Murim Login - Chapter 203

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 203
I read through the System Message that had appeared before my eyes.
It was a message about the Quest reward I hadn’t managed to check before collapsing into sleep.
– Quest,
[Strategic Retreat]
has been successfully completed!
– You have gained a large amount of experience!
– Level Up!
– Level Up!
– You have acquired 20 bonus points!
‘That’s incredibly generous.’
With two level-ups and bonus points to boot, it was as if I’d gained the equivalent of about four levels from a single Quest.
Given the caliber of my opponent, it seemed I’d received a far greater reward than I’d anticipated.
‘Close window.’
Whoosh.
As the translucent holographic window vanished, I caught sight of Jeok Cheon-gang approaching me, a travel pack in his hands.
He’d brought it along beforehand.
“You’re awake?”
“Ah, yes. I just came to.”
“How’s your body?”
“I feel light.”
Jeok Cheon-gang looked me over from head to toe and nodded.
“Being young, your vitality recovers quickly. We can proceed to the next phase right away.”
“Ah, the next phase. That sounds good.”
“I thought as much. I’ve prepared something perfectly suited for you. Let me see….”
“Um, old master.”
“Hmm?”
“Well, everything’s fine, but…”
I smiled awkwardly at Jeok Cheon-gang and continued.
“Could you release the pressure point before we start?”
Literally.
I wasn’t sure how it had happened, but from the moment I opened my eyes, my entire body had been stiff and rigid.
While I slept, Jeok Cheon-gang had sealed my vital points.
In my current state, all I could do was speak.
“I’m sure you meant well, but since I need to start the next training soon… hehe.”
“Ah, yes. Training.”
Jeok Cheon-gang rummaged through the travel pack and added,
“This is the next training.”
“Being sealed by pressure points is training?”
Or was releasing the pressure points the training?
As I stood there bewildered, Jeok Cheon-gang reached into his pack and withdrew something.
“Ah, there it is. I’d stuffed it at the very bottom and forgot about it.”
“…That’s a rope, isn’t it?”
“Indeed.”
Jeok Cheon-gang slung the sturdy hemp rope across his shoulder and strode toward me, lifting me effortlessly into the air.
“W-what are you doing?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
His footsteps carried us toward a massive boulder.
It had been embedded so deeply into the earth that it must have rested there for centuries, and it was so enormous that several grown men with their arms spread wide couldn’t have encircled it.
“Hmm. This should do nicely.”
Jeok Cheon-gang murmured softly before striking the boulder with the edge of his hand.
Crack, crack.
The crimson martial energy flowing from his palm carved through the massive stone like a knife through cheesecake. Within mere moments, the boulder had been transformed into a five-pointed stone bed.
“This should be perfect.”
“Wait, wait just a moment. Surely you’re not planning to tie me here?”
“Tie? I’m fixing you in place.”
…
What’s the difference between that and calling feces by another name?
In any case, I was beginning to tremble now.
No, the acupoint strike itself had been suspicious from the start. And the existence of that pack he’d been rummaging through all this time.
‘Surely whips and masks aren’t about to appear…’
While my pupils dilated in shock, Jeok Cheon-gang began securing my body to the boulder with rope.
After wrapping rope around various parts of my body and tying it firmly, he smiled with satisfaction.
“This should hold you securely.”
“Phew.”
“What’s with that sigh of relief?”
“I’m relieved it’s not a tortoiseshell knot.”
“A tortoiseshell knot? What is that?”
“…A type of restraint technique.”
“Restraint, it seems the Military Gate uses such things.”
…
Mostly used by those Japanese types.
‘Well, regardless.’
I was now bound as if standing in the shape of a large character.
My wrists, ankles, chest, abdomen, and legs—it truly seemed the purpose was fixing me in place rather than restraint.
‘Since he’s sealed my acupoints, there’s no need for tight binding anyway.’
But what in the world was he trying to do?
As my eyes darted about frantically, Jeok Cheon-gang finally opened the pack he’d been holding. And at that very moment.
A roaring inferno erupted!
“Gasp.”
An indescribable fragrance wafted through the air.
A refreshing coolness spread through my entire body via my nostrils—the kind that could cure chronic rhinitis in a single breath.
I opened my eyes wide and gazed at the contents of the bundle.
“This is….”
