Chapter 30: Life (5)
Three months had passed.
I, dressed in black martial attire, looked around at my disciples, each tending to their weapons.
"...Is everyone ready?"
"Yes!!!"
Their response was resoundingly loud.
Three months ago,
At the meeting where the plan to invade the Makli Clan's territory was explained.
Everyone was shocked, almost losing their minds at the news that they wouldn't be killing the Emperor.
It was almost a serious incident when they were subsequently informed that, while not the Emperor, they would attack another territory of the Makli Clan.
'They all have complex feelings.'
They couldn't kill the Emperor they had been dreaming of, but instead, they could kill the other monsters.
However, despite having the killing they wished for right before them, each of my disciples seemed to have complex feelings.
It wasn't simple hatred, anger, or anticipation.
It was a strange mix of emotions.
'I can't read what color it is.'
And it wasn't desire either.
Looking at it, I realized something.
'Maybe, even if I can discern thousands of colors, I may never completely understand all the hues of human emotion.'
How many emotions do humans have?
Who can define them?
Emotions are indescribable.
That's why you can't categorize them or know all their colors.
'...Then, what exactly is the realm of Five Energies Converging to the Origin?'
The realm of Five Energies didn't seem to be just about knowing all colors.
It was impossible unless one was a god.
But what I saw when Kim Young-hoon reached the realm of Five Energies was...
'From within Kim Young-hoon, infinite hues of colors came out, filling his realm.'
His consciousness was made up of infinite colors.
Then why do I now feel that it's impossible to fully comprehend human emotions?
'I don't know...'
It's strange.
Infinity is never achievable.
If it were possible, Kim Young-hoon wouldn't have been surpassed by cultivators, but would have overwhelmingly dominated them, whether at the Core Formation or even higher.
But what I saw then was infinity.
"...I don't understand."
It was something I couldn't know just by thinking about it now.
Even with my talent, I wouldn't easily understand even if Kim Young-hoon explained it to me.
'Then, instead of focusing on what I can't understand, I should focus on what I can do now.'
After confirming my disciples were ready, I distributed the special poison and antidote I had concocted to each of them.
The disciples took the poison I had mixed and put it in their sleeves or pockets. After I checked their preparations, I shouted.
"Today, we go to kill cultivators!"
A determined expression swirled on everyone's face.
However, I did not want them to be merely determined.
"Don't think recklessly about dying. Don't plan to die alongside the cultivators!"
At my words, my disciples' determined expressions began to show slight irritation.
Talking about living or whatnot would only irritate them further.
There was no real reason I could give for why they truly needed to live.
'Then, I need to create a goal for them to live.'
"You may be somewhat dissatisfied that we're not attacking the Emperor but just the lowly cultivators of the Makli Clan. But! I promise you this. If you successfully destroy all the territories and strongholds of the Makli Clan, then I will trust your abilities.
I promise I will join you to attack the Imperial Palace! I will help you claim the head of Emperor Makli Jung! But! Until then, do not die easily. Desperately survive, and make sure the reason for your training isn't in vain! Absolutely!!!"
I shouted with a roar filled with determination.
"Survive!"
In my justified command for survival, my disciples' eyes no longer glowed with just determination, but with resolute will and anger towards Makli Jung.
"Yes!"
Hearing their response, I led the way with over 500 disciples quietly following me, using their stealth techniques.
We left the Jin Clan's territory and headed for the northwestern hills of Cheombyeok City.
There lies a secret base of the Makli Clan.
'...Far more than in my past life.'
I looked at the martial arts masters Kim Young-hoon had gathered and the 500 peak masters who followed me, thinking.
Different from my previous life, none of my disciples were forcibly elevated to half-baked peak masters.
Each had gone through bone-crushing training, equipping themselves with abilities worthy of their forcibly attained realm.
'There won't be any proper cultivators in this territory.'
Most cultivator clans don't place important personnel in territories scattered across the country.
Just the lowest level Qi Refining cultivators of the clan, from 1st to 5th Star, were sent, along with one or two higher-ranked Qi Building cultivators to manage them.
The majority of the clan's strength was deeply hidden in the main house of the cultivator clan.
The territory we were about to enter was merely a primary refinery where low-tier cultivators performed dirty elixir refining, and significant personnel were not heavily deployed.
'In my past life, I didn't have any disciples.'
In this life, hundreds of formidable masters have been added.
Probably, it would be possible to simply push through without much struggle.
However, unable to shake off my worries, I spoke to my disciples in a low voice.
"Everyone, when we enter the territory of the Makli Clan, you will witness many horrific scenes. But! No matter what you see, maintain your composure. Our priority is not to get carried away in anger, but to coldly kill more cultivators and save any civilians that might still be alive."
