Chapter 141: Salseong-i
“What an amusing fellow.”
Namgung Soseon, the Alliance Leader, smiled aningfully upon hearing the report that Dan Mujin had just left the Murim Alliance.
A young man who was entangled in unusual incidents every ti they t. And once caught up in sothing, he always saw it through to the end.
From his feats at the Dragon-Phoenix Tournant to securing the Left Blood Law, and even taking down a jiangshi—sothing a sword alone couldn’t defeat.
According to the martial duel record, he ca from a minor sect called the Seven Blades Gate, or sothing like that.
“So it’s true what they say—‘a needle in a pouch will still poke through.’”
A sharp needle will always reveal itself, no matter where it’s hidden.
The thought that such talent had erged from sowhere other than the Nine Sects One Gang or the Five Great Clans made Namgung Soseon rather proud.
“You seem to like him, Father.”
Namgung Jin, who had been quietly listening, gave a surprised look with his jade-like features.
His father, Namgung Soseon, might appear gentle on the surface, but he was not one to take interest in others lightly.
“Of course. In this day and age, it’s rare to find such a bold martial artist. He even reminds
a bit of the Thunder Sword in his younger days.”
Not only did he speak his mind without hesitation, but even his obsession with money was sowhat similar.
“Eh…? The great Murong Cheon, the Thunder Sword, was like that?”
Namgung Jin’s eyes widened in surprise. The Murong Cheon he knew was a family-first zealot who pushed his son with ambition to surpass even himself.
“He used to be. A righteous hero with strong convictions, a deep hatred for injustice, and an unusually intense sense of rivalry.”
“But then what happened…?”
“Ti and position change people. Becoming a Clan Head weighed him down with responsibility, I suppose.”
Namgung Soseon offered a bitter smile, as if to say he was no different.
“Anyway, that young man has accomplished what none of the Alliance’s martial forces could. Truly outstanding.”
Seeing it now, one troubleshooter was proving more useful against the Blood Cult than their entire force combined, prompting a hollow chuckle from the Alliance Leader.
“…Just you wait. Next ti, I’ll be the one to find the Blood Cult first and crush them.”
Namgung Jin clenched his fists, revealing a rare display of competitiveness.
Namgung Soseon’s eyes lit up at this.
“Oh-ho, so you’ve grown a sense of rivalry?”
“Not at all. It’s just that if even a re troubleshooter is doing his best, I figured I shouldn’t stay idle.”
He shrugged it off, but Namgung Soseon caught the faint spark of rivalry and pride flickering in his son's face.
‘Well, well.’
Namgung Soseon smiled inwardly. His son had always been considered the unrivaled genius among his peers, perpetually bored.
But for the first ti, he was aware of soone else and feeling, even if slightly, the thrill of competition.
And since he had always seen his son as having no sky above him, this alone pleased Namgung Soseon imnsely.
“Dan Mujin, huh… A young man like him should be part of the Alliance’s martial forces. What are the Captains doing? Not a single word from them.”
He wanted to watch him closely—not from afar, but nearby.
That young man who slled of an old friend and was now stirring his son.
“It’s no use. I’ve heard the Evil-Slaying Demoness has already tried to recruit him multiple tis, but he turned her down.”
Namgung Jin spoke up, saying it was pointless.
Apparently, the martial forces had taken turns trying to recruit him several tis already.
What a sha. Still… this kid seed to know an awful lot about that young man.
Yet the young man himself didn’t seem to know much about Namgung Jin.
“Hmm. So even she tried? Then it can’t be helped.”
She was the most reliable woman in the Alliance these days. Her resolve to slay evil was unmatched, and she was also popular among the heroes.
If even she had failed to persuade him, then there was nothing more to be done.
“By the way, about the Evil-Slaying Demoness…”
“Call her Vice Captain Murong Cheonghye. Why? What about her?”
Namgung Soseon scolded his son for his slip of the tongue and looked at him, curious.
Namgung Jin hesitated, opening and closing his mouth with a conflicted expression.
‘Should I tell him?’
His Evil Star had reacted at the cliff. That ant another Evil Star must have been there.
