Chapter 47
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Heading to Mount Song
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Time flew by after Mujin formally took his place as the family head.
The green leaves lost their color, and the hot weather gave way to a chilly season.
As dry leaves fell, the daily routine of the Yeomhwa Family remained unchanged, a constant even as the seasons turned.
“Next.”
"Hah!"
At Mujin's dry command, a warrior drew a live blade and let out a sharp cry.
The warrior had been learning the Heart-Severing Sword Technique for well over a hundred days.
He lunged at Mujin with a swift sword strike, but he couldn't even complete a single form.
*Thwack!*
Struck in the solar plexus by the hilt of the brutally large iron sword, the warrior gasped for air, choking as he rolled on the ground.
“Tsk, tsk. Still at this level?”
Mujin shifted his gaze to the Four Demons, who in turn glared at the instructors.
One of the instructors stepped forward and spoke, his tone aggrieved.
“Their internal energy is insufficient. We can't squeeze any more out of them. At least, not until they've built up a certain amount of energy...”
Hearing the instructor's retort, Mujin looked at the Four Demons and spoke.
“This household is a real piece of work. Should I try squeezing some out? Starting with you lot?”
At Mujin's words, the Four Demons, their already fierce faces contorting, glared daggers at the instructor who had stepped forward.
“The kids lack internal energy, you say. What should we do? Steal an elixir formula from somewhere? Or should we drain every last coin we have to buy them elixirs?”
“No, sir! We will teach them more diligently!”
At Cheol-muk's reply, Mujin furrowed his brow.
“Can't swing a sword without internal energy? Can't cut a man without an advanced sword form? Does having a lot of internal energy make an incoming blade bounce off? Stop using your shortcomings as an excuse and think of ways to compensate. If you can't reach the stage of the Clashing Sword, then you should be thinking about how to strike without meeting your opponent's blade. An instructor, complaining about a lack of internal energy? This damn household... there's not a single thing I like about it. If things are still this pathetic in ten days, just you wait. You'd better get your act together.”
Grinding his teeth as he gave the Four Demons one last glare, Mujin left the training grounds.
As soon as he was gone, the atmosphere on the grounds instantly froze.
On the training grounds, now colder than the Northern Sea, the warriors anxiously watched the instructors, while the instructors were busy watching the Four Demons.
“The sky must be high since it's autumn. Some people don't seem to know their place, talking back to the Family Head like that.”
No-sak responded to Cheol-muk's words.
“Brother. We have been too complacent.”
“For the next ten days, all instructors will remain on the training grounds after their duties are over.”
Mujin, who personally assessed the warriors' skills every ten days, had been in a foul mood lately.
“They skipped again.”
The number of days Dojin and Soyeon had been skipping their private movement technique training with him had increased significantly.
Standing on the training grounds that had recently been expanded for him and his two siblings, Mujin looked up at the sky and raised his sword.
In the end, Mujin began practicing the Nine Swords of Dugu by himself.
By now, the sight of an old monk and a nun living together within the family estate had become quite familiar.
As Mujin focused on his sword forms, trying to shake off the feelings of disappointment that had built up because of his siblings, he thought that this body of his, which he had cursed so much, was actually a fine vessel.
‘Moving my body clears away distracting thoughts in an instant.’
When he had lived as Jeongcheon, his master had beaten him more than once for not being able to focus properly.
Wasn't it only human nature to be unable to concentrate on a task when something was weighing on your mind?
His master, however, would notice the slightest lapse in concentration with uncanny perception and use pain to help him drive away those stray thoughts.
But this current body allowed him to shed all distracting thoughts just by performing the sword forms, enabling him to concentrate on the movement of every single muscle fiber.
The title 'Heavenly Martial Body' wasn't given for nothing.
Just as he was becoming engrossed in the forms of the Nine Swords of Dugu, feeling a sense of pride in the internal energy filling his core...
"May I enter?"
A familiar voice came from outside his private training ground.
*Swish!*
Mujin stopped his sword and spoke.
“Come in.”
Mujin carefully observed General Manager Do as he opened the door and entered, then spoke after a moment.
“What is it this time?”
Nowadays, whenever General Manager Do came to see him, Mujin's guard went up out of habit.
“It has been difficult to see you lately, and I also had something to discuss, so I took the opportunity to visit.”
Mujin nodded and began to put on the outer shirt he had taken off.
“That is a remarkable body.”
“That doesn't sound like something one man says to another.”
“You have a good sense of humor. But really, how does one build a body like that?”
