Moorim Pochang - Chapter 8

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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 8. Opportunity.

“Once upon a time, I too was renowned as a Skilled Person. But… the Murim Alliance, it turned out, gathers every prodigy in the martial world.”
Ak Hwan, wine heavy on his breath, pressed deeper into his lamentation.
“Especially… especially the Alliance Leader’s disciples and students were like the heavens themselves. Their martial skill was so formidable that I felt diminished in their presence. Merely… merely a year, mind you. In a single year, my pride was shattered to pieces.”
He paused, draining his cup.
A long, satisfied exhale.
“I was so ashamed I wept in secret, where no one could see.”
A bitter, hollow laugh escaped him.
Ak Hwan’s mouth twisted into a self-mocking grin.
Kang Jo, listening quietly to his story, poured wine from the jug into a small cup.
It was the Spiritual Medicine his master had left behind.
‘Since he’s my first customer, I’ll show some generosity.’
*

“The Martial Tournament is tomorrow… I ought to turn in early.”
Drunk on wine, Ak Hwan got to his feet.
“Have another drink before you go, sir.”
Kang Jo set the small cup forward.
A hearty laugh.
“Thank you.”
He took the cup with a warm smile and drained it in one long pull.
Another satisfied sound.
“Excellent… truly excellent.”
So thoroughly drunk was Ak Hwan that he couldn’t even taste the wine properly.
“No charge for the meal—just two silver taels, if you please.”
Ak Hwan drew out his purse and promptly produced two silver taels.
“The food was truly… delicious.”
“Next time, do bring your companions.”
“I shall do that.”
Though the rain had stopped, dusk was settling over the land.
Ak Hwan, unsteady with drink, swayed as he crossed the Stone Bridge.
Kang Jo watched his figure disappear, his smile warm with satisfaction.
A low, pleased chuckle.
Now, through this man’s mouth, word would spread, and customers would flow in without end.
‘From tomorrow on, I’ll need to prepare more meat.’

*

A gasp tore from his throat.
Ak Hwan jolted awake, nearly launching from his bedroll.
Not merely sitting up—he practically flew upright.
His entire body burned with sudden, violent heat, a power surging through him that refused to be contained.
‘What? Why is this happening?’
He threw on his clothes and bolted outside without hesitation.
The moonlight was bright, yet darkness still clung thick—it seemed the dawn had not yet broken.
As the heat intensified, he quickened his movements with practiced speed.
He didn’t know why, but a martial artist’s instinct whispered that this was tied to internal energy.
A sharp whistle through the air.
Deploying Light Skill, he rushed toward Small Mountain, nestled within the Murim Alliance grounds.
At the mountain’s entrance, he settled into a seated meditation.
He wanted to venture deeper, but the inferno raging within him had grown too fierce—he could run no further.
Somehow, he had to calm the searing heat and power threatening to consume his entire being.
Drawing upon the Jeyon Gong technique, Ak Hwan began Energy Circulation, and the inferno poured into his Dantian.
Yet that force was utterly tremendous.
The fire filling his Dantian clawed outward again with desperate strength.
Ak Hwan exerted himself with all his strength to suppress the inferno.
The flames then began pounding against his Dantian.
Thud! Boom…!
It was the agony of a sledgehammer striking his Lower Dantian.
Though the Dantian expanded under the hammer’s impact, the flames’ momentum had only diminished by half.
At last, the fire that had pried open his Dantian began spreading throughout his entire body.
Ak Hwan drew that power toward his Middle Dantian.
But the force from his Lower Dantian surged upward as well.
Boom..! Thud…!
Though he had yet to open his Middle Dantian, the flames showed no mercy.
The pain in his Middle Dantian surpassed even what he’d endured in the Lower.
Crash……….!
Just as he could bear it no longer and his lips parted to cry out, the fire flooded into his Middle Dantian.
The flames that had burst open his Middle Dantian descended once more to his Lower Dantian, settling there in layers.
Having seized control of the inferno, Ak Hwan slowly opened his eyes.
Ah…
A gasp of wonder escaped his lips.
The night sky had taken on the pale blue hue of approaching dawn.

