Chapter 42:

Chapter 42:

“Ho? It seems you really want to hear my story. Krrh, krrh.”

Hye-gwan made a sly remark, but inside, he felt a sense of wonder.

‘Huh. He’s better than those in the Demon Extermination Squad.’

It wasn’t about skill. No matter how outstanding Mu-jin was, he was still a newly promoted third-class disciple. His skills couldn’t be compared to those in the Demon Extermination Squad.

What surprised Hye-gwan was Mu-jin’s patience.

As humans, when they get beaten, they usually become filled with rage and malice, or they lose their spirit and back down.

But Mu-jin persistently attacked, without succumbing to anger and making rash moves.

Even when Hye-gwan resorted to dishonorable tactics like kicking sand, Mu-jin kept his composure.

‘Even in this situation, he keeps refining his martial arts.’

Every time Mu-jin got hit, he tried to correct his weaknesses. With each spar, his gaps were noticeably narrowing.

‘Krrh, krrh. He’s a kid worth tormenting.’

The more he tormented him, the more his skills improved, making Hye-gwan want to torment him even more.

After several rounds of what could be called sparring or tormenting,

Hye-gwan once again struck Mu-jin and pushed him away, then brought the bottle in his right hand to his mouth, only to click his tongue lightly.

“Tsk. The mood is gone.”U//ppTodated fr/o/m nô/v/e/lb(i)n.c(o)\/m

He had been so absorbed in teaching Mu-jin that he had finished all his liquor.

Hye-gwan spoke to the disciple who had been watching the sparring from the side.

“Beob-hye.”

“Yes, Master.”

“I’ll leave the rest of the sparring to you. Sparring with this kid might be somewhat beneficial for you too.”

“I understand, Master.”

“And there, wake up that Sa-son, who’s pretending to be unconscious.”

As soon as Hye-gwan finished speaking, Mu-gyeong, who had been sprawled on the ground, twitched.

“Krrh, krrh. Your cute little trick is improving, Mu-gyeong.”

“I-I was just resting so I wouldn’t interfere with the sparring...”

Mu-gyeong stammered as he hurriedly stood up, and Hye-gwan chuckled before leaping onto the roof of the pavilion.

“Mu-jin has sparred with me for quite a while, so first, Beob-hye and Mu-gyeong. Then Beob-hye and Mu-jin. After that, Mu-jin and Mu-gyeong. The three of you take turns sparring.”

With those words, Hye-gwan already had a new bottle of liquor in his hand. He had hidden it in the crevice of the pavilion roof.

“Begin.”

Shouting as if he were a referee, Hye-gwan removed the cap from the new bottle and took a swig.

And as soon as Hye-gwan gave the order, Beob-hye lunged at Mu-gyeong.

“Eeek.”

Mu-gyeong, who had been lying on the ground resting, blocked Beob-hye’s attacks with a natural flow of martial arts, despite his bizarre scream.

As Beob-hye pushed Mu-gyeong appropriately, the tension in Mu-gyeong’s body gradually eased, and he began to counterattack intermittently.

“Eeek!”

Eventually, when Mu-gyeong’s mania began to flare up, with a ‘thud!’ sound, Beob-hye struck Mu-gyeong’s abdomen.

Mu-gyeong, who had taken a solid hit, collapsed back onto the ground, barely conscious.

“Tsk, tsk. Still a long way to go.”

Hye-gwan and Beob-hye’s method for curing Mu-gyeong’s mania was incredibly simple.

They cultivated his combat sense through sparring while knocking him unconscious every time his mania surfaced.

Humans, being animals, tend to become cautious after accumulating the same experiences repeatedly without realizing it.

However, it wasn’t as though they relied solely on such brute methods. They also practiced internal energy techniques and martial arts imbued with the power of subduing demons.

This was characteristic of the entire Demon Extermination Squad, not just to combat demonic entities but also to conquer their own inner demons.

As a result, the Demon Extermination Squad, the most vicious group in Shaolin, reached the highest levels of demon-subduing energy among their peers.

Thus, with continuous beatings and daily training in demon-subduing energy, Mu-gyeong would eventually learn to control his mania.

If not?

‘Until then, he’ll just have to keep getting beaten, won’t he? Sa-son. Krrh, krrh.’

