Murim Login - Chapter 146

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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 146
Every meeting carries with it the promise of parting.
As the familiar six-horse carriage drew near, Ju Pyo pressed something no larger than a palm into my hand.
“What is this?”
“My token of gratitude for today’s meeting.”
“Oh my, you shouldn’t have….”
I accepted it and examined it closely—a sort of golden medal.
Delicate clouds and dragons were engraved into its surface, and it gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight.
Ting.
– The Quest target is very satisfied with today’s meeting!
– As a Quest reward, you have obtained
[Sangshan King’s Token]
!
“This is my token. Should you ever desire something or have a wish, come find me with it. I shall grant whatever lies within my power.”
“I see.”
A redemption coupon, essentially.
A Chinese restaurant coupon might get you twenty servings of sweet and sour pork, but this—a redemption coupon from the Sangshan King himself—could surely be exchanged for rare elixirs or treasures beyond measure.
‘I’ve actually been needing a weapon.’
Thanks to absorbing the Yeolhwa Divine Elixir, the internal energy reserves are sufficient.
The problem was the lack of a decent spear. All my other weapons had been practically disposable chopsticks from the start.
‘Should I just trade it in now?’
I hesitated for a moment, then shook my head.
I’d already overcome the greatest crisis. It would be wasteful to exchange a king’s token for a single weapon when there was no pressing urgency.
“Thank you. I’ve actually been wanting something like this.”
As I bowed respectfully, Ju Pyo rose onto his tiptoes and gently patted my head.
“I am glad you are pleased.”
“….”
This feeling is rather peculiar. But he’s cute, so I’ll allow it.
Meanwhile, the carriage that would take us away came to a halt. As I moved toward it, Ju Pyo waved his hand.
“Travel safely! Come visit again!”
You should be the one visiting next time, you little rascal.
The First Day of the Year—the First Day of the Year—was only about two weeks away. By then, I would likely see the young king again.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
“We shall return, Your Majesty.”
The carriage was so large that its entrance was equally spacious. Hong Jin and I boarded side by side.
“…Huh?”
Wait, hold on. That was so natural I almost missed it.
I turned to Hong Jin with a bewildered expression.
“What is it?”
“Hm? Why do you ask?”
“This is a carriage bound for the Taewon Jin Family.”
“I know. That’s why I boarded it.”
“Pardon?”
“Strike while the iron is hot. Shouldn’t we take this opportunity to have a word with the Jin Family Patriarch?”
Hong Jin flashed a grin and snapped his fingers, whereupon a Royal Official came rushing over like the wind.
“Commander-in-Chief, do you have orders for me?”
“We’re visiting without prior notice, so we should bring generous gifts. And don’t forget to send a messenger ahead to pay our respects properly.”
“I shall obey your command!”
Lee Poong also issued instructions to one of his generals.
“This is an honored guest. Escort them to the Taewon Jin Family Estate.”
“Yes, sir!”
At the orders of both men, nearly a hundred soldiers and a hastily assembled delegation began moving in perfect unison.
Watching this spectacle, Chung Poong, who had been about to climb aboard, clapped softly.
“Wow.”
Having finally obtained the Royal Guard merchandise set he’d so desperately desired, he decided to stay at the Taewon Jin Family Estate for the time being.
Lee Poong bowed his head slightly toward me.
“I ask for your guidance and mentorship.”
“There’s no need for such formality.”
This was someone I wanted to befriend regardless—someone worth cultivating a relationship with.
By using Chung Poong as a stepping stone to strengthen ties with the Huashan Sect, the Taewon Jin Family’s future would surely be bright.
‘He’s an amusing fellow too.’
Chung Poong waved his hand with a radiant smile.
“Lee Poong, don’t you worry! Whenever I’m with the young master, interesting things keep happening!”
“I’m just saying this to be safe, but please don’t cause any trouble.”
“Yes, sir!”
At least he answered well.
I turned my gaze toward those who remained.
“What are you all planning to do?”
The junior disciples of the Sanseo Five Gates answered hesitantly.
“We plan to stay at the Honghua Inn until the First Day of the Year.”
“Returning to the Main Residence would be too time-consuming anyway….”