My disciples nodded slightly at my words.
Shortly after, a late-stage Qi Building cultivator of the Jin Clan formed a hand seal in front of a hill.
"Open!"
Paah!
The scenery around us distorted, and a passage to the Makli Clan's territory opened up.
We followed the cultivators into the territory of the Makli Clan, and I recognized the familiar landscape.
A large village engulfed in a barrier.
And the Makli Clan cultivators, hastily alerting others of our intrusion.
'It's just the beginning.'
Woo-woong!
Once again, Kim Young-hoon was leading the vanguard.
He, who had reached a new realm with the Secrets of Gazing Cultivation and Exceeding Martial Arts, demonstrated the same divine technique as in the past.
Gang Qi Compression Sphere (罡氣壓丸)!
Koogoo-koogoo-koogoo-
I couldn't fully see the intricacies of Gang Qi Compression Sphere in my past life as I was only at the mid-peak.
Now, having reached Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, I could see the numerous intents and intricacies that were previously hidden.
To be precise, I was only 'allowed' to see.
'I still have no clue how it's done.'
I understood that countless intents were swirling within that sphere.
But how exactly one detaches their intents and swirls them inside remains a mystery to me.
Nevertheless, I watched, my eyes nearly popping out.
Finally.
Kwakwang!
Kim Young-hoon's powerful strike hit the barrier of the Makli Clan.
The barrier burst open, creating a large hole.
The cultivators, Kim Young-hoon, and about a dozen masters of Three Flowers entered through the hole first.
"Let's go."
I too led my disciples through the hole.
"Attackers! Take them down!"
"These vermin-like mortals, how dare they trespass here..."
Pak!
A cultivator who was mouthing off was swiftly struck in the head by Kae-hwa and died.
Kae-hwa moved quickly with a dagger, confronting the cultivators.
Kwang!
Man-ho swung his great sword, smashing the cultivators' defensive techniques, and Nok-hyeon wrapped the legs of a Jiangshi controlled by a cultivator with an iron whip and flung it away.
Unlike my past life, the cultivators' village began burning overwhelmingly fast.
Kwakwang!
Just as I defeated a 3rd Star Qi Refining cultivator,
The house of a cultivator collapsed, and blood and corpses flowed out.
Cheong-ya, who mainly used hidden weapons, was the one who destroyed the house.
She lifted the unconscious cultivator by the neck, then thrust him back down to the ground.
Kwakwang!
As she struck down with internal energy, the cultivator died, almost shattered in half, and she stood amidst the corpses, silently shedding tears.
"Sister..."
She had said her family didn't die in front of her eyes but were taken somewhere unknown.
It was obvious what she must be thinking, having seen the cultivators make elixir.
Her eyes seemed to be shedding red tears, with burst blood vessels.
[Regain your senses. This is a battlefield. Tearing apart the Makli Clan cultivators can wait until after we've won the battle.]
I sent a telepathic message to her, who was on the verge of going berserk in rage.
After receiving my telepathy, she glanced at me briefly, then moved to capture other cultivators.
"...I'm sorry."
That was all I could do for her.
"You mortals! How dare you, a mere nobody!"
I looked at the 3rd Star Qi Refining cultivator rushing towards me, yelling, and drew my sword.
"A mere nobody, huh."
Swish!
My sword cut through the cultivator's defensive spell and aimed at his neck.
The defense seemed to activate, but when I concentrated deeply on the sword energy for a moment, a bright sword light burst out.
Crack, swish!
My Sword Gang shattered the cultivator's defense like glass and cut off his neck.
"You're also just a 3rd Star Qi Refining cultivator..."
For early to mid-stage Three Flowers, 1st and 2nd Star Qi Refining cultivators are manageable.
Starting from Three Flowers, I could see the intricacies of intent more clearly, eliminating all vulnerabilities and using Sword Gang.
An experienced master of Three Flowers has the power to confront 3rd to 6th Star Qi Refining cultivators.
Moreover, due to my long life, I was advancing through the realm of Three Flowers much faster than other masters.
Additionally, with the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts, I had stepped out of the typical relationship between cultivators and martial artists.
Now, only Qi Refining cultivators of 5th to 8th Star were a match for me.
"...Is this coming to an end?"
I passed by the corpses of cultivators, looking around the burning territory of the Makli Clan.
"Is everyone safe..."
The duels between Qi Building cultivators in the sky had also ended, thanks to Kim Young-hoon's efforts.
We had won.
"Everyone survived."
I spoke briefly to my disciples.
"...Well done."
