Chapter 325 |
Chapter 325
Jeongmumaeng
Upon hearing the news brought by his subordinate, the old man called In-ju stroked his white beard thoughtfully.
"They're establishing an alliance..."
It wasn't bad news. The reason for moving the branch chief to attack Wudang wasn't merely to kill the Taiji Sword Immortal.
Although it would alert the orthodox sects, it would also prevent them from acting aggressively for their own safety.
"First Young Master has also managed his injuries to some extent, so we can say that the immediate crisis is over."
"Yes. With the First Young Master present, it will be impossible for Namgung and the traitors of the demonic sect to overthrow Sa-doryeon."
The subordinate agreed with In-ju's words, but neither of them looked entirely pleased.
The branch chief had suffered serious injuries due to the self-destructive technique employed by the Taiji Sword Immortal.
"How long will it take for the branch chief to recover?"
"...The branch chief said ten days would be sufficient, but according to the report from the healer, he needs about a month of rest."
"Hmm. It seems the branch chief's pride is quite hurt."
"It appears so."
Although they succeeded in their primary goal of taking the head of the Taiji Sword Immortal, the fact that the branch chief was injured on his first outing into the martial world would likely cause significant anger.
"Let's plan for the branch chief to rest for about a month. Even if he's reached a high level of martial arts, recovering from a stab wound to the internal organs in ten days is impossible."
"Then, should we temporarily delay our checks on the Jeongmumaeng?"
In response to the subordinate's question, In-ju, who had been stroking his beard, smiled leisurely.
"Hahaha. No way. I have a plan already in place. Take this letter and head to Shandong."
* * *
The external energy training led by Mu-jin lasted for about one hour.
"Whew..."
Jang Han-sung, who had initially doubted this training, was now drenched in sweat, with his legs trembling.
'Who knew there was a training method that tortures muscles evenly by dividing them by parts.'
Of course, Jang Han-sung still thought that internal energy and martial arts training were more meaningful than external energy training, but he couldn't voice this opinion due to the atmosphere around him.
"I!"
"Ack!"
"Am!"
"Ack!!!"
Disciples from the prestigious sects, clearly superior to him in skills, like those from Zhongnan Sect and Jegal family, were blindly following Mu-jin's instructions, torturing their muscles.
And it wasn't just these two sects.
Although they didn't scream as loudly, the martial artists from Shaolin, Wudang, and the Tang Clan were also doing their best.
'...Truly prestigious sects.'
He was mistaken in thinking they had always been so enthusiastic about external energy training.
In reality, it was all because of Mu-jin's influence.
While it was natural for large sects or families with many experts to emphasize the importance of external energy, those who trained this diligently were rare.
However, starting with Shaolin, then Wudang, Jegal, and Zhongnan in order, they encountered Mu-jin's external energy training and their mindset changed.
Even though the Tang Clan did not directly learn from Mu-jin, they had heard about his external energy training and were desperately trying to learn it.
As the best disciples from prestigious sects and families fervently followed Mu-jin's training, naturally, martial artists from smaller sects or those who worked alone had no choice but to follow suit.
When Jang Han-sung, forcing strength into his trembling legs to finish the last round, sighed deeply.
A dark shadow loomed over him as he bowed his head.
"You won't be able to properly stretch your quadriceps like that. Amitabha."
A figure, seemingly from Shaolin, gave him a kind advice and then placed their palm on Jang Han-sung's back.
'...!! Could it be, are they going to transfer qi to me?'
For a brief moment, he hoped for some hidden technique.
However, that hope was short-lived as the palm on his back suddenly pushed his upper body downward.
At the same time, the other arm, which had moved at some point, grabbed his awkwardly spread thighs and pushed them further apart.
"Argh!!!"
As the unexpected pain from his inner thighs made Jang Han-sung scream, the second-class disciple from Shaolin who came to help him chanted.
"Hahaha. You are as stiff as a wooden puppet, lay disciple. Amitabha."
"Please, let go, monk!"
The monk's voice was gentle, but there was no mercy.
"Hahaha. You'll feel refreshed when it's over. Amitabha."
"Refreshed my foot... Argh!!!"
He cried out like a child again.
As a martial artist, he might have been ashamed of screaming like that, but there was no need to be.
All around the training ground, many others were screaming similarly.
After finishing the external energy training and the subsequent close-range spear technique, when Mu-jin finally left.
"Sigh..."
Jang Han-sung sat on the ground, half-dazed.
Just then, another dark shadow approached him from behind, and Jang Han-sung turned his head, trembling, to see who it was.
It was fear that he might undergo the same torture again.
But this time, the shadow's owner was dressed not in monk robes but in Daoist robes.
Moreover, they wore the Daoist robes of Zhongnan Sect, who had been shouting strange cries since earlier.
"W-what brings you here?"
Jang Han-sung cautiously asked the Zhongnan Sect disciple, who seemed superior to him.
"Hahaha. Nice to meet you. I am Byeok-hwan, the second-class disciple of Zhongnan Sect."
When the other party greeted him with a cupped fist salute and introduced himself, Jang Han-sung, realizing his own rudeness, hurriedly stood up and returned the salute.
