Murim Login - Chapter 549

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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 549
I am no general commanding thousands of troops.
The Fire Dragon Pavilion consists of merely six members, myself included.
It took less than an hour for all of us to gather in one place.
“Everyone, pay attention.”
My abrupt words, devoid of pleasantries or honorifics, drew the concentrated gaze of five people who sensed something was amiss.
Even Hyuk Moo-jin, who had gone to summon them, didn’t fully understand the circumstances.
I met their questioning eyes one by one before slowly parting my lips.
“To get straight to the point… I’ve received a mission.”
There was nothing to omit or add.
I explained everything as it was, and the brief was finished in less than a moment.
And just as everyone fell silent in thought as if by agreement, one person suddenly spoke.
“So.”
The owner of that composed voice was a familiar face.
Sa Ma-pyo, the information broker of the Black Dragon Demon Gate, fixed his gaze upon me and continued.
“We’re heading to the Southern Wilderness. That’s what this is about.”
I nodded in affirmation, with a light correction.
“To be precise, not the Southern Wilderness itself, but the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace.”
The Southern Barbarian Beast Palace—a mysterious sect that tamed spiritual creatures and venomous beasts alike, training martial techniques by mimicking the movements of these animals.
Whether it was an animal sanctuary or an abuse collective, I couldn’t say for certain, but one thing was undeniable.
“Hong Ran—or rather, the Nantian Demon Empress—would salivate over such a place.”
Assuming a second ‘rupture’ would occur, there was hardly a more suitable location than the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace from Dark Heaven’s perspective.
It was truly a kingdom of beasts, teeming with more spiritual and venomous creatures than anywhere else under heaven.
Song Il-seom, cradling a willow-leaf saber, murmured as he listened.
“The hardship ahead is clear.”
There was ample reason for him to speak thus.
The Southern Wilderness, where the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace was situated, was also called Yunnan in the Central Plains.
Geographically, it lay directly beneath Sichuan and bordered Gwiju and Guangxi.
Hearing this, it seemed merely distant with no real problems, but…
“The real issue is that the geography and climate of the Southern Wilderness are absolutely insane.”
The Southern Wilderness, I’d heard, was covered in endless jungles beneath a sweltering tropical climate.
Well-maintained roads were nowhere to be found, and instead, massive beasts and venomous insects treated humans as food—truly a wretched place.
“Just from what I’ve heard so far, it’s this bad…”
I couldn’t easily imagine what it would be like in reality.
I was beginning to understand why the Southern Wilderness, which appeared on maps of the world, was treated as foreign territory.
“In fact, from a modern perspective, it really is a foreign land.”
Yunnan in modern times would be somewhere around Vietnam or Myanmar, I think—though my memory was hazy from sleeping through world geography class.
As I was sifting through my memories, Hyuk Moo-jin suddenly raised his hand.
“Excuse me, Leader. I have a question.”
“Go ahead.”
“Is this for real?”
“What, you want me to go in disguise?”
“It seems far too dangerous, sir.”
“So what? It’s always been dangerous until now.”
“…You say it so matter-of-factly that I have nothing to say.”
“If you’ve got nothing to say, shut your mouth and pack.”
“When are we departing?”
“Ah, didn’t I mention it?”
I’d forgotten something important.
The others were clearly too focused on the destination and its purpose to have thought of it themselves.
Looking at each person in turn, I let the words fall from my lips.
“Today. Right now.”
“…!”
“…!”
A ripple of shock spread instantly through the group. Hyuk Moo-jin and Ho Geo-a Tae-san were particularly affected.
“You’re joking, aren’t you?”
“Do I look like I’d joke at a time like this?”
“This is insane. What about the clothes and supplies we need to gather?”
“It works. When have we ever been particular about food and shelter? Just grab some grain pills.”
Whoosh, whoosh!
Startled. Was he a fire-breather?
Tae-san, who had exhaled a surprisingly hot breath, shot up from his seat and cried out.
“No! Tae-san! We promised to eat meat tonight!”
“Meat? Meat’s good.”
I added a word toward Hyuk Moo-jin.
“You heard? Pack some jerky.”
“Jerky! It tastes awful!”
“…Just shut up and eat whatever.”
Look at this bastard who’d probably gnaw on chopsticks being picky about food.
Sa Ma-pyo, catching the meaning in my gaze, shrugged and opened his mouth.
“Tae-san. You brat.”
“M-my lord.”
“How long will you keep acting so recklessly? If you continue throwing tantrums….”
“Tae-san won’t. I won’t do it again. Forgive me, my lord.”
Seeing how thoroughly the large fellow’s spirit had been crushed, I found myself feeling sorry without meaning to.
Deciding that I should leave matters concerning Tae-san to Sa Ma-pyo from now on, I turned my gaze to Song Il-seom, who was furrowing his brow.
“What? Do you have complaints too?”
“Of course. It’s the Southern Wilderness, no less.”
Song Il-seom clicked his tongue softly and continued.
“But I’ll consider it a loss. Unfortunately, I’ve already received a substantial advance. I don’t have the confidence to pay ten times that in penalties.”
“It’s much cleaner than I expected. I like it.”
“Once a contract is made, it is honored. Had it been otherwise, the name Soul Chaser would not exist.”
Song Il-seom spoke those words with conviction and pride, then continued matter-of-factly.
“Of course, the final decision rests not with me, but with the employer. Is that not so?”
Naturally, that last question was not directed at me.
From the beginning until now, there had been one person who remained silent, lost in thought—Ju Hwa-ran of Eun Bi-hwa—who finally opened her mouth.
“I suspect you already know what answer I will give. Am I wrong?”
