Murim Login - Chapter 460

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

Chapter 460
The weather was decidedly unfavorable in every conceivable way.
The waters of Dongting Lake, which had swallowed dozens of vessels and countless lives throughout the night, churned with violent fury, while winds sweeping from distant horizons howled with savage intensity.
And setting sail under such meteorological conditions appeared to be a decidedly poor choice, even by the reckoning of the Old Boatman, who knew Dongting Lake as intimately as the lines of his own palm.
“I’m afraid I cannot do this, sir.”
These were the Old Boatman’s opening words, and from the outset, it was abundantly clear he had been dragged here against his will. His anxious face continued speaking.
“The places you honored guests wish to reach are among the narrowest and most treacherous passages of Dongting Lake itself…. And in weather like this, it becomes all the more perilous.”
“That is precisely why I appeal to you, Old Boatman. Where merchant vessels and military ships cannot venture, a sturdy ferry piloted by the most skilled boatman on Dongting Lake surely could.”
“No matter how you plead….”
“Old Boatman?”
“Y-yes?”
“I’m asking you, please.”
A man remains a man, no matter how many years he accumulates.
The Old Boatman, his wits utterly scattered by Hong Ran’s gentle voice and dazzling beauty, only regained his senses after boarding the ferry.
“I’ve lost my mind, truly lost it. Knowing full well what disaster struck last night, and yet I set sail anyway. What will I do if I encounter the Hidden Shadow Ghost….”
The Hidden Shadow Ghost?
An unfamiliar term mingled with the muttering that burrowed into my ears. When I turned my head, my gaze met that of the terrified boatman.
He swallowed hard before answering.
“A creature like a ghost, sir. Of late, many boatmen have fallen victim to it. Even an old acquaintance of mine ventured out one night hoping to earn a few extra coins, and then….”
The Old Boatman stared at the undulating waters of Dongting Lake with eyes brimming with profound dread.
“In any case, it is called the Hidden Shadow Ghost because victims die without ever glimpsing even a shadow. This is merely my humble opinion, but I am certain the calamities occurring of late are its doing. Every last one of them bears the mark of that Evil Demon.”
Gung Ki-bang interjected with a click of his tongue.
“An Evil Demon, you say? Listen here, Old Boatman. Do you think I’ve heard such tales only once or twice in my time? If every word of those stories were true, half of all fish in the world would be human-faced fish, and mountains would teem with thousand-year-old white tigers and dragons.”
“This is nothing but the absolute truth. Surely the spirits of Dongting Lake have grown wrathful at these outrages that heaven and earth alike condemn.”
“An Evil Demon wasn’t enough—now spirits too? Enough. Let us speak no more of this.”
“But any boatman in Hubei Province would have heard this tale….”
“Do I appear to you as a boatman?”
“No, sir. Anyone can see you are among the most distinguished of beggars.”
“Ah, that’s true enough, but it suddenly irritates me.”
“P-please forgive me, honored guest. This old man has merely reported what he has heard.”
The Old Boatman’s voice was laden with grievance.
He had spent his entire life as a boatman in the Murim, where all manner of legends and superstitions were regarded as fact.
Perhaps for this reason, the Old Boatman seemed to believe with absolute certainty that the recent string of sinister incidents were the work of the creature known as the Hidden Shadow Ghost.
‘When I think about it, it’s not entirely nonsensical.’
Observing Hong Ran and Chung Poong’s expressions, they appeared to have arrived at the same conclusion as I had.
The moment our eyes met, both of them opened their mouths simultaneously.
“Benefactor, could it be that….”
“Benefactor, could the Hidden Shadow Ghost this boatman speaks of….”
“Wait. I understand what both of you are trying to say, so there’s no need to spell it out. And if you insist on calling me benefactor even as you’re about to die, then speak one at a time. This is confusing.”
The burden of being called benefactor had already grown beyond what I could bear, and now it was multiplying.
Sometimes moments like these make me feel like I’ve become someone extraordinary.
But then again, Hong Ran saved my life, so I suppose that’s fair, but does Chung Poong really intend to treat me as his benefactor for life just because I gave him a few candies when he was hungry?
I sighed and continued speaking.
“Yes, the Hidden Shadow Ghost is likely the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder. Or perhaps bandits taking advantage of the chaos to plunder.”
“Exactly, that’s what I was trying to say, benefactor.”
Hong Ran nodded her head, not to be outdone by Chung Poong.
“I share the same thought, benefactor.”
“No, I said speak one at a time.”
Regardless, the probability of this being a simple accident was slim.
From what I’d heard so far, there wasn’t just one or two dead boatmen, and the Old Boatman’s subsequent words lent further credibility to my suspicions.
“Come to think of it, all the points where the dead boatmen disappeared are remarkably similar. Wait—the place you honored guests are trying to go is also in that vicinity…”
The Old Boatman suddenly hesitated and slowly raised his head.
He silently scanned us one by one, then quietly set down the oar he’d been holding for departure and stood up.
“Where are you going?”
At my question, the Old Boatman laughed awkwardly.
“Well, I just remembered I need to relieve myself.”
“Moo-jin.”
“Yes, captain.”
“The boatman says he needs to relieve himself.”
“Is that so?”
Now it was a matter of snap decisions.
When Hyuk Moo-jin, a giant compared to the Old Boatman, stepped forward to block his path, the boatman’s eyes grew moist like those of a calf being dragged to the slaughterhouse.
“Do you still need to go?”
At Hyuk Moo-jin’s low voice, the boatman shook his head.
“…Upon reflection, I don’t need to go.”
“Good. I’ll send you back before anything unfortunate happens, so don’t worry too much.”
I felt sorry for treating an elderly boatman this way, but we needed a skilled guide to reach the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder’s dwelling.
