Murim Troubleshooter Dan Mujin

Chapter 51: To the Murim Alliance

The one who was being pointed out was the very person who had just tried to frame Instructor Jang as the poisoner.

A venomous snake who tried to cover up his poisoning incident as a crime of passion by exploiting someone else's affection.

"……What nonsense is this!"

The guy, initially dumbfounded, belatedly shouted.

As suspicious gazes pierced him, he shook his head and jumped up as if to show his innocence.

"You're all going to believe some nobody you've never even heard of?!"

His attitude was quite forceful, but I could see it.

Those eyes, frantically wavering in confusion, unsure of how I’d found out.

"Instructor Wang, didn’t that young master say he saw you hiding a suspicious vial?"

And then Instructor Jang, who had been humiliated by the guy earlier, began his counterattack, seemingly eager to return the blow.

"Open your robe and show us what’s inside. That should clear up the misunderstanding, no?"

Judging by the atmosphere, he wasn’t planning to let this go quietly—clearly harboring resentment from before.

Sensing that as well, the guy bit his lip hard, glaring at us alternately.

Then suddenly, he began to smirk with a bitter expression.

He looked like someone who had a hidden card up his sleeve.

"Heh, could this be the vial you saw?"

When the guy pulled out an actual vial filled with liquid from his robe, the people around him were visibly startled.

But what truly shocked them was his next unexpected move.

Gulp, gulp!

Instructor Wang drank the contents of the vial in one go, seemingly to erase all suspicion.

He then placed the empty bottle on the table with a loud ‘thud’ and looked around with a triumphant expression, as if to say, “What now?”

"Too bad for you, but this isn’t poison—just medicine for internal injuries. I only took it out just in case! And to think you’d try to frame an innocent person over something like this—what kind of bastard are you!"

Now it was his turn to raise his voice at me.

"What’s the meaning of this, young master?"

People began staring at me, expecting an explanation.

This was a bit awkward. So that creepy grin from earlier meant he had a trick prepared.

Through Heaven-Slaying Star, I could clearly see this bastard was a killer. But I couldn’t think of a way to convince them.

Then, a reliable ally stepped up beside me.

"Your face looks a bit strange."

Taken out of context, it could’ve sounded like “You’re ugly.”

"What did you say……?"

"Your expression is unnatural. And your jawline seems to be lifting a little. That happens when the glue dries in dry weather."

Her observation sounded quite professional. As she spoke, it reminded the crowd of the Human-skin Mask or Disguise Techniques, and they began staring at Instructor Wang again.

"Now that you mention it, something does seem off. Instructor Wang, try pulling your cheek."

With everyone unsure, Instructor Jang once again stepped up with dependable backup.

Instructor Wang began glaring at him as if he wanted to kill him.

"What’s the holdup? Just pull it already. It’s not even that hard. If you’re not trying to hide anything like those young ones are saying, what’s with the hesitation?"

"……."

Sensing something was off in his reaction, Instructor Jang pressed the attack with renewed confidence.

The guests in the inn also started showing changing expressions, as if thinking, ‘No way…’

"……You mother—!"

Suddenly, the guy shoved a nearby person and bolted toward the inn’s entrance.

But I had already read his movement path through the crimson arc and managed to stick my foot in his way.

Crash!

Even as he lost his balance, the vicious killer threw poison needles from his sleeve.

But he picked the wrong target. I merely swallowed the burning sensation of the poison and unleashed the Hundred-Knot Divine Fist toward him.

Pop pop pop!

Despite his unstable stance, he blocked my fist and twisted his waist to recover his center.

"Get him!"

"That bastard is the one who poisoned Instructor Kang!"

Thanks to the time I bought, the Ilpung Martial Academy people had blocked all escape routes.

With no way to flee, he clicked his tongue while locking eyes with the fierce stares of the instructors and the headmaster.

Crack! Crash!

And so, a violent brawl erupted once again on the first floor of the inn. Martial arts techniques burst from all directions, shattering furniture all around.

"Nooo! My inn’s getting wrecked again!"

Someone screamed in despair—it was that intense of a battle.

Perhaps knowing he'd be executed the moment he was caught, the murderous bastard resisted until the very end.

But as the fight turned into a battle of attrition, the one with the body of the Heaven-Slaying Star—me—ended up the victor.

