Murim Login - Chapter 312

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

Chapter 312
After the bandits of Heukseok Fortress surrendered, the first to regain her composure was Ju Hwa-ran, the proprietress of the Yongbong Pyo-guk.
She gazed at me with an indescribable light in her eyes before performing a deep bow of gratitude.
“You have shown us tremendous kindness.”
“Think nothing of it. I was passing through anyway, and it didn’t take much time.”
I meant it sincerely. It was merely a detour, and the brief encounter had already rewarded me with experience. I was more than satisfied.
Though for Ju Hwa-ran, I suppose I had been a lifeline.
“Without your assistance, So-hyup of the Jin Family, the Yongbong Pyo-guk would have been buried here. I had heard tales of the Shanxi Sleeping Dragon’s reputation, but it seems the stories of a chivalrous hero who cannot abide injustice were indeed true.”
“A chivalrous hero? That’s merely a rumor people spread for the sake of a good story.”
“Is that so?”
“I do tolerate injustice at times. I simply eliminate those who irritate me occasionally. Yet strangely, those who irritate my eyes always seem to be villains—like that wretch Cheonryeok Bandits.”
I glanced at the corpse of the Cheonryeok Bandits leader being dragged away by one of the fighters, then continued.
“And my family operates an escort agency as well.”
“Ah, the Jinga Escort Agency.”
The Seongyun Escort Agency, once operated by the Wu family, had changed its sign to the Jinga Escort Agency and was flourishing. I had heard they already had more than five branch offices.
Since Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces share a border, our paths with the Yongbong Pyo-guk would inevitably cross someday.
“You know of the Jinga Escort Agency. When we meet again, I hope you’ll treat us well. We help one another with the spirit of fellow merchants, after all.”
“The spirit of fellow merchants?”
“Is there a problem with that?”
“Are you perhaps unaware that the Jinga Escort Agency and our Yongbong Pyo-guk are competitors?”
What? We were competitors?
I blinked and asked in return.
“Is that truly the case?”
“You really didn’t know?”
“No. I’ve paid little attention to family matters.”
“If you hadn’t saved us today, the Jinga Escort Agency would have been able to expand into Shaanxi Province. Even now, despite appearances, we still hold sway over Shaanxi.”
“I see.”
“This business is more cutthroat than it appears. There are many hidden struggles and occasional violent conflicts.”
“Well, if we can’t expand, so be it. I’ll tell my elder brother to maintain friendly relations with you.”
Ju Hwa-ran, who had been studying me with a peculiar expression, suddenly broke into laughter.
“I appreciate that.”
Wow, I nearly gasped aloud. It was just a smile, but why was it so beautiful?
As I swallowed the admiration threatening to escape, I heard whispers from behind me.
“Heavens, I’ve never seen anyone more beautiful than Eun So-wol.”
“Ju Hwa-ran is one of the Three Beauties of Kangbuk. I don’t know who Eun So-wol is, but how could she possibly compare?”
“What’s wrong with that? So-hyup, why don’t you go scrub yourself on that rock by the stream? The water’s absolutely filthy.”
“What’s wrong with me!”
“You’re a beggar, aren’t you?”
“Well, that’s… true, I suppose.”
An innocent voice followed in succession.
“That’s not it. Eun So-wol is beautiful too.”
“What’s gotten into you, So-hyup? Since when do you say such things?”
“And in my eyes, Gung So-hyup is beautiful as well.”
“…Then why don’t you go wash up by the stream with the beautiful Gung So-hyup? Pay special attention to your eyes.”
There was no need to guess—it was the Bermuda Triangle again.
Under normal circumstances, I might have introduced them properly, but their conversation was so vapid that I felt embarrassed to speak of it myself.
Just as I was forcing out an awkward cough, Ju Hwa-ran poked her head over my shoulder.
“Who are those people?”
“I don’t know them.”
“But they came with you.”
“They’re fellow travelers.”
“Really?”
“I swear by the heavens.”
Though I’d lowered my voice as much as I could, the Bermuda Triangle heard every word and erupted like wildfire.
“Captain! Are we an embarrassment to you?”
“Am I the one embarrassed?”
“Benefactor! I’m fine! Please be embarrassed for us!”
“…Actually, they’re my friends.”
“It certainly looks that way to anyone.”
That remark, though true, somehow felt like a dagger to the heart.
Ju Hwa-ran let out a soft laugh at my expression, then offered a respectful bow to the three of them.