The place we were heading was a narrow passage that only a few ferries could navigate.
Even if the government mobilized a fleet of a hundred ships and tens of thousands of soldiers, they couldn’t enter, and they would only become dead weight.
‘If battle breaks out with the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder, casualties will only mount.’
The government would seal off the passages connecting Dongting Lake and the Yangtze River to prevent escape, while a small elite force including Chung Poong and myself would pursue and either capture or eliminate the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder—this was the best approach.
And just as important as dealing with the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder was ensuring there would be no more meaningless sacrifices.
After finishing my thoughts, I suddenly opened my mouth.
“Hyuk Moo-jin, Gung Ki-bang, and Miss Hong. The three of you should…”
“I refuse.”
“Where does this dog bark from?”
“I’ll contribute what little strength I have.”
Answers burst out before I could even finish speaking, leaving me speechless. At my reaction, both Hyuk Moo-jin and Gung Ki-bang clicked their tongues.
“Predictable. Too predictable.”
“I can see exactly what you’re about to say.”
“How can we turn back after coming this far? We call ourselves men, don’t we?”
“I feel the same way. Hu Gae of the great Beggar Clan cannot cower at something like this.”
“The clan leader always tells us to retreat if anything seems dangerous. That’s just how he is—cautious to a fault.”
“Surprisingly timid, I’d say.”
“But why does Gung So-hyup keep repeating everything I say? It’s rather irritating.”
“Why is this wretched fool stirring up trouble when things were going smoothly? Has your courage fled?”
“Beggar’s nature. Not content with the scraps discarded at inns, he feeds on others’ words too.”
“…I’ve never seen a creature more worthless than this.”
“Regardless, I will follow the clan leader wherever he goes. A fortuneteller read my fate when I was young and said I would enjoy wealth and honor well into my hundreds. There’s no way I’m dying today.”
Gung Ki-bang shook his head as he watched Hyuk Moo-jin speak with such brazen confidence.
“Sigh, enough. We shouldn’t waste words. And I share the same thoughts as this fool Hyuk, so don’t even think of abandoning us. I too have inherited the essence of the Beggar Clan. While perhaps not quite at the level of you or Chung So-hyup, I have no trouble preserving this one life.”
“….”
I could only open and close my lips without speaking.
Truth be told, neither of them were people to be looked down upon anywhere.
Hyuk Moo-jin, despite starting martial arts relatively late, had grown explosively by navigating crises alongside me, and Gung Ki-bang possessed such exceptional talent as to become Hu Gae and had reached the pinnacle of mastery.
‘But I’m afraid.’
Afraid of losing someone close to me. Afraid that the past of that day will repeat itself once more.
As I hesitated, Chung Poong suddenly opened his mouth.
“Benefactor. If you go, I can follow you even to the depths of hell.”
“Chung So-hyup.”
“Don’t say no. I too am a proud man and a warrior.”
“Chung So-hyup.”
Chung Poong shook his head with a slight smile.
“Benefactor. Please say nothing more. As much as I trust you, you need only trust us in return.”
“No, that’s not it—you’re coming with me regardless, so why are you being so presumptuous….”
“Ah. Ah….”
“Don’t say unnecessary things and just sit. Don’t ruin the mood.”
“…Yes. Benefactor.”
A quiet laugh escaped me at the sight of his dejected face. I nodded toward Hyuk Moo-jin and Gung Ki-bang.
“Remember this one thing. In any situation, you will follow my judgment. Even if that judgment is to abandon me and flee.”
“Clan leader. That….”
Gung Ki-bang subtly jabbed Hyuk Moo-jin in the ribs as he hesitated.
“Well then, we’ll remember. The same goes for you, doesn’t it, fool Hyuk?”
“Eh? Ah, yes.”
Though the situation was transparent, I let it pass without acknowledgment.
I would do my utmost to ensure such a situation never arose, and I was confident I could separate them from danger before it claimed them.
But the last remaining person posed a problem.
“You already know what I’m about to say, don’t you?”
Hong Ran’s crimson lips parted softly.
“You’ll need someone who knows the exact path.”
“It’s fine. If Hong Ran is correct, we have the finest boatman on Dongting Lake with us.”
“What if an unexpected variable arises?”
“I’ll handle it.”
“Though I pale in comparison to my benefactor and the others, I too have reached the pinnacle of mastery….”
“I’m aware of that. And I’m also aware that this master of the first rank spent several hours submerged in the river while restraining a sturdy man, and has only regained consciousness for half an hour.”
“…!”
Hong Ran’s lips trembled as the words struck home.
She knew it better than anyone.
Being able to move about as she did now was entirely different from engaging in fierce combat.
“I suppose I have no choice but to watch once more.”
“Once more?”
“Yes. Back then, long ago. Last night as well. And now.”
Hong Ran smiled, reading the question in my eyes. It was a smile far more bitter than any I had seen before.
“For a girl who lost her clan and parents in a single day to arrive at her current state… there have been truly many trials.”
“Ah.”
“Forgive me for a moment.”
She looked up at me with gleaming eyes, her soft voice accompanying the reach of her hand.
As her pale, slender fingers brushed through my disheveled hair and neck, my body trembled without my knowing.
“Hong Ran, what is this….”
“There. Much better now. Would you like to see?”
Following her gaze downward, I saw a reflection in the clear waters of Dongting Lake—someone’s image.
Hair neatly arranged, and a single beautiful silver hairpin securing it.
Lifting my head, I saw Hong Ran’s bright, smiling face.
“My benefactor—no, Jin the Great Hero.”
Her hair, now loosened, swayed gently in the wind, rippling and shimmering before growing radiant.
“I wish you good fortune.”
Her soft voice slowly faded from my ears.
As Hong Ran turned away, the Old Boatman’s oar cut powerfully through the river.

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