Murim Login - Chapter 467

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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 467
I have always believed that the process matters just as much as the result of any endeavor.
Yet sometimes, I deliberately turn a blind eye to that process.
After all, not every step needs to be perfect or beautiful.
‘…What matters is the result. The result.’
Well, that’s just how it is.
And behind the process that I and others had chosen to ignore, a magnificent result finally revealed itself.
*Cough, cough, hack.*
Water spilled from between my cracked lips as I coughed, my mouth parched and split.
Chung Poong, who had displayed such touching self-sacrifice against the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder, opened his mouth with a peculiar expression.
“I feel strange.”
I exchanged glances with Hyuk Moo-jin, Gung Ki-bang, and the Old Boatman before answering in a heavy voice.
“That’s always how it is at first.”
“Did my benefactor feel the same way?”
“…Of course.”
I had never actually done it before, and even if I had, it certainly wouldn’t have felt like what Chung Poong was experiencing. No, it shouldn’t have.
I averted my eyes slightly as I answered, and Chung Poong nodded before taking a deep breath.
“But this is really… I don’t understand it.”
“It’s excitement. Pure excitement.”
“There was also a strange smell. Like fish.”
What a nose.
I recalled the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder tearing into raw fish the day before our fight and answered.
“You’re imagining things.”
“My stomach feels unsettled.”
“That’s hormones being released. Kissing also improves immunity and relieves stress, and….”
“Pardon?”
“Never mind. Forget it.”
“I just feel so nauseous. I want to eat something sweet.”
Hyuk Moo-jin patted Chung Poong’s shoulder with a guilty hand.
“I’ll buy you some later, So-hyup.”
“You, Warrior Hyuk?”
“Yes. I’ll make sure to feed you until your belly nearly bursts.”
“But Warrior Hyuk is poor too. I saw you picking up coins at the Ferry Dock last time….”
“My father is wealthy.”
Though he suffered all manner of hardships following me around, when I considered his family business flourishing day by day, Hyuk Moo-jin was indeed the son of a rich man.
At this confident declaration of a second-generation tycoon determined to drain his father’s coffers, the other two men, who had been watching Chung Poong with sorrowful eyes, also chimed in.
“So-hyup, I’ll add my share even if I have to beg for it.”
“I am also willing to reduce the boat fare somewhat.”
“Really? Truly?”
…
A pang of guilt gnaws at one corner of my heart. But there was no helping it. It had been my choice, after all.
After mustering justifications for myself, I examined the condition of the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder.
“How is he?”
At Hyuk Moo-jin’s response from over my shoulder, I nodded.
“Fine.”
“Well… he doesn’t look particularly fine to me.”
Momentarily at a loss for words, I looked down at the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder.
Both arms twisted at grotesque angles. Wounds covered the gaps between his tattered garments.
The visible injuries alone were this severe, and the serious internal damage was merely a bonus.
“What exactly happened down there?”
I gave him a brief summary of what had transpired in the Underwater Cave.
“I was cautious just in case, but he turned out weaker than expected, so I beat him thoroughly and dragged him out.”
“…”
After a moment of silence, Hyuk Moo-jin spoke.
“But the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder is supposed to be a master of water techniques.”
“That’s why I defeated him on land. There was a cave inside.”
“You have quite the talent for describing extraordinarily difficult feats as if they were simple.”
“It wasn’t extraordinarily difficult, but it wasn’t extraordinarily easy either.”
“…”
“What matters is that he’s still breathing.”
“The fact that he’s still breathing seems fortunate indeed.”
“Considering everything that old man has done, he deserves to be dead right now.”
“That’s true enough. In any case, it’s a relief. I was worried the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder might not be alone—that there could be others from Dark Heaven with him.”
That was something I’d been considering as well.
According to Hong Ran’s testimony, the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder alone was responsible for the tragedy at Dongting Lake.
