Murim Login - Chapter 617

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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 617
Whoooosh!
A dozen or so fast ships rapidly approaching the waterside were visible to anyone who wasn’t blind.
And for martial artists who had reached the realm of enlightenment, there was no need to mention it.
“The Water Dragon Stronghold…”
Sa Ma-pyo muttered, having rushed here in a single breath using his movement technique.
With his eyes narrowed, he had been staring at the flags of the fast ships, but now his gaze shifted toward me.
“You said to wait a moment—was it because of this?”
“That’s right.”
“Sichuan is a land full of treacherous terrain, so if we travel down the Yangtze River, we could certainly move faster than we do now. But the fact that our counterpart is the Yangtze River Water Bandit Alliance troubles me somewhat.”
Sa Ma-pyo’s hint of distrust had good reason behind it.
The Yangtze River Water Bandit Alliance was fundamentally a group of water thieves who made plunder their profession.
Moreover, their leader, the Sea King Fa-ryun, was widely regarded in society as a considerably cunning individual, regardless of his personal martial prowess.
‘He didn’t even attend when the Martial Alliance was formed, for some reason.’
Whether it was due to illness or distance, I couldn’t say.
He merely sent an envoy to convey his intention to join and made an official announcement. Of course, the Green Forest Alliance did the same.
These two forces were closer to the heterodox sects than the orthodox ones, and it was more accurate to view them as plunderers who had built their own powerful territories rather than as sects at all.
“I’ve heard Fa-ryun is someone whose true intentions are unknowable. Even in Hanan, rumors related to him circulate in whispers.”
“Something like he’s the type to attach himself to Dark Heaven when the time comes?”
“You seem to have heard of it.”
“Are my ears just for decoration? And since we’re on the subject anyway.”
I spoke quietly, looking at Sa Ma-pyo.
“If what you say about public opinion is true, then the Yangtze River Water Bandit Alliance and the Black Dragon Demon Gate are one and the same.”
“…!”
“That’s right. Am I wrong?”
Sa Ma-pyo, who had been silent for a moment, replied with a bitter expression.
“Now that I think about it, you seem right.”
“It’s not ‘seem right’—it is right, my friend. If you look at it carefully, the Black Dragon Demon Gate is actually worse. At least they steal indiscriminately from orthodox and heterodox alike, but you lot are unmistakably heterodox through and through.”
“…I understand well enough, so stop. Listening to this is making my head spin.”
Tae-san, who had been prowling around Sa Ma-pyo like a large hound, spoke up.
“Master. Tae-san’s head is also spinning from hunger.”
“…”
Ah, watching this is making my head spin too. I rubbed my throbbing temples and opened my mouth.
“And one more thing. Those water thieves are trustworthy, so don’t worry needlessly.”
“Trustworthy water thieves. That’s like saying a martial artist who hasn’t learned martial arts.”
“It’s a long story, but in any case, we have a strong bond of sorts.”
I don’t know what kind of person the Sea King Fa-ryun is.
But even if the public’s assessment of him were true, my thoughts about Sun Hwa-ah Moo-song wouldn’t change.
At least the Moo-song I’ve seen and experienced is someone with integrity and righteousness.
There’s no rule that a disciple must resemble their master, after all.
‘Just the fact that they came running like this the moment I sent word after arriving in Sichuan tells me everything I need to know.’
While I was thinking such thoughts, a dozen or so men came pouring out of the Fast Ship that had just arrived at the riverbank.
Splash!
Like Water Thieves seasoned on the Yangtze River, their rough momentum and movements sent water spraying in all directions.
With bronze-hued muscles exposed between their loose robes, they came rushing forward in swift strides and took their fists in salute.
“Jin Dae-hyeop!”
“We came as fast as we could after receiving your message.”
These were Moo-song’s direct subordinates, all of them squad leaders or higher within the Water Dragon Stronghold.
Though I had seen their faces countless times during my last visit to Sichuan, the one face I was most familiar with was nowhere to be found.
“All familiar faces here. But where’s Senior Moo-song?”
Bu-chae-ju answered my question immediately.
“Ah, I apologize, but he departed two days ago for the General Assembly.”
“The General Assembly… of the Yangtze River Water Bandit Alliance?”
“Yes, sir. The Alliance Leader’s orders brook no delay whatsoever.”
“I see.”
Within the Yangtze River Water Bandit Alliance, the Sea King’s commands were absolute. Sun Hwa-ah Moo Song, his direct disciple, could not refuse the summons.
