Genius Martial Arts Trainer

Chapter 28:

Shortly after.

Mu-gung, having just regained his breath, stood up with a flushed face and stepped back from the center of the training ground.

“You’re not suited for flashy stuff, you know?”

Mu-jin continued to chide Mu-gung, who was moving away.

With his large frame and not-so-great flexibility, Mu-gung’s movements inevitably became more susceptible to exposing weaknesses as they grew larger.

Mu-jin had always advised Mu-gung to utilize concise attacks and feints to maximize his strength, which was his asset.

“Sorry about that. Tsk.”

Mu-gung, embarrassed in front of the Shaolin elders, ticked off with a face reddened in anger, and Mu-jin couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

‘Right. He’s still at an age to be afflicted with adolescent angst, can’t help it.’

It seemed that Mu-gung had safely passed the entrance examination, so Mu-jin’s attention naturally shifted elsewhere.

To a corner where the introductory disciples waiting for their turn were gathered, towards the one who seemed to be digging a hole in the ground all by himself.

Mu-jin, noticing the palpable tension in Mu-gyeong’s shoulders, nonchalantly draped his arm over them and asked.

“Ready?”

“No, no, no, not yet.”

In response to Mu-jin’s question, Mu-gyeong answered, shaking as if he had an electric motor in his mouth.

Not just his mouth, but Mu-gyeong’s shoulders, where Mu-jin had placed his arm, were also trembling violently.

“Wi-wi-will I be able to do well?”

To Mu-gyeong’s trembling question, Mu-jin shook his head.

“You don’t need to do well.”

“Huh?”

“You don’t need to try to do well.”

Saying so, Mu-jin taught Mu-gyeong a few Close-Range Spear Techniques to help ease his tension, just as he had done for Mu-gung.

Then he added the most important piece of advice for Mu-gyeong, who was following him and warming up.

“Mu-gyeong, just remember this one thing.”

The most critical point Mu-gyeong needed to take care of in this examination wasn’t ‘not to be nervous.’

“Don’t get too excited. Got it?”

From what he had observed over the past one year and nine months, Mu-gyeong was someone who caused more trouble when excited than when nervous.

* * *

As the entrance examination was coming to a close.

“Introductory disciple Mu-gyeong, step forward!”

Finally, Mu-gyeong’s name was called.

“Don’t get excited!”

Leaving behind Mu-jin’s words—whether they were encouragement or warning—Mu-gyeong headed to the center of the training ground with trembling steps.

Mu-jin watched Mu-gyeong with a look of concern.

He wasn’t worried that Mu-gyeong would fail the examination.

‘Mu-gyeong wasn’t destined to become a blood successor for nothing.’

Mu-gyeong was, quite literally, a genius.

Mu-gyeong had started learning martial arts only after coming to Shaolin. Moreover, when it came to physical talent, he was rather lacking compared to Mu-yul and Mu-gung.

Yet, he possessed a talent that overshadowed all that.

He had the intelligence to grasp the intricacies of martial arts in a single attempt and the talent to use internal energy easily once he understood it.

In a world within martial arts novels that values martial arts and internal energy, Mu-gyeong’s talent was truly befitting of the term ‘genius’.

Still, the reason Mu-jin was worried about Mu-gyeong was precisely because he was the future blood successor.

* * *

Meanwhile.

The Second-class Disciple, Beob-hwan, who had stepped out for Mu-gyeong’s examination, looked at the introductory disciple standing before him with a curious expression.

Most kids would take the initiative to attack during their examinations. After all, showing one’s skills was generally easier through offense rather than defense.

However, the child before him didn’t go on the offensive even as the sparring began and appeared visibly tense.

‘Maybe, for the first time in this examination, there might be a candidate who fails.’

While it was regrettable to think that he might have to fail someone with his own hands, fairness was essential in examinations.

Since the opponent did not initiate the attack, Beob-hwan had no choice but to make the preemptive strike.

Swish!

And the child, who had appeared tense, effortlessly dodged Beob-hwan’s attack by following the flow of the basic martial arts technique, Qian Kun Bu.

‘Hmm.’

Noticing the child’s excellent mastery of Qian Kun Bu, Beob-hwan swung his right foot towards a hidden flaw within the technique.

Boom!

But as if expecting this, Mu-gyeong used the defensive posture of the Arhat, Samshik, to deflect Beob-hwan’s attack.

‘Using the Arhat’s defense while stepping through Qian Kun Bu so comfortably, he must have mastered both to their extremities.’

