Chapter 144
Chapter 144
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 144
Chapter Title: Flowing Doubts
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So Hye-yeon stared at the flowing river water, lost in deep thought.
‘…Is it really okay to keep going like this?’
The Sword Pavilion had taught her to beware of lingering in one place too long.
Her master had always said it.
Experience more, see more, think more.
The sword of the Sword Pavilion must flow ceaselessly like the ever-moving Long River.
That was why the Hundred Battles Sparring held such meaning.
The Hundred Battles Sparring was the process by which the Sword Pavilion honed its sword path. Wandering the world, gathering countless experiences to forge a single, perfected sword.
Returning to the Sword Pavilion after completing the Hundred Battles Sparring and becoming a branch master signified the completion of one’s sword path.
The Meteor Twelve Swords she now wielded might one day evolve into the Meteor Single Sword, the Meteor Hundred Eight Swords, or something entirely different.
It was a process of learning and relearning.
And in that process, finding a path of greater value was one of So Hye-yeon’s tasks.
In truth, she had stayed with the Hebei Peng Clan while contemplating her next move.
Lingering too long in one place led to complacency and a slackening of the mind.
Sparring with opponents unwilling to fight was unwelcome as well.
Wouldn’t it be better to spend that time meeting more sects and more warriors?
But as those thoughts swirled in her mind, she had witnessed the Nangong Clan’s sparring matches.
She had guessed they were undergoing some special training while living together, seeing the Thunder Dragon Squad return covered in dirt every day, but could they truly change so drastically overnight?
Watching them crush the Seventh Squad Leader of the Fierce Tiger Squad and the Blood Asura Squad sent a strange shiver through her.
It was a growth rate that astonished even her, who had observed them up close.
And both Nangong Ryong and Nangong Hyuk possessed something extraordinary.
Beyond the profundity of their martial arts, they had an quality that set them apart from ordinary folk.
That was why So Hye-yeon had boarded this boat.
Just as she had originally planned, she aimed to spar with the Nangong brothers.
And she grew curious about the Nangong Clan itself.
Once called the world’s greatest sword house, it had to hold something special.
‘Just what kind of place could produce a master like Young Master Nangong Hyuk?’
So Hye-yeon gazed blankly at the river for a moment before looking up at the deck.
On the spacious deck, the Thunder Dragon Squad huddled together, holding their weapons and running their fingers along the edges.
“Man, this blade is killer. It’ll slice clean through.”
“Look at this axe edge. It’ll chop necks like firewood.”
“The twin blades are curved at the tips. Stab with these, and blood’ll gush right out.”
So Hye-yeon blinked at the Thunder Dragon Squad, taken aback by their grim chatter.
The squad chuckled and mimed thrusting their weapons into the air.
“Blacksmiths always make blades that kill like a dream.”
“Who’d think you’ve ever swung a smith-made sword.”
“The captain’s always been full of hot air. That’s why he ends up getting wrecked by the young master right alongside us… Argh!”
“Brat, your tongue’s gotten too loose lately?!”
Geon Cheon-hwi smashed the back of Jang Woong’s head with the flat of his blade and bellowed.
Beside him, Tak Hyeok-dong pounded his axe against the deck and clapped.
“Kuhahaha! Knew that punk was due for a smack. Bust his skull good, Captain!”
So Hye-yeon’s mouth fell open.
Was it an illusion, or did the Thunder Dragon Squad’s sudden brawl on deck remind her of the black path thugs she utterly despised?
Come to think of it, she had only seen them under Nangong Hyuk’s command. She had never properly observed what the Thunder Dragon Squad did on their own.
No, more accurately, she simply hadn’t paid them any attention.
But now that she started looking, all she saw was this…
‘…What can I really gain from this?’
She pondered seriously once more whether heading to the fading Nangong Clan—rather than contending for supremacy among the Five Great Clans at the Hebei Peng Clan—was truly the right choice.
