Moorim Pochang - Chapter 2

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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 2. Master and Disciples (2).

The master stepped out of the room and gazed up at the crystalline sky.
The sunlight was warm, and the mountain breeze that drifted in was refreshing.
It was truly a radiant day.
“If I do not practice Hwahwa Deungseon on a day like this, when else shall I?”
Seated cross-legged on the ground, he called for his disciple.
“Jo.”
At the master’s summons, a youth with broad shoulders and a handsome face emerged.
“What is it?”
Yet his gaze and tone carried an unmistakable streak of defiance.
“It seems this master must practice Hwahwa Deungseon now.”
A long sigh escaped him.
Kang Jo dropped to the ground across from his master with a heavy thump.
“Master, please—I beg you—practice Hwahwa Deungseon today. It is your disciple’s most earnest wish.”
The smile that had been playing at the master’s lips twisted slightly at this.
“Why does that sound like you’re begging me to die already?”
Kang Jo’s face contorted even more grotesquely than his master’s.
“It’s been half a year since you first spoke of Hwahwa Deungseon, Master. Back then, I even prostrated myself before you, praying for your ascension. Have you forgotten?”
For half a year now, the same ritual repeated every single day.
On the first occasion, he had truly believed his master was about to transcend—he’d thrown himself into full prostration, grieving their impending separation.
But as the charade continued, his sorrow had curdled into frustration, and now he was teetering on the edge of pure rage.
The master regarded Kang Jo with a sorrowful expression.
“What has become of the diligent and sensible disciple I once knew? How has he turned into this reckless scoundrel?”
“Don’t you think this is your fault, Master? I would have been far better off sold into slavery than serving you.”
“Yet thanks to this master, have you not cultivated the supreme martial arts under heaven?”
A derisive snort.
Kang Jo openly scoffed.
His rapport with the master had lasted merely a few months.
The martial training had been so grueling and merciless that he had often felt a desperate urge to hurl himself off the highest cliff.
“When I was young, I believed what you said, Master. But now I cannot. How can the greatest master under heaven hide away in such a desolate place?”
At Kang Jo’s accusation, the master’s voice rose to a shout as he launched into a fervent tirade.
“You ungrateful wretch! Did I not tell you there are reasons I live in hiding? Each time I help someone with a great matter, they come seeking me again whenever trouble arises—so I have no choice but to remain concealed. If I were to show myself in Kangho now, the masters of the realm would flock here crying, ‘Goodness, sir! Where have you been? We’ve missed you terribly!'”
Kang Jo studied his master’s flushed face intently.
‘How impressive. How very impressive.’
He did not doubt that his master was a skilled martial artist.
After all, three years ago his master had ventured into Kangho and fought a pitched battle with Buk Yeom Ra and his subordinates.
Yet the slaughter of Buk Yeom Ra and his men did not necessarily prove the master’s martial arts were supreme under heaven.
Buk Yeom Ra had himself claimed his own skills were abominably weak.
His master was a chronic braggart, and Kang Jo had long ago stopped trying to gauge how much truth lay beneath the boasts.
As Kang Jo’s momentum flagged, the master’s confidence swelled even further.
He spread both arms wide, as if to embrace the mountains and valleys themselves.
“Do you know how deeply the masters of the realm revere this master? You fool! If I were to announce today that I would teach martial arts, these mountains and valleys would overflow with worthy disciples!”
A deep, weary sigh.
Kang Jo exhaled heavily and withdrew.
“Fine, fine. Just practice Hwahwa Deungseon already.”

