Genius Martial Arts Trainer

Nokangho

After completing the emergency treatment, everyone took a moment to mourn Hye-gwan in their own way.

They couldn’t spend too much time here, so the monks of Shaolin prepared to depart.

While Mu-jin was also getting ready to leave, he suddenly thought of something and approached the body of the Head of Salmak.

“Hmm.”

Mu-jin let out a small sigh as he observed the small sword still clenched in the right hand of the Head of Salmak.

“Why?” Mu-gyeong, who had approached without a sound, asked.

Mu-jin clicked his tongue and said, “Leaving it here feels unsettling.”

“That small sword?”

“Yes. Somehow, if we leave it here, I feel like some surviving assassin or some strange guy will pick it up.”

Mu-jin knew that the Head of Salmak had not used any inner energy.

Despite that, the fact that he had inflicted such damage on Mu-jin meant that the small sword was also a near-divine weapon.

In response to Mu-jin’s words, Mu-gyeong asked, “Then why not take it and use it?”

“I haven’t learned any martial arts related to such a weapon. And I’m not the only one, right?”

Mu-jin glanced at the resting Shaolin elders.

Basically, Shaolin disciples had not learned martial arts using such weapons.

Though they had recently forgotten this due to frequent battles, Shaolin fundamentally aimed to avoid killing.

There were countless techniques in staff and fist arts, but none using bladed weapons.

Mu-gyeong, looking alternately at the body of the Head of Salmak and the small sword, made a determined face and said, “Then, I’ll use it.”

“…Do you know how to use a small sword?”

“I’ll learn from now on. Besides, thanks to fighting the assassins, I have a sense of it.”

Mu-jin let out a small sigh at Mu-gyeong’s response.

‘Oh, right. This guy is a genius.’

Worrying about whether Mu-gyeong could master a new martial art was a foolish thing.

While Mu-jin was thinking this, Mu-gyeong continued, “Besides, the Demon Extermination Unit doesn’t have to adhere to the principle of avoiding killing, so using a blade shouldn’t matter.”

“Have you decided to join the Demon Extermination Unit?”

Most Shaolin disciples joined the halls or temples where their masters or senior brothers were, but it wasn’t a strict rule.

Though many had expected Mu-gyeong to join the Demon Extermination Unit due to his unique constitution, it was still his own decision.

“If I hadn’t planned to join, I wouldn’t be wearing this,” Mu-gyeong pointed to the heroic headband tied around his forehead, which read [Unyielding Demon Conqueror].

“So, you could say this is a kind of memento… In honor of my master.”

Saying this, Mu-gyeong removed the small sword from the right hand of the Head of Salmak and held it in his own right hand.

It was a token of his successful revenge and a symbol of his decision to join the Demon Extermination Unit, which did not adhere to the principle of avoiding killing.

Watching Mu-gyeong with the small sword, a divine weapon, tied a headband, and carrying a bottle of Hye-gwan’s memento at his side, Mu-jin had an odd thought.

‘…What will happen if that guy’s skills improve even more?’

If Mu-gyeong, who was already more skilled than now, reached the level of stealth techniques like Shadow Strike and Ghost Step used by the Head of Salmak?

And if he used that divine weapon of a small sword as well?

‘…Those who commit evil deeds won’t be able to sleep peacefully at night.’

It seemed possible that the worst assassin in martial arts history, surpassing the Head of Salmak, might be born.

And it was quite strange that such an assassin belonged to Shaolin.

* * *

After organizing everything, the Shaolin disciples left Gwiryeong Mountain and headed for Sung Mountain.

Severely injured disciples were carried by the less injured ones, alternating as they moved.

Though it took a bit longer than when they had come to Gwiryeong Mountain, they managed to return to Sung Mountain without major issues.

Upon reaching Shaolin, the first place Mu-gyeong headed was the pagoda forest at the back of Shaolin.

The place where pagodas were built to honor the past eminent monks of Shaolin who had passed into nirvana, forming a forest of stone pagodas.