“Huff, huff.”

Everyone lay sprawled across the floor, battered and exhausted.

In the end, the one who remains standing is the winner.

I grabbed the collar of the killer, who had fainted with his skull bruised black-and-blue.

He stood at the edge of the First Rate Martial Artist realm. He hadn’t crossed the wall into the peak realm, but his martial arts were vicious enough that even with our numbers, we struggled.

Still, I took the final blow thanks to our overwhelming force.

‘Kill (殺)!’

Nah, I’m not killing him.

Why should I pile on more Killing Karma here? It’s not like a precious life was at risk.

Besides, this guy had already racked up a massive amount of Killing Karma. Given his level, it was highly likely that the Murim Alliance, Evil Alliance, the government, or even the Wanderers' Guild had placed bounties or wanted notices on him.

Riiip.

Ilhong tore off the already-beaten and ruined Human-skin Mask.

"Ah, just as I thought! He’s the Poison-Hoarding Fiend wanted by the Murim Alliance. I recognize his facial features."

Ilhong immediately recalled his identity from the wanted posters—seemed like he had memorized them all.

Truly a walking Murim encyclopedia.

"Look at this poison too. The powder is separate. Once it’s combined with the liquid, it becomes lethal. I heard he used this method to poison people without arousing suspicion."

So that was the secret behind his earlier confidence.

"How much is the bounty?"

"Probably five strings of gold?"

Considering his First Rate Martial Artist level, that wasn’t a small amount. Seems like quite a few clans and sects contributed to the bounty. Unlike that Soul-Stealing what’s-his-name.

Feeding the kids lately has been expensive enough to break my back, but looks like heaven decided to throw me a bone.

I glanced up and squinted my eyes in thanks. Thank you for the cashback.

"Captain, how did you know this guy was the culprit?"

Ilhong asked curiously, surprised that I had identified the killer who turned out to be a notorious villain.

I had just gone with the Heaven-Slaying Star’s intuition, but since it was hard to explain, I changed the subject.

"What about you—how did you know it was a Human-skin Mask?"

I hadn’t noticed at all while talking to the guy face-to-face.

"I only realized after I started watching him carefully because you said he was the culprit. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known."

Poison-Hoarding Fiend, was it? In the end, this bastard just had really bad luck.

He must have been hiding his identity quite well until now, but of all people, he got caught by the Heaven-Slaying Star and the daughter of a former Hao Sect Leader.

Anyway, as we exchanged some cordial compliments on each other's skills, the people from Ilpung Martial Academy, now composed, came to find us.

"Thank you, Dan Mujin."

"Our academy has received a great favor."

Despite being in a wrecked state, they each came up and offered a clasped hands greeting.

Everyone's gaze momentarily lingered on the villain’s face now exposed from the torn-off Human-skin Mask. Their eyes trembled with fury and frustration.

"Did he hide in our academy to avoid the Murim Alliance’s pursuit?"

"His martial ability was exceptional, and he seemed like an upright man…"

They said he had quickly earned a position as an instructor within just a few years of joining.

Several instructors showed reactions of repulsion.

He had likely gone into hiding to avoid his wanted status, then realized this business was more profitable than expected, and decided to seize it all for himself.

And when the headmaster’s only daughter, who was to inherit the family business, fell for another man, he killed her.

As a bonus, he tried to pin the suspicion on Instructor Jang and eliminate another rival in the process.

"You think the same, don’t you, Captain?"

I nodded at Ilhong’s plausible speculation.

Come to think of it, it was quite similar to how those bastards from Man Geum Trading Post had tried to take over Eunseong Trading Company through a political marriage.

This Central Plains Murim world isn't so different from the chaotic place I used to live in after all.

"Anyway, instructors and Headmaster. I was the one who found this bastard, beat him up the most, and finished him off. I’ll take custody of him. Any objections?"

The instructors and headmaster exchanged glances.

"Of course not. We want revenge for Instructor Kang, but we’ll yield in gratitude for what you’ve done today."

"Are you taking him to the Murim Alliance?"

"If so, make sure he’s executed publicly."

Thankfully, the people of Ilpung Martial Academy agreed as long as the bastard ended up dead, no matter how.

