Murim Troubleshooter Dan Mujin-Chapter 137 : Deep-Rooted Grudge

Chapter 137: Deep-Rooted Grudge
Morning had come.
A gentle morning, with warm sunlight seeping through the windows and birdsong tickling the ears.
At the Jinju Eon Clan, after a night-long meeting, they seemed to have selected the personnel who would transport the corpses—the jiangshi and the Blood Cultist, both key evidence—to the Murim Alliance.
“So, I’m putting in a request.”
Having figured out the cause behind the disappearing corpses, Eon Wolyeong from the Eon Clan paid the corresponding reward—and promptly followed it up with a new request.
The weight of silver and gold coins in my hand was satisfying. It had been a hell of a time fending off a corpse that suddenly sprang to life.
So, it felt like fair compensation.
“A request?”
“Yes. The transport of the jiangshi. Please take care of it.”
They must’ve decided during the meeting to make use of us, the capable martial artists who had personally subdued the jiangshi.
A follow-up job stemming from a previous request, huh?
Given the generous payout just now, they clearly weren’t stingy—nothing to complain about on my end.
That’s how self-employment works. You’ve got to make the most of it while the money’s flowing.
“By the way, Lady Eon Wolyeong.”
“Yes? Please speak.”
“…Why are you avoiding eye contact with me?”
A woman who looked gaunt like a dried branch, ghostly pale to the point she’d be terrifying to run into at night, was instead the one acting scared of me and avoiding my gaze.
“It’s not like I’m avoiding you in particular.”
She said that while deliberately turning her head away to stare at a distant mountain, even though I was standing right in front of her.
What kind of wordplay was that? If she wasn’t avoiding me, what exactly was she avoiding then?
“Boss, what did you do?”
Ilhong asked suspiciously.
“What do you mean, ‘what did I do’?”
I was genuinely innocent this time.
I had no memory of doing anything—but why had her attitude toward me changed so drastically overnight?
“Anyway, Harang, Ilhong. You two okay with this transport job?”
I turned around and asked the two of them for their thoughts.
It wasn’t a leisure trip this time but a rapid delivery. We’d probably return faster than last time, though it still wouldn’t be a short journey.
“Yes, boss. It’s good to finish strong. Taking responsibility to the end isn’t a bad thing.”
“I’m in too. Seems like the Blood Cult is up to something in the Central Plains, so we’ve got to let people know.”
Ilhong eagerly accepted, knowing how rare juicy jobs like this were.
And Purple Tenuity Star, who loathed evildoers, also nodded without hesitation, saying it was for the peace of the Murim.
Good. Then it’s settled—we’re taking the request.
“We at Dan Mujin Troubleshooter Office will see the deceased safely to their final destination with the utmost care.”
“…They’re not our deceased. I’m coming along too, so just make sure there are no ambushes or losses from the Blood Cult.”
She said that while staring off into the distance with an exasperated look.
Ambushes and losses—well, of course. That’s the whole reason martial artists are hired for transport jobs, isn’t it?
As I gave the clasped-hands salute and moved to gather our delivery gear…
Eon Wolyeong suddenly grabbed my hand tightly and locked eyes with me.
“…Be careful.”
Her voice trembled, like she was forcing out courage while suppressing fear.
The grip on my hand conveyed just how seriously she meant it—almost crushingly strong.
“Careful… of what, exactly?”
At my puzzled question, she held my gaze for another intense moment like it was a staring contest, then—
“Urgh…! I can’t do this anymore. Sorry…!”
Muttering that, she darted away in a flustered panic.
“…What the hell was that?”
I felt like a million question marks were exploding in my head. What was up with her all of a sudden?
What was I supposed to be careful of? And what exactly was too much for her to handle?
And on top of that, there was a mysterious red finger twitching like it had just won something, for reasons completely unknown to me.
“…You did do something, didn’t you?”
“Ugh, I told you I didn’t.”
Why would someone throw cryptic warnings at me right before we left on a job?
Eun Hwaran might’ve arranged this gig, but I couldn’t shake how off-putting this client was.
“Hope I don’t run into her at night.”
