Murim Login - Chapter 327
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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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“The most important discussion remains, doesn’t it?”
Ju Hwaran, with her sword extended, looked both beautiful and cold. An icy aura emanated from her, directed at one person.
“Escort Chief Song.”
Following her gaze, everyone’s heads turned. There he stood, a man appearing to be in his early thirties. He was fairly handsome, but his fiercely arched eyebrows were a flaw.
Song Ilseom’s lips twisted as he responded with a cold voice.
“Are you calling me?”
The reactions of those still inside the hall were split into two categories. Outsiders who had no idea who Song Ilseom was and looked confused, and the escorts of Yongbong Escort Agency who had hardened faces.
Chief Escort Heo Jun stepped forward, a faint anger visible on his face.
“Show respect before the head of the agency.”
“I’ve shown enough respect. But you’ve been saying the same thing for ten years.”
“You dare…!”
“Then tell me why the Chief Escort calls the head of the agency by name in front of others?”
“That’s because…”
“There’s no need to answer. I don’t care what the Chief Escort calls the head, but don’t force your manners on me.”
Though his tone and behavior were irritating, Song Ilseom wasn’t wrong. Heo Jun was momentarily at a loss for words. Wolhwa whispered to me.
“Young Master Jin, do you know him well?”
“Who, Heo Jun? Or…”
“Of course, the young and handsome one. We already know about the Chief Escort of Yongbong Escort Agency.”
“Why ask me? You’re a branch leader of the Hao Clan, aren’t you?”
“It’s nice that you think highly of me, but I haven’t been in my position for even half a year. How much can I know? It’s hard enough to know the disciples of well-known sects, let alone a mere escort.”
“A mere escort… Do you know who he is?”
“Well, there’s a young and ill-tempered escort in Yongbong Escort Agency’s top three? Song Ilseom, an escort chief. That’s all I know about him.”
But I knew something Wolhwa didn’t. Song Ilseom’s skill.
‘He’s a significant master. Beyond the Ten Dragons level.’
If there’s one thing I’ve realized while traversing the martial world and the modern world, it’s that levels are not absolute. Some with high levels are incompetent, and some with lower levels are stronger.
In this regard, Song Ilseom was genuine. You could tell from his gait and the subtle movements of his hands that he was a seasoned swordsman with extensive real-world combat experience and superior martial arts skills.
‘How many are there at his level for his age?’
Even if he wasn’t a disciple of a prestigious sect, his skills should have made him famous in the martial world. The phrase ‘a needle in a pouch’ wasn’t coined for nothing.
‘And yet no one knew about this needle’s existence for ten years.’
The answer was clear.
The needle deliberately hid himself, to the extent that even those at Yongbong Escort Agency who had spent considerable time with him were unaware of his skills.
I had a sudden thought.
Although I couldn’t be sure now, it was evident he was someone to watch closely.
‘Though I’d like to step in right now.’
This was a knot Ju Hwaran had to untangle herself.
As I prepared to step in at any moment, Heo Jun, who had been hesitating, fiercely confronted Song Ilseom.
“Escort Chief Song. No, Song Ilseom! Stop with the nonsense and confess! Where did you hide the millennium ginseng?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Still playing dumb. If you admit your guilt and reveal the whereabouts of the millennium ginseng…”
“I said I don’t know.”
Heo Jun glared at him with cold eyes.
“So, you intend to keep up this charade?”
“I return the same question to you.”
“I was giving you a final chance out of old times’ sake… but it seems there’s no choice.”
At Heo Jun’s raised hand, about twenty escorts surrounded Song Ilseom, blocking his escape routes. The remaining two of the top three escorts, presumed to be middle-aged, formed a triangular formation with Heo Jun.
In the taut atmosphere, Ju Hwaran, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.
“Everyone, step back.”
“Hwaran, he won’t confess easily. We need to subdue him first…”
“Please wait, Uncle Heo. I have questions to ask.”
Swish!
Her wrist rotated, and her flexible sword flicked one of the bamboo scrolls on the table toward Song Ilseom.
“What is this?”
“Interesting records.”
Song Ilseom murmured as he checked the contents of the bamboo scroll.
“This…”
“Yes, it’s the records of the escorts you were responsible for over the past two years.”
“It’s a collection of failures.”
“Why do you think the Hao Clan and the Beggars’ Sect gathered this information?”
“They must have thought it was related to the Zhongnan Sect.”
