Absolute Warrior V1C6: False Accusation
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TL: FoodieMonster007 If you see this, you are at the wrong site!
The next morning, Crimson Tiger arrived at work punctually as usual. Entering a small office next to the warehouse, barely big enough for three or four people, he took a seat and began to catch up on his huge backlog of paperwork.
Outside, Gong Cheol's loud voice echoed, "Just what the fuck did you guys get up to last night to be dragging your feet like this?"
Crimson Tiger paused his work and glanced out the window. Gong Cheol and his subordinates were unloading newly arrived goods.
"Who's the one who held on till the end Didn't you say there are only two kinds of people in this world? Those who leave early while drinking and those who stick with their friends till the end!"
Gong Cheol grabbed the fellow by the collar and shook him. "Keep it down, you damn fool! What if the Captain hears you?"
He glanced nervously toward the office, only to meet Crimson Tiger's eyes.
Crimson Tiger laughed loudly, "I heard everything!"
"It's a conspiracy! I'm being framed!" Gong Cheol protested.
Crimson Tiger chuckled and turned back to his work.
As he glanced at the documents, the events of last night abruptly resurfaced in his mind, especially the squinty-eyed man's unsettling killing intent.
He's as crazy as it gets, but his skill is real. No ordinary person can hire and control a mad serial killer like that.
CLICK.
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The office door opened, and Gong Cheol entered, dusting himself off.
"Hahaha, those guys, what kind of prank was that?" he mumbled apologetically, looking guilty for going out drinking again after being firmly warned. "Anyway, we've unloaded the latest shipment from Hwang Ironworks."
"Is the quality of the weapons up to standard this time?" Crimson Tiger asked.
"Yes, and…" Leaning closer, Gong Cheol smiled furtively and whispered, "They sent two extra boxes of brand-new swords as an apology for the previous incident. How should we handle it?"
Crimson Tiger nodded. Only items listed in the official documents could be stored in the warehouse, so depending on how the extra goods were managed, they could be classified as a gift or a bribe.
He answered without hesitation, "Donate a value equivalent to the price of one box to the Association's childcare facility under my name, and share the rest with the guys. I'll leave the distribution to you. Treat it as this year's bonus pay."
"Haha, understood. I'll take care of it!" Gong Cheol exclaimed, beaming. This was the answer he was hoping for.
He really liked this aspect of Crimson Tiger. The man never deliberately engaged in corruption, though he didn't refuse willingly offered gifts and bribes either. His greed was moderate, and he always made sure there was no ambiguity. He was open about his share, keeping half for himself and distributing the remaining half among his subordinates.
Gong Cheol turned to leave, when something strange about Crimson Tiger's words suddenly struck him. "Wait. Why the childcare facility of all places? Gasp! No way? Did you kidnap a child because you couldn't bear the loneliness?"
"Stop saying nonsense and just do as I say. You're going to go drinking again now that you've got some extra cash, aren't you?"
"Absolutely not."
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"As if."
"I'm going to buy a dress for that woman. Something light and silky, since spring is coming."
"Buy it before you go drinking."
"I told you I'm not going drinking!"
"Shut up and just buy it first!"
"…Fine. Oh, by the way, I heard that those Savage Beast gangsters were completely wiped out."
Crimson Tiger raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Really?"
"Yeah. Still, whoever did it is insanely cruel. It's one thing to kill those bastards who deserved to die a hundred times over, but the perpetrator also murdered the helpless women who cooked for them."
"That's terrible!"
"Everyone's talking about it now. Even the authorities have asked the Association for help. It doesn't seem like it's a turf war among the mafia, so I think there's something fishy about this…"
Gong Cheol paused mid-sentence. Crimson Tiger was gazing out the window, his expression grim. Following his gaze, Gong Cheol saw a group of martial artists storming into the courtyard.
"Everyone, move aside!" they shouted threateningly.
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"That uniform… Aren't those guys from the Inquisition? Did they find out that we accepted a bribe? But we haven't even sold the extra swords yet!" Gong Cheol exclaimed, terrified.
Kicking open the office door, an Inquisition officer flashed his badge and demanded menacingly, "Which one of you is Warehouse Manager Lim Ho?"