No offense, but she really did look like a ghost. Kinda scary.
I didn’t believe in that sort of thing… but in this world? You never know.
The transport convoy was relatively small.
They’d spent good money hiring skilled martial artists like us, so it made sense to keep the team compact and elite.
Three from our side and seven martial artists from the Jinju Eon Clan.
The delivery items were: one wooden coffin containing the so-called Blood-Asura Heaven-Slaying Jiangshi, and one Blood Cult agent with a dented skull, tightly bound and gagged.
Two horse-drawn carts carried those loads down a well-maintained road.
Once more, we were on the road from Hebei to Shaanxi.
During the long journey, we took turns riding the jostling carts, feeling our rumps rattle with every bump. At times, we walked endlessly, and sometimes had to push the carts when they got stuck in the mud.
About ten days passed without major incident before Eon Wolyeong finally spoke to me with a curious look.
“You seem surprisingly used to this kind of transport work.”
She appeared a bit surprised that I handled campsite setup, bivouacking, and item guarding with such competence.
Truth is, group transport like this involves way more planning and vigilance than people realize.
Still, she hadn’t once made eye contact—only continued gazing into the distance.
“Well, back in the day I worked for… not Mu-rim Delivery, but the Eunseong Escort Agency.”
Started out as a warehouse assistant, later took on escort missions a few times.
“Ah, the Escort Agency… Do you mean Eunseong Escort Agency?”
I nodded to her, though she still wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“Yes, that was when I was dirt poor and starving. Thanks to them, I didn’t go hungry.”
I worked until I saw stars. It was brutally hard—but at least I had a real job and escaped the life of a beggar.
Come to think of it, I wonder how Ochil and the kid who wanted to be an escort are doing.
“Oh, that explains your connection with Trading Lord Eun Hwaran… But then, why did you leave Eunseong?”
Well, you can’t accumulate good karma just by doing deliveries. That was the biggest reason.
I had this metaphorical time bomb in me—one that could go off if I didn’t rapidly accumulate enough good karma.
So even when Eun Hwaran tried to hold me back, offering the future Chief Escort position, I had to turn her down.
Of course, it helped that being a troubleshooter—doing the jobs no one else wanted, earning thanks and money at once—felt like my true calling.
“I just… found something I was better at, that’s all.”
I couldn’t exactly reveal the existence of the Evil Star, so I gave a vague, half-truth explanation.
“You really are good at it. This job too… I hear you haven’t failed a single one?”
Sounds like our Eun Hwaran really talked me up at that meeting.
If I ever end up visiting their trading company, I should probably bring a bundle of gifts or something.
“Yes, I’m pretty good at this. And I’ll handle this transport job without any issues, so please spread the word in Hebei.”
“Heh, of course.”
At my request to spread the word about our Troubleshooter Office, Eon Wolyeong gave a pale smile and nodded.
With that invigorating promise secured, we walked a while longer when—
“Everyone, we’ll rest here.”
As we came upon a spacious clearing, the client suggested a break.
The martial artists from the Eon Clan, who had been marching hard to avoid a potential Blood Cult pursuit, finally let out deep sighs of relief and began plopping down wherever they could.
A blissful rest after a long march.
I slumped down against the freight cart.
This felt like I was making up for all the long-distance treks I never did during my time in the military—doing them all in this world instead.
No matter how much internal energy I built or how proficient I became in movement techniques, constant physical movement always fatigued the spirit and wore the body down, even just a little.
“A hot cup ramyeon would hit the spot right now.”
Or maybe a chocolate pie. Something like that would be the perfect taste of home to restore my mental strength.
“Hah! What’s that… Hup! Boss!”
Ilhong, taking the opportunity to squeeze in some martial training during the break, tossed out that question mid-breath.
Sometimes I wondered if she was the real iron man between us—mentally, at least.
“So what is that? Haa… What is it, boss?”
Look at that endless thirst for knowledge.
“It’s just… a thing, kid.”
I pulled out a piece of jerky from my pocket and chewed as I answered.
To which the overly handsome brat grumbled that I always deflected like this.
“Hey, but why are you suddenly so fired up about training?”
