Chapter 220
Chapter 220
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 220
Chapter Title: Black Dragon Pirates
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Chapter 220
“This... this can’t be happening...”
The Black Dragon Sect’s strategist stared in dismay at the black waves lapping against the shore.
He let out a groan as he watched the ships vanishing into darkness even blacker than the pitch-black sky.
“Such an absurd turn of events...”
The Black Dragon Sect, once called the overlords of Zhejiang Province, was burning.
Flames spreading from the main hall shot up into the sky like pillars, belching thick black smoke.
The shattered docks were littered only with floating debris, while Black Dragon Sect disciples stood frozen, gazing at the river.
No one had ever imagined the Black Dragon Sect—Zhejiang’s tyrants who once threatened the Nangong family of the Five Great Clans—would end up like this.
All that remained in the wake of the Black Wind Corps’ rampage was broken rubble.
It had all happened in a single night.
The warehouses plundered, the Black Dragon Sect thrown into chaos.
And then...
“Sect Leader!”
“Ugh... Master!”
“Captain!”
“Big brother!”
The Black Dragon Sect’s Ten Stalwarts wailed as they dragged Je Cheon-gang’s corpse from the shallows of the Jecheon River.
The disciples’ cries of grief and rage echoed through the air.
The strategist gazed blankly at Je Cheon-gang.
No one could have known he’d fall to some nameless brat.
Who could have dreamed Zhejiang’s top expert would meet such a pathetic end?
Yet the sight of Je Cheon-gang’s coldly stiffened corpse made it impossible to deny.
Je Cheon-gang was dead.
Zhejiang Province’s greatest master.
In an instant, the Black Dragon Sect lost its central pillar, plunging into confusion and shock.
They’d never dreamed the Black Wind Corps could inflict such damage, making the aftermath all the more devastating.
With their towering tree felled, doubts and anxiety flooded in about whether they could remain overlords of Zhejiang.
The strategist’s mind reeled.
He swallowed hard and turned to Ma Song, Je Cheon-gang’s disciple and the Little Black Dragon.
“Young Lord! You must lead the Black Dragon Sect now. Pull yourself together!”
Ma Song, eyes bloodshot as he stared at the corpse, rose to his feet.
He bit his lower lip until it bled.
After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke.
“Where are the Assembly guests?”
A faint surprise flickered across the strategist’s face.
To ask the most practical question even in this situation.
It was easy to see why Je Cheon-gang had cherished Ma Song.
“They should have arrived by now.”
“I’m heading there. The rest of you, clean up around here. Heuk Seon! I leave Master in your hands.”
“Yes, Young Lord!”
Leaving Heuk Seon’s reply behind, Ma Song led his subordinates toward the Black Dragon Sect grounds.
On the way, he asked the strategist,
“Do you know what the Assembly is after?”
“We don’t know that either. We’re just carrying out their orders...”
“Ha... The overlords of Zhejiang, reduced to the Assembly’s lapdogs.”
A bitter smile twisted Ma Song’s lips.
“Overlords of Zhejiang” was nothing but an empty title.
Everything moved at the Assembly’s command—what was the Black Dragon Sect if not a hollow shell?
Ma Song’s expression hardened as he declared,
“I’ll have revenge on the bastards who killed my master.”
“Of course you must. We can’t let them get away alive.”
“And once this is over, the Black Dragon Sect breaks free from the Assembly.”
“...Break free?”
“It means we sever ties. No more living as their dogs.”
“Th-that’s...”
“We ended up like this by blindly following their orders! We won’t be bound to them anymore.”
“Young Lord...”
The strategist stared at Ma Song in panic.
The “Assembly” was something the Black Dragon Sect could never escape.
Even Je Cheon-gang, lord of the realm, had served as their dog for decades!
Who would choose to be a lapdog?
But the strategist held his tongue on that.
He offered only quiet counsel.
“Bow low when you meet the Assembly’s people.”
“...”
“You must.”
After repeated urgings, Ma Song reluctantly nodded.
It was just a single bow for today, after all.
Ma Song glanced at the Black Dragon Sect grounds.
