Chapter 296: The Jinsuchae Water Fort
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 296: The Jinsuchae Water Fort
The shout that spread in all directions stirred the water, making the boat rock.
Then, from between the gorges, five ships appeared one after another.
“W-Water bandits!!”
“It's the Jinsuchae bastards!!”
“Those crazy sons of bitches! Showing up when the patrol boats are out?!”
In the thick fog that made it difficult to see, they were surrounded with no chance to escape. The deck instantly descended into chaos.
“Everyone, to your positions!!”
Just then, the captain appeared and quickly brought the situation under control.
But the fact that the bandits' ships were drawing closer remained unchanged.
“Y-Young Master Kang!”
“I see them.”
Mak Yangho, who had been handling business in his cabin, rushed out, his face pale.
I was perched on the railing, watching the bandit ships approach head-on.
I'd been curious what kind of audacious bastards would try to plunder a merchant ship while patrol boats were on duty. Now I see they aren't entirely thoughtless.
“A mere water bandit, yet he's a Transcendent master...”
The man who looked every bit the bandit chief radiated an energy that had clearly surpassed the Transcendent Realm.
The distance made it hard to be certain, but he seemed to be at the initial stage of the Transcendent Realm.
For a bandit chief who wasn't even part of the Eighteen Water Forts of the Yangtze River to be a Transcendent master was more than enough to pique my curiosity.
I could jump over to their ship and kill them all right now, but I decided to watch for a while.
A part of me was curious about what kind of martial arts these water bandits used.
“Caravan Leader Mak, could you tell me what you know about them?”
“Ah, yes! They are the water bandits of the Jinsuchae (鎭水寨), who control the Danganggu area. In terms of power, it's said they're strong enough to be considered a branch of the Eighteen Water Forts of the Yangtze River. Their chief, Ak Muhong, is rumored to be a master who has reached the pinnacle of the Peak Realm.”
Mak Yangho added, "It's just a rumor, so its credibility is somewhat low.”
He had a point. The pinnacle of the Peak Realm was a level that could earn one a spot among the Top 100 Experts of the World.
It was hard to believe that a bandit not even affiliated with the Eighteen Water Forts could have reached such a state.
But I, who could sense Ak Muhong's true level, knew the rumor wasn't an exaggeration—it was an understatement.
“What are the merchant ship's combat capabilities?”
“We have about ten martial artists from the caravan...”
“Their realms?”
“...Nine are second-rate, and one is first-rate.”
Mak Yangho mumbled in a voice as faint as a crawling ant.
We had only ten, while they had well over several dozen. It was a clear disadvantage to anyone's eyes.
“What's your plan now?”
“...I've prepared a toll, but...”
“Judging by their actions so far, that's not likely to work.”
Mak Yangho nodded with a grim expression.
If the bandits were to steal their goods, the Hwayeon Caravan would suffer immense losses.
No, some of the crew might even be sold off as slaves.
The reason Mak Yangho rushed to find me was likely to ask me to stop them by borrowing my family's name.
But I doubted that madmen who would plunder a merchant ship while official patrol boats were out would fear the backing of a prestigious family.
If it were one of the Five Great Families, perhaps, but...
Mak Yangho probably knew this as well. He must have come to me grasping at straws.
When I nodded, Mak Yangho's face brightened considerably. He bowed repeatedly before rushing over to the captain.
“The bandits are closing in!”
Grappling hooks flew from the bandit ships, which had drawn much closer.
Thunk!
The bandits pulled on the hooks lodged in the railing, drawing the ships together. Finally, when they were close enough to cross, Ak Muhong appeared on the ship directly in front of us.
A vicious smile spread across the brute's lips.
“Trying to pass through here without the permission of me, the chief of Jinsuchae? You've certainly got some nerve.”
“A m-misunderstanding!”
“A misunderstanding?”
“Y-Yes. We intended to ask for your permission beforehand, but our schedule was too tight.”
Mak Yangho, sweating profusely, held out a chest full of silver.
“Therefore, we have prepared a small token of our sincerity, as is customary.”
