Murim Login - Chapter 112

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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 112
Horse Bandits brazenly marching down the main road in broad daylight?
Under normal circumstances, such a thing would be unthinkable. The local Murim sects would intervene first, followed by the government soldiers who would suppress them.
But if the Horse Bandits numbered in the hundreds, overwhelming even the Murim sects tasked with their elimination, then the officials had no choice but to turn a blind eye and deaf ear.
Just as they were doing now.
“A-are those bandits?”
“Bandits? Do you have three lives to spare? That’s the infamous Red Wind Gang.”
“The Red Wind Gang? Didn’t they get crushed by the Hangsan Inspection Bureau not long ago?”
“That’s what I thought too. But something seems different this time. The Market Street is already buzzing with rumors that the Hangsan Inspection Bureau won’t escape annihilation.”
“Still, they have capable fighters. Surely they won’t fall to mere bandits…”
“Hush! See that man leading at the front? That’s Pung Yang, the Red Wind Gang’s leader—a master of the highest caliber.”
“What, a master of the highest caliber?”
“Yes, so don’t underestimate them just because they’re bandits. I’ve heard not only is his martial prowess formidable, but his mind is exceptionally sharp.”
The fearful murmurs of the common folk pierced the ears of Pung Yang and his subordinate bandits.
A subordinate riding to Pung Yang’s right casually broached a subject.
“Shall we silence their mouths, Leader?”
“Do you wish to?”
“If you permit it, Leader, I’ll dispose of those two first, then turn the entire village into a sea of flames.”
“Kill the elders, capture the young men, and ravish the women?”
“Heh, that’s just our usual work, isn’t it? Besides, those Hangsan Inspection Bureau dogs are probably cowering behind walls by now, trembling with fear.”
“Indeed. They’re likely preparing for a final desperate stand, gathering all their strength.”
“It’s futile—like striking a rock with an egg. It’s already decided that you’ll sweep away those Hangsan Inspection Bureau bastards and take their place, Leader.”
“Which is precisely why I won’t permit it.”
“Sir?”
Pung Yang burst into hearty laughter at his subordinate’s bewildered response.
They were all alike—short-sighted and cruel by nature. That’s why they’d become bandits, and why I kept them close.
‘They’re easy to control.’
I ceased laughing and spoke.
“Annihilating the Datong Branch was part of the war. But if we touch the common folk now, we’ll only give the Taewon Jin Family an excuse to intervene.”
“Are they claiming to be the masters of Shanxi Province?”
“Not yet, but it won’t be long. Before that happens, we must swallow the Hangsan Inspection Bureau and prostrate ourselves like dogs, mustn’t we?”
“B-but Leader, I don’t mean to doubt your words… would righteous sects like the Taewon Jin Family ever look favorably upon bandits like us?”
“Bandits? Who said anything about bandits?”
“Sir?”
“Last time I saw her, the Hangsan Inspection Bureau Master’s beauty was quite remarkable.”
My subordinate, whose eyes had been blinking in confusion, finally grasped my meaning and curved his lips upward.
“She’s of marriageable age, so she should take a husband.”
“Annihilation or marriage—she must choose one.”
“Then what of the Red Wind Gang…?”
“We take the essence and don the shell. Let’s see—your face is decent enough compared to the others, so I’ll make you the Gate Master.”
“Hahahaha! I shall dedicate my very life to your service!”
Listening to his subordinate’s laughter, Pung Yang gripped the reins tightly.
‘At last, I’ve come this far.’
Though he possessed a cold temperament, his heart raced at the thought of taking another step toward his ambition.
Memories from long ago flickered before his eyes, vivid and unbidden.
‘More than twenty years have already passed.’
The path to becoming a Horse Bandit proved far easier and simpler than expected. One either sought it out willingly or was captured into it. In Pung Yang’s case, it was the latter.
Being attacked by bandits while being transported to the magistrate’s office as a child—accused of a crime committed in his youth—became the turning point of his life.
‘Boss, there’s a young one here too?’
‘Huh? Skinny as a rail—wouldn’t fetch more than a few coins if we sold him. Kid, did you get caught pickpocketing or something?’
‘No. I killed someone.’
‘Killed someone? How old are you?’
‘Thirteen.’
‘Why did you kill them?’
‘I hadn’t eaten in four days, and the gang leader had dumplings….’
‘Dumplings? You mean he took away what you’d begged for? That’d be enough to drive anyone mad.’
‘No, that’s not it. I was starving, had no strength to beg, and he was eating dumplings right in front of me.’
