Absolute Warrior V3C5: Sa Gon
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TL: FoodieMonster007 If you see this, you are at the wrong site!
Jin Chung pulled his bamboo hat down low as he walked silently through a filthy, fetid alley that most avoided out of fear. In front of him, a scrawny dog barked next to a drunken man, while behind him, menacing looking thugs leaned against a wall, snickering.
The ruffians stared at Jin Chung, but seeing his hat pulled low, the sword at his waist, and his steady, unhesitating stride, they dared not pick a fight.
A man stood in front of a small iron door at the end of the alley. His clothes were no different from those of the thugs, but his aura was completely different. He was a man of the jianghu, and a martial master at that.
The moment he saw Jin Chung, he opened the door without a word.
Jin Chung stepped inside. He walked down a narrow corridor for some time before reaching another door. Another man stood there, also a master like the previous one. Again, the man opened the door silently.
This time, as Jin Chung entered, a deafening roar blasted into his ears.
"Woaaaaah!"
It was an underground coliseum. Two men were locked in a bloody struggle inside an iron cage while spectators roared and cheered for the fighter they had bet on.
As the bloody battle reached its climax, the arena was so filled with screams and curses that you couldn't even hear the person next to you.
After watching the duel for a moment, Jin Chung moved on. Two men blocking the entrance to the stairs leading to the second floor stepped aside to make way for him, and he continued on.
Finally, overlooking the coliseum on the first floor, he found the man he sought. With his neat appearance, he looked like a merchant at first glance, but a closer look revealed the aura of a ruthless martial artist.
"Long time no see," the man greeted.
His name was Sa Gon, and he made his living running this underground coliseum. However, this was merely a cover identity. His true profession was that of an assassin.
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However, Sa Gon disliked being called an assassin. He preferred to be known as a jianghu problem solver who sometimes took on assassination requests. He was also particularly cruel and vicious, the type who would not hesitate to cut down children and women as long as he was paid to do so.
"I have a job for you," Jin Chung said bluntly, handing Sa Gon an envelope.
He had entrusted Sa Gon with several jobs before. One might wonder why someone serving the First Young Lord of the Association would ever hire an assassin, but surprisingly, it was a frequent necessity.
Setting aside the succession struggle, someone in the First Young Lord's position inevitably encountered situations that couldn't be handled officially. Individuals who clearly needed to be eliminated, yet couldn't be dealt with directly.
Jin Chung hired Sa Gon to eliminate such targets, and the man had never let him down. The targets had even included peak masters, but even though Sa Gon looked like a third-rate gang boss, he always completed the contract without fail. His skills were undeniably top-notch.
Sa Gon's eyes widened in surprise as he examined the bank check inside. It was for a staggering five thousand taels, the largest amount ever offered for one of his contracts.
His eyes flashed intensely. "To warrant such a high payment, who is the target?"
The usual price for killing a person was two or three hundred taels, which was already a considerable amount.
"Someone whose skill matches that price," Jin Chung replied.
In truth, he felt that he should pay several times that amount. If he had the means, he would have gladly forked over twenty thousand or even thirty thousand taels, but five thousand was the maximum he could currently spend in secret. Rather, that amount would probably be discovered soon, but he could hold out until the job was done.
Additionally, if Sa Gon suspected that the target was worth too much, he would either try to extort more money or refuse the job altogether.
Sa Gon read the letter included with the bank note. "The Hundred Flavors Restaurant manager, Jin Ho? What exactly does he do?"
"He's an restaurant manager."
"Stop joking."
"He's a martial artist from a secret organization."
"A secret organization," Sa Gon narrowed his eyes. "You went to the trouble of raising him, so why kill him now?"
"The hunt is over."
"So you have no more need for him, hehehe… The deadline?"
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"The sooner, the better."
"Alright, I accept," Sa Gon nodded, asking no further questions. Five thousand taels was a sum he could hardly refuse. Lately, large contracts had been scarce, forcing him to send his men out even for jobs worth only a few dozen taels. The underground coliseum wasn't very profitable either, with too many vultures demanding better payouts.
Jin Chung stared at Sa Gon in silence. Truthfully, he wasn't the best choice to eliminate Crimson Tiger, but there were no other powerful assassins readily available. Besides, even if Sa Gon failed, his group posed the least risk of blowback.