However, the massacre of countless individuals including Jang Gang-il at the headquarters of the Dongjeong Pavilion would have required at least two, or possibly more, supreme masters to accomplish.
‘Moon-kyung definitely said the same thing.’
Even with my rapid growth, facing two or more supreme masters simultaneously… well, that’s something I’d have to hesitate about.
Even those who’ve reached the same level of mastery vary tremendously in actual ability depending on the individual.
‘The Dongjeong Fisherman Elder was a step below me.’
I was fortunate. If the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder had been moving with another powerhouse from Dark Heaven, I might have been the one defeated instead.
Of course, I wouldn’t have started a fight with such slim odds in the first place.
“But this old man should be coming to his senses by now. Why isn’t he moving at all? Did he swallow too much water?”
At Gung Ki-bang’s words, Chung Poong, who had been rinsing his mouth with river water, answered.
“He’s been struck at vital points. Isn’t that right, benefactor?”
“Yes, exactly right.”
Currently, the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder’s vital points—the horse gate, the child gate, and the water gate—have all been sealed.
Even if the water gate were released and he awakened from the forced sleep, his body would be paralyzed and he wouldn’t be able to open his mouth, so he couldn’t resist or even writhe like a worm.
“What do you intend to do now?”
“We’ve achieved our objective, so we should return.”
The location of this place is not known only to us. If Dark Heaven caught the scent and sent reinforcements, we could easily find ourselves in a dire predicament.
‘If a monster like the Western Heavenly Demon Lord appears, I may have to prepare myself for death.’
Chung Poong and I alone have clear limitations.
Dark Heaven’s involvement in the series of events unfolding in Hubei Province is certain, but the greatest problem was that we couldn’t determine their location or composition.
However, if I could make the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder talk, we could unearth everything about them and launch a counterattack.
With Fire King and Sal-sung—two of the greatest masters of all time—and the Wudang Sect and Jeongal Family, who are the true rulers of Hubei Province, pooling all their strength.
“We depart. Right now.”
However, an obstacle I hadn’t anticipated blocked our path.
“Uh, Great Hero.”
It was the Old Boatman who suddenly spoke up. After hesitating for a moment, he continued with a rigid expression.
“Forgive me, but with my humble understanding, it seems utterly impossible.”
“What?”
“As you well know, Great Hero, the current state of Dongting Lake is….”
Rumble, rumble, crash!
Thunder roared from all directions, swallowing the Old Boatman’s remaining words.
His shoulders hunched in fear, he pointed around with anxious eyes and spoke.
“Look. How could we possibly set sail in such conditions?”
“…!”
There was ample reason for his trembling in fear at this moment.
The sky darkened to pitch black, with sporadic lightning strikes descending. The heavy rain that had been pouring down for some time had swollen Dongting Lake’s waters, which now surged in fierce whirlpools, lashing against cliffs and boulders.
‘Of all times, why now?’
Before entering the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder’s secret place, conditions weren’t this severe, yet in less than an hour, the surrounding situation was spiraling toward catastrophe.
However….
“We must go.”
“G-Great Hero.”
“I understand your fear, but it is entirely possible. You saw with your own eyes how we arrived here, didn’t you?”
Though I’ve sustained some internal injuries, I remain capable.
Moreover, there is Chung Poong, a supreme master, and Gung Ki-bang, a skilled martial artist. Even Hyuk Moo-jin can lend a hand if needed.
No matter how poor the weather or how fierce the currents, it is not something we can declare impossible.
However, the Old Boatman’s thoughts were different.
“I’ve been handling the oars on Dongting Lake for forty years. This is the first time I’ve served masters as great as you, and it’s also the first time I’ve set sail in weather this treacherous.”
The Old Boatman’s trembling voice stuttered out his words.
“I’m just an unremarkable old man who knows nothing but how to read the water’s currents and row. Yet I’ve spent more than half my life on this Dongting Lake. What cannot be done simply cannot be done.”
