Murim Login - Chapter 651

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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 651
There are countless matters in this world that cannot be resolved by conviction alone.
This holds true whether in the twenty-first century Modern World where I have spent my entire life, or in the Murim—a realm that is, by comparison, virtually lawless.
How much more so when the matter concerns someone who occupies a position of supreme authority in the vast expanse of the Southern Wilderness—one man standing above ten thousand.
And yet….
– Baek Sang, the Great Patriarch, is colluding with Dark Heaven.
“…!”
Now the situation took on an entirely different complexion.
Muttering inwardly, I set down the chopsticks I had carelessly snapped in half.
The elderly proprietor of the street stall, witnessing this, grumbled with a mixture of displeasure, but my entire focus was concentrated upon a single person—Hyuk-ung alone.
– Are you certain of what you just said?
– Certain, yes. Or at least, it seems certain to me.
What?
I barely restrained my brow from furrowing involuntarily.
– That sounds to me like you’re saying you lack physical evidence. This matter cannot merely seem certain—it must be certain.
– But….
Hyuk-ung swallowed dryly before continuing his transmission.
– This is the best I can offer you. Baek Sang, the Great Patriarch, harbors far too many secrets. Though I myself lead one of the four great tribes of the Southern Wilderness, he shares no deep counsel with me regarding any matter whatsoever.
Brief though the moment was, I saw it clearly—an emotion that flickered across Hyuk-ung’s countenance as he uttered those final words.
It was unmistakably contempt.
Resentment that had likely accumulated within him for years untold.
As I gazed upon him thus, my lips suddenly moved.
– Is that so?
– Is that so? What do you mean?
– I’m asking whether your reason for betraying the man you once served and sending me that secret letter—whether you’re revealing all this because of your feelings toward Baek Sang.
– Be, betrayal? That is….
– If this isn’t betrayal, then I’m not Han but a denizen of the Southern Wilderness. So don’t deny it.
As though struck at his core, Hyuk-ung clenched his lips and gave a small nod.
– You’re right. I won’t deny it. Shortly after my father fell in the Great Battle of Zheng Ma, I grew up from childhood until now beneath the shadow of Baek Sang, the Great Patriarch. Or rather, I should say I was dragged along with an invisible leash fastened around my neck. But my decision to meet with you stemmed from more than merely that.
– Then what?
– I wish to protect the Southern Wilderness, to protect my kinsmen.
– …!
– The Baek Sang I remember was always composed and brilliant. Precisely because of this, he would never bend his will—he believes his choices to be righteous. But if things continue as they are… the Southern Wilderness is finished.
I regarded Hyuk-ung in silence.
This clandestine conversation, held in a small street stall tucked away in a crowded marketplace, left me uncertain how much of it I should believe.
‘Can I trust him?’
The object of my doubt was not merely the information itself. Hyuk-ung, who had appeared so suddenly for this secret meeting, was equally suspect.
Indeed, in some respects, whether I could trust him was the most crucial question of all. Only then could I trust the information he had yet to fully disclose.
‘Everything he has shown me thus far seemed genuine. But what if it is all an act?’
The Murim is a world so volatile and fierce that the future cannot be predicted.
Swindlers. Third-rate bullies. Demon Masters and hypocrites. This multitude of human archetypes mingled together, deceiving one another, drawing daggers and stabbing backs.
‘Nothing in the Murim surprises me anymore.’
As I quietly assessed the situation, the elderly proprietor broke the brief silence.
Clack.
Struggling with the weight, he set down the bowl with trembling hands, and broth sloshed over the rim.
The cheap thin noodles—worth barely a few coins—tangled haphazardly in the bowl, much like the thoughts swirling in my mind.
“Finally arrived. Try the broth first. That’s the real thing.”
Hyuk-ung forced brightness into his voice, but his eyes darted nervously across the surroundings, betraying his anxiety.
– Be careful. Baek Sang has eyes and ears I cannot see. I must return within at least two hours to avoid suspicion.
– Did you slip away while you were with him?
– No. But there’s always a watcher nearby. A spy planted long ago to monitor my movements. Today should be safe enough, though.
The subject of who had planted that spy went unspoken, but it hardly mattered. The answer I would hear next was one I already knew.
‘It must be Baek Sang.’
Staring blankly at noodles steaming before me would be far too conspicuous.
I ate as naturally as possible while transmitting my voice.
– How long have you been under surveillance?
