Absolute Warrior V1C5: A Series of Unfortunate Coincidences
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TL: FoodieMonster007 If you see this, you are at the wrong site!
Three days had passed since Crimson Tiger's return. All missions involving him had been canceled, and no new assignments came his way. It felt strange, but he suspected the organization was giving him a break after consecutive missions.
Thanks to this, he could finally enjoy some leisure time.
Leaving the warehouse work to Gong Cheol, he went to his secret training hall.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
From the far end of the training hall, Crimson Tiger threw three throwing knives with precision. Whizzing through the air like arrows, they struck a wooden board mounted on the wall in a perfectly straight line, with almost identical spacing between them.
During missions, knife throwing was the skill he used most often after swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat, as it was the easiest and simplest way to quickly eliminate distant enemies.
Unlike swordsmanship and close combat, Crimson Tiger had never received proper training in knife throwing arts. He had started using them intuitively based on his experiences in real combat, and had now reached the level where he could incapacitate three enemies simultaneously.
Still, compared to true hidden weapons masters, his skill was sorely lacking. The top experts were said to be able to throw up to twelve knives at once, but he could only manage three for now.
Well, since this was just a backup martial art for emergencies, it was probably sufficient.
Crimson Tiger walked to the wooden board and pulled out the embedded throwing knives one by one. On closer inspection, the wooden board bore the marks from thousands of knives.
He recalled his master's words.
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"There are all kinds of martial artists in this world. Some learn diverse martial arts to adapt to different situations, while others focus on perfecting a single technique. It's hard to say which is better, because at the end of the day, martial arts is not about the method, it's about the practitioner."
"I've only trained in the Asura's Eight Narakas all my life, but I don't want you to follow that path. Once the sword feels comfortable in your hand, I think you should practice the Thirteen Shadowless Maneuvers and then the knife throwing arts. If you can master all three, you will achieve absolute dominion over short, mid and long-ranged combat."
Crimson Tiger placed unwavering trust in his master's guidance. For short-range hand-to-hand combat, he relied on the Thirteen Shadowless Maneuvers to overpower opponents. For mid-range combat, his swordsmanship, the Asura's Eight Narakas, enabled him to stab targets up to ten meters away using sword qi. Last but not least, his knife throwing arts extended his range to over thirty meters for long-range strikes.
As his master said, once he perfected those three arts, he would be able to eliminate anything he set his mind on within his immediate vicinity.
He opened a box sitting beside him, revealing hundreds of throwing knives, all crafted by Hwang Ironworks. He had specifically requested and purchased two crates of these. Even though the knives weren't top of the line, the quality was undeniably high, so he didn't really mind. What really mattered was having a large supply of identical throwing knives.
As with swordsmanship, once a practitioner reached a certain level of mastery, they would be able to adapt to any type of throwing knife. For now, however, consistency was key, and using identical knives helped him achieve better accuracy.
Missions often left him no chance to retrieve his weapons, so he had already gone through one box. He hoped to get past the novice stage of knife throwing arts before he exhausted the rest.
Crimson Tiger resumed practicing.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
This time, the throwing knives still went exactly where he wanted them to, embedded vertically in a row. It was time to increase the intensity of the training.
People may betray you, but practice never does, he repeated Instructor Hwang's favorite quote to himself, even as he threw the knives faster and harder with each repetition.
His body soon became drenched in sweat.
DING! DING!
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Suddenly, the alarm thread he'd set on one side began to vibrate. Manipulating the mechanism to open the secret entrance, Crimson Tiger jumped out and rushed to his front door.
He found Gong Cheol waiting for him in his front yard.
"Were you training again today?" Gong Cheol asked, noticing that his supervisor was drenched in sweat.
Crimson Tiger nodded.
Gong Cheol exclaimed with exaggerated admiration, "You really are incredibly hardworking."
"Not really. Martial arts is just a way to pass the time."
Gong Cheol shook his head. Every time he visited, Crimson Tiger was immersed in training, a display of diligence that was truly admirable.
Of course, he didn't believe that Crimson Tiger knew any extraordinary martial arts like the legendary Asura's Eight Narakas. The man was probably just practicing some family specialties, chasing unfulfilled childhood dreams of becoming a martial master.
After all, no one with formidable martial arts skills would be toiling away as a mere warehouse manager, right?
