Rather Good (2)
During special forces training, there was also survival training. It was training to survive in case one was to infiltrate enemy territory or got left behind.
It naturally included procuring food on-site, so hunting animals in the wild and eating them was already a familiar task for him.
“Hehehe. This wall-facing ditation, isn’t it just sweet?”
Mu-jin, wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth, headed out of the cave.
Recalling the tis of survival training and moving as stealthily as possible for a while.
Mu-jin was able to spot a red dot shining through the bushes.
‘A rabbit!’
It was an excellent source of protein.
Mu-jin carefully approached the location of the rabbit, taking a wide detour.
‘No traces must be left.’
The simplest way to catch that rabbit was to pierce its throat with a fallen branch on the ground, but that would leave bloodstains and scent.
Moreover, if the blood splattered on his monk’s robe, there would be no way to deny it.
Like carrying out top-secret missions during his special forces days, Mu-jin approached the rabbit very carefully.
And when he got close enough.
Whoosh!
With very agile movents, he dashed towards the rabbit in an instant.
Squeak!
The startled rabbit leaped up to avoid Mu-jin’s charge.
“Sorry, little rabbit. For now, I need to survive too.”
Before he knew it, Mu-jin’s hands were grasping the rabbit’s ears that had sprung into the air.
* * *
Mu-jin, having made sure to leave as little trace as possible, dug up the ground in a nearby cave to make rabbit clay roast, and let out a hearty belch after eating.
There was no ti to groom the fur, and in order to minimize any traces, he just slathered the mud on and then plucked the fur out along with the baked clay.
“Now that I’ve replenished my protein, it’s ti to get a good night’s sleep.”
Though it wasn’t to a satisfying level, he had replenished his protein. Moreover, having eaten at for the first ti since arriving in this world, his mind was very much at ease.
As soon as Mu-jin lay down on the cave floor, he fell into a deep sleep.
And the next morning, before dawn.
Mu-jin woke up earlier than usual, earlier than the bell tolls at Shaolin Temple, and sat cross-legged facing the wall in a proper posture.
Was it to diligently practice wall-facing ditation?
No.
It was because he felt soone approaching the cave.
And just as Mu-jin expected, not long after, Beob Gang appeared nearby the cave, carrying Fasting Pills and water.
Instead of offering the water and Fasting Pills right away, Beob Gang looked into the cave with a slightly surprised expression.
‘I was hoping for it, but to think he would be up and doing wall-facing ditation again. Or could it be, has he been repenting all through the night?’
Surprised by Mu-jin’s diligence, Beob Gang still thought it might be a fluke and watched Mu-jin’s back for a while.
After a significant amount of ti had passed without any change, Beob Gang stealthily entered the cave and placed the Fasting Pills and a basin of water beside Mu-jin.
As he approached, Mu-jin did flinch slightly, but he did not make the mistake of speaking or turning his head.
‘Hehehe. It seems he didn’t realize I was here.’
If a supervisor appears suddenly every now and then, the practitioner cannot be complacent in their wall-facing ditation.
‘Well, with this guy, it might not be necessary to go to such lengths.’
Satisfied by Mu-jin’s unwavering commitnt to wall-facing even when startled, Beob Gang left the cave after a short while.
“Phew.”
Mu-jin, who had successfully feigned surprise and deceived Beob Gang, let out a deep sigh.
“To think they expect kids to survive a week on just this. That’s really too much.”
He muttered to himself as he carelessly popped the Fasting Pill that Beob Gang had left behind into his mouth.
Having quickly snacked on the Fasting Pill, he spread his legs and began to loosen up his muscles, starting from those in his legs.
Now that he had found a ans to supplent his protein and the watcher was gone, it was ti for him to freely exercise.
According to his rotation schedule, today was the day to work on his chest and back muscles.
Mu-jin decided to start with so light push-ups.
“Seup.”
“Hoo.”
He repeated a typical breathing thod often seen in gyms several tis.
“Huh?”
A thought suddenly struck Mu-jin’s mind.
“This seems similar to the Breath Control Technique?”
With a bit of curiosity, Mu-jin decided to try performing the Breath Control Technique along with his exercise.
He breathed in through his nose as his body lowered while bending his arms, and exhaled through his mouth while pushing up with force.
Originally, he should have focused on the chest muscles or the back muscles located near the shoulder blades, but this ti, he decided to concentrate not only on his muscles but also on his breath and Qi.
“!!!”
As he concentrated, he could feel the Qi fluctuating in the process.
‘Could it be possible to apply the Buddha Mind Technique as well?’
With a bit more ambition, Mu-jin inhaled while bending his arms, but instead of exhaling and straightening his arms right away, he held the position with bent arms and focused on the Qi.
