The Sea is Water Too - 7
True to his reputation as a Wind Palace master, Gi Gangwang vanished like the wind, only to reappear two days later.
"The interrogations are done. They were high-ranking enough to spill some solid intel."
He stroked his beard contentedly as he shared the results. At first, we'd pegged them as nameless grunts who'd drifted to the Zhoushan Islands with a small fleet. But thinking back, these were the survivors who'd miraculously escaped amid the slaughter of other wokou, even facing the dragon's wrath and living to tell. Not your average thugs—among the wokou, these were the tough ones.
Even so, they were fragile nobodies against a Hwagyeong master.
"As expected, the recent wokou raiders were forces under the Southern Court and its allies. Pushed back by the Northern Court, they went all-in with one last blaze... only to get wiped out by Goryeo."
"Then the civil war in Wa should wrap up soon."
"Yeah. With their game-changing forces annihilated abroad, the Southern Court has no moves left."
Nothing surprising there, so I nodded casually. History bore it out—the Southern and Northern Courts era ended with the North victorious.
"Anyway, they say Tsushima—longtime wokou haunt—still has those familiar faces holed up. Not the Southern Court's hope or a proper army, just some ragtag pirates."
"Sounds like the mop-up will go smoothly, then."
"Live long enough, you see it all. Who'd have thought Goryeo would make this easy for us?"
Gi Gangwang chuckled, then rose and extended a hand to the Millennium Turtle crawling nearby. Fortunately, it didn't resist this time. First meeting, it must've reacted to the intense aura of a Hwagyeong master. Now, on round two, no drama. Good thing—two acid spits at a king would be hard for even this loyal subject to defend.
"Turtles really are auspicious beasts. Thanks to this one, the escapees from Goryeo washed up on Great Song soil, and we got prime intel from them. No different from a dragon's envoy."
- Ppiae!
The Millennium Turtle let out a proud squeak at Gi Gangwang's words.
"So, to send it back to its dragon master's embrace easily, we'll release it at sea en route to Tsushima—"
- Ppiiiiae!
"Kidding, you rascal. Such a temper."
But at the mention of release, it flailed its flippers in protest. Baffling. I chuckled wryly, staring at it. It wasn't like Kki-ing-i or Kki-ong-i, owing me its life; not like Samshik fleeing Nang-jung Wang's clutches; not even like Buong-i, who'd known me weeks. Just a chance beach encounter.
Why act like I was its owner?
"Joo-il. Just curiosity on my part."
"Yes, Your Highness. Speak."
"Any dragons in your ancestry?"
"……."
His earnest question left me speechless. Hell, now I was wondering. Did Giwangga blood carry some hidden draconic trait drawing spirit beasts like this? Come to think of it, Han Se-chung—practically Giwangga's founder—retired to seclusion by the West Lake after Yue Fei's execution...
Did he evolve into a lake dragon or something?
'What is this, a founding myth?'
Absurd. I eyed the turtle bitterly. Dragons' blood or whatever—more likely the spirit beast aura clinging to me from my menagerie.
"Eh, probably not. But if you head to Goryeo, avoid the seas. The dragon might come sniffing for its lost subordinate itself."
"Grateful for the advice, Your Highness."
Practical wisdom. I smiled wryly. He was right—the dragon must be pining for its pet. A beast like Ppiae was precious even to one. Dragons were immortal, turtles symbols of longevity; maybe it'd wait patiently. It might even be shocked at Ppiae's quick return after my death.
Still, steer clear of Goryeo waters. Drawing a dragon's eye might make me faint standing.
True to our word, once the troops recovered, we loaded Han Un and Yi Yeon onto a ship back to land.
Having Han Un around made things easy, but wokou suppression was my job. Strictly, this was foreign affairs, not domestic inspections for a Left Vice Censor-in-Chief. Piling border bandits on top was harsh.
Han Un could handle it fine, but he'd collapsed fighting Mongols at Jiayu Pass recently. Handing him wokou next? Giwang and Ak Wang might fret or rage.
'Can't have that.'
Imagining their fury gave me chills. Truly problematic. I didn't want Han Un hurt, but facing their wrath? No thanks. Why tempt fate in my later years?
"Your Highness, entering Fujian waters soon."
"Mm. Fine weather, good speed. Keep it up."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Lost in such thoughts, idly sea-gazing, my adjutant reported our position. Fujian. Islands south of Tsushima in the Odo chain, northeast from Zhoushan. Unknown till days ago, thanks to the wokou intel.
Info first in war—makes it smooth.
'Nearly had to beg Goryeo.'
Chilling thought. Without Fujian, we'd pass Jeju—Goryeo would've howled and boasted. Sure, Tsushima burning helped them too, but those mutts bark first.
'What karma makes neighbors like these...'
I rubbed my forehead. North: cursed Mongol bandits. East: mad Goryeo dogs. West: Tibetan lamas allied with Mongols. South: Yue cycling independence. Surrounded by lunatics—miraculous.
'Rebirth? A world without barbarians.'
Fighting for realm and people as a true man, racking merits with the sword—glorious. No denying. But all sides barbarians? Pass. Next life: virtue and rites everywhere.
Buddha must hear me. This life's glamour and chaos preps for a pure one. Overflowing barbarians now for a clean slate later.
'Gonna lose it.'
I chuckled softly. Reaching south Tsushima seas via Fujian was good. Island now visible to the naked eye.
But alas, not just the island.
"What a maddening sight."
"Dong-gu Wang here?"
As I gazed grimly at the "others," Dong-gu Wang flew from his flagship to ours. He must feel the same—straight to "maddening" on arrival.
"Gi Gangwang. Didn't Goryeo just smash the wokou?"
"They did."
"And it wasn't some pirate skirmish—national invasion scale."
"True..."
"So what's that?"
His icy tone forced my eyes back to the "others"—Goryeo's fleet.
'Damn it.'
Head throbbed. Why here? Goryeo had repelled the massive raid: burned hundreds at Jinpo, slaughtered tens of thousands at Huangshan. Back-to-back triumphs—no bandwidth for more.
Wrong. These maniacs weren't content defending; they sailed to torch the homeland.
"...Turn back?"
"Attacking a flaming island? Pointless."
I nodded somberly. Beyond their fleet, smoke rose from Tsushima—ablaze coast to coast.
Regrettable. Prime chance for Gi Gangwang Division's real combat, new foe experience—gone.
"They've spotted us."
"Indeed..."
Sighing at the stirred Goryeo ships. Wokou hunt over anyway. Late to a finished field? Pathetic, and they'd snub us.
Chat with command, then withdraw gracefully.
[Gyeongsang Province Chief Inspector Park Wi]
'Park Wi, huh.'
I eyed the banner from their largest ship—the flagship, by looks. A name I'd not forget soon. Daring thief snatching my prey.