Genius Martial Arts Trainer

Several more months passed.

For Mujin, the greatest change was that his second child had been born.

“Waaahhh~!”

The second child, who let out a powerful first cry, was a boy.

Apart from the birth of his second child, Mujin was still responsible for treating Prince Ying whenever he came by.

That was because his wife was still recovering from childbirth.

Perhaps because he had been pushed out of the line of succession to the throne from childhood, Prince Ying was a surprisingly unassuming young man for a member of the imperial family.

“Hahaha. Did such a thing happen as well?”

During the course of treatment, whenever Mujin told him about things he had experienced in the martial world or anecdotes he had heard, he would always enjoy them.

It seemed that because his leg had prevented him from going outside often, he enjoyed stories about the outside world all the more.

In any case, apart from Prince Ying, a few changes had also taken place in the Central Plains.

The greatest change was that the situation on the northern front, which had fallen into a stalemate, had shifted.

“I am told that the Flying Dragon Unit played a major role again this time.”

At Zhuge Muhuan’s report, Mujin nodded emphatically.

The Flying Dragon Unit was the name given to the special unit composed of martial artists.

However, the Flying Dragon Unit had not distinguished itself from the very beginning after it was formed.

Just as Mujin had feared, the presence of martial artists could not exert much influence in a war involving tens of thousands of troops.

At most, their only advantage was that they could perform the role of cavalry without horses.

In the end, the stalemate continued for some time even after the martial artists were deployed, but a change occurred in an unexpected place.

'It was hard to believe even a coincidence could be that coincidental. Of all places, for them to attack there.'

The incident that became the turning point was a raid by the northern nomads.

It was not a raid aimed at the main army, but at the supply line.

Because they had advanced deep into the north, the imperial army’s supply line had grown considerably long.

Moreover, local procurement was nearly impossible in the grasslands. Resources were scarce to begin with, and whenever the northern nomads seemed to be pushed back, they would frequently poison the wells and grasslands or set them on fire.

In the end, supplies had to be sent from the Central Plains all the way into the depths of the northern grasslands, but the problem was the nomads’ cavalry.

As befitted nomads, they were skilled at riding horses, and they would often circle widely across the grasslands and attack supply units with small elite forces.

That day, as always, was a day when the northern nomads’ cavalry raided a supply unit.

The only difference was that martial artists who had just completed their training and were heading to the battlefield happened to be accompanying that supply unit, and that proved to be a disaster for them.

Not only did the martial artists block the arrows fired by the nomads with various martial arts, but they also succeeded in using lightness skills to chase after the horses and slaughter them.

Rather, because it was a battle between small elite forces, they were able to perform just as they normally did in battles within the martial world.

After the incident was reported to the higher command, the martial artists’ unit, the Flying Dragon Unit, was assigned an entirely different role.

Stabilizing the supply lines and escorting the supply units. They had come to serve as a kind of armed escort.

And once the supply lines were stabilized, the main army began advancing northward once again.

“Still, since the Flying Dragon Unit is mainly assigned supply-related missions, it seems their casualties are extremely rare.”

“Yes. I have already heard that thanks to that, many families and sects are feeling reassured.”

Any parent who had sent their child to the battlefield was bound to feel uneasy, no matter whether they came from a martial family.

It seemed they were relieved to hear that their children were at least in a safe place. On top of that, while guarding the supply lines, they were apparently earning a fair amount of military merit by repelling raids from the northern nomads.

However, Zhuge Muhuan’s expression as he spoke did not look particularly bright.

“We protected the martial artists, but instead, since they are only guarding the supply lines, it has become difficult to quickly ascertain the situation of the main army.”

“It must be somewhat inconvenient for the spies to operate.”

“Yes. We secretly sent several men disguised as ordinary people to serve as infantrymen, but they are having difficulties in many ways. In particular, because they must conceal their martial arts, there have even been cases where they died meaningless deaths on the battlefield.”

“......That is certainly a problem.”

After that, Mujin and Zhuge Muhuan continued exchanging headache-inducing discussions for quite some time.

