Murim Troubleshooter Dan Mujin

Chapter 23: Earth-Style Combat Method

An unarmed brat flicked his finger at a Murim martial artist wielding a sword, taunting him to come at him.

Just like a pup that didn’t know to fear a tiger, the Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend wore a dumbfounded look at such brazen provocation.

“With that pretty mug and that damn attitude… Wait a second, are you that crazy beggar who used to rob merchants in the marketplace?”

Crazy beggar? So that was how my reputation had spread.

It was the merchants who acted nasty first, so I merely returned the favor in kind.

“Let me ask you one thing too.”

The Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend twitched a brow at my counter-question.

“Fine. I’ll answer you as a toll for your trip to the underworld.”

He replied grimly, licking the blood-streaked blade.

“Say you kidnapped the rich kids here for ransom. But what about the beggars in the warehouse? Why kidnap them?”

Truthfully, I already knew the reason from Ilhong.

But I hadn’t fully caught my breath after mowing down those dozens of Black Path thugs at the entrance. I figured I’d buy myself some time since he started talking.

“They say one of the bloodline survivors from the Hao Sect uprising ran off with some divine relic… Hm, now that I look at you, you do seem about the right age. Not to mention, you don’t carry yourself like a beggar.”

The bandit-looking bastard scanned the two of us with narrowed eyes, stroking his prickly beard as if pondering something.

“Especially that brat next to you… very similar to the description I heard from the Hao Sect. Except for one peculiar trait.”

As his suspicious gaze landed, I felt Ilhong flinch beside me.

When I looked to see what trait he was talking about, Ilhong slyly avoided my gaze.

“So now I’ve got one more reason to nab you two. You, I’ll slit your throat. That one… might be in disguise, so I’ll haul him in.”

The bastard raised his sword. That sticky, creeping killing intent slithered out once more.

It hadn’t been long, but I’d recovered enough stamina and breath. Talking my mouth off had paid off.

“So? Are you done with your little act? Caught your breath now?”

He must’ve noticed. Was it the confidence that he wouldn’t lose to a brat?

“Your face—gotta carve it up and sell it for a high price, so don’t grimace too much when you die.”

Was that really something a grown adult should say to a kid?

Thud. Thud.

Heavy footsteps. As he approached, the worn-out wooden floor groaned in protest once more.

The bandit-looking bastard flashed a large blade and his yellowed teeth as he closed the distance.

“Normally I’d lop your head off in one swing, but since you flapped your gums, I’ll slit your gut and spill your innards first.”

What a primitive and savage era this was.

Ilhong, thinking I was at a disadvantage, picked up a club dropped by a Black Path thug and clung tightly to my side.

A kid who hadn’t even learned martial arts showing guts—what nonsense.

I waved him off and walked a few steps toward the Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend.

“Then I’ll rip out your heart. So everyone knows what happens to those who mess with the Guanghae Faction.”

He probably couldn’t afford to lose face by getting beat by a brat.

Maybe he was harboring intense malice, as I could see his twisted Killing Karma squirm with venom.

“You know what it feels like when a blade like this punctures your belly and stirs your guts? Huh?”

Was he hoping to see fear on my face? The Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend grinned and spewed savage words.

But I wasn’t one to be rattled by cheap talk. Especially not this body of mine.

“I know, you son of a bitch. I’ve been stabbed twice already.”

Surprisingly, I’d survived two stabbings and even a fall off a high cliff—a tenacious freak.

“What? Then how are you still—”

No time for words. I seized the moment of his confusion and ignited the internal energy I’d gathered in my toes.

“Die!”

Fwoosh!

The bloody battle that started with a surprise attack lasted for over a cup of tea’s time.

Though the opponent was a Yin Fiend, he was a second-rate martial artist with an alias.

With his tall frame and long blade, the reach difference alone made it hell just to get close.

Slash!

The sound of a blade slicing flesh. Sharp killing intent grazed past my body. A moment’s distraction could draw a bloody line across my vision.

Swish! Swish!

Fiery red arcs twisted midair, launched consecutively. Compared to the scattered drizzles from the third-rate fighters I’d fought before—

This one, on the verge of being first-rate, was like a torrential downpour fiercely pouring down.