From Gong Cheol's expression, Crimson Tiger could guess what he was thinking, and it was for this reason that he didn't bother to hide the fact that he often practiced martial arts. Being open about his training not only made his daily life easier, it also made others naturally deduce that his skills were third-rate.
"What brings you here today?" he asked.
"We received a reply from Hwang Ironworks. They wish to meet you at Yang Su's Inn."
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"Got it. Wait a minute while I change my clothes."
"Certainly."
Crimson Tiger went into the house.
Meanwhile, Gong Cheol wandered around the yard, admiring the surroundings. "Ever the clean and tidy one, eh?"
Everything was spotless and well organized. The furniture was meticulously arranged, the freshly laundered clothes were carefully hung on the clothesline, and not a single fallen leaf tainted the scenery. Most impressively, the firewood was chopped and stacked so precisely that it was hard to imagine how a human could have done it.
Gong Cheol shouted toward the house, "Hey, 'fess up. You're hiding a woman in there, aren't you?"
There was no answer. Either Crimson Tiger hadn't heard him, or he was deliberately ignoring him.
"Our poor Captain, easing his loneliness like this."
Gong Cheol shook his head. Even if the Association Chairman was going to visit his house, he doubted that he could tidy it up this much. Compared to this, his place was literally a beggar's den.
When Crimson Tiger finally reappeared, Gong Cheol chided him, "If the water is too clear, fish can't live in it.
"What on earth are you talking about?"
"Don't you know it's not good for a man to be too clean and tidy? If women see this, they'll be put off and suspect you of keeping a mistress."
Crimson Tiger chuckled. "What makes you think I don't have a woman?"
"Do you?"
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"Of course I do."
Gong Cheol smirked. "Fine, let's say you do. She must be the goddess of housekeeping, right?"
Crimson Tiger smiled wryly at Gong Cheol's unwavering certainty that he was single. Moments like these always made him question whether he truly came across as someone so far removed from the ladies.
The two walked side by side toward the warehouse.
"By the way, I was introduced to a woman yesterday," Gong Cheol suddenly remarked.
Crimson Tiger raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"Sigh…"
"You didn't like her?"
"Quite the opposite. She was exactly my type."
"Isn't that good news?"
"No, it's a problem. Seeing her filled me with panic. Even though I've been working for several years, I haven't managed to save up a single tael. Sigh…"
Crimson Tiger chuckled. Gong Cheol was known for his easygoing personality and generous spirit. Despite his age, he still spent money freely, often joining his subordinates' late-night gatherings and treating them to drinks. Although this made him very popular, it also meant that he was perpetually broke.
"Did she say she didn't like you because you're poor?"
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"What kind of woman says that on a first date, huh? Hmph, you claim to have a girlfriend, but you don't seem to know much about women, do you? In any case, she didn't say anything… but isn't it natural for her to dislike poor guys?"
Crimson Tiger smiled. Gong Cheol's love was so pure and innocent.
Nevertheless, since Gong Cheol wasn't just any guy, but the one in charge of the warehouse work, Crimson Tiger thought he should give him a word of advice.
"Money is not the most important thing."
"If you're planning to comfort me by saying stuff like 'it's what's inside that counts', just stop right there. Women these days don't think that way. They care about looks, money, talent, and even height."
"Is that woman like that?"
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"I don't think so… but who knows? Besides, even is she isn't that kind of person, it doesn't change the fact that I need money to settle down."
"I see. It's not really money that you're fixated on. What you want is to reassure her that you'll be a good husband. In that case, all you have to do is show her that you can do it if you try."
"……" Gong Cheol pouted.
"The real problem is… can you actually do it?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Once you're married, can you head straight home after work? Can you limit your late-night drinking sessions from ten times a week to just once? Can you give up going to brothels entirely? Are you really capable of doing all that? You?"
"……" Gong Cheol hesitated.
"The biggest hurdle in your relationship with her is not your financial woes, but your hedonistic lifestyle."
"Hedonistic? That's harsh," Gong Cheol protested, sulking.
"Would you prefer the word 'self-indulgent' then?"
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"Tsk. How do you know so much when you're not even married?"
