74 - Murim Login

Episode 74 "You've changed." Those were the first words Jin Wi-gyeong uttered after entering the office. He examined me closely and patted Jin Mu-gyeong on the shoulder. "You've done well." Despite the gentle tone, Jin Mu-gyeong replied with a sullen look. "I almost called for an undertaker." "Your words are so pretty." "I'd say more, but I'll hold my tongue, being in front of you, brother." "That's considerate of you." Jin Wi-gyeong chuckled and offered me a seat. As I sat down, I took a sip of the warm tea and looked around. "This place has changed a lot too. Last time I was here, it was a mess." The office was now tidy and organized. Just fifteen days ago, when I last visited, it was in complete disarray with stuff scattered everywhere. Now, even the table, which should be cluttered with stacks of documents, was spotless. "……It must have been a tough time." Jin Wi-gyeong mumbled with a clouded face. "But it's almost over. Just a little more, hang in there." The man seems half out of his mind. It's no surprise, given the overwhelming amount of work he's managed alone. It would be odd if he were still sane. 'If it were me, I'd have run away at night by now.' Even for someone like me, warriors are known as either physical laborers or blockheads, for lack of better terms. Not to demean anyone, it's just the truth. 'The senior family members were similar.' While it might be partly due to the first elder placing straw men in positions of authority, even from Jin Wi-gyeong's side, the senior members were far from being competent administrators. Being skilled in both administration and martial arts, while also being born into a traditionally esteemed martial family, makes Jin Wi-gyeong an anomaly. "I want to rest, even if just for one day. Rest, I need rest." Seeing him mutter compulsively like someone with OCD, Jin Mu-gyeong clicked his tongue. "We're lucky to be born as the second son." I nodded in agreement. "Agreed." In reality, managing my own family is already bone-breaking. Had I logged in as Jin Wi-gyeong instead of Jin Tae-gyeong from the start… it would be nothing but bleak. Moreover, the Jin family of Taewon has hundreds of retainers under its wing. The only upside is that as the household owner, I don't need to worry about rising rental deposits. "The eldest son's burden is always heavy." At my comment, Jin Mu-gyeong snorted. "You're not qualified to say that, so keep your mouth shut. Right, brother?" Jin Wi-gyeong looked at me with teary eyes. "How can you be so considerate and say all the right things?" "No, brother." "You've grown up so much, truly grown." "......Can I curse now?" Despite the chilly words, Jin Wi-gyeong didn't seem to hear anything and opened his arms wide with an emotional expression. "Our youngest, let me hug you just once." "Yes, brother." "Younger one!" Swoosh! Jin Mu-gyeong murmured with a look like he'd just swallowed something unpleasant. "This damn family. I swear I won't come back." "Mu-gyeong, come here too." "No way. Even if you beat me, I won't go." "We've finally gathered together, can't you grant a simple request for your one and only brother?" At the voice full of disappointment, Jin Mu-gyeong flinched. "……Just this once." As soon as the words were out, Jin Wi-gyeong's bear-paw-sized hand pulled Jin Mu-gyeong in. He, buried in Jin Wi-gyeong's chest along with me, mouthed silently. You're. Dead. Right. I'd better stay out of sight for a while. I have to leave soon anyway, so I'll just avoid him for a few days. 'If worse comes to worst, I can just log out.' I've completed my quest, and I was thinking of heading back anyway. I've been itching to test my newly honed martial skills in the Gate, plus there's the contract matter with Team Leader Choi. "Thanks. You guys give me strength." Jin Wi-gyeong, having finished his tearful embrace, wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "There's too much work, too much work." He really must be struggling. The sight of this human weapon shedding tears stirs something solemn in me. I patted Jin Wi-gyeong's back. "Hang in there." Jin Mu-gyeong, who wore a grim expression just moments ago, now seemed to look at him with some pity. "Brother. If it's really hard, you can use this guy." ".. ?'' I was at a loss for words at this nonsense. "Aren't you supposed to offer help yourself, even