Murim Login - Chapter 443

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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 443
Ten days at sea was never an easy ordeal.
Not aboard some massive cruise liner, but a wooden vessel where I could only shuffle between musty cabins and damp decks. As for ports? The tight schedule left no room for stops—we pressed forward without looking back.
Given those circumstances, even the Water Thieves who called the Yangtze River home, let alone Red Sky River himself, wore expressions of pure relief.
Of course, among them all, one person’s joy stood apart.
“Ah, at last….”
Moo-song, who had been dragged to Hubei Province through forced talent contribution, trembled with emotion.
Ever since the Fast Ship had sunk, he’d been drowning in melancholy, but now he bellowed with renewed vigor, as though he’d forgotten every hardship of the journey.
“Drop anchor! The sooner we’re rid of this wretched…!”
Red Sky River, who had been nodding in satisfaction, turned his gaze toward Moo-song.
“Wretched?”
Moo-song, who had carelessly let his true feelings slip, shook his head at tremendous speed.
“Ah, no. I meant the Yangtze River.”
“Of course the Yangtze. That’s what I meant too.”
….
“Surely you weren’t calling us wretched?”
“That, that couldn’t possibly be the case.”
Though it very much seemed like it could be.
As Moo-song broke into a cold sweat beneath Red Sky River’s narrowing gaze, the Water Thieves who had sensed their leader’s predicament sprang into swift action.
The Fast Ships gradually slowed, lined up in formation, and dropped anchor. At that moment, a low murmur rippled through the crowd gathered near the harbor.
“That flag….”
“The Yangtze River Water Bandit Alliance. It’s the Yangtze River Water Bandit Alliance!”
“What’s written below? Water Dragon Stronghold? I’ve never heard of it.”
“It’s a water bandit sect based in Sichuan. The Water Dragon Stronghold is the very one under Moo-song, the second disciple of the Sea King.”
“Now that you mention it, I think I’ve heard of it. But why would those who should be in Sichuan come all the way to Hubei?”
“How should I know? Damn those water thieves. The atmosphere’s been ominous enough lately as it is….”
“Shh. Keep your voice down. Some young man over there is looking this way. Getting tangled up with the Martial World never ends well.”
The merchants whose eyes had met mine hurriedly scattered.
And it wasn’t just them. A fisherman with a sun-darkened face hastily gathered his nets and retreated, while a vendor hawking his catch folded up his stall at lightning speed.
In the distance, an official in court robes stood under the escort of government soldiers, watching us intently.
Their eyes gleamed with undisguised wariness.
‘This is strange… the atmosphere here is completely different from Sichuan.’
For all that the Yangtze River Water Bandit Alliance was a group of water thieves built on plunder as their foundation, they maintained their own rules and hierarchy.
I’d heard that they didn’t simply attack every ship they encountered, slaughtering indiscriminately and looting everything. Rather, they sometimes protected vessels from lawless pirates and typically collected only a modest toll for passage.
‘Even during the Great Orthodox-Heterodox War, I got a sense of their true nature, but ultimately they sided with the Orthodox Sects.’
What goes up must come down.
During that turbulent era when the fate of the Martial World hung in the balance, the Yangtze River Water Bandit Alliance had thrown their support behind the Orthodox Sects and paid the government sufficient bribes.
As a result, they’d become what both sides tacitly overlooked—in essence, hired thugs wearing the mask of legitimacy.
Of course, they couldn’t be called good men by any stretch, but the Martial World was a place where all manner of madmen ran rampant. By those standards, they were at least respectable commoners, if not gentlemen.
‘That’s why the common folk in Sichuan showed no particular reaction.’
I’d merely thought those blasted wandering performers had survived and returned again—I’d never seen people openly avoid us like this before.
I tilted my head as I watched the scattered crowds disperse.
‘Is it just a difference in atmosphere between regions?’
But for something so trivial, Moo-song’s expression—glimpsed in passing—was decidedly ominous.
With his brow furrowed, he who had been surveying the suddenly emptied harbor called out to his right-hand subordinate.
“Have we received no word from the brothers of Ben Meng?”
