Reunion
The day after the intense drinking session, injuries began to occur frequently among the Zhongnan Sect disciples.
“Take it easy, you madmen...”
Mu-jin, the root cause of this chaos, unknowingly shook his head.
The reason for the surge in injuries was simple.
The Zhongnan Sect disciples, after returning from their drunken revelry, boasted to their ‘comrades’ by exaggerating their experiences several times over.
Those who were particularly affected were those like Byeok-hwan, who had lost in duels and sustained injuries before Mu-jin’s arrival. Their eyes turned red with determination.
They, like Byeok-hwan, went out of the Zhongnan Sect seeking revenge, and the disciples, fueled by ‘comradeship,’ shouted, “We are brothers!” and joined them.
In short, the constant brawls were causing the injuries.
The mental education Mu-jin had provided had only been meant to lift their spirits a little. Now, they had turned into maniacs itching for fights.
As Mu-jin pondered what to do about this, Hye-geol came to see him.
“Mu-jin. The head of Zhongnan Sect wants to see you.”
“...The head?”
Mu-jin instinctively realized he was doomed.
Given the surge of injuries among the disciples, it seemed he was being summoned to be held accountable.
‘It’s probably best to feign ignorance, right?’
Determined to ignore the karma he had accumulated, Mu-jin headed to the Sect Master’s hall with a composed expression.
As he faced Baekun Zhenren, the head of the Zhongnan Sect, Mu-jin was about to speak.
“Hmm, the recent peculiar behavior of the disciples has nothing to do with my training...”
“I am very grateful to you, Young Hero Mu-jin.”
Baekun Zhenren spoke first.
“Pardon?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected words, Mu-jin was bewildered. Baekun Zhenren continued.
“I said, I am grateful. Until recently, I was distressed by the disciples’ dejected demeanor, but lately, they are full of enthusiasm, are they not?”
“They certainly are enthusiastic. Yes, hahaha...”
To an excessive degree, indeed.
“But aren’t you troubled by the injured disciples?”
“Hahaha. We are not only Taoists but also martial artists who train in martial arts. How can one grow as a martial artist without ever being injured? Our concern was never with physical injuries but with the injuries of the heart. Becoming accustomed to defeat, losing the pride of being a member of Zhongnan Sect – those were the real issues. How could such minor injuries be a problem?”
Speaking calmly, Baekun Zhenren took a sip of tea and then asked.
“By the way, you were about to say something, weren’t you? About your training...”
“It’s more than enough! Of course! It was all part of the plan from the beginning. Hahaha.”
“Hahaha, I see.”
Baekun Zhenren laughed softly, stroking his white beard as he spoke.
“Actually, for the first few days, I was unsure about your training methods. I wondered if I should intervene or let it be. But now I am certain that not intervening was the right choice.”
Baekun Zhenren put down his teacup, reached into his sleeve, and handed Mu-jin a small box.
“Though your external training method was different, the three weeks of training you conducted have brought us great benefits.”
“Thank you.”
Mu-jin graciously accepted the box from Baekun Zhenren.
“It contains the Heavenly Heart Pill, a treasure of the Zhongnan Sect. Take it back to your quarters and consume it.”
Mu-jin had received the promised miraculous elixir in advance. Baekun Zhenren continued.
“If it’s alright with you, I have one more request.”
“Please feel free to ask.”
“If you don’t mind, I would like you to periodically conduct the training you did here at the Zhongnan Sect.”
“That training?”
“Yes. It seemed very effective not only in strengthening the disciples’ mental fortitude but also in fostering a strong sense of unity under the name of Zhongnan.”
“This is nothing compared to the last training.”
“Indeed, Senior Brother! Hahaha! This is a piece of cake for the ‘great’ Zhongnan Sect disciples!”
As a result, it wasn’t difficult to get them to train.
“Ugh!”
“There’s no need to lift weights that are too heavy!”
“We can do it with grit and guts!”
Mu-jin found himself busy trying to stop them from lifting weights they couldn’t handle out of excessive enthusiasm.
“Grit and guts are enough for combat training! When training your body and martial arts, you need to progress gradually according to your level, or you might suffer from Qi Deviation or similar issues!”
He was worried they might end up with acute hypertension or rhabdomyolysis.
In any case, unlike mental education, an hour of weight training was sufficient.
Naturally, the Zhongnan Sect disciples spent the remaining time practicing their sect’s martial arts.
Mu-jin assigned Mu-gyeong to infiltrate and study the Zhongnan Sect’s martial arts techniques. Then, he devised weight training suited to their style.
Teaching weight training was beneficial, but it was essential to teach the type of training that best suited the sect’s martial arts.
Fortunately, Mu-gyeong had already infiltrated the Yongbongji Conference and stolen some knowledge of the Thirty-Six Swords of the World, making the process easier.
“Hmm. It would be best to shape them to be like Mu-gung.”
After several days of research with Mu-gyeong, Mu-jin reached a conclusion.
Unlike Wudang, which emphasized flexibility, the Zhongnan Sect’s swordsmanship involved a balance of
offense and defense, requiring the ability to withstand and counter the opponent’s strength.
Thus, they needed the physical strength to overpower their opponents during clashes.
Of course, to deal with various attacks, it was also necessary to cultivate a reasonable degree of flexibility and agility.
* * *
Mu-jin devised a training schedule suited to the Zhongnan Sect’s swordsmanship and led the training accordingly.
After spending about two months at the Zhongnan Sect, Mu-jin received two letters.
One was from the Jegal family, and the other from the Cheonryu Sangdan.
First, Mu-jin opened the letter from the Jegal family, and his expression turned peculiar.
The contents of the letter were simple. They had heard about the training Mu-jin conducted at the Zhongnan Sect.
They were willing to pay to receive the same ‘mental education.’
“Does Jegal Jin-hee have a masochistic streak?”
Despite his cold appearance, he was often on the receiving end rather than inflicting pain.
At first, Mu-jin felt sorry for him, but now he wondered if it was his preference all along.
Regardless of his suspicions, it was an interesting proposal.
‘I might really make a fortune running a Marine Corps camp.’
Mu-jin wrote a reply saying he would visit the Jegal family again if he had time and then opened the letter from the Cheonryu Sangdan.
His expression changed from the one he had when reading the letter from the Jegal family.
He now had the eyes of a predator who had spotted prey.
“Hmmm.”
While the Huashan Sect and Shinchun were causing trouble, the Shaolin Sect was not idle.
The Zhongnan Sect’s martial arts techniques had been leaked, leading to their less skilled disciples getting beaten.
Finding out who leaked the Zhongnan Sect’s techniques at this point would be difficult.
Thus, Mu-jin decided to change his approach. The culprits were obvious; they were simply denying it.
So, instead of chasing the culprits and looking for evidence, he decided to retaliate in kind.
“This is the location?”
The letter contained a map.
A map of a hideout where key figures from the Huashan Sect and Shinchun frequently met with people from the Daegum Sangdan.