“Out of the fifteen escort missions you were in charge of over the past two years, you failed ten. Each time, our Yongbong Escort Agency had to pay a considerable penalty.”
Failing ten out of fifteen missions meant a success rate of less than fifty percent. Even if the Beggars’ Sect or the Hao Clan wasn’t involved, his parents would suspect him at that rate.
Ju Hwaran continued in a calm voice.
“That’s not all. There are many questionable points when looking at the escort missions where Escort Chief Song was involved.”
“I did my best every time but failed. That’s all I can say to you.”
“That’s not enough.”
Whirl, thunk.
Once again, her flexible sword was swung, and about twenty bamboo scrolls caught in the sword wind fell at Song Ilseom’s feet.
“Are all these records related to me? There are quite a few.”
Clicking his tongue, he set his sword aside and began reading the scrolls.
“That bastard…”
Chief Escort Heo Jun looked as if he wanted to pounce on the traitor immediately, but Ju Hwaran’s glance made him lower his sword.
The wait wasn’t long.
“I see.”
Song Ilseom murmured and put down the last scroll, his fierce eyebrows raised.
“How did you find out?”
“It was cunning. Almost enough to overlook as mistakes.”
“You figured it out with just this? You’re sharper than I thought. I underestimated you, thinking you were just a kid.”
“That’s truly unfortunate.”
“What is?”
“Though we aren’t related by blood, I considered you family.”
“Family? That’s a weak sentiment. Times change people just like the land changes over time.”
His tone shifted from the deferential language to informal, but everything seemed to flow naturally.
Song Ilseom, as if relieved of a burden, asked lightly.
“So, what now?”
“Punishment for the guilty.”
“Children take after their parents. Can you, the blood of a noble swordsman, do it?”
Ju Hwaran replied coldly.
“I must, and I will.”
Shush, shush!
Her flexible sword, now brimming with energy, stood upright. Her determined face reflected in the transparent blade.
Her low voice flowed between her lips.
“Regardless of who the opponent is.”
Shing!
Without warning, she moved faster than anyone in Yongbong Escort Agency.
Although she was just starting, Ju Hwaran was already a top-tier master. Her swordsmanship and footwork were swift and precise.
Thud!
The sword cut through the air and struck its target accurately.
The sound of flesh being pierced and a fountain of blood. Then, a scream burst from one person’s mouth.
“Argh!”
Ju Hwaran’s eyelids trembled as she looked at the man kneeling in blood.
Her voice, directed at one person, was a question. A rebuke to someone she had never doubted.
“Why did you make that choice, Uncle Heo?”
“H-Hwaran…”
The man looked up. The ashen face of Chief Escort Heo Jun stared back.
Shing!
The sound made my hair stand on end. When I recognized the faint noise of air breaking, it was already too late.
Thunk!
The weapon that pierced through flesh was as cold as ice, and the subsequent pain was like being scalded.
Chief Escort Heo Jun knelt with a scream. Even in his whitewashed mind, one thought spun wildly.
‘It went wrong.’
Although the uninvited appearance of Jin Taekyung had overturned the situation, it wasn’t entirely bad for him.
Over the past two years, he had discreetly and sometimes boldly siphoned off wealth worth thousands of taels of silver.
He had already amassed a vast fortune, and if Yongbong Escort Agency revived from this, his power as Chief Escort would only increase.
In addition, avoiding the guilt of betraying those who trusted him was a bonus. It was a win-win.
But…
‘Why now?’
Beheading Song Ilseom would have ended it all.
The traitor who colluded with the Zhongnan Sect would have died, and the matter would have been resolved quietly.
‘Even though I hid my identity thoroughly from the Zhongnan Sect, how did they find out?’
Pain. And a shock greater than pain paralyzed Heo Jun. Ju Hwaran’s low voice pierced his ears.
“Why did you make that choice, Uncle Heo?”
Heo Jun’s body trembled.
He knew the owner of that voice. How could he not? The girl he had watched since she was a baby.
She was a treasured gem to her father and once more precious to Heo Jun than his own child.
And she was the one who had thrust a sword into his shoulder.
“H-Hwaran…”
Slowly raising his head, Heo Jun met Ju Hwaran’s eyes. Despite her calm voice, her eyes trembled with intense emotions, and for a moment, hope surged within him.
‘I can live.’
Heo Jun immediately recognized Ju Hwaran’s emotional turmoil. She was conflicted between her affection for him and her sense of betrayal. This was his only path to survival.
