Murim Login - Chapter 367
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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 signs had already been there.
There was plenty of reason.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The ground split, and the ceiling shook. The underground dungeon, which had symbolized the darkness of the Sichuan Tang Clan for centuries, was collapsing under the aftermath of the ongoing battles.
Countless vengeful spirits of prisoners who had died in the dungeon, along with three people still alive.
“…This is just crazy.”
Jeok Cheon-Gang looked around with a bewildered expression.
Before closing his eyes, he was in a forest, but upon opening them, he found himself in what appeared to be a dungeon or a cave.
As if that wasn’t enough, he had to fight to the death against some unknown bastard while dragging his still-injured body.
Alright, he could somewhat understand this. It was plausible that Jin Taekyung had fainted right after the battle ended. But?
“Isn’t this too much? Damn it.”
Involuntary curses spilled from his mouth.
Where was this place? Who was he? Why was the ground splitting and boulders as big as people falling from above?
For a moment, Jeok Cheon-Gang was so overcome with regret that he almost ascended to heaven.
“Damn it.”
He had no idea what was going on, but for now, he had to move his body first.
Once his mind cleared, his movements were as swift as lightning.
‘First, I need to get Taekyung… but who is this old man?’
Forget it.
Jeok Cheon-Gang, carrying the unconscious Jin Taekyung and an unknown old man, urgently sped off.
Swoosh! Boom!
A giant boulder falling from the ceiling narrowly missed Jeok Cheon-Gang, shattering the ground. But that was just the beginning.
Boom! Boom! Rumble!
With every step he took, a shower of bizarre rocks poured down, making Jeok Cheon-Gang’s hair stand on end.
‘If I’m not careful, I might end up buried here.’
It was evident at a glance that this wasn’t a small cave.
If the massive weight of the cliff above them were to collapse on their heads… even Jeok Cheon-Gang couldn’t guarantee his survival.
Especially with the aftereffects of his injuries still lingering.
“Ugh.”
As he dashed over the cracked ground, his body staggered. Jeok Cheon-Gang swallowed the blood rising in his throat and laughed bitterly.
‘What a pathetic sight.’
His limbs, stiff as stone from prolonged inactivity. The extreme hunger and exhaustion gnawed at him.
In such a state, fighting a monster of unknown origin had further damaged his body. If it weren’t for his inner strength, he would have collapsed long ago.
Rumble!
At that moment, with the vibrations growing stronger, Jeok Cheon-Gang gritted his teeth.
‘Alright, I get it. Stop pushing me. I’ll get out of here somehow.’
He had someone he needed to save. The one disciple who had become the light and warmth during his cold and dark memories.
‘Yes, my one and only disciple.’
He tightened his grip on the two people he was carrying. It felt like an unknown energy was rising from deep within his body.
Flame Path.
Momentarily halted, Jeok Cheon-Gang’s body shot forward like a streak of fire.
Swoosh!
The clash between Jin Taekyung and the Western Heavenly Demon had caused the collapse of the underground dungeon, but it had also helped Jeok Cheon-Gang.
The interior, devastated by the clash, had turned the once maze-like dungeon into a single vast hollow space.
‘There it is!’
As he ran, using his martial arts, Jeok Cheon-Gang’s eyes gleamed.
There must be an exit somewhere.
Feeling a faint breeze from somewhere, Jeok Cheon-Gang looked in that direction and saw an entrance to the underground dungeon, just large enough for one person to pass through.
‘Hurry, hurry…!’
Jeok Cheon-Gang used all his strength to propel himself forward.
He stepped on the shifting ground and dodged falling boulders.
He passed the corpse of the old man, the Heavenly Demon, who lay dead with a peaceful smile, and sped further and faster.
In a moment that felt both short and like an eternity, Jeok Cheon-Gang finally took his last step towards the dungeon entrance.
Made it…!
Rumble! Rumble! Crash!
A vibration and sound louder than all the previous ones combined. At the same time, the ceiling caved in.
Huge rocks that had accumulated over hundreds and thousands of years crushed the entrance of the dungeon.
And then, in the next moment.
“Get out of the way!”
With a roar that shook the underground dungeon, Jeok Cheon-Gang’s fist, imbued with blue and white flames, struck the center of the rock.
Boom!
The extreme heat of the Melting Flame Fist shattered and melted the rock.
After a deafening noise that seemed to split the sky, a sudden blast of hot wind swept through the underground dungeon.
“What is this…”
A middle-aged man in black, who had hurriedly run over after hearing the noise, swallowed a gasp at the sight before him.
Boom!
A natural disaster. The cliff that had stood behind the Sichuan Tang Clan for hundreds of years was slowly collapsing.
Even from a hundred yards away, it was a shocking sight, but the real problem lay elsewhere.
“V-Vice Commander. That’s where Magun…”
The underground dungeon!
The Vice Commander of Dark Heaven, a middle-aged man, felt a chill down his spine at the subordinate’s words.
The Western Heavenly Demon. If anything happened to him…
‘We’re all finished.’ Cold sweat dripped down his forehead. He hadn’t been this tense even when the Sichuan Tang Clan used Jincheonroe.
He gave an urgent order.
“Gather all the brothers scattered around immediately!”
“A-All of them? But there are still some of the Sichuan Tang Clan left…”
“They don’t matter! Hurry!”
“Yes, sir!”
The terrified subordinate pulled out a firecracker from his pocket and lit it. With a pop, a red light exploded in the air.
At the signal for an emergency, the black-clad warriors scattered throughout the Sichuan Tang Clan began to gather.
In no time, more than a hundred men had assembled.
“Vice Commander. Give the order.”
The Vice Commander wanted to bash the skull of the man who had just spoken. Despite the emergency signal, there was no sign of the First Commander, one of the Three Evils of Kirin Mountain.