“No, Sect Leader. They surely knew we were coming, yet for some reason, there has been no communication whatsoever.”
“Nothing from Dangyang Chai or Hong Lake Chai either?”
“That is correct.”
“Regardless of other places, Donghu Chai is where Uncle Huang resides. There is no way he would not have known of our arrival….”
Moo-song, muttering with a grave expression, continued toward his subordinate.
“After disembarking, dispatch the swift ones to ascertain the situation. Send word immediately to the brothers in the surrounding areas as well.”
“Understood.”
At Moo-song’s gesture, his subordinate sailors moved with perfect synchronization. We, who had finished our preparations to disembark long ago, were no exception.
Red Sky River, finally freed from the Yangtze, took the lead with the greatest haste, followed in order by myself, Jin Wi-kyung, then Chung Poong, Hyuk Moo-jin, and Gung Ki-bang.
Moon-kyung, who melted quietly and inconspicuously among the crowd, was an added bonus.
Now that we had left the Sichuan region, a brilliant smile bloomed across Red Sky River’s face.
“Phew, now I can finally breathe. This is why people must walk upon solid ground.”
But Red Sky River’s joy was not destined to last long.
“You there, hold on.”
A voice laden with authority. A Royal Official who had approached without warning stared at us, swallowing hard.
Then, glancing back at the hundreds of government soldiers standing behind him, he puffed out his chest and continued.
“I hear from those around me that you all came from Sichuan. Is that correct?”
“You all? Is that correct?”
Red Sky River blinked and turned back to the Royal Official.
“Are you perhaps speaking to me, old man?”
“I am.”
“You are?”
The Royal Official’s eyes wavered with unease. But soon he steeled himself and raised his voice.
“Ahem, answer only what this official asks. Will you not declare plainly where you have come from and what purpose brings you here!”
“Ahem? Declare? Will I not?”
“Ah, no, this old fool….”
“Old fool?”
No. Stop. Please, just stop.
When handsome men use that tone of repetition, women apparently swoon—but from an observer’s perspective, it’s pure horror.
I quickly interjected before Red Sky River could hurl a flame deity strike at that pompous official’s chest.
“Perhaps we could speak with you instead.”
“I have nothing to discuss with a mere boy whose blood has not yet dried!”
“….”
I’d pulled him out of the tiger’s mouth, and look at the way he speaks now.
I wanted to just blow his head off right then and there, but I held back and continued speaking.
“Yes, we came from Sichuan, and we have business here.”
“Then what exactly is this business you speak of?”
“That is….”
At that moment, someone shouted in an excited voice.
“Steamed fish topped generously with minced red chili peppers!”
“Chung Poong, you bastard!”
“What’s wrong, benefactor? That dish is truly delicious. Two people could eat it and one could die without the other noticing….”
Whether or not it was a dish so delicious that two people could eat it and one could die without the other noticing, it was certain that in the Royal Official’s eyes, we looked like people who deserved to die.
The Royal Official’s face flushed crimson as he bellowed.
“How dare you insult this official!”
“Wait, sir. That’s not what we meant….”
“You arrived from Sichuan flying the flag of the Yangtze River Water Bandit Alliance, which is suspicious enough, and now you claim you came just to eat steamed fish? You’re the sort who would weep only at the sight of a coffin. Guards, arrest these men at once!”
“We obey your command!”
What kind of development was this?
Before I could say anything, the situation spiraled out of control. Hundreds of well-disciplined government soldiers surrounded us with spears raised, and it was then that Jin Wi-kyung, clicking his tongue softly, stepped forward.
“You certainly are quick-tempered.”
Jin Wi-kyung was tall even by modern standards, but in the Martial World, he was considered a giant.
The Royal Official swallowed hard as he beheld those shoulders like the Ural Mountains and the muscles rippling beneath his robes.
“W-who are you?”
“I am Jin Wi-kyung of the Taewon Jin Family in Shanxi. I shall not waste words, so how about you withdraw your men here?”
Before the Royal Official could even respond, Jin Wi-kyung’s deep voice continued.
“It seems you have not yet received word, but we are Martial World practitioners who have received direct passage permission from the Sichuan Provincial Governor.”
