Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: Crushing the Iron Dragon
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On the deck, Geon Cheon-hwi and Tak Hyeok-dong conversed as they watched the two men begin their fight.
“That guy's toast.”
“But he's the head of the Yangtze River Waterway Stronghold, ain't he? Figure he'll at least put up a scrap?”
“Yangtze Iron Dragon? Doesn't look any stronger than the Crane Pavilion Master, no matter how you slice it.”
“True enough. Crane Pavilion Master got his fool head chopped off clean.”
So Hye-yeon, who had been listening to their exchange, went blank.
‘What in the world... are these people talking about?’
Could Namgung Hyeok really be so overwhelmingly strong that he wouldn't even bat an eye at someone like the Yangtze Iron Dragon, Cheon Jin-gung?
So Hye-yeon's gaze chased after Namgung Hyeok.
Just how strong was he?
She watched the fight in heavy silence.
“Haaap! Die!”
With his hair a wild mess, Cheon Jin-gung unleashed the Cloud Dragon Thirty-Six Forms.
Pale palm force shot out from his palms, crashing down on Namgung Hyeok.
The instant the tidal surge of force looked ready to flatten him.
“Oops.”
Namgung Hyeok casually shifted his body aside.
The wave of palm force brushed past him by a hair's breadth.
Almost at the same time, Namgung Hyeok barked a short kiai and smoothly thrust his sword.
A fleeting opening.
Through that minuscule gap too narrow for a single coin, the blade plunged without hesitation. Cheon Jin-gung recoiled in horror.
“Gasp!”
The palm force of the Cloud Dragon Thirty-Six Forms, solid as an iron wall, was pierced through with absurd ease.
“No, impossible! By that sloppy swordplay!”
Cheon Jin-gung spat his rage and unleashed a furious barrage at Namgung Hyeok.
P啪啪啪啪啪! Shwaaak!
Dozens of palm shadows formed in midair, surging forward like a tidal wave.
It was an attack that blanketed three sides, leaving retreat as the only option.
Under normal circumstances.
But Namgung Hyeok didn't fall back—instead, he advanced.
'What the—! This mad bastard!'
How dare he ignore the intricacies of the Cloud Dragon Thirty-Six Forms!
Cheon Jin-gung poured every ounce of his inner energy.
The power in the palm shadows intensified, bearing down on Namgung Hyeok. Yet he cleaved through the onslaught like a salmon battling upstream, pressing forward.
Thud! Pak! Shwick! Clang!
With light flicks, deflections, slices, and clashes of his sword, he twisted the flow of the Cloud Dragon Thirty-Six Forms.
Cheon Jin-gung stared in shock as the very palm force that had been overwhelming Namgung Ryong and So Hye-yeon crumbled in an instant.
Was it even possible to dodge and redirect the forms of Cloud Dragon Thirty-Six so fluidly?
These were simple yet brutally heavy strikes—no mere onlooker could bat them away like that.
“You bastard! I'll kill you!”
Namgung Hyeok flicked Cheon Jin-gung's arm aside with ease and clicked his tongue.
“Hey, enough with the 'bastard this, bastard that.' Am I your son or something, you prick?”
“Shut your mouth!”
“You shut it. You're the one yapping the most.”
Namgung Hyeok sneered as he parried the Cloud Dragon Thirty-Six Forms.
“Next up, Cloud Sea Twin Dragons?”
“H-How do you—?”
“Well, well. Your footwork's all tangled? Where's the Cloud Dragon Roar? Hey, did they even teach you this properly?”
Fine, he recognized the Cloud Dragon Thirty-Six Forms at a glance.
But how in hell did this guy know the follow-up moves like the back of his hand!
“What are you, really! Speak!”
Cheon Jin-gung bellowed as he chased after Namgung Hyeok.
Namgung Hyeok smirked.
Pzzzt!
Lightning rippled across his shoulders.
Unleashing Blood Wind God, he rode the river breeze, circling Cheon Jin-gung in tight loops.
Whirrr! Whoosh!
Pzzzzzt!
Bolts of lightning trailed long tails in Namgung Hyeok's wake.
Cheon Jin-gung's eyes hardened. His foe's movements were far quicker and more erratic than expected.
“Raaargh!”
With a thunderous kiai, the energy of Cloud Dragon Thirty-Six whipped across the deck.
Boom! Kwaboom!
Palm force erupted in all directions, rocking the ship.
Cheon Jin-gung's fury boiled over as Namgung Hyeok eluded his grasp.
To Namgung Hyeok, the flow of Cloud Dragon Thirty-Six was crystal clear.
His opponent's next move flashed in his mind unbidden, and he evaded it effortlessly.
Like dodging an arrow after spotting its trajectory.
Knowing exactly where it would land meant half a breath's lead time was plenty.
“heh, your blind spots are still wide open.”
“Hup!”
Cheon Jin-gung startled and coiled his body tight.
