Murim Login - Chapter 369
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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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“Search every inch of this place. If you slack off like you do during your martial arts training, you’ll be severely punished.”
“Oh, senior brother, if anyone overheard you, they might actually believe that. We have children here; watch your words.”
“A brat who spends all day in brothels… Do I need to beat some sense into you right here?”
“Alright, alright. I got it.”
Despite his senior brother’s scolding, the young man, Hwang So, couldn’t help but keep his face twisted in annoyance.
Hwang So was the first disciple of the Gongdomun, a sect located in Sichuan. Along with thirty or so others from the second and third generations, he had been sent on this mission.
‘Damn it. What kind of hell is this for five days straight?’
Hwang So grumbled to himself.
Born into a relatively affluent merchant family, he had grown up without wanting for anything. It had already been infuriating enough to be forced into the path of a martial artist by his father, who wanted a connection to the Murim world. But enduring the hardships of the past five days was more than enough to exhaust what little patience he had left.
‘I heard there’s a new courtesan at Deungwangru who’s a real beauty…’
Hwang So’s thoughts wandered toward his favorite brothel when suddenly…
“You wretch! I told you to stop daydreaming!”
Startled by his senior brother’s tiger-like roar, Hwang So reluctantly began to move.
His senior brother clicked his tongue in disappointment at the sight.
“If you don’t want to die a meaningless death, keep your mind sharp. You know full well the situation we’re in right now.”
“I do know. We’re going through all this trouble to catch some nonexistent demon, aren’t we?”
“Nonexistent?”
“That’s right. This so-called ‘Three Devils’ or whatever—if they ran off ages ago, why are we still searching for them in the wrong places?”
Hwang So’s words, spoken with his lips pushed out in a pout, made his senior brother’s face harden.
“Watch your mouth. Since the War of Righteousness and Demonic Forces, this is the first time that the Sichuan martial world has united to cast such an extensive net, the Heaven and Earth Net. Everything happens for a reason.” [1]
“I’m not saying there’s no reason. I’m not deaf; I already know.”
Hwang So had heard enough about why the Heaven and Earth Net was being deployed. News had spread that some group called Amcheon had attacked, reducing the Tang Clan, Qingcheng, and Emei sects to ashes.
Leading the charge was a grand demonic figure who single-handedly killed the Poison King and Gyeongcheon Divine Nun. It was said that the remnants of Amcheon, including the Three Devils of Giryeon and hundreds of evil spirits, split into three groups and stained the grounds of the three major Sichuan sects with blood.
The outcome of that day, now known as the Three Sect Blood Massacre, was well-known to everyone in Sichuan, including Hwang So.
“They were ultimately defeated, weren’t they? All the leaders of the demonic forces were killed, except for one, and the rest of the small fry scattered and ran. Isn’t it over?”
“…Sigh.”
His senior brother, who seemed about to say something, instead responded with a sigh.
It was pointless to argue; it was like talking to a brick wall. His junior brother had no interest in understanding the luck and sacrifices involved in that victory.
‘A mysterious master who suddenly appeared to save the Qingcheng Sect. Numerous disciples from the Beggars’ Sect and nearby martial sects who rushed to save the Emei Sect in their time of need. And if not for “them,” who rescued the Tang Clan from the brink of annihilation…’
If not for these interventions, the three great sects, each with centuries of history, would have disappeared from the martial world five days ago.
The Three Sect Blood Massacre had been a meticulously planned and executed large-scale attack, shocking the entire orthodox martial world.
‘But for a martial artist to be so shallow in his thinking… Even if he joined out of necessity…’
Hwang So bristled at the sight of his senior brother shaking his head in disapproval.
“What is it now?”
“Enough. Gather ten men and search beyond that hill.”
“There again? We’ve already searched there multiple times in the past five days…”
“This area is under our sect’s responsibility. We must search it a hundred, even a thousand times if necessary. I’ll search the nearby thickets myself, so just follow orders without complaint.”
