Murim School Record - Chapter 30

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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 30: A Desperate Struggle (1)

The Main Gate appeared in the distance ahead.
Even in the downpour, two sentries stood at their posts, offering silent prayers for the safe return of the departing carriages.
“Travel well, Escort Chief.”
An acquaintance raised his hand in salute toward Yi Mobaek.
It was Gam Do-hyeok, the head sentry at the Main Gate.
A senior to Yi Mobaek by several years.
Yi Mobaek tilted the brim of his travel hat slightly and answered with a smile.
Then his left hand lifted the Rain Cloak just enough to reach inside.
He withdrew the pouch he’d been given by Jeok Gun-woo, tucked against his front.
A soft rustle.
His fingers found a folded parchment inside the pouch.
He unfolded it.
A map was drawn across the parchment.
Though the darkness was absolute past the Hour of the Rat and a torrential rain was falling, a Night-Luminous Pearl would have made the contents visible without difficulty.
But Yi Mobaek had no need for such things.
Unknown to anyone, he had long since surpassed the stage where he needed light to read in darkness.
The dotted lines on the map curved into circles at points, then stretched into straight paths at others.
“Where is it?”
At the map’s edge, a single triangular mark had been inked.
The destination.

Behind him, the four new escorts following the carriage fell silent in astonishment.
Though they were only novices as escorts, they were seasoned Jianghu masters in whom the rawness had long since been tempered away.
They too possessed the Eye Power to perceive objects in darkness.
But reading text was an entirely different matter from seeing mere forms.

‘Can he actually see it, or is he just pretending?’

The first to voice suspicion was Na Sul-man, a former Daoist priest.
His expression was thick with doubt.
The thought that Yi Mobaek was conscious of them and merely going through the motions of reading—seeing nothing at all.

‘Tonight is the new moon. And this is the Hour of the Rat, supposedly the darkest hour. Add a torrential downpour to that. He pulls out parchment from a pouch and reads it in the darkest hour nature can produce. Could any of you do that?’

Jong Bae, who had violated the woman of his master Chusun and fled, let out a silent laugh.
No one could see it.
Exceptional Eye Power—seeing objects in darkness—amounted only to grasping dim silhouettes.
Seeing as clearly as in broad daylight was impossible.
For masters of the highest caliber with Internal Energy at the second rank or above, it would be possible, of course.
But was such a realm within reach of ordinary men?
The four came to a single conclusion: Yi Mobaek was conscious of their presence and simply made a show of reading content he couldn’t see.
“Ji-un, we need to pick up the pace.”
With that, Yi Mobaek surged ahead first.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
The carriage and the escort guards followed, and within moments they vanished into the darkness.

Night gathers many people together.
And it conceives plans both dangerous and deadly.
“They’ve just departed?”
A parched voice emerged from a pitch-black room without a single light burning inside.
That multiple people sat within was betrayed only by the glow of light itself.
The light flickered in pairs.
It was proof of eyes—five pairs of them, all glowing an eerie green.
“Don Gwang!”
“Here!”
A pair of large eyes gleamed.
“Chase after Xiseichal’s carriage.”
“At once!”
In an instant, he vanished from the room.
“Sam Gwang!”
“I receive your orders!”
“You take Wiqingchen.”
“Understood.”
Whoosh!
He was gone, and now only four pairs of eyes remained in the lamplight—four men.
One of them was giving the orders.
“O Gwang, you track Gal Pyo—the Escort Chief.”
“Yes!”
Another pair of eyes vanished.
Now only two remained.
“Wu Gwang, you handle Jong Do-yong.”
Snap!
Silent as shadow, he was gone.
He turned to the man who was left.
“Il Gwang, that one’s yours—a man named Yi Mobaek.”
“As you wish.”
The last of them, Il Gwang, disappeared.
A pair of eyes sank deep into thought.

‘Tiger Momentum.’

Once a man rode forth like a tiger, he could not turn back from what he had begun.

‘Dead three years ago, they said—yet here he stands, alive and whole.’

The life had to be taken completely this time.
Fail, and a merciless tide of blood would come crashing down—inevitable as death.
A wound only kindled greater rage.
Worse still: he had only wounded the tiger. The backlash would be severe.

‘Amitabha.’

