Did you watch your family being torn apart right in front of you? Even now in my head, my brother and sister are calling my name!
They say it hurts, that it's agonizing. They beg me to resolve this grudge! You don't know! You don't know this rotten feeling!!!"
Silence fell between us.
We just looked at each other, not exchanging thoughts though intent.
"...I don't know."
"You don't know and yet!"
"What I do know."
I looked him in the eye and said,
"You like Kae-hwa."
"I don't...What?"
"And you dislike Man-ho because he seems to be after Kae-hwa."
Caught off guard by my sudden words, he looked at me blankly.
"You like to eat fiddleheads, hate melons, and don't like watermelons. During breaks, you usually do wood carving. You don't mind when I correct your stance, but you get annoyed when I point out your internal energy flow.
Don't you feel an immense sense of happiness when you train on a winter day and then, after dousing yourself with cold water, take a bath in hot water? You also always feel depressed when you're alone in the toilet."
"...."
"I don't know how rotten you are inside. I can only see through my one-sided perspective. But through my eyes this is who you are."
Nok-hyeon's emotions surged.
His various intents were revealed, showing his emotional state.
"You've lived like this. You're living like this, and you'll continue to live like this. I want you to stay alive."
I adopted a fighting stance.
"Therefore, I cannot let you die. Come at me. If you can last 50 seconds against me without falling, I will let you go."
After biting his lips for a while, Nok-hyeon took out a new weapon from his bosom.
Whoosh!
Our intents intertwined, and a second passed.
And then, my fist plunged straight into his face.
***
1 second.
My fist dug into Nok-hyeon's face.
2 seconds.
As his intent stretched out to escape my trajectory, I attacked the blood vessels in his legs, making him roll on the ground.
3 seconds.
Taking advantage of rolling on the ground, he swung a poisoned iron piece at me. I deflected the iron piece with a hidden weapon and kicked him in the face.
...
10 seconds.
I disarmed Nok-hyeon of all his weapons and lifted him by the scruff of his neck.
"You're saying you want to invade the Imperial Palace with these skills?"
"...I'm prepared to die."
"Even if you're prepared to die, you can't get past the Shadow Guards. You might stand a chance against the weakest among them, but if two or more join forces against you, youre as good as dead."
"..."
"Let's go back. You're not skilled enough yet."
He bit his lips hard, blood dripping down.
"How longhow long do I have to train?"
"..."
"While we train, are those Shadow Guards just sleeping? Do the ones guarding the Emperor not get stronger? Are they all fools?"
Nok-hyeon shouted with veins bulging in his eyes, his eyes seemingly flowing with flames.
"They will keep getting stronger too! Then when, when can we take our revenge!
Master is right. I am such a person. It's true I like Kae-hwa and dislike Man-ho. But! But...Even if it means throwing away my entire life, I must take revenge!"
I looked at the child with pity.
Though he appeared to be exuding energy on the outside, his intent was a dark blue hue.
It was the intent of sorrow.
Deep and profound.
He was crying without tears.
"What do you expect us to do!"
Shuffling sounds were heard around us.
I frowned.
"How did you get here?"
"The overseer opened the formation for us. He said to come and help Hyeon."
"That damn overseer."
I looked around annoyed.
Man-ho, Hae-woong, Kae-hwa, Cheong-ya, Yeo-lo, Hee-a...
About 500 of my disciples were surrounding me.
"Do you intend to hold me back so Nok-hyeon can escape?"
"Yes. And not just Nok-hyeon, a few others will go too."
Grinding my teeth, I glared at my disciples.
"Didn't I say it was suicide. You are all too weak."
"Nok-hyeon spoke well. We're not the only ones getting stronger. The Shadow Guards will surely continue to train and get stronger as well."
"So you want to go despite all this."
"We can't just sit back and do nothing."
"Fine."
I spoke with a murderous intent.
"Ill make my position clear. I cannot send any of you. Because all of you will have suffered injuries in training, needing a few days to recuperate.
Even if it means making you rest forcibly, I cannot let..."
I drew my sword.
"...any of you die."
"Everyone wants to die for their cause."
Swoosh-
My sword sliced through the air.
