novelraw Chapter 160 : A Proposal and a Choice
Chapter 160 : A Proposal and a Choice
Chapter 160: A Proposal and a Choice
"They say wicked spirits dwell beneath that golden palace."
Those were the words whispered bitterly by the mother of Princess Peach Blossom, the Imperial Concubine Hwang, once upon a time.
Back then, as a child, the princess had not understood what her mother truly meant.
How could evil spirits reside in a place guarded on all sides by golden-armored imperial soldiers, constructed with meticulous attention to geomancy and the flow of the five elements?
But as the years passed, she came to realize—
the fearsome spirits her mother spoke of were, in fact, people consumed by the lust for power.
“That’s why she told me to always keep someone trustworthy by my side to protect me from such evil spirits.”
And because such people were so rare in the whirlpool of politics, she had also said that if ever one was found, they must be made her own.
Only then, she’d warned, could one survive—breathe, even—within this imperial palace swarming with ghosts and enemies.
Zzzzt.
Before her eyes now stood a young man slowly peeling away a human-skin mask.
Though grown into a man, traces of the boy she once saw still lingered on his face.
The same boy who had startled Cheon Sugong by crossing the mulberry fields had returned, now a troubleshooter, standing right before her once again.
"Mu Hong… no, you said your name is Dan Mujin now, correct?"
That boy in the silkworm chamber—the one who had boldly told her to summon him whenever she needed, because he had many talents.
She had thought it just the impetuousness of youth at the time.
"Yes, I am the Troubleshooter Dan Mujin.
In the murim, they also call me the Dog-Beating Dragon."
Now a grown man, and apparently with a reputation to match.
Though she’d heard Cheon Sugong mention him more than once, seeing him in person felt entirely different.
"I faintly recall your face beneath the mask.
You’ve grown splendidly."
A man with great talent, handsome looks, and a loyalty that held to every promise once made.
She thought she understood now why Cheon Sugong—despite always grumbling about him—had called upon him in a moment of crisis.
"Dan Mujin."
"Yes, Princess Peach Blossom."
He bowed briefly as she called his name.
"Would you consider working by my side from now on?"
How many years had it been since she last made such an offer herself?
But upon hearing her proposal to work at the Princess’s Palace, Mujin’s expression turned curiously strained.
He glanced toward Cheon Sugong, then responded with a face gone pale.
"A-Are you saying… I should… get it cut off…?"
"…"
It seemed he had drastically misunderstood something.
Since only eunuchs and court ladies were allowed in this part of the palace, his mind had likely jumped to certain conclusions.
"You insolent brat… How dare you look me up and down like that?!"
"My apologies! It was a mistake. A mistake!"
Cheon Sugong trembled with rage, even his beard quivering.
And in that moment, the princess realized why, despite mentioning Mujin so often, Cheon Sugong never seemed quite fond of him.
"Pfft."
Princess Peach Blossom, for the first time in a long while, burst into laughter.
She hastily covered her mouth with her hand, but her shoulders shook uncontrollably.
Letting go of her royal dignity for just a moment, she laughed without restraint.
"Hmph. Since Her Highness laughed, I’ll let it slide this time."
"Much obliged."
"Do it again, and I swear I’ll turn you into a eunuch myself."
"…Gasp."
The more she saw of him, the more intriguing he became.
His words were always a fresh shock, and his actions utterly unpredictable.
He even possessed strange abilities that not even the Eastern Depot could accomplish.
If such a man were to stay by her side, perhaps he could bring a ray of warmth to the dreary and oppressive palace.
With such hopes in her heart, Princess Peach Blossom spoke again.
"Dan Mujin, you need not become a eunuch. There are many ways to work at my side."
He could become a regular palace official, remain nearby in disguise as he did now, or even be brought into the Royal Guards—though that would require negotiation.
The point was, she’d make sure he was well compensated if he chose to work solely for her.
"I’m honored and grateful for such an offer… but I must decline, for personal reasons."
