Genius Martial Arts Trainer

Chapter 117

Listening to the conversation of the two middle-aged men, the man seated at the head of the table burst into hearty laughter and spoke.

“Hahaha. The reputation of the Cheongsu Dojang and Namgung Jin-cheon’s martial prowess is already widespread across the continent, but I never imagined that the Shaolin would have such talents.”

– Don’t act rashly. A report has already been submitted to the main headquarters, and the directive is to wait for now.

– Did they really say just to wait?

– You know how much immense resources have been invested in this plan, right? And yet they are telling us to just wait, that’s…

– Watch your words. Listening to you, it sounds like you’re accusing the main headquarters of incompetence.

– …That was not my intention. I apologize.

After the man who made a verbal blunder apologized, the flow of conversation briefly halted.

Of course, only the covert communication was interrupted; outwardly, they all continued to laugh heartily and discuss the bright future of their righteous faction.

Then, the man seated at the head of the table, who had mentioned the main headquarters, resumed the covert communication.

– I understand your concerns. I also know how important this plan is. However, that’s precisely why the upper management is approaching this cautiously.

– Understood.

– Since the Yongbongji Conference spans several days, there are about five days until the finals. By then, a decision from the upper management will come.

At the words of the man at the head of the table, the other two men nodded as if they had nothing more to say.

All three had been involved in preparing the plan on the ground, and they understood the efforts and potential gains from its success.

What they had prepared this time was something significant.

It was an opportunity that might not come again, and an item that was equally hard to come by.

And through this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the rare item, their target was the Wudang sect, where Cheongsu Dojang belonged, and the Namgung family of Namgung Jin-cheon.

Both were highly uncooperative forces towards their organization.

Of course, other places might also react uncooperatively if their true identities were revealed, but Wudang and the Namgung family were on a different level altogether.

In the case of Wudang, although they hadn’t severed ties with the secular world like Shaolin, they outright rejected any deal or contract that seemed even slightly suspicious. No matter how beneficial or lucrative the offer might be for Wudang.

Conversely, the Namgung family were like back-alley thugs. No matter how many profits were handed to them, they dismissed it with the attitude of ‘It’s only natural for a subordinate to offer tribute to their king.’

As a result, it was almost impossible to bring the two sects, considered the strongest in the current righteous factions, to their side.

Therefore, they targeted Cheongsu Dojang and Namgung Jin-cheon, who were seen as the future of Wudang and the Namgung family.

The trap they prepared lay in the grand prize of the Yongbongji Conference, and according to the vast information collected by their large organization, Namgung Jin-cheon was the overwhelming favorite to win this tournament.

If there were to be any twists or exceptions, it would likely be due to Cheongsu Dojang.

Either way, if they managed to ensnare one of the two, their plan would be considered a great success. That’s why they prepared that grand prize.

Unexpectedly, Shaolin had entered the scene.

* * *

After the third match ended.

Mu-jin had remarkably advanced to the semifinals, but he seemed indifferent to public opinion, as he relentlessly visited the Cheonryu Sangdan branch.

He intended to work his muscles with weights as usual.

“Seol-hwa Shiju-nim, may I have a word with you?”

With only the semifinals and finals left to conclude the Yongbongji Conference, he was starting to prepare for his next task.

“Just the two of us?”

“Yes.”

Mu-jin, with her slightly blushing face, led her out of the training grounds to an empty pavilion and explained the purpose of his visit.

“The truth is, I have a business proposition for you, Seol-hwa Shiju-nim.”

“A business proposition?”

“Yes. Could you perhaps prepare a carriage, wigs, makeup tools, and simple clothing on the outskirts of Woe-hyeon on the day the Yongbongji Conference finals end? In return, I will pay fifty gold coins.”

Even though carriages, makeup tools, and wigs were quite expensive, they were not items worth purchasing for fifty gold coins.

However, offering such a large amount meant that the money was not for purchasing items but for maintaining confidentiality.

Ryu Seol-hwa, who managed the branches of clinics across the continent and was flourishing in business, could easily read such an intention.

“Do you have a place to secretly go after the Yongbongji Conference ends?”

“It’s not from the Shaolin Temple. I just have something I need to do.”

