WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Alyo

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◈ Memoir of a Regressor ◈

Chapter 2: The Bandits of Myeongwolsan

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How were a martial artist's realms divided?

Simply put, there were the Body Three Realms, which tempered the body; the Four Qi-Cultivation Realms, which tempered qi; and the Heaven and Earth Four Realms, which tempered the mind.

They said that after passing through every stage, one could ascend and become an immortal.

The Body Three Realms consisted, in order, of the Human Tempering Realm, where one began training to become a martial artist; the Qi Entry Realm, where one condensed qi and blood to form a dantian; and the Circulation Realm, where one purged all the turbid qi within the body and took the first proper step as a martial artist.

The next realms involved the middle dantian.

Twin Sun Manifestation, one of the Four Qi-Cultivation Realms, was the stage where the middle dantian began to open, allowing even a small amount of internal energy to display tremendous power.

Five Dragons Honoring the Sage was the stage where the middle dantian fully opened, while Three Flowers Gather at the Crown was the stage where the middle and lower dantians became one.

From that point on, the body's recovery ability increased dramatically.

Five Qis Return to Origin was the realm where the middle and lower dantians completely united. The [Advanced Dantian] created that way exponentially increased the amount of internal energy one could store, naturally allowing its owner to crush everyone beneath them with that internal energy.

The Heaven and Earth Four Realms were similar. They referred to the stages where the upper dantian opened, and from then on, one could sense the qi of nature.

The Creation Realm was where the upper dantian began to open. The Divine Entry Realm was where it fully opened and drew in the qi of nature.

The Divine Transformation Realm was where the upper dantian merged with the Advanced Dantian. From then on, one could use Natural Qi and become nature itself.

The Limitless Realm.

Hardly anyone in the history of the martial world had ever reached it.

They said that when the upper dantian and Advanced Dantian completely united, one became complete as a martial artist. Even I had never set foot in that realm.

Far from reaching it, I had remained beneath it.

My realm in my previous life had been the Creation Realm.

That was far too low for one of the Ten Greatest Masters Under Heaven, yet I had still become one.

The secret was twofold.

It was thanks to the two martial arts my master had taught me.

One was the [Primal Unity Qi Technique].

It was an inner cultivation method unlike any ordinary one.

In my experience, there were two kinds of qi in the world.

Common qi and natural qi.

At the heart of both was one thing.

True Qi.

The innate true qi people often spoke of.

Every form of qi drifting through the void contained True Qi. Normally, no one could gather that True Qi within their body, but the Primal Unity Qi Technique made it possible.

More precisely, it refined that True Qi into a new kind of energy.

My master called it Properly Aligned Qi.

The important part was that Properly Aligned Qi accumulated more slowly than it would with even third-rate inner cultivation methods.

Once it was used, though, that was another story.

With one-tenth of the energy, I could crush nine-tenths.

An inner cultivation method that united the soul, body, and qi, the great origin of all things. That was the Primal Unity Qi Technique.

They said that if I cultivated the Primal Unity Qi Technique for ten thousand years, I would be able to use Soul-Origin Qi. That was still a distant prospect, though. I doubted I could ever reach that point.

I silently focused on circulating my qi.

At this point, I was a martial artist who had only recently entered the Qi Entry Realm. I had not truly formed a dantian yet. At best, I had only shaped something halfway there.

The enormous amount of turbid qi in my body was one problem. The greater problem was that I had not even formed a proper dantian.

That was why I was creating one now.

Before I began circulating my qi, I called for the other servants and told them to buy as many elixir pills as the money would allow. I wanted spiritual medicine, but I did not have the money for it.

Most of what they brought back were Qi-Entry Pellets that helped condense internal energy. They were not high-grade elixir pills, but at my current level, I could hardly ask for more.

I had once been one of the Ten Greatest Masters Under Heaven. If I could not even form a proper dantian, I might as well go die.

I planned to put off purging the turbid qi until later. Once I reached the main residence, there would be something prepared for it.

As I formed my dantian, I began another task as well.

The second divine art that had made me one of the Ten Greatest Masters Under Heaven.

The [Ring-Stacking Technique].

It was a martial art based on a concept no one in the martial world had ever conceived. Its principle was simple.

First, I formed a ring near the lower dantian. It operated on the same principle as a dantian. In a way, it was like creating several dantians.

What was the function of this ring?

It amplified the Properly Aligned Qi I had accumulated.

