Murim Troubleshooter Dan Mujin-Chapter 120 : Going Home

Chapter 120: Going Home
The vast Central Plains.
A place where people joked that there were so many martial artists that one could trip over them.
Yet even so, a life-and-death duel between Peak Martial Artists was an extraordinarily rare sight.
And for one side to awaken into Super Peak in the midst of such a fight—such a spectacle was something so rare, one might not witness it even once in a lifetime spent wandering the murim.
“We… what exactly did we get ourselves into?”
“I never intended for things to escalate this far…”
The crowd gathered in front of the Golden Dragon Academy and the two Clan Heads, who had drawn in martial artists to fight over pride, could only stand there dumbfounded, overwhelmed by the storm they themselves had unleashed.
“You look rather refreshed, don’t you?”
I spoke to Jo Harang, who had reached the realm of Super Peak and now wore the serene expression of a sage.
“…Yeah. For the first time, I feel truly at peace.”
Well, of course.
Up until now, even when she punished villains, she denied any intention to kill. Even when she felt negative emotions, she refused to acknowledge them.
She had been deliberately blurring her emotions, leaving her mind and body misaligned.
And I had cracked that crookedness back into place with a satisfying snap. No wonder she felt peace in her heart.
Though I hadn’t expected her to climb all the way to Super Peak from it.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, the knot in my heart has unraveled.”
‘…!!’
Receiving heartfelt gratitude from Purple Tenuity Star, my Evil Star began another uproar.
It must have been furious, scribbling profanities across the air.
Perhaps it was because immense Virtuous Qi (선기) was now surging from the depths of her dantian.
Soon enough, the power of the stars would be siphoned from me again—no wonder the damn thing was enraged.
‘Damn it. Not only did I end up doing good deeds, I even helped Purple Tenuity Star.’
That wasn’t something just anyone did. Only a saint would help someone who might one day become their mortal enemy. No wonder Good Karma (선업) was overflowing endlessly.
At this rate, I could live for quite a while without worrying about extending my lifespan.
‘But wait… is she even truly my enemy in the first place?’
The thought struck me as I recalled the shackles of the stars binding my fate.
I intended to shatter head-on the destiny of Heaven-Slaying Star, which demanded I stain the land with blood and corpses.
So was Purple Tenuity Star truly my enemy?
Could she not instead be my ally?
‘泰星壓卵 (Taeseong Amran).’
As if reading my thoughts, the Evil Star wrote out characters for the first time in a while.
Changing the “mountain” in the idiom “A mountain crushing an egg (泰山壓卵)” into “star,” it implied: how could a fragile egg-like human resist the weight of the stars?
In other words, don’t defy fate. Accept the destiny given to you.
“Bite my dick.”
“Uh… huh?”
I muttered back in defiance, and Jo Harang, standing beside me, turned wide-eyed in shock.
“No, no. That wasn’t meant for you.”
“Right? I mean, you don’t even have one.”
“…”
She pressed her chest in relief, as though she had been truly startled.
Sometimes, she really did seem like a martial artist who had spent her whole life in secluded training before stepping into the world—innocent, almost simple-minded.
“…Wait. How did you know that?”
But then, widening her eyes, she asked with genuine curiosity.
“…Seriously?”
“Yeah. I’ve only been wandering as a wanderer for a few years. Around that time, my sect ran out of money.”
She explained that she had trained in the mountains her whole life, but when her sect’s funds ran dry, she stepped into the life of a wanderer, both to act as a righteous hero and to earn money.
A sect’s daughter acting as breadwinner, huh? No wonder her life was so turbulent.
“It turned out to be pretty fitting, actually. I think it suits me.”
Or maybe she just didn’t think too deeply about it.
Perhaps, like me, she simply thought of it as a great deal—beating up bad guys and earning money at the same time.
“Anyway, Mujin.”
“Ah, so you finally call me Mujin now.”
She scratched her cheek awkwardly at my grumbling.
“Ahem. Anyway, thank you… You’ve saved me twice now, and I don’t know how I could ever repay this debt… It feels overwhelming.”
Yes, she was the type who made sure to repay what she owed, no matter what.
That was why I still remembered her well—thanks to her, I had broken through the wall of First-Class Martial Artists.
“You even pulled me out without realizing I had fallen into inner demons. This debt… somehow, I must repay…”
“Hey.”
