Murim Login - Chapter 66

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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 66
Thud, thud.
With each step the young man took, people instinctively parted ways.
It wasn’t merely his sculpted, exquisite features—the overwhelming aura that radiated from him left them awestruck.
He was unmistakably conspicuous, even from a distance.
“Wow, he’s handsome.”
The old Servant chuckled at the naive remark from a maidservant who had arrived last year.
“Wake up from that dream.”
“What are you saying? I’ve just never seen his face before, that’s all.”
“Didn’t you see him when the Third Young Master’s Pavilion collapsed?”
“There were so many people caught up in that chaos. Still, that man… even if I’d seen him during a war, I don’t think I could ever forget him, hehe.”
“True enough. Back then, his appearance was quite disheveled.”
The maidservant’s eyes widened as realization dawned.
“Oh, could it be…?”
“Yes. That’s the Second Young Master. So stop daydreaming and get back to work.”
Jin Moo-kyung passed through the murmurs around him with an indifferent expression, continuing forward.
Upon arriving at the elegant Pavilion, the martial artists guarding the entrance opened the doors for him—their gazes tinged with reverence.
“The Acting Family Head awaits you.”
“Thank you.”
What greeted him as he entered the Acting Family Head’s Office was the rich aroma of tea and the thunderous sound of his Elder Brother, Jin Wi-kyung, rushing toward him.
“Younger brother!”
Two wide-open arms pulled Jin Moo-kyung into a tight embrace.
For a moment, I considered dodging, but if I did, I’d have to witness this hulking man whimpering like a child.
“I can’t breathe.”
My tone was as stiff as a wooden doll’s.
“Is that what you say to your Elder Brother after three years?”
Jin Moo-kyung answered firmly.
“Even if it were thirty years, it would be the same.”
“You’ve grown cold. You’ve changed a lot.”
“Yes, I am a heartless, emotionless person.”
“That’s fine. I naturally run hot.”
“…Please let go.”
After a moment, the two sat facing each other and began to converse.
“I don’t see Wi Paeng around.”
The figure of Wi Paeng, who should always be at the Acting Family Head’s side like a shadow, was nowhere to be seen.
Jin Wi-kyung took a sip of tea before answering.
“I sent him to lead the pursuit squad. It’ll take at least half a month to make the round trip to Samun Gorge.”
“That far?”
If Taewon, where the family was located, was the heart of Shanxi Province, then Samun Gorge was practically its beginning and end. It was also a crossroads leading to Shaanxi and Hanan provinces, so even a fortnight seemed tight.
“Isn’t this just a formality? Aren’t you making him suffer unnecessarily?”
“Why? Are you apologizing?”
“I didn’t expect things to escalate this far.”
“Neither did I. I never thought you’d cause such a commotion the moment you arrived.”
“That’s not—”
“Moo-kyung.”
Unlike before, his tone carried a light reproach, and Jin Moo-kyung exhaled a long sigh.
“I had no intention of going that far. At first, I merely wanted to exchange a few moves.”
“And then?”
“He proved quite skilled. My blood was up, and I lost control of my strength.”
“I suppose so. The youngest you knew wouldn’t have been like that.”
Jin Moo-kyung nodded with a reluctant expression.
Having crossed hands with him just a couple of hours ago, he could no longer deny the truth.
“Since we’re on the subject, what exactly happened?”
“The youngest?”
“Everything. The letter I received only mentioned that the Hangsan Inspection Bureau was attacking.”
Since the Hangsan Inspection Bureau had declared war before sending the messenger, there was no way for him to know the details.
At best, he’d only heard rumors on his way to the Taewon Jin Family Estate.
“Is it true that the Grand Elder betrayed us?”
“Yes. It’s a long story.”
“How long?”
“It goes back forty years, to the Righteous Confrontation.”
The moment Jin Wi-kyung opened his mouth with a hardened expression—
“Never mind.”
“The Grand Elder at that time… what?”
“It’s all in the past anyway. What good would it do me to hear it?”
