Murim Login - Chapter 541

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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 541
Hanan was a land steeped in ancient history.
A great metropolis—a thousand-year-old capital that had served as the seat of dynasties like Kaifeng and Luoyang. And beyond the four sacred mountains, one could behold breathtaking natural vistas and countless historical monuments.
Because of this, streams of people flowed through its streets year-round, and naturally, inns and pleasure houses abounded to accommodate travelers and visitors.
Yet never had this street thrummed with such vitality, the elderly innkeeper—now in his third generation running this establishment—could say with absolute certainty.
‘What… what on earth is this?’
Reflected in the bewildered eyes of the old innkeeper as he gazed about was a sea of humanity so vast it could only be described as a tidal wave of people.
“Hold on there! Don’t you dare cut in line like that!”
“Hey, who keeps pushing?”
“You pup—you’ve been giving me insolent looks since earlier. Perhaps a proper duel is what you need to regain your senses?”
“What did you say? So you want to fight, you rogue—”
“Heh heh. Such spirited youth. Quite the sight.”
“A sight? It’s been unbearably loud since before.”
A rough-hewn rogue warrior—resembling a feral wolf—and a man bearing the blood of a renowned family exchanged sharp, piercing glares.
At the spectacle unfolding before him, a middle-aged man with graying temples burst into hearty laughter, while a woman of indeterminate age clicked her tongue in disapproval.
And beyond them, countless others stood at a distance, whispering and murmuring amongst themselves.
‘What… what in heaven’s name is happening here?’
Amid the chaos, a voice pierced through to the innkeeper’s ears, pulling him back from the edge of bewilderment.
“No need to worry so much.”
“Pardon?”
“Not them. Over here.”
The innkeeper spun around in surprise and his eyes fell upon a solitary figure.
Unlike the others standing in long queues, an old man sat leisurely at a table, calmly sipping from his cup.
“They all have their reasons. There won’t be any real trouble.”
A small frame, a wild white beard grown unkempt, and a ruddy complexion flushed from drink.
The innkeeper wondered if he might be a martial artist, but the man was unmistakably a drunken old fool. Eyeing him cautiously, the innkeeper lowered his voice to a whisper.
“What… what exactly is going on here?”
“People who wish to begin their era of success have gathered. You must have heard that song—the one about joining the Yiryong Gate of the Martial Alliance—”
As a cheerful melody flowed from the old man’s lips, the innkeeper’s shoulders involuntarily swayed, and his eyes widened.
“Ah. You mean… the Yiryong Gate?”
“Precisely. The young Pavilion Master of that very Yiryong Gate is staying here.”
“My word.”
The innkeeper let out a gasp of astonishment.
He had known that the guest in the separate annex was a renowned young hero of the martial world, but he had never imagined that person to be the legendary Pavilion Master of Yiryong Gate himself.
“So that’s why so many martial artists have come seeking him. Though I never expected it would be to this extent…”
“Tsk tsk. Isn’t it a fine opportunity? Places that don’t discriminate by origin, gender, or age are rare indeed.”
“That’s true. I hear even an eighty-year-old can apply.”
The old man replied quietly.
“I was thinking the same thing myself.”
“Heh heh. You jest well, sir.”
“Does it sound like a joke to you?”
“Pardon?”
“I asked if it sounds like a joke.”
The laughter died abruptly. The Innkeeper stared at the Old Master with trembling eyes.
“Y-you mean, Old Master, or rather… you too?”
“Well, isn’t it obvious?”
The Old Master wiped his beard, drenched in alcohol, with his sleeve. At the same moment, a worn sword guard peeked out from between his partially opened clothes.
“I too am a martial artist. Like them. And different from you.”
“Gulp.”
“There’s no need to be so frightened. I don’t lay hands on ordinary folk.”
The Old Master added quietly after a moment of thought.
“Usually, anyway.”
“…!”
Not a trace of intoxication remained in his gentle voice, and the flash of light that crossed his eyes in that instant resembled that of a savage beast.
Just as the Innkeeper, feeling an icy chill run down his spine, unconsciously took a step backward, the sound of footsteps descending the stairs echoed through the inn.
Thud, thud.
Someone’s footsteps. The Old Master’s eyes gleamed brightly.
“Is it beginning?”
It wasn’t only the Old Master who thought so. From the dozens of peak-realm masters lined up in a long queue to the spectators numbering perhaps ten times as many.
In the sudden silence that fell, a single figure emerged.
“How long have you been… oh my, what a surprise.”
