Moorim Pochang - Chapter 20

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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 20. Martial Arts Secret Manual.

“Why are you stirring up trouble in front of someone else’s home?”
As a voice cut through the darkness, the fear that had gripped him vanished in an instant.
Ak Hwan turned his head toward the shadow.
Gasp—!
In the same breath, he swallowed empty air and lurched to his feet.
The figure emerging from the darkness into the light was unmistakably the Alliance Lord of the Murim Alliance.
He’d seen the Alliance Lord perhaps three or four times since joining the Murim Alliance, so he recognized the face.
“I… I pay my respects to the Alliance Lord.”
His voice stumbled with nervousness.
But how had the Alliance Lord found his way here?
Could the Alliance Lord also know of the exceptional cuisine at this place?
“I pay my respects to the Alliance Lord.”
Yang Jung, who had finished his meal, rose and offered a bow.
“How did you know of this place?”
Dok-go Yeop greeted the Alliance Lord with cool indifference.
“How did I know? The cooking here is excellent, so I came for a meal. What else?”
The Alliance Lord took a seat across from him.
“Prepare the same for me. And bring a cup of wine first.”
Gang Jo, having received the order, set down a cup and quickly began preparing the food.
‘We have many guests today.’
Whether the guests were troublesome or not, an abundance of patrons brought nothing but joy.
“A… another bowl of pork noodles, please.”
Ak Hwan placed his order in a voice taut with tension.
The Alliance Lord, observing him, opened his mouth to speak.
“So you’re Ak Hwan of the Ak Family in Sandong. I hear you’ve joined the Chamnyong-hoe?”
At his question, Ak Hwan sprang to his feet once more.
“That’s… yes, it is, Alliance Lord. It’s all thanks to your grace.”
Hah…
“How could that be my doing? It’s because you worked hard, surely.”
Baek Mun-do received his words with good humor.
But Dok-go Yeop was not pleased by the sight.
Hmph.
“However brilliant the talents of the Murim Alliance, they’re all cut from the same cloth.”
Baek Mun-do did not shy from the provocation.
“No matter how impressive the Demonic Cult thinks itself, it’s no match for the Murim Alliance.”
Choke—!
Ak Hwan, in the midst of chewing vegetables, spat out what was in his mouth as though he’d heard something shocking.
‘The… the Demonic Cult? So that handsome man is someone from the Demonic Cult? How can someone from the Demonic Cult be sitting across from the Alliance Lord, eating…’
The Murim Alliance and the Demonic Cult were not on good terms.
Beyond mere discord, they existed in a state of mutual enmity.
Baek Mun-do glanced at Ak Hwan’s stunned expression.
“Everything you see and hear in this place must be forgotten. Do you understand?”
“I… yes, I understand, Alliance Lord.”
Ak Hwan simply bowed his head low.
It seemed the high-ranking figures were exchanging something of great importance.
Glug…
Dok-go Yeop filled both his cup and Baek Mun-do’s cup with wine.
Then, in nearly perfect unison, they drained them.
Ahhh…
Both men winced in the same moment, then reached for their chopsticks to pick up the vegetables.
‘After tasting medicinal wine, all other liquor becomes unbearable.’
‘This one also seems to have come seeking medicinal wine…’
Their eyes met as they brought the vegetables to their lips.
Mm.
Hmph..
Baek Mun-do cleared his throat awkwardly, and Dok-go Yeop snorted through his nose.
They saw right through each other, their thoughts laid bare.
“Your face tells me there’s been nothing of consequence.”
“The fact that you’ve come here suggests the Demonic Cult hasn’t faced any great trouble either.”
“You’re one to talk—coveting another man’s wife.”
The barb struck home, and Baek Mun-do visibly recoiled.
“What nonsense are you spouting? Dok-go Yeop! When have I ever coveted a married woman..?”
Cough..!
His outburst sent Ak Hwan spitting out the vegetables he’d been chewing.
The words about a married woman never reached his ears.
What pierced through his mind instead was that terrifying name: Dok-go Yeop.
‘Damn it. That handsome bastard was… the Cult Master of the Demonic Cult.’
It was a catastrophe waiting to happen for the entire Murim Alliance.
If the Murim Alliance learned that the Demonic Cult’s Cult Master had appeared, countless martial artists would rush out at once.
Yang Jung had apparently recognized Dok-go Yeop’s name, for he bolted into the kitchen.
“Brother. The person sitting before the Alliance Leader—he’s the Cult Master of the Demonic Cult.”
“So?”
But Gang Jo showed no surprise.
When he’d learned that the late-night visitor was the Alliance Leader, he’d already pieced together the other man’s identity well enough.
“Why aren’t you shocked, brother?”
“Why should I be?”
Baek Mun-do and Dok-go Yeop, who’d been glaring at each other, turned their eyes toward the kitchen.
They’d heard the exchange between Gang Jo and Yang Jung.
‘I’ve felt it before, but this man has nerves of steel.’
‘A remarkable talent. Had I met him earlier, he would have become a formidable master.’
Both men couldn’t help but feel a surge of admiration.
There were few in the Martial World who could remain this composed upon hearing their own name.
“Please, eat.”
Gang Jo set down bowls of pork noodles before them.
The two men began moving their chopsticks as if competing with each other.
Slurp…..slurp…
Slurp….
Having received his own bowl of pork noodles, Ak Hwan began shoving them into his mouth frantically.
Under normal circumstances he would have savored each bite, but now he couldn’t taste a thing.
This was no place for him to be.
Once he’d cleaned his bowl, he placed two silver coins on the table.
“Th…thank you for the meal, Gang Jo. I’ll be taking my leave now, Alliance Leader.”
After a hurried bow, he fled the inn like a man escaping danger.
But Baek Mun-do and Dok-go Yeop barely spared him a glance.

