Murim Login - Chapter 190

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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 190
Boom!
Baek Moo-sung’s body shot upward as if propelled by a spring.
The chair he had been sitting in moments before clattered loudly across the ground, but he paid it no mind. Neither did anyone else in the hall.
“What in the—”
“What just happened?!”
“D-did something just occur?”
I thought it was over. Jin Tae-kyung had displayed far superior skill than anticipated, yet he had ultimately lost his spear to Chul-woo’s fist energy.
A spear master without his weapon against a martial artist at his peak. The victor was clear.
Or so it had seemed.
Until mere moments ago.
“What exactly happened?”
“That is…”
At Eun So-wol’s question, Baek Moo-sung’s lips twitched. Though he still struggled to believe it, he had lost sight of Jin Tae-kyung’s movements in that instant.
All he had glimpsed was something pale and fleeting.
‘It feels as though I’ve been bewitched by a phantom.’
Something impossible had occurred.
Baek Moo-sung, who had been silent, finally opened his lips. When his voice emerged, it carried unmistakable shame.
“I cannot say.”
Another wave of shock rippled through the crowd. Eun-hyang, who had observed Baek Moo-sung more closely than anyone present, widened her eyes.
“Elder Brother—no, Senior Master.”
“It is true. Say nothing more.”
Entering the Hua Mountain Sect at five years old, becoming a disciple of Cheon Geom Jin-in, he was called the greatest prodigy of Hua Mountain.
Though still in his twenties, his status rivaled that of the elders themselves.
‘The greatest prodigy of Hua Mountain… even a stray dog would laugh at that.’
Baek Moo-sung turned his head, a bitter smile playing at his lips. His gaze fell upon a figure beaming with serene contentment.
Ten years ago, from a single encounter, Baek Moo-sung had understood one truth: he was not the greatest prodigy of Hua Mountain.
“Chung Poong, my teacher.”
“Yes, my student?”
Chung Poong answered without turning his head, his eyes fixed intently upon the Grand Training Ground, gleaming with curiosity.
“Please explain. How did he move?”
Under the gaze of all present, Chung Poong’s lips parted.
“He was fast.”
The crowd’s spirits deflated. Fast? They had not sought such a simple, obvious answer.
Baek Moo-sung spoke with urgency.
“That is not what I meant to ask.”
“I know. But that is all there is.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“Eun has mastered only one footwork technique and one spear method. Crude, yet practical martial arts. But among them, there is nothing that could be called a divine technique.”
Chung Poong smiled brightly.
“He was simply faster. Far faster than Chul-woo’s fourth form.”
Baek Moo-sung found himself at a loss for words.
It wasn’t that he had mastered some divine technique, nor did he possess extraordinary martial prowess. To Baek Moo-sung, Jin Tae-kyung had been nothing more than a talented martial artist from a remote provincial family.
‘How could such a thing be possible?’
The human body has its limits. What makes martial artists exceptional is that they transcend those limits through martial techniques and inner strength.
Yet Chung Poong was claiming that Jin Tae-kyung had surpassed those limits without any special martial arts.
Baek Moo-sung found himself vehemently denying it.
“That’s impossible.”
Chung Poong shook his head.
“It’s possible. My benefactor did it.”
“…!”
“In just two days, he deciphered the patterns of the Crouching Tiger Fist and countered it. If Chul-woo’s fourth form had known that, he would have found another approach.”
“The Crouching Tiger Fist… in merely two days?”
The Crouching Tiger Fist was undoubtedly an advanced martial technique. As befitted a technique for subduing tigers, it was fierce and formidable, with extraordinarily intricate forms.
Even disciples of the Hua Mountain Sect who had already proven their talent required a full year just to learn the structure and forms of the Crouching Tiger Fist.
Yet he had done it in merely two days.
‘The second brother had no choice but to lose.’
Baek Moo-sung’s eyelids trembled faintly.
Now he understood why this young martial artist before him wished to remain at Jin Tae-kyung’s side.
‘There was another monster.’
The Shanxi Sleeping Dragon, Jin Tae-kyung.
He was truly a sleeping dragon. Though now shrouded in the shadows of the borderlands, he would soon spread his wings and soar into the vast sky.
‘I was far too arrogant.’
Baek Moo-sung clenched his fists tightly. His nails dug into his skin, but shame overwhelmed any pain.
Had he been intoxicated by the name of the Hua Mountain Sect?
Before the martial contest had even begun, victory and defeat had already been decided in his heart.
