Murim Login - Chapter 316
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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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With the silver coins safely tucked away, Gung Gi-Bang began to speak.
“It’s about Yongbong Escort Agency.”
“Yongbong Escort Agency? Isn’t that the place we passed by on the way here?”
“Yes. It’s now reduced to operating only in Shaanxi Province, but it used to be one of the most prominent escort agencies in the world.”
“Yongbong Escort Agency?”
I recalled my experience from two days ago.
It certainly was impressive for an escort agency. The small lord, Ju Hwa-Ran, was a skilled swordswoman known as one of the Ten Dragons, and the escort, Song Il-Som, was at least a level above her in skill.
“Plus, if you include the old man who looked like he wrote the Dongui Bogam, that’s three top-notch masters.”
That was comparable to a mid-level martial sect.
But the sight of Yongbong Escort Agency I saw that day was pitiful compared to its reputation of once being among the top three in the world.
“What happened to reduce them to such a state?”
“It all started after the death of the Escort King.”
“Escort King? The one I know?”
“There is only one Escort King in the world. The Escort King Ju Gong-San was the previous head of Yongbong Escort Agency.”
Escort King Ju Gong-San.
I hadn’t heard the name, but I was familiar with the title. After all, I’ve spent enough time in Murim to have a solid foundation of knowledge by now.
Moreover, I’ve been closely associated with the Fire King Jeok Cheon-Gang for the past year.
He is a living witness of history and sometimes reminisces about the past like an old man.
‘Now that I think about it, the Escort King was quite something.’
“You weren’t his friend.”
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve been struck by the Flame Palm, hasn’t it?’
“Please tell me. I’ll listen attentively.”
The story of the Escort King that Jeok Cheon-Gang told me that day was quite impressive.
‘It was when the Demonic War was reaching its peak. At that time, the Demonic Cult had taken over eight provinces, including Gansu, Sichuan, and Yunnan, and was marching towards the central plains with a force of a hundred thousand demonic soldiers.’
‘When will you get to the Escort King’s part?’
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve been struck by the Flame Palm, hasn’t it?’
“Please continue. I beg of you.”
‘Anyway, at that time, the Escort King was just a wandering escort. He was already known as a famous escort due to his exceptional skills and chivalry, but with the Demonic Cult taking over the world, who in the orthodox Murim would have cared about that?’
‘True. Strictly speaking, escorts belong more to the commercial world than Murim.’
‘The Demonic Cult also needed financial power, so instead of suppressing escort agencies and merchant guilds, they chose to co-opt them. That’s why it wasn’t surprising that the young Escort King was in Guangdong, which was under the Demonic Cult’s control. Until he met a heavily pregnant woman.’
‘A pregnant woman?’
‘The woman was carrying the last seed of the Guangdong Jin Clan. The Jin Clan had been the fiercest resisters against the Demonic Cult, which had already wiped them out.’
‘It would’ve been discovered quickly.’
‘The Escort King realized this only after encountering the Demonic Cult’s pursuit squad. If he didn’t hand over the woman, he would have to make the Demonic Cult his enemy.’
It was said that at that time, the Demonic Cult had already swallowed half the world through successive victories.
Moreover, Guangdong was far from the orthodox territory. It was practically the Demonic Cult’s den.
‘What do you think the Escort King did?’
‘If he had handed over the woman to the Demonic Cult, he wouldn’t be the Escort King.’
“Correct. He flatly refused the Demonic Cult’s demands. For one simple reason, he had already accepted the escort commission.”
On a day when the world was engulfed in chaos, a young escort began what could be his final escort mission.
He carried the jade hairpin given by the pregnant woman of the Guangdong Jin Clan.
‘It took two years in total.’
From Guangdong through Jiangxi and Hubei to Henan, where the Murim Alliance was located.
The young escort crossed half the continent, evading pursuit squads. He climbed mountains, ran through fields, and swam across rivers.
