Moorim Pochang - Chapter 110

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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 110. Mad Dogs.

“We must send people to the three great families and martial clans to draw in more masters. We need to find and recruit the truly exceptional talent as well. Otherwise, the Murim Alliance will fall into our enemies’ hands.”
“How many do we have left?”
“Even collecting the bodies has stretched us thin, Alliance Leader.”
The Murim Alliance now had barely three or four hundred martial artists remaining.
Even counting those from Jamryong-hoe and Ma-gyo combined, they could add only about fifty more.
“The Chief Administrator will have to shoulder the burden.”
“Understood. The situation was so dire that I took the liberty of setting the divisions in motion without waiting for your approval.”
“Well done.”
It was fortunate that the intelligent and sharp-judging Chief Administrator remained at the Murim Alliance.
“I too would like to cultivate a successor to pass this position to, Alliance Leader.”
The Chief Administrator used this moment to voice what had been weighing on his heart.
A long sigh escaped.
“How could I protect the Murim Alliance without you?”
“I’m not saying I wish to leave at once, Alliance Leader. But I would like to take up the sword instead of the brush.”
It was the Chief Administrator who had led and protected the martial artists within the Murim Alliance through this crisis.
Yet now the very sight of written characters made his skin crawl.
A breath slipped out.
The Alliance Leader exhaled deeply and nodded.
“I understand. Since you petition so earnestly, I cannot refuse. In return, find someone as sharp and quick in judgment as you are, and train them.”
“Understood, Alliance Leader. And once the Murim Alliance has stabilized somewhat, we should commend those who distinguished themselves in this blood war.”
“See to that yourself as well.”
Having entrusted everything to the Chief Administrator, the Alliance Leader studied his face quietly.
“Is something the matter, Alliance Leader?”
“Have you dined at the Guest Inn?”
“The prices there are far too high.”
“I shall cover the cost. Let us go together within a few days.”
“Understood, Alliance Leader.”

*

The Blood Lord regarded the young men standing before him in silence.
The two youths were those Gu Ya had brought from the Murim Alliance.
The skilled ones, meeting his gaze, trembled violently before dropping to their knees and prostrating themselves on the ground.
A chilling murderous intent flickered through the Blood Lord’s eyes as he looked down at them.
“These are garbage—not even worth salting down.”
Moyong Se had at least possessed confidence.
But these wretches could not even withstand his stare.
“Still, they’ll do well enough. Mark them with the Tattoo.”
At Gu Ya’s demand, frustration surged within him—anger even.
She made demands so brazenly, as if she had authority over them.
Yet he forced the rage down.
If he provoked this woman, another entire hall would be reduced to rubble.
“Take them to the Sect Master.”
Gu Ya shook her head.
The Sect Master inscribed tattoos better than the Blood Lord.
But he only carved them carelessly into those who were not exceptional.
“A whelp of the Ju Family and a whelp of the Cho Family.”
At her words, the Blood Lord’s interest suddenly sparked.
“Could they be blood relatives of the Hundred Heroes?”
“Yes. Eon So-ryong said so himself, so it must be certain.”
Kee-kee-kee… ha-ha-ha…!
The Blood Lord laughed with unbridled delight.
What a supremely satisfying turn of fate this was.
Long ago he had fallen to those men, yet now their descendants knelt before him in submission.
“Mark them well. Mark them with the utmost care.”
Of all those he’d trained, Moyong Se had shown the most dedication.
Eon So-ryong had worked hard as well, though not quite as much as his disciple.
These men wanted to match that same level of commitment.

*

“We haven’t found the bodies of Ju Young-ban and Cho Baek, Chief Administrator.”
“So you found the remains of our skilled personnel at the eastern edge of the plains?”
“Yes. Five bodies in all. Three had their heads crushed, and two had their backs and chests split open.”
The Chief Administrator, who had fallen silent in thought, finally spoke.
“What weapon?”
“We suspect an Iron Blade, sir.”
The Chief Administrator seemed to share the same suspicion, for he asked nothing further.
“Wait a moment.”
He unrolled a clean sheet of paper and began writing with fluid strokes.
He composed two letters and placed them separately in sealed envelopes.
“Send messengers from the Jamryong-hoe to the Ju Family and the Cho Family. They must receive them as quickly as possible.”
“Understood, Chief Administrator.”
The warrior accepted the sealed envelopes and stepped outside.
‘This is grave.’
The Chief Administrator sank into his chair, his expression darkening.
Ju Young-ban and Cho Baek had likely been abducted by Hyeol-gyo, just as Eon So-ryong had been.
If that were true, what came next was obvious.
The Ju Family and Cho Family—houses of the Hundred Heroes—would side with Hyeol-gyo.
‘I need to meet with Cho Yak directly.’
Cho Baek was Cho Yak’s blood relative.