Seeing his senior brother’s determined expression, Hwang So shut his mouth.
‘I should talk to my father about returning home as soon as possible. Why would the demon that fled from the Emei Sect show up here anyway?’
The Heaven and Earth Net, which had mobilized thousands of people, was living up to its name as a vast and impenetrable net.
Most of the remnants of Amcheon, who had fled after their defeat in the Three Sect Blood Massacre, had already been killed or captured.
The only one left was the third of the Three Devils of Giryeon, the one who had attacked the Emei Sect. The area assigned to the Gongdomun was near the heart of Sichuan, close to Chengdu.
‘They say that demon is injured and not in good shape. Why would he come here, to the mouth of the tiger, instead of heading for a safer place like Tibet or Yunnan?’
Hwang So’s complaints weren’t entirely unfounded.
No matter how dark it was under the lamp, there was no reason for a demonic figure, branded as a public enemy, to break through the tightly knit Heaven and Earth Net and head for Chengdu.
‘If there was even a slight chance of that, I wouldn’t be here. The Taoists of the Qingcheng Sect would have been guarding this place instead.’
It was all because of his stubborn and overly rigid senior brother.
Hwang So grumbled under his breath as he pointed to the third-generation disciples who were standing around.
“Hey, you with the big nose—yes, you. And you, the one with the big ears. Ten of you, follow me.”
What choice did he have? Orders were orders.
But as Hwang So led the search party away, his mind was filled with idle thoughts, not the task at hand.
‘Just wait. The moment this is over, I’m heading straight to Deungwangru to have a wild time.’
With his mind elsewhere, there was no way the search would be thorough.
The third-generation disciples half-heartedly glanced around, following Hwang So’s lead. In such a sloppy search, no one noticed the faint traces of blood on the leaves.
* * *
‘Lucky for me, these idiots are all useless. There’s nothing to worry about.’
The Third Devil let out a sigh of relief as he moved forward.
Rustle.
He quickly moved through the foliage, his body as light as a shadow.
If a skilled master had been nearby, he might have been detected, but considering the level of the fools he had seen so far, there was no chance of that happening.
‘They never expected I’d head toward Chengdu.’
The thrill of having successfully deceived the orthodox martial artists was short-lived. Soon, anger and a thirst for revenge welled up within the Third Devil.
‘If not for those damned scoundrels…!’
Five days ago, the initial attack had gone well. With the death of the Gyeongcheon Divine Nun and the elders, the Emei Sect had a huge gap in their defenses, which the warriors of Amcheon, led by the Three Devils, had exploited like a spear.
A desperate and bloody battle ensued, and just when it seemed they had the upper hand, those people appeared.
‘Damn it, you wretched bastards!’
First, there was some beggar-looking fellow.
“I’m Hyeok Mujin, Deputy Commander of the Jinryong Division of the Great Taeweon Clan, and the right-hand man and pinky toe of Jin Taekyung of the Sleeping Dragon of Shianxi!”
Next, a young man, who couldn’t seem to decide if he was the right-hand or the pinky toe of someone named Jin Taekyung.
“Sister! I’ve arrived!”
And finally, there was a middle-aged female monk who seemed to be a disciple of the Emei Sect. At first, the Third Devil couldn’t believe it.
‘What? Wretched scoundrels? Is this beggar begging for death? Wait right there; I’ll tear you apart limb by limb…’
As the Third Devil approached with a sneer, he had to swallow his words.
Behind the fearless young beggar, countless others were charging toward them.
A veritable tide of beggars!
‘Beggars?’
The response had come far too quickly for the Third Devil. In less than half a day, not dozens or hundreds, but thousands of Beggars’ Sect disciples had gathered to save the Emei Sect.
‘Hu Gae orders you! Slaughter these scum worse than dogs like the dogs they are!’
‘Armor! They’re wearing armor!’
‘Strike their exposed areas! Crush their balls!’
