Murim School Record - Chapter 34

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 34: Mun Gong Academy (2)

Yi Mo-baek continued as if the others had said nothing.
“The Blade of Bun Gwang Swift Sword contained something remarkable—Yin Qi. For a man to be infected with Yin Qi is far more terrifying than being poisoned. The only way to expel it would be through union with a woman bearing the Seven Yin Meridian Constitution.”
His gaze settled on Yeo Cho-ran.
“Yet it seems far too many people wish for the Alliance Lord’s recovery to fail. Thirteen in the escort party, and twelve of them are dead—only one, by sheer fortune, managed to survive.”
Everyone present understood the meaning of such talk.
Yi Mo-baek saw straight through their circumstances.
Whoosh!
Dust suddenly erupted around them.
Both Poong Gun and Woo Gun were unleashing lethal intent in full measure.
“No matter that payment was made to the girl’s parents—this is undeniably human trafficking. Should word spread that the Alliance Lord recovered through exploiting such a woman’s body, his authority would crumble to dust, and he could face impeachment under Murim Alliance law.”
“Your mouth speaks more than it should.”
Woo Gun descended like lightning.
Crack!
A tremendous palm strike shot forward.
Yi Mo-baek did not retreat.
He drove his fist forward to meet the incoming wave of force, striking it aside as though swatting at a sheet of metal.
Thud!
A cry of pain tore from his lips.
Blood spilled from Yi Mo-baek’s mouth as he staggered backward.
He was no match for Woo Gun, one of the four supreme masters who guarded the Murim Alliance Lord.
Worse, his body remained battered from the fierce battle against Il Gwang and his companions.

‘But if I counterattack, won’t I die?’
‘Then run,’ his father had said firmly, as though recounting wisdom heard from the great masters of Shaolin.

Could he abuse a woman merely to save himself?
Yes, they had paid her parents and called it a straightforward transaction. But a person was not merchandise, and preying upon another’s desperation constituted human trafficking, no matter how the coin exchanged hands.
An Alliance Lord who should champion righteousness and honor was no different from the rabble of the Sama Oe-do Faction.
Had the woman remained sealed in her traveling chest, she would have been goods in transit, and escort house workers need not know the contents of what they carry. The matter would have been buried.
But she had awakened, and now that the full truth was exposed, they would never simply let her go.
Erasing evidence meant erasing witnesses—death was highly likely.
Besides, all twelve other carriages had been completely destroyed. Adding one more corpse to that tally would raise no eyebrows.

‘The Baekbo Divine Fist.’

Both Woo Gun and Poong Gun froze in shock.

Yi Mo-baek wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand.
“I owed them a debt, however brief. I ate their food, cut their wood,”
Disbelief was written across their faces.
The Baekbo Divine Fist was as difficult to master as it was powerful.
Even Shaolin disciples rarely trained it, making it nearly impossible to encounter in the Gangho.
The last time Yi Mo-baek had seen it performed was so long ago that his memory had grown hazy.
“Perhaps ignorance would have sufficed. But now that I know, I cannot pretend otherwise. A man like me would not resort to such things—how much less should the leader of the Murim world ruin a woman’s life? No—he has already destroyed twelve.”
He had accepted death.
They could do as they wished.
“I suspect you never imagined secrets could survive in this world.”
“The audacity of this wretch to threaten us.”
Woo Gun’s voice trembled with fury.
Yi Mo-baek smiled.
“You will have to kill me, of course. And the woman. And everyone who transported the cargo here. And the horses too, I suppose—for even the birds of the air hear what men whisper below.”