This meant that Mu-jin planned to leave even without informing the Shaolin Temple.

“I understand. I will make sure to prepare everything for you.”

Ryu Seol-hwa suppressed her smile and gave the softest smile she could manage.

Ryu Seol-hwa and the Cheonryu Sangdan had been working hard to persuade Mu-jin to leave the secular world. Now, he intended to sneak out of Shaolin to do something on his own!

For Ryu Seol-hwa, this was nothing short of great news.

“And, I owe Mu-jin for the help I’ve received so far. Fifty gold coins seem too excessive for such a small favor. I’ll help you for free this time.”

It wasn’t that she intended to give everything to Mu-jin like a fool. She was a merchant before she was a woman. She calculated that Mu-jin wouldn’t ignore a debt of gratitude.

“Is there anything else you need? A big and sturdy carriage would be best, right? Hmm. I’ll also try to find clothes of the best quality possible.”

… It seemed like she was using the excuse of a debt of gratitude to give him everything she could.

“Hmm. Since I need to sneak out, it should be something inconspicuous. And there’s one more favor I need to ask, so I will give the fifty gold coins to you, Seol-hwa Shiju-nim.”

“Another favor? Please, tell me anything.”

It was odd how the one receiving the favor was speaking as if she were the one asking for it.

“I need a fake identity. Also, if I need to exchange information with Shaolin or Cheonryu Sangdan, I was thinking of using the branches of musculoskeletal treatment clinics to communicate with you, Seol-hwa Shiju-nim.”

“Hmm~ Creating a fake identity and informing the branches in advance. I’ll make sure that any letters sent under the fake identity are delivered to me as top-secret documents.”

“I would really appreciate it if you could do that. In addition, could you allow me to use the medical facilities under that false identity?”

This was Mu-jin’s most important objective.

In fact, escaping from Shaolin was something he could do without anyone’s help. He just needed to receive the dividend from his investment in the Daegum Sangdan’s martial arts gambling and then make a nighttime escape.

However, if he did that, he wouldn’t be able to utilize the system he had established while helping the Cheonryu Sangdan.

He was referring to the exercise facilities available at every branch of the medical clinic.

Just like modern fitness enthusiasts who look for hotels with gyms while traveling, Mu-jin planned to visit the Cheonryu Musculoskeletal Clinics in the area whenever he traveled.

To minimize muscle loss.

‘This mission will take at least three months. Not being able to lift weights for three months? Oh no.’

Mu-jin shivered at the thought of his muscles.

Of course, as an exercise enthusiast and trainer, countless workout methods using body weight or stones and trees came to mind.

But considering his current physical condition, bodyweight exercises wouldn’t make much of a difference unless he dedicated at least three or four sijin (six to eight hours) a day to exercise.

The body he had developed over six years, with the effectiveness of the Jade Vajra Technique, had muscles so compressed that they weren’t noticeable. His physical abilities alone had already surpassed those of the original Choi Kang-hyuk.

Conversely, having developed his muscles over six years, he was so obsessed that even a day without exercise made his muscles itch.

“That much, I can certainly help with!”

However, Ryu Seol-hwa wasn’t interested in Mu-jin’s main objective.

Ryu Seol-hwa was already focused on something else.

‘A secret letter just between us two! It feels just like the love letters Mu-jin delivered to me in the beginning!’

To others, Mu-jin was traveling the martial world incognito. She was the only one able to communicate with him.

It was a scene straight out of a sweet romance novel, dancing in her mind.

“That much, I can certainly help with! So, there’s no need to give me extra gold coins!”

Yes! Since they would be exchanging secret letters for a while, what meaning did money have?

For Ryu Seol-hwa, that alone was an enjoyable thing.

“Ah. Do you have a name you’d like to use for your false identity?”

Mu-jin, who had been pondering her suddenly cheerful question, opened his mouth.

“I’ll go with Kang-hyuk.”

He chose this alias because using his modern name would be less confusing. It was both an alias and his real name.

* * *

After concluding his transaction-like agreement with Ryu Seol-hwa, Mu-jin headed to the training grounds.

At that moment, Jegal Jin-hee, who had been defeated by Namgung Jin-cheon in a duel today, came to the Cheonryu Sangdan branch.