The next moment, confusion appeared in my disciples' eyes.
Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts!
There's a difference between those who have and haven't learned this martial art like the difference between an adult and a child.
Can 500 kindergarteners beat an adult?
With my combat experience, swordsmanship, and poison, I was confident I could tie down a large number of peak experts.
Now, I even began using the martial art of Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts.
"Everyone, fight as if you are facing a mid-to-late-stage Qi Refiner"
I unleashed a roar in all directions with Lions Roar, then moved stealthily, cutting off their perception.
As my mastery deepened, I discovered more intents.
The completion rate of the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts kept rising.
Now, unless one was at the level of Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, they stood no chance against me.
Puk, puk, puk!
I spread paralysis poison on my hidden weapons, refined intent with Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts, and scattered it in all directions.
With one move, dozens of disciples fell.
"Dont panic! Everyone, tighten up!"
Man-ho tried to take control but I knocked him unconscious with the hilt of my sword.
Chaaaaak!
After spreading poison dust to blur their sight and breath, I knocked out my disciples one by one.
It took about 3 minutes to knock out all 500 disciples.
I appeared before Nok-hyeon, who watched the battle with a shocked expression.
"Did you see what I just did?"
"...I didn't see."
"Thats your level, all of your levels. You cant even perceive it. With your skills, you can't match Three Flowers experts. Understand?"
"..."
"Get up and call the servants from the estate. We need to move these guys."
He briefly wore an angry expression, then closed his eyes.
"...Understood."
After a while, I moved my disciples back to the training ground with the servants.
In fact, they were not weak at all.
It was just that the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts, a divine record created by the genius named Kim Young-hoon to combat cultivators, was ridiculously powerful.
With their level, if only about twenty gathered, they could have infiltrated the Imperial Palace safely, assassinated the Emperor, and returned unharmed.
'But the cultivator clan would never allow such large-scale movement.'
It was a stupid reason saying that it gave the Makli Clan an excuse to attack the Jin Clan.
So, the Jin Clan sent one, maybe two or three assassins a day, not caring how many died.
'Those Jin Clan bastards...'
They don't value human life.
Perhaps they see the lives of the assassins as tools in their political struggles with the Makli Clan.
Just tools.
'To Makli we are livestock. To Jin we are tools?'
Watching my disciples, who had forcibly entered the Pinnacle Realm by accepting resentful spirits, I smiled bitterly.
'I thought they were better than the Makli Clan anyway. But it's just a difference in degree and scale. Aren't the Jin Clan the same?'
After a while, as my disciples woke up, I looked around and said,
"I know your abilities well. Many of you must be dissatisfied with the current situation. But with those skills, you absolutely cannot stand against the Shadow Guards."
I stood up and continued,
"But you must be unsatisfied, thinking with your logic: doesn't the Emperor's Guards get stronger as you do? Yes, that's correct. However..."
Whoosh!
I vanished like a phantom in front of them, then reappeared.
"As you just saw, my martial arts exist on a different level than those of ordinary Three Flowers masters. If you can master this martial art, I will allow your assassination."
Of course, Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts, with Three Flowers as the minimum entry requirement, would not be easy.
Especially for those who had forcibly raised their realm with resentful spirits, it would be even harder than for ordinary people.
However, I lied to them, giving them hope.
To keep them alive with an unattainable hope.
"The condition to learn this martial art is to defeat me. All 500 of you can attack, ambush, poison me at night, attack me while I'm asleep, or take hostages. Whatever it takes, if even one of you defeats me, I will teach all of you this martial art."
Whether they defeat me or not.
If they don't reach Three Flowers, they can never enter the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts.
But I made a promise with an unachievable delusion.
"If you show the possibility of overcoming me, I will teach you martial arts of a different dimension!"
At those words, the intents of many disciples stirred.
Anger, excitement, surprise, joy, anticipation...
'I see it.'
I could see several more hues that I couldn't before, amidst the changes in emotions.
'That's why there are few recluses among the masters of Three Flowers.
There are almost no hidden masters of Three Flowers Gather at the Summit in the hermit world.
