Chronicles of the Northern Heavens Chapter 183 - Pursuit Battle (3)
Splash! Splash!
Tiny ripples stirred by the wind lapped against them, retreating and returning in endless rhythm, jostling everyone's bodies this way and that.
"It's a bit chilly," Jo Yeong grumbled, hunching his shoulders and grimacing.
No matter how well-trained these martial artists were with their breathing techniques, lingering in water chilled with cold for so long was pure torment. And they couldn't circulate their internal energy to drive out the encroaching chill. One slip, and they'd be detected—facing the worst possible scenario of battling that horde from Hwangha Suryeon.
All eyes turned to Yeon-hoo. Was he resting, or deep in thought devising their next move? His eyes remained closed.
Boom! Boom!
Fireworks exploded in the distance. From the faint sound, they were quite far off.
Jo Yeong smirked. "Looks like those idiots all went the wrong way, huh?"
Seobaek raised a finger to his lips, signaling silence. Jo Yeong retreated with an awkward expression.
At that moment, Yeon-hoo opened his eyes. Two sichin had passed since they'd hidden here.
Eyes gleaming, everyone awaited his orders. But Yeon-hoo said nothing, simply sinking lower into the water. He parted the overhanging reeds and scanned the river.
The warships still held their position. A few small speedboats bobbed nearby, tethered to the motherships by ropes, but empty of crew.
Yeon-hoo peered farther out. No sign of Hwangha Suryeon forces anywhere—just the figures pacing the decks.
He turned to Dongbang Ri. "Care to check the weather?"
"One moment."
Dongbang Ri descended cautiously into the water beside him, scrutinizing the sky and surrounding peaks.
"No rain in sight, but the wind will soon shift to westerlies."
"How strong will it get?"
"If we rate full sail at ten, I'd say seven or eight."
Dongbang Ri's eyes held a knowing glint. As Yeon-hoo turned away, she transmitted: You already knew and asked anyway, right?
I needed confirmation, so I sought your aid.
Confident now?
Yes.
Dongbang Ri felt a quiet thrill. If her words had solidified his certainty, it meant he trusted her judgment.
"Let's head back up."
Yeon-hoo and Dongbang Ri returned to their spots. Everyone itched to ask what came next but held back. Even Bukgung Pae waited silently for Yeon-hoo to speak.
Jo Yeong, however, couldn't resist. "What now, my lord?"
"We wait here until the westerlies kick in."
"And then?"
"Steal a speedboat and break north."
"……!"
Eyes widened in shock. No one had anticipated stealing a boat to flee north—and it hardly seemed wise.
Bukgung Pae spoke gravely. "Even at top speed, they'll catch us on land. Wouldn't slipping along the riverbank now, while they're away, be safer?"
"If we escape undetected, sure. But if we're spotted, we'll be surrounded in seconds, with no recourse. Fighting that many, some of us will die." Yeon-hoo glanced at the Geomga experts as he spoke.
Bukgung Pae, grasping the implication, nodded heavily. "My thinking was shortsighted."
"I don't want any of you dying. Follow my lead, and no one will."
"……!"
As Yeon-hoo closed his eyes again, skeptical glances darted among the group. Bukgung Pae's eyes trembled.
A transmission slipped into his ear: If you thought a few deaths were acceptable, you'd have chosen differently.
Cheol-u. Bukgung Pae turned to him.
Hiding like this isn't my lord's way.
May I ask what you would have done?
By now, this place would be an asura hell. Many of your men would have died too.
"……!"
Bukgung Pae's eyes shook again. Cheol-u stared a moment longer, then turned to Yeon-hoo.
You surely have some greater aim.
Until now, they'd stumbled into this by chance—a move to secure Geomga as firm allies. But Yeon-hoo always painted his desired picture, even in chaos, and delivered results. Cheol-u trusted he'd do more here than just aid Geomga. He'd seen it time and again, from the closest vantage.
Whoosh!
The wind began to strengthen—but still from the north. Even a speedboat would struggle upstream against it.
Cheol-u glanced at Dongbang Ri; their eyes met as she looked his way. She offered a faint smile.
Don't worry. It'll shift west by sunset.
Cheol-u suddenly realized Dongbang Ri had grown far stronger—not just in martial prowess, but in inner resolve, more solid than before.
Come to think of it, I'm the only one who's stagnated.
A bitter pang rose; Cheol-u leaned against the cliff and closed his eyes.
Everyone endured the frigid water, willing time to hasten. After about half a sijin, as dusk fell, a Geomga expert murmured:
"……The wind has shifted."