– I’m not entirely certain myself. But I first noticed it around my twenties, and for more than twenty years since, I’ve been wary of Baek Sang. That’s why I secretly learned the Bone Shrinking Technique. Though the training is difficult, unlike other martial arts, it leaves almost no trace of practice.
At this point, I had to revise my assessment of Hyuk-ung somewhat.
‘He’s quite capable.’
It was amusing to offer such praise to someone well past forty, but compared to how he’d been grinning foolishly before people just hours ago, it was like comparing heaven and earth.
‘Has he found his own way to survive?’
Hyuk-ung’s sudden contact remained suspicious, but hearing his story, I found myself trusting him more than I initially had.
The noodles, which tasted far better than I’d expected, likely helped as well.
Slurp.
I drained the rich broth and placed a few coins beside the empty bowl.
Rising without hesitation, I patted Hyuk-ung’s shoulder reassuringly.
“You were right. This place makes excellent broth.”
“I’m, I’m glad you think so. But where are you going now….”
“Why? Once you’ve finished eating, it’s time to leave. You look like you have places to be too, don’t you?”
At that moment, Hyuk-ung’s eyes widened slightly. He must have heard the transmission I’d sent along with my words.
– Follow me. Keep your distance and move slowly.
Having finished the appetizer with noodles, it was time for the main course.
– Let’s hear it. Everything you’ve seen and heard at Baek Sang’s side all this time.
* * *
The street market, so crowded there was barely room to stand.
Hyuk-ung and I, having slipped into the crowd, began moving slowly with a street’s length between us.
Occasionally we watched fireworks burst in the air, and I naturally turned my gaze toward the street, but the transmission flowing between my barely-moving lips never wavered from its target.
– I’ll ask directly. Is there evidence that Baek Sang is in collusion with Dark Heaven?
– Though I lack definitive proof, based on what I’ve observed, I’m certain.
– Without proof, that’s insufficient.
– I had no choice. Until now, I’ve lived like livestock confined within the fence that Baek Sang erected around me.
– Then what was the precise timing, and what led you to that conclusion?
– Though I was raised like livestock within that fence, it wasn’t as though I couldn’t glimpse beyond it. It’s merely a facade, but as the clan leader of the Yi Tribe, I could often sit alongside him. Or perhaps he simply thought me beneath his notice—a judgment not entirely wrong, I must admit.
With a self-deprecating remark, Hyuk-ung’s transmission continued.
– Do you know what sort of person Baek Sang is? What the White Tribe is?
– I’m not well-versed in Southern Wilderness affairs, but I’ve heard various accounts from reliable sources. I’ve also formed my own judgments regarding Baek Sang.
– Judgments, you say. How amusing.
– Amusing? What do you mean?
– It’s simple. I’ve known Baek Sang since I was very young, yet I’ve had to revise my judgment of him repeatedly. With each passing year, as my mind matured and my thoughts deepened, this became ever more apparent.
– …!
– He is such a man. This land, dense with trees and deep swamps, treacherous terrain of every kind—it tolerates no leakage of secrets. For instance….
His words trailed off into obscurity.
In the next moment, sensing a gaze upon me, I turned my head and met the brilliantly gleaming eyes of Hyuk-ung.
– The White Tribe’s finest warriors, even now waiting in some secret place within Southern Wilderness for their moment.
My footsteps halted abruptly without my intention. Turning my head toward the cushion beside me as naturally as possible, I moistened my lips.
– Please, continue.
– Have I ever spoken of what my late father was like? He was a clan leader of great renown and an exceptional warrior. The loyal retainers who followed him with all their hearts aided me by sacrificing their very lives. It was thanks to their sacrifice that I learned of the secret place.
– Do you know its precise location?
– I did. Twenty years ago.
– …Twenty years ago?
– The only thing that returned that day was not my retainers, but a single letter written in blood. Desperate, I used beast subjugation as a pretext and journeyed to the location written in that letter days later. Before I could even reach the mountain’s edge, I witnessed a massive inferno consuming the entire mountain.
– …!
– That blaze didn’t subside until more than a month and seven weeks had passed. What remained was nothing but ash. Isn’t that rather peculiar?
Hyuk-ung continued his transmission in a bitter tone.
– As my retainers died one by one, I learned new facts. That Baek Sang exchanged letters of unknown purpose on the first day of each month, between the hours of Tiger and Rabbit. That he vanished alone somewhere once every three months…. Ah, that changed to once monthly starting last year. The one who followed him then was my last trusted subordinate. I never saw him again after that.
As his story concluded, a heavy silence settled over us.