“A man who can’t keep his mouth shut even in the face of death.”
As Woo Gun moved to attack again, a quiet voice cut through the air.
“Stand down.”
Everyone turned.
A middle-aged man in black robes approached, leaning on a walking cane.
“My lord!”
Poong Gun and Woo Gun hurried forward, reaching to steady him.
“No, I’m fine.”
He waved off their hands and continued forward slowly.
Only one man could draw such a title from their lips.
The greatest figure of the age, one they had scarcely glimpsed from afar.
Mo Yong-cheon, Lord of the Murim Alliance.
Mo Yong-cheon came to a halt nearby.
“Mind your manners.”
Poong Gun’s voice turned frigid.
“You’ve both grown old. When men age, they tend to talk more than necessary.”
He was telling them to stay out of it.
The two men quickly positioned themselves behind Mo Yong-cheon.
“Yi Mo-baek, Chief Escort of the Blood Response Unit, Jeoksan Escort House, at your service.”
Yi Mo-baek bowed respectfully, and Suk Ji-un and the three men quickly dismounted from their horses and prostrated themselves.
Mo Yong-cheon regarded Yi Mo-baek with gentle eyes.
After studying him in silence for a long moment, Mo Yong-cheon spoke.
“Do you have time?”
“If the Murim Lord requires it, then the time must be made.”
“Come then. To my residence. It is humble, but I have several tea implements there to offer you.”
“My lord!”
Woo Gun’s expression grew concerned.
“Must you treat me as a complete invalid just because I’m unwell? Come along, both of you.”
He turned to Suk Ji-un and the three men.
“That won’t be necessary. We’ll wait here.”
Suk Ji-un replied.
He turned to regard the three men.
“Speak freely. We’ll stay and enjoy the air—and keep watch in case any unsavory strangers approach.”
Mo Yong-cheon laughed.
“I meet fine people today. I’m grateful.”
Mo Yong-cheon walked ahead.
Yi Mo-baek made a brief gesture for Suk Ji-un and the three men to wait, then followed.
Woo Gun, who had been walking behind the two of them for a while, stopped and turned back.
“Thank you. We’re in your debt.”
The words came from his heart.
Once the party had vanished from sight, Jong Bae spoke.
“The Lord seems to be in more dire straits than we thought.”
“I brought a bottle of wine hidden away. Shall we each have a sip?”
As he spoke, he slipped his hand beneath the driver’s seat and withdrew a rather weighty ceramic bottle.
“What wine is that?”
“Yeo-a Hong.”
“That’s a fine choice.”
The three men moved closer to Suk Ji-un.

Steam rose from the teacup.
Swish.
Watching Mo Yong-cheon’s hand around the cup, Yi Mo-baek muttered inwardly.

‘His health is in a terrible state.’

Though no physician, he’d heard that the hands were the most telling indicator of overall health.
The phrase “skin and bones” seemed fitting.
The hand was withered, bone nearly threatening to break through the skin, and as the arm extended, the sleeve rode up to reveal wrists so unnaturally thin they seemed almost impossible.

‘A bluish tint—Yin Qi flooding through his entire body.’

Mo Yong-cheon had said he learned only recently that Yin Qi was embedded in the Life-Death Seal of Bun Gwang Swift Sword.
Men are Yang.
Therefore, it was common knowledge that one could not master Yin-based martial arts.
Even if one somehow grasped them, they could not bring out their full power.
Because Yang Qi itself would try to repel Yin Qi.
Yet the Life-Death Seal was an extraordinary blade—one with Yin Qi embedded in the technique itself.
“A tremendous aura radiates from you. Even if you died and were reborn, you couldn’t reach such heights at your age. Have you obtained a fortuitous encounter?”
“Yes.”
Yi Mo-baek did not lie.
There was no need to lie, and besides, this was not a man who could be deceived.
“Three distinct auras, each different. You haven’t yet woven them into one?”
“That is correct.”
“May I ask what kind of fortuitous encounter? If you’d rather not say, you needn’t.”
“It’s no trouble. The Great Restoration Pill and Gong Cheong Stone Jade, and…”
A sharp intake of breath.
At the mention of the Great Restoration Pill and Gong Cheong Stone Jade, Mo Yong-cheon started visibly.
Moreover, a surge of powerful energy crashed in from beyond the door—both Poong Gun and Woo Gun seemed shocked.
“Do not be alarmed. The Internal Power Inheritance of Bun Gwang Swift Sword as well.”
Bang!
The moment the name “Bun Gwang Swift Sword” left his lips, the door flew open and Poong Gun and Woo Gun rushed in.
Both looked ready to deploy fatal techniques at any moment.
Mo Yong-cheon also appeared deeply shocked.
His already pallid complexion turned white.
“Wh-what did you just say? That you inherited the Internal Power of Bun Gwang Swift Sword?”
Woo Gun raised his right hand and spoke.
His stance suggested he would strike the moment Yi Mo-baek confirmed it.
“Step back.”
“My lord.”
“Must I repeat myself? Age brings excuses and reasons aplenty.”
Teeth ground in anger.
The two men left the room without another word.
Slam!
The door closed, and a heavy silence fell between the two men.
“You must be curious about the rest. Allow me to continue the story.”
Yi Mo-baek explained in detail how and where he had met Bun Gwang Swift Sword.
Mo Yong-cheon, whose eyes had gleamed with interest as he listened, let out a long, wistful sigh when Yi Mo-baek said the man was dead.
Plink, plink.
Mo Yong-cheon poured tea into Yi Mo-baek’s empty cup.
“It was fortunate he was merely a fortuitous encounter and not a formal disciple.”
Mo Yong-cheon smiled faintly.

