Murim Troubleshooter Dan Mujin

Chapter 54: Toll Road

In the Murim, there’s a thing called a “non-geom.”

A duel where martial artists who've reached a certain level test each other’s understanding of martial arts by shouting out technique names instead of actually clashing swords.

But when amateurs try to imitate it poorly, it usually devolves into a barking match where the louder guy wins.

Just like now.

“From Warungak I assumed a lower stance and thrust toward Hyungnim’s Soyohyeol with Short Iron Fist. Therefore, this match is my victory.”

The second son of the Jo Family, who had started this non-geom in the middle of a leisure outing, wore a smug face, declaring himself the victor.

“I dodged all of that.”

“What nonsense is that? At least use a technique.”

The second son was flustered by the shamelessness of the eldest.

“Weren’t you crying yesterday when I hit you with my fist? You don’t even need martial arts to dodge crap like that.”

“Eek!”

In the end, the non-geom turned into a war of words, and soon after, the verbal fight escalated into the two of them physically tussling with each other.

This must’ve happened often. The escort guards sighed deeply, stepping in with bothered faces to separate them.

“Jo Harang! You’re the most advanced among us, so say something! This isn’t how non-geom is done!”

From what I could see, both sides were more focused on flapping their mouths than on the duel itself.

Stuck between the two, both sons of our client, Jo Harang stood awkwardly with a troubled look.

“Hyungnim, are you the Cheongun Sword of the Namgung Clan or something? Dodge and counterattack, my foot!”

“But your martial arts are so trashy, they don’t count anyway.”

“You son of a—!”

Round two began atop the wagon.

And watching these brothers with deep disappointment from behind was their younger sister.

“And these idiots think they’ll become great heroes. Ridiculous.”

The treasured daughter that Trading Lord Jo cherished like gold and jade—Jo Yeongyeong.

Her tone and fussiness carried the typical adolescent cynicism.

“Hey, you. The porter.”

Sensing trouble, I had been subtly avoiding her gaze.

But she deliberately pointed me out, even as I walked along carrying my pack.

“I’m not a porter, you know?”

Jo Harang, being a Peak Master Level martial artist, had the convenience of focusing solely on escort duties, with porters carrying his loads.

But for us, a long journey meant shouldering our own loads.

And the small space allowed for luggage in the cart had already been used up to carry a human-shaped bundle.

“If you’re a wanderer, I have a job for you—go give each of those idiot brothers a smack.”

What a bold young lady. It seemed those brothers, giddy over the upcoming Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, were a real embarrassment to her.

“As you know, hiring a wanderer doesn’t come free.”

Still, smacking the sons of our client?

Then again, I’ve dealt with far worse from unreasonable clients before.

I raised my fingers to form the shape of a coin, signaling what I needed.

“How much?”

“Ten silver coins.”

That’d be enough to risk giving them a light smack.

And I’d already thought up a few ways to manage the aftermath.

“Hah, as if a Third Rate Martial Artist like you is worth that much.”

Jo Yeongyeong scoffed to my face with a dismissive look.

“For your kind, one silver coin is generous enough… huh?”

As she grumbled, her gaze drifted and caught sight of something—then she froze like she’d been struck by lightning.

Curious, I glanced to the side—and saw Ilhong’s face, his spellbinding beauty shining even through the Human-skin Mask.

“Damn… he’s handsome.”

Jo Yeongyeong’s eyes locked onto Ilhong’s face.

She looked like she was under a spell, her eyes glazed over and her mouth gaping open.

The sass and prickliness from earlier had vanished, and her eyes now dripped with honey.

“M-May I ask your name, Young Master?”

Ah, I knew this day would come.

While his martial arts had plateaued slightly after hitting a wall, Ilhong’s beauty had been evolving by the day.

Trying to hold him back and keep him boyish only created a peerless, devastatingly beautiful youth.

“…Ilhong.”

The sinful woman Ilhong, realizing what was happening, gave an awkward smile.