The surroundings were filled with cheerful chatter and cheers, yet Hyuk-ung and I remained exceptions.
‘Baek Sang and Dark Heaven. Dark Heaven and Baek Sang. And….’
Hyuk-ung.
Which among these held truth, and which held falsehood?
My mind grew hazy as though engulfed in poisonous mist.
Yet beyond that haze, the shadow of one person I had pursued with eyes and heart from the very beginning until now flickered distinctly.
‘Baek Sang.’
And another figure yet to reveal themselves.
A name suddenly brushed across my mind, and I sent a transmission toward Hyuk-ung.
– What of the other person?
– The other person? Whom do you mean?
– The other clan leader. Yo-hee.
– …!
– I’ve always wondered. Why you haven’t spoken a single word about her.
Beyond the people passing by, I catch sight of a withered figure swaying unsteadily. Hyuk-ung’s gaze, meeting in the empty air, trembles faintly.
– She… she’s done nothing wrong.
– Pardon?
– She simply made a misguided choice. Driven solely by the desire to revive the Yao Tribe….
His words trail off, growing indistinct. I stare at Hyuk-ung with vacant eyes, blinking slowly, when a chill runs down the back of my neck.
Damn it. Could this man possibly be…?
– Don’t tell me all of that wasn’t an act? You actually love Yo-hee?
– It’s not mere affection. It’s love.
– Excuse me, but are you insane?
– ….
I’m losing my mind. Truly.
So those foolish grins whenever he saw Yo-hee were genuine after all.
And on top of that, he’s even erected a spiritual shield that would make Magic Johnson weep.
Unable to comprehend the situation, I barely restrain the urge to push through the crowd toward him. Instead, I send him a forceful transmission.
– Can you say that in front of Yalu the Great Hero? That Yo-hee bears no fault?
– That’s precisely why I sought you out. First, I suspected the Palace Master would trust me less than Baek Sang the Great Patriarch. Second, I feared she would not forgive our Yo-hee.
– This is ridiculous. Our Yo-hee and this nonsense.
– …!
– Ah, my apologies. But this is truly absurd. Regardless, I understand well enough that your Yo-hee has sided with them.
Hyuk-ung’s complexion hardens sharply at my choice of words.
His lips quiver as if to speak, but he soon exhales a sigh.
– I’ve already resolved my heart before coming here. If you and the Palace Master wish it, I can testify as a witness at tomorrow’s grand council itself. However, I must receive assurance of safety for both Yo-hee and myself.
The former is a favorable proposal; the latter is an uncomfortable one.
And if these two proposals share a single common thread, it’s that this is a matter I cannot decide alone in this very moment.
Hyuk-ung is one thing, but in Yo-hee’s case, it amounts to granting amnesty to a traitor. I’m hardly Syngman Rhee accepting collaborators—I’m merely a UN force. How could I decide such a thing alone?
‘But if the Beast King Miao Wang grants his permission….’
If that happens, everything proceeds swiftly thereafter. Should Hyuk-ung’s words prove true, not only would we uproot Dark Heaven’s threat in the Southern Wilderness, but the Southern Beast Palace itself—a prize of immense value—might come under the Martial Alliance’s umbrella.
All contingent, however, on the truth of these claims.
– It must be the truth. It absolutely must be.
Ssshhhhh!
A wave of qi released solely to bind one person.
Hyuk-ung’s lips tremble as he feels the irresistible force, his face draining of color.
– My life. I stake my life on it.
I stare silently at Hyuk-ung before withdrawing my pressure.
Standing and gasping for breath, he glances around before nodding slightly and disappearing into the crowd.
By then, the hour he had mentioned has already passed.
“…Phew.”
Only then does my breath come freely, and I move forward with a deep inhalation.
Before reporting this news to the Beast King Miao Wang, I needed to stop by my quarters to consult with the Fire Dragon Pavilion members.
‘Troublesome people. As long as they don’t cause any incidents, that’s all I ask for.’
* * *
Sa Ma-pyo emerged into the clearing before his quarters for cultivation, and a thought suddenly seized him.
Was his misfortune born of an ill-fated destiny, or had the karmic retribution wrought by that accursed footnote figure flowed here like a torrent to drown him?
“That is why I ask.”
A crisp metallic whisper.
The Black Dragon Blade materialized with a chilling sound. Sa Ma-pyo, weapon in hand, continued forward as he spoke.
“What say you all?”
Rustle.
The grass surrounding the clearing trembled.

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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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