Murim Login - Chapter 501

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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 501
“When?”
After parting ways with Je-gal Poong, Jin Wi-kyung answered my sudden question in a low voice as we made our way back.
“In two months. Songshan in Henan Province.”
“Songshan….”
The very place where Shaolin Temple, the towering pillar of the Murim, stood.
Merely three months prior, the Seonglae Tournament—the grand gathering of the martial world—had commenced, and with Dark Heaven’s descent came a tempest of blood. Now, in that same location, a new Martial Alliance would be born.
Songshan as the venue, and considering the symbolic weight Shaolin Temple carried, it was indeed the perfect starting point for the Martial Alliance’s resurrection after more than fifty years of dormancy.
Still, with only two months remaining….
“It was already decided. From the moment you arrived in Sichuan.”
However, contrary to my assumption, Jin Wi-kyung shook his head slightly.
“Was it not?”
“Why do you think Wi Paeng happened to be in Hanan at that precise moment?”
“Then the reason Song Dae-hyup came was….”
“The Jinryong Squad represents the Main Residence’s finest elite. I would never authorize half their number to be used merely as porters, not even if what we were transporting was the Emperor’s Jade Seal itself.”
“It was accelerated ahead of schedule.”
“Dark Heaven’s movements proved far more brutal and swift than anticipated. The Sichuan Blood Massacre was the decisive factor.”
To catch an enemy that races ahead, one must run faster still.
The tempest of blood that swept through Shaolin had advanced to Sichuan, and now reached even Hubei. The leadership in Hanan had to make their choice.
“Binding all the martial world under one fence is never an easy task. Yet it seems those individuals have finally resolved themselves.”
Jin Wi-kyung, speaking in a quiet voice, withdrew an official letter from his robes and extended it toward me.
“This is….”
“A letter Wi Paeng brought from Hanan.”
“From Hanan? Then surely it was sent by the Martial Alliance?”
“You had already guessed as much.”
“It seemed likely. I realized it when I saw you give something to Je-gal Dae-hyup earlier.”
At a glance, the letter’s exterior differed from ordinary correspondence.
But what made this letter truly extraordinary were the three characters “Martial Alliance” written across its face in calligraphy as majestic as clouds.
“Read it yourself, youngest.”
“I’m already reading it, so don’t make me talk. I can’t concentrate.”
“…Ah, understood.”
I left the dejected Jin Wi-kyung behind and quickly scanned through the unfolded letter.
The letter, beginning with the phrase “We hereby proclaim to all the martial world,” was brief yet intense. So much so that summarizing it in three points came easily.
1. Listen up, we’re exposing Dark Heaven’s secrets. These bastards are absolutely insane, so pay attention.
2. You know that PTSD from the Righteous-Demonic War? We’re stopping this by any means necessary.
3. Don’t tell me you don’t know where Songshan is, you fools. Gather by this date and time. Anyone who doesn’t show up is with Dark Heaven.
“….”
Looking at my three-point summary, it seemed rather crude.
Of course, the letter was not written in such crude terms.
The calligraphy of some unknown master flowed without hesitation like clouds, and each sentence, along with the emotion it carried, was solemn and stirring to the soul.
I’d even like to show it to that fellow called the Heavenly Master of Dark Heaven.
‘If he saw this, even the Heavenly Master would join the Martial Alliance.’
If the Heavenly Master were to join the Martial Alliance, everyone could achieve a happy ending, but it’s unfortunate that such a possibility exists about as much as earwax in Hyuk Moo-jin’s ears.
“In any case, the Martial Alliance will be born soon.”
“In half a month. All the martial artists of the realm will gather under the Martial Alliance’s banner.”
Jin Wi-kyung, who had been thinking for a moment, added a remark.
“It would be more accurate to say the Orthodox Martial Arts World of the Central Plains, rather than all martial artists of the realm.”
I already understood the meaning behind Jin Wi-kyung’s addition.
‘It’s true… it’s difficult to say that the Orthodox sects represent the entire martial world.’
Currently, the hegemon of the martial world is undoubtedly the Orthodox sects, led by the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families.
However, those who survived the Righteous-Demonic War and emerged victorious were not only the Orthodox sects.
“The Heretical sects.”
At my murmur that escaped my lips, Jin Wi-kyung nodded.
“Yes, we cannot exclude them.”
The realm is not a fishbowl where only one color of fish swims.
Though weaker than the Orthodox sects, there are the Heretical sects who have established their own domains, and the Black Path that dominates the night streets is included among them.
‘At first, I wondered why they left such fellows alive when they were calling for the eradication of the Demonic Heretical Way.’
Everything has its reasons.