‘…So you killed him?’
‘It seemed faster to just take them.’
‘Hey, let this one go and give him something to eat. From today on, he’s one of us.’
From that day forward, Pung Yang became a Horse Bandit. An orphan who had wandered the streets with nothing, he possessed exceptional instincts and a quick mind.
Compared to his past, when he ate perhaps once every four days, the life of a bandit was abundant.
Plunder? Murder? For Pung Yang, who had committed murder at merely thirteen for the sake of eating dumplings, these were simply duties to be performed.
‘Hell, I’ve been banditry for over ten years, and you’re the first one like you I’ve seen. You don’t seem to have a shred of guilt in you.’
‘Why? I’m a Horse Bandit, aren’t I?’
‘You brat. Most people aren’t like that, I’m telling you. They grow accustomed gradually—there’s no one who’s skilled from the start.’
‘Were you like that too, boss? It seemed easy to me.’
‘Easy, easy…. Sometimes I wonder if I’m raising a tiger cub. Want to learn some martial arts from me?’
‘Martial arts?’
‘Yeah, martial arts. You’re still young, so if your bones and natural talent develop properly, you could easily become a master.’
‘Then I’ll call you master from today on.’
‘Forget the master-disciple bond—just keep doing what you’re doing.’
It was fortunate they never formally established a master-disciple relationship. A year later, the boss had his head severed by a first-rate master, and Pung Yang found a new nest among another bandit gang.
‘You were under Gwang-chil?’
‘Yes. If you simply feed me well, I shall offer you my loyalty.’
‘You’ve got decent instincts. Don’t expect any special treatment for being young—just keep up on your own.’
The Highland was brutal. Entire bandit gangs were sometimes annihilated for touching the wrong merchant caravan, and internal conflicts among bandits never ceased. Yet Pung Yang survived each time, growing stronger with every trial.
By the time he reached thirty, his martial prowess had entered the first rank, and he could claim the position of captain in a bandit gang of considerable size.
‘But that was as far as it went.’
The law of power applied everywhere.
The Highland was ultimately just another part of the Murim, a realm governed by the strong.
Pung Yang possessed grand ambitions and a keen intellect, yet he lacked the martial prowess befitting a leader.
‘The ceiling of third-rate martial arts.’
Pung Yang’s martial talent was exceptional.
Had he entered a prestigious sect in his youth and mastered their profound inner cultivation techniques and martial arts, he might have long since broken through to the pinnacle.
But raised in a beggar’s den and trained in third-rate martial arts by the Highland’s bandits, his limitations were unmistakable.
‘Without the favor of heaven’s fortune, I’d still be treading water.’
A thick smile played at the corners of Pung Yang’s mouth.
Three years ago—from that moment onward, my life transformed completely. From a mere squad leader in a bandit gang to the master of the Red Wind Gang, a force that moves one pillar of the Highland, and now it’s time to devour the martial sects themselves.
“Master!”
At my subordinate’s cry, I snapped from my reverie. In the distance, a stone wall towering like a fortress finally came into view.
‘The Hangsan Inspection Bureau.’
As I gazed upon my new stronghold and that of the Red Wind Gang, a figure entered my line of sight. Even from this distance, I could feel the blazing aura radiating from them.
‘Chul Moo-baek of Hangshan Lake.’
An obstacle I must overcome to seize the Hangsan Inspection Bureau.
Though I retreated with minor losses last time….
‘Today is different.’
I unconsciously reached into my garment. Confirming the solid wooden tablet within, my smile deepened further.
“Master, your orders.”
“Surround them. Don’t let a single ant escape. Then send in the lions.”
Annihilation or marriage.
The Hangsan Inspection Bureau has only two choices.
“Before the sun sets today, the Hangsan Inspection Bureau will be mine.”
* * *
“They’ve surrounded the main gate without a single gap!”
“Their numbers exceed two hundred!”
“Master, please make a decision.”
Eun So-wol, seated at the head position, opened her mouth with a composed expression.
“Is the troop deployment complete?”
“Half of the hundred-odd soldiers guard the gate, the rest are armed with shields and bows.”
Everyone in the Great Hall knew that “hundred-odd” fell far short of the actual number.
Several of the Hangsan Inspection Bureau’s senior members had fled the previous night, taking their families and loyal subordinates with them.
“Uncle Chul, what about the arrangement I mentioned separately?”
“It’s been done as you instructed.”
Eun So-wol’s strategy was none other than oil. Ten cartloads’ worth had been distributed evenly throughout the estate.
