Moorim Pochang - Chapter 65

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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 65. The Pride of a House.

Kang Jo lifted a small portion of liquor in a cup and tasted it.
‘Right. Still too soon. It’ll need another month at least, I’d say.’
Having sampled it, Kang Jo set the jug back in place.
He was about to prepare an early dinner when Yang Jung entered the kitchen.
“Where did you put the sickle?”
“Over there.”
Kang Jo pointed with his chin toward the corner where the sickle lay.
As Yang Jung picked it up, he suddenly stiffened and let out a sharp cry.
“Did you drink from the jug while I was away..?”
Kang Jo regarded him with a look of exasperation.
‘This fool’s sharp eye for the wrong things. If he’d turned that keenness elsewhere, he’d be a master by now.’
“How did you know?”
Yang Jung gestured at the jug.
“There’s a mark left on the bottom. Do I look like an idiot?”
Since Yang Jung was worked up about it, Kang Jo found it hard to push back.
“I just tasted it a little.”
At this, Yang Jung grew even more agitated and raised his voice.
“Where do we stand, you and I? Aren’t we true brothers who share even a single bean? So how could you drink such precious liquor without telling me?”
“Enough. Fine—you have a cup too. I only drank half a cup.”
Kang Jo stepped back, but Yang Jung would not let go of his anger.
“Don’t lie. Be honest with me! How many cups did you drink?”
Now anger began to rise in Kang Jo as well.
“I told you plainly—I drank half a cup, no more.”
Yang Jung noticed the shift in Kang Jo’s expression.
“Then… I’ll drink exactly two cups.”
“One cup.”
As cold steel entered Kang Jo’s eyes, Yang Jung’s own spirit deflated at once.
“Yes. I’ll drink just one cup. But please, don’t do this again.”
Yang Jung retrieved the jug and poured a full cup.
Then he drank it slowly, savoring the taste.
Ahhhhh…
“This liquor is truly the finest.”
Kang Jo chopped dough on the cutting board and sighed.
‘Already getting loud.’

*

‘What am I to do?’
Unease gnawed at him.
The elders of the Eon Family might well visit the Guest Inn to punish this Kang Jo.
If they did, everything would be finished.
He himself would have wished to abandon thoughts of revenge by now, but the house would not.
Having suffered humiliation, they would pursue vengeance by any means necessary.
“Eon So-ryong… Eon So-ryong?”
Eon So-ryong, who had been gnawing his fingernails, belatedly registered Baek Won-yeong’s voice.
“What… is it?”
“Someone from the Eon Family has come looking for a guest. Go meet them at once.”
“I’m grateful.”
He sprang to his feet and hurried toward the Guest Hall.
Baek Won-yeong watched his departing figure, his expression weighted with worry.
He longed to accompany Eon So-ryong and meet the Eon Family’s messenger, to plead earnestly on their behalf.
But an outsider could not meddle in a family’s affairs.
‘I hope this resolves well.’