*

“Don’t you have any other liquor?”
Dok-go Yeop, having emptied a bottle, asked Gang Jo.
“I do.”
Before Gang Jo could finish speaking, Dok-go Yeop fixed a glare on Baek Mun-do.
“This time, you’re paying.”
But Baek Mun-do was staring at Gang Jo.
“Didn’t you say there was no Medicinal Wine last time?”
Before Gang Jo could answer, Dok-go Yeop spat out his accusation.
“You were hoarding the Medicinal Wine for yourself, weren’t you?”
Baek Mun-do received the outburst with a mocking smile.
“This inn sits at the gates of the Murim Alliance—what am I supposed to do about that?”
Dok-go Yeop fixed Gang Jo with a cold, predatory gaze.
“Have you thought about relocating in front of the Demonic Cult instead? I’ll provide the land and build the inn for you myself.”
Gang Jo’s heart wavered slightly at the offer.
The location here truly was difficult.
But he quickly shook his head.
If the Cult Master was this fierce, the Demonic Cult’s martial artists would surely be just as savage.
“I shall remain here.”
Hahaha…!
At that answer, Dok-go Yeop’s face twisted into a grotesque mask, and Baek Mun-do slapped the table with such laughter that his whole frame shook.
“A wise choice indeed. The Murim Alliance is far preferable to the Demonic Cult. Yes, far better by any measure.”
Once his laughter subsided, Baek Mun-do drew a thin book from his robe and set it upon the table.
“Take this, and bring medicinal wine. This secret manual is worth as much as a family martial arts legacy in the martial world. I’ve even included commentary, so mastering it shouldn’t prove overly difficult.”
The cover of the book bore the faint characters: Moonlight Sword Technique.
Dok-go Yeop, recognizing the manual, was genuinely startled.
‘So this fool intends to formally take him as a disciple.’
The Moonlight Sword Technique was no ordinary swordplay.
Should one master that art, they would become a recognized martial master in the martial world.
Hmph.
He concealed his true thoughts behind a cold laugh.
“How straitened are the Murim Alliance’s coffers, that you’d offer such a martial arts secret manual merely as payment for wine?”
Gang Jo was equally indifferent to the manual.
He had spent years under his master training relentlessly in martial arts; the prospect of cultivating another discipline felt like nothing short of torment.
“I have no interest in martial arts secret manuals.”
But Yang Jung was very much interested.
“Brother, please give that manual to me.”
In the martial world, every great family possessed what was called family martial arts.
Those with powerful family martial arts could rise to become great houses, while families with weaker traditions had to live under the shadow of the greater sects.
He intended to bring the manual home to his own family.
The moment Yang Jung seized the manual, Dok-go Yeop’s eyes burned with obvious displeasure.
But then something sparked in his gaze.
‘Now that I look closely, this fellow is extraordinarily handsome. It would be hard to find anyone so striking even in the martial world.’
“What is your name, boy?”
Yang Jung hesitated, unable to answer at once.
No matter how bold he might be, the cold light in the Cult Master’s eyes was difficult to withstand.
Then Gang Jo spoke first.
“This is my younger brother. His name is Samryong.”
“Ah… no, that’s not… my name is Yang Jung.”
Yang Jung corrected himself belatedly.
‘This one bears his brother’s audacity. He has remarkable nerve.’
Dok-go Yeop withdrew the killing intent from his eyes.
The elder, this innkeeper, seemed to have nerves of steel, and the younger brother was equally fearless.
“I’ll fetch the wine myself.”
Yang Jung tucked the manual into his robe and hurried toward the kitchen.

