Murim Login - Chapter 232

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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 232
Unlike Jeok Cheon-gang, who traveled alone, the Dharma King Hongdao was a remarkably tall old man.
His eyes sparkled with mischief, and each step up the mountain road radiated vitality.
‘But where exactly are we going?’
It was only natural to wonder, since he deliberately avoided the well-maintained path and chose only routes where no one ever ventured.
After walking for some time, Hongdao’s footsteps finally came to a halt.
“Humble guests have arrived at a noble place. Don’t be shy about the burden—come inside.”
Jeok Cheon-gang, who had been staring intently at this ‘noble place,’ finally spoke.
“Did you perhaps get expelled from Shaolin Temple?”
“Hm? Why?”
“You don’t know? Why does your quarters look like this?”
As Jeok Cheon-gang had said, the place was surrounded by overgrown weeds and trees—far too shabby to be the residence of the Abbot and Dharma King of Shaolin Temple, the towering pillar of the Martial World.
“Be honest with me. You got fired as Shaolin’s Abbot, didn’t you?”
No, it’s not like being a Shaolin Abbot is a convenience store part-time job.
I found myself at a loss for words at Jeok Cheon-gang’s remark and asked back.
“Is that even something that can happen?”
“Look at how narrow-minded you are. Emperors get overthrown in rebellions—why would Shaolin Temple be any different?”
“…”
When he puts it that way, I have nothing to say.
After all, I was the one hunting monsters in the modern era, so what am I to judge? In a world with demon lords and gates, even a Shaolin Abbot could be a temporary contractor.
Hongdao chuckled at our exchange.
“This place where I am is the Abbot’s quarters. Our Shaolin doesn’t concern itself with such formalities. Isn’t that right, my disciple?”
Mu-myeong answered.
“Even the Precept Hall’s pleas have been ignored, and I remain here.”
“…”
Like master, like disciple—this old fellow is no pushover either.
Yet Hongdao laughed heartily and produced some sort of staff from his robes, waving it about.
“What can they do? Whoever appointed an unwilling man to the Abbot position in the first place?”
It was an absurdly short staff. Its surface gleamed as if polished with lubricant, bearing the marks of countless hands, and a subtle green light shimmered across it.
‘And there’s even a strangely shaped stone embedded in it.’
In some ways, it resembled the staffs used by mages.
But Hongdao’s green staff was different. Beyond the traces of time, it emanated a unique aura that only it could possess.
‘What is that?’
The question was answered the next moment.
“The Jade Buddha Staff. To entrust such a sacred treasure of thousand-year Shaolin to this lazy monk… they must all be blind.”
Jeok Cheon-gang clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“Shaolin’s prospects look grim.”
“The Yeolhwa Sect, which calls itself a school despite having only one disciple, is far worse off.”
“What did you say!”
“Your fiery temperament remains unchanged. May you be reborn as a virtuous and composed soul in the next life.”
“Next life? I’m still perfectly fine, so why are you killing me off already!”
“Heh, a corpse that talks. Amitabha Buddha.”
“Hongdao, you bald fraud!”
I turned my head away from the two of them bickering as they entered the Buddha Hall.
Mu-myeong was smiling brightly as he looked at me.
“It seems both of them are delighted to meet an old friend after so long.”
“…I have to admit, I can’t quite grasp how they became close.”
The eccentric abbot of Shaolin Temple and the temperamental sect master of the Yeolhwa Sect.
Even if their personalities aligned somewhat, they weren’t a combination that should have become friends. Especially considering that Jeok Cheon-gang was someone who had committed countless acts of killing—something Buddhism forbids.
At my lukewarm response, Mu-myeong, who had been pondering something, suddenly slapped his forehead.
“Ah, I remember now.”
“You startled me—I thought you were about to use the Solar Palm… But what is it?”
“The reason the two of them became close, sir. During the Jeong Ma Great Tournament, Master was secretly eating meat and drinking alcohol, but after being caught by Jeok Dojo-nim, they became drinking companions.”
“Pardon?”
For a moment, a thought crossed my mind.
That perhaps my ears had deceived me.
“He was eating meat and drinking alcohol?”
“Yes.”
“And he was already the abbot of Shaolin at that time?”
“That’s correct.”
“Ah, so the monks here do eat meat. Well, that makes sense since they need to bulk up while training martial arts…”
“That’s not quite it. Buddhism prohibits the taking of life. Livestock are no exception.”
“…?”
“…?”
