Murim Login - Chapter 450

At the edge of the island near the sandy shore, dozens of people had gathered.

As the martial artists surrounding the area parted to let us through, familiar faces came into view.

“Uncle Huang! How could you leave me like this? How could you?!”

Mu Song wailed hoarsely, his voice raw with grief. His anguished figure was watched with sympathy by the Wudang Sect’s Xuan Kong Jin and with an unreadable, deep gaze by the Zhuge Clan’s Wolong Guest, Zhuge Pung.

And then…

*‘Moon Kyung.’*

Always present yet blending into the background, Moon Kyung had been the most alert when he realized something had gone wrong at Dongting Stronghold. As a healer rather than a warrior, he had tirelessly worked to save even a single life.

But his efforts were mocked by the cruel reality—there were no survivors.

The body Mu Song held as he cried endlessly was just one of the many tragic victims.

“You’ve arrived,” said Zhuge Pung.

Jeok Cheon-Gang cast a sharp, resentful glance at him before speaking. “Is that the body of Huang Zhong?”

“Yes,” Zhuge Pung replied. “Though it may be hard to recognize, our examination confirms it.”

*‘That.’*

Referring to the deceased in such a way might seem callous, but anyone who saw the condition of Huang Zhong’s body would find little reason to argue.

I was no exception.

*‘Whoever did this must be completely insane.’*

The body was mangled beyond belief, barely resembling anything human. The face was crushed as if smashed against a boulder, and everything below the chest was missing. The stench of decay and exposed entrails was overpowering.

“Urgh, ugh!”

Hyeok Mu-jin gagged and stumbled back, and I couldn’t blame him. Even for someone who had seen countless horrific scenes and corpses, this was enough to churn anyone’s stomach.

Once, Huang Zhong—the Blade of the Yangtze—was a peerless martial artist whose strength dominated the vast waters of the Yangtze River. Now, his remains were no more than a heap of mutilated flesh.

“Benefactor, this is…” Cheongpung began, his face pale.

“Appalling,” I muttered. “Whoever did this is utterly monstrous.”

Cheongpung and Gong Gi-bang nodded silently, their expressions grim.

As I stared at the body, a peculiar thought struck me, and I asked, “What about those bodies over there?”

Corpses were everywhere on the island, so a few more didn’t seem unusual. But these two, lying next to Huang Zhong, clearly held some significance.

Following my gaze, Zhuge Pung replied, “They are *Huang Cheol*, the Mad Blade of the Waters, and *Do Rip-gun*, the Wave Fox.”

“The Mad Blade… and the Wave Fox…”

I had heard those names before—recently, in fact.

A memory surfaced, and I lifted my head sharply. “Are they…?”

“Yes,” Zhuge Pung confirmed. “They were the leaders of the Dangyang and Hongho pirate crews under Dongting Stronghold.”

“They vanished without a trace after taking over the Maritime Guild’s territory, didn’t they?” I asked.

“They did,” Zhuge Pung said, his eyes dark as they lingered on the bodies. “Huang Cheol was violent by nature, and Do Rip-gun was cunning. When the incident with the Maritime Guild occurred a month ago, everyone suspected them.”

Gong Gi-bang interjected, “My master once said there were only two people within the Yangtze River Waterway League capable of controlling Huang Cheol and Do Rip-gun.”

“That’s true,” Zhuge Pung replied. “Despite their personalities, they were exceptionally skilled. Without a leash to hold them back, they were like wild dogs.”

In that sense, Huang Zhong was the perfect leash for them. As one of the most formidable figures in the Yangtze River Waterway League after the Sea King, he had both the strength and the leadership to keep them in check.

But now, the leash had snapped, and the wild dogs had also been slaughtered.

With the Yangtze River Waterway League’s stronghold reduced to ashes after years of struggle with the Maritime Guild, only one possible culprit came to mind.

“*Dark Heaven*. It’s them again, isn’t it?”

Xuan Kong Jin’s voice carried an unhidden mix of anger and sorrow.

From Henan to Sichuan, and now to Hubei—the shadow of Dark Heaven had spread relentlessly.

Perhaps their reach had been growing unnoticed for a long time. It was only now, in the light of chaos, that their presence was becoming undeniable.

*‘Just as the former Grand Elder once conspired with Dark Heaven…’*

This wasn’t something born overnight. It was a grand and wicked scheme stretching back to the days of the Great Cataclysm.

“Truly, we are in troubled times,” Zhuge Pung muttered as he scanned the surroundings.

His sharp gaze, glinting with an unreadable light, pierced through the thick fog, as though trying to uncover whatever might be lurking beyond.

—

Despite our efforts, no survivors or witnesses were found. We scoured the island and surrounding cliffs, but nothing emerged from our search.

Instead, the unanswered questions only grew heavier.

*‘No survivors, no traces of an array… nothing.’*

If Dark Heaven had bypassed Cheonryeong Falls with their teleportation arrays, there should have been some evidence like what we found in Sichuan. But even with the Zhuge Clan’s expertise in formations and mechanisms, nothing turned up.