Crimson Tiger gave Gong Cheol a playful smack on the back of the head. "Give it up. You're just not cut out for marriage. Save a poor woman the suffering and stay single forever, okay? Anyway, the warehouse is just up ahead, so I'll be going now. I'll check on you when I get back, so finish your work and go straight home, you hear me?"
As they talked, they reached the warehouse, and Crimson Tiger bade Gong Cheol goodbye. Still, he could hear Gong Cheol grumbling behind him.
It would be great if he gives up drinking in a fit of rage, but who knows if that'll ever happen?
Smiling faintly, Crimson Tiger began to make his way towards Yang Su's inn. However, just as he took a step forward, 'she' suddenly popped into his mind.
Why did she leave? Was it because I had no job security? What did she truly want? Was I so angry at her for leaving that I missed something obvious?
Fifteen minutes later, Crimson Tiger stepped into Yang Su's Inn, an establishment named after its owner. Since it offered a quiet atmosphere, decent food, and the comfort of not being too crowded, he was a regular customer.
Upon seeing Crimson Tiger, Yang Su greeted warmly, "Long time no see! Just got back from another business trip?"
"Yes. How have you been?"
"Same old. What can I get you? The usual?"
"I'm meeting someone today, so I'll order later."
"All right, then."
Yang Su retreated to a table across the room. He liked Crimson Tiger. Even though the man was a mere warehouse chief, he was still a martial artist of the Association, yet he never put on any airs.
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From his years of managing the inn, Yang Su had come to understand one truth: The most troublesome guests weren't the martial masters or the third-rate rabble, but the ones in between. The true masters always remained calm, while the weak treaded carefully. The problems started when some fool decided he knew how to handle a sword.
In Yang Su's eyes, Crimson Tiger belonged to that middle category. He carried a sword, lacked exceptional skills, and held a relatively high position as a warehouse manager in the Association. It was the perfect setup for arrogance, but surprisingly, Crimson Tiger was a polite and humble fellow.
Crimson Tiger glanced toward the kitchen. A stranger was cooking. Curious, he asked, "Where's Chef Min?"
Yang Su sighed deeply, "He told me that he wanted to resign."
"Why?"
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"Remember Min's son? A kid named Chusam."
"Yes."
"That kid joined the Savage Beast Gang."
"What's the Savage Beast Gang?"
"You don't know the Savage Beast Gang? Well, I guess you wouldn't, always being away on business trips."
According to Yang Su, the Savage Beast Gang was a newly formed mafia syndicate that was rapidly expanding by ousting existing rivals. They extorted money from brothels and shops under the guise of protection fees, engaged in all sorts of shady deals, and were ruthless enough to commit murder.
"Isn't Chusam too young to join a gang?"
"He's fifteen. Not really that young, but not quite an adult either. Anyway, Min is going crazy trying to get the kid back from them. They're demanding compensation from him."
"Compensation? How much?"
"Five hundred taels."
Crimson Tiger's eyes widened at the ridiculous sum.
"They're absolutely despicable. They know Min's a hard worker, so they're trying to bleed him of all his life savings. He managed to save about three hundred taels for his retirement, but that's still not enough, so he's currently running around borrowing money from whoever he can. I lent him fifty taels myself. How could I refuse when a kid's in trouble? Regardless, he told me that he's leaving this town as soon as he gets Chusam back. Ahh, to hell with this damned world!"
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Yang Su let out a long sigh. Unable to hold back any longer, he strode into the kitchen, poured himself a generous cup of wine, and downed it in one go. As someone who normally never touched alcohol during business hours, this was a testament to how deeply frustrated and furious he felt.
"What's worse is that we can't report it to the authorities. If we do, they'll just kick off a mess of investigations and make things worse. You know how cunning those mafia bastards can be. There are even rumors floating around that some officials are taking bribes from them. In the end, we'd only end up facing retaliation."
Yang Su slumped back down in front of Crimson Tiger. "We can't ask the Association for help, either. To completely wipe them out, we'd need someone really high up to take action, but we don't have those kinds of connections…"
Suddenly, Yang Su realized who he was talking to. "Wait. You don't happen to know anyone, do you?" he asked cautiously.
"What do you mean?"
"…Never mind." Yang Su sighed again. How could Crimson Tiger not understand his question? The man was acting dumb on purpose.