In General Manager Do's eyes, Mujin's body was the ideal for a martial artist.
Befitting a swordsman, his forearms were developed to what seemed the peak of human potential, while the muscles that could hinder movement were not an inch larger than necessary.
It is incredibly difficult to train the body through movement and develop only the necessary muscles to such a degree.
The human body is an interconnected whole; how could one possibly develop only the required parts to such an extreme?
“Train with that sword, and you'll get a body like this.”
Mujin said, looking at the iron sword stuck in the ground.
General Manager Do had always looked at the sword Mujin carried with curiosity.
General Manager Do approached the sword and took hold of its hilt.
!!
“Th-this... Just how many catties does it weigh?”
“One hundred and ten.”
“Heavens... You fight while wielding this?”
“It can't be helped if you want to build up sword power.”
“...I've recently started practicing the Heart-Severing Sword Technique and have held a sword, but this is astonishing.”
“The Nine Swords of Dugu that I'm practicing finds its ultimate principle in overwhelming the opponent with simple forms. It contains almost none of the flashy moves, nor does it rely on flexibility, variation, or speed. To subdue such a wide range of techniques with simplicity, you need overwhelming power.”
“Subduing flamboyance with simplicity... How profound.”
Having finished dressing, Mujin pulled out his sword and began to wipe it as he asked.
“Let's get to the point. You didn't come here just for idle chatter, did you? Is there something else that needs money?”
“Of course not... I came to suggest that it might be time to depart for Mount Song.”
At General Manager Do's carefully broached subject, Mujin tilted his head.
“Mount Song? Why would I go to Mount Song?”
General Manager Do looked at Mujin with an expression that said, 'I knew it.'
“Do you not intend to watch the Orthodox Grand Tournament?”
“Orthodox Grand Tournament?”
“You don't know of the grand event where all the young disciples of the Central Plains' orthodox sects participate?”
“Ah, I've heard of it. They said that winning the Young Dragon Ascension Tournament, the one the kids participated in, would grant entry to the main event of the next Orthodox Grand Tournament. Is it happening this year too?”
“...It is held once every five years, in the same year as the Young Dragon Ascension Tournament. Weren't the preliminary matches held here in Seochang a recent topic of conversation?”
“I don't know. I'm not interested.”
General Manager Do shook his head.
“The people of Seochang were greatly disappointed. To hear that the Hidden Dragon of Sichuan would not be participating in the Orthodox Grand Tournament.”
“I didn't learn martial arts just to show off my sword skills in front of others.”
Seeing Mujin's lack of interest, General Manager Do gazed into the distance and spoke.
“It would be a great learning experience for the Young Master and the Young Lady... They seemed to be looking forward to the Orthodox Grand Tournament at Mount Song. What a shame.”
*Halt.*
At General Manager Do's words, Mujin stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him.
“Learning experience?”
“It is a grand event where all the disciples who will become the pillars of the orthodox sects compete. Not just the Nine Great Sects and the Beggars' Union, but also the Five Great Families and countless other martial families and clans will send their best to compete. Wouldn't just watching them be a valuable lesson?”
Hearing that, he realized it made sense.
He had only been thinking from his own perspective and hadn't considered his two siblings.
As for Mujin, he had already experienced the ultimate techniques of the Nine Great Sects to the point of exhaustion in life-or-death battles where blood and flesh flew.
Watching mere spars would hardly stir any emotion in him.
But it would be different for his two young siblings.
Especially for the children who were studying the martial arts of Shaolin and Emei, it was an opportunity to witness the ultimate techniques of other great factions and develop an eye for the underlying principles and connections.
“When is it?”
“If we leave today, we can travel at a leisurely pace and still arrive well before the tournament begins.”
"Masok!!!"
As Mujin shouted at the top of his lungs, Masok came running from the kitchen next to the newly built training ground.
He had been boiling beef he'd brought from the market, as he always did.
“It's not quite time for the meal yet...”
“Pack your things. We're going to Henan.”
“Henan? Why Henan all of a sudden...?”
“We're going to watch the Orthodox Grand Tournament at Mount Song. Dojin and Soyeon are coming too. Those two old folks will surely join us. And... if the three nuns from Emei also tag along, the carriage will be too cramped. We'll need a bigger carriage for the black horse. Get it ready. We're leaving today.”
At Mujin's words, Masok ran off with a huge grin on his face.
There hadn't been much reaction within the Yeomhwa Family, so it had passed by, but Masok, who frequented the market, had watched the recent Orthodox Grand Tournament preliminaries.