The Cloud Dragon Thirty-Six Forms' fatal flaws: sluggish speed and feeble footwork.
Namgung Hyeok swung his blade without mercy.
Pzzzzzt!
Triple Thunder Sword Technique, laced with lightning along the blade, targeted his foe's back.
Creeeang!
“Guhhh!”
Cheon Jin-gung groaned in agony from the scorching impact on his back.
Namgung Hyeok let out a hollow chuckle.
“Pulling parlor tricks now?”
Opting for armor over footwork fixes!
Idiot move, or genius?
As Namgung Hyeok chuckled dryly, Cheon Jin-gung spun around desperately.
“Die!”
Cloud Dragon Thirty-Six palm force burst from his palms.
Shwaaaaak!
Amid the fog blanketing his vision, twin glints flashed in Namgung Hyeok's eyes.
Pzzzzzzzzzt!
Lightning coursing along his blade split the incoming palm force in two.
Creeeeeeang!
“Guhk!”
A choked groan echoed from beyond the sundered force.
Cheon Jin-gung ground his teeth and braced with Thousand Catty Stake.
‘If Cloud Dragon Thirty-Six won't work!’
He launched forward with explosive force.
Dragon Scale Armor-clad, he charged with Breaking Control Spike!
Leading with the horns on his pauldrons, he barreled in.
Sharp and mighty enough to punch through an ox's skull in one go.
Spotting the sudden charge, Namgung Hyeok stepped Infinite Steps and thrust his lightning-wreathed sword.
Cheon Jin-gung deflected the sword qi with his armored forearms and hurled himself onward, but...
Namgung Hyeok invoked Blood Wind God, flipping his body midair in an instant.
Shunk!
A startled yelp burst from Cheon Jin-gung's mouth.
“Wha—?!”
Like a cat righting itself in flight, his foe vanished with acrobatic grace, only to drop onto his back.
As Cheon Jin-gung twisted for a counter, Namgung Hyeok's sword plunged into his flank.
Creeegrrrang!
Dragon scales shredded, his side tore open.
“Haaaap!”
Even then, Cheon Jin-gung flipped and swung Cloud Dragon Thirty-Six at Namgung Hyeok's chest.
Namgung Hyeok clenched his fist tight.
Creeeang!
Crunck!
Cheon Jin-gung's eyes bulged. Ripples shuddered across the Dragon Scale Armor.
Soul-Shattering Fist landed true, crumpling the armor.
“Gaaack!”
Inner energy tangled in the shock, his mouth gaped.
Crack!
“Aaaagh!”
Namgung Hyeok clutched his sprained wrist and screamed.
It hurt like hell, tears welling up.
“Son of a bitch!”
With a crude curse, he booted Cheon Jin-gung.
Thwack!
“Keuk!”
“Why're you so damn tough!”
“Guhk!”
“Die already, die!”
Thudthudthudthud! Boom! Thudthudthud!
The Dragon Scale Armor crumpled. So did Cheon Jin-gung.
Bwoooong!
Namgung Hyeok kicked him flying.
Slam!
Crashing into the railing, Cheon Jin-gung foamed blood at the mouth, eyes rolling back.
“Ugh... uuuuh...”
Everyone's jaws dropped.
The pirates gawked at the sudden turn.
Hidden watchers stared at Namgung Hyeok, eyes bulging fish-like.
So Hye-yeon's pupils shook like a storm-tossed ship behind her veil.
Who could've guessed the Yangtze Iron Dragon would fly like a ball and smash into the rail!
“Ah...”
A gasp slipped from her lips.
Only the Namgung clansmen showed no surprise at Cheon Jin-gung sailing away.
Geum Cheom-sang was the most startled, but even he just went “Huh?” at the boom and moved on.
Silence blanketed the deck.
How long did it last?
The pirates snapped to.
“Th-The stronghold head...”
“Y-You! How dare you to the head!”
“K-Kill him! Kill!”
The Yangtze River Waterway Stronghold pirates glared with bloodshot eyes at the crowd on deck.
Namgung Hyeok spun his neck with a crackle and beckoned with a finger.
At the signal, Geon Cheon-hwi drew his blade from his waist.
Thunder Dragon Squad followed, weapons out, encircling the scattered pirates.
“You filthy scum! I'll dump you all in the Yellow River!”
Tak Hyeok-dong bellowed and charged as vanguard against the pirates.
Hard to tell who the real pirates were—a fitting pair from the same trade.
Kwaaaang!
“Arrrgh!”
Tak Hyeok-dong's axe swung mightily to lead the charge, followed by Geon Cheon-hwi and Thunder Dragon Squad storming the pirates.
Last but not least, Namgung Ryong surged in late, sword qi lancing as he carved through their ranks.
So Hye-yeon stared blankly at the Thunder Dragon Squad shredding pirates for a moment before drawing her sword.
Chaos erupted anew on deck.
* * *
Pirates were bound one after another and forced to kneel on deck.