*

When Eon So-ryong stepped into the Guest Hall, a middle-aged man of substantial years greeted him.
The man was the Steward of Eon Family and Eon So-ryong’s youngest uncle.
“You’ve had a difficult time of it.”
“It is an honor to see you, Uncle.”
Eon So-ryong bowed with proper respect and took his seat across from him.
“Has your time with the Murim Alliance been troublesome? If there is anything that displeases you, I shall meet with the Alliance Leader myself.”
“I am grateful for your constant support, Uncle. But there has been no trouble.”
The Steward let out a hearty laugh.
He smiled with the warmth of an indulgent man.
“You are the pride of the Eon Family — how could I neglect you?”
“Actually, Uncle… there is something I wished to discuss with you.”
“Speak freely, then.”
Eon So-ryong hesitated for a moment, then began.
“The innkeeper… he is no ordinary master. You may have heard the rumors, Uncle, but the one who cut down that expert from Hyeol-gyo not long ago was none other than the innkeeper himself.”
The Steward of Eon Family started at this, his expression shifting.
“The rumors I heard claimed it was a young master from the Murim Alliance who defeated that Hyeol-gyo expert.”
“That rumor was likely spread by merchants who misunderstood the truth. Regardless, his martial prowess is far from ordinary. I believe it would be wise to abandon any thought of revenge.”
At these words, the Steward’s face grew heavy.
At first, he had treated it as a trivial matter—he’d paid some wandering fighters to burn down the inn and be done with it.
But those fools had failed to even set the place ablaze; they’d simply thrown away their lives.
In the end, the family had decided to hire the assassins of Heuk Cheon Mak.
But when he’d gone to press them for results, they’d simply returned the contract fee and declined the commission.
He’d been curious why the assassins would abandon the job. Now, at last, he understood.
“Throughout all our history, the Eon Family has never forgotten a grudge. When we have been wronged, we have always sought vengeance—it is how we ensure other families do not dare disrespect us. And yet, now you wish to abandon that vengeance?”
“Yes. If we are not careful, it could bring… danger to the family itself.”
“Mind your words!”
The Steward rebuked him sternly.
For a member of the Eon Family—and worse, the Master’s own son—to invoke the family’s safety in such a matter was to display cowardice of the most shameful kind.
And yet Eon So-ryong was desperate.
His uncle had not witnessed that man’s martial art with his own eyes, and so could speak so easily.
Had he seen it directly, he would have reached the same conclusion.
“Please, Uncle. I beg you.”
Whether his plea had struck home or not, the Steward’s resolve wavered, if only slightly.
“I shall speak with the Master about this matter.”
“Thank you, Uncle.”
Relief bloomed across Eon So-ryong’s face.
Yet the Steward already knew the answer.
A family that abandoned pride and forgotten vengeance could not survive in Gangho.
No—even if they survived, they would never become a great family.
The Eon Family of Jinju was one of the largest and most renowned houses in all of Gangho.

*

Late into the night, Yeon Ja-seol arrived.
“Forgive my late arrival. I lost track of time while practicing my martial arts.”
“Welcome, Yeon Ja-seol.”
Kang Jo greeted her with an easy warmth.
“Welcome. Shall I step away and give you space?”
As she entered the inn, Yang Jung bowed respectfully, then flashed Kang Jo a sly grin.
‘What is this fool saying?’
Yang Jung’s laugh rang out bright and clear.
When Kang Jo’s expression darkened, Yang Jung bent low in a graceful bow toward Yeon Ja-seol.
“Please, take your time and enjoy your meal. I’m rather weary and should retire for the evening.”
Without waiting for a reply, he turned to leave.
Or rather, he pretended to, slipping instead toward the wall to hide himself away.
‘What am I going to do with that one?’
Kang Jo shot him a look of exasperation before gesturing for Yeon Ja-seol to take a seat.
“Please, sit. Tonight we have Chicken Noodles—will that suit you?”
“Yes. Anything is fine. And a bottle of liquor, please.”
Kang Jo went into the kitchen and laid out seasoned vegetables and sliced rice cakes on a wooden plate, along with the bottle.
“What kind of cakes are these?”
“Sam-ryong brought them from home. Please, try them—they’re quite good.”
“Thank you.”
Yeon Ja-seol picked up a cake with chopsticks and put it in her mouth.
She was hungry, and the cake tasted wonderful.
After draining a cup of liquor, she glanced toward Kang Jo in the kitchen.
Why would someone with such formidable martial skill be running a guest inn?
Of course his cooking talent was exceptional, but if it were her, she would have joined the Murim Alliance rather than work at an inn.
“Are you satisfied with the work at the Guest Inn?”
“Yes. More than satisfied.”
At first, Kang Jo hadn’t been eager about running the inn.
But as he cooked and spoke with customers, he found that living this way wasn’t so bad after all.
Yeon Ja-seol envied him.
She hadn’t accomplished anything yet.
Surpassing her teacher had been her goal, but that goal seemed distant now, and worse—she now faced two formidable opponents, Dok Ko-eun and Dok Ko-il.
Whenever frustration choked her spirit, she found herself thinking of this inn.
That was why, without quite knowing it, her feet had carried her here.
“Just a bit more, and I felt I could break through the wall. But it’s proving far harder than I expected.”
She knew why she couldn’t break through that barrier.
Her sword lacked power, so her techniques and their force both fell short.
“Once you break through that wall, another higher one will stand in your way. But when you look back, you’ll realize you’ve already crossed many barriers.”
Kang Jo spoke from his own experience.
“I know that’s just impatience dressed up as discontent. But I can’t help feeling anxious.”
Yeon Ja-seol smiled ruefully.
She had risen this far because she’d been fortunate enough to become the Alliance Leader’s disciple.
“You’ll certainly become one of Gangho’s finest masters.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Yes. My eye for such things is quite reliable.”
Kang Jo set the chicken noodles before her.
“Thank you.”