A flicker of disappointment crossed the faces of those who confirmed the appearance of the startled young man, Hyuk Moo-jin.
However, the peak-realm masters who had sensed the aura early on muttered calmly.
“It’s not Yeolhwa Shinryong.”
“Sending an errand boy instead. Already putting on airs?”
“For an errand boy, he’s quite impressive. At that age, with such presence, he’d surpass second-generation disciples of most major sects.”
“I concur. And if he serves Yeolhwa Shinryong, it’s quite possible.”
Voices flowing from all corners. Hyuk Moo-jin, who had been regarding the enormous crowd with displeasure, cleared his throat.
“Ah, I’ve received orders from the team leader, or rather, the Pavilion Master, to begin the interviews. From now on, I’ll call you one by one, so please follow me in the designated order.”
Reaching the peak realm meant being recognized as a master throughout the Murim.
The peak-realm masters, each proud of their own abilities, smacked their lips at the prospect of having to wait longer, but expressed no greater discontent.
The thirsty dig the well. It was something they had to endure now that they were here.
“We understand well enough, so stop spouting nonsense and start calling names.”
At the words of the rough-featured middle-aged rogue, Hyuk Moo-jin’s eyes widened.
“Oh, really?”
“What do you mean?”
“Ah, it’s nothing much. The Pavilion Master told me that if anyone speaks casually or acts disrespectfully on first meeting, I should reject them without exception. I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.”
“…What?”
“Let me see… you’re Heuk Hyul-do, the great hero of Norgui Mountain, correct? You may leave now.”
The middle-aged rogue, Heuk Hyul-do, who had been blinking silently, suddenly burst out.
“What kind of dog-cursed law is this?!”
Hyuk Moo-jin withdrew a bamboo slip inscribed with Heuk Hyul-do’s personal details from the pouch at his side and nodded.
“It’s right here. That kind of law.”
“I waited a full hour!”
“Ah, my apologies.”
“You dare conduct yourself with such disrespect toward your master, and you expect to walk away unscathed?!”
“I believe I probably will.”
“You, you insolent wretch!”
“If you continue like this, our Pavilion Master will descend personally and say, ‘You, you insolent wretch!'”
What kind of man was this?
Not only Heuk Hyul-do but everyone witnessing this spectacle stood slack-jawed.
Heuk Hyul-do was a formidable warrior even by the standards of the rough bandit world.
The consensus was that if not for his volatile temperament, he could immediately become the master of a sect and develop it into a mid-tier power.
Yet Hyuk Moo-jin didn’t so much as blink before the aura he radiated.
“You’ve failed. Please leave.”
But for Hyuk Moo-jin, who had followed Jin Tae-kyung and endured all manner of hardship, this was only natural.
It was at that moment, as Heuk Hyul-do’s volatile nature left him speechless before the other’s composure, that—
“Ahahaha! Ahahahahaha!”
Crack, crack, crack!
Uproarious laughter erupted from nowhere, the air itself splitting apart as the ground trembled violently.
The faces of the peak masters surrounding the area hardened like stone as they sensed the overwhelming aura’s source.
‘Such tremendous power…!’
‘A level above me. No, two levels above.’
‘What, what is this?’
All eyes turned toward the old man who had been leisurely sipping wine moments before, now slowly rising from his seat.
“Don’t make such a fuss. Surely you don’t find your innkeeper pitiful?”
As the trembling Innkeeper lay prostrate, the old man smiled gently down at him—and someone’s scream tore through the silence.
“It, it’s Il-yang Old Master!”
Il-yang Old Master. Those three words were enough.
A supreme master who had dominated an entire era. The epithet of a monster who had incinerated countless enemies with his formidable Yang flame—that was Il-yang Old Master.
With the sudden appearance of such an transcendent master, the entire gathering froze instantly.
‘Is it truly Il-yang Old Master?’
‘How, how does that old demon come to be here….’
No one in this place could compare to Il-yang Old Master’s name. Indeed, even if all of them combined their strength, it was questionable whether they could defeat him.
Only a single wall separated them. Yet the chasm between peak and transcendent was vast and immeasurable.
Thump, thump.
Il-yang Old Master moved leisurely through the silence, his gaze settling on Hyuk Moo-jin as he smiled.
“Go and tell him. This old man requests an audience.”
“…!”
A gentle shock rippled through the surroundings once more. And it was none other than Il-yang Old Master who had spoken.
It was already astounding that such an unparalleled master would serve beneath the Two Dragon Pavilion Master, a mere bloodstain of a man, yet to display such courteous deference was beyond comprehension.
