Moorim Pochang - Chapter 25

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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 25. The Lion’s Gaze.

Baek Mun-do and Shin Pung-gae vaulted over the wall and entered the courtyard.
“Well, well…”
The moment Shin Pung-gae cleared the wall, he hoisted the Dragon-Head Staff.
He recognized who this handsome middle-aged man was.
“You seem to be in fine form still.”
But the sect leader remained unflappable.
“What brings the Makyeo sect leader to this humble place?”
Shin Pung-gae steadied his racing heart and opened his mouth to ask.
“I came for a visit.”
Before the sect leader could finish, Kang Jo stepped forward to block their path.
“Welcome. But what brings the old master to seek us out?”
His tone was courteous toward the lodge master, but he treated Shin Pung-gae with visible displeasure.
‘Why is he singling me out like this?’
Shin Pung-gae felt distinctly wronged.
Yet he could not afford to appear weak before the Makyeo sect leader.
He let out a harsh laugh. “Kekeke…”
“Since I’ve come with the lodge master, do see us through.”
Kang Jo turned his head to observe Yang-jeong.
The man was already showing signs of wanting to flee.
‘That fool.’
“I shall show you the way. Please, be seated.”
Kang Jo stepped back for his favored younger brother.
At this, Shin Pung-gae’s face brightened with satisfaction.
‘I should have come with the lodge master from the start. Even this one can’t refuse with the master present.’
When Baek Mun-do and Dok-go Yeop sat facing each other, Shin Pung-gae had no choice but to take his place at the same table.
“It feels like it’s been twenty-five years.”
“To be precise, it has been twenty-six years.”
Once they had trusted each other’s backs as they fought a common enemy.
But now they stood on opposite sides, swords drawn.
After the Blood Cult Great War ended, Baek Mun-do and Dok-go Yeop had maintained contact, yet Gaebang had severed all ties.
“Bring out braised pork and wine.”
Baek Mun-do placed the order on behalf of both Dok-go Yeop and Shin Pung-gae.
As Kang Jo went into the kitchen, Yang-jeong followed behind him.
Had he remained seated at the table, Shin Pung-gae would surely have lunged at him that very moment.
“Bring out the vegetable side dishes and wine first.”
“Me? Brother?”
Kang Jo glared at him sharply.
“Besides you, who else is here?”
The deflated Yang-jeong had no choice but to ladle the vegetable side dishes onto a wooden plate.
The moment he set the side dishes and wine on the table, Shin Pung-gae spoke, exactly as expected.
“What is your name, and from what family and place do you hail?”
Forced into a position where he had to answer, Yang-jeong turned his head to look at Kang Jo.
Then Kang Jo answered in his stead.
“He makes his home here. His name is Samryong.”
Shin Pung-gae had no intention of believing that answer.
Such mastery of Lightness Skill was not something one could simply develop through ordinary training.
There had to be a skilled teacher behind it.
Yet he did not wish to reveal, before the lodge master and sect leader, that these two men possessed extraordinary Lightness Skill.
The lodge master had a strong desire to take disciples, and if Dok-go Yeop learned of this fact, he would surely drag them off to Makyeo.
He let out a hearty laugh. “Kekeke…”
From deep within his chest came a booming sound.
“Do you truly believe you can deceive the master of Gaebang?”
At Shin Pung-gae’s question, both Baek Mun-do and Dok-go Yeop’s faces flushed slightly with embarrassment.
Last time, those men had fooled them, and they’d had a difficult ordeal to endure because of it.
“My name is Yang-jeong, and… this is indeed my home.”
Yang-jeong quickly corrected himself.
He had avoided revealing his family name because he feared the master of this Gaebang would track down his household.
“Please, have some drink first.”
Sensing the awkwardness, Baek Mun-do filled a cup with liquor.
Shin Pung-gae, burning with impatience, seized the cup and drained it in one gulp.
Ahhh…
“Excellent.”
Then he picked up chopsticks and grabbed a handful of seasoned vegetables.
“Let me see if the renowned skill of our leader lives up to such praise.”
Munch, munch…
With the vegetables in his mouth, he began moving his chopsticks with furious speed.
“The flavor is… quite remarkable.”
Munch, munch… smack, smack…
In what felt like an instant, every scrap of seasoned vegetables on the plate had disappeared into his mouth.
Dok-go Yeop watched this display with obvious displeasure.
“Has a demon possessed you?”
Tap! Tap…!
Even Kang Jo, drawing noodles in the kitchen, chimed in at his words.
“This is exactly why I don’t take beggars as guests.”
At this, Shin Pung-gae’s face flushed crimson and he shot to his feet.
“Do you not know the Proper Order of Age and Youth?”
“The Village and Community Respect Elder Rule seems more fitting than the Proper Order of Age and Youth.”
Kah-ha-ha-ha-ha…!
At Kang Jo’s quip, Dok-go Yeop—who had worn a cold expression all this while—burst into laughter.
To offer such a sharp retort right in front of the master of Gaebang?
And his words were not wrong either.
When was the last time he had laughed with such abandon?
Witnessing his laughter, Baek Mun-do fell briefly into reverie.
Dok-go Yeop had once been the most cheerful of them all.
But as he lost many comrades on the battlefield, he had lost his laughter along with them.
Now that he—who so rarely smiled—was laughing aloud, Shin Pung-gae’s face grew even redder.
‘I’ve just made a complete fool of myself in front of both the cult leader and the master.’
With rage surging to the crown of his head, he bellowed.
“So you truly wish to taste the Cane, do you?”
Yet Kang Jo accepted the provocation with perfect composure.
“If you keep making a racket, just leave.”
“He’s right. You’re far too loud, master.”
With Dok-go Yeop echoing the same sentiment, Shin Pung-gae’s face flickered between red and purple as he sat back down.
‘That brother is truly formidable.’
Yang-jeong, observing this exchange, could only admire him.

