Murim Login - Chapter 550

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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 550
After everyone had departed and Hyuk Moo-jin vanished in a flurry of activity to gather what he needed, I found myself alone and quietly opened my mouth.
“Quest window open.”
Ding.
Quest
[Journey to the Southern Wilderness]
Murim Alliance Leader Mae Jong-hak has assigned your first mission at the Fire Dragon Pavilion.
You must now venture toward the Southern Wilderness and respond proactively to any unforeseen circumstances.
What lies ahead for you and the Fire Dragon Pavilion remains unknown.
Always remain vigilant of your surroundings and act with flexible thinking.
Rank
: Peak
Restriction
: Jin Tae-kyung and Fire Dragon Pavilion personnel
Objective
: Enter the Southern Wilderness (Incomplete)
Reward
: Linked Quest
???
Failure
: Obtain title [Never Made It to the Southern Wilderness]
Reputation and trust significantly decreased
[Journey to the Southern Wilderness] was a Quest generated upon receiving the mission from Mae Jong-hak.
As one could tell from both the description and objective sections, the system offered no particular hints this time.
‘There’s no time limit either.’
Rather than indicating ample time, interpreting this as a situation where I couldn’t see even one step ahead would hardly be an overreaction.
I exhaled softly and closed the Quest window.
‘If nothing happens, that would be a blessing in itself….’
But if something does occur, it could spiral beyond control. And I would need to lead the Fire Dragon Pavilion personnel, swiftly suppress the crisis, and return safely.
Becoming responsible when I could barely fend for myself. It was then that the two characters “pavilion leader” felt particularly heavy upon my heart.
“Um, well….”
A voice suddenly pierced my ear.
Turning around, I saw Chung Poong standing before the half-destroyed door, clutching some bundle and staring blankly in my direction.
“Benefactor, may I come in?”
“…Anyone hearing that would think you always asked permission before entering.”
This fellow who used to barge in without knocking when the door was intact, now stood there asking at a broken door—it was almost laughable.
I let out a soft chuckle and gestured toward Chung Poong.
“Just come in. I was planning to visit you anyway, so this works out well.”
“I was going to do so regardless of your permission.”
The response that came was naturally not from Chung Poong’s lips. I muttered dryly as I watched Moon-kyung materialize like a phantom.
“That was something I said to Cheong So-hyup.”
“Then I must have said it clearly—I don’t need your permission.”
Moon-kyung stepped into the separate annex without hesitation, casting a glance at the cups scattered across the table and the disheveled chairs.
“Someone’s been here. Six people total, including you and the Hyuk family. One of them was a woman.”
“How did you know that?”
“I can see it.”
To Moon-kyung’s terse reply, Chung Poong added a comment in an innocent tone.
“I saw the others leaving. It seemed like I should come when there was no one around.”
“….”
“….”
What the hell.
Moon-kyung opened his mouth again, his expression suggesting he couldn’t care less about the disbelief burning in my eyes.
“I can see it.”
“So when you say you can see it, you actually saw it with your own eyes?”
“I could have known without even looking at such things.”
“Don’t stare at distant mountains. There are only buildings around here anyway—you can’t even see a mountain.”
“Instead, I can see your future. One more word out of you, and I have a feeling this room will be drenched in blood.”
“….”
Damn old bastard. And here he is cosplaying as some kind of physician or whatever.
Shuddering at the vicious antics of this charlatan physician, I turned my head toward Chung Poong.
“So what brings you here?”
“I came to say goodbye.”
“What?”
Chung Poong scratched the back of his head and laughed.
“When you told me to go first in front of the Alliance Master Hall earlier, I had a feeling my benefactor would be leaving soon. Hehe.”
Though I’d never said it directly, it seemed Chung Poong had already guessed as much.
After a moment’s hesitation, I nodded readily.
“That’s right. A mission.”
“Ah. So where are you going?”
“The Southern Wilderness.”
“The Southern… Wilderness?”
At my answer, Chung Poong’s eyes widened. Moon-kyung, who had been thinking about something, muttered quietly.
“The Southern Wilderness… the Yasoo Palace?”
“Yes.”
“That strange phenomenon. It’s because of the rifts.”
“Correct. If a second rift occurs, Dark Heaven would find it difficult to locate a more suitable place than there.”
“It’s certainly a plausible theory. Moreover, given the distance and treacherous terrain from the Central Plains, if the Southern Beast Palace falls, chaos would spread like wildfire starting from Yunnan.”
I share Moon-kyung’s assessment.
If Dark Heaven truly schemes in the Southern Wilderness and succeeds, the flames of war won’t stop at Yunnan Province alone.
Gwiju and Guangxi, which are adjacent to each other. And it will spread to Sichuan as well, which suffered considerable damage from the last battle.
Gwiju and Guangxi are particularly vulnerable foundations.
The number of martial sects and practitioners in each province is fewer than other regions, and their collective strength is inferior, so they would certainly ignite more rapidly.
“A journey to the Southern Wilderness under these circumstances—it will be a perilous path indeed.”
“If nothing happens, we should count ourselves fortunate. If otherwise… we must prevent it by any means necessary.
“With merely six of you?”
“A full six, yes.”
“…?”
“From what I’ve heard in the rumors, among them there is one young, handsome supreme master who received teachings from both Fire King and Kill Star. Have you perhaps heard of such a person?”
“I haven’t. Especially not the part about being handsome.”
“…Ah, yes.”
