Moorim Pochang - Chapter 101

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 101. Guya.

Yang Jung emerged from the changing room in fresh clothes.
“I apologize for startling you, Miss Baek.”
“What kind of martial art requires training like that?”
For Baek Ha-yeong, it was a method of cultivation she had never heard of.
But Dok-go Il and Dok-go Eun had some inkling of what it was.
They had glimpsed the secret manual called the Woo Mi Sal before.
Though they held no interest in the assassin’s Sal Gong and had not delved deeply into it, they knew of the Swaesim-sa — the Heart-Breaking Art refined in frigid waters.
‘There must have been a reason Father transmitted Mu Yeon-ja’s Sal Gong to me.’
Dok-go Il and Dok-go Eun did not know Mu Yeon-ja themselves.
They had only heard of him through their grandfather.

*

Long ago, there was said to have lived a famous assassin known as Sal Wang.
His Sal Gong was so formidable that even absolute masters could not evade the point of his blade.
When Duyeon Jung, the patriarch of the Du Clan, lost his life to the assassin, Namgung Jik, the patriarch of the Namgung Clan, fell into great rage.
Duyeon Jung had been his most intimate friend.
Namgung Jik set out to hunt the assassin with his own name on the line, yet even he, an absolute master, perished by the assassin’s hand.
It was because of this that the assassin came to be called Sal Wang.
Namgung Jik had three sons — the eldest and second renounced their vendetta, but only the third left his family and spent his life hunting the assassin.
Many assassins fell to his hand, he himself was wounded countless times, and at last he fell to Sal Wang.
Sal Wang severed his right sword arm.
“Spend the rest of your days lamenting your fate.”
The arrogant Sal Wang spoke these words and let him live.
But the third son did not abandon his vendetta.
He abandoned the life of a martial artist and took up the path of an assassin, wielding his blade in his left hand.
He learned every assassination art that circulated in Gangho.
Once his left hand grew skilled, he captured lesser assassins, tortured them for their secrets, and absorbed their Sal Gong into his own.
Thus twenty-five years passed, and he created his own assassination art — the Woo Mi Sal.
Yet he never managed to kill Sal Wang by his own hand.
Sal Wang’s trail grew cold, and he searched all of Gangho.
After five more years of searching, he finally came to Ma-gyo and learned news of Sal Wang.
Six years had already passed since Sal Wang had fallen to the Ma-gyo Sect Master.
Where could a man who had already abandoned his name and family return to?
After dwelling in Ma-gyo for a year, he departed from the world.
With Sal Wang — the purpose of his life — gone from this world, all remaining life lost its meaning.
Mu Yeon-ja’s secret manual remained in Ma-gyo, but no one practiced his assassination art.
Not only because he had failed to find someone with whom fate would align, but because assassination arts carried the stigma of being the cowardly way of a killer.

