End and Beginning
“That is only a temporary measure. The true solution lies in developing our martial arts themselves to overcome the well-known weaknesses. However, developing martial arts is not something that can be achieved in a day or two.”
While pondering how to develop martial arts, Mu-jin heard such a story by chance.
“I heard that the Jegal family is creating martial arts based on your external training method.”
Mu-jin realized what Baekam Zhenren was implying.
As the weaknesses of Zhongnan Sect’s martial arts had become known, they wanted to supplement these weaknesses through Mu-jin’s external training method.
And for Mu-jin, who intended to leave Shaolin, it was a request that he had no particular reason to refuse.
‘Since Zhongnan is keeping Huashan in check, there’s no harm in helping them.’
Though Mu-jin had organized his thoughts this way, the answer that came out of his mouth was slightly different.
“What will Zhongnan give in return?”
Even if there was a justification for leaving Shaolin, he couldn’t give away that precious knowledge for free.
No matter how strong the alliance, giving everything unconditionally was foolish.
No, the more solid the alliance, the more precise the calculations needed to be.
In that sense, the Jegal family had installed formations for Shaolin and gifted various training tools to Mu-jin.
So, what should he receive from Zhongnan?
“Hmm. What do you wish to gain?”
Mu-jin smiled lightly at Baekam Zhenren’s counter-question.
The greatest advantage of being in a dominant position in a transaction was this:
“Since Zhongnan Sect’s desires are clear, wouldn’t you have already thought about the corresponding compensation? Please offer it first.”
It was that he could demand an initial offer. That too, until the other party proposed a condition that he found enticing.
After a brief silent stare-down with Mu-jin, Baekam Zhenren spoke up.
“We can’t give you a formation like the Jegal family. Nor can we teach our martial arts. The most we can offer right now is money and miraculous elixirs.” R
“That would be sufficient.”
If the price was right.
Understanding Mu-jin’s implicit meaning, Baekam Zhenren proposed a figure he had in mind.
“First, we’ll provide you with five hundred taels of gold. This alone is equivalent to our Zhongnan Sect’s annual operating budget. Additionally, if your external training method successfully supplements the weaknesses of our martial arts, we will provide another five hundred taels of gold over three years, along with a Heavenly Heart Pill.”
The Heavenly Heart Pill was Zhongnan Sect’s top elixir, akin to Wudang Sect’s Taecheongdan or Shaolin’s Great Restoration Pills.
Like the Taecheongdan or the Great Restoration Pills, it was made from a special herb that grew in a unique location in Zhongnan Mountain, producing one pill every ten years or so.
Although its value was slightly lower than Taecheongdan or the Great Restoration Pills, it was still incomparable to most elixirs.
However, despite these generous terms, Mu-jin shook his head.
“Promising compensation after success is only applicable when ‘proof’ is needed. But my external training method has already been proven by Shaolin, Wudang, and the Jegal family.”
He refused to accept post-payment.
‘People’s minds are fickle indeed.’
Success-based compensation was quite subtle. The other party could insist on unreasonable terms.
They could grow stronger using Mu-jin’s external training method and then claim it was due to their own skills, not the training method.
Baekam Zhenren, seeking help, looked at Abbot Hyun Cheon.
“Hmm.”
However, Hyun Cheon only cleared his throat and subtly looked away.
“Hoo.”
Baekam Zhenren took a deep breath and calmly organized his thoughts.
‘If things continue like this, our Zhongnan has no future.’
They were gradually being overshadowed by Huashan in the power struggle in Shaanxi Province. They could sustain themselves through support from allied forces.
But was the gained power truly theirs?
Without the strength to protect themselves, they were bound to be taken over by someone else eventually.
In that case, taking a gamble, even grabbing at straws, wasn’t a bad option.
Moreover, the external training method of this young monk was guaranteed by Shaolin, Wudang, and the Jegal family, making it not too risky a gamble.
“Hoo. The most we can raise right now is five hundred taels of gold. So, we’ll first give you the five hundred taels of gold and the Heavenly Heart Pill as promised. And the remaining five hundred taels of gold will be provided unconditionally, not as post-payment, and let’s draw up the document now.”
