Murim Troubleshooter Dan Mujin-Chapter 116 : Return, Her

Chapter 116: Return, Her
The afternoon sunlight streamed into the Demon-Slaying Unit’s building.
Vice Captain Murong Cheonghye sat with her chin resting on the back of her hand, silently recalling the conversation she’d had with Namgung Jin that morning.
A reckless prodigy of the Namgung Clan, boldly chasing the Blood Cult alone without the assistance of any combat units.
If word of this reached the Murim Alliance Leader’s ears, it would certainly cause a stir—but regardless.
He seemed to have uncovered some alarming information during a surprise raid on the Blood Cult’s hideout, and had been moving around various combat units to share and discuss it.
“...The Heaven-Slaying Star, huh.”
The moment that name left Namgung Jin’s mouth, Murong Cheonghye couldn’t help but flinch.
According to him, the Blood Cult was attempting to summon the Blood God of Heaven—a being whose very existence was questionable—and was searching for a suitable host body strong enough to endure it: the Heaven-Slaying Star, one of the Evil Stars.
“The Blood Cult…”
Since the Dragon-Phoenix Bloodbath incident, every combat unit of the Murim Alliance had been relentlessly pursuing this shadowy force.
“Why would those bastards be chasing after a dead star…”
Murong Cheonghye gazed out the window at the slowly setting sun.
As night fell, countless divine stars would peer down upon the earth—and among them, those that shone with an ominous light.
The Heaven-Slaying Star should have lost its light. And considering the Blood Cult’s proficiency in every kind of wicked sorcery, they should have figured that out immediately.
And yet, they were secretly roaming the Central Plains, chasing after the Heaven-Slaying Star?
“What on earth are they planning…”
She narrowed her eyes, suspicion clouding her expression as she muttered to herself.
They were enemies who had been sharpening the blade of vengeance beneath the surface for decades.
The raid during the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament was surely not the end. It was clear they had stepped forward because they were confident they could overcome the Nine Sects One Gang and the Five Great Clans of the Central Plains.
Granted, their first grand act had ended in complete failure, with one unexpected event after another.
“But they’re not the type to give up so easily.”
Monstrous lunatics. Even the Clan Head Murong Cheon, who had fought them in the past, had shaken his head in exasperation.
And now, a truly far-fetched possibility brushed across her mind.
“No way… It can’t be…”
The moment the thought came, she bit her lip hard and shook her head furiously.
The astrologer sent by some unknown faction to the Murong Clan had spoken clearly: the Heaven-Slaying Star had lost its light and faded away.
He had insisted she would never see it again in her lifetime.
And yet, why was this vague sense of unease and strange emotion creeping over her?
“I have to confirm it… I need to verify…”
That day, the corpse they had ultimately failed to recover from the rapids.
The judgment made hastily, based solely on the movement of the Star-Body.
No matter how she thought about it, such an organization wouldn’t cling to something that had no chance of success.
Even if they were searching for remains, the Murong Clan should have been the first to recover them, to conceal any sign of the Heaven-Slaying Star’s return.
“Ahem, Vice Captain.”
Just then, the voice of a subordinate broke her train of thought.
Murong Cheonghye turned her head, her eyes questioning what the matter was.
“It seems that Young Hero Dog-Beating Dragon delivered a wanted criminal’s head here via the escorts.”
Two escort warriors from the Eunseong Trading Company were waiting at the entrance of the Demon-Slaying Unit, holding a briny-smelling box at their waists.
It seemed Dan Mujin, the Dog-Beating Dragon, had once again saved an innocent and severed the head of a wicked man.
A shining example of righteous chivalry that all members of the Righteous Sects should aspire to.
“Dan Mujin…”
The young man who had leapt in during a moment of life and death against the Soul-Stealing Demon Lord, calling her “Noona” in the process.
Though it was their first meeting, his reckless intervention, the strange familiarity in his demeanor, and his bizarre speech left Murong Cheonghye deeply confused.
And since that day, a thought had repeatedly crossed her mind.
If her younger brother had survived the fall from that cliff… he would be about that age now.
But Murong Cheonghye kept telling herself, again and again, that it couldn’t be.
Because if he truly was her brother, then the story of the Heaven-Slaying Star failing to manifest and halting at the cliff would be true.
And that would mean she had pushed away—and even struck down—the brother she’d once vowed to protect.