A quiet chant echoed through the darkness.

They had just crossed the border into Hubei Province.
The rain had stopped two hours before, and dawn was breaking.
Though he wore a Rain Cloak, the downpour had soaked through in places.
He needed to change into dry clothes and fill his belly.
“Let’s stop at the Ma Pyo Inn ahead. We can eat and rest for a while.”
“Yes, Escort Chief!”
Suk Ji-un steered the carriage toward the front of the Ma Pyo Inn.
Jeom So-yi, who had been waiting, hurried forward.
“Aren’t you the escorts from the Jeoksan Express?”
“Give the horses plenty to eat, if you would.”
“Don’t worry, sir. I’ll feed them well on fresh carrots.”
Jeom So-yi led the carriage to the back courtyard, where he would guard it while the party dined inside.
The group stepped through the door.
It wasn’t yet the noon hour, so there weren’t many customers in the inn.
“What might I serve you? I should mention—our Ma Pyo Inn is known for our roasted pork belly, Delicate and Aromatic.”
“Delicate and Aromatic roasted pork belly?”
“We slice the belly meat thin and lay it flat. Inside, we add exactly eighteen types of spices and seasonings, then steam it in a covered pot. Those who’ve tried it say they lose their minds from the taste.”
“Are you serious?”
Jong Bae furrowed his brow.
“Guest, look at my face. I have never lied to anyone in my life. Please believe me.”
“This Escort Chief eats by that rule. Now, what did I call it again… one part…”
“One part, half cooked, with pork belly and fragrant oil.”
Yi Mobaek nodded.
“Good. Bring that.”
Jeom So-yi grinned and turned to leave.
Then Jong Bae spoke up.
“A cup of bamboo leaf liquor would be nice.”
“That’s not bad. You there, bring some bamboo leaf liquor too.”
Hyeong Do-chan, who hailed from the Tianshan Sect, called out to the departing Jeom So-yi and stopped him.
“No. Forget the alcohol—just bring the food quickly.”
Yi Mobaek stepped in and blocked him.
“Escort Chief!”
Hyeong Do-chan’s brow furrowed deeper.
“Alcohol is forbidden.”
“We’ve been caught in rain all night, and our bodies are chilled. Let’s just have one cup each.”
“It is my principle never to drink while on duty.”
“Of course. Drinking while on duty is absolutely unthinkable.”
Hyeong Do-chan glared at Suk Ji-un, who had chimed in to agree.
Suk Ji-un quickly turned his head away.
“Damn it!”
Hyeong Do-chan slammed the table hard and shook his head back and forth.
His expression was deeply displeased.

