Murim Login - Chapter 237

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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 237
Jeok Cheon-gang shrieked at the top of his lungs.
“You are a disgrace to the Main Sect!”
“That’s not it.”
“What do you mean ‘that’s not it’! In all of the Yeolhwa Sect’s hundreds of years of history, there has never been a disciple who wanted to roast meat over sacred flames!”
“I mean something else.”
“What?”
“I’m not an official disciple yet. So I’m not a disgrace to the Yeolhwa Sect either.”
“…!”
His face had turned crimson, as if it might burst at any moment.
Before an even louder outburst could escape, I quickly slung my pack over my shoulder.
“If there’s nothing else to pack, let’s leave quickly.”
“You, you bastard….”
Jeok Cheon-gang, whose fists had been trembling, soon let out a long, heavy sigh.
This hadn’t been the first or second time in the past year. Even the Fire King, now notorious for his vile temperament, had reached a state of acceptance.
‘Ah, how satisfying.’
To actually defeat the Fire King like this. It felt like I’d accomplished something remarkable.
As I chuckled to myself, he cast one final glance at me before performing a deep bow toward the seventeen ancestral urns.
“Your unworthy disciple Jeok Cheon-gang now takes his leave. May you remain in good health until that time comes.”
“Aren’t you going to pray for their enlightenment?”
“…And I swear before the seventeen former sect masters of this place that I shall make that wretch into a proper human being.”
Jeok Cheon-gang rose from his position, his resolve firmly set before the spirits of seventeen generations of sect leaders.
“Come now, let’s go. You beast.”
“Wait a moment.”
I slowly surveyed the vast cavern.
This space where I had dwelled for a year. There were times of unbearable agony, and times of joy. I’d grown so weary that I wanted to shatter the stone door and flee at any moment.
But when had it changed?
Everything gradually became familiar, and the joyful days outnumbered the painful ones.
The tremendous heat radiating from the pale blue flames now felt as comforting as home.
“What occupies your thoughts?”
“Just….”
How could I explain this?
After a brief moment of contemplation, the words tumbled out.
“I was thinking that meat roasted over those flames would taste absolutely delicious.”
“YOU INSOLENT WRETCH!”
I placed my hand on the stone door to escape the raging Jeok Cheon-gang. As I channeled the inner force from my dantian, the tightly sealed door slowly creaked open.
Ding.
–
[Yeolyang Divine Art]
has been confirmed.
– You are now able to freely enter and exit [Yeolhwa Cave]!
Yeolhwa Cave
You can freely enter and exit!
Well then, take care of yourself.
I owe you much for this past year.
And….
‘An unworthy disciple, Jin Tae-kyung. I now take my leave.’
I bolted toward the gaping cavern like the wind, iron spheres dangling from my entire body swaying like pendulums.
* * *
Jiuhua Mountain had long been renowned as a sacred peak brimming with spiritual essence.
With auspicious energy saturating the entire mountain, it was only natural that rare medicinal herbs—ginseng, fleece flower root—flourished here. For herb gatherers, it was no different than a goldmine.
“Just you wait. I’ll definitely harvest at least one today.”
At the foot of Jiuhua Mountain, a middle-aged herb gatherer with the surname Hong cinched his straw sandal straps tightly.
He had traveled far from Sichuan chasing dreams of fortune, yet after more than half a month, he had found nothing but disappointment.
“Damn it, why have all these spiritual herbs withered away….”
The fellow herb gatherers who had come with him had already given up and returned home. Despite combing through the mountain from its base to its middle slopes, they hadn’t discovered a single ginseng root.
There might be possibilities higher up, but that region was inhabited by something far more terrifying than any wild beast.
‘The Fire King.’
Even martial artists who killed as casually as breathing trembled at the mere mention of his name.
Word had it that he had single-handedly torn apart a thousand vicious demons from the Demon Cult.
When asked how such a thing was possible, the answer came that the Fire King was a monster with three heads and six arms.