No one knew how he managed to overcome countless dangers, but one thing was certain.
That this young escort had completed an unprecedented escort mission in Murim history.
When the escort’s steps finally reached Henan, the woman’s belly held the last seed of the Guangdong Jin Clan, crying out energetically, and the escort Ju Gong-San became the Escort King.
‘The God of War said he truly deserved to be called a king. No one objected to that.’
Jeok Cheon-Gang often brought up stories about the Escort King afterward.
Even for someone as cynical as Jeok Cheon-Gang, the Escort King seemed to be a person he thought highly of.
‘I heard that after the Demonic War, he established an escort agency in his hometown of Shaanxi… I don’t know what happened after that. Maybe I should visit sometime and have a drink with him.’
In the end, Jeok Cheon-Gang’s wish couldn’t come true.
According to what Gung Gi-Bang just said, the Escort King Ju Gong-San was already deceased.
‘The continent is small after all.’
It was surprising to realize that the Yongbong Escort Agency we encountered two days ago was a trace of the Escort King.
Seeing my interest, Gung Gi-Bang continued.
“Escort King Ju Gong-San passed away shortly after the Demonic War due to internal injuries he sustained. It’s a shame.”
“Then who is the current head of the agency?”
“The Gentleman Sword, Ju Ho-Gun. He is the only child left by the Escort King and Ju Hwa-Ran’s father.”
“Gentleman Sword, huh? I get a feeling just from the nickname.”
“I’ve never met him personally, but my master said he is a very good person.”
It’s funny how just one word can change the meaning.
The head of the Beggars’ Sect, who was Gung Gi-Bang’s master, said Ju Ho-Gun was a good person, not a great person.
‘He must be quite the pushover.’
No wonder the Gentleman Sword’s character seemed to have significantly contributed to the current state of the Yongbong Escort Agency.
Sure enough, Gung Gi-Bang nodded, reading my expression.
“You guessed right. Ju Ho-Gun is very kind and can’t stand injustice. Since taking over the Yongbong Escort Agency, he’s suffered a lot of losses.”
“He wasn’t meant for this kind of path.”
“My master once said, ‘A hero cannot be a merchant.’”
It’s true. To be called a hero, one must not care about profits, and to be a successful merchant, one must pursue profits above all else.
An escort agency is a hybrid between Murim and the commercial world but ultimately belongs more to the commercial world.
‘As a hero, he’s perfect. As a merchant, he’s a disaster.’
The Escort King managed to maintain the Yongbong Escort Agency’s prominence due to his reputation.
But after his death, that advantage vanished, and Ju Ho-Gun lacked the qualities of a good merchant, making it impossible to sustain.
“When famine struck, he bought up grain at high prices to distribute it all. He took in orphans and fed and housed them…”
“That sounds like UNICEF.”
“Keep going.”
“But with more going out than coming in, the Yongbong Escort Agency began to decline. My master tried to give him advice several times, but he never listened, saying it was their principle.”
“He’s a great and admirable person, but it’s unfortunate he isn’t a brilliant entrepreneur.”
Scratching his back, Gung Gi-Bang continued.
“What can we do? With Ju Ho-Gun in charge, the agency shrunk drastically in just thirty years.”
“Thirty years? They say a rich family lasts three generations.”
“They did last three generations. If Ju Ho-Gun hadn’t fallen into Qi deviation two years ago.”
“…What do you mean? Is the Yongbong Escort Agency going through a period of suffering?”
“Considering all the misfortunes they’ve faced in the last two years, it’s fair to say so.”
“They must have gone through a lot.”
For a moment, the resolute image of Ju Hwa-Ran flashed before my eyes.
At that time, I thought she was just smart and pretty. But now, I see she was a young girl bearing a heavy burden.
But…
“What’s the shady part about this?”
From the start, it seemed like Gung Gi-Bang was hinting at something significant, but so far, all I sensed was the stench from this guy.
