Moorim Pochang - Chapter 105

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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 105. Counterattack (1).

“Why…….are you saying such a thing?”
Yang Jung studied Kang Jo’s expression as he sat across the table.
“You don’t look like you’ll live long, so you’d better write a will while you have the chance.”
“What a terrible thing to say! Why would you speak such words?”
He was even cultivating Sal Gong to try to live longer—how could his brother say something so absurd?
Yet Kang Jo’s eyes were colder than ever.
At that gaze, Yang Jung quickly lowered his head.
“P-please go on, then.”
“I won’t repeat Master’s teachings. It’s natural for your eyes to wander toward a beautiful woman. But keep at least a thread of vigilance. If you ignore my words, you won’t live long.”
“I understand.”
Yang Jung answered at once.
Otherwise, it seemed he’d be in for a serious beating.
Yet Kang Jo found his answer suspect.
‘Does he really understand?’
“If I see this again next time, words won’t be all you get.”
“Don’t worry. It won’t happen again, I promise.”
Yang Jung answered, even clenching his fists for emphasis.
But Kang Jo still found his answer doubtful.
‘This is driving me mad. I can’t beat it into him preemptively.’

*

As Kang Jo approached the chicken coop, dozens of hens and dozens of chicks came rushing out.
Cluck-cluck-cluck…..cluck-cluck……
After scattering feed to them, Kang Jo walked toward the stable.
Whoosh…….whoosh……
Yang Jung, who had been lingering in front of the stable, suddenly appeared on the roof.
“What is this fool doing now?”
Kang Jo glared up at the roof and frowned.
“I was cultivating the Sa Hyung Eum Gyeong. Your eyes truly are hard to deceive.”
“You’ve still got far to go.”
His words were dismissive, yet it was true that Yang Jung’s strength had noticeably increased in a short time.
“How do you manage to find me every single time?”
Sigh…
Kang Jo let out a breath instead of answering.
“Go to the village for a bit.”
“Why? We bought meat this morning already….”
“Get some beans and a millstone.”
At Kang Jo’s words, Yang Jung’s eyes began to sparkle.
“Are you planning to make tofu? I knew it—you’ve also fallen for Gu Ya’s beauty……….”
As he rambled on, Kang Jo’s eyes turned cold, and Yang Jung quickly shut his mouth.
“It’s not because of Gu Ya. I just want to try making it when I have time.”
“A fine idea, truly. I’ll go fetch them at once.”
Yang Jung dropped down from the roof and pulled the Saek Ya Cha out of the stable.
“If by any chance you meet Gu Ya in the village, don’t dally with her—come straight back to the Guest Inn.”
“Is Gu Ya in the village?”
As Yang Jung’s eyes sparkled again, Kang Jo flared with irritation.
“Just in case—just in case, you understand?!”
“Y-yes…….don’t worry.”
Disappointment flickered across Yang Jung’s face.
“If you don’t listen to me, you really will die. This time it won’t end with a beating or two.”
“Yes. Come on then, you fool.”
He hitched the horse to the cart and climbed up.
Kang Jo watched him grow distant with worried eyes.

*

“So what now?” Gu Ya asked.
Cheol-goe answered her.
“In ten days, we attack the Murim Alliance. Tell Yeo Hwa.”
She laughed softly.
“So you were just waiting for this Dae-hyung to show himself, weren’t you?”
Cheol-goe nodded.
“Dae-hyung will appear, no question. But the fact that he hasn’t revealed himself yet means he’s placing his trust in Baek Moon-do and Dok-go Yeop. That’s why I need to shake the Murim Alliance hard.”
“Aren’t you being overly cautious about this Dae-hyung?”
“You don’t know him well enough. In the past, the Blood Lord had eight masters under him whose skills were comparable to Gwang Ak’s. He had another dozen men who were slightly weaker than Gwang Ak. And still, he lost.”
Yeo Hwa couldn’t hide her shock.
She had only learned about the Blood Lord later, and had no idea he’d commanded such formidable forces.
“Then we’re at a disadvantage even now, aren’t we?”
They were not at a disadvantage.
The Blood Lord of now was not the Blood Lord of then, just as Jo Bi-ja of then was not Cheol-goe of now.
If they eliminated Dae-hyung first, the rest would not be particularly difficult.
And above all, did not Heavenly Blessing stand behind them?
“That’s why we must face Dae-hyung first. When he reveals himself, the Blood Lord will want his revenge, I’ll add my strength, and if you and Yeo Hwa help, it’s entirely within reach.”
“Then what should I do?”
“Gather talented personnel. If we can bring in only skilled ones like Moyong Se and Eon So-ryong, we might be able to draw in entire families.”
She laughed again.
“Ah, so that’s why you showed your face first? I wanted to just kill him outright.”
“If he doesn’t meet expectations, do as you please. Even if they’re not as skilled as Jamryong-hoe’s talents, Gangho still overflows with capable people. Bring in all of them.”
Gu Ya nodded.
“So I shouldn’t appear openly?”
“The Heavenly Blessing faction will pursue you, so don’t do anything too conspicuous. For now, sit this fight out.”
She laughed lightly.
“I can’t do that. I won’t be at the forefront, but I’m participating.”
*

