Moorim Pochang - Chapter 7

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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 7. The First Guest.

“Where are you headed, Miss Baek?”
The young martial disciples of the Murim League crowded around the beautiful young woman.
“I have some things to buy in the village.”
The beautiful woman surveyed the young men with an arrogant smile.
Her name was Baek Ha-young, and she was the daughter of the Murim League’s leader.
Inheriting her father’s blood directly, she possessed exceptional martial arts and striking beauty, making her an object of admiration among young men.
Yet because her martial arts were outstanding and her appearance so refined, she regarded men whose skills were weaker or whose faces were less handsome with contempt.
“Allow me to escort you to the village, Miss Baek.”
“No, I shall do it, Miss Baek.”
The young men fawned over her, each hoping to win her favor.
“There’s no need. I’m going with my friends.”
Around Baek Ha-young clustered several young women who deferred to her as though she were their lord.
“Ah… understood. Have a pleasant trip.”
“Do enjoy yourself, Miss Baek.”
The young disciples had no choice but to withdraw, disappointed.
Once she left the Murim League, Baek Ha-young walked toward the village.
Hmph…
“Pathetic fools.”
As Baek Ha-young let out a cold laugh, her companions giggled along.
Hehe…
“They had high eyes but low station, it seems—so desperate to impress you, Miss Baek.”
“Not one of them knows his place.”
As Baek Ha-young walked along in good spirits, she suddenly stopped and peered into the forest to her left.
“It looks like someone’s moved into that forest.”
Her attendants turned their gaze as well, studying the woods.
“Judging by the white flag hanging there, it appears to be an inn.”
“Should we have a look?”
“It’s practically a ruin, Miss Baek.”
“But the food might be good, mightn’t it?”
Baek Ha-young strode forward and crossed the stone bridge.
The young women hurried after her.
Once they crossed the crumbling wall, an inn with only pillars and a roof came into view.
“Welcome.”
Before she could even step inside, a young, handsome man appeared.

*

“They’re… coming… coming…”
Kang Jo repeated the same words his master had spoken when he first opened for business.
The inn’s first guests were crossing the bridge right now.
And they were beautiful young women from the martial world.
‘The opening is beginning with lovely women.’
Kang Jo hurried outside and stood beneath the eaves, bowing deeply.
“Welcome.”
The beautiful young woman glanced up at Kang Jo’s face with a look of mild surprise.
For an innkeeper, he was far too young, and his features were too refined.
“Are you the owner of this inn?”
“Yes. I am the proprietor here. Please, have a seat.”
Kang Jo answered her in a gentle, courteous tone.
“You mean to seat us here?”
Baek Ha-young frowned and looked around at the tables and wooden stools.
The tables were clean but looked flimsy, and the stools were simply logs cut and set upright.
“Yes. They may not look impressive, but they are sturdy and comfortable…”
“What dishes does this inn specialize in?”
She cut off Kang Jo’s words and asked again.
“The pork noodles and chicken noodles are absolutely delicious.”
The moment her answer ended, another woman, whose expression had turned sour, posed a question.
“How much for a bowl of chicken noodles?”
“One silver coin per bowl.”
Baek Ha-young and the other women gasped, their mouths falling open.
At other inns, a bowl of beef noodles cost one copper coin, and even the most expensive never exceeded two.
The women fixed Kang Jo with a cold, cutting stare.
“A silver coin for one bowl of pork noodles?”
Kang Jo had anticipated this reaction, so his face remained composed.
“If you’ll just taste it, you’ll find that a silver coin is hardly excessive……………….”
But Baek Ha-young’s ears had stopped listening to his words.
“So you are truly shameless. How dare you attempt to swindle us?”
Her pride ran deep, and with it rose a subtle killing intent.
Men who ran scams like this were no different from bandits.
Bandits were vermin that ought to be cleansed from a peaceful world.
But Kang Jo’s anger was rising just as quickly.
If you don’t want to eat, then don’t — why hurl insults and unleash bloodlust over it?
“Try it first, and if you find it tasteless, I won’t charge you a silver coin…………….”
“Silence, you wretch!”
Baek Ha-young’s voice erupted like thunder, her hand moving to the hilt of her sword.
In that instant, all the warmth drained from Kang Jo’s chest.
‘The moment you draw that blade, you die.’
The women standing behind her rushed forward to restrain her.
“We cannot take a life over such a trivial matter, Miss Baek.”
Baek Ha-young pinned Kang Jo with a lethal glare before turning sharply on her heel.
“Worthless scum.”
She and the other women vaulted over the crumbling wall and vanished into the forest.
The moment they were gone, Kang Jo hurried into the kitchen and grabbed a handful of salt.
He scattered it across the path they had taken.
“Of all the rotten luck — my very first customers and they’re like that.”
Sigh…
Once he finished spreading the salt, a long groan slipped from his lips.
‘Should I really lower the price on the noodles?’