Sa Gon was tight-lipped and reliable. His skills were above peak level, and his subordinates, whom he called his brothers, were also first-rate to peak level masters. If they set a perfect trap and ambush, even Crimson Tiger wouldn't be able to eliminate them all.
Since it had always been Jin Chung who dealt with him, not even the First Young Lord knew about Sa Gon's existence. Furthermore, he had never revealed his true identity to them, always conducting business with his bamboo hat. Sa Gon probably just thought of him as a swordsman working for a high-ranking Association official.
Jin Chung added, "There are conditions."
"What?"
"You must mobilize all your brothers and set up the best trap you can devise. Under no circumstances must you let your guard down."
Sa Gon sneered. "Who the hell is this guy that has you so worked up?"
He was confident. No matter how skilled the target, once marked by him, they were as good as dead. After all, assassination didn't rely on martial arts skill, but on assassination skill. And it was in that skill that they prided themselves on being the best.
"He is the most skilled agent in my organization."
"The whole jianghu is overflowing with peopole known as 'the best,'" Sa Gon quipped.
Jin Chung's expression hardened.
Sa Gon quickly smoothed over his joke with a laugh. "Understood. I'll do as you say."
Unknown to Jin Chung, Sa Gon was well aware of his true identity. Nevertheless, he went to great lengths to hide the fact that he knew the truth. If Jin Chung discovered that he was in the know, the man would undoubtedly try to eliminate him one way or another.
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"Let me emphasize again. You must ensure utmost preparation," Jin Chung said gravely.
Jin Chung spun around and left.
As he made his way back through the crooked alleys, he looked up at the sky. He had not lived a life completely without shame. While assisting the First Young Lord, he had eliminated several political rivals. However, he had never once regretted it.
This time, however, he wasn't sure. He definitely had a reason to do this, but it was a purely selfish one.
Pulling down his bamboo hat, he murmured, "Forgive me, Crimson Tiger. When I meet you in the afterlife, I'll ask for your forgiveness then."
That night, about thirty men gathered in the now-empty dogfighting pit, shrouded in darkness. All of them had fierce, menacing eyes.
A man with a snake tattoo on his arm spoke to a man with a long scar across his face. "You bastard! You raped another woman, didn't you?"
The scar-faced man enjoyed violating the women associated with his targets. Sometimes he even deliberately visited the homes of those he'd murdered.
"It's a bonus, just a bonus."
A tall man standing nearby looked at Scarface. "You dirty son of a bitch! Maybe I should just cut it off?"
Though his words were harsh, he was smiling, and the men around him were the same. No one reprimanded him. Their vulgar language would shame third-rate thugs, yet their auras were first-rate. Each of them possessed skills that would earn them top status in any smaller group of assassins.
"Anyway, why did the boss call us all together?"
At the snake-tattooed man's question, Scarface whispered in a low voice, "Heheheh. Looks like something fun is about to happen."
Snake Tattoo grinned predatorily. "If you pull another crazy stunt again, there'll be big trouble. You alone are enough of a dick."
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"You're the filthy motherfucker!"
Everyone burst out laughing.
At that moment, Sa Gon arrived. Even though there were thirty ruthless men gathered, Sa Gon possessed an aura that overwhelmed them all, contrary to the business-like demeanor he wore when talking to Jin Chung.
Snake Tattoo asked impatiently, "Why have you summoned all of us?"
"A very lucrative request just came in," Sa Gon said quietly, looking around at them.
"How lucrative are we talking?"
"Five thousand taels."
Everyone's eyes widened. Sa Gon never lied to his subordinates. These were men tainted by every evil in the world, from murder and robbery to rape. He knew from experience that the worse the person, the better they were at detecting lies.
Therefore, his method of dealing with his subordinates was to be honest and split everyone's cut openly, making sure that everyone was well compensated.
If he was successful, he planned to take half of the five thousand taels and distribute the other half among his men. Since it was rare to find someone among them who saved money, renting out a small brothel just for them would surely please them.
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"Is it the Association Chairman's head that's at stake?"
Sa Gon smirked. "Crazy fool. Do you think the Chairman is only worth five thousand?"
"Then who is it?"
"One of the Association's secret agents."
"A secret agent? Ooh! Scary!" Snake Tattoo feigned fear, and everyone snickered.
Sa Gon's expression hardened at their disregard for the gravity of the situation. "Do you think our client is an idiot? Would a sane person just give away five thousand taels?"
