Murim Login - Chapter 542

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 542
A person’s gait reveals much about their nature—one of the most telling indicators of character.
For those of the Murim in particular, a footfall carries far more information than one might expect.
Those who wield martial arts through brute force move with heavy, coarse steps.
Conversely, those trained in elegant techniques or, in cases like assassins, move with such silence and lightness that their footsteps barely register.
By that measure, the footsteps ascending the stairs now were practically screaming their presence rather than concealing it.
Thud, thud, thud.
‘A sound like thunder.’
A ponderous noise so heavy that an ordinary person’s heart would sink merely hearing it.
With each step, the staircase—solidly constructed though it was—creaked and trembled faintly.
Jeok Cheon-gang, who had been sipping from a gourd flask tucked at his side, opened his mouth with a grave expression.
“Dark Heaven. Those bastards have gone too far—now they’re even manufacturing monsters from people. What sorcery are they employing?”
“Pardon?”
For a moment, I couldn’t fathom what he meant.
Once I grasped Jeok Cheon-gang’s words, I waved my hand dismissively.
“Well, forgive me for interrupting, but the one coming up now isn’t from Dark Heaven.”
“Hmm. Still, they’re not worth worrying about. The moment they enter, you strike them down. We can throw them to the Martial Alliance and see what comes of it.”
“…No, I’m telling you, it’s not Dark Heaven. And besides, Old Master Noya already smashed the door to pieces.”
“What?”
Jeok Cheon-gang’s eyes widened like lanterns as he spoke, spittle flying.
“Then you’re saying the one coming up now is a pure human being?”
“Remarkably so—a natural specimen.”
“Well, the longer you live, the more wonders you see. Though the qi I sense isn’t entirely pure.”
Hyuk Moo-jin, who had returned after sending down the emergency patient, wiped his palm—slick with Il-yang Old Master’s blood—against his trouser leg as he answered.
“Indeed, you are as keen as ever, Fire King. To recognize the Demonic Heretical Way at a glance.”
“The Demonic Heretical Way?”
“Yes. The rumor-spreader of the Black Dragon Demon Gate and his subordinates.”
Masked by the tremendous noise, what had gone unnoticed was that there were not one but two presences ascending.
And finally, the two figures emerged beyond the door that Jeok Cheon-gang’s intrusion had blown wide open.
“Sa Ma-pyo of the Murim, pays respects to Fire King Jeok Cheon-gang.”
A tall man with a handsome face. The moment I laid eyes on him, my mouth felt gritty as sand.
Three characters flashed through my mind unbidden.
‘Betrothed.’
Whether or not Sa Ma-pyo knew my thoughts, he clasped his fist toward Jeok Cheon-gang and jabbed the lumbering mass standing beside him.
“What are you doing? Offer your respects at once.”
Tae-san, whose epithet and name fit together like a perfect match, bowed deeply at the waist.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Tae-san. Fire King, I’ve seen you.”
“….”
A rather unconventional greeting indeed.
Glancing at Jeok Cheon-gang’s expression, it was clear he wished to show not the Fire King but the Yama King instead.
Noticing the shift in atmosphere, Sa Ma-pyo quickly added a supplementary explanation.
“As the Red Sky River surely understands, my vocabulary is insufficient, so this is the best I can manage.”
“…Well, I suppose there’s no helping it then.”
Fire King Jeok Cheon-gang muttered with a dissatisfied expression.
“I’ve seen all manner of peculiar fellows. Yes, I’ve seen you too, boy.”
“Hehe.”
Tae-san, laughing innocently, suddenly threw a pair of palm strikes.
“Fire King. Strong. Tae-san. Strong person good. Happy.”
“Oh, yes indeed. I’m pleased as well.”
“But Tae-san. Hungry.”
“What, what did you say?”
“Want eat that. Fire King allow, Tae-san grateful.”
Eyes gleaming with ravenous appetite suddenly fixed on something beyond our shoulders.
Fire King Jeok Cheon-gang, realizing the existence of refreshments placed upon the table, nodded almost involuntarily.
“Y-yes, go ahead.”
“Wow! Refreshments! Tae-san eat well!”