The Heretical sects that have maintained their lineage until now were able to survive because they stood on the side of the Orthodox sects during the Righteous-Demonic War.
The problem is that their choice was not merely born of goodwill.
“Do you happen to know why the currently existing Heretical sects of the Central Plains sided with the Orthodox Martial Arts World?”
“Have you forgotten who I’ve been with over the past year?”
“Ah, Je-gal Dae-hyup told you.”
“I picked up quite a lot of things here and there.”
As the old saying goes, green is the same color as green, and crabs side with crabs.
When the Demon Cult crossed Qinghai and descended upon the Central Plains during the Righteous-Demonic War, the Heretical sects quickly joined forces while shouting “Long live the Cult Master!”
While the Demon Cult’s momentum was indeed formidable, they also desired that their kindred spirit, the Demon Cult, would become the master of the martial world.
However, the situation was different for the Heretical martial artists who were established in the Central Plains, which could be called the heart of the realm.
‘If they didn’t side with the Orthodox sects, they’d be slaughtered before they could even escape the Central Plains—how could those bastards not join us?’
That remark Jeok Cheon-gang had made with a scoff was precisely the reality that faced the Heretical martial artists of the Central Plains at that time.
“I heard it was almost like eating dumplings while crying.”
“I didn’t live in that era either, but based on what I’ve verified, it’s true.”
“Verified?”
“After you departed for Sichuan, I remained in Hanan and searched through old records, discovering numerous documents in the process. Records related to the Heretical sects were among them.”
When peace arrived, the Martial Alliance was disbanded, but the memories of those who experienced the Righteous-Demonic War and the records that faithfully captured the circumstances of that time remained.
When you think about it, it’s natural. In the long history of the martial world, fifty years is merely “just” half a century.
“What did the records say?”
“What do you think?”
“I can make some educated guesses. I’ve heard various stories.”
“I don’t know exactly what Je-gal Dae-hyup told you, but most of it is likely true.”
“…If that’s true, it’s rather troublesome.”
From the moment the Righteous-Demonic War began until it reached its middle and later stages, the heterodox martial artists who had joined the Orthodox faction engaged in endless betrayals.
Recalling Jeok Cheon-gang’s words that the Martial Alliance leadership had even discussed uprooting all heterodox elements within the Orthodox faction—削草除根—it was clear the situation had been grave indeed.
“But they fought earnestly later on, didn’t they?”
“Because the outcome became uncertain. There was the iron-tight surveillance of the Shadow Pavilion led by Cheon Myeon Ho-ri and Song Dae-hyup, and there are records that the heterodox martial artists themselves cut off their own rotten limbs after sensing the unusual atmosphere from the leadership.”
The Orthodox faction wasn’t unconditionally righteous, nor was the heterodox faction composed solely of villains.
But unlike the Orthodox faction, the heterodox faction possessed the ruthlessness and capability to sever their own limbs without hesitation.
The moment suspicion fell on someone as a Demon Cult spy, they would mercilessly break their wrists first and ask questions later.
“In the end, the severed body survived and became victorious by cooperating with the Orthodox faction.”
The remaining heterodox forces were able to continue their lineage in the shadow of the great tree that was the Orthodox faction, but naturally, they could never display the same prestige as before.
Their image was already tarnished, and their history of clinging to the Demon Cult was too numerous to count.
It was the consensus that they were fortunate the Martial Alliance leadership acknowledged their contributions and granted them certain rights; otherwise, the hardline righteous heroes who cried out against the Demonic Heretical Way would have dragged them out and dismembered them.
Even after the war’s end, the contemptuous gaze directed at the heterodox faction continued like a long-standing tradition.
Up to this point, there wasn’t much of a problem, but from here on, things were different.
“We have to fight with them together, don’t we?”
“Right. If not for the Martial Alliance, they’d stand with Dark Heaven.”
“It feels uncomfortable to embrace them.”
“They’re not the kind of allies you’d trust your back to in battle. There’s precedent, and resentment over the post-war merit distribution has accumulated for decades.”
“If we simply told them to remain neutral….”
“If the Martial Alliance were to appear defeated, what would you do if you were a heterodox martial artist, youngest?”
“…Hmm.”
Asked so bluntly, I had nothing to say. I smacked my lips and opened my mouth.
“In a situation like this, I’d have to side with Dark Heaven.”
“Why?”
“If the Martial Alliance wins, we break even, but as you said, the scales of victory have already tipped, and Dark Heaven will become the master of the Central Plains martial world.”
“Exactly.”
“What kind of people is Dark Heaven that they’d leave the heterodox faction alone? Rather than praise them for maintaining neutrality, they’d kill them all, saying it’s unforgivable that they didn’t help when it mattered.”
