Murim Login - Chapter 117

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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 117
Jin Moo-kyung had mastered countless martial arts over the years. Among them were supreme techniques that had dominated entire eras, down to third-rate trash arts easily found in backwater street stalls—he had discriminated against none.
Yet in this moment, he understood.
‘It’s powerful. More so than any martial art I’ve learned until now.’
A deep, resonant hum.
A single curved blade descending with the momentum of splitting heaven and earth.
This was no supreme technique like the Namgung Clan’s Imperial Sword Form or the Huashan Sect’s Plum Blossom Sword Method. It was merely the first strike of the Three Calamities Sword Technique—Mount Tai Pressing Down—something even street-level thugs knew.
‘Mount Tai pressing down. I think I understand what that feels like now.’
The crimson blade energy rippling above the curved blade seemed capable not merely of pressing down Mount Tai, but of splitting it asunder.
‘I cannot block it.’
In a fraction of an instant, Jin Moo-kyung threw himself aside without hesitation.
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
The blade energy grazed the edge of Jin Moo-kyung’s collar and struck the ground. Without any thunderous boom or tremor, the earth simply split open—a sight that sent shivers down the spine.
“You dodged that?”
Yet Pung Yang was not satisfied with this result.
It had been a full-power strike. He had drawn the efficacy of the Sleeping Dragon Elixir to its absolute limit, yet he hadn’t even inflicted a minor wound on Jin Moo-kyung.
‘Even Hangshan Lake could only be parried.’
Even Chul Moo-baek, a fully mature supreme master, had suffered internal injuries and been forced to retreat as the price. How could a boy not yet twenty accomplish this?
“The Heavenly Sword of Jin… you certainly live up to your name, don’t you?”
Jin Moo-kyung, having regained his composure, replied calmly.
“I had to dodge that.”
“You couldn’t block it?”
A sneer crossed Pung Yang’s lips.
“Well, given that the esteemed young master of the Taewon Jin Family resorted to rolling like a lazy donkey to escape, I suppose you were quite desperate.”
A lazy donkey rolling on the ground—a metaphor that would have been shameful to any martial artist from an orthodox sect who valued honor. But for Jin Moo-kyung, it was different.
“Donkey or mule, it doesn’t matter. Does honor put food on the table?”
“What?”
“Compared to the price of my life, it’s a bargain. And…”
His perpetually composed face broke into a slight smile.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Just thinking—if someone would throw stones at a supreme master, what’s the shame in rolling like a lazy donkey?”
Pung Yang found himself asking back at this cryptic jest whose meaning he couldn’t discern.
“Throwing stones at a supreme master? Are you in your right mind?”
“When I first heard that story, I thought the same thing. But thinking about it more carefully, I realized it’s entirely possible for someone like that.”
“I’d like to see the face of whatever madman that is.”
“You’ll see soon enough.”
“What do you mean by that?”
It was then that Pung Yang felt a light sense of unease.
A sharp, piercing aura erupted from behind.
A keen presence bearing down from his rear.
In his turned gaze, his crimson eyes reflected the handsome face of a young man.
‘Shanxi Sleeping Dragon.’
Within the slow-flowing moment, I smirked. The iron spear I gripped was already surging toward Pung Yang’s chest.
Kwaaaaa!
First Flash.
The vortex erupting from the spearhead consumed Pung Yang entirely.
* * *
My body was in perfect condition. The fatigue and exhaustion had completely recovered thanks to leveling up while dealing with the small fry.
The timing was ideal too. Pung Yang’s broad, unguarded back seemed to be begging for the spear to pierce through it.
I chose First Flash as the final brushstroke to complete this picture. I hadn’t seen anyone survive it intact until now.
But then….
“You should have looked at your opponent before attacking.”
A voice as low as a beast’s cry. Pung Yang was enveloped in a crimson veil of qi as vivid as his eyes. It writhed like living armor, cleanly blocking the vortex unleashed by First Flash.
‘What did they call this in martial arts novels?’
Ah, that’s right. I remembered. I barely parted my lips.
“Protective Qi Armor?”
“Your eyes aren’t completely blind, then.”
“Damn it….”
Sword qi, sword force—and now protective qi armor on top of that?
Pung Yang’s lips curled up as he watched me standing dazed, my vision darkening.
“Too late for regrets.”
