Murim Troubleshooter Dan Mujin

Chapter 30: I’ll Just Be Going Now

It felt like a scene out of a spy movie.

‘Chzzik’—the Human-skin Mask peeled off.

The grimacing face of a middle-aged man was revealed. It was the eunuch I had encountered at the mulberry field.

“You’re still the kind of brat who wears his guts on the outside, huh.”

A fierce gaze filled with intense wrath. Just like before, he exuded a savage aura that crushed me with pressure.

My body stiffened as if I’d come face-to-face with a predator, and it felt like a heavy boulder had landed on my shoulders.

Maybe it was the threat to my life. Before I knew it, a crimson aura began to spill out of me, noisily demanding I kill him on the spot.

“Ahem, my tongue slipped.”

There must’ve been a hiccup while retrieving the memory. It seemed I had saved him under “Eunuch Geezer” back then.

The impact of the word was just too strong.

I think the eunuchs who made a fuss back at the silkworm chamber called him by a different name.

“What was it again, Cheonsu… Cheonsugyeong?”

“It’s Cheonsugong, you fish-brained brat.”

Cheonsugong responded with a deeply displeased expression.

Ah, right. That was his name.

The presence of the veiled woman had been so overwhelming that my memory of him had faded in comparison.

It was inevitable.

“This tiny runt, I ought to…”

His eyes flared wide, and he repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists.

Just before Hwang Geolgae smashed my crown, he’d had that exact same expression.

Remembering that, I quickly changed the subject with a polite tone.

“Anyway, Cheonsugong, what were you doing in a place like this?”

Cheonsugong glanced back and forth between me and Ilhong, then responded with a frosty tone.

“More importantly, what are you doing here? I called for a wanderer, so why did you show up?”

Even after I showed him the token from the Wanderers’ Guild earlier, he still asked that.

“Why else? Because we are that wanderer.”

“Tch, are you telling me the Beijing Wanderers’ Guild issued tokens to kids like you? Unbelievable.”

He clicked his tongue, muttering, “What’s this world coming to…”

If you’ve got the skills to be a troubleshooter, what’s age got to do with it?

“What’s so hard to believe? We’re more than capable. Weren’t you the ones who benefited from my help back at the silkworm chamber?”

Why else would Princess Peach Blossom, secluded in the imperial palace, risk herself to visit the silkworm chamber?

When the trading company she partnered with fell into crisis, she clearly tried to push through the failed sericulture venture using her royal authority.

Even in the face of fierce resistance from the eunuchs.

But thanks to me, she didn’t have to force it.

“Hmph! Solve one measly sericulture problem and now you’re all high and mighty.”

Still, Cheonsugong snorted without acknowledging it.

Seriously, the guy was holding a grudge just because I called him a eunuch.

Well, now that I thought about it, I probably called him that multiple times.

Whatever. I came here as a wanderer, so let’s focus on the job.

“By the way, Cheonsugong, you’re a eunuch but you have a son?”

The request was about finding his missing son, right?

A eunuch’s child… did he make one before getting castrated?

Both Ilhong and I naturally glanced down at his lower body.

“Eyes up, or you die.”

“Ahem.”

His voice carried killing intent, so I immediately lifted my gaze.

With eyes blazing fiercely, Cheonsugong began talking about the request.

“The son part was made up for the request. What I’m really looking for is the Sericulture Officer who went missing in this area.”

“…!”

That Sericulture Officer, sent by the imperial household and rumored to have vanished?

The very same person Eun Hwaran had bitterly mentioned time and again.

To hear about it again here…

“But we’ve already passed the Gold Assessment. What’s the point in searching now?”

What’s done is done. Why would someone from the imperial family get involved at this stage?

“I plan to find the Sericulture Officer’s corpse and, if there’s any evidence, tie it to the culprit. I might be able to use it as political leverage.”

He spoke while applying glue and reattaching the Human-skin Mask bit by bit.

Cheonsugong explained that the Second Prince was clearly behind this, and he’d come to find something that could pressure him in the political struggle.

“Looking for a corpse, huh. You speak as if you’re sure he’s already dead.”

Most people searching for missing persons usually hope they’re still alive. Even in this case, it’d be more helpful if he were alive.

“Of course he’s dead. Nine out of ten people who get caught up in imperial politics end up as corpses.”

Ruthless, seriously.

Feels like the fatality rate over there is even higher than in Murim.

“I’ll just be going now.”

Years of experience as a troubleshooter whispered to me: forget the job, just run.

I was about to say “Good luck with that” and make my escape, but suddenly, with a gust of wind, Cheonsugong appeared in front of me.

“You’ve already seen my real face. Think you can just leave? Not a chance, brat.”

If I hadn’t seen it, maybe. But now that I’d seen his true identity after he took off the Human-skin Mask, he said I’d have to stick around until the end.

His eyes flashed with a blue glow—clearly drawing up his Internal Energy.

“Ah, fuck.”

This is why I hate getting involved with masters. Every one of them does whatever they damn well please.

