Murim Login - Chapter 438

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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 438
Jeok Cheon-gang’s eyes blazed as he stared at Moon-kyung.
“You dare oppress my disciple, my Jin Tae-kyung, while the Old Master steps away?”
“…What’s with this ‘my Jin Tae-kyung’ business?”
My exasperated mutter, spoken with such bewilderment that tears nearly sprang forth, only provoked Jeok Cheon-gang to bellow.
“Silence!”
Moon-kyung and I answered in unison.
“Old Master Noya is the one making a racket. You’re practically screaming ‘my Jin Tae-kyung’ to the entire world right now.”
“With lungs like that, you’ll live another ten years at least.”
Did he roast a cannon in an air fryer?
It was only because Moon-kyung had been using his inner energy to seal the qi meridians and prevent sound from leaking out that a crowd hadn’t already gathered. Otherwise, we’d have had an audience long ago.
Moon-kyung clicked his tongue softly at the sight of Jeok Cheon-gang’s face flushed crimson.
“We merely exchanged words. Why would the Old Master trouble himself with such a mere child?”
Jeok Cheon-gang turned his gaze toward me.
“You speak. Is what this old man says true?”
“We did only talk, but he said if I didn’t like his answer, I’d sink to the bottom of the Yangtze River.”
At my betrayal, Moon-kyung added with a brazen expression.
“Of course, I merely meant to frighten him a little.”
“What a cursed old fool! Did you truly believe you could commit such an act and walk away unscathed?”
“Calm yourself. I merely wished to inquire about the middle dantian.”
Jeok Cheon-gang, who had leaned forward as if ready to strike, froze in place.
“The middle dantian?”
“Indeed. Surely you don’t claim ignorance.”
“…”
“Opening the middle dantian in such a short span of time is impossible. It cannot be explained even by invoking the will of heaven.”
Jeok Cheon-gang, alternating his gaze between Moon-kyung and me, let out a soft laugh.
“It was nothing after all.”
“…What?”
“So you mean to say that boy has cultivated some demonic technique?”
“That is…”
Keep it brief. No.
Moon-kyung’s words caught in his throat at such a composed and assured response. In that moment, Jeok Cheon-gang beckoned me with a flick of his finger.
“What are you doing? Come here at once.”
“Yes?”
“You asked me to observe your cultivation, didn’t you? We begin now.”
“Ah, yes.”
The situation unfolded so smoothly that even I felt inwardly flustered. As if reading my thoughts, Jeok Cheon-gang asked.
“Still, I’m curious. How exactly did you open the middle dantian?”
“Well, you see, I had a dream where an old man wielding a sword appeared…”
“Did you perhaps encounter Yeo Dong-bin the Sword Saint?”
“…Well, listening to what they said, it does seem to be the case.”
“You’ve gained a fortunate opportunity. Heaven itself appears to be aiding you. The world is full of occurrences that defy human comprehension.”
His gaze was fixed upon me, yet his words were directed at Moon-kyung.
As if to ensure I heard him, Jeok Cheon-gang suddenly swung his weathered hand.
Smack!
“Ow! Why did you hit me?”
“Simply felt like it. Got a problem with that?”
“A problem?”
“Then you deserve another.”
Whack!
“Aaah!”
“Thick-headed fool, stop your whining and follow me.”
Should I proceed like this?
A thunderous rebuke crashed down upon me as I glanced at Moon-kyung, who stood with an inscrutable expression I couldn’t fathom.
“And you, you wretch!”
“Alright, alright. Please stop shouting.”
“Do you even intend to train, dawdling about like this?”
Turning away from Moon-kyung, I hurried after Jeok Cheon-gang’s back and whispered.
“But, aren’t you going to ask more?”
Jeok Cheon-gang answered curtly without turning his head.
“Ask what?”
“Well, the middle dantian….”
“Enough nonsense. Just follow. And stay far away from that old fool from now on.”
“Yes, sir.”
That was exactly what I wanted. I had no intention of becoming some mermaid princess of the Yangtze River and accidentally drifting all the way to Hubei with the fish.
