Chapter 21: Low-Point Investment
A warehouse steeped in cold air and silence.
When one’s vision is blocked, all nerves naturally focus on hearing.
A world blackened by a blindfold. Kidnapped with hands and feet tightly bound. Gruff voices of rough adults.
In the eyes of Ilhong, the only one whose blindfold had been removed, the children were visibly trembling.
As soon as one began to whimper, it quickly spread, and the children burst into tears.
"Hey, shut your damn mouth, will ya?"
A bald-headed Black Path thug snarled viciously, clearly demanding they stop at once.
At his menacing voice, the whimpering halted immediately. But their trembling did not cease.
"Hyungnim, we’ve gathered all their belongings and sent them to Big Brother."
A younger Black Path thug reported that he had emptied all the kids’ pockets and handed the loot over to the bald one.
"Anything decent?"
"Nothing but junk. Except for that one fancy-looking brat, the rest were just carrying trash."
"Fancy-looking? I told you only to grab ones that won’t cause trouble."
"That’s why we only took kids from the Beggars’ Den. But why do you think Big Brother wanted us to round up these brats anyway?"
"How should I know? Maybe those beggar rats stole something important."
One of the Beggars’ Union’s income streams was pickpocketing. Occasionally, they did manage to snatch something valuable.
Hearing this, Ilhong hastily searched his clothes.
And soon realized his inner pocket was empty.
‘…Gone!’
It must have been taken while he was unconscious and being kidnapped.
The only item that could help him reclaim the Hao Sect, his father’s memento—the Hao Sect Leader’s Seal—had been stolen so absurdly.
Ilhong trembled with helplessness and frustration.
What good was it that he had once been called the Successor of the Hao Sect, if in the end he was still just a powerless brat who got bested by some third-rate hoodlums?
"By the way, did you fail to grab Dan Mujin? Didn’t you say he didn’t look like a beggar either, with that pale skin of his?"
"Oh, that kid? Some other pervert got to him first."
The younger Black Path thug explained about an old man with an effeminate air who moved like a ghost.
"Heh, to think there’s another freak in Beijing like Big Brother, who’s called the Heaven-Violating Yin Fiend."
What a calamity for men. The bald man clicked his tongue, as if lamenting the downfall of the world.
"I’ve always been curious—how did Big Brother end up with that nickname anyway?"
In Murim, nicknames usually came from one’s martial arts or notable deeds.
"He lusts after all under heaven, indiscriminately of gender. That’s how it came about."
"…"
Clearly not your average lunatic.
The younger thug’s face turned pale, as if realizing too late what kind of man he had sworn loyalty to.
"Anyway, load the kids onto the cart and take them to Big Brother."
"My stomach’s acting up all of a sudden… Couldn’t you go instead, Hyungnim?"
"You brat, trying to worm your way out of this? I’m scared of that guy too, dumbass."
The bald man nudged the children lying on the floor with his foot, urging the other thug to load them up quickly without whining.
One by one, the kids were loaded onto the cart, ready to be taken somewhere.
As he watched this scene, the bald man suddenly locked eyes with Ilhong, whose eyes were wide open.
"…?"
A tense silence fell between them.
Startled, Ilhong sucked in a breath and hastily tried to put his blindfold back on.
"You brat, it’s too late for that."
It was a useless gesture.
With a face full of despair, Ilhong tightly shut his eyes.
"…Well, would you look at that? You even got your hands and feet untied? What the hell are you?"
They had tied him up good and tight—how had he undone it all?
Judging from the way his eyes had darted about earlier, he must’ve been planning to make a run for it.
The bald man stomped forward, planning to beat him halfway to death as a warning.
But at that moment—
"Dan Mujin breaching─!"
Crash!
The warehouse doors burst open with a deafening crash.
Smoke billowed at the entrance. Through it, a single brat strode in confidently.
"…Who the hell is this now?!"
The younger thug and the bald man, covered in dust from the sudden chaos, shouted in bewilderment.
And Ilhong, with a stunned face, answered the question in their stead.
"Th-the Boss?!"
It was the grand return of their captured Boss—Dan Mujin—bathed in glory.
What followed next made Ilhong doubt his eyes.
"Is this crazy bastard really storming the Guanghae Faction’s turf all alone?"
"…He must be out of his goddamn mind."
