Murim School Record - Chapter 52

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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 52: Tan Hwang (1)

Yi Mo Baek recognized instantly that he lay in an underground storage chamber. His Pressure Points had been sealed, so he sank into Qi Circulation without rising.

The Reclining Buddha Qi Circulation.

It was a meditation technique passed down only among Shaolin’s monks—a way to circulate one’s Qi while lying flat on one’s back.
Pop!
Not long after he entered the Qi Circulation technique, the sealed Pressure Points released.
Yet he remained lying down.
Though the darkness was complete, Yi Mo Baek’s eyes could pierce it as clearly as midday light.
Sniff.
He flared his nostrils.
A strange scent drifted to the tip of his nose.

Fishy. Iron-like.

The most common source of that metallic stench was human blood—the pungent, suffocating reek that rises from a wound.
But this was different.
The scent here carried none of that choking quality. Similar, yet not.

Iron. Metal.

Weeks ago, working in the Seo smithy, he’d learned for the first time how acrid metal could smell—a stench that clung to everything.
Close to it, yet not the same.
Yi Mo Baek rose from where he lay.
Getting to his feet for the first time since waking, he looked around—and froze.
The storage chamber was crammed with enormous burlap sacks.
The sacks themselves were woven hemp, the infamous Myo-gang variety known for its strength. He approached and opened the mouth of one.
Inside lay a dark powder. The reek rose from there.
Curious, he scooped some of the powder between his fingers and held it to his nose.
Spark!
Yi Mo Baek’s eyes blazed.

Gunpowder.

The powder inside the sacks was gunpowder—an extraordinary discovery.
Six sacks in total.
An enormous quantity.
Yi Mo Baek returned to his original spot and lay back down.
He had successfully used himself as bait to draw Tan Hwang’s faction here.
Footsteps thundered.
They echoed from beyond the door, and moments later, the mechanism engaged with a heavy grind.
Crash!
A massive stone door swung open, light poured in, and two armed men entered.
They showed no particular caution.
Striding forward boldly, one of them kicked Yi Mo Baek’s ribs—hard.
The kick released the sealed Pressure Point.
“Ugh!”
Yi Mo Baek gasped in shock, lurching upright.
“W-who are you?”
His voice trembled.
The two men looked down at him with something like amusement, watching his confused gaze dart around the chamber.
“Let’s go.”
“Where am I? Where are you taking me?”
“I said let’s go.”
One of the men seized him by the nape of the neck and hauled him to his feet.
He’s got considerable strength.
And looking at him now, his build is impressive too.
The fact that they brought him along without binding his hands or sealing his pressure points suggested they weren’t treating him as a master to be wary of—no precautions whatsoever.

In fact, they’d already met with Jeom So Yi at the Tae Ha Guest Inn.
They’d questioned her thoroughly and investigated everything.
She’d said he seemed like a warrior of sorts, nothing more than that sort of person.
Two men had come initially, but one was missing now—likely gone—so they’d seized the opportunity while Jeom So Yi was away and conducted a thorough search of the room.
Of course, nothing dangerous or particularly noteworthy had turned up in the room where Yi Mo Baek had been staying.
“We’ve brought him, sir.”
They led him into a grand hall.
Creak!
A maidservant opened the door from inside.
The two men escorted Yi Mo Baek into the ornate chamber, their eyes widening at the lavish display within.

‘What in the blazes is this about?’

Yi Mo Baek grumbled inwardly.
A bed occupied the far end of the room, where a portly old man lay while two scantily clad women attended to his shoulders.

‘Anyone and everyone.’

