174 - Murim Login

Chapter 174 "Huh? Isn't Jin Baek-yang from the Hwayang Sword clan the person who was killed by your benefactor? Right?" At that moment, I had only one thought: 'I should have muzzled that idiot's mouth from the start.' Is he even human? He's a beast. But it was too late. Cheongpung was already rampaging like a pit bull off its leash. "I heard it’s a well-known story. Your benefactor fiercely battled with the Hwayang Sword and then, bam! A spear to the heart with blood splattering everywhere!" Please stop. Just stop it, you lunatic. I needed to intervene immediately. Just as I was about to open my mouth in a rush— "You even insulted Hwayang Sword, didn’t you? 'Get your hands off, you bastard!' they said." “…Where did you hear that?” "Everyone I meet seems to know about it. When I mentioned I was close with you, many came forward to share bits and pieces. Even the head cook packed lots of delicious treats for me." No wonder he was frequently going missing. Seems like he used the opportunity to hear and eat quite a bit while staying at the Tae-Won Jin household. 'Thanks to him, I’m screwed.' Swallowing anxiously, I slowly turned my head. There stood Jeok Cheon-Gang with an unreadable expression on his face. "It’s a misunderstanding." Jeok Cheon-Gang's eyebrow twitched. "Misunderstanding?" "Yes. Truly. Really." "A misunderstanding, you say? That’s possible. Rumors in the martial world are often twisted and exaggerated.” His voice was dry as he continued. "So, you didn’t kill Hwayang Sword, is that it?" "Uh... that's me, but it's just—" "Then there’s no need to hear more." I couldn’t continue talking. Just a few steps ahead, Jeok Cheon-Gang’s hands were flaming red. Hooooong. I felt it. An overwhelming flow of energy. The chill shattered as the desert heat surged in. The heat that crept through my lips felt like it would scorch my lungs. Memories from just a few months ago flashed through my mind. 'Is this the Flame God Palm?' Correct. This was the Flame God Palm. But it was on a completely different level than Jo Pil's. It was several times stronger, merely pure strength. Jeok Cheon-Gang was no longer a frail old man with few days left to live. He embodied the very essence of a Fire King. "Killing Hwayang Sword defies the natural order. Are you truly human?" “W-wait a moment! There are profound and complex circumstances—” That was a mistake. I should have outright declared that the Grand Elder betrayed the Tae-Won Jin clan instead of getting caught up in explanations. Profound and complex circumstances? 'Damn it, not that he would wait to hear them anyway.' I momentarily forgot who stood before me. The Fire King Jeok Cheon-Gang. A man who had burned a thousand people alive for the simple reason of trespassing and arson did not jibe with words like profound or complex — those concepts were lightyears away from him. Fwoooosh! That damned old man… To think he wasn’t called the Fire King for nothing. How crudely straightforward and fierce he was. Feeling the heat of the Flame God Palm, I widened my eyes. 'Is this a life-flashing moment?' In the slowed world around me, his flame-encased palm slowly approached my chest. If Jo Pil’s Flame God Palm was a mild broth, this was a fiery stew loaded with spicy chili peppers. Taking that head-on could very well cost me my life. 'I must block it.' The problem was that I couldn’t even twitch my fingers. The world slowing down was merely my brain’s response to the impending threat of death, not because Jeok Cheon-Gang was slowing or that I was speeding up. 'Cursed…' Desperately, I tried to lift my hands, but it was already too late. In the looming darkness of despair, just as Jeok Cheon-Gang's blazing palm filled my vision— Swiing! Boom! A sudden sword aura shot out and struck Jeok Cheon-Gang’s hand. It was a bright violet sword aura. It must be Cheongpung. Beyond the thunderous sound, I heard his shout. “Benefactor!” It was a desperate cry. Cheongpung’s sword aura couldn’t fully block Jeok Cheon-Gang’s Flame God Palm. It merely slowed it down for a moment. But in the dance between life and death, that moment decided everything. 'Now!' Forty-five years of cultivation coiled in my core sprung to life. The heat energy surged through numerous acupoints. The target was my hands. With all my might, I reached out towards Jeok Cheon-Gang’s Flame God Palm. 'Damn it. Not enough time to pull out a weapon.' Facing the Flame God Palm with bare hands was all I could come up with. It was certainly insane... but it was the best insane thing I could do under the circumstances. I roared from the depths of my soul. “Cheongpung, you son of a—!” The moment my hand finally met the Flame God Palm— Gooong. A resonating sound split the world, almost rendering me deaf. A booming sound as if the sky were splitting apart. After a brief calm, a change began. Flitter, flitter. Everything turned to ash and scattered. The stone wall carefully built a decade ago, the trees planted in the yard — everything crumbled into black ash that fell onto the old man's white hair. "W-what in the world...?" Old man Jang Tae-bo was trembling uncontrollably. In the long years since mountains and rivers changed six times, he had roamed the martial world. Though merely a blacksmith who hadn’t practiced martial arts, he had met countless people because of it. 'I plead with you. If you wish, I will give you my neck!' 'Make me the world’s greatest sword.' 'Is it true you are the Master of Iron Flag? I was sent by the Imperial In-Law Guard.' From novice warriors to the heads of revered sects, and even the royal family’s power brokers. The people who sought Jang Tae-bo’s skills were diverse, but his answer always remained the same. 