Murim Login - Chapter 148

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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 148
In the warm atmosphere created by the substantial sum of one hundred thousand taels, Jin Wi-kyung and Hong Jin exchanged greetings.
“I am Jin Wi-kyung of the Taewon Jin Family. It is an immense pleasure to finally meet the legendary Inspector Hong, of whom I have heard so much.”
“The young master of the Great Tae Won Jin Family shows me such generous hospitality that I scarcely know what to do with myself. Please, call me Hong from now on.”
“But how could I address someone of your official station so casually?”
“Come now, you’re far too stiff. I insist you call me by my given name.”
“Ha, very well then, Hong.”
The atmosphere suddenly felt oddly communist.
As I pondered whether we were in Pyongyang or the Martial World, Jin Wi-kyung’s gaze turned toward me after he finished the introductions.
“So, Tae-kyung has arrived?”
“Yes.”
I responded with appropriate deference, sensing the unusual gravity in his tone.
It seemed he understood that behaving casually before an outsider would not only undermine his own prestige but bring shame upon the entire family.
“Good. You paid your respects to His Majesty?”
It was more than mere respects—I even held an impromptu autograph session.
Hong Jin chuckled and patted my shoulder lightly.
“His Majesty was absolutely delighted. He has been longing to see young Master Jin here quite often.”
“Is that so?”
“Indeed. He was so fond of you that he seemed reluctant to let you go at all.”
“Ha, so our youngest—I mean, my younger brother has captured His Majesty’s heart, it seems.”
“And rightly so. He has a handsome face, impressive height, an excellent physique, formidable martial prowess, and a most affable temperament. Who could possibly dislike him?”
“Well, it may sound immodest coming from my own lips, but Tae-kyung is truly a remarkable talent. Had he been born into one of the Five Great Families instead of our main residence, it would not be surprising if he became the greatest martial artist under heaven.”
Caught up in enthusiasm and forgetting his dignity, Jin Wi-kyung spoke freely, but Hong Jin’s expression hardened.
“The greatest martial artist under heaven? Young Master Jin, surely you jest. That is quite an exaggeration.”
“What do you mean?”
“Young Master Jin becoming the greatest martial artist under heaven? Even one as removed from the Martial World as myself finds that absurd. Are you not underestimating me?”
“…Ahem.”
The atmosphere suddenly grew tense, and Jin Wi-kyung let out an uncomfortable cough. Then Hong Jin smoothly continued.
“Young Master Jin could become the greatest martial artist of all ages.”
“…!”
“Allow me to offer my congratulations in advance, Young Master. For the Taewon Jin Family to produce the greatest martial artist of all ages—what a blessing for Shanxi Province!”
Jin Wi-kyung exclaimed with emotion.
“Hong!”
“Young Master Jin!”
“….”
Twenty years in the Imperial Palace, and his silver tongue was indeed extraordinary.
I watched Jin Wi-kyung rejoice as though he had found a kindred spirit, and I could only shake my head in admiration.
“This will not do. Rather than remain here, I have arranged a place for us. Shall we share a drink…?”
“I’m afraid I cannot drink well.”
“Ah, what a pity.”
“There isn’t any, so I can’t eat it.”
“Hong Jin!”
“Young Master Jin!”
“….”
“….”
Look at how perfectly they’re in sync.
As the two of them laughed heartily and walked away arm in arm, Wi Paeng turned to me with a bewildered expression.
“Is that man truly the Deputy Commander?”
“Unfortunately, it’s the truth.”
“I’d heard he came from the imperial household, but I never expected him to be so frivolous.”
Well then, what does that make Jin Wi-kyung, the martial artist who matched his energy perfectly?
Jin Moo-kyung, who had worn a sour expression the entire time, finally spoke up.
“That’s just how he is. Last time, he subtly patted my shoulder. I barely managed to restrain myself from breaking his arm.”
He tore the cloth he’d been holding to shreds and tossed it to the ground, his expression visibly lighter as he spoke.
“Well then, I have important matters to attend to.”
“Important matters? You mean training again, I suppose.”