Three herb roots arranged neatly.
Jeok Cheon-gang picked up those reddish-glowing specimens and placed them in his palm.
“Spirit medicine.”
“Wow, where on earth did you find something so precious?”
“I searched the Storage Warehouse. It was infuriatingly tedious, buried as it was under mountains of useless junk.”
Mountains of silk and gold and silver treasures were utterly worthless in his eyes.
But he was a martial artist through and through. When it came to spirit pills or secret techniques that enhanced martial prowess, that was another matter entirely.
“Truth be told, these spirit pills aren’t particularly effective. For cultivating inner strength, century-old fo-ti or snow ginseng would be far superior.”
“Then why….”
“Why bring these instead?”
“Yes.”
“Because only these can yield pure heat-yang essence. Consuming anything indiscriminately might increase the volume of your inner strength, but it weakens the potency.”
“Ah.”
I understood what Jeok Cheon-gang meant.
Simply put, it was a matter of fuel. No matter how much firewood you throw in, only oil can make fire explode.
What he held in his hand wasn’t firewood—it was the oil that would elevate the heat-yang essence already within my body to a higher level.
‘This is rather touching.’
I never expected Jeok Cheon-gang would go this far for me.
That this stubborn man would overcome his reluctance and specially select spirit medicine infused with heat-yang essence to bring along meant nothing less than his genuine commitment to teaching me the martial arts of the Yeolhwa Sect.
‘And I’m not even formally his disciple yet.’
A man with a warm heart and warm inner strength. That was Fire King Jeok Cheon-gang.
He flinched and stepped back when he met my burning gaze.
“W-what is it? That look in your eyes.”
“It’s nothing. I just thought you were a truly wonderful person, Master.”
“…!”
“You brought this for me to consume, didn’t you?”
Jeok Cheon-gang hesitated before answering.
“…I merely brought it because it caught my eye.”
“I see.”
“I’ve set aside even better ones for my own consumption.”
“Yes. Hehe.”
“Don’t laugh!”
Jeok Cheon-gang shouted sharply and hastily changed the subject.
“Anyway, from now on I will open your meridian pathways using this spirit medicine.”
I was about to tease him further, but the words flowing from his lips were serious. My ears perked up involuntarily.
“Open my meridian pathways?”
“As I suspected. When I examined your body the other day, your bones and muscles were excellent for someone with the Heavenly Martial Constitution, but you’ve accumulated considerable turbid qi.”
“I see.”
“I heard you’ve been indulging in excess until recently. Even a legendary blade grows dull if left unattended for too long. No matter how superior the Heavenly Martial Constitution, there’s nothing to be done about that.”
It was an undeniable truth.
The Jin Family’s internal cultivation method was remarkably stable, but its power circulation and efficiency were lacking.
I cycled my qi whenever I had the chance, but the traces of twenty years of negligence still remained.
“Then…”
“With spiritual medicine and my own cultivation, I’ll burn away all the turbid qi in your body. For you alone, it will be far more effective than the Eight Extraordinary Meridians method.”
“That’s welcome news indeed.”
“Don’t be so sure about that.”
“Pardon?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
Before I could say anything, his hand sealed my dumb acupoint. My tongue went rigid, and silent screams echoed inside my mouth.
‘What is this!’
I was now nothing more than a living corpse.
Jeok Cheon-gang chuckled as he watched me stiffen like a statue.
“First, let’s take the spiritual medicine.”
His wrinkled fingers pried open my jaw and shoved three herb roots into my mouth.
The earthy taste and the refreshing sensation filling my mouth were fleeting. The hard solid dissolved the moment it touched my tongue and flowed down my esophagus into my stomach.
And the next moment.
Ding.
–
[Flame Spirit Herb]
has been consumed!
–
[Crimson Flower Herb]
has been consumed!
–
[Scarlet Essence Herb]
has been consumed!
– Quest,
[Meridian Pathway Unblocking]
has been generated!
– You cannot refuse this Quest. It will proceed forcibly!
‘Ugh!’
Successive system notifications rang out as tremendous heat swept through my body.
Only then could I grasp the meaning behind Jeok Cheon-gang’s earlier words.
‘This is unbearably painful!’
Because my acupoint was sealed, I couldn’t scream or thrash about—only my eyes widened in agony.