Jang Han-sung introduced himself, "I am Jang Han-sung from Ho-geommun in Sang-go-hyeon, Jiangxi Province. What brings you here?"
"Haha, since we've been training together, I thought it would be nice to introduce myself," Byeok-hwan replied.
Jang Han-sung was surprised by Byeok-hwan's friendly demeanor.
'I've heard that people from the Nine Great Sects or Five Noble Families are all arrogant and proud, but he is so kind!' he thought.
Unaware of Jang Han-sung's thoughts, Byeok-hwan suddenly brought up an unexpected topic. "By the way, what do you think of our instructor?"
"Instructor...? Who do you mean?"
"I'm talking about Master Mu-jin, who led today's training."
"Oh! Do you mean Great Hero Kwonje?"
"Haha, yes, he is called that recently."
Seeing Byeok-hwan mumbling with a nostalgic look, Jang Han-sung asked awkwardly, "But why do you call him 'Instructor'? Wouldn't 'Captain' be more appropriate...?"
"Haha, our disciples from Zhongnan Sect once trained under him. At that time, he told us to call him 'Instructor'."
"Ah..."
Byeok-hwan, reminiscing about that time, turned to Jang Han-sung with a burning gaze and said, "Haha, one of the things we learned back then is to scream 'ack' and 'kang' during training or real combat. It means nothing is impossible with determination and willpower. That's why we scream during every harsh training session."
"Is that so?"
"Another thing we learned was that comrades are forever."
With those words, Byeok-hwan extended his right hand forward.
"From now on, Jang Han-sung, you are my eternal comrade."
"!!!"
Jang Han-sung's eyes widened in surprise.
The second-class disciple of the Zhongnan Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects, calling him an eternal comrade was unexpected.
From the days of being a frog in the well in Sang-go-hyeon to discussing the future of the martial world with peers, Jang Han-sung felt a burning passion.
Sensing Jang Han-sung's feelings, Byeok-hwan nodded enthusiastically and said, "How about it, comrade? Will you join us in overcoming harsh training and brutal battles with determination and willpower?"
"I will!"
Before he knew it, Jang Han-sung, with eyes as passionate as Byeok-hwan's, grabbed Byeok-hwan's extended hand.
However, this was not a unique scene.
"Will you join us?"
"Once a comrade, forever a comrade."
"With determination and willpower!"
Throughout the training ground, disciples of the Zhongnan Sect were making similar gestures to martial artists from smaller sects.
It was, indeed, a passionate recruitment scene by the Zhongnan Sect.
* * *
Five days had passed since the new young martial artists joined Jeongmumaeng and began their training.
During that time, Mu-jin taught close-range spear techniques and bodyweight exercises, then focused on his own training.
'Things are going better than expected, thanks to the active support from Zhongnan Sect.'
Apparently, they even held drinking parties in the evenings under the guidance of Zhongnan Sect, which helped dissolve the initial awkward and distant atmosphere, leading to more enthusiastic training.
As a result...
"Ack!!"
"Ack!!!!"
"......"
Although the increasing number of people shouting like they were in military training was a problem, Mu-jin chose to ignore it.
After teaching external energy training to the martial artists of the New Star Unit, Mu-jin would head to his assigned training ground.
"Hehehe, after all, strength training is the best."
In the training ground, there were heavy weights specially prepared for Mu-jin by the Cheonryu Sangdan.
Although Mu-jin was demonstrating strength training during the sessions, using only his body weight had its limits.
With his strength nearing the human limit, bodyweight exercises barely affected his muscles.
For Mu-jin, bodyweight exercises were more like cardio rather than strength training.
"Lifting only light weights could lead to muscle loss."
Muttering to himself, Mu-jin hummed a tune as he approached the weights.
He focused on the feeling of his muscles screaming as he lifted and lowered the weights, each weighing hundreds of pounds.
'Hehehe, this is it.'
The pulsation of muscles lifting tremendous weight and the subsequent soreness.
Despite the morning's intense workout, Mu-jin was soon drenched in sweat, having stripped off his top.
"Whew."
Thud!
After finishing a set, Mu-jin put down the weight, took a deep breath, and looked at his reflection in the mirror.
The mirror, prepared at great expense by the Cheonryu Sangdan, was there to prevent improper form due to heavy weights.
Reflecting in the mirror was his sweat-drenched, muscular body.
While the reflection showed a primal, rugged physique, Mu-jin tilted his head curiously and began striking various poses.
Taking bodybuilder poses like side chest and front double biceps, he admired his muscles.
"Maybe it's because I just finished working out? My muscles seem slightly bigger..."
Mu-jin wasn't posing out of vanity.
Although he loved his muscles, he didn't obsessively strike poses in front of the mirror daily, expecting changes like a beginner.
Even after over twenty years of consistent training, he felt some slight change in his muscles today.
"Maybe I'm just having a good day?"
Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought.
He had built his body to near the human limit, with little to no change even after months in Shaolin, so he believed he had reached his peak.
"Come to think of it, I did feel more at ease during my workout today."
He concluded that he was simply having a good day.
Even the most consistent exercisers have days when they feel off and days when everything clicks.
And on such days...
"Alright. Let's go for another set."
A true fitness enthusiast pushes harder on days when they feel good.