Murim Login - Chapter 461

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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 461
In terms of speed, a ferry boat could not match the Yangtze River Water Bandit Alliance’s Fast Ship, let alone ordinary vessels. Especially not on a day like today, with such treacherous weather.
Whoooosh, crash!
The ferry rocked violently beneath the fierce winds and churning waters.
With a hull so small, it lacked resistance to external forces. The aged boatman’s arm muscles bulged with veins as he gripped the oar.
He guided the ferry skillfully through the tempest, as befitted an experienced boatman, but as we drew closer to our destination, the increasingly violent currents were pushing him toward his limits.
‘This is where it becomes impossible.’
Truly, it would have been madness to rely solely on a single ferry and an old boatman to reach this point.
I cracked my neck side to side and stepped forward.
“Shall we begin?”
At my words, three people who had been circulating their energy without the slightest movement despite the rocking hull opened their eyes.
“I’m ready, benefactor.”
“Using the Beggar Clan’s breathing techniques for something like this—Master would have words for us.”
“Leader. What should I do?”
I issued rapid instructions in response to Chung Poong, Gung Ki-bang, and Hyuk Moo-jin, who had replenished their energy through breathing exercises.
“Chung Poong, follow me to the stern. Gung Ki-bang, position yourself at the bow. Hyuk Moo-jin, protect the boatman. When I call, move quickly.”
As the three moved according to my orders, the old boatman’s eyes widened in bewilderment.
“W-what are you saying right now…?”
But before the boatman could finish speaking, powerful palm force erupted from Chung Poong’s hands, striking the water.
Boom! Splash!
“Uuuaahhh!”
A palm force booster, in other words.
The ferry, far smaller and lighter than even the Fast Ship with its sleek hull, soared through the air.
The boatman’s scream mingled with the wind rushing past us violently.
And using that scream as my signal, I moved.
‘Now.’
Whoosh!
Just as the airborne ferry was about to descend onto the water’s surface, I drew upon the abundant energy in my dantian and unleashed it through my palms.
Boom! Crash!
The Flame Divine Palm, now reaching its eighth stage, radiated such heat that the surrounding air shimmered, and the ferry’s hull, which had seemed about to descend, shot upward like a flying fish.
The boatman’s eyes widened in terror as his trembling fingers pointed forward.
“Rocks! Hidden rocks ahead!”
There was no way the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder would have established his secret place anywhere convenient.
The path we were taking was so narrow that ordinary vessels could not enter, and the currents were so violent that a light boat like a ferry would struggle to escape. Once caught in those currents, we would inevitably be dashed against the rocks scattered throughout.
One misstep and we would be smashed to pieces.
“Hey, you bastards! Didn’t I tell you not to come!”
The moment the old boatman let out a cry of genuine desperation, I called out a name.
“Gung Ki-bang!”
“Understood!”
Gung Ki-bang answered with vigor and shook out his tattered sleeves.
The Eighteen Palms of Subduing Dragons—a technique passed down only to two individuals within the Beggar Clan, which boasted a hundred thousand methods: Gae Bang and Hu Gae—erupted through the void with a devastating strike.
Crash-crash-crash-crash!
The rocky shoals, standing like an iron wall, shattered into countless fragments under the torrential barrage of palm force, scattering across the water.
The second and third shoals that emerged in succession could not withstand the might of the Eighteen Palms of Subduing Dragons either.
Crash!
The ferry boat pierced through the debris of the pulverized rocks and touched down upon the water’s surface.
Spray erupted from both sides of the hull, and a few fish that had leaped up struck the old boatman’s cheeks with a wet slap.
“Huh… uh-huh-huh-huh…”
He’s completely lost it. I shook the boatman’s shoulder as he stood there drooling, his eyes half-rolled back.
“Snap out of it. Come to your senses.”
“Huh-uh, uh-huh-huh. You damned…”
“This won’t do. Moo-jin.”
“At your command.”
Hyuk Moo-jin rolled up both sleeves and delivered a sharp slap across the boatman’s face.
With a crack, focus returned to the boatman’s eyes.
“Ugh! What in the—”
Crack!