Crimson Tiger furrowed his brows. Although he felt sorry for Yang Su and Chef Min, he couldn't readily offer his help. The organization was extremely sensitive about anything that could divulge the identities of the Twelve Phantoms, so if he caused trouble outside of missions, he would likely face harsh punishment.
Just then, the man Crimson Tiger had been waiting for arrived. It was Hwang Subeom of Hwang Ironworks, a young man who had devoted himself to mastering the family trade under his father, Old Master Hwang's, guidance.
Yang Su quickly stood up. "Welcome! I'll take your order, and then leave you to your conversation."
Crimson Tiger ordered a few simple dishes and drinks, while Hwang Subeom fidgeted in his seat with a guilty look on his face.
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"It's been a while," Crimson Tiger began.
"Yes."
"I'm sure you know why I requested this meeting, right?"
Hwang Subeom nodded solemnly.
"We've been doing business for more than a year or two, so I can understand if a few defective products slip through. This time, though, you've gone too far."
"I have no excuses," Hwang Subeom apologized, hanging his head deeply. He was genuinely sorry.
The drinks and side dishes arrived, and Crimson Tiger poured wine into their cups.
"Drink up."
The two emptied their cups.
"Okay, what's going on? This isn't something we can overlook, so tell me the whole truth."
Crimson Tiger was curious. Hwang Ironworks had a reputation for consistency and excellence, so it wasn't like them to send defective products. There had to be some kind of extenuating circumstances behind this.
"I swear, we didn't do it on purpose. Around a month ago, someone approached us and mentioned that they also operated a smithy. They asked if we could provide them with subcontracting work, but naturally, we refused."
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"Go on."
"No matter how many times we turned them away, they kept coming back to harass us. We soon discovered they were backed by a new mafia syndicate, the Savage Beast Gang, but after that, things started to escalate. Throughout the whole of the last month, our employees were robbed on the streets, or their homes broken into and set on fire. In total, seven people were injured."
Crimson Tiger sighed. Even though Hwang Ironworks was a renowned smithy with a long tradition, there was no way they could deal with a mafia syndicate on their own.
"You should have informed us," he said.
"We had no evidence to confirm it was their doing, so we chose to prioritize dealing with the immediate crisis. To start, we informed them that the workers' injuries had left us short-handed and we needed their assistance to meet our delivery deadlines. In truth, though, we never planned to deliver their inferior goods to our customers. With that in mind, we pushed ourselves to the limit, working ourselves to the bone to scrape together the bare minimum we needed."
"And then?"
"During the packaging process, they found out about what we did and threatened one of our people into mixing in the defective products they had made. His family was held hostage, so he had no choice. We only found out later."
Crimson Tiger nodded in understanding. The Savage Beast Gang's goal wasn't to take on subcontracted work, but to completely destroy Hwang Ironworks' reputation and usurp their place in the market. Although about ten forges supplied weapons to the gang, Hwang Ironworks had a significant share of the market. Thus, simply seizing their business was enough to reap a substantial profit.
"I'm so sorry. We should have informed you about our troubles right from the start. Trying to resolve everything ourselves was a mistake. We were fools," Hwang Subeom sobbed. He had been so frustrated lately that he hadn't been able to sleep or taste his food.
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"I see." Crimson Tiger thought for a moment, then continued, "Leave the Savage Beast Gang to us, and send us the correct order this time."
"Understood. Thank you so much."
After repeatedly expressing his thanks, Hwang Subeom left.
Yang Su quietly brought Crimson Tiger a dish he hadn't ordered. "Erm, now that things have come to this, you guys at the Association will take action, right? I'd like to ask a favor of you. Please make sure that Min doesn't get involved, and keep an eye out for that rascal Chusam."
From the beginning, he had no interest in the mafia's schemes. His job was simply to report the situation between Hwang Ironworks and the Savage Beast Gang to the higher-ups, and then leave the final decision to them. Asking them to address Chef Min's problem separately was out of the question. That was not how the organization worked.
The only way he could help Chef Min was to step in personally, but he couldn't risk that.
In the end, Crimson Tiger quietly left the inn, feeling a twinge of guilt for not helping Yang Su because of his self-interest.
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Deep down, he found himself repeating the same words he had whispered while working on Sin Chohui's case.
I can't save everyone. I can't save everyone.
He tried to rationalize that it was for the best, but the feeling of running away from reality was always bitter.