Yi Mo-baek’s eyes widened.
Astounding things were pouring from Mo Yong-cheon’s mouth.
Mo Yong-cheon, head of the Mo Yong Clan and Master of the Murim Alliance.
And shockingly, he had no children.
He had sought out the finest physicians under heaven, those who could grant children, and received their prescriptions—all to no avail.
Every remedy had failed.
For a married couple, there was no pain greater than the inability to bear a child.
A barren life.
The position of Murim Alliance Master brought little of the glory others imagined, and it could not console the anguish of childlessness.
“Did you happen to hear whether Bun Gwang Swift Sword was hired by someone to bring my head?”
“Not at all. His wound was too severe—we had no time for such conversation.”
“Of course. My Blood Gold Seal struck him dead center.”
A crimson handprint.
That was Mo Yong-cheon’s mark, his signature.
The Blood Gold Seal, which could shatter iron itself.

‘The cruelest hand there is.’

It shatters people. It melts them away.
That’s why it’s also called the Blood Melt Seal.
Now that I think of it, when Bun Gwang Swift Sword fell, his ribs seemed oddly hollow.
His organs had spilled out, and though I didn’t examine it closely, there was undoubtedly a hole of considerable size torn through his side.
“The person who provided Bun Gwang Swift Sword and the one who orchestrated this carriage attack are the same, then?”
“Likely so.”
“You must have someone in mind?”
“Of course I do.”
“Who?”
“It’s certain the work was done from within the Murim Alliance.”
“From within the Murim Alliance.”
Mo Yong-cheon smiled faintly.
“You seem to have a suspicion, then?”
“I do. But without evidence, I cannot speak it aloud.”
One cannot speak carelessly without proof.
If one were to cast suspicion without evidence, there’s no telling what discord might erupt.
It would only furnish those prowling for the Alliance Leader’s seat with justification for rebellion.
From Mo Yong-cheon’s position, the situation could not be allowed to escalate.
The Murim Alliance, for all its serene surface, churned with fierce power struggles beneath. Naming a particular person or faction would be like pouring oil on an already blazing fire.
Once that happened, it was certain Gangho would plunge into bloodshed in moments.
The best way to resolve this crisis was to restore his own health.
Yet the scheme involving the woman of the Seven Yin Meridian Constitution had fallen through.
That was not a course of action any Alliance Leader could take, for any reason.
Of course, he had wrestled with it—the conflict was real.
To save one man’s life by taking a woman he didn’t know at all?
He had paid her, yes, but that would be no better than prostitution.
And to forcibly abduct her was even more unthinkable.
Either path stood against righteousness and honor.
There was no time to hesitate when considering the shadow figure at work.
In the end, with no other choice, he had acted—only to have it collapse into failure.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————