With female monks of the Emei Sect charging ahead, willing to die, and countless Beggars’ Sect disciples pressing from behind, the Third Devil and his black-clad warriors fought desperately, cutting down their enemies. But the tide of battle had already turned.
‘Brothers of the Beggars’ Sect! Never retreat!’
‘Waaaah!’
‘Avenge Gaedong’s death!’
It was a suffocating wave of human bodies.
If the Third Devil cut down one beggar, two more would rush in—not just two, but five or ten.
And if he managed to cut them down with every ounce of strength he had left?
There was no need to worry about what came next. Out of nowhere, a club would strike his groin, and a metal rod would crack the back of his head. Death was inevitable.
“Gah…!”
Just as a body gets soaked from the drizzle, the black-clad warriors gradually became cold corpses scattered on the battlefield. Even the Third Devil, who should have been turning the tide, had no time to worry about his subordinates.
“Form the Anti-Demon Subjugation Formation!”
The Seven Immortals, the most skilled masters of the Emei Sect, surrounded the Third Devil in a formation. Despite suffering grievous injuries, they didn’t retreat, launching life-threatening attacks. The Third Devil, growing more desperate, found himself increasingly exhausted as the fight dragged on.
As the Third Devil recalled the events from five days ago, his face contorted in rage.
“And then, that damned old witch, the Annihilation Divine Nun, made her grand entrance to finish it all.”
The sudden appearance of the Annihilation Divine Nun had shocked not only the Third Devil but even the disciples of the Emei Sect.
Thirty years ago, it was said that she had left the secular world at the age of one hundred. She was the only surviving elder of the Gyeongcheon Divine and had long been presumed dead.
Faced with the sudden arrival of another peak martial artist, the Third Devil didn’t hesitate to flee, abandoning his black-clad warriors, who scattered and fled in disarray.
It was a clear defeat. Yet the Third Devil had managed to survive.
Using an Inverted Face Mask and a Disguise Technique, he had camouflaged himself and slipped through the weakest part of the Heaven and Earth Net, making his way to this desolate cliff.
A place so remote that no one would ever think to search here—a nameless cliff.
“Finally… Khh!”
As the cliff’s jagged edge came into view, the Third Devil struggled to suppress a surge of emotions.
The sorrow and fury of having lost his only remaining brothers overwhelmed him all at once.
“Don’t despair too much. Even though I retreat now, I, the youngest of the Three Devils, will surely avenge our fallen brothers.”
The Third Devil, swearing vengeance, reached out toward the cliff’s edge. But in that instant…
Shhhk!
The Third Devil’s eyes flew open in shock. His wrist was suddenly severed, a searing pain burning through his arm.
It had been a long time since he felt such agony. A beat later, a scream erupted from his lips.
“Arrghhh!”
At the same time, a cold shiver ran down his spine.
Quickly applying pressure to his acupoints to stop the bleeding, the Third Devil snapped his head up.
Where he had just seen part of the cliff’s solid surface, a familiar face now stood, staring back at him.
“Big brother?”
The Third Devil’s voice, filled with a mix of disbelief and recognition, echoed in the air. However, the figure standing before him—whom he had mistaken for his eldest brother—remained indifferent.
“So it’s you. I had my doubts since your disguise technique is so poor.”
Rrrrip.
In that moment, the grotesque face of the supposed eldest brother began to ripple like water. His hunched back straightened, and his limbs elongated.
Before long, instead of a repulsive old man, a tall and imposing young man stood there.
“Who are you?” the Third Devil demanded, his voice trembling with rage and confusion.
The young man, his expression as cold as steel, allowed a faint smile to cross his lips.
“Moon Kyung.”
The boy, who was actually the notorious Reaper, Moon Kyung, let out a brief chuckle.
“I’m the one you swore vengeance upon.”
***
Footnotes:
[1] The term “Heaven and Earth Net” (천라지망, 天羅地網) is a metaphorical expression referring to an inescapable trap or net that encompasses both heaven and earth. It is often used to describe a thorough and comprehensive search or strategy intended to leave no room for escape.