Even now, talk of the tournament held then was still rampant in Seochang.
And whenever the topic of the preliminaries came up, the Hidden Dragon of Sichuan was always mentioned.
Stories about why he hadn't participated were constantly being spun.
Naturally, all sorts of rumors were circulating, and hearing them had put Masok in a foul mood.
But now that Mujin was finally showing interest in the tournament and heading to Mount Song to watch the main event, his spirits lifted instantly.
General Manager Do smiled as he handed Masok a thick money pouch he had prepared in advance.
Mujin headed for the annex where Abbess Jinhwa was teaching Soyeon.
“May I come in?”
Although she was teaching the Snow-Drifting Heavenly Cloud Palm to repay her debt to the Yeomhwa Family, it was a secret art taught only to Soyeon.
Even as the head of the Yeomhwa Family, he could not carelessly enter while a secret art was being practiced.
"You may enter."
Hearing Myeongryeong's voice from inside, Mujin stepped into the annex.
“Brother!”
Mujin sidestepped Soyeon as she ran to hug him, narrowing his eyes as he spoke.
“You skipped your movement technique training again today.”
“Oh! That's right!”
“What do you mean, 'that's right'? This won't do.”
At Mujin's words, Abbess Jinhwa put on a deliberately stern expression and spoke.
“You told me you were going to practice your movement technique. Where did you go?”
“Well...”
“You were secretly sparring with Dojin again, weren't you?”
At Abbess Jinhwa's words, Soyeon nodded with a sullen look.
“Yes...”
“What did I say would happen if you spar recklessly without a supervisor?”
“That one of us could get seriously hurt... That's why we didn't use any internal energy at all.”
“Nonsense! Whether you use internal energy is not the point. No matter how great your talent, if your body is broken once, it may be impossible to reverse the damage. Have you forgotten?”
“I remember...”
“From now on, you must never spar where an adult is not watching.”
“Yes... I was wrong.”
“As long as you understand.”
Mujin found Soyeon adorable as she peeked at Abbess Jinhwa, who relaxed her expression after those words.
“I failed to send the child to you properly.”
Abbess Jinhwa said, bowing her head. Mujin shook his.
“Not at all. I am sorry for failing to educate my sister properly.”
She was an uncomfortable nun to be around, but seeing Soyeon's skills improve by leaps and bounds made Mujin endlessly polite in her presence.
“I came here not for that, but to inform you that I will be leaving for a while.”
“Leaving?”
Mujin nodded.
“As you may know, I intend to go to Mount Song to broaden the children's horizons.”
“You intend to show them the Orthodox Grand Tournament.”
“Yes. It seems it will be a good learning experience.”
“Excellent. They are still young, but it will certainly be a good lesson for them.”
“So, although it is sudden, I was thinking of departing today. Would you care to accompany us?”
“Of course. Myeongryeong, pack your things with your junior sisters. We are going to Mount Song.”
Mujin then headed to the backyard of the guest hall, where Great Monk Hyeon-u and Dojin were training.
That area, too, had been expanded by moving the walls to create an open space for training.
Just like Abbess Jinhwa, Great Monk Hyeon-u was delighted to hear they were going to the Orthodox Grand Tournament held at his home temple and hastily packed his belongings.
As they waited in front of the guest pavilion, it wasn't long before Masok had the newly acquired carriage ready.
“Family Head!!”
Seeing Masok shouting from the front yard, Mujin and his party rose to their feet.
“Everyone, please get in.”
Seeing that Mujin had procured a large carriage for their sake, Great Monk Hyeon-u and Abbess Jinhwa bowed their heads and boarded without protest.
No-sak skillfully hopped into the driver's seat.
After the two siblings got into the carriage, Abbess Jinhwa's junior disciples also boarded.
Finally, after Mujin too had climbed in and closed the door, No-sak set the carriage in motion.
And as the carriage left the family estate, General Manager Do, Elder Jo, and the remaining three of the Four Demons saw them off.
“It's going to be lonely for a while.”
“You can say that again.”
* * *
“So they left in a carriage, you say?”
“Yes. The Hidden Dragon is surely inside.”
“And their destination is undoubtedly Mount Song?”
“Yes. A man from the Yeomhwa Family said so when he bought the carriage. That they were heading to Mount Song to watch the Orthodox Grand Tournament.”
“Release the messenger hawk. Everyone, follow them.”
“Yes, sir!”
A group of mysterious martial artists emerged from a small, shabby inn in Seochang, mounted their horses, and rode out of the city.