Chapter 29
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Shut Up, You Noisy Bastard (5)
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“Th-this makes no sense...!”
“How in the world did he navigate a rampaging formation in just half a day?!”
“Even the genius of the Zhuge family said it would take five years!”
The pupils of the visiting guests, each here for their own purposes, dilated widely as shock flashed in their eyes.
All these people were confident experts, martial artists of exceptional skill.
Yet none of them would dare step foot into that rampaging formation.
Escaping it in half a day was even more beyond them.
“What's that guy's name?”
“Something like Golden Ghost Indestructible?”
“Golden Ghost? Sounds like a money-grubber.”
“Who cares about that? Look—he even brought out the demons alive behind him. He took them down but didn't kill them!”
The guests, their mouths agape in astonishment, poured out praise as their gazes turned to Kang Moo-jin.
Even amid the flood of compliments, Kang Moo-jin's expression wasn't great.
No, his brow furrowed as if he were angry.
“Hey. Get lost right now?!”
Boom-!
Moo-jin lifted his leg chest-high and stomped down hard. The ground shook, staggering the guests' stances.
“...!!”
Moo-jin unleashed a near-miraculous technique that affected only the guests, sparing the Shaolin warrior monks and Tang leaders. He radiated a ferocious aura as he warned them.
“Don't stir up trouble and scram. You get five seconds.”
Moo-jin's gaze shifted to Kang Moo-woong on his shoulder.
Moo-woong hadn't fully recovered yet and was extremely sensitive to external energies.
The Shaolin monks' auras, similar to what he'd trained in, were fine. But outsiders' could worsen his condition.
“...! Eighteen Arhats, escort the guests away! And Medical Hall Leader Hye-eun, please tend to the patient at once!”
Reception Hall Leader Hye-ham, the first to catch on, hurried the guests away and rushed to Moo-jin.
“Don't worry. We'll take care of Hero Kang Moo-woong's treatment.”
“I leave him in your hands.”
Kang Moo-jin carefully handed his brother to Medical Hall Leader Hye-eun.
Hye-eun bowed with a kindly smile as he received Moo-woong, then darted off toward the Medical Hall with such swift lightness skill that his feet seemed invisible.
Moo-jin noted with interest how Hye-eun's upper body remained perfectly steady despite sprinting full-tilt while carrying Moo-woong.
It was something impossible without mastery of lightness skill bordering on the profound.
“No injuries anywhere?”
“I'm fine. Not even a scratch, luckily.”
Moo-jin inspected the yellow Shaolin robe he'd received and smiled in satisfaction.
“...? I was asking if you, Hero Kang, have any injuries...”
“Oh, that too. I'm fine.”
“...?”
Hye-ham tilted his head slightly.
He found it odd how Moo-jin seemed happier about the robe being intact than his own body.
“Good to hear. Then, first off... thank you.”
Reception Hall Leader Hye-ham bowed deeply with a solemn expression.
Thud-
At that, Martial Hall Leader Hye-moo, Arhat Hall Leader Hye-ryo, and all the Eighteen Arhats bowed to Kang Moo-jin and cupped their fists in salute.
“For rescuing Hall Leader Hye-myeong from the formation. For showing mercy to the sinners and monks, saving them. And for dismantling the formation. We are truly grateful for all of it.”
Reception Hall Leader Hye-ham bowed even deeper.
“Though it may be insufficient, on behalf of Shaolin Temple, I express our heartfelt thanks. Hero Kang.”
The warrior monks of Shaolin Temple—the pillar of the righteous sects and their spiritual backbone—bowed in unison, showing respect and gratitude.
No one had ever bestowed such a favor on Shaolin before, so no one had witnessed this scene.
“Should Hero Kang ever need aid in the future, Shaolin—no, at the very least, I, Hye-ham—will stake our lives to help.”
“Count me in.”
“Same for this lowly monk!”
“...”
Faced with this magnificent sight, Moo-jin scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“So... could you maybe give me some meat?”
Grrrooowl-
A earthquake-like rumble echoed from Moo-jin's stomach.
“Used up some energy, so I'm starving.”
A plain, unadorned room devoid of luxury. Yet even its simplicity exuded authority and dignity. An elderly monk sat within.
The frail old man with a large yellow rosary around his neck was Shaolin's abbot, Do-hyeon.
“Abbot. May I enter?”
With calm words, the old monk entered the abbot's room. It was Hall Leader Hye-myeong, freed from the formation thanks to Kang Moo-jin.
“You've come. I've heard the story. You must have suffered greatly, Hye-myeong.”
Do-hyeon's eyes reddened.
Seeing his friend again, whom he thought he might lose to the rampaging formation, stirred deep emotions.
“No, Abbot. All I did was maintain the Anti-Demon Unbreakable Formation.”
“Right. Let's start there. From the reports, this Kang Moo-jin accomplished something incredible. Is it true?”
Abbot Do-hyeon wasn't one to doubt people's words.
But Kang Moo-jin's feat inside the rampaging formation was so astonishing even he struggled to believe it.
“Yes, Abbot. It's true. Hero Kang subdued the demonic beast trapped in the Anti-Demon Unbreakable Formation and rescued me along with many others.”
“Heavens... remarkable. Truly remarkable. Such spirit and sense of justice at such a young age.”