'And, thank you.'
For surviving.
"Now, let's search the houses of the cultivators, gather the bodies of the unfairly sacrificed civilians, and bury them."
At my words, my disciples silently followed me, digging the ground and burying the bodies.
We, led by Kim Young-hoon, briefly recited prayers in front of numerous graves.
'May you find peace there.'
After offering a brief prayer for their souls, I looked at my disciples.
Their minds had become rough after seeing the brutal massacre of civilians by the cultivators.
"How are you all feeling?"
"..."
No one answered.
But I could read their emotions and guess their feelings.
Or perhaps, I couldn't.
The intents emitted by my disciples were so tangled and chaotic that they were unrecognizable.
However, one thing was clear.
The red, rage-filled intent.
There was no disciple who wasn't emitting the intent of rage.
"Everyone feels the same. But remember, our goal is not to kill cultivators. It should be to end your revenge!"
"...What's the difference?"
A disciple named Giseok-gura asked.
I looked into his eyes, and into everyone else's, then said.
"You'll understand later. Let's move. Follow me."
What's the difference?
I chuckled bitterly to myself.
'You don't know yet.'
You probably don't want to know.
There's nothing harder than telling someone who doesn't want to know. They'll have to learn slowly...
We ran again towards another territory of the Makli Clan.
Six months passed.
We burned down 13 territories of the Makli Clan and collected the bodies of 156,000 mortals.
As time passed, the eyes of my disciples increasingly filled with bloody intentions.
Their anger seemed to grow each time they saw the extreme actions of the cultivators.
"These mortal scum! These martial arts riff-raff!!"
Kwang! Kwang, kwang!
A 3rd Star Qi Refining cultivator struggled against my disciples' combined attack, scattering his spells wildly.
But in a flash.
Kwakwang!
Hee-ah, who quickly rushed towards the cultivator with a small scythe, swung towards the cultivator's neck.
Kaang!
The internal energy in the scythe penetrated the cultivator's defense.
The cultivator clenched his teeth trying to concentrate on his defense. Yet, weakened from the combined attack, the light of his defense spell gradually faded.
"I can't die like this! How can I, how did I...! How did I get to this point..."
Then.
Shuk!
Eventually, the cultivator's defense broke under the combined attack of Nok-hyeon and Hee-Ah, and his head was severed.
His face remained incredulous, unable to accept his fate even in death.
'Soon, the Makli Clan will start to prepare as well.'
I organized the battlefield, checking on my disciples.
'Initially, there were many 1st and 2nd Star Qi Refining cultivators, but now there are more 3rd and 4th Star ones waiting in their territories. The Makli Clan is also preparing...'
This wasn't good news.
Even the weakest Qi Refining cultivators were not to be compared with ordinary martial artists.
'Just a one star difference makes a huge impact.'
The number and range of spells they could use increased, as did the scope of their consciousness and the power of their attacks.
'If these guys keep showing up, it could be dangerous...'
Of course, cultivators above 7th Star Qi Refining were at least countered by masters of Three Flowers, and those above 9th Star were dealt with by Kim Young-hoon, but as we continued to attack the territories of the Makli Clan, I felt their defenses were getting increasingly stronger.
'Even this is done by exploiting the Jin Clan's intelligence network, targeting the most vulnerable territories...'
If we keep attacking the Makli Clan's territories, we will eventually face severe consequences.
'What's even more frightening is that it's not yet a full-scale war between the Makli and Jin.'
According to the Jin Clan, this level of conflict is considered an 'underground battle.'
Can it really be called an underground battle when dozens of territories are burnt down and dozens of cultivators killed?
I had thought so, but apparently, to the high-ranking cultivators of the cultivator clans, the lives of the lowest-tier Qi Refining cultivators are not significantly different from those of mortals.
Moreover, the personnel sent with us to attack the Makli Clan's territories are considered mere bugs in the eyes of the upper ranks of the clan.
'The masters in the Pinnacle Realm are all Qi Refining cultivator-level in strength, but they are still martial artists and mortals. Although the Qi Building cultivators of the Jin Clan clan fight alongside us...
It's always Kim Young-hoon's role to strike the decisive blow after they weakened the Qi Building cultivators of the Makli Clan...'
So far, it's been treated as a fight under the control of the two clans, preventing a full-scale war.
The lower territories of the Makli Clan that were killed by such 'mortals' were considered too weak to be of concern by the upper ranks of the clan.
'...But if a real full-scale war breaks out...'
After cutting down all the cultivators of the Makli Clan, I saw my disciples gathering and burying the bodies of civilians who had been sacrificed.