"You know how much dirty money is floating around, don't you? Nine times out of ten, it's probably dirty money, especially if it's connected to the Association."
They all laughed in agreement.
Sa Gon snorted. "Don't be too presumptuous. This is no easy opponent."
"How tough can he be? So, what's the plan? Should we all go out?" the tall man asked, looking dissatisfied.
"You idiot. I'm coming with you as well."
"You too, Boss?"
"That's what the contract specified, and this client is important to us, so shut up. Let's finish this quickly and have a big feast afterward."
Everyone grinned with satisfaction.
Sa Gon warned again, "Be careful anyway. If you let your guard down just because we're together, you'll just die."
"Of course, it's one of the Association's secret agents, after all," Snake Tattoo replied, causing everyone to burst into laughter again.
Eventually, even Sa Gon couldn't help but chuckle. They were all together. It was impossible to be afraid of one man.
"When do we take him?"
Sa Gon replied smoothly, "The moment he steps out of the Association, of course."
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Crimson Tiger and Soeun strolled through the marketplace to buy ingredients for the abalone dish that the kitchen staff had requested earlier.
Normally, all the ingredients were sent by the food warehouse that oversaw all the kitchens within the Association. Each kitchen would submit its menu in advance, and the ingredients would be delivered accordingly. However, for special dishes like this, they had to source the ingredients themselves.
To be honest, Hong Maerang was astonished that Crimson Tiger would actually make good on his word. She had thought that he was just joking. Seriously, the more she saw of him, the more charming he became. She really felt like introducing him to a younger sister if she had one.
Anyway, this morning, they had received a message from a shop that Gong Suk frequented that the goods were ready, so Crimson Tiger and Soeun headed out to pick it up. It was the morning rush hour, and no one else could be spared, so the two people who were least needed at the Hundred Flavors Restaurant ended up becoming the errand runners.
The problem was, everyone who passed by would stop to stare at Soeun. Hers wasn't the kind of face one usually saw wandering around the marketplace. Of all the women Crimson Tiger had seen in his life, only one could match her beauty, the bitch who left Seohyeon behind and disappeared.
"How's work?" he asked.
"It's manageable," Soeun replied simply.
Crimson Tiger grinned. She was telling the truth. As an elite martial artist and former member of the Ironblood Nines, the work at the Hundred Flavors Restaurant surely posed no real physical challenge to her.
Soeun began nervously, "Um, there's something I wanted to ask you…"
"Go ahead."
"The woman the First Young Lord is marrying… what kind of person is she?"
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"Besides the fact that she's the precious daughter of Sword Heaven, I don't know much about her."
"I see." Soeun nodded to herself.
Crimson Tiger could tell how much pain she must be going through. He really wanted to lay it all out for her, whether it was her current situation, and the dangers she faced because of it. He wanted to tell her to forget everything and run away. He wanted to help her escape. But he couldn't… He couldn't.
The two of them arrived at the seafood shop. After picking up the prepackaged goods and heading back, Crimson Tiger suddenly suggested as they walked past an tavern, "Shall we have a drink before we return?"
"…Okay."
Although she readily agreed, Soeun tensed inwardly. When it came to situations involving alcohol, she was now like someone who was startled by a normal turtle after being bitten by a snapping turtle. The incident with the Ironblood Commander, whom she had trusted, had left a deep scar in her heart.
What if the manager got drunk and tried something? It was an unpleasant thought to even imagine, but if such a thing happened, she resolved to deal with it firmly. If she put her mind to it, she could definitely handle the likes of the Hundred Flavors Restaurant Manager.
Even if doing so would only reopen her psychological wound.
Of course, her assumption was wrong.
Crimson Tiger entered the tavern and Soeun followed him. Unknown to her, he had entered the tavern for another reason. The moment he picked up the goods, he had felt a tingling sensation at the back of his neck.
It was a very subtle sensation, but he knew this feeling well. Someone was watching him. Moreover, this watcher possessed considerable skill. If he was just walking down the street, he might not have noticed.
Well, it could be someone assigned by the Third Young Lady's faction to watch Soeun, or someone assigned by the First Young Lord's faction to spy on me.
Nevertheless, he didn't feel good about it. There was something… hostile about the gaze.
