Chapter 19
##19fury. why did you kill?
“You mean the will??”
On the way out after meeting the last suspect, Bok Man-chun..
We confirmed with Cheongcheon Podu what we heard from Bok Manchun..
“you're right. It is said that old man Heo wrote a will not long before he died..”
“Why didn't you tell me in advance??”
Cheongcheon Podu answered my question with his characteristic expressionless face..
“We are still checking the will. No one knows exactly what it is, and no one has been able to find where it is. In this situation, if rumors were to spread, it could cause further confusion, so I decided to crack down on it.…….”
Cheongcheon Podu said, “I didn’t know that Bok Manchun would bring up that story first in that situation.” I muttered..
In other words, it meant to Cheongcheon Podu that I and Ak Yeon-ho were not trustworthy people..
‘If you think about it, it's natural, but…….’
From my perspective, it was very difficult to catch the criminal without the cooperation of Cheongcheon Podu..
I stopped in my seat and stared at Cheongcheonpodu with a serious expression..
“Podu. This incident is a very important one for our Murim Alliance. A civilian was killed by someone who may have learned magic. If we don't find the culprit quickly, we don't know how many more victims there will be..”
“I know.”
“Podu may find it difficult to trust us who suddenly appeared and intervened in the investigation, but we hope you know that we, the Murim Alliance, only work for the justice of the river and the safety of citizens, and are never an organization that acts for personal gain..”
“……yes.”
To Cheongcheon Podu, who nodded with an embarrassed expression, I raised my hand and bowed my head politely..
“Please. As a member of the Murim Alliance, please help us do our best to catch the culprit..”
I emphasized the word ‘Murimmaeng’ several times and subtly put pressure on Cheongcheon Podu..
[older brother. Since when were we part of the Murim Alliance??]
Ak Yeon-ho sent a message as if it were absurd, but he completely ignored it..
I know how hard it is to add a line to your resume.?
At that time, Cheongcheon Podu, who had kept his mouth shut for a while, sighed lightly..
“All right. From now on, we will share all information with you..”
“Thank you very much.”
“……There are several parts of the rumor about Old Man Heo that are different from the truth..”
Old man Heo, who was famous as a notorious usurer..
But Cheongcheon Podu showed him that there was another side to him..
“I know that the interest rate was not high for a usury loan shark, and that the debtor's circumstances were considered depending on the situation..”
“Is this because he is a good usurer in his own way??”
“It's like that..”
Cheongcheon Podu continued speaking with his characteristic expressionless face..
“We also donated a lot to nearby orphanages..”
“Why do orphans?”
“The reason was that he was also an orphan. Quite a few orphans benefited from Old Man Heo. They provided support so that you could go to the academy and study if you wanted..”
Ak Yeon-ho muttered with an expression of surprise..
“I heard he was a loan shark, so I thought he was a villain without blood or tears.…….”
A usurer's good deeds rarely fit together.
Ak Yeon-ho frowned and wondered if he thought it might have something to do with the murder case..
But I don't think that had much to do with the case..
“Most of those orphans would later end up working at the Kiruna gambling house run by Old Man Heo. It's kind of an investment for the future..”
How to make people think of themselves as benefactors from a young age, and then use that debt to make them loyal later on..
This method is often used in Sapa by bringing children when they are young..
Cheongcheon Podu nodded at my guess..
“Of course, there were many cases like that... … There are sometimes exceptions. Because I was one of those orphans..”
“yes?”
Ak Yeon-ho and I widened our eyes at the completely unexpected confession..
Ak Yeon-ho asked.
“Podu.?”
“I was raised by a single mother without a biological father. My mother also passed away when I was young. If it weren't for Old Man Heo's support at that time, I wouldn't have become a government official..”
Cheongcheon Podu spoke calmly, but instead Ak Yeonho fidgeted with a guilty expression..
“sorry. We didn't even know that such a situation existed.…….”
“Never mind. I have no intention of getting my personal feelings involved in this matter. That's why I didn't need to tell you..”
“…….”
Cheongcheon Podu still spoke with a blunt expression and no change in expression..
We walked in silence for a while, and after a while we parted ways at a crossroads..
“Since it's late at night, let's go to the murder scene tomorrow..”
The place where old man Heo's body was found was his home, which is now closed..
“See you tomorrow then.”
“yes. We will go to the government office early in the morning..”
Cheongcheon Podu returned to the government office, and we headed to the guesthouse where we were staying..
I looked at the silent figure of Cheongcheon Podu walking away, looking straight ahead..
“also…….”
Next to me, Ak Yeon-ho let out a soft exclamation. When I asked what was wrong, he pointed to the back of Cheongcheon Podu..
“It's cool. A man should have such a strong taste. Plus, a heartbreaking story… … . Even though his face is a bit ordinary, I know that a guy like that is actually popular.?”
“What do you know about that?.”
It's my fault for expecting something from this guy..
When I clicked my tongue softly, Ak Yeon-ho asked in tears..
“Indeed. Then why are you looking at Podu’s back like that? It's not because it's cool.?”
To that pathetic question, I shrugged my shoulders and said.
“I just have this habit. Observing people, analyzing them, looking at things.”
I was a person who survived decades in the blood religion with this habit..
* * *
that night.
After meeting all the suspects and returning to the guest room, we decided to take a shower and then gather again in my room..
“Who do you think is the culprit??”
Ak Yeon-ho, who had just washed up, said with a face as white as tofu..
I asked back because I wanted to hear Ak Yeon-ho’s thoughts first..
“Who do you think you are??”
“I kept thinking about it while I was washing up, but that guy named Heo Il is suspicious..”
Ak Yeon-ho explained to me one by one the reasons why he was suspicious of Heo Il..
