Even No-sak, who had been watching until the very end as Mujin commanded, rushed over to him the moment the Hwamyeong Duo fell.
Abbess Jinhwa and Great Monk Hyeon-u examined Mujin’s complexion, but it looked far from good.
His face grew increasingly flushed, and every blood vessel in his eyes had burst, turning the whites a deep crimson.
“Myeol-ryeong! Come with your martial sisters and stand guard!”
Having shouted this, Abbess Jinhwa sat cross-legged in the middle of the road, and just as she and Great Monk Hyeon-u were about to place their palms on Mujin’s back…
“Don’t… touch me…”
Mujin barely managed to speak.
“This is an emergency!”
“This is no time to be stubborn!”
The two spoke at the same time.
But Mujin forced strength into his trembling legs and rose to his feet.
Unfortunately, the Nine Swords of Dugu he had learned included no seated meditation techniques.
Naturally, it contained no healing arts either.
Without a dedicated healing art, no matter how much the masters of Shaolin and Emei tried to help by infusing their internal energy, it would be difficult to achieve a significant effect.
No matter how profound their internal energy was, it would not be easy to expel the fire energy spreading throughout his meridians in one go. If he rashly entrusted his body to them, he might survive, but he could be bedridden for months, or even years.
‘This is the only way.’
Although he had used his deflection technique to counter the Hwamyeong Duo’s palm energy as best he could, it was impossible to completely reflect the life-or-death strike of two peak masters. Over thirty percent of their energy was now rapidly circulating through his meridians, spreading fire energy and threatening to burn them from the inside.
“Family Head Hwa!!”
“Sit down, quickly!”
Despite their worried cries, Mujin raised his sword.
‘Since I learned the Nine Swords of Dugu, I will break through with the Nine Swords of Dugu.’
And so, Mujin began to perform the forms of the Nine Swords of Dugu.
!!!
Faced with this bizarre behavior, the two of them could not understand what Mujin was doing.
Watching Mujin continuously swing his sword, Great Monk Hyeon-u spoke.
“Could it be… he’s trying to leave his swordsmanship behind as a final act…”
Great Monk Hyeon-u quickly shut his mouth, chiding himself for uttering such an ominous thought.
*-Fwoosh! Shhhhk! Fwoooosh!*
The force of Mujin’s sword grew increasingly intense.
‘There is only… one chance.’
With that thought, Mujin poured all the energy from his meridians into a single strike, unleashing the Sixth Form: One Sword, Two Moons.
*-Fwoooooosh!*
As an unbelievable sword force erupted from his blade, accompanied by a sword energy that seemed capable of cleaving the world itself, Great Monk Hyeon-u, Abbess Jinhwa, and the other martial artists stared wide-eyed, utterly speechless.
The energy unleashed from Mujin’s sword flew toward the enemies who, seeing No-sak leave his post, were trying to flee on horseback.
*-Shhhlick.*
Atop their galloping horses, the heads of the Moon-Slaying Sword Sect warriors were severed, and soon after, their bodies tumbled to the ground.
Mujin had poured every last bit of energy from his dantian and his entire body into that single strike.
The force of the blow was so immense that even the fire energy spreading through his meridians was instantly swept away, expelled from his body through the sword.
Watching as Mujin’s fiery red complexion gradually returned to normal, the martial artists present could not utter a word.
The blade of Mujin’s sword glowed cherry-red, and the air around it shimmered from the intense heat.
*-Clang!*
Letting the sword fall, Mujin finally sank to the ground and sat cross-legged.
“Now… please help me…”
At Mujin’s words, the stunned Great Monk Hyeon-u and Abbess Jinhwa rushed over and placed their palms on his back.
“Myeol-ryeong! Put a Clear Water Pill in Family Head Hwa’s mouth!”
With her eyes brimming with tears, Myeol-ryeong nodded, took a healing pill from her robes, and placed it in Mujin’s mouth.
Then, drawing her sword, she stood guard with a stern gaze.
Not only her, but two other disciples of her generation and No-sak also stood guard, vigilantly watching their surroundings.
Four hours passed before the three of them opened their eyes.
“Thanks to you… I was able to overcome a dangerous crisis.”
At Mujin’s words, Great Monk Hyeon-u and Abbess Jinhwa shook their heads.
Who had overcome a crisis thanks to whom?
Had they truly been of any help in saving Mujin’s life?
If not for Mujin, would they have survived against the Hwamyeong Duo today?
“First… we must get to Ganluo and recuperate. If we are attacked again in this state…”
Even though the immediate danger had passed, Mujin and Abbess Jinhwa’s internal injuries were far from minor.
These were not wounds that could be healed with just a few hours of meditation.
As the three of them got to their feet, Masok’s trembling voice came from the carriage.
“C-Can I come out?”
“Stay there. Dojin, Soyeon, keep your eyes tightly closed.”
Only then, at Mujin’s words, did Great Monk Hyeon-u and Abbess Jinhwa get a proper look at the corpses of the men in black Mujin had fought.
Even though they were enemies who had been trying to kill them, it was a gruesome sight that made the two Buddhist disciples instinctively grimace.