*

“Your pork noodles.”
Kang Jo set three bowls of pork noodles on the table in succession.
As if he had never vented his anger at all, Shin Pung-gae seized his chopsticks first and took a taste.
Slurp…
With meat and noodles in his mouth, he began working his chopsticks with renewed vigor.
‘How can noodles and meat yield such flavor?’
Pork noodles, no matter how skillfully prepared, typically carried a faint gamey undertone.
Yet these noodles bore no such taint whatsoever.
Moreover, the meat was tender and chewy, like biting into soft, succulent beef.
And the broth—so deep and clean on the palate.
He emptied the bowl in moments and pushed it forward.
“Give me another. No—give me three more.”
“Do you have coin?”
At Kang Jo’s question, Shin Pung-gae’s face twisted once more.
“I’ll pay, so don’t worry.”
Baek Mun-do, seated beside him, took up the words on his behalf.
Kang Jo gathered the empty bowl and headed into the kitchen.
Shin Pung-gae’s irritation began to rise.
“So only the League Master has been eating such delicious food all this time? That hardly seems fair, does it?”
Ha ha ha……..
Baek Mun-do laughed away the old man’s obstinacy with a chuckle.
But the old man’s persistence was remarkably tenacious.
“From now on, I shall take every meal here. Of course, the League Master will cover all my expenses.”
“I’d gladly do so, but my duties keep me too busy to visit every day.”
“How far apart are the Martial Alliance and this inn? They’re practically within spitting distance.”
While he was pressing his case, Kang Jo set three bowls of pork noodles on the table.
Shin Pung-gae pulled all three bowls toward himself and began eating voraciously.
Slurp…slurp…smack…slurp….
Heh heh heh….
“Delicious indeed. Truly delicious.”
Dok-go Yeop, his bowl now empty, regarded him with a look of mild discomfort.
He was eating so greedily that broth splattered across his face and pooled on the table.
Dok-go Yeop exchanged a glance with Baek Mun-do across from him.
Baek Mun-do nodded in understanding at the signal.
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that look from him.’
Years ago, he had often drunk with his companions.
Back then, some of them were heavy drinkers, and Dok-go Yeop would give that look to signal it was time to send them home.
“Bring more wine here. Four more bottles, generous portions.”
At his order, Yang-jeong went to the kitchen and carried out the wine.
“Have some wine as well.”
Baek Mun-do filled a cup, and Shin Pung-gae downed it readily.
Ahhhh…
“This wine tastes exceptional too.”
He kept refilling the cup each time Shin Pung-gae drained it.
*