“If I catch sight of such behavior again, I’ll thrash you thoroughly. Understood?”
“…But I’m the victim here, why—”
“Silence. I was just barely restraining myself from obliterating everything moments ago.”
“Now that you mention it, you really did show remarkable restraint.”
“Had I not, would the ship have remained?”
“True, I suppose we should consider Moo-song’s situation too. Did you see his expression when we boarded the Fast Ship?”
Jeok Cheon-gang whirled around, his brow furrowing.
“What nonsense is this? Why would I concern myself with those Water Thieves?”
“Huh?”
“If we lose another ship here, those aboard will have to transfer to a different vessel, and the added weight will slow our speed, won’t it?”
“…Ah.”
“Think before you speak. We must escape this wretched Yangtze River as quickly as possible. It’s damp, it rocks constantly, and there’s simply no end to it.”
Look at this character’s true nature.
Watching the fire-type Pokémon trudge forward with trembling shoulders, a sudden thought occurred to me.
‘If I just burned everything, couldn’t we travel by land instead?’
I shouldn’t mention this. Jeok Cheon-gang is more than capable of acting on his own.
I deliberately ignored the prickling sensation of Moon-kyung’s gaze boring into the back of my head and followed Jeok Cheon-gang.
* * *
The Fast Ship surged forward without hesitation.
Vessels that spotted the Yangtze River Water Bandit Alliance’s banner flying high above the deck hastily cleared a path, and even the government warships bound by corrupt ties were no exception.
The Water Thieves, who knew the lower reaches of the Yangtze River like the back of their hands, rowed with vigor under Moo-song’s command, while the sails billowed magnificently in the wind that blew from afar.
Like the turbulent waters of the Yangtze River itself, the hours of that day flowed swiftly.
And just as yesterday, Moon-kyung, who sat at the bow gazing into the darkness-shrouded Yangtze, spoke in a low voice to the uninvited guest who had come again.
“You’re later than expected.”
“It took time finding the liquor that Moo-song or whatever his name is had hidden away. The stubborn fool wouldn’t part with it until the very end.”
Jeok Cheon-gang, perched on the railing, carefully unsealed a small jar he’d produced as though it were a sacred treasure.
As the fragrant aroma of wine spread through the air, a crack appeared in Moon-kyung’s previously expressionless face.
“Jiannanchun?”
“When you think Sichuan, you think Jiannanchun. That’s the taste that keeps me coming back.”
“This doesn’t seem like ordinary Jiannanchun.”
“According to him, it was a gift from his master. A man of the Sea King’s stature wouldn’t gift his disciple with common wine… Thanks to that, this old man’s palate is being thoroughly indulged.”
Jeok Cheon-gang drank directly from the jar, gulping it down, then smacked his lips in satisfaction.
“Ahh, exquisite. Care for a cup?”
Moon-kyung, who had been studying the jar of Jiannanchun intently, shook his head.
“…I told you I quit long ago.”
“Your answer is slow. For the greatest Assassin of all ages, you’re far too transparent.”
“Better than an old fool who rages about like a madman at your age, lacking all dignity.”
“What did you say!”
“Stop spouting nonsense and get to the point. You must have something to tell me.”
Yesterday’s visit had been unannounced, but today was different.
Hours ago, Jeok Cheon-gang had sent word through sound transmission that he would visit, and Moon-kyung had been waiting.
“You’re impatient by nature. That’s hardly befitting an Assassin.”
“I’m not an Assassin—I’m a Divine Physician.”
“Then call yourself a Killer.”
“Master and disciple alike. Your words and actions are identical.”
Jeok Cheon-gang drank more wine and wiped his mouth with his sleeve, responding as Moon-kyung’s brow furrowed.
“Our words and actions may be alike, but we’re worlds apart. That boy is a monster who defies all natural law.”
Moon-kyung nodded silently.
He could not disagree with the word “monster.” It was astounding enough that Jin Tae-kyung had transcended the Ultimate realm while barely past his twentieth year, yet he took another step forward before even catching his breath.
