novelraw Chapter 205 : Return of Dan Mujin
Chapter 205 : Return of Dan Mujin
Chapter 205: Return of Dan Mujin
I left the Imperial Palace under the warm send-off of the Imperial Concubine’s entourage.
The Third Princess peeked her head out from behind the Head Maid’s skirt and waved her small hand at me.
I was about to wave back and move on when I heard her faint voice.
“Be, Beijing’s Troubleshooter…….”
At that slightly trembling voice, I turned my head.
Perhaps because she had seen me in action several times, there was no longer distrust in her eyes like before.
If anything, it felt like there was a hint of admiration now.
“Do you have something to say, Suan Gong?”
I asked her politely.
Right now, she was just a timid child, but she might become the Crown Prince—or even the Son of Heaven someday.
So it wouldn’t hurt to make a good impression in advance.
“How can I…… act as boldly as you……?”
“…….”
Act boldly? That made it sound like I handled things recklessly without thinking about the consequences.
‘That’s exactly right…… you idiot.’
Ignoring the red thing’s comment, I looked at the Third Princess and asked,
“What do you mean by acting boldly?”
“You always carry out your will without hesitation, don’t you? Without any fear… I’m curious about the source of that confidence.”
The etiquette of the Imperial Palace, the dignity she had to maintain as a prince, and the heavy burden of being a candidate for Crown Prince.
To someone who had lived such a constrained life, my actions must have felt like a refreshing gust of wind.
“Hmm, even if you ask for a secret…….”
I scratched the side of my head, unsure what to say.
“He just moves before thinking, Your Highness.”
Jo Harang spoke up first with a cheeky grin.
“Jo Harang, you brat…….”
“Am I wrong?”
“You’re… not entirely wrong.”
The ‘me’ who had already died once and the ‘me’ who had been oppressed in the Murong Clan—
The Dan Mujin formed from those two didn’t really care about others’ opinions anymore.
On top of that, there was the Evil Star lodged in my head, constantly trying to resurface if left alone.
So of course, I ended up charging forward without worrying about consequences.
“Well, if you think too much, you’ll hesitate about everything. Act first, then worry later.”
I tossed out that somewhat plausible advice and walked out of the Imperial Concubine’s palace.
Even as I crossed the threshold, the Third Princess still wore a serious expression, as if deeply pondering my casual remark.
Why was she taking it so seriously?
“Well, it’s not like anything will happen.”
I shrugged and stood before the heavily guarded gate that separated the Imperial Palace from Beijing.
The golden-armored gatekeepers I had seen before stood there.
“Well then, keep up the hard work.”
I waved once like before and tried to leave the palace completely.
At that moment, I ran into someone passing near the entrance.
A person whose presence was so overwhelming that even the gatekeepers, who had been glaring at me, gasped.
“Hmm.”
It was none other than Empress Gahwiryeong, mother of the ailing Crown Prince.
A woman with a cold expression, her face thickly powdered to hide wrinkles.
She swept her frost-like gaze over me once, then twitched her brow slightly and walked past.
It was only a brief encounter, but it sent a chill down my spine.
There was a strange madness lurking in her eyes.
‘You…… have been marked…….’
Even the Killing Star seemed to sense the faint killing intent directed at me, as the red palm twitched and spoke.
“Shut it.”
It really enjoyed other people’s misfortune.
Too bad I couldn’t punch it.
“Huh? What did you say? Why me?”
“I wasn’t talking to you. Let’s go, Harang.”
And just like that, Jo Harang and I finally left the troublesome Imperial Palace behind.
I returned to my old, narrow Troubleshooter Office on the outskirts.
It was nothing compared to the grandeur of the Imperial Palace, but it was still a familiar workplace filled with people I knew.
But when I opened the door, Ilhong wasn’t there to greet me.
Instead, there was only a large sheet of paper on the desk.
‘The moment you see this, get your ass to the Trading Company immediately.’
A threatening message from Hwang Geolgae was written in bold brushstrokes, practically radiating suppressed anger.
“Harang, should we run away somewhere far?”
At my casual joke, Jo Harang made a strange expression.
“…I appreciate the thought, but the Central Plains is full of Beggars’ Union members. We’d get caught pretty quickly.”
That was a convincing point, so I nodded and obediently headed to the Eunseong Trading Company.
If I stuck close to Sister Eun Hwaran, they probably wouldn’t beat me too badly.
With that thought, I stepped over the threshold of the trading company, and Ilhong welcomed us as if she had been waiting.
“Boss!”
It was a familiar voice I hadn’t heard in days.
I caught her as she ran toward me and spun her around like a scene from a movie.
Seeing us loaded with items from the Imperial Palace, Ilhong eagerly asked what had happened and what we had gained.
“A lot happened.”
Too much to explain briefly.
But what I gained was equally substantial.
First, Cheon Sugong paid the remaining balance he had promised, on top of the advance.
I now had ten gold ingots in my pack.