Where exactly did things go wrong here?
I stared blankly at Mu-myeong for a long moment, unable to speak.
And as I observed the rippling muscles beneath his loose robes, I became certain.
‘This bastard eats meat too.’
Look at those muscles. That physique couldn’t be built on temple vegetable bibimbap alone.
Even if he grilled a whole pig and ate it with bibimbap, it would have to be raw meat bibimbap to achieve this.
‘So it’s not Shaolin Temple—it’s Meat Forest Temple.’
Someone once said the Murim was unpredictable even one step ahead, and they were absolutely right.
I shook my head and followed the two of them into the Buddha Hall.
* * *
The interior of the Buddha Hall was narrow and aged, yet possessed an antique charm.
The floor was spotless, and various Buddha statues of different sizes were arranged throughout.
Mu-myeong had stepped away for a moment, and Jeok Cheon-gang, Hongdao, and I sat facing each other, emptying our teacups. The brew made from some unnamed herb was astringent and bitter.
“This is hardly a guest’s treatment. What is this?”
“What else? Tea leaves I cultivated myself.”
“Tea leaves? You?”
“I’ve lived long enough, so I should quit the grain tea as well. It’s been decades already.”
“….”
For someone saying that, he seemed to have already consumed quite a bit of alcohol.
Unlike me, who could only tilt my teacup without daring to speak, Jeok Cheon-gang opened his mouth wide.
“Are you ill? Have you contracted a terminal disease?”
“A terminal disease, you say? It could be, or it might not be. I’m not entirely sure myself.”
Though his answer was calm, for some reason Jeok Cheon-gang’s face hardened like stone.
“Does that mean perhaps….”
“Let’s discuss that matter later.”
Hongdao waved his hand lightly to cut off the conversation, then turned his head to stare directly at me.
“So then… is the patron the master of that New Star?”
Master of the New Star.
Half a day ago, I heard this term for the first time from Mu-myeong’s mouth.
Apparently, rumors had spread among the gossipers in the Martial World about a New Star appearing, and such talk had circulated widely.
‘The rumors have already reached this far.’
Though my alias as the Shanxi Sleeping Dragon has been rising rapidly these days, I didn’t expect even the Shaolin Abbot to know of it.
Suddenly elevated to world-class status, I offered an awkward smile.
“You flatter me too much. I’m not quite at that level yet.”
“You seem to have difficulty understanding what’s being said.”
“Pardon?”
“Did I not say that the monk is the master of the New Star?”
No, but what does that even mean?
Seeing my bewilderment, Hongdao smiled faintly.
“Patron, do you know what a New Star is?”
“Well, that is. Usually people who stand out are called New Stars, aren’t they?”
“And?”
“…A star?”
“Exactly right.”
Hongdao nodded and continued in a calm voice.
“This humble monk has observed the heavens for a very long time. It wasn’t entirely futile study—I’ve become quite capable of perceiving and reading the Celestial Patterns.”
“Celestial Patterns….”
Suddenly, the events of the past half day flashed through my mind.
Mu-myeong. He came to find us following his master Hongdao’s instructions, and the moment he saw me, he spoke the words “master of the New Star.”
And what did Jeok Cheon-gang say then? Ah, yes.
‘That mystical monk. He still sees a thousand leagues while sitting.’
That meant he didn’t guide us through information from people, but rather by reading those Celestial Patterns to find us.
‘If that’s actually true, then he’s definitely not just some charlatan fortune teller.’
Rather, he could even be called a prophet without exaggeration.
Sensing something ominous from Hongdao, I swallowed hard.
“So what happens now?”
“A prodigy is like a firework in the night sky. It illuminates the darkness brilliantly, then fades with time. But this one… this one was different.”
Hongdao’s finger pointed beyond the Buddha Hall’s entrance, toward the northern reaches where Shanxi Province lay.
“One day, a new prodigy rose from the north. And unlike the others, this star’s light has never dimmed. If anything, it grows brighter with each passing day.”
“….”
“People often compare great individuals to stars, you see. This old monk believes that new star is you.”
Whenever someone of extraordinary achievement is born or passes, the world rejoices or laments.
A new star has risen. Or perhaps a great one has fallen.
‘So this new prodigy… he’s saying it’s me?’
Interpreting Hongdao’s words, the meaning was certainly flattering.
But honestly, I wasn’t so sure.
As I stood there scratching the back of my head with a bewildered expression, Hongdao’s next words struck like lightning.
“That was four months ago.”