‘I always tell my disciples to remain humble, yet I myself have failed to do so.’
It had been a day full of reflection.
Baek Moo-sung exhaled softly and assumed a fist salute toward Jin Wi-kyung.
“Martial Master Jin. I apologize for the discourtesy I showed earlier.”
“No, please don’t.”
Jin Wi-kyung’s expression remained rigid and stiff.
From what Baek Moo-sung knew, he cherished his two younger brothers like treasures. Having belittled Jin Tae-kyung before such a man, anger was inevitable.
Baek Moo-sung continued respectfully.
“Both I and my disciples have learned a great deal. Since the outcome appears to be decided, perhaps we should end the martial contest here.”
“Yes, we should.”
Jin Wi-kyung nodded with a heavy expression and rose from his seat.
A barely audible murmur escaped between his lips.
“…Wow, this actually worked.”
Jin Wi-kyung had never truly expected to win.
* * *
The Grand Training Ground fell silent as if doused with ice water. Common folk and martial artists alike wore expressions as if they’d seen a ghost.
Though I couldn’t see him, Chul-woo likely wore a similar face. The man who had been frozen like a statue spoke with a trembling voice.
“H-how?”
“Easily.”
“Could it be… the Form Shifting technique?”
“That technique is a bit faster, that’s all. Surprised?”
“To evade the Returning Tiger Fist so effortlessly…”
“Your master’s version is far slower than that. When you get back, you’d better train harder.”
It was true. The Returning Tiger Fist that Chul-woo unleashed was considerably slower than Chung Poong’s, and his movements were larger.
The trajectory was plainly visible—there was no reason I couldn’t dodge it. Especially not with an [Agility] stat that had broken 300.
“Destructive power only matters when you land accurate strikes on your opponent through speed and precision. Understand?”
“…How dare you lecture me.”
“How dare? Lecture? You still haven’t grasped the situation, have you?”
I chuckled and prodded the back of Chul-woo’s neck with my steel flute.
As the sharp edge bit into his skin, his massive frame trembled. Ah, this is fun.
“The Huashan Sect’s Chain Confession Demon has been dealt with by the Taewon Jin Family’s flute-wielding assassin, so rest assured!”
“You bastard!”
“Now, now, don’t move. I’d hate to see blood.”
“Once you come down, you’re dead.”
“We’ll see. The match seems to be over, so let’s save that for next time.”
At that moment, I saw Jin Wi-kyung rising from his seat.
Given Chul-woo’s nature, he would never surrender first, so it seemed he intended to end the match here.
Soon, a voice infused with inner force filled the Grand Training Ground.
“Both of you fought splendidly!”
“Roooaaarrr!”
The crowd, regaining their senses, responded with thunderous cheers.
It was only natural—they had witnessed a match between masters of the highest caliber, something rarely seen even for a price.
“Well then, that’s it. Good work.”
The quest had gone far more smoothly than expected.
The moment I withdrew my steel flute from Chul-woo’s neck with a bright smile.
Snap!
A hand the size of a cauldron lid seized my wrist.
“What?”
“It’s not over yet!”
I’d momentarily forgotten what kind of man Chul-woo was.
A man blinded by love. A man who had been dead for twenty-five years before his heart began to beat again. A man who could neither live nor die without Eun So-wol’s permission…
In short, a madman. A synonym would be a lunatic.
‘A man like that wouldn’t give up easily.’
Regardless of anything else, there was one thing—raw strength. He was born with divine power. Even Chung Poong had to yield before this man.
Chul-woo spoke with absolute certainty.
“Once I’ve got someone in my grip, that’s the end of it.”
I suppose I was careless too, but this bastard’s manners are absolutely terrible.
Ah, love-blind fool that I am. I exhaled a deep sigh.
“Chul, it’s cold.”
“Is that your dying words?”
“No. A prophetic word.”
“You spout nonsense whenever you get the chance. Abandon this young lady. Then I’ll let you off easy.”
“Did I ever mention it?”
“What?”
“I received a marriage proposal from this young lady.”
“You shameless bastard!”
Screams erupted from the crowd.
Chul-woo, his entire body’s muscles bulging with veins, drove me toward the ground with tremendous force.
Or rather, he tried to.
“What are you doing?”
“Hhhhnnnngh!”
His flushed red face turned white, then gradually took on a purplish hue.
Enormous force pulled at my wrist, but I didn’t budge an inch.
“Oh, you’re quite strong.”
The temporarily elevated effects of the [Gambler] title combined with my newly allocated points. The strength coursing through my body now far transcended human limits.
