Murim Login - Chapter 263

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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 263
“And that enemy killed the most precious friend of all.”
Those words froze me in place. I was certain the same thought had crossed Jeok Cheon-gang’s mind as well.
‘What did I just hear?’
For a moment, understanding eluded me. The words spilling from the unfamiliar young man’s lips tangled my thoughts into chaos.
So he was saying….
‘Hongdao is dead? Killed by this bastard?’
Memories carved deep into my consciousness flickered before my eyes, then vanished.
Jong Ri-chu, who had disappeared during the martial contest, and Hongdao, gasping at death’s threshold, along with the four words he had left as his final testament.
‘Jong Ri-chu, Dark Heaven, Mu-myeong, Jade Fire.’
What had everything I’d witnessed and heard until now truly been?
Where had it all gone wrong, and how?
I stood rigid as stone, struggling to grasp the thread of truth, but before I could string my thoughts together, a parched voice emerged from Jeok Cheon-gang’s lips.
“You… killed… Hongdao?”
His voice came in halting fragments, drenched in patience, fury, and disbelief. At the sight of him, the young man smiled serenely and nodded.
“That’s right. It was far easier than expected. When I said I’d detonate Heaven-Shaking Thunder in the spectator stands, he followed along without question.”
“Heaven-Shaking Thunder? You planted explosives?”
“That? It was obviously a lie.”
“…What?”
“Why do people lie? Because there are foolish enough to fall for it.”
Blood dripped steadily from Jeok Cheon-gang’s clenched fist, the knuckles white with tension.
“He wasn’t deceived—he chose to be deceived. That’s the kind of person Hongdao was.”
“Chose to be deceived? I suppose that makes sense. A fat monk like the Shaolin abbot would believe it if you said you were trying to prevent unexpected casualties.”
“You bastard!”
“Don’t blame me too harshly. I didn’t plan something this crude originally. But things went awry in an unexpected place. Of course, in that….”
Suddenly, the young man’s gaze turned toward me.
“Shanxi Sleeping Dragon Jin Tae-kyung. You played your part too.”
My body stiffened merely by meeting his eyes.
Whether it was the hostility I felt toward him or the overwhelming sense of a power gap I couldn’t possibly bridge, I couldn’t say.
‘Perhaps it was both.’
I bit my lip and glared at the young man.
“What nonsense is that?”
“Because you suddenly butted into the martial contest, I had to move my plan up by a day. The greatest variable in all that was Ascending Sword Jong Ri-chu.”
“…!”
Now it was certain. Jong Ri-chu was neither the culprit nor an accomplice.
“Well, in the end, everything was resolved cleanly.”
He smiled wickedly and extended his hand. Han-su, understanding what he wanted, hurriedly offered an object.
“The sacred treasure of Shaolin, the Jade Fire Lamp.”
“Ah, so this is….”
Elongated fingers slowly traced the softly luminous Jade Fire Lamp.
Yet in the next moment, the Young Man stared intently at Han-su’s face. It was because of his wrinkled hands, which still gripped the Jade Fire Lamp.
“You can let go now.”
Han-su answered, swallowing hard.
“Your Excellency Blood Lord, I have one request.”
“A request, you say? Speak freely. You’ve suffered greatly, so I should hear you out with utmost sincerity.”
It was a bizarre sight, strange beyond mere oddity. An elderly man fawning before a youth who could easily be his grandson.
All the more so if that old man was the notorious demon lord who had turned Shaolin Temple into a sea of blood.
‘Just who is this bastard?’
It had to be one of two things. Either his status within Dark Heaven was extraordinarily high, or he was far older than he appeared. Both possibilities were equally plausible.
In any case, the Young Man—the one called Blood Lord—gave his answer, and Han-su’s expression brightened.
“You truly mean it?”
Blood Lord clicked his tongue.