"That's me," Crimson Tiger replied. Lim Ho was the alias he used in his position as warehouse manager.
"You're under arrest," the officer declared.
Two of his subordinates quickly rushed in apprehended Crimson Tiger.
Rushing into the Radiant Hall office, Hong Sabaek reported, "The Savage Beast Gang was annihilated last night."
"So what?" Deputy Director Eom Baekyang asked irritably. He had heard of the Savage Beast Gang, but as far as he was concerned, they had no connection to his department.
"Well… Crimson Tiger was there."
"What do you mean, he was there? Give me the details."
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"Last night, Crimson Tiger infiltrated their headquarters, but by then, they had already been massacred by a third party."
"Where did you get this information from? Is it trustworthy?"
"Crimson Tiger informed us through his handler."
"As long as he didn't kill them himself, there shouldn't be any problems. But… why would he go there?"
"It's because of his cover job, the warehouse business. The Savage Beast Gang blackmailed Hwang Ironworks, our weapons supplier, into including defective goods in their shipment, and he went there to settle the matter with them."
Since Crimson Tiger had omitted the incident with the father and daughter at the food stall to avoid implicating them, neither Yeon nor the Radiant Hall knew anything about it.
"Oh, then that's fine," Eom Baekyang said dismissively. Even if Crimson Tiger had a grudge against the Wild Beast Gang, he wasn't someone who would murder innocents.
"By the way, whose doing is it?" he asked. He didn't think that the identity of the culprit was a big deal, but it wasn't something that should be ignored either.
"We don't know yet."
"Send a few guys to investigate."
"Understood."
CLANK, WHIRR…
Suddenly, the message mechanism in the wall sprang to life, spinning until it settled on a picture of a tiger.
SWISH!
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A rolled-up scroll shot out from the hole next to the image. Im Yeongdal caught it and began reading the report.
"Uh… Deputy Director? Crimson Tiger has just been arrested by the Inquisition," he sputtered in disbelief.
Eom Baekyang jumped up from his seat. "What!?"
CLANK, WHIRR…
The mechanism moved again, this time stopping at the character "盟 (Association)".
SWISH!
Another rolled-up scroll came down through a hole.
Im Yeongdal quickly grabbed it and skimmed through it. "Holy shit! The Inquisition is sending an investigation team after us too! They're storming the first floor lobby right now!"
Everyone immediately sprang to their feet.
Wang Sochan rushed to manipulate a hidden mechanism in the wall.
WHIRR…
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The wall with the map rotated, revealing a new wall with a completely different map.
THUMP THUMP THUMP!
Hong Sabaek stomped three times on the floor under his desk.
CLANK!
A secret compartment under the floor opened and he threw in all the classified documents relating to the Twelve Phantoms. Then, stomping twice on the adjacent floor, he closed the compartment.
The mechanism seemed simple, but it was one that would not activate unless one got the location of the switch and the timing exactly right.
Meanwhile, the newcomer Jo Birang, panicked. "What about me? What should I do?" he squealed.
"Stop breathing!" Hong Sabaek snapped.
SWISH!
Another report arrived through the messaging mechanism.
"They've reached the third floor. They'll be here any moment!" Im Yeongdal warned, throwing the reports into a brazier in one wall.
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Eom Baekyang frowned. The Savage Beast Gang incident, Crimson Tiger's arrest, and now a surprise inspection? Something feels off.
BAM!
The office door burst open, and a group of martial artists poured into the Radiant Hall's main office.
Holding up his badge, the leader shouted, "This is a special inspection! Stop what you're doing immediately and back away from your desks!"
The Radiant Hall's strategists obediently raised their hands and stepped back, while the Inquisition officers surrounded them.
Within the Inquisition, there were inspection officers and enforcement officers. The ones who had arrested Crimson Tiger were the enforcement officers, while the ones who had stormed into the Radiant Hall were the inspection officers.
Because of the nature of their work, the Inquisition officers were higher ranking than most, but because the Radiant Hall and the Mystery Pavilion were directly supervised by the Chairman, they remained oblivious to the true nature of the Radiant Hall.
