Chapter 171
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: One Night (3)
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"Hey, she said Madam Tang was fine too?"
"I was planning to confess. But then the target vanished? Come on, Flying Tiger warrior. What was I supposed to do?"
Ho Ye-hwa, who had been listless the whole time, suddenly brimmed with vigor as if a surge of strength had welled up inside him. Flying Tiger, meanwhile, indifferently shook his empty cup.
"Well, if it were me, I'd at least fill the other person's cup with liquor before making my request."
Ho Ye-hwa hurriedly poured liquor into Flying Tiger's cup. Flying Tiger leisurely brought the cup to his lips, toying with Ho Ye-hwa's impatience.
Bong Yeon-ja...
For a moment, it felt like a hallucination whispered in Flying Tiger's ear. That bitch. Her curse from earlier had been so sharp and vivid—it must have left quite the impression.
The moment Gold Jade Fairy's name came up, Madam Tang—Bong Yeon-ja—lost it completely and spewed a torrent of profanity.
"That woman's a real bitch!"
"......"
Flying Tiger was at a loss.
It was like she'd been cursed by the mere words 'Gold Jade Fairy'—every time they were uttered, she flew off the handle. Conversation was impossible like this. But he was the desperate one here, and he couldn't put it off any longer. So he waited patiently for her rage to subside, layer by layer...
Eventually, he asked in a calm voice.
"A bitch, huh? Is it because she chases after men?"
"She chases them disgustingly hard. Hmph, she's so obsessed with that sort of thing her brain might've melted."
"Got it. Fair enough. But that's just her personal taste. What I need is her medical skill. I'm desperate, so be honest with me. How good is Gold Jade Fairy's skill, in your opinion, Madam Tang?"
"She's... not as good as me."
Bong Yeon-ja's voice trailed off weakly. She couldn't bear to admit defeat, even on her deathbed.
Flying Tiger feigned ignorance and pivoted to another question.
"What if we limit it to women's illnesses?"
"What? Is that why you're looking for her—because of a woman? Your lover?"
"......"
"Is she that stunningly beautiful, the kind you can't live without?"
"Madam Tang!"
The quick-witted Bong Yeon-ja flinched. Flying Tiger's piercing gaze felt like it was squeezing her heart. She glanced at him nervously and let out a pained whine.
"Don't look at me like that. It hurts. Fine, if we're talking strictly women's ailments... maybe. No. I advise you to give up on her right now and find another way, whatever it takes."
"Sigh. What's the reason, exactly?"
"I told you. She's a bitch. Sure, she's lustful... fine, I'll admit it. I'm no saint in that department either. But the reason she and I ended up like this? It's the price we paid for tending to those randy old perverts. It's not entirely our fault."
"...!"
"Anyway, that's not why I said it. But tell me—how do I look to you? Normal?"
Flying Tiger's head throbbed from Bong Yeon-ja's erratic way of speaking.
But what could he do?
He repeated the character for 'endure' in his mind, emptied his thoughts, and gazed at her. For the first time, he noticed the stains of time in her eyes—the traces of years spent suffering and wandering in darkness. That's how he could guess she'd endured immense pain.
Flying Tiger let out a sigh and gave his assessment.
"You're not a good person, Madam Tang. There's something twisted about you. But you're still within the realm of normal."
"I'm... normal?"
"Yeah. In this mad world of the jianghu, where everyone's lost their minds, that makes you not a total lunatic."
"Heh, is that so? Then what about this? Unlike me, she's completely gone off the deep end."
"That doesn't match what I've heard. They said she was prickly and standoffish..."
"That's exactly her real problem. She looks perfectly fine on the surface!"
Bong Yeon-ja went on to give an example. Gold Jade Fairy, she said, would mess with any patient prettier than her—which was nine times out of ten. She'd cure the illness but at a cost: rotting the woman's skin, snapping her spine, or otherwise ruining her...
A real lunatic?
Just hearing it sent chills down his spine.
Flying Tiger recoiled and countered.
"But... the patients' guardians would be watching. How could she pull that off? And even if she did, wouldn't rumors spread?"
"Of course there's no issue during treatment. But months later, the effects creep in. Her methods are so clever and insidious, it's hard to connect the dots. Even I thought it was just that poor girl's unlucky fate."
"That girl?"
"There was one once. A girl so precious I wouldn't have minded if she poked my eyes out. Anyway, that's why I asked. How beautiful is your girl?"
"...!"
That was why Madam Tang flew into a rage at the mention of Gold Jade Fairy. It was the root of her obsession with poisons. And skipping ahead to the conclusion of their conversation, it was also the story behind her commissioning Flying Tiger for a hit—conditionally.
Bong Yeon-ja made the offer first.
If she succeeded in treating Gong Won-yeong, he had to kill Gold Jade Fairy in return.
