Murim Login - Chapter 650

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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 650
The banquet held in the Inner Palace alongside the Tribal Council that day finally began winding down as the Hour of the Ox drew to a close.
For me, it was a relief beyond measure.
Otherwise, I would have endured the stares and whispers emanating from all directions throughout the entire night.
“That Han tribesman, they say he was on top of the Pavilion with his lower garments removed?”
“What? What do you mean by that?”
“My cousin-in-law is part of the Inner Palace guard detail. Apparently, an emergency alert an hour ago was caused by this fellow.”
“Now that you mention it, I did hear a horn blast… but wait, wasn’t that when he disappeared to see Yo-hee?”
“He didn’t go to see Yo-hee—he wanted to show her something else. That’s how people’s tastes are, isn’t it? Could be a custom from the Central Plains, I suppose.”
“My. I didn’t know the Central Plains had such barbaric customs.”
“Barbaric beyond compare. But setting that aside, it does seem rather impressive.”
“Impressive in what way?”
“Well, you know.”
“Ah….”
“According to my cousin-in-law, they nearly attacked him thinking he was wielding a weapon. He said they didn’t realize it was a spear until they shone a torch on it.”
“What? How could anyone confuse that with a spear? That doesn’t make sense.”
“Heh. This person. Why would ‘dragon’ be in his epithet for nothing? Truly, the real deal is the real deal.”
“Hehehehehehe!”
Ding.
– Rumors about you are spreading far and wide!
– A considerable number of influential figures are reacting to the rumors!
– Your Renown has increased slightly!
– Your Renown has increased slightly!
“….”
Please, make it stop. And why is my Renown increasing again?
‘This life is absolutely ridiculous….’
I deliberately ignored the whispers drifting from those around me and drained what little remained of my wine cup. At the sight of me, Beast King Miao Wang chuckled heartily and patted my shoulder.
“Don’t take it to heart. A man living his life—these things happen.”
“No, if you say it like that, it really sounds intentional. It was just a mistake, I tell you. I was in such a hurry leaving that I forgot to secure my waistband….”
“Hmm? What would make you leave in such a hurry?”
“Ah, well.”
Damn it. I let that slip by accident. I haven’t yet informed Beast King Miao Wang about the mysterious letter sent by that unknown person.
After a moment of silence, I opened my mouth with a sense of resignation.
“Actually, I did it on purpose.”
“Oh my.”
“It’s been like that since I was young. I still do it often.”
“Good heavens.”
“It’s my hobby and specialty. You think I only wield one spear, right? Actually, I wield two.”
“Hehehehe.”
If I die in the Southern Wilderness, no matter how it happens, the cause of death will inevitably be death by shame.
But there was no choice now. The fact that the other party had made contact this way, in secret, meant I shouldn’t reveal it to anyone else.
‘At the very least, no one within the Southern Beast Palace should know about this.’
I certainly trusted Beast King Miao Wang, but nowhere in the Martial World were trust and faith treated as cheaply as they were here.
No one knew what might happen.
And part of my decision to keep this secret stemmed from the thought that if Beast King Miao Wang learned of it, someone else might catch on.
For example…
‘That man, for instance.’
My eyes met those of Baek Sang, who was staring at this place with an emotionless gaze. The more I looked, the more his eyes revealed nothing of his thoughts.
Throughout the banquet, he hadn’t touched a single drop of alcohol or morsel of food, and when our eyes met, he straightened his pristine white robes, rose from his seat, and spoke.
“Palace Master, the night has grown late. Shall we conclude the gathering?”
“Hmm. Yes, let’s.”
Beast King Miao Wang nodded without hesitation.
Considering that the Tribal Council would continue tomorrow, it was only natural.
Of course, since they were all masters of martial arts, they wouldn’t suffer from hangovers, but drinking in such an excessive atmosphere was bound to cloud one’s mind.
Tap. Tap-tap.
As Beast King Miao Wang expelled the alcohol toxins through his fingertips and announced the end of the banquet with a clear face, voices tinged with regret echoed throughout the hall.
‘Those people won’t be it, at least. Seeing them regret the banquet ending when the promised time is approaching.’
After quickly confirming the faces of those expressing regret, I spoke to Beast King Miao Wang.
“Yalul Great Hero, I should retire as well.”
“Of course you should. But which pavilion are you thinking of heading to this time?”
“….”
Seriously.
Seeing my expression, Beast King Miao Wang tapped his knee with amusement and laughed. I sighed and left the gathering with Nam Ho and the other sect members.
The night had grown deep, and the hour was approaching the Tiger Hour.
Now it was time to meet the owner of the letter.
* * *
“Will you be alright going alone? It could be a trap.”
On the path to the quarters assigned to the Fire Dragon Pavilion, I reassured Nam Ho, whose eyes showed concern.
“It’s fine. Besides, Old Master Nam would just be dead weight if he came along.”
“….”
“Were you actually planning to follow me?”
“I’ve lived long enough, but I don’t want to die a dog’s death.”
“Then stay at the quarters. With the other two lumps of dead weight.”
Tae-san, as always, had no particular thoughts on the matter, and Sa Ma-pyo expressed some displeasure at being treated as dead weight despite being the sect’s finest late-stage master, but he closed his mouth after hearing my words.
“If you’re so upset about it, reach the peak of the pinnacle realm.”
“…”
“I can survive no matter what, but you can’t. Keep watch around the quarters until I return. Practice your sword technique a bit more in the meantime.”
We entered the quarters together as if nothing was amiss, and after waiting a moment, I slipped out discreetly and melted into the darkness.
‘Around the Tiger Hour. The West Gate, they said.’