Third Inspection Commander Son Baegin marched into the office behind his subordinates. "Long time no see!" he greeted.
"Indeed. Have you been well?" Eom Baekyang greeted back, smiling bitterly. He and Son Baegin weren't close, but they were acquainted.
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"Where's Director Gu?"
"Our director is always busy," Eom Baekyang replied, his tone carrying a subtle hint that their supposedly hardworking superior was actually often slacking off. "What brings you here despite your busy schedule?"
Glancing around, Son Baegin scoffed. Half-eaten snacks littered the desks, obscene books of naked women were openly displayed on top of documents, and some desks were completely empty. No one seemed even remotely busy.
He was all too familiar with the incompetence and laziness of the Radiant Hall. Their annual performance evaluations were among the worst in the Association. In his eyes, the members of Radiant Hall were nothing more than parasites, a total waste of time and money.
"Do you know a man named Lim Ho?"
"Lim Ho? Who's that?"
"Warehouse Manager Lim Ho."
"Ah, I know him. Why are you looking for him?"
"Hand over all documents related to him. We will also confiscate all internal records concerning the Twenty-Seventh Military Supply Depot."
"Is that it? What's going on? Why did you barge in here all of a sudden?"
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"Last night, a mafia syndicate called the Savage Beast Gang was annihilated."
"So?"
"We've received information that a man named Lim Ho is involved in that incident."
"That's impossible."
Flipping through a document, Hong Sabaek chimed in, "He's on a business trip."
Son Baegin frowned. "Hmph! If that's true, then who on earth did we just arrest? Don't you even know that your subordinate has returned from his trip? Listen, Deputy Director Eom, let's not waste time. We've already detained the criminal."
"Criminal? Have you already confirmed his guilt?"
"We have strong evidence that he's the culprit."
"Even so, you can't call him a criminal yet. He's innocent until proven guilty, isn't he?"
Son Baegin clicked his tongue in disdain. He had a lot of work to do and Eom Baekyang's constant nitpicking was beginning to annoy him.
However, he suppressed his rising anger. Eom Baekyang might be a terrible person, but he was still a deputy director. The difference in rank meant that Son Baegin couldn't treat him too roughly.
"Fine. Just think of it as me choosing the wrong vocabulary."
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"The wrong vocabulary? You bastard! Do you really want me to hit you?"
Son Baegin's expression hardened. "You. What did you just say?"
Eom Baekyang shouted, "What kind of nonsense is this? Barging in here without a shred of evidence? And now you're saying you'll confiscate our internal documents just because you're the Inquisition? Hey, you! Do you want to die by my hand? Do you think I'm a joke because I'm always smiling? Back in my day…"
Seeing Eom Baekyang getting excited and starting to rant, Hong Sabaek rushed to calm him down. "I'm sorry. Our deputy director is still hungover…"
Eom Baekyang grabbed Hong Sabaek by the collar and shook him. "What do you mean, I'm hungover? Let go of me, you bastard! I told you to grab the opponent if a fight starts, but you grab me instead? What if that bastard ambushes me? Are you trying to get me killed? You damn punk, you're after my position, aren't you?"
Watching the two scuffle, Son Baegin shook his head in disbelief. "It's just as they say. The Radiant Hall is nothing more than a gathering of scum. What a pathetic sight."
Eom Baekyang shouted, "What? Scum? You son of a bitch! What did you just say? Hey, how old are you?"
Son Baegin hollered back, "Shut up! Even if the Savage Beast Gang is a mafia syndicate, innocent women and children were killed! This is no ordinary murder case! Do you want to spend some time in jail, huh? If you say one more word, I'll throw you in the prisons along with the perp!"
Eom Baekyang flinched, seemingly intimidated by Son Baegin's fierce aura.
Seizing the opportunity, Son Baegin gave the order. "Gather every document on that guy Lim Ho and everyone working at that warehouse. Don't miss a single one. If anyone tries to obstruct you, no matter their rank, arrest them all!"
The officers rushed in and began confiscating documents. No one dared to stop them. When they were finished, Son Baegin turned to leave.
"If Lim Ho is convicted, you won't be spared either," he warned, before storming out the door.
