Murim Troubleshooter Dan Mujin

Chapter 32: Accidental Imperial Guanxi

Once Cheonsugong stepped forward, the situation was instantly resolved.

Countless corpses lay around, soaked in blood and missing their heads.

Especially the assassins—their faces twisted in horror as if they’d seen something terrifying right before death.

“You seemed to be struggling earlier, but you finished them off in no time?”

Maybe he had been stalling to find out where the assassins came from.

Cheonsugong wiped the blood off his sword on the front of the decapitated village chief’s robe.

“If you want to travel the murim, you better have a hidden card or two.”

A martial artist’s survival instinct in murim: conceal thirty percent of your true strength.

Something like that, perhaps.

He had released a fierce sword qi when threatening the eunuchs the last time, so I’d figured he was probably a Peak Master Level at least.

“Are you perhaps a Master Level or at the Transformation Realm?”

“You don’t need to know, brat.”

With a scoff, Cheonsugong sheathed his sword with a soft, clean shing.

Looks like he’s somewhere in that range. If he were only Peak Master Level, there’s no way he could’ve taken out those three worthy opponents in an instant.

‘A martial artist beyond the Master Level...’

Even just reaching the Master Level lets one handle two or three fighters alone and, if they set their mind to it, annihilate an entire mid-tier sect singlehandedly—becoming a tactical weapon in the Central Plains.

That one person can possess such destructive power… for someone like me, a Second Rate Martial Artist, it’s a realm so far away it’s dizzying.

Just what was this guy’s role in the imperial palace?

“So, who the hell are you?”

“Me? I’m a guy named Dan Mujin.”

Cheonsugong threw my question back at me before I could even ask it.

“Those guys were at least First Rate Assassins. Their killing intent was perfectly controlled. Yet you sniffed them out at first glance?”

He must be talking about when I yelled that the village chief—who looked so kind—was actually a deranged killer.

“I’ve got a hidden card of my own, you see.”

No matter how well they hide it, it’s pointless. This body has the Heavenly-Slaying Eye that detects even the faintest shred of malice.

But explaining that would likely get me branded a public enemy of the murim, so I deflected by repeating a vague line I’d heard earlier.

Cheonsugong’s eyes narrowed to slits, like needles.

“Hmph. And you… earlier, it looked like you were copying the martial arts I displayed, albeit crudely…”

His level must be so high that he had the leeway to observe even during a fight.

“I was just imitating you, that’s all.”

“For mere imitation, your footwork and stick strikes had some real subtlety to them.”

That too was a kind of passive skill from the Heaven-Slaying Star—it activates when my life’s in danger, so explaining it wasn’t easy.

“…Then I guess you’ve got two hidden cards.”

“Ha.”

Cheonsugong gave a hollow laugh, as if finding the whole thing ridiculous.

Then, he scratched his chin and silently scanned me from head to toe with an intense gaze.

Such fierce eyes, coming from a eunuch.

“…What?”

I opened my mouth first, suddenly feeling uneasy.

“Unusual martial talent, and a physique hypersensitive to killing intent…”

He looked deep in thought about something.

But that expression, that behavior—I’d seen it recently.

It was the exact same look he had when he tried to poach Ilhong, fascinated by his exceptional skill and knowledge.

“You said your name was Dan Mujin, right?”

“Yes, and?”

“Have you ever considered becoming a eunuch and serving Princess Peach Blossom?”

An out-of-nowhere imperial scouting offer.

The problem was, the position was a eunuch.

“I’m fine being hired as a wanderer, but a eunuch is a bit…”

“Why? You’d be well-fed and warm, and if you came under my wing, you could spend your days capturing and beating up people you don’t like.”

If he’s casually talking about beating people up like that, he must really be part of the Eastern Depot—the place even officials tremble before.

And it seemed he wanted to train my threat-detecting ability to use me as a human canary to protect the princess from assassins.

“But don’t I have to cut that off to become a eunuch?”

“Hmph. Before great justice, it’s just a small piece of flesh.”

He snorted as if it were no big deal.

“Mine isn’t small, though.”

“……”

Cheonsugong was momentarily speechless at my response. Then his eyes said it all: “Did I just hear a crazy bastard?”

Ilhong, beside us, glanced back and forth between my face and lower half, dazed.

The atmosphere was awkward. But all I did was correct a misunderstanding.