“Is there anything more important than training for a martial artist?”
“…There isn’t.”
He’d left me speechless.
Just as I stood there, my lips moving silently, a clear and resonant voice rang out.
“Wow, that’s exactly what my grandfather always says!”
In that instant, Wi Paeng and Jin Moo-kyung’s gazes pierced Chung Poong like daggers.
To ordinary people, he was simply a young man with a somewhat unique aura, nothing more. But to masters, it was different.
As their eyebrows shot upward, Chung Poong turned to me with a flustered expression.
“Oh, my benefactor. Have I done something wrong?”
“Wrong? Not at all. We’re just curious, that’s all. Isn’t that right, you two?”
The two of them kept their eyes fixed on Chung Poong and simply nodded.
A youthful master in his prime. It was natural that they’d be curious about Chung Poong’s sudden appearance.
“Let’s introduce ourselves properly then. This is Chung Poong.”
Before I’d even finished speaking, Chung Poong bowed respectfully.
“Hello, I’m Chung Poong! I’ve only been in Shanxi Province for a few days, and before that I was in Hanan, and also….”
Where did this fellow come from? That’s what was written all over their faces.
It was exactly as I’d anticipated. I explained Chung Poong’s identity simply and directly.
“He’s a disciple of the Sword Saint.”
“…!”
“…!”
The name of Sword Saint Mae Jong-hak was truly a cheat code among the Murim.
As the two of them stood frozen with shock, their mouths agape, Chung Poong asked carefully.
“Um, which one of you two is Jin Cheon Sword?”
Jin Moo-kyung, still reeling from the shock, answered haltingly.
“I, I am Jin Cheon Sword. But is it truly the Sword Saint Mae Jong-hak, the great master…?”
“Yes. He’s our grandfather.”
“Gasp!”
His expression was several times more shocked than when he’d witnessed the Flame God’s secret techniques.
A disciple—no, a grandson—of a supreme master who had supposedly retreated into seclusion decades ago had suddenly appeared before them. It was understandable.
“This cannot be….”
“A descendant of the Sword Saint.”
Chung Poong, watching the two men struggle to contain their astonishment, broke into a radiant smile.
“I didn’t know myself until I came down from the mountain.”
“Y, young master. Could it be that Master Mae has also come down from the mountain…?”
His voice trembled with anticipation and excitement.
Both men had devoted their entire lives to the sword. Mae Jong-hak had achieved such mastery of the blade that he earned the title Sword Saint—to them, he was nothing short of a deity.
Yet Chung Poong’s answer shattered their hopes completely.
“No, I escaped alone in secret. There were people I wanted to meet.”
“Ah.”
“How unfortunate….”
“But setting that aside….”
Chung Poong, observing their disappointment, spoke again.
His gleaming eyes had been fixed on Jin Moo-kyung since earlier.
“Are you truly Jin Cheon Sword Jin Moo-kyung, young master? The one from the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes?”
“That’s right, I am Jin Moo-kyung.”
“Ah, I finally found you!”
“…What?”
“I’ve been searching for you everywhere. From the Cheon-mu Academy in Hanan all the way here.”
What? So the person he was looking for was Jin Moo-kyung?
Wi Paeng, and even Jin Moo-kyung himself, asked with bewildered expressions.
“You were looking for me?”
“Yes. Since you’re nearby, I thought you’d be a fitting first opponent.”
“First opponent? What do you mean?”
“A martial challenge tour.”
Chung Poong smiled serenely. It was an entirely different kind of smile from the bright, innocent one he’d shown until now.
“I made a vow when I came down the mountain. I won’t return until I’ve defeated all of the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes.”
“…!”
“My grandfather told me: warriors have no need for words. We settle everything through martial prowess alone.”
Whoosh.
In that instant, I felt intense heat. A violet-hued radiance suddenly erupted from Chung Poong’s entire body.
I’d witnessed this sight before.
‘The Purple Flame Divine Art.’
The extreme yang energy scorched away the cold. The earth melted and the soil charred. Chung Poong’s smile vanished as he spoke.
“Shall we move to a different location?”