When they were gone, the cowering expression on Eom Baekyang's face disappeared. Reverting to his true self, he asked, "Someone's scheming against us, aren't they?"
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"Yes. Definitely," Hong Sabaek replied.
"First, we need to find out where Crimson Tiger was taken," Eom Baekyang commanded.
"I'm on it," Im Yeongdal said, drafting the commands to mobilize the spies.
Eom Baekyang's expression was grim. It might have been a coincidence. Crimson Tiger could have been involved in a murder case by chance, with no connection to the First Young Lord's mission. Still, it felt far too unlikely to dismiss this mess as mere happenstance.
"It's suspicious. No matter how Crimson Tiger is involved in this, the inspectors arrived too early," Hong Sabaek whispered. "It feels like someone is deliberately targeting us."
Only they and the highest ranking leaders of the Association knew the cover identities of the Twelve Phantoms. Naturally, they had to tread carefully.
Eom Baekyang silently regarded Hong Sabaek and the other Radiant Hall strategists. They all wore similar expressions on their faces.
"We should operate under the assumption that they're targeting Crimson Tiger, not Lim Ho," Im Yeongdal suggested.
Eom Baekyang nodded. There might be smarter men somewhere in the Central Plains, but he trusted these men more than anyone else.
Except for the newcomer Jo Birang, the rest had worked alongside him for at least five years. Hong Sabaek, in particular, had been by his side for over a decade. These were the men who had acted as his hands and feet.
Even so, he couldn't tell them about the First Young Lord's orders. If he could share the full story, they would definitely be able to respond more effectively.
The thought left him with a lingering sense of regret.
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"Mobilize our entire spy network! We need to get to the bottom of this case!"
The interrogator's fierce gaze bore into Crimson Tiger, striving to intimidate the man seated across from him.
Crimson Tiger's acupoints were sealed, preventing him from using qi, while iron shackles bound his wrists and ankles. He could easily unseal his acupoints if he wanted, and the shackles would crumble like tofu under his strength. However, this was not the right time to escape by force.
"Why did you go to the Savage Beast Gang headquarters?"
"I didn't go there."
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"There are witnesses."
"That's impossible. They must have mistaken me for someone else."
"The witness identified you precisely."
"That's a lie. Let me meet them."
"Why? So you can kill them too?"
"……"
"Why did you go to the Savage Beast Gang headquarters? To seek revenge?"
"I didn't go there."
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"Denying it won't help you, it will only extend your time here indefinitely."
Just then, the door opened, and Son Baegin entered.
"You said you didn't know about the Savage Beast Gang?"
"Yes."
"And that you've never met them?"
"Yes."
"Lies. All lies," Son Baegin sneered coldly, annoyed at Crimson Tiger's curt replies.
He snapped his fingers, and the Inquisition officers brought in two people—the father and daughter pair who ran the food stand.
Crimson Tiger sighed inwardly. When the bodies of the thugs he had dealt with at the food stall had disappeared, he suspected something like this would happen.
Seeing the child clinging to her father's hand, looking utterly frightened and on the verge of tears, he smiled warmly at her. On the inside, however, he was furious.
What good was a child's testimony? It was clear that she had been brought here only to put pressure on her father. Well, that was simply how the organization worked. As long as the outcome was favorable, the methods were irrelevant.
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Glaring intimidatingly at the stall owner, Son Baegin snarled, "You saw that man last night, didn't you? If you dare lie to us, prepare to spend the rest of your life rotting in prison!"
Despite the threatening atmosphere, the stall owner hesitated, afraid to bring harm to his savior.
Crimson Tiger consoled gently, "Just tell them the truth. I'm innocent, so it's okay."
"Shut up!" Son Baegin roared.
Crimson Tiger gave the stall owner a reassuring look.
At Son Baegin's insistence, the stallholder finally admitted meekly, "This gentleman visited my stall last night."
"Continue."
"He stopped some men from the Savage Beast Gang who were causing trouble."
"How?"
"Well… he knocked them out by striking their necks with his hand."
"He knocked them out by striking their necks with his hand? What do you mean?"