At the sight of his younger brother casually gulping down his tea, Jin Wi-kyung’s face filled with bewilderment.
“You brat!”
This was family secret history, after all. He’d always known the boy cared for nothing but martial arts, but he never expected it to be this bad.
“You should know! As a direct descendant of the Main Residence—”
“The Grand Elder betrayed us. And he died. In the process, the Hangsan Inspection Bureau was destroyed. The Taewon Jin Family emerged victorious. Is my understanding incorrect?”
“No, that’s right, but…”
Now he couldn’t tell who was being unreasonable. Confused, he suddenly recalled something.
“You said you’d tell me everything!”
“Ah, I’m canceling that. If I have to listen to events that happened before I was even born, I’ll grow old and die in this room. I’d rather spend that time swinging my sword a few more times.”
“…”
“I’ll take my leave then.”
“Leave? Where to?”
“To train, of course.”
“T-train? Now?”
“I came here hoping to spar with Wi and have a proper match, but since he’s not available, I should at least practice on my own, shouldn’t I?”
Jin Wi-kyung found himself at a loss for words. Was this how a younger brother who hadn’t seen his elder in three years was supposed to behave? Betrayal pierced through his chest.
“Moo-kyung!”
At his earnest call, Jin Moo-kyung replied coldly.
“Thank you for the tea.”
As his second brother departed from the office without so much as a backward glance, Jin Wi-kyung was engulfed in shock.
‘After all I’ve done to raise you.’
Both my second and youngest brother had grown so tall. They had matured into capable men, and while I felt proud, there were moments like this when I felt a pang of loneliness.
‘Yes, this is the natural way of things.’
Jin Wi-kyung exhaled a sigh so deep it seemed the earth itself might collapse, then seated himself before his work desk. He carefully began to piece together the ill-fated masterpiece that had been torn earlier—”The Birth of Heroes.”
* * *
“We found no traces.”
“No witnesses, no footprints left behind. This assassin moves like a phantom.”
At his subordinate’s words, Wi Paeng swallowed a bitter smile. Of course there were no traces to discover—there had never been an assassin to begin with.
‘I’m forced to play a role that fate never intended for me.’
A conversation from an hour ago with Jin Wi-kyung flashed through Wi Paeng’s mind.
‘An assassin? Aren’t you making this bigger than it needs to be?’
‘An opportunity has presented itself. We must seize it.’
‘Surely this opportunity isn’t to rebuild the Third Young Master’s Pavilion more grandly?’
‘Oh, that’s excellent. Let’s pursue it.’
‘My lord!’
‘I jest, I jest.’
‘Then what opportunity are you truly speaking of?’
That was when the smile vanished from his lord’s face.
‘An opportunity for the Main Residence to command all of Shanxi Province.’
‘…!’
‘Over the past five days, I’ve searched through every record in the family archives. There was a name I needed to find. You know what it is.’
‘Dark Heaven.’
‘Aren’t you curious about the results?’
‘You didn’t find it, did you.’
‘Clouds are gathering. Clouds that have never shown themselves before. We must prepare before they arrive.’
‘I await your command.’
‘I’ll assign thirty elite men to you. Head south immediately. Your official objective is to capture or eliminate the assassin, but your true mission is something else entirely.’
Wi Paeng unconsciously touched his chest. He felt the thick bundle of papers Jin Wi-kyung had given him.
‘What is this?’
‘I intend to summon all the martial sects of Shanxi Province to the Main Residence for the coming New Year’s Day.’
Not an invitation. Not a request. A summons.
Wi Paeng was not so foolish as to misunderstand its meaning.
‘Are you seeking to become the Alliance Master?’
‘If necessary.’
Until recently, the Murim of Shanxi, as seen by the world, had been divided into two great peaks: the Taewon Jin Family and the Hengshan Sword Sect.
Yet reality painted a different picture. Shanxi’s Murim resembled a tripod balanced on three legs.
‘The Taewon Jin Family, the Hengshan Sword Sect. And the minor sects.’