“I am Ju Hwa-ran, Vice-Proprietor of the Yongbong Escort Agency, and I greet my benefactors.”
I wasn’t entirely sure what these three had done to earn such gratitude, but the Bermuda Triangle bowed their heads in return.
“I am Hyuk Moo-jin, Vice-Commander of the Jinryong Squad, the elite vanguard of the Great Taewon Jin Family and the right arm of the Shanxi Sleeping Dragon.”
I corrected him in a calm voice.
“Not just Vice-Commander, but temporary Vice-Commander, and not the right arm but more like my left pinky finger.”
Then Gung Ki-bang opened his mouth.
“I am Gung Ki-bang, a beggar.”
“The next-generation Beggar King.”
Last came Chung Poong.
“Hello! You’re beautiful!”
“As you can see, the boy is a bit unwell. He’s slightly lacking upstairs, but he’s a good-hearted fellow.”
After hearing their whirlwind introductions and my kind explanations, Ju Hwa-ran’s lips parted slightly.
Her large black eyes seemed to be experiencing an earthquake.
“So… in other words, your left pinky finger, the next-generation Beggar King, and a slightly lacking but good-hearted friend—is that correct?”
“Yes, precisely.”
“I’ve never heard descriptions like these before.”
“Would you like me to explain again?”
“No, thank you.”
She exhaled deeply and gazed at each of them in turn before speaking.
“I’ve also heard tales of the Swift Wind Sword, who earned considerable merit in the subjugation of the northern bandits.”
“…What?”
Hyuk Moo-jin stared at Ju Hwa-ran with a bewildered expression.
The Swift Wind Sword—I had no idea when he’d acquired such a moniker, but his reaction confirmed it was genuine.
Before anyone could respond, Ju Hwa-ran continued.
“The gentleman beside you is Hu Gae, a disciple of Man Ri-chu Haeng, the Patriarch of the Beggar Clan.”
“P-pleased to make your acquaintance.”
“And finally, it is an honor to meet the Huashan Divine Dragon, Chung Poong. My grandfather and father have always spoken of Sword Saint Mae Jong-hak as a paragon of benevolence.”
The Huashan Divine Dragon was an epithet bestowed upon him by the martial world after the Seonglae Tournament.
Chung Poong’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“Wow, how did you know all that?”
Ju Hwa-ran smiled knowingly.
“Because I am the young lord of the Yongbong Pyo-guk.”
A brief answer, yet laden with profound meaning.
We had departed Hanan mere days after the Seonglae Tournament concluded.
‘Her intelligence gathering is remarkably swift.’
Moreover, unlike Chung Poong or Gung Ki-bang, Hyuk Moo-jin was a newcomer to the martial world, active only within Shanxi Province.
That she knew his moniker and name with such precision suggested Ju Hwa-ran was far more meticulous and sharp-minded than I had initially assessed.
‘Hidden Dagger Flower. A blossom concealing blades.’
The daggers she concealed were not merely one—she possessed martial prowess at its zenith, a brilliant intellect, and beauty that captivated all who beheld her.
She was indeed worthy of standing among the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes, the martial world’s finest rising talents.
‘Curious. At this level, she should manage an escort agency with ease.’
According to what Gung Ki-bang had told me, the Yongbong Pyo-guk had endured two years of relentless hardship.
I brushed the question from my mind in an instant.
‘Bah, what does it matter if I concern myself with it?’
Finding the Divine Physician was more pressing.
Already nearly an hour had slipped away; to reach our destination before dawn, we needed to depart immediately.
“Miss Ju, I’m afraid we must take our leave now.”
At my abrupt words, Ju Hwa-ran hesitated.
“Now, you mean?”
“We have urgent business.”
“It’s already quite late. Wouldn’t it be better to stay the night and depart in the morning…?”
“I’m afraid not. We must reach Xi’an by tomorrow.”
“I see.”
Ju Hwa-ran, who had seemed to hesitate as if wanting to say something, finally spoke.
“Might we meet again someday?”
“Of course. If fate allows it.”
Just as I turned to leave, Ju Hwa-ran’s voice reached me.
“I shall never forget the debt of gratitude for saving my life.”
“Please, there’s no need. Even without my intervention, you would have avoided the worst outcome, so such thanks are unnecessary.”
“Pardon?”
“Of course, there would have been some damage.”
Does she still not know? Well, that’s possible.