Even the Black Path thugs were shocked by the kid’s insane audacity.
Dan Mujin, upon witnessing the scene of kidnapped children tied up like animals, spoke curtly with a grim face.
"The ones out of their minds… are you lot."
The boy’s feet slid forward like a ghost’s.
His right arm and left leg blurred, and two sharp bursts of impact rang out in succession.
Wham! Wham!
"Gah!"
He twisted the bald man’s jaw savagely and then drove his foot like a dagger into the younger thug’s abdomen.
The grown men let out sharp cries as they rolled across the cold warehouse floor. The ambush had been so sudden that they couldn’t even counterattack.
The other thugs who rushed in, shocked by the scene, were also smacked down before they could lift a finger.
The whole spectacle unfolded before Ilhong had time to even process it, and he let out a brief gasp.
"Wow."
It was reminiscent of the uncanny movements sometimes shown by the martial artists of the Shadow Pavilion.
Especially the ghost-like sliding steps from earlier—he had definitely seen them before.
"Ah! That pervy old man’s…!"
Ilhong shouted as the realization hit him.
Had Dan Mujin formally become that old man’s disciple and learned martial arts from him?
From what Ilhong saw, that old man was at least a top-tier master. Such an expert wouldn’t teach just anyone—how had he managed to win him over?
And now that he looked closely, Dan Mujin had grown sturdier and looked full of vitality. His clothes weren’t shabby either—someone must’ve dressed him in high-quality garments.
"…Boss, don’t tell me you actually got on that old man’s good side?"
Now that he was washed and well-groomed, he could’ve passed for a young master from the Namgung Clan or the Murong Clan.
"You too with that nonsense?"
Dan Mujin scoffed in disbelief.
Gotten on his good side? The old man threatened to kill him every other day.
On top of that, he was subjected to daily beatings under the pretense of training.
Still rubbing his sore crown, Dan Mujin extended a hand to Ilhong.
"Th-thank you."
Covered in dust, Ilhong grabbed the offered hand and sprang up.
"Look at those bruises. They really beat the hell outta you."
From fighting Um Baek’s gang and resisting the kidnapping, Ilhong’s body bore clear marks of struggle.
Dan Mujin brushed off the dirt from his clothes, then smiled, saying kids their age were supposed to grow up with a few nosebleeds anyway.
"Boss, but how did you end up all the way at Guanghae Faction’s warehouse?"
This wasn’t some random beggar’s den. It was the territory of an Black Path syndicate—most wouldn’t dare step foot here without guts of steel.
"How else? I came to get you. Didn’t you come running for me back then too?"
Dan Mujin shrugged, as if asking why such an obvious thing even needed to be asked.
Despite seemingly carving out a comfortable life on the outside, he had stepped right back into these filthy backstreets just to save him.
Most, once they escaped the life of a beggar, tried not to get involved again. They turned away, afraid someone might come begging for help.
Even back when they split the begging money fairly, Ilhong had sensed it—Dan Mujin was someone who treated the abnormal as if it were only natural.
"Man, how much good karma must I have saved up for this?"
Dan Mujin, grinning like he’d stumbled upon free money, began untying the ropes binding the kidnapped children one by one.
These were street beggars who could hardly be expected to repay him. Yet here he was, smiling as he helped them.
The more he saw him, the more mysterious the guy seemed.
"Alright, now head back to your dens. Don’t get mixed up with these Unorthodox bastards ever again."
A boy with unbelievable resilience and monstrous strength—and now he had even learned formidable martial arts.
And even more, he had an upright character rarely seen in these back alleys.
"I-I really thought we were being sold off…"
"Mister, whoever you are! Thank you so much!"
"My name’s Dan Mujin, profession’s Troubleshooter. Spread the word around, yeah?"
Watching this, Ilhong fell into thought.
He had sworn never to trust anyone again after being betrayed by someone he considered family.
But even Ilhong found himself wondering, ‘Maybe… just once more?’
"Got it, wandering warrior hyungnim!"
"Not a wanderer. A Troubleshooter."
Dan Mujin made sure to promote himself for the future, when he’d eventually break off and start his own firm.
People said those who reached out a hand in hard times were the ones truly worth trusting.
Maybe… maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to reveal his identity and ask for help?