Crash! Splinter!
The Innkeeper would surely weep tears of blood.
A colossal frame that could hardly be called ordinary charged forward, obliterating the remaining fragments of the door in the process.
Fire King Jeok Cheon-gang stared blankly as Tae-san, as if he’d been waiting for this moment, swept everything from the table into his grasp.
“Have I lived too long?” he murmured.
Even for Fire King Jeok Cheon-gang, bewilderment was unavoidable.
After all, whenever the two characters “Fire King” were mentioned, he’d only ever faced people who cowered before him.
Perhaps this was the first formidable opponent to appear, save for Chung Poong.
‘Well, setting that aside.’
I scratched the back of my head and looked Sa Ma-pyo up and down.
“So. What brings you here?”
“I have important business. If you don’t mind, I’d prefer to discuss it inside.”
“No, I rather mind, actually.”
Sa Ma-pyo shrugged his shoulders.
“I asked out of courtesy, but you’re clearly not ordinary. Do you harbor ill will toward the Demonic Heretical Way?”
“It’s not so much ill will as….”
Damn it. Now that it’s come to this, I have nothing to say.
I’ve only met this fellow once, and my first impression wasn’t particularly bad, nor am I some diehard zealot who seizes every opportunity to preach about eradicating the Demonic Heretical Way and championing the Orthodox Sects.
And Fire King Jeok Cheon-gang wasn’t much different in that regard.
“What are you two standing there doing? Finished your chat?”
With Fire King Jeok Cheon-gang saying as much, there was no particular reason to refuse. Having reached a decision, I gestured toward Sa Ma-pyo with my chin.
“Hell, come inside then.”
“Much obliged. Thank you, Red Sky River.”
As Sa Ma-pyo entered with a respectful bow, Fire King Jeok Cheon-gang nodded in acknowledgment.
“The brat has quite the nerve. Or perhaps you’ve inherited that sinister bloodline?”
Sa Ma-pyo paused for a moment, then smiled faintly.
“It’s likely the latter. Though it seems you remember my father well.”
“I’d forgotten until I saw your face. The Black Night King—you’re the spitting image of him in his younger days.”
The Black Night King Sama Gong.
Sa Ma-pyo’s father and the legendary founder of the Black Dragon Demon Gate.
One might easily assume from his epithet alone that he was among the Ten Kings, but according to the information I’d learned through Gung Ki Bang, he had no connection to them whatsoever.
“Just like the Green Forest Alliance Leader, the Green Forest Fighting King, and the Escort King of Yongbong Pyo-guk.”
They too were supreme masters of incomparable skill, yet they fell short of being recognized as part of the legendary Ten Kings.
The Black Night King Sama Gong, a master counted among the elite of the Demonic Heretical Way and the sect leader of the Black Dragon Demon Gate, had earned his epithet through similar circumstances.
“Still…”
Jeok Cheon-gang, who had been observing Sa Ma-pyo intently, suddenly furrowed his brow.
“I never knew the Black Night King had such a young son.”
“I have seven elder brothers and nine elder sisters above me. I’m the youngest.”
“Ha, the King of Virility himself would weep hearing that. So the rumors about you are true.”
Sa Ma-pyo’s eyes widened slightly.
“That may be so, but how did you…”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it?”
Jeok Cheon-gang let out a scoff and continued.
“Given the Black Night King’s nature, he’d be more than capable of it. If you had the talent to back it up, he wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice his other children without a second thought.”
“….”
“You haven’t changed much from what I remember. Utterly inscrutable. Cunning as a fox, treacherous as a viper.”
Now that’s what I call insulting someone to their face with style. My chest swelled with admiration.
Though there was an underlying acknowledgment of Sa Ma-pyo’s talent in those words, an insult remained an insult. Before the dutiful son could take offense at his father being mocked and cause a scene, I opened my mouth.
“So, what’s this about?”
“…Hmm. Well.”
Sa Ma-pyo, whose expression had been enigmatic, drew something from his robes.
Paper that commanded a decent price in the Murim. And the text written at the very top immediately caught my eye.
★From an Unknown Foot Soldier to a Martial Hero at Yiryong Gate?!★
I stared down at the paper on the table, rubbing my chin.