Realizing the child was more skilled than anticipated, Beob-hwan’s eyes gleamed as he continued his offensive more aggressively.

As the sparring passed ten exchanges, his face gradually became painted with astonishment.

He fended off a punch aimed at an opening with the Six Yang Hands, and when Beob-hwan used the fifth posture of the Guanyin Eighteen Legs, Mu-gyeong switched from Qian Kun Bu to the stepping technique, Immovable Step, to avoid it.

Each time Beob-hwan aimed for an opening, Mu-gyeong used a different martial arts technique to show the most optimal defense or evasion.

After evading Beob-hwan’s attacks about ten times, and perhaps because his tension had eased, Mu-gyeong finally went on the offensive.

He started with Vajra Fist.

As Mu-gyeong consecutively executed the first and second postures of the Vajra Fist, Beob-hwan intended to exploit the opening that would appear during the transition to the third posture. However, surprisingly, the subsequent posture was not the third of the Vajra Fist.

In fact, it wasn’t the Vajra Fist at all.

While stepping through the Immovable Step, Mu-gyeong’s leg flew out in accordance with the subtleties of the Guanyin Eighteen Legs.

The moment Beob-hwan retreated to dodge the kick, Mu-gyeong closed the distance in one step and swung his arm in the third posture of the Six Yang Hands.

Beob-hwan attempted to deflect that arm.

“!!”

It was a feint. Mu-gyeong had changed the form of his swinging hand to strike Beob-hwan’s palm with the technique of Guanyin Hands and then swiftly jabbed his fingers forward.

With the technique of the Stone-crushing Finger, he aimed precisely at Beob-hwan’s meridians.

Thump!

Beob-hwan managed to swing his arm and deflect the fingers, but sweat was already streaming down his forehead.

The others watching the sparring were equally astonished.

“How many martial arts has he mastered?”

“Such an extraordinary child has emerged.”

The number of martial arts Mu-gyeong had used for evasion, defense, and attack seemed to be at least ten.

But merely knowing a large number of martial arts did not necessarily make one strong. If the learned martial arts were all separate and did not integrate well, having many would be more of a hindrance.

However, that was not the case with Mu-gyeong.

All the martial arts and postures he had used so far, despite being clearly different from each other, were seamlessly connected. It was as if they were all one martial art.

“This introductory disciple is surely the most outstanding.”

“Amitabha.”

This was indeed a remarkable feat.

Martial arts traditionally required the flow of internal energy to be channeled through specific meridians according to each posture. Naturally, when attempting to use multiple postures in succession or simultaneously, the flow of internal energy could become entangled.

This would not be an issue for postures belonging to the same martial art, or for martial arts specifically created to complement each other.

Yet, the techniques Mu-gyeong used were more often mismatched than not. And still, they flowed naturally, indicating an exceptional level of comprehension.

For just an introductory disciple to freely use over ten different martial arts was an act that shattered common sense.

This was not only due to Mu-gyeong’s exceptional understanding of martial arts but also owed a significant part to Mu-jin’s training methods.

Originally, Mu-gyeong’s physical capabilities were somewhat lacking compared to his talent for martial arts. Normally, he would have had to overcome his physical shortcomings with far more complex manipulation of internal energy.

However, after a year and a half of systematically developing his physique, Mu-gyeong could now link postures more easily.

And the number of basic martial arts that Mu-gyeong was currently learning…

“It’s not about how many he has learned; it’s that there’s nothing he hasn’t learned.”

It was ‘all of them.’

The basic martial arts of Shaolin, permitted to introductory disciples, were usually learned selectively, two or three at most, suited to each individual’s physique and temperament. Mu-gyeong had mastered all of them. And he could link and use all these martial arts according to his preference.

But why then?

Watching the impressive sparring of the great Mu-gyeong, Mu-jin’s face was tinged with concern.

After all, the boy who had initially only dodged and defended out of nervousness had suddenly switched to a full offensive.

Mu-gyeong’s movements, which flowed like a painting, despite mixing different martial arts, had no discordance.

As the sparring continued, a twisted smile began to appear on the previously timid Mu-gyeong’s lips.

As if finding this precarious sparring to be delightfully enjoyable, Mu-gyeong continued to unfold the martial arts he had learned.

Faced against Mu-gyeong, who grew more unpredictable with every move, Beob-hwan fell into deep contemplation.

“Can it be that basic martial arts alone are not enough to contend with this child?”

Even with restricted internal energy, there was a gap of at least fifteen years of martial arts training between them. Yet, Beob-hwan found himself being outmatched in understanding the basics.