Shwik!
A strand of saber qi erupting from his curved blade sheared away a chunk of my hair. If I hadn’t bent my waist immediately, it would have been my head that was severed.
‘Insane.’
Swallowing the curse that threatened to burst out, I threw myself away—and vicious saber strikes immediately tore through the spot where I’d been standing.
Shwish shwish shwish shwik!
The problem was that each strand of saber qi was devastatingly powerful. Watching the frozen ground split like soft tofu sent chills down my spine.
‘One wrong move and I’m really done for.’
Even with A-rank magical defensive gear, fighting in nothing but a thin scrap of cloth felt like walking on thin ice.
Above all….
‘That bastard doesn’t even tire.’
Maintaining the protective qi armor alone must be consuming an enormous amount of inner force, yet he seemed like an inexhaustible spring of power.
“So you’re brothers, yet you flee like rats—the resemblance is striking.”
It was the moment Pung Yang let out a derisive laugh.
“Not particularly pleasant to hear.”
Jin Moo-kyung suddenly appeared from behind, scattering his sword. A brilliant blue flash extended outward, aiming for the man’s throat.
Clang!
Yet even Jin Moo-kyung’s sword qi, which seemed capable of cutting through anything, could not penetrate the protective qi armor. Pung Yang casually stroked his neck where the sword qi had lashed, his expression relaxed.
“Stiff. Is that all?”
“Hardly.”
Screeeech!
As Jin Moo-kyung pressed forward without hesitation, the curved blade in Pung Yang’s hand moved in response. The shift in air pressure was so overwhelming that one could feel the sheer force of it.
This is a battle I cannot interfere with.
Whoosh!
The moment Jin Moo-kyung’s azure sword energy and Pung Yang’s crimson blade energy collided, a tremendous shockwave erupted with a deafening boom that made ears ring.
Crash!
Most of those standing on their feet lost their balance and staggered.
But I kept my eyes wide open, watching the outcome of this tremendous clash.
‘Who is he?’
Through the swirling dust kicked up by the impact, I could see two figures facing each other.
A sword with only the hilt remaining and tightly clenched lips. It was Pung Yang who broke the brief silence first.
The man on his knees spat out blood-tinged saliva.
“Cough, hack!”
A small cheer erupted from the crowd. Jin Moo-kyung standing confidently, Pung Yang on his knees—the moment the victor of this fierce battle was decided.
‘He won.’
I couldn’t see all the intricate exchanges that had taken place, but it was certain that Pung Yang had sustained internal injuries first in the process.
The evidence was clear—a distinct palm print now marked his chest, something that hadn’t been visible before. That was likely the decisive blow.
“Cough, cough.”
Pung Yang wiped his blood-stained mouth and unsteadily got to his feet.
“Striking from beyond the mountain to hit the ox. Even so, I never expected my protective qi to shatter so pathetically… Was my enlightenment insufficient?”
Jin Moo-kyung remained silent, and Pung Yang clicked his tongue.
“Damn it, even after using the Sleeping Dragon Elixir, I’m in this state. I’ll have to shut myself away in the Deep Mountain Valley for a while and focus on training.”
Deep Mountain Valley? Training?
I found myself genuinely curious and asked.
“Where are you going?”
“You’ll find out soon enough if you wait. I’m planning to take your brothers with me too.”
This is genuinely bewildering.
Since it’s a housewarming invitation, should I buy a box of tissues to bring?
“Us?”
“Yes, because I need the martial techniques of the Taewon Jin Family that you know. They’ll be quite helpful in supplementing the violent qi circulation of the Crimson Heart Method.”
After hearing that much, the words that had been dancing on my tongue finally burst out.
“Are you insane?”
I hadn’t confirmed it, but everyone probably had the same expression as me.
The victor was already clearly decided, so what?
“Forget training in the Deep Mountain Valley—I’ll send you on a sightseeing tour of Beimang Mountain instead, so you can train there.”
“Beimang Mountain? You’re sending me?”
“Even if not by my hand, there are plenty of people who would be happy to send you to Beimang Mountain.”
I jerked my chin toward Pung Yang’s back, as if to say how absurd this was.
The martial artists of the Hangsan Inspection Bureau had already drawn their weapons and were slowly closing in.