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Crimson Tiger scoffed. The Inquisition was desperate to find a connection between him and the massacre, but how was a testimony about a food stand scuffle related to him being at the Savage Beast headquarters?
"I didn't see clearly."
"Hmm… So he possesses incredible martial arts skills, is that it?"
"It's not that. I mean, it was dark, so I couldn't see…"
"Enough. What happened next?"
"He dragged away the unconscious men. That's all I know."
Having finished his testimony, the stall owner hung his head in guilt.
Son Baegin grinned wickedly at Crimson Tiger. "Hmph! Will you still deny it after this?"
At that moment, a officer hurried in and whispered something into Son Baegin's ear.
"Really?" Son Baegin asked, before hastily leaving the room.
Meanwhile, the officer moved to escort the father and daughter away.
"Please take good care of your child," Crimson Tiger said to the stall owner.
The stall owner bowed his head deeply, and his daughter waved at Crimson Tiger. Despite her young age, she seemed to understand that he was helping her and her father.
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Over the child's innocent face, another face overlapped.
At that moment, he recalled his Master's words.
I brought my ear close to the baby's face.
"I can hear her breathing," Master said, though he stood at the end of the veranda, his back turned to me as he worked on something. I had tiptoed silently toward him, but to his ears, my footsteps probably sounded like thunder.
"Of course you can," I chucked awkwardly. "You can hear the breathing of a thief sneaking into the house, so how can you not hear a baby's breathing?"
"You'd be surprised. She sleeps so soundly and quietly."
I walked away from the bed and sat cross-legged on the veranda, but not even five minutes later, I returned to the baby's side.
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"I was worried that the blanket was covering her face."
"As if that would happen."
"Do you think she's cold?"
"Sigh… If you're going to be so damned paranoid, why not just tie her up? After all, she might fly away when you're not looking!"
Grinning sheepishly, I quietly sat down on the veranda and gazed at the baby in silence. I had already been living with her for ten days, but it still didn't feel real. With the help of a village woman, we somehow managed to keep her fed, and she slept most of the day.
Simply watching her gentle breathing filled my heart with peace.
"Is it normal for babies to sleep this much?"
"Probably. Also, why did you sleep outside last night?"
"Well… I was afraid that I would accidentally toss and turn in bed."
I didn't have any bad sleeping habits, but the thought that I might accidentally roll onto my daughter terrified me so much that I found sleeping at the edge of a cliff more comfortable than sleeping beside her.
"Sorry, Master. I didn't know I'd be so high-strung," I apologized. In front of Master, who had been a bachelor all his life, it felt rude to act so thoughtlessly.
Master's hands froze.
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"…It's fine. All parents are like that in front of their child," he whispered.
There was a distant longing in his voice, but I didn't dare ask him about it.
Without turning around, Master asked, "By the way, aren't you going to name your daughter?"
"Well, I did think about that, but…"
I had thought about it for a few days, but since I knew nothing about naming, the conclusion was obvious—nothing came to mind.
"Want me to name her for you?"
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"A-Are you really okay with that?"
"How much would you pay me for it?"
Master glanced at me and smirked. Lately, he had been smiling so often that it was hard to get used to.
I looked back at the baby, feeling like I could sit and watch her all day long. My heart had never raced with such joy before, and every time the village woman told me how much my daughter looked like me, I almost fainted with happiness.
How long did I stare at the child like that?
"Are you worried?"
I lifted my head to find Master looking at me. "What do you mean?"
"It's written all over your face, you know."
I must have unconsciously tensed up. Although having a child was a good thing, I simply couldn't shake off my worries.
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Could I raise this child well?
I also had a dream that I hadn't told Master yet. After I completed the Asura's Eight Narakas, I wanted to roam the jianghu freely, staying when I wanted to stay and leaving when I wanted to leave. I didn't want to cut ties with the mundane world and live like Master, and I knew he wouldn't force that on me.
But could I still achieve that dream?
I knew it wasn't right to have such selfish thoughts in front of the child. I couldn't bring myself to tell Master, and yet I couldn't get those doubts out of my mind.
"Don't worry, the child will grow up well."
"Uh huh."