It was a possibility she didn’t even want to imagine, no matter what.
“Young Hero Mujin… why did you call me ‘Noona’…”
A single sentence that stabbed right at her deepest wound.
Letting out a heavy sigh in front of all her fellow Demon-Slaying Unit members.
They didn’t think much of it—after all, the vice captain had been sighing a lot lately.
But passing by at that moment, Captain Jeok Unyeop didn’t miss the scene.
“You’ve been muttering to yourself for a while now… was it that Dan Mujin causing all this?”
He smiled slyly, having carefully observed her shifting emotions, and asked.
“I swear, that guy hunts down villains more diligently than some of our own members. Bringing the head all the way here—maybe we should just have him join the Demon-Slaying Unit. Would save us the bounty money too, right?”
As he joked, unaware of the firestorm of thoughts ignited by mention of the Heaven-Slaying Star, he playfully made a circle with his fingers to mimic a coin.
“Evil-Slaying Demoness, what do you think? Even the Tang Clan sent in an enlistment letter recently. Why not recruit him into the same class—wait, where are you going?”
Before he could finish, Murong Cheonghye suddenly stood up with a grave expression.
Living or dead, the Murong Clan had a duty to find the Heaven-Slaying Star before the Blood Cult did.
Especially the woman who had once struck down her own younger brother at that very cliff.
“Captain, I think I’ll be taking a business trip.”
The captain’s face paled at the declaration.
“To where? And for how long?”
“I need to check some things. Might take a while, actually.”
She answered with an apologetic look.
Not only was the destination vague, but she couldn’t even guarantee a timeline.
“You’ve got to be kidding me! So I’m supposed to handle all the work alone now!?”
For someone already buried under mountains of tasks, Captain Jeok Unyeop couldn’t accept that so easily.
He sprang to his feet, trying to stop her.
“Evil-Slaying Demoness, don’t do this! You know how busy we are with the Blood Cult! If this is about what I said earlier…”
“Sorry, Captain!”
She alone knew the ominous intent behind the Blood Cult’s actions better than anyone else.
And so, Murong Cheonghye decided to temporarily step away from her vice captain duties.
“Vice Captain! Vice Captaiiiiin! Don’t abandon meeeee…!”
And so, without listening to another word, the vice captain stepped out of the Demon-Slaying Unit’s doors.
To confirm a question that had lingered for years.
“Iron-Armed Bear! It was you chasing me all this time!?”
Shivering in the cold, his face pale as a ghost, the Ghostface Guest screamed with fury as soon as he recognized Peng Hwayeop’s face.
A woman whose alias included the character for “bear”—both her looks and aura suited it far more than someone like him.
“To catch me… you laid this kind of trap… cough…”
Staring daggers at the cross-dressing woman Ilhong, the Ghostface Guest mumbled as if disgusted.
“What trap are you talking about?”
Meanwhile, Peng Hwayeop tilted her head in genuine confusion. She clearly had no idea what he was talking about.
“Why you wretched bitch…”
“Well, that’s that. Pay for your crimes, Ghostface Guest.”
Peng Hwayeop raised her massive broadsword high into the air, declaring she would repay the Blood Debt of her Peng Clan brothers.
“W-wait. I had no choice, I suffer from the Cold Shadowed Limbs condition…”
“Spare the excuses for the King of the Underworld.”
That still didn’t give her the right to take others’ lives.
Slash!
The wide blade of the broadsword sliced cleanly through the head.
And so ended the hollow fate of the Ghostface Guest, who had consumed the yang energy and lives of countless men without ever revealing their true identity.
Peng Hwayeop stopped the rolling severed head with the sole of her foot.
“Mujin, Ilhong. You two really went through a lot.”
They had drawn the target’s attention and even beheaded them—thus ending this case, one that had caused much head-scratching.
“This is the payment we agreed on, but since we actually caught the bastard, I added a bit more.”
She pulled out a coin pouch from her robes, heavy with jangling yellow gold, and handed it over.
“Thank you again for your help, young heroes.”
“Oh, I should be the one thanking you. In times like these…”
Though it had been hard work, the moment he saw the gleaming yellow coin, all the annoyance melted away like snow.
So what if it was a bit embarrassing and he made some money? He used to do this all the time back when he was broke anyway.
“Here, Ilhong.”
