Murim Troubleshooter Dan Mujin-Chapter 141 : Salseong-i

Chapter 141: Salseong-i
“What an amusing fellow.”
Namgung Soseon, the Alliance Leader, smiled meaningfully upon hearing the that Dan Mujin had just left the Murim Alliance.
A young man who was entangled in unusual incidents every time they met. And once caught up in something, he always saw it through to the end.
From his feats at the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament to securing the Left Blood Law, and even taking down a jiangshi—something a sword alone couldn’t defeat.
According to the martial duel record, he came from a minor sect called the Seven Blades Gate, or something like that.
“So it’s true what they say—‘a needle in a pouch will still poke through.’”
A sharp needle will always reveal itself, no matter where it’s hidden.
The thought that such talent had emerged from somewhere other than the Nine Sects One Gang or the Five Great Clans made Namgung Soseon rather proud.
“You seem to like him, Father.”
Namgung Jin, who had been quietly listening, gave a surprised look with his jade-like features.
His father, Namgung Soseon, might appear gentle on the surface, but he was not one to take interest in others lightly.
“Of course. In this day and age, it’s rare to find such a bold martial artist. He even reminds me a bit of the Thunder Sword in his younger days.”
Not only did he speak his mind without hesitation, but even his obsession with money was somewhat similar.
“Eh…? The great Murong Cheon, the Thunder Sword, was like that?”
Namgung Jin’s eyes widened in surprise. The Murong Cheon he knew was a family-first zealot who pushed his son with ambition to surpass even himself.
“He used to be. A righteous hero with strong convictions, a deep hatred for injustice, and an unusually intense sense of rivalry.”
“But then what happened…?”
“Time and position change people. Becoming a Clan Head weighed him down with responsibility, I suppose.”
Namgung Soseon offered a bitter smile, as if to say he was no different.
“Anyway, that young man has accomplished what none of the Alliance’s martial forces could. Truly outstanding.”
Seeing it now, one troubleshooter was proving more useful against the Blood Cult than their entire force combined, prompting a hollow chuckle from the Alliance Leader.
“…Just you wait. Next time, I’ll be the one to find the Blood Cult first and crush them.”
Namgung Jin clenched his fists, revealing a rare display of competitiveness.
Namgung Soseon’s eyes lit up at this.
“Oh-ho, so you’ve grown a sense of rivalry?”
“Not at all. It’s just that if even a mere troubleshooter is doing his best, I figured I shouldn’t stay idle.”
He shrugged it off, but Namgung Soseon caught the faint spark of rivalry and pride flickering in his son's face.
‘Well, well.’
Namgung Soseon smiled inwardly. His son had always been considered the unrivaled genius among his peers, perpetually bored.
But for the first time, he was aware of someone else and feeling, even if slightly, the thrill of competition.
And since he had always seen his son as having no sky above him, this alone pleased Namgung Soseon immensely.
“Dan Mujin, huh… A young man like him should be part of the Alliance’s martial forces. What are the Captains doing? Not a single word from them.”
He wanted to watch him closely—not from afar, but nearby.
That young man who smelled of an old friend and was now stirring his son.
“It’s no use. I’ve heard the Evil-Slaying Demoness has already tried to recruit him multiple times, but he turned her down.”
Namgung Jin spoke up, saying it was pointless.
Apparently, the martial forces had taken turns trying to recruit him several times already.
What a shame. Still… this kid seemed to know an awful lot about that young man.
Yet the young man himself didn’t seem to know much about Namgung Jin.
“Hmm. So even she tried? Then it can’t be helped.”
She was the most reliable woman in the Alliance these days. Her resolve to slay evil was unmatched, and she was also popular among the heroes.
If even she had failed to persuade him, then there was nothing more to be done.
“By the way, about the Evil-Slaying Demoness…”
“Call her Vice Captain Murong Cheonghye. Why? What about her?”
Namgung Soseon scolded his son for his slip of the tongue and looked at him, curious.
Namgung Jin hesitated, opening and closing his mouth with a conflicted expression.
‘Should I tell him?’
His Evil Star had reacted at the cliff. That meant another Evil Star must have been there.