*

Baek Mun-do and Dok-go Yeop swiftly drained their cups.
Ahhh…
Ahhh…
The moment the wine touched their lips, a medicinal fragrance bloomed across their palates, and a sharp, pungent taste spread through their mouths.
‘The aroma seems a touch stronger than before…?’
‘Was that the same medicinal wine from last time?’
Both men found themselves momentarily puzzled, but they soon dismissed the doubt.
They had been quite drunk on the previous occasion, so their senses of taste and smell would have been duller then.
Baek Mun-do and Dok-go Yeop filled and drained their cups as if locked in competition.
The culinary skill at this place was unmatched under heaven.
But what mattered now was not the cooking—it was this medicinal wine that would transform them into beasts.
After emptying roughly fourteen cups, the bottle hit bottom.
Only then did they reach their chopsticks toward the noodles in broth.
Slurp…
Slurp…
The two men devoured the pork noodles with such urgency they might have vanished in the blink of an eye, then lurched to their feet.
“Until we meet again, then.”
“Do not visit too often.”
Baek Mun-do and Dok-go Yeop crossed the stone bridge without hesitation.
Once they had disappeared, Yang Jung withdrew the manual from his robe.
“Elder brother. That sword technique is quite impressive, isn’t it?”
He examined the manual with evident satisfaction.
With a technique of this caliber, his father would surely be delighted.
“Let me see it.”
Gang Jo took the manual and studied it carefully.
Indeed, the sword technique was as solid as Yang Jung had said.
It wasn’t quite equal to what he’d learned from his master, but it was sharp and ferocious in its own right.
“Elder brother. I should return home tomorrow.”
“Go quickly then. The stable needs repairs.”
“Understood, elder brother. I’ll be back within ten days.”

*

Upon leaving the Roadside Inn, Dok-go Yeop unfurled his Lightness Martial Art with a speed like lightning.
Whirrrrr……
The darkness twenty paces ahead rushed toward him in an instant, then receded twenty paces behind.
Soon his power would surge beyond control and he would transform into a beast.
Before that happened, he needed to draw closer to the Demonic Cult.
‘If only that inn had been stationed in front of the Demonic Cult, I wouldn’t be suffering like this.’
Even as he sped forward with his Lightness Martial Art, he couldn’t help but feel the loss.
He didn’t know how such a medicinal wine could exist in this world.
But that wine existed in that inn, and the world must never learn of it.
If word spread, countless martial artists would descend upon that place.
‘Baek Mun-do is cunning enough not to spread rumors.’
It seemed only he and Baek Mun-do knew the truth at this moment.
‘Next time I’ll have to send a son or daughter there.’
While Dok-go Yeop raced toward the Demonic Cult, Baek Mun-do was searching for his wife’s chambers.
“My dear. I’ve returned.”
His wife greeted him with a flush upon her cheeks.
“Welcome.”

*

The young Female Martial Artist walked toward the Murim Alliance.
As the Alliance Master’s second disciple, she was returning to the Murim Alliance after two years away at her family home.
Those two years had been spent in nothing but martial arts training.
The finest female martial artist of the future—that was her goal.
Because of this ambition, she had rejected every matchmaking proposal that came from her family.
‘Senior sister must be even stronger than she was two years ago.’
To her, Baek Won-young was an insurmountable wall.
But one day, she would surely overcome it.
As she walked, her gaze turned toward the forest.
By the stream ahead of the forest, a handsome young man was washing dishes.
Noting the white flag, she shook her head.
‘An inn has opened, but they’ve chosen a poor location.’
That forest sat squarely on the path toward the Murim Alliance.
If anyone with ill intentions ever sought to raid the Murim Alliance, they would surely hide themselves in that forest.
Just then, her eyes met those of the man washing dishes, and she quickly looked away.

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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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