I snatched the coin pouch and casually tossed it over to Ilhong.
She caught it and stared at it, puzzled, her face full of question marks.
“You’re the one who took them down. So it’s yours.”
“…Eh? But, I really didn’t do much in this one. Let’s just split it.”
She insisted she barely did anything. But when we’d arrived, it was clearly her who had brought him down.
“Either way, you’re the one who beat them. And didn’t you say there were a bunch of things you wanted to buy? Just take it.”
Acknowledging and praising a subordinate’s contributions is the key to running an office for the long haul. Especially when it’s a competent employee.
So let’s just count the cross-dressing act as playing around.
“Boss daaaaarling…”
Then, looking a little touched, she crossed her arms again and clung to me with that same teasing air.
Seeing this, Peng Hwayeop narrowed her eyes and cautiously opened her mouth.
“Young Hero Dan Mujin, there’s something I must ask you…”
“Yes? What is it?”
“You’re not… actually into men, are you?”
“…”
What the hell kind of question is that?
I guess our act was too convincing. She seemed seriously curious.
“Of course not. I don’t swing that way.”
“…Truly? Please be honest. It’s important.”
“Absolutely. What would I gain from lying?”
Still unconvinced, Peng Hwayeop glanced back and forth between me and Ilhong, still clinging to my arm.
“Sssip… Hrm, hmmm…”
For some reason, she looked deeply troubled. Like she’d caught the lecher she’d been chasing for so long, only to discover a new headache.
“Well, Captain, you swing both ways, don’t you? Right?”
Then Ilhong grinned and pressed even closer, clearly putting on a show.
“…Uuuugh!”
Peng Hwayeop let out her loudest groan yet.
“So we must absolutely deliver this news to Lady Peng Hwayeop’s dear friend—”
“Cut the nonsense.”
The Peng Clan martial artists were already hauling away the corpse of the Ghostface Guest.
Better to keep this quiet than spread it around.
I gave Ilhong a flick on the head to shut her up, then turned to bid farewell to Peng Hwayeop.
“It was an odd commission, but… thank you all the same. If you see Tang Yeo-hye, please pass along my regards.”
At my words, Peng Hwayeop nodded stiffly.
“Yes, I’ll go tell her. I think I’ve found another reason to in quickly…”
Her expression said she had another urgent matter to attend to besides the Ghostface Guest.
Indeed, it seemed the great sects of Beijing had plenty of work piled up. I’m glad we got acquainted through this case.
“Well then, we’ll be off.”
“Right. If you’ve got any other work, be sure to come by our office again!”
With that, Peng Hwayeop turned and walked off quickly, clearly in a rush.
It had been a chaotic commission, to say the least.
These days, the Beijing Wanderers’ Guild was constantly busy with visitors. And inside the Guildmaster’s Office, filled with odd beast paintings—
A man with graying hair and a scar on his face scratched it lightly as he warmly welcomed back a Second-Class Wanderer who hadn’t shown her face in a long time.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the pride of our Beijing branch—Peerless Martial Artist, Lady Jo Harang!”
When she had left for a tour through Shaanxi, she had been merely a decent wanderer. But upon completing her training, she returned as a seasoned master.
Chairman Gam Un couldn’t help but beam with the joy of seeing a treasured person.
“Your training took a while, Jo Harang. You must’ve had a major breakthrough?”
“Yes, due to a certain event that drove me to devote myself to training… and some help from my master, I had a few insights.”
Jo Harang nodded with a mixed expression—part joy, part sadness, subtly complicated.
“So you came straight back to pick up a job the moment you descended the mountain?”
“I offered my savings to the sect, so now I need to work hard.”
As always, she was looking for work that paid well and let her beat up bad guys.
Hearing that, Chairman Gam Un muttered that she was as dependable as ever and began flipping through a tall stack of job requests.
Then his hand paused on one particular slip.
“Ah, as a return mission and for rehab, this one should be perfect.”
An easy job with high pay—the kind wanderers liked the most.
Gam Un, confident she’d like it, held out the slip with the employer and location written on it.
“Chairman, what kind of job is this?”
Jo Harang raised her delicate brows as she asked.
With a mysterious smile, Gam Un replied:
“You ever hear the phrase, ‘A children’s fight becomes an adult’s war’?”
At the top of the job slip was the name of a famous academy in Beijing, written in brief.