‘Damn it.’
The Vice Commander’s throat bobbed as he stared at the still-collapsing cliff.
The order he was about to give was akin to a suicide mission. He was telling them to walk into the collapsing cliff and find the Western Heavenly Demon.
But there was no other choice. He had to give the order.
“Magun is inside. As the Vice Commander, I will lead the charge. Not a single one of you is to stay behind…”
The Vice Commander was struggling to continue when,
Boom!
With an unknown loud noise, the rocks that had formed a small mound exploded outward.
Simultaneously, the Vice Commander and everyone else saw it. A large figure emerging from the rocks.
“Magun! Magun has come out…?”
Someone’s shout was cut off.
Slash! Thud!
The figure, who had shot out like a cannonball, rolled on the muddy ground and came to a stop.
An old man, firmly clutching two people larger than himself by the sides. Jeok Cheon-Gang looked up at the cloudy sky and took a deep breath.
“Phew!”
Fresh air and raindrops seeped in through his nose and mouth.
It felt like even his soul was being cleansed. His energy was depleted, and his body ached as if it would break, but Jeok Cheon-Gang felt a sense of relief knowing he had saved Jin Taekyung.
And in the next moment, as he struggled to lift his upper body, he froze.
…
Just twenty paces away, a group stood watching him.
More than a hundred men, black-clad, holding blood-stained weapons.
Jeok Cheon-Gang muttered in a low voice.
“…Damn it. They don’t look like good people.”
A voice confirmed his suspicion.
“They call themselves Dark Heaven.”
Despite the sudden voice from behind, Jeok Cheon-Gang didn’t flinch.
He had experienced so much, and he had just escaped a life-and-death crisis. He knew from the changed breathing that the old man he had saved had woken up.
“Right. Dark Heaven, those bastards.”
Jeok Cheon-Gang cursed without looking back and spoke.
“Do you know where we are?”
“This is the Sichuan Tang Clan. Unfortunately, it seems the battle has already been decided.”
“…This is crazy.”
Jeok Cheon-Gang ended his comment with a brief remark.
There was no time to ponder how this had happened. He didn’t have much time.
“What’s your name?”
“Dong Bong. That’s my name.”
“Do you have a nickname?”
“I’m not a martial artist, so I don’t have a nickname.”
“Your dantian was damaged. You’re not a martial artist?”
“It’s just a bit of knowledge I couldn’t refuse from my master. My true focus was on medicine.”
Jeok Cheon-Gang’s eyebrows twitched.
Despite his severe injuries, his calm demeanor and tone radiated a certain wisdom.
Why did he suddenly think of a physician who had reached the divine level in medicine?
“Are you a divine physician?”
“I’m just a humble old physician.”
Jeok Cheon-Gang chuckled at the answer. Now he understood the situation.
“Thank you. For waking up this old man who was about to die.”
“You stood up on your own. It was your willpower, Jeok Cheon-Gang.”
“I had no choice. I woke up because of a thunderous fool.”
“That same fool traveled across the land to find me, asking me to save you no matter what.”
Jeok Cheon-Gang turned his head to the side. He saw Jin Taekyung lying covered in blood and mud.
“…That foolish boy.”
If only he could wake him up now, he would.
Maybe they could have a final conversation.
But Jin Taekyung, whose energy was entirely depleted, wouldn’t wake up. Jeok Cheon-Gang knew this, even without Dong Bong telling him.
‘Maybe this is for the best.’
Jeok Cheon-Gang slowly stood up, ignoring the pain that coursed through his body. He spoke to Dong Bong without turning around.
“Can you still move?”
“When I was younger, yes. I worked as a carpenter before meeting my master.”
“A unique past for a divine physician. How about now?”
“I’m seventy years old.”
“Your dantian is damaged, so it’ll be hard, but use all your strength. Run as far as you can.”
“With Young Master Jin?”
“You understand.”
After a brief silence, Dong Bong spoke.
“You intend to sacrifice yourself.”
“Sacrifice?”
A faint smile appeared on Jeok Cheon-Gang’s lips. He looked at the approaching black-clad men.
“Do you know why flames die down?”
Jeok Cheon-Gang didn’t wait for a reply.
Splash. Mud splattered with his step. The rain that seemed endless had stopped.
His voice was clear.
“It’s because there’s nothing left to burn. So it slowly dies down to ashes.”
Jeok Cheon-Gang was ready to ignite his final flame.
He had no fear or anger towards the approaching death.
Only regret. That he couldn’t stay by his disciple’s side any longer.
“Please take care of Taekyung.”
With a heartfelt request, Jeok Cheon-Gang took a step forward.
“I’ve watched countless lives and deaths, wondering if there’s an afterlife, who Yama is, and if I can meet the patients I couldn’t save.”
“Every time, my master would say, ‘The afterlife must be full, so aim for the heavens and be with the immortals.’”
Dong Bong looked at Jeok Cheon-Gang with a quiet voice.
“Jeok Cheon-Gang. The afterlife is full. Wait a little longer.”
At that moment, Jeok Cheon-Gang felt a chilling sensation and looked up.
High above, bathed in sunlight breaking through the clouds, stood a boy.
No, not a boy. This…
The clear, sparkling, yet emotionless eyes. Eyes he had encountered once long ago and never forgotten.
From the boy’s appearance, Jeok Cheon-Gang gasped in shock.
“Kill Star…!” [1]
Footnotes:
[1] In Korean culture and fiction, the term “살성” (Killing Star or Kill Star) represents the epitome of an assassin, combining unparalleled skill, a fearsome reputation, and a deeply intricate personal history, making them a compelling and formidable character within any narrative.