*

Ak Hwan gazed up at the sky, where rain fell in steady drizzle.
Whew…
A deep sigh escaped his lips as he looked heavenward.
In his childhood, he had been called a prodigy and carried all his family’s expectations upon his shoulders.
He knew this, and so he had always carried himself with confidence.
But the moment he entered the Murim League, that pride shattered into a thousand pieces.
The Rivers and Lakes were teeming with prodigies — dragons and phoenixes beyond counting.
He was merely a frog that had gazed up at a narrow sky from the bottom of a well.
His name as a prodigy had spread throughout the region, yet even at the Murim League he could barely rank among the ordinary.
‘If only I could place within the top fifty.’
Tomorrow was the day of the Murim League’s Martial Arts Tournament.
The Murim League held a tournament each month, and tomorrow was that day.
Ak Hwan hoped — desperately hoped — to place within the top fifty.
This tournament was particularly crucial because the Murim League was selecting Martial Artist Disciples with exceptional martial prowess to form a new organization.
And that organization required exactly fifty members.
Having finished his training, he left the Murim League.
He was not one to drink much as a rule, but repeated disappointments had kindled a thirst.
As he made his way toward the village, he spotted a dilapidated old house in the forest with a white flag hung above it.
‘An inn has opened in a place like this?’
Yet the forest, for all its seclusion, had lanterns hanging despite the daylight.
The dark clouds and rain had made the day so dim that lanterns seemed necessary.
‘Ah… so this is that place?’
An inn that charged one silver coin per bowl of pork noodles.
Within a single day—less than that, even—every martial arts disciple in the league had learned of it, thanks to the loose tongues of light-footed female warriors.
‘Maybe I should take a look…?’
On a clear day, the inn wouldn’t have warranted a second glance.
But now, with rain falling, something stirred in his chest.
Ak Hwan hesitated for a moment before crossing the wooden bridge.

*

‘Coming… coming… coming…’
A young martial artist of modest height was crossing the stone bridge, a long spear held in one hand.
Thump-thump…
His heart quickened unbidden, and the moisture in his lips dried.
‘I can’t leave empty-handed again.’
If just one patron tasted the food, word would spread quickly.
That first customer mattered more than anything.
Kang Jo stepped outside and bowed respectfully.
“Welcome.”
Watching his reaction carefully, Kang Jo noticed clear hesitation on the short man’s face.
Kang Jo quickly gestured toward a chair.
“Please, sit.”
Reaching the shelter of the eaves, Ak Hwan surveyed the inn.
‘Should I just leave?’
At first glance, it was a shabby place.
Tables were set outside, but they were flimsy, and the chairs were nothing but logs.
Yet the young man wore such a bright smile that Ak Hwan found it difficult to simply turn away.
And so he hesitantly took a seat.
‘I’ll chalk this up to wasting a silver coin.’
The moment Ak Hwan sat, Kang Jo hurried into the kitchen.
“The only dish I have to offer is Pork Noodles.”
But like most wealthy men, Ak Hwan had no desire to squander silver coins on unnecessary things.
His family was affluent.
Though a silver coin meant nothing to him, it represented considerable wealth to ordinary folk.
A sigh escaped unbidden.
Ak Hwan’s breath came out as a thin, weary sound.
He should have left immediately.
“Just bring that, then. Do you have wine?”
“Yes. We have Rice Wine.”
“How much for the Rice Wine?”
At his question, Kang Jo made a generous gesture.
“Since you’re the inn’s first patron, I won’t charge you for the wine.”
At the mention of being the first customer, Ak Hwan’s expression grew even darker.
“Then… just bring me one bottle of Rice Wine.”

