Moorim Pochang - Chapter 53

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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 53. Talented Personnel of Ma-gyo

“Manipulating Objects with Inner Force is something only you can do. I cannot.”
Kang Jo stared hard at Yang Jung’s face.
“Do you really believe that?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve opened your Upper Dantian wide and cleanly—why can’t you do this?”
“Even if we’ve both opened the Upper Dantian, there would still be differences between us, wouldn’t there?”
Yang Jung’s words held truth.
Opening the Upper Dantian did not automatically make one an absolute master.
“Fish might be beyond you, but branches should be possible.”
Ha ha ha……..
Yang Jung let out an incredulous laugh.
“Watch, then.”
His laughter fading, he extended his hand toward another branch on the ground.
But the branch didn’t budge.
“It won’t work.”
“It’s possible, you fool.”
“It won’t work, I’m telling you.”
Kang Jo felt ready to explode.
All he could do was teach this wretch.
No—even when he taught, the man refused to absorb it.
“Damn it…….pathetic bastard.”
“Why are you suddenly losing your temper?”
As he pouted, Kang Jo clamped his mouth shut entirely.
If he kept indulging that one’s remarks, he’d go mad.

*
The rain fell without pause for four days.
Still, Yang Jung braved the torrential downpour, foraging for grass in the forest to feed his horse.
But beyond providing the horse with fodder, there was little else to occupy his time.
Kang Jo watched the creek with anxious eyes.
The water had swollen greatly, already reaching the Stone Bridge.
Fortunately, the estate where the Guest Inn stood sat on higher ground than the bridge, still offering some margin of safety.
But the Stone Bridge itself seemed on the verge of vanishing beneath the waters.
Tsk..
Kang Jo grimaced and crouched down on the ground.
“Why are you standing in the rain?”
Yang Jung, drenched through and through, approached beside him.
“The bridge is being submerged.”
“What’s strange about that? The rain keeps falling, so of course it will be underwater.”
Yang Jung also crouched beside him.
As they gazed at the Stone Bridge amid the pouring rain, a rather large fish suddenly leaped above it.
Hoo hoo hoo…………..
Delighted, Yang Jung quickly bounded up and caught the flopping fish.
“I don’t think we’ll even need a net, will we?”
“You’re fortunate—you don’t think about anything.”
As Kang Jo spoke, another fish leaped up.
“The fish just keep coming in.”
“Fish come in, but guests don’t—that’s the problem.”
“If worrying won’t help, you might as well take it easy.”
At Yang Jung’s words, Kang Jo let out a small smile.
The man was right.
If worry wouldn’t change anything, it was better to simply accept things as they were.

