Murim Login - Chapter 20

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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 20
The hour-long negotiation had finally reached its conclusion.
“Half of all establishments owned by the Hangsan Inspection Bureau, and exclusive rights to the Entertainment District. Is that correct?”
“Precisely. And your sect?”
“From this moment forward, we shall sell information to no other faction in Shanxi Province except the Taewon Jin Family, and we will devote our full efforts to gathering and delivering intelligence regarding the war.”
These terms had already been decided after dozens of rounds of back-and-forth negotiation.
Jin Wi-kyung and Wol-hwa meticulously reviewed the agreement one final time to ensure there were no loopholes, then drafted and exchanged the documents.
“Now we’re truly in the same boat. I look forward to working with you, Sect Master.”
“As do I.”
The moment their hands clasped together.
Ding.
–
[Taewon Jin Family]
and
[Haowen Sect]
have formed an alliance.
– The alliance will be maintained for the duration of the war.
Even this gets a notification. Come to think of it, a similar alert sounded when the war with the Hangsan Inspection Bureau began.
‘With Haowen Sect joining our cause, has our probability of victory increased somewhat?’
Haowen Sect was a faction that specialized in information gathering.
According to Wol-hwa’s confident assertion, all information in Shanxi Province flowed through her hands—and if that were true, it would be an invaluable asset.
‘There’s nothing more important than information.’
I didn’t know how it worked in Murim, but I knew this much: information’s value depended entirely on how it was wielded. It could be a sword, a shield, or sometimes a bomb that could overturn the entire situation in a single stroke.
It would be wonderful if Wol-hwa brought me such information.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
“Please forgive me for not seeing you far—my eyes are not what they once were.”
“Of course, sir.”
Finally, it was over. Wi Paeng bowed his head with an expressionless face, and I awkwardly returned the gesture.
“Safe travels.”
Wol-hwa’s eyes curved like crescents as she looked at me.
“Young Master Jin should accompany me as well.”
“Pardon?”
“Won’t you see me off?”
“…Why should I?”
“Well, we did spend a passionate night together, after all?”
Her blunt remark struck me like a fastball, leaving me momentarily stunned. Wait—this woman was supposed to bring information, yet here she was spreading R-rated gossip instead.
And in front of everyone, no less.
“Hoh.”
“A, a passionate night? Together?”
Wi Paeng’s eyes gleamed with intrigue as he looked between me and Wol-hwa, while Jin Wi-kyung’s pupils trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
“Tae-kyung, is it true? Is that really true?”
I answered after a moment of silence.
“I’ll see her out and return.”
As I grabbed Wol-hwa’s wrist and bolted from the room, Jin Wi-kyung’s sorrowful voice echoed behind me.
“My youngest!”
* * *
Wol-hwa was a rare beauty. With her slender frame and resplendent attire, all eyes naturally gravitated toward her.
“Did the family have such a beauty among us?”
“Of course not. She’s an outsider.”
“An outsider?”
“Yeah. According to the Gate Guard’s friend, she’s a courtesan from Honghwa House.”
“Ah, that infamously expensive Honghwa House. I know it. Wait, but what business would a courtesan have coming here now?”
“She came to collect a debt from the Third Young Master. Before the full-scale conflict erupts, she’s getting her money back first, I’d wager.”
“…Ha. The Third Young Master really does have quite the repertoire.”
Whispers pierced my ears. Wol-hwa, who had been walking ahead while humming softly, suddenly turned back.
“Young Master Jin, why are you keeping such a distance?”
I replied in a curt tone.
“If we walk together, people will get the wrong idea. There are already such baseless rumors circulating….”
“Ah, the debt?”
Yes, that.
“That’s not actually a rumor, though?”
Wol-hwa laughed brightly.
“When the Gate Guards asked why I’d come, I simply told them I was collecting a debt. Well, it’s not entirely a lie.”
“What?”
“Did you expect me to announce our alliance to the world?”
“…That wasn’t what I meant.”
Why did she have to use my name? My reputation was already in shambles.
If such rumors spread now, with war about to break out, there would be no escaping it—my image would be cemented as trash.
“Given that you’re already falsely accused of murder, being a kept man is practically respectable. People will accept it readily enough, considering your usual conduct.”
That argument was oddly persuasive. I found myself nodding before suddenly sensing something off in her words.
“False accusation?”