But the boat had already sailed far downstream, and her worries came to nothing.
* * *
The Yangtze Waterway Gang’s pirates glared at the churning Yellow River waves, their killing intent boiling over.
Their unusually ferocious aura spelled trouble.
Pirates operating near Shandong Province had gathered on the Yellow River waterways at the Waterway Alliance’s summons.
Three dragon ships, nearly thirty vessels large and small.
That force alone was enough to seize control of the Yellow River’s currents.
Over thirty ships spread out like a heavenly net, sweeping upward from downstream in a rapid search.
They maintained set distances, ensuring not even a single loach could slip through unnoticed.
Yangtze Ghost Dragon Pyo Sang-hu, chief of the Yangtze Waterway Gang, muttered while eyeing the rapids.
“You’re sure they came this way?”
“Yes, Chief! Reports confirm they boarded a boat.”
“Damn bastards. Daring to touch our brothers?”
Not only had they struck at the Yangtze Waterway Gang’s brothers, but they had stolen a dragon ship—the gang’s very symbol. Their crime was beyond words.
The fools had left traces behind, revealing their destination, and reports confirmed they were traveling by boat.
Though their starting point in Hebei Province prevented detailed intel, they knew the enemies were on the water.
“I’ll show them the price of challenging our alliance.”
Pyo Sang-hu murmured coldly.
With East Peace Stronghold effectively dismantled, this was tantamount to a direct challenge to the Yangtze Waterway Alliance.
And the alliance had never spared its foes.
“No matter if they’re one of the Five Great Clans—the Nangong Clan’s been washed up for ages. What’s hard about hunting a toothless tiger?”
“Toothless crocodile.”
“…Yes, quite right.”
Pyo Sang-hu stroked his porcupine-like mustache and glared at the Yellow River’s waves.
East Peace Stronghold’s fall had ignited the Dragon King’s wrath across the entire alliance.
He bore the grave duty of capturing the culprits and making an example of them.
“Keep pushing upstream! If you spot suspects, smash them first!”
As Pyo Sang-hu bellowed orders, a shout rang out.
“Chief! A junk’s coming down from the north!”
Pyo Sang-hu’s eyes flashed.
“All ships, turn north!”
At his command, the dragon ships swung their prows, and speedboats surged ahead.
The vessels cleaved through the Yellow River’s wild currents like skates on ice.
Lifetime pirates, they could handle all but the fiercest rapids.
Pyo Sang-hu took a trident from a subordinate and took point.
Sure enough, a dark shadow loomed through the river mist.
“Hmph! Gutsy fools, striking our brothers and then using the waterways. I’ll rip you limb from limb and feed you to the fish.”
He planned to hurl harpoons within range, halt the junk, and punch holes in its hull to sink it.
Then—
Splash!
A massive tiger head emblazoned on the prow emerged, slicing through the waves.
Above it, a flag fluttered boldly in the river wind, emblazoned with:
Peng Clan.
“P-Peng Clan? Hebei Peng Clan?!”
Why were they here?
Pyo Sang-hu gaped, unable to close his mouth, and peered closer.
On the junk’s railings, Blood Asuras in red uniforms turned out to greet him.
Over fifty of them.
Fighting Hebei’s yakshas meant certain death.
Behind them, Fierce Tiger Squad warriors poked their heads out casually.
Pyo Sang-hu recalled tales of the Hebei Peng Clan massacring pirates and bandits on sight.
His face drained of color as he screamed desperately.
“Hey, pull back! Pull back! Turn those prows around—now!”
Why had the Hebei Peng Clan appeared out of nowhere?
Where were the Nangong Clan fools?
“Pull back—!”
The lead speedboats and dragon ships tucked tail and veered away.
In that instant, warriors on the Peng Clan deck’s eyes bulged.
“Pirates!”
“These scum dare block our path?”
“Drown them all so they never foul these waters again!”
“Waaaaah!”