"…"
Ilhong’s eyes, as he looked at Dan Mujin, trembled with unceasing conflict.
One by one, the kids emerged from the warehouse with relieved faces.
A boy, who seemed peculiarly refined, clasped his hands in a greeting of gratitude.
"That emblem… it’s from the Eunseong Trading Company…! Thank you, Master. I will repay this favor someday!"
The hemp garment Eun Hwaran noona had given him—it bore the symbol of the Eunseong Trading Company. The boy must’ve guessed his affiliation from that.
"Uh, well. Sure, go ahead."
So this was what it was like to be called a Master (少俠), huh?
I freed all the kidnapped kids I’d rounded up from across Beijing, hoping for an enormous gain in good karma and a corresponding boost in internal energy.
Whether someone had specifically targeted them or not, the kidnapped kids had pale skin, similar builds, and all seemed to carry some untold backstory.
But really, what orphan didn’t?
Even so, no matter what story they carried, none of them compared to this one brat.
"So, you’re the only child of the purged Hao Sect Leader?"
An abrupt confession.
I scratched the side of my head and asked with a stunned face. To think the kid I’d been sharing meals with was actually someone important from a secretive sect?
It was as shocking as discovering the drunk old beggar who constantly flicked my forehead was actually the Sect Leader of the Beggars’ Union.
It seemed the Black Path thugs had raided the beggars’ den specifically to find him.
"…Yes. That’s right."
Ilhong nodded cautiously, as if it was a closely guarded secret.
Now that I thought about it, there had been more than a few oddities about this brat even back during our gang days.
From knowing that Um Baek was connected to the Black Path, to instantly recognizing constables visiting the magistrate office, to having detailed knowledge about the Ohga Family’s musk smuggling operation—
He had an intelligence far beyond what one would expect from a child.
Per my personal Troubleshooter rule not to pry into an orphan’s circumstances, I had overlooked it—but I had suspected there was more to his past.
‘But for it to be the Hao Sect…’
In wuxia novels, they were often portrayed as second only to the Beggars’ Union when it came to information.
Even Murong Cheongjin’s knowledge had little on the Hao Sect. That’s how secretive they were.
"Boss, earlier you said you were going to open an office? Like a wandering warrior, taking on requests and handling them…"
"Not a wanderer. A Troubleshooter."
"It’s basically the same job, isn’t it?"
Of course, I’d be poaching all the wanderer gigs too. The broader the demand, the better.
Ultimately, I planned to rebuild the detective office I had established on Earth, right here.
I hoped the people of the Central Plains would open their eyes to this excellent service where anything could be resolved for a price.
"Anyway, I want to hire you, Boss, as my Troubleshooter."
Ilhong met my gaze and offered the request.
For a boy, his long eyelashes framed those big, pleading eyes, full of desperate emotion.
"To find that seal you mentioned? The one that lets you command some sort of superior and inferior spirit?"
"…The Upper Spirit and Lower Spirit. That seal is my father’s keepsake and the only way I can take revenge on the Black Diagnosis Bird."
According to an oath made with the first Sect Leader, the bearer of the seal could make three wishes—and only one remained.
Ilhong seemed determined to use it to cleanse traitors and reclaim his position as the Hao Sect Leader.
"So, you want me to retrieve the seal that got taken by that Heaven-Violating something-or-other, and find those Upper Spirit and Lower Spirit martial artists too?"
"Yes, that’s the job I’d like to request."
Well, retrieving lost items and locating missing persons were the bread and butter of a Troubleshooter’s business.
I slammed down the recovering bald man and the Unorthodox thug again, who had started groaning and getting up, and asked once more.
"But even if you want to hire me… a Troubleshooter doesn’t work for free, you know."
This case was an emergency exception, but under normal circumstances, I charged for my services.
Without pay, I wouldn’t be a pro—just a glorified errand boy.
I’d fought countless times against people who scoffed, “You charge for this kind of thing?”
As a Troubleshooter, receiving fair compensation was a belief I wouldn’t compromise. Even a small fee was fine, but the work must be paid for.
"Well, the Hao Sect is making a ton of money. If I can get reinstated as the Sect Leader, I can pay you whatever you want…"
I had heard from Eun Hwaran just how much the Hao Sect was raking in.
They ran numerous underground operations and were amassing vast fortunes from the Miryang Sericulture.
