76 - Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect

Chapter 76: The Yangtze River The Yangtze River. Most people think of the Yangtze as the colossal river traversing the heart of China. Yet, in the world of martial arts these days, the significance of the Yangtze was more critical than ever. A boundary that divided righteousness and evil. The reason for this was surprisingly simple. In the north of the Yangtze stood the Martial Alliance, while in the south lay the Black Lotus Clan. "Phew. It's going to be a tough one today." Yeowun Gi leaned against the wharf located on the northern bank of the Yangtze and sighed deeply. He had been stationed at this river for half a month now. During that time, he had focused on a single task. Fighting off water bandits. However, every time he boarded a ship, his seasickness made it tremendously difficult to defeat his opponents. "Sigh, if I had known that being part of the Heroic Guard Squad would mean doing such tasks, I wouldn't have worked so hard to get here..." He grumbled while swiveling his neck side to side. The Heroic Guard Squad had been his long-standing goal. The reason being that, as a martial artist from the Iron-Blooded Sect, a mid-sized sect, it was the largest combat force he could join within the Martial Alliance. He had expected missions like heroics and defeating demons—things he'd only heard of in stories. ‘But here I am, just dealing with water bandits.’ The first mission he received upon joining the Heroic Guard Squad was straightforward and uncomplicated. Guarding the merchants and escort ships passing through the Yangtze! ‘The only silver lining is that they’re not ordinary bandits but part of the Water Dragon Faction. Bringing down that old man would certainly earn me some fame...’ Yeowun Gi recalled the old man among the bandits who exuded an immensely strong aura. ‘Well, it seems impossible.’ Despite the bitter taste lingering in his mouth, he had to accept it. With his current skills, he was fortunate his neck was still intact, let alone defeating that old man. ‘I would've been dead if I’d come alone.’ He deliberately moved his neck with more force. Hearing the cracking sound brought a slight sense of relief for some unknown reason. “Ah, I really don’t want to do this.” "What are you talking about?" It was then that a voice of reprimand came from beside him. “Oh, you’re here?” Yeowun Gi scratched his head and glanced at the person scolding him from beside him. "You haven't forgotten our duty, have you?" “Haha, I haven’t. I was just venting my frustration over this situation. Lady Qinghua.” “That's a relief, then.” The woman, with her jet-black hair cascading down, stared at him with a frosty expression. Hyeokryeon Qinghua scrutinized Yeowun Gi with a doubtful look. But only for a moment. “What do you think will happen today?” She asked in a low voice. Yeowun Gi, observing her clutching the sword in her arms tighter, responded. “Hmm, since they didn’t come yesterday, I doubt they’ll show up today.” He shrugged his shoulders. Then, he stepped away from the wall and spoke. “Let’s get on board now.” “Alright.” The two of them slowly climbed aboard an old boat that was docked nearby. Walking up the creaking wooden planks, they soon reached the deck and greeted those who had boarded ahead of them. “I am Yeowun Gi, sent from the Alliance.” “I am Hyeokryeon Qinghua.” A portly middle-aged man hurried over. As he ran with heavy steps, the man beamed widely. “Nice to meet you. I am Sohn Wi, the guild master of the Dawn Listening Escort Guild.” “Ha ha, pleasure to meet you. I’m Yeowun Gi.” “I'm Hyeokryeon Qinghua.” “Please take good care of this mission.” “Ha ha, I’ll do my best.” After introductions were exchanged, they were soon interrupted. “This isn’t a vessel you can board freely.” A commotion stirred below the deck. “But I was told to board this ship?” “And who were you told by?” “Seol Geom.” At that mention. “What…?” “Did you say by the Lieutenant General?” Both Yeowun Gi and Hyeokryeon Qinghua flinched at the noise. “Why, what’s the matter?” The guild master seemed confused by their reaction, but they moved quickly, disregarding his query. “Excuse us for a moment.” “We’ll continue this conversation later.” They hastily passed by the guild master and peered down below. There, a young man with sharp features, clad in a black martial artist's robe, was embroiled in a dispute with one of the escorts. “I've never seen him before. Have you, Yeowun Gi?” “No, this is my first time too…” Yeowun Gi was shaking his head in response when the young man’s voice reached them. “…So, I’ve been instructed to