‘But they said the middle slopes were safe. Don’t be afraid, Hong. You have eight mouths to feed.’
To afford the expenses of coming this far, his wife had even sold the silver bracelets she received as wedding gifts. How could he face her if he returned empty-handed?
Slap! Slap!
The herb gatherer patted his cheeks to steel his resolve and began climbing the mountain.
And in less than two hours, he encountered a sight he had never seen before in his life.
“But what exactly is pork belly?”
“You don’t know pork belly? Perhaps the terminology differs in this region.”
“No, where exactly are you from that you keep going on about terminology?”
“I’m from Korea! Do you know kimchi?”
“…You’re becoming more of a madman by the moment. Was there a problem with the Yeolhwa Divine Art?”
A wild-haired eccentric and a small old man descended the mountain path, exchanging incomprehensible conversation.
The combination itself was bizarre enough, but as they drew closer, the thunderous sounds that reached the herb gatherer’s ears made his eyes widen in shock.
Clang! Rattle! Boom! Rumble! Boom!
‘What, what is that.’
The source of the heavy sounds came from iron spheres connected by chains to the eccentric’s limbs.
The smallest was the size of a child’s head, while the largest could fit inside a basket.
Carrying dozens of such menacing objects dangling about, the herb gatherer could only gape in astonishment.
‘What am I even looking at right now.’
The herb gatherer, who had been staring blankly at the sight, suddenly flinched in alarm.
Before he knew it, two pairs of eyes had drawn so close they were practically touching his face, staring at him intently.
Up close, the grotesque figure’s beard was thick and unkempt, while the old man’s face was covered with age spots and wrinkles beyond counting.
“Gah-gah-gaaahhh!”
The small old man spoke to the herb gatherer who was nearly convulsing.
“Hey there.”
“Y-yes, yes?”
“Where are you headed?”
“I’m going to gather medicinal herbs, sir.”
The herb gatherer barely managed to squeeze out the words.
For some reason, he had an instinctive feeling that something terrible would happen if he didn’t answer.
The old man looked him up and down, then clicked his tongue.
“You’ve wasted your trip. Don’t bother—just head back.”
“W-wasted? What do you mean?”
Despite his fear, his mind suddenly sharpened.
Go back empty-handed? That would mean losing over two months of effort.
For someone carrying such a heavy burden on his shoulders, that was unthinkable.
‘This old man is no ordinary person.’
Not just his appearance, but the way he spoke—as if he could see through all the secrets of the world.
A thought struck the herb gatherer like lightning, and he collapsed to his knees.
“Please, just help me once!”
“What? Why are you like this, friend? What could this old man possibly help with?”
“No, sir! You know everything, don’t you, Divine Being?”
The old man’s face showed utter bewilderment.
“…Divine being?”
“Yes, a divine being!”
The grotesque figure beside him burst into laughter, clutching his belly.
“Hahahaha! A divine being, he says! Old Master, wasn’t it three months ago when you forgot the incantation while cultivating and nearly became a ghost?”
Crack! Thud-thud-crash!
The grotesque figure, who had been laughing with his head thrown back, was sent flying dozens of feet away by a single punch from the old man, crashing into the ground—and the herb gatherer’s faith only deepened.
‘The divine being just subdued an evil spirit!’
The white-haired old man was far more trustworthy than the ragged grotesque figure, after all. The herb gatherer pleaded once more.
“Divine Being! Please, just help me once!”
“Divine being my foot. And I can’t help you anyway. I’ve already harvested everything there is to harvest. What do you expect me to do about it?”
“What? Harvested? You mean someone already picked all the spiritual herbs on Jiuhua Mountain?”
“Now you’re starting to make sense.”
“W-who would do such a thing…?”
The old man clasped his hands behind his back and gazed toward the distant mountains.
“Ah, what fine weather we’re having.”
“…”
“Why are you looking at me like that? Whoever picks first gets to keep it.”
Despair flickered across the herb gatherer’s face. Only now did he realize the old man before him was no immortal.