“Ah, I understand. Please wait a moment.”
Hyuk Moo-jin, turning away with a flustered response, failed to notice the ominous heat flickering in Il-yang Old Master’s eyes.
‘The Yeolhwa Sect. The Yeolhwa Sect, indeed. At last, an opportunity comes to this old man.’
Yeolhwa Shinryong Jin Tae-kyung? The truth behind the rumors surrounding him mattered not.
He was merely a boy barely past his twenties. There was not the slightest intention to respectfully serve such a bloodstain as a superior. However….
‘The divine technique of the Yeolhwa Sect, passed down through generations to only one person. That alone, I shall make mine without fail.’
Il-yang Old Master had lived his entire life pursuing strength, yet never reached the pinnacle of the Yeolhwa Flame technique.
But with the martial arts of the Yeolhwa Sect, it would be possible. He could even claim the title of Supreme Under Heaven.
‘According to reliable rumors, Fire King Red Sky River does not enter the Two Dragon Pavilion. Then all that remains are the young disciples and other rabble.’
When the Two Dragon Pavilion received its mission and departed Hanan, that would be the moment of opportunity.
Dark Heaven? The Martial Alliance? What did it matter what became of the fate of the martial world? The corners of his mouth, covered in age spots, twitched.
“Hehehehe. Hehehehehehe.”
Before Il-yang Old Master’s eyes, the five characters “Supreme Under Heaven” already shimmered and danced.
* * *
Eighty-five years old.
His name was Won Chul.
His alias was Il-yang Old Master. His martial prowess was supreme.
A profile that was nearly perfect, with not a single flaw to criticize.
But the newly appointed special examiner’s thoughts were different.
“That look in his eyes—the moment an opportunity presents itself, he’ll stab us in the back like a treacherous dog.”
“Pardon?”
There was no need to question further.
Red Sky River had already closed the distance with a single utterance, his palm strike aimed at Il-yang Old Master’s throat.
Whoooosh!
An extreme yang energy that would reduce all resistance to ash.
Il-yang Old Master swallowed hard and hastily crossed both arms in defense, but the disparity in power was stark.
‘This cannot be.’
There are grades even within the Yeolhwa Flame technique.
If Il-yang Old Master was ordinary flame, then Fire King Red Sky River’s energy was molten lava. Such a glaring difference in power revealed itself in an instant.
Crack. Snap!
With the sound of bones shattering, Il-yang Old Master’s eyes went limp and vacant.
Witnessing that sight, I cried out with a pang of regret.
“No! Ace—!”
But once Red Sky River’s fists began their inferno, they did not cease.
Snap! Crack! Crackcrackcrack!
Arms, legs, belly, back, face.
As if flaunting his reclaimed youth, his fists, brimming with unyielding force, struck every corner of the body with precision.
Each time, the materialized Yeolhwa Flame wrapped around the surroundings.
‘Wow, I’m seeing that inferno here.’
Was this audition genre hip-hop?
Won Sun, or rather Il-yang Old Master, who failed to receive the necklace, couldn’t mount a single counterattack before losing consciousness.
Thud.
Jeok Cheon-gang, quietly gazing down at Il-yang Old Master crumpled like disintegrating ash, suddenly murmured.
“I remember now. That bastard—the one from before who said he coveted the Main Sect’s martial arts.”
“…At least there’s a reason for it. I thought Old Master Noya had lost his mind.”
“It doesn’t matter when you find out. I can’t stand the sight of him—remove him from my presence.”
Not long after Il-yang Old Master’s corpse—or rather, his body—was carried out, commotion erupted outside.
Glancing out the window, I saw the terrified applicants fleeing, even deploying their divine movement techniques in panic.
“…Damn it.”
What kind of audition was this supposed to be? It’s completely ruined. Truly.
Jeok Cheon-gang, catching my resentful gaze, responded curtly.
“What do you want me to do about it?”
“You could have been gentler. Coveting some martial arts isn’t a capital offense. He hadn’t even done anything yet. You could have simply disqualified him quietly.”
“Tsk, tsk. How naive you are. Those types always cause trouble. You have to stamp out the embers before they spread.”
“…Isn’t the usual saying to uproot the weeds entirely?”
“Weeds can be left alone without consequence, but embers burn down mountains.”
As if I’m the head of some forest conservation association.
It was precisely as I was muttering in exasperation.
“And…”
“What now?”
Jeok Cheon-gang gestured toward the window.
“When someone leaves, someone else arrives.”
“Huh?”

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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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