Murim Login - Chapter 335
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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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Like the Sichuan Province in reality, Sichuan in this world boasted vast territory.
Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi. It would take combining these three provinces to compare to Sichuan’s area, making its expanse self-evident.
‘As expected of the continent.’ With such vastness, it wasn’t strange for three tigers to coexist within one province.
‘The Emei Sect, the Qingcheng Sect, and…’
Lastly, the Sichuan Tang Clan, or Tang Family. Among the three tigers residing in Sichuan, it was the one closest to Chengdu, making it the perfect first destination.
‘If we gain the cooperation of these three sects and even the Beggars’ Sect joins in, things will become much easier.’
As I was thinking this, Gungibang, who was following a step behind, pointed ahead.
“We’re almost there. It’s the Sichuan Tang Clan.”
He was right. Ahead, a wide basin spread out, with towering stone walls visible above it. Though the exact height was unclear due to the distance, it appeared to be well over ten meters.
“What’s this? Why build a fortress?”
“They learned from history.”
“History?”
“During the Great War between the righteous and the demonic factions, the Sichuan Tang Clan suffered greatly. When the demonic sect occupied Sichuan, many of their bloodlines were killed, and their main residence, Tang Family’s Fortress, was burned down.”
“Their main base was wiped out.”
“Not exactly. As they retreated, they unleashed all kinds of deadly poisons, causing the invading demonic sect members to die in droves. Do you know the motto of the Sichuan Tang Clan?”
“Uh, ‘Remember the North’?”
“…What nonsense is that?”
“You don’t know anything, Gung Snow.”
Gungibang looked at me as if I were crazy and spoke.
“Double the kindness, repay the grudges ten thousand times.”
“Wow, that’s intense.”
“Indeed. The traitors who sided with the demonic sect during the occupation of Sichuan died in agony, defecating in fear.”
“Poisoned to death?”
“Poisoned, assassinated, or tracked down and killed in various ways. A few might have survived by luck, but even they wouldn’t have truly lived.”
That made sense.
The psychological prison created by the constant fear that any person they met could be an assassin sent by the Tang Clan, or that their tea might be poisoned, would have left them in a state of perpetual anxiety.
“In terms of poison and hidden weapons, the Sichuan Tang Clan is unmatched. Their secrecy and persistence are unparalleled. Did you see anyone from the Sichuan Tang Clan at the recent Shengla Grand Banquet?”
Thinking back, I couldn’t recall seeing anyone.
Even sects like the Namgung family, which didn’t send their junior members to the Shengla Grand Banquet, still sent key figures. Yet, there was no news of anyone from the Sichuan Tang Clan attending.
“I don’t think there was anyone.”
“There wasn’t, right?”
“Yeah, there really wasn’t.”
“That’s the Sichuan Tang Clan.”
An intense, no-compromise way of life.
Listening to the story, a sense of unease crept in.
‘Are they going to refuse us outright?’
Despite bringing Sword Saint Ma Jeonghak’s letter, I couldn’t shake the feeling of anxiety.
Suppressing such thoughts, I used my light footwork technique while Gungibang spoke suddenly.
“We should walk from here.”
“Really?”
“If we approach too quickly, the Sichuan Tang Clan won’t like it.”
“They might appreciate it.”
Gungibang pointed to a large rock a few steps ahead. On it, in blood-red letters, was written:
[Anyone who approaches without permission will pay with blood.]
“Let’s walk. I wanted to walk anyway.”
“Hey, sometimes it’s good to observe the surroundings and look up at the sky. That’s how life should be.”
Gungibang, Hyeok Moojin, and I stopped using our light footwork, but one person didn’t. With the fierce wind, someone shot forward.
“Wow! Hello!”
“Cheongpung, you crazy idiot!”
“I’m Cheongpung!”
Cheongpung waved vigorously, carrying a similarly built boy on his back. As Moon Kyung swayed miserably, Cheongpung spoke to him.
“Say hello, doctor!”
“Ah, hello!”
Please, just stop…
Don’t do weird things, and don’t follow orders to do weird things.
I extended my foot to grab the back of Cheongpung’s neck, but the Tang Clan’s response was faster.
Swoosh! Boom!
A giant spear, the size of a grown man, was shot from the stone wall, embedding itself just in front of Cheongpung’s feet. The spear trembled violently.
And then, a voice rang out.
“Who are you?!”
With a booming shout imbued with powerful internal energy, dozens of crossbows appeared on the stone wall.
Between the glistening arrow tips reflecting the sunlight, a middle-aged man with glaring eyes shouted at us again.
“State your identity, outsiders!”
Cheongpung responded.
“Hello! I’m Cheongpung!”
“I-I’m Moon Kyung. Please, I beg you, if you lower your weapons, I will repay this grace a hundred times over, even if I die and die again…”
Stop it, you trolls…
Hurriedly covering the mouths of Moon Kyung and Cheongpung with both hands, I bowed my head repeatedly toward the stone wall.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. The kids are still immature. I’m Jin Taekyung of the Taewon Family.”
“Jin Taekyung of the Taewon Family?”
The middle-aged man’s eyes widened slightly as if recalling something.
“The disciple of Fire King Jeok Cheon-Gang, known as the Dragon Hidden in Shanxi, Jin Taekyung?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
I pointed to Gungibang, who arrived a beat late, and continued.
“And this is Gungibang from the Beggars’ Sect.”
“The disciple of Jeok Cheon-Gang and a member of the Beggars’ Sect.”