It was only after the battle and the burial of civilians that the blood-red intent in my disciples' eyes seemed to fade.
'Those below Three Flowers will be too busy fleeing. And my disciples...'
If lucky, about 10-30 of them might survive.
If not, they could all be annihilated.
After the raid on the Makli Clan's territory was over, I, along with my disciples, gathered the bodies to create graves and recited prayers under Kim Young-hoon's lead.
Woong-
As Kim Young-hoon recited prayers, a faint light seemed to wash away the resentment and strange energy surrounding the graves.
Over the past few months, Kim Young-hoon had started learning cultivation.
It wasn't because his martial arts had hit a wall or he was in despair.
Rather, he learned it to recite prayers for the dead and to learn the arts of comforting spirits.
From Kim Young-hoon's low-level cultivation, I could visibly see the remaining spirits being led to heaven.
Originally, spirits not visible to the human eye.
Only those deeply accomplished in Three Flowers Gather at the Summit or who could read the flow of intent could barely see souls.
But the souls hit by the heavenly arts briefly floated around the graves as orbs of light before scattering into the sky.
We watched this and prayed for their souls.
I looked at this scene for a while, then spoke to my disciples.
"We have destroyed several territories of the Makli Clan so far. We have cut down countless cultivators of the Makli Clan and buried the bodies of their victims, leading their souls to heaven."
I cautiously looked around at my disciples and asked.
"Isn't this enough now?"
At my words, there was a twitch in their expressions.
"What do you mean by enough?"
Cheong-ya asked me in a harsh voice.
"There are still plenty of these filthy monsters. No matter how many we kill, the resentment doesn't subside, and every time we go to the next territory, civilians' bodies pour out... What do you mean by enough, Master!"
I looked at her with pity and asked.
"...Do you think the anger in your heart is entirely your own?"
"What do you mean?"
"All of you. Do you really think it's normal for a human to remember such clear anger from years ago?"
I looked at my disciples. I looked at their intents.
Their intents were not solely their own. Among their intents, foreign and murky ones seeped through.
The resentment of relatives and family members.
The Jin Clan used the resentful spirits of my disciples' relatives, wrongfully killed by the Makli Clan, to forcibly awaken their talents.
Their lifespan had already been shortened, but if the spirits are led to heaven now, they can still live for as long as they can.
"...I suppose what our master is talking about are the family members who are with us,"
Man-ho stepped forward and said.
"That's right. No matter how many Makli Clan cultivators we slay, our boiling rage does not subside, because surely, it includes the anger of our families as well. It's not just our own anger. But that is why!"
Man-ho's expression was resolute.
"We can not just end our vengeance because our own anger is appeased! It can only be resolved by resolving the grudges of our families, along with them!
Because it's not just my grudge. We must resolve everyone's grudges!"
I briefly turned my head towards the graves we had tended to.
"Did everyone just see that light?"
"...We did."
"That light just now was the souls of the victims. However, although the victims died in pain, at the moment of their passing, they scattered with a burst of light."
Looking again at Man-ho and my other disciples, and seeing the murky intents hiding in their minds, I spoke.
"I won't tell you to stop right now. But at least, having taken some measure of revenge, don't you think it's time to let the dead rest?
The dead now need to be released to their rightful places, don't you think?"
At my words, a moment of hesitation appeared on Man-ho's face.
But he gritted his teeth and said,
"...You don't understand our pain. You don't know how comforting it is for us to be able to avenge our dead families like this."
"The more you hold onto your family, the worse the outcome will be for both your family and yourselves! Your lifespan will continue to decrease, and your family will have to live as resentful spirits, unable to go where they belong"
"...You're just trying to keep us alive Master."
In his eyes, an indescribable hue emerged.
"We don't care if we die! Even if we spend the rest of our lives cutting down the Makli Clan and die when our lifespan runs out, it's worth it if we can go to the afterlife properly with our families!"
"..."
"..."
For a moment, my disciples and I looked at each other.
"...Alright, that's enough."
I sighed softly.
"Let's talk again later."
And so, we avoided further discussion for that day.
Months passed, and we continued to raid the Makli Clan's territories.
Many of the Makli Clan cultivators were slaughtered, and the prowess of those we faced steadily increased.
The realm of the cultivators we faced had risen from Qi Refining 1-3 to 2-5.
'Damn, they're strong!'
I gritted my teeth as I fought a Qi Refining 7th Star cultivator.
"Sharp eyes. Unlike most mortals, you seem to have awakened senses. Mortals too can open their consciousness with enough training, right? I wonder if the Jiangshi I'll make from your corpse will be as strong as a cultivator's corpse?"