if it's a lie?" Jin Mu-gyeong confidently replied. "A warrior does not speak empty words." "Then why drag me into this?" "You've got plenty of time." "I don't!" "I have even less. I need to train. Plus, I'm terrible with paperwork." "I'm a C-grade student!" "What nonsense is that?" "I mean I'm bad at studying." Jin Mu-gyeong, who seemed lost in thought for a moment, scowled. "You're a useless fool. Brother, but he's strong, so he's suitable as a laborer. Now, I'm off." "Wait." A huge hand — no, paw — grabbed the nape of the swiftly turning Jin Mu-gyeong. Naturally, the hand belonged to Jin Wi-gyeong. "Where do you think you're going?" "Uh?" "You need to hear the reason I called you." "……What is it?" Uneasiness clouded Jin Mu-gyeong's face as he asked. Although I couldn't see myself, I probably wore a similar expression. 'A suspicious smell.' I'm particularly sharp at sniffing out these things. The smell of misfortune. A premonition of something bothersome. Jin Wi-gyeong's subsequent words confirmed my suspicion. "You need to go to Hwangsan Gate." Ding. - A quest has been forcibly generated. "......" Damn it. Didn't even ask this time. * * * I stared at the semi-transparent quest window. [Yesterday’s Enemy, Today's Ally] Now that all truths have been revealed, the Hwangsan Gate is not an enemy but an ally you must hold hands with. Invite them to the Jin family of Taewon for the upcoming gathering. Level: First-class Task: Deliver the Invitation (Incomplete) Reward: ??? Penalty on Failure: None Upon reading it a second and third time, my initial bewilderment somewhat subsided. 'Not bad.' The quest difficulty isn't high, and there's no penalty for failure. It's a simple task of delivering an invitation. Most importantly…… 'Logout.' Ding. - Do you wish to logout? There's no issue with logging out. Though it feels unsettling to be assigned a quest without my consent, it's tolerable at this level. "Well, it's not like I can refuse anyway." Unlike me, who had already accepted the situation, Jin Mu-gyeong was resisting with all his might. "So… are you saying you want us to invite Hwangsan Gate for the upcoming celebration?" Jin Mu-gyeong asked with difficulty. Jin Wi-gyeong nodded. "That's right. They're guests we can't do without." "But why do we—no, why do I have to go?" he protested, trying to wriggle out of the situation. To be honest, I agreed with part of Jin Mu-gyeong's question. 'Why send us, specifically?' The answer Jin Wi-gyeong gave next only deepened the mystery. "The Gate Master of Hwangsan personally requested it." I blurted out before I could stop myself. "The Gate Master?" I witnessed Blood Wolf Sword Yi Cheon-baek's death with my own eyes. Yi So-gun was poisoned, and the sub-master, whom I never met, allegedly died during an attack on a bandit hideout. 'Most of Hwangsan Gate’s top martial artists were wiped out by the eighth demon group.' Yet now they're speaking of a Gate Master? Jin Mu-gyeong's reaction was similar to mine. "The damage must have been severe. I only heard rumors, but isn’t it a situation where even closing the gate wouldn’t be surprising?" Jin Wi-gyeong shook his head. "Hwangsan Gate was a prominent force within the martial realm of Shanxi. You shouldn't underestimate their potential. With a focal point, they can regain their might." A focal point. Apparently, the new Gate Master of Hwangsan Gate, who personally requested for us, is the new focal point. I asked, "Who is it?" "Yi So-wol." "Yi So-wol? Yi So-wol... That's a name I haven't heard before. The surname Yi suggests a connection with Yi Cheon-baek." "Is that a name you've truly never heard before?" "A hidden son? A distant relative? Honestly, I have no idea." "You really don't remember, do you?" "Pardon?" Not remembering—what could that mean? 'Do I know this person?' Jin Wi-gyeong observed my puzzled expression with a curious look. "The new Gate Master of Hwangsan Gate is a woman. She's Yi Cheon-baek's third child and the only sister to the deceased sub-master and Yi So-gun." A fragment of memory suddenly flashed in my mind. In the memory, the stage was a conference hall. The actor was Yi So-gun, flushed with anger, hollering at me. 