*

Yang Jung clenched his teeth to stifle his laughter.
‘My eye is quite reliable? That’s hilarious.’
When he tilted his head slightly to get a better look, he saw his brother grip his fist.
The moment he saw that, he quickly pulled his head back.
‘How did he know? I hid my presence as much as I could.’
Not long ago, assassins had launched a surprise attack.
At that time, he’d heightened his senses to detect their presence.
But afterward, he’d actually felt a little envious of how well they concealed themselves.
If he could truly hide his presence like that, he wouldn’t have to run so desperately.
So lately, while working, he’d been imitating the assassins’ stealth.
But it didn’t work on his brother.
‘I’ve already opened my Upper Dantian, so why is there such a gap?’
While he remained hidden, he heard Yeon Ja-seol’s voice.
“Thanks to you, I’ve discovered the joy of eating.”
Yang Jung gritted his teeth again to suppress his laughter.
‘She discovered the joy of eating because of him? Just admit you like meeting him already.’
His face twisted from the effort of holding back.
“Thank you, Yeon Ja-seol.”
When Kang Jo replied, Yang Jung’s whole body trembled.
‘Oh… this is killing me. They’re both idiots, that’s for sure.’
Unable to hold back any longer, he peeked his head out slightly, only to find Kang Jo staring at him with a terrifying gaze.
Gulp.
‘This is bad.’
It didn’t seem like this would end with just a scolding.
Just as he wondered if he should run now, he felt something strange.
I couldn’t tell what it was, but the unease ran deep.
In that instant, Kang Jo’s voice cut through the darkness.
“Dodge…………..!”
Yang Jung threw himself flat against the floor on pure instinct.
Crash-crash-crash-bang…………………..!

*

Kang Jo, barely deflecting the blade, stared into the shadows.
Ugh…
He heard Yeon Ja-seol’s groan, but there was no time to tend to it now.
Crunch-crunch-crack……..
The Guest Inn’s pillars screamed under the impact.
Then a tremendous surge of Black Sword Energy came crashing down.
Instead of meeting it with his sword, Kang Jo caught Ja-seol’s reeling form and pulled him clear.
Crash-crash-crash-bang…………..!
The Guest Inn shattered, and the kitchen wall split clean in two.
The moment he set Ja-seol down on the ground, Black Sword Energy tore the night sky in half.
Kang Jo swung his blade toward the rifting heavens.
Crash-crash-crash-bang…………!
The instant the energies collided, the earth bucked beneath them.
Rasp-rasp-rasp………
Kang Jo moved with his Body Technique, a bitter laugh twisting his lips.
He would kill him.
This time—he would end it.
Crash-crash-crash-bang……………!
Each time blade met blade, his breath came in stutters, his entire body shaking from the shock, yet his killing intent only burned fiercer.

*

A blade flew straight at his face.
It was sharp, it was powerful, but not beyond his ability to stop.
Yet somehow, the memory surfaced—that sword that had once cut his throat.
Crash-crash-bang…………..!
Hyeol-je lashed out with his blade and retreated.
The moment he stepped back, a brilliant blue radiance flashed toward him.
Crash-crash-crash-bang………..!
Hyeol-je struck again, his Body Technique carrying him away.
The instant he moved, the ground where he’d stood split open.
‘What… what is this thing?’

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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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