256 - Murim Login

Chapter 256 "You, what kind of bastard are you?" With a single phrase that implied much, Jong-Ri Chu's eyes curved into crescent moons. "Do I need to say it again?" "Jong-Ri Chu from Yunnan. Yeah, I know. But..." The voice that followed was so calm that it even surprised me. "I mean, who are you? Really." "Before that, shouldn't you take care of your friend over there first?" What Jong-Ri Chu said was true. I caught Cheong Pung's arm as it slumped down. There was some bleeding from the shallow cut on his chest, but for a skilled warrior like Cheong Pung, it was never an injury severe enough to make him collapse. "What have you done?" "Nothing. It’s just that his spirit has been weakened." "If anything happens to Cheong Pung..." "You worry too much. It was merely an illusion. What you fear won't happen." "An illusion? That strike just now?" "If you can't believe it, there's nothing I can do. Friendship is a wonderful thing." Watching Jong-Ri Chu's gentle smile made my insides burn as if I'd swallowed a fireball. 'I was completely deceived.' I remember our first meeting—the cheerful chatterbox who talked about fate even when only our sleeves brushed, asking to be friends. It was annoying, yet not unpleasant. But now, I don't know. From top to bottom, every bit of him is hidden behind a veil. I unconsciously tightened my grip on the Baiyan (White Flame) dagger in my hand. "Wait, hold on!" The voice that urgently intervened belonged to the examiner. His face was full of signs of being caught off guard by this unexpected situation. "Both of you, stand down. And Jin So-Hyeop, intruding during a duel is against the Seongra Dae-yeon regulations." I replied, my gaze still fixed on Jong-Ri Chu. "So you're suggesting I should just sit back and watch when someone nearly died?" "Th-that... it was just an illusion, wasn't it?" "That's what that guy says." At my resolute response, the examiner bit his lip. "Should you refuse to back down now… you may face disqualification." "Disqualification?" "Indeed. You wouldn't want to be disqualified with the finals left, would you?" I chuckled softly. Winning the Seongra Dae-yeon? Surely, it will bring immense experience, reputation, or perhaps even more rewards. Jinwi-kyung would embrace me for heightening the family's prestige, and Jeokcheon-gang would be pleased as well. 'But that's all there is.' A year in Yeol-hwa-dong wasn't for winning the Seongra Dae-yeon. And the same likely goes for this sly bastard standing before me now. "Let's have a match." Jong-Ri Chu pretended to widen his eyes in surprise. "Right now?" "Yes." "Heh, you'll be disqualified if you don’t step back immediately?" "I don't care about that." "Well, thanks to you, I can easily win and make my name known to the world." "Stop the farce. Tell me what you really mean." Jong-Ri Chu paused, then smirked. "My judgment was correct. You are indeed an interesting friend." "Friend? That’s not a word you use in this context. Especially not between us." "That's unfortunate... but it can't be helped." "So what’s your answer?" "I’ve always wanted to cross swords with you." The examiner listening to our conversation interjected with a stern face. "Weren’t you listening to me? And the finals of the Seongra Dae-yeon should proceed according to schedule, which is tomorrow." At that moment, a low voice pierced everyone's ears. "Then change the rules, effective immediately." "Who dares...!" The examiner, who had turned around with a roar, froze. It was because of a small old man who had approached like a ghost. "Ch-jeok Dae-Hyeop?" Hwah Wang Jeokcheongang. His eyes, a reddish hue, moved from me to Jong-Ri Chu and then finally to the examiner. “Yes, it’s me.” "I, I apologize. It was careless of me." "Doesn't matter, drop it. Start the next duel quickly." "But…" "But?" The examiner swallowed dryly. "To reschedule, we need to hold a meeting and obtain approval from the chair." "The first chair of the Seongra Dae-yeon was the Martial God, right? After he disappeared, the host took on that role, didn't he?" "T-that's correct." "Then it's settled." "What?" "Gwongdo is busy with urgent matters and absent temporarily. Considering seniority and distribution in the martial arts world, the current chair is this old man." Everyone's gaze shifted to the vacant seat in the upper section, where Gwongdo of Beopwang should have been. Moreover, another person was missing. ‘Cheonmyeon Hori Songho.’ For both important figures to be absent at the same time, what is happening? The question crossed my mind but quickly vanished. It wasn't the priority right now. "Now we can disregard those damn regulations, can't we? Was I wrong?" After some inner conflict, the examiner nodded. “Yes, I’ll proceed.” "Good. And you." The amusing spectacle caught Jong-Ri Chu's attention, pointing to his chest. "Me?" "Yes, you, whose tongue is supposedly split in half." "My tongue isn’t split, but fine, I understand." He remains undeterred, despite knowing who his opponent is. With a calm stare, Jeokcheongang looked at Jong-Ri Chu. "I'll ask directly. Are you from Tianshan?" Tianshan Mountain Range. It's the home of the Demon Sect. Startled by this, the examiner flinched as if burnt, while Jong-Ri Chu bit into a serene smile, as though savoring the situation. “Well, I'll