It was getting dark outside, but Crimson Tiger wanted another drink, so he headed to his favorite food stand. Although it was quite far from Yang Su's Inn, where he was known to publicly frequent, it was a place he sometimes visited when he wanted to drink alone. Besides, the good-natured owner always gave him a warm bowl of soup on the house.
"I haven't seen you for a while," the owner remarked, bringing over a generous bowl of soup as usual.
"Yeah."
"Well then, enjoy your meal."
The good thing about this owner was that he didn't bother his customers with conversation. Yang Su was a good person, but he talked a little too much. Well, both types had their pros and cons. Some days, Crimson Tiger wanted to drink quietly, and other days, he wanted to chat.
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For a brief moment, he thought about going to the Autumn Moon Palace, but ultimately decided against it. Her suggestion to break up a few days ago kept coming back to him, and he agreed that maybe it really was time to part ways for good.
He emptied his cup again, only to notice a little girl staring at him at the far end of the stand. Though he couldn't remember her name, he knew she was the owner's daughter since he often saw her playing next to her father.
"Come here," Crimson Tiger beckoned, smiling gently.
Perhaps recognizing him as a familiar face she had seen occasionally, the girl ran over.
Crimson Tiger handed her a coin. "Here, go buy yourself something tasty with this."
The girl bowed happily in thanks.
The owner waved his hand, saying, "You'll spoil the child that way."
Despite his words, however, he smiled contentedly.
SWISH! CRASH!
A wine bottle suddenly hurtled through the air, crashing to the ground at Crimson Tiger's feet. Thankfully, he managed to scoop up the girl just in time, sparing her from harm.
"Hey, owner!" a sharp-faced thug brandishing a gleaming dao shouted.
Behind him were two more men, a big brute and a nervous young boy whom Crimson Tiger recognized as Chef Min's son, Chusam.
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Crimson Tiger sighed inwardly. When he had no interest in the Savage Beast Gang, they stayed out of sight. The moment he began to pay attention to them, however, they became a constant nuisance.
"Hey! You motherfucker! Get over here right now!" the thug yelled.
Startled, the owner scurried over. "Yes, sir?"
"You think I'm a joke?"
"No, sir."
"Then what's this? Who gave you permission to open your shop? Didn't I make it clear that you're not allowed to do business without paying the protection fees?"
"But I can't pay you unless I open my shop…"
SMACK!
The thug slapped the owner mercilessly on the cheek. "Did you think I was joking? Do I look like a pushover you can appease with your pathetic excuses?"
The owner hung his head, weighed down by the grim reality. Merchants had to pay protection money to the local mafia every month. However, since the Savage Beast Gang had taken over, the fees had skyrocketed, leaving many struggling to keep up. They made it clear that anyone who could not pay would be forced to shut down.
Closing his shop wasn't an option for him, though. He was already barely making ends meet.
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Meanwhile, the big brute glared at Crimson Tiger. "This is Savage Beast Gang business. If you don't wanna get hurt, hurry up and get the fuck out of my sight!"
Crimson Tiger retreated backwards timidly, keeping a firm grip on the girl.
Seeing his frightened appearance, the three gangsters completely dismissed him.
The thug grabbed some side dishes and took a bite, only to spit it out immediately. "Ptui! Ptui! You dare to sell this crap for money? Are your taste buds defective? Maybe I should cut off that worthless tongue of yours right now!"
It was an unfounded complaint.
"I'll make it again," the owner pleaded, but the thug raised his fist.
WHAM!
Instead of throwing a punch, though, the thug unleashed a brutal roundhouse kick on the owner, sending him sprawling to the ground. "What do you mean, you'll make it again? You want me to eat this garbage? Do I look that stupid? Do you seriously think I don't know that you're trying to poison my food to get revenge on me?"
"Hey, since we brought him along, why don't we have the new kid do some training," the big brute suggested.
Dragging the owner back to his feet, the thug called out to Chusam, "Hey, you, come here! Show him how scary our people are!"
Chusam approached hesitantly, careful not to meet the owner's eyes. The two of them knew each other. "…Please give us the money," he mumbled.
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WHACK!
The thug mercilessly kicked Chusam, also sending him tumbling. "You fucking idiot! Are you asking your daddy for pocket money? Can't you even get something so simple right? Get up right now and do this properly!"