I gazed at the Water Thieves with eyes that held both regret and gratitude.
“Still, I’m grateful you came so promptly despite everything. And without Senior Moo-song here, no less.”
Bu-chae-ju, startled, waved his hand frantically.
“No, no. Please don’t say such things. The Stronghold Master showed remarkable foresight and gave us very strict instructions regarding you before departing.”
“Instructions about me?”
“Yes. He said that if one has received a debt of gratitude, one must repay it. Since there’s the matter of the late Long River Blade Sect’s Hwang Dae-hyup, he instructed us to do whatever we could to help, should the Taewon Jin Family or you ever need assistance.”
“Ah, Senior Moo-song truly understands honor. A true knight-errant, through and through.”
See? I told you.
Just as I was smiling contentedly and giving Sa Ma-pyo a meaningful glance, one of the larger Water Thieves beside me whispered to Bu-chae-ju with a bewildered expression.
“Um, Bu-chae-ju, sir.”
“What?”
“Didn’t the Stronghold Master also say that if we didn’t help, you’d throw a fit and destroy the Fast Ship anyway, so we might as well do whatever he wanted?”
“Ah. Ahem. You fool Jang Pil!”
“…”
“…”
In an instant, silence descended.
The gazes of our proud Hwaryong Pavilion members, let alone the Water Thieves, were piercing.
From the suddenly quiet surroundings, Ju Hwa-ran muttered softly, barely audibly.
“What exactly have you been doing that even the Water Thieves…”
A single remark that struck at my very core. I felt my chest grow heavy as I gazed out at the endless expanse of the Yangtze River.
I wanted to make some excuse, but the truth was I had been throwing tantrums and using them like a taxi service, so there was nothing I could say.
“In some ways, you’re worse than the unorthodox sects.”
Ignoring Sa Ma-pyo’s parting remark, I looked at Bu-chae-ju with sorrowful eyes.
“Let’s depart.”
“Yes, understood.”
“And Bu-chae-ju, come with me later. Bring that friend Jang Pil along as well.”
“….”
Bu-chae-ju, who had been staring at me with eyes filled with fear, cried out in a hollow voice.
“Raise the anchor! Raise the anchor!”
I’m certain it was just my imagination that I detected a tremor of emotion in his voice.
* * *
Whoooosh!
The bow of the ship cut swiftly and powerfully through the river waters.
Spring had arrived, bringing favorable winds, and the oarsmanship of the Water Thieves, honed by years of plunder, had reached an incomparable level of mastery.
Of course, even though these men had been reformed by Moo-song and were relatively virtuous Water Thieves, their inherent instincts remained unchanged.
“Five vessels spotted to the southeast!”
“Ah, Captain Bu-chae-ju. They appear to be merchant ships of considerable size!”
“Merchant ships? Then we plunder them!”
Plunder what, you lunatics? There’s nothing to take here.
As everyone, including myself, watched the situation unfold with bewildered expressions, Bu-chae-ju’s face suddenly crumpled.
“You brainless fools! We have honored guests aboard, and this is how you behave? Do you have no basic courtesy whatsoever?”
“We… we apologize.”
Listening to Water Thieves speak with such stern propriety, one might mistake them for the legendary Judge Bao himself.
After sternly rebuking his subordinates, Bu-chae-ju approached us and bowed respectfully.
“I apologize for showing you such an unseemly display.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing.”
I smiled good-naturedly and continued.
“I understand. It’s your profession, after all. These things happen.”
“Thank you for your understanding. We’ll quickly take what we need and set off again.”
“Huh?”
“It won’t take long—half an hour at most. We’ll handle it swiftly and send them on their way….”
“Lie down.”
After a minor incident, once Bu-chae-ju had prostrated himself a few times, even that commotion subsided.
And throughout all this, the Fast Ship continued forward, riding the favorable winds.
One day, two days. Four days….
As time flowed swiftly, the members of the Fire Dragon Pavilion aboard the ship focused on their respective tasks.
Whoosh! Hum!
Sa Ma-pyo and Song Il-seom devoted themselves to their martial training without any conflict after the first day.
“Tae-san. I love sashimi. But I can’t catch any fish. Give me just one.”
“This man has no conscience. I barely managed to catch a few fish after all that effort, and now he’s pestering me for them? Commander, this fellow keeps bothering me. Could you take him off my hands?”
“Hand over all the fish you’ve caught so far. And slice them into sashimi, of course.”
“Tae-san. I’m impressed. Is the commander a genius?”
“….”
