After confirming what they wanted to know from these men, Kairos’ group flew into action. Their only concern was the distance between their targets might render the poisonous smoke less effective.

The reason the boys backed up to each other, shoulder touching shoulder, was to lure them in. Afterwards, things were easy.

The colour and smell of the smoke and the initial symptoms of losing one’s internal Ki are all exact matches with the effects of common ‘body weakening powder’ (軟骨散), but the actual powder that was used is actually the harmless ‘relaxing body powder’ (’松骨散) combined with several other compounds.

The irony of it is that the effects of the relaxing body powder actually help alleviate stress when inhaled, and it allows a person to have a good night sleep.

Any person in Saint Empire would have known that these two powders have a similar effect initially but should be able to differentiate between them instantly.

Unfortunately, after tempering the compound with dyes and perfume, even these veterans were deceived.

They did not realise that the actual poison in the smoke is something else entirely.

Before they set off, they have requested Helena for something that could render B or even A rankers helpless for a moment. She suggested a special type of ‘body weakening powder’ that she created a long time ago in the north. This new poison is something rare and unheard of here in Saint Empire, and she named it as the ‘counter-antidote weakening powder’.

Just as its name states, it will only cause the body weakening effects when the specific antidote is taken.

The fifteen of them sat down weakly in lotus cultivation position, trying to slow down the effect of the poison. Many of them started weeping, regardless male or female, while the rest became ghastly pale when they realised that they have already lost. Being caught by the enemy, they know that it’s the end for them.

Even if the boys set them free now, they will probably be discarded for losing to children.

At this moment, their hearts are completely filled with grievances. Although they may be trained to do the dirty work of the Devilheart family, this is a recent arrangement, made only five years ago and it couldn’t be helped that they would feel this way.

All of them came from a poor background, they were either young orphans, slaves or even children sold from poor families to the Devilheart family. From an early age, they are forced to learn martial arts and to become the fighters of the Devilheart family.

Since they are of poor talent, they are only trained to be the family guards, and that requires them to fight and die for their masters’ sake. However, as they grow older, their limitation in cultivation became more obvious, and at the age of 25, they begin their training as Death warriors.

After reaching the age of thirty, those that still have not attained A rank, and therefore their lifespan would not be extended a level, would slowly weaken with time, becoming old and feeble.

The Devilheart family calls slaves like these ‘Discardable tools’.

In order words, they are convenient possessions of the family whose lives did not matter, groomed to take on dirty roles that must not be linked back to the family. But this does not mean that they have become fearless to death.

“You guys have two choices right now,” Kairos spoke up when he saw their faces are filled with despair, “The first choice. You die. Even if I let you go, you know that you are finished.

Second choice. From today onwards, you will belong to the Snowdrifts, and I will also impart onto you a more suitable cultivation method that would bring you a step further than now. Once you break past your bottleneck, you will be able to leave this life of being a Death Warrior.”

*mumbles*

“He really can create cultivation methods?”

“I don’t believe him! He is just twelve.”

“Don’t think we have a choice right now.”

“Let’s just give it a try?”

“Are you guys idiots? He just wants us to swear our lives to him like the Devilheart family!”

After a flurry of frenzied whispers, the group finally quietened down.

“Would you take our soul slips for this?” the leader among them asked carefully. It felt as if in this lifetime, all they could do is to follow the orders of people with superior backgrounds, but they know that at this moment they have not many options left.

“Of course. You will have to hand over your soul slips.”

The fifteen sighed, but they each obediently took out a soul slip and infused a fragment of their souls into it.

“Now we will set the condition for your soul slip. There are only two things I require of you.

First, under no circumstances are you allowed to reveal the origins of this cultivation method I am imparting to you.

As I said previously, your current cultivation methods are unsuitable, and that is why you have such a huge limit to your future.

What I impart onto you will definitely help you break through to A rank and possibly much higher. That in itself will solve the problem of being treated as a disposable tool because of your limited potential as a practitioner.

Second, you are not allowed to plan harm against the Snowdrifts by your own designation.

For this term, because I will allow you guys to continue work under the Devilheart family, I can understand if they force you to plan against us. However, if you have selfish thoughts, I suggest you bury those desires right now.”

“Limited potential? The boy could see through our situation and know that we are stuck in a bottleneck?”

“Even if he did see through it, what is the point? When we return after failing our current mission, we will still be discarded.”

“If our cultivation increases or even breakthrough to A rank, maybe we won’t be discarded?”

“Yes but even if we disregard how impossible it is, how do we explain all fifteen of us breaking through our bottleneck?”

Hearing the many questions that the death warriors have, Kairos gestured for them to quiet down.

“I’ll answer each of your questions. I can see your bottleneck because of my Soul Perception. It is something that comes from my special method of cultivation. Although this cultivation method I am using is unsuitable for you, I can create one that is solely yours.

However, even if someone else practices your method, it will not be of the same effect. Some of you have tried this previously and you know I’m telling the truth.

This cultivation method is extremely odd, from what I know, it does not work like the general cultivation styles accepted by the empire.

That is also one reason why I am not worried if you try to create your own faction by spreading this cultivation method, it simply won't work.

Regarding how to return to the Devilheart family without accomplishing your mission, I have prepared a special cultivation method for you to bring back.

This dummy cultivation method will be similar to the ones we will be using.

It will have similar effects in general, but it is flawed. To be more specific, no one can train above A rank with this method, nor will they develop that Soul Perception I mentioned.

Tell the Devilheart family when you broke through your bottlenecks that it is because of the cultivation method you brought back, and then make up an excuse why you did not bring any of us back. Take this”

Kairos threw a specially prepared jade slip with the dummy cultivation to the leader of the group.

“You can say that I have promised not to find problems with the perpetrators as long as you ‘let us live’. This way, you can return without kidnapping any one of us,” Jones said.

The guys that heard what Kairos and Jones suggested all went into silent thoughts. Thinking through back and forth what the young boy said, they discover that there are no underlying problems they could find from it.

They realise that in fact, all the things that Kairos has told them are beneficial to them. Even the conditions they have to set in the jade slip is merely their promise in not to reveal the origins of the martial arts and not to harm their group.

In no way was a condition for their loyalty and obedience to the boy mentioned.

“You did not ask for our obedience in return? Why?!”

The Death Warriors could not understand. Weren’t these boys a little too naïve?

Kairos acknowledged their confusion and said, “I have no use for those that do not have the heart to be one of us. I have said from the start, it is your choice if you would join the Snowdrifts, but it will be our job to make you one of ours.”

The other also joined in saying, “it is useless if you join without the desire to be one of us. Therefore our captain does not require loyalty as a condition in your soul slips.”

A moment of silence settled upon the crowd on hearing these words.

Naive. These children definitely are young despite how tricky the way they fought, were open and innocent. Yet, none could deny there was a certain charm to the way they did things.