A Fateful Encounter
Mookhyang's new home was a small thatched cottage with three rooms, a kitchen, and an attic in the ceiling. He initially took one of the small rooms meant for the servants and began renovating the house. Four days after he gave instructions to the workers, the house was completely repaired. Since it was just a matter of converting one room into a bathroom and fixing the ceiling and walls, it didn't take much time. While the house's owner had offered to provide a maid, Mookhyang ate at the security bureau, so there was no need for one in a house where he only bathed and slept.
He wandered here and there, working diligently as a security leader to ensure the safe transportation of goods. Over time, the number of workers grew from a handful to around three hundred, and as various cargos flowed in and out, the security bureau became increasingly busy. Despite the workload, Mookhyang never neglected his training. Even when time was short, he would reduce his sleeping hours to practice his breathing and energy cultivation.
Among the various martial arts he was practicing, Mookhyang focused particularly on Sword Mastery these days. Sword Mastery is a technique that, unlike strong energy, utilizes true energy to fully draw out the sword's potential. With Sword Mastery, even an ordinary steel sword could possess the destructive power of a divine blade. Though still in its early stages, Mookhyang trained diligently, watching his sword radiate a red light as it charged with strong energy like thunder. He vaguely hoped this might be Sword Mastery, but the more he practiced, the more he realized it wasn't. His curiosity only deepened, leaving him more puzzled and frustrated.
That day, after another frustrating session, Mookhyang decided to take a break outside. When his mind grew too tangled, a walk in the fresh air was the best remedy. Sitting indoors and wracking his brain wouldn't solve anything. As he wandered aimlessly, he spotted a young girl stealing a steamed bun. She didn't get far before being caught and beaten. Unable to watch any longer, Mookhyang intervened.
"Isn't that a bit harsh for a child?"
Mookhyang looked sympathetically at the girl, about twelve years old, scrawny, dressed in filthy clothes, and now bleeding from her nose.
"She deserves it. She should be working for her food, but instead, she resorts to theft."
The owner, while speaking, raised his hand to strike her again, but the girl, too exhausted to resist, simply accepted her beating. Seeing her in such a pitiful state, Mookhyang felt his heart stir. He grabbed the shopkeeper's hand as it was about to hit the girl once more.
"Let the child go."
Mookhyang tightened his grip slightly, and the man immediately released his hand. Mookhyang followed suit, releasing the shopkeeper's hand, now marked with a red imprint. He turned to the girl.
"Why did you steal? Couldn't you work for your food?"
"I'm too young. No one will hire me," she replied weakly.
Despite the beating, the girl hadn't shed a single tear, which impressed Mookhyang.
"Can you cook?"
"What? No, I can't cook."
"Well, there's no helping it. Follow me."
The girl hesitated at first, but Mookhyang reassured her.
"I'm offering you a job. Do you want to work?"
At those words, the girl quickly followed him. As they walked slowly, Mookhyang asked her,
"What's your name?"
"Soyeon."
"That's a good name. Do you have any family?"
"My mom's sick at home."
"What about your father?"
"He passed away two years ago."
"Where do you live?"
"Why are you asking that?"
"Well, if I'm going to give you a job, I'll need permission from your mother."
"Uh… okay, then follow me."
Soyeon led Mookhyang to a run-down neighborhood in the slums of Luoyang. She guided him to a small house that looked like it was on the verge of collapsing. Without hesitation, Mookhyang stepped inside. The room reeked of sewage, likely from the smell seeping in through the windows. In the corner, under what was left of a blanket, lay a woman, clearly unwell.
Seeing the seriousness of the situation, Mookhyang immediately carried Soyeon's mother and went to find a doctor. While he could have called for a carriage, carrying her himself would cause less strain on the patient, so he carried her the entire way. The doctor diagnosed the woman's illness as a result of overwork and malnutrition. Mookhyang settled nearby and waited until she recovered enough, then called for a carriage and brought her back to his house.