Yang Jung stirred the pot continuously with a large ladle.
“Brother, how much longer must I keep stirring…?”
“Keep stirring until the soy milk begins to clot.”
Kang Jo fed firewood into the stove as he spoke.
“Couldn’t we just let it boil vigorously, brother?”
“Do you want to eat tofu burnt black as coal?”
“But when did you learn to make tofu, brother?”
“Learn? I didn’t learn it. It was a long time ago…………………”
Kang Jo began to answer, then closed his mouth.
He didn’t want to speak those memories aloud.
They were the happiest memories of his life.
Sitting by the stove, watching his mother make tofu in silent contentment—those had been his happiest moments.
But then, he hadn’t even known they were happiness.
“Why did you stop speaking, brother?”
“I’m… trying this for the first time too.”
Kang Jo, who had been watching the pot, prepared a large bowl and cloth.
He washed thick branches clean and laid them across the bowl, then spread the cloth over them.
It was then that the skilled men from Ma-gyo entered the Guest Inn.
“Welcome.”
Kang Jo greeted them from the kitchen.
The men who had entered the Guest Inn hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“We actually came looking for a young woman we saw here at the inn a few days ago. Do you happen to know where she’s from?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know.”
“Then when did she say she would return?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know that either.”
At Kang Jo’s reply, they turned to look at Yang Jung.
“I’m afraid I don’t know either.”
But his answer was the same.
“I see. If she should happen to visit the inn again, could you contact the Murim Alliance for us?”
Kang Jo felt sorry for them.
But with someone just like them standing beside him, he found himself at a loss for words.
“We shall do as you say.”
“Much obliged, Kang.”
They bowed respectfully and departed from the Guest Inn.
Once they were gone, Kang Jo turned to Yang Jung.
“Well? What do you make of that pair?”
“Make of what? I’m nothing like them.”
“To my eyes, you’re worse than those two combined.”
“Absolutely not, brother.”
Kang Jo checked the pot and spread out a piece of cloth.
“Now ladle it into a bowl and pour it through here.”

*

As darkness deepened, Yeon Ja-seol came to the Guest Inn.
“Welcome, Miss Yeon.”
Kang Jo greeted her as naturally as any other day.
“There’s a different smell about the place today?”
“I’ve made tofu.”
Yeon Ja-seol smiled and took a seat.
“It smells wonderful.”
“I’ve made the tofu, but I’m afraid I can’t prepare elaborate dishes. So the tofu will have to be eaten plain, dipped in soy sauce.”
“That’s perfectly fine with me.”
As Kang Jo stepped into the kitchen, Yang Jung quietly slipped toward the back.
There, he began to practice the Shattered Heart Technique.
By now he’d grown familiar enough with it that he could unfold it while standing still.
‘This time, I won’t let anyone catch me.’
Kang Jo brought out seasoned vegetables first, then prepared the soy sauce and sliced the warm tofu.
The moment he set the tofu and sauce before her, she picked up her chopsticks.
Munch, munch…
As she sampled the tofu, her face broke into a broad smile.
“As expected… everything you make is delicious, Kang.”
Haha…
“Thank you.”
Kang Jo smiled back at her.
Watching that smile, Yeon Ja-seol asked carefully.
“By the way… has Miss Gu not come by again?”
“It seems Miss Yeon takes quite an interest in Miss Gu.”
At Kang Jo’s words, her expression faltered.
“No, it’s just… she was so beautiful, I was curious, that’s all.”
Yang Jung, watching the two in silence, felt as though he might burst.
‘Why would brother say such a thing?’
It was certain that Yeon Ja-seol harbored feelings for his brother.
Yet his brother treated her as nothing more than a guest—it was maddening.
‘He’s far too cautious.’
His brother’s perceptiveness was legendary; there was no way he could miss Yeon Ja-seol’s feelings.
Why, the moment a ghost appeared, he seized it by the collar and struck it across the face.
Yet to see him respond to her this way suggested something gave him pause.
It wasn’t so much Yeon Ja-seol’s fault as it was his brother’s nature—he was simply too circumspect.
‘Or perhaps he never took interest in her to begin with.’