Whether the contents of the letter attached to the arrow were a trap or a contact for information, I couldn’t be sure. There was nothing to do but go and see for myself.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
How long had I been moving, evading the eyes of patrolling warriors?
The cheers and cacophony that had echoed from afar drew closer.
Swish! Splash!
– Waaaah!
The banquet in the Inner Palace had ended, but the festivities in the Outer Palace continued unabated. It would be the same tomorrow and the day after as well.
The common tribespeople—neither tribal leaders attending the council nor warriors standing guard—were thoroughly immersed in the festival atmosphere.
‘So that’s why they chose the Outer Palace. It’s the busiest time of the year.’
Muttering inwardly, I naturally blended into the crowd.
The streets teemed with people wearing animal masks befitting the festive mood, and no one suspected me, wearing the tiger mask I’d used before.
‘The West Gate… is it that way?’
Though the Outer Palace was alive with festival cheer, the vigilance hadn’t slackened.
Evading the eyes of warriors stationed throughout, I soon arrived at the West Gate.
To be more precise, it was somewhere near the West Gate, still crowded with people.
‘I’ve come as the letter instructed, at least.’
There were far too many people around, and being near the West Gate, the number of stationed warriors was considerable.
Standing out conspicuously in such circumstances would be foolish.
‘What happens next?’
As I looked around, puzzled—
“Hey, you there with the tiger mask. If you’ve got nothing to do, come have a bowl of noodles with me?”
At the mention of the tiger mask, I turned to see a middle-aged man sitting at a nearby food stall, our eyes meeting.
His eyes and expression were ordinary, his frame gaunt, and he grinned at my gaze, holding up the bowl before him.
“I’m not usually the type to strike up conversations with strangers, but the broth here is exceptional.”
“…Mm.”
Well. It seemed more than just the broth was exceptional.
For a moment brief enough to call an instant, I studied the middle-aged man in silence, then nodded and sat beside him.
And finally, I sent a thread of sound transmission toward this unexpected contact.
– Remarkably, you’ve lost quite a bit of weight in such a short time. You seemed to eat quite heartily at the Banquet Hall.
– …!
Clatter!
His gaunt frame trembled with shock, visibly shaken.
I picked up the chopsticks he’d dropped and continued the sound transmission.
– So, what brings the Great Chieftain of the Yi Tribe to such a place?
At the sound transmission piercing his ear, Hyuk-ung’s eyes widened dramatically.
* * *
Whether shocked at being recognized so instantly, Hyuk-ung showed clear signs of surprise, though I was equally astonished.
‘He sent the letter?’
Though our meetings had been few and far between, I’d already formed my own judgment of Hyuk-ung.
A pathetic man completely smitten with Yo-hee’s beauty, willing to give up everything. A puppet moving without conviction at Baek Sang’s behest.
Perhaps that’s why I was all the more surprised.
The figure before me now, his appearance and behavior, were completely different from everything I had known until this moment. The well-fed belly that seemed ready for a pilgrimage to sacred grounds had vanished without a trace.
‘If not for the system, I would have been utterly deceived.’
Inwardly clicking my tongue, I placed the chopsticks back into his hand, accompanying the gesture with a natural remark that drew no attention from those around us.
“Why did you suddenly drop the chopsticks? Even if you’re weak, that’s strange.”
At my words, Hyuk-ung hastily composed his expression.
“Ah, thank you.”
Yet within that conversation, the silent transmission of voice that only we could hear was a secret known only to Hyuk-ung and me.
“Elder, one bowl of thin noodles, please.”
As I placed the order, I moved my lips subtly.
– The carrier pigeon tied to the arrow—you sent it, didn’t you?
When the bent-backed proprietor didn’t budge, Hyuk-ung slammed the counter loudly.
“Owner! One bowl of thin noodles!”
Then, turning to me with a grin, he spoke.
“Forgive him. The owner here is well over ninety, so his hearing isn’t what it used to be.”
– …That’s true. But you changed your appearance with the Bone-Shrinking Art. How did you recognize me at a glance?
Ah, the Bone-Shrinking Art.
One mystery regarding Hyuk-ung’s sudden transformation was solved.
According to what Jeok Cheon-gang had told me in the past, the Bone-Shrinking Art was a martial technique that allowed one to stretch and compress bones and flesh like rubber bands. Because the cultivation process was complicated and agonizing, few in the Central Plains learned it.
‘But even so, it shouldn’t be a common technique in the Southern Wilderness either.’
There were still many unresolved questions. I muttered to myself while waiting for the noodles to arrive.
“I was craving some hot broth anyway, so this works out well.”
– Recognition isn’t important, so let’s move past that. What was your reason for sending such a message?
Hyuk-ung answered as he handed me the chopsticks.
“I don’t know about other things, but the broth here is exceptional. The owner has been running this place for as long as he’s been alive.”
– There was information I absolutely had to convey.
“Ah, really? Then I have high expectations.”
– Were you trying to kill me, or trying to inform me? I nearly had an arrow hole through my skull.
– I thought you would dodge it. Even Baek Sang, the great tribal leader, couldn’t avoid a setback against you. Surely you wouldn’t fail to evade a single arrow.
“….”
I wasn’t sure if he knew that this was the reason I became exposed.
Contemplating whether to give Hyuk-ung a good smack on the head, I exercised restraint with a generous heart and asked.
– So. What is this information you absolutely had to convey?
Hyuk-ung stared intently at the bowl from which steam rose in wisps, and with difficulty, he moved his lips.
– Baek Sang, the great tribal leader… has colluded with Dark Heaven.
“…!”
Thud.
In that instant, without my awareness, the chopsticks snapped helplessly in my grip, which had tightened with force.

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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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