Genius Martial Arts Trainer

A few days later.

Mugung left Mount Tianling together with Baek Garyeong for the first time in a while.

“You seem quite worried.”

At Baek Garyeong’s gentle words, Mugung smiled bitterly.

It was ridiculous that he was worrying about a bunch of bandits, yet for some reason, he kept turning his head back in that direction.

“I am not worried that they will cause trouble.”

“I know. You are afraid that some misfortune might befall the party members while you are away, are you not, my husband?”

At her words, Mugung nodded.

Thanks to the rebellion by those pieces of trash, more than thirty of them had been weeded out, leaving behind only those party members who still had some chance of reforming.

After spending several months sharing hardships and labor with those fellows, Mugung had grown attached to them before he even realized it.

“Their martial arts are still hopelessly inadequate. If they happen to run into some orthodox master passing by and are mistaken for bandits, they could easily die a meaningless death.”

“We have made a certain amount of preparation against that, so please do not worry too much. Besides, even if not for the matter concerning the Southern Heavenly Society, we would still have needed to leave the mountain.”

As she said that, she looked at Mugung’s back.

A bundle was strapped there along with his enormous axe.

A bundle considerably smaller than it had been when they first arrived at Mount Tianling.

Originally, before Mugung came to Mount Tianling, he had stopped by the former Chief Bandit Commander’s treasure vault and taken the valuables stored there.

However, until the construction was completed and they began operating the road, they had spent a considerable sum feeding dozens of bandits.

Of course, countless treasures still remained in the Chief Bandit Commander’s vault, so they were also planning to return there and replenish their funds.

The bandits of Mount Tianling could now support themselves since the business had begun.

“Furthermore, since we must continue developing new mountains in the future, we cannot remain on Mount Tianling forever.”

In order to develop another mountain and abduct. No, recruit new party members, they needed to bring back more money.

Since her words were reasonable, Mugung nodded firmly and turned his gaze forward rather than looking behind him.

***

The southern region of Jiangxi Province.

At a strategically important location offering easy access to Hunan Province, Guangdong Province, and Fujian Province stood the vast estate of the Southern Heavenly Society, which had become the new heaven of the unorthodox factions.

And a married couple arrived as guests at that enormous estate.

The man guarding the entrance to the Southern Heavenly Society looked suspiciously at the unfamiliar couple, but his expression changed drastically when the woman handed him a token.

He hurriedly reported their arrival inside, and before long, the couple was escorted to the deepest part of the Southern Heavenly Society.

The moment the couple arrived before the hall built for the leader of the Southern Heavenly Society, named [Black Dragon Hall], and opened the doors.

“Welcome!!”

Baek Gahwan, the second-in-command and Chief Strategist of the Southern Heavenly Society, welcomed the two with such joy that he nearly flew toward them.

More precisely, he welcomed Baek Garyeong.

“Have you been well all this time? Is your body all right?”

It was the first time in more than ten years that he had seen his younger sister. His younger sister, who had suffered from the Seven Yin Severed Meridians and had been far frailer than others her age.

Of course, by the time they had parted, she had already overcome the Seven Yin Severed Meridians to a certain extent, but there had not been a single day when Baek Gahwan had not worried about her.

Even amid all that anxiety and concern, however, Baek Gahwan had not dared to meet his sister.

He was a strategist of the Southern Heavenly Society, while his sister was a strategist of the Zhengmu League.

Of course, it was true that Dao Yuechen, the current leader of the Southern Heavenly Society, and Baek Gahwan himself had begun operating among the unorthodox factions at the suggestion of Mujin, who had now become Leader of the Zhengmu League.

But revealing that secret now and visiting the Zhengmu League was out of the question.

Furthermore, Baek Gahwan himself had also been inspired by Dao Yuechen and now felt a sense of duty in watching over the black path from here and preventing people from falling into inhuman evil.

“I have been well, Older Brother.”

Drops of tears rolled from Baek Garyeong’s eyes as she answered Baek Gahwan’s emotional greeting.

She had missed her older brother just as much.

The beautiful reunion between the siblings continued for a while.

Only after belatedly regaining his senses did Baek Gahwan show respect to Mugung and speak.

“My apologies, Monk Mugung. My concern for my sister came first, and I ended up behaving discourteously.”