Thus began Mookhyang's strange new cohabitation. Over the next month, with a steady diet of nutritious food and medicinal decoctions, Soyeon's mother gradually regained her strength. Mookhyang hired her as his housekeeper, and thanks to the generous amount of money he provided monthly, despite the small size of the house, the mother and daughter were able to enjoy a relatively comfortable life.
Though her cooking skills were poor at first due to her harsh past, they slowly improved as Mookhyang and Soyeon eagerly ate whatever she made. Over time, Soyeon's demeanor brightened. Together, Mookhyang and Soyeon created a small garden in front of the house, planting flowers. He also taught her what he knew of writing, painting, and music. Soyeon was quick to pick things up, and teaching her became one of Mookhyang's small pleasures amidst his busy life.
One day, after playing outside, Soyeon came inside and, seeing Mookhyang sitting on the porch, lost in thought, asked him,
"Mister, do you practice martial arts too?"
"Hm?" Startled from his thoughts, Mookhyang responded, "What did you say?"
"I asked if you know martial arts."
"Why are you asking?"
"Today, in the streets, I saw people fighting with swords, and they were flying in the sky like birds. Can you fly too? You carry a sword as well, right? Teach me!"
It seemed that Soyeon had visited a nearby village. The place where Mookhyang resided was somewhat distant from Luoyang, where Soyeon used to live. To pass the time, she often went to nearby villages to play with the other children. This time, she must have been shocked after witnessing a fight between martial artists. Smiling slightly at her nonsensical question, Mookhyang replied, "No, I can't fly."
"Are you weak?"
"Yes, I'm weak. That's why I live in such a small house. If I were strong, I'd live in a house this big," Mookhyang said, exaggerating with his hands to show the size of the house. It seemed Soyeon understood his playful explanation. After talking for a while, Mookhyang watched as Soyeon, who had been playing around, fell asleep, and he fell into deep thought.
'Should I teach Soyeon martial arts? Is it necessary to drag her into the blood-soaked world of martial arts?'
After thinking it over, he decided it would be good for her to know some self-defense techniques, even though she was a girl.
"Do you want to learn martial arts, Soyeon?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll teach you. I don't know much, so I can't teach you anything too great. But learning martial arts will help you train your body and mind, so give it a try."
"Then, will you be my master?"
"No, we're just learning, so don't worry about calling me master. I have no intention of taking on a disciple. Let's start with mental training first. This is the Taihe Wuling Mind Technique, a traditional Taoist internal energy cultivation method. If you practice it steadily, not only will you live long and stay healthy, but your body and mind will also become stronger."
"Did you practice it too?"
"If I hadn't, how could I teach you?"
"But you don't seem all that strong."
"Hmm, let's say I misspoke. What I meant is that it doesn't make you look 'pretty' but rather 'sturdy.' I learned it by coincidence...—I'll never admit I stole it from the Demon Sect—but it's better than the methods I've learned before. I've made some adjustments to it, so don't tell anyone else, okay?"
"Yes."
"You'll need to practice it every morning when you wake up and every night before bed for 30 minutes to an hour. Can you do that?"
"Yes."
"Once you start practicing this technique, don't learn any other methods. Otherwise, your inner energy won't remain pure, and you won't be able to reach higher levels."
"Yes, but what is inner energy, and what does it mean for it to be 'pure'?"
"Inner energy is a formless strength that builds up inside the body. It's what allows people to fly, like you mentioned. You saw them flying, right?"
"Yes, they were flying using inner energy?"
"That's right. To keep your inner energy pure is essential. If it's not pure, you won't be able to fly like that later. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"The essence of Taoist techniques lies in calming the mind. This helps prevent falling into the 'heart demon.'"
"What's a heart demon?"
"Well… a heart demon refers to distracting thoughts. Things like the Five Desires and Seven Emotions… though I wonder if you'd understand that. Let's just say a heart demon is something bad. If it arises, you'll face terrible consequences, so just remember that it's something you want to avoid."
"Yes…"
Mookhyang gradually taught Soyeon martial arts. Rather than teaching her dangerous techniques from the Demon Sect, he decided to pass on the Taoist methods. If Soyeon practiced the orthodox internal energy cultivation techniques, she would remain protected from evil arts, as it would purify her body and mind. This decision was motivated by Mookhyang's care for the small, lovely girl—he wanted to shield her from the influence of dark arts.
