Murim Login - Chapter 462

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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 462
The old boatman could not believe the reality that had befallen him.
‘What in the world is happening?’
For nearly forty years since his youth, he had worked as a boatman, yet never in all his days had he experienced anything as bizarre as what he witnessed today.
Crack-crack-crack-crack-crack!
Two figures moved with blinding speed across the sheer cliff face above. Though not the first time he’d witnessed such a sight, it never ceased to astound him.
The old boatman stood slack-jawed, his gaze fixed upward in wonder.
‘Are those apes, or are they human?’
Throughout his years as a boatman, he had encountered countless martial artists, yet never before had he directly witnessed such extraordinary skill.
Most of those who hired his ferry were either mediocre martial artists or disciples of minor sects—rogues with empty purses and emptier coffers.
‘I suspected something when the military officials suddenly arrived and ordered me to follow them…’
He had seen it clearly—Guo, the military official responsible for Dongting Lake, stammering and speaking with uncharacteristic deference.
Considering how arrogantly he normally carried himself, these guests were undoubtedly distinguished figures of considerable standing in the martial world.
‘If this goes well, I might just secure a fortune.’
He had been contemplating retirement lately. Over the past month, each report of tragedy that reached his ears had filled him with unease, and his aging bones had ached more persistently than ever.
Particularly after hearing that hundreds had been slaughtered in Dongting Lake the previous night, the old boatman had nearly resolved to retire.
‘The spirits of Dongting Lake must be angered. With such inauspicious heavenly omens, malevolent demons like the Hidden Shadow Ghost run rampant.’
Boatmen were renowned as devotees of every superstition imaginable, and the elderly were prone to recounting legends as though they were fact.
It was only natural that one who had spent his entire life as a boatman and had grown old in the trade would resolve to retire.
But what choice did he have when such distinguished persons sought him out? When he was dragged away like a criminal and forced to set his ferry upon the water, he had resigned himself to death itself…
Crack-crack-crack-crack-crack!
Witnessing their prowess, hope surged within him.
Not only would he survive, but he would secure a substantial reward and retire comfortably.
‘They must surely possess extraordinary martial prowess!’
It was said that martial masters of the highest realm could fold the earth beneath their feet and walk upon empty air itself.
What these figures displayed differed little from the rumors the old boatman had heard through hearsay.
The young man who appeared to be their leader moved through the turbulent river waters as though he were a fish.
‘No, thinking about it—this is already the fourth location—he’s not like a fish, he is a fish.’
What manner of person possessed webbed feet and gills? Once he submerged himself, he remained underwater for at least two hours.
Having repeated this impossible feat three times already, he truly deserved the title of martial master.
‘With masters of this caliber, trivial demons like the Hidden Shadow Ghost would be dispatched in an instant.’
If he simply survived, securing a fortune and retiring would be child’s play.
Just as the old boatman’s spirits soared with hope, a cry echoed down from the cliff above.
“So-hyup! Do you see anything there?”
“I’ll tell you if I do!”
“Report immediately if you discover anything!”
“Yes, I will… Oh!”
“What! What is it!”
In that instant, a heavy tension descended upon the surroundings.
Both Hyuk Moo-jin, who was surveying the area from the slowly moving ferry alongside the old boatman, and Gung Ki-bang, who stood upon the opposite cliff with sharp, gleaming eyes, held their breath.
And before everyone’s gaze, Chung Poong cried out.
“Wow, it’s a swallow’s nest! I’ve never seen such a huge swallow’s nest before!”
“….”
“….”
“….”
The air froze in an awkward chill. The Old Boatman found himself thinking.
‘…Spirit of Dongting Lake, I beseech you to protect these fools.’
Witnessing such a display, even what little faith he possessed threatened to evaporate.
It was precisely then that the aged boatman was offering his silent prayer to the spirit.
Splash! Patter!
A shadow erupted from the water and landed gracefully upon the boat.
A frame that could be called imposing, muscles that were both lithe and steel-hard, and a beautiful silver hairpin holding back tousled hair in a strangely harmonious way.
“You have arrived.”
At Hyuk Moo-jin’s greeting, Jin Tae-kyung nodded silently. The Old Boatman, noting the furrowed brow upon his guest’s face, asked carefully.
“Is it the same as before?”
In truth, it was a question hardly worth asking. Had he discovered something, his expression would not be so dark.
Jin Tae-kyung, lost in thought with his brow knitted, finally spoke.
“This is the fourth time. Correct?”
“Yes, sir. That it is.”
The Old Boatman answered, though he felt oddly anxious.
These distinguished guests had already struck out three times before, and now a fourth time in total.
Sharing a boat with a martial master in such a foul mood was hardly a pleasant prospect for him.
The one consolation—or perhaps misfortune—was that one final location remained.
Whoosh, splash!
Jin Tae-kyung, having lightly exerted his inner force to evaporate the moisture, asked.
“How long do you estimate it will take to reach the final location?”
“If we proceed as we have until now, an hour should suffice. However….”
The Old Boatman swallowed hard before continuing.
“The wind and currents grow fiercer with each passing moment. By the time we arrive, dusk will be falling. Perhaps it would be wiser to attempt this tomorrow instead.”
“That is not an option. It must be today without fail.”
“But surely….”
“We must go. Right now.”
At words as sharp and decisive as a blade’s edge, the Old Boatman fell silent.
For some reason, today’s weather was ominously poor. The sky that should have been clear was laden with dark clouds, and the rough winds and currents showed no sign of subsiding.
‘I have a terrible feeling about this.’