“Hoh? Quite a lot, isn't it?”
“...How could we spare any silver for the heroes who protect the Danganggu area?”
“Kuhaha! A merchant who knows his manners!”
It was certainly an excessive amount for a mere toll.
It was enough to be considered half the profits from this entire trip.
'I heard merchants value money over their lives. Was that just a prejudice?'
Normally, the bandits would have backed down at this point.
The other crew members seemed to think so too, as their expressions relaxed.
But the expressions of Mak Yangho and the captain remained tense.
Thud!
Just as they feared, Ak Muhong slammed the butt of his spear onto the deck, releasing his energy in all directions.
At the sight of his extraordinary aura, the faces of the martial artists on the merchant ship turned pale.
“But tell me, why should I back off for a paltry sum of money? I could make a much bigger profit by plundering your entire ship, couldn't I?”
“...This goes against custom. How can the heroes of the river stoop to common thievery?”
“Custom? Haha! Well, I'm just an uneducated water bandit, so I wouldn't know about such things.”
Ak Muhong openly mocked Mak Yangho.
The other bandits joined in, letting out coarse laughter. In the murderous atmosphere, where an attack seemed imminent, the crew froze with expressions of utter despair.
“...Can you handle the consequences if you find out who is on this ship?”
“Khuhu, just like a rat-like merchant, you had something to fall back on, didn't you?”
At that moment, a blue energy began to form at the tip of Ak Muhong's spear.
Seeing it, Mak Yangho's eyes widened in disbelief.
“A-Aura?! The chief of Jinsuchae is a Transcendent master?!”
“Now! Board the ship!”
At Ak Muhong's command, the bandits swarmed onto the merchant ship.
Faced with the overwhelming difference in power, the caravan's martial artists didn't even think of drawing their swords. It was a wise decision. If they were captured as slaves, they might at least keep their lives. But if they fought back here, they'd end up as fish food.
Ak Muhong, following his men onto the ship, scanned his surroundings and his eyes met mine.
“Well now, there's one who looks like he'd fetch a high ransom. I'd normally just take the ransom and send you on your way, but I don't have that luxury right now. I'll have no choice but to sell you off to the Black Market along with the crew. And behind you...”
Ak Muhong looked at Cheon Yeo-hwa, who was sitting behind me.
“Hoh...”
A strange light glinted in his eyes.
“Hey, wench! Take off your veil. If I like what I see, you won't be a slave, but this chief's—”
“That's enough.”
Shing.
Everyone's gaze focused on me.
A silence fell over the deck, which just moments ago had been as noisy as a marketplace.
No one dared to speak.
“...A guard from a prestigious family, are you?”
Ak Muhong's gaze grew more serious.
Whoosh— Thud!
He skillfully spun his spear and slammed it onto the deck.
The impact shook the ship.
“Drop your sword. You'll sell for a higher price if your limbs are intact. After I cripple your dantian, I can sell you to some rich widow...”
Kiiiiing—
The moment the ink-black Aura enveloped the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword, the vicious smile on Ak Muhong's face froze.
The same went for the other bandits.
To anyone watching, Ak Muhong's Aura looked pathetic in comparison.
“...Damn it!”
Boom!
Ak Muhong kicked off the deck and charged at me. The tip of his spear, glowing with a blue Aura, was filled with clear killing intent.
“Die!!”
And then, the two Auras collided.
KRAAAANG!!
*
Ak Muhong, chief of the Jinsuchae. He had a grand ambition: to one day leave the Danganggu area and become an executive of the Eighteen Water Forts of the Yangtze River.
And not long ago, an opportunity had presented itself.
He had obtained an elixir from a plundered merchant ship and used it to ascend to the Transcendent Realm.
In that moment, he was certain.
With his martial prowess and the wealth he had accumulated, becoming an executive of the Eighteen Water Forts was not an impossible dream.
That was why he had started recklessly plundering merchant ships. To establish a foothold on the Yangtze River, the more wealth he had, the better.
And so, he smoothly amassed wealth by plundering not just tolls but also expensive goods from passing ships.