*

The rain had cleared, leaving the sky a bright, crystalline blue.
Yet the scorching sun had begun to evaporate the dampness clinging to the trees, rocks, and earth.
Moyong Se pointed toward a distant manor.
“That is the Hubei Yu Family Estate.”
The Hubei Yu Family Estate was a martial household near the Murim Alliance, and Yu Yang-su, the family’s pride, was counted among the Hundred Heroes.
“Which would suit you best?”
Hyeol-je’s question hung unanswered.
Moyong Se hadn’t grasped its meaning.
Hyeol-je, aware of this, turned to the young man standing behind them and extended his hand.
The young man reverently offered a great bow wrapped in leather.
The moment Hyeol-je grasped the bowstring, arrows from the quiver flew to meet it.
Black energy swirled around the arrowheads as three shafts tore through the air.
Wheee-crack!
Crash! Thud!
One arrow shattered the estate’s main gate; two pierced the bodies of the martial artists guarding it.
Crash!
The arrows that had torn through the guards’ bodies split the gate’s pillars apart.
The force was truly fearsome.
Moyong Se watched, his eyes wide with shock.
“How is it?”
“A bow lacks the pleasure of a blade.”
Kekeke… khahahaha!
Hyeol-je laughed aloud.
This man truly pleased him.
“Enemies…!”
From within the estate came the urgent cries of the family’s martial artists, then they poured out through the shattered gate.
Thud! Splat!
But their bodies burst apart as arrows found their mark.
Hyeol-je handed the bow to the young man and extended his hand to another.
That young man offered him a massive blade.
Whoosh!
The instant Hyeol-je grasped it, his body dispersed into empty space.
Slash… slash…
The martial artists’ bodies began falling in severed pieces.
Ahhh…!
Argh…!
Hyeol-je’s blade cleaved not only the martial artists’ bodies but the very swords they gripped.
Moyong Se’s eyes could not follow his movements.
All he saw was the gruesome sight of the martial artists collapsing in pieces.
Whoosh!
Wind rose, and Hyeol-je appeared before Moyong Se.
“How is it?”
Again, Moyong Se shook his head.
“A blade lacks the pleasure of cutting, does it not?”
There were blades sharp as an awl’s point.
But the blade Hyeol-je held had a blunt edge.
“In the end, a sword? I prefer swords above all.”
As Hyeol-je handed back the blade, another man quickly offered a sword.
Kekekeke… khahahaha!
The laughter that had rung out before him now mingled with the screams of the martial artists.
Ahhhhh…!
Kughh… argh…!
Was this the Blade Mountain Hell the monks spoke of?
Blood gushing from the martial artists’ bodies became mist, staining the surroundings crimson.
Moyong Se trembled, seized by awe and horror.
This was precisely what he had desired.
His knees buckled, and his gaze fell to the earth.
Kughh…
Whoosh…
With a piercing scream, Hyeol-je was already looming over him.
As Moyong Se dropped to his knees, the young man holding the blade prostrated himself on the ground, his forehead pressed low.
“Please, grant your mercy to this servant as well.”
Hyeol-je gestured with his chin toward Moyong Se.
“Kill him.”
Slice.
The moment those words left his lips, the young man’s neck fell to the ground.
Moyong Se had already severed it.
Kiki-kiki…
Hyeol-je was deeply satisfied.
“From now on, you shall be my disciple.”

*

The young talents of Ma-gyo moved their bodies in unison, employing their lightness technique.
Their momentum was sharp and cold, like a blade splitting bamboo.
Whish…
Whish…
Each time their feet moved, rain cascaded down, striking their faces.
Yet not one of them so much as frowned.
Distant scenery rushed toward them in an instant, then faded behind their backs.
How long had they run like this?
The torrential rain that had been pouring ceased, and the darkened world grew bright.
When the young man leading at the front halted his lightness skill, the talented ones following behind did the same.
A village lay just ahead.
They entered the village at a brisk pace, their eyes scanning in all directions.
The enemy could ambush at any moment, anywhere.
The best place to ambush was where people gathered.
Villagers on the streets quickly made way as the talented ones approached.
The group passed through the village and headed toward the Murim Alliance.
How much further had they walked? A forest appeared to their right.
The young talents of Ma-gyo kept moving, scrutinizing the forest as they passed.
Hahahaha…
“Fish are in abundance, brother.”
At a stream before the forest, an extraordinarily handsome man was grinning from ear to ear, clutching a sizeable fish in his grip.
Beside him, a slightly less handsome man crouched on the ground, watching him with amusement.
The handsome man, still holding the fish, turned his head toward the approaching group and carelessly set the fish down.
Ha ha ha…
He flashed a radiant smile.
At that, the female martial artists of Ma-gyo stared at his face as though it might burst into flame.
To the young men’s eyes as well, this fellow seemed impossibly handsome.
‘What an irritating bastard.’
‘I’d like to kill him.’

