Murim Login - Chapter 504

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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 504
Enlightenment arrives in moments we never anticipate.
In a state of selflessness where all surroundings fade away, in desperate circumstances with death looming near, or perhaps when one finally casts off the chains that have bound body and spirit for decades.
Thus does enlightenment arrive.
Roooaaaar!
A tempest of qi erupted from a single person, sweeping across all directions.
The dim cave interior, starved of light, now blazed brilliantly with an ethereal radiance.
Moon-kyung, the young man who had been silently witnessing this strange spectacle, let a soft voice escape his lips.
“At last… you’ve broken free from the Heart Demon.”
This had never been my intention from the start. I simply wanted him to understand.
That Red Sky River was not alone. That there was no need to isolate himself, bearing all worries and burdens upon his shoulders.
And the result exceeded my expectations.
The supreme master known as the Fire King had shattered the chains that had bound him for so long, stepping into a new realm of power.
“It seems my meddling wasn’t entirely misplaced.”
Complex emotions swirled within Moon-kyung’s eyes as he spoke in a low murmur.
I couldn’t fathom why I had sought out Red Sky River, why I had helped someone with whom I shared no particular bond.
No—even if I had understood, I would have pretended otherwise. That was the kind of person I was. That was how I had lived my entire life.
And yet…
‘This feeling isn’t entirely unpleasant.’
Moon-kyung didn’t notice the faint smile that had crossed his lips without his awareness.
Nor did he realize this had happened once before, just days ago.
It had occurred in a moment too brief for me to consciously register, and soon I turned slowly, stepping out of the narrow cave into the world beyond.
Whoooosh.
A breeze from outside swept in at just that moment, rustling my hair and tickling my nose.
Moon-kyung gazed silently at the wild grasses and flowers that had grown abundantly around the cave entrance, and at the wild beasts that had gathered there, before suddenly speaking.
“I’ll need a guardian. If these ignorant beasts wander into the cave, all the enlightenment I’ve gained will be for naught.”
Squeak?
A young deer grazing beside its sleeping mother perked up its ears.
Amid the beasts’ gazes—mingling caution with curiosity—Moon-kyung lifted his head to gaze at the azure sky.
“A fine day. I cannot remain cooped up in a cave on weather like this.”
Step.
Muttering as if to myself, I began walking at a pace neither swift nor slow.
As if to bid farewell to me disappearing beyond the cave, the wind blew once more.
Whoooosh.
A cloudless, crystalline sky, a refreshing breeze. Wild beasts lounging together among peaceful nature and wildflowers, basking in the sunlight.
And… someone lingering outside, unable to bring themselves to enter.
‘Master and disciple alike.’
No matter how I thought about it, those two resembled each other.
Two butterflies fluttered down and alighted upon Moon-kyung’s shoulders as he smiled silently.
Truly, it was a beautiful day.
* * *
A young deer, barely born, was filled with curiosity.
It bounded after butterflies with playful leaps, pressed its black nose into the lush grass and flowers, and sniffed eagerly at their scents.
And as always, it soon lost interest and wandered about searching for the next thing to occupy itself with.
Chirp?
But this time was different.
The pitch-black entrance to the cave was mesmerizing, drawing one in like a powerful current, while the exhausted mother, worn from nurturing duties, slept soundly.
And most crucially, that strange two-legged creature it had never seen before had long since vanished into the distance.
Chirp.
What could that place be? I want to go inside.
Chirp!
Yes, let’s go!
Yet the young deer’s firm resolve crumbled in mere moments—barely enough time to nibble a few blades of grass.
Thud.
A sudden sound of footsteps, and a shadow fell across the round head above.
Startled, the young deer stumbled backward, its black eyes reflecting the towering figure of a human.
“Not now. We’ll go in later.”
The figure gently stroked the frightened fawn’s head and gazed intently at the pitch-black cave entrance.
The stranger’s eyes held such profound depth that the young deer swallowed the cry it had instinctively begun to make, abandoning its impulse to wake its mother.
Chirp.
“Yes, good. Now go back to your mother.”
The figure straightened from its bent posture, watching as the young deer, tilting its head in confusion, approached its sleeping mother.
His footsteps toward the cave were steady, and his voice, carried on the wind, was faint.
“Now… I must go too.”
The path to the cave was long.
More than a year and several months had passed since the day the Old Master and the Young Man first met.
After traveling a circuitous route, they could finally meet again.
Not one ahead and one behind, but side by side, shoulder to shoulder.
* * *
“Jin Tae-kyung, when exactly is this bastard coming?”
At Gung Ki-bang’s irritated grumbling, Hyuk Moo-jin clicked his tongue.
“Tsk, tsk. With such an impatient nature, you’ll end up begging for scraps. Try waiting with a bit more patience, will you?”
“Listen to this Hyuk family brat talk. Since when can’t a beggar have an impatient temperament?”
“One must cultivate patience to receive even a single coin in alms.”
“So you say the Hyuk Family Fabric Shop—shall a hundred thousand members of the Beggar Clan visit and defecate all over it?”
“…Please don’t bring family into this.”
“Then watch your mouth. Our people may lack money, but we certainly don’t lack shit.”
Hyuk Moo-jin regarded Gung Ki-bang with a look of disgust.
“This is maddening. I just finished eating, and you’re talking about feces so filthily. I’m about to board a ship soon.”
“Which is why, before the Hyuk Family Fabric Shop gets covered in shit…”
“Ah, stop it already! Hearing about food after talking about… well, it ruins my appetite!”
“…?”
“…?”
As the two men tilted their heads in confusion, Jin Wi-kyung turned to address one of them.