But even that awkwardness seemed to charm Jo Yeongyeong, who smiled dreamily.

“Oh my, even your name is so delicate and lovely.”

What part of that name sounds delicate?

The sons were martial arts maniacs, and the only daughter seemed to fall in love at first sight. Trading Lord Jo must have endless worries.

“But your luggage looks so heavy. Why don’t you load it onto the cart?”

She called the porters to relieve Ilhong of all his burdens.

And yet, I was standing right next to him carrying the exact same load.

The treatment was night and day. And come to think of it, I’m not bad-looking either, right? Women from the Trading Companies even swallowed their spit when they saw me.

But when there’s a gold bar next to a pile of silver coins, the latter doesn’t even get noticed. Standing next to him, I felt my shine dull.

If I ever plan a youth-centered business, I’ll have to keep this guy far away.

“Young Master Ilhong, how about joining me in my wagon? We can chat over tea and sweets…”

As Trading Lord Jo’s daughter blushed and invited him, Ilhong turned to me with eyes that asked, “What do I do?”

Come on, decide for yourself. Why ask me for every little thing?

“Just bring back a lot of sweets.”

“Bosssssss… I’m being serious here.”

So am I, you dolt.

When you walk a lot, sugar is essential. Do you have any idea how miserable it is to eat dry preserved food every day?

“Shall we go then, Young Master?”

Still, I have a good eye.

From the moment I saved him from a beating, I knew: once this guy aged a little and filled out, he’d have women swooning all around him.

And now, that foreboding charm was already radiating from him.

“…Thank you for the offer, but I’d still rather stick with my boss.”

Ilhong clung to me, forsaking the wagon’s comfort.

Tsk tsk, what a waste.

“Tch.”

Jo Yeongyeong clicked her tongue and shot a glare full of jealousy as she watched Ilhong, once again clinging to my back like usual.

Why’s she blaming me in this situation?

“You, wanderer. You like women, right?”

“Of course. Without the harmony of Yin and Yang, the world falls apart.”

Frankly, I wanted to ask the same. You sure you're not into guys?

“Just wait. In the end, I’ll win him over.”

"Ah... yes."

So this is what they mean by an itchy tongue.

Jo Yeongyeong let out a 'Hmph!' and turned her back at my indifferent reaction.

Meanwhile, at the front, the two sons who had been stuck together were now seated apart, panting.

"You loser. You’re a disgrace to the Jo Family."

"Don’t spew crap, Hyungnim. Anyone can see I won."

"Speak for yourself, you brat."

Looked like their brawl, which was worse than a Third Rate Martial Artist’s scrap, had come to an end.

Jo Harang, standing nearby, wore an expression like he’d taken on the wrong job.

"Maybe it's not just the martial artists in this town who are strange."

Apologies, Trading Lord Jo, but your parenting situation looks a little bleak.

I stared for a while at Trading Lord Jo, who was enjoying poetry and wine with his wife inside the wagon, with a gaze full of pity.

Crunch crunch.

Chewing on sweet jjeonburis, I walked down the road sparsely dotted with grass.

These jjeonburis were a tasty treat Jo Yeongyeong had secretly packed for Ilhong alone.

But since we were sworn siblings, we shared everything equally.

"Don’t know what it is, but it tastes good."

Isn’t this what they call trickle-down economics? Just by being near a handsome guy, I ended up with snacks.

"If only I could ride the cart now, life would be perfect."

When we first set out, I thought training footwork on the road wasn’t too bad since the journey was long.

But that didn’t last. After walking for ten days straight, I no longer cared about martial arts—I just wanted to collapse somewhere.

"Shall I scooch over for you?"

Jo Harang, who was seated on the cart drawn by horses, polishing her saber, noticed my stare and offered.

"No thanks. If I take your seat, what would people say?"

She had given up the spot to conserve energy for her essential escort duties. If a mere grunt like me pushed her off and sat down...

What would people think?

I’m not retiring after this one job. If I plan to keep doing this, reputation management is key.