"But right now, you don’t have a single coin."
"Th-that’s true."
Whatever his background in the past, right now he was just a penniless beggar.
Ilhong immediately shriveled up at that sad truth. Poverty had a way of making people feel so small.
"Instead, until we find the mysterious masters… I’ll assist you with your Troubleshooter work, Boss!"
And the kid offered something other than money as compensation.
I looked at Ilhong, demanding an explanation with my eyes.
"I know a lot. I’m not especially smart, but I have an exceptional memory and absorb knowledge quickly. That’s why they used to call me the Successor of the Hao Sect. So I’m sure I can be of help in your work, Boss!"
Various disguise techniques, human-skin mask crafting, the dirty secrets of different sects and clans, the hideouts of wanted criminals—
Ilhong began listing his skills and value.
It was true that I’d received help from that knowledge a few times before—back when we used to beg on the streets. It felt like laying out answer sheets and choosing a target.
Even back on Earth, I’d had a few assistants working in the detective office.
I had an eye for people, recruited some highly capable kids, and later on, I could’ve said the office ran thanks to them.
"Ilhong. Before extracting silk threads, why do we boil the silkworm cocoons?"
But I’m a naturally suspicious person.
He said earlier that he knew a lot. I decided to test him with a question about Miryang Sericulture.
"…To prevent the silkworms from breaking the cocoons and damaging their market value, and to dissolve the sericin using lye, which gives the threads a shine."
What the—he really does know everything.
Even the latter part, he understood about the lye, which I hadn’t even mentioned.
And he claimed to know all about the sects and clans too? He really was a walking encyclopedia of Murim.
"Boss, to take revenge for my father, I need that seal. If you help me… I promise I’ll repay this favor."
His eyes glistened with desperate sincerity. A penniless kid who had nothing, and if I didn’t help, his only chance would disappear.
"Repay the favor, huh."
Ilhong. Could this kid really overcome everything and rise to become the Hao Sect Leader?
He definitely wasn’t a blue-chip stock. But the Director once said that real investments happen at rock bottom.
The more you sink into the bottom, the greater the returns when it peaks.
I stopped looking at Ilhong the beggar and began imagining Ilhong as the future Hao Sect Leader.
"A breakout hit, huh."
Information is money. Running a detective office had taught me that well.
If I could make the Hao Sect, with its information network across the Central Plains, my strong backing—
"A breakout what?"
And helping him now, even without a clear payment? From my perspective, that was an act of immense virtue.
Which meant a huge gain in good karma was nearly guaranteed.
"Alright. I’ll retrieve that seal for you."
The math was mostly done.
I was betting on Ilhong’s future, not his present. This was what you’d call a ground-floor investment.
"R-really? I don’t have anything I can give you right now…"
Ilhong answered, eyes wide in disbelief, perhaps thinking the chances were slim even as he asked.
"No worries. Just pay me later. Double or nothing."
"Double or… Boss, you always say weird stuff I don’t get."
"Get used to it. We’re going to be working together from now on."
The declaration that we’d be working together.
Realizing its meaning, Ilhong nodded with a face that lit up brightly.
"…You know, I’d decided never to trust people again."
"Is that so."
Even back during our gang days, he used to laugh ‘hehe’ while hiding his true feelings.
He probably thought he was hiding it well, but come on—how good a liar could a kid be? It was obvious.
He must’ve developed a deep distrust of people after his family was massacred.
"But really… really, I want to try trusting just one more time."
His eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky as he looked at me.
It was the gaze of someone who had found a glimmer of hope again.
And seeing him up close, I couldn’t help but think again—he really was good-looking. The title of ‘pretty boy’ suited him too well.
"Then, as a sign of our agreement."
I stretched out my right hand toward Ilhong.
But he, already standing, tilted his head with a puzzled face, asking what this was for.
"A handshake. It means we trust each other. It’s a ritual that seals the deal."
As soon as I said that, Ilhong grabbed my hand with both of his and shook it vigorously up and down.
"Deal sealed! I’ll trust only you, Boss!"
"Alright."
I thought I wouldn’t get another request after Eun Hwaran, but I had already landed my next case.
The second official client of Dan Mujin’s Troubleshooter office.
It was the laying of a foundation for the future—and the moment a useful underling joined the office.
"Hehehe."