Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: To the Thousand-Year Prison Jade
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"Shall we head out?"
Hyeok Mulin, who had stayed overnight at the Man-Geum Battlefield, finished his preparations at dawn and made his way toward the entrance.
There, he spotted Cho Sahyeon waiting nearby, having come out ahead of time.
Approaching her, Hyeok Mulin opened his mouth.
"You'll be staying in Sichuan a little longer."
"I'm actually pleased. It's been ages since I ventured outside the stronghold, and so much has changed. It looks like it'll take some more time to establish and reorganize the intelligence network in the Central Plains."
"I see."
Lifting the corner of his mouth faintly, Hyeok Mulin spoke to her in a low tone.
"As I said before, compile only verified information for your report. Accuracy trumps speed."
"I'll keep that in mind. Please take good care of yourself."
Cho Sahyeon bowed her head deeply in farewell.
Hyeok Mulin's gaze shifted away from her toward the side.
He placed a light hand on the shoulder of the young man standing there and said,
"I trust you. Lead the Man-Geum Battlefield well."
Geum Hyeon-mong flinched, unsure how to respond.
"Yes, my lord! Just leave it to me!"
...He seemed a touch overly tense since yesterday's meeting.
Well, he'll handle it.
He has more than enough talent as the fortress lord, after all.
Passing by the man standing rigidly with tension, Hyeok Mulin stepped out through the entrance and declared,
"We're departing."
"Yes!"
The Divine Demon Blood Death Squad following Hyeok Mulin raised their voices in unison behind him.
Swoosh—
Hyeok Mulin and the dozens under his command left the battlefield, vanishing into a remote forest.
Crossing the Central Plains, they avoided villages to minimize contact with people, taking suitable detours.
Even so, the journey didn't drag on.
Both Hyeok Mulin and the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad showed clear progress in their lightness skills from recent training, making their base speed noticeably faster.
Clatter!
Leaving Sichuan behind and traversing Zhongqing Province, they soon entered Hunan.
Having made full preparations while waiting at the Man-Geum Battlefield, they required no additional rest.
After days of running, a few hours' sleep, more days on the move with brief naps, they reached their destination far quicker than expected.
Thud.
Standing at the edge of a cliff sheared straight down from the heavens, Hyeok Mulin gazed ahead and spoke.
"So this is Dongting Lake."
The grandest lake known in the Central Plains.
Dongting Lake, whispered to rival a small sea, revealed its majestic splendor before them.
"I can see why the people of the Central Plains also call it the Dongting Sea."
Ji Wolhon, facing the vast expanse with no end in sight like the open ocean, let out a quiet gasp of awe.
Sunlight danced on the rippling waves, a natural vista worthy of any acclaim.
"The Thousand-Year Prison Jade lies somewhere beyond that horizon."
Staring fixedly at the water's surface, Hyeok Mulin's eyes eventually lifted skyward.
Caw— Caw—
A single crow circled lazily near Hyeok Mulin in the open sky.
Coating his finger with demonic qi, Hyeok Mulin spread it outward in a circle toward the heavens. Soon, the crow glided down steadily and alighted on his shoulder.
Hyeok Mulin untied the scroll bound to the crow's ankle and unfolded it slowly.
This was a place where criminals sentenced to a thousand years of confinement—effectively life imprisonment—were gathered.
It housed the righteous, the unorthodox, outsider martial artists, and even some demons from the cult itself.
'They don't send ordinary offenders there.'
The Thousand-Year Prison Jade was the final stop for the absolute worst criminals among those who had committed heinous acts across the Central Plains and become public enemies of the martial world—those deemed beyond redemption or recruitment.
Thus, they were top-tier not just in crimes, but in fame and martial prowess as well.
Its location was roughly known, but the entry method remained a secret from the outside.
Even so, he gleaned several key details.
According to intel secretly gathered by the Secret Affairs Hall, one needed to unravel advanced formations to reach the island.
Moreover, the Murim Alliance's naval forces patrolled the perimeter vigilantly, and as one neared the Thousand-Year Prison Jade, the currents grew treacherous, making approach perilous—ships frequently capsizing in the process.
'The Alliance isn't enough; even nature lends a hand in defense.'
That level of security explained why they dared imprison the martial world's public enemies so boldly.
Nodding, Hyeok Mulin read to the scroll's conclusion.
'...Since its founding, not a single outsider has set foot on the island, and no prisoner has ever successfully escaped.'
Interesting.
Thud.
Folding the scroll, Hyeok Mulin handed it aside.
"Take a look."
Ji Wolhon swiftly read through the contents.
Confirming them impassively, he spoke.
"Without an exact location, approaching will prove quite challenging."
"Uncovering even that much is impressive. She truly holds a massive edge in Central Plains intelligence."