“Then, Old Master, are you also an herb gatherer?”
“Hm? Well, I was for a few days. Digging up medicinal herbs is quite taxing, you know.”
“Yet you snap people’s necks so easily.”
Dusting off dirt from his clothes, the malevolent spirit—or rather, the eccentric—interjected abruptly.
Behind him, massive trees lay snapped in half, yet his composure and tone were so casual they rendered the destruction meaningless.
“My ancestors used to say that feeding spirit herbs to disciples is utterly pointless, and it seems they were absolutely right.”
“Cough.”
“This insolent brat…!”
Oppressive force radiated from the old man’s clenched fist. The herb gatherer finally grasped the identities of these two.
“M-m-martial artists!”
“Since you understand, abandon this pursuit and leave. Be careful not to spread unnecessary rumors.”
The eccentric offered his advice with a serious expression.
“Especially, do not venture upward. There’s a monster called Fire King Red Sky River living up there, and if you’re caught, he’ll bite, tear, savor, and enjoy you before killing you.”
“…!”
“…!”
The mere thought was horrifying. The herb gatherer trembled, imagining a gruesome death.
Seeing the old man react similarly, Fire King Red Sky River must surely be the three-headed, six-armed monster he’d heard about.
“You understand? You must remember what I said very carefully.”
“Yes, I understand.”
That was all the herb gatherer could say.
He’d already lost the initiative, and his opponents were martial artists. One wrong move could cost him his head.
It was the moment he stepped aside, shoulders drooping, to let the two pass.
“Ah, wait a moment. Uncle, would you like to take this if it’s acceptable?”
A soft rustling sound.
The eccentric rummaged through his pack and suddenly produced a ginseng root about three finger-joints in length.
Caught off guard by this unexpected kindness, the herb gatherer asked in a trembling voice.
“W-why are you giving this to me?”
“If you leave empty-handed, you gain nothing. By your age, you likely have family to support. Where did you come from?”
“I came from Sichuan.”
“Sichuan’s fun. I worked hard there during the off-season.”
“Pardon?”
“Never mind. Since you’ve traveled far, use this to supplement your travel expenses.”
The old man, who had been watching silently, clicked his tongue.
“You fool, you give away something worthless and act like you’re generous. If a man is to give, he should give generously.”
“I don’t have anything else left, what can I do?”
“You call that a ginseng root? If you’re going to give, exchange it for silver instead.”
“How?”
“The value of an object is determined by people.”
“Ah, there’s a way to do that.”
What kind of bizarre conversation was this?
As the herb gatherer looked back and forth between the two men as though possessed by a ghost, the strange man suddenly let out a thunderous cry.
“Mountain ginseng! Thirty years old!”
In the early dawn chill, as a cold wind swept through, the trees shuddered and trembled.
Then, from below the Mountain Road, dozens of men emerged in perfect formation and columns.
Blue martial robes and sword sheaths hanging from their waists. At a glance, one could tell that each and every one of them was a highly trained martial artist.
“Gasp!”
Unlike the herb gatherer whose mouth hung agape, the two men remained composed. The strange man gently waved the three-tael silver ginseng as he spoke.
“I’ll sell it for one hundred taels of silver.”
Had I ever seen such a brazen bandit before?
Just as the herb gatherer swallowed down the curse that had risen to his throat, the middle-aged man standing at the head of the dozens of martial artists opened his mouth.
“I’ll buy it.”
“…!”
The shock didn’t end there. It was because of a single remark carelessly uttered by the Old Master, who had just yawned widely.
“Three hundred taels. As the greatest magnate in Anhui, you should be able to afford that much.”
The middle-aged man bowed deeply.
“It’s a bargain price for the offense committed against the Fire King. I will purchase it.”
The strange man grinned and asked.
“Then, honored buyer, might I ask your name?”
“Nam-goong Yong.”
The middle-aged man lifted his head. In his deep eyes flashed the dignity that only a leader could possess.
“The patriarch of the Namgung Clan.”

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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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