“Truth be told, we don’t have the courage to go back.”
“If we return now, Father might kill me.”
Their answer was utterly depressing.
Well, by now rumors of yesterday’s events would be spreading like wildfire, so their concern was understandable.
I clicked my tongue at them.
“Stay quiet until the First Day of the Year. I’ll smooth things over with your sect leaders later.”
“Is that… truly so?”
“In exchange, you all need to do your part. You understand what I mean, don’t you?”
“The Seongyun Escort Agency… Yes, we understand.”
The tide of events can no longer be stemmed. By now, these fools and the sect leaders of the Sanseo Five Gates must surely understand this reality.
From here on, there is nothing to do but expand our influence beneath the Taewon Jin Family.
“Very well then. Work hard, and I’ll see you on the First Day of the Year.”
“Pardon?”
“What is it?”
“Well, we were heading that way ourselves.”
“Where? The Honghua Inn?”
“Yes.”
I tossed a remark at the bewildered men.
“This is a Taewon Jin Family express carriage.”
Bang!
The moment the door shut, the carriage lurched into motion.
* * *
The interior was spacious enough for six people to sit comfortably. Chung Poong, Hong Jin, and I each claimed several seats, settling into the plush cushions.
“I could live here quite happily.”
Chung Poong continued with a contented smile.
“When I lived with Grandfather, I slept on grass and stone. I don’t think I could ever go back to that now.”
A primitive man encountering civilization for the first time—that was him exactly.
Hong Jin regarded him with curious eyes and asked.
“Then you’ve always lived on Huashan, my lord?”
“Yes. Since I was very small. But I wasn’t actually born there. I once asked Grandfather about it, and he said I came to Huashan when I was three or four years old.”
That made sense. No matter how formidable a master the Sword Saint is, there are limits to what he can manage in raising a child.
Even becoming a supreme expert wouldn’t cause milk to flow from a man’s chest.
“….”
Wait, with a supreme expert, who knows what might be possible?
These monsters wielded sword energy and sword force—surely they could produce milk if they wanted.
I found myself imagining an elderly grandfather with white hair nursing an infant.
“Ugh.”
“Benefactor, are you alright?”
“Young Master Jin, are you well?”
“I’m fine. My stomach just felt queasy for a moment.”
“Oh my, that won’t do. Come now, rest your head on my lap.”
“….”
I was tempted to just smash his knees to pieces.
As I hurled silent curses with my eyes, Hong Jin covered his mouth and laughed.
“Hehe, Young Master Jin really is amusing to tease.”
If a beautiful woman had said such a thing, I might have laughed along. But Hong Jin was unmistakably male. No amount of white powder on his face or rouge on his lips changed that fact.
‘He said he was a eunuch, didn’t he?’
A eunuch—wasn’t that a castrated servant?
I’d heard before that not all eunuchs were necessarily castrated. But there was no way to tell whether Hong Jin still had his manhood or not.
“Young Master Jin.”
“Yes, yes?”
“Where are you looking right now?”
“Oh, I thought I saw something dirty on me. Never mind.”
Damn, I’ve been caught.
Though not a martial artist, this man possessed the perceptiveness of a master. I hastily tore my gaze from Hong Jin’s lower body and changed the subject.
“By the way, how did Lee Poong the Great Hero come to join the Military Gate?”
“This Commander? Naturally, he passed the military examination and entered. Since then, it’s been smooth sailing.”
“As expected, being an outer disciple of the Huashan Sect makes a difference.”
“I wouldn’t say it had no influence, but it’s not just that. Becoming a third-rank Military Commander in merely ten years is genuinely difficult.”
“Third-rank means…?”
“What’s third-rank? Is it something you eat?”
I understood it was a high position, but that was the extent of my knowledge.
Hong Jin patiently explained to both Chung Poong and me, who couldn’t quite grasp it.
“It’s a senior position. Each province has only four of them, and in Lee Poong’s case, he ranks within the top three fingers of the military hierarchy.”
Hong Jin counted off on his fingers one by one.
“The Commander-in-Chief, who is the supreme commander, then me below him, and third is Lee Poong. Of course, above us all is His Majesty the Sangshan King.”