“For now, how about we stop here for today?”

“Yes. It seems that merely handling everything we have decided so far will already make it impossible for me to return home at the proper hour today.”

Zhuge Muhuan spoke as though grumbling, rose from his seat, paid his respects, and left.

And around the time it took to drink a cup of tea had passed.

“Ch-Chief Strategist!”

“Let go of me!!!”

A commotion suddenly came from near the entrance.

Bang!!

The door to the Leader’s Hall flew open, and Zhuge Muhuan thrust his face inside once again.

Instead of the sly expression or sneering expression he usually wore, he had an expression of genuine shock.

“League Leader! D-did you know about this!”

As he said that, Zhuge Muhuan held out a hand containing some kind of letter.

It was the letter of resignation Baek Garyeong had left behind before departing.

'Hmm. Has the time already come?'

When Mujin looked at the letter of resignation with an expression that said he had expected as much, Zhuge Muhuan’s expression changed completely.

“Do not tell me that the leave you gave Strategist Baek last year was connected to this?”

At Zhuge Muhuan’s question, his face transformed into that of a yaksha, Mujin thought.

'As expected, that head of his is astonishingly sharp.'

***

Several days later.

At the time when the Zhengmu League had become half-paralyzed due to both the vacancy left by Baek Garyeong, the second-in-command of the Zhengmu League’s Strategy Department, and Zhuge Muhuan suddenly causing an uproar by declaring that he would go on strike.

On a low mountain that had little connection to such a Zhengmu League.

No, perhaps it was a mountain where people who ought to feel relieved that the Zhengmu League had become paralyzed were living.

A pair who looked like a married couple were climbing the mountain.

They were a beautiful woman whose complexion was somewhat pale and whose build was somewhat small, and a shaggy-haired man with a body like a bear.

The man had a large bundle slung over his back as though showing it off, while the woman’s body was adorned here and there with gold, silver, and jewels.

At a time when public security and the people’s mood had already grown grim due to the long war, they looked like people who could make anyone’s eyes roll with greed.

Naturally, there were people here whose eyes rolled as well.

“You bastards!”

“Hand over everything you have and leave!”

The eyes of the dozen or so men who emerged through the bushes were filled with greed.

However, unlike their greedy eyes, their appearances were wretched.

It was not merely because they were covered in dirt and sweat from living in the mountains.

They were reduced to skin and bones, looking as though they had starved for several days.

Even most of the things they brandished as weapons were closer to farming tools than actual weapons.

At the sight of those pitiful men, the bear-like man let out a deep sigh and spoke.

“First, let us begin with a beating.”

No matter how they looked, if they had committed banditry, mental reform had to come first.

Thud.

“Gweeeek!”

The sound of meat being pounded and pigs having their throats cut echoed through the mountain for some time.

After finishing physical therapy accompanied by mental treatment, the bear-like man, Mugung, loudly cracked his neck from side to side and spoke.

“From today onward, this master shall take control of Mount Tianling.”

And Baek Garyeong, who had been watching from behind, smiled with satisfaction at the sight of her dignified husband.

***

To explain why Mugung had come to take control of a mountain, it was necessary to go back several days.

Several days before Baek Garyeong submitted her letter of resignation and fled the Zhengmu League.

Mugung was having a private audience with Hyepyeong, the current Abbot of Shaolin.

“Abbot. I have heard that because of the wars over the past few years, the lives of the common people living in the secular world have become far too impoverished.”

“I am aware. For that reason, our Shaolin has also devoted everything except the minimum amount of money needed for the disciples to survive to relieving the suffering of the people, but it appears that our strength alone is insufficient.”

When Hyepyeong answered with a bitter expression, Mugung spoke carefully.

“It seems the greatest problem is the young men who fled in order to avoid military service. In the end, they have become fugitives pursued by the authorities, so the only things they can do are acts that violate the law. Because such people disrupt public order, are the lives of the common people not becoming even more difficult?”