Just as I desperately tried to draw upon my cultivation, Jeok Cheon-gang rolled up his tattered sleeve.
“Well then, shall we begin in earnest?”
“…!”
“Bear the pain. Suffering is fleeting, but martial prowess endures.”
Tap, tap-tap-tap-tap-tap!
His blurred fingers began piercing and striking my entire body.
Under that assault, my inner force scattered as an unfamiliar medicinal energy coursed through me. I released a silent scream against the searing heat building within.
‘Ahhhhhhh!’
* * *
While Jin Tae-kyung’s eyes were bloodshot with unbearable agony, Jeok Cheon-gang’s gleamed with fervent intensity.
‘Proceeding smoothly. No—explosively.’
Was it the Heavenly Martial Constitution?
The speed at which inner force transmitted was extraordinary. The thirty years of essence contained within the elixir surged wildly through every meridian in my body.
Jin Tae-kyung attempted to generate inner force to suppress the energy, but that was not what Jeok Cheon-gang desired.
‘Taming comes later. For now, it must rampage freely.’
A tamed bull often forgets how to charge.
The newly infused thirty years of essence had to pierce through every obstacle without restraint.
A perilous attempt that could result in deviation of the mind if mishandled. Even Jeok Cheon-gang, a supreme master, swallowed hard as his hands moved with precision.
‘Shoulder Well, Elegant Gate, Phoenix Eye, Entering Cave….’
Tap, tap-tap-tap!
Following his guidance, hundreds of acupoints opened and closed in succession. Soon, black sweat mixed with a putrid stench emanated from Jin Tae-kyung’s entire body.
The stench was so vile that even those with strong constitutions would retch, yet Jeok Cheon-gang’s lips curved upward with satisfaction.
‘Perfect!’
This phenomenon was evidence of massive turbid qi being expelled.
Supporting that assessment, the sweat’s color gradually lightened and the foul odor slowly dissipated.
Before long, the sweat became transparent and a pleasant body scent emerged. Surprise flickered in Jeok Cheon-gang’s eyes.
‘Al-already?’
Fast. Impossibly fast.
A process he had anticipated would take at least three hours was nearing completion in less than one.
What was even more astonishing was that the elixir’s essence had barely diminished.
Normally, considerable energy would be lost during the purification and circulation process, but Jin Tae-kyung was different.
‘Truly the Heavenly Martial Constitution… living up to its reputation.’
At this rate, he could expel all turbid qi and retain the full thirty years of inner force intact.
Yet in Jeok Cheon-gang’s eyes, instead of satisfaction, greed and conflict flickered.
‘If we were to advance further?’
The Conception and Governing Vessels—collectively known as the Yin-Yang Meridians—the mountain yet to be crossed.
A realm most martial artists could never reach despite lifelong cultivation.
Achieving it would require immense inner force and enlightenment, but perhaps it was possible now.
‘The Heavenly Martial Constitution. And with my guidance.’
Yet opening the Yin-Yang Meridians immediately remained a dangerous undertaking.
Beyond all else, his greatest concern was whether Jin Tae-kyung could endure such agony.
What am I going to do about this?
After deliberating endlessly, Jeok Cheon-gang finally spoke.
“I think I can open the Governing and Conception Vessels.”
“…!”
My eyes, bloodshot from enduring the pain, trembled slightly. Jeok Cheon-gang continued speaking to me, unable to respond.
“However, you must bear the corresponding risk. You’ll likely experience pain incomparable to anything you’ve suffered thus far. A single mistake could lead to death.”
“….”
“You choose. If you trust me and wish to entrust yourself to me, blink your eyes twice.”
In the next moment, I blinked without hesitation.
Two blinks with not a shred of doubt visible.
Feeling the unwavering trust in my gaze, Jeok Cheon-gang’s chest grew warm.
So this boy trusted me to this extent?
Suppressing the surging emotion, he forced the corners of his mouth upward.
“Very well, let’s give it a try.”
At the same moment, an immense torrent of martial power flowed from his fingertips into my body.
* * *
Ding.
– Quest,
[Blood Meridian Breakthrough]
information has been updated!
– Quest,
[Governing and Conception Vessels]
has been created! As information is refreshed, difficulty and rewards will be adjusted!
Hearing the system notification, I thought.
What the hell….
I definitely blinked only once.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————