They couldn’t let the two children see such a scene when the carriage door was opened.
“…”
“…”
The two averted their gaze, unable to look at the carnage Mujin had wrought.
In such a disheveled state, everyone boarded the carriage, and No-sak quickly set it in motion.
“Brother…”
“Brother…”
“Family Head…”
His two siblings and Masok looked at Mujin, their faces on the verge of tears.
His martial arts uniform was slashed in dozens of places, with blood seeping through in some spots.
The front of his robe was stained dark with clotted blood, his cheeks were hollow, and his eyes were ringed with dark circles.
His pale complexion spoke volumes about the severity of his internal injuries.
Mujin reached out and stroked the two children’s heads.
“You were very scared, weren’t you? It’s all right now.”
The two children bit their lips, holding back the tears that threatened to fall.
Seeing Mujin smile and worry about them despite being so injured, the two children thought they couldn’t possibly show him their tears.
Watching the two children clench their jaws to hold back their tears, Mujin’s smile deepened.
“You’re brave. The children of a martial family shouldn’t show tears so easily.”
“*Sob!*”
Mujin’s gaze, which had been on Soyeon and Dojin, shifted to Masok, who was biting his fist and crying silently.
“You’ve been through a lot, worrying. Don’t cry. I’m still alive.”
Mujin said, patting Masok on the shoulder.
He was proud of Masok for staying by the children’s side, trembling with anxiety inside the carriage without knowing the situation outside, and never once trying to flee.
For someone who knew no martial arts, the fear must have been immense.
“*Sob, sob, sob!*”
Masok shed thick, heavy tears.
“I’m tired. I need to close my eyes for a bit.”
With that, Mujin’s eyes slowly closed.
Driving through the night without stopping, No-sak raced toward Ganluo.
Except for when the children needed to relieve themselves, No-sak never stopped the carriage.
After driving nonstop, Mujin’s carriage finally reached Ganluo the next day.
When the exhausted horses finally came to a halt, they snorted and sputtered in protest.
Had they not been expensive black steeds from the north, the horses would have collapsed long ago.
“Family Head.”
Masok called out softly, as if worried the sound itself might hurt him, and Mujin opened his eyes.
“Are we in Ganluo?”
“Yes. We’re in front of an inn. Let’s go inside.”
Grunting with effort, Masok struggled to lift the cloth-wrapped sword and got out of the carriage.
Worried that Mujin might overexert himself, Masok glanced at the sword and spoke with concern.
“Sir No and I will carry it.”
“What martial artist entrusts their sword to another? Don’t worry, just follow me. Dojin and Soyeon must be very hungry. Hurry inside and get them some food.”
At Mujin’s words, Masok nodded, gathering the two children.
“As for you, Family Head…”
“I have more urgent matters. Go in and get us a separate villa, not just rooms in the main inn.”
Masok nodded and hurried into the inn.
As he followed slowly, three attendants came rushing out.
At the mention of a villa, two of the attendants went to take care of the group’s horses and carriage, while the third led them to the villa.
The villa, which had seven rooms, had separate front and back courtyards.
After a quick look around the villa, Mujin turned to Great Monk Hyeon-u and Abbess Jinhwa.
“I must cultivate my energy, so please understand if I remain in seclusion for a few days.”
At the mention of energy cultivation, the two of them nodded.
“Do not worry about the children. Focus on your healing.”
“Ganluo is within the Emei Sect’s sphere of influence, so you have nothing to fear.”
Nodding at their words, Mujin went straight into a small room connected to the back courtyard.
Masok, having finished making the arrangements, hurried in after him.
“What is it now? I need to cultivate to recover, I don’t have time to be disturbed.”
“Yes. But for the sake of the Young Lady and Young Master, please change your clothes. If you stay… dressed like that, it will upset them.”
Mujin looked down at his martial uniform, covered in dark, dried bloodstains, and nodded.
Watching Masok’s back as he laid out a clean blue uniform from a bundle and left the room, Mujin quickly stripped off his clothes.
Next to the uniform Masok had laid out were wound ointment and bandages.
Though they were only minor cuts, more like scratches, Mujin hastily applied the ointment, wrapped the wounds in bandages, changed into the new uniform, and went out into the back courtyard.
His internal injuries were so severe that his entire body felt weak, and he was so dizzy he felt as if he had heatstroke.
On top of that, he felt nauseous, making it difficult to even stand.
He just wanted to lie down comfortably and sleep forever.
But if he gave in to his body’s demands and lay down to rest, he knew it would be at least a month before he could get up again.
He had to move his sword before the internal injuries caused his physical functions to decline.
Wasting time would lead to poor blood circulation from the internal injuries, which would in turn lead to a decline in bodily functions and naturally slow his recovery.
Moving his heavy body, Mujin summoned his strength and extended his sword.
Starting with the opening stance, the sound of Mujin’s sword slicing through the air began to echo through the villa’s back courtyard.
As the attendants brought food to the villa, Great Monk Hyeon-u spoke.
