Moorim Pochang - Chapter 109

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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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Episode 109. The Residue Thief.

The skilled personnel from Jamryong-hoe and Ma-gyo cleared away the bodies, unable to hide their inward admiration.
No one spoke aloud, yet they could not contain their astonishment.
‘We knew his martial arts were exceptional, but to this degree……’
‘He was never just a pretty face.’
Within the Murim Alliance, warriors were still fighting to contain the raging flames.
But had Yang Jung not been there, far more buildings would have burned.
Retch…
“Damn…”
A few of the skilled personnel clearing bodies gagged repeatedly.
“How……could they have been lying in a place like this?”

*

Crash! Crash, crash…! Clash…!
Sword blade and spear blade clashed and parted as Baek Moon-do and Cheol-goe simultaneously retreated.
Scream…!
Wail…!
They fixed their gazes upon each other amid the chorus of screams.
“Did we not agree to withdraw?”
At Baek Moon-do’s heavy voice, Cheol-goe’s eyes flickered toward what lay behind him.
“That man is preventing us from doing so.”
Behind him, Kang Jo was cutting down masters in relentless succession.
The sight was so fierce and chilling that even Baek Moon-do could not bring himself to protest at once.
“……That man does not draw his blade carelessly. Your subordinates must have attacked first.”
Cheol-goe could only manage a bitter smile.
“My former disciple—he was blinded by the thirst for revenge. In any case, I wish this would end.”
As Cheol-goe sheathed his spear, his form vanished.
Whoosh…
At nearly that same moment, he appeared above Kang Jo’s head as the man was cutting through his enemies.
Scrape… slash…
Kang Jo, still felling enemies, swung his blade overhead in response.
Crash, boom…!
Two torrents of energy collided, and Cheol-goe materialized before Kang Jo.
“I apologize again. You have killed many of my men as well—let us end this.”
Breathe…
At his words, the killing intent that had been raging began to ebb.
Or rather, he forcibly suppressed it.
Kang Jo’s gaze turned toward Moyong Se, standing in the distance.
“A mere pawn imitating a tiger—how absurd.”
Cheol-goe broke into harsh, booming laughter.
Moyong Se was being humiliated, yet for some reason it felt cathartic.
Once his laughter ceased, he spoke again.
“Still, a pawn can at least imitate a tiger’s roar. We shall meet again.”
With that, Cheol-goe withdrew, and Yeo Hwa fell back as well.
Baek Won-yeong stood before her, but now was the time to retreat.
She had been facing Baek Won-yeong, Dok-go Il, and Dok-go Eun all at once.
Scratch…
Yeon Ja-seol, having cut down his opponent, also withdrew.
“You have grown formidable indeed—unrecognizable. Might I learn the secret of it?”
Yeo Hwa fixed a penetrating stare upon Baek Won-yeong as she spoke.
Facing three opponents at once was growing increasingly difficult.
Without experience, she would have been wounded once or twice already.
“Is there any secret beyond the discipline of martial arts?”
At this reply—so characteristic of Baek Won-yeong—her killing intent flared.

“Just like Moon-do’s son.”
Yet that killing intent vanished in an instant along with her Body Technique.
Whiiiiiii……….

*

As the enemies withdrew, Baek Moon-do turned to face Kang Jo.
“Leave the bodies—the Murim Alliance will see to their retrieval.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Kang Jo bowed deeply.
At this, Baek Moon-do smiled faintly.
‘I don’t know how grateful I should be that this man has established himself here in the Murim Alliance’s courtyard.’
But his expression grew grave moments after.
Too many Murim Alliance martial artists and skilled personnel had fallen.
“Take any weapons that strike your fancy.”
“I’ll have a look around.”
He nodded at Kang Jo’s reply, then turned his Body Technique toward the Murim Alliance halls.
The moment he departed, Baek Won-yeong and the others approached.
“The Murim Alliance situation is urgent—we need to leave at once.”
“What of Sam-ryong?”
“I didn’t check directly, but he seemed unharmed.”
Please go quickly, sir.”
Dok-go Il bowed respectfully.
“We shall call upon you soon, Master Kang.”
Dok-go Eun smiled and merely waved her hand.
Yeon Ja-seol also bowed.
“Mind yourself, Master Kang.”
After Baek Won-yeong and the others departed, Kang Jo made his way to the Guest Inn.
He descended to the stream bank and washed his hands in the icy water.
Then he exhaled a deep sigh.
Huuuuh…….
“It’s well past the hour for eating.”