I really need to rack up some Good Karma and become a master myself, just to deal with this crap.

“Do you even need us, though? Seems like you already know the location where he went missing.”

I remembered seeing him slice through those eunuchs with Sword Qi last time.

Why would someone of his level need low-tier wanderers with iffy martial power?

“Here, catch.”

Cheonsugong casually threw a long object that had been propped against a nearby tree.

It was a tool made by fitting a broad metal plate onto a solid wooden handle.

“What is this? Some kind of farming tool? A duster or scraper?”

Ilhong, unfamiliar with the object, played with it curiously.

I, on the other hand, understood its purpose instinctively, thanks to two years of hard-earned experience.

A tool made for scooping and endlessly digging things out.

“We’ll be searching all over. You think I would be digging at my age? And if we find the body, someone’s got to carry it. That’s why I need wanderers.”

In short, he needed laborers—ones he could use freely and wouldn’t cause problems even if something went wrong.

“…Don’t you have subordinate eunuchs? Use them.”

“They’re busy with something else. Besides, I prefer working alone. Less attention that way.”

Same with Hwang Geolgae—why do all the top-tier masters insist on solo acts?

“Grab the shovel. Let’s go.”

And that’s how I ended up shoveling dirt in Murim.

“Ugh, I’m screwed.”

Searching for corpses tied to the imperial household—if I knew it would come to this, I’d have just closed my eyes and taken that infidelity case.

I would definitely have to give the Chairman a piece of my mind once I got back.

I yanked the shovel planted in the ground.

On the way to Baekyangchon, feeling the familiar texture of the shovel handle.

“By the way.”

Cheonsugong, who had been walking ahead with heavy steps, suddenly spoke.

“How did you figure out that this face was a Human-skin Mask?”

He was someone who served Princess Peach Blossom closely and held many secrets.

It clearly bothered him that his disguise had been seen through.

“...Now you’re asking?”

“Some insolent brat struck a nerve, so I had no time to ask.”

“Aha.”

I immediately shut my mouth.

From now on, I had better be sure to always call him ‘Cheonsugong Ajusshi.’

“Anyway, how did you discover the transformation of this body? Speak.”

Well, I couldn’t exactly say it was thanks to the Heaven-Slaying Star.

As I scratched the side of my head awkwardly, Ilhong suddenly stepped in for me.

“I noticed something off about the face and gave a signal to the Boss.”

“Hm? You, huh...? How so?”

When he heard it wasn’t me, someone with prior acquaintance, but this unfamiliar boy who noticed, Cheonsugong asked again with a surprised look.

“Even if a Human-skin Mask made of pigskin is intricately crafted, due to the limitations of the material, there are subtle inconsistencies in the wrinkles. That’s how I noticed.”

At those words, Cheonsugong gently touched the wrinkles on his face.

“Hmph, next time I’ll have to use human skin.”

What a terrifying thing to say so casually.

Despite my shocked reaction, he kept staring intensely at Ilhong’s face.

“Pigskin and inconsistencies, huh. But even with that knowledge, actually seeing and detecting it is another matter, no?”

“I may not be much, but I’ve been good with my hands since I was young... I’ve even crafted masks myself a few times.”

Ilhong indicated he had practical experience as well as theoretical knowledge.

A gleam of interest lit up in Cheonsugong’s eyes.

“And even if it’s pigskin, if you learn Disguise Techniques and seal the gaps, there’s no real need to use Human-skin Masks, Cheonsugong.”

“...Ho, you’re an intriguing one.”

Seemed like he was satisfied with the answer.

Cheonsugong smiled faintly.

“For someone so young to have such knowledge and skill... impressive.”

“You flatter me.”

“A brat like you doesn’t deserve to be next to that rude punk.”

“Hey now, Cheonsugong, what’s that supposed to mean?”

I protested as if deeply wronged, but he dismissed it immediately.

“Assassin Guild, Hao Sect, or maybe the Evil Alliance? Whatever, the affairs of Murim don’t matter... Boy, I won’t ask your identity, so why not work for our organization?”

And right before my eyes, this eunuch geezer openly attempted to poach my subordinate.

How dare he try to snatch my client and precious subordinate—what a disgraceful man.

“He’s already marked as mine, you know. Don’t get any funny ideas!”

I yanked Ilhong to my side and declared it loudly.

Ilhong let out a weird “Ungit” sound as he was pulled to me without resistance.

Maybe the offer tempted him a bit—his eyes looked slightly dazed.

Don’t tell me he was actually considering stepping into the demonic battleground of imperial politics?

“Hey, don’t get swayed. If you go there, you’ll become a eunuch too.”

Then, while being held against me, Ilhong murmured with a whisper-like voice, his nape turning red.

“B-Boss, I don’t have one to begin with...”

Ah, right. That’s true.

Seeing his male-disguised face every day, I sometimes forgot.

“Huh.”

Then Cheonsugong, who had been looking directly at Ilhong’s face from the front, suddenly made an understanding expression.