*

As breakfast ended, the Junior Disciples of the Murim Alliance began pouring into the Martial Training Ground.
Their faces were flushed with anticipation.
Though the martial tournament was held only once a month, no Junior Disciple took it lightly.
It was because this tournament offered a path to advancement within the organization.
Those who placed in the top fifty would become Junior Disciples recognized even in the wider Martial World.
That was why Ak Hwan had hoped to break into the top fifty as well.
Once all the Junior Disciples had gathered, a young martial artist bearing a sword stepped forward.
Handsome and dignified, he was Baek Won Young, the Alliance Master’s son and first disciple.
“Those on the left, from rank one hundred and one through three hundred from last month, take your positions.”
At his words, the Junior Disciples arranged themselves in order.
“Those on the right, from rank three hundred and one through four hundred, face them across.”
The Junior Disciples numbered exactly four hundred.
Among them, ranks one hundred and one through four hundred encompassed everyone from the middle tier down to the weakest martial artists among the Junior Disciples.
To place in the top fifty, one had to win twice in the tournament, after which those fifty would face off against Junior Disciples ranked from one hundred and fifty-one through two hundred.
Thus, one had to fight and win six consecutive bouts to break into the top fifty.
“Begin.”
At Baek Won Young’s command, the Junior Disciples scattered in all directions.
“I ask for a good match, Young Friend Ak.”
“I ask for a good match, Young Friend Lee.”
Ak Hwan and his opponent exchanged respectful bows toward each other.
Shink…shink..
Ak Hwan and his opponent drew their weapons simultaneously.
Then they charged toward each other.
Clang….! Clang……!
His movements were far freer than before, and power flowed through him without restraint.
Each time spear and sword collided, his opponent’s arm trembled.
Ak Hwan already understood well enough that martial skill was not merely a matter of Internal Energy.
Yet when abilities were evenly matched, the one with greater Internal Power invariably prevailed.
Clang……!
Ak Hwan swept aside the sword thrusting toward his chest, twisting the blade as he lashed out with the shaft of his spear toward his opponent’s waist.
Thwack..!
Ugh..!
A suppressed groan escaped from his opponent’s mouth.
Though not struck with full force, the blow had clearly caused considerable pain.
“I…concede, Young Friend Ak.”
His opponent stared down at his waist in astonishment before acknowledging his defeat.
When had Ak Hwan’s martial skill reached such heights?

*

At last…….at last he’d won five matches.
Ak Hwan couldn’t calm the rapid beating of his heart.
The four hundred Junior Disciples had dwindled to a hundred, and the three hundred defeated had withdrawn to watch the tournament from a distance.
‘How high a ranking could I possibly achieve?’
He swept his gaze across the remaining hundred competitors.
Until last month, every one of them had been stronger than him.
But now they didn’t appear so formidable that he couldn’t face them.
‘Yesterday…what could have happened?’
Nothing extraordinary had occurred, yet his Internal Energy had surged overnight until he’d even opened his Middle Dantian.
That could only mean something special had taken place the day before.
‘Could it be……the Inn….?’
The only unusual thing he could recall was eating incredibly delicious Pork Noodles at the Inn.
Now that he thought about it, that Inn had been quite strange.
The Pork Noodles had been worth every silver coin.
He’d never tasted noodles so exquisite in his entire life.
‘Could there have been Spiritual Medicine mixed into those noodles?’
The moment that thought crossed his mind, Baek Won Young approached with a smile.
Ha ha ha…………
“Your Martial Arts Skill has grown considerably stronger, young friend.”
Ak Hwan quickly offered a modest bow.
“Not at all, Great Friend.”
“Did you consume something beneficial? I noticed earlier you were moving about with remarkable lightness.”
At the question, Ak Hwan recalled the words of the Inn’s proprietor.
‘Next time, please come with your companions.’
Even as he’d stumbled back drunk last night, he’d wanted to introduce that Inn to the other Junior Disciples.
No—he’d wanted to drag them there by force and make them eat the Pork Noodles.
But not now.
If those noodles truly were the cause of his newfound strength, he had to keep the secret to himself.
“I simply…devoted myself more diligently to Martial Arts training, that’s all.”
“I see. Then I wish you good fortune in your matches.”
“Thank you.”
Ak Hwan bowed deeply toward Baek Won Young.
He was not only the strongest among the young Junior Disciples, but possessed a gentle disposition as well.
For this reason, he was the object of admiration and respect for all the Junior Disciples.
“Begin.”
The moment Baek Won Young’s voice rang out, the clash of weapons echoed from every direction.
Clang……..! Clang……..!