The warehouse fires still raged. People bustled to put them out, but it would take half a day at least.
Gritting his teeth at the wreckage, Ma Song headed straight for the So Hwi Pavilion in Hangzhou.
Unlike the chaos at the Black Dragon Sect, the top floor of So Hwi Pavilion was eerily silent.
Unimaginable for a brothel, the uppermost level was shrouded in inky blackness.
As Ma Song entered, he froze.
“...Someone’s here?”
No presence could be felt. Yet Ma Song instinctively knew someone lurked within.
“Noisy out there.”
The low, chilling voice slithered out like something crawling from the abyss, making Ma Song swallow dryly.
Its sheer presence sent chills creeping up his spine.
The strategist prostrated himself flat on the floor.
“We greet the Evil Command.”
“...We greet you.”
A beat late, Ma Song bowed and sneaked a peek upward.
In the darkness, glowing red eyes flickered.
A bone-chilling dread washed over him, unlike anything even from his master Je Cheon-gang.
An inexplicable fear gripped him.
“Just who is this guy...?”
Glancing sideways, he saw the strategist’s face drained white as he stammered,
“A problem has arisen.”
“You mean the warehouse goods being stolen?”
“Y-yes... that’s right.”
“You idiots.”
Ma Song and the strategist trembled at the icy tone.
Gazing at the rising flames outside the window, he murmured softly,
“And Je Cheon-gang?”
The strategist replied in a voice thick with sorrow.
“...He fell to the intruders.”
“Je Cheon-gang is dead?”
The Evil Command’s eyes flickered briefly with shock and bewilderment before steadying.
After a heavy silence, he spoke.
“I’d normally have you executed on the spot, but if even Je Cheon-gang fell, the foes aren’t pushovers.”
“...”
“I’ll give you one day. I’m assigning two Shadows. Bring me their corpses.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Yes, Evil Command!”
Wiping cold sweat, the two hurried out, shadows trailing silently behind them.
* * *
“Puhahaha! You see that? Told ya! What’s missing? Huh? Who died? Off to the afterlife? They were paddling like their lives depended on it!”
Nangong Hyeok roared with laughter, shaking So Geol-gae by the collar.
“Heh, hehehe... I knew you’d come back, Young Master. So I just rowed like you ordered.”
“And you’re ready to die now?”
“Heh, heheheh! Thanks to you, we all lived. Haha, hahaha! This So Geol-gae is in awe of your spirit and valor...”
“Bash your head.”
“...R-right here?”
“Wanna go for a swim?”
“...Hehe.”
Thud.
So Geol-gae bashed his head.
The others watched him with pity.
“...But that beggar’s head can take it.”
“Yeah.”
“He’s fine.”
The sympathy evaporated instantly.
As tongues clicked in disapproval, their gazes shifted to Nangong Hyeok.
“Monster.”
“Is this what they call unbreakable vitality?”
“How’s he unscathed? The Black Dragon King was there...”
“No end to this guy. Skills, personality... none of it.”
What else could you call Nangong Hyeok, who’d smashed through hundreds of Black Dragon Sect disciples and Je Cheon-gang himself, then dashed over a hundred張 on debris without a scratch?
And not a visible wound on him—the shock was immense.
Ignoring their stares, Nangong Hyeok chuckled.
“Those unorthodox scum dared touch my stuff? If I’d had time, I’d have stripped ’em bare!”
Still not satisfied, huh?
The crowd shook their heads.
Nangong Ryong clapped a hand on Nangong Hyeok’s shoulder.
“Hm?”
“Good.”
“Ah, no big deal.”
“Be careful.”
“Who, me? Pfft.”
Nangong Hyeok brushed it off with a grin.
Nangong Ryong smiled faintly, relief washing over his face.
The tense atmosphere on deck eased a bit.
Geon Cheon-hwi finally exhaled deeply and muttered,
“Ha... We survived, somehow.”
“Huh? Yeah. Kurgh! We lived!”
“No sign of them either. Looks like we escaped clean.”
Tak Hyeok-dong bellowed a laugh, while Jang Ung shouted toward the Black Dragon Sect’s direction.
