“Wow, Headmaster! You’re stronger than you look.”
“…”
At Mumu’s words, headmaster Do Jeong-myung was filled with excitement. After experiencing the child’s power firsthand, he realized that the child wasn’t being arrogant.
‘… monster. This child is a monster.’
He was different from normal children. It was his first time seeing anyone who reached such a level of strength with just muscles.
With a finger flick, the child had managed to blow him out of the room. He would have flown clear of the academy grounds if he hadn’t come to his senses and held his balance.
‘Phew.’
Although he didn’t show it, Do Jeong-myung had suffered internal injuries. But it didn’t feel strange.
‘What is this child’s strength?’
It is said that the child was simply using physical strength, so he had doubts. If Mumu had a dantian and knew how to use its energy, he could have figured out what it was, but Mumu wasn’t using that.
All he did was use his physical power to a ridiculous degree, being capable of blowing people away with just a finger.
‘Difficult. This is difficult.’
Even if he did his best, he wasn’t sure about defending against this attack. Do Jeong-myung looked at Mumu.
The item on Mumu’s hand was adjusted to normal, and he had an innocent expression on his face.
“Is this proof okay?”
Still, he couldn’t believe what he had experienced. It could be said that Mumu’s power was deceptive.
“… did you really touch this level through strength training alone?”
“Strength?”
“Right.”
“Hmm. You can see it as that.”
Mumu had reached this point as he had been training his muscles to withstand the weight of the rings around his body.
Do Jeong-myung suddenly thought about it. Physical strength alone being capable of such feats of strength did not make sense.
What would be his level if he was taught martial arts from an early age? Wouldn’t that make Mumu the best warrior in Murim?
‘Unfortunate.’
The headmaster thought that if Mumu had laid the groundwork for martial arts at a young age and honed his skills, he could have become the best young warrior.
Now it was too late to start martial arts training. It was obviously too late.
However, Mumu had already crossed that physical limit.
‘… I am becoming greedy.’
What would happen if such a child learned martial arts?
A desire which didn’t exist before rose within him. Do Jeong-myung, who thought of the possibilities, spoke with a kind face.
“Kid.”
“Yes?”
In the underground prison.
Inside, someone wrapped in bandages and breathed so slowly that he might have been mistaken for dead.
It was Sa Muheo.
Even if he didn’t even try to move, the bones in his body were almost shattered to the point that he wouldn’t be able to physically move. Just the sight of him was terrifying.
Dan Pil-hoo approached him with cold eyes.
Step step!
Dan Pil-hoo, who approached Sa Muheo, looked down at him and said,
“You caught me properly when I was down.”
Seeing this sight made him feel a bit better.
When he heard about how agents 1, 5, and 7, who were monitoring this man, were killed, Dan Pil-hoo became enraged.
How much effort had he spent on his agents since his time as the Murim Association’s member?
How could such people die at such hands?
“Sa Muheo.”
“….”
At his call, Sa Muheo stared at him. His eyes showed no strength, like a person who had fallen into despair. Dan Pil-hoo poked him in the chest.
“Kuak!”
It wasn’t a simple poke as it was done with internal energy. Sa Muheo tried to stop it, but Dan Pil-hoo held him down and did it anyway.
“Stay still.”
“Deputy, he is being interrogated…”
“Who would even kill this guy?”
At these words, the warriors there retreated back. As they retreated, Dan Pil-hoo whispered softly.
“I can promise you that you will die by my hands, no matter what punishment is given to you. Everyone related to you will die by my hands.”
“…”
“Your mouth will beg me to kill you.”
Despite the warning, Sa Muheo’s eyes didn’t change. Was he fine with this intimidation since he had already experienced the worst kind of pain?
‘Ha. Look at him.’
With such an attitude, Dan Pil-hoo wanted to kill him. But he couldn’t.
The answers to why he did what he did and who had done this weren’t known. And he heard that investigators from the Imperial palace would also come soon. Until then, the judgment against him would be suspended.
‘Enjoy your life.’
He wanted to kill this man in front of him. Wouldn’t it be better to vent out his anger? It was as those thoughts ran through his head that…
-Kirik!