“…!”
My entire body tingled as if struck by electricity.
My mouth went dry, my heart pounded violently. One phrase spun endlessly through my mind.
‘Four months ago?’
That would be… right when I first opened my eyes in the Murim.
Hongdao chuckled as I swallowed hard, my throat parched.
“Something’s clicking into place, I see.”
“N-no, not at all.”
Jeok Cheon-gang, who had been listening silently, interjected with a look of exasperation.
“You’re terrible at hiding it, boy.”
“N-no, I’m serious.”
“Hmph? Your tongue’s getting twisted. Just—”
“W-why are you doing this?”
Damn it, my tongue keeps getting tangled.
Hongdao burst into hearty laughter as I slyly edged away from Jeok Cheon-gang’s piercing gaze.
“Our guest seems to have urgent business elsewhere. Feel free to take your leave.”
“Go on. Unless you want to end up in the outhouse.”
I glanced between the two of them before bolting toward the door.
Behind me, Hongdao’s booming laughter and Jeok Cheon-gang’s roaring voice echoed through the hall.
* * *
“Hahahaha!”
“Disrespectful brat. How dare you act that way when your master is speaking….”
Hongdao, observing the grumbling Jeok Cheon-gang, asked a question.
“Is he a new disciple you’ve taken?”
Jeok Cheon-gang flinched and hastily cleared his throat.
“Ahem, cough! A disciple? No, no. He begged so persistently for instruction that I’m merely overseeing him temporarily. That’s all. Yes, that’s how it is.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, I’m telling you!”
“Then that’s how it is—why are you shouting? You’ll anger the Buddhas.”
“Ha, listen to this monk talk.”
Hongdao drained his teacup in one gulp, ignoring Jeok Cheon-gang’s retort, and furrowed his brow.
“Ugh, bitter. You should drink yours down too, quickly now.”
“Drink it down? Why would I drink something bitter?”
“Because the cup must be empty before I can pour more wine.”
“What?”
“I’ve prepared something special for a day like this.”
Hongdao rose from his seat with an unmonklike grin and approached the Buddha statues arranged in a row.
He lifted the largest statue with ease, rummaged around behind it, and produced a small earthen jar.
“Snake wine I’ve been aging for thirty years.”
“Snake wine?”
“Thousand-Year Venomous Horned Snake, ever heard of it?”
“A Thousand-Year Venomous Horned Snake!”
Jeok Cheon-gang’s eyes widened.
He hastily opened the tightly sealed jar and found, indeed, a serpent larger than any python, its triangular head crowned with a horn, emanating a venom so potent his nostrils tingled at once. Jeok Cheon-gang’s tongue flicked out involuntarily.
“This is an extraordinarily deadly poison! Where did you catch this?”
“During my mountain walks.”
Hongdao gazed toward distant peaks.
“You must have deliberately searched the mountain for the purpose of making snake wine. There are limits even for a monk—now you’re killing for a drink?”
“If you don’t like it, don’t drink. This old monk will have it alone.”
“Hmph.”
Jeok Cheon-gang shot Hongdao a pointed look and muttered.
“But this poison… it’s no joke…”
“Indeed. A single drop of venom from the Thousand-Year Venomous Horned Snake can kill a hundred oxen.”
“It’s been sealed for thirty years now, so it’s less wine than pure poison at this point.”
“Just opening the seal released this much venom. What more is there to say?”
“At this strength, even a master would be finished, wouldn’t they?”
“It’s madness. We shouldn’t drink this.”
Their gazes met in the air, and almost simultaneously, they spoke.
“Then we must drink it.”
“Yes, absolutely we must.”
“We won’t die from this.”
“Drink, drink without hesitation. I’ve read the heavenly signs—today is not the day we depart.”
Both men had passed a hundred years, yet neither could escape the reckless simplicity carved deep into a man’s bones.
Soon they began passing the jar back and forth, gulping the wine as if possessed.
After half an hour had passed, early darkness fell upon the mountain, and the jar was empty.
“Ah, the venom stinging the tip of my tongue—such exquisite flavor! Thanks to the heat of my internal energy, it can’t touch me.”
Hongdao watched silently as Jeok Cheon-gang licked the last drop clean, his expression darkening.
Hongdao frowned as he watched Jeok Cheon-gang lick up every last drop.
Among the Ten Kings, subtle differences in strength inevitably exist.
He had lost the jug to Jin Na-su in their struggle, and as a result, he hadn’t even consumed half of the liquor it contained.