The energy released from the original lower dantian collided within the ring again and again, splitting itself over and over. Properly Aligned Qi was, in essence, True Qi. No matter how finely it was divided, the energy it held did not vanish or diminish.

That meant one ring allowed me to draw on twice the energy. Two rings meant twice that amount, and three rings meant twice that again.

It was an absurd martial art, but there was a catch: the meridians.

If my meridians were too narrow, then no matter how many rings I created with the Ring-Stacking Technique, I could not use them. The amplified energy was immense. My meridians would burst, or perhaps my entire body would.

That did not matter now.

I could control that much.

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

I could feel it clearly.

One ring wrapped around my dantian.

And my lower dantian, fully formed.

I had fully reached the Qi Entry Realm.

I slowly rose to my feet.

The bandits of Myeongwolsan.

The humiliation I had suffered at their hands still remained vivid in my mind.

This time would be very different.

After tying back my long hair, I stepped outside.

The Yi Clan's General Stewards were waiting there.

"Let's go."

No answer came. Instead, they looked deeply dissatisfied.

I understood why.

The Third Young Master they had looked down on had ordered them to wait a moment.

That moment had lasted nearly six hours. Of course they were dissatisfied.

Those looks were unacceptable, but that was my position at the moment.

I had no intention of changing it.

It would change on its own soon enough.

* * *

The Yi Clan's caravan entered Myeongwolsan.

As if on cue, the clash of blades rang out from every direction.

There were two hundred of them.

The faces of Yi Do's group went pale at the sight of two hundred bandits. It was understandable.

The Yi Clan was a proper martial clan. Since it ran various businesses, it naturally employed Yi Clan martial artists and Hired Escorts.

But who was leading the Yi Clan caravan that had entered Myeongwolsan?

Yi Do, the third son and an illegitimate child.

No one in the Yi Clan was unaware of Yi Do's standing. Even a passing mutt would know it. They had sent only twenty martial artists and thirty Hired Escorts with him. There was no need to count the General Stewards or porters.

By numbers alone, it was two hundred against fifty.

Avoiding slaughter would be a blessing in itself.

The bandit chief shouted with a huge axe slung over his shoulder.

"Ha ha ha ha. Of all days, today is the day we land a big catch. If you value your lives, leave all your valuables behind and run. Otherwise, we'll send every last one of you across the river of the dead. Think carefully before you act."

Just as Yi Do's group was seriously considering running away, the carriage door opened.

Yi Do slowly stepped out.

With a faint smile, he looked at the chief.

"You're smiling? You must be insane. Do you need a taste of pain before you come to your senses?"

"I would like to say something to the heroes of these mountains."

"Oh... Now that I look at you, you have some manners. Fine. Let's hear it."

"What you want is money. Am I right?"

"That's right. So leave your valuables and go. We'll take care of carrying them ourselves. No, are you thinking of helping us carry them? If so, I'll leave you one-tenth of those valuables."

Several bandits burst into loud laughter. Anyone could see that they were toying with him.

Yet Yi Do still wore a smile.

"We currently have five hundred Silver Taels. I will give you those five hundred taels, so why don't you simply withdraw?"

"Ha ha. You little... Not five thousand taels, but five hundred? There are many mouths to feed in these mountains. Who are we supposed to split that between?"

Yi Do scratched his head and slowly walked forward.

When he reached the chief, he asked in a low voice, "I know Yi Jeong and Yi Won asked you to do this. But that is that, and this is this. I would like to offer you a new deal."

The Yi Clan martial artists were curious about what he was saying, but he spoke so quietly that no one nearby could hear.

The chief's eyes gleamed.

So the Yi Clan's third son was supposed to be an idiot, but perhaps that was not true after all. To show such nerve and mettle before two hundred ‘warriors’...

That was why the chief asked, "A new deal?"

"I don't know how much they paid you, but I will pay more. From today on, whenever caravans from Jangnyeong County pass through here, I will tell you their routes, schedules, and lists of valuables. Attack them. What do you think?"

The chief felt a chill run down their spine.

"...You're completely insane."

"Those two are doing it. Why shouldn't I? The only difference is that I am not targeting the Yi Clan's caravans. I am targeting the other caravans in Jangnyeong County. Isn't it an excellent offer?"

The chief swallowed.

There was something unusual about Yi Do's gaze.

It was far too heavy.

Those were not the eyes a mere child should have.