“The Commander-in-Chief?”
“Someone facing retirement soon. Born as the son of a great general, he’s accomplished some deeds, and he absolutely adores bribes.”
A corrupt military man. Embezzlement has become his daily routine.
With the Commander-in-Chief in such a state, it fully explained why Shanxi Province’s security had been in such disarray recently.
“The current Commander-in-Chief is incompetent. You can tell just by seeing bandits roaming freely the moment the Hangsan Inspection Bureau collapsed.”
“If he’s that incompetent, perhaps they should just….”
I swallowed the words about removing him before they left my mouth. What business was it of mine to meddle in others’ work? Especially among high-ranking officials.
Hong Jin added a helpful explanation to my reaction.
“The Commander-in-Chief is appointed directly by the Emperor. His dismissal is the same.”
“Ah.”
“Well, at least he has no ambitions beyond that, which is fortunate. I like bribes too, so I’m hardly in a position to criticize.”
What kind of man was this?
I’d seen many politicians on television claiming innocence regarding bribery accusations, but this was my first encounter with someone like Hong Jin.
“Why? Did I seem that incorruptible to you?”
“No. I did think you’d be fond of bribes, but….”
“You didn’t expect me to say it so openly?”
“Well, yes. To be honest, I’m slightly taken aback right now.”
“Young Master Jin. Do you know something?”
Hong Jin continued with a serious expression.
“I have no possessions.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m a eunuch.”
….
How am I supposed to answer this? I’d suspected something, but to suddenly drop such a bombshell…
Chung Poong, who had been gazing out the window, suddenly interjected with a curious expression.
“What is a castrated man?”
“…Please, please just close your mouth.”
There’s no chili pepper, no chili pepper!
Every second felt like an eternity. I opened my mouth, cold sweat beading on my forehead.
“I regret to hear it.”
“Well, there’s no need for regret. In life, some people lack certain things, and others possess them. Isn’t that so?”
“That’s…true.”
His admirable mindset somehow made me feel solemn as well.
Meanwhile, that primitive fool who didn’t understand the meaning kept babbling away without any sense of the situation.
“Benefactor, could you explain what a castrated man is?”
I would never tell him, not even if it killed me. Absolutely not.
Because there was a 99.99% chance he’d blurt out something like, “Wow, this is the first time I’ve met someone without a chili pepper!”
But Hong Jin remained composed.
“A castrated man is someone without a chili pepper.”
“Wow, this is the first time I’ve met someone without a chili pep—”
“Ah, shut your mouth!”
Chung Poong gasped in surprise, his breath catching.
“Oh, benefactor.”
“Calm yourself, Young Master Jin. If you’ve lived in the mountains, such things can happen. Besides, it’s not as though I’ve been living as a castrated man for just a day or two.”
“Still, your words were too harsh.”
“Did I do something wrong? I’m truly sorry.”
“It’s fine. Straighten your shoulders. I still have mine.”
Decades of experience as a castrated man doesn’t just disappear.
Hong Jin waved his hand dismissively and continued speaking without concern.
“I have never regretted the decisions I’ve made. When my own flesh and blood were starving to death, how could I refuse to do anything? Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Of course. That’s right.”
“I would have done the same too!”
Now I had to agree with whatever Hong Jin said. Chung Poong and I simply nodded our heads, feeling like accomplices to a crime.
“I may not be incorruptible, but I’m not cowardly enough to betray my principles. Had I been, I would never have served the Emperor until now.”
Hong Jin gazed out the window with distant eyes.
“I once served the Previous Emperor at his side. He commanded me to assist Sangshan King. That was his will.”
“The Previous Emperor did?”
If the deceased former emperor had made such a request, it meant Hong Jin had held a considerable high position among the eunuchs at that time.
Hong Jin nodded and continued.
“I came to the frontier in what was exile in all but name…but now I’m satisfied with this. More than satisfied.”
Yet despite his words, an unmistakable light gleamed in his eyes that could not be hidden.
Ambition? Hope? Before I could discern the meaning behind that light, it vanished, and the Coachman’s quiet voice pierced my ears.
“The Taewon Jin Family Estate is in sight.”

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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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