“I see, so that’s your taste... In that case, there’s no point in making an offer.”

Cheonsugong withdrew his offer, nodding to himself with a strange expression.

Wait, what the hell did you just conclude?

“Um... I appreciate the offer, but I’d rather stay with the Boss.”

See? Unlike someone else, he actually had loyalty.

Worth getting stabbed in the gut for to save him.

“See that? Testing loyalty like that, huh? Don’t covet someone else’s subordinate.”

You don’t just attempt a hostile takeover on someone else’s low-investment stock. How dare you try to overbid.

“Hmph, I wasn’t coveting. I just figured it’d be better to have him at Princess Peach Blossom’s side than rotting next to a punk like you.”

“Hey now, ‘rotting’? Mind your words.”

Rotting, he said—I was planning to make him the Hao Sect Leader someday.

And I’d enjoy the infrastructure and intelligence as the top-level guanxi of such a Sect Leader.

“You insolent brat. If Princess Peach Blossom didn’t happen to like you, I’d have disciplined you already.”

“Oh, so Princess Peach Blossom thinks well of me? Thanks for the intel.”

So long as the noble lady was shielding me, I guess I wouldn’t be beaten up by this geezer.

Good to know.

“Don’t get cocky.”

“I’m not cocky. I’m just happy.”

“That’s what getting cocky means.”

“How so?”

After fending off a headhunting attempt and bickering with the eunuch geezer who didn’t like me, we walked for about one sichen.

In the distance, a small and quiet village began to come into view.

A waist-high wooden fence surrounded it—perhaps to pen livestock—and there were small fields and a stream, a pastoral rural scene.

That must be Baekyangchon, the place we were looking for. The location where the Sericulture Officer’s trail went cold.

‘Hm?’

But the moment I stepped into the village entrance, I felt a strange aura.

Hard to describe, but something unsettling and unpleasant.

“W-Who are you?”

Villagers, having gathered and begun whispering about the unfamiliar visitors.

Perhaps word had spread—an old man who seemed to be the village chief came hurrying toward us.

“It’s not the usual time for traveling merchants to visit... What brings you to Baekyangchon?”

The village chief scanned our appearances.

No bundles, no packs—he looked back and forth between us with a puzzled expression.

“We’re looking for a son.”

Cheonsugong began acting the part of a grieving old man, furrowing his face with sorrow.

“We’ve been searching, and heard rumors his trail disappeared somewhere near this village...”

With that, he added how worried he’d been for months without word, even tearing up slightly. Ilhong and I struggled to keep a straight face.

“So then, Village Chief, would it be alright if we asked the villagers if there were any witnesses and searched the area around the village…?”

“Oh dear, of course. They say all under heaven are one family—if that’s the situation, there’s no helping it.”

After the lengthy story ended, the Village Chief added that he had a child around that age himself, speaking with a sorrowful expression.

“And since the disappearance happened near our village, we too feel quite unsettled about what happened. So of course we should cooperate.”

Maybe learning our true intent had eased his tension.

Wearing a warm smile, the Village Chief strode over toward us, saying he’d naturally help.

At that moment, a crimson aura surged across my skin and trembled violently.

In this peaceful village, the Heaven-Slaying Star suddenly reacted to someone’s murderous intent.

“…!”

No matter how much training one had to suppress killing intent, before the Heaven-Slaying Star, all would be revealed.

It seemed we weren’t the only ones putting on an act.

Assassin of the Deathshroud, the Ghostplay Blade.

He let out a cry of delight as his target finally fell into the trap he had laid, just in case.

‘At last, you’ve taken the bait!’

He had erased all traces of killing intent through endless training, a First Rate assassin who had taken down even Peak Master Level experts multiple times!

And the target he sought this time was a eunuch known as Cheonsugong, one of the Third Princess’s closest agents.

He had recently received intelligence through certain channels that the man had not returned to the imperial palace and had been wandering about.

That meant the target’s intentions were likely limited, so he had scattered bait accordingly.

‘To think he’d fall for it this easily.’

Ghostplay Blade, disguised as an old man, grinned inwardly.

The target, walking straight into the trap on his own.

Perhaps, like many other masters, he believed in his strength alone and figured he could break through any ambush laid before him.

But Ghostplay Blade had already assassinated many such arrogant and complacent masters.

‘Just a bit closer…’

He clenched the cylindrical hidden weapon in his sleeve tightly and approached his target.

It was coated in Blood Poison—fatal even on contact—and loaded with dozens of steel needles, a secret weapon of the Deathshroud.

If detonated at close range, even Peak Master Level experts wouldn’t react in time and would be killed instantly.

Even if they managed to dodge, the moment that followed would be a deadly two-dagger dance, the Slaughter Chaos Dance. No one had ever survived the full combo.

‘Two more steps…’

But to land such a lethal technique properly, he had to close the distance completely—

“Eunuch Ajusshi! That bastard’s trying to kill youoooh—!”

Just as he was about to strike, an absurd, unwelcome interruption scattered ashes over his finished meal.

‘You son of a—!’