Hyuk Moo-jin and Tae-san spent most of their time fishing at the bow of the ship.
Of course, there were plenty of days when the fishing yielded nothing, and Hyuk Moo-jin often had even those meager catches stolen by others, yet he voiced no particular complaints.
I knew, however, that his silence stemmed not from resignation, but from something else entirely.
After all, even the act of fishing itself had nothing to do with catching fish.
‘That’s why he says nothing.’
Hyuk Moo-jin fished as a means to empty his mind, nothing more.
Even when the float bobbed before his eyes, he wouldn’t eagerly seize the rod. Instead, night after night, he locked himself in the cabin to practice martial arts or immerse himself in breathing techniques.
Day by day, with each passing hour drawing us closer to Yunnan, everyone aboard prepared for potential combat in their own way—and I was no exception.
‘Open Quest window.’
Ding.
Quest
[Southern Wilderness Expedition]
The Martial Alliance Leader Mae Jong-hak has assigned your first mission at the Fire Dragon Pavilion.
You must now proceed 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 only
Objective
: Enter the Southern Wilderness (Incomplete)
Reward
: Linked Quest
???
Failure
: Obtain title [Never Reached the Southern Wilderness]
Reputation and trust significantly decreased
I’d received this quest roughly two weeks ago by Murim’s reckoning—over a month if you counted time in the modern world.
As I carefully reviewed the Quest window to see if I’d missed anything, a faint floral fragrance drifted through the breeze.
“Why are you staring so intently at empty air?”
It was Ju Hwa-ran.
I closed the hologram window and gazed solemnly at the night sky, studded with countless stars.
“I was reading the heavens.”
“Is that so? Really?”
“Yes, truly.”
“How impressive.”
Ju Hwa-ran chuckled softly and asked.
“So, what did the heavens tell you?”
“That the weather will be fine today.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes, Miss Ju. Do you see the Big Dipper up there?”
Following my finger as I pointed skyward, Ju Hwa-ran blinked her eyes.
“Hmm. Yes.”
“Why?”
“Dae-hyeop. I apologize, but that isn’t the Big Dipper.”
“…That can’t be right. Did its shape change while I wasn’t looking?”
“Pardon?”
This is nonsense, pure nonsense.
The moment the words left my lips, I regretted them. In my sudden embarrassment, I could only scratch my chin, and Ju Hwa-ran burst into laughter.
“You certainly have an amusing way of reading the heavens.”
“To be honest, I don’t really understand celestial divination. I just observe the situation and make do as circumstances demand.”
“I know. Still, I’d like to hear more. And as it happens, there’s something I’ve been personally curious about. May I ask you?”
I smacked my lips before responding.
“As I’ve already mentioned, I don’t know how to read such things.”
“As I’ve already said, I know that. But this isn’t about the heavens—it’s something I want to ask you directly.”
“Then it’s no problem. I’ll answer whatever I can.”
Tap.
Ju Hwa-ran leaped lightly onto the bow and gazed at the dark waters of the river before speaking.
“What will happen to us going forward?”
With the Southern Wilderness drawing near, Ju Hwa-ran’s anxiety was unmistakable.
How could I reassure her? After a moment of thought, I opened my mouth.
“I cannot say for certain. There’s a strong possibility that Dark Heaven is plotting something, but fortunately, nothing may happen at all.”
The Southern Wilderness was classified as Sae Oe—a remote and desolate region.
Moreover, it was a vast land inhabited by numerous ethnic minorities, including the Southern Beast Palace, which could be called the hegemon of the Southern Wilderness, and the Miao Clan.
If my ominous premonition proved entirely true and Dark Heaven was scheming something in the Southern Wilderness, countless perils would await me and the Hwaryong Pavilion.
But….
“Nothing will happen. No matter what occurs, we’ll return home safely. This much, at least, I promise you.”
Ju Hwa-ran didn’t answer. Instead, she gazed at me with an indecipherable expression—not briefly, but for a very long time.
“Miss Ju?”
“…Yes. I see.”
A short murmur emerged from the silence.
Ju Hwa-ran, a faint smile playing at her lips, shook her head gently.
Her lustrous hair, which even her veil couldn’t conceal, rippled like the river waters.
“I’ll trust you, Dae-hyeop.”
“…?”
An unsettling feeling. Had my answer been wrong? As I fell into thought for a moment, Bu-chae-ju appeared with a torch in hand, his face flushed with excitement.
“Jin Dae-hyeop. We’ve arrived.”
“…!”
“…!”

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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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