Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant

Chapter 123

“That, what do you mean...?”

“It’s true.”

Su-ho handed a document he had prepared to Yoon Hyun-hee.

The document confirmed that Yoon Hyun-chul was serving time at Cheong-ok Penitentiary. As she took the paper, Yoon Hyun-hee’s hands trembled as if an earthquake had struck her world.

“It seems like you didn’t know anything about your brother’s current situation.”

“...Yes.”

“There’s a story behind this. I’m not sure how you’ll take it.”

“A story?”

“Yes, a story.”

Su-ho retrieved another document from his inventory, one he had prepared in advance.

It was the case file detailing the murder committed by Yoon Hyun-chul. As Su-ho presented it, he began explaining why Yoon Hyun-chul had been driven to kill.

“...”

Yoon Hyun-hee listened intently to Su-ho’s words.

At the same time, she examined the documents he brought.

She was clearly shaken.

And understandably so.

After more than a decade of not hearing a word about her brother, the first news she received was this—it would shake anyone to their core.

But that was precisely why Su-ho didn’t evade the subject.

Instead, he chose to confront it head-on.

“Hyun-chul asked me to keep it a secret, but that’s too naive.”

Yoon Hyun-hee wasn’t a fool.

Nor was she the kind of person who would live as though her brother didn’t exist.

Even if Su-ho tried to help covertly, as her situation improved, she would inevitably begin searching for information about him. When she eventually learned the whole truth, the shock could be unbearable. It was better to be upfront.

Of course, this was Su-ho’s perspective.

He believed this approach was the best course of action.

In the unlikely event that Hyun-hee displayed a negative reaction or even hatred toward her brother over this, Su-ho was prepared to deal with that as well.

He had contingencies in place.

After all, Su-ho genuinely wanted everyone connected to him to find happiness.

At last, Su-ho finished his explanation.

“...”

Yoon Hyun-hee remained silent.

Su-ho quietly waited for her to speak first.

She sat there, staring blankly at some point between the air and the file in her hands.

After a long silence, she finally spoke.

“...Hic.”

It began with a sob.

“Hic, sob...”

Tears.

After sitting in stunned silence, she suddenly began to cry.

Su-ho reached into his coat and pulled out a handkerchief, offering it to her.

It was a handkerchief he had received from Pi Seong-yeol.

Hyun-hee took it and wiped her tears for a while. Her red, swollen nose quivered as she spoke.

“How hard it must have been for my brother.”

The moment she uttered those words, Su-ho felt a wave of relief.

It was fortunate.

That she was a good person.

That she didn’t resent or blame her brother.

She continued to speak.

“My poor brother... My truly poor brother...”

She cried for quite a while.

Until the handkerchief Su-ho had handed her was soaked through.

Su-ho waited quietly for her to process her sadness on her own.

Finally, when her tears began to subside, she spoke again.

“...I’m sorry. I cried so much by myself.”

“No need to apologize. I completely understand. And I should be thanking you—for understanding the pain of Yoon Hyun-chul.”

“He’s my family. Of course, I have to understand. Well, I suppose not everyone always understands their family, but... Do you think my brother did what he did because he wanted to? I understand the circumstances he was in back then. And above all... he’s already serving his punishment for the mistakes he made.”

Sadness lingered on her face as she spoke.

Even though she said those words, it was clear she was still heartbroken.

Heartbroken by the circumstances that forced her brother to make those choices.

She continued.

“Oh, by the way, I don’t think I’ve asked for your name yet. You said my brother sent you, right? What’s your connection to him?”

At her question, Su-ho answered without hesitation.

“My name is An Su-ho. At one point, I was in business with Yoon Hyun-chul. So, if you’re asking about our relationship, I was his business partner.”

Su-ho disclosed his name honestly.

Though only his name.

With his appearance altered by Reverse Morphology, there was no way she would ever suspect he was the Sword Saint unless she checked his identification.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

“Business partner?”

“Yes. While working as a Hunter, your brother ran a few side businesses as part of a financial investment strategy for the future. Among those ventures, there were several he partnered with me on. But when things went south for him, he had to liquidate all his business assets.”

As Su-ho continued speaking, he retrieved another document from his inventory.

It was a debt certificate he had acquired from Hwang On-gang.

When she saw the document, Hyun-hee’s eyes grew even wider.

“Th-this is...!”

“Your husband’s name is Lee Dal-won, correct? After looking into it, I found out that Hwang On-gang, the owner of On-gang Cash, held all of his debt. So, I purchased it.”

“Wait, you bought it?!”

“Yes. Hyun-chul told me, ‘I don’t need money since I’m in prison anyway. If you ever find my younger sister, could you transfer my assets to her?’ He offered me a percentage of the proceeds as a commission, but given the years we worked together, I refused.”

Su-ho glanced at the stunned Hyun-hee and continued.

“Honestly, I should have found you sooner, but I had to wrap up the business, manage my own schedule, and conduct a thorough background check on you. So, it took some time. Now, I have a question for you, Ms. Yoon Hyun-hee.”

“A question...?”

