"Are you talking about the will?" After meeting the last suspect, Bok Man-chun, we confirmed the story we heard from him with Cheongcheon Podu.
"That's right. I heard that Elder He wrote a will shortly before he died."
"Why didn't you tell us earlier?"
In response to my question, Cheongcheon Podu answered with his usual expressionless face.
"We are still verifying the will. No one knows the exact contents, and we haven't been able to find out where it is. In this situation, if rumors spread, it could cause even greater confusion, so we kept it under wraps... I never expected that Bok Man-chun would bring it up first."
This meant that Cheongcheon Podu did not consider me and Ak Yeon-ho to be trustworthy.
'It makes sense when I think about it...' From my perspective, it was extremely difficult to catch the culprit without Cheongcheon Podu's cooperation.
I stopped in my tracks and stared seriously at Cheongcheon Podu.
"Podu-nim. This incident is very important to our Murim Alliance. A civilian was killed by someone who might have learned martial arts. If we don't find the culprit quickly, we don't know how many more victims there might be."
"I understand."
"Podu-nim, you might find it hard to trust us since we suddenly appeared and got involved in the investigation, but please know that our Murim Alliance works for the justice of the martial world and the safety of the citizens. We are not an organization that acts for personal gain."
"…Yes."
Cheongcheon Podu nodded with a troubled expression, and I took a step back and bowed my head politely.
"I ask for your help. Please assist us in doing our best to catch the culprit as members of the Murim Alliance."
I emphasized the term 'Murim Alliance' several times to subtly pressure Cheongcheon Podu.
[Hyung, since when have we been part of the Murim Alliance?] Ak Yeon-ho sent me a message, sounding incredulous, but I ignored it completely.
Do you know how hard it is to add just one line to a resume?
At that moment, Cheongcheon Podu, who had been keeping his mouth tightly shut for a while, let out a light sigh.
"I understand. From now on, I will share all information with you."
"Thank you very much."
"…There are several parts of the rumors about Elder He that are not true."
Elder He was infamous as a notorious loan shark.
However, Cheongcheon Podu revealed that he had another side.
"I heard that he didn't charge high interest for a loan shark, and he sometimes showed leniency towards the borrower's situation."
"Are you saying he was a somewhat kind loan shark?"
"That's one way to put it."
Cheongcheon Podu continued with his usual expressionless face.
"Moreover, he donated a lot to the nearby orphanage."
"Why orphans in particular?"
"Because he was an orphan himself. Quite a few orphans benefited from Elder He. If they wanted, he supported them to attend school and study."
Ak Yeon-ho muttered in surprise.
"I thought loan sharks were heartless villains..."
The good deeds of a loan shark seemed out of place.
Ak Yeon-ho frowned, pondering whether this had any connection to the murder case.
But in my opinion, it had little to do with this case.
"Most of those orphans probably ended up working at the gambling houses or establishments run by Elder He later on. It was a kind of investment for their future."
A method to make them think of him as a benefactor from a young age and then use that debt of gratitude to gain their loyalty later.
This was a common tactic used in the underworld to take in children from a young age.
Cheongcheon Podu nodded at my speculation.
"Of course, that was often the case, but… there are exceptions. I am one of those orphans."
"Excuse me?"
At this unexpected confession, both Ak Yeon-ho and I widened our eyes.
Ak Yeon-ho asked, "Podu-nim?"
"I grew up without a father under my single mother. My mother passed away when I was young. If it weren't for Elder He's support back then, I wouldn't have become an official."
Cheongcheon Podu spoke calmly, but Ak Yeon-ho fidgeted as if he had committed a crime.
"I'm sorry. We had no idea about your circumstances..."
"Don't worry about it. I have no intention of letting my personal feelings interfere with this matter. That's why I didn't mention it."
"…"
Cheongcheon Podu spoke with his usual stoic expression.
We walked in silence for a while, and soon we parted ways at a fork in the road.
"It's getting late, so let's visit the crime scene tomorrow."
Elder He was found dead at his home, which was now closed.
"Then see you tomorrow."
"Yes. We'll head to the government office early in the morning."
Cheongcheon Podu returned to the government office, and we headed to the inn where we were staying.
I quietly watched Cheongcheon Podu as he walked straight ahead.
"Indeed..."
Ak Yeon-ho let out a low admiration from beside me.
When I asked what he meant, he pointed to Cheongcheon Podu's back.
"He's cool. A man should have that kind of weight. Plus, he has a heartbreaking story... Even if his face is a bit ordinary, do you know that men like him are actually more popular?"
"I don't care about that."
It was my mistake to expect something from this guy.
As I clicked my tongue lightly, Ak Yeon-ho, feeling frustrated, asked, "Seriously. Then why are you looking at Podu-nim's back like that? Is it because he's cool?"
At that pitiful question, I shrugged my shoulders.
"It's just a habit of mine. Observing people, analyzing them, and taking note of various things."
I had survived for decades in the Blood Sect with this habit.
That night.
After meeting all the suspects and returning to the inn, we decided to wash up and gather in my room again.
"Hyung, who do you think the culprit is?"
Ak Yeon-ho, who had just washed up, asked with a face as pale as tofu.
I wanted to hear his thoughts first, so I asked back, "Who do you think it is?"