Among them, a beautiful woman with particularly fierce eyes in her gaze must be Eun So-wol, the new sect leader of the Hangsan Inspection Bureau.
‘This man won’t die easily either.’
Now it was time to pay the karmic debt for my past misdeeds. I flicked my spear toward Pung Yang.
“Will you keep spouting nonsense even now?”
The man who had been staring at us intently opened his mouth.
“Well, it seems you’re under a grave misunderstanding.”
His voice carried unmistakable amusement beneath the surface.
“Is there anyone among you capable of bringing me down?”
“What kind of bullshit is that….”
“If you find it hard to believe, you could ask Jin Moo-kyung standing before me. So, what do you think of my words?”
Jin Moo-kyung did not answer Pung Yang’s question, and only then did I realize something.
Why he had been silent all this time. Why he had simply stood there like a stone monument.
Thud.
Pung Yang’s hand touched Jin Moo-kyung’s chest. At some point, the unconscious body collapsed limply.
Only then did five throwing knives become visible, lined up neatly across his upper torso.
Thump.
Crimson eyes swept across the silent crowd, curving like a crescent moon.
“Well then, shall we finish this?”
* * *
The ‘finale’ began swiftly.
It started with a dozen throwing knives that burst from his sleeves as he approached us with leisurely steps.
Whoosh! Thunk thunk thunk thunk!
Even at such close range, these were throwing knife techniques that Jin Moo-kyung couldn’t evade. Pung Yang’s knives pierced their targets with perfect accuracy, and screams erupted without fail.
“Ugh.”
“Gasp!”
The warriors of the Hangsan Inspection Bureau, already pushed to the brink of exhaustion and individually lacking in martial prowess, were easy prey.
By the time I finally moved to block Pung Yang, more than a dozen had already lost their lives.
“Stop.”
He shook his head.
“No, that’s not it. Commands are a privilege granted to the strong.”
“…I will kill you.”
“If you were Jin Tae-kyung, perhaps. But you, a mere greenhorn?”
At Pung Yang’s scoff, I fell silent. He wasn’t wrong. Standing against him was a decision born half from courage and half from recklessness.
‘But how do I bring him down?’
My mind felt like it was burning white-hot. Two faces surfaced through the chaos of my thoughts.
The first was the Grand Elder. The strongest and most hopeless opponent I had faced so far. But back then, I had the help of Jin Wi-kyung and the warriors of the Taewon Jin Family.
‘Now?’
There is none. No one. Pung Yang, having consumed the Potential-Awakening Pill, was a master comparable to or surpassing the Grand Elder, yet I alone stood against him.
Then naturally, the second figure came to mind.
‘Jo Pil of the First Gate.’
Perhaps Jo Pil was the one who truly forced me to face a genuine crisis. I lost my subordinates from Murim for the first time, and came to the brink of death. Only after that could I bring him down.
But the Pung Yang before me now was a different breed entirely from Jo Pil.
‘This damned Latent Power Pill….’
The more I thought about it, the more curses spilled from my lips. I wanted nothing more than to see the face of whoever had created this monstrosity.
“Now that you understand your place, stay crushed and silent.”
Watching Pung Yang strut about like the greatest master under heaven, all thanks to that Latent Power Pill, made my insides twist. If only he were merely at Jo Pil’s level—then I’d have some way to handle this….
‘…Wait?’
Suddenly, a forgotten fact flashed through my mind.
Jo Pil—didn’t that bastard possess something particularly lethal among his belongings?
‘The Crimson Flame Divine Pill.’
Upon consumption, it granted half a decade’s worth of inner force—a legendary spiritual elixir, yet simultaneously a double-edged blade that could kill you if you weren’t careful, consumed by the raging fire energy it contained.
‘The Crimson Flame Divine Pill, the Crimson Flame Divine Pill….’
The next moment.
Lost in thought, I suddenly opened my mouth.
“Hey.”
Pung Yang, who had already passed me, stopped short and turned around.
“Hey? Are you talking to me like that?”
“Yeah, you drug-peddling bastard.”
“Tch, what’s this bloodstain babbling about….”
“Did you enjoy being the only one taking pills?”
“…What?”
I spoke each word deliberately toward his bewildered and furious face.
“Did you enjoy being the only one taking pills?”
An eye for an eye. Doping for doping.
Now I fight on pills too, you bastard.

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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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