Four bowls of pork noodles and six bottles of wine disappeared into Shin Pung-gae’s belly.
Drunk to the point of extreme intoxication, he staggered to his feet.
“Wonderful………When will such a fine day come again?…….You said your name was Samryong?…….You shall surely become the successor to Gaebang…….absolutely you shall……Now bow to this master……show your respect…..”
He lurched upright, spouting nonsense, before finally collapsing to the floor.
“Bow to this master………..”
Snnnnore……..snnnnore………!
Sprawled on the floor, Shin Pung-gae soon began snoring.
“Finally, a bit of peace and quiet.”
Dok-go Yeop was pouring wine into his own cup and Baek Mun-do’s when he fixed his gaze on Yang-jeong.
“What have you done with the Martial Arts Secret Manual?”
At the question, Yang-jeong hesitated before answering.
“I…am keeping it safe.”
He could never admit that he’d taken the Martial Arts Secret Manual home.
“Is that so? Then how much of it have you grasped?”
“I…have grasped quite a bit.”
Flustered, Yang-jeong blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
At that, even Baek Mun-do showed interest.
“If you’ve grasped so much, demonstrate it for us.”
Yang-jeong grew even more flustered.
‘No, this isn’t it.’
In his panic, he turned to look at Kang Jo.
Kang Jo raised his fist, his eyes flashing with menace.
Caught between threats from all sides, Yang-jeong felt an urge to bolt right then and there.
But if he did, he’d be beaten senseless by his brother again.
Ha ha…..ha ha ha…
He laughed awkwardly and lowered his head.
“Next time…….I will show you.”
But neither Baek Mun-do nor Dok-go Yeop were the sort to be fooled by such flimsy excuses.
“Show us now.”
At Dok-go Yeop’s cold command, Kang Jo exhaled a heavy sigh.
A sigh escaped him.
‘That idiot.’
Displaying the swordplay wasn’t particularly difficult.
The techniques his master had taught him were far more complex and demanding.
Both he and Samryong could manage a reasonable imitation simply by studying the manual.
But if he did that, he’d inevitably draw their unwanted attention.
‘Let it happen as it will. I’m done caring.’

*

Yang-jeong reluctantly picked up a fallen branch.
Whoosh… whish…
He performed the Moon Below Swordsmanship casually with it.
The branch cut through space in crisscrossing arcs, slashed diagonals, and traced points.
As Baek Mun-do and Dok-go Yeop watched, their eyes grew ever more intense.
‘This one’s a martial genius.’
‘It’s not too late. Even if he began training now, he could certainly become a master.’
The two men’s thoughts had converged.
Yang-jeong, having performed his careless sword dance with the branch, flashed a self-deprecating smile.
Heh heh…
“There’s still far to go.”
Ugh…
At those words, Kang Jo let out a stifled groan.
He’d known the man was slow-witted, but not to this degree.
What he’d done casually, making some effort at least, was something a true beginner could never manage at all.
Now it was certain—the man would be hounded relentlessly by both the faction leaders.
Baek Mun-do observed Kang Jo while concealing his inner thoughts.
“How far have you progressed in your training?”
Kang Jo answered without hesitation.
“I have no interest in martial arts, so I haven’t even opened the manual.”
Baek Mun-do and Dok-go Yeop studied Kang Jo with penetrating gazes.
By their assessment, this Samryong was undoubtedly a remarkable talent.
But the innkeeper was an even greater one.
His bold character was unquestionable, and his physique seemed exceptionally superior.
“Why don’t you train in martial arts?”
“Do I look like I have time to train when I can barely keep up with cooking?”
Baek Mun-do withdrew his gaze.
‘What a waste. He’s too talented to rot away as an innkeeper.’
Yet Dok-go Yeop’s sharp eyes remained fixed on Kang Jo.
‘There’s something about him.’
Until now he hadn’t given it much thought, but the innkeeper moved with unusual lightness.
More precisely, his gait was distinctive.
When bringing out dishes, he sometimes approached without being noticed.
He’d attributed it to his attention being elsewhere, but something more seemed to be at work.
Studying Kang Jo with his penetrating eyes, Dok-go Yeop slowly spoke.
“Bring a different wine.”

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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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