“You’ve hit the mark precisely. That’s why the heterodox faction is a chicken rib.”
A chicken rib. A rather apt expression.
Not particularly profitable, but too wasteful to discard. If we fight together, it feels uncomfortable, and if we abandon them, Dark Heaven will simply pick them up and hurl them at us.
No matter how soft a chicken bone is, it’s still bone. If it hits, it hurts quite a bit.
Then in the end….
“They’ve probably already sent letters from Hanan as well.”
Jin Wi-kyung gave a small nod.
“No doubt about it. If we must choose between the two, we absolutely must draw the heterodox martial artists to our side.”
For a chicken rib, the heterodox faction has quite a bit of meat on it.
The Black Path swordsmen who lurk in back alleys the moment the sun sets belong to the heterodox faction, and now isn’t a time when we can afford to dismiss even a third-rate swordsman.
Above all, it’s better to keep them close and hold their leash than to let them join Dark Heaven entirely—that would be too great a loss….
‘But wait. The Black Path?’
A suddenly surfacing memory made me furrow my brow.
“Why do you ask?”
“Well, I remembered hearing about it recently. Didn’t you use the Water Dragon incident as a pretext to drive out all the Black Path forces in Hubei Province and eliminate them?”
“That’s right.”
“…But then the heterodox sects will surely be displeased. After all, we accepted the government’s proposal and essentially struck down their own people.”
The situation looked precarious—so much so that the heterodox sects might even reject the Martial Alliance’s invitation to join.
Yet Jin Wi-kyung’s expression remained utterly serene.
“You’re wrong on two counts.”
“Sir?”
“First. Since the war’s end, the heterodox martial world has fragmented into chaos. They’re not family—they’re competitors. We seized this opportunity to uproot the unusually numerous Black Path forces in Hubei, and another heterodox sect will fill the void. A new opportunity, nothing more.”
“…!”
“We’ve given them sufficient prey to feast upon, so they’ll be satisfied. And as word of Hubei spreads, they’ll understand. This is a warning.”
He’d thrown them meat and fastened a leash called fear around their necks.
This was how the Martial Alliance trained the heterodox martial world like hunting dogs.
“And second. The government didn’t propose this—we accepted it.”
Jin Wi-kyung continued in his measured voice.
“I proposed it first.”
“Ah.”
“The government merely accepted. That distinction is crucial.”
“…Does the government really yield so easily?”
“The Provincial Administration Bureau of Hubei is a position that can sway an entire province. But people only know the new administrator served as vice minister in Shanxi—they don’t know he’s the Sangshan King’s hidden loyal servant.”
Suddenly, a memory surfaced from when I first arrived in Hubei Province.
The hostile gazes of the people. And Jin Wi-kyung’s question to the official who’d surrounded the ferry dock with government troops.
‘By the way, do you happen to know someone in this region who uses the character Hong in his name?’
‘That… that person is the newly appointed administrator, but could you possibly have some connection to him…?’
‘We’ve met a few times and shared a drink or two. I’ve even helped him when needed.’
Jin Wi-kyung’s gaze fixed upon me was gentle, yet beneath it lay a keen, cutting edge.
It was the gaze of a strategist and a politician—and it melted away before I could fully comprehend it.
“Don’t worry. Everything will work out.”
Pat, pat.
I felt strength in the hand patting my shoulder. Staring at Jin Wi-kyung, I suddenly opened my mouth.
“Patriarch… or rather, what kind of person was Father?”
The faint smile at the corner of Jin Wi-kyung’s mouth vanished as if wiped clean.
“What? The mood was good—why bring up that man?”
“As you know, I injured my head back then. My memories aren’t very clear.”
“You don’t need to remember! Just erase him from your mind! I’m your father!”
“….”
I’d known it for some time, but it seemed much had accumulated beneath the surface.
Jin Wi-kyung trembled as if recalling the bureaucratic hell of those days, his fists clenching.
“But why do you ask that now?”
“Just… I was thinking how fortunate it is that Father disappeared and Elder Brother took over the family.”
“…Youngest, I beg you. Please do not cross that line.”
I shrugged my shoulders and turned away.
When my Elder Brother spoke and Jin Wi-kyung asked where I was going, whether my affection had cooled, I answered without turning my head.
“You said a month from now. I’m going to prepare for departure.”
It was time to leave Hubei behind and depart.
With those who walked beside me, and with those I wished to walk beside in the days to come.
“I believe I’ve given you sufficient time already… wouldn’t you agree?”
The murmur that escaped my lips was swallowed by the ambient noise, vanishing without a trace.
I gazed up at the vertiginous cliff and scratched my chin.

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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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