'How shameless you are, trying to assault my sister!' "Could it be her?" "That's correct." "…Damn." Jin Mu-gyeong looked bewildered, blinking rapidly. "What are you talking about? Is she someone you know?" "Uh, kind of. It's a relationship you could say I neither know well nor don't know at all." "What nonsense is that? So, what's your relationship with her?" "Uh." An unknown ex-girlfriend? Or perhaps a con artist? 'One thing's for sure.' It's not a pleasant meeting for either side. I let out a deep sigh. In the end, Jin Mu-gyeong also agreed to travel to Hwangsan Gate. The reason was Jin Wi-gyeong's strategic persuasion. ‘I hear Hwangsan Gate has many secret martial arts texts…’ ‘What of it? I can't access them anyway.’ ‘It matters.’ ‘Pardon?’ ‘The new Gate Master seems well-informed about you. She expressed willingness to reveal some profound martial arts if you visit.’ ‘…When do we depart?’ ‘Immediately.’ Everything proceeded swiftly and seamlessly. We boarded the carriage, having been seen off by Jin Wi-gyeong, just an hour ago. Grumbling, Jin Mu-gyeong spoke in a dissatisfied tone from across the carriage. "A carriage ride, really? It’ll take forever just to get there." Given the vast expanse of land, reaching Eung-hyeon, where Hwangsan Gate is located, would take at least three days. To Jin Mu-gyeong, who was eager to witness Hwangsan Gate’s profound martial arts, it was an eternity. "You there, driver, can't we go faster?" A voice responded from the front, behind the partition. "First of all, I'm not the driver. And no, I can't go faster. You might not realize it inside, but it's freezing outside, and I'm almost turning to ice. So, no, we can't." "Spur the horses with the whip! That's what a driver should do." "Once again, I'm not the driver. The whip's frozen solid—might as well call it an icicle now. If I prod the horses with this icicle, I bet they'd get really mad..." "What? If you're not the driver, why are you sitting there?" "Before we set off, you found the attendants cumbersome and told everyone to leave, including the driver." A thoughtful Jin Mu-gyeong suddenly slapped his forehead. "Ah, right." This guy isn't normal either. "Then who are you?" Recalling the 'Preservation of Idiocy Law,' I replied. "Hyuk Mu-jin." "Who's Hyuk Mu-jin?" "You'll recognize me when you see my face. Hey, Mu-jin!" The partition slid open, revealing Hyuk Mu-jin’s face, covered in frost. His teeth chattered incessantly as Jin Mu-gyeong scrutinized his face, then snapped his fingers. "Ah, it's that guy." Hyuk Mu-jin retorted curtly. “Yes, I'm that guy.” "But why didn't you leave too? You could've brought the driver back." Hyuk Mu-jin puffed his chest out proudly, having anticipated the question. "I only take orders from the team leader." "The team leader?" "The third young master." Jin Mu-gyeong's head snapped towards me. "Did you call him?" "No, he was just there." "He says so." Hyuk Mu-jin looked hurt as he glanced between me and Jin Mu-gyeong. "You two really are brothers, aren't you?" "Hyuk Mu-jin, was it? Explain properly what that means." Jin Mu-gyeong spoke sharply, offended, while I merely yawned. This isn't the first day I'm dealing with Hyuk Mu-jin's antics, and my patience has already stretched beyond its limits. "It's not Hyuk Mu-jin, it's Hyuk Mu-jin. And I'll try prodding the horses with this so-called icicle if necessary." Once the partition snapped shut, Jin Mu-gyeong sighed and settled back into his seat. "I shouldn't have expected anything. If the top is corrupt, so is what’s below… What are you doing?" I replied as I wrapped myself snugly in a fur coat. "Just about to start breathing exercises." "Really?" "Yeah, breathing exercises." "Then why do I feel like you're just getting ready to nap?" "You're imagining things." "And why are you wrapping yourself in a fur coat?" "I get cold easily." To make my point, I sat cross-legged. I also positioned myself snugly against the wall of the carriage to ensure I wouldn't topple over. 'I can't entrust my precious body to that guy.' The last thing I need is to return with broken limbs or worse. It's far safer to make sure he can't even touch me. "You know what happens if you disturb me, right? Ever heard of Qi deviation?" "This little... Seriously?" As soon as Jin Mu-gyeong raised his fist, I swiftly closed my eyes. To an observer, it would seem that I'd started a breathing exercise. As expected, the punch never came. Alright, now then— 'Logout.' Ding. - Would you like to log out? The answer was obvious.