"Tsk. Guess I’ll train."

I pulled out the Dog-Beating Staff that Hwang Geolgae had given me and spun it in my hand like a windmill.

Jo Harang observed my sudden staff training with interest.

"You said you could infuse qi into something outside your body, right?"

Hwang Geolgae once said that if you could project qi externally, it becomes sword qi, blade qi, or even staff qi.

But no matter how much of my 15 years of abundant internal energy I forced in, the Dog-Beating Staff didn’t respond.

I wanted to shoot out fierce qi like Hwang Geolgae had last time.

Back during the escort ceremony, I had felt it. The moment someone unleashed sword qi, people—regardless if the person was a Third Rate Martial Artist or a beggar—would go wild.

Instantly, they’d be regarded as a master and rise in status.

No one would dare speak down to them. That’s what it means to be a master in Murim.

"But it’s not working well."

Second technique, Strike-the-Head Dog-Scold. A blow that smacks a vicious dog on the head and scolds it fiercely.

The staff tip sliced through the air with fierce momentum, but instead of qi, all it contained was the brutish power that Heaven-Slaying Star’s body naturally exuded.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

I continued training in the Dog-Beating Staff Technique.

My left foot pressed into the ground with every step forward, while the staff sliced through the air.

Sweat began to form on my forehead as I kept swinging the Dog-Beating Staff.

But it just felt like I was putting in effort for nothing, without the improvement I once had.

I didn’t expect solo training to be this inefficient.

It was frustrating, but it seemed that Hwang Geolgae’s training method, filled with killing intent, was a perfect match for Heaven-Slaying Star.

The more realistic the training, the more saturated with killing intent, the more this body absorbed martial arts like a sponge soaks up water.

Something itched deep in my mind but refused to take form. It felt like trying to grasp flowing water.

"Don’t tell me... you’re trying to emit qi externally?"

Jo Harang, who had been quietly watching me train, asked with slightly widened eyes.

She probably found it odd that a Third Rate Martial Artist was trying to produce something like sword qi.

"This? I’m just training in staff techniques..."

"Stop the cart! Who gave you permission to pass this road—!"

A booming voice suddenly ordered the carts to halt.

The Jo Family, who had been enjoying a leisurely trip, were startled and rose to their feet, while the escort warriors hurriedly surrounded the wagons and formed a defensive formation.

A gang in black, armed with thick sabers, axes, and blunt weapons, had surrounded our group from front and back.

"We are brothers of the Green Forest Bandits stationed here at Mount Danghwi! Anyone passing through this mountain should pay respects to me first!"

Wow, real bandits.

These were the toll collectors of the Murim world, commonly featured in wuxia stories.

"But are you guys really bandits…?"

Lately, so many things had been happening.

Going to find a missing person only to end up caught in a trap set for a member of the Eastern Depot.

Heading out to gather herbs only to realize it was for collecting lethal poison.

And last time, a routine escort trip had turned into a showdown with the Soul-Stealing Demon Lord, a vicious former Demonic Practitioner.

"Luck Nine, One Hero, why are you stepping up?"

Trading Lord Jo spoke to me as I stepped forward with the Dog-Beating Staff resting on my shoulder.

People say I’m lucky.

But no one’s luck is as rotten as mine. Just look at the stars etched in my mind.

"Ha! I am Pak Gwi of the Eighteen Mountain Strongholds of the Green Forest! A true bandit among bandits!"

Guess they’re legit. Thanks for the authenticity check.

"Everyone, just watch for now."

People were wondering why a Third Rate Martial Artist was stepping up, but Jo Harang, who had been watching my staff technique earlier, had a different vibe.

I’d been itching to move. And I’d hit a plateau in training, lacking real combat. I hadn’t accumulated Righteous Energy in a while either.

Plus, the Dog-Beating Staff Technique was made to beat beasts that looked human.

"Howl, Hell Dog-Beating Staff."

I roused the Starfall Heart Cultivation Method to its peak and hurled myself into the midst of the bandits.