noveltune Chapter 172:
Chapter 172:
Exchange
Yang Dong-myeong, whose face had quickly become gaunt, hurriedly left after promising to exchange various decoction recipes and musculoskeletal treatment techniques from the Danfeng Yang Clinic.
The fear that acupuncture would be next after the decoction recipes compelled him to leave.
After Yang Dong-myeong had vacated his seat, Ryu Seol-hwa, who had been gleefully tormenting him, turned to Mu-jin and asked,
“Did you make that suggestion to the divine elder on purpose to help me?”
Even if the decoction recipes from the Danfeng Yang Clinic could further enhance the inner strength of Shaolin disciples, the one who would benefit most directly from the exchange of musculoskeletal treatment techniques with the Danfeng Yang Clinic was obviously Ryu Seol-hwa.
“Well, isn’t it just nice to do good things?” Mu-jin deflected, aware of her feelings but not ready to reciprocate.
“If you did it because of the ‘debt’ I mentioned before, you didn’t need to go that far.”
Despite saying that it wasn’t necessary, it seemed as if he had done his best to extract as much as possible from the Danfeng Yang Clinic.
Mu-jin, instead of pointing this out, responded with an embarrassed expression.
“This is just a small token of appreciation for the debt I owe. Please don’t worry about it.”
* * *
Aside from the medical exchange with Yang Dong-myeong, Mu-jin began to busy himself day by day with rehabilitation.
In addition to consuming protein diligently six times a day, he repeatedly lifted weights according to a meticulously planned schedule.
“Hup!”
“Haat!”
However, those fierce shouts did not come from Mu-jin’s mouth.
‘...Did they eat something wrong?’
As Mu-jin pondered this, he looked at the Muja Trio and the members of Cheongsu Dojang, who were sweating profusely and repeating their weightlifting exercises.
Although they were renowned sect’s junior disciples who trained consistently, it was clear that their training intensity was much higher than Mu-jin remembered.
* * *
When Mu-jin first opened his eyes after receiving treatment from Yang Dong-myeong,
the Muja Trio and the members of Cheongsu Dojang, who had left the hall after Mu-jin collapsed from muscle loss, had relieved expressions.
However, their relief was short-lived.
Mu-gyeong, with a bitter expression, spoke up.
“To be honest, I didn’t like being treated like a child by my junior brother Mu-jin, but I now understand why he did it.”
Everyone seemed to share Mu-gyeong’s sentiment.
They had lived a life of training in the mountains from a young age.
They had never realized that so many villains lived in the world, nor that there were many masters among these villains.
Although they had heard stories about demonic sects and villains from their elders, these stories had never felt real to them.
“As you all know, my master, Monk Hye-gwan, is renowned for exterminating demons and villains. I will likely follow that path. I’ve realized that I might encounter opponents as formidable as the master who injured Mu-jin.”
“Why are you suddenly bringing this up, Brother Mu-gyeong?” Mu-gung, who had been quietly listening, asked.
Mu-gyeong replied with a determined expression.
“Now that Mu-jin’s condition is improving, I think it would be better to focus on our training instead of worrying about him.”
His comment pointed out that they had spent the past few days doing nothing but hovering around the hall, worrying about Mu-jin.
Cheongsu Dojang nodded in agreement.
“Indeed, you’re right. I’ve also realized that my sword skills are far from being able to protect anyone.”
Cheongsu Dojang’s sword had been broken in two within just two exchanges against a sudden opponent.
If Mu-jin hadn’t risked his life to bind the opponent, it would have been impossible to protect Baek Ga-hwan or Ju Kyung-il.
“Hmph. Instead of just waiting, it’s better to train, which is what Mu-jin would want.”
Mu-gung also agreed with them, and thus the Muja Trio and Cheongsu Dojang began their earnest training.
“Hup!”
“Haat!”
Day and night, they lifted weights much heavier than those they had used before the Yongbongji Conference, training their external skills and sparring to hone their martial arts.
“Cheongsu Dojang, may I ask for a lesson?”
“Haha! I am always up for sparring. Amitabha.”
Like street ruffians starting a fight just by making eye contact, Mu-gyeong and Cheongsu Dojang assumed their stances at a distance.
“Here I come!”
Mu-gyeong was the first to charge at Cheongsu Dojang.
Swoosh!