“You speak correctly. In truth, the disciples belonging to the Demon-Subduing Unit have been struggling lately. Not only has the number of evildoers who must be punished increased, but once their circumstances are known, are they not equally pitiful people? I worry that if they continue punishing even such people, they themselves may also be stained by demons.”

As Hyepyeong thought of his pity for those who committed evil deeds in order to survive and his concern for the warrior monks of the Demon-Subduing Unit who were suffering because of them, he soon tilted his head.

Upon thinking about it, he found himself wondering why Mugung was telling him such things.

“Could it be that you, too, intend to transfer to the Demon-Subduing Unit, Mugung?”

At Hyepyeong’s question, Mugung shook his head.

“As you said, Abbot, they are also people in pitiful circumstances, so what meaning would there be in my joining the Demon-Subduing Unit?”

“Then, for what reason did you bring up this matter?”

At the Abbot’s question, Mugung drew a deep breath inwardly.

Up to this point, he had been able to guide the conversation by speaking exactly as Baek Garyeong had taught him a year ago.

He planned to continue speaking according to what Baek Garyeong had told him, but since what came next would have quite a large impact, he could not help but grow nervous.

“What does our Shaolin value most? Is it not compassion and repentance? What those who have been devastated by the wars of the secular world need is not punishment, but compassion and an opportunity to repent.”

“Your intention is admirable, but by what means do you intend to make them repent? Do you perhaps plan to drag all of them here and lock them inside the Cave of Repentance?”

Mugung shook his head and answered.

“No. We must remain with them and provide them with guidance.”

“......Remain with them?”

Before Hyepyeong, who felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding, could ask anything further, Mugung continued speaking.

“That is correct. In particular, the greatest reason they chose banditry is that they have no means of making a living. Therefore, should we not open a path for them to make a living?”

“A means of making a living? What do you mean by that?”

“The problem with bandits is that they extort money simply because people pass through mountains that do not even belong to them. Therefore, should we not make them perform work that is truly worthy of receiving money?”

***

Recalling the conversation he had shared with the Abbot, Mugung glanced at Baek Garyeong standing behind him.

All of these ideas had come from Baek Garyeong’s mouth.

Well, according to Baek Garyeong, Mujin had come up with the initial outline.

What mattered to Mugung was Baek Garyeong rather than that bastard Mujin. That fellow would naturally manage to live perfectly well on his own.

After finishing his recollection, Mugung pulled out the axe that had been hidden by the enormous bundle.

“Eek.”

The fake bandits, who were all kneeling together on the ground, let out screams without realizing it.

It was an enormous axe that looked capable of splitting an entire person cleanly in half.

Just as regret over why they had not noticed it from the beginning spread across their faces.

Mugung’s fierce face twisted. He himself was smiling, but to the bandits, it looked like the wrathful face of a vicious demon.

While all the bandits were giving up on life, thinking, 'We are dead now', Mugung opened his mouth with a smile.

“From now on, cut down the trees and level the ground.”

“......Pardon?”

Mugung thrust the axe forward with a sharp motion toward the foolish-looking bandit who had asked again without realizing it and answered.

“If you intend to collect a toll, should you not at least build a road worthy of that toll?”

After saying that, Mugung held the enormous axe in one hand as though it were nothing more than a stick and swept it from the foot of the mountain toward the opposite side.

“From the entrance near the village ahead, where this mountain begins, to the place behind it that crosses into Seohwa County. We will pave a road so that people, carriages, and horses can all travel comfortably. Then we will collect tolls from those who pass through. Do you understand?”

“.......”

Looking at the bandits, whose expressions seemed to ask what kind of insane nonsense this was, Mugung grinned broadly once again.

“Starting with Mount Tianling, we shall expand the business of our Foolish Old Man Road Party. We shall pave roads through the mountains of all nine provinces and eight wildernesses of the nation, and collect tolls from those who use those roads!”

It was the moment a new Chief Bandit Commander of the Green Forest was born.

No, the moment the Party Master of the Foolish Old Man Road Party was born.