Not a single one among the captives was unscathed.
Every eye was swollen shut, every face mottled with bruises.
Broken arms or dislocated knees were the lucky ones.
Bleeding profusely, the pirates bowed their heads and peeked ahead.
The deputy head of the Yangtze River Waterway Stronghold couldn't make sense of it.
Never dreamed they'd suffer this in their own turf.
Strangers seizing their prized dragon boat, forcing them to kneel aboard, with the head nowhere in sight—dead or alive?
‘...That damnable bastard, who the hell is he?’
He'd heard whispers of Namgung Clan folk around, but no word of anyone like this.
“Hey.”
“...Y-Yes!”
“Why the slow reply?”
“S-Sorry!”
Namgung Hyeok sat atop the dragon boat's prow, beckoning with a finger.
“Because of you lot, the ship I was on got wrecked.”
“...We have no face.”
“So, you know how to row?”
“W-We’ve plied these waters over ten years. Let me ferry you comfy to your—”
“How many to move this thing?”
“F-Forty'll do.”
“Yeah?”
Namgung Hyeok grinned wolfishly at the deputy head.
“Then the rest ain't needed.”
“Pardon?”
Namgung Hyeok shook his head no without a word.
At that, Tak Hyeok-dong yanked the rope trussing the pirates like dried fish.
His freakish strength sent over fifty plummeting into the Yellow River at once.
Splash-plop! Kerplunk!
“H-Huh?!”
“C-Crazy!”
“S-Save us!”
“Eeeek!”
“Aaaaah!”
“Hey, at least untie 'em before— Waaah!”
The deputy head tumbled over the rail screaming.
Namgung Hyeok tossed a hooked rope after him.
“Grab it if you wanna live.”
W-Wanna live?
“Chuck everyone but the forty rowers into the river.”
At Namgung Hyeok's order, Thunder Dragon Squad peered down with gleaming eyes.
Bound and wriggling like maggots, the pirates scrambled for the hook in the water below.
The Yellow River churned like a carp frenzy at feeding time.
As Namgung Hyeok stretched languidly, Geum Cheom-sang whispered beside him.
“You sure about letting 'em go like that?”
“What about it?”
“Well, if you're drowning 'em all anyway...”
“Pirate scum live or die? Not my problem. Long as we've got rowers.”
“Ah...”
Geum Cheom-sang marveled at Namgung Hyeok's razor-sharp reply.
The more he learned, the more viciously brilliant Namgung Hyeok's mind seemed.
Whatever.
Thunder Dragon Squad, scouring the dragon boat's hold, hauled out loot hand over fist.
Like ants ferrying food, they dragged sack after sack.
Thud! Thump! Thudthumpthump!
The sacks thudded heavily, piling neat before Namgung Hyeok.
Rrrumble.
One burst open, spilling silver ingots in a torrent. Namgung Hyeok chuckled.
‘Jackpot. These bastards stashed their money under the hull?’
Who knew they'd find traces of their river racket down there!
Nice and heavy—pure delight.
Fortune favors the diligent!
“Alright, let's roll?”
As he moved to slip away.
Namgung Ryong grabbed his collar.
“Why? Hey! We got a boat now. Why!”
“Toll.”
“...Oh. R-Right, was gonna give it back.”
Namgung Hyeok averted his eyes with an awkward grin.
“Hahaha, hahaha! Well now.”
“Hand it over.”
“I will, okay?”
“Now.”
Prodded by Namgung Ryong, Namgung Hyeok grumbled and fished out pouches one by one, dropping them on deck.
As Namgung Hyeok rose to leave, Namgung Ryong grabbed his shoulder again.
“Still short.”
“This is the pirates' share.”
“...”
“C'mon, don't be stingy. For real.”
Namgung Hyeok smacked his lips and clutched the money sacks.
Splash splash.
So Hye-yeon approached him.
Namgung Hyeok's gaze turned to her.
‘...Who the hell lit a fire under her?’
“Not taking the dragon boat? That swift boat over there, then? Got business?”
Namgung Hyeok pointed to the swift boat beside, where the common folk rode—switched from their wrecked vessel, just setting off.
So Hye-yeon's eyes lingered on Namgung Ryong a beat before returning to Namgung Hyeok.
In a calm, clear voice, she said,
“I challenge you to a spar.”
Namgung Hyeok's face twisted.
‘Sword Pavilion, you damn pests.’
Why were they all like this?
Sigh, pirates gone, now Sword Pavilion shows.
Tangled with something even more annoying.
Just then, the rower pirates clambered aboard from the water, and the dragon boat lurched forward.
“Hey, hey! Who said depart! Stop, ditch her and...”
“Spar with me.”
“Gah!”
Namgung Hyeok sighed and shook his head.
The swift boat had shrunk to a dot on the horizon. Stuck traveling with So Hye-yeon now.
...What a pain.
Namgung Hyeok's sigh spread wide over the Yellow River.