*

The elderly physician applied medicine to the shallow wounds and stitched the deep ones.
Once the wounds were wrapped in cloth, Yang Jung slowly pushed himself upright and sat.
“I should return soon, elder.”
“Rest a while longer.”
The physician tried to dissuade him.
“I’d like to rest more as well, but I’m worried about him, elder.”
“That stubborn fool…………..”
As Yang Jung insisted on rising, the elderly physician furrowed his brow.
Yang Jung retrieved his sword and strapped it to his waist, then left the room.
The elderly physician followed him out.
“This may be an impertinent request, but might you help me with something?”
Yang Jung nodded readily.
This was the man who had saved his life—what could he refuse?
“Please ask, elder. I will help with whatever lies within my power.”
“If you have any Spirit Herb left, might you sell a small amount to me?”
At the physician’s words, Yang Jung’s expression grew troubled.
“The Spirit Herb… has all become spirit wine, elder. That wine still needs two or three months before it can be opened.”
Sigh…….
“So it’s already become spirit wine.”
The elderly physician lamented deeply.
“But… what do you need the Spirit Herb for, elder?”
“With it, I could save far more lives. Since becoming a physician, I have witnessed countless deaths beside my own eyes, yet their passing still weighs upon my heart. Even the Hall Master of the Hall of Streams lies with grave Internal Injuries—he will need months of rest.”
It was not only the Hall Master who had fallen.
The Murim Alliance martial artists had died in terrible numbers, and Jamryong-hoe and Ma-gyo had many dead and wounded besides.
Moreover, many who worked lowly tasks for the Murim Alliance had perished or been grievously injured.
Yang Jung looked up in surprise.
“The Hall Master has collapsed as well?”
This was a man who had tormented him relentlessly.
Yet Yang Jung bore him no hatred.
The elderly physician nodded and pushed him toward the door.
“Go now. Hurry.”
But Yang Jung could not bring himself to move.
“Master, will… will the Spirit Herb Residue work?”
At his question, the elderly physician’s eyes gleamed with sharp interest.
“You have residue?”
“I do, but… I’ll have to steal it. In exchange, please keep this secret.”
The old man chuckled.
“What do you take this old doctor for? I won’t simply feed it to him raw—I’ll prepare it as a proper herbal decoction. Don’t worry yourself.”
“Then… I’ll need to watch for my moment and take it quietly. Please wait just a little longer.”
Yang Jung hurried out of the Murim Alliance compound.
But the path twisted and turned so confusingly that he couldn’t tell where the entrance lay.
He spun around and looked back at the elderly physician.
“Master, where is the entrance? Which way should I go?”

*

Kang Jo watched as Yang Jung stepped into the Guest Inn.
His clothes were dark with blood, torn and split in places, revealing pale bandaging beneath.
“The way he’s walking, it doesn’t look like he’s badly injured after all.”
If Sam-ryong had suffered a serious wound, he would never move about so freely—he always played up his ailments.
“Yes, brother. Nothing too severe. I’ll change clothes quickly and be right back.”
As he answered and disappeared into his room, Kang Jo tilted his head.
‘Something’s off about this.’
Despite what he claimed, Yang Jung was not the type to move so easily through pain.
Once he’d changed, Yang Jung shoved his bloodied clothes into the hearth.
Dark smoke curled upward, and the crimson-stained fabric caught flame and burned away.
“Go to the village and bring back some meat.”
At Kang Jo’s words, Yang Jung’s eyes flickered.
“Brother, I’m not badly wounded, but my body isn’t unharmed either. Look for yourself.”
He loosened his shirt and showed Kang Jo the extent of his injuries.
Kang Jo clicked his tongue.
After examining Yang Jung’s wounds, he could only shake his head.
Not fatal, but certainly not something to move about carelessly with.
“I’ll go to the village myself and be back shortly. You stay here and mind the inn.”
“Understood, brother. Please hurry back.”
Concerned for Yang Jung, Kang Jo set off toward the village, using his Lightness Skill to move swiftly.
A faint whistle cut through the air.
The Murim Alliance martial artists who were loading bodies onto carts watched his figure recede in blank silence.
The moment Kang Jo vanished, Yang Jung rushed to a corner of the kitchen and began digging frantically.
Buried in the earth was Spirit Herb Residue that had been distributed among the talented members of Jamryong-hoe and Ma-gyo, with some left over.
He found a wine jug and drew out the residue, wrapping it in cloth.
Inside the jug, only a few root strands remained.
He popped a small piece into his mouth.
After sampling the residue, he restored the ground to its original state.
‘I need to get back before he grows suspicious.’
Yang Jung unfurled his Lightness Skill and headed toward the Murim Alliance.
A sharp whistle pierced the night.
The Murim Alliance warriors loading bodies onto carts stared blankly at his figure vanishing into the distance in an instant.
‘What’s happening now? Please, let there be no more trouble…’