I could proudly say, I had no shame under heaven.

“Huh… Forget I ever made that offer. You’d be a disaster next to the princess.”

It looked like he had assessed the situation and decided I was unmanageable, quickly brushing off the idea.

“Yeah, well. I wasn’t interested anyway.”

And so, I turned down a hair-raising scouting offer. No matter how much I want success, becoming a eunuch? No way.

Cutting off the source of my confidence for a bit of power?

I’ll aim to seize both without giving up anything.

“But still. You did try to hire me, so that means you fully acknowledge my skills, right?”

Back when we first met, he roasted me hard, asking what a punk like me was doing pretending to be a wanderer. And now he wants me to work under him?

“Hmph, don’t get cocky. I just said it wasn’t half bad.”

Clearly, he still didn’t like me—probably because of a few slip-ups—but had no choice but to admit it.

Which, to me, was basically high praise.

Getting recognized by such a top-level expert? All my blood, sweat, and bruises had finally paid off.

“Alright, now take these and start digging.”

Cheonsugong casually tossed me two shabby shovels.

“Oh, right. Damn it.”

I’d been basking in accomplishment and totally forgotten—he’d brought us here for digging.

Too lazy to do it himself, so he grabbed a random wanderer to do grunt work.

“The ground’s weirdly soft over there. Make sure to dig it up before sunset. Otherwise, I’m docking your pay.”

Just because I got complimented didn’t mean I had fewer chores.

My barely-upturned lips dropped straight back down.

“Ugh.”

Thunk thunk. Swish.

The shovel sank deep, then scooped out a load of soil.

Half a day of digging passed on soft, flat ground—perfect for burying someone.

“Boss, I think I’m gonna lose my mind…”

“You’re fine. Just keep digging.”

The human mind is tougher than you’d think.

I guarantee it—as someone who once shoveled snow all day in a snow-clearing operation.

Thunk.

“Huh?”

That’s when the shovel tip struck a corpse.

Upon digging it out, it wasn’t the missing Sericulture Officer we were looking for, but a body presumed to be one of the original residents of Baekyangchon.

There were roughly twenty corpses. Looked like they’d dug a big pit and buried them all at once.

I prided myself on having seen my fair share of corpses while searching for people, but seeing an entire village buried like this hit me hard.

“Those bastards deserved to be slaughtered.”

Though it was Cheonsugong who yelled “Exterminate the bloodline!” and decapitated everyone but one,

I’d done my part by smashing bones and bursting skin, delivering horrifying pain in return.

“Oh.”

And the moment I felt proud of the thorough beating I’d given, the energy in my dantian began to stir even more strongly.

They said righteousness is determined by the heart—so could this all change just with the right mindset?

From now on, I should go around pummeling evil more earnestly in the spirit of “evil must be punished.”

Of course, my standard of evil would depend solely on who I found annoying.

“Boss, this corpse’s outfit looks a bit different.”

Ilhong, sweating like a new recruit fresh out of boot camp, discovered something else near the pit.

Indeed, it looked a bit different from the villagers who were barely clothed in rags.

“Hm, looks like this might be the one we were searching for. That missing Sericulture Officer.”

Cheonsugong murmured while pulling out a sketch from his robe that showed someone’s likeness.

So, the Sericulture Officer sent by the imperial household had ended up an unreturning guest, caught in the storm of political power struggles.

“Just as I thought. The stab wounds on the body match the daggers used by those assassins. Did they coat them with Seven Apertures Poison? The rate of decay is unusually slow.”

Cheonsugong nonchalantly examined the corpse, his hands moving without hesitation.

It seemed the assassins coated their blades in deadly poison to ensure death even with a graze.

Even with the Heaven-Slaying Star’s body that survived being crushed against a cliff, I still couldn’t be sure about poison—so I made sure to avoid contact.

“Judging by the poison, martial arts, and blade techniques… they must be from either Deathshroud or Ghostplay Blade. I’ll have to dig deeper by analyzing the traces. Things are about to get busy.”

So muttering, Cheonsugong began carefully inspecting the remaining assassins.

Along with that, he checked even the generic murderers, one by one, for tattoos or identifying marks.

Lastly, he’d likely interrogate—not torture—the one he kept alive and unconscious.

“Ilhong, let’s at least give these poor folks a proper burial.”