“Mm?”
She was absentmindedly fiddling with the back of her broadsword as though it were a habit when I called her, and her ears perked up.
“Do you remember the promise we made last time?”
“Which one?”
“That even if I appear one day as someone you must kill, you’d close your eyes just once.”
At my reminder, she stomped her feet with sudden agitation.
“Why would I ever kill you? Why!”
Exactly.
To her, it was incomprehensible nonsense. She demanded I stop saying such things.
Why would some distant stars hanging in the sky force apart two people who got along so well?
“…Then could you maybe not just close your eyes—but even become my ally?”
She looked up at the stars above and swore:
“You’ll never become an evildoer. Jo Harang saw that clearly with her own eyes. So I will always stand by your side.”
She thumped her chest firmly, affirming it once more.
What a reassuring sound. It almost felt like I had earned myself an extra life.
Well, I had already triggered her awakening—no helping that now.
And so, to secure my own survival, I worked on drawing her closer, exploiting her innocence.
“…Excuse me.”
Our clients approached us with pale faces.
Oh, right. We were still in the middle of their commission.
“Judging by the outcome, it looks like a draw. With this, everyone should feel satisfied, right? You’re not planning to continue, are you?”
“No, absolutely not!”
“Never again!”
The two middle-aged men shook their heads furiously.
Good. That was better. After all, neighboring clans ought to get along.
“Hey, kids. You too—get along, alright? If we hear about another fight… we’ll come and thrash you ourselves.”
“…Yes, sir!”
The children answered crisply, properly intimidated.
That should prevent them from causing any more trouble.
And then, my gaze met that of the Ha Clan Wife, who had been quietly observing my face from behind.
‘Shh.’
‘Nod.’
Startled at first, she quickly understood, and we silently agreed to protect each other’s privacy.
Unlike the Ha Clan Head, his wife was someone I could actually communicate with.
In any case, this commission seemed to have concluded successfully.
I was starving after all that fighting. I thought we could collect our payment and then enjoy a lavish dinner at a nearby inn.
“Hold it right there!”
A man dressed like a scholar stepped forward, his face twisted with outrage.
“I am with the Golden Dragon Academy! How could you destroy the place where children study like this? Look at the walls, the gates—completely ruined!”
He pointed furiously at the shattered stone walls, broken gates, and devastated courtyard.
“I always knew martial artists were shameless, but to walk away after this? Unforgivable! Today, I will prove that the law of the Imperial Capital still stands!”
Even if they were Peak Martial Artists, he refused to let this pass, his beard trembling with fury.
“Harang.”
“Yes, Mujin?”
She answered softly at my call.
“You said you wanted to repay your debt, right?”
“Mm.”
Perhaps sensing danger, her reply this time was slightly hesitant.
“…Do you have any money?”
“…”
With a complicated expression, she fumbled with the coin pouch in her robe. She didn’t seem very confident—saving money probably wasn’t her strong suit.
It seemed our hopes for a fancy dinner with our commission pay had just gone up in smoke.
***
“Phew, that was an expense I didn’t see coming.”
The Golden Dragon Academy was where the elites of Beijing sent their children. Naturally, it had ties to the Imperial Household, so we didn’t make a fuss—we simply paid the repair costs.
Ah, of course. We also grabbed hold of our clients, who had been trying to slip away, and made sure they coughed up their share.
“Honestly, most of the property damage was probably your doing.”
The wandering woman who had swung her massive broadsword like a windmill, wrecking everything in sight.
“That’s why I emptied my entire coin pouch to compensate…”
Jo Harang muttered gloomily as she stared at her now flat pouch, curled up in the corner with a dejected face.
Well, since she had in fact paid the most, I had no intention of scolding her for that.
What I did intend to question, however, was something else entirely.
“…So why aren’t you going back home?”
I asked, glancing at Jo Harang, who had quietly claimed a corner of our office even after the commission had ended.
“This is my home.”
“…Did the expense knock your brain loose?”
I pressed my temple at her innocent answer.
“I’ve received your help twice already. So I’ll work here to repay you.”
“What the…”
To be rescued from inner demons—the kind that even a master like Hwang Geolgae might succumb to—and even guided to the path of Super Peak… She said it was a debt too great to bear.
