Murim Login - Chapter 115

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

Chapter 115
Chul Moo-baek of Hangshan Lake.
I’d heard that name several times before. Wol-hwa had said that without him, the Hangsan Inspection Bureau would have been annihilated by the Red Wind Gang long ago.
‘He’s considered a peak master comparable to or even surpassing Blood Wolf Sword Lee Cheon-baek.’
That’s certainly what I’d heard.
‘So why is this legendary peak master in such a state?’
His limbs were bent at grotesque angles, and the black blood soaking through his upper garment was unmistakable evidence of severe internal injuries. Chul Moo-baek’s gaze, now dim and unfocused, turned toward us.
“Taewon… Jin Family?”
“Yes, you recognize us?”
I forced the corners of my mouth upward. It was to provide even a moment of reassurance to Chul Moo-baek in his critical condition.
The man before my eyes was no longer a renowned peak master of great renown—he was merely an old man who had found his last glimmer of hope.
“Red Wind Gang… inside… So-wol is in danger…”
Even without hearing Chul Moo-baek’s words, which he struggled to piece together, everyone present understood the gravity of the situation. Corpses and blood were scattered everywhere our eyes could reach.
‘But it’s not over yet.’
Time remaining
: 00:05:12
I’d cut it impossibly close. The problem was that whoever had reduced Chul Moo-baek of Hangshan Lake to this state was still inside.
Wol-hwa seemed to share my thoughts. She steadied Chul Moo-baek and asked him a question.
“Master Chul, did Pung Yang combine forces with another master?”
Chul Moo-baek shook his head weakly.
“You mean Pung Yang defeated Master Chul single-handedly?”
“A… a red ring. Be careful of that…”
A red ring?
I wanted to ask more, but Chul Moo-baek had reached his limit. As his head drooped silently, his lips still trembling faintly, Hyuk Moo-jin drew a sharp breath.
“He’s… dead.”
“… He’s still alive.”
“Ah, you’re right. His breathing is so faint I couldn’t tell.”
This bastard Hyuk Moo-jin could kill the living with his words alone.
Yet his assessment wasn’t entirely wrong. Chul Moo-baek’s thin, fragile breath was so precarious it could stop at any moment.
That was when Wol-hwa withdrew a small porcelain bottle from her robes.
“Could someone lift his head a bit?”
She tilted the bottle toward the unconscious Chul Moo-baek’s lips.
As an unknown green liquid flowed into him, color gradually returned to his pallid complexion, suggesting this was a remarkably potent medicine.
“This will buy us some time, but it’s only a temporary measure. In Master Chul’s current condition, even a child could overwhelm him, you understand?”
In other words, someone had to stay behind to protect Chul Moo-baek from any unforeseen danger. I nodded without hesitation.
“Then Moo-jin should…”
“Two people should stay.”
“What? Two people?”
What was this about? Jin Moo-kyung, whose eyes met mine, looked back with a confused expression.
“Why?”
“Wait, just the two of us?”
“Is there a problem?”
“….”
Of course there was.
‘Pung Yang, who reduced the master-level Chul Moo-baek to half-dead, and his bandits on top of that.’
We’d need to borrow the paws of a cat just to have a chance, and yet here we were.
Even setting aside Hyuk Moo-jin, whose skills were still unreliable, I believed we absolutely had to bring Wol-hwa along.
“Will the two of you be able to manage?”
I quickly opened my mouth in response to Wol-hwa’s question.
“Of course we can….”
“We can.”
Just as I was about to say it was impossible, Jin Moo-kyung’s deep, dark eyes fixed upon me.
“I said we can. Trust me.”
His calm yet unwavering words left me speechless.
For a moment, I wondered if this was merely youthful recklessness, but I found myself shaking my head inwardly.
‘The Sword Genius of Jin. A prodigy of martial arts.’
This man before me was a monster born from the fusion of effort and talent. From what I’d observed so far, he wasn’t foolish enough to court certain death.
And….
Time Remaining
: 00:02:21
Damn it, I had no more time to hesitate.
I exhaled deeply and turned to Jin Moo-kyung. “Are you certain?”
“This is our best option. Anything less would only be a burden.”
At Jin Moo-kyung’s response, Wol-hwa let out a soft laugh.