“Have you been deceived your whole life? You’ve completed the mission brilliantly, so a reward is only natural. But just how difficult could your request be that our senior Yin-gui is being so coy about it?”
“It’s not particularly difficult.”
“But it’s hard for you to ask directly?”
“…I’m ashamed to admit it, but yes.”
“Ah, I think I’ve got it figured out.”
Blood Lord gestured with his chin toward me and Jeok Cheon-gang.
“Kill those two people. That’s it, isn’t it? Am I right?”
When Han-su nodded with murderous eyes, Blood Lord let out a low chuckle.
“Well, this is unexpected. Seems you two were closer than I thought.”
“We’ve been together for nearly half a lifetime. This much is the least I owe him.”
“Loyalty, then… Well, that’s admirable.”
“Kill them as cruelly as possible. I’ll lend a hand myself.”
“Will that be enough? Once the righteous faction swarms here, it’ll be a headache. If we want to finish quickly and leave, you’ll need to break a sweat too, senior.”
“Then?”
“You’re the Shanxi Sleeping Dragon. I’m the Fire King. Even at a leisurely pace, we should wrap this up in the time it takes to drink tea.”
“Me killing that young brat? Ha ha! Splendid!”
The casual way these two spoke of my life and Jeok Cheon-gang’s as if they were mere objects in a pocket left me speechless, and at the same time, a chill ran down my spine.
‘He’s serious.’
The time it takes to drink tea. He declared that Fire King Red Sky River could be killed in that brief span.
Jeok Cheon-gang’s expression, hardened like stone, was proof that his words were no mere boast.
– If the situation becomes unfavorable, flee.
A transmission reached my ear, and I shook my head slightly.
A fierce battle was already raging above, so help from Shaolin was unlikely.
If I withdrew now, Jeok Cheon-gang would have no choice but to face the concentrated assault of two supreme masters.
‘Holding my ground until the end is the best option.’
Jeok Cheon-gang knows this too. Yet he speaks this way because he is a warmer and more caring person than others realize.
‘This time, it’s truly dangerous.’
I licked my parched lips and gripped Baek Yeom tightly. Seeing my state, Han-su let out a contemptuous laugh.
“Pathetic fool. Do you truly believe anything will change? Your accomplishments are respectable, but even if you were reborn a thousand times, you could never stand against me.”
“Go to hell.”
I spat phlegm defiantly onto the ground.
“Sleep for just a few hours in this place’s time, and when you wake, you’ll die by my hand.”
“What nonsense is that?”
“If you don’t believe me, try it yourself.”
“You insolent whelp!”
It was frustrating. If this weren’t combat, if time stopped completely upon logout instead of merely slowing, I could use infinite time to escape this crisis.
But all such thoughts were merely selfish desires.
Now was the time to face reality, not delusion.
“I shall freeze you alive.”
Crunch. Crunch. Crack.
Now I finally understood why that cursed old man’s epithet was Dark Ghost.
With each step he took, the ground froze solid, and frost settled upon the branches.
“Such vicious yin-cold energy. However…”
Red Sky River blocked my path.
“You dare not lay a finger on my master’s disciple.”
Roooar!
If Han-su’s yin-cold energy was an iceberg, Red Sky River’s yang-heat energy was the sun itself.
Assuming the deceased Yeom-ho and Han-su possessed equal martial prowess, Red Sky River’s overwhelming superiority was inevitable.
Yet Han-su’s expression remained composed. He knew a tiger stood behind him.
“Blood Lord, your intervention is required.”
“Ah, yes. Time to begin.”
Blood Lord, cradling the Jade Luminous Immortal Blade like a treasure, moved. No—he vanished.
And in the next instant.
Screech! Thud!
A spherical object, accompanied by a chilling sound, bounced to a stop at my feet.
White hair, dignified features. A contented smile still lingered at the corners of his mouth.
“…!”
“…!”
Red Sky River and I widened our eyes simultaneously.
