Murim Login - Chapter 310
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I will re-publish the earlier chapters to fix those issues with the translation. I apologize in advance if it did not meet your standard. Please comment the chapters you find that is lacking in quality so I can fix them ASAP. Thanks for understanding!
Current re-published chapters (270 - 305)
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*Rustle…*
The number of bandits that emerged from behind the Sky Power Axe was about five hundred.
However, the reason Ju Hwalan’s face hardened wasn’t just because of their overwhelming numbers.
‘Their aura is different.’
Those trying to cross the mountain and those trying to block them—escort agencies and the Green Forest Bandits have an inseparable relationship.
Since they couldn’t always draw swords, it was a long-standing custom for the escort agencies to pay a toll, and for the bandits to withdraw amicably, preserving both sides’ dignity.
However, the Sky Power Axe and the bandits of Heukseok Stronghold showed no sign of stepping back.
“So, you intend to spill blood after all,” Ju Hwalan said.
The Sky Power Axe raised the corners of his mouth.
“This little girl has some wit. That’s right, I plan to paint Heukseok Mountain red with blood today.”
“Little girl?”
“What, would you prefer I call you an old hag if you don’t like it?”
“I am the Young Leader of the Yongbong Escort Agency. Show me the same respect I show you.”
Ju Hwalan’s beautifully shaped eyebrows arched upward.
Although she was the only daughter of the Yongbong Escort Agency, she wasn’t raised as a pampered child.
From a young age, she had swung a sword until her palms were calloused and had eaten and slept on the road with the escort guards, learning from them.
While people hailed her as one of the Three Flowers of Jiangbei, she wasn’t a delicate flower sheltered in a greenhouse.
“You cheeky little girl. What will you do if you don’t like it?”
“Well then…”
The Hidden Dagger Flower, *Eunbihwa* (隱匕花), Ju Hwalan, continued with a chilling expression.
“You should die, to a little girl.”
“What did you say? Hahaha!”
The Sky Power Axe’s loud laughter stopped after a moment.
“You’re more resolute than I expected. I like it.”
“I don’t care if some old bandit likes me or not.”
“You have a sharp tongue. Aren’t you worried about the consequences?”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Why? Do bandits need a reason to kill and plunder?”
Ju Hwalan bit her lip at the Sky Power Axe’s flippant answer.
“If this gets out, it will cause trouble for the Green Forest Alliance.”
“Cause trouble?”
“Our Yongbong Escort Agency is part of the righteous Murim. The righteous factions won’t stand idly by.”
“Part of the righteous Murim, huh? That could be troublesome.”
The Sky Power Axe stroked his thick beard as he spoke.
“That’s why I plan to make sure nothing gets out. No secrets will leak if everyone is dead.”
Ju Hwalan understood the meaning behind the Sky Power Axe’s words.
*Murder to silence.*
Ju Hwalan gripped her sword tightly, but Chief Escort Heo Jun stepped forward in her stead and shouted,
“One hundred taels! If you let us pass, I’ll give you one hundred taels of silver. We’ll overlook today’s incident, so stop here!”
“One hundred taels? In silver?”
“Of course. Have I ever made an empty promise?”
“That you haven’t. We’ve met more than once. You’re trustworthy, Chief Heo.”
Chief Escort Heo Jun had served the Yongbong Escort Agency for nearly thirty years.
The Yongbong Escort Agency was a large agency based in Shaanxi. Having successfully completed hundreds of missions, Heo Jun had frequently crossed Heukseok Mountain and made connections with the bandit leaders, including the Sky Power Axe, who had become the new leader five years ago.
“Five times the usual toll. Stop this nonsense and let us pass.”
“Nonsense? Is that what it looks like?”
The Sky Power Axe, who had been laughing heartily, suddenly wore a cold expression.
“It’s one thing to underestimate someone, but there’s a limit. Listen, Chief Heo. You should pay the right price.”
“W-what do you mean by the right price?”
“Everyone in my stronghold, even the dogs, knows that there’s a Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng among the goods you’re transporting. Even if we sold it as stolen goods, we’d easily get thousands of taels. Isn’t that right?”
At that moment, the eyes of several people, including Ju Hwalan and Heo Jun, twitched.
The Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng was a miraculous herb that could grant the power of an entire *gapja* (sixty years of cultivation) if fully absorbed.
The existence of the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, secretly entrusted by the Zhongnan Sect, was a top-secret known only to a select few within the Yongbong Escort Agency.
So how had the Sky Power Axe heard of it?
‘It wasn’t a coincidence.’