“My, you’re quite direct, aren’t you?”
“…I apologize for that aspect.”
“Well, it’s fine. You’re not wrong, after all.”
This was the first time I’d seen him apologize to anyone.
Hyuk Moo-jin interjected into this rare spectacle.
“Young Master, I am also a martial artist!”
“Then follow along. But survival is your own responsibility.”
“My own… responsibility?”
“Mark my words—once the fighting begins, the enemies will target you first. Dying gloriously in battle as a true martial artist wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”
After a moment of silence, Hyuk Moo-jin answered with determination in his eyes.
“As a martial artist, I shall safely escort the Iron Blade Master who walks the same path of martial arts.”
“….”
Sometimes I wondered if he was even human.
‘If I had the time, I’d beat some sense into him.’
But even as these thoughts crossed my mind, time continued its relentless march forward.
But even in the midst of all this, time continued to flow on.
Time Limit
: 00:01:09
“Exhale.”
I gripped the spear I’d prepared earlier firmly and spoke to Moo-jin.
“I’ll handle the small fry.”
“Usually at a moment like this, wouldn’t you volunteer to take on the leader yourself?”
“Yeah, let’s abandon that fixed mindset.”
“You’re a funny one.”
“I know my place.”
“Competitive spirit and ambition drive martial artists to grow.”
“And accelerate their deaths. Since you’ve learned to size up opponents before charging in, use that overflowing competitive spirit and ambition to deal with Pung Yang.”
“You certainly have a way with words.”
“Oh, and once we’re inside, approach as stealthily as possible, then ambush when I give the signal. Understood?”
“Ambush?”
“Leverage the element of surprise to inflict maximum damage right from the start. While the enemy is in chaos, the Hangsan Sword Sect Master will….”
“I see.”
“Good, it’s been a while since we’ve understood each other.”
With that, all preparations were complete. 40 seconds, 39, 38.
I was about to step toward the door, watching the numbers count down.
Thud.
There was no time to stop him or argue.
Moo-jin strode boldly inside and unleashed a shout infused with martial power.
“Pung Yang-!”
Ding.
–
[Time Limit]
disappears.
“….”
That bastard Moo-jin.
* * *
“Marriage? I would sooner choose death.”
Watching Eun So-wol draw the silver-bladed dagger against her own throat, Pung Yang clicked his tongue.
“Quite the troublemaker. Truly the daughter of the Blood Wolf Sword.”
Though Pung Yang possessed exceptional blade techniques, he could not fully employ his strengths in this situation.
‘Damn old man… forcing me to use a Temporary Strength Pill.’
Pung Yang possessed only three of these precious treasures. Using one had allowed him to defeat Chul Moo-baek, but the aftereffects were considerable.
He concealed his trembling hands beneath his sleeves as he spoke.
“Bring me all those still breathing.”
“Yes.”
Shortly after the order was given, the bound martial artists of the Hangsan Sword Sect were dragged forward, and darkness settled across Eun So-wol’s face.
“What are you planning to do?”
Pung Yang smiled faintly.
“You can probably guess. First, I’ll sever their limbs one by one right before your eyes. Arms, legs, whatever. It won’t be a pleasant sight, so I’d recommend keeping your eyes closed.”
“If you do such a thing….”
“If you wish to take your own life, I won’t stop you. Though your loyal subordinates will be slaughtered in exchange.”
Eun So-wol clenched her teeth.
“That’s not what you truly want, is it?”
“My betrothed is determined to die, so there’s nothing to be done. Still, the Blood Wolf Sword’s forbidden techniques and the martial arts secrets of Hangshan Lake should suffice. Ah, I’ll need to take that old man Chul Moo-baek along on the way back.”
“…Uncle Chul is still alive?”
“Of course. How could I easily kill the benefactor who will pass on such precious martial secrets?”
“….”
“I stake my head on this promise. It’s not too late even now—marry me. If you do, I’ll spare everyone’s lives, merely sealing your dantian.”
That was the decisive blow. Eun So-wol, whose eyelashes had trembled for a long moment, slowly lowered her hand.
“Keep your promise.”
“An excellent choice.”
A triumphant smile bloomed across Pung Yang’s face.
From this day forward, he would live his third life.
