Chapter 74: Bloodbath on the Yangtze (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 74: Bloodbath on the Yangtze (3)
An explosion erupted from the ship with the black sails.
It was a trap, set with the cold-blooded intention of sacrificing their own allies.
I nearly lost my life, caught in the blast.
In that split second, I activated the True Blood Golden Body and shielded myself with True Qi as the Namcheon Iron Sword soared into the air.
However, the aftershock of the explosion sent me hurtling into the water.
The Namcheon Iron Sword searched for me as I drifted downstream for a good while. By the time I managed to pull myself out, the ship was already swarming with masked men.
-There are so many of them.
Just as the So-dam Sword said, the deck was crawling with figures in black.
If I had been even a moment later, a true catastrophe might have unfolded.
-Is it easy to keep your balance, Woon-hwi?
‘It’s better this way.’
I used the Suction Art with my internal energy to stick the soles of my feet to the blade, which made things much easier. Flying while gripping the hilt felt awkward, like being dragged along.
-This feels more stable for me as well.
‘Glad to hear it.’
I had heard that flying while standing atop a controlled sword was called Sword Flight Art.
It was a feat supposedly possible only when one’s sword mastery and lightness skills reached the absolute pinnacle. Thanks to the power of the Prison Torture, I was able to perform it with ease.
-Woon-hwi, they’re trying to shoot arrows again.
As So-dam warned, the masked men aimed their bows at me as I flew toward the ship. It seemed they intended to shoot me down before I could reach the deck.
‘So-dam. You said you wanted to run wild, right?’
-Oh, can I?
‘Show them.’
-He-heh!
The So-dam Sword unsheathed itself with glee.
It streaked toward the ship in an instant. Naturally, it was far faster than the Namcheon Iron Sword, which was burdened with my weight.
As the So-dam Sword lunged forward, the masked men who had been trying to aim at me panicked, scrambling to dodge or deflect it.
Psh-sh-sh-sh-shk!
But the So-dam Sword darted nimbly through the air, piercing the chests of the archers.
In the blink of an eye, it skewered five masked men like kebabs, throwing the enemy into a frenzy.
“Wh-what?! Sword Control Art?!”
“Damn it, intercept it!”
The chaos among the masked men was transmitted directly into my mind through the So-dam Sword’s perspective.
The sword was having the time of its life, as if playing a game of tag.
Then, someone stepped forward.
It was a middle-aged man with a scar near his mouth. He lunged forward, attempting to snatch the flying So-dam Sword out of the air in a single motion. Judging by his movement, he was a formidable master.
‘Dive into the floor!’
-Got it!
The So-dam Sword plunged straight through the wooden deck.
The scarred man let out a grunt of annoyance, seemingly unwilling or unable to follow it through the floorboards.
In that opening, I successfully reached the ship.
Swish!
Leaping off the Namcheon Iron Sword, I landed lightly on the deck.
The moment I touched down, a deafening roar erupted from the ship.
“WAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!”
“It’s Young Hero So!”
My arrival revitalized the fighting spirit of the escorts, the Beggar’s Sect members, and even the disciples of the Zhongnan Sect. They looked at me as if a savior had descended.
Conversely, the eyes of the masked men were filled with wariness.
It was only natural. Who wouldn't be intimidated seeing someone arrive via Sword Flight Art, with the Namcheon Iron Sword and the So-dam Sword floating ominously around him?
“Did I keep you waiting?”
At my question, Sama Yeong, who was standing behind me, replied.
“I thought I’d die of exhaustion waiting for you.”
She was as blunt as ever.
Despite her words, her face had brightened, clearly relieved to see me safe.
The rest of the group felt the same. Jo Seong-won let out a sigh of relief, while Song Jwa-baek was busy talking to Hwang Hye-ju, the leader of the Hwangyeong Escort Agency.
“He showed up late on purpose just to make a cool entrance.”
Are you really that desperate to look good in front of her?
Well, I suppose I could understand. Hwang Hye-ju was letting out gasps of admiration, looking deeply moved by my appearance.
“Young Master. Here is what you entrusted to me.”
Sama Yeong handed over the wooden case she had been carrying on her back. Inside were the Blood Demon Sword and the Evil Connection Sword.
“Thanks.”
The moment I strapped the case to my back, I heard the two swords grumbling. They were throwing a fit because they couldn't see anything inside the box and because I had left them with Sama Yeong.
‘Sorry, but I’ll listen to your complaints later.’
Leaving their griping behind, I turned my gaze forward.
Directly ahead stood the middle-aged man with the scar on his mouth.
He was a master so powerful that I could feel his presence clearly through my Qi Sense.
-Is he strong?
‘He’s not just strong. He’s a master who has broken the wall.’
-What? He’s broken the wall?
I had no idea where a man like that had come from.
If my guess was correct, this man and the masked followers undoubtedly belonged to the organization created by the Golden-Eyed Man—assuming the words of the man who trapped me weren't a lie.
-I mean, what kind of organization is this? How do they have so many monsters on par with the Eight Great Masters or the Four Great Villains?
That was exactly what I wanted to know.
Starting with the former villain Mu Ak, then Flash Thunder Sword Jagyun, and now this scarred man—this was already the third master I’d encountered who had broken the wall.
-At this rate, aren't they powerful enough to rival any major martial sect?
In terms of sheer power derived from peerless masters, yes.
To put it in perspective, the Martial Alliance and Peerless Fortress, which currently divide the martial world between them, each possess two of the Eight Great Masters.
Yet, this organization had already revealed a third master of that caliber.
These three alone were a force capable of anchoring a major pillar of the martial world.
But something was strange.
-What is?
They could have easily vied for supremacy against any major power in the martial world using their own strength, without needing to plant moles like Mu Ak in Peerless Fortress. I couldn't understand it.