I offered a faint smile toward Ju Hwa-ran, whose expression was bewildered. Then I glanced at the young escort with fierce eyes before turning away.
[Lv.110 Song Il-seom]
‘The Martial World truly is vast. To think someone of that caliber serves as an escort.’
He was the source of the gaze I’d been feeling all along.
Thanks to him, the back of my head had been burning throughout my conversation with Ju Hwa-ran.
‘But why has that bastard been glaring at me like that? Did I wrong him somehow?’
It seemed I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed the hostile stare. Chung Poong, who had attached himself to my back, whispered.
“Benefactor, you felt it too?”
“Yeah. I don’t know why, but he’s being incredibly obvious about it.”
“Right? He seems interested in you, benefactor.”
“….”
Please, spare me the nonsense.
* * *
Four figures shot forward like the wind. As Ju Hwa-ran watched their receding silhouettes, someone approached her.
“Hwa-ran.”
“Ah, Uncle Heo.”
Heo Jun, who had finished binding the bandits and handling the aftermath, turned his gaze to follow Ju Hwa-ran’s line of sight.
“Shanxi Sleeping Dragon Jin Tae-kyung. Truly a remarkable young man. The others are impressive as well.”
“Indeed. They say rumors in the martial world cannot be trusted, but… this time, it seems they actually understated things.”
Ju Hwa-ran recalled the martial prowess Jin Tae-kyung had displayed.
It had been an utterly overwhelming sight. Witnessing him, she trembled—and yet felt a bitter sting.
‘If only I possessed such power.’
Then the Yongbong Pyo-guk would never have reached its current state.
Ju Hwa-ran swallowed the words hovering on her tongue, then suddenly spoke. It was a transmission of energy—a secret voice message.
– Uncle Heo. Watch Song Pyo-du carefully.
Heo Jun, seasoned as a veteran escort master, responded with practiced composure, raising a different topic while answering the transmission.
– Hwa-ran. Do you mean to suggest…?
– It is merely speculation for now. But there are more than one or two things that trouble me.
From the leaked secrets regarding the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng to the relentless attacks over the past four months.
Ju Hwa-ran intended to excise the roots of betrayal that had grown deep within the organization.
‘Especially those final words from So-hyup Jin.’
That even without her, the worst situation would not have occurred.
That meant there existed a master within the Yongbong Pyo-guk capable of easily crushing the Cheonryeok Bandits and facing enemies.
‘And… that gaze.’
Though it lasted but an instant, I saw it clearly.
Jin Tae-kyung’s eyes, as he turned, lingered upon Song Il-seom.
And the subtle surprise contained within his gaze.
‘There’s definitely something here.’
Ju Hwa-ran suddenly recalled the past two years. The countless failures she had endured while leading an escort agency at an age not yet in her twenties.
What if the cause of those failures was trusting people too much, or if it was because of someone’s betrayal—what should she do?
Whiiiiing.
Buffeted by the howling cold wind, Ju Hwa-ran stood there for a long while.
* * *
“Could you provide me with a quiet room?”
A man dressed in white robes. His appearance was refined, and his manner of speech was so courteous that those who heard him could not bring themselves to refuse.
The guard captain stationed at the entrance, reminded of a noble crane by the man’s dignified bearing, harbored an inner question.
‘Who is this? I’ve never seen this face before.’
The Xi’an Tower, which the guard captain protected, was the premier establishment of its kind in Xi’an, true to its name.
To stay here required not only wealth but also a status befitting such luxury. As a result, the faces that appeared were always the same regulars.
‘A young man who came alone, without even a carriage or servants….’
Ordinarily, he would have been turned away without a second thought.
Yet something about him stirred the guard captain’s heart. It was for this reason that he had dismissed his subordinates and personally received the young man.
“Have you lodged at our establishment before?”
“No. My circumstances do not permit such indulgence.”
The moment the young man smiled sheepishly and rubbed his cheek, the guard captain’s eyes widened.
‘That’s it!’
Embroidered upon the pristine white sleeve of the young man’s robe—a crimson blossom.
It was unmistakably a plum blossom in full bloom.
A faltering voice escaped from between the guard captain’s lips.
“May I, by any chance, inquire of your honored name?”
“I am a Daoist of the Baek surname, known by the name Moo-sung.”
“The, the Hua Mountain Single School!”
Baek Moo-sung, the direct disciple of Cheon Geom Jin-in, the sect master of the Huashan Sect, smiled faintly.

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