From a beggar boy to a Horse Bandit. From a Horse Bandit to finally donning the mask of an orthodox sect, becoming the true master of the Hangsan Inspection Bureau.
Though he had suffered great losses, it mattered not. New wine goes into new wineskins. He would recruit martial artists under the banner of the Hangsan Inspection Bureau and expand his power.
‘If the Blood Wolf Sword could do it thirty years ago, why couldn’t I?’
In that moment of overwhelming exhilaration, the corners of his mouth rose.
“Pung Yang—!”
A shout infused with inner force shook heaven and earth.
Eun So-wol, Pung Yang, and all the survivors turned their heads as if by agreement.
A youth clad in black robes as dark as night walked toward them from fifty paces away.
‘A master.’
Pung Yang felt a chill settle in his chest at the young man’s piercing gaze.
A master indeed. One who stood at the pinnacle, in no way inferior to himself. One could tell from the way his hand grasped the sword aura.
‘There are only two such young masters at the peak in Shanxi Province. Especially if he’s a swordsman….’
The answer came immediately. Jin Moo-kyung, the Celestial Sword. A genius who had reached the pinnacle at barely twenty years of age.
And more than that, the Taewon Jin Family stood firmly behind him as the foremost clan of Shanxi.
‘At least he came alone.’
But in the next moment, another figure poked his head out from the city gate where Jin Moo-kyung had entered.
The youth wore indigo martial robes. His attire, the dark iron spear in his hand, and most of all his face—identical to Jin Moo-kyung’s—revealed his identity.
“The Shanxi Sleeping Dragon?”
At the epithet that burst from someone’s mouth, Jin Tae-kyung flinched and muttered.
“Damn it, I knew it would come to this.”
Jin Tae-kyung walked forward with crude profanity unbecoming of a noble’s son, while Jin Moo-kyung approached with an unhurried gait.
The footsteps of the two brothers were directed toward Pung Yang.
‘Of all times, the Taewon Jin Family…this is very bad.’
The reputation built by the family over long years, combined with the renown gained from the Battle of Pal Cheon Hyeop—the current standing of the Taewon Jin Family was unparalleled.
Thanks to this, countless young warriors throughout Shanxi Province were flocking to the Taewon Jin Family, dreaming of becoming martial artists.
This was precisely why Pung Yang had to remain prostrate with his claws hidden, even if he were to devour the Hangsan Inspection Bureau immediately.
‘If I can just weather this crisis, opportunity will come.’
The Hangsan Inspection Bureau had already fallen. The Murim was a world of the strong devouring the weak, and Pung Yang was a new force to be reckoned with. He believed himself worthy of respect even when facing the Taewon Jin Family.
Thud, thud, thud.
With each step the Jin Moo-kyung and Jin Tae-kyung brothers took, the Red Wind Gang’s bandits scattered in all directions.
Pung Yang assumed a fist stance toward the two men who had drawn dangerously close.
“I am Pung Yang, Master of the Red Wind Gang.”
Had Pung Yang not been a seasoned martial artist who never lowered his guard, and had the residual effects of the Sleeping Dragon Elixir not lingered faintly within him, he would not have evaded that strike.
Whoosh—!
He rolled his body desperately. A brilliant sword aura that grazed his neck severed three bandits standing behind him.
“Is this the will of the Taewon Jin Family!”
Jin Tae-kyung, who had already felled nearby bandits, muttered in response to Pung Yang’s roar.
“I preferred to settle this with words.”
“Such insolence—”
Whoosh! Crack!
Before he could finish speaking, a sword aura flew toward him, raking across Pung Yang’s back. The searing pain forced him to dodge the relentless assault, and he was compelled to revise his assessment of Jin Moo-kyung.
‘He is stronger than me.’
His movements were comparable to Chul Moo-baek. And on top of that, Jin Tae-kyung was slaughtering his subordinates.
Pung Yang realized he had only one option left.
‘The Sleeping Dragon Elixir.’
He withdrew the wooden container he had hidden in his robes. As his subordinates fell defending against Jin Moo-kyung, he empted a pill into his mouth.
Whoosh!
In Pung Yang’s eyes, now stained crimson, Jin Moo-kyung’s azure sword aura gleamed.
Crack!

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