*

“It’s called the Heart-Breaking Art, and it certainly seems effective.”
“I thought he was a corpse.”
Haha…
“Don’t worry, Miss Baek. Brother, could you spare some rice for me too?”
“Help yourself.”
Yang Jung lifted the pot lid and ladled rice into a bowl.
“Shall we get up and leave?”
As Dok-go Yeop rose first, the other skilled personnel rose as well.
It was at that moment someone entered the Stone Bridge.
Kang Jo hurried outside, studied the newcomer briefly, and bowed.
“Welcome.”
A beautiful woman draped in radiant white silk parted her lips slightly.
“Could I have a meal?”
Her voice was so gentle it seemed to drift from within a dream.
“Dongpa pork—one bowl for a silver piece. Is that acceptable?”
“Yes.”
“Please, come inside.”
The moment the woman stepped in, every skilled person in the inn turned to look at her.
Yang Jung, who had been about to sit down at the table, was so struck by her beauty that his mouth fell open.
The woman smiled softly at them all before taking her seat.
Baek Won-yeong and Dok-go Il, who had been heading for the door, quietly slipped back to their original places.
‘Who is this woman?’
Dok-go Eun and Yeon Ja-seol also studied her carefully before returning to their seats.
Baek Ha-yeong watched the woman with intense, wary eyes.
‘Is she even… human?’
The woman’s beauty was so striking that she seemed less a person than a celestial immortal who had just descended from heaven itself.
Moreover, her white robes, catching the moonlight, shimmered with a soft radiance that bordered on ethereal.
Yang Jung, who had been lost in a daze, crafted a subtle smile at the corners of his mouth.
There could not exist a more beautiful woman in all the world.
“I am… Yang Jung.”
When he offered his name first, the woman smiled and spoke.
“They call me Guya.”
Guya—nine lords in a single name?
It was a name as peculiar as it was strange.
Ha ha……
“It is a truly fine name, I must say.”
Yang Jung’s laugh rang out brighter than ever, his voice softer and sweeter than it had any right to be.
At the sight of him, Baek Ha-yeong’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“Sam-ryong, I’ll handle the cooking.”
At Kang Jo’s words, Yang Jung hurried into the kitchen.
“Please, don’t call me Sam-ryong.”
His plea was so desperate that Kang Jo’s voice turned cold.
“She doesn’t seem to be an ordinary woman. Be careful.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Look at her waist belt. Would an ordinary woman wear something like that?”
Only then did Yang Jung’s eyes land on the woman’s waist belt.
Just as Kang Jo had said, the belt she wore was far from ordinary.
Metal spheres hung from it in clusters—shapes he’d never seen before, and they looked substantial, bearing considerable weight.
“You haven’t forgotten what the Master said, have you? That the more beautiful a woman, the more cautious one must be?”
Kang Jo’s words carried to the ears of not only Baek Won-yeong and Dok-go Il, but also Yeon Ja-seol and Dok-go Eun.
Guya heard his voice as well, but she gave no sign of alarm.
‘So the stupid one is Yang Jung, and the sharp one is this man Kang Jo.’
Originally, she’d intended to move the moment she stepped into the inn.
But the presence of other guests had made her hesitate.
Even masters of Gangho would pale before these young men—their auras surpassed those of seasoned experts.
Of course, even if they were here, it wouldn’t matter greatly, but this man called Kang Jo did not seem easy to kill.
‘So that’s why Yeo Hwa found him troublesome.’
She decided to test the waters, turning to Baek Won-yeong with a question.
“And what might your esteemed name be?”
Baek Won-yeong bowed respectfully.
“Baek Won-yeong, my lady.”
At hearing that name, Guya’s smile widened knowingly.
“I see. Forgive me—I am quite ignorant of Gangho affairs, so I hadn’t recognized who you were.”
Yet despite her words, she had already deduced the identities of most of these skilled people.
‘Seeing him with Baek Moon-do’s son… so those must be Dok-go Yeop’s children. That silver hair of hers is remarkable enough to covet.’
While she was studying Dok-go Eun’s hair, Yang Jung began laying out the dishes.
As the dongpa pork, rice, and seasoned vegetables arrived, Guya picked up her chopsticks.
‘Let’s see how excellent this truly is.’

*

Eon So-ryong continued his martial training late into the night without pause.
Now he had one more goal.
His first goal was to kill the man called Kang Jo and take his revenge; his second was to surpass Moyong Se.
His third goal had been to become the greatest master in the realm and claim Yeon Ja-seol, but she no longer held any interest for him.
Guya.
Eon So-ryong longed to hold Guya in his arms.
“Quite diligent, aren’t you?”
Yeo Hwa appeared at the Practice Grounds.
He quickly sheathed his sword and bowed respectfully.
“I wish to complete my revenge as soon as possible.”
Heh heh…
Yeo Hwa laughed.
She had already sensed what lay in his heart.
“Revenge is important, certainly, but you want to have Guya, don’t you?”
“I… no, Master. How could I possibly…”
Flustered, Eon So-ryong stammered out his denial.
But Yeo Hwa’s eyes turned glacial.
“You’d do well to be careful. She is more savage and cruel than anyone you’ll ever meet. Do you know what her clothes are made of? Human hair—nothing but white hair, carefully collected and sewn into garments.”
At her words, a chill crept down Eon So-ryong’s spine.
To think there was someone in this world who wore clothes woven from human hair.
“She doesn’t wear only white. She has dresses made from red hair as well, and others from black. But the white garment is her favorite. And she’s already past seventy years old.”
Eon So-ryong was startled.
Her age was remarkable enough, but how had she gained the power of immortality without bearing any tattoo?
“Yet her face bore no tattoo when I saw her.”
Heh heh heh…
“Perhaps one day you’ll have the chance to see her naked form, covered entirely in tattoos. She never surrendered that beautiful face of hers—I wouldn’t have either. But time resolves everything in the end.”
Besides Guya, there was also someone called the Apostle whose face remained unchanged.
Since he was said to be with the Blood Emperor, he would surely come to this place soon enough.
The more Eon So-ryong heard, the more he understood just how formidable Guya truly was.
“No matter how great a master, she cannot surpass you.”
Heh heh…
“Flattery now? In any case, don’t let her beauty bewitch you. You might end up becoming part of her wardrobe.”
*