Do-hyeon paused mid-sentence, head jerking slightly as he admired Moo-jin's deeds.
“Wait. You said he... neutralized the Glutton Demon, White Scale Tiger?”
“Yes, Abbot. Correct. The Glutton Demon has lost all its power and become an ordinary beast.”
“Wh-what?!”
The abbot jolted upright in shock, his hips lifting off the seat.
“Is that even possible?”
“I saw it with my own eyes, though I understand it's hard to believe. Perhaps Hero Kang's martial arts contain the power to subdue demons.”
All Shaolin martial arts inherently possessed the essence of subduing evil—anti-demon power.
Of course, against something like the Glutton Demon White Scale Tiger, ordinary anti-demon energy was meaningless.
“It seems he nearly beat it to death... no, downed it with fists infused with that anti-demon power, stripping its strength.”
Too stunned to catch the "nearly beat to death" part, Abbot Do-hyeon clicked his tongue.
“Heavens... so he mastered our temple's arts to such perfection. Shaolin owes him a great debt.”
“Indeed, Abbot.”
“Then... we must repay him.”
A glint flashed in the eyes of Shaolin's abbot, profound with hidden energy.
“Ugh...”
Kang Moo-woong, lying in one corner of the Medical Hall, grimaced at the pain and sat up.
His relatively small eyes, striking against his long midface, widened in surprise at Moo-jin.
“You... you brat! Weren't you dead? Are you a ghost or something?”
Moo-jin chuckled at his brother's gruff greeting instead of a proper hello.
“Yeah, the water ghost come to fetch you.”
“I'm not ready to die just yet.”
Exchanging silly jokes, the brothers laughed and shared a light embrace.
“Long time.”
“Yeah, long time.”
“What happened? Where'd you go?”
Moo-jin shrugged at Moo-woong's question.
“Eh, just took a long trip somewhere.”
“I heard from Monk Hye-eun earlier. You punk. When did you get so strong? Coming back an absolute master and all.”
Moo-woong, already briefed on Moo-jin's exploits by Medical Hall Leader Hye-eun, shook his head in amazement.
“You used to not even last one punch. So what's your level now? Not quite the world's best, right?”
“Hard to say. The place I went to has a different vibe from this Central Plains.”
“Oh? So turns out you're not that strong?”
Moo-woong teased with a mischievous grin, nudging Moo-jin with his elbow.
“All show, no substance?”
“Didn't you hear? That Glutton Demon guy is at the Flower Realm. Flower Realm. You missed me beating him silly...”
Moo-jin shot back with the same playful smirk.
“You were too busy lying there all feeble.”
“Heh! I was just taking a quick nap.”
After welcoming his brother with light-hearted jabs instead of overt joy, Moo-woong grew serious.
“Dad's okay?”
“Don't worry. I treated him. He's not just fine—he's raring to go.”
“Raring to go?”
“Yeah. Reached the peak supreme realm.”
Moo-woong let out a hollow laugh.
“Heh... little bro's Flower Realm, dad's peak supreme. Guess I'm the weak one.”
Moo-woong was a first-rate martial artist, respected in Taiyuan.
But compared to his brother and father, he felt even this level wouldn't earn him a plaque.
“And Soo-yeon? Soo-yeon's okay?”
“She's doing well. Put on a bit of weight from all the meat dishes, though.”
“Meat?! We have meat at home?”
“Oh, didn't mention? The escort agency’s back to normal. Plenty of cash from beating down those unorthodox scum, and my men are working hard to expand it.”
“...?!”
Overwhelmed by the sudden info dump, Moo-woong blinked dazedly.
“Wh-what?!”
Meat dishes? Agency doing what now?!
And his men?!
Diamond Escort Agency had seemed on the verge of collapse any day.
Not just operating normally, but growing? Unthinkable.
“You... you some kind of monster now? You did all that alone?”
Moo-woong gaped at Moo-jin.
“Seriously... seriously impressive, Moo-jin. Haha! Good work. You're saving our family!”
While the eldest son had been trapped doing nothing, the youngest fixed everything.
Anyone might feel jealousy, but Moo-woong beamed happily and patted Moo-jin's shoulder.
“This big bro has no regrets now, even if he dies. Wait, no—gotta see Soo-yeon get married first. Now I can die twenty years from now with no regrets! Moo-jin!”
“...?”
Moo-jin blinked blankly at the half-logical ramble.
“Uh, yeah. Anyway, no more need for Shaolin's help, so once you're recovered, let's head home.”
“Home... yeah, we should.”
“Once you're back, we'll go find Second Bro. Sooner the better.”
“Sounds good. Feels like I could leave right now—energy's overflowing.”
With Moo-jin's internal energy and Shaolin's qi cultivation boosting him, Moo-woong's injuries were fully healed.
Even Hye-eun said he could go once he regained consciousness.
“Perfect. I'll go pack.”
“...? You have luggage?”
Unless staying months or years, people didn't pack for visits to major sects.
Places like Shaolin had everything perfectly prepared for guests.
“Yeah. Gotta grab my Stormwind. Can't leave that behind. Weapons are different.”
“...?”
Moo-woong tilted his head at the unconventional logic when—
“Hero Kang Moo-jin.”
Martial Hall Leader Hye-moo arrived at the Medical Hall, cupping his fists with his usual stiff expression.
“The abbot of Shaolin Temple summons you.”