Moorim Pochang - Chapter 5

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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 5. Setting Out into the Jianghu.

Understood, senior.”
Even without Gang Jo’s command, Yang Jeong wanted to deal with the bandits himself.
He had nearly lost his life on the road once before when he encountered a gang of them.
After driving his point home a bit further, armed figures burst from the undergrowth.
The bandits blocking the road drew their blades and shouted with swagger.
“Hand over the horses and cart—give us everything you’ve got!”
Whoosh!
The moment the bandits cried out, Yang Jeong launched himself into the air, deploying his Body Technique.
Rising through that same air, he raked his foot across the face of the shouting bandit.
Thwack!
Aaaargh!
The bandit shrieked and went flying backward, slamming hard into the earth.
Yang Jeong threw himself into the thick of the bandits, his movements a blur.
Crack-crack! Thud!
Agh!
Aaaah!
With each swing of his fists and kicks, the bandits fell with death-cries, crumpling where they stood.
His movements were so swift that six or more bandits didn’t even manage to raise their blades once.
Thump! Crack! Thud!
“Worms! Less than worms, you bastards! Die! All of you, die!”
Yang Jeong stomped down on the fallen bandits without mercy.
Aaaah!
Gahhh!
He stamped so viciously that blood spilled from their mouths.
“Spare us! Please, spare us!”
“Our lives—just our lives!”
The bandits shrieked and pleaded desperately for their lives.
Had the cart-driver been a Jianghu master, he would have pretended not to see them and let them go.
But when Gang Jo examined the cart, he saw large metal cauldrons loaded inside.
That was what had led him to assume they were merely moving house.
Thud! Whack!
“Spare you? Spare you for what, you dogs!”
Gahhh!
Aaaah!
Gang Jo sat on the cart, watching it all with a distant gaze.
‘So he has a cruel streak after all.’
Sam Ryong was frivolous and a chatterbox, but his heart was quite wide.
Yet seeing him stomp like this made it clear he harbored deep grievances.
After trampling the bandits for some time, he took their weapons and stripped them of their outer robes.
Only after burning even their underclothes did he climb back onto the driver’s seat.
Sigh.
“I feel much better now, senior.”
Creak…creak…
The cart rumbled back to life, and six naked bandits lay sprawled across the Official Road.

*

“There stands the Martial Alliance.”
The middle-aged Land Broker pointed toward the distant halls.
The halls of the Martial Alliance rose above their tall walls, magnificent even from afar.
“And the land from the deed—that is there.”
He gestured toward a forest visible beyond the stream.
Gang Jo and Yang Jeong gazed at the forest with blank expressions.
The forest, untended by its owner, was densely overgrown with small and stunted trees.
Beyond the gate, the crumbling walls and tilted roofs of the main buildings loomed pale and ghostly.
“Brother, this looks like a haunted house that’s been abandoned for ages.”
Yang Jeong was right—the place was fit for no living soul.
It was hardly suitable for an inn at all.
It lay some distance from the Martial Alliance, and the nearest village was far enough that customers seemed unlikely to venture this way.
The Land Broker paid no mind to their misgivings.
“Just hand over my fee. I’ve no time to waste.”
“Are you certain this is the place?”
Gang Jo’s question drew an exasperated response.
“I’ve been doing this work for thirty-five years—surely I know the lands in these parts.”
Gang Jo had no choice but to produce a silver coin from his purse and hand it over.
The broker took the silver and, offering a parting word of caution, vanished down the path.
“This land is unfit for habitation. Years ago, bandits raided the estate and slew many of its inhabitants, or so the tale goes. The master of that house surrendered the property to another and fled far away with his surviving family.”
Once the middle-aged broker had gone, Gang Jo and Yang Jeong crossed the broad stream and entered the forest.
Fortunately, the stone bridge leading into the woods still remained intact.
As they stepped into the forest, a gate without doors and crumbling walls came into view.
Gang Jo passed through the open gate and let out a long sigh.
Haah……………….
The estate was quite large and spacious.
Yet not a single building stood unbroken, and the broad courtyard was choked with wild grasses and trees.
Haah…………..
Yang Jeong, surveying the buildings, also released a heavy groan.
“Brother, it would be far cheaper to tear everything down and build anew.”
He was right—the structures were beyond repair.
Some buildings bore the scorch marks of fire, and most had collapsed roofs where main beams had snapped under their own weight.
The only exception was a small building nearest the gate, which seemed passable with some work.
As Gang Jo stood lost in thought, Yang Jeong continued.
“Brother, spare yourself the suffering. Sell the He Shou Wu and ginseng, and live in comfort for the rest of your days. If that displeases you, come with me and join an escort house instead.”
If he sold the He Shou Wu and ginseng he’d left behind, he could live like a lord in a mansion for life.
He needn’t sell it all.
Even a partial sale would secure a life of wealth.
Only then did Gang Jo finally come to his senses.
“I mean to keep those herbs for my descendants and yours.”
“Brother, your words have merit, but that place truly seems unsuitable. How could anyone live in a place where ghosts might walk?”
Despite Yang Jeong’s protests, Gang Jo shook his head.
“If the cooking is skillful enough, customers will seek out an inn even atop a mountain. Now unload the baggage.”
Phew……….
“Yes, brother.”
Yang Jeong sighed and walked back out through the gate.
There was logic in what his brother said.
Famous inns, no matter how remote, always drew crowds of guests.
But it would take considerable time before word spread.