Most are in the councils of major factions, involved in their affairs.
I used to wonder why there are no recluses practicing in isolation, but observing the fluctuating intents and emotions is the most helpful way for masters of Three Flowers,
So they continuously observe intents in important positions of major factions.
After making that promise to my disciples, a day passed.
Pffft!
While using the toilet, a sword flew out from the dung heap and stabbed at me.
"Bold for the first day."
In a flash, I threw a hidden weapon under the dung to deflect the sword, then released paralytic poison under the toilet.
After finishing my business, I reached under the toilet.
Squish!
Despite the unpleasant sensation, I ignored it and pulled out the paralyzed disciple.
"Fool, what would you have done if you died in the feces?"
I dragged the paralyzed disciple to a stream, pressed his acupoints to slowly release the paralysis.
"Attacking from dung doesn't work against a real master. You should focus more on the sword."
After giving advice to the disciple, Wul-yuk, who attacked me from the dung, and advice on controlling the flow of intent, I headed to the training ground.
Ting!
Upon arriving at the training ground, two disciples skilled in hidden weapons, Cheong-ya and Hwan-hyeong, threw their weapons at me.
Swoosh!
At the same time, thin threads hidden in the sand of the training ground revealed themselves, trying to bind me.
Jump!
I leaped into the air, dodging the hidden weapons and threads, and drew my sword.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Mountain and Valley Transformation!
Boom!
My sword energy tore through the ground.
The figures of disciples who were hiding underground to ambush me were revealed, along with a few of their traps.
"Is this the end for the morning?"
"Attack!"
However, Man-ho led disciples wielding swords and formed an encirclement.
Their intents filled the formation, attacking me.
So dense there was no space to dodge.
I smiled and looked around.
"Is this your sword formation? A good formation that completely grinds anyone trapped inside."
If the opponent was not me, it would be excellent.
Mountain and Valley Transformation!
Boom!
I once again sent sword energy to the ground, disrupting the formation.
The formation's shape was disturbed.
However, under Man-ho's command, the disciples quickly reformed the formation.
But it was not enough.
"In the gap you took to reform the formation, you all died three times."
Shush!
Mountain Severing Swordsmanship
Mountain Echoes, Valley Responds!
My wave-like sword energy sliced the front of my disciples' chests.
"Get your mind straight. Would you do the same in real combat?"
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship
Flowing Ridge
Deep Mountain.
I penetrated through the gaps in their formation with Flowing Ridge, then made a path with Deep Mountain.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship
Joy of Mountains and Peaks
Simultaneously scattering fine sword energy in all directions, I induced a chaotic fight.
Within that chaos, I observed the trajectory of the sword formation.
'If I break three places, it'll collapse.'
The flow was clear.
Mixing in Severing Vein Saber Method, I unleashed sword energy and force.
About 15 minutes later.
Eventually, the sword formation led by Man-ho collapsed, and the disciples were gasping for breath.
"When forming a sword formation, too many of you are distracted. Being in a group gives you a false sense of security? The larger the group, the more you should concentrate on your position. Even when forming a sword formation, think of it as a life-or-death duel."
After giving some advice on the sword formation and the intents and distractions of some disciples, I left the formation.
Clank, clank, clank!
This time, disciples skilled in long-range weapons like long swords, spears, and moon blades surrounded me.
"A spear formation after the sword formation?"
Intending to drain my energy.
But I laughed heartily, holding my sword.
"Let's see you try."
I hadn't even properly used poison or Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts yet.
They were already struggling against me at this level.
Could they even drain my stamina?
I raised my sword and smiled at my disciples.
"If you cant even touch my clothes today, you'll train naked from now on."
As I joked, numerous spear attacks rushed at me.
I adopted a defensive stance and charged at my disciples.
A month passed.
"Spreading poison on the path I walk, not bad at all."
I chewed an antidote, looking at Kae-hwa who brandished a dagger at me.
"The poison's making my fingertips tremble and my breathing quick. You might have a chance. Come at me."
Whoosh!
Kae-hwa's dagger sharply stabbed at me.
At the same time, she reached out with her intent to match mine.
If her opponent had been a typical peak master, it would have been worth trying.
