Chapter 39
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Sailing the Yangtze
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The Black Wind Room incident faded quietly into the background as the local authorities' investigation lost steam. Naturally, this was due to Ju So-cheon's influence.
Seol Hwa-un's group decided to stay one more day in Hangzhou. With the long journey ahead, they needed ample rest.
On their final day, Seol Hwa-un found himself strolling around West Lake with Dang So-gyo, at her enthusiastic insistence, taking in the scenery.
Dang So-gyo bounced around with a blissful expression.
"This place is amazing! Someday, I'll build a house nearby with Brother Seol and... Mmph!"
Dang Cheong clamped a hand over her mouth.
"You're truly incorrigible. If you fancy yourself a lady, why not act with a bit more decorum?"
Dang So-gyo peeled his hand away and wagged a finger at him.
"You wouldn't understand. These days, bold women are all the rage."
Dang Cheong shook his head.
"...I have no idea where you picked up such nonsense."
"Hmph."
But a child was still a child. Dang So-gyo soon lost herself in exploring West Lake, darting here and there.
"Young Palace Lord, please understand. She's been surrounded by adults and must have been terribly bored."
Seol Hwa-un shook his head.
"No need to apologize. With nothing but stuffy men around, So-gyo's liveliness has lightened the mood immensely. I'm quite pleased."
"That's a relief."
The two stood side by side, watching Dang So-gyo. Dang Cheong glanced at Seol Hwa-un and spoke again.
"You seem like a warmer person than you appear, Young Palace Lord."
"Is that so?"
"You're usually so stoic and expressionless. Though you do give So-gyo faint smiles. Strangers might mistake you for a cold man."
"......"
Seol Hwa-un pondered this deeply.
*Am I like that?*
In his previous life, he had been quite expressive, with a good sense of humor.
Yet after reincarnating as Seol Hwa-un and living in the North Sea Ice Palace, he had subtly changed without realizing it.
*Living in the barren, ice-covered North Sea must have done that to me.*
Even those around him were all North Sea folk, with barely any changes in expression. Dong Ho-won was a rare exception.
"Watching you step up against injustice without hesitation has given me much to reflect on."
"What sort of reflections?"
"I'm the young head of the Sacheon Tang Family, which pursues the righteous path. Yet I've been questioning how truly righteous I've lived."
"......"
"Above all, despite prioritizing justice, I've let political calculations override my actions far too often."
"Given your position as young head, that's understandable."
In truth, though the Sacheon Tang Family was classified as orthodox, many would question if they truly walked the righteous path.
Historically, Sichuan had faced frequent invasions from outsiders.
Moreover, surrounded by massive sects like the Qingcheng and Emei, they had engaged in fierce territorial struggles, forcing them to prioritize practicality over principles.
This naturally led them to specialize in poisons and hidden weapons for efficiency.
Even in such circumstances, they hadn't forgotten their orthodox roots, which was commendable in its own way.
"Still, the Sacheon Tang Family has always risen boldly in times of crisis for the Central Plains martial world, doing their utmost for justice. As long as you uphold your ancestors' convictions, that's more than enough."
"Thank you. Truth be told, I harbored prejudices about the North Sea Ice Palace as well. But spending these past few days together has shown me you're trustworthy folk."
"No worries. Just don't forget we're all human."
Seol Hwa-un, having had similar experiences, understood Dang Cheong's feelings.
*No, perhaps they're far better than us Central Plains folk...*
Dang Cheong changed the subject to lighten the mood.
"Young Palace Lord, where to next?"
"There's the request from Huangbo Family Head, so we're heading to the Huangbo Family."
"The Huangbo Family... in Changsha, Hunan Province?"
"Indeed."
Dang Cheong's face lit up.
"Perfect. Since you're heading that way, why not stop by our family?"
Hunan wasn't far from Sichuan, of course. But it would take them further from the North Sea Ice Palace.
"Well..."
"So-gyo would be thrilled."
Dang So-gyo popped up out of nowhere like a ghost.
"Let's do it, Brother Seol! I want to show you our home and introduce you to so many people!"
"Well."
She grabbed Seol Hwa-un's hand and wheedled.
"Come on~ Let's go to my house~!"
Seol Hwa-un looked troubled.
"I can't make that decision alone."
"You're the leader, Brother Seol! The leader decides!"
"I'll discuss it positively with the others."
Dang So-gyo beamed at his response.
"Hehe! It's a promise."
She knew throwing a tantrum wouldn't work. But if he'd at least bring it up, she could persuade the rest bit by bit.
*Brother Eom and Uncle Dong will be easy.*
Dang So-gyo, who would have left Dong Ho-won feeling slighted had he heard that, suddenly furrowed her brow.
*The problem is that North Wind uncle...*
No matter how adorably she acted, the impassive North Wind Brigade Leader was a tough nut to crack.
*I'll take my time. I've got plenty of time.*
Dang Cheong narrowed his eyes at Dang So-gyo clenching her fist.
*What scheme is she plotting now?*
* * *
The next day, after an early breakfast, Seol Hwa-un's group left Hangzhou behind, regrets lingering.
They planned to follow the official roads through Jiangxi Province to the Huangbo Family in Hunan. But Huangbo Young suggested otherwise.
"Since you're going to Hunan anyway, why not take the waterways? There's a dock just upriver."
The Huangbo Family had used the waterways to attend the grand assembly, so he suggested it from experience.
The Yangtze connected through Hubei to Hunan. However, there was no suitable dock directly from Zhejiang, so they had to backtrack to Anhui.
It wasted some distance, but waterways were faster than land routes.
Seol Hwa-un accepted Huangbo Young's proposal.