Crimson Tiger focused, trying to determine whether the hostility was directed at him or Soeun. He couldn't send her back alone until he clarified that, and if they went somewhere secluded, the pursuer would surely realize they'd been noticed and abandon the tail.
He sat down with his back to the entrance of the tavern, trying to lower the watcher's guard. Normally, someone who was aware that they were being followed would sit facing the entrance.
The feeling of being watched vanished temporarily. Even though they must have seen him sitting with his back to the door from outside, they hadn't followed him in.
How cautious.
Crimson Tiger knew this type. Such a prudent and stealthy person was too skilled to be wasted on mere surveillance.
An assassin, huh?!
Pretending to be oblivious, he ordered drinks and side dishes.
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Meanwhile, Soeun nervously watched Crimson Tiger's expression, unaware of the imminent danger. "Is there something you want to tell me?" she asked warily.
Crimson Tiger smiled good-naturedly. "Not really. I just felt like having a drink."
This was already the second time he was drinking with her in a tavern. The previous time, that day, he had almost murdered her. This time, he was in the opposite position. He had to protect her.
Looking at Crimson Tiger, Soeun wondered if she was overthinking. "Please pour me a cup as well."
Crimson Tiger filled her cup. Before, whenever Soeun felt depressed, she would go to an tavern and drink alone. Since escaping from the Evil Coalition, however, she hadn't touched a drop of alcohol. She was too uptight.
"Can you pour me another cup?"
Crimson Tiger silently refilled her cup. His continual concern for her wasn't because she was beautiful, but because she was the First Young Lord's daughter. Somehow, looking at her always reminded him of Seohyeon.
He drank freely to further lower the watcher's guard. His alcohol tolerance wasn't so terrible that a few cups would require him to purge the alcohol with qi.
About thirty minutes after they started drinking, the feeling of being watched finally returned, and Crimson Tiger instinctively sensed that the watcher had entered the tavern.
He didn't look at the entrance. His opponent was cautious, so he had to be even more so. Instead, he poured himself another drink and emptied the bottle.
Just then, a waiter passed by.
"Excuse me," Crimson Tiger called out to the waiter, subtly turning his head. He had deliberately timed the emptying of the bottle to coincide with the waiter's passing.
About ten customers near the entrance came into his view. The movement was so natural that the watcher was unlikely to suspect anything, but in that brief moment, one man caught his eye.
That's him!
Surprisingly, the man sat with his back to them. It wasn't a method that ordinary observers would choose, but a method that only a highly skilled expert in surveillance would use.
"Bring another bottle of liquor here," Crimson Tiger said.
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The waiter nodded eagerly. "Right away, sir!"
Crimson Tiger turned back around, and the waiter soon brought the liquor. After sharing one more cup with Soeun, he stood up.
"I need to relieve myself," he said, then headed toward the backyard, a small throwing knife palmed in his hand. He intended to throw it instantly if the man made a move on Soeun.
However, the man didn't budge.
So I'm the target, huh?
Knowing he was the target actually put his mind at ease.
Crimson Tiger quickly left a mark on the wall leading to the latrine, then returned to his seat. Contact with his handler was usually made through taverns, and this tavern was one of the prearranged locations.
"Can I ask you something?" Soeun said.
"What is it?"
"Do you know the First Young Lord well?"
Crimson Tiger shook his head.
"Oh."
"Why do you ask?"
Soeun fidgeted with her cup. "He asked you to teach him how to cook before, so I thought maybe you two were close."
"I'm sorry, but I don't know much about him either."
"Do you have a family, Manager?"
"…No."
"I see. Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry…"
"It's fine. I deliberately chose not to have a family."
"How is it? Living alone?"
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"If you only think about freedom, it's the best. Although…"
"Although?"
"If you think about quality of life, it's a shitshow."
Soeun smiled faintly. "So it's a choice between living alone to enjoy freedom and starting a family to improve your quality of life, is that it?"
"Something like that, haha," Crimson Tiger laughed hollowly. "Why? Do you miss your late mother?"
…Damn it. Do I really have any right to talk about family?
Soeun nodded affirmatively. It wasn't just her mother, she missed her father as well. Even though she felt that she should have been disappointed when they met, her impression of her father was good. She couldn't help but think that it would be nice to have a father like him. Not because he was powerful, just… it was that kind of indescribable feeling.