With a playful smile, Hye-gwan took a swig of liquor while Beob-hye and Mu-jin’s sparring began.

Hye-gwan asked in a curious tone, to which Hyun-gwang replied while watching Mu-jin and Mu-gyeong spar.

“That child has learned Shaolin martial arts, but he is forging his own path. It is an untraveled and unsafe path. He may encounter inner demons. So, can you and the child Mu-gyeong look after him from time to time?”

“Wouldn’t it be better for you to teach him, Master?”

Hye-gwan had been unable to resist even when Hyun-gwang touched his back or snatched the liquor bottle from his hand.

He didn’t know how Hyun-gwang, who had been frail, regained such high-level skills, but he could easily guess that Hyun-gwang’s level was much higher than his own.

To Hye-gwan’s question, Hyun-gwang replied with a complex expression.

“It seems too early for me to ‘directly’ teach that child.”

“Ah...”

Hye-gwan understood Hyun-gwang’s words easily. Even he couldn’t fathom Hyun-gwang’s current level. Could Mu-jin truly absorb Hyun-gwang’s teachings if he were to be taught directly?

Of course, Mu-jin might be able to understand and remember in his mind. But true enlightenment wasn’t about mental remembrance; it was about the heart and body following.

Enlightenment that remained only in the mind was merely words, not true realization.

There were other reasons why Hyun-gwang asked Hye-gwan to take on this task.

For instance, to resolve the issue of Mu-jin not mingling with others in Shaolin due to the long time spent in treatment.

So, previously, he entrusted him to Hye-geol and Mu-yul, and this time he planned to entrust him to Hye-gwan and Mu-gyeong.

However, Hyun-gwang didn’t bother to explain this out loud.

Instead, he watched Mu-gyeong and Mu-jin sparring with a satisfied expression.

“Aren’t they truly admirable?”

“Indeed, Master.”

Hye-gwan, who usually had a playful and somewhat sinister look, watched the children today with a similar expression to Hyun-gwang’s.

In ten or twenty years, these children would carry on the spirit of Hye-gwan and Hyun-gwang. They would become pillars of Shaolin.

In the courtyard, Beob-hye, Mu-gyeong, and Mu-jin were sparring. On the pavilion roof, Hyun-gwang and Hye-gwan passed the liquor bottle between them, watching the scene.

It was like a painting.

...Except for the fact that they were drinking alcohol at Shaolin Temple.

“Kkwaeeek!!”

And that Mu-gyeong, who had gone berserk, was knocked out by Mu-jin’s punch.

* * *

Meanwhile, at that time.

In a hall located on one side of Shaolin Temple.

Written as Chubodang, an elderly monk and a middle-aged monk were having a conversation with bitter expressions.

“Master, at this rate, the disciples might lack food this winter.”

“Hah... Then we really must not accept new disciples next year.”

Chubodang was the hall that managed Shaolin’s budget. The two conversing were Hyun-myeong, the head of Chubodang, and his disciple Hye-min.

A prestigious sect. The beacon of the martial world, known as the Nine Mountains and One Sea, Shaolin.

The idea that Shaolin couldn’t afford to feed its disciples might sound absurd, but compared to other sects, Shaolin wasn’t particularly wealthy.

Due to their principled stance of fairness and justice, they didn’t have a separate funding source unlike other sects or clans.

The only income they had was the modest offerings from visitors to Shaolin and the money sent by the secular sects.

Especially, Shaolin did not forcibly take money from the secular sects, adhering to their principles.

Shaolin’s frugality and long-standing tradition meant that even such modest income was sufficient.

That is, if not for a few entangled issues.

“It’s because of that Mu-jin kid. We’ve spent too much money on him, Master.”

“Ah, it was for the development of Shaolin. How could we refuse such a thing?”

The issue was the mass purchase of Mu-jin’s exercise equipment. Additionally, they had also bought tools for Hyun-gwang’s treatment, causing a significant outflow of money.

However, the real problem lay elsewhere.

“More than that, isn’t the real problem the significantly reduced funds from the secular sects this year?”

“.......”

It was indeed the donations from the secular sects.

Last year, the amount had decreased by 20%, and this year it had dropped by another 30%, nearly halving the funds received over two years.