Genius Martial Arts Trainer

Escape (1)

“……I guess it will be difficult to get out before becoming a second-class disciple? That means it will take at least five more years.”

“The duration isn’t the issue here! What are you talking about? Are you suggesting we sneak out?”

Mu-gyeong calmly calculated the dates while Mu-gung, despite his large build, was startled.

And Mu-jin nodded as if Mu-gung’s question was very obvious.

“You’re right. We need to sneak out. They won’t give us permission.”

“Are you crazy? What if we get caught?”

“If I were worried about getting caught, I wouldn’t have brought this up.”

Mu-jin shrugged and spoke to the anxious Mu-gyeong.

“You haven’t experienced it! If we get caught sneaking out, you can’t even imagine how much we’d get beaten…”

Mu-gyeong’s words had a flaw.

Although not as much as Mu-gyeong, Mu-jin had also faced Hye-gwan in martial arts several times.

Naturally, he had been beaten countless times each time.

But bringing this up wouldn’t help persuade them.

“Think carefully, Mu-gyeong. Do you think you won’t get beaten if you just go back now?”

“!!!”

“Anyway, until you become stronger than Master Uncle Hye-gwan, you’ll get beaten the same every day. Isn’t it better to take this opportunity to rest for a few months?”

“!!!”

As if he had gained a great realization, Mu-gyeong’s eyes widened.

Having succeeded in persuading Mu-gyeong, Mu-jin then looked at Mu-gung.

Mu-gung’s eyes were trembling wildly as if he was suffering from an anxiety disorder. It was hard to believe he had been practicing the Immovable Heart Technique for years.

“I can’t do it! Even though Mu-gyeong gets beaten every day, it’s different for me! If I get caught sneaking out…”

Mu-gung couldn’t even imagine what kind of punishment the stern, rigid, and taciturn Master Hye-dam would give him.

“Hmm. You should think about it carefully.”

“There’s nothing to think about!”

Mu-jin smirked at Mu-gung, who responded with utmost certainty.

Having spent years together, Mu-jin knew Mu-gung quite well. Naturally, he knew what Mu-gung liked.

“Think back carefully. Do you remember seeing Master Uncle Hye-dam ever leave Shaolin?”

“Huh???”

“Master Uncle Hye-dam is one of the One Hundred Eight Arhats, right? That means when you become a second-class disciple, you’ll also become one of the One Hundred Eight Arhats. And the duty of the One Hundred Eight Arhats is to protect Shaolin and the Sutra Repository. In other words, you will never leave Shaolin in your lifetime, just like Master Uncle Hye-dam.”

“Ah? Ah… Aaaah!!”

As if he hadn’t even considered it, the face of the person who had been looking puzzled turned to one of shock.

“Until you’re old and attain Buddhahood, this is your first and last chance to travel around the Central Plains.”

Mu-jin’s final words made Mu-gung’s head spin.

The fear of the punishment they would receive from Hye-dam if they were caught sneaking out.

And the fear of never being able to see the Central Plains again after returning to Shaolin.

Which was worse? At the end of the terrible dilemma of choosing the lesser evil instead of the best choice:

“Take me with you, too.”

With a face that seemed to have aged ten years in an instant, Mu-gung muttered helplessly.

Having succeeded in persuading both of them, Mu-jin finally looked at Mu-yul.

And Mu-yul:

“Hehehe. So we’re all going on a trip together? This is going to be fun!”

It didn’t seem like any persuasion was needed.

‘Good. Then, first, let’s go get the fortuitous encounter.’

The main reason he bothered to persuade the Muja Trio was that the first destination was the place where the fortuitous encounter, seen in the novel, was hidden.

Especially, that fortuitous encounter was something the Muja Trio should obtain, not him.

He already had absorbed the Great Restoration Pill and had a bit of Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, so he had enough internal energy.

‘Everyone lacks internal energy compared to their stage, so getting that fortuitous encounter will be helpful in many ways.’

And from now on, the journey wasn’t going to be a peaceful martial arts contest between disciples.

Real battles awaited them, against masters who were already active in the martial world or moving in secret.

* * *

As the hours of the Rat (1~3 AM) were coming to an end,

The door of the room where the Muja Quartet had been sleeping opened very carefully.