The Taewon Jin Family dominated the central region, the Hengshan Sword Sect held the north, while the south belonged to roughly twenty minor sects. The Sanseo Five Gates, which had vanished in this war, was merely a name for five particularly formidable sects among them.
‘Their alliance is remarkably solid. They may refuse to comply.’
‘That would have been true before the war began.’
The tripod had begun to tilt. And the Taewon Jin Family possessed both the strength and justification to support the tripod of Shanxi’s Murim alone.
‘Can you manage it?’
The answer was predetermined. Wi Paeng murmured softly.
“I shall obey.”
At that very moment, Jin Wi-kyung was cursing Wi Paeng while piecing together ‘The Birth of a Hero.’
* * *
Status Window
[Lv.50 Jin Tae-kyung]
Occupation
: First-rate Martial Artist
Renown
: 1180 (+150)
Titles
: 4 (Title effects applied)
– Shanxi’s Sleeping Dragon (All stats +10, Renown +100)
– Child of a Prestigious House (All stats +5, Renown +50)
– Novice Cultivator (Training speed +10%)
– Gambler (One-on-one combat stats +10%)
Strength
: 135 (+15)
Stamina
: 142 (+15)
Agility
: 180 (+15)
Intellect
: 25 (+15)
Charm
: 25 (+15)
Internal Energy
: 15 years
Remaining Points
: 50
– Please allocate your remaining points.
I gazed at the status window and felt regret wash over me.
‘Damn it. I’ve spent far too many points.’
Facing Jin Moo-kyung, I had dumped a staggering fifty points into agility. The carefully maintained balance of my stats had crumbled, and I couldn’t help but feel the sting of it.
‘I thought twenty or thirty points would be enough.’
The wall of a peak master was formidable. Or perhaps Jin Moo-kyung was simply stronger than I’d anticipated. The title of genius didn’t come easily, after all.
“When I endured fifty exchanges, even the Assassin showed clear signs of dismay. I’ve been devoted solely to training until recently, making me an unknown master not yet known throughout Shanxi Province….”
Smack!
“Ugh!”
Hyuk Moo-jin cried out, struck on the back of his head.
“What was that for!”
“Stop spouting nonsense to the kids. Unless you want to die.”
Yet So-cheon waited for the rest of the story, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
“I don’t mind.”
“What do you mean die? I want to hear it too!”
“…You still have a long way to go.”
I gently stroked So-yul’s hair as she tugged at my sleeve, whining.
My connection with these young siblings ran quite deep. As I watched them, someone came to mind.
“How is Master Gong these days?”
Gong Ya-cheong. The middle-aged man whom So-cheon and So-yul called their uncle.
Even I, still unaccustomed to Murim terminology, always addressed Gong Ya-cheong with the title of Master. He deserved it.
“He is recovering smoothly. Though he still has difficulty moving about.”
“Is that so? That’s a relief.”
“He mentioned hoping to see you once before you departed.”
I started to nod absently, then paused.
“Depart?”
“Yes, he will be taking charge of the newly rebuilt Sak-ju Branch.”
“Then….”
“We’ve decided to go with him.”
War takes much from us. So-cheon and So-yul had lost both their home and parents in the attack by the Hengshan Sword Sect. Though I cannot turn back the passage of time, now that everything has been settled, they will return to the place where precious memories dwell.
“Thank you, my benefactor.”
His sincere words stirred something deep within my chest. There remained a reality too cruel for these young siblings to bear.
Moreover, So-yul still didn’t know of her parents’ death.
‘Five years old….’
Far too young to comprehend and accept the present.
Suddenly, I recalled a memory from twenty-two years ago. It was hazy.
“…I wish it were the same for you.”
So-yul smiled brightly, not understanding my words.
I turned my gaze toward So-cheon.
“May I visit you from time to time?”
At my question, So-cheon broke into a radiant smile as if he’d been waiting for it.
“You are always welcome, my benefactor.”
Hyuk Moo-jin, who had been quietly listening, cut through the warm atmosphere between us.
“So when are you leaving?”
“In half a year.”
“….”
I should have saved my sentiment for later.

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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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