As I said, I'm truly grateful for the defensive charm bracelet Master Long gave Jennifer. I tested it by accidentally on purpose trying to hit her face. To my surprise, instead of making contact, my punch bounced back—right into my own face. So, despite the pain I had to endure from my own fist, I can now breathe easy knowing she's protected.
When her honeymoon leave ends, I drive her to the D.A.'s office as usual. After dropping her off, I head straight to Dragon Temple to meet Master Long. The old monk, ever kind, agrees to take me as his temporary disciple.
The second thing weighing on my mind—aside from Jennifer's safety—is my uncontrollable killing intent. It happened only once, but that one time was already too much. I can't let it take over again. I don't want my daughter to see me as a monster.
"It happened because you're not an assassin anymore," Master Long says after listening to my story.
"What? I don't get it," I reply, confused.
"The killing intent has always been inside you," he explains. "But all these years, it had an outlet—each time you took a life. Now, you've closed that outlet. So it builds up inside you, eventually bursting out."
I freeze. The demon inside me isn't dead.
"What… what should I do?" I ask, desperation creeping into my voice.
"I will teach you a chant. It will clear your mind of negative thoughts," Master Long says.
"Thank you, Master."
"But its effectiveness depends on your Spiritual Strength," he adds.
Spiritual Strength. The term sounds familiar.
From my fragmented memories, I recall that I once had a fifth level of Spiritual Strength and a 15th level of Physical Strength. Right now, I can feel that my Physical Strength is still at a certain level, but my Spiritual Strength seems completely gone. The signs are clear. First, since waking up in that dumpster, I haven't seen my profound inner power—not even in near-death situations, like when Mr. Chekovsky's men had me cornered or when Radwansky shot me. Second, even with my brain cells activated, I still can't move anything with my mind.
When I share this with Master Long, he confirms that these abilities are entirely dependent on Spiritual Strength. I vaguely recall my old master—Master Derrick. Now I remember his name. He had told me something similar before.
Determined to regain what I lost, I ask Master Long to train me.
"Interesting," Master Long mumbles after scanning my palm for several minutes.
"What's interesting?" I ask, curious.
"Hmm… you have three roots," he begins.
He once explained that to cultivate, one must have a Spiritual Root—the purer, the better. The type of root determines the cultivation method.
"That's great, right?" I ask hopefully.
"Yes and no," he says. I stay silent, waiting for him to elaborate.
"Your main root is Wind—not particularly pure, but stable. However, the other two are buried deep. I suspect your old master sealed them on purpose."
"But why?"
"Because they're opposites—yet both are the strongest forms of Spiritual Energy. One is Earth, the most powerful for defense. The other is Lightning, the most powerful for offense," Master Long explains before turning to me. "No one in history has been able to bear both. They conflict with each other, corrupting the body from the inside."
"And Wind?" I ask.
"Wind can be used for both defense and offense, but it's far weaker than the other two," he replies.
"Can't just one of them be awakened?" I ask again, unwilling to let go of the possibility.
Master Long shakes his head. "If one awakens, the other will as well. They are intertwined."
I sigh in disappointment. "Then… let's keep them buried," I say reluctantly, forcing myself to accept the reality.
"A wise decision," Master Long nods approvingly before standing up. "Let's begin."
-
Since my Wind root isn't very pure, Master Long warns me to be patient in my cultivation. Not only will it take me longer than those with purer roots, but I'll also need to cultivate in places with a high concentration of Spiritual Energy, or Chi, as he calls it.
According to Master Long, there aren't many places on Earth with dense Chi. That fact alone makes me suspect that he may have traveled to places beyond Earth. But I keep my curiosity to myself and continue listening to the old man. Though Earth has only a few dense Chi locations, he explains that I can actually attract and gather Chi using a special technique.
So, after teaching me how to cultivate based on my Wind root, the first thing Master Long instructs me on is how to gather Chi.
He hands me a crystal-like stone, explaining that it's extremely rare—something no amount of money could buy. To use it, I must place it on my head, where it will act as an "antenna" to attract and absorb Chi.
The cultivation site must be free from any electromagnetic interference, as it can disrupt the flow of Chi. Most importantly, the place must already contain some level of natural Chi. If there's none, the crystal will forcibly pull Chi from distant locations—or even from humans who possess it. That, according to Master Long, would cause chaos and imbalance on Earth.
The crystal changes color when it detects Chi—the denser the Chi, the deeper and more solid its color will be.
To test this, Master Long brings me to his private chamber. The moment I step inside, the crystal in my hand shifts to a faint pinkish-red.
"You can cultivate here," he says before demonstrating the proper meditation posture.
I mimic his position, sitting on the floor with both soles resting atop my knees. I place the crystal on my head, rest my hands on my thighs, and begin breathing slowly, inwardly chanting the cultivation words Master Long taught me.
At first, I feel nothing.
But the more I chant, the more I begin to sense something—an energy seeping into my body through my head. It feels… familiar.
A vague memory stirs.
I've felt this before. A long time ago. When I was Quint Rauss.
The only difference is, back then, I didn't need a crystal to channel it.
"That's good for a start," Master Long remarks after checking my Chi when I finish cultivating. "You can come here daily to train. My room has the densest Chi in this temple, but other places, like Han's room, are also suitable for cultivation."
Then he adds, "If you celibate, your progress will be much faster."
I gulp at his last sentence but say nothing.
Jennifer is five and a half months pregnant, and even so, she's often the one who initiates our lovemaking. If I so much as mention celibacy, she will definitely complain.
"It's just a suggestion," Master Long adds, probably noticing the look on my face.
I sigh in relief. "Thank you, Master. See you tomorrow," I say before leaving the temple.