Entering the pagoda forest to find the pagoda commemorating Hye-gwan, Mu-gyeong easily found it.

It wasn’t because of the bottle of wine placed in front of the pagoda.

“…Master.”

It was because his master, Beop-hye, Hye-gwan’s disciple, was pouring wine in front of the pagoda.

“You’ve come, Mu-gyeong.”

Beop-hye, like Hye-gwan, was a member of the Demon Extermination Unit and had returned to Shaolin a few days ago after hearing about Hye-gwan’s death while traveling through the martial world to hunt down evil.

In response to Beop-hye’s greeting, Mu-gyeong bowed deeply and said, “I’m sorry, Master.”

No matter how close Mu-gyeong had been to Hye-gwan, he couldn’t compare to Beop-hye, his direct disciple.

Mu-gyeong might have been the one who led Hye-gwan to his death.

But Beop-hye answered Mu-gyeong’s apology in a calm tone.

“What do you have to be sorry for? I’m grateful instead. Thanks to you, my master was able to return to Shaolin.”

Due to the nature of their missions, members of the Demon Extermination Unit often died at the hands of evil or demons somewhere in the martial world.

And when they died such meaningless deaths, it was often hard to even find their bodies.

Having witnessed such deaths multiple times, Beop-hye was grateful that at least his master’s body had returned to Shaolin.

Living as a member of the Demon Extermination Unit, everyone was prepared for death at some point.

After watching Mu-gyeong for a moment, Beop-hye spoke.

“Have you decided to carry on your master’s will?”

The words [Unyielding Demon Conqueror] on Mu-gyeong’s headband felt particularly significant at that moment.

Mu-gyeong paused at Beop-hye’s question before answering, “…I’m sorry for deciding on my own without asking your permission.”

“It’s fine. I also think you suit that title more than I do.”

The saying “the student surpasses the master” came to mind.

Mu-gyeong had surpassed him over two years ago and recently reached Hye-gwan’s level.

As a humble master, Beop-hye thought it was right to support his disciple in carrying on their master’s will rather than being jealous.

“Since it’s your first time here after a busy trip, pour a drink for our master.”

* * *

While Mu-gyeong and Beop-hye were paying their respects to Hye-gwan…

Mu-jin and Jegal Muhwan were seated in the headmaster’s office.

In addition to the two of them and Headmaster Hyuncheon, several eminent monks of Shaolin, Ryu Seol-hwa of Cheonryu Sangdan, and Baek Ga-ryeong were also present.

Cheonryu Sangdan had come to inform them about the changes in the martial world that had occurred while Mu-jin had been away dealing with the Head of Salmak.

Overall, things were progressing as expected.

Led by the Martial Alliance, factions hostile to Shaolin declared Shaolin a “public enemy of the martial world” and declared war.

Conversely, factions friendly to Shaolin supported them.

There were two surprising points, however.

Firstly, the Hwangbo Family, which had maintained neutrality until now, sided with the Martial Alliance. Secondly, a significant number of minor sects believed in Shaolin’s stance.

“Hahaha, it seems the seeds planted by the Shaolin Dragon are growing well,” Jegal Muhwan said, snapping his fan open.

“But, minor sects, as their name implies, cannot exert significant power on their own. Therefore, preparations must begin now.”

“Preparations? Do you mean preparations for war?” Headmaster Hyuncheon asked, looking puzzled. However, it was Baek Ga-ryeong who answered.

“We need to create a focal point.”

“Oh.”

Jegal Muhwan looked at her with a peculiar expression, as if she had read his thoughts.

“That’s correct. They will unite under the name of the Martial Alliance to attack us. We must also unite the power of the minor sects and form a unified command system by creating our own ‘alliance’.”

“…Are you saying we need to create a new alliance?”

Not only Hyuncheon but also all the eminent monks gathered in the headmaster’s office looked uneasy.

Wouldn’t that make it seem like they had been pursuing power all along, just as the world suspected?

As if reading their thoughts, Jegal Muhwan added, “Now is not the time to worry about public opinion. If we continue to fight scattered as we are now, it is certain that we will not survive the upcoming war.”