protect this ship from the Water Dragon Faction's attack?” * * * Shortly afterward, the ship set sail. “Hahaha, so you are Cheon Hui. A pleasure to meet you. I’m Yeowun Gi.” Reaching the stern, Yeowun Gi warmly greeted Cheon Hui, who had just joined them. “Indeed, the Lieutenant General has saved the day. Noticing the lack of personnel for this mission and immediately sending reinforcements.” His face lit up. Since the mission was still not fully sanctioned, there were merely about a dozen individuals dispatched here. The Yangtze River is far too expansive to handle with such few numbers. Thus, Yeowun Gi and Hyeokryeon Qinghua found themselves on duty every day. But the fact that reinforcements had arrived... “Could you tell me how many came alongside you, apart from yourself?” Although he asked with a hopeful expression, the response was rather crushing. “I came alone.” “…What?” Yeowun Gi, taken aback, leaked a sound of disbelief as if the rug had been pulled from under him. He quickly shook his head to regain his composure. “No way, there’s no way you came alone...” He continued flailing his hands while swallowing hard at the impassive face of Cheon Hui. “Did you really come alone?” “Yes.” “…” Yeowun Gi's face immediately darkened. "Sigh." He let out a deep sigh that seemed to reach the bottom of the vessel and leaned weakly against the rocking ship's railing. “Darn! Just when I thought we could finally get some rest, it looks like we’ll be on our feet all day again. Sigh.” Cheon Hui watched him with amusement. Most of the righteous factions he’d encountered were Taoist priests or members of prestigious families. Thus, this reaction was refreshing and new. Quite clearly exasperated, wasn’t he? ‘Better than those stiff-necked people.’ Watching Yeowun Gi, he remembered his purpose for coming here and asked, “Do you know where the Water Dragon Faction is located?” “Their base is unknown.” The answer came not from Yeowun Gi, but a different voice altogether. Cheon-Hui shifted his gaze to Hyuk-Ryeon Cheonghua, who had responded to his question. "They've raided multiple times, and you still don't know their base?" Cheonghua furrowed her brows. "...They aren't an easy opponent." "Really? They're not easy?" He couldn't help but chuckle incredulously. The Water Dragon Faction, or whatever they were called, were just water bandits in the end. 'Seeing how they're struggling with mere bandits, there's no point in asking further.' Cheon-Hui turned his attention away from the two without hesitation. Seeing this, Hyuk-Ryeon Cheonghua chose to remain silent, letting the conversation drop. As the atmosphere grew tense, “Haha. Miss Cheonghua, since we’re going to be working together on this mission, shouldn't we try to get along?” Yeowun Gi, hoping for a more amicable situation, attempted to lighten the mood. However, “Why do we need to get along just because we’re on the same mission?” Cheonghua flatly refused. “Hey! That matches my thoughts exactly,” Cheon-Hui chimed in instantly. ‘They probably won't be useful anyway.’ He had no desire to waste time or emotions on this particular mission. “H-ha…” Yeowun Gi was the one left in an awkward predicament. ‘Well, even with an extra hand, I hoped things might get a bit easier.’ As various emotions flitted across his face, an unexpected ripple interrupted his thoughts. Splash— Suddenly, the waters churned violently. The ship, caught in fierce currents, rocked perilously. Sensing the looming danger, Yeowun Gi quickly stood up. And at that moment, “It’s the Water Dragon Faction!” A loud shout erupted from the front. “Miss! Sir!” Yeowun Gi called out urgently and turned around, but— “...” Both were already gone. “Miss Cheonghua disappearing is one thing, but...” Watching the two vanish without him noticing, he shook his head. “It seems Cheon-Hui is quite the expert too.” Accepting the reality of his own mediocrity, he sighed and kicked at the unsteady wooden planks. “Sigh, let’s just focus on what I can do.” Meanwhile, Cheonghua, who had moved first, fixed her gaze on the emaciated old man before her. “You again, Heuk Ya-No.” “Hah! You’re showing up again despite being defeated before.” Cheonghua scowled at his sharp words, then subtly glanced behind her. “Everyone, stay back.” Her voice, though soft, reached everyone clearly. “Got it.” “Fall back, everyone.” As the escorts and porters retreated, Heuk Ya-No squinted his eyes at them. “Heh heh heh, did you think I’d let you leave peacefully?” With those words, he raised his hand high. “Attack them all!” The calm river suddenly surged, and waterlogged figures emerged from all sides. “Take