The iron gate of the prison opened, and a well-dressed middle-aged man and a young man who seemed like an assistant entered.
And one of the guards said.
“It is treatment time.”
At those words, Dan Pil-hoo clicked his tongue. Did this guy really need to be treated?
Dan Pil-hoo shook his head and left the prison, promising to come back in the future.
-Kirik!
After Dan Pil-hoo left, one of the physicians placed an incense or something similar in the room.
The smoke from the incense filled the entire cell. Then, the eyes of the guards who stood there became blurred.
The guards, who had their eyes open wide, stood still. They couldn’t even see the young man waving his hands in front of them.
At this time, Sa Muheo frowned.
Step step!
The young assistant came to Sa Muheo and then clicked his tongue.
“Tch tch. I didn’t think Master Heo was such a person.”
Hearing his voice, Sa Muheo’s eyes became wide.
That was the voice of Kang Mui. The 2nd ranked of the 3rd year students, the master of the Eight Evil families.
He was wearing someone else’s face, but the sound of his voice was still recognizable.
‘Fast.’
He knew they would make contact, but to come this boldly.
Shh!
Kang Mui placed his hand on Sa Muheo’s blood points.
“I did hear that you got arrested after saying you would say anything to save your life. What an absurd thing you had done.”
Sa Muheo gulped at that voice which was drenched in anger. Perhaps this man was here to kill him.
Perhaps he was there to stop the interrogation.
“Are you ready?”
Kang Mui’s hand was about to move closer as Sa Muheo said.
“There was no other way.”
“What?”
At those words, Kang Mui frowned.
“No way? You could have chosen death, but your tongue seemed to have had other wishes.”
“I have no face to show… but someone had to take this role.”
Kang Mui stared at him and asked.
“Can you handle everything?”
“As the charges that should be overturned against Dan Pil-hoo were removed, someone has to replace him to prevent the academic losses.”
“What do you mean?”
“If no one is behind it, the investigation will continue. If that happens, the Imperial family and the officials cannot actively participate, which may interfere with the next plan.”
“Will you use the poison?”
“… right.
Kang Mui snorted at Sa Muheo’s words.
It sounds like a reasonable statement, but it sounded like an excuse to save their life. No matter how hard they tried, could they open the mouth of a corpse?
Recognizing Kang Mui’s feelings, Sa Muheo spoke.
“His secret technique is in the 3rd basement.”
Kang Mui was about to put strength in his hand but stopped. He understood what this meant.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. However, you cannot get it even if you head down to the 3rd basement. It is being kept hidden.”
It took him 8 years to discover this. It could be nothing else, and he didn’t believe that this secret technique could be learned by anyone other than the Forces of Evil.
Then Kang Mui spoke in a low voice.
“Strange. Why does it feel like Master Heo is trying to bargain for his life?”
“I swore to give my life for the family. I do not have such an intention.”
Sa Muheo said this in a determined voice. Kang Mui, who stared intently, exhaled.
“How do I believe that?”
“In order to inform the one who will become my lord and then die after doing my task, I endured such a humiliation. If you really don’t believe me, take my life right now.”
“…”
Kang Mui’s eyes softened at those words. After seeing all this, his heart felt relieved, but he didn’t say it.
Sa Muheo was questioned to discover if he had spoken about something. After learning this new thing, instead, Kang Mui felt happy.
‘Right.’
Then the technique has to be there.
Kang Mui, who got what he wanted, asked Sa Muheo.
“I will just ask you. Who made you like this?”
At those words, Sa Muheo’s eyes lit up.
Of course, it wasn’t long, but to know that no one else knew meant that the academy was controlling the information.
‘Well.’
Such a thing was done at the hands of an academy student. Sa Muheo thought that it might be a strange thing to listen to.
Sa Muheo thought of how to answer.
“Lord, you should know. Please listen to my advice.”
“What do you mean?”
“The one who made me like this is someone the lord knows.”
“Someone, I know?”
Kang Mui frowned.
Even if he didn’t show it, he was curious about who managed to leave Sa Muheo in such a state.