They were the eyes of a martial artist.

The eyes of a killer as well.

Yi Do continued, "Each time you attack another clan's caravan, I will give you a modest fee. Of course, you will also receive half of the valuables."

"Half for providing the information... Not bad. And you'll give us a fee? How much are you thinking?"

"One hundred taels."

The chief's brow furrowed deeply.

"One hundred taels? Are you trying to play games with me? Why is that even less than the five hundred taels you offered earlier?"

"Because it won't be silver. It will be gold."

The chief's eyes widened.

No matter how the chief looked at Yi Do, he was no ordinary boy.

'They said the third son was slow in the head, but that was not true either.'

Yi Do was asking the chief to attack the other clans' caravans in Jangnyeong County for one hundred gold taels.

If this went according to plan, the Yi Clan would grow larger while the other clans shrank in comparison.

It was a brilliant scheme.

Even so, the chief grew greedy.

"Make it two hundred. Two hundred gold taels, not silver. Then I will personally make sure every other clan's caravan in Jangnyeong County is wiped out."

"Two hundred taels is too much."

"Then our conversation never happened. But can you handle that?"

A foul smile spread across the chief's lips.

It was the smile of a wild wolf that had realized there was more flesh to tear apart.

"You have already asked me to ambush the other clans' caravans in Jangnyeong County. What do you think will happen if the other clans there learn that the third son of the Yi Clan is doing such a thing? Or if I tell the Yi Clan Head? If you're lucky, you'll be expelled. If you're unlucky, you'll die with your limbs severed. Even if not, you will face something similar... I'll leave the rest to your imagination."

Yi Do shook his head.

"I can imagine it, but there is a way to make sure this conversation does not leak out."

"Good. I happened to think of one as well."

"Tell me yours first, then I'll tell you mine."

"Fine. Give me five hundred gold taels. Then I will keep this secret."

Five hundred gold taels.

To be clear, that was money Yi Do could not possibly obtain at this time.

"Of course, I do not expect it all at once. I will give you plenty of time, so send us money every month. Then what happened today will never have happened."

A gentle smile formed on Yi Do's lips.

"May I tell you my method now?"

"You have a better method? Fine. Let's hear it."

Yi Do answered.

Not with words, but with action.

It happened almost instantly.

Yi Do had reached the Qi Entry Realm, and his internal energy boiled up as though it were exploding.

At the same time, the dagger hidden in his sleeve flew out.

Stab!

It embedded itself in the chief's throat. Yi Do twisted it. With a sickening crack, the chief's neck was severed.

That was Yi Do's method.

The dead did not speak.

Yi Do had given the chief a chance, yet it had still come to this.

It did not end there. He was outnumbered. What should he do in that case?

Overwhelm them with sheer force of presence.

Yi Do reached out with his other hand and grabbed the chief by the hair. Then he sawed at the chief's neck with the dagger.

Slice, slice.

The chilling sound rang out.

The bandits could not do anything.

Yi Do was completely drenched in the blood that had surged out, but that was not the only reason. The atmosphere was simply too terrifying.

Perhaps it was not cutting well enough. Yi Do sighed and began hacking the chief's body apart with the dagger.

Stab, stab, stab, slice.

He stabbed and stabbed again, cut and tore.

After gouging out the chief's eyes, he drove the dagger into the chief's shoulder. Yi Do rose and picked up the axe the chief had used.

There was still no hesitation.

He brought it down on the chief's head.

Slice!

The neck was severed.

The surroundings fell silent.

Yi Do seemed to like the heavy silence. A smile even formed on his lips.

He looked exactly like a madman.

He lightly tossed the chief's head away.

Thud, thump.

It rolled across the ground.

While everyone's eyes were on the chief's head, Yi Do's gaze swept over the surrounding bandits.

There were five.

Five people who harbored hostility toward him.

Yi Do put down the axe and began searching the chief's clothes.

There were eight daggers in total. Each had a different length and was made of a different material. He took every one of them.

He wedged the eight daggers between both hands and hurled them.

They shot in different directions.

Thududud!

There was not the slightest error.

The five who harbored hostility, along with three others lingering nearby.

Daggers embedded themselves in the heads of all eight.

As eight corpses fell at once, the remaining bandits staggered backward.

Yi Do picked up the axe, slung it over his shoulder, and drove the point home.

"Get lost. Before I kill every last one of you."

Footnotes:

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