delay that answer for later.” "Think carefully before you answer unless you wish for a short life." Jong-Ri Chu rubbed his smooth chin. “What if something unfortunate happens before I can provide that answer?” “Unfortunate?" "In the martial world, anything can happen. Like a master losing his sole disciple." At that moment, death-like silence blanketed the surroundings. With an unreadable gaze fixed on Jong-Ri Chu, Jeokcheongang finally spoke up. "If such a tragic event occurs… the master would be greatly enraged." "Would you hunt down the culprit using the Heavenly Spider Web network?" "Of course not. I'll burn him alive. I promise." "Aren't you being overly confident? You don't even know whom I'm talking about." "Coincidentally enough, this old man knows very well." "Oh, my." Jong-Ri Chu burst into a hearty laugh. "Then I suppose I'll have to be considerate." "Aren't you underestimating my disciple too much?" "I have certain expectations, but I doubt he stands a chance." "That's what he says. What do you think?" With Jeokcheon-gang's question, I grasped my spear and replied. "That bastard, his thinking is somewhat skewed." Jong-Ri Chu looked at me with interest. "I wonder if what you show is confidence or arrogance." "Neither. I'm someone who wants to live long and prosper. But there's one thing I do know." I articulated each word with precision. "You don't know anything until you've tried." "That's a good mindset. But will it be the same this time?" "I hope it works this time." "You might die." "That's why I have to give it my all. If I die afterward… well, it'd feel terrible, but someone will avenge me. Isn't that right?" Jeokcheon-gang nodded. "Go peacefully. I will ensure revenge, so don't worry about what comes after." "Is that what you call comfort?" "Just remember this in the midst of nonsense: If you die by his hands, you'll die by mine." "I guess I'll have to work hard not to die twice." Listening to our exchange, Jong-Ri Chu burst into laughter again. "Ha-ha! What an amusing master-disciple relationship." Watching him laugh, I thought to myself. Before fighting, I need to peel away even a small part of the layers surrounding this man. 'Skill, Spirit Sense, activate.' Dding. - [Spirit Sense] activated. - You are at an 8-star level, allowing you to detect targets below level 100 within a distance of 80 feet. I possess two forms of Spirit Sense: one as a skill, and the other inherent as a martial artist. In the early stages of arriving in the martial world, I relied heavily on the former. However, as time passed, I realized that level and strength are not strictly correlated, and so I gradually reduced its use. The martial world has many variables that can't be judged solely by level. 'Show yourself, even a glimpse of your true form.' Whoosh! Once my Spirit Sense reached the 8-star level, I could focus entirely on one person. An unseen blue line extended from me towards Jong-Ri Chu. The moment I assumed it connected— Bee-beep! - [Spirit Sense] has failed! - Cannot detect the target! - An unknown force is rejecting the skill! "......!" What? In disbelief at the system notification, I widened my eyes. I looked at Jong-Ri Chu with a shocked expression. The blue line from my Spirit Sense had circled around him, blocked by something, and then disappeared. "What... what did you do?" "That's what I want to ask you." No longer smiling, Jong-Ri Chu regarded me with an intrigued gaze. "You have quite an interesting skill." At those words, an old memory surfaced. It was the memory of a person I sensed with Spirit Sense for the first time about a year ago. 'What an amusing fellow you are.' Hwa Wang Jeokcheon-gang. He could freely control his aura like a supreme master, and from that experience, I first realized the system wasn't infallible. 'But even Jeokcheon-gang couldn't deflect a skill.' Yet now, an unknown force rejects my skill. I’ve never encountered anything like this. The more I witnessed Jong-Ri Chu defying common sense, the more a certain term swirled in my mind. 'Demonic Art (Magong).' Martial arts defying natural law. My doubt solidified into certainty. I think I finally understand the significance of the question Jeokcheon-gang asked before. "Are you really from the Demonic Cult?" "I'll tell you if you defeat me. What trick did you try?" "I won’t tell you even if you win." "That's quite unfortunate. No choice, then." Ssshhh. A rusted sword slowly rose, aiming right between my brows. The voice humming a tune, contrasting with the tense aura, continued. "Let’s enjoy this lively play." Raising Baiyan (White Flame), I responded. "Yes, let's make it a fierce one." Fwoosh! The dormant fire dragon in my dantian awoke, unfurling itself. - Give it your all. Jeokcheon-gang pulled Cheong Pung toward him using his prowess, retreating as the examiner’s urgent cry echoed in the air. "According to the revised schedule, the finals of the Seongra Dae-yeon commence now! Yeomryeong Geom, also known as Ascendant Sword, Jong-Ri Chu, versus Shanxi’s Hidden Dragon, Jin Taekyung..." Before the examiner's shout could resonate, Jong-Ri Chu and I were already lunging at one another. Swaash! In one leap, the distance between us vanished. Boom! With the second stride, two beams of light emitted from our hands clashed violently in mid-air.