Chapter 104
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Smooth Sailing
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It was smooth sailing.
The sky was clear blue, the sea calm, and with a fair wind blowing from the south at their backs, the ship cut through the waves without a tremor.
Even the sailors, who normally had to stay ever vigilant and hustle about unless the sea cooperated, were lounging on the deck, enjoying some leisure.
Not everyone, though.
"Hmm...."
"Hmm...."
Ka Du-shin and Nangong Seong, lightly sharing drinks at the bow, kept glancing toward the captain's quarters and tilting their heads.
Why was that?
Ever since Yu Hyun had gone inside after the ship set off, he hadn't come back out.
And that grave expression on his face when he'd entered....
"The Haenam Island business wrapped up neatly, so why's he like that? You know something?"
"Beats me...."
Nangong Seong shook his head at Ka Du-shin's question.
"You don't?"
"How could I know everything Uncle's thinking? He may look young and act playful at times, but he's got things in his head we couldn't even imagine."
"Hmm. Fair enough. Just look at Haenam. Same with Mount Hyeong. I thought that Murin guy was his buddy or something? Who'd have thought he'd be that brilliant at strategy too."
"Huh? That Zhuge wimp? You still hanging out with that punk?"
"Ah! Uh...."
Ka Du-shin gave an awkward laugh as Nangong Seong's face scrunched up.
The three of them had hung out a lot since they were kids. Or four, if you counted that Tang Clan loser?
In any case, Ka Du-shin—always on the outside as the odd one out from a minor sect among the Five Great Families—had been a real friend in his own way.
But even among friends, not all bonds were equal.
No matter how close they were, rivalries existed.
Especially between Nangong Seong and Zhuge Murin—anyone could see they were enemies hiding behind the facade of friendship.
Nangong Seong, who proclaimed himself a righteous gentleman, and Zhuge Murin, who valued victory above all even if it meant playing dirty, had been like water and oil since childhood.
Nangong Seong had unmatched talent in swordsmanship and martial arts, but he always lost to Zhuge Murin's logical tongue-lashings?
And that pretty-boy scholar look of his made him way more popular with the noble daughters too....
He couldn't quite pin down the reason.
Was it their differing ideals? The way he turned into a sulky brat every time he lost an argument? Or just that Zhuge Murin was far more popular with the ladies?
Whenever that guy came up, Nangong Seong always overreacted anyway.
"That ink-stained bastard...."
"He's a special strategist for the Justice Alliance now."
"Ha! Spe-cial? Screw that. What kind of strategist is a gigolo-looking punk like him? No talent, just born into a good family! Obvious, right? Obvious! Every battle he's led's probably a string of losses!"
"Seventeen battles, seventeen wins."
"...."
"A string of triumphs in the disputed zones against the unorthodox sects."
Nangong Seong's eyelids twitched at the infuriatingly crisp rebuttal.
"The warriors dispatched from the Justice Alliance must've been overly skilled."
"What? Valuable victories earned despite being outnumbered."
"...."
"Already folks are calling him the next Grand Strategist."
"....That punk? No way."
"Hey now. 'That punk'? He's already climbed a rung higher. A world apart from a mere warrior squad member like you...."
"...."
"....Huh?"
Ka Du-shin spotted the veins bulging on Nangong Seong's hand gripping his sword hilt.
Whoa, push any further and....
"Haha, hahaha. Come on, why so sensitive? Your paths have diverged already. Here, have a drink! A drink! Sharing booze with you like this—I'm thrilled."
"...."
Ka Du-shin broke into a cold sweat under Nangong Seong's icy glare, finally seeking an escape.
"By the way, who would've thought? Guys like that in the martial world. We lucked into it by chance, but without Uncle, we wouldn't have even known they existed, right?"
"...."
"Anyway, you and I both racked up some real merit thanks to it! Saved Haenam from crisis—top-tier achievement these days. Hell yeah! Beats the hell out of petty skirmishes with unorthodox riffraff!"
Nangong Seong irritably drained his cup at Ka Du-shin's desperate smoothing-over.
He'd tamped down his anger, but his mood was still sour.
Didn't like Zhuge Murin getting higher praise than him. Didn't like Ka Du-shin praising him right now either.
"You know, it's kinda weird, huh?"
"What?"
"I get most of it, but a few things still bug me."
"What're you getting at?"
"Think about it. The boss arrived at Moon Clan territory days before us. They said he trespassed their sacred grounds."
"...."
"What was he up to those three days?"
"...."
"And how'd he know?"
"Know what?"
"That there was a plot behind Elder Gok's qi deviation."
"....?"
"He didn't see it himself. Just took our word for it. Blood-Transforming Iron Arrows? Things that infiltrate the body and cause qi deviation? I've been in the Beggars' Sect forever, never heard of such crap. But the boss acted like he knew all along. At first I figured it was from Sword King Jang's teachings, being the world's best and all, but too many weird bits."
Nangong Seong narrowed his eyes, listening intently to Ka Du-shin's loaded words.
Reasonable suspicion. Anyone would question it.
But....
Right now, anything he said just pissed him off.
Ever since he'd started praising that damn Zhuge Murin....
"You."
"Yeah?"
"Still eyeing Uncle with suspicion?"
"Uh?"
"Still scheming like a rat?"
"N-No, not like that. Boss didn't say anything, so I didn't send a messenger hawk to the Alliance."
"Hmph! You knelt and swore never again... and here you are doubting."
"H-Hey, I didn't report it, okay? It's just questions, curiosity! That kinda thing."
"I'll look into it. Hanging with that inkhead must've rubbed off his sneakiness."
"...."
This guy's not even listening.
