Genius Martial Arts Trainer

Chapter 276:

Nokangho

Ever since Mu-gyeong learned that the assassin who injured the Shaolin elders was the Head of Salmak, he harbored a thought.

He wanted to tear that bastard apart with his own hands.

In a way, the death of Hye-gwan Sasook was because of him.

Simply because their headquarters was exposed, countless assassins were sent to launch endless surprise attacks.

Since Hye-gwan died because of that man, only by tearing him apart could Mu-gyeong appease Hye-gwan’s spirit.

However, no matter how much he heightened his senses, he couldn’t locate the presence of the Head of Salmak.

“Ugh...”

Meanwhile, another Sasook fell victim to him, suffering serious injuries.

The problem wasn’t just the fact that they were falling victim to him.

With three severely injured, the battle was increasingly turning against them.

Other Shaolin disciples were also becoming disoriented in dealing with the assassins.

It wasn’t simply because their numbers had dwindled.

They couldn’t make bold moves because they didn’t know where the elusive foe would attack from.

Whack!

Amidst this, blood splattered on Mu-gyeong’s face as he crushed the head of an assassin.

A murderous impulse surged within him, making him want to tear apart all the assassins, including the Head of Salmak, who were present here.

Therefore, Mu-gyeong bit his tongue hard.

For some, the taste might be metallic, but for some reason, the blood tasted sweet to him. The intense pain that came with it cleared Mu-gyeong’s mind. řἈNọbÊṦ

Perhaps because he regained his composure, Mu-gyeong came up with a plan.

‘Can I do it?’

Although he thought of it, it was a very risky move.

If he made even a slight mistake, it could endanger his allies instead of capturing the enemy.

But after a firm shake of his head, Mu-gyeong steeled himself and sent a telepathic message to Mu-jin.

After seeing Mu-jin nod, Mu-gyeong extracted every bit of his remaining internal energy from his dantian.

The vast internal energy coursed through his entire body’s acupoints and began to rapidly form water droplets.

Although Mu-gyeong had more internal energy compared to his peers, it wasn’t abundant enough to freely use the Golden Turtle Technique.

Because of this, in the last battle, he exhausted his internal energy and ended up using the Celestial Blood Absorption Technique.

However, Mu-gyeong had no intention of repeating the same mistake this time.

‘I’ll just bind him. If I can do that, Mu-jin will finish the rest.’

The plan Mu-gyeong came up with was something he could think of because he trusted Mu-jin.

Draining all his internal energy, Mu-gyeong succeeded in creating over a hundred golden droplets.

It was an incredible number compared to the usual twenty or so he made to conserve internal energy.

Perhaps because numerous golden droplets surrounded Mu-gyeong, even the assassins of Salmak were hesitant to attack him.

That meant—

Slash.

“Ugh...”

The enemy was targeting other Shaolin warriors.

And the moment the Head of Salmak lunged with a short sword to attack,

Whoosh!

The countless golden droplets created by Mu-gyeong flew towards the spot where the short sword had appeared.

However, before the golden droplets could reach, the short sword disappeared again.

Mu-gyeong had anticipated this as well.

‘The real part starts now.’

Reminding himself, Mu-gyeong spread the golden droplets in all directions right after they reached the spot where the short sword had appeared.

As if a modern grenade exploded, scattering dust and fragments everywhere.

If the enemy was hiding, he would just reveal their position by attacking from all directions.

That was Mu-gyeong’s conclusion.

But there was a significant problem with this method.

It wasn’t just the Head of Salmak and the assassins in that place.

There were also the injured Sasook and three Shaolin warriors fighting the assassins nearby.

Bang!

Furthermore, Mu-jin, who believed in Mu-gyeong and threw himself towards that direction, was also within the explosion range of the golden droplets.

And the ensuing phenomenon was a bizarre sight.

Some of the golden droplets spreading out in all directions subtly changed their trajectory.

Just before his palm could be cut by the short sword, he deftly changed direction to grab the invisible hand holding the short sword.

