Chapter 69
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Fishing in the Storm
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Flash!
A vivid bolt of lightning tore through the dark clouds blanketing the sky, unleashing a torrent of rain.
Shwaaaaa.
The downpour soon grew so thick it obscured all vision, forming small puddles everywhere while the parched riverbed swiftly swelled with rainwater.
Whoosh, plop.
An elderly man with ruddy cheeks, clad in a straw raincoat, settled at the ferry landing and cast his bamboo fishing rod toward the rippling water's edge.
"Division Leader, the waves are fierce. Why not head inside?"
A man approached through the rain, his tone laced with concern.
"Nonsense. It's precisely on days like this, when the waters churn, that the creatures huddled on the riverbed get startled and leap out."
"……."
"More importantly, how did that errand go?"
"He was imprisoned in the Righteous Alliance's Thunder Prison but vanished somewhere."
"Vanished?"
"Yes. It seems the Grand Strategist intervened."
A pleased smile crept across the old man's lips at the man's reply.
"Well now, Jiguk must be fuming. Chasing chickens only to lose the dog again..."
"Wasn't it because of internal strife in the Gold Palace that he couldn't act directly?"
"That makes it all the more infuriating. And with the Water Dragon King, the Righteous Alliance Grand Strategist, and even White Witch getting involved, he can't do a thing now."
"……."
The old man chuckled with evident relish.
"I hear Ma Hwan was captured too, and the Beggars' Sect is sniffing around behind the Gold Palace? Three of their subordinate organizations have already been wiped out."
"Yes."
"Heh heh, everyone's just watching Jiguk squirm. With that mindset, how do they expect to seize hegemony...?"
"……."
"So, the one who devoured the Child Ginseng meant for the Gold Palace heir that Jiguk was grooming and then bolted—his name was Jin Wi-gang, right?"
"Yes. Strangely, though, no one's heard that name anywhere. And lately, the Beggars' Sect's eyes have been everywhere..."
"Tsk tsk, pointless waste of resources. Leave it be. The Gold Palace is desperate to find him anyway—let them handle it."
"……."
"More importantly, Seokcheon."
"Yes, Division Leader."
"We must uncover what Jiguk was after through that prisoner in the Thunder Prison."
"……We're working on it, but it will take some time. The Grand Strategist hid it well..."
"Time is no issue, so long as we're faster than Jiguk. We need to know what he's aiming for."
"Yes, Division Leader."
At Seokcheon's words, the old man fell silent, gazing at the fishing line taut against the waves.
Only after a long while did he speak again.
"By the way, I heard the Righteous Alliance Grand Strategist's newly formed Latent Dragon Squad is heading to Haenam Island?"
"Yes. For now, it's Nangong Seong, Gyedusin, and Yu Hyun. Just the three."
"Hmm, renowned young experts from each sect... We can't just leave them be."
"……Pardon?"
Seokcheon blinked in slight confusion at the old man's words.
Not leave them be...? Did he mean to harm them?
They posed no real threat yet, and mishandling it could provoke the wrath of the Nangong Clan or Beggars' Sect.
"Division Leader, isn't that excessive?"
"Nonsense. Left alone, they could grow swiftly and hinder our steps. When you see promising sprouts, you cut them before they mature."
"But..."
"I don't know what Zhuge Su-beom and Yi Hak-seong are thinking with that group, but they're likely to interfere with our plans ahead."
"……."
After a moment's thought, Seokcheon nodded calmly.
"Understood. I'll assign someone suitable."
"Handle it cleanly, without leaving any traces."
"I'll see to it personally."
As the man replied, the old man's face lit with a bright smile—just then, the fishing rod began shaking violently.
"Whoa!"
The old man hurriedly lifted the rod.
Sploooosh!
The pole bent as if to snap, veins bulging on the old man's arm.
"Ha ha! Quite the big one we've hooked."
Ziiiiing!
With a mighty pull, a massive fish soared from the water alongside the rod, flopping wildly on the ground.
"Look at this beast. Doesn't it remind you of those martial artists who think the world is theirs?"
"……."
"Fools, every one of them. In the end, their lifelines hang by our threads."
Rather than scoop up the thrashing fish from the dirt, the old man simply stood and watched.
Until its vigorous struggles finally ceased.
"Seokcheon."
"Yes, Division Leader."
After a long pause, a heavy voice emanated from the old man, prompting Seokcheon to prostrate himself on the ground.
"Soon, the grand ritual we've awaited so long will begin."
"……."
"The chosen ones of the Four Directions will vie for the Heavenly Throne and unite as one."
"……."
Seokcheon's hands gripped the ground tighter at the old man's proclamation, his eyes gleaming with red-hot fervor.
"Once the Heavenly Throne's master is decided, the Forbidden Pact will shatter, and we shall crown a new lord of the world."
"……."
"Day shall become night, and night day, just as our ancestors did before—we will be the order of the world, the sole punishers, and saviors all at once."
"……."
"Go now. The Palace Lord awaits."
"Yes, Division Leader!"
The old man departed the ferry landing with hands clasped behind his back, the prostrated man hastily grabbing the rod and following in his wake.
Curiously, despite the raging downpour, not a drop clung to either of them.
* * *
"What... did you say you want?"
"The Eocheon Jade."
"……."
Gu Jasin, who had rushed over delighted at word of Yu Hyun's visit, now wore a baffled expression.
He'd thought the boy came to learn martial arts, but out of nowhere, the Eocheon Jade?
Just as the Shaolin Abbot's symbol was the Green Jade Fire Staff, the Eocheon Jade symbolized the master of the Yangtze.
A treasure pearl that eased breathing.