But.
"You're struggling to fight an intent battle at your level."
A master who just reached Three Flowers and can only see purple might not know, but I can see dozens of colors.
The flow of intent read is incomparable to other peak masters.
To even have an intent battle with me, one must at least reach Three Flowers.
Ting, ting, ting!
I deflected all of Kae-hwa's daggers, extending dozens of intent.
Each represents the optimal movement I can make.
From that movement, endless intent branch further.
Kae-hwa seemed to try to shake off my intent momentum with her own.
Whoosh!
My sword aimed at her chin, piercing through her intent.
"Good concentration and clean practice. But you lack experience. Have practice battles with others that are close to real combat."
"...Thank you."
She pretended to salute me, then controlled a thin thread with her fingertips and threw it at me.
Shush!
I extended a hidden weapon with my fingertips and cut the thread.
"Good. Keep progressing."
I praised Kae-hwa.
Months passed.
It's been about half a year since I promised to teach Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts.
Only half a year, but my disciples have made significant progress.
They focused on forming fighting formations, researching ways to overpower me, and delving into surprise and ambush tactics.
At the same time, to confront me, they had to continuously and tirelessly train in martial arts.
Thanks to that, the side-effects of reaching the Pinnacle Realm inappropriately seemed to gradually decrease.
'Until now, to be honest, they were only sharing the same vision as a real peak master, but they all had flaws.'
But now, I could see those flaws gradually disappearing.
When my disciples reached the Pinnacle Realm by maximizing their talents using resentful spirits, I was unimpressed.
However, watching them refine their movements and the flaws disappearing over time, I started to feel moved.
It wasn't just the disciples who had grown.
'I, too, have made even more progress in my understanding of intent.'
After realizing six types of intent.
I began to notice hundreds, thousands of shades of intent derived from those six.
This rapid growth was a speed I had never felt before.
'Fast, no... is this slow?'
I observed the countless human hues and delved into them, lost in thought.
Some hues I could immediately understand their meaning, but others, I had no clue what to name.
However, even realizing these countless hues, there was one thing I still found hard to grasp.
The last of the seven emotions.
The emotion of desire ().
'Desire.'
I couldn't see the color of desire no matter how hard I looked.
No matter how much I observed, I couldn't even get a trace of desire.
'What is desire...'
I dodged my disciples' attacks, lost in thought.
"What is desire..."
Kim Young-hoon, whom I met after a long time, said while sipping tea.
He said he had almost gathered all the like-minded warriors while traveling around Yanguo recently.
"Desire is a longing hidden deep within. There's no human without desire. That's why everyone expresses their desires in their own unique ways as they live. In a way, desire is the driving force of human life.
What is your greatest longing? Keep pondering over it, and you'll understand the color of desire."
"Hmm, could you tell me the color of desire?"
Then, at least I could try to see that color.
However, Kim Young-hoon shook his head.
"You know this, right? The colors seen by masters of Three Flowers are similar, but each is slightly different. Both you and I might see the intent of joy as gold, but the emotion we each see has a slight color difference. Mine is pure gold, and yours is..."
"Golden."
"Right, like that. Everyone sees a slight difference in the shades of intent... Especially the intent of desire. It varies greatly because everyone has different longings. So only you know what color your desire is.
Thus, you have no choice but to observe your own longing."
"Is that so..."
I pondered over Kim Young-hoon's advice.
What I want the most.
What is it?
Even after receiving his hint, I kept pondering and observing for days.
On that day too, I was fighting within my disciples' fighting formation.
Clang, clang, clang!
Reading countless intents, finding their weaknesses, dodging and deflecting the incessant poison darts and hidden weapons.
I was lost in thought.
'My longing.'
What I want in this life.
Firstly, to reach Five Energies Converging to the Origin.
But to reach Five Energies, I first need to know what desire is.
But 'knowing desire' itself became my desire.
'This is troublesome.'
Let's broaden the criteria a bit.
Why do I want to reach Five Energies?
'To become a cultivator.'
Why do I want to become a cultivator?
To enter the Ascension Gate as a cultivator and return to my original world, to see if I can eliminate my regression ability.