Moon-kyung cut through my nonsense with surgical precision, then continued while gazing at Chung Poong.
“But I have heard another rumor. That some fool obsessed with dumplings has latched onto a young physician and is learning martial arts through sheer observation.”
“What?”
What exactly did I just hear?
My thoughts apparently displayed themselves plainly across my face. Moon-kyung nodded upon seeing my expression.
“It’s probably exactly what you’re thinking right now.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s the truth.”
“But why would you abandon King-God Sword Saint and deliberately choose someone with such a terrible personality… My apologies. The words just slipped out.”
I deliberately averted my gaze from the chilling glint in Moon-kyung’s eyes as he drew a small blade from his sleeve, and looked toward Chung Poong instead.
“If you’re being coerced, blink your eyes twice.”
“This damnable…”
“Hehe. It’s all true, benefactor.”
I stared intently at Chung Poong and shrugged my shoulders.
“I know. I was just joking around.”
I don’t need to hear it to understand. Why he sought out Moon-kyung. What he hoped to gain from him.
‘To become stronger. To change and adapt to this world.’
It was a story from more than a year ago.
As I headed toward the inn, a young man dressed in rags approached me and suddenly asked for just one pastry.
Despite Hyuk Moo-jin’s objections, I gave him all my pastries, and that was how my connection with Chung Poong began.
‘So much has changed. Both me and that fellow.’
The third son of the Taewon Jin Family, once called the family’s disgrace, became a supreme master who shook the Martial World, and the young genius who loved martial arts and found great joy in both large and small matters of the world gradually developed an unwavering resolve.
It cannot be seen, yet it is felt.
The change in Chung Poong that others could not perceive—only a select few around me, including myself, understood it.
Tap.
Suddenly I reached out and tapped Chung Poong’s shoulder, and his eyes widened in surprise.
“Benefactor?”
“Just… keep your strength up.”
Chung Poong’s eyes, which had been fixed upon me, curved into crescents.
“Yes. You as well, benefactor.”
“Of course I must be stronger. At least Cheong So-hyup has something I can rely on, but this side has no hillside to lean against.”
Moon Kyung-i, who had been silently observing the exchange between me and Chung Poong, suddenly opened his mouth.
“Now that you mention it, I don’t see that hillside.”
“That hillside remains in Hanan, and only I and the others will depart.”
“Well, that’s something you learn only by living long. Fire King, to think he would make such a decision.”
“It’s awkward to say, but I’ll call it righteousness. We need more hands in the current situation.”
Even as I answered, a hollow emptiness gnawed at one corner of my heart.
Perhaps it was because this was the first time I would move separately from Jeok Cheon-gang since our first meeting.
Even when Jeok Cheon-gang lost consciousness for an extended period, we were always together.
‘But now it’s time to stand alone.’
Jeok Cheon-gang’s embrace was vast and spacious, but I had grown too quickly to remain within it any longer.
And the tumultuous circumstances would not permit our continued companionship.
‘Could it be…?’
A fleeting thought brushed across my mind, and I turned my head slightly to gaze out the window.
Yet the faces passing along the main road were all unfamiliar and indistinct.
The person I was waiting for never appeared.
‘That’s too much.’
At least come see my face one last time.
Words that lingered on my tongue before fading away.
I had already bid farewell before leaving the office to receive my orders, but the feeling of disappointment was unavoidable.
I too was a person before being a Hunter or a martial artist.
“…Well, I’ll see you again soon enough.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s nothing. Just talking to myself.”
Just as I was about to tear my gaze from the window, a small cargo cart began rattling toward me from the distance.
It was a sight you could see anywhere, not just in Hanan, but if a master of the highest caliber sat in the coachman’s seat with their identity concealed by disguise, that was another matter entirely.
‘Song Il-seom.’
Finally arrived.
It was undoubtedly Ju Hwa-ran, who had completed all preparations within half an hour as promised, who had sent this cart to secretly spirit me away from Hanan.
I could already sense Hyuk Moo-jin’s footsteps ascending the stairs from the floor below.
‘Is it time to depart?’
This separate annex had become quite familiar, but it seems my karma for wandering is particularly strong in this life.
I glanced around once more before offering my farewells to the two men.
“I should leave before it gets too late. Thank you for coming all this way. And you too, Cheong So-hyup.”
Chung Poong, who had been hesitating, suddenly thrust forward the bundle he had been holding.
“This is for you, benefactor.”
“What is it?”
“Dumplings. I bought them from the most delicious shop in Hanan. I wanted to eat them, but I held back thinking of you.”
Moon Kyung-i quietly added his comment.
“He ate at least five on the way here. That’s what ‘holding back’ means to him.”
“Ah, ahhh….”
I had already sensed it from the aroma, but emotion is emotion nonetheless. Even if five were missing, that feeling would not diminish.
“Thank you. I’ll enjoy this well. Then I’ll be on my way.”
With a quiet chuckle, I accepted the bundle and turned to leave when a thread of transmitted sound pierced my ear.
– Do you know? Every single one of those I’ve taught has died.
“…!”
– So don’t die in vain. If you perish in the Southern Wilderness, all my patience until now will have been wasted.
It was truly a grim sort of concern. Yet what mattered was that this sentiment was conveyed to me as clearly as the dumpling in my hand.
Standing tall, I gave a small nod and immediately moved forward.
Thud.
My footsteps rang out with unusual clarity—a powerful, resolute stride.

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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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