Baek Ga-ryeong supported him, saying, “Isn’t Shaolin’s purpose to save all beings? If we continue like this, even the warriors of the minor sects who have joined us will lose their lives in vain. And if they take over the martial world, it will bring tears of blood to the common people.”

Their logical arguments caused Headmaster Hyuncheon, who had been deep in thought, to finally make a decision.

“Then, we shall establish a new alliance centered around Shaolin.”

“Hahaha. I’ve been waiting to hear those words. Cheonryu Sangdan will actively support this endeavor.”

After Ryu Seol-hwa, representing Cheonryu Sangdan, added her voice, discussions about the new alliance began in earnest.

As Mu-jin watched the proceedings, he felt a strange sense of wonder.

‘Is this why you need smart people around?’

Until recently, he had been handling everything alone.

He had gone through a lot of trouble convincing the eminent monks of Shaolin and figures from other sects.

Now, just by sitting in on a meeting and listening, everything was progressing smoothly, and it felt quite marvelous.

As Mu-jin observed the rapidly progressing meeting with a satisfied expression, the voice of the second disciple guarding the headmaster’s office interrupted the proceedings.

“Headmaster, someone from Cheonryu Sangdan has come with urgent information.”

Naturally, all eyes turned to Ryu Seol-hwa, who also looked puzzled.

“It seems something new has happened while we were on our way here.”

In response, Headmaster Hyuncheon called out to the entrance.

“Let them in.”

The door to the headmaster’s office opened, and a middle-aged man wearing the uniform of Cheonryu Sangdan handed a letter to Ryu Seol-hwa.

After reading the letter, her face darkened, and she spoke.

“…The warriors of Sa-doryeon have moved to attack Shaolin.”

* * *

A few days ago.

In Shinchun, an elderly man known by the title ‘In-ju’ received a letter.

The content of the letter was simple. It reported that the Head of Salmak had been killed by the Shaolin Dragon and other Shaolin monks.

The message was simple, but In-ju’s expression upon receiving it was far from pleased.

“That Mu-jin continues to hinder our grand cause endlessly.”

Though the various regional commanders were lower in rank than In-ju, the Head of Salmak was different.

The Head of Salmak was In-ju’s direct subordinate and had accomplished numerous tasks under his command, making him an excellent pawn.

Losing such a valuable pawn to the Shaolin Dragon left In-ju in a very displeased state.

“Send a letter to the first commander.”

“What should it say?”

“Mobilize Sa-doryeon to attack Shaolin immediately.”

“!!!”

The subordinate, who received the order, looked at In-ju with a shocked expression, uncharacteristic of someone from Shinchun.

While obedience was fundamental in Shinchun, this order seemed driven too much by emotion.

However, contrary to the subordinate’s concern, this decision was not made in a moment of rage.

“Since it has been revealed that Yin-Yang Gu does not work on the Shaolin Dragon, there is no reason to spare him anymore. We must eliminate him with all our might.”

“But, the hypocrites of the orthodox sects are swayed by justifications. If Sa-doryeon and the Martial Alliance attack Shaolin together, many of the neutral sects might side with Shaolin.”

In response to the subordinate’s question, In-ju clicked his tongue and answered.

“Tsk. That’s why I said to give the order to the first commander. The attack on Shaolin will be solely Sa-doryeon’s task. Using the pretext that the orthodox sects love so much, we can bring up the past incident in Guangxi Province and the recent events with Salmak.”

“Then, what instructions should be given to the fourth commander?”

“Tell the fourth commander to direct the allied sects of the Martial Alliance to prevent other sects from aiding Shaolin. Yes, instruct them to attack nearby sects like the Tang Clan of Sichuan or the Wudang Sect.”

In-ju’s goal was to isolate Shaolin by using Wi Ji-hak of the Martial Alliance and then annihilate Shaolin through Sa-doryeon’s first commander, Hyeok Jin-gang.

In-ju was also somewhat aware that they needed to deal with Shaolin before it could become a focal point.

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