Genius Martial Arts Trainer

Chapter 270:

Shaolin

After the first day, the assassins’ attacks continued unabated.

Had it not been for Hye-gwan, Mu-gyeong and the woman might have already been killed in a surprise attack.

On the fourth day.

As they crossed Anhui Province and neared Tianzhong Mountain in Henan Province.

Hye-gwan frowned, as if he hadn’t anticipated this.

“It seems they’ve realized we’re Shaolin disciples.”

No sooner had he spoken than figures in black appeared, surrounding them.

Until now, two or three, at most five, had attacked. But now, there were at least fifty.

It meant they had known from the start that their destination was Songshan and had gathered along the route.

The previous attacks had merely been a tactic to buy time for the assassins to assemble here.

“Are you from Shaolin?”

The woman, who had been unaware of this fact while being carried by Mu-gyeong, asked.

But there was no time to answer such questions.

“Mu-gyeong. Protect the Shiju-nim and follow me. I’ll clear the path.”

“Yes, Sajo-nim.”

With Mu-gyeong’s response, Hye-gwan turned his head forward.

‘It seems I chose the wrong day.’

He had brought his apprentice on this journey through the martial world to teach him the fate of those addicted to killing.

But things had taken an unexpected turn.

However, Hye-gwan wasn’t worried about the dozens of assassins blocking the way.

‘You’ve accumulated too much karma in a short time.’

He had noticed the faint redness in his apprentice’s eyes earlier.

It could be because the continuous assassins’ attacks over the past few days had deprived him of proper sleep.

But Hye-gwan feared it was the result of accumulating the karma of killing over four days.

‘Before Mu-gyeong reaches his limit, I must break through as quickly as possible!’

Having made up his mind, Hye-gwan didn’t hesitate. He deployed the “Fast Ascent Step” and plunged into the midst of the assassins.

Reaching the pinnacle of “Fast Ascent Step,” the assassin’s abdomen was pierced by Hye-gwan’s fist before he could react.

However.

“Ugh.”

The assassin, making a beastly noise with his pierced belly, grabbed Hye-gwan’s right arm.

Whish!

Simultaneously, another assassin hidden in the shadows swung a small sword at Hye-gwan.

Ignoring whether their comrade lived or died, the surrounding assassins threw hidden weapons at him.

“Hmph. How dare you start such a dirty fight with me.”

With a scoff, Hye-gwan used his left hand to perform the “Golden Turtle Technique,” aiming at the assassin thrusting the sword at his heart.

Grab.

Deflecting the sword, he grabbed the assassin’s wrist with his left hand, while his right hand held the first assassin. He spun rapidly.

Thud!

Thanks to this, the numerous hidden weapons aimed at Hye-gwan instead struck the two assassins’ backs repeatedly.

Throwing the bodies of the two dead assassins at their comrades, Hye-gwan used the corpses as shields and lunged at another assassin.

* * *

While Hye-gwan was battling assassins at the front.

Swiish!

Contrary to Hye-gwan’s wishes, Mu-gyeong also began fighting the assassins.

The assassins attacked Mu-gyeong cleverly.

Rather than approaching him directly, they targeted the woman on his back from a distance with hidden weapons.

They knew their opponent was trying to protect a woman who hadn’t trained in martial arts.

Clang!

Whenever Mu-gyeong moved to protect the woman, creating a gap, hidden weapons would fly at him.

The assassins tried to wear Mu-gyeong down slowly.

But they were mistaken about one thing.

Whiing.

Long-range attacks alone were not enough against Mu-gyeong.

Golden droplets created by Mu-gyeong spread in all directions, attacking the assassins.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Clang!

Some droplets were blocked by the assassins’ daggers or small swords.

Crash!

But there wasn’t a single assassin who could block all the dozens of droplets completely.

The assassins didn’t care as their comrades fell around them.

Ignoring the golden droplets, they continued to throw hidden weapons at Mu-gyeong and the woman. As Mu-gyeong deployed the “Golden Turtle Technique,” they launched a surprise attack.

And the woman, drenched in blood, sobbing.

However, the blood staining her clothes was not hers.

“It’s alright...”

Under the weeping woman lay Hye-gwan, bleeding all over.

The blood soaking her clothes came from Hye-gwan’s wounds as he tried to shield her.

“Master!!”

Mu-gyeong shouted in shock and approached Hye-gwan, who frowned and spoke.

“You... woke up, my... foolish disciple.”

“Master! I will carry you to the village! Let’s get you to a doctor!”

As Mu-gyeong babbled, Hye-gwan, trembling, touched him.

“Quiet down. You’re... shaking my head.”

“I-I’ll go get a doctor. Master.”

“Haha. No need, you fool.”

Hye-gwan knew. He had crossed the river of no return.

Having exhausted his inner strength while dealing with the remaining assassins, he had used his primordial energy.

It was laughable.

Just moments ago, he had been on the brink of death and barely conscious, but seeing his foolish disciple’s face had cleared his mind.

Realizing this was the last flash of lucidity before death, Hye-gwan did not want to waste any time.

“My foolish disciple... listen well.”

He had something to say to his foolish disciple.

What he had realized only at the brink of death, raising his primordial energy.

“Mu-gyeong... always be wary of yourself.”

“I-I will, Master. So please...”

It was such an obvious statement that Mu-gyeong cut him off, intending to forcibly carry him.

However, Hye-gwan’s next words were unexpected.

“And... do not hate yourself.”

“...”

“You are... not wrong. All humans are like that. Everyone lives with desires. The difference is whether they can control them... or accumulate sins by failing to do so. Haha. That is why Buddha teaches to abandon the five desires and the seven emotions.”

That was what Hye-gwan had realized in his final moments.

It was laughable.

Facing death in battle, the first thought that came to his mind was of his disciple.

Perhaps it was because he had been fighting to protect him.

“So... while you remain wary of yourself, forgive yourself. No matter how cruel your desires are... as long as you strive to control them, you are a respectable Buddhist.”

“...Master, you are also a respectable Buddhist.”

“Quiet, you fool.”

Having said that, Hye-gwan coughed up blood.

With a voice like gurgling phlegm, he spoke.

“Ah. I’m tired now. I’m tired of the worldly wine, so I’ll drink with Yama in hell.”

Perhaps the last flash of lucidity was ending. Hye-gwan’s eyes, now dim, added.

“It’s a shame. I wanted to share a drink with Senior Brother Hyeon-gwang too... but he won’t be in hell.”

“...Senior Brother Hyeon-gwang transcended the cycle of reincarnation, so he will come to visit you in hell.”

“Haha. Is that so? As expected of my clever disciple...”

With those words, Hye-gwan’s dim eyes closed.

And they never opened again.

“...”

Mu-gyeong, with a blank expression, stared at the now lifeless Hye-gwan lying on the ground.

“Sob...”

And the woman whom Hye-gwan had protected was now wailing in his place.

As she cried hysterically, she turned her head at the sound of someone moving beside her.

Mu-gyeong, who had been sitting dazedly, moved shakily.

He tore a piece of his clothing and dipped his finger in Hye-gwan’s still fresh blood.

She was anxious. She feared that the young man whom the monk had saved might once again crave blood as he had earlier.

But her fear was unfounded.

The young man used the blood on his finger to write words on the torn cloth.

After writing four characters, Mu-gyeong wrapped the cloth around his head like a headband.

Naturally, the four red characters he had written appeared on his forehead.

Resist Demons, Never Retreat]

It was Hye-gwan’s epithet and Mu-gyeong’s vow to carry on his legacy.

Whether fighting the demons in the world.

Or the demons within his heart.

He would never retreat.