Chapter 234
Chapter 234
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 234
Chapter Title: 53. Impervious to Swords and Spears (1)
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Blood ties, regional ties, school ties.
There are countless connections in the world, but this was a first.
‘Should I call this... a dungeon tie...?’
Youngwoo double-checked the banner held by the Chinese people with an incredulous look.
《Shandong Province Welcomes Your Entry.》
- Shandong Twin Evils, Zhang Jiahan's tribute.
Your entry.
This bizarre phrasing was almost certainly referring to Youngwoo himself.
For one thing, the direction they were holding the banner was toward the southeast coast of Shandong Province... in other words, across the Yellow Sea toward the Korean Peninsula.
In short, Zhang Jiahan had confirmed via the subjugation mark that Youngwoo was crossing the Yellow Sea and hurriedly prepared the banners.
Shandong Province had no intention of fighting Korea's First Sword and needed to make that clear quickly to avoid disaster.
‘No, this uncle... he's not just a First Sword level; he's a local lord, huh?’
Just the Shandong residents mobilized to hold the banners along the coast numbered at least a few hundred.
It wasn't just one banner; dozens were spaced at intervals along the shoreline.
It was truly an extravagant welcome.
‘That talk about going to the next dungeon together was sincere after all.’
Youngwoo blamed himself for not appreciating Zhang Jiahan's sincerity.
And he learned once again.
Diplomacy truly stems from national defense.
“What's that? A banner?”
“What does it say?”
Soon, Incheon's First Swords also spotted the banners lining the Shandong coast and widened their eyes.
At first, they thought it was a war declaration, but after a moment, they realized the text on the banners was in Korean.
“Entry welcome...?”
“Who's Zhang Jiahan?”
“How did they know we were coming and prepare that in advance?”
As the First Swords murmured suspiciously at the unexpected Chinese welcome, Youngwoo explained in a calm tone.
“He's an acquaintance of mine. Still, just to be safe, don't let your guards down completely.”
Even though Zhang Jiahan was throwing the gates wide open in welcome, you never know with the ways of the world.
That was why Youngwoo thought he couldn't blindly trust their goodwill.
‘Of course, deploying residents upfront suggests it's a genuine welcome.’
Rumble...!
In the meantime, Yeongjong Island and its vicinity shook even more violently than before.
They were seriously slowing down.
In fact, the distance to visible Shandong had shortened considerably, to the point where not only the problematic banners but even the faces of those holding them were discernible.
“They're really gathered in huge numbers...?”
“Are all those people the welcoming crowd?”
Now that they looked, the Chinese along the Shandong coast weren't just holding banners; they were waving small hand flags too.
The mere fact that they held useless items like those instead of weapons clearly signaled Shandong's unconditional welcome—no, surrender.
Naturally, all eyes turned to the 'Joseon First Sword.'
Just what kind of figure was this outsider that his name was known even across the Yellow Sea in China?
“How do the Chinese know about you, Uncle?”
“...Explaining that right now would be too complicated. Just know it's like an Olympics where representatives from each country show off their strength.”
This referred to night dungeons, but Incheon's First Swords, lacking dungeon experience, found it hard to grasp.
“Show of strength...?”
“What does that mean?”
“So, does that mean our country won gold at those Olympics?”
To that, Youngwoo pointed toward the Shandong coast, now just a hundred meters away.
“Well... something like that. Strictly speaking, it's more like Zhang Jiahan saw me win.”
Rumble rumble rumble!
Finally, Yeongjong Island shook with earthquake-like vibrations as its speed dropped sharply, and right on cue, the Chinese waving flags on the opposite shore began stepping back.
And soon.
Boom!
With a roar like the earth tearing apart, Yeongjong Island connected with southeast Shandong.
“Whoa, shit...”
“The land actually joined together.”
“Is this really okay?”
Incheon's First Swords stared at the junction of Yeongjong Island and Shandong with dreamlike expressions.
Yeongjong Island docking at Incheon Port had been surreal enough, but this was a land connection with China, no less.
“U-uncle, what happens now?”
Bupyeong First Sword called out to Youngwoo out of habit again, and Youngwoo pushed through the wide-eyed Incheon First Swords.
Step, step.
Right up to the boundary between Yeongjong Island and Shandong.
At that, the hundreds of Chinese holding the 'welcome entry' banners hesitated and stepped back.
They were greeting as per Shandong Twin Evils Zhang Jiahan's orders, but they were strangers to Youngwoo after all.
Thus, they couldn't help feeling vague fear and repulsion.
After all, whether by population or landmass, China was the relative 'great power,' and Pangea's implementation had the Korean Peninsula coming to attach to Chinese soil.
In other words, to the Chinese, Korea looked like refugees or invaders.
‘As expected, they're all dumbfounded.’
Youngwoo scanned the eyes of the Shandong residents, who weren't exactly friendly as predicted.
Then, from within the crowd, a dark silhouette leaped out and landed right in front of Youngwoo.
Thud!
This was unmistakably First Sword-level movement, and sure enough, the identity of the figure was.
“Long time no see, Jeong the hero...!”
Shandong Twin Evils Zhang Jiahan.
A hot-tempered thug-provocateur with a tendency to look down on Taiwan, but a man whose social savvy was undoubtedly superior to any other Chinese.
Clap!
Zhang Jiahan cupped his fists in greeting first, so Youngwoo awkwardly returned the cupped-fist salute.
Then, glancing at the banners still held high in the sky, he cautiously asked.
“What's all this...?”
“As you see, a welcome greeting. How could we not come out to greet you personally, hero?”
“......”
Zhang Jiahan's speech was laced with excessive honorifics.
For whatever reason, he was overdoing the welcome for Youngwoo.