-Why would they do that?
Who knows.
There are only two possibilities I can think of.
Either this organization has an objective we can't even fathom, or they are in a situation where they cannot reveal themselves openly.
Regardless of which it is, there is no doubt that this organization is dangerous.
The scarred man finally spoke.
“Are you So Woon-hwi?”
“I am.”
“You’re completely different from the reports. Or were you hiding your true skill?”
The scarred man spoke with a hint of genuine interest.
It was a different vibe from pure hostility. Even his own masked subordinates looked at him with confusion.
I stared back at him and asked, “You seem to know me, but I don’t know you.”
“If I intended to let you know who I am, I wouldn't be moving around in a mask.”
“But you aren't wearing a mask, are you?”
At my remark, the corners of the scarred man’s mouth curled into a chilling smirk.
The smile was so bloodcurdling that the people nearby swallowed hard in nervous tension.
“The dead cannot speak.”
“You’re quite confident.”
I extended my arm, and the Namcheon Iron Sword flew into my palm via Void Object Retrieval.
It was a show of force. This wasn't a situation for long-winded conversation anyway.
The scarred man then said to me, “There is nothing as inefficient as using True Qi to manipulate swords through Sword Control Art.”
“Inefficient?”
“In a battle between those who have broken the wall, where every single move determines life or death, do you really think you can afford the concentration required for Sword Control Art? Such techniques are merely for show, to intimidate underlings.”
Was he trying to say that Sword Control Art wouldn't work against him?
I snorted and replied, “What are you trying to get at?”
“I’ll give you a chance.”
“A chance?”
“It would be a waste to kill a talent like you.”
The crowd stirred at his words.
What he was saying sounded like an attempt to recruit me.
Sensing the danger, the injured Sect Leader of the Zhongnan Sect, Taoist Master Do Uk, shouted, “Cough, cough... You must not listen to them, Young Hero So!”
“You can’t, Young Hero So!”
Several others called out to me, terrified that I might actually accept the offer.
Indeed, if I were to join forces with that man in this situation, it would be utter despair for everyone else.
The scarred man reached out his hand toward me.
“Come to our side. If you do, I will guarantee the lives of everyone here.”
As expected, he was trying to scout me.
However, unlike before, some people wavered at the promise of everyone being spared.
Most of them were the escorts. Perhaps they held a faint hope that the fighting could finally end.
But that was a foolish judgment.
I gave him a thin smile and said, “Just answer three questions for me.”
“Three questions?”
The scarred man repeated my words, looking puzzled. I ignored his confusion and continued.
“Setting aside the masked ones, everyone here has seen your face. How can you guarantee their lives? Didn't you just say the dead cannot speak?”
The people who had momentarily wavered realized the truth and flinched.
The man’s smirk widened.
“...You’re sharper than you look.”
“Only a fool would be deceived.”
“Then I’ll change my offer. How about coming over to save your own life, at the very least?”
“You speak as if you’ve already won.”
“You catch on quick. While you and I are fighting, everyone else on this ship will die anyway. And your death will only be a matter of time.”
He exuded immense confidence, speaking as if his victory was an absolute certainty.
“Make a wise choice. An opportunity like this won't come again, So Woon-hwi.”
I let out a short laugh.
“Second question. Did your Jonju tell you to recruit anyone who looks useful?”
“!?”
The man’s expression froze.
He hadn't shown much reaction until now, but this time, his emotional agitation was clear.
Even the masked men were visibly shocked.
After a moment of wavering, he spoke. “...How do you know that?”
“You want to know how I know that the man with one golden eye is called the Jonju?”
“!!!”
At those words, the scarred man drew the saber from the scabbard at his waist.
Shring!
An intense murderous intent erupted from his entire body.
Pointing his saber at me, he demanded, “Just how much do you know?”
“Now, you’re going to have to tell me that with your own mouth.”
“What?”
Boom!
The moment I finished speaking, I slammed my foot down in a powerful True Awakening stomp.
A massive roar rippled through the surroundings like a shockwave.
The man looked on in confusion, wondering what I was doing.
Psh-sh-sh-sh-sh-shk!
“Gah!”
“Ugh!”
“Aaaargh!”
The So-dam Sword, which had been circling me, and the Namcheon Iron Sword in my hand streaked across the deck at incredible speed, piercing the chests of the masked men.
“What in the world...”
The scarred man couldn't comprehend the situation at all.
Instead of dodging the swords, the masked men stood there with vacant eyes, only coming to their senses and screaming as their chests were impaled.
The speed was so great that nearly half of the masked men on the deck lost their lives in an instant.
As the Namcheon Iron Sword and the So-dam Sword crisscrossed the ship, blood sprayed in their wake, creating numerous crimson trails in the air.
“You bastard!”
The panicked scarred man lunged at me.
It was the right choice. Stopping the one performing the Sword Control Art was the fastest solution.
Swish!
I reached out and used Void Object Retrieval to pull a fallen sword from the deck into my hand, parrying the scarred man’s strike.
Clang!
“Stop this at once!”
The scarred man unleashed a fierce flurry of saber techniques.
Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!
He was trying to break my concentration.
I countered with the techniques of the Life Bright Sword Technique, blocking his saber strikes.
Even as we clashed, the Namcheon Iron Sword and the So-dam Sword continued to hunt the masked men, causing the scarred man’s eyes to tremble.
“How are you still controlling those swords while fighting me?!”
‘It’s possible because I’m not the one moving them.’
To the scarred man, who didn't know the truth, I must have looked like a monster.
With our blades locked, I spoke in a meaningful voice.
“I’ll ask my third question.”
“What?”
“You’ll die if your head is cut off, so aren't you being a bit too overconfident in your recovery ability?”
“!!!”