And the Blood Cult’s astrologer had said that the Heaven-Slaying Star was present, while the Left Blood Law had pointed to Murong Cheonghye, shouting she was the Heaven-Slaying Star.
“…It’s nothing.”
“Hmph, how dull.”
Whether for better or worse, she was currently a great asset to the Alliance.
Besides, they still didn’t understand why she remained sane.
So for now, Namgung Jin decided to keep watching her a bit longer.
‘Murong Cheonghye…’
One day, he would find out the truth behind it all.
Dragging my tired body into Beijing, I found it was already deep into the starry night.
I sent Ilhong and Harang, who were both about to collapse from drowsiness, back to the office, then made my way to the Eunseong Trading Company carrying the chest of money.
Partly because I felt at ease paying back debts quickly, and partly because Hwang Geolgae had told
after the last ss that I’d better report as soon as I completed the job.
“Money breeds greed the longer you hold on to it.”
No way was I becoming like that greedy old man Jang from the cloth shop who stole from his own friend.
I was really planning to live honestly now, without doing anything bad.
‘Stupid bastard…’
Even just to spite this guy who kept scratching at
in red letters.
Ever since it got four fingers and a palm, it had been provoking
nonstop in delight, and I wanted nothing more than to beat it down by stacking up good karma.
‘Give it back… my body…’
Now that it had a palm, its ability to influence the world must’ve grown a bit. It had been talking to
more—and for longer than usual.
“This isn’t your body, you son of a…”
Talking like I was borrowing it or sothing.
Annoyed beyond words, I let a curse slip out of my mouth.
‘You’re not… Cheongjin…’
“I am Cheongjin. About half.”
Sure, I’d been mixed with the forr troubleshooter Dan Wonjun.
But at this point, all of them combined made up the one and only .
‘Give it back… It’s mine…’
The damn Salseong-i fluttered its palm like it was demanding sothing.
In response to that one-sided demand, I extended my middle finger straight at it, silently telling it to shut the hell up.
‘What’s… that…?’
“It ans go screw yourself.”
Simple, impactful, and internationally understood in my ti—an excellent finger gesture.
Apparently impressed, the bastard imdiately flipped
off in return, delivering the sa sentint.
‘凸’
Not easy, this.
A middle finger battle with the terrifying Heaven-Slaying Star who drenches the world in blood?
It really felt like I’d dragged down the level of the Evil Star or sothing. The feeling was… weird.
“That’s enough. Just disappear.”
I circulated the Starfall Heart Cultivation thod that Hwang Geolgae had taught , raising the energy of Demon-Breaking Qi throughout my body.
White energy blood divinely as starlight from above stread down and shone upon .
‘Kiiieeek.’
The thing let out a bizarre scream as it seed to vanish.
Look at this pathetic little punk acting up.
It seed like the first negotiation with the guy had ended in a breakdown.
“You bastard, why are you babbling nonsense alone? Are you starting to see things?”
Suddenly, I felt a qi presence nearby, and an old voice called out to .
Turning my head, I saw Hwang Geolgae glaring at
with a disgruntled expression that basically said, “What the hell are you doing?”
“No way. My mind is always clear and steady.”
He's already in a foul mood from being caught up in all these major incidents lately—if I told him I was seeing weird things too, I might end up sniffing incense for real by the end of the day.
Desperate to survive, I made it clear that I was perfectly sane.
“Clear and steady, my ass. I haven’t seen anyone as cracked as you lately.”
Co on, carrying a crazy star in my head and still functioning should count for sothing. He always expects too much from people.
“That chest?”
“It’s from the latest request. I was planning to deliver it to noona as soon as morning cos.”
“Hrmm, good. Holding onto that kind of thing only breeds wicked greed.”
A man with nothing but a staff and a single set of clothes—this old man, practicing the pinnacle of non-possession, muttered in apparent satisfaction.
“But you punk, where’s that Dog-Beating Staff I gave you last ti?”
Noticing my worn-out appearance from the long trip and my empty hands, Hwang Geolgae asked with a puzzled tone.
“Oh, the Hell-Piercing Demon-Slaying Staff? That thing broke in two.”