And yet, his reply was a flat rejection.
She had never been refused when offering her hand like this before, so her disappointment was clearly written across her face.
From the side, Cheon Sugong glared at Mujin as if to say, “Has this man lost his mind?”
"Hmm… And why do you decline?"
In response, Mujin scratched his head as if unsure how to explain.
"I… have a condition where I’ll die if I stay in one place too long. So it’s for life extension reasons."
In other words, he had to keep wandering, helping people as a troubleshooter.
"…?"
Princess Peach Blossom tilted her head.
Was such a condition even real? She doubted it, but being sharp-witted, she soon realized—
This must be his unique way of saying ‘no’.
"In times like these, when evil spirits run rampant through the palace, someone like you would be truly reassuring by my side."
Even when she added that she’d pay him handsomely, his eyes only flickered briefly before he shook his head with an apologetic smile.
Yes, of course. Honest men like him couldn’t be bought with gold.
Which only made him all the more desirable.
"I cannot stay permanently, but as I said before, if you call, I’ll come running any time."
He might not be her subordinate, but he’d come if summoned—like a customer calling for service.
Dan Mujin had declined a royal offer and still wanted to be summoned as a troubleshooter.
"Heh… So bold. And yet, why do I not find it unpleasant?"
Smiling softly, Princess Peach Blossom echoed the words he’d once said to her in the silkworm chamber.
What had once seemed like youthful bravado could no longer be brushed off so lightly.
"If I summon you, can you promise to drop everything and come to me first?"
Rumors that the Crown Prince’s life was hanging by a thread had swept through the palace.
When he passed, a fierce storm would surely erupt within the court.
When that time came, even the food and clothing one wore might need caution—his ability to read killing intent and act boldly would be invaluable.
"I’ll do my best."
He would not make guarantees—not even to a royal princess.
In a way, it was a testament to his composure.
Most would have crumbled under such a direct plea.
"I believe in your best efforts. That will suffice for now."
Princess Peach Blossom chose not to press him further.
Through this exchange, she realized—this was not a man who moved by force.
“If I show him grace and slowly draw him in, he’ll become mine eventually.”
Some relationships required time to bloom.
Though she couldn’t have him now, she wouldn’t rush it.
"Take this."
From her robes, Princess Peach Blossom produced a slender jade hairpin and offered it to Dan Mujin.
She had never worn it before, but it was a gift from her mother, meant to be used one day when she was wed.
"Princess… That hairpin…"
Cheon Sugong raised his brows in mild surprise. Dan Mujin accepted the hairpin with a somewhat dazed expression.
"You saved my life. I give it to you in return.
If, someday, you find yourself in need of the Imperial Family’s power, come to the palace and present this."
In the Central Plains—especially in Beijing—the authority of the Imperial Household was nothing short of absolute.
With that hairpin, even most officials wouldn’t dare treat him carelessly.
"Whoa, what’s with this extravagant gift…?"
As Cheon Sugong looked on wistfully, Dan Mujin quickly tucked the hairpin into his robes.
That was Princess Peach Blossom’s subtle way of hinting at what benefits could come with royal favor.
"Of course, the compensation Cheon Sugong promised will also be provided. I’ll personally see to it that it’s generous."
Dan Mujin’s face subtly lit up at the mention of proper payment.
Rubbing his hands together like a palace servant waiting for their salary, he looked as if he were estimating how much he’d get.
A man hard to read—one moment, indifferent to money, the next, seeming to relish it.
"But it kind of feels like I earned this too easily…"
Then, murmuring to himself as if a thought suddenly crossed his mind—
He seemed to change his mind halfway, turning away from the gold chest the eunuchs had brought and instead, looking her in the eye.
"Uhm…"
"What is it?"
"About the reward… Would it be possible to ask for something other than money?"
He wanted something besides money?
Was he hoping to borrow the prestige or power of the royal family?
"Is there… something you desire?"