*

“An unwelcome visitor.”
At Kang Jo’s words, her expression brightened a little.
Among the skilled personnel of both Jamryong-hoe and Ma-gyo, there was considerable talk about her identity.
Some whispered that she might be a spy for Hyeol-gyo, though most denied it.
To suspect her of espionage merely for dining at the Guest Inn seemed far too great a leap.
“Miss Yeon.”
“Yes. Please go ahead.”
“If Miss Gu becomes an adversary and we find ourselves forced to fight her, you must take special precautions.”
Yeon Ja-seol’s expression grew serious as he asked.
“What sort of precautions?”
She didn’t regard Gu Ya as a spy for the Hyeol-gyo either.
Yet the fact remained that she was no ordinary woman.
“That waist belt becomes a steel whip when unfastened. A steel whip is a weapon entirely different from swords, sabers, or spears. The moment you block the whip, the remaining length will snap in an instant and crush your head, arms, or chest.”
Kang Jo had never fought an opponent who wielded a whip as their weapon.
But he remembered his master’s words.
“Then how do we counter it?”
Yeon Ja-seol, too, had never faced a steel whip before.
Few martial artists in the Gangho carried such a weapon, and training with one was extraordinarily difficult.
Indeed, there was a tale that ten martial artists once began practicing together, and all ten fell to their own whip strikes and breathed their last.
“If you cannot evade it, you must either block the tip of the whip or drive yourself inside its arc. If you block the middle section, you’ll be finished in an instant.”
Easy to say, but even a seasoned master would find it nearly impossible to defend.
“Thank you, Kang Jo. I’ll pass this along to the others.”
Kang Jo’s words were not meant for her alone.
He spoke them so that Yang Jung, who lay hidden while using the Shattered Heart Technique to mask even his presence, would hear them too.
Yet Yang Jung could not suppress a sigh.
Wow…..
‘Here he is talking about whips in front of a beautiful lady, and even if she is my elder brother, this is too much.’
As he brooded, his eyes drifted toward the Stone Bridge.
‘He’s really timed this well. Even Dok-go Eun has shown up.’

*

“That smells delicious.”
“Welcome.”
Kang Jo greeted Dok-go Eun with careful courtesy.
As she entered the Guest Inn, she shot a glance at Yeon Ja-seol.
‘Just as cunning as ever.’
For all his outward composure, he seemed quite unsettled beneath the surface.
‘Though I suppose I’ve never seen a woman quite so beautiful either.’
Concealing her own thoughts, Dok-go Eun took a seat across from Yeon Ja-seol.
“If you were coming here, why not come together?”
“You seemed absorbed in your martial training, so I didn’t wish to disturb you.”
Hehe…
“As expected of you, Yeon. Your depths run far.”
Between Dok-go Eun and Yeon Ja-seol hung a curious tension.
Kang Jo set tofu and soy sauce before Dok-go Eun as well.
“Please enjoy.”
She asked, feigning surprise.
“Did you make this tofu yourself?”
“Yes. I had a little time and decided to prepare it.”
Yang Jung, watching the three of them, heaved another inward sigh.
Ugh..
‘Made it in your spare time? That’s when you should have said you made it thinking of Miss Dok-go, elder brother.’

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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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