Absolute Warrior V1C10: The Night Before the Mission
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After rescuing the Director, Crimson Tiger stayed at the safe house as instructed until finally, a visitor came knocking.
"You're still up, right?"
It was Yeon's voice. Getting up, Crimson Tiger walked out of the house, where he found Yeon standing in a corner of the yard, looking apologetic for disturbing him so late at night.
Ironically, while he, the one who had been arrested and imprisoned by the Inquisition, looked well rested, Yeon appeared weary and haggard, with bloodshot eyes as if she hadn't slept in days.
For a moment, he briefly wondered what her life as a handler was like.
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"Did you have dinner?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Wait here for a while." Crimson Tiger walked back indoors, and soon returned with a steaming cup of tea. "Here, have some tea. It'll help you relax."
Yeon's eyes widened, flustered by the unexpected hospitality.
Crimson Tiger pointed to a large rock in the yard. "Shall we sit down over there?"
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The two sat down side by side.
"Thank you," Yeon whispered. Turning her face away from Crimson Tiger, she removed her mask, blew on the hot tea and took a sip.
Crimson Tiger glanced at her silently. Was her back always this small? No, have I ever been this close to her? Probably not, since I'm the one who's always keeping her at a distance.
At the same time, Yeon savored her tea slowly, also in deep thought. I wonder if this is the first and last time he'll ever treat me like this. After all, in our line of work, we can never be sure if we'll survive another day.
Looking down, she could see the moon reflected in her teacup.
When I finish the tea, this moon will disappear too.
That was why she left a little bit in the cup.
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Putting her mask back on, she turned around and said brightly, "The tea was delicious!"
"I'm glad." Crimson Tiger forced a faint smile, suddenly feeling a little guilty for his usual indifference. "Anyway, my next mission's been decided, right?"
"…Yes," Yeon said gravely. She hesitantly pulled the mission file out of her shirt pocket and handed it to him.
Crimson Tiger's heart sank. Just her expression and that moment's pause was enough to tell him this wasn't an ordinary mission. He read the mission details slowly and carefully, then returned the document to Yeon.
"You know what it says, right?" he asked.
Officially, handlers like Yeon were not supposed to know anything about the Phantoms' work. However, since they were the ones acting as intermediaries between the Phantoms and Radiant Hall, they ended up being exposed to many operational details.
Smiling, Yeon took the mission file back and flipped through it again. She knew what Crimson Tiger meant. This was the most difficult, dangerous mission he had received since the one two years ago… No, it might be even worse.
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"You've been ordered to assassinate the Ironblood Commander," she said.
Crimson Tiger nodded, but honestly, he was bewildered. The Ironblood Commander was a famous figure, to the point where even Choi, who guarded the nineteenth gate of the Association, and the truant Gong Cheol had heard of him. The Nine Ironblood Brigades were simply that notorious.
Furthermore, this mission was most definitely connected to the earlier rescue operation. At first glance, it seemed like the Nine Ironblood Brigades were behind the Radiant Hall Director's kidnapping, and this mission was retaliation for it, but he knew that wasn't the case.
There was no way the Evil Coalition would hire the Seven Wolves to kidnap the Radiant Hall Director.
In that case, there was only one answer—there was more to this mission than it appeared.
As usual, Yeon asked, "Will you refuse this mission?"
Crimson Tiger chuckled softly and shook his head. I wonder what the consequences would be if I refused a mission this important?
"When do we depart?"
"Six hours from now, right before daybreak, but there's a problem."
"A problem?"
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Yeon shuffled her feet uncomfortably, but just as she opened her mouth to answer, Crimson Tiger shushed her and stared past the door into the darkness outside.
Someone was approaching the safe house.
As the person came into view, Crimson Tiger's eyes flickered in recognition. That's… Deputy Director Eom Baekyang.
"Oho! I'm surprised you remember me," Eom Baekyang exclaimed, noting the look in Crimson Tiger's eyes.
