A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 28: Life (3)

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? S