"I kept thinking while washing up, and that He Il guy seems suspicious."
Ak Yeon-ho explained one by one why he suspected He Il.
To summarize it simply...
"You just don't like him?"
"I have a feeling! A feeling! That trash is definitely the culprit!"
Ak Yeon-ho passionately declared that he had never been wrong in judging people.
I let out a light sigh.
"Everyone is suspicious."
1. The mistress who had been quarreling with him frequently over the management of the gambling house.
2. The worthless son who started acting up as if he was waiting for his father to die.
3. The only top-tier master among the three, a former wandering warrior.
'All three are suspicious.
And Elder He's will...
Did they not find it? Or is someone hiding it?'
If Elder He really intended to leave all his wealth to the person named in the will, knowing who that person was could narrow down the suspects.
The person named in the will wouldn't have killed Elder He.
'There's one more thing that bothers me.'
That is the martial arts used to kill Elder He.
That martial arts, which was familiar to me, might have originated from the Blood Sect.
I needed to confirm the details myself, but...
"Huh..."
"Hyung, you think it's He Il too, right? Right?"
"Go get some sleep."
I stood up to organize my thoughts and opened the closed window.
In the distance, a red light was blazing.
Is there a fire somewhere at this hour? No, that can't be...
"Wait a minute. Could it be...?"
I stopped mid-sentence and rushed out the door.
As I hurriedly dashed out of the inn, I heard Ak Yeon-ho's voice behind me.
"Hey? Hyung! Where are you going? Let's go together!"
We ran through the night streets together, and before long, we encountered Cheongcheon Podu, who was rushing over using lightness skill.
"Elder He's house is on fire."
He spoke with his usual stoic expression, but his voice was somewhat excited.
I asked him, "Are you coming directly from the scene?"
"No. I heard the news and was on my way from the government office to fetch you."
But why...
Before I could express my doubts, Cheongcheon Podu turned and said, "I'll guide you. This way."
However, when we arrived at Elder He's house, the fire had spread too much to be contained.
Flames engulfed the grand mansion.
The bright red flames soared high into the sky.
"Bring more water!"
"Move quickly!"
"Is there anyone inside?"
The Fire Control Army was busy carrying buckets of water to extinguish the flames.
It was only at dawn that the flames were finally brought under control.
The house was almost completely burned down, and a half-charred corpse was discovered.
"... He Il is dead."
Cheongcheon Podu informed us with his expressionless face that one of the prime suspects was dead.
That afternoon.
"It is presumed that He Il set fire to the mansion and committed suicide."
Before us lay a corpse that looked almost like a pile of charcoal.
"How do you know it was suicide?"
In response to my question, Cheongcheon Podu handed me a letter.
"This is He Il's suicide note that arrived to me this morning."
"..."
I unfolded the suicide note.
Ak Yeon-ho pressed close to my side to read along.
To summarize briefly, it stated that he had quarreled with his father while drunk, killed him in a fit of rage, and now, fearing the tightening investigation, he would atone for his sins through death.
"He doesn't seem like the kind of person who would atone..."
"It seems he was drunk at the time. It might not have been a genuine suicide but rather a show of it that he couldn't escape from."
Cheongcheon Podu spoke in a tone that showed no hint of sympathy.
Ak Yeon-ho muttered in a defeated voice, "Well, the case is solved. He may be dead, but we found the culprit..."
"Indeed."
Is it really resolved just like that?
We were left in a somewhat dazed state.
Cheongcheon Podu, seeing us, took a step forward.
"I won't forget the cooperation of the Murim Alliance. If you two hadn't pressed He Il at the gambling house, it would have taken much longer to find the culprit."
"That's just luck."
"..."
Thus, the murder case of Elder He ended with the confession and death of the culprit.
After saying our goodbyes to Cheongcheon Podu, we left the government office.
"..."
"Hyung. Hyung?"
Seeing my expression lost in thought, Ak Yeon-ho poked me in the side, trying to comfort me.
"Anyway, we found the culprit with our cooperation. This should definitely earn us some extra points during the interview, right?"
"Yeah, extra points..."
Extra points are not the issue.
If things go well, we might gain much more than that.
I stopped in my tracks and turned to Ak Yeon-ho.
"Go ahead first. I need to talk to Podu-nim separately."
"Separate talk? I want to listen too..."
"..."
As I narrowed my eyes and said nothing, Ak Yeon-ho pouted and grumbled.
"I'll be at the inn."
Ak Yeon-ho returned to the inn alone, and I turned back to find Cheongcheon Podu again.
When I returned, he looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"What is it?"
"I have something I want to ask. Can you spare me a moment?"
"Of course."
"It's a bit difficult here. Can we go somewhere quiet?"
"…Understood."
We moved to a place where there were few people.
Walking side by side with Cheongcheon Podu, I examined his side profile.
He looked very tired, as if he hadn't slept much.
His eyes were bloodshot, as if he had been crying all night.
After a moment, he stopped and turned to me.
"I think this is a good spot. Please speak."
"Actually, I've been curious since yesterday..."
There were only the two of us here.
So, I asked directly.
"Why did you kill him?"
"..."
It was the first moment that the culprit's expressionless face broke.