Seven years ago, the two had met when Crimson Tiger had first joined the Twelve Phantoms. Since all communication was handled through the handlers though, until now, that was the first and last time they had seen each other.
"If you want to survive in the jianghu for a long time, you need to have a good memory," Crimson Tiger remarked.
Eom Baekyang chuckled, then turned to Yeon. "Please leave us for a moment. I wish to speak with Agent Crimson Tiger in private."
"Yes, sir." Yeon bowed and left.
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Eom Baekyang studied Crimson Tiger carefully, feeling an unexpected surge of emotion. It was hard to believe that seven years had already passed since they had started working together.
Back then, he hadn't expected Crimson Tiger to last this long. Like most of the Twelve Phantoms, Crimson Tiger just had a fierce, detached air about him, but nothing else particularly memorable, except for one thing.
During their first meeting, when he had asked Crimson Tiger why he applied to be one of the Twelve Phantoms, the man had replied that it was because he needed a lot of money.
Nevertheless, it wasn't this answer that he found memorable, but the fact that back then, he had a hunch that Crimson Tiger was lying.
Ever since then, he occasionally wondered what had given him that impression, but now, seeing Crimson Tiger again, he understood why.
This man's eyes were way too clear for a mere money grubber.
Crimson Tiger eyed Eom Baekyang warily. Although he didn't say anything, it was obvious from his expression that he wanted to know why Eom Baekyang was here in person.
He couldn't rule out the possibility that this was an ambush, that Eom Baekyang had come to eliminate him. However, as far as he could tell, there were no assassins or bodyguards hidden nearby.
Seemingly reading Crimson Tiger's thoughts, Eom Baekyang chuckled. "Relax. I'm not stupid enough to come here in person just to kill you."
It was a joke meant to lighten the mood, but Crimson Tiger didn't find it funny.
Eom Baekyang cleared his throat awkwardly. "Fine, I'll get to the point. You received a mission, right?"
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"Yes."
"The assassination of the Ironblood Commander."
Crimson Tiger nodded.
"Actually, there's one hidden mission that wasn't written down in the official documents."
"What is it?" Crimson Tiger narrowed his eyes. Now things are getting serious.
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Eom Baekyang lowered his voice. "We need you to kill one more person."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"What?" Crimson Tiger's eyebrow twitched in disbelief. Judging by Eom Baekyang's serious expression though, he wasn't joking. Forcing himself to calm down, he said, "Please explain what you mean."
"You know about how when martial artists join the Nine Ironblood Brigades, they have to abandon their original names and are given new code names? Because of that, we don't know what the target is currently known by, only that his birth name was Baek Sowoon."
Crimson Tiger nodded, but he was still baffled. I can understand why the Association would want to kill the Ironblood Commander, but why on earth would they go after a low-ranked member? Just who is Baek Sowoon really?
Eom Baekyang continued, "Anyway, to find out who Baek Sowoon is, you'll need to officially join the Nine Ironblood Brigades."
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Crimson Tiger's face hardened. The mission had just become twice as difficult. Killing a leader and a subordinate from the same organization was much harder than killing two people from different organizations. The moment one of them died, the organization was bound to take action.
Regardless, his biggest problem with the mission was the secrecy of it all.
"Why is Baek Sowoon's assassination not part of the official mission request?" he asked.
"Because the mission to kill Baek Sowoon is unofficial. No one else must know about his existence," Eom Baekyang replied.
"……" After a brief silence, Crimson Tiger sighed softly. "The real target of this mission is Baek Sowoon, isn't it? The Ironblood Commander is just a bonus."
Eom Baekyang nodded silently.
Crimson Tiger sighed even more deeply. He had a feeling that all the recent incidents were tied to this mission, and he desperately wanted to get out of it.
"Can I refuse this mission?" he asked.
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"No," Eom Baekyang replied firmly.
"What if I refuse anyway?"