At that excessive courtesy, Mugung waved his hands and said.

“It is only natural between family members meeting again after ten years. Besides, my name has already been removed from Shaolin’s registry. Please call me your brother-in-law or the Road Party Master.”

Mugung’s final words were spoken rather carefully.

His marriage to Baek Garyeong had proceeded with all the speed of roasting beans in a flash of lightning.

No, in the first place, they had simply begun living together immediately. There had not even been anything that could properly be called a wedding ceremony.

From the perspective of Baek Gahwan, her only blood relative, it could only have been a deeply displeasing situation.

In other words, if Baek Gahwan accepted him, he would call Mugung his brother-in-law. If not, Mugung was prepared for him to answer with Road Party Master instead.

After seeming to think for a moment at Mugung’s words, Baek Gahwan replied.

“Then from now on, I shall call you my brother-in-law. Would you also call me Older Brother?”

Baek Gahwan already knew through Baek Garyeong that the two had married.

More precisely, after settling on Mount Tianling, the two had sent a letter to the Southern Heavenly Society while arranging food deliveries from a nearby village.

The letter explained why the two had come to live together, why they had created the Road Party, and what they intended to do through the Road Party.

The reply had contained a token belonging to the Chief Strategist of the Southern Heavenly Society.

It was thanks to that token that the two had been able to pass through the entrance of the Southern Heavenly Society without any difficulty.

Of course, learning about Baek Garyeong’s circumstances and accepting Mugung as his brother-in-law were entirely separate matters.

She was his only family in the world.

Furthermore, she had been frail since childhood, while conversely possessing intelligence unmatched anywhere under heaven.

To Baek Gahwan, nothing was more precious than her.

Naturally, no matter what man in the world she brought before him, he could never have been fully satisfied with him as a brother-in-law.

And yet, because it was Mugung, he could at least accept him.

After all, Mugung was the lifesaving benefactor who had rescued his younger sister from the suffering caused by the Seven Yin Severed Meridians.

“Thank you, Older Brother.”

At Baek Gahwan’s answer, Mugung showed his respects with a deeply moved expression.

Immediately after the two newly connected family members exchanged a brief greeting.

Baek Gahwan stepped back and introduced the person standing behind him.

“You all already know him, but this is Society Leader Dao Yuechen.”

Seeing Dao Yuechen again for the first time since the final war against Shincheon, Mugung felt a strange sense of wonder.

'He has truly changed a great deal.'

The first time Mugung had met Dao Yuechen was when Dao Yuechen’s family, the Iron Flash Sect, had been attacked by Shincheon.

According to Mujin, Dao Yuechen had also participated in the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering that they themselves had attended, but at the time, he had not drawn even the slightest attention.

Yet the atmosphere surrounding the current Dao Yuechen was on an entirely different level from back then.

It was not a matter of martial arts.

'Could there possibly be another man to whom the title of Leader of the Southern Heavenly Society suits better than this?'

While Mugung unconsciously swallowed at the sight, which truly embodied the saying that one should look at a man with new eyes after three days apart.

Following Baek Gahwan’s introduction, Dao Yuechen took a step forward and approached the two.

“!!!”

The moment the distance between him and Dao Yuechen narrowed.

Mugung instinctively felt it.

That he had entered the boundary between life and death.

'So this is the range of the Leader of the Southern Heavenly Society.'

With the Tathagata Divine Palm sealed, Mugung was certain he had no chance of victory whatsoever. Even if he unleashed the Tathagata Divine Palm with all his might, he could not guarantee the outcome.

While Mugung inwardly assessed Dao Yuechen’s realm.

Dao Yuechen lightly cracked a joke, as though trying to ease the heavy atmosphere.

“I am the Leader of the Southern Heavenly Society. It has been a long time. Since this Society Leader cannot call the Party Master his brother-in-law, I shall call you the Road Party Master.”

“We are simply grateful that you have welcomed us so warmly, Society Leader.”

“Hahaha. We became acquainted through Monk Mujin, so naturally I should welcome you gladly.”

At the reaction of the Leader of the Southern Heavenly Society, Mugung inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

'It seems his faith in Mujin is still as strong as ever.'

Mugung had worried that after spending nearly ten years among the unorthodox factions, Dao Yuechen might have changed sides.