Princess Peach Blossom was ready to grant almost any wish, if it were within reason.
The heavier the debt she could place upon him, the more tightly he would be bound to her.
"…Would a request like this be allowed?"
Saying it was something that could only be resolved in the imperial palace, he cautiously began to explain.
And the moment he mentioned a certain someone, her eyes widened in shock.
"…!"
Just like my master, Hwang Geolgae, had said.
This imperial palace was a terrifying place where royals could be poisoned or people turned into eunuchs on a whim.
And with the Crown Prince expected to die soon, the atmosphere would only grow more dangerous.
Having rejected Princess Peach Blossom’s request to serve in the Princess’s Palace, I was now leaving the palace just a few days later.
That place would soon become a silent battlefield. If I stayed any longer, I might end up committing murder before I even realized it.
I already needed to roam the Central Plains helping people and building good karma—there was no room for missteps.
"Alright then, see ya never!"
And so I exited through the same gate I had first entered.
Ignoring the side-eyes of the golden-armored gatekeepers.
But then—I saw a face that absolutely should not have been outside the palace gate.
A man with a heavy bundle strapped to his back—
Hwang Geolgae—gazing right at me and Tang Yeo-hye as we exited.
“Guh.”
That look in his eyes… How to describe it?
It was the look of an orphanage director catching a delinquent kid red-handed.
"…Look at this damn brat."
We both froze mid-stride, halfway out of the gate, caught like adulterers in the act.
"Mujin, see you at the office!"
Sensing danger, Tang Yeo-hye quickly waved and bolted.
Ungrateful traitor of a sister…
"So I finally caught you red-handed, you little rascal."
He usually just lazed around, drinking within the trading company. What breeze had blown him all the way here?
I stared at Hwang Geolgae in disbelief.
"Eun Hwaran told me, you know. Said she was suddenly praised and rewarded by the Princess’s Palace, thanks to her sworn brother.
Said she was completely dumbfounded. That’s when I knew."
"…"
Looks like during those few days I stayed in the palace, the Princess had extended her grace to Eun Hwaran, thinking we were close.
Was this one of those 'shoot the horse to catch the general' things?
"Ahaha… As expected of Master. Your intel-gathering skills are top-tier—just like a former Beggars’ Union operative."
I tried to deflect with an awkward laugh, but Hwang Geolgae approached slowly, eyes burning blue beneath furrowed brows.
"Um, Master?"
"…"
He drew the sword from his waist—without a word, letting a long line of blue sword flux surge from it.
Even when he’d vowed to correct my impudence before, the air hadn’t been this murderous.
"Master, why are you… not saying anything?"
"Because words don’t work on you."
With a face gone stern, Hwang Geolgae moved the tip of his sword toward me.
Same lethal aura as when I deliberately provoked him before.
But I didn’t want to suffer like that again. Especially since I hadn’t made much progress toward reaching the Peak Mastery realm since then.
"Master, stop! Freeze! Hold it right there!"
"If you won’t listen to me, why should I listen to you?"
How could a man who usually slurred drunken nonsense now speak with such piercing logic and clarity?
He was definitely furious.
"Then look at this!"
Without another word, I pulled out the scroll bearing the imperial seal from inside my robes.
"What’s that?"
"It’s something you’ve always held in the back of your mind, Master."
Catching the poisoner hadn’t been all that difficult, truthfully.
I was good at detecting killing intent, the culprit wasn’t that strong, and Tang Yeo-hye had been a huge help.
So when Princess Peach Blossom tried to reward me with mountains of treasure, I declined.
Instead, I figured I’d use the opportunity to make a huge leap in my Starfall Heart Cultivation Method.
That’s how this imperial decree ended up in my hands.
Rustle.
I unfurled the scroll and read its contents aloud.
"Permission granted for Beggars’ Union operatives to enter Beijing. Master, that means even you can enter the Imperial Capital now."
"…!!"
Hwang Geolgae, who had been charging like he’d kill me, came to a sudden halt.