'Why do I want to get rid of my regression ability?'
Because of my regression ability, all the lives I've built up will eventually be negated.
Therefore, I need to find the origin of my regression ability to eventually escape from it.
'Ah, I see.'
Somehow, I felt like I roughly understood what my desire was.
I hate that my life is negated.
That means, I want to live.
Yes.
'I desire life.'
I don't need appetite, sexual desire, or the desire to sleep.
I don't need any desire or urge in this world.
I just...
'Want to live.'
I hope that all the lives I've built will not vanish vainly in the reverse flow of time.
Even though I haven't achieved everything I want, I hope my precious life, which records my achievements, is not negated by time regression.
Therefore, my desire can only be life itself.
"Ha ha, ha ha ha..."
While countering my disciples' moves, I might not have discovered the intent of desire,
But I realized how selfish I am.
"...Everyone."
Man-ho's great sword narrowly misses in front of my eyes.
Kae-hwa's dagger stabs at my back.
Jumping to dodge, Cheong-ya from mid-air attacks me with a hidden weapon.
I am definitely...
"I wish you live."
A selfish person who imposes his desire on others.
I desire life, so I impose life on those who wish to die.
But still...
"Because you are alive."
These children, even though they desire death, are undoubtedly alive.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
As I knock down Cheong-ya attacking from the air, Man-ho and Kae-hwa attack from both sides, and Yeo-lo thrusts a weapon from below.
Nok-hyeon swings a metal piece to pressure my upper body, and other children scatter poison.
Excellent.
I couldn't escape even seeing the flow of intent.
'I won't be able to escape without using the ultimate technique of Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts.'
Whoosh!
Immediately after, the children's weapons stopped right in front of me.
My condition was my 'subjugation,' not my 'murder.'
'In the first place, subjugation is much harder.'
And who would teach them if I died?
"Excellent. You all have grown a lot in such a short time."
"...I know you're hiding a trump card. You could easily escape if you use it."
Man-ho, knowing that I was holding back, said with a slightly dark face.
"That's right. With just this trump card, I could subdue all of you. You haven't even drawn out the 22nd move of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship. Let alone the 23rd and 24th moves."
"...."
"But now, I have no more flaws to point out. Teaching or sparring with you won't bring any more improvement. From now on, it's up to your enlightenment... You can't completely subdue me. If I reveal my trump card, it's too high a technique for you to comprehend. However, you all did all you could to push me this far."
Dang!
Suddenly, a loud bell rang from the direction of the cultivators' quarters.
[All mortals within the domain listen. All martial artists in the Pinnacle Realm gather at Yunryung (). There's an important announcement.]
Along with the bell, the voice of the chief administrator of this Jin Clan territory echoed throughout the domain.
I had a rough idea of what it was about.
"...Though you succeeded in cornering me, you didn't subdue me. So, I'll teach you a formation derived from the martial art, not the martial art itself as originally promised."
The name of the formation is Transcending Cultivation Formation ().
In the cycle where I formed the Heavenly Demon Army, Young-hoon Hyung derived a fighting formation from the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts.
A formation executed by late first-rate masters, powerful enough to capture a mid-to-late-Qi Refining cultivator.
"Learn this formation... and I hope you choose to live."
Confusion appeared in my disciples' eyes at my tone.
Eventually, I succeeded in not sending any of them for assassination.
However, I could no longer resist the pressure of the cultivator clan.
At least, I managed to buy time using Kim Young-hoon and changed the direction of the pressure.
Now, my disciples would undertake the mission of attacking the Makli Clan's territory, not assassinating the Emperor.
A task both harder and easier than the Emperor's assassination.
I will use everything I can to increase my disciples' chances of survival.
"...I'll make sure you live."
I realized my desire was life, but I still couldn't see the intent of desire.
Maybe I didn't understand what life was.
Still, even though I don't know life, I want my disciples to live.
'Because they are alive.'
That was enough.
Soon, I joined my disciples in Yunryung, listening to the operation plans of Kim Young-hoon and other Qi Building cultivators.
In two months.
We were planning to start attacking the Makli Clan's territory.
***