A brief moment of contemplation caused a slight gap in Beob-hwan’s movements, and Mu-gyeong seized the opportunity.

A fist infused with Mu-gyeong’s killing intent flew towards Beob-hwan’s vital points.

‘Killing intent!!’

And Beob-hwan, reacting to that killing intent, instinctively maneuvered his internal energy.

A martial art that should never have been used during the entrance examination.

He executed one of the most powerful martial arts he had learned, one of the Seventy-two Consummate Arts, the Dharma Eighteen Hands.

No matter how talented Mu-gyeong was, it was impossible for a mere introductory disciple to block the Seventy-two Consummate Arts.

“No!!”

As the worst possible scenario unfolded, Mu-jin shouted and rushed towards the training ground.

But before him, a shadow appeared on the training ground.

Bang!

The man who appeared in the training ground used his right leg to block Mu-gyeong’s punch while simultaneously using his left palm to stop Beob-hwan’s strike.

Even if it was an incomplete Dharma Eighteen Hands executed by the Second-class Disciple, the man who blocked the attack was as relaxed as if he were out for a leisurely walk.

Gulp gulp.

To top it off, the man, while blocking attacks from both sides with his right leg and left palm, was nonchalantly drinking from a liquor bottle he held in his right hand, a sight so bizarre it felt surreal.

Then. Senior brother Hye-dam, frowning, called out to the drinking man in a stern tone.

“Hye-gwan, how dare you drink alcohol within the sacred grounds of Shaolin. It seems you truly wish to enter the Cave of Repentance.”

“Ha ha ha ha. Senior brother Hye-dam, you jest too much. How could I possibly dare to drink within the sacred grounds of Shaolin.”

The man who smirked playfully threw the wooden liquor bottle he had been drinking from to Senior brother Hye-dam.

And astonishingly, when Hye-dam caught the bottle, there was not even a hint of alcohol scent coming from it.

In that brief moment, he had used the extreme Yang energy unique to Shaolin martial arts to evaporate the alcohol content without affecting the water or the wooden bottle itself. Hye-dam was well aware that the man had casually performed such an extraordinary feat.

“Sigh… I understand your hard work, but there are lines that should not be crossed, Hye-gwan.”

Nevertheless, Hye-dam did not pursue the matter further. In fact, no one there attempted to challenge Hye-gwan.

This was partly due to Hye-gwan’s personality, but also because of the incredibly heavy karma he bore.

Shaolin was a Buddhist sect, and its teachings emphasized compassion, guidance, and the importance of not taking life.

However, sometimes in this world, there were despicable villains beyond redemption.

For such cases, Shaolin would occasionally send out certain individuals to deal with them beyond the temple’s walls.

The only ones in Shaolin exempt from the rule of non-killing, these individuals willingly walked the path of Asura for the sake of sentient beings.

Hye-gwan was the leader of these individuals, known in the martial world as the Demon Extermination Squad.

Understanding the weight of the karma that the Demon Extermination Squad bore, everyone chose to overlook Hye-gwan’s eccentricities.

They knew how difficult it was to continue the cycle of killing as someone who had learned the Buddha’s way.

All of Hye-gwan’s frivolous actions and drinking were seen as efforts to cope with the immense guilt.

Known in the martial world as the Drunken Buddha or the Demon-Conquering Buddha Who Does Not Retreat, Hye-gwan brushed off Senior brother Hye-dam’s warning with a playful smile.

“Heh heh heh. My apologies for interrupting the honorable masters, senior brothers, and disciples observing the entrance examination, but it seems I must take this child under my wing.”

And with that, he announced his intention to take Mu-gyeong as his personal disciple.

Mu-gyeong, who had just displayed incredible talent in the sparring, naturally sparked the interest of others, but no one dared to object to Hye-gwan’s declaration.

Those of lesser cultivation didn’t think they could handle Hye-gwan’s temperament, and those of higher cultivation understood why Hye-gwan had stepped forward.

They, too, had recognized the madness and killing intent Mu-gyeong had revealed at the end of the sparring.

“Amitabha.”

Abbot Hyun Cheon, the head of Shaolin, watched the scene between Hye-gwan and Mu-gyeong with a somewhat sorrowful expression.

“Perhaps this is for the best.”

The Buddha greatly valued compassion and forgiveness. Instead of casting out the child with madness from Shaolin, Abbot Hyun Cheon thought that cultivating under Hye-gwan, who opposed the demonic, might be more beneficial for the child.