Not to the point of letting one breathe underwater like a fish, of course—just boosting resistance somewhat.
Master the accompanying techniques, and one could stay submerged for nearly an hour; add specialized water arts, and you'd be no different from a fish.
But to demand the Eocheon Jade out of the blue?
Well, he could give it. If Yu Hyun said he wanted the Yangtze mastery right now.
But that wasn't happening...
"No."
"Why? You told me to call you master."
"That's why it's no."
"……."
"The Eocheon Jade is a heirloom passed only to the Yangtze master, generation after generation. I can't give it to you, who's merely a provisional disciple at best."
"……."
Yu Hyun narrowed his eyes at Gu Jasin's firm refusal.
"I won't lose it. Think of it as an advance..."
"No means no."
"……Then, lend it to me."
"What?"
"Just for a month."
"That won't do either. The Eocheon Jade isn't something you lend out casually."
"……."
Gu Jasin crossed his arms and shook his head resolutely; nearby, the mid-level warrior nodded vigorously in agreement.
Damn old geezer.
It's getting passed down eventually anyway—why not advance it a bit?
He'd talked big about doing anything once he became a disciple, yet here he was, haggling over a single bead like it was priceless.
This stubborn resistance was a problem.
To find the millennium clam, he had to dive deep, and at his current level, breath-holding had limits—making the Eocheon Jade essential.
But the owner wouldn't yield...
Snatching it by force wasn't an option either...
Yu Hyun glanced at Gu Jasin's fist. Gaunt and slender, yet brimming with power to pulverize rock in an instant.
"……."
Damn, any ideas? How the hell do I sweet-talk this guy?
A bandit chief might like money, but this one's incorruptibly upright...
Gu Jasin eyed Yu Hyun's petulant pout for a long moment before asking,
"First, tell me why. What do you need the Eocheon Jade for?"
"It's hard to explain—it's tied to the peace and safety of the martial world."
"……."
"……."
Gu Jasin stared blankly at Yu Hyun's solemn delivery, then slowly raised his frail-looking fist.
"Want to take a few days of beatings?"
"My lord, I forgot to mention I'm quite the joker."
"No wonder—I nearly walloped you. So, the real reason?"
"Hmm... Well, I plan to go dig up some clams on Haenam Island."
"C-clams?"
"Clams. You know, the ones that snap open and shut like this?"
"……."
Gu Jasin grew even more baffled at Yu Hyun mimicking a clam's motion with his hands.
Clams...?
Smack!
"Ow, hey, why hit me!"
"You little punk, what do you take the Yangtze's treasure for?"
"……."
"No more nonsense—spit it out!"
It wasn't nonsense!
He'd even told the truth, after thinking it over.
Well, minus the part about it being the millennium clam...
"You're not lending it anyway, right?"
"Correct."
"……."
Son of a bitch!
Yu Hyun swallowed his curses inwardly at Gu Jasin's smirking face.
What could he do?
He lacked the skill to challenge this vigorous elder yet.
"If you're just going to whine, at least learn some martial arts while you're here."
"Pass. I'm busy."
"Busy?"
"Yeah. Super busy."
"……."
As Yu Hyun rose without regret, Gu Jasin squinted and grinned.
"Feeling sulky?"
"What?"
"You're sulking, aren't you?"
"No! Who's sulking!"
Gu Jasin's lips twitched in amusement at the outburst.
He played the adult, but at seventy-odd years, this late-life disciple was endlessly endearing.
He'd even teased Nangong Chang-seon endlessly because of it...
"What's wrong with sulking? Happens at your age."
"Aam I thulking?"
"Don't grind your teeth—speak up, you sulky disciple. If my fist slips, it'll only hurt you."
"……."
Yu Hyun gnashed his teeth, glaring at the affectionately menacing Gu Jasin—who smiled like at a grandchild—before sighing.
Haa, how'd I end up like this...?
Persuading the old man was hopeless. Time for another approach.
Gu Jasin watched Yu Hyun stand decisively, then muttered,
"Well, it's not like there's no way at all."
"……?"
Yu Hyun whipped around, and Gu Jasin grinned.
"Try acting cute for your master?"
"……."
Cute? Did this geezer think he was a pet?
What did he take him for...?
"Pwease, Mawstew, wend your thithy dwisciple the Eocheon Jade!"
"……."
"……."
Yeah, backfired.
Yu Hyun glanced at the fist radiating killing intent and hastily straightened up.
"Disciple was just joking, master."
"That one was pretty bad."
"I wanted the Eocheon Jade so badly, I got carried away."
"Don't ever again. I felt a murderous urge for a moment there."
"I'll keep it in mind."
As Yu Hyun bowed penitently, Gu Jasin spoke casually.
"How about this?"
"……?"
"We go together."
"Together?"
"Yes. If you travel with me to Haenam Island and train in martial arts along the way, I'll lend you the Eocheon Jade."
"……I have companions. Righteous Alliance folks."
"I was offering out of kindness—if you don't need it, fine."
"……."
Gu Jasin smirked, pulling a pouch—likely holding the Eocheon Jade—from his bosom and twirling it on his finger; Yu Hyun's eyebrow twitched.
This geezer was pushing his buttons.
He was doing this just to teach martial arts, even if he gave it freely.
Damn it, fine. Accept grace when given.
"As long as it's until we board the ship."
"Over land only?"
"Yes. Boarding the Righteous Alliance ship with my master would cause a huge fuss."
"Hmm..."
Gu Jasin frowned thoughtfully, then nodded reluctantly.
"Fine. We'll do that."
"Good choice. And about the martial world's peace and safety... that was another joke."
At the fist rising again, Yu Hyun hurriedly corrected himself.