*

Kang Jo crouched on the ground, watching the procession of young martial artists pass.
Among them, he recognized those leading at the front.
They were the silver-haired young beauty and the handsome young man who had visited the Guest Inn not long ago.
The handsome man’s face was expressionless, but the woman winked at him.
‘Why have the young martial artists of Ma-gyo come to the Murim Alliance?’
As Ma-gyo’s young martial artists passed, Yang Jung broke into a bright smile.
Ha ha…
“Brother, did you see? That beauty from the Guest Inn just winked at me.”
Aish…
Kang Jo exhaled a long sigh and got to his feet.
“Look at you, you shameless bastard.”
“If you’re jealous, just say so, brother.”
Yang Jung smirked and picked up the fish again.
“Yeah. I’m so jealous I could die.”
“We’ve already caught ten fish today alone—what if we make a spicy fish stew this evening, like we did yesterday?”
Kang Jo turned to look at him.
“Yesterday’s stew was that delicious?”
He’d used Inner Force while preparing the fish, but he couldn’t be certain about the taste.
“Yes, it was wonderful.”
“Don’t be so vague about it. Tell me exactly what it tasted like.”
Yang Jung fell silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts, then spoke.
“Well… the meat was tender and chewy, the broth was fiery hot, and the umami flavor was extraordinary. But the fish head wasn’t as flavorful as I’d hoped. I normally enjoy fish heads, so I was a bit disappointed by that.”
Kang Jo remembered the image of him sucking even the fish eyes dry.
“It really had no flavor?”
“I didn’t mean it had no flavor—just that it couldn’t compare to the meat in that regard.”
“Then I can’t serve fish dishes to the guests.”
“What are you saying? It truly was delicious.”
“That’s settled then. We’ll keep the spicy stew for ourselves.”
Heh heh heh………….
“I’d be happy with nothing but spicy stew.”

*

The Murim Alliance was thick with tension.
The Jamryong-hoe of the Murim Alliance glared at Ma-gyo’s skilled personnel as though they might kill them any moment, and Ma-gyo’s talented warriors radiated a murderous aura in return.
When the two forces collided, even the birds that had been chirping fell silent.
“Enough.”
The Alliance Leader’s voice cut through their clashing auras like a blade splitting wood.
The Late-stage Practitioners of Jamryong-hoe withdrew their energy, and Ma-gyo’s skilled personnel stared at the Alliance Leader with surprise in their eyes.
Ma-gyo’s talented warriors had always regarded their Sect Leader as supreme in the martial world.
Yet this Alliance Leader seemed to be his equal.
The Alliance Leader surveyed the talented fighters of both Jamryong-hoe and Ma-gyo, then opened his mouth.
“As the Hundred Heroes of old once did, from this day forward the Murim Alliance and Ma-gyo shall stand united against our common enemy—Hyeol-gyo! Now we must trust each other with our backs! If any among you dares defy my words and seeks the life of the other side, I will strike off his head on the spot!”
His voice, severe and commanding, shook the Murim Alliance.
Jamryong-hoe bowed deeply, honoring the Alliance Leader’s decree.
“We accept your command.”
But Ma-gyo’s talented warriors simply watched him in silence.
Had their own Sect Leader spoken such words, they would have bowed as well.
As the Alliance Leader finished, the Administrator stepped forward.
“The young chivalrous martial artists of Ma-gyo will be quartered in chambers adjoining Jamryong-hoe’s, and will share the same training grounds. I have deliberately arranged it this way, and I trust you will understand. Since most of you are meeting for the first time, please exchange greetings here.”
Originally, he had meant to place Ma-gyo’s quarters on the opposite side from Jamryong-hoe’s.
But the Alliance Leader had firmly opposed this plan.
Since these were young people, conflict was inevitable—better to let it surface early.
The moment the Administrator finished speaking, Baek Won-yeong stepped forward.
“I am Baek Won-yeong, serving as leader of Jamryong-hoe. Should the Murim Alliance face any difficulty, please inform me without delay. I look forward to our cooperation.”
He revealed himself with a gentle expression and tone.
Then Ma-gyo followed.
“I am Dokgo Il, leading the Seongma-dan. I also look forward to our cooperation.”
Baek Won-yeong was certainly among the finest-looking men one could find.
Yet Dokgo Il’s face was as delicate and fair as a woman’s—and appeared even more handsome for it.
His piercing gaze added to his distinctive allure.
The female skilled personnel of Jamryong-hoe could not take their eyes from his face.
Sigh…
Even the Alliance Leader exhaled quietly at the sight of him.
‘He’s the spitting image of his father.’

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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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