'If you are worthy, I will make it for you.' Jang Tae-bo believed every weapon had a soul. For a blunt, round piece of metal to take shape, it had to endure thousands, millions of hardships. Bent countless times, hammered down. Heated to extreme temperatures then cooled again. Only at the end of that prolonged process of patience and endurance would it take shape and gain a soul. 'Thus, it is my duty to choose an owner befitting the weapon.' Depending on who wielded it, it could become a sword of death or a sword of life. Jang Tae-bo understood this very well, and hence, he never accepted any commission lightly. "Those with gentle natures, those overflowing with ambition, those walking their own unique paths... They say there are as many colors as there are people. Until now, numerous individuals have come to him for weapons and returned to martial society. Some died, some survived, but they all shared one common trait. 'They were strong. All of them.' They were masters capable of dominating entire regions. Each was a formidable figure who could guard treasures coveted by all and wield them in their own way. Among them were individuals whose martial arts could rival the leaders of the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Clans. However... 'This one is different.' The Fire King, Jeok Cheon-Gang. The aura and martial prowess emanating from that compact frame were beyond human. And he realized that Jeok Cheon-Gang did not require any weapon at all. 'His martial arts touched the heavens.' Whether he held something or not, it didn’t matter anymore. What he had vaguely thought of as the pinnacle of perfection was exactly that. "Hooo." Jang Tae-bo exhaled a sigh he had been holding in. As strength left his body, the item he held fell from his grasp. Despite being mineral, it was hard and light, shimmering with a gentle glow even in daylight. “Oh dear!” It was a treasure meant to be his final and greatest masterpiece. He hurriedly picked up the Millennium Steel and clutched it, but then paused. Reality struck as a forgotten fact surfaced. The existence of his client. “Hey, stop it! I said stop!” Leaping to his feet, Jang Tae-bo ran towards him. At Jeok Cheon-Gang’s feet, the young man lay naked, his clothes entirely burned away, showing no sign of movement. "Is he... dead?" Jeok Cheon-Gang did not respond. He simply alternated his gaze between his hand and the young man with a terrifyingly rigid expression. "Say something, anything!" “This person is!” As Jang Tae-bo was about to check on Jin Tae-Gyung’s condition, a clear voice cut in. “He’s not dead. Just fainted from internal injuries.” The owner of that voice continued. “Right, Grandpa Cheon?” “…Yes.” Jeok Cheon-Gang’s voice finally came out hoarse. His words transparently revealed the astonishment and complex emotions he felt. “I had no intention of killing him initially.” Just as Cheongpung and Jang Tae-bo exhaled a sigh of relief, Jeok Cheon-Gang added a short statement. “For now, that is.” "...!" “Do not worry. Everything shall be decided once I hear the details later.” Jeok Cheon-Gang looked down at Jin Tae-Gyung with a keen interest. “There’s a lot I want to ask this guy.” His words, which sounded dangerously ambiguous, prompted Jang Tae-bo to step forward. Having witnessed the Fire King's prowess firsthand, his firmly built resolve from years did not waver. “That sounds almost like torture is in your plans.” “I have no such hobbies. But if necessary…” “Do you not know who that young man is? Even if you’re a master among the Ten Kings, do you think you’d survive turning the whole Shanxi martial world against you?” Jeok Cheon-Gang chuckled. “Once there were those who led hundreds of thousands and swallowed half the world. Do you think I feared them?” "...!" Jang Tae-bo was at a loss for words. Indeed, he was confronting the Fire King. The old monster from Mt. Gu who had once single-handedly faced off against the Demonic Cult that aimed to dominate the world. Neither aligned with righteousness, wickedness, nor demonic, he placed himself on the scales of war. The reason was simple. They invaded his territory. Jeok Cheon-Gang fixed his reddish eyes on Jang Tae-bo. “I have a request. Please do not seek aid from anyone. I have no wish to burn Shanxi martial world at my age.” This was his earnest plea. And he possessed the power to turn his words into reality. “Do you understand?” “I-I will remember.” “A wise decision.” As Jeok Cheon-Gang smiled and turned away, Jang Tae-bo’s legs gave way. Catching the falling elder, Cheongpung asked, “Where are you going?” “Isn’t there an inn where you stayed? I’ll head there first, so follow me.” Watching Jeok Cheon-Gang's figure gradually fade into the distance, Cheongpung murmured like a lament. “Phew, Grandpa’s right. That person’s personality is really odd.” Saying what Jin Tae-Gyung would have muzzled him for, Cheongpung then bowed to Jang Tae-bo. “I’ve caused a lot of trouble. I’ll be leaving now.” With that, he tucked Jin Tae-Gyung and Hyeok Moo-Jin under each arm and sprinted away briskly. Jang Tae-bo, standing in a daze as if possessed by a ghost, slowly came to recall a significant fact he’d temporarily forgotten. ‘The Fire King, damned old man.’ There ought to be limits to such havoc. He watched the ashy remnants scatter all around, leaving only the foundation stones intact. Letting out a deep sigh, he realized a moment had arrived that marked the end of his sweet retirement.