Swish—! Swish—!

A flash, and a spray of blood burst forth. Without the aid of Heaven-Slaying Star, it was hard to follow his rapid sword with the naked eye.

His body was bulky like a bear, yet his movements were surprisingly nimble.

Slice!

My right earlobe flew off, blood splattering onto the ground.

“Ugh!”

A strangely angled blade carved across my forearm. The blood-drenched tip gleamed in the sunlight.

My red blood flowed down, tracing the blood vessels to the ground.

I could clearly see where he aimed, where his killing intent surged. But reacting with the body was an entirely different matter.

It hadn’t even been a year since I started learning martial arts.

Relying solely on Heaven-Slaying Star’s talent that absorbed martial skills like a sponge, and the Hundred-Knot Divine Fist, I jumped in—but for the first time, I truly felt how lacking my physical ability was.

Swish—!

A sharp gust tore past. I narrowly dodged the blade aiming at my throat by pulling my chin in.

Of course, I hadn’t been completely passive either. I tried diving into his range using the mysterious Whirlwind Steps my master taught me.

Took some hits, gave some back—traded flesh for bone. My fists and feet lashed out in return, and once or twice, I managed to—

Wham!

“Gah!”

—land a solid hit on his chest or face.

Granted, compared to those blade strikes that could make blood gush with a mere graze, it was a meager achievement.

“Huff, huff.”

“You rat bastard…”

A dimly lit house. Two bloodied men, both panting heavily.

The Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend’s nose gushed twin streams of blood from the punch he’d taken earlier. Though both had dodged fatal blows, they were steadily shaving each other down like peeling fruit skins.

As I kept dodging and holding out, with no end in sight to the fight, the Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend gritted his teeth.

“…What the hell are you? Why aren’t you tiring?”

He asked, sounding truly baffled.

Indeed. My internal energy was nearly spent, but in the face of death, this damn stamina of mine just wouldn’t quit.

In fact, that ordinary martial artist over there seemed even more worn out.

“Just die already!”

His blade flashed. He’d said he wouldn’t damage my face since it was for sale, but now he swung with a chilling aim at my neck.

I jerked my head back just in time to avoid a lethal blow. Instead, the blade grazed past my cheek.

As I saw blood spray into my vision with a ‘pop!’, I unfolded my Whirlwind Steps.

I slid in like a wraith and drove the Spinning Ring Kick into the bastard’s solar plexus.

“Gah! You son of a—!”

The Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend spat out a ragged breath and hastily retrieved his sword. I twisted my waist to gather centrifugal force and slammed my fist into his jaw.

Crack!

A solid impact. That one landed perfectly. Proof of that was the way the Guanghae Faction’s leader staggered like a drunk.

I moved to finish him off. But at that moment, Heaven-Slaying Star sent me a powerful warning.

Swoosh—!

I pulled back my head and body just in time as a sharp blade grazed the tip of my nose and shot upward.

A close call—if I had been even a moment late, I would’ve been cleaved from chin to crown. So this bastard had also laid a trap, trying to trade flesh for bone.

If I’d charged in without a clue, I’d have taken my leave from this world right there.

“What the fuck are you? How the hell did you dodge that?”

We’d already tested each other’s skills for about a cup of tea’s time. The Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend looked stunned, clearly thinking that attack was flawless.

“Pant, pant. You’re just slow as shit, that’s all…”

The battle entered a temporary lull.

The only sound echoing was the harsh breathing of two men who had pushed their bodies to the limit.

My whole body ached and burned. Even worse, it was soaked. Not with sweat, but with my own blood.

While he might’ve accumulated fatigue, I had steadily built up wounds. Even if none were fatal, it’s the drizzles that soak clothes.

The accumulated damage was taking its toll—my limbs were no longer responding properly. My fingertips and toes trembled uncontrollably.

If not for Heaven-Slaying Star’s uniquely resilient body, I’d have been beheaded long ago.

And now, my internal energy was nearly depleted. The four years’ worth of cultivation I had painstakingly amassed was almost gone.