In the air, Mu-gyeong displayed various martial arts he had learned or stolen, while Cheongsu Dojang naturally deflected these techniques with the new sword provided by the Cheonryu Sangdan.
Mu-gyeong.
He had one unresolved worry that he hadn’t shared with anyone.
Mu-gyeong agreed with a peculiar expression to Cheongsu Dojang’s words.
While Cheongsu Dojang found more joy in protecting, Mu-gyeong found more joy in killing.
“Enjoyment...”
After the conversation with the two, Mu-gung pondered.
What had brought him joy?
In this contemplation, another fifteen days passed, and Mu-gung reached his own conclusion.
“It’s Mu-gung. Lady Baek Ga-ryeong.”
“Thank you again today, Monk Mu-gung.”
Baek Ga-hwan greeted him as he opened the hall’s door.
In the center of the room, Baek So-ryeong was lying down.
After his morning training. And after his afternoon training. Treating Baek So-ryeong twice a day had become part of Mu-gung’s routine.
But it wasn’t just about infusing her with Yang energy anymore.
“Did you manage to practice circulating your energy? Lady Baek Ga-ryeong.”
Baek So-ryeong nodded slightly in response to Mu-gung’s question.
Baek Ga-hwan, who had been watching the situation, approached to help Baek So-ryeong sit in a lotus position.
Once Baek So-ryeong managed to sit in the lotus position, Mu-gung sat behind her and placed his palm on her back.
“I will begin.”
“Yes.”
After hearing her faint response, Mu-gung channeled his inner energy through his palm into her back.
Mu-gung’s inner energy began circulating through her body in a specific pattern, battling the Yin energy that had taken over her meridians.
True Qi Guiding Technique.
Following the formula of Yang Energy Art, one of Shaolin’s inner energy cultivation techniques, Mu-gung was guiding his inner energy through her meridians.
As his hot inner energy warmed her cold, stagnant meridians, a small amount of energy began moving from her dantian.
It was a tiny amount of inner energy she had accumulated over the past few days.
While still keeping his palm on her back, Mu-gung observed the movement of her inner energy.
He wasn’t worried about her misdirecting her inner energy.
Her comprehension level was unparalleled by anyone Mu-gung had encountered.
She had fully understood and memorized the formula of Yang Energy Art, which had taken Mu-gung several days to grasp, after hearing it just once.
Yet, Mu-gung was observing her condition for a particular reason.
“Hup!”
Just like now, when her meridians were overpowered by Yin energy again. Her feeble inner energy couldn’t break through.
Each time, Mu-gung would reheat her meridians with his inner energy.
After guiding her through two cycles of small celestial circulation following the formula of Yang Energy Art, Baek So-ryeong let out a ‘warm’ breath and stabilized her breathing.
When she finished circulating her energy, she turned her somewhat relieved body to face Mu-gung.
“Brazen. Eunuchs of the Ten Regular Attendants.”
“She feels like a shameless eunuch from the Ten Regular Attendants of the Later Han Dynasty, constantly receiving your help, Monk Mu-gung, despite you being busy with your training,” Baek Ga-hwan interpreted.
Mu-gung smiled gently and responded.
“How could you compare yourself to those people, Lady Baek? They forcibly took from others, but I help you because I want to. Amitabha.”
This was the truth.
Treating her and teaching her the Yang Energy Art wasn’t something Mu-gung had to do.
The Yang Energy Art he was teaching her wasn’t one of the seventy-two supreme arts.
And to provide heat therapy for musculoskeletal treatment, Shaolin allowed lay disciples to learn the Yang Energy Art.
In other words, lay disciples could have taken care of her, but Mu-gung chose to do it himself.
“Burden. Apologies.”
“There’s no need to feel burdened. I’m doing it because it brings me joy.”
Mu-gung was a somewhat typical junior disciple from a renowned sect who dreamed of becoming a famous martial artist.
During this journey, he had experienced various heroic deeds, such as stealing from the Divine Thief Pavilion and fighting bandits and human traffickers.
But strangely, treating her brought him more fulfillment than fighting or exploring places of fortuitous encounters.
He realized the joy of helping others.
Perhaps Mu-gung’s sincerity had reached her.
“Thank you.”
When she expressed her gratitude with a sincere smile, Mu-gung’s face also lit up with a pleased smile.