Moorim Pochang - Chapter 67

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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 67. A Gathering of the Household (1).

Baek Won-yeong began clearing away the collapsed roof.
He set aside the unbroken roof tiles first, pushing the shattered ones to one side.
As the tiles were removed, earth came into view.
‘Better to clear this all at once.’
He grasped the beam in both hands and channeled his Inner Power.
Crack-crack-crack…
The moment he released his Inner Power, the massive roof groaned and lurched upward with a clatter.
‘Built sturdy, at least.’
Once he’d dumped the earth from the roof, he set the beam down.
Then he picked up a shovel and cleared away the remaining soil.
As he worked steadily through the earth, he heard Yang Jung’s voice.
Sob-sob…
“Elder brother. Please forgive me just this once. I swear I won’t misbehave again.”
“You brat, how many times is this now?”
Kang Jo’s voice followed close behind.
Baek Won-yeong set down the shovel, turned toward the sound, and found Kang Jo dragging Yang Jung by the ear.
Yang Jung’s clothes were caked with earth, and his face was flushed and swollen.
Ha-ha-ha-ha…!
The moment Baek Won-yeong caught sight of him, he burst into laughter.
It seemed Yang Jung had caused another incident.
“You’ve arrived, elder brother.”
Kang Jo offered a respectful greeting.
Sniff-sniff…
“I… greet you, elder brother.”
Yang Jung managed a tearful bow of his own.
Baek Won-yeong’s smile remained undiminished as he spoke.
“It seems our friend has made quite a blunder.”
“Yes. He needs a beating about once every ten days.”
“Doesn’t that seem rather frequent?”
“Originally he should be struck about once every five days, but I’ve been holding back on your account.”
Chuckle-chuckle…
He smiled again and handed the shovel to Kang Jo.
“I’m heading to the Murim Alliance. I’ll be back this evening.”
“No trouble at all. He can finish this himself.”
“I’m eager to have a proper meal at this Guest Inn as soon as we can.”
“Then we shall do so.”
“See you tonight.”
Once Baek Won-yeong had gone, Kang Jo handed the shovel to Yang Jung.
“You’ve got plenty of energy left, so move quickly.”
Yang Jung took the shovel with his head bowed low.
“Yes, elder brother.”

*

Kang Jo prepared a bowl of meat porridge and entered the room.
“I apologize for the delay in serving—the cooking pot was damaged in the collapse.”
“It’s all right. I wasn’t particularly hungry.”
As Ja-seol tried to force herself upright, Kang Jo gently stopped her.
“Please, just rest.”
“I’m not hurt so badly that I can’t move.”
She pushed herself up to sit despite the protest of her body.
Kang Jo set the bowl of porridge on a small table before her.
Once Ja-seol began eating, Kang Jo rose to leave.
“I… Kang Jo.”
“Why do you say such things?”
Kang Jo turned to look at her.
“I’m grateful.”
Yeon Ja-seol felt thankful for everything.
Thanks to him, she had found a place to eat delicious meals, thanks to him she could laugh without worry, and thanks to him she had even opened her Upper Dantian.
“Please, don’t mention it.”
Kang Jo smiled and stepped outside, and she hurried to move her spoon.
The truth was, she was famished.
‘It’s delicious.’

