Chronicles of the Mad Demon - Chapter 97

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 97. Fight Force with Greater Force (2)

His pleasantly drunk face looked quite happy.

“Life is indeed about alcohol! What fun would there be in living without drink! Uhahahaha!”

His voice was particularly loud.

Namgung So So, who had been quietly observing Jegal Lin’s expression, whispered softly.

“Chung Ho Elder Brother, are you perhaps anxious?”

“Anxious? Why would I be?”

“Your voice is unnecessarily loud?”

“I’ve always had a good voice!”

“You talked a lot, but you didn’t have a good voice.”

“Originally, people who talk a lot naturally have good voices!”

From Namgung So So’s perspective, Jegal Chung Ho was extremely unstable right now.

In fact, it didn’t take great perception to notice this. While he emptied his cup in a manly, refreshing way, he kept glancing at Jegal Lin, clearly watching his younger sister’s mood.

“Did you do something that Lin Elder Sister would scold you for?”

“Hey now, ‘do something’! I never did anything like that!”

He answered heartily while glancing at Jegal Lin again.

Even at the drinking table, Jegal Lin didn’t touch a single cup of alcohol. Instead, she had a book spread open on the table and was reading, seemingly paying no attention to whatever sounds came from around her.

Namgung So So tilted her head.

‘Was Elder Sister always this kind of personality?’

She had the impression of someone with unshakeable composure who wouldn’t flinch even if lightning struck before her eyes, but she wasn’t the type to just read books without saying a word in situations like this.

‘Hmm.’

Namgung So So’s eyes quietly turned.

There was one man and one woman there.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, well, that’s right.”

“Hmm, he really doesn’t seem bound by formalities… Ah, by any chance, what food does Young Lady’s Elder Brother like?”

“I don’t know?”

“You don’t know about your Elder Brother? Don’t you eat meals together often?”

“Not often, but frequently? Especially recently…”

“That’s exactly it. The frequent eating.”

“Frequent eating… He eats so many things frequently that it’s hard to pinpoint…”

“Ah, he does look like he eats enormous amounts. So he doesn’t particularly dislike any foods?”

“Well, he seems to prefer meat over vegetables…”

Namgung So So let out a deep sigh.

‘What are you really doing?’

After meeting the Moyong siblings, Jegal Chung Ho said it worked out perfectly and suggested they all drink together.

It wasn’t because he wanted to drink with the Moyong siblings, but because he seemed to need a place to relieve his anxiety. In the process, since Moyong Bi’s conversation skills were quite brilliant, he might have expected a wonderful gathering.

The result was not good.

The group came to a large inn not far from the sparring grounds, and coincidentally there had just been a cancellation, so a room for about ten people was available.

Jegal Chung Ho spent his own money to secure rooms for everyone. Not only a room for Kang Geun Cheong who hadn’t arrived yet, but also rooms for Jin Gwang and Jong Hweon.

The problem was Moyong Bi’s departure.

He suddenly said there seemed to be a clearing in the forest leading to the inn’s rear garden and left to train, and no one could stop him.

In the end, because of that damn Elder Brother, Moyong Su Hyang had no choice but to remain at the table, while Jin Gwang and Jong Hweon guarded her from the table right behind.

Namgung Gwan was greatly disappointed, but said it worked out better and grabbed Moyong Su Hyang to bombard her with questions. He asked all sorts of questions about what Moyong Bi liked, how he usually lived, and whether he perhaps liked reading.

Moyong Su Hyang answered each question with a reluctant but wary expression, and the more she answered, the more questions Namgung Gwan had.

Naturally, Jegal Chung Ho, who had expected a lively gathering, drank alone with the look of someone about to cry.

That was the reality of this sad and strange drinking session.

‘By the way.’

Namgung So So looked at her Elder Brother as if she couldn’t believe it.

‘Why is Elder Brother suddenly acting like this? Does he really like Young Master Murong?’