*

Clearing the weeds and felling trees consumed an entire day—or rather, many days’ worth of labor.
In fact, it would take days more to finish.
While Gang Jo pulled weeds and cut timber, Yang Jeong ventured to the village and hauled back lumber, saws, and hammers.
After four days of clearing the courtyard, Gang Jo and Yang Jeong began the work of repairs.
“Brother, I fear we must hire carpenters. This is work for far more than two men.”
At Yang Jeong’s words, Gang Jo surveyed the surrounding buildings.
He was right—repairing all the structures of this estate would take years with just the two of them.
Gang Jo pointed to the smallest building, the one that seemed most salvageable.
“Start small.”
“But brother, that’s where you and I sleep.”
“We’ll tear out one room and make it a kitchen.”
“Then where will the guests eat?”
The small building contained only two rooms.
Even if they converted one into a kitchen, there would be nowhere for guests to dine.
“Let them eat outside.”
Yang Jeong stared at Gang Jo’s face in disbelief.
“Even the humblest roadside inns set up awnings to keep out the sun and rain.”
“Then we’ll just build a new roof.”
“You’re…”
He couldn’t even string together a proper response to Gang Jo’s words.
Running an inn was no trivial matter.
No matter how skilled one’s cooking might be, customers had to walk through the door and sit down before you could serve them a meal.
‘I give up. Whatever happens, happens.’

*

Converting a room into a kitchen was no simple task either.
Just tearing up the floor and building a hearth and cooking platform took two full days.
Once the kitchen was finished, Yang Jeong flopped flat on the ground.
“I’m exhausted. I can’t go on any longer.”
The work was grueling, but not so much that it warranted lying sprawled on the floor.
“Stop whining and keep moving.”
At Gang Jo’s words, Yang Jeong began gauging his mood carefully.
“Couldn’t I have just one cup of drink?”
“You damned—”
Just as Gang Jo was about to snap, he relented and opened the liquor cask, pouring two cups.
Yang Jeong, who moments before had been lying on the floor, shot up and snatched the cup from his hands.
He drank it down in one breath.
Ahhhh…
The moment the liquor went down, he sat in proper posture and began his Qi Circulation Meditation.
Gang Jo emptied his own cup and clicked his tongue.
Tsk, tsk.
“Stop wasting your effort. No matter how hard you try, it won’t work.”
Neither he nor Yang Jeong—nor anyone else in the world, for that matter—could convert the essence of Spirit Medicine into Inner Power.
They had consumed so much Spirit Medicine over the years that their Dantian itself now rejected that essence.
Sigh…
Yang Jeong exhaled deeply and opened his eyes.
He knew this truth well enough, but he had tried the Qi Circulation Meditation on the faint hope that something might change.
“It still doesn’t work.”
He sprang to his feet and seized the hammer.
He felt restless—his body brimmed with excess energy that needed outlet.
Recognizing this, Gang Jo pointed to a crumbling pavilion nearby.
“Tear that pavilion down.”
“Why?”
“We’ll use the wood and tiles that come out of it for construction.”
“Understood.”
Yang Jeong grasped the intent and unleashed his Body Technique toward the dilapidated pavilion.
Whoosh…
The moment his feet left the ground, his form appeared beside the crumbling structure.
Crack! Splinter! Boom!
As Yang Jeong’s limbs struck, walls shattered and the roof began to collapse.
“Should’ve given him the drink sooner.”
Watching his handiwork, Gang Jo smiled faintly.