‘When did he reach the Ultimate realm?’
Moon-kyung delved into the distant recesses of memory.
In his younger days, when he was sharper and more taciturn, he devoted his soul and heart entirely to the martial way.
Through countless real battles—sometimes in secret, sometimes in direct confrontation—he accumulated experience until finally stepping into that supreme realm accessible only to the chosen few.
‘That was in my mid-thirties.’
Even he, called the greatest Assassin of all ages and known as the Kill Star, had not reached the Ultimate realm until after thirty.
Several years later, when he had reached an age approaching forty, he finally opened the Dantian of the Middle Gate.
Yet Jin Tae-kyung had left his mark upon the vast history of the Murim while barely past his twenties.
In Moon-kyung’s estimation, this was the work of the Demonic Heretical Way—and not merely any demonic technique, but one born from countless ages of dark cultivation.
“It seems… this conversation will stretch on for quite some time.”
“No, it will end swiftly. As an old man, I have little of substance to offer.”
At Jeok Cheon-gang’s reply, Moon-kyung’s eyes grew dark and distant.
“Why?”
“What words can I speak of something I have neither seen nor heard? I can only accept it as it is.”
“Surely you don’t believe that nonsense about Sword Saint Yeo Dong-bin appearing in a dream and granting enlightenment.”
“It could be true, or it could not. But even if it were fact, I would find it hardly surprising. Hehehehe.”
“Fire King!”
The thunderous cry struck against the qi barrier enveloping the two men, causing it to resonate with a deep hum.
Yet the anger that Moon-kyung had momentarily revealed was swept away entirely by Jeok Cheon-gang’s next words.
“Two years.”
“…What?”
“In merely two years, he shattered the wall of the absolute pinnacle and opened the Middle Dantian. Had I been Yeo Dong-bin, I would have come to him directly, not through dreams. I would have thought: there is a tremendous being in this lower realm. What a prodigy.”
Moon-kyung first doubted his own ears, and second, the mental state of Jeok Cheon-gang.
Yet the small old man before him gazed at Moon-kyung with eyes clearer and more transparent than ever before, continuing his words.
“Do not doubt. When you face that one, erase from your mind everything you have seen and heard throughout your life, and meet him anew. Do you understand what I mean?”
“…!”
“Tae-kyung. That child and the Sword Saint’s disciple are truly divine dragons—beings no one has ever witnessed, only speculated upon.”
Whoooosh.
White foam sprayed across the bow of the ship. It was only after a considerable silence that Moon-kyung opened his mouth again.
“I cannot believe it.”
“I did not ask you to believe. I asked only that you accept it.”
“That is… all impossible things.”
“There is one truth I learned through the helplessness of growing old: I cannot control another person’s heart.”
Jeok Cheon-gang had learned this only after parting with his first disciple.
And on the day he had met a certain young man by chance and truly accepted him deep within his heart, he had suddenly awakened to another truth as well.
The dull ache that had throbbed whenever he recalled that day had grown faint.
“You will come to understand if you watch. As I have.”
Moon-kyung watched in silence as Jeok Cheon-gang rose from the railing and shuffled away, then suddenly spoke.
“What is that one doing now?”
“Young Tae-kyung?”
Jeok Cheon-gang turned his head and chuckled warmly beneath the moonlight.
“Sleeping like the dead.”
* * *
If training in Yeolhwa Cave was a marathon, then this was a sprint relay.
For the week-long journey to Hubei, I had resolved to shuttle between the modern world and the Murim, maintaining a double life in both.
Ding.
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[Logout]
completed!
I opened my eyes to the familiar chime of a bell. I was inside a private jet heading to Korea.
Around me lay people deep in exhausted slumber, accumulated fatigue claiming them utterly—and one monster staring at me with eyes wide and gleaming.
“What are you looking at, you bastard.”
Skeleton King answered.
“So this is what it’s like. Hmm. Do all humans sleep like the dead, just like you?”
“I’m special.”
“Isn’t that just strange?”
Flick!
This bastard really does deserve a beating.

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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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