He aid to circulate the Qi drawn in with his breath through various ridians according to the essence of the Buddha Mind Technique.
‘As expected, it’s not as easy as I thought.’
His breathing quickened as he held the pose, and it was difficult to fully concentrate on the Buddha Mind Technique since part of his attention was on maintaining muscle tension.
‘Still, with a bit more practice, it seems like it could be alright?’
If he beca able to naturally apply the Buddha Mind Technique without consciously forcing it, then it would be entirely possible to accumulate internal energy while exercising simultaneously.
In fact, what Mu-jin was attempting was quite dangerous.
Circulating Qi through the ridians was a very delicate operation, and touching the wrong ridian could lead one onto the path of the six realms of reincarnation.
However, Mu-jin was safe because the internal energy technique he was employing was the Buddha Mind Technique.
Being the most stable and fundantal Qi Gong technique in Shaolin, the ridians that the Buddha Mind Technique passed through were all in stable locations.
“Good. During this wall-facing period, let’s try to combine exercise with the Buddha Mind Technique!”
Thus, without anyone teaching him, Mu-jin began to practice active cultivation on his own.
* * *
One day earlier.
At sunset, Shaolin Temple would normally be quiet as befits a monastery, but that was not the case now.
The issue of bullying among the novice disciples was a disgraceful event for the prestigious Shaolin Temple.
Naturally, the atmosphere in the Arhat Faction, which oversaw the novice and third-class disciples, had to be solemn.
“You must confess the truth! If your testimony differs from the others, you will be severely punished!”
The second-class disciples in charge of the investigation began to interrogate the resting novice disciples one by one.
Of course, as disciples of Buddhism, the interrogation was not conducted with violence.
However, the young novice disciples, aged only 11 to 14, did not dare to lie in the face of the second-class disciples’ formidable presence.
Before even a day had passed, the investigation concluded, and reports of consistent testimonies from all the children were delivered to the Ban-dangju, Hyun Seong.
“Ah. This is all due to my lack of virtue.”
Could there be a more embarrassing event for the leader of Shaolin Temple? Having read all the reports, Hyun Seong’s face could not help but turn red with sha.
“I apologize, Master. This is all because I failed to manage properly.”
Master Uncle Hye-jeong, who was in charge of the novice disciples’ education, bowed deeply at the sight of their master’s distress.
Just then, there was a sound outside the Arhat Faction leader’s quarters.
“Second-class Disciple Beob Gang. I have just returned.”
“Co in.”
As Beob Gang entered the leader’s quarters, Hyun Seong tried to hide his bitter expression and asked,
“How was Mu-jin?”
“As expected, he is truly a comndable child, Master Uncle.”
Beob Gang briefly recounted what he had observed for an hour and a half. He talked about how Mu-jin maintained his posture impeccably while facing the wall.
“Hehehe. It seems both fortune and misfortune have visited Shaolin.”
“It’s fortune that found and blocked the misfortune. It was lucky that the child discovered it early. Had it been found out later, who knows what might have happened.”
Upon hearing Beob Gang’s words, Hyun Seong and Master Uncle Hye-jeong nodded as if they completely agreed.
“We were just discussing that matter. The interrogation results proved that Mu-gyeong and Mu-jin’s words were true.”
“All of this is due to my lack of virtue.”
As Hyun Seong and Master Uncle Hye-jeong said this in turn, Beob Gang cautiously began to speak.
“I have sothing to say regarding this incident.”
“…Go ahead.”
“Though it may be presumptuous of to say, this incident is not due to anyone’s lack of virtue. It’s everyone’s mistake. But what’s important now is not to bla or regret but to ensure that such an incident doesn’t happen again.”
“That’s indeed the right thing to say.”
“Do you have any asures in mind?”
At Hyun Seong’s question, Beob Gang replied with a tone full of confidence.
“In my opinion, the biggest reason for this incident was the lack of training.”
“Lack of training?”
“Yes. They committed such malicious acts because they had the physical energy to spare for them.”
If Mu-jin had heard this, he would have been astonished by such a military-like approach to solving the problem.
However, this was Shaolin Temple, and since Shaolin focuses on martial arts training, it was more akin to a military establishnt than a school.
“That makes sense.”
“As disciples of Buddhism, it is only right that they devote themselves to ntal training through sutras and to asceticism through martial arts. I’m thinking of making the children focus more on asceticism and ntal training. Would it be alright to proceed like that, Ban-dangju?”
Upon Beob Gang’s inquiry, Hyun Seong pondered for a mont before nodding.
“Then, I’ll leave that matter to you and Master Uncle Hye-jeong. I’ll be a bit busy for the next few days wrapping up this incident.”
The guilt of three commoner-born individuals had been proven, and corresponding punishnts had to be administered.