If that were really the case, it would be a big problem.

Even if he wasn’t the eldest son, wasn’t he still direct bloodline? No matter how good-natured Father was, he probably wouldn’t welcome his son straying from the laws of yin and yang.

“By the way, this is a somewhat delicate question, but does Young Master Murong use a sword?”

He said it was a delicate question but showed no delicate manner whatsoever.

“A sword… He uses one sometimes? Very occasionally.”

“Oho! If he handles swords, does that mean he can handle other weapons too?”

“He handles all sorts of things. I think he likes clubs the most though.”

“Clubs? Aha! So he’s a master of staff techniques?”

“He does have some skill in club techniques. He seems to like beating people up too.”

“Is, is that so? Well, he did show somewhat aggressive tendencies. Still, for a warrior, that kind of temperament doesn’t seem too bad…”

Moyong Su Hyang’s expression grew increasingly reluctant.

‘What is this, this half-wit?’

The burden was beyond description.

She had been inwardly tense since he was said to be bloodline of the renowned Namgung Clan, but there was no fool like this fool.

‘Could he be an assassin?’

Was he wearing a human skin mask and pretending to be Namgung Clan bloodline while targeting her foolish Elder Brother?

‘That can’t be right?’

When it came to her Elder Brother, he seemed ready to find out even the number of hairs on his forearm.

Even a real assassin wouldn’t seem to investigate a target this thoroughly. No, there couldn’t be such a stupid assassin who would investigate so openly.

Then he really was interested in her Elder Brother.

‘…This bastard is kind of scary.’

Watching Moyong Su Hyang shudder with creepiness, Namgung So So felt some inexplicable kinship.

‘Our Elder Brother does have somewhat persistent tendencies.’

As fellow younger sisters with unique Elder Brothers, she suddenly felt like rescuing her.

“You said Moyong Su Hyang, right?”

“Ah, yes.”

Namgung Gwan closed his mouth with a regretful expression. He couldn’t continue speaking because his younger sister had interrupted at such a crucial moment.

“My introduction was a bit late. I’m called Namgung So So.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“I saw you running in the market street before. You ran really boldly?”

Moyong Su Hyang’s face flushed hot.

“You, you saw that.”

“It was amazing physical training. Honestly, it looked like your joints would crumble like crispy fried fish, but our Elder Brother said it was definitely not training to take lightly.”

Moyong Su Hyang glanced at Namgung Gwan.

Namgung Gwan smiled and nodded.

“It was amazing training. At first glance it looked reckless, but you were offsetting most of the impact to your joints with extremely trained flexibility and elasticity. Moreover, while carrying those heavy stone pouches.”

Surprise appeared on Moyong Su Hyang’s face.

‘He saw all of that?’

Though his personality was somewhat creepy, she thought he was indeed bloodline of the Namgung Clan. She didn’t know if he had a title since she was ignorant of Jianghu news, but he seemed to have quite excellent insight.

“Young Master Murong was particularly impressive.”

“That fool?”

“…?”

“Ah, sorry. You mean our Elder Brother?”

“That’s right. Even while rotating his body, his sense of rhythm never died. Your physical strength and elasticity seemed better, Young Lady Murong, but that leisure of playing with his breathing was truly at artisan level even thinking about it now…”

“I see.”

Moyong Su Hyang cut off Namgung Gwan’s words with a quick response. If she had left him alone, he would have chattered all night long.

Namgung So So said with an awkward smile.

“Anyway, thanks to that, I ended up being the only fool without insight.”

“Actually… I didn’t know if that was good training either. I just ran frantically because I didn’t want to lose.”

Why was that?

Namgung So So liked Moyong Su Hyang.

She liked how Su Hyang didn’t get intimidated or show excessive kindness just because of the Namgung name like others did, she liked how she casually called the family swordsmen “uncle,” and she especially liked this honesty and simplicity.