"…Alright, it's done."
Master stood up and walked toward me, carrying a small basket woven from bamboo. He placed a soft mat inside, then gently laid the baby down in it.
It was a cradle for the baby!
"You can't just keep staring at the child's face forever, can you? But you also can't leave her alone on the bed, so I made this for you. Now, come with me. It's time to get back to your training," he said, picking up the cradle and walking to the backyard.
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Our training ground was the spacious backyard with the cliff behind it. Among the marks carved into the cliff, the ones up to fifteen meters high were left by me, and the terrifying ones up to sixty meters high were left by Master. Seeing them always filled me with awe and made me wonder if I could ever achieve something so extraordinary that I couldn't even muster the courage to be jealous.
Master placed the cradle on the old stump where he always sat.
"Huh? Isn't that your spot, Master?" I asked, flustered.
Master chuckled warmly, "This spot has good fengshui. I know because I've sat here many times. Besides, after spending twenty years polishing it smooth with my backside, where else could you find a better seat? From now on, this will be the little one's spot."
He placed a small stool in front of the stump and sat down in front of the baby in case I made a mistake while training.
"It's just the two of us, so what can we do? We can only take care of her like this while you train."
The smile on his normally stern face was so warm.
I was so moved that I that I didn't know what to say, so I knelt down on the spot. "Master."
Master looked back at the baby. "Let's watch your father's clumsy martial arts together, like a grandfather and granddaughter, okay?"
The baby, who had woken up at some point, smiled beautifully as if she understood Master's words.
"Hahaha! Alright, show us what you've got, baby's father."
I drew my sword.
The truth was, I had been stuck at the Fifth Naraka for two years, and I still didn't know why I couldn't go beyond it. After every training session Master would tell me that my body was too heavy and stiff. That was it. No matter how lightly I tried to move, even when I felt that my swings were too light, Master always shook his head.
SWISH! SWOOSH! WHOOSH!
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My sword moved through the air as if dancing. From the First Naraka to the Fourth, I executed them all in one breath. Then came the dreaded Fifth Naraka…but today, my concentration was unusually bad. How could I train properly when all I could think of was to finish quickly and run to see the baby? I wanted to hold her so, so badly.
Only a small part of me tried just a little bit harder, fearing that Master might notice I was distracted.
…Meh, it's fine even if I get scolded. I don't care.
I swung my sword carelessly, nowhere near having full control over my movements. Then, after completing the Fifth Naraka, I scratched my head and looked at Master apologetically.
"Good!"
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I hung my head. 'Good' was what Master usually said right before he scolded me severely.
"From tomorrow onwards, I'll teach you the Sixth Naraka!"
"Huh?" I widened my eyes in disbelief.
"The Fifth is fine as it is."
I was happy but also bewildered. "Master! But…why? Wasn't I especially terrible today?"
"Were you distracted?" Master asked calmly.
"Yes," I admitted.
Master smiled. "Do you know why you couldn't complete the Fifth for so long?"
"No."
"It was because you were too eager to do well."
"I had a feeling it was like that, so I've tried to empty my mind many times."
I still didn't understand. How many times had I tried to clear my mind in the past two years? Why was it only okay now?
"That still counts as a conscious effort."
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"…!"
"Just now, for a brief moment, you experienced something like a state of selflessness. That's not something anyone can achieve with conscious effort. It was only possible because of the countless repetitions in your usual training. To be honest, your body had already surpassed the realm of the Fifth some time ago, but you were held back by your own stress and anxiety."
"You knew that all along?"
"Of course."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"While teaching you, I also learned and realized many things. Traditionally, teaching is conducted using two approaches: lecturing or giving the student a challenge to overcome. You're a smart child, so I could have explained it to you. However, I believe you'll feel a much greater sense of accomplishment if you overcome it yourself. Therefore, even if it takes more time, I think this approach is the right one."
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I stared at Master silently. In relationships between people, there is always some kind of catalyst. A catalyst for meeting, and a catalyst for parting. At times, you find yourselves growing closer all of a sudden. Other times, you drift apart as if you were strangers. Sometimes, you come to a sudden realization about the other person or about the relationship itself.