In the meantime, I buried the villagers in a sunny spot.

It wasn’t that I’d suddenly become a good person—I just didn’t want to be haunted in my dreams for ignoring them.

As for the murderers, I left them for the wild animals to deal with.

“You sure are doing things nobody asked for.”

And so the shoveling continued. It had been early morning when we arrived, but now the sun was dipping behind the ridgeline.

Cheonsugong dusted off his hands and walked over, smirking at what we were doing.

“You’re an odd one. You think anyone’s going to appreciate that?”

But the Starfall Heart Cultivation Method did.

It started as something I did out of unease, but the more I buried them, the more my dantian tingled.

That meant I’d be able to draw more internal energy from the Evil Star.

Now I was already looking forward to my next qi circulation session.

“That’s just how the boss is. A bit weird, right?”

Ilhong set down his shovel, stretched his back, and spoke as if used to it.

The truth is, I wasn’t always like this. I used to live as the ultimate opportunist. But here, good deeds get rewarded, so I do them.

If things like this had existed in my past life, I might’ve grown up as a kind kid without stressing out the headmaster.

Let’s just say it was the world’s fault for not embracing me.

“Cheonsugong, are we done with everything here?”

I asked while dusting off the soil covering my body.

First thing I needed back at the Wanderers' Guild lodge: a long bath.

“Yes. I found the clue I needed. If I dig into it further, I’ll probably get a good card to pressure the Second Prince.”

He must’ve found something worthwhile for all the effort, judging by the faint smile on his lips.

“Well then, since the request is finished, you must have something to give me.”

Time for settlement. I rubbed my hands together like a merchant as I spoke.

If I worked, I should be paid that same day.

And my client wasn’t some old man who lost his child—but a well-off bureaucrat of the imperial court.

“And you do know this job was worth more than just three silver coins, right?”

He said it was just digging, but then assassins popped out and I had to beat up more than a dozen third-rate thugs.

No matter how I look at it, the balance doesn’t check out.

“Hmph, acting smug just because you beat up a few scraps.”

This guy, seriously.

I stood firmly before him, eyes blazing, ready to receive proper compensation.

Even in the past, I’d missile dropkick the foreman if he tried to cheat my wages on a day labor job.

Princess Peach Blossom seemed like a good person, but the people around her sure had rotten personalities…

Then, Cheonsugong flicked a coin with his finger.

“Take it.”

A golden coin traced a parabolic arc and landed squarely in my palm with a soft tap.

It sparkled with such brilliance, it dyed the viewer’s eyes golden.

“Wow, boss, you really didn’t have to…”

What the hell? Turns out he’s got great character and integrity?

I deeply regretted nearly cursing such a man out of momentary irritation.

Ilhong giggled next to me as I clutched the coin.

Apparently, the Heaven-Slaying Star didn’t think this payout was too excessive for the danger we’d faced—he didn’t intrude.

“Man, back when I was a beggar, I couldn’t even get a single silver coin…”

Ilhong looked nostalgic, lost in old memories.

Now that I’d learned martial arts and become a wanderer, I seemed to see a lot more silver and gold.

Maybe this is why adults always told you to learn a skill?

“Half of that’s hush money. Today, all you did was help a poor old man find his lost child. You know nothing about assassins or any of that. Got it?”

“Yessir, absolutely.”

“Ugh, so annoying. Talk in your normal voice.”

“Of course.”

As expected of someone high up—the way they spend is just different. This is why you have to swim in the big pond.

If I want to hit it big later, I’ll need imperial guanxi for sure.

“Well then, be off. I still have cleanup work to do.”

Must be more traces or evidence left to find.

“Yes, I’ll be going… Oh, and please tell the princess that if she ever needs help again, I’m always available.”

If this were modern times, I’d be handing out business cards for word of mouth. Too bad I didn’t have any.

“So arrogant. I told you before—she already has plenty of talent around her.”

Right, last time he said the Eastern Depot had everything covered, so someone like me wasn’t needed.

Still, nothing to lose in trying again.

“Of course. Just consider it a courtesy and pass the message.”

“Hmph, I’ll think about it.”

He said that, but turned back toward the village.

Felt like he’d actually pass it along, tsundere-style.

If not, well—whatever.

“Let’s head back to the lodge, Ilhong.”

“Woohoo, finally!”