Most decisively, the shared experience of having an unconventional elder brother created a strange sense of kinship.

“By any chance, how old are you?”

“Sixteen. I’ll be seventeen after the new year.”

“Oh! We’re the same age!”

“I see.”

“Yes!”

“Okay.”

“…?”

She liked her, but wasn’t quite sure what kind of personality she had yet.

Namgung So So was flustered, but spoke again in a cheerful tone.

“Since we have drinks prepared anyway, let’s have some too! Ah, you’re not participating in the competition, right?”

“No, I just came along following that fool.”

“Then let’s drink!”

Moyong Su Hyang was flustered. She had never tried alcohol before.

Namgung Gwan subtly interjected.

“Don’t bother Young Lady Moyong. If you want a drinking companion, there’s Chung Ho over there.”

“Elder Brother, don’t butt in without reading the mood.”

“Re, reading the mood?”

“Or Elder Brother can drink with us too.”

“I have to compete tomorrow…”

“You can clear it up with energy cultivation, can’t you? Just drink in moderation.”

“Ahem, then maybe I’ll try just three cups.”

Even while drinking together, he’d obviously ask more curious questions.

Either way, an independent drinking session for just the three of them was formed.

Jegal Chung Ho, who had been laughing heartily and gulping down alcohol, was now quietly fingering his cup.

There were many people, but he was lonely.

* * *

Whoooosh.

A subtle white light flowed from Moyong Bi’s body as he sat in lotus position.

That light was truly mysterious.

It was somehow modest yet bright, but strangely didn’t feel conspicuous.

Looking directly at it gave the impression of brightness, but turning one’s head even slightly made the light imperceptible. The very presence felt faint.

‘As expected.’

The Infinite True Qi flowing through his entire body’s meridians and three vessels constantly stimulated the energy of nature.

‘My body is definitely awakening.’

He had digested and made his own more than ninety percent of the Tae Cheong Sin Dan’s medicinal power.

He had expected about eighty percent, but it exceeded expectations. This meant the spiritual medicine had excellent compatibility with Infinite True Qi and his body was well prepared.

And one more thing.

‘I should buy the innkeeper a gift when I return.’

He had eaten quite a lot of nourishing food, and the effects were actually significant. Especially the medicinal ingredients in the nourishing food he ate the next day were particularly good for blood vessels.

What makes a cup overflow is the last drop of water.

It was Moyong Bi who had intensely trained his body and internal energy, but the last drop of water was the nourishing food Yang Gu provided.

This was why he could absorb more of the Tae Cheong Sin Dan’s medicinal power than expected.

‘This is close to three times the internal energy I originally possessed.’

The Primordial True Energy converted to internal energy through Innate Qi was considerable in quantity.

But with the Tae Cheong Sin Dan, he gained additional energy close to twice what he originally possessed.

Of course, having a large quantity of internal energy isn’t always good, but if it’s internal energy containing innate power, that’s a different story.

‘Synergistic effect… this is something I never even thought of.’

One of the ultimate goals of Taoist martial arts is to transform power gained through postnatal means into innate power.

But Moyong Bi already possessed True Energy that had been made innate by sacrificing life force.

He thought it would be replaced with Infinite True Qi based on medicinal energy while maintaining only the vessel due to different internal energy cultivation methods, but surprisingly, the Tae Cheong Sin Dan followed the power of Innate Qi and made the Infinite True Qi itself innate.

‘This is an unexpected fortune. With this much, I really…’

He felt he could master the Three Pure Formula and more before dying.

‘Su Jeong. I will never waste this power carelessly.’

Even though he could have taken it for himself with just a little greed, she pressured him by mentioning the Martial Arts Sect, wanting to give it to her younger brother.

That heart was truly grateful and admirable.

‘Good.’

Moyong Bi opened his eyes.

“Now let me try adapting this energy to my body…”

That’s when it happened.

Swoosh!

A sword came flying from somewhere.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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