Murim Login - Chapter 198

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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 198
An awkward tension hung in the air of the office.
Jin Wi-kyung and Jeok Cheon-gang sipped their tea and wine, each gauging the other’s reaction.
‘For the Fire King to visit in person… what brings him here?’
‘Have I lost my mind? Why did I come to this place of all locations?’
But silence has its limits.
After draining cup after cup, Jeok Cheon-gang finally spoke. Since things had come to this, he decided he might as well resolve his lingering questions about Tae-kyung before departing.
“I was on my way back from meeting that boy.”
“Ah, you speak of Tae-kyung.”
Jin Wi-kyung, quick to understand, carefully observed his guest’s expression.
He already knew the circumstances—that Jeok Cheon-gang had aided the Taewon Jin Family out of a sense of debt regarding his deceased disciple.
Yet he worried whether the resentment from the secret manual incident two days prior still festered.
“Surely this isn’t about the secret manual?”
“I’ve already put that from my mind. No matter how precious a secret manual is, people matter more, don’t they? Isn’t that so?”
“….”
“What is that expression?”
“Oh, it’s nothing at all.”
And now, after destroying the manual, he speaks of valuing people.
Jin Wi-kyung swallowed the words that danced on his tongue.
“In any case, the old master seems to have struck rather hard, so I went to see if I could help mend his body with the Bone Marrow Cleansing technique.”
“The… the Bone Marrow Cleansing technique? The very one I know of?”
Jeok Cheon-gang nodded to the wide-eyed Jin Wi-kyung.
“Is there another Bone Marrow Cleansing technique?”
“No, no. I was simply startled.”
“Startled?”
“How could I not be astonished to hear that a master of your caliber performed the Bone Marrow Cleansing technique on my younger brother? This is a tremendous blessing for the Main Residence.”
As Jeok Cheon-gang observed Jin Wi-kyung’s delight, he came to a realization.
“I see. You may not know of this.”
“Pardon?”
One sees only what one knows. Even Jeok Cheon-gang, among the greatest masters under heaven, had not anticipated that Tae-kyung’s bone structure could be of such caliber. How much less would Jin Wi-kyung have understood?
‘Perhaps it’s fortunate that he’s learning of it now?’
Jeok Cheon-gang clicked his tongue softly and spoke.
“The effect of the Bone Marrow Cleansing technique was minimal.”
“What do you mean? That the technique had no effect?”
“That’s not quite it. Rather, Tae-kyung doesn’t need the Bone Marrow Cleansing technique. Though it’s premature to be certain…”
Jeok Cheon-gang added quietly.
“I suspect he may possess a Heavenly Martial Body.”
“…!”
For a brief moment, shock flashed across Jin Wi-kyung’s face.
Yet he soon nodded calmly, and Jeok Cheon-gang asked him a question.
“Did you know beforehand?”
“I did not. I have only now come to understand.”
“Understand what, exactly?”
“Tae-kyung’s martial arts achievements have been remarkably swift—almost inexplicable. But with the Heavenly Martial Body, it becomes entirely plausible. With that Heavenly Martial Body, that is.”
“Remarkably swift, you say?”
Jeok Cheon-gang narrowed his brow and continued.
“The boy has certainly achieved excellence beyond his peers, but not to that degree. If anything, compared to the legends of the Heavenly Martial Body, his current state feels insufficient.”
His voice carried absolute conviction.
And with reason—even in his youth, Jeok Cheon-gang had been no less accomplished than Jin Tae-kyung was now, if not more so.
The supreme masters who now dominated the Murim had all displayed genius from childhood, and measured against them, Jin Tae-kyung’s current level was merely ordinary.
“The Heavenly Martial Body is, quite literally, bones and sinews bestowed by heaven. Once every hundred years, or perhaps a thousand, heaven’s whim grants divinity to a mortal frame. But this boy now….”
“He stands at the threshold of the Absolute Realm.”
“Indeed. Yet the world is vast and talent abundant. Look at Chung Poong alone—that tells you everything.”
Jeok Cheon-gang spoke only truth.
Those nurtured within the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families are far from the whole.
There are surely young talents whose names have yet to reach the Central Plains, and masters training in obscurity in remote valleys.
Scratch the world thoroughly from its depths, and one would unearth numerous supreme masters rivaling the Immortals, the Three Stars, and the Ten Kings.
“This is why I cannot be certain. He is undoubtedly exceptional, but… it is not enough. Are legends merely legends? Perhaps his martial talent falls short of what his bones should grant him.”
“How amusing.”
“What do you mean?”
“I hold the opposite view.”
Jin Wi-kyung smiled faintly at Jeok Cheon-gang’s puzzled expression.
“My younger brother’s martial talent is supreme under heaven. I would even say supreme throughout all ages.”
“What—what did you say?”
Jeok Cheon-gang barely restrained a curse from escaping his lips.
Even he, a living legend in his own right, would never dare speak of anyone as supreme under heaven. And throughout all ages?
