Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Rotation
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The lodging had changed.
The people of Geyang County had given the group the largest mansion in the village. It had once belonged to a merchant who had conducted major business there, they said. The lavish treatment didn't stop there. The villagers wanted to slaughter pigs and host a feast for them.
They couldn't very well refuse such sincerity.
"This is embarrassing,"
Jeong Yak-bin muttered as she set down her bowl. The other Hainan martial artists wore similar expressions. Yuk Jin-yang didn't want to embarrass or mock them, so he changed the subject.
"How are the injured faring?"
"Yes, thanks to Lady Dang's meticulous care. The lightly wounded should be able to return to duty soon."
Jeong Yak-bin put down her chopsticks and bowed her head.
"Better late than never, but thank you as well. You did what we should have."
"I didn't do it for thanks."
Jeong Yak-bin just smiled.
They ate in silence. Only after emptying their noodle bowls did Jeong Yak-bin shift the topic.
"An elder from the sect sent a messenger pigeon."
"Good news?"
"Well... I'm not sure."
Jeong Yak-bin trailed off before explaining in detail.
"The White Shark Division Leader is coming here. With all his elite fighters."
"Isn't that good news?"
A division leader from a major sect was a supreme master whose name was known throughout the land. With that kind of force joining them, there was no reason to stay pinned down here any longer.
But Yuk Jin-yang's face hardened at her next words.
"To catch a traitor."
"No way..."
"You already knew, huh? They say the Yuk Clan's intelligence network is formidable."
"Is Bae Ji-hak nearby?"
Jeong Yak-bin shook her head.
"Not yet. The message said he's heading this way, so be careful. It seems he's coming to retrieve Jin Won-gi."
"But the information leaked en route, and now they're using this chance to eliminate the traitor?"
"Yes. They should arrive within three days."
"I have some information related to him, as it happens."
Yuk Jin-yang described the martial arts the Black Sword Sect Leader had used. Jeong Yak-bin's expression darkened. She bit her lip and fell silent for a long time before finally speaking.
"Before betraying us, Bae Ji-hak often volunteered for scouting missions. He said it was to gauge the Guangdong Jin Clan's situation. Looking back now, even that seems suspicious."
"The strengths and weaknesses of Hainan martial arts may have leaked to the Jin Clan."
"You can't judge a great tree's roots from its branches alone."
Jeong Yak-bin stood decisively.
"We may not compare to the Nine Great Sects, but Hainan roots run deep. No mere traitor's schemes will uproot us."
Yuk Jin-yang fell silent at her resolute attitude. There was no point in saying more.
Suddenly, he felt eyes on him. Turning, he saw So Yun-un giving him an odd look.
Late, he recalled So Yun-un's words. Words plant seeds.
Three days later, another messenger pigeon arrived. The White Shark Division Leader had reached the vicinity.
The group went out to greet him. As they waited endlessly at the village outskirts, someone approached Yuk Jin-yang.
It was Deung Gwang, the Hainan martial artist from the previous clash.
"I was rude last time. Please accept my apology."
His attitude was completely different now. His recent actions must have earned trust.
"No hard feelings."
"You are truly magnanimous, young hero."
Deung Gwang muttered. A black eyepatch covered his left eye. Yuk Jin-yang voiced mild concern.
"Is your eye alright?"
"Lost it completely. No hope of recovery."
Deung Gwang smiled wistfully. Yuk Jin-yang understood his feelings. For a martial artist, a blind spot on one side was a fatal weakness.
"That's a shame."
"No. It's the result of my own carelessness and shortcomings. A painful loss for a swordsman, but I won't set aside my blade."
Despite losing an eye, Deung Gwang maintained a composed demeanor. The upright spirit of a righteous sect disciple.
Glancing around, the other Hainan disciples were the same. None despaired despite their irreversible injuries. They burned with battle fervor instead.
It was around midday.
"They're here!"
Someone shouted. Figures shimmered over the ridge. Soon, a group of swordsmen appeared. Their aura differed sharply from the Hainan disciples already with the group—far more solid and stern.
The local Hainan disciples clasped fists in unison.
"We greet the Division Leader!"
"Enough formalities in wartime."
A middle-aged swordsman stepped forward, waving them off. Unlike the others, he wore a green silk robe. It was White Shark Division Leader Sa Jong-seop.
His sharp eyes resembled a hawk's. His slender frame and features gave a neurotic official vibe rather than a warrior's. Yet his aura evoked a coldly honed blade.
The White Shark Division Leader's gaze turned to Yuk Jin-yang.
"I see the Blazing Cloud Swordsman."
"You know me?"
"Of course."
He knew the name well. A master even more famous by his title, Blazing Cloud Swordsman. In his previous life, he had been Hainan's sect leader.
"I don't know you. But your aura suggests decent martial prowess."
After a pause, the White Shark Division Leader continued.
"I heard a Yuk Clan blood relative is traveling with our disciples. You?"