“You crazy bastard, how long has it even been since I gave you that?!”
“You think I wanted it to break? There’s nothing I can do if masters keep popping out wherever I go.”
Back then, I was so scared of getting smacked that I couldn’t even raise my voice.
But that wasn’t the case anymore.
I confidently explained that I’d been up against the Blood Cult, and that was how it happened.
“The Blood Cult again? Are you cursed or sothing? Why are you so damn unlucky lately?”
“Exactly. So guy from the Jinju Eon Clan recently said sothing's stuck to , made
feel all paranoid. I should probably have an exorcism or sothing later.”
The Naryeo ritual—it was like an exorcism ceremony to drive out evil spirits around here.
“Tsk tsk, you go around stirring up sinister incidents wherever you go.”
“Why are you making it sound like I’m attracting them?”
“You roam around like a madman and still ca back without getting your revenge and just broke your staff again?”
Hwang Geolgae downed his drink and clicked his tongue like I was hopeless.
“I an, it was just a staff carved from any old tree, right?”
“Hey now, brat! That was a sacred staff carved by the Divine Wind Daoist, I’ll have you know!”
“Besides, I did get my revenge. I beat the hell out of Gwang Hyeolso, the one with the Left Blood Law.”
“Whaaaat…?”
I gave the heavy chest a solid tap and told him that was how I made all this money.
Hwang Geolgae’s eyes went wide like plates.
“No way. You’re only at Peak Level—how in the world…?”
“Well, just kind of happened…”
“Just kind of happened? Speak properly, damn it.”
“I ended up wielding this sword that’s perfect for stabbing people to death, you know? Then suddenly I could see, like, the grain of things… blood and flesh slicing through, shhh shhh…”
THWACK!
Hwang Geolgae’s limbs moved just as fast as my “shhh shhh” sounds and smacked my face and gut brutally.
“…Unbelievable, this lunatic!”
“Ugh, son of a—!”
No matter how many tis I get hit, getting hit by this guy always hurts like hell.
I don’t know what kind of secrets are hidden in his punches and kicks.
“I told you not to use blades! I even taught you the Dog-Beating Staff Technique!”
“Co on! It was an ergency, I’m telling you!”
“Right now this is the ergency, you bastard!”
FWOOOM!
A flash of killing intent cut through the air. I dropped into a deep squat and twisted my waist, narrowly dodging the Dog-Beating Staff by a paper’s width.
Ever since I took up a sword and killed sothing, I could feel the Heaven-Slaying Star’s basic abilities improving.
“Oho, you dodged?”
“It was unavoidable. If I hadn’t, your precious Ilhong would’ve died.”
I had gone up against a serious jiangshi and Gwang Hyeolso.
If I hadn’t drawn my sword, my whole team would’ve been wiped out, and the Jinju Eon Clan might have been massacred to cover it up.
“So, since it’s co to this… just go ahead and teach
proper sword techniques. Better than swinging it around half-assed and going down a strange path, right?”
When I asked him to teach
swordsmanship, Hwang Geolgae looked dumbfounded for a mont—but then he grinned and walked over, drawing a sword from near the training ground.
“Fine, that’s a good idea. Today, this old man shall personally teach you the sword.”
This felt ominous.
I swear, I could sense a hint of murderous intent.
“Never mind, actually! I think I’d rather learn later, Master!”
“Too late, brat!”
SLAASH!
At the sa ti as he spoke, a blade sliced right past my head, snipping my hair.
“Hey! This isn’t just getting smacked anymore!”
“Today, I’ll knock that rotten brain of yours straight!”
Apparently, learning swordsmanship ant risking your life, unlike the usual training.
I sprinted away at full speed to survive.
SLAASH—!
And the next day.
Morning light spilled into the Trading Lord’s Office at the Eunseong Trading Company.
Eun Hwaran stared at
in shock as I dragged in the heavy chest.
“You okay, little brother…?”
“…No.”
My whole body was in tatters. The wounds had regenerated, but my torn and shredded clothes spoke volus about last night’s suffering.
“The ferocious beast…?”
“That old man, obviously.”
“…I see.”
He truly was terrifying.
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