“Hoo, hoo…”

So this is what a real Murim martial artist is like—not some third-rate thug from the streets, but a true blade-wielding fighter.

Facing him barehanded was grueling beyond belief. Unless I wrapped my fists in Enhanced Qi, I couldn’t even afford to touch his blade.

“Hey, you rabid dog.”

The Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend caught his breath and then glared at me with murderous intent, speaking from behind his blade.

What a charming way to address someone. Just great for the mood.

“What? You Yin Fiend bastard.”

At my unchanging insolence, a thick vein popped out on the bastard’s forehead.

It seemed that my unexpected tenacity had made him reconsider. The guy who was earlier threatening to gut me suddenly changed tactics and started flapping his mouth.

“Cool your head and think real hard.”

Coming from someone who kidnaps brats, telling me to think rationally was laughable enough to make a passing dog chuckle.

“If this keeps up, one of us is definitely gonna die.”

“Yeah, you will, bastard.”

“…You little shit, I’m trying to talk sense here.”

No threat can shut my damn mouth.

That’s something the Beggars’ Union’s Sect Leader personally acknowledged after failing to shut me up even by beating me himself.

“Leave that brat and I’ll let you go.”

The Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend pointed a thick finger at Ilhong, who was clinging tightly to his club.

His eyes met mine, asking silently, “Well? What do you say?”

Ilhong, who had paused mid-fight after being mentioned, flinched and looked nervously between me and the Yin Fiend.

“Think hard, you dumbass. Drag this out any longer and my boys will be back. And you? You’re bleeding a lot. How much longer can you even stay standing?”

“…”

He wasn’t wrong—I was dizzy as hell.

Just like when I got stabbed in the gut and swept away by a rapid current, that ominous fog that only appeared in life-or-death moments began to shroud me again.

“…Boss, you’re not, right?”

Maybe because of that deep betrayal he once experienced, Ilhong looked absolutely terrified by the Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend’s offer.

His big round eyes trembled endlessly.

“Hey, Ilhong.”

“Y-Yeah?”

He must’ve been imagining the worst-case scenario.

Ilhong looked on the verge of tears, waiting for what I’d say next.

“If I get my guts torn open later, you better plug the hole properly.”

“…?”

Ilhong looked dumbfounded, not understanding what I meant.

Tss, tss, tss—

The Evil Star’s aura around my entire body grew far denser than before.

If not for Heaven-Slaying Star, I probably would’ve collapsed already. It meant I was teetering on the boundary between life and death.

But paradoxically, in this state, I felt no fear. It meant the Supreme Evil Star was doing everything to keep this body alive.

So I scraped up every last drop of internal energy from my dantian. Pure internal energy surged violently through my meridians.

I took a long, steady breath and assumed the starting stance of the Hundred-Knot Divine Fist.

“…You stupid bastard. You’re throwing away your life for some beggar?”

Reading my resolve, the Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend raised his blade again.

He’s not “some beggar.” He’s my second client. A future blue-chip investment made at a rock-bottom price.

And I still had one kind of brutish fighting method that only Heaven-Slaying Star could pull off.

So long as my head wasn’t severed, the Evil Star would somehow keep me alive.

A battle technique I’d mastered after being stabbed in the gut by my own blood sister. I launched myself off the ground with a bull-like charge.

“Try stabbing me, bastard!”

Splash!

The blade tore through Dan Mujin’s shoulder.

“Argh! Damn it!”

The wound must’ve been deep—blood splattered across the ceiling and walls. A painful scream burst out.

Even so, that little brat didn’t stop charging.

Just like the rumors said, he was a completely insane mutt.

‘…What the hell is this kid!’

Even as the blade flashed, he didn’t flinch.

The Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend was stunned by the suicidal charge, as if the brat didn’t care about his life.

And unless he was imagining things, that brat was actually getting used to his own Death Blood Blade Art.

He moved like he already knew where the blade would strike. As if he’d stolen the art’s techniques and principles outright.

“You freakish little bastard!”

This was supposed to be his first real fight, but it felt like they’d exchanged thousands of blows already.

He clearly wasn’t like this when they first crossed blades. The Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend shuddered at the monstrous martial talent hidden within the brat.