*

Kang Jo poured wine into a cup and brought it out along with Mountain Vegetable Seasoning.
Then he lit a fire in the cooking pit in sequence.
Receiving the seasoning, Ak Hwan asked.
“What is this?”
“It’s Mountain Vegetable Seasoning. A side dish to accompany your wine.”
At Kang Jo’s answer, he picked up his chopsticks.
The moment he lifted the greens into his mouth with the chopsticks, a fragrant and subtle flavor bloomed across his tongue.
‘Hmm? This is actually quite good.’
Slightly impressed, he placed the vegetables in his mouth again, and again.
‘It’s really delicious.’
How much flavor could plain mountain greens possibly have?
Yet this seasoning, not fried in oil, possessed an exceptionally rich taste.
With the side dish being so good, the wine seemed to find its own way to his lips.
Ahhhh…
It was cheap, potent Rice Wine, yet today it tasted better than it ever had.
Tap…! Tap…..!
While he drank, Kang Jo struck the cutting board and drew out noodles.
‘This one has real skill.’
Ak Hwan watched Kang Jo pulling the noodles, draining his cup as he observed.
With drink after drink, his tongue loosened naturally, and the heaviness that had weighed on him began to lift.
“Where did you learn to cook?”
Kang Jo answered while he worked, his hands never stopping.
“In the mountains, from my master.”
“In the mountains, not at an inn?”
“Yes. My master taught carelessly, so I had to learn on my own.”
Ha ha….
Ak Hwan couldn’t help but laugh—the answer was so absurdly humble.
His first impression had been unremarkable, but now something in his chest had begun to settle.
“Is it true what they say—a silver coin for a bowl of noodles?”
At the question, Kang Jo’s composure flickered, just slightly.
He’d meant to let the guest taste first, then reveal the price—but it seemed word had already spread.
‘Damned women.’
The curse rose in his throat, but his face remained serene, a subtle smile playing at his lips.
“Yes. Try it first, and then you can judge for yourself.”
There was pride in the way he said it.
Ak Hwan answered with a quiet nod, finishing his cup.

*

Kang Jo set down a bowl of pork noodles, topped with tender strips of meat.
“Pork noodles, coming up.”
Even through the haze of alcohol, Ak Hwan noticed at once that the noodles were finer here than anywhere else he’d eaten.
‘The appearance is passable enough, but…’
He picked up his chopsticks and brought a piece of meat to his mouth.
In that instant, the meat yielded—tender yet firm, with a texture that sang.
After a few chews, it slipped down his throat with effortless grace.
‘What kind of meat is this?’
He worked his chopsticks again, lifting noodles to his lips.
Slurp..
The moment they touched his tongue, he felt it—noodles with body and spring, broth that was rich yet clean, perfectly balanced.
Ah………
Ak Hwan swallowed, and a sound of wonder escaped him unbidden.
Born to wealth, he’d tasted renowned dishes at celebrated inns across the realm.
Yet he’d never—not once—eaten anything as exquisite as this.
The alcohol that had warmed his blood seemed to evaporate in an instant.
Slurp……..slurp…
Ak Hwan ate with single-minded intensity, chopsticks moving between meat and noodle in urgent rhythm.
When he’d drained even the last of the broth, he held out his empty bowl.
“I’ve never tasted pork noodles like this. Bring me another bowl.”
“One moment, please.”
Tap…! Tap…..!
Kang Jo’s face blazed with a bright smile as he struck the board again, drawing fresh noodles.
Ak Hwan watched with barely contained eagerness, then reached for the bottle again.
“And another bottle of rice wine.”
“Of course.”
Kang Jo returned with the bottle and a fresh bowl of pork noodles.

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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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