To summarize it briefly:…….
“I just don't like it?”
“I can feel it! I feel it! I'm sure that trash is the culprit.!”
Ak Yeon-ho spoke passionately, saying that he has never been wrong in how he sees people..
I sighed lightly..
“Everything that is suspicious is suspicious.”
1. A mistress who was said to have been fighting frequently recently over the management of Giru..
2. A son of a mischievous child who starts behaving as if he was waiting for his father to die..
3. The only top-notch expert among the three, a guard warrior who was a ronin in the past..
‘All three are suspicious. And the will left by old man Heo... … . Couldn't I find it? Or who is hiding it?.’
If Old Man Heo really intended to leave all his assets to the name written in the will, the suspects can be narrowed down based on whose name is written in the will..
The person named in the will would not have killed Old Man Heo..
‘There's one more thing.’
The magic gun used to kill old man Heo.
The magic that I was familiar with could have come from a blood religion..
I'll have to check it myself for more details..
“Phew…….”
“It's true that you think it's a lie, right? That's right?”
“You go and sleep..”
To gather my thoughts, I got up and opened the closed window..
A red light was burning in the distance.
Where can we play with fire this late at night??
No, it can't be like that.…….
“Looks like there's a fire somewhere.”
“Sure. It looks like a big growth.”
It is said that the most interesting things to see are fighting and fireworks, but since I have no interest in voyeurizing other people's misfortune, I tried to close the window..
If it weren't for the location where the flames were rising from a glance earlier,.
“wait for a sec. There's no way……!”
Without speaking, I turned and kicked out the door..
As I hurriedly ran out of the guest room, I heard Ak Yeon-ho's voice behind me..
“uh? older brother! Where are you going! Let's go together!”
We ran together through the streets at night, and it wasn't long before we ran into Cheongcheon Podu, which was running towards us at high speed..
“Old Man Heo's house caught fire..”
He had a blunt expression as usual, but his voice was somewhat flushed..
i asked him.
“Are you coming straight from the scene??”
“no. I am on my way to receive you from the government office after hearing the news..”
But why…….
Before I could express my doubts, Cheongcheon Podu turned around and said:.
“I will guide you. this way.”
But by the time we arrived at Old Man Heo's house, the fire had spread so much that it could not be put out..
Grumbling!
The palace-like mansion was engulfed in a huge fire. Red-hot flames soared high in the sky..
“bring more water!”
“move quickly!”
“The person inside!”
The Geumhwa Army was dispatched to put out the fire and was busy carrying buckets of water..
It was only around dawn that the fire was brought under control..
The house was almost completely burned down, and a half-burnt body was found..
“……Heo Il is dead.”
Cheongcheon Podu told us with an expressionless face that one of the prime suspects had died..
* * *
that afternoon.
“It is believed that Heo Il committed suicide by setting fire to the mansion..”
Before our eyes lay a corpse that almost looked like a pile of charcoal..
“How do you know it was suicide??”
In response to my question, Cheongcheon Podu handed me a letter..
“This morning. This is Heo Il’s will addressed to me..”
“…….”
I opened the will. Ak Yeon-ho sat close next to me and read it together..
To put it simply, the story is that he killed his father out of anger after fighting with him while drunk, and that he was afraid as the investigation network narrowed, so he decided to atone by death..
“He didn't seem like a person worthy of atonement.…….”
“It appears that he was drunk at the time as well. It may not have been suicide, but it could have been that he tried to show off and couldn't get out..”
Cheongcheon Podu said that in a tone that did not show the slightest sympathy..
Ak Yeon-ho muttered in a defeated voice..
“Anyway, the case has been solved. Although he died, the culprit was also found.…….”
“I know.”
It was resolved like roasting beans in a flash of lightning.?
We were somewhat devastated. Cheongcheon Podu saw us like that and took possession of the gun..
“We will not forget the cooperation of the Murim Alliance. If you two hadn't questioned Heo Il at Giru, it would have taken more time to find the culprit..”
“It's like a cow backing away and catching a mouse..”
“…….”
In this way, the murder case of Old Man Heo ended with the criminal's confession and death..
We said hello to Cheongcheon Podu and left the government office..
“…….”
“older brother. older brother?”
Perhaps because my expression seemed dark as I was deep in thought, Ak Yeon-ho nudged my side and said comfortingly..
“Anyway, with our cooperation, the culprit was found. If you do this, you will definitely get extra points during the interview.?”
“okay. Additional points…….”
Extra points are not the problem.
If you do this right, you might get a lot more than that..
I stopped in my tracks and looked back at Yeonho Ak..
“Go first. I need to talk to Podu separately..”
“Do you want to talk about something else? I listen too…….”
“…….”
As I narrowed my eyes and said nothing, Yeon-ho Yeon pouted his lips and grumbled..
“I'll be at the guesthouse..”
Ak Yeon-ho went back to his guesthouse alone, and I turned around and went back to Cheongcheon Podu..
When I returned, he looked back at me with puzzled eyes..
“What's going on??”
“I have something I want to ask. Could you please give me a moment??”
“That's right.”
“It's a bit difficult here. Can we go somewhere quiet??”
“……All right.”
We moved to a place with few people.
Walking side by side with Cheongcheon Podu, I looked at his profile..
He looked very tired, as if he had barely slept..
In particular, his eyes were red and bloodshot, as if he had cried all night..
After a while, he stopped in his tracks, turned to me and said.
“I think this should be enough. Please tell me.”
“Actually, I've been curious about this since yesterday.…….”
There were only two of us here now..
That's why I asked bluntly:.
“why did you kill?”
“…….”
It was the moment when the criminal's expressionless expression broke for the first time..
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