Mu-jin, who assessed the surroundings through his keen eyesight and sense of qi, led the Muja Quartet out of the room, making as little noise as possible.

Since Shaolin disciples were used to waking up early from their novice days, most were asleep at this hour.

Except for the second-class disciples who took turns standing guard at night.

At that moment, a second-class disciple was patrolling the perimeter of the hall.

During his stay at the Outer Temple, Mu-jin had studied the guards’ patterns and structure to devise a method of escape.

The night watch was meant to prevent external intrusions. It didn’t consider the possibility of Shaolin disciples escaping, making it less difficult.

Of course, it was simple only for Mu-jin.

For Mu-gyeong and Mu-gung, their hearts pounded so much that their vision seemed endlessly narrow as they moved.

‘Hehehe.’

Well, for Mu-yul, who considered this a kind of game, it was nothing but fun.

Thus, the group moved together: one serious, two trembling with fear, and one enjoying the thrill.

Mu-jin, who was leading the way, showed the promised signal for “halt” and stopped.

Tap.

At the same time, a suspicious figure descended in front of them.

As the moon, hidden by night clouds, emerged, the sword held by the figure glinted menacingly in the moonlight.

“Is he from the shadowy forces? Are they really aiming for assassination?”

Mu-jin felt puzzled by the sudden appearance of the stranger, but only for a moment. As the moonlight passed the sword and illuminated the figure’s clothes and face, a wry smile appeared on Mu-jin’s lips.

“Mu-jin, where are you heading at this late hour?”

“And what about you, Cheongsu Dojang? Why are you wandering around looking so menacing at this late hour?”

“Oh!”

At Mu-jin’s remark, Cheongsu Dojang, as if realizing his mistake, sheathed his Songmun Antique Sword.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I’ve been swinging my sword until now. Haha. While doing so, I sensed movement at this late hour and came rushing out.”

Saying that, Cheongsu Dojang unsheathed his Songmun Antique Sword again.

“Since we’re here by chance, how about having the sparring match you promised in the semifinals right now?”

“We have an urgent matter to attend to, so let’s postpone the sparring match.”

Mu-jin felt a bit frustrated.

They needed to leave Woe-hyeon quickly before getting caught, but they couldn’t afford to waste time here.

Of course, he was confident he could subdue Cheongsu Dojang, but the biggest problem was that he wasn’t sure he could do it without causing a commotion.

But why was it? Cheongsu Dojang’s eyes gleamed as he said something strange.

“Hmm? Is it okay if I join you? Mu-ryang-su-bul.”

“Join us?”

“Judging by your appearance, it seems the four of you are headed somewhere together, and I thought it might be fine if I joined. I could be quite useful. Hahaha.”

“…At this late hour? We have to move immediately, so we don’t have time to get permission from the Wudang elders.”

It wasn’t something to say while sneaking out, but it was an appropriate excuse to send Cheongsu Dojang away.

However, Cheongsu Dojang replied readily to Mu-jin’s words.

“Don’t worry. Master Unheo also told me to leave Wudang and see the world once the Yongbongji Conference was over. It would be even better if I could see it with you, Mu-jin. Hahaha.”

At Cheongsu Dojang’s cheerful response, Mu-jin felt a headache coming on.

But he couldn’t keep arguing with Cheongsu Dojang here.

“Do as you wish.”

With that reply, Mu-jin began moving towards the predetermined target point, followed by the Muja Trio and now Cheongsu Dojang.

They continued to alternately move through the alleys and main streets of Woe-hyeon for a while.

Mu-jin saw a large baggage wagon upon arriving at the outskirts of Woe-hyeon.

It was the baggage wagon prepared by Ryu Seol-hwa as promised.

Inside, there were various items such as wigs, makeup tools, and clothes to hide their identities.

“Are we going to ride in this?”

“But why is there a wagon without horses…?”

While Mu-gung voiced his curiosity, an inexplicable sense of foreboding emerged in his mind.

This situation felt eerily familiar to him.

“Don’t tell me, it’s that again?”

“Of course. If you skip strength training for even a day, your muscles will cramp,” Mu-jin replied confidently.