"Betrayal by any of the Twelve Phantoms is punishable by death. We have no choice. It would be costly to kill you, but we would succeed eventually."
Crimson Tiger closed his eyes. Eom Baekyang was right. He couldn't fight the massive organization that was the New Righteous Association alone. Maybe, if he was incredibly lucky, he could escape and live in hiding, but that wasn't an option for him.
There was a reason he needed to remain here no matter what.
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Fixing Eom Baekyang with a piercing stare, he asked, "Why me?"
"Because you're the only one who can do it."
"There's a problem."
"What is it?"
"To infiltrate the Nine Ironblood Brigades, I'll have to take off my human skin mask."
"Indeed. Human skin masks don't work there, and they also do a thorough background check."
"I don't want to reveal my real face," Crimson Tiger insisted firmly. This was probably the problem that Yeon wanted to mention earlier. She knew he hated showing his real face.
Eom Baekyang nodded. "I know, so I prepared this for you."
He pulled a thin booklet from his pocket, entitled "The Thousand Transformations Hundred Faces Art".
Crimson Tiger's eyes widened. This was a priceless martial art that all secret agents dreamed of learning. If one mastered this technique, they could instantly transform into a different person, even someone they had just met.
It was a martial art said to be extinct, yet here it was.
Also, although he didn't know it, this was the very same technique that the woman he'd slept with earlier used to change her face and voice.
"It'll take a long time to achieve complete mastery, but all you need right now is one other face," Eom Baekyang added.
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Crimson Tiger's heart sank. He was being given this priceless martial art just for the sake of this mission, but the mission itself wasn't what concerned him the most.
The problem was what happened after. He was afraid of the cleanup. Surely, the mastermind would want to erase everyone who knew about the secret target.
Seeing Crimson Tiger's expression, Eom Baekyang pleaded, "I know what you're thinking, but please trust us this time."
"You're wrong. Even if you died and reincarnated, someone like you will never know what goes on in my mind."
Crimson Tiger sighed again and tucked the manual into his shirt pocket. If he was already chosen, then there was nothing he could do about it. He was well aware of the organization's true hypocritical nature beneath its righteous facade.
"You can keep that manual. Think of it as a special bonus for this mission," Eom Baekyang said, before taking out yet another envelope from his pocket and handing it to Crimson Tiger.
Inside were three promissory notes for ten thousand silver each, for a total of thirty thousand.
"If you succeed, your reward for this mission… well, you'll be breaking your own record."
As Eom Baekyang said, this was the highest reward ever offered for a mission, even more than the ridiculously dangerous one from two years ago, and that didn't even include the value of the martial arts manual.
"Your handler will give you a new identity to use when applying to the Nine Ironblood Brigades. They won't be able to discover your true identity, but you must learn every detail of your new persona. Even if you're half asleep, you must be able to answer any question about it."
Crimson Tiger nodded silently.
"I'm sorry, but we won't be able to offer you any kind of support. From infiltration to escape, this is a solo mission. As always, your life and success depend entirely on you and your handler."
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"Okay."
"One more thing! Don't tell your handler about the secret mission."
Crimson Tiger nodded gravely. Just who is this Baek Sowoon that I have to deceive Yeon as well?
Eom Baekyang rose from his seat. As he was about to leave, he glanced back. "Do you remember the day we first met?" he suddenly asked.
Crimson Tiger nodded.
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"Do you remember what you said? That you joined the Twelve Phantoms to earn money? Has that changed?"
"No."
"Why are you so obsessed with money?"
Crimson Tiger didn't answer.
Seeing that he was unwilling to talk, Eom Baekyang apologized, "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. I will be praying for your success. Goodbye."
He stepped out and vanished into the darkness.
Crimson Tiger looked up at the sky.
Only the faint rushing sound of a creek in the distance disturbed the tranquility of the moonlit night.
The serene atmosphere overlapped with one from long ago, dragging Crimson Tiger down into memory lane.
