Murim Login - Chapter 531
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 531
“You, step aside.”
“No, I don’t want to.”
“…What?”
Clearly, he hadn’t anticipated this response.
Geo Han’s eyes—no larger than a child’s fist—darted about erratically as he stammered.
“Y-you don’t want to?”
“Right. I don’t want to. I’m not moving.”
“Th-this is strange. Everyone’s always stepped aside before.”
What kind of character was this?
‘Did he skip investing in intellect?’
For someone built like a troll might be in his ancestry, his behavior was nothing short of kindergarten-level childishness.
I scratched my chin as I watched the stammering Geo Han.
‘I’ve seen all sorts of peculiar people.’
Having encountered countless characters throughout the Murim, I thought I’d developed considerable immunity by now—yet I’d never seen anyone quite like this.
But for now, quelling this commotion took priority over personal curiosity.
“Come on, slowly back away.”
“Back away?”
“Yes.”
I had no intention of playing the righteous crusader. I wasn’t exactly overflowing with a sense of mission either.
But this was the middle of the Main Road in Hanan. If the fighting continued, innocent civilians could suffer casualties.
“I don’t know what your grievance is, but let’s call it here. That works, right?”
I spoke gently while signaling to Gung Ki-bang with my eyes.
Quick to grasp the meaning of my gesture, Gung Ki-bang helped evacuate the civilians who hadn’t managed to flee and were still huddled in place.
Watching this, Geo Han’s massive eyes rolled about.
“That one. He insulted me.”
The direction indicated by his club-thick finger pointed to Hwangbo Ak, who stood bent at the waist, coughing softly.
“Insulted you?”
“Rootless Demonic Heretical Way scum, a pig as stupid as they come. What will you do if I open my eyes wide?”
“I see.”
“My lord said to think three times before fighting. So I thought three times and fought. He even drew his blade first.”
I could roughly piece together how this had unfolded.
Though his words were sparse, they conveyed enough for understanding.
Hwangbo Ak was the young master of the Hwangbo Family, which dominated the Shandong region. A martial world golden spoon skilled enough to rank among the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes—it was easy to imagine him picking a fight with a Demonic Heretical Way martial artist.
Besides, Gung Ki-bang had once mentioned that Hwangbo Ak was rather an unpleasant fellow.
‘So this one was from the heterodox sects after all.’
No wonder the aura he emanated felt extraordinary.
Aside from third-rate blade-wielders from the Black Path, I’d never encountered a proper Demonic Heretical Way martial artist before, so I had to forcibly suppress the curiosity that suddenly stirred within me.
A single thought suddenly crossed my mind.
“Did you perhaps hurt anyone else?”
“Another person?”
“Yes. There were… other people with that bastard.”
My heart skipped a beat. The three syllables of Ju Hwa-ran’s name, which I hadn’t yet spoken aloud, lingered on the tip of my tongue. Geo Han tilted his head and blinked.
“There were. Two men. One was strong and one was weak. And…”
“And?”
“A beautiful woman. An incredibly beautiful woman.”
“Kid, at least you’ve got eyes that work.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. So, did those people fight you too?”
“No. I only hit that bastard. The beautiful woman. She was as kind as she was pretty.”
Safe. I exhaled a quiet sigh of relief and patted Geo Han on the shoulder.
“Good, good. You did well. Our little one is so kind.”
“Did well? Me, kind?”
“Of course. So let’s make peace now. Understood?”
“Mm. Mmmm.”
Almost there now.
I’d thought about just beating down anyone from the Demonic Heretical Way, but coaxing him gently like a kindergartener worked just fine.
It was right then that Geo Han’s eyes began rolling with contemplation.
“What in blazes are you doing!”
An angry shout rang out from behind me.
I turned to see Hwangbo Ak, who had somehow gotten to his feet, glaring at me with blazing eyes.
“Yeolhwa Shinryong! Did these ears of mine mishear? Taking the side of the Demonic Heretical Way!”
This was our first meeting, but apparently we’d met before from his perspective.
Well, we weren’t exactly in a leisurely situation for introductions anyway, so it worked out.
I waved casually toward Hwangbo Ak.
“You’re awake. Come over here and make peace.”
“Peace?”
“From what I hear, there are circumstances that warrant it. Why cause a fuss? Let’s wrap this up here. Shake hands like men and be done with it. Amicably.”
But Hwangbo Ak’s eyes widened as if he’d just heard an insult.
“How could you say such a thing!”
“I can say it. Come over while I’m being nice.”
“A fellow disciple of the Orthodox Sects has been harmed by the Demonic Heretical Way. How could you take the side of that wicked heretical scum!”
“What’s the difference between heretical and orthodox? We’re all one family of the Martial Alliance. Haven’t you heard that song? We are all friends. That’s right, that’s right.”
“There’s no such song! And one family? Have you forgotten what those Demonic Heretical Way bastards did during the Righteous-Demonic Great Hall Battle?”
“Forgotten what? I wasn’t even there. Were you participating in that battle? Then you’re quite youthful for your age.”
“Stop spouting nonsense and move aside! I shall make that bastard kneel and extract an apology!”
Whoosh.
Suddenly, warm breath blew down from above my head. It was a snort from Geo Han, who was a head or two taller than me.
“Make me kneel? You? On me?”
For just a moment, Hwangbo Ak flinched, then clenched his teeth.
“Fine then. I’ll admit you caught me off guard with that sneak attack earlier, but you’ll regret ever laying a hand on me—even in death!”
“This won’t do. You. I’m killing you.”
It was the moment Geo Han’s eyes turned cold and lifeless.