It was only after the baby arrived that I realized I had preconceived notions about Master. I had believed him to be cold and unfeeling, when in fact he was someone with a very warm heart. Looking back, Master had always been kind. Nothing had changed about him. The only difference was how I had regarded him.
Today was the first gift the baby gave me—a truly special day.
However, it wasn't over yet.
Master had prepared a gift for me too.
"I've thought of a name for the baby," he said.
"What is it?"
"How about Seohyeon? Seo (徐) meaning 'tranquil,' and Hyeon (炫) meaning 'brilliant.'"
"Seohyeon, Seohyeon… I love it! I love it so much."
Overjoyed, I ran over and lifted my baby daughter high up in the air.
"From now on, your name is Seohyeon… and since your daddy's name is Kwon Kangho, that makes you Kwon Seohyeon! Hahaha!"
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With the clear, cloudless sky behind her, Kwon Seohyeon giggled happily.
"Lim Ho!"
A booming voice snapped Crimson Tiger out of his reverie. The blue sky faded away, replaced by the dreary gray walls of the interrogation room.
Son Baegin re-entered the room, a triumphant expression on his face. "We've found the corpses of those two Savage Beast gang members you killed."
As expected, Crimson Tiger thought, but he flatly denied the accusations against him again, claiming, "I just knocked them unconscious and let them go. I don't know what happened after that."
Son Baegin narrowed his eyes. "Are you still refusing to confess?"
"I did not kill them. They were probably killed by the same culprits who annihilated the Savage Beast Gang," Crimson Tiger declared confidently, knowing that there was no evidence on the corpses of those gang members that would prove he had killed them. Assassination was his specialty, after all.
"Hmph! Deny it all you want, but you're finished now."
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Son Baegin turned to leave.
Before he could walk away, however, Crimson Tiger suddenly asked, "Do you have any children?"
"So what if I don't?"
"I thought so. If you did, you wouldn't have dragged that child all the way in here earlier."
"What?"
"Please don't do that again."
Son Baegin glared at Crimson Tiger as if he wanted to devour him. What gives a mere warehouse manager accused of murder such confidence? Argh, everything and everyone related to the Radiant Hall is infuriating!
"You'll confess soon enough," he snarled.
Leaving the interrogation room, Son Baegin met the Vice Captain of the Inquisition, Ha Jin.
"He's an unlucky bastard, but he's not responsible for the massacre," Son Baegin said.
He was well informed about the Savage Beast Gang. There were several skilled swordsmen in their ranks, not just common thugs. For an ordinary warehouse manager to be able to annihilate them was inconceivable, but more importantly, Lim Ho had no motive.
He'd only treated the man like a criminal because of orders from above.
"It doesn't matter. Just pressure him so hard that he can't even breathe and keep him locked up for about fifteen days," Ha Jin replied.
The Inquisition sometimes knowingly arrested innocent people. Unless someone completely committed to avoiding even a trace of corruption became the Captain of the Inquisition, the problem was inevitable.
Every day, dozens of reports flooded in—pleas to address injustices, demands for action, requests for intervention, and complaints about the perceived unfairness of the Inquisition's decisions. Such was the nature of the Inquisition.
"Where did the orders come from?"
Ha Jin shrugged, saying he didn't know either.
Son Baegin was startled. The fact that the Vice Captain didn't know meant the orders came from very high up.
Glancing back, he looked at Lim Ho through the small window in the iron door.
Just what the hell did that guy do? Did he have an affair with the captain's wife or something?
Translator's Note: Now that Crimson Tiger's real name is revealed, I can explain the novel title pun.
The protagonist's name Kangho uses the Chinese characters for "jianghu (江湖)". The novel title "Joldae Kangho (絶代强虎)" uses the hanja characters "strong tiger (强虎)" for Kangho, with 4 possible interpretations: the protagonist's name and the jianghu by sound, and his codename Crimson Tiger (Jeokho, 赤虎), or "strong tiger" as a metaphor for a powerful warrior from the hanja.
Since "Absolute Strong Tiger" sounds horrible in English, I decided on "Absolute Warrior" instead, opting for the more abstract meaning.
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