Chapter 110

Chapter 110

The Four Shaolin Monks (2)

As Mu-gung headed towards the martial arts arena, a young swordsman stepped forward from where the Taoists of the Jeomchang Sect were gathered.

Mu-gung greeted Il-hwi Dojang with the Ban-dangju.

“Amitabha. It’s been a long time.”

“Do you know me?”

To Il-hwi Dojang’s blunt question, Mu-gung responded calmly.

“If you don’t remember, it doesn’t matter.”

In the past, his pride might have been hurt.

Of course, that didn’t mean he felt no emotions now. Rather, it was more like...

“I will make sure he experiences the defeat from someone he doesn’t even remember.”

Thanks to his training with Hye-dam, Mu-gung maintained a calm expression while burning with a competitive spirit inside.

“Let the martial contest between Shaolin’s Monk Mu-gung and Jeomchang Sect’s Il-hwi Dojang begin!”

At the referee’s shout, a sharp sound accompanied the flashing of a sword light, echoing beyond the arena.

* * *

“At that age, to wield the Sa-il Sword Technique with such ease...”

Master Hyun-hyeon murmured in a somber tone as he watched the martial contest between Mu-gung and Il-hwi Dojang.

As soon as the contest began, Il-hwi Dojang’s sword moved so swiftly that it was unclear when it had been drawn.

Mu-gung, who lost the initiative with that first strike, found his monk’s robe torn and was pushed into a defensive stance from the start.

Il-hwi Dojang continued to thrust his sword rapidly, and the sword energy emanating from his blade kept slashing Mu-gung’s kasa.

The Sa-il Sword Technique.

One of the Jeomchang Sect’s ultimate techniques, it focused on thrusting attacks. True to its name, meaning “Shooting the Sun Sword Technique,” its speed was so great that it was difficult for the eye to follow.

“Oh!!!”Cheêck out latest novels on n/o/ve/l/bin(.)c/o/m

“As expected of Jeomchang!”

Spectators were exclaiming in awe, unable to properly see the sword’s path due to its tremendous speed.

In contrast, the faces of the Shaolin disciples darkened.

“What do we do? It looks like Brother Mu-gung is struggling.”

“Brother Mu-gung might be facing an opponent that’s a bit too much for him. Amitabha.”

As Mu-yul and Mu-gyeong murmured in regret while watching, Mu-jin spoke with a faint smile.

“Don’t worry. Mu-gung can definitely win.”

“We hope Brother Mu-gung wins too, but...”

“It’s not just that it would be good if he won, Mu-gung’s skill is superior.”

“???”

When Mu-gyeong and Mu-yul looked at Mu-jin with puzzled expressions, Mu-jin pointed to Mu-gung on the martial arts stage, whose robe was being torn.

“Look closely. Only his clothes are being cut, he has almost no injuries. It means he’s dodging with minimal movements, not that he can’t avoid it.”

* * *

In a situation that seemed to be driving him into a corner, Mu-gung calmly observed Il-hwi Dojang’s movements with serene eyes.

‘Hoo. He is indeed fast.’

As expected, the Sa-il Sword Technique, considered a top technique of the Jeomchang Sect which valued the essence of speed, made it nearly impossible to dodge just by seeing.

Therefore, just as he had learned from Mu-jin in his childhood, Mu-gung was predicting the sword’s path through the opponent’s preliminary movements.

‘Does he lack real combat experience? Or is it hard to vary his moves because he focuses so much on speed?’

Though incredibly fast, the sword’s path was too straightforward.

Despite this, his robe was being torn partly because of his large body.

“When movements become larger, crises tend to arrive.”

This was also due to the direction of martial arts he pursued.

The subtlety of stillness within movement.

It was the path chosen by someone with a large build and mighty strength but lacking in agility.

Mu-gung, while appearing to stand still, evaded the strikes of Il-hwi Dojang’s sword with very slight movements, teetering on the edge.

In the subtlety of stillness within movement, the most crucial aspect was the Immovable Heart Technique.