Covered with well-dried hay piles, it was obvious that the moment fire touched it, the entire area would become an inferno.
‘Is she prepared for mutual destruction?’
Chul Moo-baek was anxious, but he held his tongue. The Eun So-wol he had watched over all these years had always been composed and brilliant, even from her earliest childhood.
“Just one day. We only need to hold for one day. Reinforcements from the Taewon Jin Family are on their way, so if we buy time until then, we have a genuine chance of victory.”
“T-the Taewon Jin Family sent reinforcements?”
“The Shanxi Sleeping Dragon and Heavenly Sword Jin are coming directly.”
The faces of those gathered in the Great Hall brightened. Jin Moo-kyung, the Heavenly Sword, was already renowned throughout the Central Plains as a martial genius, and Jin Tae-kyung, the Shanxi Sleeping Dragon, was a rising star.
Though it was grating that he’d gained his reputation through war with the Hangsan Inspection Bureau, thinking of him as an ally felt like having ten thousand soldiers at our disposal.
Above all….
“No matter how bold Pung Yang is, he won’t dare draw his sword against the direct bloodline of the Taewon Jin Family.”
“…That’s true.”
Eun So-wol felt bitter inside. Not long ago, the Hangsan Inspection Bureau stood shoulder to shoulder with the Taewon Jin Family.
A martial sect that once dominated northern Shanxi now had to focus merely on holding its ground against horse bandits.
‘I will never forget what happened today.’
It was at that moment, her lips pressed firmly together.
The Great Hall doors opened and a warrior from the Gate Master’s Office came rushing in, shouting.
“Master, the enemies have sent an envoy!”
“An envoy?”
“Yes. They said they have something to convey after meeting you directly….”
Eun So-wol nodded without hesitation.
If we could delay the battle even a moment, we had to try anything.
“Let him in.”
Not long after the Gate Master’s Office warrior withdrew, the Red Wind Gang’s envoy was escorted into the Great Hall. He grinned widely, baring rotten teeth, and bowed exaggeratedly.
“I greet the Master of the great Hangsan Inspection Bureau.”
Though his manner was clearly mocking, not only the senior members but even the hot-tempered Chul Moo-baek restrained their anger. Eun So-wol had given them stern instructions beforehand.
“What brings you as an envoy?”
“Surely you should offer a traveler who’s come so far a cup of wine before asking questions… Ugh.”
The Red Wind Gang’s envoy couldn’t finish speaking and trembled violently.
Chul Moo-baek, unable to contain his anger, stepped forward and unleashed an overwhelming aura.
“Are you so thirsty for wine?”
At the deeply resonant voice, the envoy shook his head frantically.
“N-no. My throat was just dry, I was just t-talking nonsense. Please stop.”
“Uncle Chul. That’s enough.”
“…Hmph. Stop your nonsense and deliver your message.”
Finally freed from Chul Moo-baek’s aura, the envoy stammered as he opened his mouth.
“M-my Master says to end this pointless war and now forge friendship between us.”
“Friendship?”
The senior members of the Hangsan Inspection Bureau doubted their own ears.
Who betrayed the previous Master Lee Cheon-baek and even killed the Vice Master Lee So-gwang? And just recently, didn’t they massacre the families at the Datong Branch?
But Eun So-wol’s reaction was different. She stared directly at the envoy without a trace of surprise.
“And if we refuse?”
“He said we cannot escape total annihilation.”
“So he’s saying if we want to save our people, we should surrender the entire Hangsan Inspection Bureau as a bride price.”
“I, I’m not entirely sure about that….”
By now, everyone in the Great Hall understood the meaning of the “friendship” Pung Yang had sent. All were furious, but the one who moved fastest was Chul Moo-baek of Hangshan Lake.
Thud!
In a mere instant, Chul Moo-baek’s fist crossed the distance of a dozen paces and drove deep into the lion’s chest. The scarlet fist energy, brimming with devastating heat, shattered the beast’s ribs and incinerated flesh and blood.
“Gaahhhhh—”
With that final death rattle, the light faded from the lion’s eyes.
Chul Moo-baek withdrew his fist from the creature’s chest and turned toward Eun So-wol.
“That beast deserved to die a hundred times over.”
“I share your sentiment. However….”
Eun So-wol rose slowly to her feet and continued.
“We can no longer avoid battle.”
Half a quarter-hour later, all members of the Hangsan Inspection Bureau heard the sound of horn pipes wailing from all directions.

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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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