Peng Jung-hyeok clenched his fist, and Peng Yeon-hwa with So Hye-yeon sighed in relief.
But the ones celebrating loudest at escaping the Black Dragon Sect’s grasp were the Jiangxi Orthodox Alliance and Blood River Sect.
“No way—we escaped the Black Dragon Sect alive!”
“Wow, haha! Never thought I’d live to loot the Black Dragon Sect!”
“The Black Wind Corps robbed the Black Dragon Sect!”
“We lived, we lived! Thought we were done for!”
“Crazy, insane!”
Cheers erupted nonstop from the ships.
It felt like breaking free from hell.
Then, So Geol-gae—still forehead-planted—peeked up.
“B-but, Young Master. How exactly did you escape?”
“Fine.”
“...F-fine, I get you escaped well, but Je Cheon-gang was there...”
“Sliced him up.”
“...Pardon?”
What did he just say?
Sliced up Je Cheon-gang?
Sliced means defeated, right?
‘Nangong Hyeok beat Je Cheon-gang?’
The words refused to mesh in his head.
Snapping out of his daze, So Geol-gae shrieked,
“You beat Je Cheon-gang?!”
He gaped up at Nangong Hyeok.
‘No way! At his age, he took down Je Cheon-gang? Possible?’
Not just surpassing late-stage experts—this was peak master territory!
“And... they’re not even surprised?”
Nangong Ryong, the Thunder Dragon Squad, Peng Jung-hyeok, Peng Yeon-hwa, So Hye-yeon—not one batted an eye at the unbelievable tale.
They even nodded like it was obvious.
Normally, the Jiangxi Orthodox folks and Blood River Sect disciples would gape slack-jawed like idiots, right?
‘...Not a lie?’
But if it was a lie, too much couldn’t be explained.
How’d he break the Black Dragon encirclement? Evade Je Cheon-gang?
And why weren’t they pursuing?
‘Info... update. Adding special note...’
Had any beggar ever had their file revised so much in so short a time?
‘Heard of one guy in history... damn it, point is, it’s unprecedented!’
So Geol-gae gawked at Nangong Hyeok in horror.
A wastrel like that, a monster expert?!
Unbelievable.
Yet undeniable.
“Why the insolent stare?”
“...Heh, hehe! J-just looking with respect.”
“Whatever. We cut to the open sea and head for Jiangxi.”
“Th-the open sea?”
“Vast ocean’s the way to shake pursuit. Who’d chase us there without going mad?”
“I-I don’t think that’s wise.”
“Why?”
“Well...”
So Geol-gae started to speak, then gaped wide.
Nangong Hyeok tilted his head.
What’s with this guy?
Huh?
“What? Storm clouds?”
The already dark deck grew pitch-black, furrowing Nangong Hyeok’s brow.
Glancing up ahead, he saw Nangong Ryong’s eyes bulging too.
Beside him, Geon Cheon-hwi and Peng Jung-hyeok pointed behind.
“Uh, uhhh...”
“Young Master... we’re screwed.”
“Huh? Screwed?”
What’re they on about?
Nangong Hyeok turned slowly.
At first, he thought it was a cliff.
But the bulging prow, upper railing, and towering mast piercing the sky revealed a massive galleon.
Flutter!
The flag soared high, billowing fiercely.
Black Dragon.
Two stark characters on a black field emblazoned with a dragon pattern.
And below, skulls dangling like ornaments.
“...Hey.”
“Yes.”
“Black Dragon Sect pirates?”
“That’s what I was trying to tell you...”
...Son of a bitch, took his sweet time.
Nangong Hyeok stared ahead in disbelief.
The galleon sliced silently through the waves.
He let out a hollow laugh.
“Hah, hahaha.”
As the pirate ship closed in like it would devour their vessel, Nangong Hyeok bellowed,
“Shiiit! Row, row like hell! Arms falling off, rowww!”
Screaming, he unleashed palm strikes at the water’s surface.
The crew rowed desperately to flee the galleon.
Ma Song and the strategist appeared on the pirate ship’s deck.
“Seize them!”
“Capture them and sever their heads!”
The chase at sea began.