According to his original plan, he should have left Danganggu the previous night. However, upon receiving intelligence that the Hwayeon Caravan was beginning a voyage, Ak Muhong found himself conflicted.
The Hwayeon Caravan, one of the Ten Great Caravans of the Central Plains.
If he could successfully plunder it, the profits would be beyond words.
Since they were traveling with the patrol boats, their escort force wouldn't be large, so it wasn't an impossible task. Even if the government put out a wanted poster for him, it was something he could smooth over with a few bribes in his new territory.
Having made his decision, Ak Muhong waited for the moment the Hwayeon Caravan's ship entered the West Gorge. When a thick fog rolled in right on cue, he had no doubt that it was a stroke of heavenly luck.
But it didn't take long for him to realize it had all been a delusion.
CRASH, KRAAANG!!
The impact of Kang Hyun-woo and Ak Muhong's clash sent shockwaves rippling out in all directions, violently churning the water.
The ship rocked wildly, and both bandits and crew had to drop flat to the deck to avoid being caught in the fight.
Already, well over ten bandits had lost their heads to stray slashes.
“Uwaaaaaah!!!”
Ak Muhong let out a monstrous roar and pushed his internal energy to its limit.
Gale Spear Art (疾風槍法): Flowing Water Slashing Wind (流水斬風).
A storm of Auras rode the wind, rushing toward Kang Hyun-woo from all directions. But Kang Hyun-woo dismantled the technique without so much as blinking.
His all-out attack blocked, Ak Muhong swallowed the blood trickling from his lips and clenched his teeth.
He couldn't believe what was happening.
It was absurd enough that a young talent who looked barely twenty had reached the Transcendent Realm, but his internal energy and combat experience also far surpassed his own.
Ak Muhong had no choice but to consider the possibility that his opponent was a rejuvenated old monster.
'...At this rate, I'm going to die.'
He swallowed dryly, his eyes darting around. His subordinates were all useless, and there was nowhere to run on the ship.
But that didn't mean he was out of options.
KIIIIIIING!!!
Ak Muhong drew upon every last bit of his internal energy.
He didn't stop, even as his meridians, ravaged by internal injuries, screamed in protest.
An Aura easily twice its previous size erupted from him.
“You can all become fish food!!”
“Ch-Chief?!!”
“That crazy bastard!!”
Squeeze out all his internal energy to sink the merchant ship, then use the chaos to escape with his water arts.
Ak Muhong executed his plan without a moment's hesitation. Focusing all his power into the tip of his spear, he coughed up blood and unleashed the ultimate technique of his Gale Spear Art.
Gale Spear Art (疾風槍法): Gale Extreme Kill (疾風極殺).
It was a single strike unleashed by a Transcendent master, prepared to take his enemy down with him.
It held enough power to sink even a large merchant ship in one blow, but Kang Hyun-woo was not one to stand by and watch.
Just before the spear tip could touch the ship, Kang Hyun-woo closed the distance in an instant and swung the Heaven-Shattering Demonic Sword head-on.
Unlike Ak Muhong, who had poured all his remaining energy into his ultimate technique, it was nothing more than an ordinary horizontal slash.
Clang—
“...What?”
But that ordinary slash shattered the spear tip wreathed in Aura.
The backlash inflicted an internal injury so severe his organs ruptured, but Ak Muhong's expression barely changed as he muttered at Kang Hyun-woo.
“...You goddamn monster.”
Immediately after, Kang Hyun-woo's palm strike (一掌) flew toward Ak Muhong. Ak Muhong deployed his Protective Aura, ready to die from Qi Deviation.
Shatter.
He let out a hollow laugh as he watched his Protective Aura tear apart like paper.
Blood Flame Asura Demonic Art (血炎修羅魔功): Asura Demon Palm (修羅魔掌).
The tyrannical palm technique that erupted from Kang Hyun-woo's hand not only completely crushed the man's chest but also blew away all the thick fog in the area.
Under the newly cleared sky, Ak Muhong's corpse collapsed, having lost its form.
Thud.