*

The master, his face glowing with satisfaction, gently closed his eyes.
‘I sensed it unmistakably—the threshold drawing near. Yet how strange. Muk Cheon, do you still harbor lingering affection for life? If attachment remains, then it will not be Hwahwa Deungseon but Banro Hwandong… a vexing puzzle indeed.’
Long ago, he had already shed all attachment to the world of the living.
Taking on a disciple and transmitting martial arts had all been for the sake of Hwahwa Deungseon.
Yet it seemed the attachment lingered still, preventing him from achieving transcendence.
‘I must release the stray thoughts… I must…’
As his consciousness dissolved, the world receded into distant silence.
As the sounds of the world receded, his spirit thrashed against the confines of his body, desperate to break free.
Ah………..
At last—now I can perform the Hwahwa Deungseon.
Kang Jo, who had been watching in silence, wore a tension in his face unlike any other time.
“Senior! I’ve arrived! Master! I’ve arrived………!”
But then something utterly unnecessary intruded.
The master’s spirit, which had been straining to leave his body, snapped back to its original place.
“Has Yang Jeong come?”
“Yang Jeong? My name isn’t Yang Jeong—it’s Yang Jeong. How many times must I tell you, Master? Yang Jeong, not some nickname.”
Along with the clear voice of the disciple came a retort that was murder itself to hear.
The master, opening his eyes, fixed that murderous stray thought with a withering stare.
Then an excessively handsome young man bowed deeply with a radiant smile.
“I’ve arrived, Master.”
“Why would I be your master?”
The handsome youth laughed with shameless cheer.
“Why do you say that, Master? I’ve received your teaching for a year now—that makes me your disciple, doesn’t it?”
At his brazen audacity, the master’s expression softened just a fraction.
“That was just a taste I gave you because you pestered me so relentlessly. But…what do you have there?”
In response to the master’s question, the young man held up three or four live chickens and a large chunk of meat.
“I’ve brought meat, Master.”
Ahem………..
The master coughed awkwardly and rose to his feet with a sheepish air.
“Well…I suppose I’ll have to postpone the Hwahwa Deungseon for a few days.”
Once on his feet, he glanced at Kang Jo’s expression and quickly retreated into the house.
Hehehehe………
“Senior, I’ve brought meat. I’ve traveled many places, but I’ve never met anyone with cooking skills as fine as yours.”
The young man grinned with foolish delight.
Grrrrind………
But Kang Jo ground his teeth with a murderous gleam in his eyes.
“Do you understand what you just did? You could have sent the master off—but you ruined it with your nonsense.
Hehe..
The young man’s laughter ceased, and he set the chickens and pork down on the ground with exaggerated care.
Whiiiish………………
Then he spun his body and bolted.
The moment the young man vanished from sight, a whirlwind erupted in his wake.
Whiiiish…………….
Kang Jo set his body in motion right after him.

*

Yang Jeong excelled in the martial arts, but his Lightness Kung Fu was exceptional.
If one judged by Lightness Kung Fu alone, he would rank among the top five in the Kangho.
Yet he despised it.
The Pyoguk was his family clan, and he rarely had cause to spend long periods on the ground.
Even when traveling short distances, he used horses or carriages, so he had no occasion to employ Lightness Kung Fu.
He had not been a master of it from the start.
About a year ago, he had ridden out into the Kangho when he encountered a band of brigands.
The brigands wanted his horse, and Yang Jeong refused their demand.
A bloody battle ensued, and he nearly died from a sword wound.
He barely escaped the brigands, but he had lost so much blood that his life hung by a thread.
It was Kang Jo, arriving home at that very moment, who had saved his life.
Whiiiish……………
Yang Jeong, racing forward with a whirlwind at his heels, glanced back over his shoulder.
About a dozen paces behind, Kang Jo was also kicking up a whirlwind in pursuit.
But the distance between them refused to narrow.
Kkrkrkr…
‘No matter how formidable senior’s martial skill is, Lightness Kung Fu simply isn’t his strength.’
As a smug smile played across his face, he brushed his hand against a boulder at the roadside.
Thud-thud-thud…….
Stones that had lain beneath it tumbled loose, and several came into his hand.
Yang Jeong hurled a stone toward Kang Jo.
Whizz… whizz… whizz…!
The rocks pierced the air in rapid succession.
In an instant, Kang Jo’s form multiplied into three as he gave chase.
“You’re finished.”
Having dodged every stone, Kang Jo’s eyes blazed with fury.
Yang Jeong, startled, began scaling the mountain.
Wheeee…………
As he climbed, Yang Jeong launched himself upward with a burst of Lightness Kung Fu.
Whisk…
Plummeting earthward, he drove his foot hard against a modest-sized boulder, launching himself skyward once more.
The stone shifted and began tumbling down the slope.
Rumble… crash…!
As the boulder rolled past, Kang Jo halted his pursuit.
Sigh…………
“That stubborn bastard…..”
His escape was so desperate that a groan escaped Kang Jo’s lips.
There was a reason for Yang Jeong’s tenacious flight.
Having taken countless beatings during his year here, he now flinched and backpedaled the moment he saw a flicker in Kang Jo’s eyes.
“I won’t chase you anymore, so come down!”
At Kang Jo’s shout, Yang Jeong ceased his Lightness Kung Fu.
“Really? Brother? You really won’t hit me?”
Yang Jeong watched him with lingering doubt.
“Have you lived your whole life being tricked? I said I won’t hit you.”
“I can’t trust you, Brother. Do you know how many times I’ve been beaten after believing your words?”
“If you’d rather, stay up there.”
As Kang Jo turned and descended the mountain, Yang Jeong hesitated before cautiously following.