Even as sword energy flew toward him, appearing as if it would pierce his body, his eyes did not waver.

Swish! Swish!

The moment he became fully accustomed to the movements of the Sa-il Sword Technique,

Bang!

A powerful shockwave resounded across the martial arts stage with a fierce vibration.

He had defeated a genius of the past and garnered the crowd’s attention—truly an ideal situation.

Mu-gung felt as if he was soaring in the sky.

“Trying to look cool in those rags?”

Until Mu-jin spoke to him.

“R-rags?”

“Look at your clothes. Even beggars wouldn’t take those.”

Snapped back to reality, Mu-gung examined his clothes.

Sure enough, dodging the Sa-il Sword Technique by a hair’s breadth had left his clothes in tatters.

‘Damn. I won so stylishly, but my clothes are in this state.’

Feeling embarrassed by his shabby appearance, Mu-gung’s face reddened slightly.

“Here, you might have some shallow cuts from not fully dodging, so apply this.”

Mu-jin handed over the Golden Wound Medicine he had prepared for the martial arts tournament.

“Hmph. Such minor wounds are nothing for a martial artist.”

Mu-jin chuckled at Mu-gung’s boastful yet still dazed demeanor.

“Ah, yes, of course.”

Mu-jin casually tossed the Golden Wound Medicine to Mu-gung and said,

“Apply it when you return to the pavilion this evening.”

With that, Mu-jin turned his attention to Mu-yul, who was about to spar, leaving Mu-gung, who was still pouting, to be approached by Master Hyun-hyeon and the Shaolin disciples.

“You did very well, Mu-gung.”

“To calmly secure victory against such a formidable opponent! Splendid!”

The praise from the Shaolin elders naturally caused Mu-gung’s smile and cheeks to rise once more.

* * *

After the duel between Mu-gung and Il-hwi Dojang concluded,

Following a brief period of commotion, the next duel began.

The second duel of the second round of the Yongbongji Conference was between Cheong-su Dojang, the top prodigy of Wudang, and Bohyeon, the nun from the Ami sect.

However, instead of watching the duel, Mu-jin spoke to Mu-yul, who was scheduled for the next bout.

“Yul-ah. You know you’re up next, right?”

“Oh, it’s my turn next! I was just planning to go out when they called my name. Hehe.”

As expected, Mu-jin was worried, confirming his suspicions with Mu-yul’s carefree response.

“Do you remember who your opponent is?”

“Hmm... I saw him two days ago, I think.”

“As I thought, you forgot.”

Mu-jin sighed lightly. He had anticipated this, so he had memorized Mu-yul’s opponent for him.

“Peng Kah-hu. He’s from the Peng family in Hebei and uses a saber. From what I saw in the last duel, it seems he’s mastered the Five Tigers Severing Blade Technique.”

Upon hearing Mu-jin’s brief explanation of his opponent, Mu-yul’s previously carefree expression turned into one of surprise.

“Really? The Five Tigers Severing Blade Technique!?”

Mu-jin tilted his head in confusion at Mu-yul’s excessive reaction.

‘What is this? Does he have some story related to the Five Tigers Severing Blade Technique like Mu-gung does?’

Did he have some childhood experience with a martial artist who used the technique?

“Why? Is there a problem?”

“Of course, there’s a problem! Five Tigers means there are five tigers.”

“Right.”

“Then it must be stronger than the Tiger Fist. Tiger Fist is just one tiger.”

“......”

What was I expecting from him?

Mu-jin felt a strange sense of despair.

However, regardless of Mu-jin’s feelings,

“I haven’t even learned Dragon Fist yet, what should I do, Mu-jin?”

Mu-yul was deeply worried, a troubled look on his face.

Mu-jin unconsciously rubbed his face dry and thought of someone.

‘Master Uncle Hye-geol, what kind of fight are you having?’

At that moment, the character (leopard) engraved on Mu-yul’s back by Hye-geol, who had celebrated Mu-yul’s mastery of the Leopard Fist, caught Mu-jin’s eye.