Unlike the traditional masters of the Demon Sect, specialists like assassins and elite warriors within the sect had the privilege of learning techniques from both orthodox and unorthodox schools. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of various martial arts styles gave them an advantage in ambushes. These techniques were often acquired through clashes or stolen from orthodox sects during conflicts.
In some ways, the Demon Sect had accumulated more orthodox martial arts knowledge than even Shaolin or other sects. The Demon Sect's stronghold, located in the impenetrable fortress of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, had never been breached. Even the imperial government was unable to touch them, allowing the sect to collect countless martial arts techniques. In contrast, the orthodox sects, under pressure from the imperial court, had to surrender many of their martial arts manuals. However, the highest-level techniques of each sect could never be taken by force unless they were stolen during a raid.
Since starting Soyeon's martial arts training, Mookhyang spent two to three hours every night in Soyeon's room. The first time he entered while she was asleep, Soyeon's mother was startled. Mookhyang had started undressing Soyeon without any explanation, prompting her mother to grab his hand.
"My lord, what are you doing?"
"Why do you ask?"
"What are you trying to do to Soyeon?"
"Nothing of that sort. I'm just giving her a massage. I'm teaching her a bit of martial arts, and massaging her at night will help her learn faster."
"Is that so?"
Still uncertain, she stepped back hesitantly. Mookhyang continued to undress Soyeon, leaving only her undergarments, and slowly infused his inner energy to open her meridians. For nearly two hours, he massaged her. After he finished, he noticed Soyeon's mother was still watching and said to her, "Please keep this a secret from others."
"Do I really need to keep this a secret, my lord?"
"Do you plan on telling the whole village that I massage her every night?"
"I understand, my lord."
Once she understood the general idea, Soyeon's mother easily gave her permission. However, there were a few things Mookhyang didn't mention. During the day, while practicing martial arts or internal energy techniques, inner energy circulates naturally through the meridians, gradually accumulating. But when one falls asleep at night, the flow of energy halts and begins to return to its original state. If, however, a master with high inner energy forcibly circulates it through the meridians during sleep, the results could be more than twice as effective compared to daytime training.
The reason why not all masters perform this for their disciples is because the person performing the technique must possess inner energy equivalent to at least two cycles of the sexagenary calendar. If someone below that level attempts it, their body won't be able to handle the strain, and any failure in guiding the true energy could result in severe internal injuries for the recipient. Even those who have reached that level of mastery risk exhausting their inner energy if they perform this technique for several hours each day, potentially damaging their vital core energy.
Yet, Mookhyang performed this two-hour meridian-guiding technique, called "Induced Energy Meridian Technique," without breaking a sweat. As a result, Soyeon's mother assumed he was merely giving a simple massage. The next day, when her daughter awoke feeling incredibly refreshed and began practicing her internal energy techniques, she completely trusted Mookhyang and raised no further doubts.
Massacre - 1
Mookhyang primarily taught Soyeon about inner energy, deliberately only giving her a little instruction in swordsmanship and martial arts. He hoped that Soyeon would find a decent man without entering the martial world and live happily, raising children. One day, while these peaceful days continued, the head of the department suddenly summoned him.
"It's a serious matter."
"What happened?"
"A shipment coming from Hwangnyang Mountain was robbed by bandits. This shipment was transporting funds for the military, and we had five of our top experts escorting it... What should we do? It's a staggering amount of 100,000 nyang (approximately 3,125 kilograms of silver)."
"Do you know who did it?"
"There aren't many bandits bold enough to touch military funds. You may not know since you haven't been here long, but when a shipment is robbed by bandits, the governor usually brings sufficient gifts to negotiate and gets the shipment returned. If a group refuses to return it, they become a common enemy of all shipping offices and will be destroyed. However, it seems this time the bandits won't easily return it. Typically, bandits don't kill the escorts. Even if they do, they don't kill the porters. But this time, they killed everyone. All ten guards and thirty porters were completely wiped out. It seems the bandits intended to eliminate all evidence and seize the entire shipment. Such occurrences are rare, which is why I called for you."