Dark Ghost Han-su, the notorious demon lord and supreme master, had his head severed in a single strike.
And by the hand of an ally we had trusted implicitly.
While we reeled in shock, Blood Lord, the architect of this atrocity, remained utterly composed.
“Damn dog of an old man. This is why you shouldn’t take in those without proper roots.”
With a click of his tongue, he casually kicked the now-headless corpse of Han-su aside.
Whoosh. From the falling body, like a withered tree, a fountain of blood drenched the ground.
“A blade should act like a blade. It should move as the wielder commands. How dare you—!”
Crack! Crack! Crunch!
Flesh tore and bone shattered beneath the force-infused kicks.
The Blood Lord, who had trampled and crushed Han-su’s corpse countless times until all vitality had drained away, swept back the hair falling across his forehead.
“Some people truly don’t know their place. They can’t gauge their own level or understand where the line should be drawn. Shanxi Sleeping Dragon, you agree with me, don’t you?”
…Me?
I hesitated, unsure what to say, then answered honestly.
“No. You just look like a madman to me.”
The Blood Lord stared at me blankly for a moment, then a smile spread across his lips.
“Quite bold for a young one.”
“You’re still young, but you seem a bit unhinged already.”
“I appreciate you treating me as young. I’m actually older than I appear.”
“At most.”
“Spare me. I’ve lived at least twice as long as your entire life so far.”
I scrutinized him from head to toe with skeptical eyes.
His frame was perfectly balanced, standing at roughly my eye level.
His face looked like nothing more than a young man in his early twenties.
This couldn’t be explained away by mere youthful appearance. But then again, anything was possible in the Martial World.
“Why, surprised it’s more than you thought?”
I shook my head.
“No. If what you’re saying is true, I was thinking you don’t live up to your age.”
“Ahahaha!”
The Blood Lord burst into cheerful laughter. His actions, his tone—light, almost frivolous. Which made him all the more dangerous.
Even now, as he bent at the waist laughing, I could detect no opening in his guard.
Red Sky River, who had been watching the laughing figure intently, suddenly spoke.
“You’ll regret this.”
“Regret?”
The Blood Lord’s laughter ceased, and his brow furrowed.
“Why would I regret anything?”
“If you wanted to finish things cleanly, you shouldn’t have killed Yin-gwi.”
“A rusted blade is useless anyway. Disposal is only natural once its utility is exhausted.”
“A supreme master called a rusted blade… Then what of the Old Master?”
The Blood Lord stroked his chin as he spoke.
“Fire King, you’re worthy of high praise. Had the Jeong Ma Great Battle lasted just one more year, you would have reached Four Stars instead of Three.”
“It seems my blade hasn’t lost its edge yet.”
“You’re more than qualified to be called a renowned blade.”
“What if that renowned blade were to pierce your heart?”
“Well… I’m tougher than I look. I doubt even that would draw a single drop of blood.”
“When Hongdao died, the Old Master swore to the heavens.”
Red Sky River’s eyes deepened as he gazed at the smiling Blood Lord.
“That he would complete this vengeance, even if the calamity were a demon rather than human.”
“How touching, truly.”
The Blood Lord’s smile faded as he caressed the sword at his waist.
“I have a feeling the Yeolhwa Sect’s bloodline will be severed today.”
Red Sky River kept his gaze fixed on him as he asked me.
“What do you make of that statement?”
“I think his mouth needs to be stitched shut. Nothing but garbage has been spilling out of it since earlier.”
The Blood Lord’s smile vanished from his face.
“…So you really are an amusing one.”
Stepping forward toward me and Red Sky River, he suddenly opened his mouth.
“By the way, how much longer does that little rat hiding over there plan to stay concealed?”
A mysterious figure suddenly burst from the grass in the distance, scratching the back of his head.
“Benefactor. I apologize. This is the first time in my life I’ve ever been this terrified….”
I had never been so relieved to see Chung Poong.

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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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