A folding screen behind depicted the Sun Moon Five Peaks Tapestry, and above on the ceiling hung a painting of a dragon ascending to heaven.
These were images you’d only see in an imperial throne room, and Yi Mo Baek nearly burst out laughing before biting his tongue to hold it back.
Nothing particularly unusual about it, really.
If you visited the quarters of the heads of the great martial families, you’d find countless paintings and ornaments meant to evoke the emperor.
People say authority doesn’t come from luxury, but when things are excessively ornate with dragons flying and phoenixes dancing all over the place, most people tend to feel intimidated.
The master of this place seemed no exception to that rule.
Yi Mo Baek narrowed his eyes and studied him carefully.
The man who appeared to be Tan Hwang—
He was five feet tall but bloated like a pig, making it unclear whether he rolled or walked, with his head completely bald besides.
The men who’d brought him remained standing at the entrance.
Tan Hwang stared at Yi Mo Baek for a long moment before extending his right hand.
Slap!
Knowing this was a test of martial skill, Yi Mo Baek didn’t dodge.
Thud!
Yi Mo Baek was sent flying backward.
He spat blood immediately and struggled to stand.
Whoosh!
Tan Hwang raised his hand.
At that gesture, the two women who’d been massaging him vanished outside.
Slowly rising, he pulled the loosened Golden Dragon Robe properly around himself, then settled into his seat of honor.
“You take a little hit and start making a fuss? Can’t you stand up straight?”
He scowled at the swaying Yi Mo Baek with irritation.
“So you want to learn the technique for making fire bombs?”
“Yes, but… but who are you, sir?”
“Ha-ha-ha! Now that’s amusing.”
“Shouldn’t you show proper respect at once? I am the peerless Tan Hwang!”
“Gasp!”
Yi Mo Baek flinched and hastily dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead to the ground.
Bang!
He struck too hard and it hurt, but he gritted his teeth and cried out:
“This humble one, Yi Mo Baek, pays respects to the great Tan Hwang!”
Tan Hwang gazed at the forehead-striking Yi Mo Baek with satisfaction, then asked:
“What’s your name?”
“Yi Mo Baek, sir.”
“A fine name indeed. Lift your head.”
“How could this one presume to look upon Tan Hwang’s countenance?”
“Countenance, ha-ha! That’s good. From now on, you shall become my disciple.”
He froze.
He’d started to lift his head but stopped again—a gesture that spoke volumes about his lack of courage.
“It’s alright. You can look up.”
It was then that a voice called from outside.
“Master Tan, we have a visitor from the Ma Jiao.”
Snap!
At the mention of Ma Jiao, Yi Mo Baek’s head snapped up.
That was when a deep, booming laugh erupted through the room, and a man strode in.
“Hahahaha! I, Jo Gul, bow respectfully before you, esteemed Master Tan.”
He was an elderly man in black robes with a goat’s beard, easily in his seventies.
Though his frame was lean, a chill radiated from every inch of him.
The moment Tan Hwang saw the old man named Jo Gul, he rose from his seat and approached.
His manner toward Yi Mo Baek had been utterly different.
“Welcome, Elder Jo.”
Whoosh!
Tan Hwang pulled Jo Gul into an embrace.
“It’s been far too long. I’m truly delighted to see you.”
Tan Hwang gripped Jo Gul by both shoulders as he spoke.
“I’ve been waiting. I wanted to share good news with you.”
“This old fool came running as fast as his feet could carry him, eager to hear such news.”
Yi Mo Baek, listening from where he stood, frowned.

‘Good news?’

Whatever it was, it seemed Tan Hwang had summoned Jo Gul himself.
“Bring the Poison-Fire Protective Suit at once.”
“Yes!”
Two men quickly disappeared outside.
“You—wait outside as well.”
“Me?”
“Is there anyone else here besides you?”
“Right!”
Yi Mo Baek rose swiftly and walked out.
Behind him, the two men began laughing loudly and exchanging words.

Yi Mo Baek stepped out into the courtyard before the Main Hall.
He had sustained no internal injuries.
For a master, feigning serious bleeding was no difficult matter.
Standing in place, he circulated his Qi, steadying his vital channels.