And so, the Super Peak wanderer Jo Harang declared she would repay it with her body’s service.
“No, that’s fine. You don’t have to…”
But before I could even speak, Ilhong, having sensed something, narrowed her eyes like a wary cat, trying to shoo Harang away.
As though saying that she alone was enough as the office’s one and only flower.
“Harang, I don’t have the salary to pay a Super Peak martial artist, you know.”
“It’s fine. I’ll work unpaid.”
What? I could actually employ a Super Peak martial artist for free?
“Welcome to the office.”
What employer could resist such luxury? Grinning ear to ear, I welcomed her aboard.
“Haah… another rival, just like that…”
Ilhong sighed, massaging her forehead in frustration.
Still, with a Super Peak martial artist joining our ranks, there was no reason to fear whatever commissions might come our way.
Even dangerous requests could now be smashed aside without hesitation.
“But weren’t you supposed to earn money to send back to your sect? I mean, it’s great for us, but you could repay me slowly.”
I at least had to show some modesty—as the boss.
“No. If I keep feeling like I owe you, then no matter what good I do later, it’ll only ever feel like paying off a debt. I don’t like that. It’s better to repay it quickly.”
That way of thinking sounded oddly familiar.
The idea of earning money while also doing good deeds—she and I really thought alike.
And so, just like that, another capable member joined the office.
“Welcome aboard, rookie.”
One Week Later
Despite having Peak and Super Peak dragons slumbering in our little office, we spent our days with no work, just like before.
Ilhong and I sprawled across the desk and chairs, listless and bored.
“Boss, I think word about our office has spread.”
Ilhong spoke up suddenly while gnawing on a cheap rice cracker.
“Oh? What kind of word?”
I perked up at the thought of rumors spreading at last.
“They’re calling us Hakdang Pagwi (學堂破鬼). It means ‘the fiends who destroy schools.’”
“…Cough. That’s a vicious rumor.”
No wonder we had no clients.
As important as word-of-mouth marketing was, that particular nickname wouldn’t exactly attract customers.
“Mujin! We’ve got work!”
But then our newest member, Jo Harang, came running in from outside with news of a commission.
Ah, like rain in a drought. Accepting her really was the right choice.
“What kind of request? Does it pay well?”
“I was visiting the Wanderers’ Guild when I heard about it. Apparently, a designated commission came in just for you!”
“…A designated commission?”
“I’ve barely ever received one myself. That’s impressive.”
Normally, someone submitted a commission to the Wanderers’ Guild, and then Chairman Gam Un would distribute it to whatever wanderer seemed suitable.
But this time, the client had named me specifically from the start.
“At last, the world recognizes a hidden dragon.”
Frankly, it was overdue.
Lifting my shoulders high, I marched with Jo Harang and Ilhong straight to the Beijing branch of the Wanderers’ Guild.
There, the sight of paintings and scrolls adorned the office of Chairman Gam Un.
“Hm? And why do you appear here with our guild’s precious treasure, Jo Harang…?”
Gam Un frowned, setting aside his writing as he spotted us.
“She’s our Troubleshooter Office’s treasure now.”
“What…?”
He shot her a betrayed look.
“…Just until I repay my debt.”
Harang explained, saying she owed me both her life and her advancement.
At that, Gam Un, who had been about to burst in anger at losing Beijing’s most prized wanderer, calmed slightly.
Especially after hearing she had reached Super Peak. If she intended to return once her debt was repaid, then he would have to wait.
“Inner demons, huh… Well, a life-debt can’t be helped.”
His expression was still displeased, but he grudgingly accepted it.
After all, someone of Super Peak could go wherever they pleased. He had no grounds to demand otherwise.
“So, what is this commission addressed to me?”
“Frankly, I wouldn’t have called you after setting up your own shop, but the client specifically insisted on you…”
Since our businesses didn’t completely overlap, and since the Wanderers’ Guild had no reason to reject a Peak martial artist’s work, he passed it along.
I was still registered as a Second-Grade Wanderer, after all.
“Here, take it.”
Scratching a long scar on his face, Gam Un handed me a slip of paper.
“What’s it about?”
I asked before reading.
“Do you happen to know anything about Liaoning Province?”
“…!”
The place haunted by the scarred past of Murong Cheongjin.
At the sudden mention, my entire body stiffened.