Now westerlies: powerful gusts whipped the once-calm river into whitecaps surging northwest.
Jo Yeong's eyes bulged. "Whoa, it actually changed!"
Seobaek narrowed his eyes at him.
Young Master Jo, you still have much to learn.
What...?
Faith in my lord.
"……."
Believe when my lord says it will be so. That's enough.
I do believe in him, but...
Jo Yeong trailed off, then grinned and scratched his head.
He had harbored doubts. All eyes turned to Yeon-hoo, who had opened his and descended into the water. They swallowed dryly, awaiting his words.
Yeon-hoo looked to Cheol-u. "Wait for a speedboat to approach, then board and head upstream immediately. The wind's fierce—no need for extra thrust; don't waste energy accelerating with internal force."
"Aren't you... coming with us?"
"I'll follow soon."
Cheol-u couldn't say he'd go together. Yeon-hoo's solo command from the start meant he'd act alone.
Yeon-hoo turned to Bukgung Pae. "See you upstream."
"……Understood."
Yeon-hoo glided silently toward the river. Dongbang Ri caught his arm.
"Be careful."
"I will."
* * *
While wandering the land, Yeon-hoo had once learned basic swimming and diving from a water bandit. Nothing advanced, but he put that submerged breath-hold to use now, approaching the Hwangha Suryeon warships.
Breath was no issue; he could last half a gak underwater if needed—plenty to reach them.
Dusk had fallen; the water was pitch black. Boosting his vision with internal energy lit up twenty jang ahead.
Ignoring startled fleeing fish, he closed in swiftly. When he finally surfaced quietly, he was at the stern of a speedboat tethered to its mothership.
"Think we missed them?"
"Don't worry. With our strategist, he'll sniff out those rat bastards like vermin and slaughter them all."
Voices drifted from the warship deck. Yeon-hoo shifted his gaze.
Torches multiplied in the rear woods, invisible from hiding—some perilously near their position.
They anticipated us hiding close and left forces behind.
Recalling Ga Hoe, Yeon-hoo eyed the warship. Too high to see clearly, but heightening his senses detected about twenty presences. Most radiated openly, but a few were faint—deliberately subtle, hard to notice without focus.
Time to begin.
Yeon-hoo inhaled deeply and submerged again, heading for another warship ten jang off.
Soon spotting its anchor line, he followed it to the riverbed. There loomed the massive anchor, half-buried in silt.
He scanned around, spotting a protruding rock nearby. Gripping the anchor, he summoned internal energy.
Its immense weight was no barrier to lift and shift. But distance mattered; misalignment would drag the ship's mass too.
Fortunately, the length sufficed. He hooked it over the rock, then channeled ten layers of force into his feet and stomped the chain taut.
Crack.
The rock chipped, catching the anchor's end securely. Yeon-hoo ascended.
Using energy had strained his breath. But surfacing too fast risked blackout in deep water. Ascend slowly, always—a faint echo of the bandit's voice warned.
Surface reached, he concealed his presence and breathed. A shrill whine pierced his ears; needle-like pain stabbed repeatedly. But after a few breaths, it vanished.
He dove again, repeating the sabotage on the other warships before returning to the first to catch his breath.
Even a Heavenly Expert like him found the exertion taxing—physical drain plus energy use left his dantian unstable. Pressed against the hull, he waited for equilibrium.
About a gak later, he silently boarded the speedboat, unfurled its sail, drew his sword to sever the tether, then leaped back into the water and shoved hard.
The boat surged with the wind toward his comrades.
Splash!
Yeon-hoo vaulted onto the warship deck.
"Wha—!"
Thwack!
"Gahk!"
The spotter's head flew. Yeon-hoo decapitated the rest nearby and leaped to the second ship.
"Enemy! Ambush!"
Dong! Dong-dong!
Bells clanged wildly. Every warship blazed like massive bonfires.
Sizzle.
In midair, Yeon-hoo infused his blade with flame, diving onto the second ship's sail and unleashing it.
Whoosh!
Roar!
Part of the thick canvas ignited instantly. He struck again—at stacked crates on deck.
Boom!
Explosion and flames erupted; a nearby Hwangha Suryeon expert crumpled, spraying blood.
Yeon-hoo glanced at the first ship. Distracted, no one noticed the speedboat slipping away.
Whoosh!
A chilling sword qi slashed in. Yeon-hoo sidestepped with footwork, smacking its side hard.
Clang!
"Keurk!"
Bone and blood burst from the attacker's arm. Yeon-hoo severed his throat amid bulging eyes, then slowly turned to the charging foes.