Guya had already devoured three bowls of Braised Pork.
For a woman, her appetite was remarkably voracious.
Or rather, Kang Jo’s cooking was that delicious.
“Could I have a bit more?”
At her request, Kang Jo had to lower his head.
“I apologize. That was all we had.”
“Oh… what a shame. I came all this way specially.”
Guya was genuinely disappointed.
It had been a long time since she’d tasted cooking this exquisite.
Everywhere else offered quantity over quality, and nothing suited her palate.
But the rumors spreading through Gangho were the exact opposite of Yeo Hwa’s praise.
There was an inn near the Murim Alliance, she’d been told—overpriced and the food was mediocre, not worth anyone’s attention.
Yet tasting it herself, Yeo Hwa’s commendation had been, if anything, an understatement.
“I’m afraid I’ve forgotten my purse. I’ll pay you next time.”
She spoke without the slightest embarrassment.
Until now, she had never once paid for a meal.
The inn’s proprietor had always laughed and let her go, and the other patrons had rushed to pay on her behalf.
Ha ha…
“Then next time…”
Yang Jung smiled and was about to let her depart, but Kang Jo thought otherwise.
“Do you have anything you could leave as collateral? If not, I’ll take that Waist Belt of yours.”
In truth, Kang Jo had also suffered a heart-stopping shock when he first encountered her at the Stone Bridge.
Though he hadn’t been out in the world long, he’d never seen a woman of such beauty.
But when he bowed, he noticed the Waist Belt at her hips.
At his blunt demand, Yang Jung’s face flushed crimson and he hung his head in shame.
‘Why not simply extend her credit?’
If they let her owe the money, wouldn’t she have reason to return again?
Baek Won-yeong and Dok-go Il stared at Kang Jo in astonishment.
But Guya was the most surprised of all.
Heh heh……
She masked her bewilderment with a radiant smile.
In all her years, she’d never met a man who could say such a thing after looking at her face.
“This Waist Belt is quite important to me as well, I’m afraid I cannot entrust it to you.”
Her lips curved upward while fury blazed within her chest.
‘I’ll make clothes from this bastard’s hair later.’
The black robe hadn’t impressed her much, but if it were made from Kang Jo’s hair, she thought she could wear it for days without complaint.
“Then I shall offer something in its place instead.”
At Baek Won-yeong’s words, Guya smiled and bent her waist slightly in acknowledgment.
“Thank you, Baek. Well then, until next time……”
Next time, she would smash his skull with the Waist Belt.
She turned and walked slowly out of the Guest Inn.
Kang Jo, Yang Jung, and the rest of the skilled personnel watched silently as Guya vanished into the darkness.
Once she had disappeared, Baek Won-yeong spoke first.
“Could she have been a master from Hyeol-gyo?”
Dok-go Il shook his head.
“She had no tattoo.”
There were masters from Hyeol-gyo without tattoos, but most of the truly powerful ones bore their faces covered in black marks.
More than anything, he found himself hoping that a woman as beautiful as that was not one of Hyeol-gyo’s masters.

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