“An excellent decision.”
Mu-jin smiled at Baekam Zhenren’s decision.
* * *
Mu-gung and Mu-gyeong, who were looking at each other with pity, sighed deeply in unison without saying who did it first.
As for the last person, Mu-yul.
“Hahaha. Be careful going down, Mu-yul.”
“Hehe. I enjoy moving around like this, Master Uncle!”
Mu-yul, who was the nominal leader of this journey to Zhongnan, was chatting cheerfully with Hye-geol while climbing a tree.
The reason for climbing trees instead of walking on the proper path was unknown to anyone but Mu-yul and Ling-ling.
Despite Mu-jin’s considerable achievements and maturity, the reason he was still accompanied by Shaolin disciples, including Hye-geol, was simple.
They were, in fact, surveillance.
They were not there to monitor if the Zhongnan Sect would harm Mu-jin and his party.
They were there to watch if Mu-jin would cause trouble again or attempt a midnight escape.
“Come to think of it, wasn’t it also Master Uncle Hye-geol who accompanied you when you visited the Wudang Sect before?”
At Mu-gyeong’s question, who was watching the scene, Mu-gung nodded.
Naturally, memories of visiting the Wudang Sect in the past started to resurface in Mu-gung’s mind.
‘......Could it be?’
Suddenly, an uneasy future began to form in Mu-gung’s mind.
And as always, an ominous premonition never misses.
As soon as they came down from Song Mountain and arrived at Deungbong-hyeon, what awaited them were carts loaded with countless pieces of iron.
“Again?”
Of course, there were only carts and no horses anywhere to be seen.
* * *
After several days of pulling carts loaded with iron, Mu-jin and his party finally arrived at Mount Zhongnan.
The number of carts and iron pieces had even increased compared to when they headed to the Wudang Sect.
When they headed to Wudang, they only carried what the Shaolin disciples would use, but this time, they also had to bring what the Zhongnan Sect disciples would use.
In addition, it included the ultra-heavy iron pieces exclusively for Mu-jin, making the weight far beyond common sense.
Fortunately, the ultra-heavy cart loaded with iron pieces for Mu-jin was pulled by Mu-jin himself.
As soon as they arrived at the Zhongnan Sect, pulling the carts.
“Hmm?”
Mu-jin felt something strange.
‘It’s quiet.’
Despite the presence of hundreds of disciples in the Zhongnan Sect, an inexplicable silence filled the air.
It wasn’t just because they were Daoist priests. The atmosphere was different from that of a similar Daoist sect, Wudang.
‘Though Zhongnan has always had a different atmosphere from Wudang.......’
Zhongnan, like Wudang, was known for its defensive swordsmanship as a Daoist sect.
While Wudang used the subtlety of flow to divert attacks, Zhongnan used a robust martial art that defended against all directions and counterattacked with re-bouncing force.
In line with such martial arts, the disciples of Zhongnan, who Mu-jin had seen at the Yongbongji Conference, had a somewhat heavy atmosphere, unlike typical Daoists.
In the novel, though they didn’t directly involve themselves with Dao Yuetian, they were depicted as a sect where the brothers fought to the end against the collusion of Hwasan Sect and Shinchun.
Stubborn and rigid, but with a firm resolve. At least, that’s how Mu-jin viewed Zhongnan.
But the current atmosphere was something else.
‘It feels like a gathering of defeated soldiers?’
A bleakness typical of those steeped in defeatism pervaded the place.
About half of the disciples practicing their swords in the training yard had this air, and most of those with bandages on their bodies did too.
‘Are those the ones who went down the mountain and returned after being defeated?’
It seemed they were the injured ones Master Baekam Zhenren had mentioned.
Disheartened by the futile breaking of the swordsmanship they had trained for ten or twenty years.
On the way to meet the head of Zhongnan Sect to pass on the training method as agreed with Baekam Zhenren.
‘This won’t do.’
Mu-jin thought as he surveyed the atmosphere of Zhongnan Sect.
‘Before training, I’ll have to fortify their spirits.’
And Mu-jin knew a very sure method for fortifying spirits.
Whether the counterpart wanted it or not was not Mu-jin’s concern.