SPLASH!
"The ears! Careful with the ears!" I shouted, panicking.
Giggling, the woman bathing Seohyeon teased, "Hyeon, your father's soooo worried that your little baby ears will get filled with water."
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I immediately protested, "That's not…"
The woman nonchalantly flipped Seohyeon over.
"Whoa!"
My heart was pounding like crazy. Despite knowing that she was a skilled caretaker who had raised four children of her own, every one of her movements seemed dangerous to me, especially after a comment she had made the last time she had bathed the baby.
"It's fine if some water gets in her ears."
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Honestly, that was like a bolt from the blue to me. Water in Seohyeon's ears? In those tiny little ears? Was the woman going to use Samadhi True Fire to dry them or something?
Anyway, almost eight months have passed since we began taking care of Seohyeon. Under the combined efforts of Master, me, and the women in town, she was growing rapidly and healthily.
Still, I didn't dare to bathe her myself.
"Ahh! C-Careful…"
As if she found my reactions amusing, the woman splashed even more water on the baby.
Just then, Master came in, grabbed my ear and dragged me outside.
"OWWWWWW!"
"You good-for-nothing idiot!"
"But Seohyeon's ears almost got completely submerged!"
"Anyone listening to you talk would think she was about to be captured by water demons!" the woman laughed from inside the bathroom.
Master shook his head helplessly.
The truth was, he was the one who was always by Seohyeon's side.
Moreover, now that she could crawl and roll, she wouldn't stay still in her cradle, so he had already made two bigger cradles.
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Interestingly, whenever he made something for Seohyeon, he was always smiling broadly.
"By the way, what's this?" I asked, pointing to a roll of treated bear leather on a table.
"I'm planning to make Seohyeon some shoes. It's getting cold, and…"
I gaped at Master in disbelief. Seohyeon couldn't even walk yet, and even if she could, I wasn't about to let her go outside in the cold.
Well, judging by how he was absolutely obsessed with making stuff for Seohyeon lately, when he was finished with the shoes, he would probably make her a matching fur coat.
Whatever. As long as he was enjoying himself.
Just then, the woman came outside, carrying Seohyeon. "Our little Seohyeon is truly loved by her father and grandfather."
Smiling, I took Seohyeon from her, and the baby grinned at me, feeling delighted after a bath.
I never imagined a child could bring me such happiness.
I smiled back at her. "I'll never scold this child! I'll raise her to be the most spoiled brat ever!"
"Hohoho!" Master laughed.
It was then.
"Papa, papa!"
Shocked, I blinked. "Did you hear that? She just said 'papa'! She called me papa!"
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Maybe she wasn't actually calling me. Maybe it was just random baby babble. However, it definitely sounded like 'papa' to me.
The woman humored me, "Oh, you're right! Congratulations, sir."
I grinned from ear to ear. "Yes, that's right. I'm your papa. Hahahaha!"
The moon slipped behind a veil of clouds, and the happy faces and bright laughter faded away.
Crimson Tiger stood alone in the darkened courtyard, watching Yeon slowly approach from the shadows beyond the gate.
"This mission will be very difficult," Yeon remarked.
Crimson Tiger slowly drew his sword from its scabbard. Gazing at the glinting blade, he said calmly, "Have I ever had an easy mission before?"
Yeon felt her heart ache. She could tell from Crimson Tiger's words how badly he wanted to refuse this mission.
"It doesn't matter how hard it is. Even if I was ordered to destroy the world, I would do it."
"Why?"
Yeon didn't say it out loud, but confusion was evident in her eyes. Why? Why are you so desperate?
The clouds drifted by, and moonlight once again lit up the surroundings.
Crimson Tiger stared dazedly at his reflection on the surface of the sword. In the dim light, his piercing eyes resembled those of a tiger.
"As long as I still have a reason to live, I will never fail!"
{Volume 1 End}
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