Murim Login - Chapter 510

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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 510
Sun Hwa-ah, whose name was written with characters meaning “ship fire child,” had been born a sailor.
He could not even recall his parents’ faces, though they had been renowned as a devoted couple of Water Thieves in the region, and both his maternal and paternal lineages were filled with sailors and fishermen.
Truly, a family with deep roots among the Water Thieves.
Perhaps because of this heritage, Moo-song found far greater joy aboard a vessel than on land.
Whenever he gazed upon dense forests and sprawling plains, his limbs would tingle and his breath would catch as though he had consumed deadly poison, yet the moment his eyes fell upon the open expanse of river and sea, vitality would surge through him.
And that was not all—while other sect leaders who had amassed considerable wealth through their piracy purchased grand manor houses and indulged in the pleasures of Giru, he adorned his ship and lay upon a bed woven from nets, gazing out upon the Yangtze River.
And each time he did so, Moo-song harbored a singular thought.
‘If only the entire world were composed of water. Then I could spend my entire life aboard a ship.’
But now, Moo-song stood vacant-eyed, staring at the Yangtze River and muttering to himself.
“Damn it. This ship is so bloody slow. I want to get off already….”
“…!”
“…!”
In an instant, the atmosphere grew tense.
The Water Dragon Stronghold sailors surrounding him found themselves doubting their own ears.
And as they exchanged glances with darting eyes, they swiftly arrived at a clear conclusion.
‘We must have misheard!’
‘That’s right. Our ears must all be faulty at once.’
‘There’s no way our captain would say such a thing.’
What manner of man Moo-song was—this fact was known to everyone from the most senior members of the Water Dragon Stronghold to the newest recruit, indeed to every sailor in the entire Yangtze River Water Bandit Alliance.
The blazing symbol of a boatman! A man who loved the Yangtze River even more than his master, the Sea King!
There was no way such a man would curse his beloved Fast Ship—which he cherished as dearly as his own life—for being slow, nor speak of wishing to go ashore….
“I should just quit this whole damn business. It’s driving me insane.”
“…!”
“…!”
An invisible shock swept across the deck. The sudden declaration of Moo-song’s retirement and the threat of the Water Dragon Stronghold’s dissolution left all around him in stunned silence.
The silence that seemed destined to stretch into eternity was shattered by a wine barrel that slipped from the shoulder of a dazed sailor.
Thud, crash!
The barrel had been full of wine and thus carried considerable weight. As the wooden vessel shattered upon impact, liquor sprayed in all directions.
Only then did Moo-song, emerging from his own dark reverie, glare with fierce eyes.
“What in the hell is this?”
Moo-song, already a man whose visage was naturally fearsome, caused the sailor who had dropped the barrel to turn ashen. He bowed deeply at the waist.
“I-I am terribly sorry!”
“This fool doesn’t even know the value of wine, just drops it like that. Maybe I should hang him upside down in the Yangtze—yes, that’s what I’ll do. Dunk him in the river.”
“I-I have committed a grave offense. Please, anything but that….”
“Watch yourself. My mood is already foul enough without your insolence.”
“Y-yes, sir!”
“That’s enough. Clean it up and bring another barrel of wine.”
“Yes? But….”
“Have you lost your mind? How dare you object—move, now!”
“Yes, understood!”
As his subordinate hurried away with desperate affirmations, Moo-song exhaled a long, weary sigh.
‘Nothing ever goes right.’
It wasn’t mere complaint—it was the bitter truth.
Even if fortune had smiled upon him, misfortune continued to pile one calamity upon another.
I had reluctantly abandoned my stronghold in Sichuan and come to Hubei, and not long ago, I was forced to part ways with Huang Chong of the Long River Blade Sect, who had been like blood kin to me.
I resolved to repay the debt of gratitude and enmity by escorting Jin Tae-kyung’s group to Hanan, but—as expected—the worst possible situation had unfolded.
‘I was trying to pretend I didn’t know.’
That mysterious old master who had clearly undergone a Half-Reversal Transformation.
That beast wearing the disguise of a young physician had noticed that I had discovered his true identity.
‘A monster of an old man. What in the world is his real identity?’
Based on my careful observations thus far, only a select few among those traveling with us knew this truth. At most, Fire King Red Sky River and Jin Tae-kyung?