Without the Secret Affairs Hall, he wouldn't have known about the patrols, the shifting currents, or the need to break advanced formations.
Armed with this intel advantage, countermeasures became far simpler to devise.
Hand on his chin, Ji Wolhon pondered deeply.
"Hmm. Then perhaps a way to exploit this for getting close..."
"No need to rack your brain."
But Hyeok Mulin cut off his subordinate's musings without a hint of hesitation.
"I already have something in mind."
Taking a brush from one of his men, Hyeok Mulin scribbled on the back of the scroll before tying it to the crow's leg.
The crow then took flight once more, heading back toward Sichuan.
"This vast Dongting Lake isn't ruled solely by the Murim Alliance."
Gazing at the lake where it met the clear blue sky, the corners of Hyeok Mulin's mouth curved into a thin arc.
Near Dongting Lake, a modest dock built along the shore.
At its heart stood a fairly large wooden pavilion.
Inside that pavilion, two men sat on wooden chairs, engaged in conversation.
"What was last month's take?"
A middle-aged man with a round head, narrow forehead, stubby hooked nose, and bushy eyebrows scarred by old wounds spoke first.
His fierce yet sly demeanor marked him as the ruler of Dongting Lake and lord of the Dongting Waterway Stronghold: Waterborne Fist King Bong Chu.
"Fifteen taels of gold, plus five taels of silver."
The man responding across from him had a gaunt face, marred by a deep knife scar on his cheek.
Wearing a weary, fatigued expression, he was the vice lord of the Dongting Waterway Stronghold, Mun Seok-bae.
Bong Chu let out a sigh at his answer.
"Just fifteen gold taels. Not enough. Far from it."
Fifteen taels of gold.
By ordinary standards, it was a hefty sum—anything but paltry.
But as the boss leading the Dongting Waterway Stronghold, he had dozens of mouths to feed, plus the costs of maintaining the ships for their piracy.
It fell woefully short.
"On top of that, ships crossing Dongting Lake are dwindling."
"Blame the rumors about us spreading. The higher our infamy climbs, the stronger the backlash."
The Dongting Waterway Stronghold, pirates who dominated Dongting Lake.
They had held this territory for quite some time now, and everyone nearby knew of their existence.
As a result, most avoided launching boats on Dongting Lake these days, opting for alternate routes—which meant their prey had noticeably thinned out.
"No damn way out of this. And we can't touch those guys."
For all their dominion as kings of Dongting Lake, there were still those they dared not provoke.
The nobles of the righteous and unorthodox sects still enjoyed cruises on what remained a famed natural wonder. Unless they were tied to the Nine Great Righteous Sects, the Six Great Families, or the Four Black Alliances, they steered clear.
They knew better than to trade immediate gains for the massive fallout those groups could unleash, so they kept their distance and tolerated their passage.
"If there's no answer, maybe we should just throw in with the Yangtze Waterway Stronghold..."
"Shut your mouth! Do you not know why we operate independently instead of folding into them?!"
Bong Chu snapped at Mun Seok-bae's words.
Strictly speaking, Dongting Lake was no true lake but a branch of the Yangtze River.
Its waters flowed constantly to and from the great river, merely shaped like a lake, hence the name.
They could easily become part of the Yangtze Waterway Stronghold, but Bong Chu had shrewdly claimed Dongting early on and insisted on autonomy ever since.
'The tribute they'd demand alone...'
Donning the Yangtze Waterway Stronghold's banner meant surrendering more than half their earnings.
Bong Chu refused to bend the knee no matter what.
'I'd sooner quit the pirate life altogether.'
Yet no viable solution came to mind all the same.
"Hmmm..."
"Urgh..."
As the lord and vice lord racked their brains, it happened.
Bang!
"Boss!"
A subordinate burst through the door, face alight with excitement.
"What is it?"
"A ship just appeared about five li from here! A fancy pleasure cruiser decked out with all sorts of ornate decorations!"
"Pleasure cruiser, huh. Must be one run by the Murim Alliance or the Four Black Alliances."
Bong Chu responded with a disinterested face to his subordinate's shout.
Only the upper echelons of the Murim Alliance or Four Black Alliances would openly flaunt such luxury on Dongting Lake.
But the subordinate vigorously shook his head in denial.
"No, sir! No crests or emblems on the sails—at least from what I saw. Looks like some independent rich fool!"
"What?!"
Thud!
Bong Chu leaped to his feet, thrilled.
Not the Nine Sects, Six Families, or Four Alliances.
Nothing to worry about.
"Round up the lads. We sail now."
Looks like some clueless naive lord decided to take a joyride on Dongting Lake.
"Heh heh heh, fresh meat's wandered right into our jaws at last!"
Grinning ear to ear, Bong Chu unleashed a greedy cackle toward the heavens.