I asked as I watched her sweat-dripping figure swing her sword.
The diagonal cuts and odd directional shifts reminded me of the movement I’d used when slicing that Blood-Asura something-or-other.
“Well, it’s because—huff! I was no help at all this time either!”
Ilhong was berating herself for not being of any use, despite trying every trick she had when our office was in danger.
“Hey, you’re doing plenty just by pulling your weight. You’re doing great.”
“No, that’s not enough…!”
Driven by the need to improve, she pushed herself harder in training.
Whoosh!
The tip of her sword sliced through the air with renewed determination.
My god. Voluntarily training without being told to? Was it even possible to have a subordinate with such a strong sense of ownership?
This was the first time I’d seen one like her. What an incredible employee.
She was so great, I felt like I ought to give her some kind of stake in the business.
I rummaged in my robes and pulled out a round pill I’d received from the Murong Clan, then held it out to her.
“Hey, Ilhong. Take this.”
“Huh? What is this…? Wait—no way, is this a Moryang Pill? The Murong Clan’s spiritual medicine?!”
She had reached out thoughtlessly but recoiled in shock.
Moryang Pill. A treasured elixir from the Murong Clan said to instantly grant the internal energy equivalent of fifteen years upon consumption.
It was also something I never even got a whiff of back during Murong Cheongjin’s time.
“You’re handing out something this valuable like it’s candy… Are you out of your mind?”
Even when I offered it, she flipped out.
But yes, I was in my right mind. No matter how valuable the elixir, what good was it if it just rotted in my robes?
Besides, at my level, taking it would be like adding a single bucket of water to the ocean.
But if I gave it away to Ilhong with no strings attached? That’d stack a huge amount of good karma for me. Which would mean longer lifespan and increased inner strength.
In short, it was a win-win situation—an ultimate utilitarian choice. No reason not to do it.
That’s why I could be so nonchalant about a priceless elixir like this.
“P-please don’t. I really can’t accept this.”
“Why not? People literally kill for stuff like this.”
“I already got way too much from you last time. If I took this too, I’d be drowning in guilt… I just can’t!”
Debts, repayments, and all that nonsense. The kid was already stressing over things that didn’t even matter.
At that age, you’re supposed to just yell ‘jackpot!’ and gobble down whatever someone gives you.
“When an adult offers, you just take it. Tsk, tsk.”
“What do you mean, ‘adult’? I’ve said it before—we’re only a year apart! And I’m seriously conflicted here, and you don’t even try to empathize!”
Ah, the age where emotions run high.
In the end, I got driven off by Ilhong’s stubborn resistance.
Watching this from nearby, Jo Harang gave a soft chuckle.
“What, you want one too?”
I casually tossed the pill in the air and caught it as I asked.
But she shook her head.
“No need. Thanks to you, I’ve already reached peak mastery. How could I take that now?”
I was trying to offer a rare buy-one-get-one-free opportunity, and this was what I got. Absolutely maddening.
Why was it that no one around me was willing to accept?
Were these people really martial artists?
“Uh, excuse me…”
That’s when a martial artist from the Jinju Eon Clan, who’d been listening in nearby, shyly raised his hand.
“If nobody else wants it, maybe I could—”
“Don’t even think about it.”
“Ahem, understood.”
This is for my people. How dare an outsider even consider it?
Anyway, I sighed and tucked the elixir back into my robes—still unused—when Jo Harang started walking toward me.
She had no interest in the elixir from the start—it was clear she wanted something else.
There was a strange glint in her eyes as she silently stared at me.
“It’s not about the elixir. I have another favor.”
“Another favor?”
I tilted my head curiously.
“Yes. Spar with me.”
She said it while gripping the hilt of her broadsword.
“Ah. A duel?”
She must’ve gotten the itch after watching me fight the jiangshi in the basement last time.
Well, it’s not every day you get a chance to duel a top fighter without risking death.
I nodded and reached for my Dog-Beating Staff.
But she shook her head.
“No, not that.”
“Then what?”
“This.”
She caught a sword sheath tossed to her by one of the Eon Clan martial artists—and threw it my way.
“Let’s fight with blades.”