Watching how Chung Poong, unpredictable as he is, grows quiet in Moon-kyung’s presence suggests he likely knows as well.
‘Damn it. If I’d known it would come to this, I should have boarded a different vessel.’
Currently, there were two Fast Ships of the Water Dragon Stronghold heading toward Hanan. Because there were so many people, Red Sky River had insisted on dividing the crew between the two vessels, and I lacked the courage to defy the Fire King’s will.
Thinking of the Fan Master comfortably aboard the other Fast Ship sailing ahead a hundred paces made my stomach ache.
‘Compared to here, that’s a bed of roses.’
At least the other vessel carried people who could actually communicate with one another.
The stench of Gung Ki-bang was a problem one could solve by simply holding one’s breath for a moment, and watching the strange serpent tricks that Chung Poong called Mi-mi was rather entertaining.
But this vessel?
‘Blazing Divine Dragon Jin Tae-kyung. Fire King Red Sky River. And another old monster concealing his identity.’
It was no exaggeration to call it a gathering of monsters.
At least Jin Tae-kyung, though nominally my junior, speaks to me with respect, and Red Sky River, having seen him frequently, treats me as a person of sorts. But the last one—he was the problem.
‘Those eyes….’
Recalling Moon-kyung’s cold, piercing gaze, I found myself trembling involuntarily.
A veteran sailor who had been observing the captain’s strange behavior approached and cautiously asked.
“Captain, are you alright?”
“Do I look alright?”
“Not at all, sir.”
“Then why are you asking? You already know the situation anyway.”
“You’re impossible to help, sir. By the way, what did that old monster threaten you with to make your face so pale…Mmph!”
Moving at lightning speed, I clamped my hand over the sailor’s mouth and scanned the surroundings with tense eyes.
Only after confirming twice, three times that no one had heard did anger finally surge within me.
“Have you lost your mind? Are you desperate to die?”
“Mmph, pfft!”
The veteran sailor barely escaped my grip and stammered.
“I’m, I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to.”
“As I’ve told you many times, you and all the others must not breathe a word about him. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
This veteran sailor was one of the few who had directly witnessed Moon-kyung’s true identity.
Moo-song let out a heavy sigh at the sight of the senior sailor’s anxious eyes darting about, then opened his mouth.
“More importantly, did you thoroughly drill into everyone the instructions I gave earlier?”
The veteran sailor nodded his head.
“Of course, sir. Just as the Sect Leader commanded, I made absolutely certain they knew not to show their faces near the stern.”
“No one questioned it?”
With dozens of Water Thieves under his command, there were always one or two fools lacking in perception who would inevitably slip through.
“There was one, sir. Chun Sam. Even after I told him it was the Sect Leader’s order, he kept pressing for details three times—I was terrified.”
Moo-song ground his teeth audibly.
“I knew it would be that bastard. Where is Chun Sam right now?”
“We dunked him in the Yangtze River and fished him out, sir. He’s locked up below now, so he won’t be saying such things again.”
“Good work. From now on, keep tight discipline over the men whenever I’m away. One slip and the Fast Ship could end up sunk in the Yangtze along with all of us.”
Moo-song’s complexion had grown dark.
As if the monster Fire King Red Sky River weren’t enough, now some mysterious old master from the Half-Wheel Sect had joined the fray. I found myself longing for the days when I didn’t know about this at all.
At the sight of their heavenly Sect Leader’s troubled expression, the veteran sailor asked in an anxious voice.
“Are we never going to return to Sichuan at this rate? We’ve already left the stronghold empty for nearly two months, and I’m worried we’ll lose everything if this continues.”
“Don’t tempt fate with such words. They say even if you enter a tiger’s den, you can survive if you keep your wits about you.”
“But that’s a tiger, and against a supreme master from the Half-Wheel Sect, even keeping your wits a hundred times over won’t help….”
Now that I thought about it, he had a point.
It was just as Moo-song fell silent, his words catching in his throat.
“I’ve brought the wine barrel. Where should I place it?”
A voice from behind. In this situation, only one person would speak of wine barrels.
Irritation flared in Moo-song, and before he could even turn his head, he snapped.
“Damn it, speak of the devil and here comes that useless bastard——!”
“Did you just call me a useless bastard?”
“…Eh?”
An eternity compressed into a single moment.