Eventually, Zhuge Pung approached me with a question of his own.

“Are you certain such a formation exists?”

“I saw it with my own eyes in Sichuan,” I replied firmly. “We didn’t find it in Henan because we left too quickly, but in Sichuan’s Bloody History, it was unmistakable.”

“Though I’ve heard of it through reports, even the Zhuge Clan has no records of such a bizarre formation.”

“Then use this opportunity to start a new record.”

—

“Search carefully,” Zhuge Pung insisted. “If we dig deeper, we might find something.”

“I agree,” I said, “but with the people we have, this is an impossible task.”

The size of the island was daunting, but the greater challenge was its terrain. Surrounded by cliffs hundreds of meters high and vast waterways, it was inaccessible by land.

With only four warships and around 300 people, our resources were stretched thin.

“It was a mistake to only bring those skilled in martial arts,” Zhuge Pung muttered. “We should have brought individuals with expertise in formations.”

There was no point in regrets now. No one, not even Zhuge Pung or myself, had expected this situation. Everyone had feared a bloodbath with the Yangtze River Waterway League, not this kind of devastation.

“In that case, let us return to the Zhuge Clan to bring the necessary experts,” one of the martial artists suggested.

“Though I should go myself,” Zhuge Pung replied, “given the circumstances, that seems to be the best option. I’ll assign some of my men to accompany you.”

Before I could respond, Jeok Cheon-Gang interjected, directing his words at me.

“Surely you don’t mean to include me in this ‘we’ of yours?”

“Of course, Elder,” I replied. “You know the saying—where the needle goes, the thread follows.”

“Do you know this saying?” he growled, raising a clenched fist. “Speak nonsense, and you’ll die.”

I flinched instinctively, but his glare only deepened as he continued.

“I’m not going. If you want to go, go alone.”

“What, are you planning to stay here forever? Never leave this place?” I retorted.

“I never said I’d stay forever. But why should we all leave? I’ll remain here to assist in uncovering this formation. Someone must stay to expose the culprits and restore peace to Hubei.”

Jeok Cheon-Gang’s reaction was unusual, given his hatred for Dark Heaven since his friend, the Dharma King, had been killed by them. Something felt off.

After a moment of thought, I clapped my hands in realization.

“Oh, I get it now. You’re avoiding the water, aren’t you? Cheonryeong Falls scared you.”

“Who said that?! Who would be afraid of some stupid water?!” he shouted, flustered.

“Hmm. Coward?”

“You brat!”

Smack! Smack! Smack!

After taking several hits to the back of the head, I made a hasty retreat and went to find the others.

—

Familiar faces turned toward me as I approached.

“Leader,” Hyeok Mu-jin asked, “what’s the plan?”

“Pack your things,” I said, giving him a light kick. “We’re leaving immediately.”

“Leaving? To where?”

“To the Zhuge Clan. We need experts in formations and mechanisms. If necessary, we might also draw from the Wudang Sect. They supposedly have Daoists well-versed in formations.”

“That might not be possible,” Gong Gi-bang cut in.

“What nonsense is that?” I frowned.

“It’s not me—it’s what Xuan Kong Jin mentioned.”

“Hmm. That does sound like something important. Explain.”

“It seems the Wudang Sect is dealing with an issue of its own. Even before the Maritime Guild incident, a crazed killer has been running rampant in Hubei, slaughtering people. The situation has escalated—over thirty people have already died at his hands.”

“A killer? Is he a martial artist?”

“Definitely a highly skilled one. Most of his victims have been commoners, but even a well-known first-class martial wanderer hired by the local authorities was found dead after pursuing him.”

First-class wanderers were renowned martial artists in their own right. If this killer had disposed of one so easily, he could very well be a peak master.

*‘But for a single killer to cause the entire Wudang Sect to mobilize? That’s odd.’*

My doubt was quickly dispelled by Gong Gi-bang’s next words.

“Three days ago, a group of twenty pilgrims climbing Mount Wudang was massacred. Among them were the children of high-ranking officials, who had come to join the Wudang Sect as secular disciples.”

“Ah.”

This wasn’t just anywhere—it was Mount Wudang itself.

The slaughter had occurred right on their doorstep, targeting high-ranking officials’ children. It was no wonder the Wudang Sect was enraged.

*‘A bold lunatic, no doubt.’*

For a moment, the name *Dark Heaven* flitted through my mind, but I shook it off. This was the martial world—full of unhinged individuals. Murders in broad daylight were hardly rare here.

*‘If this were Dark Heaven’s doing, it would be on a much larger scale.’*

For now, the Wudang Sect’s predicament would have to wait. Our immediate priority was reaching the Zhuge Clan.

“Alright,” I said. “Pack your things. They’re preparing for us outside.”

Jin Wi-gyeong had already decided to stay behind to liaise with Zhuge Pung. I just needed to gather the others here.

Or so I thought—until someone spoke up.

“I’ll stay behind.”

“Who the hell—oh. Moon Kyung.”

“Is there any reason I should go?” Moon Kyung asked calmly.

“None. Please, stay. Stay as long as you’d like.”