“Tell me—are you certain he will arrive soon?”
Moon-kyung, the young physician known as the Divine Physician’s disciple, bowed respectfully.
“Yes. Young Master Jin stated it quite clearly.”
“We must depart before sunset….”
Jin Wi-kyung gazed at the sky gradually turning crimson, muttering to himself.
The proclamation ceremony for the new Martial Alliance in Hanan was merely a month away. Accounting for any unforeseen troubles along the journey, they needed to depart promptly to arrive on schedule.
‘Still, I should be grateful that we’ll be escorting the Red Sky River. That’s fortunate enough.’
For the past seven weeks, Jeok Cheon-gang had remained secluded, and rumors swirled endlessly about him.
Some spoke hopefully of him finally achieving enlightenment, while others whispered irreverently about possible health troubles. Still others insisted he simply chose not to appear without particular reason.
Jin Wi-kyung could not discern which was true, but it was undeniable that he had been anxiously worried.
‘I feared he might refuse to participate in the Martial Alliance, but it seems the youngest managed to persuade him well.’
Most of the Orthodox Martial Arts World had forgotten this fact, but Fire King Red Sky River had never truly belonged to either the Orthodox or Demon sects—he was a neutral figure of the martial world.
This was the foundation of the Yeolhwa Sect, which had maintained its lineage through single-line succession for centuries, and successive sect leaders had upheld their neutral stance through formidable martial prowess.
‘And he is none other than that Red Sky River.’
That Fire King Red Sky River had aided the Orthodox Sects to victory in the Righteous-Demonic War was common knowledge even to children.
However, few knew that this supreme master of the previous generation had harbored considerable disappointment toward the Orthodox Sects both during and after that great conflict.
“Now that I think of it, I suddenly recall something my grandfather once said about Red Sky River.”
At Je-gal Poong’s words—spoken as he came to see them off—Jin Wi-kyung’s ears perked up.
“You speak of Red Sky River?”
“Indeed.”
“I have heard that the previous family head was a wise man of exceptional insight. Might I inquire what he said?”
“Well, it was something I heard before the family head when I was but thirteen years old.”
“I see. So what did he say….”
“I remember it clearly. My grandfather was recounting events from the Righteous-Demonic War at the time. Ah, have you perhaps heard of the great blood battle that occurred in Sichuan, where our Main Residence’s people played a significant role?”
*Crunch.*
Je-gal Poong, who had been leisurely fanning himself, suddenly stiffened.
Observing Jin Wi-kyung’s clenched fists and flushed face, he quietly lowered his fan.
While his martial prowess was unmatched, Jin Wi-kyung’s very appearance made him a human weapon.
Moreover, he held in both hands the corpse of the Water Dragon—a treasure beyond price—making him an absolute superior force.
Je-gal Poong, reading the situation carefully, cleared his throat and spoke.
“Ahem. In any case, I asked first. I inquired of my grandfather: in his view, when did the Orthodox Sects first begin to gain the advantage?”
Jin Wi-kyung asked in a subdued voice.
“Was it because the Je-gal Family’s people played a crucial role in the great blood battle of Sichuan?”
“No, that’s not it! Truly, it is not!”
“Then I am relieved. Please, continue.”
Je-gal Poong, eyeing the tightly clenched fists, opened his mouth to speak.
“This was the first and last time I saw Grandfather worry so deeply. After much deliberation, do you have any idea what he said?”
“Since you mentioned earlier that it was connected to Red Sky River… it must be the Great Battle that took place in Shaanxi Province. I’ve heard that while many senior masters achieved great deeds, Red Sky River’s accomplishments were truly extraordinary.”
The incident in Shaanxi that Jin Wi-kyung had just mentioned was a particularly brilliant victory among the countless blood-stained battles of the Orthodox-Demon War.
For Jin Wi-kyung, it was an answer arrived at after considerable thought, but Je-gal Poong chuckled softly and shook his head.
“Wrong.”
“Then what is it?”
“Anhui City.”
“Anhui City… Could it be that?”
“Exactly. No one could have predicted that a thousand elite members of the Demon Cult’s Black Wind Gang, who were traversing Anhui City, would be completely annihilated by a single person. Even my grandfather couldn’t have foreseen it.”
Jin Wi-kyung nodded.
On the day Jiuhua Mountain was engulfed in flames, the nameless old man living in obscurity became known as the Fire King, and the Demon Cult lost an elite strike force that had accumulated countless achievements since the opening of the Orthodox-Demon War.
“That makes sense. After all, it was when Red Sky River first emerged into the world.”
“But without my grandfather’s wise and prudent judgment, not only would the Black Wind Gang not have been annihilated, Red Sky River would never have earned the title of Fire King.”
“What do you mean…”
Je-gal Poong glanced around and lowered his voice considerably.
“At that time, all paths through Anhui were open to the Black Wind Gang. There was no need for them to pass through Jiuhua Mountain at all.”
“Wait. Then could it be…?”
“My grandfather never forgot anything he had once seen. It was the same when he recalled a record about a certain Japanese martial sect from documents in the Main Residence dating back over a hundred years.”
“…!”
“Hehe, it was a bold gamble, but it succeeded in the end. Truly a scheme worthy of Je-gal Moo-hu himself, wouldn’t you say?”
As Je-gal Poong casually struck down his family ancestor’s reputation, a heavy voice pierced through to his ears.
“Yes. That’s how it was.”
“…Huh?”
Je-gal Poong turned his head in bewilderment and could see.
“Je-gal Family Estate, assemble.”
A middle-aged man approaching from an impossible distance. And beside him, walking in step, was a young man.

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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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