Hwasan Sect’s Genius Swordsman Chapter 17

Chapter 17

So Jin-gae listened to Mu Hwi’s story and swirled his wine cup with interest.

“Oh? I thought you’d just end it by driving out the Bloodshed Clan, but you were handling the aftermath?”

So Jin-gae looked at the Hwasan Sect disciples with slightly different eyes. It was common to strike down the martial world’s Black Sword in the name of righteous action.

Usually, young martial artists would focus only on disbanding Black Sword clans and gaining fame.

They don’t care what happens afterward.

But these Hwasan Sect disciples were slightly different.

They were thinking about what would happen after they left.

“Starting tomorrow, we’ll distribute Bloodshed Clan’s remaining assets to the merchants. I’m thinking of entrusting it to the former Vice Leader, and the remaining work to the Bloodshed Clan’s Black Sword members.”

So Jin-gae nodded as if understanding.

“The numbers are quite large, but since they’ve all learned martial arts, it’s a tricky matter as you can’t just drive them away.”

“The martial artists aren’t a problem. I completely destroyed all their dantians, and for those among the Black Sword who showed particularly strong killing intent, I cut their meridians too.”

At Mu Hwi’s words, So Jin-gae’s eyes widened.

It wasn’t possible to disable martial artists simply by striking the dantian hard.

One needed to be able to deliver a shock deep enough to break the dantian trained through mind techniques and also needed large amounts of internal energy to instantly scatter the internal energy that flows out when the dantian breaks.

Of course, while breaking the dantians wasn’t difficult since the Bloodshed Clan’s Black Sword members all remained at a third-rate level of martial arts, completely disabling dozens of people’s martial arts wasn’t an ordinary feat.

Even So Jin-gae wasn’t confident he could break more than ten Black Sword members’ dantians.

Yet Mu Hwi had broken them all in less than a day, which was astonishing.

‘They say he killed Red Wolf Sword without any injury, it seems that was true.’

Moreover, he even cut the meridians of some, showing a decisiveness not seen in young martial artists who just entered the martial world.

So Jin-gae’s eyes gleamed through his oily, slick hair.

‘I suppose it’s not for nothing that he’s a disciple of the Hwasan Sword Saint, he’s extraordinary.’

While So Jin-gae was admiring alone, Mu Hwi wet his throat with wine and continued speaking.

“There are some among the Black Sword who want to reform.”

“Ah, true, some people turned to the Black Sword because they had no way to make a living.”

So Jin-gae nodded as if understanding.

“Thankfully there are merchants willing to take them in, and they’ll learn to work under them, but could the Beggar Sect check on them occasionally?”

When the dantian is broken, the aftereffects cause reduced muscle strength and stamina, forcing them to live their whole life with a body weaker than ordinary people.

While they likely wouldn’t pose a threat to merchants, he was asking the Beggar Sect just in case.

“We should be the ones thanking you for giving us an opportunity to help the common people. But…”

So Jin-gae looked at each of the Hwasan Sect disciples’ faces one by one and asked.

“It’s remarkable that you handled all these matters in such a short time.”

The news that the Bloodshed Clan had fallen to the Hwasan Sect disciples came around si time (09:11 AM).

And now it was hai time (21:11 PM), not even a full day had passed.

“We just ran around busy doing what Senior Disciple told us to do.”

Though she said that, Mu-hwa had learned a lot from this incident.

She had thought that if there were those who committed evil deeds, it would be enough to punish them with Hwasan’s sword.

But both bringing down the Bloodshed Clan and the process afterward showed there was much to consider.

Without Senior Disciple, things definitely wouldn’t have gone according to Mu-hwa’s thinking.

‘Senior Disciple Mujin’s words weren’t completely wrong.’

At first, she thought Senior Disciple Mujin was just overly fearful and worried, but she realized that rushing in recklessly wouldn’t solve problems.

Mujin, who had been slowly savoring his wine like tea, turned his gaze when he felt Mu-hwa’s eyes on him.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.”

“Silly girl.”

Hearing Mu-hwa’s words, So Jin-gae looked at Mu Hwi with a face that seemed to say ‘as expected’.

‘The Senior Disciple of Hwasan Sect’s second-generation disciples, Mu Hwi.’

Even from this brief observation, he could tell that Mu Hwi was clearly their central figure.

A disciple of the Hwasan Sword Saint.

Insight in reading the martial world’s situation.

Outstanding martial arts that cut down Red Wolf Sword and broke all the Black Sword members’ dantians.

Even the clean wrap-up of the Bloodshed Clan.

‘Was there a hidden dragon coiled in Hwasan?’