“…I-I’m awake now, sir.”
“That’s enough.”
“Yes, sir.”
Indeed, there’s nothing quite like a good slap to restore someone’s senses.
I turned to the boatman, who was rubbing his reddened cheeks, and asked him a question.
“Do you have any idea where we are?”
“But surely, even for distinguished guests, this is going too far—”
“Moo-jin.”
“At your command.”
“I’ll check immediately, sirs.”
The boatman scrambled to his feet and surveyed the surroundings.
The river was so narrow that only two or three ferries could pass through at once.
Sheer cliffs rose on both sides, and fierce currents churned across the water’s surface. Adding to this was a thick mist that obscured everything.
The old boatman squinted as he gazed about, then nodded.
“That’s right. This is the first location you mentioned.”
According to information about the Haowen Sect conveyed through Hong Ran, there were five likely locations for the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder’s secret place.
The position the ferry had reached was the closest of them all.
It was certainly good news, but it was too early to celebrate.
“Well, we arrived quickly enough, but… how do we search now?”
In response to Gung Ki-bang’s question, I swept my gaze across the surroundings and answered.
“I’m not sure. The information Hong Ran provided wasn’t entirely accurate either. We’ll have to search the area thoroughly.”
“Hmm. This will take a while.”
“Don’t speak such inauspicious words. Be grateful that we’ve come this far thanks to the information Hong Ran provided.”
A secret place is called a secret place for a reason.
Though Hong Ran’s information lacked precise coordinates, the mere fact that I’d traced the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder’s hidden retreat—unknown to anyone else—was a significant victory.
Even if the first location proved fruitless, slowly tightening the net would eventually snare the fish.
‘Or perhaps he’ll bolt before being caught.’
While entertaining such thoughts and scrutinizing my surroundings, I felt an inexplicable warmth creeping across my face.
When I turned my head slightly, four pairs of eyes that had been studying me with peculiar intensity hastily averted their gaze.
“What?”
“What? Nothing, really. It’s just… even in this situation, watching you think of Hong Ran is rather endearing.”
“Ahem. Captain. We support you.”
“Youth is a blessing indeed. Thirty years ago, I too was quite popular with the ladies. I was once called the Dongting Lake Heartbreaker. Hehehehe.”
“….”
I could read their thoughts plainly enough.
Just as I was inwardly clicking my tongue, Chung Poong’s eyes met mine, and he flinched like a bird struck by an arrow, waving his hands frantically.
“No! No, benefactor! I wasn’t thinking anything!”
“Then what exactly were you thinking? I haven’t even said anything yet.”
“Truly nothing! I swear I wasn’t imagining you and Hong Ran falling into a passionate love, holding a wedding ceremony, having two children, and living happily ever after! And I certainly wasn’t imagining myself living next door and visiting often!”
“….”
“Gulp!”
Only then did Chung Poong realize his blunder, clamping both hands over his mouth, but it was far too late.
‘To conjure such fantasies in mere moments.’
At this rate, he could abandon martial arts and become a novelist.
Pen name: Huashan Divine Dragon. Publishing under the Huashan Sect’s name, with Geom-seong Maejong-hak writing the endorsement—it would sell like wildfire.
Of course, if he made me the protagonist, he’d get beaten to ashes.
“These humans… honestly… never mind. Let’s drop it.”
There’s no point talking—it only tires the mouth. I exhaled deeply and issued rapid orders.
Not because my face had been burning inexplicably since earlier, nor because the subtle fragrance clinging to Hong Ran’s silver hairpin kept drifting to my nostrils.
…Truly.
“Chung Poong and Gung Ki-bang—use Wall Gecko Technique to investigate the cliffs. Hyuk Moo-jin, take the boat and search the lower areas. We don’t know when something might appear, so don’t let your guard down for a single moment.”
At my grave tone, the faint smiles playing at everyone’s lips vanished without a trace.
If the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder truly was here, combat would be inevitable.
While I couldn’t gauge his exact martial prowess, if a supreme master of his caliber launched a surprise attack, only Chung Poong and I could mount a proper defense.
“Remember this: carelessness means death.”