Chusam scrambled to his feet, tears brimming in his eyes. He never imagined the Savage Beast Gang would be like this. From the outside, they seemed so cool. They strutted around with weapons, spent money freely, drank as much as they wanted, and always had women trailing after them.
When he finally joined them, though, the reality was nothing like he had pictured. For days, all he had done was wring blood and tears out of helpless commoners.
"Do you think that bastard will listen if you just talk? You have to do it like this!"
WHACK! TWHACK!
The thug threw punches at the owner's face, swinging wildly to the left and right. Blood soon gushed from the owner's broken nose.
"You dumb punk, hit him like this! Like this! Stylishly! With force!"
SMACK! BAM! WHACK!
Unable to endure the raining punches, the owner screamed and collapsed, writhing in pain.
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"Now, you try!"
"…I can't do it," Chusam said weakly, hanging his head.
THWACK!
The thug mercilessly slapped the back of Chusam's head. "Oh look, this stupid son of a bitch's gonna cry. Fine, cry all you want, you big baby. Fucking useless bastard!"
"WAAAH!"
Suddenly, the girl in Crimson Tiger's arms screamed and burst into tears, unable to hold back her terror any longer.
The thug glanced at Crimson Tiger. "Huh? You're still here?"
Crimson Tiger glanced at them briefly, then at the owner who was crouched on the ground, clutching his face. He really didn't want to get involved. Helping without taking full responsibility for the repercussions would only cause more suffering to the father and daughter pair.
It's just a bad day for the owner. Dead men can't pay them, so they won't kill him. I'll just leave when they've finished rampaging…
Crimson Tiger's thoughts came to an abrupt stop. The thug was reaching for the girl.
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Touching a child was a crime he could never forgive.
"Let me have that girl. Even though she's young, her breasts are already budding, and her eyes are really pretty…"
SNAP!
Crimson Tiger grabbed the thug's approaching wrist.
"What the fuck? Let me go!" the thug roared, furious.
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Crimson Tiger obediently did as he was told and let go. Stroking the girl's head, he comforted, "Your father's cooking is really tasty. If I could, I would come here every day."
When the girl calmed down a little, he sealed her sleep acupoint, and the girl fell asleep gently. Then, still holding the child, he approached the thug.
"You should at least know why you're going to die. Just now, you crossed the line from human to savage beast."
Feeling a bad premonition, the thug swung his dao wildly. "You bastard! What are you…"
THUD!
Lunging forward with the ferocity of a tiger, Crimson Tiger landed a knifehand strike to the back of the thug's neck. The impact sent the man flying through the air before he crashed to the ground.
There was no life in his eyes. He was dead. One blow was all it took.
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The color drained from the big brute's face. He had crossed the wrong man. Stumbling backward, he raised his hands and begged, "I was wrong! Please spare me!"
Crimson Tiger walked slowly up to him and whispered in his ear, "Shh! Save those words for the King of Hell!"
SMACK!
Once again, Crimson Tiger delivered a precise strike to his opponent's neck.
The massive brute let out a strangled scream, then crumpled to the floor. To the casual observer, it might have looked like he had simply tripped and fallen, but in reality, he had also died from a single, fatal blow.
"Was that life glamorous?" Crimson Tiger asked coldly.
Chusam shook his head vigorously, his face streaked with tears.
"Go. Your father is waiting for you."
Bawling, Chusam ran off.
Crimson Tiger sighed. There were many more things he wanted to say to the boy, but it was more important to first quell Chef Min's worries and reunite him with his son.
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Crimson Tiger handed the girl over to the half-dazed owner. Thankfully, the man remained relatively calm, likely because he assumed the two men had only fainted. If he knew they were dead, he might have passed out on the spot.
"Are you all right?" Crimson Tiger asked.
"Thanks to you, I am."
"Sorry that I couldn't help you sooner."
"N-No, it's not your fault…" The man's voice faltered, his words catching in his throat. It was unfair, and he was furious, but he suppressed his resentment. He needed to endure. For the sake of the child in his arms, he had to pull himself together.
"Can't anyone take care of your child while you work?"
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"No."
"The Association runs a childcare facility. I'll inform them in advance, so please visit them tomorrow. Don't worry about the money, I'll take care of it."
"Thank you."