Blood Asuras leaped from the railings onto speedboats, followed by the Fierce Tiger Squad.
Splash!
Clang clang clang!
Screeeeech!
Waves crashed amid the deadly clash of metal echoing over the Yellow River.
“Arrrgh!”
“Gahk!”
“B-block them!”
“B-back, back—hngh!”
The ambushed pirates floundered, cut down before they could even swing properly.
Some abandoned ship entirely, diving into the water, turning the Yellow River into a bloodbath in moments.
Pyo Sang-hu’s eyes rolled in rage.
“You filthy curs! We’re leaving, and you attack?! Hey! Stop! Grab those bastards and beat them senseless—kill them!”
Pyo Sang-hu thrust his trident fiercely at a Blood Asura climbing the deck.
Splat! Thud!
“Grk!”
Starting with Pyo Sang-hu’s kill, the Yangtze Waterway Gang pirates counterattacked.
Clang! Claaang!
Boom!
Blood Asuras and Fierce Tiger Squad clashed fiercely on the decks.
Splash! Boom! Boom!
Water columns erupted amid thunderous blasts.
Pyo Sang-hu grimaced, facing off against the Blood Asuras.
‘Damn it, why’d Peng Clan bastards show up and ruin everything?!”
Who the hell reported the Nangong Clan as heading here?
He vowed to escape and chop off that informant’s head.
Crunch crunch.
Nangong Hyuk chewed jerky at the prow, overlooking the naval battle.
“Not bad. They’re elites for a reason.”
“…”
Geon Cheon-hwi ventured cautiously at his nonchalant demeanor.
“Um… Young Master. Shouldn’t we help?”
Nangong Hyuk turned with a puzzled look.
“Huh? Why would we?”
Why?
The Hebei Peng Clan and pirates were fighting tooth and nail right now.
As Geon Cheon-hwi stared blankly, Nangong Hyuk munched his jerky with round eyes and continued.
“Who owns this boat? The Hebei Peng Clan. They’ll handle it. We’re just guests, guests.”
Nangong Hyuk shrugged.
It wasn’t the Nangong Clan fighting—it was the Hebei Peng Clan. No need for him to butt in.
Besides, the Peng Clan held the advantage.
It made sense, but… was it really?
Geon Cheon-hwi shook his head, realizing he was already agreeing with Nangong Hyuk.
What was funnier was that Nangong Ryong and the rest of the Thunder Dragon Squad weren’t budging either.
Instead, Sword Pavilion’s Little Sword Maiden was diving into the fray, swinging her blade.
So Hye-yeon soared like a butterfly, blooming lotus flowers in the air one after another.
‘What the hell’s going on?’
As Geon Cheon-hwi gaped in bewilderment, Nangong Hyuk dropped an even more shocking line.
“Shall we get going then?”
Peng Yeon-hwa, who had been watching the battle grimly from the railing, whipped her head up.
“Pardon?”
“Let’s go. No point gawking at that mess.”
“But this is their waterway…”
“They’ll catch up.”
“Oh…”
Whoa.
Nangong Hyuk’s personality left not just Peng Yeon-hwa, but the entire Thunder Dragon Squad slack-jawed.
But it wasn’t that surprising.
The boat was already cutting through the currents.
No anchoring in these rapids, so they had passed the speedboats earlier.
Groooaaan!
The junk churned waves as it slid past, capsizing speedboats and rocking dragon ships.
Fighters locked in blade-to-blade combat on the decks all stared wide-eyed at the junk.
“…What?”
“They’re just… leaving?”
“Wh-what?”
“Huh?”
Holy shit, they’re ditching us?
Blood Asuras, Fierce Tiger Squad, and Yangtze Waterway Gang members alike froze, watching the junk glide leisurely through their midst.
The junk didn’t stop.
Nangong Hyuk grinned contentedly, munching jerky.
“Keep fighting. What’re you staring at?”
Nangong Hyuk chuckled.
Truly the personality of a demon.