“Listen here, Boatman.”
Before Gung Ki-bang could even speak, the Boatman shook his head firmly.
“I understand what you’re about to say. But no matter how skilled you Great Heroes are, the boat won’t last long.”
“What makes you think that?”
“The boat cannot withstand it.”
“…!”
At the Old Boatman’s resolute words, all of us, myself included, opened our eyes wide.
That’s right. No matter how sturdy a ferry boat might be, it’s still just a ferry boat.
To locate the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder’s secret place, we needed a vessel that was light in weight and small in size, making it perfect for the task. Yet that very advantage had now become our greatest liability in a situation like this.
‘Even if I estimate conservatively, it will take at least two hours of travel to reach land… but what if the boat sinks before then?’
The answer to the question I posed to myself came back immediately—a resounding no.
‘Even if I deploy the Water-Walking technique using my inner energy, the remaining distance is simply too vast. Moreover, that calculation was made before the weather turned like this. As the boatman said, the boat won’t hold up.’
The surface of the ferry boat, now hauled onto land, bore visible signs of splintered timber scattered across its hull.
Like its white-haired owner, the ferry boat had grown somewhat weathered, and today’s currents and voyage had been particularly harsh.
‘Damn it.’
This wasn’t something I could resolve by persuading the boatman.
I still had considerable duration remaining on the [Water Rescue Personnel] title effect, and I could attempt the inventory method I’d used before on Dongting Lake… but considering all the circumstances, the risk was too great.
“Captain.”
When I lifted my head at Hyuk Moo-jin’s words, I saw the faces of those watching me.
Under their gazes, I paused in thought and bit my lip.
“What about the incoming water currents?”
“Yes, yes?”
Toward the Old Boatman, who was hunching his shoulders at the thunder rumbling overhead once more, I spoke with deliberate clarity.
“If it’s difficult to leave, it must be difficult to enter as well. Especially in conditions like these.”
“Ah, of course it is. The channel is so narrow that only a ferry boat like ours could manage it, and with these insane currents, entering is several times harder than leaving. In the first place, it’s madness to set a boat on Dongting Lake in weather like this.”
Then that was actually better. It meant that any potential intrusion from Dark Heaven would be naturally blocked as well.
‘It would be best to wait here until the weather subsides.’
It was the very moment I was about to issue that order.
Thump, thump-thump-thump!
The sudden movement of someone nearby.
As I turned my head to identify the source, both I and the others widened our eyes simultaneously.
‘What in the world—’
The small frame of the old man who had been lying motionless as if dead—the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder—was convulsing.
Even as I watched this scene unfold, the tremors coursing through his body grew faster and more violent with each passing moment.
“He was definitely struck at the vital points… how is this even possible?”
Like the murmur that escaped from Chung Poong’s lips, I—the very one who had struck the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder’s vital points—found myself unable to readily accept this situation.
Yet my surprise was short-lived. Before my mind could fully comprehend what was happening, my body was already moving.
Whoosh!
I shot forward like a gust of wind, my hands extending with practiced speed.
First, I struck the Sleep Point, then the Numbness Point. Finally, I pressed the Silence Point.
And in the moment after I had re-sealed the vital points, I realized something I hadn’t anticipated.
‘The vital points were never unsealed from the beginning. This was simply… the Dongjeong Fisherman Elder’s body reacting independent of his will.’
It was at that very moment when I, bewildered, hesitated.
Grab!
A hand seized my wrist, which had nowhere else to go.
The Dongjeong Fisherman Elder, whose eyes had snapped open, was staring at me.
His eyes, unlike those in the cave, were those of an ordinary man—and they were filled with terror.
And then… a hollow voice devoid of all soul pierced through my ears.
“Flee.”
What?
There was no time to even comprehend the question. No moment to respond.
The instant every sense in my body stood on edge, a tremendous explosion erupted from behind me.
KRRAAAAAASH—!

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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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