Though his tone and expression remained suspicious, the middle-aged man’s vigilance had noticeably lessened. With a flick of his finger, the crossbows that were aimed at us lowered.
“What brings you to our main house?”
“I wish to meet the clan leader.”
“The clan leader?”
“Yes, it’s an important matter.”
The middle-aged man frowned, clearly displeased with my answer, but this wasn’t something to be discussed openly. Sword Saint Ma Jeonghak had written a personal letter for a reason.
“The clan leader is currently occupied with many matters. Our main house is not accepting any outsiders at the moment. Please come back another time.”
“Just convey my message, please.”
“Impossible. The person who gave me this order is none other than the clan leader himself. And if it were such an important matter, you should have contacted us in advance.”
Why are they so unyielding? This wasn’t in my calculations.
It seemed Gungibang shared my thoughts as he whispered in a voice as small as an ant.
“Something’s odd. Even if the Sichuan Tang Clan is secretive, this is too much…”
I agreed. The initial attitude of aiming crossbows and the subsequent sternness were more fitting for wartime.
‘A warm welcome indeed.’
But as someone seeking cooperation, complaining wasn’t an option. I needed to show at least half of my hand to meet the clan leader.
‘No choice.’
After hesitating for a moment, I met the middle-aged man’s eyes and spoke firmly.
“I bring a letter from Sword Saint Ma Jeonghak.”
“Please let me meet the clan leader.”
The effect was immediate. Sword Saint Ma Jeonghak was a revered figure among martial artists and potentially the next leader of the new Murim Alliance. Compared to us newcomers, he was in a different league.
“…Very well. Wait here.”
Muttering under his breath, the middle-aged man disappeared from the stone wall, returning shortly after.
And his first words were as expected.
“The clan leader has granted permission.”
As soon as he finished speaking.
Rumble.
The massive iron gate slowly creaked open.
After passing through the iron gate, it didn’t take long to realize that my initial thoughts were correct.
‘Something has definitely happened. That’s clear.’
The actions and tense eyes of the people, who seemed to be members of the Tang Clan, were evidence enough.
Leaving the outer hall and entering the inner hall, the sense of unease grew stronger.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Artisans hammering something ceaselessly, martial artists in pairs moving around, and boxes filled with weapons and hidden weapons being carried by various hands.
Seeing this, Gungibang and I exchanged silent communication.
– Hey, does this feel weird only to me?
– No, it feels like they’re preparing for a battle. Maybe they discovered a demonic cult member, one of those who burned down the Tang Clan during the Great War?
– I have no idea. We should stay quiet and pretend we don’t know anything.
I had the same thought. If they intended to explain, they would have done so already.
The real problem, however, was that only I heard this silent communication.
“Wow! I’ve never seen anything like this! Are you preparing for war?”
For a moment, it felt like the world had stopped.
The artisans and martial artists of the Tang Clan halted their actions and silently stared at us.
Hundreds of eyes pierced through us like hidden weapons.
‘What did I do to end up entangled with someone like Cheongpung in this life?’
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Was this the Room of Spirit and Time?
Just as my mouth dried up as much as a
grain of sand near the Sphinx’s forepaw, the middle-aged man guiding us spoke to the people.
“What are you all doing? Get back to work.”
Only then did the world start moving again.
The middle-aged man, who had glanced at the now-moving people, turned to us and spoke.
“You all seem to have tight lips. I like that.”
It sounded like a compliment, but why did it feel like he was saying to keep our mouths shut if we wanted to live long?
‘Of course, because it’s true.’
Perhaps due to the image of poison and hidden weapons, the people of the Tang Clan, including the middle-aged man, exuded a dangerous aura despite being weaker than me.
“Hold your breath. That’s poisonous fog. The smell is awful.”
“…Ah, yes.”
So that was the dangerous smell.
Glaring at the ever-smiling Cheongpung, I followed the middle-aged man. How long had we been walking?
We passed through five gates and finally stopped in front of the sixth one.
“Weapons are not allowed in the clan leader’s hall.”
Following the middle-aged man’s words, we handed over all our weapons and were searched by the guards protecting the hall.
‘Their security is intense.’
Just then, a guard, who was patting me down for any hidden weapons, suddenly shouted in surprise.
“There’s a hidden weapon here!”
“It’s not a weapon, it’s an item.”
“Huh?”
“It’s mine. You know, that thing.”
What an embarrassing situation.
I’d rather pull out a poison-coated hidden weapon than show that in the clan leader’s hall. At least that would be a quicker death. Reluctantly giving my permission, the middle-aged man who checked the item widened his eyes.
“Impressive.”
“…Please, just let us through without a word.”
“Got it. But it’s really impressive.”
“Please…”
Reading the sincerity mixed with my plea, he was about to signal us through but then frowned suddenly.
“I almost forgot. That person must stay behind.”
Oh right, there’s that guy.
The ‘person’ he referred to was none other than Moon Kyung.
“I heard you’re a physician here to obtain a prescription, right?”
Moon Kyung, who had been dragged here unwittingly, replied in a trembling voice.
“Y-yes.”
“Normally, it would be impossible, but you got lucky with your companions. I’ll assign someone to accompany you, so go and take care of your business.”
“Th-thank you.”
Bowing deeply, Moon Kyung disappeared with a guard, and the middle-aged man gestured for us to follow him.
“Let’s go.”
Twenty steps made of blue stone. And at the end, a door.
“Uncle, it’s me.”
At the middle-aged man’s words, a hoarse voice answered.
“Come in.”