At my direct question, Cheong-Pung and Hyuk Mu-Jin, who had been listening quietly, perked up their ears.
“Right. I don’t smell anything either. I want to sniff out the shady part too!”
“Gung Sohyeop, when did you last brush your teeth?”
The one who almost died and the one who almost killed him asked in unison, making Gung Gi-Bang frown.
“Enough chatter.”
“Just get to the point. And keep your mouth slightly open. Seriously, when did you last brush your teeth?”
“About six months ago.”
This filthy guy…
Gung Gi-Bang hesitated under my disgusted gaze before finally saying three words.
“Jongnam Sect.”
“Huh? Jongnam Sect?”
“According to the Xian branch of the Beggars’ Sect, the Jongnam Sect seems deeply involved in the downfall of the Yongbong Escort Agency.”
“These guys sure get involved in everything.”
That certainly smells shady.
I was wondering if the stench was just because of Gung Gi-Bang, but given the behavior of the Jongnam Sect members I’ve encountered, this is probably more fact than rumor.
“They’re probably trying to swallow the Yongbong Escort Agency whole, huh?”
“Swallow whole? Is it tasty?”
“Cheong Sohyeop, shut up for a moment.”
“Yes, benefactor!”
By now, Gung Gi-Bang had gotten used to this chaos and continued as if nothing happened.
“That’s likely. Although the Jongnam Sect also operates an escort agency, it doesn’t compare to the influence of Yongbong Escort Agency in Shaanxi. From the Jongnam Sect’s perspective, it’s like a thorn in their side, along with the Hwasan Sect.”
“So they’ve been gradually undermining it for the past two years?”
“Ju Hwa-Ran is undoubtedly talented. But she lacks experience and inherited her father’s overly kind nature, which is a disadvantage.”
Incompetent but well-meaning.
As far as I heard, Ju Hwa-Ran was only twenty-one.
It would be difficult to even organize what she learned in her head, let alone adapt to practical work and lead a large escort agency.
Especially if the Jongnam Sect is scheming behind the scenes.
No matter how inferior the Jongnam Sect is to the Hwasan Sect, it’s still one of the Nine Great Schools.
While the Escort King was alive, it might have been different, but now, the Yongbong Escort Agency couldn’t withstand the Jongnam Sect’s pressure.
Bit by bit, they were gnawed at and finally collapsed.
“How widely known is this?”
“The branch head of the Xian division told me it was top secret.”
“Top secret, huh? So even the Hwasan Sect might not know?”
“Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. Even if they do, they might pretend not to.”
“Pretend not to know? What do you mean by that?”
After hesitating for a moment, Gung Gi-Bang sighed and answered.
“Because they are both part of the Nine Great Schools.”
“…What?”
“Baek Mu-Seong is a righteous man. Sword Saint Mae Jong-Hak and even Cheong Sohyeop here are as clear as a stream. But remember, judging the whole by a part is foolish.”
He hit the nail on the head.
I had intended to subtly inform Baek Mu-Seong of this information before I left.
He’s a good man I know. He also holds a position considered the future of the Hwasan Sect.
But I was wrong.
‘The future is the future, not the present.’
Once again, I realized that Murim is a more complex place than I thought.
Even in the world of seemingly simple and ignorant swordsmen, there are rules and their own league.
‘Sometimes the arm bends inward.’
When I didn’t respond, Gung Gi-Bang cautiously asked.
“What will you do?”
“What can I do?”
“Are you planning to intervene personally?”
“Me?”
I pondered for a moment but then shook my head.
The Yongbong Escort Agency was just a passing coincidence for me. I have my own tasks to attend to.
“If I encounter them before I leave, I might give them a hint. But that’s it.”
With Jeok Cheon-Gang down, getting involved with the Jongnam Sect would complicate matters.
For some reason, Ju Hwa-Ran’s face flashed in my mind, but I shook it off and let it go.