Chapter 124

Chapter 124

Escape (2)

Deungbong-hyeon, Song Mountain, Henan Province.

The Shaolin Temple, renowned as the apex of martial arts for a thousand years.

In the abbot’s room located in its depths, the current abbot Hyun Cheon and his disciple and future successor, Hye Pyeong, were having a conversation.

Both the elderly Hyun Cheon and the middle-aged Hye Pyeong had faces filled with serenity, a reflection of their deep Buddhist practice.

The topic of their conversation naturally brought about a sense of calm.

“Hahaha. As expected, Mu-jin did not disappoint.”

“Master, didn’t you also expect Mu-jin to win?”

“Well, yes, but one can never be certain.”

“Actually, what’s more remarkable than Mu-jin’s achievement is that all the other children also advanced to the third round.”

“I was about to bring that up. It truly makes me feel that the future of our Shaolin is bright. Amitabha.”

“The Buddha surely watches over our Shaolin. Amitabha.”

The two masters were beaming with joy upon learning from a letter that arrived this morning that Mu-jin had won the Yongbongji Conference.

However, their joy was short-lived.

With a serious expression, Hye Pyeong asked, “Master, are you considering Mu-jin as the grand disciple of the Muja Group?”

The grand disciple of each group represents that group and, barring any special circumstances, would eventually become the abbot.

In other words, he was asking if Mu-jin was being groomed as the next abbot of the Muja Group.

“I do not intend to choose the grand disciple based solely on martial prowess.”

Hyun Cheon, responding to the question from Hye Pyeong, the grand disciple of the Hyeja Group and his direct disciple, took a sip of tea before speaking again.

“However, aside from his martial prowess, Mu-jin is bringing various changes to Shaolin. The fact that Mu-gyeong, Mu-gung, and Mu-yul all advanced to the third round. The improved external skills of other disciples. All of these are thanks to Mu-jin.”

In essence, he was saying he intended to designate Mu-jin as the grand disciple of the Muja Group.

Understanding his master’s words, Hye Pyeong carefully opened his mouth.

“Master, have you heard the news?”

“What news?”

“I heard that the number of Lesser Restoration Pills made by the pharmacy does not match.”

At his disciple’s words, the tranquility of Hyun Cheon, which was as clear as a mirror in deep meditation, was disturbed.

“And, according to a letter from the External Affairs Department Head a few days ago, during the treatment of Mu-gyeong’s Qi Deviation, they used the Lesser Restoration Pills that Mu-jin had brought.”

“Ahem.”

Hyun Cheon averted his gaze, pretending to drink his tea, while Hye Pyeong sighed inwardly.

It wasn’t that Hye Pyeong disliked Mu-jin.

He acknowledged that Shaolin was positively changing thanks to the child named Mu-jin.

He simply didn’t think Mu-jin was suited to be the abbot.

In Hye Pyeong’s view, the leader of a sect should be composed and possess the capacity to encompass the entire sect and love for the monastic order.

However, in his eyes, Mu-jin, despite his capabilities, was somewhat reckless and, while he cherished certain individuals like Hyun-gwang and the Muja Trio, showed little affection for the monastic order.

Just as he was about to point this out and say something more to his master who was avoiding his gaze.

A visitor arrived at the abbot’s room.

“Abbot!”

Hearing the urgent voice of a disciple from beyond the door, Hyun Cheon smiled inwardly. He saw it as an opportunity to escape Hye Pyeong’s pressing questions.

“What is it?”

But such thoughts were a bit premature.

“The Muja Group disciples who participated in the Yongbongji Conference have, have fled in the middle of the night!”

“......”

“......”

An awkward silence filled the abbot’s room.

* * *

Between Woe-hyeon in Shaanxi Province, where the Yongbongji Conference was held, and Deungbong-hyeon in Henan Province, where the Shaolin Temple is located, lies a significant distance.

In other words, the news of the Muja Quartet’s escape reached the Shaolin Temple four days after their departure.

And while the shocking news was causing an uproar in the Shaolin Temple,

“Phew.”

The Muja Quartet, looking like beggars, along with the Cheongsu Dojang, had arrived in Guizhou Province.

After traveling non-stop for four days, taking turns pulling the cart themselves, they were covered in dust and sweat.

