Genius Martial Arts Trainer

Red Tiger Group

Even now, Mu-jin was contemplating whether to snap Su-linya’s neck and pretend to be the Beast Palace and the Southern Barbarians.

“Thanks to you, I now fully understand the Beast Palace’s intentions. Let’s meet on the battlefield next time.”

Before Mu-jin could snap Su-linya’s neck, the warriors of Taiyang Palace left, leaving only those words behind.

‘Hah. Damn it.’

For now, the injured Ou-yang Pae avoided an immediate battle.

However, the situation hadn’t improved at all. In fact, it had worsened.

‘Involvement with both the Five Poison Sect and Taiyang Palace… Should I just return to the Central Plains?’

The Beast Palace was already in conflict with the Five Poison Sect. With the involvement of Taiyang Palace, it was no different than being one against three.

If the Red Tiger Group and Mu-jin’s team joined forces with the Beast Palace, they could somewhat balance the power.

‘The Five Poison Sect might be connected with Shinchun. If Jeomchang Sect, which is associated with the Five Poison Sect, gets involved, it’s four against one.’

The situation was overwhelmingly bleak.

“Our warriors of the Beast Palace neither hide nor flee!”

In the midst of this, Su-linya’s figure shouting at the departing warriors of Taiyang Palace was almost tear-jerking.

‘Are they really leaving?’

Mu-jin, who was thinking this, turned to look at Ou-yang Pae.

‘Damn it. If we go back, that guy might die here.’

If it were just a battle between the Red Tiger Group and Taiyang Palace, there was a chance he could survive despite his injuries.

However, with the involvement of the Beast Palace, the Five Poison Sect, Shinchun, and Jeomchang Sect, survival would be difficult even if he healed.

‘Wait a minute? Something’s off.’

And at that moment, a question that Mu-jin hadn’t considered before surfaced in his mind.

‘Why did the Red Tiger Group attack Taiyang Palace precisely during the conflict between the Beast Palace and the Five Poison Sect?’

In the first part of the novel, only the battles between the Red Tiger Group and Taiyang Palace were described, with no mention of the Five Poison Sect or the Beast Palace. ṟâ

Therefore, he didn’t know that the situation in the Southern Barbarians was going to unfold like this.

Naturally, a question arose in Mu-jin’s mind.

If the novel had progressed as described, what would the structure of the Southern Barbarians have been like?

The Beast Palace would naturally have been pushed by the Five Poison Sect, which had started interacting with the Central Plains.

And Taiyang Palace, which should have intervened in their fight or taken advantage, would not have been able to get involved due to the battle with the Red Tiger Group.

Ultimately, the Five Poison Sect would naturally have taken control of the entire Southern Barbarians.

It was such an artificial flow that Mu-jin thought this might be a plan orchestrated by someone.

A force capable of orchestrating such a huge game involving the three major forces of the Southern Barbarians and the Demon Cult. And possibly even Jeomchang Sect, which was interacting with the Five Poison Sect.

‘…But why would Shinchun go to such lengths in the Southern Barbarians?’

For the first time, a question about Shinchun’s ‘purpose’ arose in Mu-jin’s mind.

He understood that they connected the Five Poison Sect to bring Jeomchang Sect in, but this game was too big.

If they had the resources to orchestrate such a large game in the Southern Barbarians, wouldn’t it be better to focus their efforts on the Central Plains?

While Mu-jin was pondering these questions.

“What’s going on here?”

Several figures approached the collapsed inn.

They were members of the Red Tiger Group who had been resting throughout Mengdon Village.

With fifty people resting in one place, they naturally had to spread out.

Among them, a woman in her mid-twenties stood out.

She wasn’t noticeable just because she was a woman.

Approaching the collapsed inn, her eyes widened upon seeing Ou-yang Pae.

“Pae! When did you arrive?”

“I just got here a while ago.”

Ignoring the leader standing next to her, she greeted Ou-yang Pae.

As she did, the contents of the novel naturally came to Mu-jin’s mind.

‘The third captain of the Red Tiger Group. Dan Seo-yoon.’

A woman who became a captain of the Demon Cult’s martial force at the young age of twenty-six.

Though overshadowed by the protagonist Ou-yang Pae, she possessed talents that placed her in the category of geniuses.

And she was a person who envied Ou-yang Pae, who had superior talent and status at a younger age.

At least, in the early part of the novel.

Of course, through the process of fighting together on the battlefield, her feelings of jealousy naturally turned into love.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Though called a demoness by her enemies, she was kind to her man. She was one of the main female characters in the first part of the novel.

As was common twenty years ago in martial arts novels, the trend of hero and beauty was strong.

By now, as the novel had progressed beyond the midpoint, it seemed her feelings had already transitioned from jealousy to love.

‘She’s a rather pitiful character.’

As befitting a martial artist of the Demon Cult, she was a woman who knew nothing but martial arts until she met Ou-yang Pae.

Thus, she was unable to confess to Ou-yang Pae and kept worrying.

Similarly, Ou-yang Pae, who was focused on martial arts, growth, and surviving the schemes of the sect leaders, did not notice her feelings.

The main members of the Red Tiger Group were aware of her feelings, but they tactfully stayed out of it.

However, for her, sadly, there was one person here who was sharp but lacked tact.