Mu-gung sighed deeply at Mu-jin’s bold statement.

“Oh! As expected of Mu-jin Do-u-nim.”

“Hehehe! This is going to be fun!”

Seeing Mu-yul and Cheongsu Dojang looking so innocent, Mu-gung realized a very important fact.

‘…Another fool has been added.’

And this fool was strong enough to have beaten him in a duel.

* * *

Early the next morning.

“Elder Monk! S-Something terrible has happened!!”

The usually quiet Shaolin hall was filled with commotion.

“Amitabha. What has happened to cause such urgency?”

“T-This!”

Elder Monk Hyun-hyeon, who received a letter from the panicked second disciple, tilted his head in puzzlement.

The letter contained a very short message.

– I have some important business to attend to, so I will be away for a while. I will return within a year.

“What is the problem with this?”

“The letter was found in the room where the Muja Quartet was staying.”

Just as he thought it was no big deal, Hyun-hyeon sensed something off from the second disciple’s panicked expression and tone, and asked with a sinking feeling.

“Are you saying the entire Muja Quartet has disappeared?”

“T-That’s right, Elder Monk!”

It was shocking news.

The Muja Quartet had all advanced to the third round of the Yongbongji Conference finals, earning the nickname Shaolin Four. One even won, and another reached the semifinals.

For such successful children to suddenly run away as soon as the Yongbongji Conference ended was bewildering.

The Shaolin hall naturally fell into chaos, but that chaos was only the beginning.

“E-Elder Monk! A guest from the Martial Alliance has arrived.”

In the midst of the confusion, visitors had suddenly shown up.

“Everyone, stay calm! There’s no need to let the world know that the children have disappeared!”

With his extensive experience and frequent exposure to the outside world as the Shaolin elder monk, Master Hyun-hyeon calmed his disciples and headed toward the entrance of the hall.

“This is Shaolin Elder Monk Hyun-hyeon. Amitabha.”

“I am Dok-go Pae, Head of the Hyeonmu Division of the Murim Alliance.”

A middle-aged man with a bold appearance responded to Master Hyun-hyeon’s half bow with a cupped fist salute.

“What brings the Head of Hyeonmu Division here?”

“Upon hearing that the Shaolin members were planning to depart this morning, I came early to visit. I apologize for the inconvenience, but could I possibly meet with Monk Mu-jin, the winner of the Yongbongji Conference?”

As Dok-go Pae asked, a bead of sweat trickled down the back of Master Hyun-hyeon’s bald head.

He couldn’t possibly reveal to the Murim Alliance that the Shaolin prodigy, who had won the Yongbongji Conference and was now regarded as the top talent of the orthodox factions, had run away in the middle of the night.

If the elder monk, who managed Shaolin’s external affairs, disclosed such a fact, it would not just tarnish the reputation of Shaolin but smear it with disgrace.

“Ahem. Actually, urgent news from our headquarters required the Muja Trio to leave early this morning.”

“Urgent business!? What happened to cause such urgency?”

“Ahem. It is a private matter of our sect, and I find it difficult to disclose.”

“Ah, I apologize for my rudeness.”

Dok-go Pae quickly bowed his head with a cupped fist salute, but internally he was in turmoil, unsure of how to report this situation to his superiors.

In fact, the entity he had to report to was not the Murim Alliance.

“Damn. I came here immediately upon hearing that Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng had been obtained yesterday.”

To be precise, he was affiliated with the Murim Alliance but had superiors elsewhere, just like Dok-go Pae.

“Ahem. Since Mu-jin has already returned to the sect, could you please leave now?”

“Ah, yes, I will do so.”

Both Master Hyun-hyeon, who was hiding Mu-jin’s midnight escape, and Dok-go Pae, who had failed his mission, exchanged awkward farewells.

An uneasy silence hung between Dok-go Pae, reluctant to leave, and Master Hyun-hyeon, eager for him to go.

Meanwhile, there was a far more pressing matter than Mu-jin’s disappearance.

“Where is Cheongsu?!”

“Is there really no one who has seen Cheongsu?!”

Compared to the panic of the Wudang Sect searching for the missing Cheongsu Dojang, the atmosphere was relatively calm.

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