*

“I’ll go back to my family estate myself.”
Cho Yak rose to her feet the moment she heard the Chief Administrator’s words.
For her, the family was not what mattered most right now.
Yet she could not stand idle while her house fell into Hyeol-gyo’s hands.
“What do you intend to do?”
To the Chief Administrator’s question, she answered at once, as if there were nothing to consider.
“I’ll leave the servants at the estate and bring the family’s women here.”
“Do as you see fit.”
The Chief Administrator approved immediately.
The letters sent to the Ju Family and Cho Family contained similar instructions.
There was no other way to protect those houses now.
Cho Yak left the Murim Alliance in haste.
She was heading toward her family home, which she had not visited in decades.

*

Yang Jung, having recovered enough, was darting about again with restless energy.
“This time I’ll hide over there—why don’t you try to find me, brother?”
He raised a hand and pointed toward the forest visible to the right.
“Enough of this already, you damned fool.”
Kang Jo stared at him with an exhausted expression.
This was already the fifth time today—he had every right to be fed up.
Whoosh…
But Yang Jung didn’t even wait to hear a response before he deployed his Body Technique and bolted toward the forest on the right.
The moment he entered the woods, his form vanished without a trace.
Sigh…
“I’m going to lose my mind.”
Kang Jo picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it straight into the forest.
Whoosh-crack!
The instant the stone flew, Yang Jung leaped up out of the trees.
“Brother! You promised me you wouldn’t throw stones!”
“I’ll play with you again tomorrow, so let’s call it a day for now…!”
As Kang Jo expressed his irritation, the boy emerged from the forest with a grimace.
“I had been planning to cultivate the Shattered Heart Technique in the water from tomorrow onward.”
“In any case, I need to prepare dinner now, so go play by yourself.”
Kang Jo headed into the kitchen while Yang Jung shot upward onto the roof.
A soft whistle drifted through the air.
But the moment he reached the roof, he came back down again.
“Elder brother……”
Before Yang Jung could even finish calling out, Kang Jo had already stepped beyond the wall.
Roughly a hundred martial artists were making their way toward the village.
They appeared to be in their early to mid-thirties, with female warriors scattered among them here and there.
‘Are they from the Ma-gyo?’
Kang Jo recognized the cold aura emanating from their entire bodies.
“They appear to be from the Ma-gyo, elder brother.”
Yang Jung seemed to have sensed their presence as well.
The warriors paid neither Kang Jo nor Yang Jung the slightest attention.
“Masters, all of them.”
The aura flowing from their bodies was sharp enough to cut flesh without hesitation.
Kang Jo and Yang Jung watched until the group disappeared from sight, then returned to the inn.
“Why would martial artists from the Ma-gyo be heading into the Murim Alliance?”
“How would I know that?”
Kang Jo gave no answer, but he had his suspicions.
‘The Sect Master is truly a remarkable figure.’