*It'll be good experience for the North Wind Brigade, Mu-hwi, and Dong-won too.*
The North Wind Brigade, active mostly in the north, likely had little ship experience. Seol Hwa-un had ridden a few times in his past life.
Returning to Anhui, the group arrived at the Wuhu dock.
Eom Mu-hwi, negotiating with the shipmaster for passage, haggled fiercely over the fare.
Seol Hwa-un smiled faintly watching him.
*He's become the quartermaster now.*
Eom Mu-hwi's meticulous nature made him perfect for funds management, and he'd grown adept in mere months.
Soon, Eom Mu-hwi returned with a dissatisfied look.
"The fare to Poyang Lake isn't cheap."
Poyang Lake, one of Jiangnan's three great lakes, lay in Jiangxi.
Direct waterways to Hubei were impractical, so they'd switch to land after Poyang.
Dang Cheong chuckled knowingly.
"No surprise. Poyang's a tourist spot rivaling Hangzhou."
"Even for over thirty passengers, the discount's stingy. I barely shaved off two taels of silver."
"Hahaha. I thought you'd get nothing, so two taels is impressive. Don't be too down. Shipmasters have expenses everywhere."
Then, Seol Hwa-un spotted something odd.
Three well-dressed warriors spoke with the shipmaster, received payment, and handed over a flag.
They glanced at the passengers before leaving.
The shipmaster gave the flag to a crewman and ordered it hung at the bow.
"......?"
Curious, Seol Hwa-un asked Dang Cheong.
"What's that flag?"
"Oh, it's a token from paying the waterway toll to the Water寨. That one's from the Jiujiang Water寨."
Seol Hwa-un's expression shifted.
"Yangtze Waterway寨? So those warriors were bandits?"
"Exactly. Surprising, right?"
Seol Hwa-un had no choice but to nod.
*Bandits dressing like that?*
It didn't match the bandits from his past life. Strangers would mistake them for sect disciples.
"Young Palace Lord, I heard you crushed several Green Forest Eighteen Bandits in a row. But the Yangtze Waterway寨 is very different."
Seol Hwa-un struggled to comprehend.
"How so?"
"Well..."
Dang Cheong explained, and Seol Hwa-un's expression changed repeatedly.
"......"
By then, it was time to depart. The group boarded promptly.
Their large junk could carry over a hundred passengers and had small cabins.
The North Sea Ice Palace group, mostly first-timers on ships, couldn't hide their excitement. Seol Hwa-un chuckled watching them.
*You won't just enjoy it the whole way.*
As the ship set off, Dong Ho-won, flushed with excitement, shouted.
"It's moving! It's moving!"
Eom Mu-hwi chided him.
"Don't make a fuss."
"Isn't it amazing? Something this huge moving."
"Hmm."
"Glad I joined this Central Plains trip. Getting to try all this."
"Who was grumbling about not wanting to go back when we left the North Sea?"
Dong Ho-won played innocent.
"Beats me."
The Yangtze's scenery from the ship had its own charm.
The group lingered on deck, too engrossed to enter cabins.
But as the ship rocked, Dang So-gyo led the way, with some North Wind Brigade members turning pale and retreating to cabins one by one. Seasickness.
All experts, none vomited. They sat in cabins, meditating to settle their stomachs.
Surprisingly, Dong Ho-won was immune. He dashed back and forth across the deck.
"Seasickness is for the weak!"
"......"
Eom Mu-hwi looked pale but held position out of pride.
Seol Hwa-un and Dang Cheong were the most at ease.
"Even you must be new to ships, Young Palace Lord. Feeling alright?"
"It's tolerable."
His face showed no sign of discomfort at all.
*Dong seems naturally resilient... but he feels oddly composed. Really his first time?*
"......"
Seol Hwa-un mulled over Dang Cheong's earlier words as the ship sailed.
*Bandits like that? Is it true?*
He'd always seen river bandits as little different from mountain ones—or worse, in his past life.
"Hm?"
Then he spotted a sleek speedboat rapidly approaching.
A crewman checked the flag and yelled.
"Jiujiang Water寨!"
"Slow down!"
Seol Hwa-un's eyes sharpened.
*Bandits gonna bandit.*
Anticipating his thought, Dang Cheong said.
"Young Palace Lord, just watch for now. As I said, the Yangtze Waterway寨 isn't like ordinary bandits."
"......"
Soon the speedboat drew alongside, and three men leaped aboard with lightness skills.
Seol Hwa-un's eyes gleamed.
*Impressive level.*
Especially the middle-aged man with bushy beard and massive sword on his back—his aura was formidable.
Dang Cheong's eyes widened at him.
"That man..."
"You know him?"
"If my memory serves, he's Mae Jong-pyo, lord of Jiujiang Water寨, the Moon-I Blade."
Feeling his explanation lacking, he added.
"He's mentioned as the next total寨 lord of the Yangtze Waterway寨. His martial arts rank among the top five there."
Far bigger a fish than expected.
As he boarded, the shipmaster rushed over—but his reaction was unexpected.
"Long time no see, Hero Mae."
Mae Jong-pyo burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, Captain Yang's ship. It's been ages. Doing well?"
"Thanks to you, yes."
"Good to hear."
Mae Jong-pyo glanced around and said.
"I heard there's a special guest aboard, so I rushed over."
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"Wait just a moment."
Mae Jong-pyo scanned sharply, then locked eyes with Seol Hwa-un.
"......"
His face hardened. He strode toward Seol Hwa-un.
Dong Ho-won and Eom Mu-hwi blocked his path at his imposing presence.
"Halt."
Boom!
But an invisible force shoved them aside.
"Urk!"
Towering over them, Mae Jong-pyo ignored the pair and stared piercingly at Seol Hwa-un alone.
"Are you the Young Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace, known as the North Heavenly Dragon?"