Now that I thought about it, she had never once brought up anything related to Lee So-gun. She had negotiated the alliance like a meticulous businesswoman, sealing it as though it were the most natural thing.
‘What exactly is she banking on?’
Wol-hwa smiled knowingly at my suspicious gaze.
“Young Master Jin, have you forgotten who I am?”
“The Haowen Sect’s Shanxi branch director….”
My eyes widened.
Information—she had information. Proof that I wasn’t the culprit!
I quickly moved to Wol-hwa’s side.
“Can you clear my name? Do you truly have such information?”
The war’s catalyst was Lee So-gun’s poisoning. If I could prove that all of this was a conspiracy orchestrated by someone, I could prevent the war.
But that hope shattered with Wol-hwa’s next words.
“No, there isn’t.”
What?
“Then why form an alliance with us?”
“Because we’re merchants.”
Wol-hwa continued in a cheerful tone.
“The Haowen Sect are fundamentally merchants. We move strictly according to profit and loss calculations.”
“Then that makes even less sense.”
“Oh, why is that?”
“Because the Hangsan Inspection Bureau is stronger than us. By your own logic, if you’re calculating profit and loss, shouldn’t you be siding with the Hangsan Inspection Bureau instead?”
“How honest. Or should I say naive?”
Wol-hwa let out a soft laugh.
“This is an investment. The result of placing both sides on a scale and analyzing them coldly.”
“So you only care about gaining profit? Even if I truly poisoned Lee So-gun?”
“Young Master Jin. The Haowen Sect’s Shanxi branch exerted all their efforts, yet couldn’t confirm the facts. What do you think that means?”
I hesitated, and Wol-hwa didn’t wait for my answer.
“It’s simple. Either you’re truly innocent, or you’ve hidden it so well that even we can’t uncover it.”
“I see.”
“Either way, it’s not a loss for me. If the former, then there’s legitimacy, which is good. If the latter, it’s proof that the Taewon Jin Family’s capabilities are that exceptional.”
I was quite impressed. So it could be viewed this way. Thorough profit-and-loss calculations and analysis. I now understood exactly what Wol-hwa meant when she called herself and her people merchants.
There was a reassuring feeling knowing such an entity was on my side.
But…
“There’s one crucial piece missing. If I’m innocent, then who is the real culprit behind Lee So-gun’s poisoning?”
That was the core of this entire war. The largest puzzle piece that even Wol-hwa hadn’t found.
If the Haowen Sect had discovered the culprit’s identity, they would have brought that information today.
Wol-hwa let out a sigh.
“Shamefully, nothing has been revealed yet. But our sect is doing our best. Ah, we’re almost there.”
I had many questions, but I could only close my mouth, conscious of the Gate Guards drawing near.
‘The alliance with the Haowen Sect must remain secret for now.’
I spotted the four-horse carriage that appeared to be Wol-hwa’s, surrounded by a wide perimeter of Gate Guards. A strange tension emanated from the scene.
‘Has something happened?’
I channeled my inner energy through my eyes and ears. Soon, through my heightened senses, I heard the tense voices of the Gate Guards.
“A master, no doubt about it. At least first-rate, possibly even supreme. See the whip at his waist? He must be someone who wields the whip like a ghost.”
“For such a master to take on the role of coachman—truly, the exceptional are different.”
Seasoned-looking warriors exchanged words in serious tones. A younger warrior listening to them muttered timidly.
“But for someone of that caliber, there seem to be far too many openings in his posture? His build is also quite lean…”
The senior warriors clicked their tongues at his words.
“Listen, this friend and I have spent ten years at the Gate Guard post. We can tell just by looking at his eyes. What does a young punk like you know, butting in on your elders’ conversation?”
“Tsk. Openings? Does that look like openings to you? The composure and naturalness only masters possess. Don’t you see any of that?”
“Then what about the Taiyang acupoint? Masters with deep inner energy have it protruding, don’t they?”
“That’s due to reversed qi circulation….”
Unfortunately, the conversation ended there. The Gate Guards noticed us standing idly in front of the main gate and dispersed.
Thanks to that, I could confirm it.
A peak master who wielded a whip like a ghost. The true identity of that romantic martial artist who volunteered as a coachman, captivated by Wol-hwa’s beauty.
“Young Master, do you remember me?”
“….”
How could I forget?
That deep voice. The aura of a master emanating from those sharp eyes.