“You’ve arrived, Jegal Jin-hee Shiju-nim. We were just about to start.”

Jegal Jin-hee responded to Mu-jin’s welcome with a somewhat bitter expression.

“It seems I won’t be able to train with you today. Actually, I came to say goodbye in advance, as today might be my last.”

She was well aware of her family’s situation and her own position. The fact that they allowed her to visit here was because she was making a name for herself at the Yongbongji Conference.

And now that shield was gone, she too had to lay low for a while.

Nonetheless, the reason she came here one last time today was, as she had mentioned, to say goodbye. Additionally, she had a warning to deliver.

“Do you happen to know anything about Namgung Gongja?”

It was to provide information about the man who had defeated her, Namgung Jin-cheon.

At her question, Mu-jin looked into the distance with a pensive expression.

“Namgung Gongja…”

He knew a lot about Namgung Jin-cheon. He had seen him numerous times in the novel.

But that was about future events, and it wasn’t something he could talk about now.

“I don’t know much about him, but I do know a bit about the Namgung Family.”

Thus, Mu-jin decided to describe them in a suitably vague manner.

Namgung Jin-cheon. There was one word that best described the direct lineage of the Namgung Family.

“They are like emperor’s sickly children.”

They were strange folks who considered themselves kings.

That didn’t mean they were tyrants or bullies.

True to their reputation as an honorable family of the righteous faction, they punished the wicked near Anhui Province and saved the common people.

But how should one put it?

Their actions were driven by a sense of duty, as if it were only natural for a king to care for the pitiable populace.

Conversely, they also took it for granted that people would offer them tributes. Paying back for these tributes was not part of their concern.

They simply helped the people out of royal benevolence. The commoners had no right to ask them for favors, even if they offered money and tributes.

Thus, while they didn’t commit any heinous acts, their arrogance and self-assurance made them rather distasteful individuals.

Mu-jin found himself empathizing with the expression used, which brought a faint smile to Je-gal Jin-hui’s lips.

“That’s quite an apt expression.”

As a successor of the same Five Great Families, she had already sensed such a disposition. And it resonated even more during the martial arts competition.

“In that case, this conversation should be straightforward. The direct descendants of the Namgung Family see themselves as royalty. But as is the case with any martial family, power ultimately comes from martial prowess.”

This principle applied equally to the other Five Great Families. Within the Je-gal Family, to which Je-gal Jin-hui belonged, the martial arts available to direct and collateral lines were also divided.

However, Mu-jin listened attentively to her without adding any particular comments.

“Of course, this applies to the other Five Great Families as well, but the Namgung Family’s obsession is somewhat excessive. They pour immense support into the potential family heads of each generation.”

“Support, as in things like elixirs?”

“Elixirs and martial arts are just the basics. They even go through the process of Balmo Se-su (Cleansing the Marrow and Cutting the Hair). Moreover, Namgung Jin-cheon was born with a Heavenly Martial Body. Recognizing his potential, the Namgung Family sacrificed their elders to further his Balmo Se-su.”

“Wouldn’t the elders lose their internal energy from performing Balmo Se-su?”

“Yes. But since elders are from the collateral line, it becomes an opportunity to weaken the collateral branch’s power. Besides, the Namgung Family promises a comfortable retirement with Geumbun Se-su (Golden Basin Hand-Washing) for the elders who perform Balmo Se-su.”

Balmo Se-su is different from the natural enlightenment and internal energy progressions like Se-maek Ta-dong or Hwan-gol Tal-tae. It involves transferring another’s internal energy.

Naturally, it requires immense internal energy, so it is usually performed on infants with undeveloped muscles and clean meridians to increase the slight chance of success.

Geumbun Se-su, on the other hand, involves washing one’s hands in a basin of gold, symbolizing retirement from the martial world, and is done in a ceremony attended by fellow martial artists.

In the end, Namgung Jin-cheon, through the Balmo Se-su performed by several Namgung Family elders who retired afterward, gained a perfected body and clean meridians from infancy.

In addition, with the family’s wealth pouring massive elixirs into him and mastering the Namgung Family’s supreme martial arts, he could be considered a monster.