“Hmm~?”

Watching the two, Su-linya tilted her head and spoke.

“Indeed, the tastes of Northerners are peculiar. To like such a weak man.”

Ou-yang Pae snorted.

He had no interest in such trivial talk and saw no reason to respond to comments about a weak man.

However, Dan Seo-yoon, who was beside Ou-yang Pae, was different.

Despite living as a martial artist, her instincts as a woman remained, and she felt a certain discomfort from Su-linya’s expression and tone, even if she didn’t fully understand the Southern Barbarian language.

“What did that woman just say?”

“Don’t mind it, Captain Dan.”

“Tell me.”

Sighing, Ou-yang Pae translated under Dan Seo-yoon’s insistence.

Upon understanding Su-linya’s words, Dan Seo-yoon shouted angrily.

“Hah! The Southern Barbarians must not know how to judge men! Where else could you find such a great man to say such nonsense!”

Her outburst caused a chilling silence among the Red Tiger Group approaching the collapsed inn.

Only then did Dan Seo-yoon realize what she had just shouted, and her face quickly turned red.

‘…What the hell? How far is this plot deviating?’

Dan Seo-yoon, who couldn’t confess until the end of the novel and only helped Ou-yang Pae from the sidelines, had just blurted out something akin to a confession.

In this shocking situation, everyone in the Red Tiger Group froze.

And as always, Su-linya, who didn’t care about the surroundings, burst into laughter.

“Heh heh. I think I can guess what you said even without a translation. Usually, women who like such frail men are inexperienced girls. A real man should be like this warrior.”

With that, Su-linya suddenly pressed herself against Mu-gung, who was standing dazed.

Not only was she impressed by his muscular physique, but also by the martial arts he displayed when he destroyed the inn.

Traditionally, Yang Qi symbolized masculinity.

Su-linya found Mu-gung more and more appealing.

“!!!”

Mu-gung, who couldn’t understand Su-linya’s words, was bewildered by the sudden attack.

* * *

The various complicated situations caused by Su-linya were roughly sorted out.

Thanks to Dan Seo-yoon, who had abruptly confessed, and Mu-gung, who was suddenly seduced, being pushed into a corner.

“Let’s return to the Beast Palace!”

Su-linya, who had entangled the situation, laughed heartily and said to Mu-jin and Mu-gung.

Moreover, she also addressed Ou-yang Pae and his group.

“You too, come with us!”

Ou-yang Pae tried to refuse, but Mu-jin spoke first.

“Since we’re already in the same boat, just come along. Your identities have already been exposed to Taiyang Palace, so there’s no point in hiding.”

Eventually, the Red Tiger Group accepted the offer to travel together.

Given the situation, joining forces with them seemed the easiest way to carry out their mission.

After compensating the inn owner, Mu-jin’s group and the Red Tiger Group left Mengdon and headed north.

‘Damn it. They destroyed the inn and just ran off.’

The inn had already been half-destroyed by Taiyang Palace before Mu-gung’s last Tathagata Palm strike.

But Mu-jin couldn’t ignore the poor civilians whose inn had been blown up, so he paid for the inn’s restoration out of charity.

Anyway, after leaving Mengdon, they arrived at a new village after about an hour of travel.

“It’s already too dark, so let’s rest here for the night and return to the palace tomorrow.”

Following Su-linya’s lead, they searched the village for an inn to rest in.

Mu-jin, who shared an inn with Ou-yang Pae, naturally asked Ou-yang Pae and the

Red Tiger Group leader.

“Since we’re in the same boat, let me ask. Is your mission really to fight Taiyang Palace?”

After a moment of contemplation, the Red Tiger Group leader reluctantly spoke.

“To be precise, the mission is to assassinate a certain man who is now part of Taiyang Palace.”

“Then, do you plan to continue the mission even now?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Even though your mission has been exposed to Taiyang Palace, do you still intend to continue it?”

“Why would we abandon our mission just because it’s been exposed? The Red Tiger Group of the Heavenly Demon Cult doesn’t abandon missions out of cowardice.”

With pride in his voice, the Red Tiger Group leader confirmed Mu-jin’s suspicion.

In the novel, the Red Tiger Group had indeed fought Taiyang Palace despite their mission being exposed.

But expecting something doesn’t mean agreeing with it.

“If your mission has been exposed, doesn’t that mean the cult has betrayed you? And yet, you continue to follow the mission given by the cult?”

“!!!”

Perhaps because Mu-jin pointed out the question they had been pondering internally, the Red Tiger Group leader and Ou-yang Pae momentarily lost their composure and showed a bewildered expression.

Seeing them, Mu-jin smirked.

Mu-jin had approached the Red Tiger Group leader in this inn not just to have a private conversation in a quiet place.

During the hour-long journey to this inn, Mu-jin had been organizing the situation in his mind.

He didn’t know the ‘purpose’ behind Shinchun orchestrating this large game, but he couldn’t just leave it alone.

However, the problem was that this game was already set by Shinchun.

In gambling, joining a game set up by others would only make you a fool.

Therefore, Mu-jin planned to overturn the game entirely.

And the first step to do that.

“Are you slaves?”

Was to shatter the fixed thoughts of Ou-yang Pae and the Red Tiger Group leader.