And the Blood Cult’s astrologer had said that the Heaven-Slaying Star was present, while the Left Blood Law had pointed to Murong Cheonghye, shouting she was the Heaven-Slaying Star.
“…It’s nothing.”
“Hmph, how dull.”
Whether for better or worse, she was currently a great asset to the Alliance.
Besides, they still didn’t understand why she remained sane.
So for now, Namgung Jin decided to keep watching her a bit longer.
‘Murong Cheonghye…’
One day, he would find out the truth behind it all.
Dragging my tired body into Beijing, I found it was already deep into the starry night.
I sent Ilhong and Harang, who were both about to collapse from drowsiness, back to the office, then made my way to the Eunseong Trading Company carrying the chest of money.
Partly because I felt at ease paying back debts quickly, and partly because Hwang Geolgae had told me after the last mess that I’d better as soon as I completed the job.
“Money breeds greed the longer you hold on to it.”
No way was I becoming like that greedy old man Jang from the cloth shop who stole from his own friend.
I was really planning to live honestly now, without doing anything bad.
‘Stupid bastard…’
Even just to spite this guy who kept scratching at me in red letters.
Ever since it got four fingers and a palm, it had been provoking me nonstop in delight, and I wanted nothing more than to beat it down by stacking up good karma.
‘Give it back… my body…’
Now that it had a palm, its ability to influence the world must’ve grown a bit. It had been talking to me more—and for longer than usual.
“This isn’t your body, you son of a…”
Talking like I was borrowing it or something.
Annoyed beyond words, I let a curse slip out of my mouth.
‘You’re not… Cheongjin…’
“I am Cheongjin. About half.”
Sure, I’d been mixed with the former troubleshooter Dan Wonjun.
But at this point, all of them combined made up the one and only me.
‘Give it back… It’s mine…’
The damn Salseong-i fluttered its palm like it was demanding something.
In response to that one-sided demand, I extended my middle finger straight at it, silently telling it to shut the hell up.
‘What’s… that…?’
“It means go screw yourself.”
Simple, impactful, and internationally understood in my time—an excellent finger gesture.
Apparently impressed, the bastard immediately flipped me off in return, delivering the same sentiment.
‘凸’
Not easy, this.
A middle finger battle with the terrifying Heaven-Slaying Star who drenches the world in blood?
It really felt like I’d dragged down the level of the Evil Star or something. The feeling was… weird.
“That’s enough. Just disappear.”
I circulated the Starfall Heart Cultivation Method that Hwang Geolgae had taught me, raising the energy of Demon-Breaking Qi throughout my body.
White energy bloomed divinely as starlight from above streamed down and shone upon me.
‘Kiiieeek.’
The thing let out a bizarre scream as it seemed to vanish.
Look at this pathetic little punk acting up.
It seemed like the first negotiation with the guy had ended in a breakdown.
“You bastard, why are you babbling nonsense alone? Are you starting to see things?”
Suddenly, I felt a qi presence nearby, and an old voice called out to me.
Turning my head, I saw Hwang Geolgae glaring at me with a disgruntled expression that basically said, “What the hell are you doing?”
“No way. My mind is always clear and steady.”
He's already in a foul mood from being caught up in all these major incidents lately—if I told him I was seeing weird things too, I might end up sniffing incense for real by the end of the day.
Desperate to survive, I made it clear that I was perfectly sane.
“Clear and steady, my ass. I haven’t seen anyone as cracked as you lately.”
Come on, carrying a crazy star in my head and still functioning should count for something. He always expects too much from people.
“That chest?”
“It’s from the latest request. I was planning to deliver it to noona as soon as morning comes.”
“Hrmm, good. Holding onto that kind of thing only breeds wicked greed.”
A man with nothing but a staff and a single set of clothes—this old man, practicing the pinnacle of non-possession, muttered in apparent satisfaction.
“But you punk, where’s that Dog-Beating Staff I gave you last time?”
Noticing my worn-out appearance from the long trip and my empty hands, Hwang Geolgae asked with a puzzled tone.
“Oh, the Hell-Piercing Demon-Slaying Staff? That thing broke in two.”