‘Poison-Fire Protective Suit…’

At first glance, it seemed to refer to clothing that offered protection from poison and flame.
In the Jianghu, there had long existed no shortage of Treasure Garments of various schools.
They protected the body from attacks of Fist and Palm Techniques, though most were designed to guard against weapons such as blades and swords.
Yet they were not absolute.
Before a Peerless Divine Sword or the onslaught of a formidable master, they became worthless.
Still, against ordinary attacks they would never be damaged.
At the sound of quick footsteps, he turned his head.
The two men who’d gone to fetch the Poison-Fire Protective Suit approached, each carrying a bundle of considerable size.
“What is it?”
Yi Mo Baek asked boldly.
“Clothing.”
“I heard it called the Poison-Fire Protective Suit—what sort of garment is it?”
The man’s expression grew annoyed at the question.
“See for yourself.”
He hurried past with visible irritation.

An open expanse stretched before them.
But scattered across the ground were a dozen or so beasts, each tethered to a stake.
Deer, wild boar, rabbits, civets, and even domesticated chickens and dogs were among them.
The animals huddled in visible terror at their bonds, while twenty paces up a nearby slope, a dozen men had gathered—among them Tan Hwang and Jo Gul, one of the Ma Jiao’s elders, both wearing an unusual garment.
The suit was seamless from legs to head, with no separation between upper and lower portions.
Both men wore the pale ash-gray fabric with what resembled a face-covering hood.
Only their eyes remained exposed.
Yi Mo Baek stood among the dozen men and recognized at once that what the two wore was the Poison-Fire Protective Suit.
He’d heard no detailed explanation, but from its appearance, it clearly served to shield the wearer against poison explosives.

The Poison Explosive Thunder Fire Bomb.

That was the explosive they would test today against the animals bound twenty paces away.
It was Tan Hwang’s latest creation in poison bombs, and Jo Gul had come from Ma Jiao expressly to witness its demonstration of power.
In truth, Tan Hwang commanded a hundred-odd subordinates.
Yet only a dozen had come to this gathering—fear of the Poison Explosive Thunder Fire Bomb was the reason.
The destructive force of the explosive coupled with the poison vapor it unleashed was extraordinarily potent.
Since participation was voluntary rather than mandatory, most had lost their nerve and stayed away.
“I confess my expectations are considerable,” Jo Gul said.
He spoke from beneath the Poison-Fire Protective Suit that covered his entire body.
“Your expectations are well-founded. This is my child—born after five years of sleepless nights devoted to research and refinement.”
“Your child?” Jo Gul’s expression registered surprise.

Tan Hwang continued:
“Just as a swordmaster regards his blade as an extension of his very self, so too do we. The heart of a mother who carries her infant in her womb for ten months, enduring unbearable agony to birth that child—that is how I regard it.”
“Ah! How profound. Truly moving.”
Jo Gul bowed his head in agreement.
“Shall we begin then?”
With that, he untied the cloth bundle beside him.
Soft rustling.
The cloth fell away to reveal a black sphere the size of a child’s skull.
At first glance it resembled an iron ball, yet externally it bore no distinguishing marks whatsoever.
“Is that it? The Poison Explosive Thun… Thun…”
The long name faltered on Jo Gul’s tongue.
“Allow me to demonstrate the power of the Poison Explosive Thunder Fire Bomb to you, Elder Jo.”
A sharp whistle.
The black sphere was hurled with all his strength.
Infused with inner force, the sphere arced through the air and fell into the testing ground.
A thunderous boom split the air.
A violent explosion erupted.
The tethered beasts thrashed and shrieked in terror.
Six of them fell, their bodies torn by the bomb’s fragments, while four others—including the dog—staggered on weakened legs.
They bore external wounds but did not appear to have suffered injuries mortal enough to claim their lives outright.
Yet the animals could not remain upright for long.
One faltered.
Another collapsed.
Moments later they all sank down and began convulsing violently.
Poison.
They had inhaled the toxin released when the explosive detonated.
The beasts foamed at the mouth as they trembled, then grew limp—and the brevity of their convulsions testified to the venom’s potency.
As it dispersed through the air, the poison’s strength would diminish, but the true radius of lethal effect remained uncertain.
Yet judging from how the men had retreated at least twenty paces and remained there as they observed, it seemed the kill radius extended a minimum of five to six paces from the point of detonation.
By now the men had fled the scene entirely, leaving only Yi Mo Baek, Jo Gul, and Tan Hwang standing in the aftermath.

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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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