Murim Login - Chapter 315

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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 315
Thud, thud.
Hyuk So-pyung, the Jongnam Dragon, walked neither fast nor slow.
With each step he took, the gazes and whispers of passersby followed in his wake.
“Tsk, tsk. Causing such a disturbance in broad daylight.”
“If the sect’s greatest prodigy looks like that, you can tell the caliber of Zhongnan Sect. No wonder Huashan always reigns supreme in Shaanxi.”
“Why are his cheeks so swollen? I heard the Huashan prodigy had arrived. Could it be….”
Hyuk So-pyung unconsciously rubbed his cheeks.
The throbbing pain came not only from the piercing stares of the crowd. Three slaps received without resistance. And one person’s grave voice echoed vividly in his mind.
‘I think I mentioned it. Wield that sword with proper thought.’
The successor of the Yeolhwa Sect chosen by Fire King Red Sky River—a sleeping dragon rising from a small creek in Shanxi Province.
I had grown sick of hearing stories about that bastard.
But….
‘How can he be so strong?’
I couldn’t comprehend it. I had entered as the direct disciple of the Zhongnan Sect Master and learned martial arts under complete support.
Countless supreme techniques, divine pills, and the title of Ten Dragons and Phoenixes were all natural to me.
Yet now, everything surrounding me was trembling precariously.
The cold expression of the Xi’an Tower manager I encountered at the entrance was proof of that.
“I heard you caused another disturbance.”
“A disturbance? There was some commotion, but it’s nothing. Let’s move past it.”
My steps, attempting to pass by, came to an abrupt halt at the manager’s next words.
“As I mentioned last time, if something like this happens again, I will lodge a formal complaint with Zhongnan Sect.”
“A complaint?”
I opened my mouth, glaring at the manager with gleaming eyes.
“Our Song manager has grown quite bold.”
“Hyuk So-hyup!”
“Don’t be insolent.”
A growl rumbled from between my teeth.
“Just because you got Roo-ju into Huashan’s inner circle, your head’s gotten big. Does the great Zhongnan Sect seem so trivial to you?”
“Your words are excessive, sir.”
I twisted my lips at the manager’s rigid expression.
“It’s you lot who are excessive. For mere wine merchants to look down on the Main Sect—you should be grateful your guts haven’t burst from your belly.”
“Shall I relay those words to Roo-ju exactly as you said them?”
“Don’t forget. Tell him exactly. Then I’ll see you next time.”
Pat, pat.
A bitter smile twisted my lips as I patted the manager’s shoulder and moved on.
‘Now I’m being disrespected even by these kinds of people.’
Of course, the Xi’an Tower master was more than just a merchant. He was a major player controlling the entertainment district of Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi Province.
Yet no matter how influential in the merchant world, he was but a firefly before the sun in the presence of the Nine Great Sects and One Alliance.
And to think I would suffer such humiliation at the hands of a mere manager of a tower, not even Roo-ju himself.
‘It’s getting worse and worse.’
In just a year and a half, the prestige of the Zhongnan Sect had plummeted repeatedly.
The first arrow that struck was fired by Fire King Red Sky River, who shattered the Angry Sword Immortal before countless witnesses, followed by the emergence of Sword Saint Geom-seong Maejong-hak from seclusion and the name Huashan Divine Dragon.
How could two tigers exist on the same mountain?
Someone had to become the strong, and someone had to become the weak. The Zhongnan Sect’s role was the latter.
‘This cannot continue forever.’
Drip, drip.
Blood trickled from the fist clenched with all my strength.
The alcohol poison that had accumulated since last night had long since been purged. It was then that Hyuk So-pyung gazed at the sky with a hardened expression.
“Gasp, huff. Elder Brother, you were here.”
“You… aren’t you Bong-su?”
Hyuk So-pyung regarded the familiar face with a look of surprise.
A young man breathing heavily. He was a disciple of the Zhongnan Sect like Hyuk So-pyung, and though their masters differed, they shared the same generational rank.
“What brings you here when you should be at the Main Sect Headquarters?”
The Main Sect Headquarters referred to Jongnam Mountain, which lay two days’ journey from Xi’an. The disciple called Bong-su answered Hyuk So-pyung.
“I am on a mission. Not just myself, but the entire Taeul Sword Squad has come.”
“A mission? And the Taeul Sword Squad as well?”