“I was wrong. It’s all my fault!”
“Uncle…”
“Please spare me. I beg you!”
Heo Jun cried out desperately, not caring about the shocked looks from the other escorts and onlookers. His dignity? The disdain of others? A dead man can’t feel those.
He would do anything to survive and see another day.
“Hwaran…”
Heo Jun groaned in pain. The flexible sword had pierced through his right shoulder. Ju Hwaran’s hand, gripping the sword’s hilt, trembled.
“Explain yourself. Why did you do it? Why did you have to betray us?”
If lying would increase his chances of survival, Heo Jun would have done so long ago. But he knew Ju Hwaran well. Her wielding the sword meant she was certain. In such a situation, a clumsy lie would only hasten his death.
He had to plead and subtly approach her.
“It’s all because of my foolishness. That’s all I can say.”
Heo Jun hung his head and reddened his eyes with tears. He felt the pressure on the sword weaken and continued.
“I’m ashamed to admit it, but I once accepted a bribe. After your father’s sudden collapse, the Zhongnan Sect approached me using that as leverage, and I… I feared being cast out. I didn’t want to leave the agency I had devoted my life to, and I believed their promise to protect you.”
“I decided to comply just once, but I had already stepped into a quagmire I couldn’t escape.”
“Is that all true?”
“How could I lie to you?”
Contrary to his words, only one part of his story was true: that he had accepted a bribe. It was he who approached the Zhongnan Sect after concealing his identity following Ju Hwaran’s father’s collapse, and this covert relationship had lasted for two years.
‘Just get through this moment. Just this moment!’
Tears streamed down his face. Not tears of remorse, but tears of fear of death and a desire to live.
“Please forgive me…”
The people watching shook their heads in dismay. Some turned away, unable to bear the sight.
But Ju Hwaran was different. She looked at Heo Jun, biting her lip, and then suddenly spoke.
“How did you steal the millennium ginseng? I never took my eyes off it.”
“T-That’s…”
“Tell me the truth.”
“…I mixed a sleeping drug in the food. Everyone was already exhausted, so a small amount was enough.”
The sleeping drug was a type of narcotic that clouded the mind and induced sleep. Even Ju Hwaran, a top-tier master, had thought it was merely due to travel fatigue and fell into a deep sleep.
“So, that’s why you were outside my room that night.”
“I had to be careful not to make any noise while leaving. That bastard, I mean, Escort Chief Song was awake until dawn despite the drug.”
Song Ilseom, who had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, murmured with a sullen face.
“That was a sleeping drug, huh? No wonder I was so tired that night. Next time, use something better. If there is a next time for you.”
What a loathsome bastard.
Heo Jun barely held back his curses as he looked at Ju Hwaran.
“Hwang Bo-eom, that old man, threatened me. He said he’d kill me and my family and destroy Yongbong Escort Agency if I didn’t swap the millennium ginseng. I just wanted to protect everyone!”
“Then your judgment was flawed.”
“You’re right. I even went to my bedridden brother and confessed everything, but I couldn’t undo my mistakes.”
“…Mistake?”
For a moment, Ju Hwaran’s eyes flickered at the mention of her father. But she soon shook her head slightly.
“No, it wasn’t a mistake. It was a choice, Uncle.”
“H-Hwaran…”
“Father often told me that every choice comes with responsibility. Even though he failed to make the family business flourish, he never once regretted his choices.”
Heo Jun suddenly realized that the conflict and hesitation in Ju Hwaran’s eyes were fading.
‘No, this can’t be…’
He realized with dawning horror what was about to happen. His tears and cold sweat poured down his cheeks.
He desperately raised his voice.
“Just one more chance! I am your father’s sworn brother and your uncle. Hwaran, for the sake of the past, please!”
“Uncle…”
“Yes, for thirty years, I shared joys and sorrows with your father. He wouldn’t take my life so easily!”
“Chief Escort Heo Jun…”
Heo Jun, who had been banging his head on the floor, looked up in a daze.
There were her eyes, eyes he had never seen before. Eyes that held no hesitation, cold as ice.
“You’re right. If it were my father, he might have forgiven you. But…”
Her voice continued, low and steady, aimed at the frozen Heo Jun.
“I am father, the Noble Sword Ju Hogun. I am the Silver Flower, Ju Hwaran.”
And the next moment, a flash of silver filled Heo Jun’s vision.
Shing, shing!