Of course, I would do my utmost to prevent such a scenario, but a martial artist’s life and death hang by a thread in an instant.
As I turned to leave, watching the others nod solemnly, Hyuk Moo-jin suddenly spoke up.
“What are you doing?”
“Searching with you. Did you think I’d just loaf about?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. Weren’t you supposed to stay with the ferry?”
“Chung Poong and Gung Ki-bang have the cliffs covered, and you’ll remain below, so I need to search elsewhere.”
“Elsewhere? What else could possibly remain….”
Hyuk Moo-jin trailed off, hesitating.
“Could it be?”
“That’s right.”
I spoke while gazing down at the undulating river waters.
“I need to search underwater too. It’s not just anyone—if it’s a secret place of the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder, it’s entirely plausible.”
“But you’ve never learned water martial arts, have you?”
“Hmm. I suppose not?”
At my confident response, Chung Poong and Gung Ki-bang, who had been about to scale the cliff using wall-climbing techniques, and the old boatman, who gripped his oar like a weapon, each added their own words.
“Benefactor. My grandfather once told me that one must absolutely avoid facing a master of water martial arts while underwater.”
“I agree. Not only would you be unable to search the entire area without mastering water martial arts, but if your opponent is the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder, you should avoid it all the more.
“Sir, I understand you are an exceptional warrior, but these waters run deep and the current is fierce. One misstep could truly spell disaster.”
Every word they spoke was difficult to fault.
Among supreme masters, victory and defeat often hinged on the smallest detail.
Moreover, the difference between land and underwater combat could be said to be as vast as heaven and earth.
‘The martial arts I’ve learned are particularly vulnerable underwater.’
Most of the Yeolhwa Sect’s techniques are rooted in flame energy—fire qi, to be precise.
Because of this fundamental nature, the martial arts could not exert the same power underwater as they did on land.
The reason Jeok Cheon-gang dreaded the Yangtze River was precisely because he understood that if a life-or-death battle erupted, it would be unfavorable terrain for him.
“….”
Hmm. Cancel that. Now that I think about it, I simply dislike water itself.
In any case, it was hardly surprising that the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder would have established a secret place underwater, beyond the reach of others’ eyes and footsteps.
He was a master of water martial arts who could breathe like a fish and move faster still.
But I had not stepped forward without thought either.
With swimming experience consisting solely of a children’s swimming class I attended at age seven, the reason I had resolved to enter those deep and turbulent waters was different.
‘I haven’t used it even once yet… but according to the description, the possibility is more than sufficient.’
I exhaled sharply, then removed my upper garment and shoes.
Before Hyuk Moo-jin, startled by my sudden action, could stop me, I dove straight into the river.
Splash! Whoooosh!
The water was ice-cold, and at the same time, crystalline.
Schools of colorful fish swam in formation. Far below, seaweed of indeterminate species swayed gently.
And then… finally, the sound I had been waiting for rang out.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
–
[Water Rescue Specialist]
title effect has been activated!
– A special skill embedded in the title is now applied!
–
[Water Rescue Specialist’s Webbed Feet]
has been generated!
–
[Water Rescue Specialist’s Gills]
has been created!
– The special skill will persist for the next 24 hours and cannot be used for the following week!
– The martial techniques you have mastered are incompatible with your current environment. When using
[Yeolhwa Sect]
techniques underwater, their power is reduced by 20 percent!
The moment the system notification concluded, the transformation around me began.
Whoooosh.
As a soft luminescence visible only to me brushed across my entire body, transparent webbing materialized between my fingers and toes.
‘This is….’
Despite being submerged, my movements felt as light and effortless as they would on land.
My vision sharpened dramatically, and as I exhaled the breath I’d been holding, the cold water transformed into air that rushed into my lungs.
‘The effect is far better than I anticipated.’
I never expected the title [Water Rescue Specialist], obtained upon completing the sudden quest [Tragedy of Dongting Lake], would prove useful so quickly.
‘This should be more than sufficient.’
I smiled faintly and began swimming with fluid grace.
Cutting through the fierce currents with my transparent webbing, I surged forward at a speed faster than any fish toward that distant location.

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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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