*

Kang Jo waited for his guests with eager anticipation.
Soon enough, that Junior Disciple from yesterday would arrive with his companions.
Having sung the highest praise for the Pork Noodles and drunk that incomparable liquor as well, there was no reason he wouldn’t bring the others.
Chuckle chuckle…………….
‘Today I’ve even prepared chicken—come quickly.’
As Kang Jo waited so eagerly for the Junior Disciples that his eyes nearly fell from his head, lunchtime slipped away.
Yet he felt no anxiety.
Since the tournament was being held today, they would surely arrive around evening.
Unable to wait any longer for time to pass, Kang Jo took up his gathering sack and headed into the forest.
The guests had relished the wild vegetable side dish yesterday, so he meant to gather more greens.
This forest, untouched by human hands, offered both variety and abundance.
‘There are even spikenard and bellflower root.’
Kang Jo dug up the spikenard and bellflower root, filling his sack.
They were medicinal herbs that his master had favored, though not as medicine—he’d enjoyed them as culinary delicacies.
Because of this, Kang Jo too had to prepare dishes using spikenard and bellflower root.
Once Kang Jo had filled his sack with greens, he returned to the Inn.
As he cleaned the vegetables and peeled the spikenard and bellflower root, the sun had already begun to sink toward the horizon.
‘Shall I start preparing the dough now?’
Kang Jo roughly estimated how many guests would likely arrive.
‘Three or four people, maybe. Or perhaps five or six. Could even be twenty crowding in.’
Kang Jo kneaded the dough with pleasant imaginings.
Slap……..! Slap………!
But as the dinner hour passed, not a single customer appeared.
‘That’s strange.’
Kang Jo, who had kept watching the street, began to grow uneasy.
By dinner time, most people would have finished their meals.
Yet no one came, which meant things weren’t unfolding as he’d expected.
In the end, dinner hour came and went with not a customer in sight.
“Damn it…….!”
Kang Jo bellowed and lit a fire in the stove.
“I’ll be sick from all this meat.”
The chickens were still alive—he could simply release them into the coop.
But the pork might spoil, so he’d have to cook it tonight.
As Kang Jo tended the fire, his thoughts grew heavy.
‘Why didn’t that young guest from yesterday come back?’
He’d drunk the alcohol, so he must have noticed the change in his body.
He should have returned at once out of simple curiosity, but things had gone differently.
“This bastard…….”
After brooding for a long while, Kang Jo clenched his fists.
‘He’s trying to keep it all to himself. What was I thinking, giving him that drink? If I hadn’t, he’d have brought customers with him…ah…ungrateful wretch.’

*

It wasn’t until the evening of the next day that Ak Hwan showed his face.
Kang Jo greeted him without much change in expression.
“Welcome.”
His heart was bruised, but he couldn’t turn away his only customer.
Ha ha………
“The others all said they had business….so I came alone.”
Ak Hwan smiled awkwardly and took a seat.
‘Business, my ass.’
Kang Jo smiled, despite what he truly thought.
“Welcome. What can I prepare for you?”
“The pork noodles I had two days ago—those would be good.”
Ak Hwan placed his order while glancing carefully at Kang Jo’s expression.
“Just a moment. Will you need any alcohol?”
“Just one bottle of wine.”
Having taken the order, Kang Jo lit the fire first, then set out wine and pickled vegetables.
“Did the martial tournament go well?”
At that question, Ak Hwan’s face lit with a bright smile.
“Fortunately, I placed within the top fifty. But I couldn’t climb higher because I had to face Baek Won Young.”

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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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