At the same time, another thought occurred to him.

'Just what did Mujin trust when he sent this man into the unorthodox factions?'

At their first meeting, Dao Yuechen had clearly been several levels below Mugung. That was, unless he used the black blade that had now become the symbol of the Leader of the Southern Heavenly Society.

And yet now, he had become the undisputed number one martial artist of the unorthodox factions. Even after becoming the strongest man among them, he still worshipped Mujin.

To Mugung, Mujin had always been an incomprehensible and bizarre fellow, but thinking back on it now, there seemed to be nothing more incomprehensible than his decision concerning Dao Yuechen.

“So. I have already heard the entire story from my Strategist Baek. You created an organization known as the Foolish Old Man Road Party and wish to join the Southern Heavenly Society?”

“That is correct, Society Leader. Unlike the bandits of the past, we are at least trying to perform proper work and earn money in a reasonable manner, but since the nation does not recognize what we do, there are many difficulties. That is why we have come to ask for your help.”

“Hahaha. I was quite startled when I first heard about it. I was already grinding my teeth at those bandits who were not satisfied with robbing passing travelers of their money and even engaged in kidnapping and human trafficking. Yet I never imagined someone would think of reforming bandits in such a way. I heard that this, too, was a method devised by Monk Mujin. Is that true?”

“My wife prepared the finer details, but the overall framework was his.”

“Hahahaha. As expected, Monk Mujin’s divine power illuminates the entire Central Plains. Hahaha.”

“.......”

Mugung, who had been tense at the thought of meeting a Leader of the Southern Heavenly Society who might have become a traitor, somehow felt all the strength drain from his body.

'......Give him a few more years, and he might personally offer the entire Southern Heavenly Society to the Zhengmu League.'

In contrast to the thought that crossed his mind.

“Ah. Come to think of it, how has Monk Mujin been lately? Public information reaches us, but I cannot hear any private stories about him at all.”

“He and his wife are living in such affection that sesame seeds practically spill everywhere.”

The two began chatting enthusiastically about Mujin.

For Dao Yuechen, who was normally endlessly dignified as Leader of the Southern Heavenly Society, this moment was in some ways like an escape.

As the Leader of the Southern Heavenly Society, he could hardly praise the Leader of the Zhengmu League endlessly in front of his subordinates.

Aside from the occasional conversation with Baek Gahwan, he had been unable to speak about Mujin at all.

For a fanatic believer to be unable to praise the one he believed in and worshipped. What could possibly be more stifling than that?

And while Mugung and Dao Yuechen were enthusiastically exchanging stories about Mujin.

“Hmm. So you wish to make use of black-market merchants.”

“Yes, Older Brother. Since most of them have been branded criminals, they cannot make use of the markets in the villages.”

The two siblings were enthusiastically discussing business.

“Ah. And could you perhaps look into the distribution of cooks and alcohol as well?”

“I shall contact Hao Gate and see what can be done.”

Perhaps because both siblings were strategists, they enjoyed themselves most when discussing matters like these.

***

After they had happily caught up for a while.

Dao Yuechen instructed a subordinate to show Mugung and Baek Garyeong to a place where they could rest.

After all, some time was needed to handle the matters Baek Garyeong had requested, and the siblings also needed several days to properly make up for lost time.

Immediately after sending the couple to their quarters.

Baek Gahwan, his expression once again cold, issued an order to a subordinate.

“Send instructions to the Black Shadow Pavilion. Tell them to select five of the most trustworthy guards among the women belonging to the Black Shadow Pavilion.”

“Women, sir?”

The subordinate who had asked that question hurriedly lowered his head the moment his eyes met Baek Gahwan’s.

Ghostly flames were burning in Baek Gahwan’s eyes.

Though he had served Baek Gahwan, the Chief Strategist of the Southern Heavenly Society, for several years, it was the first time in his life he had ever seen such a gaze.

Meanwhile, Baek Gahwan, whose eyes were blazing with fire, was thinking.

'If anyone other than my brother-in-law so much as touches a single hair on my younger sister’s head, I will make every last person involved suffer the extermination of their entire clan.'

Baek Gahwan’s affection for the younger sister he had reunited with after ten years had long since departed from common sense.