The Taeul Sword Squad was a martial force composed of second-generation disciples of the Zhongnan Sect. Though not comparable to Huashan’s Plum Blossom Sword Masters, they were the elite that the Zhongnan Sect took pride in.
The Taeul Sword Squad, which rarely left the Main Sect Headquarters, had come all the way here.
Just as Hyuk So-pyung furrowed his brow in confusion, his disciple spoke.
“I was ordered to bring Elder Brother back.”
“An order? Who seeks me?”
“The Second Master is currently in Xi’an.”
“…!”
Hyuk So-pyung’s eyes widened. Among disciples of his own generational rank, there were only two people worthy of being called Second Master.
One of them, Angry Sword Immortal Song Il, was confined to the Main Sect Headquarters due to internal injuries sustained from Fire King, leaving only one remaining.
‘But why would that person be in Xi’an…’
Hyuk So-pyung hastily swept away the questions forming in his mind.
If the Second Master sought him, there was no time to waste. This was a person he feared more than his own master, Feng Yun Sword Lord.
No, not just Hyuk So-pyung—all disciples of the Zhongnan Sect felt the same way. The anxious expression on his disciple’s face was proof of that.
“Elder Brother, there is no time.”
“Guide me to the Second Master at once.”
Moments later, as Hyuk So-pyung shot forward at high speed using his movement technique, one question circled through his mind.
‘What on earth is happening?’
One thing was certain.
If the Second Master, the Taeul Emotionless Sword, had moved, this was no trivial matter.
* * *
True Qi Guidance is a dangerous and difficult task.
Even when circulating one’s own qi alone, the danger of going mad always exists. With True Qi Guidance, one must draw another’s qi to circulate, so the difficulty need not be elaborated.
‘And the subject is Fire King, no less.’
The tension was on an entirely different level from when I had practiced qi circulation against the Peace Guild members.
I began to move the Yeolhwa Divine Technique with the sensation of treading upon thin ice.
‘Slowly. Carefully.’
I repeated only those two things endlessly, allowing no stray thoughts as I drew in the massive qi of Red Sky River.
Whoooosh.
Soon, the two streams of qi made contact.
Yet unlike the collisions and resistance I felt when facing the Peace Guild members, there was no such discord. The energies simply merged naturally.
As if we had been one body from the beginning, like long-separated twins meeting again, they harmonized and drew together with perfect inevitability.
‘Because we grew from the same root.’
That was right. Red Sky River and I shared the root of the Yeolhwa Sect.
Had someone who had not mastered the Yeolhwa Divine Technique rashly attempted qi circulation, they would have been unable to withstand Red Sky River’s tremendous cultivation and fallen into demonic possession.
‘What a blessing that isn’t the case.’
Though I had done this several times already, it never ceased to frighten me.
Feeling my heart clench, I began the true qi circulation in earnest.
Following the incantations of the Yeolhwa Divine Technique, I continuously circulated the now-unified qi of Extreme Yang without pause.
One hour, or perhaps two.
Lost in concentration, forgetting the passage of time, the qi circulation that seemed as though it would never end finally concluded as all the cultivation returned to my dantian.
Ding.
–
[Qi Circulation (眞氣導引)]
has been completed successfully!
– The target’s condition has been mildly alleviated!
– Your
[Extreme Yang Qi]
has increased slightly!
“Haaa….”
I steadied my breathing with my eyes still closed.
It was not yet over. For a moment, I had merged with and become one with the tremendous qi possessed by Fire King Red Sky River, a supreme master of the highest caliber.
The root of the Yeolhwa Sect, the mighty trunk of the great tree that grew from it, and countless branches. I had witnessed clearly one facet of a realm beyond measure.
Enlightenment comes through such experiences and circumstances.
Just like now.
‘Now I’m finally getting a grasp of it.’
I could see it. The steps leading to a higher realm.
It was a subtle enlightenment that could not be gained through anyone’s instruction.
Ding.
–
[Yeolhwa Divine Technique (烈火神功)]
has risen to the seventh stage!
– The application and control of qi becomes more fluid!
–
[Yeolhwa Sect]
martial arts can now be deployed with even greater power and effectiveness!
– You have acquired a large amount of experience points and bonus points as a reward for enlightenment!
– Level Up!
Yes, this is it.
I opened my eyes to the pleasant chime of a bell. Though I had only climbed one step, the difference was substantial.