“Is there any need for that?”
Jin Moo-kyung continued speaking.
“Draw your sword.”
* * *
Jin Moo-kyung exhaled deeply. My racing heart gradually slowed its pace. In combat, breathing is everything. Only now was I truly prepared to draw my blade.
I placed my hand on the sword hilt and recalled a single name.
‘Sword Saint Mae Jong-hak.’
From the day I first gripped a sword, I had never forgotten that name for even a single day.
A legendary swordmaster said to have reached the ultimate pinnacle of the blade—or perhaps transcended it entirely.
Everyone revered the Sword Saint, but I was different.
‘One day, I will surpass him.’
Had anyone heard such words, they would have scoffed. They would have pointed and called me mad.
No matter how much of a genius Jin Moo-kyung might be, I could never reach the name of Sword Saint. Since Mae Jong-hak earned that title, no one had ever surpassed him.
Sword Saint Mae Jong-hak had already written a new chapter in the Orthodox Martial Arts World’s history decades ago and become a legend.
‘It doesn’t matter. This is my goal.’
Not recklessness, but a goal.
A goal I had carved into my bones and heart every single day through sword training.
And in this very moment, the one person who inherited everything from Sword Saint Mae Jong-hak stood before me.
“Grandfather once said to me: ‘You are nothing compared to the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes. Do not be arrogant.'”
Chung Poong took a slow step forward. A single Blue River Sword hung casually at his waist, and his gait was as light as if he were merely taking a stroll.
Yet….
‘There are no openings.’
Despite appearing utterly careless, I couldn’t discern when or how to strike.
Jin Moo-kyung licked my parched lips.
“I’ve never even met that person… you’re being too generous.”
“No, I’m being honest. I was genuinely surprised.”
Jin Moo-kyung knew that every word Chung Poong spoke came from the heart. That’s what made the feeling so strange.
‘Genuinely surprised, he said.’
Nearly twenty years had passed since I began training with the sword. I had reached this position through talent and effort.
People called me a genius, gave me the epithet Jin Cheon Sword, and named me among the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes.
I had thought I had never once been intoxicated by such empty praise… yet.
‘I still have so far to go.’
Somewhere along the way, I had grown accustomed to the gazes of those who looked up to me.
The wound I had suffered from Pung Yang not long ago throbbed once more.
“Do you know something?”
“What?”
“That you are strong.”
“I wasn’t certain until recently. But now I understand.”
“From meeting me?”
“Yes. From meeting Jin Moo-kyung. Now I know what the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes truly are.”
“Is that so?”
Jin Moo-kyung chuckled softly.
An amusing fellow. Already possessing martial prowess equal to or exceeding that of the Nine Major Sects and One Alliance elders, yet untainted by worldliness. Honest. Genuine.
A martial artist, yet one who doesn’t belong in the Martial World.
‘Quite the opposite of anyone I know.’
A certain person suddenly came to mind.
Someone who could survive anywhere in the Martial World, yet fought in the most unmartial way possible.
“How old are you?”
“I’ve just turned twenty this year.”
“What a coincidence—we’re the same age. Is it mere chance? Or perhaps fate?”
“Pardon?”
Jin Moo-kyung shook his head instead of answering.
In truth, I already knew the outcome of this match. The overwhelming aura of the Ja Ha Divine Technique rippling across Chung Poong’s entire body made that abundantly clear.
It was only regrettable that I couldn’t display my full capabilities against such a master.
‘What would that bastard have done in a situation like this?’
Jin Moo-kyung glanced at his troublemaking younger sister. She was grinning mischievously, her mouth agape.
You. Damn. Brat.
I’d never seen such an infuriating fool. Jin Moo-kyung laughed hollowly and placed his hand on his sword. The power surging from my dantian spread through all four limbs and eight meridians.
Chung Poong opened his mouth as he gazed at Jin Moo-kyung’s blade.
“My grandfather told me something like this too. There’s no need for formalities in a martial match.”
“I agree.”
The next instant.
A tremendous roar erupted as violet flames and silver sword energy collided.

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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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