“You crazy bastard, how long has it even been since I gave you that?!”
“You think I wanted it to break? There’s nothing I can do if masters keep popping out wherever I go.”
Back then, I was so scared of getting smacked that I couldn’t even raise my voice.
But that wasn’t the case anymore.
I confidently explained that I’d been up against the Blood Cult, and that was how it happened.
“The Blood Cult again? Are you cursed or something? Why are you so damn unlucky lately?”
“Exactly. Some guy from the Jinju Eon Clan recently said something's stuck to me, made me feel all paranoid. I should probably have an exorcism or something later.”
The Naryeo ritual—it was like an exorcism ceremony to drive out evil spirits around here.
“Tsk tsk, you go around stirring up sinister incidents wherever you go.”
“Why are you making it sound like I’m attracting them?”
“You roam around like a madman and still came back without getting your revenge and just broke your staff again?”
Hwang Geolgae downed his drink and clicked his tongue like I was hopeless.
“I mean, it was just a staff carved from any old tree, right?”
“Hey now, brat! That was a sacred staff carved by the Divine Wind Daoist, I’ll have you know!”
“Besides, I did get my revenge. I beat the hell out of Gwang Hyeolso, the one with the Left Blood Law.”
“Whaaaat…?”
I gave the heavy chest a solid tap and told him that was how I made all this money.
Hwang Geolgae’s eyes went wide like plates.
“No way. You’re only at Peak Level—how in the world…?”
“Well, just kind of happened…”
“Just kind of happened? Speak properly, damn it.”
“I ended up wielding this sword that’s perfect for stabbing people to death, you know? Then suddenly I could see, like, the grain of things… blood and flesh slicing through, shhh shhh…”
THWACK!
Hwang Geolgae’s limbs moved just as fast as my “shhh shhh” sounds and smacked my face and gut brutally.
“…Unbelievable, this lunatic!”
“Ugh, son of a—!”
No matter how many times I get hit, getting hit by this guy always hurts like hell.
I don’t know what kind of secrets are hidden in his punches and kicks.
“I told you not to use blades! I even taught you the Dog-Beating Staff Technique!”
“Come on! It was an emergency, I’m telling you!”
“Right now this is the emergency, you bastard!”
FWOOOM!
A flash of killing intent cut through the air. I dropped into a deep squat and twisted my waist, narrowly dodging the Dog-Beating Staff by a paper’s width.
Ever since I took up a sword and killed something, I could feel the Heaven-Slaying Star’s basic abilities improving.
“Oho, you dodged?”
“It was unavoidable. If I hadn’t, your precious Ilhong would’ve died.”
I had gone up against a serious jiangshi and Gwang Hyeolso.
If I hadn’t drawn my sword, my whole team would’ve been wiped out, and the Jinju Eon Clan might have been massacred to cover it up.
“So, since it’s come to this… just go ahead and teach me proper sword techniques. Better than swinging it around half-assed and going down a strange path, right?”
When I asked him to teach me swordsmanship, Hwang Geolgae looked dumbfounded for a moment—but then he grinned and walked over, drawing a sword from near the training ground.
“Fine, that’s a good idea. Today, this old man shall personally teach you the sword.”
This felt ominous.
I swear, I could sense a hint of murderous intent.
“Never mind, actually! I think I’d rather learn later, Master!”
“Too late, brat!”
SLAASH!
At the same time as he spoke, a blade sliced right past my head, snipping my hair.
“Hey! This isn’t just getting smacked anymore!”
“Today, I’ll knock that rotten brain of yours straight!”
Apparently, learning swordsmanship meant risking your life, unlike the usual training.
I sprinted away at full speed to survive.
SLAASH—!
And the next day.
Morning light spilled into the Trading Lord’s Office at the Eunseong Trading Company.
Eun Hwaran stared at me in shock as I dragged in the heavy chest.
“You okay, little brother…?”
“…No.”
My whole body was in tatters. The wounds had regenerated, but my torn and shredded clothes spoke volumes about last night’s suffering.
“The ferocious beast…?”
“That old man, obviously.”
“…I see.”
He truly was terrifying.