But he couldn’t figure it out no matter who he thought about. Even Mak Cheong-un, who was known to be skilled, was absent.
So who did this?
“Who is it?”
“It is the student whom the lord said he wanted to covet.”
‘!?’
Kang Mui frowned at this. Because he knew what that meant.
“Mumu?”
“Yes. It is him.”
“No.”
Kang Mui couldn’t understand this.
He had met Mumu already and even tested his strength a couple of times inside the old building.
He was an interesting one he wanted to bring under him, but certainly not strong enough to take down Sa Muheo.
“That strong?”
“I am not sure if it is the power of the items on him, but he had the strength to overwhelm me. He is the greatest variable.”
At these words, Kang Mui’s expression darkened.
Come to think of it, it was Mumu among the academy students who had stopped the arson effort.
He thought Guyang Seorin was the variable.
However, if that man was strong enough to make Sa Muheo like this, then he was more of a variable than the successors of the Four Great Warriors.
‘I thought he was an interesting one to deal with.’
Then he wasn’t someone who would walk on the same path as him? Kang Mui, who regretted it, asked.
“… what does it mean you don’t know if it is his innate strength or the item’s strength?”
“He has an item on his hands.”
After losing, Sa Muheo was just thinking about that.
Was the power Mumu’s, or did it come from his items? No matter how much he thought about it, it must be impossible for a human to have such strength.
“It seems like he had an item which gave him the strength to subdue Master Heo.”
“Yes.”
“Since you dealt with it directly, you must have some thoughts about defending from it?”
At those words, Sa Muheo looked around.
He had been thinking about it the whole time. Whether the former or latter, Mumu could exert his powers by manipulating the item piece on his wrist.
“That thing has to be neutralized or dealt with.”
That was the conclusion Sa Muheo came up with.
Mumu, who was leaving the main building after conversing with the headmaster, ran into someone.
Dan Pil-hoo.
“Deputy?”
As if waiting, Dan Pil-hoo approached Mumu.
“You are one wonderful child.”
“You came out of the prison?”
“Right. All thanks to you.”
Dan Pil-hoo sincerely thanked Mumu. If it hadn’t been for Mumu, he might have stayed inside for years.
It felt like the child was finally bringing him results, but he couldn’t be without regrets.
“Have you finished the talk?”
“Yes.”
“If you did, the information about your strength must have come up.”
It was a fact that the man inside must have seen clearly. There was no way he would leave a student who was as strong as the teachers within the academy.
Dan Pil-hoo grabbed Mumu by the shoulder and said.
“Don’t worry. Thanks to you, I managed to get out, so I will do anything to ensure you stay in the academy.”
“Ah!”
“To make sure you stay here…”
“It worked out well.”
“Uh?”
Dan Pil-hoo frowned.
“What did you say?”
“The headmaster said that since I don’t know martial arts, he will allow me to continue in the academy.”
“Is that true?”
Dan Pil-hoo was puzzled by this.
It was incomprehensible to him that the headmaster said such a thing, and he whispered.
“Did that headmaster guy put up a condition or anything?”
“Ahhh. I said I had no intention of becoming his disciple.”
“What?”
Then something must have happened. Feeling restless, he asked Mumu.
“Did he ask you to become the master in charge of you?”
“No. It was just that he wanted me to be his disciple.”
“Kuak.”
After hearing those words, Dan Pil-hoo groaned.
Who would have thought that the headmaster would try to entice Mumu to be his disciple without asking to become the master in charge?
‘Shit.’
Had he known this was the case, Dan Pil-hoo would have acted greedily.
Unless one was an idiot, they wouldn’t reject the offer from the headmaster. Dan Pil-hoo coughed.
“Hmm. So you answered?”
“No.”
“Uh?”
“I said I was fine.”
“You refused? For real?”
Do Jeong-myung was a famous man known to be stubborn and would never give up. And an academy student openly rejected him.
Mumu scratched his head.
“I said I only wanted to learn martial arts as a side hobby, so he snorted and said fine.”
“…”
Dan Pil-hoo understood why the headmaster gave up immediately.