Despite his risky maneuver, Mu-jin’s palm was lightly cut by the sharp sword, and blackened blood, poisoned by the blade, began to ooze from his palm. But Mu-jin saw this as an advantage.

The blood flowing from his hand stained the unseen hand of the enemy dark red.

Without hesitation, Mu-jin pulled the hand he had grabbed.

Thanks to his immense strength, the unseen body of the enemy was pulled forward.

Waiting to greet the approaching enemy was a punch from Mu-jin’s other hand.

Bang!!!

Accompanied by an explosive sound, blood splattered in the air from the invisible space.

Right after, the previously invisible area blurred and revealed a man dressed in black night clothes.

It was a horrific sight.

A huge hole was gaping in his side, with blood and intestines spilling out.

‘You persistent bastard.’

Mu-jin frowned as he looked at the Head of Salmak, who had a massive hole in his side that made survival impossible.

Not just his side, but his right shoulder was also half-torn.

It wasn’t because Mu-jin’s pull had torn it.

The moment Mu-jin grabbed his right hand, the Head of Salmak had tried to sever his right shoulder himself.

The knife-like sharp left hand that had dug halfway into his right shoulder was proof of that.

‘He’s like a salamander.’

If Mu-jin had been even a little late in pulling and attacking the enemy, he would have lost him again.

But that was only a hypothetical scenario.

Despite the gaping wound in his side, the Head of Salmak continued moving his left hand that was cutting into his right shoulder, and Mu-jin countered the deadly attack with his fist.

Crash!!

If it had been his bizarre short sword, it might have been different, but an ordinary warrior’s hand could not withstand a punch from Mu-jin, which was like striking an iron bar.

Mu-jin then aimed his last punch at the head of the Head of Salmak, whose left hand had been shattered into a grotesque shape.

* * *

The battle after dealing with the Head of Salmak wasn’t too difficult.

Not that it was easy, but it became more manageable compared to when the Head of Salmak was present.

Four were already down due to the Head of Salmak, and another four couldn’t participate in the fight as they were treating the injured and standing guard.

With nearly half of their forces out and everyone exhausted, the Shaolin monks barely managed to handle the remaining assassins without any fatalities.

Although no one died, there wasn’t a single uninjured Shaolin monk left among those who had come here.

After dealing with the last assassin, the Shaolin monks stood guard, covered themselves in healing salves and bandages, and ingested antidotes to expel the remaining poison from their bodies while circulating their qi.

As they took turns treating and guarding each other to recover,

Mu-jin finished his first-aid treatment and stood up.

“Phew.”

Exhaling deeply due to the aching pain in his chest and palm, Mu-jin turned his head to look at Mu-gyeong.

“...Are you alright?”

Mu-jin asked awkwardly, unlike his usual self.

“I don’t know... I thought I’d feel better after getting revenge, but I just feel empty.”

Mu-gyeong, his face exhausted from the intense battle, sighed lightly.

Sometimes, people say that revenge only breeds more revenge, and that it makes one no different from the enemy.

But revenge is inherently satisfying. Mu-jin believed that if someone wrongs you, you should repay them in kind, or even worse.

However, there is one kind of revenge that can never be truly fulfilled:

Revenge for a murder.

No matter how much revenge one takes, the dead do not come back.

However,

“I do feel a bit better.”

Attempting revenge might help alleviate the poison accumulated in the heart more than harboring that resentment and suffering in silence.

And this wasn’t just about Mu-gyeong.

Mu-gyeong, Mu-jin, and all the other Shaolin monks, once they finished their treatment, had complicated expressions on their faces.

Some were reciting prayers while rolling their prayer beads.

Perhaps they were reminiscing about their memories with Hye-gwan.

It was a strange sight.

With just about twenty people, they had cleared the headquarters of the Salmak, one of the major forces, and defeated the Head of Salmak, known as one of the Seven Kings.

Yet, instead of celebrating their great achievement, they were mourning those who had left.