That same dread he had felt only during floods and violent storms pricked at the seasoned boatman’s entire body.
Yet the Old Boatman deliberately suppressed the creeping sense of foreboding in his chest.
‘Have I grown so old that I’ve become timid? That cannot be.’
A flood or storm appearing out of nowhere made no sense whatsoever.
It was boatmen like himself who were most sensitive to the river’s changes.
Though the waters had grown unusually turbulent over the past month, such a disaster could not occur outside the rainy season.
The Old Boatman, lost in thought for a moment, suddenly became aware of a large hand resting upon his shoulder.
“Old Boatman. Will you not proceed?”
“…Yes, I shall.”
At Hyuk Moo-jin’s weighty voice, the Old Boatman slowly began to turn the boat’s direction.
Of course, he did not forget to curse inwardly at the one who appeared weakest for his lack of manners.
“Old Boatman. Did you just curse me under your breath?”
“…!”
As the Old Boatman’s oar slipped, the ferry lurched violently.
When the rapids, now fiercer than at their departure, pulled at the small vessel, Jin Tae-kyung stepped forward and unleashed a torrent of internal energy.
Whoosh!
The ferry regained its balance and surged forward with renewed speed.
Jin Tae-kyung’s gaze grew distant as he gazed upon the gradually darkening sky.
‘Have I been mistaken?’
The information Hong Ran had provided regarding Haowen Sect pointed to five locations in total.
Yet despite searching both water and land exhaustively, no trace that could be called the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder’s secret place had been discovered.
As successive searches yielded nothing, it was natural to wonder whether the information had been flawed from the beginning.
Jin Tae-kyung, who had been contemplating this, shook his head.
‘No, it is too early to conclude.’
One location remained. Among the five places suspected to be the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder’s secret place, this was the deepest and most treacherous.
It could even be said to be more crucial than the combined importance of the remaining four.
If that place truly was the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder’s secret refuge, and if I were to confront him there…
‘A life-and-death duel. I must fight with everything at stake.’
It was natural to do one’s utmost against a supreme master, but I had to capture him alive if possible.
My true purpose in seeking the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder was to strike at the greater body behind him.
Dark Heaven was a monster with three heads and six arms. Killing the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder would be like severing one limb, but capturing him would allow me to strike at the torso itself.
“The torso. The torso, indeed…”
My murmured words scattered into the wind.
Without realizing it, I touched the silver hairpin that held my hair in place, and suddenly a certain person came to mind.
The hundreds of corpses that had filled the clear waters of Dongting Lake, and the wailing of those left behind.
“I will capture them. These bastards without fail.”
A subtle fragrance emanated from the silver hairpin and lingered at my nostrils, while the bow of the boat cut powerfully through the waters that had turned black in the gathering dusk.
* * *
Dongjeong Pavilion.
Under the command of Huang Chong, a supreme master of outstanding renown on the Yangtze River, Hubei Province’s largest water fortress, which wielded tremendous influence, had been crowded with unfamiliar visitors for the past two days.
“I shall count to three, then pull. One, two. Heave!”
Those binding logs to create a temporary path across the river waters. On another side, middle-aged men dressed in neat scholar’s robes were inscribing something on bamboo slips at various points.
A young Taoist in a martial robe approached one of them and asked.
“Pardon me, Great Master. Has the search of the left cliff already been completed?”
“About half of it so far. Thus far, I can stake the Main Residence’s name that there are no traces of any formation. How fares the Wudang School’s search?”
“Everything is proceeding smoothly. We’ve maintained strict vigilance in case of unforeseen circumstances, so there’s no need for concern.”
The scholars of the Je-gal Family, known as the Divine Strategist, and the Taoist masters of the Wudang Sect who had come to Dongjeong Pavilion following Xuangong Zhenren—these were their true identities.
These unfamiliar visitors, who had been nowhere to be found just two days prior, now moved in small groups, meticulously searching the cliffs and exhausting every effort to uncover traces of Dark Heaven.
Yet despite the countless eyes sweeping across the surroundings and the brightly blazing torches, there existed one presence they could not detect.
Whoosh.
A movement devoid of any sound or presence.
A small, nimble figure moved toward the cliff with quiet stealth. Though encountering at least dozens of people, none perceived his identity.
The Phantom Illusion Killing Step, wielded by the greatest assassin of all ages, was no exception.
‘Troublesome.’
Moon-kyung muttered inwardly as he took his next step.
His form, treading upon empty air and leaping upward like a bird, swiftly traversed the cliff face.
The covert search of the young physician, whom no one paid attention to, concluded not long after.
‘Nothing. I’m certain.’
This space, where the headquarters of Dongjeong Pavilion had been established, was vast.
An island capable of accommodating a population exceeding a thousand. High cliffs blocked all sides, and atop them lay a narrow, undeveloped path.
But that was all.
Nowhere could he sense traces of human presence or remnants of the formation technique known as Yidong Zhen.
This was the conclusion drawn by a supreme master who had transcended even the realm of Reverse Returning Reversal, after two days of searching.
Moon-kyung trusted his own judgment, and simultaneously realized there remained one place yet unsearched.
‘Yes, there was one place left.’
The river visible from the cliff was unusually wide and deep.
Forbiddingly so.
‘…There’s no other choice.’
It was the path to prevent greater sacrifice.
The face of the elderly disciple with whom he had parted ways on some nameless hillside overlooking the Sichuan Poison Sect flashed before his eyes.
‘I understand, you rascal.’
Moon-kyung quietly hurled himself toward the empty air.
His form, seeping into the river’s depths like water itself, glided smoothly downward into the abyss.

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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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