Flying Tiger didn't know Gold Jade Fairy. She sounded dangerous from the stories, but how could he judge based solely on hearsay? It didn't matter if she was a good person. To him, only Gong Won-yeong mattered. That's what he firmly believed.
"I promise."
"Hey, are you even listening to me?"
Flying Tiger snapped out of his reverie at Ho Ye-hwa's heated urging. He gave a wry smile, shook his head once, and downed the liquor in his cup in one gulp.
Yeah, the arrow's already been loosed. You've made up your mind, right? See it through to the end. No more looking back.
Thud.
When Flying Tiger slammed down his empty cup with gusto, not a trace of worry remained on his face.
"A week at most should do it. I can't go into details, but she's off treating someone at my request right now. After that, she's free. That's the deal between us."
"A week... Ha~"
"What, too long to wait? If you want, write her a letter. I'll deliver it."
"Ahem, maybe I will. But just to be sure... what happens if she fails to treat the person you asked her to help?"
"What else? Our business is done, so I'd let her go. ...Huh? What, you worried I'll turn on someone who helped me?"
"No, not exactly... I'm just afraid you might snap from disappointment... Eh, same difference?"
"Hahaha, don't worry. That's why I made the request—it's a long shot. I never had high hopes to begin with. Honestly, if she pulls it off and saves her, I'd carry Madam Tang on my back for life as thanks."
Flying Tiger said it casually, but the implications were anything but. Yun Deok-sin asked worriedly.
"Then do you have a backup plan?"
"Madam Tang is the backup. She's just first in line. The best option had issues anyway, and now even fundamental doubts have crept in. But what can I do? I'll try until I can't."
"......"
The Shandong old man, who had been listening quietly, chimed in.
"Is this connected to what you asked me this afternoon? That's why you chose the thorny path?"
That afternoon, Flying Tiger had asked the old man:
One path leads to a peaceful death. The other offers a sliver of hope but is lined with thorns all the way. Which would you pick, old timer?
Flying Tiger stared at the Shandong old man. It had only been half a day ago, but looking back now that he'd made up his mind, he felt oddly embarrassed.
Then Flying Tiger grinned and said.
"You told me to, didn't you, old timer?"
"Bet on the path that shows hope."
The Shandong old man had answered Flying Tiger's question without hesitation. Flying Tiger protested, feeling shortchanged.
"But it's just a thread of hope—that's the problem."
"I know what you mean."
"Huh... really?"
"Calling it 'a handful of hope' with your own mouth means even you see it as a miracle, right? That's why it's torture—a false hope."
"Exactly."
"Yeah. But from my experience, that's how it is. Even so, I regret not chasing that miracle back then. Know why?"
"......"
"It left regret gnawing at my heart. And it devoured the rest of my life. My head knew better, but it failed to convince my heart."
Flying Tiger sighed inwardly.
The old man hadn't taken his question lightly. He'd simply had his answer ready for this scenario.
"The one left alone like that? That's me, the man you're looking at now. Heh heh heh."
The old man's self-mocking laugh stabbed at Flying Tiger's chest—it resonated with his own aching heart. At the end of that laugh, the old man said gloomily, his face weary.
"So remember this well. If none of the paths before you hold the right answer, the one you choose should be for the you who'll be left alone afterward."
Flying Tiger wasn't used to sharing his inner thoughts with others. Gong Won-yeong didn't count as "others," so excluding her, that was true. He might not even know how to open up.
Which made this night feel strangely special. The drinking party's mood had steered that way.
Yun Deok-sin broke the ice first.
He sipped his liquor cautiously, then rather abruptly shared his painful past. Whether he was just riding the melancholy wave of the moment or deliberately trying to cheer up the gloomy-looking Flying Tiger, who could say?
One person's pain can comfort another's, after all.
Once Yun Deok-sin's lament ended, chatty Ho Ye-hwa took over, spinning tales of his life with flair. His story was still unfolding and far from hopeful. But his eloquence was so captivating that the listeners felt cleansed through vicarious experience.
That drew in the Shandong old man too. With his clumsy speech, he shared a brief segment of his pent-up past. His delivery was rough, but the tragedy of the subject matter weighed heavily, leaving everyone solemnly silent.
Flying Tiger realized the old man's tale was his way of sharing regret—and encouragement. He was grateful.
By the time everyone at the table had finished their stories, faces were flushed all around. The mood had heated up.
So what was left for Flying Tiger to do?
To top it off, an unexpected guest arrived just then, sweeping away his last hesitation. This was someone he wanted to hear his story.
"Oh dear. Everyone's deep in story mode, and here I come without reading the room?"
"......"
The Shandong old man went without saying, but Ho Ye-hwa and Yun Deok-sin both wondered what this guy was doing here—then nodded in realization. The answer was right in front of them; it was obvious in hindsight.
Flying Tiger lit up and said to the newcomer.
"Squad leader, come on in. I was just thinking I'd have to leave without seeing you—perfect timing. Have a seat here."