Yet the confidence and certainty radiating from Jin Wi-kyung compelled Jeok Cheon-gang to ask.
“What grounds do you have for such a belief?”
Jin Wi-kyung quietly raised three fingers.
“Three months.”
“…?”
“The time Tae-kyung has spent learning martial arts.”
“…!”
“The time it took a third-rate wastrel who frequented Giru to become a supreme master.”
In that instant, the world before Jeok Cheon-gang’s eyes turned white. Lightning crackled through his mind, and his heart thundered in his chest.
Three months from third-rate to supreme. Impossible. Utterly impossible.
And yet….
‘It is possible. With the Heavenly Martial Body.’
Jeok Cheon-gang was a supreme master.
But even he, mighty enough to slay a thousand men alone, was merely an old man crumbling beneath the weight of years.
In contrast, the Heavenly Body Type was a being born from the whims and selections of Heaven itself.
How could a mere mortal presume to fathom the will of Heaven?
‘Is this what they call the Beyond?’
Jeok Cheon-gang rose slowly from his seat and approached the window. As he pushed open the tightly sealed frame, an endless expanse of azure sky stretched before him.
Facing the rush of cold wind, he found himself lost in thought.
Why had Heaven chosen Jin Tae-kyung, and why had it brought the two of them together?
‘Who are you? Is anyone there?’
No answer came.
Jeok Cheon-gang gazed silently at the scattered clouds drifting across the serene, crystalline sky for a long while before finally speaking.
“I believe we could use more wine. What do you think?”
Jin Tae-kyung answered with a smile.
“Perfect timing. I was growing weary of tea myself.”
* * *
The next day, Hyuk Moo-jin arrived with unexpected news.
“You’re being asked to attend a banquet?”
“Me?”
“Who else would it be?”
I answered without hesitation.
“I’d rather not.”
Sitting in a seat would only make me itch with boredom.
People would gawk at me like I was a monkey in a zoo, and I’d end up signing autographs for that zealous fan, the Sangshan King.
It would be far better to lock myself away in the Pavilion and contemplate my cultivation or martial techniques.
“Just tell them I can’t go.”
“But it’s the Young Master’s orders.”
“Even better. Elder Brother won’t say much, will he? Honestly, the fact that my closed-door training ended in just four days already looks suspicious to people.”
“We can simply say you gained some enlightenment. Who would question it if you say so yourself?”
“….”
That was a fair point.
I watched Hyuk Moo-jin grow increasingly logical and narrowed my eyes.
“I’m still a patient.”
“You’ve recovered completely. This morning, your bruises were almost entirely gone.”
In fact, the bruises that had covered my upper body were mostly faded, just as Hyuk Moo-jin said.
This certainly proved the effectiveness of the Hundred Demon Body Refinement technique.
Of course, from my perspective, the stat increases had been far more beneficial.
Hyuk Moo-jin scratched the back of his head as if troubled.
“Won’t you just go?”
“I’m still in pain. Who can argue with that?”
“The Angry Sword Immortal will.”
“Huh?”
“The Angry Sword Immortal says by now you should be fully recovered, so don’t try any tricks. Otherwise, he’ll come himself and drag you there.”
“Damn it. Is that old man still at the banquet hall?”
“He spent the night drinking with the Family Head, and just appeared a short while ago in a state of complete intoxication.”
I let out a deep sigh.
Jeok Cheon-gang had said he would stay at the Taewon Jin Family only until this gathering ended.
By the original schedule, he should have left yesterday, but as people continued to arrive and major figures made their appearances, the gathering extended naturally, and so did his stay.
“Hell, let’s go. Come on.”
“A wise decision. If we didn’t go, I would have died here.”
I followed Hyuk Moo-jin, who was chuckling away, toward the banquet hall.
It was still packed like a marketplace, but now that they’d begun controlling the flow, the numbers were significantly fewer than on the first day.
“As more days passed, more people kept arriving, so it was unavoidable. With so many eating and drinking all day, aside from the resources consumed, there simply wasn’t enough space.”
“Why didn’t you turn away more of them? There still seem to be plenty.”
“If we turned away more, we’d face criticism. The ones remaining are at least the masters of small martial halls, if nothing else.”
“You’re preserving their pride?”
“Well, something like that. We even gave gifts to those we sent away on the first day.”
So he was managing even the sentiments of the common people.
Whether this was calculated with everything in mind or pure human kindness, Jin Wi-kyung certainly possessed remarkable skill.
A bureaucratic martial artist, perhaps—different from other warriors who led with pride and martial prowess?
Without an excellent executive like Jin Wi-kyung, the Taewon Jin Family would likely never have reached its current position.
“Hey, hey! My youngest! My beloved brother, you’ve arrived!”
“….”
Yes, if only it weren’t for this, he’d be perfect.
His face was flushed crimson from how much he’d drunk. Laughter erupted from various corners at the sight of Jin Wi-kyung bellowing from the seat of honor.
‘He really committed to it. Absolutely committed.’
Jin Wi-kyung was nominally a peak master. The fact that he was this intoxicated despite being able to expel drunkenness through his inner strength meant he’d had no intention of doing so from the start.