“Mr. Hyun-chul wanted to transfer his assets to you and asked me to help you find true happiness. While searching for you, I discovered some troubling details about your life. So, I’ll be direct.”

Su-ho shifted his gaze to the name "Lee Dal-won" written on the debt certificate and asked.

“Do you still love your husband?”

They say marital disputes are like slicing water with a knife.

But what Su-ho had uncovered wasn’t the sort of disagreement that could be described with proverbs.

Debt, alcohol, gambling, even domestic violence.

Lee Dal-won was a deeply flawed man.

Su-ho had already decided on how to deal with him.

Still, he asked the question to confirm the truth.

Hyun-hee bit her lip.

She closed her eyes.

After a brief period of thought, she opened them again and replied.

“I’m not sure.”

“Why not?”

“I just... I don’t know how I feel. Is this love? Or something else? I married him because I loved him, and I know why he’s changed. But...”

She trailed off.

She knew.

The things Lee Dal-won was doing to her now were not actions someone who truly loved another could commit.

“How can destroying someone you care about be called love?”

Su-ho had never experienced a passionate love.

There were always too many pressing tasks and too many realities choking him for him to fall in love.

But even without experiencing it firsthand, he knew right from wrong.

Su-ho nodded and said.

“Yes, I understand the situation. Two failed businesses, both destroyed by Gate Shocks. That left him buried in debt, struggling with unbearable hardship, and robbed him of peace of mind. But.”

Su-ho put the debt certificate back into his coat and said.

“If someone truly loves another, they try to be a source of hope even in difficult times—not despair. Of course, I understand that the root cause of his situation is the Gate Shock. But I believe this: Even if it hadn’t been the Gate Shock, Mr. Lee would have behaved the same way toward you.”

Su-ho stood up and said.

“People don’t change easily. And I’m sure Mr. Hyun-chul wouldn’t want his beloved sister to suffer in the name of love.”

He glanced at the time and said.

“Looks like your café’s break time is almost over. I’ll step out for a while and return when your shift ends.”

Su-ho offered a light bow and was about to leave the café when she called out.

“Wait.”

“Yes?”

“What if he promises to change?”

Promises to change.

Su-ho smirked and said.

“Maybe he can. People do talk about being reborn. But as I said earlier, most people don’t change easily. Let me go find out for sure—about the truth behind the feelings you’re struggling with.”

With those words, Su-ho left the café.

After he departed, Hyun-hee stared blankly at her now-cold drink.

In the reflection of the cold drink, another version of her stared back.

***

Su-ho got into a taxi and headed to another location.

The destination was a run-down commercial building with no signboards. When he reached the second floor, he was met with an old iron door.

Su-ho raised his head to look at a CCTV camera mounted near the ceiling.

He pulled out some cash from his inventory and waved it in front of the camera.

With a click, the door unlocked.

As the door opened, a cacophony of noise spilled out.

Thick cigarette smoke.

And cutting through it, curses and the sound of tables being slammed.

It was a gambling den.

As Su-ho stepped inside, a heavily tattooed man, who appeared to be a staff member, approached him.

“Here to play?” he asked.

“Sure, but first, I need to find someone,” Su-ho replied.

“Why are you looking for someone?”

“I’ve got some business to take care of. Don’t worry, I won’t disrupt the atmosphere. I’ll just talk and leave quietly. So, where can I find a man named Lee Dal-won?”

Su-ho handed the man a few bills as he spoke. The tattooed man smirked, pocketed the money, and glanced around.

Finally, he pointed to a man sitting in a corner playing cards.

“That guy in the black cap. That’s Lee Dal-won.”

Su-ho walked toward the direction the man had indicated.

There sat a man playing cards, his hollowed eyes staring blankly ahead.

It was Lee Dal-won.

“Yep, that’s him,” Su-ho murmured to himself.

The man’s appearance matched the photo perfectly.

When the stranger called his name, Lee Dal-won looked up with sunken eyes and saw Su-ho. Without waiting for an invitation, Su-ho took the seat next to him.

“You’re Lee Dal-won, right? I’m here on behalf of On-gang Cash. Can we have a quick chat?”

“...I already told your boss I’d pay last month’s interest along with this month’s,” Dal-won replied.

“I know. But the boss wanted me to ask you something.”

“What’s that?”

“There’s someone among the boss’s acquaintances who seems to have a favorable impression of your wife. He asked if you’d consider introducing her in exchange for waiving three months of interest.”

At that moment, Dal-won stopped dealing the cards and looked at Su-ho with slightly widened eyes.

“...What did you say?”

“If you find it offensive, you can refuse.”

“...Ha.”

Dal-won let out a hollow laugh.

He spat into an ashtray before sighing deeply. Then, he looked back at Su-ho and said,

“Six months.”

“Sorry?”

“If you waive six months of interest, I’ll make the introduction.”

“Six months, huh.”

Hearing this, Su-ho chuckled.

“Haha, thank you.”

“For what?”

“I was just worried for a moment. What if you turned out to be a decent person?”

“Excuse me?”

At that instant—

Bang!

Su-ho smashed Dal-won’s head into the ashtray on the table.