Youngwoo bent at the waist as if bowing in return and whispered in a low voice.
“Why are you overdoing it like this? It's making me uncomfortable.”
Zhang Jiahan also bent at the waist and whispered into Youngwoo's ear.
“...You're not here for war, are you? I have no intention of fighting you, Jeong the hero.”
The Jeong Youngwoo07 in Zhang Jiahan's memory was the absolute demon who summoned mutant squads to gang up on Giant God Gameta.
He had been planning to exploit that demon to farm dungeons easily when suddenly, yesterday, an alert showed two of the Dandong Three Swords had their titles stolen by Jeong Youngwoo07.
And the very next day, the subjugation mark on Jeong the hero started crossing the Yellow Sea.
With the situation like this, Zhang Jiahan couldn't help thinking that demon had marked China as its first punching bag.
Meanwhile, Youngwoo inwardly cheered.
‘Whoa, we're securing the western border bloodlessly.’
This was good for both Incheon and Shandong sides.
If border regions had bad relations, ordinary citizens would bear the brunt.
Of course, that didn't mean he needed to act overly subservient.
“Well... China has invaded the Korean Peninsula often since ancient times, and now the land is attaching, so yes, we came prepared for battle.”
Youngwoo said this while subtly gesturing to the Incheon First Swords behind him.
“Internally, the prevailing opinion was that we needed to prepare for war.”
“Ahh... I see.”
Zhang Jiahan's gaze landed on the young First Swords covered head to toe in flashy tattoos.
He nodded with an 'indeed' expression.
“But with this welcome today, I'll try to talk it over internally. No need to fight friendly folks, right.”
Youngwoo's final line was sincere.
What reason was there to harass people acting friendly?
Moreover, a provisional alliance on the western border was hugely important.
Right now, only Zhang Jiahan—who had personally witnessed his prowess— was friendly toward Youngwoo, not all of China.
“By the way, is all of Shandong Province really welcoming my 'entry'?”
As Youngwoo asked, sure enough, a troubled look crossed Zhang Jiahan's face.
“Actually, there's something urgent I need to tell you about that.”
“......”
As expected.
Youngwoo nodded as if he had anticipated it fully.
However.
Thwack!
He hadn't predicted that another expert would launch a surprise attack from the crowd, as if waiting for this exact moment.
“I am Shandong Twin Evils Wu Qingjin! I'll test if you're worthy to set foot in Shandong!”
Scree!
A certain middle-aged man thrust his sword straight at him, shouting boldly.
“What the—?”
A typical First Sword might have raged at Zhang Jiahan for not warning about the ambush, but Youngwoo was different.
『Shandong Twin Evils』
He instantly understood the situation upon seeing the 'Shandong Twin Evils' title above the head of the man who introduced himself as Wu Qingjin.
Not all of Shandong welcomed his entry.
‘Well, Twin Evils means two people, obviously.’
The two great villains representing Shandong.
Zhang Jiahan knew exactly who Jeong Youngwoo was, but the other didn't.
So, it was only natural for the other to send a completely different kind of greeting.
‘Then this ambush must've been pre-arranged with Zhang Jiahan too.’
In that split second as Wu Qingjin's sword flew in, Youngwoo even confirmed Zhang Jiahan retreating behind.
As expected, this ambush was an approved verification procedure.
An unavoidable breach of etiquette to prove the demon Jeong Youngwoo's strength to everyone.
Slash!
By then, Wu Qingjin's sword tip had reached right before the half-naked Youngwoo's chest.
Precisely at heart level.
“......”
So Youngwoo.
Flash!
Shot out his hand like lightning and clamped the blade between index and middle finger.
He was imitating a scene from a wuxia novel he'd read somewhere.
Showing sword-catching-with-fingers level prowess would ensure unquestioning submission going forward.
‘The sensations I'm hijacking tell me he's total trash. Average Seoul First Sword at best.’
It was a calculated performance by Youngwoo, and it succeeded.
Clang!
The blade, just about to pierce Youngwoo's chest, halted in place.
“......!”
“Huh?”
“Ah!”
Zhang Jiahan and all Shandong coast residents, Incheon's First Swords, and even the attacker Wu Qingjin gaped in shock.
Blocking a named one's ambush barehanded—with just two fingers—was beyond imagination.
But moments later.
Twitch!
The seemingly stopped blade of Wu Qingjin quivered.
“Huh?”
“Ooh...!”
In his desire to captivate everyone with a show-stopping performance, Youngwoo had overlooked a variable.
Namely.
Twitch twitch!
That some top experts skimp heavily on sensory stats compared to others.
‘Uh oh, this isn't good?’
In the end, the blade clamped between his two fingers started moving again, and before Youngwoo could react, it pierced his chest.
Stab!
NG.
An absolute no-go NG had happened.
“Uncle?”
“That retarded bastard!”
“Fucking knew it...”
Incheon's First Swords, witnessing their pillar crumble, reached for weapons en masse, and even Zhang Jiahan, stunned by the unforeseen catastrophe, went for his scabbard.
Clang!
This time, a crystal-clear metallic ring echoed from inside Youngwoo's chest.
“Huh?”
“What?”
“Wha...?”
The source of the metallic sound was so clear that everyone's gaze converged on Jeong Youngwoo07's pierced chest.
Youngwoo, equally shocked, quickly looked down at his own chest.
And realized.
The sword hadn't penetrated the 'Venom Dragon Heart.'
‘Whoa, what is this.’
So, what was left to do now?
Swoosh.
Youngwoo raised his head with a now-composed expression, yanked out the blade barehanded, and shouted.
“Did you see? I am the sword-and-spear-proof Jeong Youngwoo!”