The carriage was climbing a mountain pass.
It was the Jeoksan Express carriage.
Yi Mobaek’s horse led the way, but behind came raucous laughter and chatter.
Hyeong Do-chan and three others were cackling as they recounted incidents from their wandering days in the Jianghu—deeds they’d committed or witnessed.
“Krkrkrkr.”
“Hehehehe.”
“It’s too loud. Stop it already.”
Unable to bear it any longer, Suk Ji-un suddenly burst out.
“Cheating people, tricking a poor courtesan into boarding a boat for free—what kind of achievement is that to brag about? It’s shameful.”
“Now this bastard’s really asking for it.”
Hyeong Do-chan gripped the hilt of the sword hanging at his left side.
“You want to die.”
Suk Ji-un didn’t back down.
His eyes only widened further.
“How fitting for an Escort of the great Jeoksan Express. Ah, they’ve really scraped up thugs and hooligans for this.”
“What did you say?”
As Hyeong Do-chan’s face hardened and he began to draw his blade, a cold voice cut through the air.
“Draw that sword, and your Escort’s head will be hanging from the top of Willow Fragrance Wood.”
Yi Mobaek had already turned his horse to face them.
Hyeong Do-chan’s eyes narrowed.
Murderous intent began to bloom slowly in those slitted eyes.
“You seemed deeply displeased when I forbade drinking. So you tried to provoke me—and from the moment we left the inn until now, you’ve spewed nothing but filthy talk you shouldn’t even mention.”
Yi Mobaek spoke matter-of-factly.
“When I, unable to listen further, told you to stop, you planned to accuse me of not letting you speak freely and start a quarrel. Am I wrong?”
Hyeong Do-chan’s expression went rigid.
Even if someone had seen straight through him and spoken, it couldn’t have been more accurate than this.
“Ha! So I did try to start a quarrel?”
Hyeong Do-chan laughed with a slight smile.
“Your perception is sharp—I’m grateful. Though this Escort Chief ranks above us, the code of the Jianghu does have some flexibility. When one’s skills are strong enough, certain crimes go overlooked.”
“Ji-un.”
“Yes, Escort Chief!”
At the sudden call, Suk Ji-un’s eyes lit up as he answered.
“What do we call plotting rebellion?”
“That would be High Treason, of course. The perpetrator faces execution by dismemberment, and three generations of their family are purged.”
“Then what do you call it when a subordinate challenges someone above him?”
“Insubordination, sir. The laws of the Jeoksan Express are clear — any subordinate who commits insubordination must not be allowed to live.”
Yi Mobaek watched Hyeong Do-chan from atop his horse.
Hyeong Do-chan sat mounted as well, meeting his gaze, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
There was no trace of fear in him — only ease.
“Ji-un, find a thick log and carve a wooden marker from it.”
“What should it say?”
“Write: Beaten to death for mouthing off to his superior.”
“Yes, sir!”
Suk Ji-un darted quickly into the forest.
This was a trial that had to be faced.
In the Jianghu, strength comes first.
Nothing else carries weight; nothing else can make an opponent yield.
Someone once said that one must possess character and virtue, but in truth — defeat your opponent and that victory becomes your character, your virtue.
Whish!
Hyeong Do-chan hurled himself from the horse while still mounted.
Yi Mobaek launched himself as well, starting from a sitting position.
“Heh! Let’s see if your skills match your mouth.”
Shrill!
As the distance closed, Hyeong Do-chan’s blade sang free and he unleashed a One Sword Bisects strike.
Yi Mobaek’s body shifted sideways, a mere half-step’s displacement.

‘The Weightless Form Shift…’

To move a body suspended in the air, one normally requires something to grip with the hands or a surface to press with the feet.
The Clear Water Stance exemplifies this — dragonflies thrusting off the water’s surface to launch into flight, frogs leaping from lily pads — these are the classic forms.
Of course, there are exceptions.
With exceptional Internal Energy, one can perform the Sky-Walking Art, ascending as if climbing invisible stairs through the void.
Yet Yi Mobaek had evaded Hyeong Do-chan’s sweeping blade without grasping anything or planting his feet on anything at all.
Thud!
A powerful right fist drove deep into Hyeong Do-chan’s abdomen, his torso bowed forward with the momentum of the strike.
A sound like a leather ball rupturing erupted from the impact, and Hyeong Do-chan staggered backward.
Crack!
He steadied his reeling frame, his eyes burning bright red with fury.
“Heh! This is surprising.”
Pat!
Hyeong Do-chan kicked off the ground and rushed forward immediately.
Boom!
The blade descending now bore no comparison to his initial assault — it was tremendous, overwhelming.
A savage killing intent rolled from the falling blade.
Swish!
Yi Mobaek’s body drifted to the side.
Boom-boom-crash!
The blade came faster, pouring down at Yi Mobaek’s moving form.
Whoosh!
Wind.
No — mist.
Like wind scattering leaves, each time Hyeong Do-chan’s blade fell, Yi Mobaek dispersed and vanished.
Frustrated by each near-miss, Hyeong Do-chan’s blade grew more frenzied.
Crash!
Yi Mobaek’s fist, which had been parrying until now, struck out and met Hyeong Do-chan’s descending blade.
“Ugh!”
The impact drove Hyeong Do-chan back, and Yi Mobaek surged forward rapidly.
Before Hyeong Do-chan could recover his balance, Yi Mobaek drove another fist into his abdomen.
Crack!
Hyeong Do-chan cried out, his torso doubling forward, and Yi Mobaek’s knee rose to meet his face.
Smash!
Hyeong Do-chan’s nose shattered, blood spraying in a burst.
“Guh…”
Yi Mobaek clung to the staggering Hyeong Do-chan like a shadow.
With his right fist raised high once more, he struck at Hyeong Do-chan’s abdomen.

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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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