"Th-this bastard!" Seok Jin muttered, veins bulging across his forehead. "Have you finally lost it?"
He clenched his fist and hurled it toward Mu Jin's face, who was still sitting cross-legged.
Before the punch could reach him, Mu Jin grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground and threw it into his eyes.
"Th-that bastard! Capture him!" Seok Jin barked, rubbing his eyes.
By the time the other three made their move, Mu Jin had already risen to his feet.
One held him from behind, locking his arms around Mu Jin's, while the other two hurled their fists from the front.
"Aren't you being a little too lovely with me?" Mu Jin murmured with a gentle smile to the disciple holding him from behind.
"H-huh?" the disciple mumbled, his face turning red from Mu Jin's enchanting smile.
While he was dazed, Mu Jin tilted his head sideways as the fists from the other disciples reached his face.
Bam!
Their punches landed directly on the face of the disciple behind Mu Jin. His grip loosened, and he fell to the ground.
"You idiot, why are you daz—"
One of the disciples who had thrown the punch shouted, but before he could finish his sentence, Mu Jin grabbed his shoulders with both hands and drove his knee straight into his groin.
Crack!
"AAGHHHH!!!!"
The disciple screamed at the top of his lungs, rolling on the ground in pain.
"H-how could you..." the other beside him murmured, feeling pain in his own crotch just from watching his companion scream.
"I'm not into touching a man's junk, but," Mu Jin sighed, grabbing the other one with a terrifying claw, "it is what it is."
"B-brother Mu Jin, wa-wait—"
Crack!
"Aghh!!!! It hurts! I'm dying!"
"Three down, one remaining," Mu Jin murmured, shaking his hand in disgust, his sharp golden eyes locking onto Seok Jin, who had drawn his blunt sword in desperation.
The third-generation disciples were not allowed to use sharp swords. Still, even these blunt swords could be fatal if infused with Qi.
The playful expression on Mu Jin's face vanished the moment Seok Jin drew his weapon.
"Oy, ugly," Mu Jin muttered, his eyes narrowing. "Now that you've drawn your weapon, are you ready to risk your life?"
Chills surged through Seok Jin's spine from the sudden change in Mu Jin's demeanor. The glare from Mu Jin's golden eyes felt as if he were standing before a mountain.
Still, he had known Mu Jin for the past two years since entering the abodes of the third-generation disciples.
There was no way that pathetic Mu Jin, who trembled even when someone raised their voice, could exude such a terrifying presence.
"Don't get cocky just because you used dirty and underhanded tricks," Seok Jin shouted, his face showing both defiance and nervousness.
"Is this also a trick?" Mu Jin's deep voice came from behind him.
"When did he get behind—"
Before Seok Jin could finish, Mu Jin swung his hand in a horizontal strike, hitting the side of his neck.
His body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground.
"I-I can't move..." Seok Jin muttered, unable to move a single muscle. "What have you done to me?"
"You are more stupid than you look," Mu Jin said, standing before him with his arms crossed. "Isn't it obvious? I blocked your pressure points."
"D-don't bark nonsense," Seok Jin shouted. "Only a skilled physician can do something like that."
"You aren't entirely wrong," Mu Jin replied, rubbing the back of his head.
"So how did you—"
"What made you think I would tell you anything, fucker?" Mu Jin mocked, a smirk curling across his face.
"Y-you impotent bastard! Release me right now if you know what's good for you."
"You're still going on about that," Mu Jin muttered, his eyes narrowing in annoyance.
"Oh right, you must be feeling left out," Mu Jin continued, moving his foot toward his crotch.
"He-hey, wait! Don't do it! Stop, you bastard! Pl-please! Senior Brother Mu Jin, I beg you. Anything but that—"
Crack!
"AAHHHHHHH!"
"Welcome to the club," Mu Jin chuckled, withdrawing his foot.
"And where do you think you are running off to?" Mu Jin said to the first disciple, whose face had been struck by the others.
While Mu Jin was dealing with Seok Jin, he had been silently trying to slip away, crawling on the ground.
"How terrible of you to abandon your friends," Mu Jin whispered close to his ear, gripping his head.
"I-I have already received my punishment," the disciple whimpered, tears forming in his eyes. "Please show some mercy, Father Mu Jin."
Mu Jin let out a tired sigh, releasing his head. "Now you're making me feel like the bad one."
"Th-thank you, Father Mu Jin," the disciple said, giving him a deep bow.
"What are you thanking me for?" Mu Jin said, the corner of his lips rising. "I don't play favorites. Still, since you've apologized so sincerely, you can keep one of them."
"Wh-what do you mean—"
Crack!
---
"Huff... huff... I only moved my body a little... and used an imitation of Shadow Step... and I feel like I might faint at any moment," Mu Jin murmured, breathing heavily.
He hid it behind his calm facade, but that brief movement and the footwork technique he used to appear behind Seok Jin had exhausted him completely.
As soon as the group of bullies left, he fell onto his back, barely managing to stay conscious.
"This body is in worse condition than I thought," Mu Jin muttered, looking at himself.
Only then did he realize that the numerous bruises on his body had completely healed.
"I had my doubts, but Min Ji really gave me exceptional medicine. I should thank her properly."
"And how are you going to do that?" A breathtaking face appeared right before his eyes.
"You scared me, Sister Min Ji," Mu Jin said calmly.
Her back was bent, her hands clasped behind her as she leaned in close to his face while he sat on the ground.
"But you do not look surprised in the least," Min Ji said, frowning.
"I'm very surprised," Mu Jin replied with a straight face.
In truth, he was genuinely surprised. He hadn't sensed her approach at all. Only when she spoke did he become aware of her presence. This clearly showed the gap between their realms.
"Hmph, liar," Min Ji retorted before sitting beside him. "Forget about that. I'm more interested in the proper thanks you intend to give me."