I released Sword Gang at the cultivator controlling dozens of Jiangshi.
'There are too many of these guys. The disciples are in danger!'
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship,
Mountain and Valley Transformation!
Boom!
My Sword Gang dug into the terrain, disrupting the formation of the Jiangshi.
Severing Vein Saber Method,
Mountain Wind!
Whiz!
My Sword Gang, as fast as a beam of light, shot through the Jiangshi towards the cultivator.
Clang!
"Hmm, to scratch my defense spell, impressive..."
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Qi Mountain, Heart Heaven!
Whoosh!
Opening my meridians wide, I greatly enhanced my Sword Gang and slashed diagonally.
Boom!
A massive Sword Gang tore through the cracked defense spell and split the cultivator's body.
"What, what...! How can a mere mortal..."
Crash!
After completely severing the cultivator's upper body, I looked around.
'Damn it, damn it!'
There were too many strong enemies.
'Please, let them be alive!'
My sword cut through flames, heading towards a 4th Star Qi Refining cultivator attacking my disciples.
The cultivator was casting wind spells, and my disciples were struggling to block them.
I cut through the wind pattern and approached him with Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts, swinging my sword.
Flash!
My Sword Gang surged, and the cultivator's head rolled on the ground.
However, I saw several bleeding disciples as the wind cleared.
"...You kids..."
Gritting my teeth, I approached them.
They had stopped the bleeding with basic medical techniques I had taught them, but I knew.
'They're dying.'
There was no way to save them.
Aside from the heavy blood loss, some had completely twisted meridians or ruptured organs.
"...You fool."
I confirmed the last disciple's face with clenched teeth.
It was Nok-hyeon, who had once recklessly left the training ground.
"I told you to stop with the revenge."
"Heh, heh... I'm, satisfied... Finally, finally, I can be with my family..."
My disciple's life force was draining away.
His body was getting colder.
"The people left here, they aren't my family."
Gritting my teeth. my throat was choked.
Their eyes, even in death, were peaceful.
The dead disciples looked at me with distant expressions.
"Thank you for everything, Master."
"Because of you, we made it this far..."
My vision blurred somewhat.
But any more emotional change would be dangerous.
This was a battlefield.
I gritted my teeth hard, to prevent my vision from blurring further, and whispered slowly to my disciples.
"...do so."
At my words, my disciples' eyes widened.
"...Will you be alright?"
"Not all of your grudges have been resolved."
I looked at my disciples, nodded once, and stood up.
"...I pressed their sleep points. They'll fall asleep soon. I must go now. I need to save the others as much as I can."
Leaving behind seven dying disciples, I grabbed my sword.
"Nok-hyeon, Hui-ah, Cheong-ju, Jang-samso, Guoh-oh, Seomun-rim, Geum-lan... Everyone, rest well.
Biting my lips, I charged to slay the cultivators and save my disciples.
This battle was intense.
And 34 of my disciples perished.
"Nok-hyeon, Hui-ah, Cheong-ju, Jang-samso, Guoh-oh, Seomun-rim, Geum-lan, Gae-jin, Gu-sam, Il-mae, Seo-jin, Gijin-tae, Baegi-tae, Heo-jinsu, Sang-hyeon, San-ho, Geum-jok, Dae-a, Chil-deuk, Pal-oh, Pall-yuk brothers, Yeor-yeok, Geum-sam, Gyeon-hun, Dae-sik, Gil-su, Han-su, Mong-jin, Joo-han, Joo-gyeom, Geum-oh, Jang-chil, Hong-hwa, Man-suk..."
I called out the names of my disciples, collected their bodies, and made graves for them.
"I am sorry, everyone."
After burying my disciples, I looked at the remaining ones.
"Listen, all of you. The resistance of the Makli Clan cultivators is getting fiercer. Even if you form a combined force, it'll be hard to counter the late Qi Refining cultivators that are now abundant.
So, as your martial arts master, I command."
My vision blurred.
As a master, I should have shown a better side, but I kept showing an embarrassing scene.
"From the next raid, you won't join. From now on, you'll be refining your martial arts back at the training ground."
"...What are you saying? Don't you know how we feel? We want to..."
My disciples resisted with bloodshot eyes, but I spoke sharply.
"Sorry, but this is not a request or a suggestion. It's an order from your master."
Swoosh-
I drew my sword from its sheath.
"If you want to defy me, try to defeat me. Until you defeat me, you can't continue your revenge!"
I couldn't stand it anymore.
Hundreds of intents shot at me, but I observed thousands, even millions of intents, calculating the optimal path that my disciples couldn't even imagine.
"From now on, you will not die... No, you cannot die...!"