Ka Du-shin stared blankly at Nangong Seong.
Ears plugged, just spouting his piece....
"You mad 'cause I praised Murin?"
"You bastard."
"...."
"Traitor."
"Haha, cut it out."
"Flea-biter."
"Quit it, I said."
"Metal fly."
"....Shut up."
"Mosquito larva."
"Stop, you punk."
"Trash."
"...."
Ka Du-shin clenched his fist, face beaming with a grin, while Nangong Seong drew his sword.
* * *
Since the ship left Haenam Island, Yu Hyun had the cabin to himself and was deep in thought.
All because of the tale the Interference Army and Whirlwind Troops warriors had spilled in exchange for their final meal(?).
It was all new to him, so he needed to sort it out.
"...Western Heaven Wood Palace."
The group the Interference Army and all the Whirlwind Troops belonged to, as they'd all said.
Their mission: use Elder Gok to seize Haenam Island.
For that one goal, they'd settled in Haenam fifteen years ago, earned the island master's loyalty, and become the Whirlwind Troops....
Truly vile bastards.
To claim one faction, they'd laid an egg long ago, slowly building trust bit by bit, biding their time.
Like a cuckoo laying eggs in another bird's nest, letting it incubate them, then kicking out the chicks to take the nest.
But they weren't alone.
East Heaven, North Heaven, South Heaven. And the Heavenly Seat they served.
Even he, returned from the distant future to avert calamity, had never heard of them—so no one in the current martial world knew.
Or maybe he did know, deep in his lost memories. They were likely the calamity's vanguard.
The way the Interference Army and Whirlwind Troops had called themselves 'the Chosen' kept echoing in his head.
Their eyes when they said it—like zealots in a cult.
Blind faith. If salvation lay there, they'd leap into fire without hesitation....
But for what?
What did being 'chosen' get them?
Surely not a ticket to paradise.
So who was this Heavenly Seat they served so blindly?
He'd heard nothing about that. They knew nothing beyond their mission.
"...Idiot bastards. Pledging loyalty without knowing who's above them or what the organization's really like?"
Yu Hyun's face twisted deeper in contemplation.
They'd been managed on a need-to-know basis—bottom knew nothing of the top.
Not even Na Ha-chu, the Iron Flag Escort chief, or a master fit to lead a renowned sect—just followed orders.
He knew they existed, but not what they were. Like seeing a vast forest but not the rot within, its shape or form. Frustrating, hopeless.
Just a single twig, at that.
If they cut off their tails, even this hard-won clue would be useless.
"Hoo.... So where the hell do I even start?"
It was utterly daunting, but brooding wouldn't yield answers.
Excessive worry would only dull his edge.
Still, he knew one thing.
They operated like parasitic vines.
Climbing the trunk, wrapping the branches, eventually smothering the tree and claiming it.
To dominate the martial world someday....
Surely doing the same somewhere in the Central Plains right now, and they'd slip up eventually.
So leave the hunt to the Justice Alliance for now.
The Beggars' Sect's tenacious pursuit would cramp their style, and the Dragon King who'd torn through Iron Flag Escort would find traces in the wreckage.
Couldn't do it all solo anyway—use every tool available.
Uncovering their identity wasn't his mission to begin with.
Of his two tasks from his masters: one was seizing spirit items. He'd safely taken the Child Ginseng and Millennium Purple Patch meant for the calamity's vanguard.
The other: nurture them. Thus, he'd secured Sword King and Drunken Fire—two of the future heroes to resist calamity.
Two spirit items and four warriors left.
They'd surely be pillars against the coming storm.
He'd just stick to his duties; if he crossed paths with those guys along the way, he'd crush them.
That was it. Nothing else he could do for now....
As Yu Hyun organized his thoughts, nearing the end of his deliberations, the cabin door burst open.
It was the captain, tasked by Elder Gok to escort him diligently to Guangxi Province's port.
Why him?
He'd specifically said no meals until he came out—he needed time to think....
"Sir."
"What is it?"
Yu Hyun tilted his head quizzically, and the captain spoke with a troubled look.
"Sorry. Not trying to disturb, but you might need to come out."
"Pardon?"
"Y-Your companions...."
"...."
The companions—Seong and Bul?
"Why them?"
"Well.... The two suddenly started fighting...."
"Pardon?"
"The deck's a mess. We don't know why, and they're benefactors, so we can't intervene.... But it's getting so vicious.... Like a life-or-death duel...."
"...."
Yu Hyun blinked repeatedly, utterly baffled.
What the...? Why fight?
"Let's go see."
Yu Hyun followed the captain out, face full of questions.
"Rat bastard."
"Shut it."
"...."
Clothes torn, hair disheveled.
One with a bloody nose, the other split lip....
Everyone on deck stared at the two, still clutching each other's hair, glaring daggers.
Warriors...? Bickering like kids?
"Let go."
"You first."
"You let go first."
"Not happening!"
"Then neither am I!"
"...."
Yu Hyun watched the scene impassively, then slowly approached.
"Uncle!"
"Boss!"
"Look at this punk's mug."
"No! He started it!"
"...."
Spotting Yu Hyun, they both raised their voices in protest.
The Righteous Six Saints, saviors of the martial world to come.
One a future Sword King, one Drunken Fire... still yanking hair....
Grab.
"Huh?"
"Wha?"
Without a word, Yu Hyun seized their waistbands one-handed and hurled them into the sea.
Damn future heroes—great job in front of everyone!
Gazing pitifully at their flailing in the water, Yu Hyun said,
"Captain."
"Yes?"
"Full speed ahead."
"....And them?"
"Leave 'em. Drown or not, their problem."
If they're lucky, they'll swim back.