“A geezer with nothing but brute strength, yet blessed with a long life.”
“Did you wish for my death?”
“I at least thought you’d clutch your belly and writhe about.”
Jeok Cheon-gang, thoroughly intoxicated, let out a hearty laugh.
“That’s the Heavenly Mandate for you, the Heavenly Mandate. What can one do against a lifespan decreed by the heavens?”
“The Heavenly Mandate, you say…”
Hongdao, who had been quietly pondering, dropped a single remark.
“That’s a lie, my friend.”
“Hmm? What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly as I said. For the past thirty years, I’ve been gradually going blind.”
“Wait, hold on. So you’re saying you can no longer read the Heavenly Mandate?”
At Hongdao’s silent nod, Jeok Cheon-gang felt his heart sink.
“How did this happen? Is it age?”
“At first, I thought the same. But I was mistaken. Even after renouncing the wine I so loved and secluding myself in solitude to cultivate my spirit, nothing changed.”
“Then…”
“It’s not that this old man’s clarity of mind has dulled.”
Hongdao lifted his head with a sigh.
Though the ceiling of the Buddha Hall blocked the view, the aged monk’s penetrating gaze pierced through it.
“The Heavenly Mandate is becoming distorted. Drawing closer, accelerating.”
“…!”
“And amidst this chaos, a divine light has emerged. Even in this turbulent sky, that radiance shines unmistakably clear.”
Jeok Cheon-gang’s eyelids trembled.
“And?”
Hongdao, lost in thought, shook his head.
“This is all this old monk can say. Though chaotic, the Heavenly Mandate maintains its form, and the great trees rooted in this world will not easily be shaken. However…”
An indecipherable light flickered in Hongdao’s eyes.
The words that followed were those only the current abbot of Shaolin—called the Pillar of the Martial World for a thousand years—and one versed in celestial patterns could speak.
“An incomprehensible calamity approaches. Dark clouds gather from somewhere, obscuring the sun and covering the stars.”
A sky stained in darkness, devoid of even a single ray of light.
Recalling that vision, Jeok Cheon-gang let slip a word like a groan.
“Dark Heaven?”
“Dark Heaven. Yes, it will become as you just spoke…”
Jeok Cheon-gang hastily cut off Hongdao’s words.
“No, that’s not what I meant. I just remembered something Jin Wi-kyung, the young master of the Taewon Jin Family, told me.”
“Jin Wi-kyung? I don’t know who that is, but did he also foresee this calamity?”
“More precisely, he appeared before them. I witnessed it with my own eyes as well.”
Jeok Cheon-gang explained in detail what had transpired seven days prior, just before leaving the Taewon Jin Family.
The remnants of the Grand Elder’s faction who had survived under the seal, the circumstances thus far, and even the mysterious pill called the Latent Power Pellet that had been seized from Red Wind Master Pung Yang.
Thus Jin Wi-kyung relayed everything to Jeok Cheon-gang, and Jeok Cheon-gang in turn shared it all with Hongdao.
“It’s simply remarkable. The seal placed upon those wretches was so intricately woven that even I found it difficult to unravel, and this ‘Sleeping Dragon Elixir’ possessed a potency that was almost unnaturally formidable.”
“Such a thing.”
“A hidden force that has manipulated the Flame Fire Sect from the shadows for decades. They are none other than Dark Heaven.”
“Hmm.”
After the conversation concluded, Hongdao exhaled slowly and fell into deep contemplation.
It was only after considerable time had passed that his lips finally parted.
“You must depart at once.”
“…!”
“Now is the time for each of us to fulfill our own duties. Bin-seung will marshal all his strength to prepare for the calamity, and you….”
Jeok Cheon-gang, regarding his old friend with penetrating eyes, continued.
“You must remain at the Holy One’s side. To ensure that light does not easily fade.”
I understood that my task did not end there. I had to protect that light while simultaneously making it burn ever brighter.
The two of us, having grasped our respective missions, hesitated no longer.
“I shall take my leave.”
“We won’t part for long. Let us postpone the words left unspoken for another time.”
The parting was lengthy, yet the meeting had been brief.
With a final smile toward Hongdao, Jeok Cheon-gang departed from the Buddha Hall with unhesitating steps.
Recalling words that remained unspoken.
‘Though our meeting was brief, it was a joy.’
In the deep of night, the Young Man and the Old Master thus left Songshan Soshil Peak.
Their journey continued until the sun rose and set once more.

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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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