Through my sharpened senses, information about everything surrounding me flooded in relentlessly.
My entire body drenched in sweat, the stench emanating from the impurities I had expelled, and behind me—the faint presence of someone struggling silently.
“….”
What the hell?
I turned my head to see Chung Poong coiled around Hyuk Moo-jin like an anaconda, his hands clamped firmly over the man’s mouth and nose.
“What are you doing there?”
Chung Poong answered cheerfully.
“Hyuk So-hyup was about to snore, so I was preventing it!”
“Ah, well done. That bastard was about to drive me into a demonic trance.”
This idiot Hyuk Moo-jin was supposed to stand guard but instead was dreaming of butterflies.
I watched Hyuk Moo-jin thrashing about, his face turning blue, before asking suddenly.
“You only need to cover his nose—why did you block his mouth too?”
“When I covered his nose, sound came from his mouth too!”
“Ah.”
“So I just blocked both!”
“Wouldn’t he suffocate and die?”
“He can use the Turtle Breath Technique!”
“What exactly is this Turtle Breath Technique that freezes you to death?”
“You hold your breath, stop your heartbeat simultaneously, and lower your body temperature!”
“That’s incredible. Is such a thing even possible?”
“Of course. That’s exactly what Hyuk So-hyup is doing right now!”
“Moo-jin is?”
“Yes! His heartbeat has already stopped.”
“…?”
My mind went blank for a moment as I stared silently at Hyuk Moo-jin.
During our conversation, the man had stopped struggling, his limbs hanging limp.
“Gasp, Moo-jin!”
“He’ll be getting cold soon!”
“Let go right now, you madman!”
“Huh? Isn’t this the Turtle Breath Technique? Hyuk So-hyup, can’t you hear me? Hyuk So-hyup?”
I wasn’t sure about the Turtle Breath Technique, but the Ghost Technique seemed to be working perfectly.
I unleashed a palm strike toward the chest of Hyuk Moo-jin, who was on the verge of mastering the Ghost Technique.
“Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Palm!”
Thwack!
With a dull thud, fierce breath erupted from Hyuk Moo-jin’s gaping mouth as he lay sprawled out.
“Cough!”
“Oh no, Moo-jin! My left pinky finger!”
“Hack, hack! Squad… Squad Leader?”
“Are you alright? Can you breathe properly?”
“Huh?”
Hyuk Moo-jin looked around with a bewildered expression. Having been attacked in his sleep, he seemed unable to grasp the situation properly.
“What’s happening all of a sudden? Just moments ago, I was floating on clouds.”
“Floating on clouds?”
This bastard nearly went to the grave.
As I exhaled a sigh of relief, Hyuk Moo-jin continued speaking.
“A man in white clothes came and spouted some strange nonsense. Something about a young lamb arriving, and whatnot.”
“What lamb?”
“A young lamb. And then he tried to embrace me, but there were holes this big in both his palms. I nearly cut him down without mercy, but I woke up instead.”
“….”
No, why did That Person appear there?
Just as I lost my words, the door to our private room in the Xi’an Tower slid open, and a grimy face poked in.
Gung Ki-bang’s eyes swept across the gloomy Chung Poong, the resurrected Hyuk Moo-jin, and finally me—my soul seemingly departed—before he muttered.
“What a mess.”
Being treated like a dog by a beggar left a bitter taste in my mouth.
After barely collecting myself, I asked Gung Ki-bang.
“Did you go begging?”
Gung Ki-bang cried out with an indignant face.
“What nonsense! I was returning from visiting the Xi’an branch of the main Beggar Clan!”
Last night, I had decided to stay at the Xi’an Tower for a day to recover from my travels. I had also asked Gung Ki-bang to gather information, which apparently led him to visit the Xi’an branch of the Beggar Clan.
Since beggars were as common as weeds throughout the realm, the Beggar Clan had branches everywhere.
By sheer numbers alone, it was the greatest faction under heaven.
“So, did you find any useful information? For instance, anything regarding the Divine Physician’s whereabouts?”
“I found something. Not about the Divine Physician, though.”
Gung Ki-bang, who had been pondering for a moment, continued.
“This information reeked to high heaven.”
“More than you?”
“….”
“Sorry. Tell me.”
Only after receiving five silver taels as a donation did the thoroughly offended Gung Ki-bang finally open his mouth.

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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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