“This looks familiar.”
Sa Ma-pyo chuckled softly.
“It would have to.”
“Whoever came up with this was a genius.”
“It’s certainly unconventional.”
Tap.
Sa Ma-pyo’s slender finger pointed to a section of the paper.
The recruitment requirements scrawled in Hyuk Moo-jin’s terrible handwriting.
Among the various items listed below, his finger indicated precisely one spot.
#No discrimination based on gender or sect affiliation
A soft voice continued.
“Especially this part caught my fancy.”
“And?”
“I’ll apply. To the Two Dragon Pavilion.”
I’d suspected as much, but hearing it stated so directly left me with conflicting emotions.
After a moment of deliberation, I smacked my lips.
“Why?”
“The moment I heard the song, I felt it. It’s exactly the place I’ve been looking for.”
“Right. Nonsense.”
It wasn’t even remotely amusing.
The lyrics about an era of success beginning, many sects seeking him out, and his life transforming—none of that applied to Sa Ma-pyo.
The Black Dragon Demon Gate was among the three most powerful sects even within the Demonic Heretical Way.
Even if Sa Ma-pyo hadn’t been a rumor-spreader, being born of the Black Night King’s bloodline guaranteed him a certain degree of wealth and status regardless.
‘This man wants to join the Two Dragon Pavilion?’
No matter how many Orthodox fundamentalists picketed and protested, Sa Ma-pyo could secure a position within the Martial Alliance.
I crossed my arms and fixed Sa Ma-pyo with a steady gaze.
“If you’re joking, it’s not funny.”
“Good thing, then. I’m completely serious.”
“Stop spouting nonsense. What’s the real reason?”
“There was nothing in what was written in the room requiring me to give a reason.”
“Get out. I won’t go far.”
Sa Ma-pyo gave a helpless shrug.
“If I join the Two Dragon Pavilion, I might be able to shed the label of the Demonic Heretical Way.”
“You don’t seem particularly eager to shed it.”
“Does it really look that way?”
“The truth is, I find it hard to believe.”
“Then I suppose I have no choice. I’ll lay it all bare for you now.”
“Lay it bare. Unless you want to get beaten like a dog.”
Sa Ma-pyo chuckled softly, then his expression hardened abruptly.
A low voice flowed from between his flawless lips, piercing straight into my ears.
“I intend to use you for my own purposes. Depending on the circumstances, I’ll become a useful piece in whatever way necessary.”
In that instant, a heavy silence fell.
Tae-san, who had been ceaselessly chewing his food, froze mid-motion, and Hyuk Moo-jin stared at Sa Ma-pyo and me in turn, his eyes wide as saucers.
And then a voice broke the silence.
“An amusing fellow, indeed.”
The voice belonged to Jeok Cheon-gang.
With an expression impossible to decipher—whether amused or angered—he gazed at Sa Ma-pyo before suddenly hurling a question my way.
“What do you make of this?”
After a moment of thought, I slowly parted my lips.
“He’s quite intense. He doesn’t seem like someone who’s only had one or two interviews.”
“Will you accept it?”
“I’m not sure.”
Sa Ma-pyo of the Black Dragon Demon Gate. It was difficult to discern where his words ended in jest and where they began in earnest.
But one thing was certain.
‘This man is interesting.’
Tap, tap.
In the silence, only the sound of knuckles rapping against the table echoed through the room.
After organizing my thoughts in that brief moment, I fixed my gaze directly upon Sa Ma-pyo.
“First, let’s establish one thing clearly.”
“By all means.”
“If you attempt any foolish tricks….”
Before I could finish, Sa Ma-pyo answered.
“Immediate execution. Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Heh. You’re refreshingly straightforward.”
“It’s only natural. So, is this the end then?”
“Not yet passed. For now, just keep it in mind. For today, you may go.”
“As you wish.”
What could this man’s true purpose be?
As I watched Sa Ma-pyo and Tae-san depart, my curiosity growing with each passing moment, I suddenly recalled an important fact I had nearly forgotten.
“And one more thing.”
“…?”
“You’ll cover his meal expenses.”
“…!”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————