And then there was the Imperial Jade Token given by Imperial Concubine Ma Juyoung, to be used if I ever found myself in trouble due to court affairs.
It signified her protection and recognition of the bearer’s identity.
As long as I didn’t accidentally step into the Empress’s faction, beyond her influence, my work as a troubleshooter had essentially gained wings.
In short—I came back with both money and backing.
“But what’s that black staff, Boss?”
Listening to my explanation with wide eyes, Ilhong pointed at the weapon on my back.
“Ah, this? It’s a gift from the Son of Heaven. Apparently, it came from the Heavenly Treasure Vault.”
I handed her the staff.
She carefully examined its smooth surface, engraved patterns, and material.
“They say it’s made from wood as hard as steel that’s grown for nearly a thousand years…….”
As I spoke, Ilhong clapped her hands.
“Then it must be Iron Sandalwood! It’s very light and easy to handle, but as hard as iron. It’s extremely rare even in the Central Plains.”
As expected, Ilhong knew everything.
So in terms of metal, it was comparable to Mysterious Iron—an incredibly rare material.
It seemed I had obtained quite a valuable treasure artifact.
“Then this is like a treasured sword… or since it’s a staff, a treasured staff?”
The naming still sounded a bit odd.
Sword Qi and Blade Qi sounded cool, but Staff Qi somehow felt like it could topple a nation.
“What does it matter? It’s cool.”
I grinned and twisted the end of the staff.
“Watch closely. This black staff has another function.”
Srrrng.
As I pulled the handle, a sharp blade revealed itself.
The atmosphere of the black staff changed instantly.
Ilhong looked up at me in shock.
“Boss, what is this? Why is there a famous sword inside the staff?”
“I don’t know. It was just inside. Have you ever heard of something like this?”
Even Ilhong, who knew all about treasures and secret items thanks to her background in the Hao Sect, shook her head.
Srrk, click.
I sighed slightly and sheathed the blade again.
“But why did the Son of Heaven give me a staff instead of a blade?”
“…Because you’re the disciple of the Beggar King, you idiot!”
Smack!
A sudden blow struck the center of my head.
I sprang up like a frog, unable even to scream.
“Guhhh! You old ma—!”
“What are you babbling? Speak properly.”
It was Hwang Geolgae, stroking his gray beard like a Daoist.
A love-hate existence, just like the Killing Star.
“Of all the weapons in the Heavenly Treasure Vault, you chose a staff… sigh. Seems your identity has already been exposed.”
Muttering that the Son of Heaven must have recognized me as the disciple of the Dragon Head Sect Leader.
“Tch, I didn’t do anything to get exposed.”
I rubbed my head irritably.
“Even if you didn’t, anyone carrying such an unusual Evil Star can be seen through. That’s why I told you not to face him directly.”
So he had known from the moment we locked eyes.
That was… a bit scary.
“And what about the iron sword I gave you?”
“It cracked, so I threw it away. Got caught in an explosion.”
“Well… it was just an ordinary iron sword anyway… heh.”
Still, thanks to that sword, I learned something important.
The Heaven-Slaying Star didn’t just let me sense killing intent—it also allowed me to sever the ‘grain’ of objects.
That’s how I survived the Jiangshi.
“But say, I heard a loud explosion from the Imperial Palace while having tea with Eun Hwaran. That wasn’t related to you, right?”
His eyes were already full of suspicion.
I puffed out my chest.
“No, not at all!”
If you lie, you lie boldly.
He turned to Jo Harang.
“…Nothing happened.”
She averted her eyes and stammered.
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
She really had no talent for lying.
Smack!
Another hit landed, but this time I had circulated my internal energy in advance.
“Now, tell me everything.”
Even after staying an extra day in the palace, the outside world still seemed unaware.
The Imperial Palace had done a good job keeping things quiet.
“In short, I won a Martial Arts Tournament in front of the Son of Heaven… and a Thunderburst Bomb exploded in front of Noble Consort Yang.”
Hwang Geolgae covered his face.
“You jumped right into the middle of an Imperial Palace Conspiracy, you brat.”
“…It just happened.”
“Then why is my fist raised?”
“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t hit me?”
“I lied.”
“Damn it.”
Before I could finish, his fist came flying.
I immediately activated Whirlwind Steps and dodged.
The trading company quickly turned into a chase scene.
After the chaos, I entered the Reception Room.
Eun Hwaran greeted me with concern.
“Mujin, are you alright? What happened to your face—”
Then she noticed the bump on my head.
“…Ah.”
Her lips twitched slightly behind her fan.
“Hoho, you must have caused trouble again, my little brother.”
“Why do you assume that?”
I shook my head and stepped inside.
The room was as neat as ever, calming my mind.
At the same time, a strange tea fragrance filled the air.
“Oh, Mujin. You have a guest.”
“A guest?”
Eun Hwaran called someone in.
The door slid open, and a woman with long flowing hair entered.
“…Huh? Joo Wolah?”