“…From the Sichuan Provincial Governor?”
“If you doubt it, you may verify it. But it would be wise to withdraw your men first. There is no need for unnecessary loss of life.”
The spear tips of the Royal Official and the soldiers surrounding us trembled slightly.
They would know as well. No matter how rigorous their training or elite their status, they could not match us.
But it is the way of the world that the lower ranks bleed while the upper ranks cling to their pride. I could see the tension hardening in the Royal Official’s eyes.
“How dare you… Do you know who this official is!”
Jin Wi-kyung’s expression remained unchanged as he spoke.
“I do. It would be natural for you to be registered with the Provincial Administration Bureau, which oversees civil administration and finances in Hubei Province. Judging by your official robes, you are a Judicial Examiner of the seventh rank. I am curious why someone who should be handling judicial matters is out here arresting innocent people.”
“…!”
“Ah, but speaking of which, do you know of someone in your bureau with the character Hong in their name—Hong Cheon?”
A trembling voice leaked from between the Royal Official’s lips.
“Th-that person was recently appointed as the new Provincial Administrator.”
“I see. I thought I had heard something about it. From the Ministry of Personnel in Shanxi to Provincial Administrator of Hubei Province. Quite the promotion—congratulations are in order.”
“M-might I ask what relationship you have with the Provincial Administrator…?”
Jin Wi-kyung smiled faintly. His manner and tone had naturally shifted to looking down upon the Royal Official.
“We have met a few times and shared a drink or two. I have even helped him when needed.”
“Gasp!”
“Why? Is there something else you wish to hear?”
“N-no, of course not!”
His rigid posture collapsed like a boneless creature.
The Royal Official snapped a quick bow toward Jin Wi-kyung, then barked at his subordinates.
“You fools! What are you doing? Remove those unsightly blades at once!”
“Yes, sir!”
“I’ve never seen such ignorant men! Please, I beg your forgiveness for this rudeness!”
Jin Wi-kyung gently patted the Royal Official’s shoulder.
“It’s fine. Everyone makes mistakes like this from time to time in life.”
“Your magnanimity is as boundless as the ocean itself! This humble servant is eternally grateful!”
“You should apologize directly to these people instead. Especially the one you first spoke to—he is a greatly respected elder of the Murim.”
“I-I had no idea. If I may be so bold, could you perhaps tell me his name or epithet…?”
“He is Fire King Red Sky River.”
“…!”
“Right after the Sichuan Bloodshed, I borrowed a vessel from the Yangtze River Water Bandit Alliance and came straight to Hubei. Of course, it wasn’t solely for the steamed fish.”
Enough already—the poor man’s about to cry.
The Royal Official, his expression screaming suicidal despair as he glanced between us, performed the miraculous feat of bowing five times per second, while Jin Wi-kyung subtly jabbed my ribs.
“What do you think, youngest? Your elder brother is impressive, isn’t he?”
“…It would’ve been impressive if you hadn’t said that last part.”
“Having cultivated a connection with the provincial administration has proven quite convenient. Should you ever find yourself in a difficult situation, invoke my name.”
For him to say such a thing, the seeds he’d sown must have taken considerable root.
Indeed, from what Gung Ki-bang had mentioned, the Taewon Jin Family’s meteoric rise in such a short span was virtually unprecedented in the Murim.
If Jin Moo-kyung, who was even now undergoing grueling cultivation at the Taewon Jin Family Estate, was a martial genius, then Jin Wi-kyung could be seen as a complete all-rounder possessing everything a family head should have.
“Youngest, isn’t he impressive? Hmm?”
“….”
Yes, he’d be the perfect family head if only he lacked this one trait.
Just as I continued pushing away the clingy Jin Wi-kyung, it happened.
“Everyone, step back.”
A voice laden with profound inner force rang out, and the crowd murmuring in the distance at the harbor split left and right.
Simultaneously, dozens of martial artists brimming with considerable aura approached us with measured, disciplined steps.
‘That is….’
I narrowed my eyes. On the pristine white silk martial robes they wore, characters in a cloud-like script read:
Jeongal Family.

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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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