Jeok Cheon-gang, seated beside him, was in a similar state.
“When did I call you? Why are you only coming now?”
“…I came right away.”
At my response, Jeok Cheon-gang let out a scoff.
“Right away, my foot. You were dragging your feet saying you wouldn’t come, but the moment you heard the old man was here, you came rushing.”
“….”
“No matter how fast you run, you’re still within the palm of my hand. Stop spouting nonsense and sit.”
Truly, a ghostly old man.
I exchanged nods with familiar faces, including Baek Moo-sung and Eun So-wol, as I slowly made my way forward.
The moment I sat beside Jeok Cheon-gang, a cup the size of a rice bowl suddenly thrust itself forward.
“Have a drink.”
“Ah, yes.”
I filled it to the brim and downed it in one go. As I wiped my mouth with my sleeve, Jeok Cheon-gang pushed the bottle toward me again.
“Another.”
“Yes.”
Another shot in one gulp.
“More.”
“…Again?”
“What did you just say?”
“Nothing. The wine tastes too good, so I’ll have another.”
Something about this feels intense.
In the end, since I couldn’t refuse, I drained an entire jug by myself. Only then did Jeok Cheon-gang’s lips curl upward in satisfaction.
“That’s right, you should drink at least this much.”
“…”
Why did this remind me of some university freshman orientation story I’d read online once?
The only difference was that the person forcing me to drink wasn’t some senior from decades past, but the Fire King himself.
‘This is intense from the start.’
Either way, I’d gotten through that ordeal.
It was just as I was catching my breath while the thoroughly intoxicated Jeok Cheon-gang had gone to see Eun So-wol.
“Would it be alright if I poured you a drink?”
The one who suddenly spoke was a middle-aged man with a sturdy build.
With sharp eyes and tightly pressed lips, he regarded me with an inscrutable expression as he continued.
“I’m Ak Bul-gun of the Shandong Ak Family.”
The Shandong Ak Family? I’d heard that name several times, both in novels and since arriving in the Martial World.
I bowed awkwardly.
“Ah, I am—”
“I already know. The Shanxi Sleeping Dragon, Jin Tae-kyung. Though when I heard about you from the students last year, you didn’t have such a title.”
“…Students?”
Students? What was this man talking about?
Seeing my confusion, Ak Bul-gun smiled faintly.
“Have you heard of the Cheon-mu Academy? I serve as a spear technique instructor there.”
“Ah.”
“You may not know, but your second brother is quite well-known within the academy. As a result, stories about you naturally circulated as well.”
I let out a small laugh.
Just three months ago, I was called the family’s disgrace, so I could imagine what those stories must have been.
“They probably weren’t flattering.”
“Rumors in the Martial World aren’t to be trusted. You yourself are proof of that.”
“I suppose so.”
I gave a vague answer and drank the wine he poured for me.
“But what brings you here?”
“I came on some business, but the academy contacted me. Apparently, one of the students who went home for a bit has gone silent, so they asked me to bring him back.”
“Jin Moo-kyung—my second brother, that is.”
“That’s the one. He’s in closed-door cultivation, isn’t he?”
I nodded, and Ak Bul-gun stroked his beard.
“That’s troublesome. No matter how late, he needs to depart within seven weeks. Did he give any indication when he entered seclusion?”
“No. He’s the type who won’t finish until he’s satisfied.”
“I’m well aware. I’ve even taught him directly.”
The old man exhaled softly before speaking abruptly.
“Then what about you?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m asking if you’d become a student of Cheon-mu Academy. Of course, if the rumors about you studying under Fire King are true, then forget I said anything.”
Cheon-mu Academy, out of nowhere. I hadn’t anticipated this.
Cheon-mu Academy was a gateway to advancement—a place where talented individuals recognized for their potential gathered, where exceptional instructors and countless opportunities awaited.
I’d heard that if certain conditions were met, one could learn ascending martial arts like Jin Moo-kyung had.
‘If I remain at Taewon Jin Family as I am now, my growth will plateau.’
The incident with the Angry Sword Immortal had taught me this: possessing something means nothing without the strength to protect it.
To grow stronger than I was now, I needed a turning point, and Cheon-mu Academy offered both security and possibility.
‘Unless I truly become Fire King’s disciple, this is genuinely the best option available.’
Ak Bul-gun spoke as I hesitated to answer.
“The enrollment period has passed, but I can grant you special permission.”
“Special permission?”
“You’re a talented individual, after all.”
Ak Bul-gun’s rough palm pressed against my shoulder.
“What do you say? Becoming a student of Cheon-mu Academy? The higher-ups would welcome someone like you with open arms.”
“I…”
That was when I began to speak.
“Remove your hand.”
“…!”
A scorching burst of flame erupted.
Intense heat and a dizzying wave of alcohol toxin surged forth in an instant.
Jeok Cheon-gang’s voice that followed carried not a trace of intoxication.
“I said, remove your hand from what’s mine.”

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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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