*

When Kang Jo returned from the village, Yang Jung was sitting at the table.
“If you’re in pain, go rest in your room.”
“Ah… I am hurting. In fact, I was just about to head back to bed, brother.”
Yang Jung rose with a groan of pain.
‘Something’s off.’
Kang Jo, watching him disappear into the room, felt an unease he couldn’t quite name.
He looked far worse now than when he’d returned from the Murim Alliance.
His face had some color to it, yet his movements suggested he might collapse at any moment.
‘There’s something going on.’
As Kang Jo went to rinse the meat in water, he noticed traces left on the floor.
The ground was so meticulously cleaned that the difference between when he’d left the kitchen and now was unmistakable.
“This bastard… could it be…?”
Kang Jo immediately began digging into the corner of the kitchen.
Just as he suspected, the soil was loose and crumbly, as if it had been dug up and hastily refilled moments before.
He sprang to his feet and strode out, throwing open the door to the room.
“Brother… cold air is coming in. Please close the door.”
Yang Jung, lying on the bed, wore an expression of utter exhaustion.
But he quickly sensed the intensity in Kang Jo’s eyes.
“Why… are you looking at me like that, brother?”
“How much more have you been stealing and drinking?”
At Kang Jo’s question, Yang Jung’s face drained of all color.
How had he found out?
After returning from the Murim Alliance, he’d been careful to clean away every trace and even packed down the soil to hide it.
“Brother, please forgive me.”
He immediately rose from the bed and fell to his knees.
“Are things so hard right now?”
“No, brother, it’s not that. The Elderly Physician kept asking, so I didn’t touch the liquor itself—I only brought him the Spirit Herb Residue that was left over.”
Kang Jo, advancing with a menacing gaze, stopped in his tracks.
The Elderly Physician—that must be the old physician from before.
Thanks to him, Sam-ryong had survived.
“Why the residue?”
“The physician said that even the residue alone could save many dying warriors. He also said that if it were made into a decoction, no one would suspect anything.”
Kang Jo slowly unclenched his fists.
What a good-hearted younger brother he had.
It was impossible not to care for him.
‘If only he wouldn’t be so sneaky and would just listen to what I say.’
“Next time, don’t steal. Just ask me first.”
As Kang Jo’s tone softened, Yang Jung’s face lit up with a brilliant smile.
“Understood, brother. Is there anything I can help you with? Just say the word.”
“Just make sure you feed the horses and the chickens. Don’t forget—we’ll need to slaughter them in a few months.”
“Yes, don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of it right now, brother.”
He sprang up and hurried out of the room.
“But… your face has gotten better far too quickly since you came back from the Murim Alliance.”
At Kang Jo’s observation, Yang Jung felt a twinge of guilt.
Ha, ha, ha…
“How could that be, brother?”

*

The Chief Administrator faced the Alliance Leader with a grave expression.
While they had managed to repel this attack, if another came, the Murim Alliance would surely collapse.
The Alliance Leader seemed to sense it as well.
“The state of the Murim Alliance is a disgrace.”

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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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