*

Having left the village, Dok-go Yeop walked slowly toward the Murim Alliance.
‘My subordinates must already be inside the Alliance, and that fool Moon-do is probably cursing me as we speak.’
A faint smile crossed his face as his gaze shifted to the distant forest.
‘I wonder how those fools are doing? I hear that ridiculous one achieved something impressive this time.’
That fellow called Sam-ryong had apparently blocked the main gates of the Murim Alliance alone.
He wasn’t the type to do such a thing, so if he was doing it, something was off about him too.
Moreover, he’d heard that Kang Jo had faced both Cheol-goe and Yeo Hwa alone in combat.
Cheol-goe and Yeo Hwa had been accompanied by numerous subordinates, he was told.
Though Baek Moon-do and the talented fighters later joined in, the man was certainly not in his right mind.
‘Regardless, a man audacious enough to bare his liver has his own peculiar charm.’
As the forest drew closer, an odd sensation crept over him.
Gooseflesh rippled across his skin, though he couldn’t immediately discern the reason.
Hmm…
He stopped in his tracks and surveyed the forest.
A pale, flickering form darted swiftly across his vision.
Curiosity seized him, and he used his Body Technique to enter the forest.
As he ambled slowly through the trees, a crumbling wall came into view.
‘They don’t seem to have any intention of repairing it. Not that it matters—someone would just destroy it again anyway.’
With a sharp whistle, he leaped gracefully over the wall and stepped inside.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the pale figure darted past him once more.
“I told you to stop, you bastard…!”
Another form rushed past, shouting in frustration.
“There’s a perfectly good door—why did you have to climb over the wall like a thief?”
Kang Jo, who had stopped his Body Technique, fixed Dok-go Yeop with a displeased stare.
Dok-go Yeop was momentarily at a loss for words.
What door was the man talking about? There was no door to speak of.
“I saw what appeared to be an assassin moving, so I gave chase.”
At his explanation, Kang Jo let out a sigh.
Sigh…
“Next time, please use the door to enter.”
“Is it always like this?”
“Yes.”
As Kang Jo turned toward the inn, Dok-go Yeop fell into step behind him.

“It won’t be boring, at least.”
“I feel like I’m going mad.”
Dok-go Yeop paused mid-stride and examined the chickens in the coop.
“They’ve fattened up nicely. I’ll have them for today’s meal.”
“We have pork available, sir. Please have that instead.”
“No. I’m going to eat those birds today. Just three of them.”
When he refused to budge, Kang Jo gave up.
“If you’ll catch and dress them yourself, I’ll prepare them for you.”
“Fine.”
Dok-go Yeop stepped into the coop while Kang Jo headed back to the inn.

*

Inside the coop, Dok-go Yeop snatched up a chicken with practiced speed.
Squawk! Squawk!
As the bird thrashed, he pressed down hard on its neck.
Crack.
The sound of bone breaking echoed, and the chicken went limp.
As Dok-go Yeop reached for another, a sharp killing intent washed over him.
He turned to see a large rooster with crimson eyes glaring at him.
Ha…
The absurdity of it made Dok-go Yeop burst into laughter.
‘What is it with everyone in this place? Do they all lack any sense?’
Still chuckling, he glanced up at the inn’s roof.
Yang Jung was perched there, hidden in the shadows, watching him from above.
A long sigh escaped him.
It was the very same sigh Kang Jo had let out moments before.
“Why haven’t you left yet?”
Yang Jung didn’t abandon his hiding place despite Dok-go Yeop’s cold words.
So Dok-go Yeop picked up a stone from the ground.
Whoosh.
The moment the stone left his hand, Yang Jung leaped back.
“Ah… I’m caught. I’ll leave now.”
Dok-go Yeop watched him disappear rapidly, his expression blank.
‘That one’s struggling too.’

*

Dok-go Yeop brought three cleanly dressed chickens into the kitchen.
He’d left the fierce rooster alone, selecting only the plumper birds to dress.
“Roast all three. Bring the noodles and wine separately.”
Kang Jo accepted the three chickens without comment.
He sprinkled salt and spices over them, then worked the seasoning into the meat with his hands.
Dok-go Yeop took a seat at the table and watched him intently.
‘Now I see it. He’s using his inner energy while cooking.’
He’d noticed the subtle flow of Qi.
‘If he channels his inner energy even while preparing food, his control must be seamless.’
“I’m back.”
Yang Jung’s return drew Dok-go Yeop’s attention.
“Why are you so late?”
He’d actually intended to assign Yang Jung the task of dressing the chickens.
But Yang Jung was quick to read the situation in such matters.
Having seen him catch the birds, he understood perfectly well who would be given the dressing without needing to ask.
“I was delayed speaking with some of the Murim Alliance warriors.”
“Are you trying to deceive me?”
When Dok-go Yeop’s gaze turned cold, Yang Jung quickly lowered his head.
“I would never dare, Sect Master.”

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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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