Ch 379

**Chapter 6: The Unexpected Challenge** Unbelievable—I never thought my attempt at provocation would lead to an impromptu dip in the Yangtze River. I’ve never even measured the temperature of the Han River. The closest I got was biking alongside it during college. "Im Ha Yeon?" As if she might dive into the river again to average out the temperature, a pink flash cut across the deck. She efficiently took care of every fighter surrounding me in an instant, her pink hair streaming behind her as she turned to face me. "I came to save you." I might be smitten. No, if this were our first meeting, I surely would have fallen for her first. Although, in reality, she fell for me first. If only history allowed for 'what ifs.' "Where did she come from?!" "Did a boat follow us?" "It's not a boat! She just ran over the water!" "What nonsense is that!" The sudden appearance of Im Ha Yeon stirred chaos on the deck. "Im Ha Yeon, but how did you get here?" Come to think of it, where did she come from? After a quick scan, she clearly didn’t arrive by boat. It's like being about to die in an arcade game, only for your partner to suddenly drop a coin and have a new ally character descend from the sky. "I mentioned I was working on it, didn’t I?" Just an expanse of river around us, what could she possibly have attempted? Could it be? The image of her shyly balancing on a dew-covered leaf flashed in my mind. "Really, you successfully did the 'Jesus Walk'?" "You can praise me later. Are you alright?" Im Ha Yeon asked as she moved me behind her. Did she really manage the legendary feat of walking on water? "Other than swallowing some water, I’m fine... but listen." I leaned closer to her, whispering softly. Her arrival felt like gaining reinforcements out of nowhere. "Pardon?" "Can you handle all of them?" "Of course, just trust... huh?" At the end of our sightline, more enemies continued emerging from the door leading to the cabin. "Ah..." In no time, the deck was abuzz with weapon-wielding fighters. --- "Did she really walk on water?" "No way, that's impossible." "Is it some recluse making an appearance?!" Luckily, some had witnessed her perform the 'Jesus Walk,' keeping the fighters from moving recklessly. If we could just buy some time, reinforcements would arrive. Was there a strategy we could use? "Don't be scared! She's just quick on her feet!" He, clutching the railing, shouted at us. He looked like he was on the brink of death, yet he continued to hinder us. "Stay behind me. I can handle them." Im Ha Yeon appeared momentarily flustered but reassured me with calm confidence. "Perhaps you should stay back for a moment yourself." I responded, stepping in front of her. "You?" For someone who could perform the 'Jesus Walk,' Im Ha Yeon's skills must have soared dramatically. Though the crew were armed, they might not pose a challenge to her. But could she protect both herself and me simultaneously? Wouldn’t it be best to subdue our foes without fighting? "How dare you speak so rudely to the underlord of Hao Mun!" I raised my voice in defense as if I were a loyal subject witnessing an insult to the king. "What? The underlord of Hao Mun?" "Don't listen! It's a lie!" Jeon Dae Mu Yeong Sin Tu. Such urgency in his reaction isn’t wise. "A lie, you say? Look at the Hao Mun disciples who’ve already chased down this rogue and now light up the Yangtze River! Jeon Dae Mu Yeong Sin Tu has already been dismissed from his position as master, and their faction is disbanded! You’re aiding a fugitive who betrayed Hao Mun!" If the captain wasn't a fool, he would see the Hao Mun disciples illuminating the Yangtze and assess the situation. No one cares if Jeon Dae Mu Yeong Sin Tu perishes now. Knowing the tide, the captain might even side with us. The captain frowned at Jeon Dae Mu Yeong Sin Tu. "Is this true, Je Jong Mo?" "…I’ll make sure you’re well compensated." "Well... since we were planning to flee anyway." Isn't he consenting too easily? This is why you can’t trust those who only look after their own interests. If only they were righteous, like me, moving solely for justice, love, and social order... Social order? "I am Kang Yoon Ho, a constable!" As I pulled out the constable’s insignia from my coat, the crew that was approaching hesitated. "A constable?" Their eyes fixed on my badge. "Helping a criminal to stow away is strictly forbidden by law! This criminal is wanted for murder, assassination, robbery, fraud, sexual assault, theft, arson, stalking, and other crimes by the Hubei provincial magistrate!" Crossing central lines, counterflow, plague, famine, breaking only the horns on model kits—he’s done every bad thing except good. "What?" "In cooperation with the underlord of Hao Mun, I was executing a mission to capture Jeon Dae Mu Yeong Sin Tu as a constable! He escaped just before I could catch him and boarded this vessel. If you deliver Jeon Dae Mu Yeong Sin Tu without resistance, no additional charges will be considered for your rescue." I declared firmly, like an undercover magistrate wielding their authority. "Captain..." Good. They’re restless. They’re all glancing at each other, indicating it’s getting through. Now, let’s push it further. "The moment you see the magistrate's boats, it'll be too late to evade! If you’re uninvolved, surrender immediately!" To demonstrate the authenticity of my constable’s badge, I confidently approached, locking eyes with Im Ha Yeon. *—Isn’t the encirclement too far-fetched?