Ju Hwalan recalled the past four months of the escort mission.
Bandits and rogue warriors had attacked as if they were sworn enemies.
The reason they had to endure dozens of large and small battles and suffer great losses was that information about the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng had leaked.
‘Who could it be?’
She had considered the possibility but had suppressed her suspicions.
What had kept her going through the repeated misfortunes of the past two years was the people around her.
The greatest legacy her grandfather had passed down to her father, and her father to her, was the people.
Even as the Yongbong Escort Agency lost its former prestige and declined, they hadn’t left. They continued to show her unwavering trust and support, despite her repeated failures.
That’s why she hadn’t wanted to doubt them. She didn’t want to suspect them.
‘But now…’
Ju Hwalan scanned her surroundings with empty eyes.
She saw Chief Heo Jun, frozen in shock and betrayal, and the three people who knew about the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.
They were the three most outstanding leaders of the Yongbong Escort Agency, known as the Yongbong Three Escorts.
‘Seokchil and No-piljung.’
Ju Hwalan’s gaze passed over the two middle-aged men in their forties and landed on the last person.
‘Song Ilseom.’
Unlike the other two, Song Ilseom was tall, handsome, and younger.
Having just turned thirty, he had joined the Yongbong Escort Agency as an escort ten years ago and quickly rose through the ranks.
Though he occasionally displayed a rough temperament, his exceptional martial skills allowed him to successfully lead escort missions, earning him the title of one of the Yongbong Three Escorts despite his young age.
But Song Ilseom was often the subject of rumors.
‘He’s a former rogue warrior, they say. Even worked as a problem solver.’
‘He would do anything for the right price.’
‘That’s not all. There’s talk that he’s deeply in love with the young lady. I heard from Mi-Hyang last time that he often sneaks into the garden to loiter around the inner quarters.’
‘They say he joined the agency because of her… Everyone knows that the leader wanted a son-in-law from among the escorts.’
Ju Hwalan was aware of the widespread rumors surrounding Song Ilseom. She also knew that most of them were true.
She had often felt uncomfortable under Song Ilseom’s blatant gaze. It was for this reason that she had hesitated to include him in this escort mission.
‘But could it really be Escort Leader Song…’
Just as her gaze lingered on Song Ilseom’s face, his fierce-looking eyebrows shot up.
*Flash! Shing!*
Three things happened simultaneously.
A dagger shot out from Song Ilseom’s sleeve. At the same time, Chief Escort Heo Jun urgently blocked Ju Hwalan’s front.
And finally…
*Thud!*
“Gah, gurgle…”
Twenty *jang* (Korean yards) away, a bandit from Heukseok Stronghold collapsed with a dagger embedded in his throat.
The bandit, who had spat out a mouthful of blood, shuddered and then died.
A cold silence descended on the scene. The silence that seemed unbreakable was shattered by a single sentence from Song Ilseom.
“No questions! Fight with the resolve to die!”
As Song Ilseom’s fierce shout spread through the night wind, Ju Hwalan, Heo Jun, and everyone in the Yongbong Escort Agency realized it.
There would be no negotiations. They would have to fight a life-and-death battle against hundreds of enemies.
“Song Ilseom! What are you doing?!”
Heo Jun shouted in outrage, but Song Ilseom lifted his *Yuyeopdo* (Willow Leaf Saber) and rested it on his shoulder.
“What am I doing? Isn’t it too late to ask that?”
“You…!”
“He’s right,”
Ju Hwalan said in a calm voice as she gripped her sword.
Unfortunately, Song Ilseom was correct.
The Sky Power Axe, now filled with murderous intent, was approaching them with a terrifying aura.
His eyes, blazing with fury after losing a subordinate in an instant, were locked onto them.
“I’ll slaughter you all.”
*Ssshh…*
A red aura surged from the giant axe.
The Sky Power Axe was ranked among the top twenty warriors of the Green Forest Alliance and was a master of the peak level.
Empowered by their leader’s overwhelming presence, the five hundred Green Forest bandits growled like wild beasts.
“Kill them all!”
“This place will be your grave!”
As the furious shouts echoed, Ju Hwalan gazed up at the star-filled night sky.
‘Perhaps… this may be my last escort mission.’
Of the seventy people left, only about forty were escort guards, excluding the drivers.
Everyone was exhausted from the long journey. The conditions were too harsh for them to handle the Sky Power Axe and his five hundred Green Forest bandits.
‘Can I really do this?’