After watching her for a moment, Crimson Tiger said softly, "We shouldn't keep Head Maid Hong waiting too long. You should head back first."
"What about you, Manager?"
"I have some business to take care of before I go back."
"Alright." Soeun picked up the box and stepped out.
Crimson Tiger readied a throwing knife. Still, the man didn't attack Soeun and no other watcher followed her.
That confirms it. I'm their target.
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Sitting alone, Crimson Tiger emptied his cup again. He enjoyed a few more drinks, then stood up and turned towards the entrance. The watching man was heading out of the tavern a step ahead of him.
His intuition is astonishingly sharp, Crimson Tiger mused as he too exited the tavern.
Just as he reached the doorway, a man sitting right next to the entrance, who seemed to be about to get up, quietly sat back down. Then, as if drunk, he silently slumped over the table.
At least, that was how he appeared to those around him. In reality, a throwing knife was embedded in the man's chest, and blood was slowly dripping onto the floor.
The moment Crimson Tiger passed by, the man had struck at lightning speed, thrusting a hidden dagger at Crimson Tiger. However, Crimson Tiger had grabbed the man's wrist even faster, plunging the man's own dagger into his chest and forcing him back into his seat.
The exchange had happened so impossibly quickly that no one noticed what had transpired.
Without delay, Crimson Tiger left the tavern. The man hadn't gone far yet.
Suddenly, he turned, and their eyes met. This time, Crimson Tiger deliberately maintained eye contact.
Realizing that he'd been noticed, the man quickly turned and melted into the crowd.
Crimson Tiger trailed him. The market street was bustling with people, but neither he nor the man was in any hurry.
FWIP!
Reacting to the faint sound of a small projectile flying through the air, Crimson Tiger tilted his head and smoothly dodged the surprise attack while sweeping his hand across the air.
SWISH! SPLURT!
A passerby stumbled a few steps and crumpled to the ground, blood flowing freely from his neck. He had shot a poisoned needle out of his mouth, which Crimson Tiger dodged by tilting his head. Subsequently, Crimson Tiger had discreetly slit his throat with a throwing knife.
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"Aaaah! Someone's been killed!"
"Murder!"
There was a delayed commotion erupting behind him, but Crimson Tiger didn't look back, instead walking straight ahead.
The man he was tailing finally began to flee, veering off into a deserted alley.
Crimson Tiger sped up. Just as he rounded the corner into the alleyway, though, his eyes were momentarily blinded.
SHING!
A sharp blade lunged at him. Crimson Tiger swayed to the side as if drunk, then leaned into the attacker's space, his hand casually brushing against their armpit.
A man's body spun once in the air before crashing to the ground. His neck was broken.
Crimson Tiger broke into a sprint. A beggar sitting at the end of the alley caught his eye.
Hmph, no real beggar would hide in a deserted place like this, where there's no one to beg from.
SHWING!
He released another throwing knife. The beggar, who was just starting to rise, instantly fell backward, the throwing knife embedded in his neck.
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Crimson Tiger quickly turned down another alley, but the man who had watched him was nowhere to be seen.
He slowed down. There was a large warehouse building right in front of him, and his instincts told him that the man had gone inside.
Was he deliberately luring me here?
CREAK…
Crimson Tiger pushed open the door to the warehouse. The place was huge, piled high with sacks of rice, wooden crates, and all sorts of goods.
Stretching his senses, he entered cautiously. From every direction, he could detect dozens of hidden presences.
And there, at the very edge of the warehouse, was the man. He wasn't trying to run anymore.
So they were indeed luring me here, into a trap.
Crimson Tiger stopped about ten paces away from the man. From behind pillars and between stacks of cargo, men holding weapons revealed themselves. There were easily over thirty of them.
He surveyed his surroundings. The killing intent pouring out of his opponents was extraordinary. These were not thugs who had murdered people just once or twice, they were professional hitmen.
Sa Gon glared at Crimson Tiger. He was the man Crimson Tiger had followed. Until now, no target had ever noticed his surveillance, but today, that record was broken.
Of course, ultimately, the mission wasn't a complete failure. If the initial assassination attempt failed, his plan was to lure the target here and surround him.
He was confident. He had mobilized his entire team, and together, they had the power to take on an entire Association squad. Even Jin Chung of the Association stepped on thin ice around him.
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Wait. He should be panicking by now. Why does he still look so composed?