It was important information that Hwasan had such a hidden talent.

So Jin-gae decided to send communication birds not only to other branch offices in Shaanxi but also to the main office in Kaifeng.

“May I ask how long the young masters plan to stay?”

“Since we need to visit secular sects within a set time, we’re thinking of leaving after checking the situation for about three days. We’ll be in your care until then.”

When Mu Hwi made a cupped fist salute, So Jin-gae responded with a gentle smile.

“Think nothing of it.”

Mu Hwi looked at his disciples and said.

“Help the Beggar Sect while watching over the common people for about three days. There will be much to learn.”

“Understood, Senior Disciple.”

“Yes.”

While Mujin and Mu-cheol nodded, Mu-hwa glared at Mu Hwi with fire in her eyes.

“What about you, Senior Disciple? Are you going to stay in your room again?”

Mu Hwi pretended not to hear and drank the last cup of bamboo leaf tea.

“Ah. Sweet, so sweet.”

* * *

The oil merchant group’s procession stopped when they reached a fork in the road.

The left path led to Golyung, and the right path to Winam.

The oil merchant group needed to head toward Golyung. Conversely, their benefactors said Winam was their destination.

“Sigh, we’ve already reached the fork.”

The merchant group leader watched with regret as the Hwasan Sect disciples walked down from the carriage at the back.

“Thanks to you, we were able to travel comfortably.”

When Mu Hwi and the other Hwasan Sect disciples made a cupped fist salute, the merchant leader hurriedly waved his hands.

“No, without the young masters, how could our merchant group have remained this safe?”

Bandits suddenly appear on their usual trade route.

They had heard rumors about a new bandit camp in the area but had dealt with it carelessly.

When he was blaming his past self, that’s when Mu Hwi and the Hwasan Sect disciples appeared.

The Hwasan Sect disciples instantly subdued the bandits, then showed their might by charging into the bandit camp and eliminating them.

The sight of just four people overwhelming a bandit camp made him think it wasn’t for nothing that Hwasan Sect’s name was widely known in Shaanxi.

“May peace be with the merchant leader’s trade. Primal Celestial Lord.”

At Mu Hwi’s words, the merchant leader bowed his head with a completely relaxed expression.

“Primal Celestial Lord.”

The merchant leader responded to the Taoist greeting and then took out a small money pouch from his sleeve and handed it to Mu Hwi.

“I hope this will be of help to the young masters on your long journey.”

“We’ll use it well. Thank you.”

The Hwasan Sect disciples didn’t leave first but watched as the oil merchant group’s procession disappeared into the distance. Meanwhile, Mu Hwi tucked the considerably heavy money pouch deep into his sleeve.

‘This is why monks and priests constantly have Amitabha and Primordial Celestial Lord on their lips.’

He hadn’t even said anything particularly profound, but just by roughly imitating a Taoist priest, a money pouch followed.

While Hwasan’s teachings say to avoid accepting such things if possible, Mu Hwi wasn’t the type to refuse something beneficial.

Putting on airs would only result in losses.

‘When given something, accepting it gratefully is proper.’

When the merchant group’s procession completely disappeared from view, Mu Hwi’s group also started walking.

“If we cross this mountain, we’ll be in Winam, so there shouldn’t be any bandits, right?”

Mu-hwa walked while repeatedly flicking her sword tassel as if her hands were itching for action.

On the way from Pocheng to here, Mu Hwi hadn’t left his disciples idle.

Instead of taking the official road, he deliberately dragged his disciples along routes where rumors of bandits circulated.

By completely crushing all the bandits they encountered this way, they ended up eliminating as many as five bandit camps.

Perhaps because of this, not a trace of the naive appearance shown at Bloodshed Clan remained in the disciples.

Not only had they recovered their combat abilities through real battles, but their martial arts had grown significantly compared to before descending the mountain, possibly achieving martial arts insights through practical experience.

‘The gap between the disciples at the main mountain and these three has probably widened even more.’

But Mu Hwi had no intention of leaving that gap as it was.

Mu Hwi was constantly devising new ways to train the disciples at the main mountain.

“I wonder if the Black Sword members reforming in Pocheng are doing well.”

Mujin had been in charge of managing the Black Sword members who stayed in Pocheng and went to work under merchants.

Though surprised by how diligently they worked, more than expected, he couldn’t help but worry when they were out of sight.

“Unlike other Black Sword vermin, these ones voluntarily wanted to work, so don’t worry too much. Besides, the Beggar Sect will keep watching them.”

“That’s true.”

Mujin nodded at Mu Hwi’s words.

“Ah, I miss Young-young.”