Even Chul-woo, blessed with his massive frame and innate divine power.
“At this rate, my Strength stat easily exceeds 200.”
“W-what is this!”
“Kid.”
My grinning face reflected in the pupils of his shocked eyes.
“My Elder Brother’s Strength alone exceeds 300. Even before allocating points, I was stronger than you.”
Martial energy? If it doesn’t land, it’s meaningless. In strength, speed—in every aspect, I surpassed him. Even fighting normally, I would have emerged victorious.
Yet the reason I allocated points anyway was simple.
“A punk like you needs to be properly crushed so you don’t act up again.”
“You bastard…!”
Crack!
My fist shot out like lightning, striking precisely at his temple. The muscular giant staggered, then collapsed heavily.
Boom!
At that same moment, the sound I’d been waiting for rang out.
Ding.
– Quest,
[There Is A Man Who Loves You Dearly]
has been completed successfully!
– You have obtained a large amount of experience as a quest reward!
– Obtained a large amount of fame as a quest reward!
– Level Up!
– Level Up!
“Phew—huff. That was delicious.”
After a brief moment of silence.
A tremendous roar of cheers engulfed the Grand Training Ground.
* * *
At the main gate of the Taewon Jin Family, some two hundred paces away from the Grand Training Ground, a low-ranking martial artist perked up his ears at the resounding cheers and made a fuss.
“Did you just hear that?”
Someone leaning casually against the gate answered.
“I heard.”
“They say Sam-gong-ja defeated Pae Hwa-kwon!”
“Yes.”
“…Why aren’t you reacting? Pae Hwa-kwon, one of the Three Plum Blossoms of the Hua Mountain Sect!”
“I know, boy.”
“For Sam-gong-ja to have defeated someone like Pae Hwa-kwon… aren’t you surprised, Captain?”
“No. I’m not surprised anymore.”
Hyuk Moo-jin, the captain of the Gate Guard Unit of the Taewon Jin Family, continued with a yawn.
“I’ve followed that man around and seen all sorts of things. Defeating someone like Pae Hwa-kwon is the least I’d expect from my lord.”
“Huh! You’ve already pledged your allegiance?”
“Pledged allegiance? What are you talking about?”
Hyuk Moo-jin chuckled.
“One day, my lord said to me: Listen here, Hyuk. Become my right arm. Without you….”
The low-ranking martial artist interjected with a suspicious expression.
“Wait. Are you sure you’re talking about Sam-gong-ja? Your tone doesn’t sound right.”
“Did you just interrupt me?”
“Captain, that’s not what I meant.”
“Jang. Are you close with that man? Do you know him better than I do?”
“No.”
“Listen here, boy. I’m the one! We’ve crossed the line between life and death together! We’ve shared meals! I’ve done it all!”
“…Yes. Please continue.”
“You should have said that from the start. Anyway, when my lord said——”
It was at that very moment that Hyuk Moo-jin was about to continue.
“The gathering has become excessively noisy.”
“What would those fools know? They seem to be accepting everyone indiscriminately because they’re in a good mood.”
“Tsk, tsk.”
Voices drifting from beyond the shallow darkness that had settled.
Hyuk Moo-jin clicked his tongue and asked the low-ranking martial artist.
“Haven’t all the distinguished guests on the list already arrived?”
“Yes, all those scheduled to visit today have arrived.”
“So what is it—just someone who heard rumors and came looking?”
“Wouldn’t that be unlikely, sir?”
“First, recheck the roster.”
“Yes, sir.”
Hyuk Moo-jin straightened his posture with an inward grumble, pushing himself away from the slanted position he’d been leaning in.
Then he called out toward the four figures drawing steadily closer.
“Halt. I am Hyuk Moo-jin, Gate Guard Unit Commander of the Taewon Jin Family. State your identity and purpose!”
A gruff, aged voice answered.
“Angry Sword Immortal.”
“Angry Sword Immortal, you say. Which sect do you hail from?”
“Zhongnan Sect.”
“Zhongnan Sect, I see. The others must have their faces verified as well, so please come clos—”
Hyuk Moo-jin, who had been scrawling the three characters for Zhongnan Sect on his wooden tablet, froze.
As he slowly lifted his head, he saw a gaunt elderly man and three middle-aged martial artists with arrogant expressions.
“The Z-Zhongnan Sect?”
The old man at the front fixed Hyuk Moo-jin with blazing eyes.
“Jin Tae-kyung, Chung Poong. Guide these two immediately.”

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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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