"You don't seem afraid of us," he remarked wryly.
Crimson Tiger asked, "How much did they pay you to kill me?"
Sa Gon smirked. Normally, he wouldn't say anything, but this target deserved an answer. "Five thousand taels," he replied.
"Is that the price of my life?"
"At first, I thought it was a lot. Seeing you now, though, I think I received far too little."
Even a first-rate expert would have had trouble fending off the series of assassination attempts earlier, but this man had handled them all effortlessly and followed him.
"Truly, you are unusual."
Sa Gon frowned. There was something different about the man before him, something that went beyond being a martial master. The masters Sa Gon had met before didn't feel that way. Whether their aura was gentle or fierce, they all had something in common.
Should I describe it as a neatly organized feeling?
Sa Gon actually liked that sensation. From his point of view, it was the opponent's weakness. The cleaner the room, the more fun it was to mess up.
Crimson Tiger, on the other hand, was different. He was a jumble of contradictions. He felt like a hazy fog, yet somehow distinct. He seemed approachable, yet stoic and dangerous.
It's hard to put it into words, like walking into an empty room that couldn't be messed up because there was nothing there.
CLANG! CLICK!
The warehouse door slammed shut, and the sound of it being locked from the outside followed.
Feeling slightly relieved, Sa Gon grinned wickedly. "That's the sound of the gates of hell closing."
"Let's start by gouging out his eyes."
"Cut off his arms and legs and throw them to the dogs."
"I heard there was a pretty little thing too. Let's quickly finish him off and have some fun with her."
"Khehehehe! After the Boss, we'll draw lots."
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"Fuck! I'll pass if I have to go after you."
All kinds of vicious words and lewd jokes poured out from the surrounding men. It was both their true nature and style to shake their opponent's composure before a fight.
Of course, Crimson Tiger didn't even snort in derision at the taunts.
Suddenly a man blurted out, "Wait, who closed the door?"
"What?"
"All our guys are in here."
"Wait, what?" Sa Gon quickly looked around. As the man said, everyone was present except for those who had already been killed. "Then who the hell shut the door?"
The assassins looked at each other. Until now, they had assumed that one of them had locked the door, since they had lured the prey into the trap.
Crimson Tiger grinned. The person who locked the door was Yeon. According to his senses, at the moment, she was leaning against the warehouse door, looking up at the sky.
There's no need for any further delays.
"We both kill people for money, so I won't feel sorry for killing you," he chuckled.
Sa Gon blinked, dumbfounded. "What? Who the hell are you?"
Instead of replying, Crimson Tiger drew his sword and filled it with qi.
WOOONG!
With a loud cry, Soul Crusher released a sharp aura.
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"Ask me that again when it's just the two of us left," he said.
"Huh?" Confused, Sa Gon's mind went blank for a moment.
In that instant, Crimson Tiger kicked off the ground and launched himself forward, shooting through the air like lightning.
SPLURT!
His sword pierced the neck of a man standing to his right.
SHWING!
The man next to him thrust his sword, but Crimson Tiger spun, dodging the blade and gliding past the man as fluidly as flowing water.
SHIIIING! CHWAAAK!
Soul Crusher slashed across the man's chest, and he collapsed without even screaming.
PAKPAKPAPAKPAK!
A shower of throwing knives rained down where Crimson Tiger had just stood, but it was too late. He was already out of range.
CRACK!
The face of a man who tried to block with his sword collapsed as Crimson Tiger elbowed him in the face, then kicked off his chest and soared into the air.
HWIRIRIRIRIK!
He spun his body like a pinwheel.
"Dodge!" someone screamed in horror as Crimson Tiger descended like a tornado through a helpless village, but the four men in his path didn't even have time to process the warning before they were simultaneously dismembered.
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Crimson Tiger paused, blood dripping from his sword. In the span of a few seconds, seven men had been reduced to cold corpses.
Even though the assassins had seen countless battles, this sight still terrified them. Flinching instinctively, they took a step back.
It didn't help.
"Ahhh!" A man turned to run, but screamed as a sword pierced through his chest.
Sa Gon, who was standing behind the man, scowled. "Hey, you stepped on my foot."
Chuckling at the bad joke, Crimson Tiger pulled his sword back out.
Sa Gon glared at his terrified subordinates. He couldn't let his men panic. The moment morale broke, everyone would die.