"Yes, Yuk Jin-yang."
"They say you saved our disciples. The letter detailed impressive feats."
"Just minor aid."
Sa Jong-seop's lip twitched—an faint smile. He quickly reverted to gruffness.
"Let's go. We have matters to discuss."
But Sa Jong-seop didn't head to the village. He found a shady spot and sat directly. His White Shark elites followed suit. Despite the available mansion, he shook his head.
"Things are more urgent than expected. That bastard Bae Ji-hak is nearby."
Sa Jong-seop glanced at Jeong Yak-bin, who nodded.
"Young Hero Yuk knows too."
"As expected of the Yuk Clan. This will speed things up."
Yuk Jin-yang interjected.
"How close are they?"
"Probably within a hundred li by now."
A distance a martial artist could cover in a day with lightness skill.
"You captured Jin Ga-ju's nephew, they say."
"Yes, as a prisoner."
Sa Jong-seop nodded.
"Jin Ga-ju issued a strict order. Retrieve him alive at all costs. So they're preparing thoroughly."
"Preparing how?"
"The unorthodox scum the Jin Clan scattered across Guangdong. They're gathering. Not their main force—they're clashing with our main unit around Guangzhou and Jeongho Mountain."
"When will they attack?"
"Tomorrow at the latest."
Sa Jong-seop answered promptly. The Hainan disciples excluding White Shark elites looked grim. The decisive battle was coming too soon.
The sun was sinking westward. Sunset light filtered through high layered clouds like curtains. The crimson shadows felt like harbingers of the coming night.
The bushes rustled. Several men crawled through. They joined the advance group and exchanged information.
"No one nearby."
"No signs of the village evacuating."
"White Shark Division headed to Geyang County yesterday."
No response came. The scouts glanced at their leader. A man with a large scar across his forehead glared ahead.
Once Hainan's Azure Swallow Division Leader, Southern Sea Cloud Sword Bae Ji-hak. He was lost in thought.
'Finally, our reckoning, Sa Jong-seop.'
Miserable memories flashed by.
Bae Ji-hak was born a lowly river pirate's bastard. Both parents were the same.
They weren't even part of a major sect like the Yangtze Waterway Fortress. Just thugs ferrying commoners on a skiff.
His mother, who hooked up with another pirate, died soon after his birth.
His father treated the motherless child like a tool. From age ten, he taught him dagger work, deception, and killing. Failure meant the whip.
One day, the inhuman father tried robbing a martial artist's pack, lost his head to a sword.
Fortunately, Bae Ji-hak had talent unlike his parents. When his father underestimated an old man begging passage, he sensed danger and planned escape.
Thus, he survived.
Then he resolved: Become a martial artist.
He walked a thousand li to Hainan Island. Few sects accepted older initiates.
'I thought I'd finally found a home. If not for you.'
Sa Jong-seop was a peer he always deemed inferior. Yet he was named next sect leader. Wounded pride awakened his pirate blood. If he wanted something, just take it—childhood's harsh lesson.
His reverie didn't last.
"Hey, eyes elsewhere before the mission?"
"...Hey? Mind your manners, young master. I'm no subordinate of yours."
"Hmph, got pride? But you are now. Defy Ga-ju's orders?"
Guangdong Jin Clan's second son, Jin Cha-geon, sneered. He was the watchdog Jin Ga-ju assigned to Bae Ji-hak. Their relationship was abysmal, as expected.
'Daring to assign that wretch as my overseer.'
Bae Ji-hak swallowed his anger. Complaining about treatment now offered no return path.
'Got exposed too soon. Should've preserved strength and slipped away...'
He once had loyal subordinates—orphans he raised alone. Untouched by other elders or leaders. Most perished or were captured fleeing.
He sighed deeply. Jin Cha-geon prodded again.
"What's wrong? Problem?"
"No, just thinking."
Bae Ji-hak shook his head and looked back. The ragtag unorthodox thugs sprawled lazily straightened up. He sighed inwardly. Scheme against Sa Jong-seop with such scum?
"Begin."
Bae Ji-hak ordered. Those hidden in bushes rose as one. Shadows merged into a massive horde.
Jin Clan warriors herded the thugs roughly.
"Alright, you're the vanguard, as agreed."
"Took the money, now work."
"Don't even think of running. Turn tail, lose your head. Just charge the village."
The thugs cowed by the murderous threats obeyed without protest. As they charged,
Bae Ji-hak signaled his aligned men.
A few Jin Clan warriors drew leather pouches from waists—not water, but fish oil. Rancid oil soaked the ground.
"Light it?"
"Wait... Good, wind's right. Ignite!"
They flung lit fuses onto the oil.
Whoosh!
Flames devoured oil-soaked grass, swelling rapidly. Thick gray smoke surged like waves, blotting the path.
A measure to cut retreat. Turning fire tactics into a desperate last stand—even if the thugs fled, they'd fight to the death.