“Let’s leave the cart here and take a short break.”

“Here?”

There must be something. There had to be. But why hadn’t they found anything after searching this entire large mountain?

“Didn’t someone miss something and just pass by it? This time, let’s go back and check each spot one by one!”

Mu-jin shouted, trying to lift the spirits of the group.

If this information had come from some random gossip, they might have given up by now. But Mu-jin was certain. He was convinced that there was a miraculous encounter on this mountain.

In the end, unable to resist Mu-jin’s insistence, they spread out and began searching the mountain again.

How long had they been searching the mountain like this?

“Hehehe.”

Mu-yul was running around here and there with a carefree expression.

Indeed, he wasn’t searching the mountain but literally playing around.

Words like “miraculous encounter” or “miraculous elixir” had long disappeared from Mu-yul’s mind.

In fact, he had long forgotten the terrain that Mu-jin had described.

Running around on all fours like a quadruped or swinging from branches like a monkey for quite a while.

“Wow!”

With a joyful exclamation, Mu-yul launched himself using the springiness of a thick branch.

Swoosh.

He pushed through the brush that obstructed his view and leaped out.

“Ook?”

He saw a small monkey with bright red fur.

“Ook ook?”

The two, who strangely resembled each other, looked at each other and exchanged greetings with similar sounds.

“Ook! Ook!”

“Ook ook ook!”

Startled by Mu-yul, the monkey screamed and ran away, jumping from branch to branch, and Mu-yul, excited, imitated the monkey’s sounds and movements.

As Mu-yul continued to mimic the monkey, chasing it around for a while,

“Ooki-ki! Ooki!”

At some point, the monkey, which had been running away in surprise, started approaching Mu-yul, as if it considered him a fellow monkey.

It made sense since Mu-yul was acting just like it and carried a similar natural scent, having spent the past fifteen days in the mountains. Mu-yul had practically become one with nature.

When the fleeing monkey approached, Mu-yul responded with a bright smile and mimicked the monkey’s sounds.

“Ooki! Ooki!”

Delighted, the monkey, which was much smaller than Mu-yul, snuggled up to him. Mu-yul embraced the monkey and rolled around in the underbrush.

Afterwards, the monkey would sit on Mu-yul’s head and point in various directions. Mu-yul, moving like a monkey, would swing from branches and head in the indicated direction.

Sometimes Mu-yul would throw the monkey towards a branch, and the monkey would gracefully catch it and fly away. Conversely, the monkey would also throw Mu-yul, who would then swing from a branch.

It was quite peculiar to see such a small monkey, no larger than Mu-yul’s torso, throw him around. But Mu-yul, with his bright demeanor, was simply happy to play with the monkey.

How long did they move around together, with the monkey guiding Mu-yul?

“Ooki! Ooki!”

“Hmm? You need help? What’s the problem?”

“Ooki! Ooki!”

For some reason, Mu-yul found himself able to communicate with the monkey. Although he was instinctively interpreting the monkey’s body language and vocal tones, it seemed as if they were having a real conversation.

Mu-yul listened to the monkey’s elaborate tale, and his eyes welled up with tears.

The monkey’s story was both tragic and simple. It had a home where it lived with its mother, but an evil creature invaded their home. The monkey’s mother fought to protect it but was ultimately defeated and eaten by the creature.

Thanks to its mother, the monkey managed to escape, but it lost both its home and its mother.

“I’ll help you, Ling-ling!”

Mu-yul, wiping the tears from his eyes, gave the monkey a name and smiled determinedly.

“Ooki! Ooki!”

Overjoyed by Mu-yul’s words, the monkey climbed onto his head and pointed somewhere.

Following Ling-ling’s guidance, Mu-yul navigated the mountainous terrain for a while.

He arrived at a very special place. It was a hollowed-out cliff, seemingly carved out, with a roof-like overhang. Red flowers were blooming profusely, and inside, water trickled down the cliff, forming a pond.

This was the location where Mu-jin had said a miraculous encounter was hidden, but Mu-yul had already forgotten about that.

Instead, what caught Mu-yul’s attention was,

“Is it that guy?”

“Ooki!”

In the middle of the red flower field lay a gigantic black boar.