Narrowing his eyes determinedly, he declared, "You idiots, don't you see? There's no point trying to run! Whoever takes that bastard's head gets the whole five thousand taels!"
SWISH! CLANG! CRACK! CLANG! WHOOSH! SPLAT! CRASH!
The sounds of metal clashing and people screaming and swearing echoed throughout the warehouse.
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However, several minutes later, all was silent again.
Yeon opened the warehouse door and stepped inside. The dim interior was slick with blood and littered with corpses. Ten, twenty, thirty… there were over thirty bodies. It was a gruesome scene, but not enough to disturb her composure.
"I've told you everything… please… just kill me now…" Sa Gon pleaded.
PWUK!
The sound of tearing flesh followed, and then Crimson Tiger emerged from the darkness, drenched in blood from head to toe.
Flicking the blood from his sword, he remarked nonchalantly, "You're here?"
Yeon nodded, her expression unchanged. "Do you know who's behind this?" she asked.
"Someone named Jin Chung. Have you heard of him?"
Yeon's expression hardened. "Yes. He works for the First Young Lord."
"The First Young Lord?"
That wasn't surprising, but one thing didn't make sense.
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If the First Young Lord intended to assassinate me, then why bother transferring me to the Inner Court?
He thought about the Baek Museong he had met. Even though it was impossible to know the man's true personality from just a few brief interactions, he didn't come off as the kind of person who would resort to hiring assassins.
"What kind of man is Jin Chung?" he asked.
"He is the First Young Lord's right hand man."
"He must be extremely loyal to him."
"Yes. He's one of the First Young Lord's most trusted subordinates."
"Hmm…" Crimson Tiger fell into deep thought. Could Jin Chung have acted alone?
Yeon looked around. "I'll clean this place up."
"Sorry. Considering their strength, I couldn't help but make a mess."
"Don't say that." Yeon shook her head. She knew better than anyone else that Crimson Tiger was not a person who took lives unnecessarily.
Crimson Tiger said apologetically, "I have one more favor to ask of you."
"What is it?"
"Get me a map of the Inner Court. The most up-to-date one possible."
Yeon tensed. "Why do you need that? Wait… surely not? You wouldn't?"
Is he planning to assassinate the First Young Lord!? …No, that's not his way.
"Yeon, I cannot kill the First Young Lord or the Third Young Lady. Doing so would throw the Association into chaos, and the delicate balance between the orthodox and the unorthodox would also spiral out of control," Crimson Tiger explained.
He never thought about whether he could do it or not. It was a matter of politics. The moment those two died at the hands of an outside force instead of in their power struggle, the entire Association would mobilize to hunt him down.
Y aren′t you reading this at northbladetldotcom?
If he didn't have Seohyeon to worry about, killing one of the successors would be his absolute last resort. Since he did have Seohyeon, though, it wasn't an option.
"It's not what you're thinking. I just want to eavesdrop a little, find out what they're planning."
"Still, it's too dangerous. The First Young Lord is surrounded by peak masters," Yeon stressed. Even though Crimson Tiger had successfully infiltrated the Evil Coalition Headquarters, breaking into the Third Young Lady's residence was a different matter entirely.
If he'd failed to infiltrate the Evil Coalition, he could simply return the Association and live with the shame of failure. On the other hand, if he failed to infiltrate the Third Young Lady's residence, he would have nowhere to return to.
Crimson Tiger shook his head. He had already made up his mind. "I know, but don't worry. My target isn't the First Young Lord but Jin Chung. It would be annoying to keep living under the weight of his constant scheming."
Yeon sighed. As Crimson Tiger said, it was both exhausting and risky to be constantly on guard. Besides, it was her job to always support him from the shadows. "Understood. I'll get it as soon as possible."
"Thank you."
Crimson Tiger left the warehouse.
The First Young Lord, a heartless man who abandoned even his own child for his ambition.
There was no way he could like such a ruthless man. Still, he had no desire to step forward and punish the bastard himself. His foremost priority was his and his loved ones' safety and survival.
Nevertheless, if you continue to think of me as a hunting dog to be discarded after the hunt is over, then…
He whispered to himself, "You… are making a huge mistake."
Translator's Note: I will be away on a work trip from 9-17 May. I'll try to release a weekday chapter this week but no promises as I have no idea what time I'll get off work.
If you see this, you are at the wrong site!