*

Tap-tap….tap-tap…..
Kang Jo built a table on one side.
The chairs, being logs, hadn’t broken, but the entire table had been destroyed.
As evening fell, Baek Won-yeong returned and lent a hand.
Tap-tap…tap-tap….
He paused in his work to watch Yang Jung wielding the hammer.
Each time the hammer struck, the nail drove straight into the wood without bending.
“You really…know how to work.”
At his admiration, Yang Jung grinned.
“I don’t like to brag, but if you ask me, my handiwork is beyond compare. And I’m already building this Guest Inn for the third time. By now, I could do it with my eyes closed.”
As he rattled on with self-praise, he suddenly vented his rage.
“That damned fat bastard—what kind of game is he playing? The bloated idiot’s lost his mind…………………”
As Yang Jung continued, Kang Jo interjected.
“Whatever you do, never speak to him. Once you start talking, he won’t stop.”
Haha…….
Yet Baek Won-yeong only laughed.
Watching these two brothers, one could lose all sense of time.
“Still, I’m glad it’s this far along.”
“What do you mean, glad? That pig keeps destroying the Guest Inn and running off—what’s his grudge?”
As Yang Jung rattled on enthusiastically, the Seong-ma Group’s skilled personnel crossed the Stone Bridge.
But Kang Jo was in no position to receive them.
“The Guest Inn is in this state, so I’m afraid I can’t accommodate guests.”
The Seong-ma Group’s people looked around the inn.
Sigh…..
“We’d only heard rumors that the Guest Inn was damaged, but it looks completely wrecked.”
“We came hoping to find a meal, but I suppose we’ll have to come back another time.”
They bowed respectfully to Kang Jo.
“We’ll return another day.”
The master of this Guest Inn was among the masters most revered by the Martial World.
So bowing to show respect carried no shame for them.
As they left, Kang Jo clenched his fists.
“I’ll tear that bastard apart.”
The moment their eyes met, Yang Jung began moving his hands urgently.
“What are you doing? Get back to work.”
Tap-tap….tap-tap……..
Krkrkrkr……..
Baek Won-yeong burst into laughter again.

*

As Yang Jung hammered, he whispered to Baek Won-yeong.
“There’s something I’d like to ask you.”
“What is it? Tell me.”
“Could you look after my horse for a few days?”
Baek Won-yeong stopped and looked at his face.
“Your horse? Why?”
“Well… it seems the animal is in heat…”
Yang Jung spoke evasively, glancing around.
No matter how much he thought about it, the request had been unreasonable.
Yet Baek Won-yeong burst into laughter.
Ha ha ha ha………………………!
‘Father will be delighted.’
He’d already needed to bring a mare anyway, but his conscience had kept him hesitating, unable to face the request directly.
“If this troubles you, please think nothing of it.”
“No, I’ll bring her right away.”
The moment Baek Won-yeong gave his consent, Yang Jung’s face brightened beyond measure.
“Thank you, thank you so much. That beast has caused me no end of worry—”
He reached over and patted Yang Jung’s shoulder.
“A request like that? I can do it anytime.”
Yang Jung was beside himself with joy.
Ha ha….
“Then I’ll be calling on you often.”
*

Yeon Ja-seol pushed open the door and stepped outside.
Though the pain in her abdomen remained sharp, she couldn’t bear to lie still any longer.
“Why have you risen? You should rest more,” Kang Jo said, approaching her.
He spoke as he drew near.
“Lying there all day, I feel as though I’m losing myself,” she replied.
Her entire life had been devoted to martial cultivation.
After years of such dedication, even a few days of rest made it feel as though her very existence had vanished.
“There was a time when I too abandoned sleep for the sword. But as those days stretched on, my master scolded me severely. He said that swinging the blade every day doesn’t strengthen one’s martial art—true mastery requires rest, reflection, and revisiting what one has learned.”
“Then I suppose I must review my art while lying down.”
“Yes. I found it most helpful. But now that you’re up, eat first.”
At Kang Jo’s suggestion, she made her way to the Guest Inn.
The Guest Inn was nearly fully repaired by now, save for the kitchen wall.
“You’re up and about? Miss Yeon,” Yang Jung said with a clear voice, offering a respectful greeting.
As she took her seat, he silently shifted his body technique toward the rear.
He meant to slip behind the wall and watch in secret.
But this time Kang Jo would not permit it.
“Do you have a death wish?”
Ha ha…..
At Kang Jo’s single remark, Yang Jung let out an awkward laugh and sat back down obediently.
Ho ho……
Yeon Ja-seol couldn’t help but smile at the sight.
During her days of recovery, she’d overheard their exchanges countless times.
Yang Jung chattered endlessly, while Kang Jo endured and endured until he finally exploded.
On the first day, she’d even heard Yang Jung weeping.
It was ridiculous and absurd, yet also oddly fascinating.
Who could possibly regard these two as Absolute Masters?
One would never believe it without witnessing it firsthand.
“I’ve prepared braised pork with rice.”
“I’m hungry.”
Her appetite awakened suddenly.
As Kang Jo stepped into the kitchen, Yang Jung followed after him and began scooping rice.
They were in the middle of preparing dinner when someone crossed the Stone Bridge toward them.
“Welcome,” Kang Jo said, hurrying to greet the guests.
He moved forward promptly.
“You said to come back after a month. So here we are.”
The guests were none other than Dok-go Yeop and his wife.
“Actually, four more days remain,” Kang Jo replied.
At his correction, the woman’s eyes gleamed.
“So you’ve memorized the exact date, have you?”
Dok-go Yeop stepped inside and surveyed the Guest Inn.
The first thing that caught his eye was the cracked kitchen wall.
‘A formidable opponent came to this place.’
Simply by examining the fractures, he could gauge the visitor’s martial prowess.
Feigning ignorance, he opened his mouth to ask a question.
“Who wielded the sword?”
Kang Jo’s mouth twisted at the question.
Tsk.
“A man with a face full of tattoos and a heavy frame.”
“So a master from Hyeol-gyo came. What became of him?”
“He fled.”
Dok-go Yeop turned his gaze toward Yeon Ja-seol as he listened to Kang Jo’s answer.
His wife regarded her quietly as well.

