"Mu Jin! How dare you disobey my order?"
The voice belonged to Ryeon, whose pupils had shrunk in anger. He had been waiting for Mu Jin in the apple garden for the past hour.
"Oh, so this was what I had forgotten," Mu Jin sighed inwardly.
Ryeon's loud voice drew the attention of the other disciples training in the courtyard.
He was known to be a kind and gentle senior. What could Mu Jin have done for him to be this furious?
"Gu Ryeon, is everything alright?" asked Dong Hwan, the second-generation disciple who was training the young disciples.
He was a handsome young man with long black hair, a slim figure, and the demeanor of a strict and upright person. With a calm mind and a blunt mouth that never hesitated to speak his thoughts, and never turning a blind eye to oppression, he was the very example of a martial artist from an orthodox sect.
Each month, the second-generation disciple assigned to teach the third-generation disciples would change so that the seniors could also focus on their own training.
He was always suspicious of the double-faced nature of Gu Ryeon. It had only been three days since Dong Hwan had begun his teachings and when he saw Mu Jin, a disciple whom Gu Ryeon had claimed as his personal student while still in a dormant state and knowing no martial arts, his suspicion only deepened.
"Brother Hwan, I told this foolish junior brother of mine to meet me in the apple garden two hours ago for training," Gu Ryeon replied, forcefully forming a smile. "And here he is, ignoring my order and wasting his time."
"Is that true, Mu Jin?" Dong Hwan asked, turning to him, his voice calm.
Mu Jin nodded silently.
"Then why didn't you go?"
"I forgot," Mu Jin replied.
"Is that really the only reason?"
'Oho, interesting. He is suspicious of Gu Ryeon and isn't even trying to hide it,' Mu Jin murmured inwardly, amused. 'In that case...'
He parted his lips to answer, but before he could speak—
"Brother Hwan, what is the meaning of this?" Gu Ryeon muttered, annoyance clear on his face. "You might create the misunderstanding that I am treating Mu Jin unfairly."
"He has been under you for the past two years. Still, he hasn't even become a third-rate martial artist," Dong Hwan replied with a calm voice and a straight face. "I have also noticed numerous wounds on his body—"
"Brother Hwan, the entire sect is aware of Mu Jin's inability to train," Ryeon interrupted, cutting him off mid-sentence. "And what wounds are you referring to? He looks perfectly healthy, even more so than before."
"Why is Brother Hwan questioning Brother Ryeon?"
"Mu Jin is just trash. Even then, under Brother Ryeon's guidance, he managed to transform his body to such a state."
"Right! Brother Hwan seems to have a personal grudge against Brother Ryeon."
The disciples began murmuring, their words clearly in support of Gu Ryeon.
Still, Dong Hwan paid no attention to the accusations against his character. He turned to Mu Jin and asked again,
"Mu Jin, I asked you a question. Why didn't you obey Brother Ryeon's order?"
"Brother Hwan! You are crossing a li—"
"B-because Brother Ryeon would have beaten me if I had gone there," Mu Jin replied, lowering his face, his limbs trembling.
"Wh-what nonsense are you talking—"
"Mu Jin, continue," Hwan said, casting a glare at Ryeon. It was a silent warning not to interrupt.
Mu Jin did not speak. Ryeon's earlier loud outburst had terrified him. His breathing grew heavy, and his limbs trembled in fear.
Hwan gently tapped Mu Jin's shoulder and murmured, "You don't need to be afraid of anyone. Tell me everything. It's the only way I can help you."
Mu Jin took a deep breath to calm himself and began,
"B-brother Ryeon hates me because of my looks. He never taught me anything. To make sure that I did not become a martial artist, he told all the other senior brothers that he was personally teaching me."
Gu Ryeon moved his hand toward the hilt at his waist and shouted,
"Mu Jin! How dare you speak such lies—"
"Brother Ryeon, this is the third time you have tried to stop Mu Jin from speaking," Hwan said, shielding Mu Jin behind him. "Make any foolish move, and the Sect Master will hear of everything and conduct an investigation."
Gu Ryeon flinched at the mention of the Sect Master. He removed his hand from the hilt, took a deep breath to calm himself, and muttered while casting a sharp gaze at Mu Jin,
"According to what you have said, I am responsible for your stagnant growth, correct? I only wished to support you in overcoming your trauma. I never thought you would spit on the very plate from which you eat."
He sighed as though deeply disappointed in Mu Jin and continued,
"In that case, as of now, I release you. You may train under any senior brother you wish. However, I cannot overlook the mud you have thrown on my character. In twenty days, the Inner Court Selection Competition will be held. If you win, I will apologize to you on my knees. But if you lose, you will leave the sect."
"Brother Ryeon, you are deliberately assigning him a task that is impossible to achieve. All the third-generation disciples are already close to becoming second-rate martial artists. Reaching that stage in just twenty days is imp—"
"I accept your challenge, Brother Ryeon," Mu Jin replied before Hwan could finish.
"Mu Jin, you don't need to do this," Hwan said, turning to him.
Mu Jin gave a warm smile to Hwan, one that stirred the hearts of many young female disciples watching the unfolding drama, and murmured,
"Thank you so much for standing up for me."
A tear rolled down from the corner of Mu Jin's eye as he continued,
"Thanks to you, I have a chance to escape this hell."
'Oh, Mu Jin... he must be relieved that Gu Ryeon will no longer bully him. He accepted the challenge knowing it is impossible because leaving the sect is better than enduring this torture. How could someone suffer so much in an orthodox sect? I must ensure that something like this never happens again,' Hwan concluded inwardly, nearly tearing up.
Mu Jin lowered his head and continued to thank him in a broken voice, while the corners of his lips curled upward to his ears,
'Your days are numbered, Gu Ryeon.'