* *—It's worth trying anything.* After all, it’s better than facing the entire crew ourselves. "Captain! What should we do? Last time we helped with a stowaway, we were taken to the magistrate!” “They threatened to seize the boat this time if caught!” “Damn it!” *—See? It's working, isn’t it?* "..." Running a large ship requires the state’s authorization. People can be hidden, but not a ship. Ignoring public authority isn’t easy. "So! If you help apprehend Jeon Dae Mu Yeong Sin Tu, the magistrate will…" "There are no magistrate vessels in sight!" A voice from atop the mast dashed hoped-for conclusions. "So, that’s how it is, huh...?" **Why are they smirking unsettlingly? I’m telling you, I’m a constable. Why are they adjusting their grips on their swords?** I retreated once more behind Im Ha Yeon and asked her. "Is it possible for you to perform the 'Jesus Walk' carrying two people?" "..." Well, we're doomed. The ship continues to move steadily forward. Is fighting our only option? How many concealed weapons do I have left? I think I lost a few in the river. Can we win this? Maybe trusting Im Ha Yeon is the only way. When I glanced at her cautiously, something caught my eye around her chest. "Im Ha Yeon, what is that?" There's no time. I hurriedly reached out to the strangely protruding part of her garment. "What are you doing touching me at a time like this?!" "If you brought it, you should’ve given it sooner." "What?! That's...?" The object I retrieved from her chest was a small cylinder, the secret weapon I had given her before heading into enemy territory for the antidote. With this, we might stand a chance. "Im Ha Yeon, do you have a favorite secret technique?" "Why are you asking that all of a sudden?" "Just curious." "…The Deadly Poisonous Space?" A familiar name sprang to mind. "You can't use that; someone else holds the rights to it." "What?" "Attack!!!" The fighters on the deck charged. "We're here for you, my lord! Jump now!" Perhaps they followed us to buy time. A friendly voice came echoing from afar. "Jump!" "Hold on!" Im Ha Yeon grabbed my waist and paused. Our eyes locked. Im Ha Yeon, just wait until I say the word. Though brief, understanding each other's intentions was effortless. "They're escaping! Stop them!" With an anguished cry from Jeon Dae Mu Yeong Sin Tu, the fighters closed in. At this rate, we might end up cut down. I could feel the tension in the hands wrapped around my waist, but Im Ha Yeon didn’t move. She had complete trust in whatever I was about to do. I could sense her faith in me. I had to reciprocate that trust. I swiftly adjusted the small cylinder in my hand, following a sequence known only to the user. *—What is this?* This was a gift from the Tang family members before parting ways. *—It's a concealed weapon from the Tang family. It will save Master Kang's life at least once.* For the sake of their master's illegitimate son, the warriors of the Tang family handed over one of their precious weapons. *—Use it when surrounded by enemies. It's okay if there’s one ally beside you. But! Never use it if there are many allies!* *—Why such a condition for its use?* *—It doesn't have a name. Feel free to call it whatever you like. Just...* *—Just?* *—Remember, it's infused with the essence of Tang's secret techniques.* The safety lock clicked open. I raised the cylinder high, feeling the vibrations within the chamber tighten in my grip. "Dieeeeee!" As countless foes surged before me... The cap of the concealed weapon popped open. There was only one name for the weapon containing Tang’s secrets, the Fragment of Blossoming Rain. "Furious Torrential Rain!" Like a fiery starburst, thousands of tiny dart-shaped projectiles hurtled towards the enemies. "Ugh!" Without eyes, the darts fanned out mercilessly in all directions except the ones initially aimed. "Aaaaagh!" In an instant, the black ship on the dark Yangtze was reduced to chaos. "What is this... what is...?" "I'll have to ask for another one later." On what was once a deck teeming with enemies, only we remained standing. "Curse you wretched..." No, there was one more. "Jeon Dae Mu Yeong Sin Tu?" Still alive after all this? "Step aside." With a steely expression, Im Ha Yeon brushed past my shoulder. "Im Ha Yeon." "I want to end this filthy grudge once and for all." Her gaze was fixed intently on her nemesis. Even at a glance, Jeon Dae Mu Yeong Sin Tu looked to be teetering on the threshold