At the sound of her voice—soft yet crystalline, cutting through the air—I let out a small laugh, while Song Il-seom released a quiet sigh.
“I knew it would come to this. Damn it, the Southern Wilderness.”
“I trust there’s no need to remind you of the contract’s terms, Song Dae-hyup.”
Leaving Song Il-seom to his groans, Ju Hwa-ran fixed her gaze upon me.
My face reflected in those mysterious, deep blue-green eyes. At this distance, they seemed almost….
“Jin Dae-hyeop?”
“Ah, yes.”
What was that just now? Had I dozed off for a moment?
Snapping back to attention at Ju Hwa-ran’s call, I muttered inwardly.
‘This won’t do. This won’t do.’
If I let this happen now, it would be troublesome. For what lay ahead, I needed to remain perpetually composed and clearheaded.
After steeling myself several times, I opened my mouth with the utmost composure.
“Good timing. There was something I wanted to ask you about. The matter is….”
It was at that moment.
“The fastest route to the Southern Wilderness and what we’ll need for the journey, correct? Very well.”
“Pardon?”
“Was my assumption incorrect?”
“No, that’s not it.”
Quite the opposite. I was startled by how precise she was.
What is this? Did she somehow master mind-reading? Observation technique? Something like that?
As I blinked in silence, Ju Hwa-ran offered me a faint smile.
“There’s no need for surprise. I’ve been contemplating what I could contribute since earlier.”
“Ah.”
“Now that I’ve formally become a member of the Fire Dragon Pavilion, I must do my part, as I mentioned before.”
Tap. Tap tap.
As if to demonstrate that she too was a swordmaster, her pale but calloused fingers drummed against the table at a steady rhythm.
And then her voice continued.
“First, as Jin Dae-hyeop mentioned, we should minimize supplies. Clothing is unnecessary, and two days’ worth of dried provisions should suffice.”
“Dried rations?! Please, anything but that! Tae-san will die!”
At Tae-san’s wail, Ju Hwa-ran quickly added.
“Of course, jerky as well.”
“What’s his guardian doing? Ah, Miss Ju, please continue.”
“Yes. Then….”
Having disposed of the troublemaker, Ju Hwa-ran continued without hesitation.
From the necessary supplies to the fastest route heading toward the Southern Wilderness.
Fortunately, she had experience traveling to the Southern Wilderness years ago, and through records left by her grandfather Pyo Wang, she knew the terrain and hidden paths throughout the region.
Even Song Il-seom, who had lived the life of a rogue wandering the realm since childhood, expressed astonishment.
“Such a path exists?”
Ju Hwa-ran nodded with confidence.
“Of course. According to my grandfather’s records, it’s certain.”
“I myself stayed there for about a year. But from what I know….”
“According to my grandfather’s records, it’s certain.”
“No, I understand that. What I’m saying is——”
“Grandfather. Records.”
“Now, listen to me too.”
“Pyo Wang.”
“…I’ll trust you. I’ll believe it, so please continue.”
Who was Pyo Wang? A legend among legends who succeeded in that legendary ten-thousand-li journey even while a hundred thousand demon cultists covered the realm.
Ju Hwa-ran, inheriting the will of that very Pyo Wang, surged forward like a ship meeting favorable winds, and in less than two hours, she performed the feat of establishing every route plan heading toward the Southern Wilderness.
“Well, that’s all for now. Does anyone have questions?”
Whoosh!
An arm thick enough to be suspected of belonging to a troll shot up suddenly.
“Yes, ask me anything.”
Ho Geo-a and Tae-san opened their mouths with faces hardened like stone.
“Tae-san. I haven’t understood anything since the jerky.”
“….”
“….”
What bastard brought a child to a no-kids zone.
I shot a sharp glare at one person.
“Hey, guardian.”
“My apologies.”
Tap.
“Mmph. Mmph!”
Sa Ma-pyo, who immediately sealed Tae-san’s mouth at my rebuke, nodded toward Ju Hwa-ran.
“My apologies.”
“…It’s fine.”
Her tone is flat, but her subdued voice cannot hide the truth. Given the circumstances, it’s unavoidable.
No, it’s only natural.
‘Even if it was a political marriage, they were engaged after all.’
Those cool Hollywood bastards as cold as ice-attribute magic might not care. But in the modern South Korea I lived in and in the Murim, Confucian girls and Confucian boys are everywhere.
It’s awkward even for me watching, so what must it be like for Ju Hwa-ran.
‘I don’t even know the details of what happened between them.’
Suddenly thinking this way, my mood becomes peculiar.
For some reason, the texture of the fabric against my skin felt irritating, as if an invisible hand were pricking me repeatedly with a small, thin needle.
“Team Leader?”
“Hmm?”
It was Hyuk Moo-jin’s voice that pulled me from my brief reverie.
Without needing to turn my head, I could feel the weight of their gazes fixed upon me.
Collecting my scattered thoughts, I forced myself to speak with measured calm.
“Very well. For now, we proceed according to what’s been discussed. Supplies—keep them minimal. As for our timeframe…”
Ju Hwa-ran answered as I turned my attention toward her.
“Half a double-hour. Even being generous, half a double-hour should suffice. We’ll need to discreetly arrange the necessary provisions and carriages without drawing attention.”
“Where would be best for us to assemble?”
“Hmm. What are your thoughts on this, Jin Dae-hyeop?”
This was no official assignment. We had to move as swiftly as possible while remaining completely concealed.
And to slip quietly away from the throngs of people crowding the area, we first needed to disperse before designating a secondary rendezvous point.
“Daebyeol Mountain. We’ll meet again there.”
“An excellent suggestion.”
At my answer, arrived at after careful consideration, Ju Hwa-ran and the others nodded in agreement.

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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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