Crimson Tiger rose to his feet. He couldn't tell if the man would leave or stay. Perhaps he would hesitate, worried about stirring up trouble, or perhaps he would find the courage to accept his offer. Either way, this was as far as Crimson Tiger could help.
Oh, wait. There's one more thing.
Dragging the corpses of the ruffians with both hands, Crimson Tiger whispered, "Don't worry about the aftermath either. I'll make sure they won't go after you."
After disposing of the bodies in a secluded spot, Crimson Tiger changed his mask and headed to the Savage Beast Gang's base.
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After killing those two earlier, he couldn't simply walk away. Now that he'd made his move, he had to finish the job properly. After all, no matter how well he hid the bodies, someone would eventually investigate the disappearance of their comrades and discover that the food stand was their last known location.
Still, he didn't intend to kill all the gang members. Only the leaders interested him. He didn't know how many they had, but he was sure that one glance would be enough to identify them.
After all, gangsters were parasites, sucking the life out of the commoners. No matter how many he killed, more would soon take their place. For now, just killing the leaders would suffice to keep things quiet for a while.
Having made up his mind, Crimson Tiger felt no regret or hesitation.
He vaulted over the wall and landed silently in the courtyard. It was eerily quiet. The most surprising thing of all, however, was the stench of freshly spilled blood carried on the wind.
Crimson Tiger hid behind a tree. Something had happened to the Savage Beast Gang. For a moment, he hesitated, wondering if he should turn back, but ultimately decided to scout out the area first.
Slowly, he made his way toward the building.
RUSTLE…
Standing at the building's entrance, he silently drew his sword and cautiously opened the door. To his alarm, it was unlocked.
CREAK!
As the door opened, the foul, metallic stench of blood immediately pierced his nose. A dozen corpses littered the hallway. Some had died with their blades drawn, while others hadn't even had a chance to grab their weapons.
Crimson Tiger cut open a corpse's shirt to inspect its wounds. The killing blow bore the mark of clean and masterful swordsmanship, unmistakably the work of a single individual. Moreover, the man had been dead for only a few minutes at the most.
Could it all have been a trap to lure me here? The series of unfortunate coincidences all involving the Savage Beast Gang reeks of conspiracy…
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Various ominous thoughts crossed his mind, but he remained calm. What was done was done. For now, the best he could do was respond as calmly as possible.
CREAK…
Crimson Tiger opened a door off the corridor, only to be greeted by a pile of female corpses. Judging by their heavy makeup, they weren't women of the jianghu, but rather courtesans or slaves who had been brought in.
His gaze turned cold.
Heading into the kitchen, he found the bodies of even more women. This time, however, they were middle-aged ladies, probably cooks and cleaners.
The monster who came here before me massacred everyone, even women who didn't know martial arts. How cruel!
Crimson Tiger walked slowly down the corridor, checking each room one by one, but the further he went, the more corpses he found.
His head ached from the sickening smell of blood.
Despite having killed so many people, the culprit had showed no excitement whatsoever. The wounds on the corpses told the story clearly. He had swung his sword calmly and methodically, as if he was merely hunting or playing a game. This was no battle against enemies; it was a one-sided massacre.
No matter how strong a martial artist was, it wasn't something a sane person could do. Sure, a normal, if ruthless, person might be okay with cutting down one or two defenseless individuals, perhaps even three. However, killing ten, twenty, or even thirty people who couldn't fight back was only possible for someone consumed by madness.
Crimson Tiger turned the corner of the hallway.
Just then, a door at the far end opened, and a man stepped out.
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"Huh?" The man flinched when he saw Crimson Tiger, but a smirk quickly followed. "I didn't expect you to show up this quickly."
He recognized this man. He was the drunkard he had locked eyes with while looking out of the window at the Autumn Moon Palace. Just like that day, the man's eyes were only half open.
"What a shame. I wanted to set the stage nicely for your arrival," the man lamented, sticking out his tongue and licking the blood from his lips.
He threw what he was holding onto the ground. It was the head of the Savage Beast Gang Leader.
Crimson Tiger could sense the man's insatiable desire for slaughter. Even after slaughtering all these people, he was still thirsty for blood.
Our meeting that day wasn't a coincidence. He was investigating me. Everything that happened today was carefully orchestrated.
Crimson Tiger whispered, "Why did you kill so many innocents? They didn't need to die."