between life and death. Yes. It was time to put an end to this. And it was Im Ha Yeon, not I, who should finish it. I nodded and silently watched her steps as she approached her sworn foe. --- "Jeon Dae Mu Yeong Sin Tu." Im Ha Yeon called the man who had persistently tormented her. His arm severed, fallen from a high brothel, internally injured from consuming the Resurrection Elixir, and his body tattered from concealed weaponry, yet madness still flickered in his eyes. "If it wasn't for those meddling kids of yours! If not for them!!! The role of lord! Hao Mun! All the splendor and wealth would’ve been mine!!!" Everything he prepared for in life was shattered, all because of two meddling nuisances. Jeomg Du cried out in frustration. However, he wasn’t the only one whose entire life was undone. "If not for you, my mother would still be alive." Im Ha Yeon spoke with a calmness that belied the fury that threatened to consume everything. "You wouldn't have seen me grow up as a courtesan. I would have lived an ordinary life. I wouldn't be standing in front of you like this." She wouldn't have spent a lifetime misunderstanding and resenting her father. She wouldn't have kept vigil by her mother's deathbed, weeping in solitude. She wouldn't have been forced, at a young age, to choose the path of a courtesan, a life neither she nor her parents wanted, going hungry. The person before her was the unspeakable archenemy who destroyed her childhood, family, and hometown. "Then it's a grudge that’ll only end with death." Mustered the last of his strength, Jeon Dae Mu Yeong Sin Tu gripped his sword. "No, only one of us will die." No longer could they live under the same sky. Im Ha Yeon advanced. "Argh!" She had already surpassed her limits. With a single punch, Im Ha Yeon knocked out his yellowing teeth into the Yangtze. Her kick threw him off balance. Drawing the last of his strength to swing his sword, she caught his wrist and broke it. Her knee slammed into his jaw. Jeon Dae Mu Yeong Sin Tu's body soared upwards. With all the vengeance for her mother, the courtesan sisters and brothers who perished, and countless others who fell to this foe’s hand, she unleashed a flurry of blows. It was a fight doomed from the start. His bones began shattering one by one. “Go on, kill me! You wretched girl! Curse you even in death!” Im Ha Yeon stood staring blankly as Jeon Dae Mu Yeong Sin Tu collapsed, coughing up blood. Her nemesis lay bleeding on the floor, but the gaze filled with hatred toward her did not extinguish. She picked up a discarded sword, yet hesitated to strike her enemy down. It wasn't that she didn't want to kill him, nor had her hatred suddenly vanished. He was the vilest among the filth of Hao Mun. But the idea that his death might leave a stain on her soul, casting a shadow over the rest of her life, gave her pause. It was just a small moment of hesitation. “You little... scared to kill someone now? You wretched girl. I should have killed you instead of your mother!” Suddenly, a murky sludge of emotion burst forth within Im Ha Yeon's chest. Yes, it was time to conclude things. No matter how dirty, she had to tie the knot with her own hands. “Let's end this…” “Stop it.” A voice, reminiscent of a worried parent speaking to a child playing dangerously by the water’s edge, halted her. “I have to kill him.” Im Ha Yeon spoke without turning to acknowledge her father. “He's not even worth killing.” No, she had to kill him. Just as she lifted her sword high... “Why? Are you really planning to spare him? Do you and your father both—” A sickening crack echoed as Jeon Dae Mu Yeong Sin Tu’s neck snapped. As a husband and a parent, he did what had to be done. A new body joined the bloody floor. Too merciful an end for one who caused so much suffering. “Ha Yeon.” Jeon Dae Mu Yeong Sin Tu—no, Wang Jong Ho looked at his daughter with an expression fixed in shock. It wasn't merely to settle a grudge. This was something he had to do as her flawed father. He couldn't allow his daughter's hands to be sullied. She shouldn’t be shackled to the past. She has the future ahead of her, unlike his own time-worn self. She had endured so much because of him. Now she must live with love in her heart, looking only toward the good things and cherishing the man she loves. The filthy deeds should be dealt with by the hands of a failed father, not the clean hands of his daughter. Jeon Dae Mu Yeong Sin Tu—no, Wang Jong Ho called the name of the daughter he had yearned to hold for ten years. “…Dad.” The voice of the daughter who had misunderstood her father for a lifetime trembled. As a whirlwind of emotions crossed Im Ha Yeon’s face, she uttered a word she felt might never pass her lips again. With the filth that tormented them underfoot, father and daughter bid farewell to the madman who had ruined their family. Walking slowly, the father embraced the daughter he had longed for throughout a lifetime, and they wept together.