At the sight of the veteran sailor staring over his shoulder with his mouth agape, Moo-song’s instincts screamed that he was thoroughly finished.
And in that instant, a forgotten fact struck his mind.
‘Ah, I had left the spare wine barrel in the stern.’
No wonder he’d seemed to want to say something when I ordered him to bring it back.
Moo-song’s vision swam. He hadn’t felt fear even when caught in the whirlpool at Tianling Waterfall, but now cold sweat drenched him thoroughly.
“Moo-song Dae-hyup.”
Moo-song squeezed his eyes shut once, forced a strained smile, and slowly turned around.
Standing there was the one person he never wanted to meet, even in his dreams.
“Ah, ah yes. So it’s Moon-kyung. W-what brings you here?”
“Nothing in particular.”
Moon-kyung answered with a gentle smile like that of a boy his age.
“I was admiring the Yangtze River from the stern when your subordinate arrived. I heard you ordered someone to bring the wine barrel….”
“D-did I say that?”
“Didn’t you?”
“Well, I… I don’t recall issuing such an order.”
Just then, a Water Thief appeared from behind Moon-kyung, a barrel of liquor balanced on his shoulder, and called out briskly.
“Master! I’ve brought the barrels as you commanded!”
Moo-song suppressed the urge to tear that fool’s mouth apart and continued speaking.
“An order like that… yes, I suppose I did issue it. It was clearly a mistake.”
“A mistake, I see.”
Moo-song felt Moon-kyung’s gaze sweeping across his body, piece by piece.
It was surely mere paranoia to think he was being examined like a corpse. It had to be.
Fortunately, as if his desperate prayer had reached heaven, Moon-kyung withdrew his gaze and spoke.
“The esteemed Jeok Cheon-gang flew into a terrible rage. He said that if such a thing happens even once more, you should prepare yourself accordingly.”
Of course, Jeok Cheon-gang had done no such thing and said no such words.
But Moo-song was not so foolish as to fail to understand the meaning behind those words.
“Ah, I understand. Tell Jeok Cheon-gang I will keep it in mind. However… there is one thing.”
“Please, speak.”
“If there are unavoidable matters that absolutely require my attention—matters related to the ship’s operation, or food provisions, for instance—what should I do?”
Moon-kyung paused to consider, then answered.
“As it happens, Jeok Cheon-gang has already instructed me to relay this: in the former case, you alone should come and handle what is necessary. In the latter case, he will personally deliver your meals.”
“…You mean I’m to do all of this alone?”
“Does that displease you?”
Moo-song’s face hardened as he replied.
“It has been the wish of my lifetime. I’m delighted.”
“I see. Then I shall take my leave. We’ll meet again at supper.”
Moon-kyung turned to head toward the stern, leaving Moo-song behind, but suddenly he stopped and turned back.
“Oh, and one more thing.”
“What else could there possibly be?”
“This portion should suffice for meals. All the way until we reach Hanan.”
“Hm?”
“Young Master Jin will have no appetite for some time, so you should keep that in mind.”
There were still a good ten days before reaching Hanan. No matter how poor one’s appetite, going without food for ten straight days was absurd.
Curiosity gnawing at him, Moo-song gathered his courage and asked.
“Um… has something happened to Jin, my junior?”
“Ah.”
A dimple suddenly appeared at the corner of Moon-kyung’s mouth.
It was such a natural, innocent smile that even Moo-song, who regarded him as a monster, momentarily mistook him for a naive boy.
“He should be quite busy right now. Very much so.”
* * *
Sometimes I feel as though I’ve become a human smartphone.
Like a warning message that alerts you when your battery drops below fifteen percent, a similar system window floated before my eyes.
Beep.
–
[Qi Power]
has been almost entirely depleted.
–
[Qi Circulation Breathing]
to replenish your qi power. If your internal qi is completely exhausted, you may fall into an abnormal state!
Yet why did I feel more confusion than urgency? If my qi ran dry this very moment, I would sink into the vast expanse of the Yangtze River, and yet something else occupied my mind far more.
And one reason was certain—the presence of something approaching from far away.
Ssshhhhk.
A massive form drawing near with utmost stealth. The fin protruding above the water’s surface was somehow hauntingly familiar.
‘No, damn it.’
Why was a shark in the Yangtze River?

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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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