"Thank you for your understanding. I’m sure he’ll be publicly executed just as you wish."

After all, I plan to hand him over to the Murim Alliance for money.

They’ll probably chop off his head in front of all the clans and sects with grudges against him.

"Oh right, if you ever want to learn martial arts, stop by our Ilpung Martial Academy. Though, you don’t look like you need any teaching... But if you’re thinking of training those kids, I’ll give you an eighty percent discount."

"Yes, I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll be going then."

Even if not for that, the headmaster invited me to visit sometime.

Quite a generous discount. And they also said they’d handle all the cleanup of the wrecked inn themselves.

Such generous people. To think the Poison-Hoarding Fiend tried to manipulate and toy with people like this behind the scenes.

As I turned and left the inn, I asked,

"Did you eat your fill, you brats?"

Came out with the gang for the first time in a while, and it turned into this kind of ordeal.

"Not just eating—we got to watch a great fight too."

The little kids mimicked our earlier battle like they’d just watched an action movie.

"Sheesh."

Truly a chaotic meal.

"Hwang Noya."

Shortly past noon. I dragged the villain, tightly bound in rope, and went to find Hwang Geolgae.

There he was, lying down snoring even though it was broad daylight, having held a drinking party.

Some people have been toiling since morning—yet every time I see him, I can’t help but think how carefree his life is.

And yet he wants to be called a Mysterious Daoist.

"Old man, wake up a bit."

I nudged his shoulder as I spoke.

"Mmm, back already… huh, who’s this guy?"

Hwang Geolgae pointed at the villain with blood clots marking the reward and asked.

"Well, that’s how it went."

I had to briefly explain how I went out for a meal and ended up catching and tying up a notorious villain.

"So you’re going to the Murim Alliance in Shanxi?"

"Yes."

I didn’t particularly want to go that far either.

I was hoping there’d be a convenient system like a branch office somewhere mid-way where I could hand off the wanted criminal and just collect the reward…

‘No chance of that.’

Ilhong said it was impossible.

She insisted they wouldn’t pay a large sum without verifying the person in person, and he must be brought in directly.

I must have been foolish to expect some kind of system, being used to the efficient bureaucracy of my old world.

In this outdated world, people have to go through that much trouble.

"Hmm. That far, huh."

Hwang Geolgae stroked his chin, clearly considering it.

Given the long distance—even with horses and a cart it’d take months—there was a real risk I might run off midway, and it wouldn’t be easy.

"Alright, go then."

Surprisingly, Hwang Geolgae gave his permission easily.

Last time during the escort trip, he forcibly dragged me along saying there’s no way he’d leave someone as dangerous as me alone.

What’s this? Does he actually trust me now?

"The Beggars’ Union’s eyes and ears are everywhere across the Central Plains, so don’t even think about any funny business."

Of course. I knew he wouldn’t let me off easy.

"And hey, you brat."

"What?"

I knocked out the Poison-Hoarding Fiend again with the Dog-Beating Staff just as he stirred.

"Don’t call me old man…"

Guess he heard that. Even while snoring, his ears are always open.

"From now on, you can just call me Master."

"……."

For a moment, I wondered if the old man had eaten something weird.

What the hell? One moment he’s beating me like he’s trying to kill me, now he’s acting like he’s giving me medicine. How am I supposed to keep up with this?

"Yes, Master……."

Saying it made my mouth itch a little.

And it seemed like Hwang Geolgae felt the same.

"Hehehe."

He lay back down and waved his hand as if telling me to go.

"Oh right, if you meet Murong Cheonghye there, give her my regards. Tell the Clan Leader I’d be happy to play a round of go with him too."

"……Yes."

That name always made me flinch whenever I heard it. It made my body and emotions creak for some reason.

"And you, the way you looked at that girl on the mountain wasn’t normal."

At Hwang Geolgae’s words, I felt my heart instantly shrink. Had he figured out my origin and identity completely?

"She’s a beautiful woman, but don’t get swayed by her looks. She wasn’t called the Cold Jade Maiden for nothing. Don’t even try anything."

I was so dumbfounded I felt completely deflated.

"Don’t worry. That’ll never happen."

My stomach still occasionally aches from where I got stabbed back then.

I said it like it was the one thing I could guarantee.