The man's small eyes curved like a crescent moon, and his guileless smile carried a chilly madness as he said, "When those who shouldn't die end up dead…it's because there's a reason for it."
SHING!
As soon as he finished speaking, the man suddenly thrust his sword, sending a sharp sword qi flying diagonally toward Crimson Tiger.
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Ignoring the sword qi and letting it graze his arm, Crimson Tiger ran along the walls, charging toward the man.
The man met his attack.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
In the middle of the corridor, their swords clashed again and again. Both swordsmen were fast, accurate, and powerful.
In a flash, they switched positions. Crimson Tiger now stood where the man had been moments before.
Crimson Tiger felt a tingling in his wrist. His opponent's qi was no less profound than his own.
In contrast, blood flowed from the man's forearm.
"As expected, you're really strong," he remarked, licking his wound.
Crimson Tiger frowned. Although the madman was formidable, he had refrained from using the Asura's Eight Narakas to avoid killing him.
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I'll capture him alive and find out who's pulling the strings!
He took a threatening step forward.
"Not today!" the man laughed, jumping backward and firing a hidden weapon from his sleeve.
SWISH! SWISH!
The instant Crimson Tiger spotted a black, cylindrical metal object riddled with tiny holes, he instinctively swung his sword at the wall to the side. As two large gashes appeared on the wood…
BOOM!
A loud explosion erupted from the object in the man's hand.
CRASH!
At the same time, Crimson Tiger broke through the wall and jumped into a room.
PITTER PATTER!
With a sound like pouring rain, a hundred steel needles exploded down the corridor.
CLATTER!
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The needles embedded themselves in the corridor wall, having narrowly missed Crimson Tiger.
A shiver ran down Crimson Tiger's spine. The hidden weapon the man had fired was the Hundred Needle Launcher. If memory served him correctly, those needles were coated with a toxin so potent that even the slightest graze would be fatal within seconds. Among the many hidden weapons in the jianghu, it was one of the most terrifying.
Crimson Tiger rolled on the floor and sprang up, jumping back into the hallway and sending a wave of sword qi toward the man's direction.
CRASH!
He intended to close the distance and subdue the man with the Thirteen Shadowless Maneuvers, but he was no longer there. Instead, there was a hole in the ceiling.
Crimson Tiger immediately gave chase, leaping through the hole and onto the roof of the building, but the man was already a dot in the distance.
He's incredibly skilled at movement arts, at least as good as the handlers.
Crimson Tiger ground his teeth in regret. The man was truly an unpleasant opponent, one he should have eliminated instead of trying to capture.
Is there any way I can track him down? Wait…
A sudden thought struck him, and he plunged into the darkness.
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An hour later, two people gathered in a nearby forest. Yeon was crouching in a freshly dug grave, examining something, while Crimson Tiger stood with his arms folded, silently watching her.
After a while, Yeon emerged from the pit, shaking her head. "There are no traces left here, either."
Crimson Tiger nodded.
Right now, they were at the spot where he had buried the food stand ruffians. Just as he had feared, by the time they got there, the bodies had already been removed.
"I'll go back to the Savage Beast Gang and deal with the bodies there first," Yeon said.
Crimson Tiger shook his head. "No, just leave it as it is."
"What?"
Since the man knew his identity, Crimson Tiger had initially thought that this was a plot by the organization. However, the more he thought about it, the less sense it made. If the organization wanted to eliminate him, there was no need or reason to use such a method.
Yeon's attitude supported his assumption. There was nothing fake about her surprise and concern. Clearly, this wasn't something orchestrated by the organization.
If this is a trap meant for me, then what's their goal? To frame me for the Savage Beast Gang incident? I'm wearing a mask, for heaven's sake. How could they pin it on me without any evidence?
Besides, the organization won't just stand by and let me be falsely accused. They'll find a way to bail me out.
Then why? Who?
Yeon sighed, "This was obviously a conspiracy to frame you, Crimson Tiger. I'll take care of the corpses. There's still time before dawn."
"No, it's because this is a conspiracy that we should leave them as they are."
"What?"
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
"Understood. I'll report this to the higher-ups."
A chilly breeze swept through the space between them. Even though spring was approaching, the air remained bitterly cold.
"I'm quite sure… that all will be revealed tomorrow."
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