*Thump, thump, thump…*
The ground trembled under the footsteps of hundreds. A battle that they wanted to avoid but couldn’t was about to begin.
‘There’s nothing left but to fight until the end.’
She had to save at least one person.
Just as Ju Hwalan was about to straighten her posture, she noticed something she hadn’t seen before—a single star shining brightly among the many stars decorating the dark night sky. It shone brightly for a brief moment before disappearing.
And then, in the next moment, something entirely unexpected happened.
“Everyone, don’t fight! No matter how bad things are between you, fighting will only make it worse!”
A voice suddenly rang out, causing everyone to freeze in their tracks. Hundreds of heads turned toward the direction of the voice.
In the world shrouded in darkness, four figures stood on a hill, faintly illuminated by the moonlight.
Then, murmurs began to spread among the people.
“Who are they?”
“They look like bandits, but the others look like escort agency people.”
“Well, they’re clearly bandits, but why are they fighting here in the middle of the night? We’re already busy enough as it is.”
“Those guys look even busier than we are.”
“Mu-Jin, has it been long since you were hit?”
“No, I was hit just a moment ago.”
*Whack!*
“Ki-Bang, do you know who those people are?”
“Of course.”
“Help me out here, Speedy Beggar.”
“Judging by the banner, that’s the Yongbong Escort Agency. The other side is Heukseok Stronghold, led by the Sky Power Axe.”
“I’ve never heard of either of them, but the name Sky Power Axe sounds strangely familiar.”
“The Yongbong Escort Agency used to be one of the top ten escort agencies in the Jianghu, and the Sky Power Axe is a peak-level warrior ranked among the top twenty of the Green Forest. He’s known for wielding an axe like a ghost…”
“Wait a second. Don’t tell me… is that *the* Sky Power Axe?”
“Do you know the Sky Power Axe?”
“I’m sure I killed him… Did he somehow get resurrected? Hold on, let me go take a closer look.”
“Benefactor! What’s a resurrection bus?”
“If you’re bored, go try crossing a crosswalk.”
The bizarre conversation ended there. Then, a large shadow began to slowly descend the hill.
As the figure drew closer, people began to make out the details.
‘What is that?’
‘He’s a young man, but what’s that on his back?’
It was indeed a strange sight.
In the dark night, with hundreds of people armed and on the brink of battle, there was a young man casually walking toward them with a *jige* (traditional Korean A-frame carrier) on his back.
*Step, step…*
“Sorry to interrupt your busy schedule.”
The young man finally stopped and slowly turned his head.
He frowned at the filthy bandits, then twisted his body awkwardly as he looked at Ju Hwalan, and finally, he gave the Sky Power Axe a once-over before casually saying,
“You’re not the one I’m looking for.”
“…What?”
*Boom!*
The young man’s words dropped like a bomb, causing hundreds of eyes to widen in shock.
To refer to the Sky Power Axe, one of the top peak-level warriors in the Green Forest, as “this guy”… everyone wondered if they had misheard him.
But then, the second bomb dropped.
“Oh, so you’re the real Sky Power Axe. Something felt off, but now it makes sense. But honestly, you don’t look as impressive as the rumors say.”
At that moment, the Sky Power Axe’s eyes flared up with fury.
“This crazy bastard!”
In the next instant, the axe in his hand came crashing down toward the young man’s head.
*Whoosh! Boom!*
The clash of condensed energy. The young man’s head wasn’t split in two because Ju Hwalan had managed to block the axe with her soft sword.
Ju Hwalan’s wrist trembled as she hurriedly parried the attack.
She, too, was a peak-level swordswoman. But against the raw power and experience of the Sky Power Axe, she was at a disadvantage.
“Gasp! Young Hero, you must escape…”
“You dare, little girl!”
*Clang! Clang!*
The two weapons clashed, sending sparks flying. The giant axe slowly began to overpower the soft sword.
As Heo Jun and Song Ilseom rushed forward to help Ju Hwalan, the young man who had been standing still suddenly spoke.
“Just say the word.”
“…What?”
“Ask for help. Just say that.”
Is he out of his mind?
That was the thought that crossed Ju Hwalan’s mind.
This young man hadn’t even reacted to the Sky Power Axe’s attack. If she hadn’t blocked it for him, he would have been cut in two.
But despite her thoughts, her mouth was already uttering the words.
“Help me!”
And then, she saw it.
A faint smile forming on the young man’s lips.
Then, in a voice only she could hear, he whispered,
“Quest accepted.”
*Whoosh!*
Suddenly, a warm gust of wind enveloped Ju Hwalan.