Mu-hwa recalled the girl they had rescued first from the Bloodshed Clan.

When Young-young came with her father to express their tearful gratitude, even Mu-hwa felt touched.

It made her think this feeling might be why martial heroes exist in the martial world.

“Senior Disciples, did you know? Young-young said she wants to become a great female martial hero like me when she grows up.”

Mu-hwa said with a bright smile, but the response wasn’t good.

Mujin turned his gaze away to stare at distant mountains for no reason, while Mu Hwi was openly snorting.

“What great female martial hero, you’re just an unpredictable troublemaker.”

“Senior Disciple!”

“Noisy.”

Mu-hwa trembled but since she couldn’t touch a hair on Senior Disciple’s head, she could only swallow her anger.

While the disciples were bickering, they had already started crossing the mountain.

“This is Winam.”

Mu Hwi nodded at the report from Mu-cheol, who had been walking silently in the lead.

“Let’s hurry before sunset.”

* * *

When Mu Hwi’s group entered Winam, the sun was setting.

The sky was being dyed crimson from the bottom up, and the sun, as if knowing its time was ending, was radiating an intense presence in all directions.

“We can eat dinner at Seonhwa Sect today.”

While they were asking people for directions and walking towards Seonhwa Sect in Winam, the sound of strikes came from far away.

Thwack!

The first one to hear it was Mu Hwi, and the other disciples, who weren’t as sensitive as Mu Hwi, could only hear it after concentrating all their nerves.

“Sounds like someone is getting hit.”

“Then we should hurry and go… Ack!”

As Mu-hwa tried to launch her body in the direction of the sound, her nape was suddenly caught by Mu Hwi’s bamboo staff.

“What should I do with this reckless one?”

At Mu Hwi’s cold voice, Mu-hwa shrunk her neck like a turtle.

‘These are perfect conditions to die young while playing hero.’

Usually sharp-witted with quick situational judgment, but when encountering injustice or similar situations, it was problematic how she would leap like a beast without thinking.

Like during the Bloodshed Clan incident, and when subduing mountain bandits, how many times had she leaped alone like this?

Sighing, Mu Hwi pulled Mu-hwa’s cheek lengthwise. Mu-hwa’s cheek flesh stretched out long.

“It hurts… It hurts, Senior…”

Though Mu-hwa, whose nape was caught, fluttered around speaking with deflated pronunciation, Mu Hwi instead applied more force to the fingers pulling her cheek.

“Maintain Water Rising Fire Descending in any situation. If you jump out like this again, I’ll send you back to Hwasan and won’t let you out into the martial world until your habit is fixed. Understand, youngest?”

Under Mu Hwi’s ice-cold gaze, Mu-hwa had to quickly nod.

“Heuuu…”

Water Rising Fire Descending (水昇火降)

Keep the head cool, and the heart warm.

It was the mindset Mu-hwa needed most.

When Mu Hwi let go, Mu-hwa rubbed her cheek. It felt like her cheek had stretched from how hard it was pulled.

“These aren’t empty words, so keep them in mind.”

“Hing… I got it already.”

At Mu Hwi’s threat, Mu-hwa dropped her shoulders.

Meanwhile, Mu Hwi turned his steps toward where the sound of people being punched was coming from.

Entering a secluded area, there were many children who looked about ten years old gathered.

Looking closely, other children were beating up one child who was surrounded.

Could they be bullying?

Mu Hwi’s eyes narrowed as he watched the children’s punching motions. They were ones who had learned martial arts.

“A guy wearing flowered clothes and walking around. You should be ashamed.”

Another punch extends with the mockery.

But that punch was suddenly blocked by a hand that shot out from the side.

“Wh-what!”

“Then should I be ashamed too?”

The child who was being bullied eyes widened as he saw the sleeve of the man who blocked in front of him.

On the sleeve was embroidered the same plum blossom as his martial uniform.

However, while his plum blossom is white (白梅), that man’s plum blossom is red (紅梅).

‘A direct disciple of Hwasan Sect!’

Im Sanha, the child who had been bullied until just now, felt his heart pounding.

As Im Sanha, who had been covering his face, carefully raised his head, the Hwasan Sect disciple was looking down at him.

“A disciple of Seonhwa Sect.”

Mu Hwi raised his other hand and lightly placed it on Im Sanha’s head.

“I am Mu Hwi, second-generation Senior Disciple of Hwasan Sect.”

At this, not only Im Sanha but also the children who were bullying Im Sanha looked at Mu Hwi with terrified faces.

< Disciple of Seonhwa Sect. > End

< I’m curious about that last move. >