*

Gang Jo and Yang Jeong extended the eaves far out using the wood and tiles salvaged from the pavilion.
They set up pillars to support the roof’s weight, constructing it in the style of a covered veranda.
The moment Yang Jeong laid the final tile, he collapsed onto the floor again.
“It’s finally done.”
“Done? What’s done? You planning to stand and eat rice straight from the bowl?”
Gang Jo flared up in irritation, glaring at Yang Jeong.
“I’m starving. I’m so hungry I don’t even have the energy to speak anymore.”
“How long has it been since we last ate that you’re hungry already?”
“I have no strength left.”
“This damned brat……”
Gang Jo, glowering at him, had no choice but to prepare the meal.
He rinsed the rice first and set it to cook, then began cleaning the pork that Yang Jeong had bought from the village.
Yang Jeong, who claimed to be without strength, settled onto one side and started talking again.
“Brother, don’t you think you’re planning the inn a bit too small? Shouldn’t guests have somewhere to sleep?”
Gang Jo answered him while grilling the meat.
“I’m planning to build the guest rooms gradually.”
Guest accommodations varied wildly from inn to inn.
Some inns simply laid straw on the floor and crammed five or six guests into one room, while others prepared proper beds for one or two people each.
Gang Jo wanted to take his time and create a clean, respectable inn.
“Then just have them eat and leave.”
Gang Jo shot him a sharp look while grilling the meat.
“Be honest with me. You’re saying this because you don’t want to work, aren’t you?”
Yang Jeong’s stomach twisted, and he scrambled to correct himself.
“No, Brother, that’s not it. I just thought we’d lose less money if we built the guest rooms gradually as more customers came. I absolutely don’t mind the work. Please believe me, Brother.”
“Fine, fine. Just close your mouth for a moment.”
“Even the famous inns didn’t start out big, Brother. They grew as more guests came. You can do the same.”
“Shut your mouth, you bastard.”
As Gang Jo’s voice roughened, Yang Jeong fell silent at once.
While preparing the meal, Gang Jo found himself bothered by the wall blocking his view.
The old kitchen had no wall, so he could see outside while cooking.
But this kitchen’s wall blocked the view, and it felt suffocating.
“After we eat, let’s tear down that kitchen wall.”
“Why tear down a perfectly good wall?”
“Because it feels cramped. That’s why.”
Yang Jeong took it up with a tone of disapproval.
“It’ll be cold in winter, but……well, the place where you lived with Master had such magnificent views that it’s no wonder you’d feel cooped up here.”
The place where he’d lived with his master could have been called the Divine Immortal Residence for its beauty.
Towering cliffs enclosed it on both sides, a clear stream flowed through the valley, and the mountain behind rose high and dense with ancient trees.
Gang Jo opened the pot, served the rice into bowls, and placed the Dongpo Pork on a plate.
“Brother. Mealtimes are my favorite.”
Yang Jeong’s eyes, as he picked up his chopsticks, shone brighter than ever.

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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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