Whiiiish, crack!
A piercing sound of splitting air carved past my ear.
Hwangbo Ak’s silhouette, shot forward like a beam of light, twisted violently through the air. His legs, whipping like a whip, carried crystallized internal energy within them.
‘Leg technique?’
The Hwangbo Family was an ancient martial clan that had produced masters of fist and leg techniques across generations.
What Hwangbo Ak unleashed was undoubtedly the secret martial art of the Hwangbo Family—the very technique that allowed them to reign as tyrants of Shandong.
But…
“You! I’m killing you!”
The opponent was not favorable.
From what I could discern, Geo Han’s martial prowess was not inferior to Hwangbo Ak’s—in fact, it would be no exaggeration to say he was one or two steps ahead.
In Geo Han’s hands appeared a massive cudgel that matched his enormous frame.
Whoooosh!
Fast and brutally powerful.
From the cudgel advancing as if to crush space itself, I felt the tremendous strength and speed that Geo Han possessed.
As the moment of collision finally arrived, I, who had been watching until the very end, quietly extended both my arms.
Crash!
With a deafening roar, an enormous wave of energy swept outward. Materials, dust, and earth scattered across the ground were driven back beyond three zhang in radius, and people gasped in shock.
And between them, two pairs of eyes trembled violently.
How?
The question in Geo Han and Hwangbo Ak’s eyes. Their gazes, filled with astonishment, fixed upon the cudgel gripped firmly in my grasp and his leg.
With a single movement, I had stopped all their attacks and their entire confrontation.
“This… this is…”
“You’re strong! You’re really strong!”
Meeting their wavering gazes, I slowly opened my mouth.
“Now then, shall we make peace?”
Ah. I forgot to add one more thing.
“Unless you want to get beaten to death by me.”
“…!”
“…!”
Kind words alone accomplish little—kind words paired with fists accomplish far more.
Geo Han, who had been staring blankly at me for a moment, stammered as he opened his mouth.
“I… I’ll make peace. I’m… good.”
“Right, you’re good. So who wants to become a bad child?”
My gaze naturally turned toward Hwangbo Ak, and his lips pressed shut.
“Flaming Divine Dragon, surely you don’t intend…”
“Oh! Breaking news just arrived! Every bad child I’ve met so far has been beaten into submission by my hands and became good!”
“…Now that I think about it, I suppose I was also at fault.”
“Well then, that works.”
Only then did I release my firm grip on the Great Halberd and his ankle.
Geo Han continued to glance at me with bewildered eyes, while Hwangbo Ak trembled with humiliation, yet he lacked the courage to resume the fight.
He merely glared at me with eyes mixing rage and fear, his lips moving soundlessly.
“Flaming Divine Dragon, and you still call yourself Orthodox?”
“Surprising. That’s what I should be saying.”
“Yes, indeed. It seems you don’t know who I am, which is why you act this way….”
“Hwangbo Ak. Twenty-nine years old. Young Master of the Hwangbo Family. Alias: Shandong Fist Dragon.”
“…!”
“Ah, recently had a wet dream.”
“That’s not true!”
“Suit yourself.”
Hwangbo Ak’s clenched fist trembled violently.
“You dared insult me even knowing who I am!”
“A cripple has no gender, no age, no distinction between Orthodox and Heretical. That’s my philosophy, and it seems to fit perfectly.”
If I’d left him alone any longer, he would’ve been stripped bare, soul and all. I stopped him before things got worse, and now I’m hearing all sorts of nonsense.
‘But why don’t I feel angry?’
As I pondered briefly, I understood the reason.
Because he was far more pathetic than expected. And because he was so insignificant that I couldn’t even be bothered.
‘An insect.’
To me, Hwangbo Ak was precisely that. An ant that dies with a flick of my finger. A mosquito that reaches the brink of death from a careless swing of my hand.
After spending so much time with giants, I too had become a giant. Like Gulliver arriving in Lilliput, one might say.
Hwangbo Ak before my eyes fell within that same category.
Perhaps that’s why his status as Young Master of the Hwangbo Family and one of the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes stirred little emotion in me.
‘Just a slightly larger insect compared to others.’
That is how Gulliver—how I—gazed upon Hwangbo Ak. And perhaps my thoughts were conveyed through my eyes.
Hwangbo Ak’s face darkened with fury.
“Y-you….”
“Want some advice?”
“What?”
“Stretch your legs only as far as your bed allows.”
“Y-you bastard!”
A loud shout erupted, but I didn’t even blink as I continued.
What I was about to say, Hwangbo Ak needed to carve into his very bones.
“The Angry Sword Immortal. The Tae-eul Mujeong Sword. You’ve heard those names often, haven’t you? Though perhaps not recently. They’re currently recuperating.”
“…!”
“Unless you want to add Shandong Fist Dragon to that list, don’t cause trouble. This is your first and final warning.”
Whoooosh.
My aura, concentrated on a single person, made Hwangbo Ak swallow hard.
He must have heard what became of the two Senior Brothers of the Zhongnan Sect’s Sect Leader.
Beyond that, he would have realized it once more.
The martial world of all under heaven returns to righteous cause and the law of strength.
Pat.
I chuckled, patting the shoulder of Hwangbo Ak, whose body trembled.
“You look exhausted. I’ll explain things to others, so go on and leave.”
“B-but.”
“Go.”
All Hwangbo Ak could do was depart with gritted teeth.
And when that unusually small figure’s back had receded into the distance, a voice reached my ears.
“Jin Dae-hyeop!”
A voice I hadn’t heard in ages, and all the more welcome for it.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————