If they had met just a few years later, it wouldn’t be him being overwhelmed—it’d be the other way around.

Slice!

“Guh!”

But luck wasn’t on his side. No matter how much talent one held, it was over once it was crushed before blooming.

The kid’s body was already covered in wounds, and he had lost too much blood.

Perhaps delirious from it all, amidst the flurry of sword strikes and punches, he finally exposed a major opening.

Swish—

He fell for a feint drawn above his head and ended up exposing his abdomen while guarding his upper body.

As promised, I’ll make sure your guts spill out. The Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend let out a cry of triumph and drove his blade deep into the kid’s belly.

Thunk!

The sound of sharp metal sinking into flesh. The blade pierced all the way through the abdomen, its crimson tip poking out from the back.

It was an undeniable fatal strike. Dan Mujin’s body froze upright as he vomited a mouthful of blood.

“Kyaaak! No—!”

What a shrill, girly scream.

That fleeting thought surfaced in Dan Mujin’s hazy mind.

“You dumb little shit! You should’ve taken the offer when I gave it!”

Like someone who had finally swatted a buzzing mosquito, the Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend burst into triumphant laughter.

Perhaps to prolong the agony, he gripped the hilt with both hands and twisted it left and right.

“Gghrk!”

“Heh… can you feel it? This is what I was talking about. The pain of your guts getting shredded!”

Why were all Murim bastards around here out of their minds?

It felt like a fireball had erupted inside his belly.

Yet even amidst that overwhelming pain, Dan Mujin grinned and grabbed the hilt and the Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend’s two hands tightly.

On the verge of life and death. Faced with death, the body of Heaven-Slaying Star began to unleash unbelievable brute strength.

“W-What the hell?! Let go, you bastard!”

Seeing Dan Mujin’s smile, the Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend sensed something had gone terribly wrong and tried to retreat.

But he was already far too late.

Riiip—

With brute force, Dan Mujin yanked the hands toward him, pulling the blade in deeper. The Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend’s face came right up in front of him.

Until now, that face had been unreachable due to his short limbs and the rain of sword strikes. But now, it was completely exposed.

“Y-You’ve got no hands left to hit me with, dumbass!”

Both their arms were locked.

Seeing the blood-soaked figure with countless wounds right in front of him, the Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend screamed in terror.

But fists and feet aren’t the only tools to hit someone.

Maybe, just maybe, all those times Hwang Geolgae had smacked my forehead were in preparation for this moment.

Dan Mujin drew his head far back and then, with a grand flourish, slammed it into the Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend’s face.

“Iron Head Attack!”

Smack—!

Skull collided with skull. A blow that shook the very bone.

“Guah!”

The Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend spouted an even fiercer nosebleed. The shock made him release the hilt and stagger backward, about to collapse.

This one wasn’t a trap. Even the monster-like body of Dan Mujin had briefly blacked out from the impact and returned.

That’s why this opportunity had to be the finishing blow.

But his internal energy was completely spent, a long sword was still impaled in him, and that reckless headbutt left his body nearly collapsing.

“Y-You cowardly bastard…”

The Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend’s flipped-back eyes slowly returned to focus.

They say in the Murim, attacks like Lazy Donkey Rolling or biting and headbutting are shameful tactics.

But Dan Mujin was from Earth. Winning was all that mattered. Those Murim codes? He didn’t give a damn.

Which is why he could pull off something like this.

“Groin Chaos Dance!”

Thud!

Dan Mujin shouted the fanciful move name and kicked between the Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend’s legs.

A dull, ominous sensation, like something just burst inside.

“Grrrrrk…!”

The Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend, who had withstood a headbutt, finally collapsed. This time with eyes rolled back and foaming at the mouth.

“Can you feel it? The pain of your jewels getting wrecked.”

Thud. The sound of him falling.

The most powerful move one could execute with no internal energy or stamina left.

“This is the Earth-style combat method from the Sky Love Orphanage…”

Dan Mujin stood over the collapsed Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend and muttered quietly.

This was the secret behind how he once carved out a legendary 17-on-1 victory on a riverbank back on Earth.