"First, investigate. Find out who they are and inform me. Then I will lead about twenty of our experts, bring gifts, and attempt contact. If that doesn't work, we can simply eliminate them and retrieve the goods. If that seems troublesome, we can just wipe them out without notice."
A month later, the head of the department discovered the bandits' hideout. It was the work of bandits based in Dae-Seol Mountain, not far from Hwangnyang Mountain.
"It's confirmed to be the bandits of Dae-Seol Mountain."
"Hm… It's strange that even with five of our experts accompanying the shipment, they were all killed by mere bandits."
"The bandits of Dae-Seol Mountain are quite sizable, with about 200 of them in the area. Even if the government forces launch an extermination operation, it wouldn't be easy to wipe them out. Furthermore, it seems they brought in a few experts from outside to assist them."
"Then where are those experts?"
"According to our investigation, three are still at the hideout, while three others have taken their shares and left."
"In that case, inform the headquarters to track down and eliminate those three. I will take about twenty men and send the bandits of the hideout to the afterlife. Please include one or two of our experts who are familiar with the terrain of Dae-Seol Mountain."
"Understood."
"I'll leave as soon as preparations are complete."
"Are you taking gifts with you?"
"No, a surprise attack would be better. I believe that would minimize the risks."
Mookhyang set out with twenty martial artists. It took them twelve days to reach Dae Seol Mountain. He tied their horses at an inn in a nearby village and approached the mountain on foot. As they climbed, they indeed found the bandit lair. Since all his subordinates were capable martial artists, Mookhyang chose not to follow the path but instead made his way through the bushes, allowing them to approach the lair without being detected by the bandits. He got within approximately four hundred yards (about 1.2 kilometers) of the lair and instructed his subordinates.
"Everyone, eat your provisions and take a rest. We will launch the surprise attack at myoshi (the 5th watch: around 5 a.m.)."
"Understood!"
After giving his orders, Mookhyang snacked on dried meat and took a break. As the time for the attack drew near, he and his subordinates moved close to the bandit lair and he issued his final instructions.
"When I go in and initiate the attack, some of them will try to escape. You all should remain hidden and ensure that not a single one of them gets away."
"Understood."
He unsheathed Mookhon and charged into the lair. Mookhyang launched an unrelenting assault from the start. With each swing of his blade, the bodies of the bandits were cleaved apart. When he had killed around forty of them in an instant, four men emerged from a log cabin. They were all considerable martial artists, but the one dressed in patched leather clothing seemed to be the weakest, likely indicating that he was the leader of this bandit den.
The leader shouted, "Who are you?"
"..."
However, Mookhyang pretended not to hear his words and continued slicing apart the bandits that were gathering around him. Seeing this, the leader turned to the three men beside him and said, "Brothers, quickly take care of that guy."
"Understood."
As the three of them rushed toward Mookhyang, he unleashed his powerful energy. In an instant, several of the weaker bandits within two yards of him were swept away by the energy, their clothing torn along with their skin. With agonizing cries, the bandits and the three martial artists gathered around Mookhyang began to be cut down.
Since there was no urgency this time, Mookhyang avoided severing their bodies completely with his weapon, instead opting to inflict wounds or make cuts. Given the substantial damage inflicted on the enemies, he planned to at least salvage their weapons afterward.
As chaos erupted inside the lair, those on the lookout in the watchtower began to rain arrows down on Mookhyang. Using his lightness skill and agility, he moved at high speed while dispatching the bandits, so the arrows flying toward him were almost nonexistent. Even when they did come close, he noticed them in advance and deflected them with his sword.
During the melee, he was accidentally hit by an arrow in the back, but it failed to penetrate his skin, stopped by his defensive energy.
After some time had passed, the subordinates waiting outside the lair launched their attacks and eliminated all the bandits in the watchtower.
After about one gaek (15 minutes), there was not a single living person left inside the lair. Mookhyang had personally slain over 140 individuals. The remaining sixty bandits, who had half-lost their minds from witnessing the brutal slaughter and attempted to flee, were all killed by Mookhyang's subordinates waiting outside.