It was that coachman who’d brought me to the Taewon Jin Family Estate days ago.
I never expected to see that face here. As I struggled for words, Wol-hwa spoke.
“He said he had connections with Young Master Jin. Last time, you two crossed the threshold between life and death together, forging a deep friendship that transcended age and station….”
No. That’s not it. Please stop.
I tugged at Wol-hwa’s sleeve with that intention, but it was too late. The coachman opened his mouth with a serene smile.
“Even now, the moment I close my eyes, that day comes vividly to life. The Cheonryeok Bandits… truly formidable opponents they were.”
The Gate Guards, who had been listening intently, gasped.
“Oh.”
“The Cheonryeok Bandits… could it be those Cheonryeok Bandits from the Green Forest Eighteen Masters?”
“The peak master of the Green Forest with such a notorious reputation. To have slain such a foe, surely this person is….”
“….”
Something feels terribly wrong with what they’re understanding.
I don’t even know where to begin correcting this. The coachman suddenly pulled me into an embrace as I stood dumbfounded.
“Had it not been for you, Young Master, I would have suffered a terrible defeat.”
This man has a peculiar way of speaking. Without me, he’d probably be having a cup of makgeolli at the summit of Beimang Mountain right now.
“First, let me just put this down and explain….”
I was about to pry him off.
“The Yanluo Whip. A master of whip techniques who vanished mysteriously a decade ago. Yes. It must be him.”
Someone’s murmur sent ripples through the Gate Guards.
“The Yanluo Whip? That peak master who traveled the realm crushing the remnants of the demonic path?”
“I’ve heard that name before too. A master of the righteous path with unknown sect and background… come to think of it, his trail went cold somewhere near Shanxi Province.”
“Then that means our Young Master here is acquainted with the great hero Yanluo Whip.”
“And not only that. He clearly played a major role in eliminating the Cheonryeok Bandits.”
“Oh. Ohhhhh.”
Burning gazes poured down from all directions. Sensing something amiss, the coachman tried to pull away, but my grip held his shoulder firmly in place.
“Young Master?”
I flashed the brightest smile in the world.
“What a pleasure to meet again. The great hero Yan.luo.Whip!”
My words had the effect of pouring oil on flames.
The Gate Guards, now thoroughly worked up, stomped their feet excitedly, while Wol-hwa bent over desperately trying to stifle her laughter.
Ding.
–
[Poison Killer]
rumors fade away!
–
[Shanxi’s Hidden Dragon]
rumors gain credibility!
– Reputation increases by 20!
– Enthusiastic supporters emerge!
Amid the melodious chime of system notifications, I recalled a single maxim.
‘A perfect lie… becomes truth.’
* * *
The young man stared at the ceiling with wide-open eyes. Once-gleaming black pupils had lost their luster, and his face was contorted with terror and agony.
“So-gun. My son.”
Rough, massive hands caressed the young man’s face. The intense toxin that had infiltrated through the skin was naturally repelled by the surging inner force.
“How did it come to this?”
The middle-aged man lamented. An orphan of fate, decades spent in Murim.
He had met countless people and bid farewell to countless others. From a green wanderer in his youth to the master of a sect—such memories were beyond counting.
“Was it agonizing? Did the pain prevent you from even closing your eyes?”
He gazed down quietly at his son’s wide-open eyes. The pupils were stained crimson, every capillary burst.
Barely past his youth. Tears of blood streamed from the father’s eyes as he beheld his poisoned son.
“My son.”
The toxin that had infiltrated through his hands was spreading throughout his body. Within mere breaths, his head spun and his limbs grew numb. Such a virulent poison. He could vividly picture his son, rigid throughout, unable even to struggle.
“I will remember this agony.”
In the next instant, formidable inner force erupted like wildfire, driving back the toxin. As if torn apart by hundreds of wolves, the poison that had been consuming him from within vanished in an instant.
“I will repay them a hundredfold, a thousandfold.”
Lee Cheon-baek, master of the Hangsan Inspection Bureau and wielder of the Blood Wolf Sword, turned from his son’s corpse and walked forward. As he opened the pavilion doors, the black night sky and flickering torches below came into view.
Two hundred fully armed warriors. The man at their head bowed.
“Father.”
Lee Cheon-baek nodded to his eldest son.
“Go. Tonight… marks the beginning of our vengeance.”
That night, two hundred warriors departed from the Hangsan Inspection Bureau.

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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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