“The issue at hand was that since all those children belonged to families outside Shaolin, coordination with the external division in charge of outside affairs and the Jurisdiction Departnt in charge of punishnt was necessary.”
“It was a given that to atone for their sins, the martial arts they had learned from Shaolin would be retracted. However, it was undecided whether the punishnt should extend to their families, or if it should end with the children themselves.”
“Moreover, the situation regarding Mu-gyeong’s father, who had been treated no better than a hostage, also needed to be addressed.”
“I will do my best to resolve this matter completely.”
“I will ensure that such an incident never occurs again, Master.”
Hyun-seong, whose mind was at ease upon seeing the serious faces of Beob Gang and Master Uncle Hye-jeong, nodded with a look of trust.
* * *
In the region of Icheon-hyeon, situated so distance from Mount Song where Shaolin is located, monks garbed in Shaolin’s robes made their appearance.
They were none other than the Second-class Disciples and First-class Disciples from Shaolin’s external division and the Jurisdiction Departnt, dispatched by the temple.
As soon as Shaolin’s disciples entered Icheon-hyeon, they scattered in every direction.
They went to the countless commoners living in Icheon-hyeon, engaging in various conversations to gather information.
“Let’s go.”
A short while later, they arrived at the entrance of a courier service with the signboard ‘Seobul Courier Service.’
“I am Hye-geol, the deputy head of Shaolin’s external division.”
As the leading monk introduced himself, the guardian of the Seobul Courier Service’s entrance promptly stepped aside.
“Please co in! I am Seo Mun-pyeong, the head of Seobul Courier Service. It is an honor to et the renowned ‘Five Fists Unmatched.’”
The head of Seobul Courier Service, who was a lay disciple of Shaolin, tried to welco them warmly. If only it hadn’t been for the unfortunate state of his son, who appeared last.
“…May I ask why Ji-tae is in such a state?”
Seo Ji-tae. Seo Mun-pyeong looked at his son, forrly known as Mu-tae in Shaolin, and inquired.
In response to his question, Hye-geol, the representative, explained the events that had occurred at Shaolin a few days prior.
However, they had not co solely to explain that incident.
“Moreover, from what we have learned while traveling around Icheon-hyeon! We have discovered that Seobul Courier Service has been threatening the local populace and extorting valuables!”
“What do you an by that!?”
Seo Mun-pyeong cried out as if he had been wronged, but Hye-geol paid no heed to his protest.
As the saying goes, ‘a child reflects their parents,’ it appeared that Mu-tae’s parents were also engaging in villainy. And they were doing so under the na of Shaolin’s lay disciples.
“You must face the consequences for using Shaolin’s martial arts to intimidate the common people, Seo Mun-pyeong, head of Seobul Courier Service! Revoke the martial arts of everyone present here!”
“Amitabha.”
No sooner had Hye-geol given the order, the accompanying Shaolin disciples sprang into action.
They began to subdue one by one those affiliated with Seobul Courier Service who had learned martial arts.
“Stop them! I said stop them!!”
Despite Seo Mun-pyeong’s frantic shouting, the couriers of Seobul Courier Service, no different from an average secular martial arts school, were unable to withstand the true disciples of Shaolin.
In an instant, all of Seobul Courier Service’s couriers were subdued, including the head Seo Mun-pyeong himself.
“All martial arts of these individuals must be revoked, and the wealth they have accumulated should be distributed to the surrounding commoners!”
From that day on in Icheon-hyeon, those who had been tyrannizing as Seobul Courier Service were stripped of their Danjeon, and their limbs’ ridians were severed.
As Shaolin’s disciples were returning the valuables from Seobul Courier Service’s warehouse to the commoners, Hye-geol turned towards a group of porters and asked.
“Is there a patron by the na of Bang-geon here?”
“I-I am Bang-geon.”
At Hye-geol’s inquiry, a middle-aged man nad Bang-geon replied with a trembling voice.
To him, rely a porter, the couriers of Seobul Courier Service were fearso beings. How much more terrifying must the young Shaolin disciples have been, who subdued the couriers as easily as twisting a child’s wrist.
But unexpectedly.
Instead of intimidating Bang-geon, Hye-geol bowed his head deeply.
“I apologize, Patron Bang-geon. The child who was tornted by Ji-tae was none other than your son, Mu-gyeong.”
“What do you an!? Are you saying my child was bullied?”
“I am truly sorry for not preventing it earlier. Although it cannot compensate for what occurred, we will take responsibility for the aftermath.”
As promised, Hye-geol and the Shaolin disciples transferred Bang-geon to another Shaolin lay courier service as a porter – to a place that was reputable and honest, unlike Seobul Courier Service.
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