Once the massacre concluded, Mookhyang addressed his waiting subordinates outside the lair. "If there are any survivors, make sure to end them decisively. Not a single one must escape. There may be some hiding under the bodies. Check each one carefully. Start from the outside and ensure to eliminate them one by one. Even if they're dead, if their body isn't in two pieces, make sure to cut it into two."
"Understood." While his subordinates were busy chopping up the bandit corpses outside, Mookhyang entered the cabin. There were twelve log cabins in this bandit lair. Mookhyang searched each one meticulously. Upon entering the fifth log cabin, he found a naked woman sitting on a bed, wrapped in a blanket. He approached slowly and cleaved her body in two. After thoroughly checking under the bed to ensure there were no survivors, he moved on to the next cabin.
Inside the cabin were fourteen people huddled in a corner: thirteen nearly naked women and the bandit leader. The leader pointed his sword at the women and shouted, "If you come any closer, I'll kill these girls!"
Seeing this, a dark smile appeared on Mookhyang's face. He slowly approached and said, "I was going to kill those girls anyway, so feel free."
The leader, taken aback by Mookhyang's lack of reaction to his threat, began to panic. What was this intruder even here for if not to rescue the kidnapped women? Just then, a thought struck him. "Did you come here at the request of the Cheonryeong Bureau?"
"Very perceptive. Just as you killed all the porters to hide your theft, I too must kill everyone here to conceal the fact that I neglected to offer gifts in exchange for the request. Otherwise, I'll be the laughingstock among the surrounding bureaus. Soon the rumors will spread: the Cheonryeong Bureau offered valuable gifts and requested the return of their silver, but you rejected them, leading to the destruction of the lair as I came to retrieve the silver."
As Mookhyang slowly raised his sword, the leader realized he had no way to escape death. And the women beside him…
"Please, no!"
His scream was abruptly cut off, for his head, separated from his lungs, could no longer scream. After eliminating the leader, Mookhyang killed the remaining women as well. He couldn't show even a shred of mercy; there might be members of the bandit group among them. To prevent any possible escapees, Mookhyang's subordinates kept watch around the area until dawn.
As morning light broke, they searched the corpses one by one, ensuring there were no survivors. Confirming that everything had been handled, they began to pull out all the items the bandits had hoarded through their plundering.
As noon approached, the porters and officials from the bureau arrived. After entrusting them with all the goods, Mookhyang set the bandit lair ablaze. Throughout this, he remained vigilant, watching for any potential hidden threats. After the lair became an inferno, Mookhyang and his group left. However, he returned with five of his subordinates, hiding their presence and approaching the lair slowly, waiting.
That evening, as darkness began to settle, the ashes of the log cabin where he had slain the naked woman stirred. After a while, a head cautiously poked out and surveyed the surroundings. Seeing no movement outside, the person relaxed.
Soon, a bundle was thrown out, and a robust figure crawled out from within. With a sigh, the figure muttered, "What a terrifying monster. It wiped out everything I built over ten years in a single night. I need to go inform my older brother about these atrocities and seek revenge on the Cheonryeong Bureau."
Looking around cautiously and seeing nothing unusual, the figure felt at ease. As he bent down to pick up the bundle, he suddenly saw a person standing right in front of him. He doubted his eyes. Just a moment ago, no one had been there, but now there stood a person before him. At that moment, cold sweat began to pour down his back.
"Where did this guy come from?" However, his thoughts didn't linger long. He felt a flash of light in front of him, and his consciousness began to fade.
As the figure collapsed, Mookhyang inspected the bundle he had left behind. Inside were gold and jewels. In a low voice, Mookhyang commanded his subordinates, "Search the body for anything valuable. And you, carry that bundle. What about the sword? Does it look like it could fetch a decent price?"
One of the men, drawing the sword slightly to examine it, replied, "It's not a famous brand, but it's a pretty good weapon. I think it could be quite valuable."
"Good. Let's withdraw now."
"Yes, sir!"