*

Swish… swish….
Kang Jo kneaded flour into dough, pounding it repeatedly with his palm.
Thwack..! Thwack..!
He continued striking the dough with his hands.
While Kang Jo worked the dough, Yang Jeong watched from behind a tree.
“Why do you strike the dough so hard, Brother?”
It was not ignorance that prompted the question.
It was that no matter how much he imitated the same method, the taste never matched.
“So the noodles come out chewy and fine.”
At Kang Jo’s flat answer, Yang Jeong pressed further.
“But when I try following your technique at home, it never works?”
“That’s because you’re just striking it. You need to use your Internal Power.”
“But even when I use Internal Power, it doesn’t work?”
Kang Jo turned his head, his eyes turning sharp and menacing.
“I’ve been serving Master for thirteen years now—thirteen years. How could you possibly grasp in mere days what takes such dedication?”
He had entered these mountains at nine years old, and twelve years had already passed; he was now twenty-one.
During all that time, what he had honed was martial prowess, culinary skill, and a temperament as sharp as a blade.
Setting the dough aside, Kang Jo rubbed rice and placed it in a pot.
Thud..! Thud…!
Then he began rubbing and striking the pork with his hands.
Yang Jeong asked again.
“Brother. Why do you strike the meat?”
“To improve the texture.”
“I’ve tried doing the same thing, but it doesn’t work?”
Finally, Kang Jo reached for the Kitchen Knife that lay nearby.
Whisk……..
But Yang Jeong had already vanished.

*

Wheeeee……
Yang Jeong ducked behind a tree as he fled.
When Kang Jo didn’t pursue, he released a breath of relief.
Exhale……..
“That was close.”
Emerging from behind the tree, Yang Jeong made his way back to the Cottage.
As he walked, a massive boulder—wider than his outstretched arms—came into view.
Ugh……
The moment he saw it, a groan escaped his lips.
It summoned memories of the hellish ordeal he’d endured in this very place.
When he’d first begun his martial training here, he’d been forced to push that boulder all the way to the Mountain Peak.
After nearly two months of pushing it halfway up, he’d made a careless mistake and lost his grip on it.
He’d stood there in a daze for half a day before pushing it again and continuing his ascent.
Six months later, when he finally placed it atop the peak, he’d thrown his arms wide in triumph.
Just as he was savoring that feeling of having conquered the world, his master climbed the mountain and kicked the boulder with his foot.
It tumbled down the mountainside and crashed into the forest.
“Do it again.”
His master’s voice at that moment had sounded inhuman.
Could such a cruel demon exist in this world?
The anguish and fury had been so overwhelming that he’d thrown himself on the ground and wept uncontrollably.
Over the next two months, he pushed the boulder to the peak again; the third attempt took less than a month.
By the time he reached the summit in just two days, his master finally nodded in approval.
“So the boy does possess patience, after all.”

*

As those memories surfaced, Yang Jeong’s body trembled.
Ugh-huh………….
“A mountain I never want to climb again.”
Though it wasn’t particularly high, the mere thought of it made his skin crawl.
The despair and suffering of those days defied all words.

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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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