*

A handsome middle-aged man, the most striking in the world, and a beautiful woman with silver hair suited to him perfectly—both of middle years.
From the woman’s silver hair alone, Ja-seol could guess at both their identities.
‘They must be the Sect Leader of Ma-gyo and his wife.’
However bold her nerves, she could not help but feel tension before the Sect Leader and his consort.
“I am Yeon Ja-seol…and I greet you both.”
She pressed her hands together with proper courtesy and bowed deeply.
“So you are…Baek Moon-do’s second disciple.”
Baek Moon-do and the woman recognized Ja-seol’s identity.
Dok-go Yeop and his wife, acknowledging the greeting with a mere nod, took their seats at the table side by side.
“What are you doing?”
Once seated, Dok-go Yeop’s gaze fixed on Yang Jung.
Yang Jung made no sound and moved his body outside using the Body Technique.
‘This is driving me insane.’
Somewhere along the way, he had become the Sect Leader’s personal errand boy.
What infuriated him was that the Sect Leader had not even spoken, yet Yang Jung understood his meaning and his body moved of its own accord.
Fury rose to the crown of his head, but he could not dare to show his temper to the Sect Leader.
“We have prepared braised pork belly. Would that suit you?”
At Kang Jo’s question, the wife smiled.
“Does it matter? Today we have something far more important awaiting us than even the finest culinary skill.”
At this, Kang Jo first laid out food for Yeon Ja-seol’s place.
“Please eat.”
Ja-seol was utterly flustered, not knowing what to do.
“Rather than me…surely the Sect Leader should be served first…”
“It is fine. Since you arrived late, he will naturally wait.”
At Kang Jo’s composed reply, the wife laughed.
Ho ho ho…
“Most reasonable indeed.”
Ja-seol picked up her chopsticks while carefully gauging the room.
She had heard that this Guest Inn had been introduced to the Dok-go siblings, but she had not expected to encounter them here like this.
As she ate while watching the atmosphere, Dok-go Yeop posed a question to Kang Jo.
“I hear rumors that a young master from the Murim Alliance killed a master of Hyeol-gyo. Did you happen to witness it yourself?”
“Yes.”
At Kang Jo’s brief reply, he asked again.
“Who was this young master of the Murim Alliance?”
“It was not a young master of the Murim Alliance—it was me.”
Khuh khuh…ha ha ha!
Ho ho ho!
Dok-go Yeop and his wife burst into laughter simultaneously.
Once his laughter subsided, Dok-go Yeop turned to his wife.
“You see, my dear? Was I not right?”
“Indeed. They say he wielded the Two Sword Technique with perfect freedom—we must reckon Kang’s martial art far higher than we first thought.”
His wife posed a question while regarding Kang Jo.
“What is your connection to the Alliance Leader’s disciple eating over there?”
“A guest of the inn.”
At Kang Jo’s answer, an inexplicable sense of disappointment washed over Ja-seol.

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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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