everything!” “Leave nothing behind!” The bandits brandished bizarre weapons and charged at once. Heuk Ya-No laughed menacingly. “Ho ho, do you think I would just let them go?” “My opponent is you.” Cheonghua grasped her sword. As the transparent blade gleamed, sunlight reflected off it, momentarily blinding Heuk Ya-No. “Ugh! You coward!” As he rubbed his eyes, “You’ve been the coward all along.” The woman’s cold voice sliced through the air. Clang! Instead of the sound of flesh being cut, metal clashed against metal. “Ha! Did you think I’d go down just like that?” Heuk Ya-No deflected the sword with a swing, baring yellowed teeth as he laughed. Soon, a sticky aura began to envelop his form. “This time, I'll finish you.” “No, you’ll be the one to die.” While Cheonghua concentrated on spreading her energy, Yeowun Gi gritted his teeth as he defended the back of the ship. “Enough of this!” Smack! Thud! Fending off the incessant waves of bandits with his martial arts was exhausting. He glanced back and called out, “Anyone here proficient in martial arts, lend a hand, will you?” The escorts of the Dawn Listening Escort Guild hesitated, then began drawing their swords one by one. With each of them handling an adversary, Yeowun Gi felt a momentary relief. “Phew, I can breathe a little now.” Feeling slightly more at ease, he suddenly recalled something and shouted loudly toward the sky. “Sir! Cheon-Hui!” At that moment, a shadow swiftly appeared. Wham! The advancing bandits were sent flying back. “What is it?” Seeing Cheon-Hui appear as if by magic, Yeowun Gi flinched but quickly composed himself. “It’s time to carry out the mission!” “Hmm, true...” Cheon-Hui stroked his chin, twisting his body only slightly to evade the bandits' attacks. His movements were almost supernatural. “Does this happen every time you’re attacked?” A strange sense of déjà vu washed over him. ‘He’s toying with them.’ The difference in power was evident. Firstly, they were outnumbered. Facing nearly forty bandits, two people were utterly insufficient. Of course, if both were martial artists of the highest caliber, it might have been different, but— ‘They aren’t.’ They were not. Moreover, what about that old man, Heuk Ya-No’s skills? He possessed enough martial ability to overpower the woman before him easily. Even without bringing subordinates, he could have taken over the ship alone. Yet he was holding back. ‘Why is he doing that? Could this raid be…?’ While Cheon-Hui was lost in thought, ‘Does this happen every time you’re attacked?’ Yeowun Gi's eyes darted around. His instincts told him that Cheon-Hui hadn't asked the question without reason. “Sir, did you discover something?” “Hmm, it seems there’s a different objective here.” “What?” With that conclusion, Cheon-Hui vanished once more. “...Sir?” Yeowun Gi, puzzled, glanced around only to find that Cheon-Hui was already gone. “He, he’s gone!” “This is our chance! Attack them all!” The momentarily hesitant water bandits, startled by Cheon-Hui’s display of skill, quickly regained their resolve and surged forth like flooding water. “Sir! Where have you gone?” Yeowun Gi shouted frantically, but Cheon-Hui, already having left, did not return. “Damn it!” he swore, clashing again with the bandits. “Aaargh!” Meanwhile, Cheon-Hui, having masked his presence, glanced over the fighters. ‘I can’t figure out their goal yet.’ For bandits, their attacks lacked intensity and precision. It was then that Heuk Ya-No shouted loudly, “Retreat, everyone!” Despite seemingly having the upper hand, a command for withdrawal was given—a situation that defied logic. ‘Are they leading me right to the Water Dragon Faction?’ Cheon-Hui let out a satisfied grin. He swiftly mingled with the retreating bandits, moving seamlessly among them. Swoosh— After a short while, Cheon-Hui found himself aboard a vessel of the Water Dragon Faction and soon was venturing deeper inside. There, he discovered a door marked “Control Room.” ‘This seems like a good place to stay put.’ He immediately opened the door. “I was just about to head out…” The bandit inside, turning his head with an annoyed expression, widened his eyes in shock at the sight of Cheon-Hui. “Wh-who are you…” But the bandit couldn’t finish his sentence. Nor could he make any further sound. Cheon-Hui had already reached him, sealing his voice by swiftly pressing a pressure point on his neck. “You’re with the Water Dragon Faction, right?” The bandit, eyes wide with fear, nodded frantically. Cheon-Hui gave him a command, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Take us to the Water Dragon Faction’s base right now.”