“Energy cultivation. He must have had some sort of epiphany.”
“To do so while so gravely injured, that must be the case.”
“It seems like it would be better for him to rest…”
Great Monk Hyeon-u trailed off, his gaze shifting to the small room Mujin had entered.
“The Hidden Dragon of Sichuan didn’t appear out of nowhere. It is precisely that kind of tenacity and passion that earned him the title, is it not?”
With that, the two ended their conversation and began their meal.
Though a large meal was served, Abbess Jinhwa finished after eating only a little bit of noodles and went to her room first.
After the meal, the group, who had traveled through the night, had no time to rest properly and busied themselves with standing guard.
Myeol-ryeong and the two other disciples stood before Abbess Jinhwa’s door, as if to deny entry to anyone.
No-sak, of course, stood blocking the door to the small room where Mujin was staying.
Even Great Monk Hyeon-u, who was uninjured, placed a small chair at the entrance to the villa and sat, quietly chanting Buddhist scriptures.
With such a tense atmosphere, Dojin and Soyeon stayed quiet, cautiously observing the situation.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Abbess Jinhwa, who had come out of her room and was drinking tea on the main porch, glanced toward the small room No-sak was guarding and spoke.
“I can only say that it is truly remarkable.”
“Indeed. I wish the disciples back at the main temple could see this. For three whole days…”
The sounds of Mujin swinging his sword in the back courtyard could not have escaped the ears of the two masters.
The problem was that the sound had continued steadily for three days and nights.
Except for mealtimes and a very brief period at dawn, the sound of the sword continued without cease.
“The sound stops for less than four hours a day… When does he even sleep?”
Even these two, who had spent their entire lives holed up in the mountains dedicated to training, had never trained so relentlessly.
“The Family Head never sleeps for more than four hours a day.”
Masok, who had been listening nearby, chimed in.
“So you’re saying he lives like this every day?”
Masok nodded at Abbess Jinhwa’s question.
“When he wakes at dawn, he begins training with the four warriors, and from then on, he never stops.”
Masok said with a proud expression.
At his words, Abbess Jinhwa looked at her disciples, including Myeol-ryeong, and spoke.
“You have all witnessed what happened. You must learn from this. It is through unseen days like these that an unknown warrior becomes one whose name shakes Sichuan.”
At her words, Myeol-ryeong and the other disciples bowed their heads.
“Yes.”
Since Mujin only ate boiled beef that Masok brought directly to the back courtyard, the group never even saw his face.
Another day passed like that.
*-Shhk! Fwoosh!*
A sharp sound of slicing through the air was followed by a heavy one.
As the sword forms he had physically learned while breaking the formation of the men in black—the Army-Slaying Form and the Void-Breaking Form—began to flow from him in a mixed sequence, Mujin’s lips twisted into a smile.
“*Hoo.*”
Lowering his sword, Mujin wiped the sweat from his face with a dry cloth Masok had brought, a refreshed look on his face.
His damaged meridians had returned to a healthy state as if they had never been injured, and his energy flowed smoothly.
“Now I feel alive again.”
He wasn’t sure if it was due to the efficacy of the Nine Swords of Dugu, his innate Heavenly Martial Body, or a synergistic effect of the two, but swinging his sword to absorb the world’s energy and circulate it through his body healed him far faster than practicing most healing arts.
Having completely recovered from his severe internal injuries in just four days, Mujin finally emerged from the room.
The group greeted Mujin warmly, seeing him for the first time in four days.
“Family Head Hwa. You look at ease.”
“It’s a relief to see you’ve recovered so well.”
Mujin gave a slight bow in response to Abbess Jinhwa and Great Monk Hyeon-u.
“I’ve caused you worry.”
As Mujin appeared outside, his two siblings, who had been quiet for four days, ran to him.
“Brother!”
“Brother!”
“Yes. You must have been worried.”
“Brother, are you okay?”
Soyeon circled Mujin, examining his complexion and body from every angle.
“Of course. I’m fine.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Then… can we still go to Mount Song?”
Mujin stroked Soyeon’s head as she asked cautiously, and nodded.
“Yes. No problem.”
Seeing Soyeon jump up and down with a bright smile, a natural smile spread across Mujin’s face.
After delaying in Ganluo for four days, the group once again boarded the carriage driven by No-sak and headed for Mount Song.
Everyone except Mujin was quite wary of another attack, but no one came to ambush them again.
Centered around Ganluo, rumors that the Hidden Dragon’s party had killed the Hwamyeong Duo had already begun to slowly spread through Xichang and the surrounding cities.
The weight carried by the name Hwamyeong Duo was not light, so people’s interest in their deaths was extremely high.
In Guizhou, they were infamous masters of the Unorthodox Path, known as the Killing Demon Duo.
The deaths of the two, representative masters of Samu-cheon and elders of the Moon-Slaying Sword Sect, became a huge topic of discussion not only in Sichuan but even more so in Guizhou.
Around the time rumors of the Hwamyeong Duo’s deaths began to slowly spread throughout the Central Plains, Mujin and his party arrived at the foot of Mount Song.
