Chapter 82
Chapter 82: Dark Heaven Village
Swish!
With a swift, sweeping arc of my blade, I cut down the charging pirates. The rabble's martial arts were nothing special, and most crumbled in a single exchange. After I had slain about twenty of them, the rest finally realized the absolute disparity in our strength. Panicking, they began fleeing back toward their ships. Even after taking heavy damage from our vessel's defense, their ships pulled away with impressive, desperate speed.
The skirmish on deck ended rather anticlimactically, but cheers instantly erupted from the crew around me.
"Ooooh!!"
"Thank you, young hero!!"
While everyone else had been struggling desperately just to survive, I had cut through the raiders like a wolf among sheep. It was no exaggeration to say I had repelled the entire boarding party single-handedly.
I quickly checked our casualties on deck. We had one or two dead and about ten wounded. For such a brief clash, the damage was considerable, suggesting these pirates were quite skilled with their blades. My arts were far beyond theirs, allowing for a swift massacre, but to ordinary escorts or the ship's captain, they would have been a nightmare to fight.
The Master of the West Palace Escort Agency approached me, his face pale.
"Young hero, what if those bastards loose fire arrows next? Shouldn't we prepare a countermeasure?"
Just as he said, the pirate fleet was now circling nearby, waiting for an opening to strike. His experience told him that a barrage of arrows was imminent.
"Aren't they after the trade goods?" I countered. "Would they really risk setting the entire ship ablaze?"
Hearing this, the Great Dragon Merchant Leader shook his head grimly.
"If they realize your superior martial arts make close combat impossible, they might choose to sink us first, salvage what they can, and take the survivors as slaves. Or they will simply tail us, waiting for another chance to ambush."
"Hmm."
"If we can just block their arrows, we can handle the rest. With your incredible skills, young hero, surely there is a way?"
Both the Merchant Leader and the Escort Master were completely on edge, and rightly so—the scale of the Blood Blade Pirates far exceeded our expectations. Encountering three large pirate ships at once was rare, and even after losing twenty men, they still showed plenty of fight.
I glared at the pirate ships, calculating our options. "They are too far for now. If they close into archery range again, I will leap across to their deck and stop them at the source."
"Even at fifty paces? Can you truly clear that distance?"
"Prepare a small boat. We just need to shorten the gap a bit."
"Understood!"
Moments later, I secured a rope to an emergency dinghy and waited. Two veteran escorts volunteered to row, though their hands trembled with tension.
"We place our lives in your hands, young hero," one whispered.
"The Blood Blade Pirates are the largest and most cruel fleet in the Yellow Sea. Please, just get us out of this alive..."
I offered them a calm grin. "Don't worry. This is nothing."
"Ooooh..."
They looked at me, awestruck. To them, a teenage boy drenched in blood, facing a notorious pirate fleet without flinching, was practically monstrous. But to me, someone who had battled true demons and transcendent monsters, human pirates were a mere passing nuisance.
"They're moving!"
Suddenly, the largest Blood Blade vessel surged forward. Archers lined the foredeck, bows drawn and poised to fire, exactly as the Escort Master had predicted. I focused my internal energy, narrowing my eyes for a closer look, and noticed they were using plain iron arrows rather than oil-soaked fire arrows.
'No fire arrows.'
From that, I deduced their strategy: they intended to circle our merchant ship, picking off our forces from a distance. Greedy for the cargo, they wanted to thin our numbers first, intending to overwhelm me once I was isolated.
"Launch!"
Splash!
The escorts severed the mooring lines and rowed furiously into the swelling waves. Swapping my sword for a long spear, I stared ahead. Spotting our tiny dinghy, the pirate archers released a volley, and a dark cloud of arrows whistled through the air toward us.
Ting! Ting! Tang!
A long spear is far more effective at deflecting ranged projectiles. Swiftly channeling the defensive stances of the Thunder Spirit Eight Forms, I batted away every single arrow aimed at the dinghy and the rowers. Even while paddling for their lives, the escorts marveled at the absolute, air-tight protection.
I glanced at the color of the water, judging our distance by the hue of the waves. The moment the gap closed from thirty paces to twenty, I coiled my strength and leaped from the boat.
The Thunder Roar's Breath activated instantly, supercharging the qi throughout my body. While I lacked the peak lightness skills required to clear twenty paces to a high deck in a single bound, I brought my foot down hard against the rolling surface of the water after the first ten paces.
Thud!
Instead of sinking, the water exploded beneath me, launching me high into the air. By channeling the Thunder Spirit Qi into my feet for a violent rebound, I bounced across the sea. As I vaulted over the railing and landed solidly on the pirate ship's deck, every eye turned to me in absolute shock.
Without a moment's pause, I swept my spear in a vicious circle, cutting down the archers within a three-pace radius. The spinning blade tore through flesh effortlessly.
"Aaack!"
"Uwaaak!"
Before throwing myself fully into the melee, I glanced back to ensure the escorts had turned the dinghy and were rowing frantically back to safety. Knowing their lives depended on me holding this deck, I inhaled deeply and unleashed a devastating lion's roar.
"You are all dead men!!"
"Uwaaaack...!"
The thunderous, qi-infused bellow echoed across the water, dropping dozens of pirates to their knees as they clutched their heads in agony. I showed no mercy; I had poured my full internal power into the shout, rupturing their eardrums until blood streamed from their ears. It was a brutal display, but remembering the horrific tales of pirate cruelty, I cast aside all hesitation.
With the archers neutralized and the deck seized, absolute panic rippled through the flagship, causing the accompanying vessels to hesitate. As I scanned the deck for more threats, the hatches burst open, and a swarm of pirates wielding crimson sabers charged out from below.
"Die, brat!"
Over thirty elite blood-saber swordsmen poured out in a ceaseless tide, slashing wildly. It was an astonishing force for a single ship, but this vessel was unusually massive.
Clang! Klang!
I parried the oncoming sabers from all sides. Even though I was completely surrounded, they could not pierce my guard, leaving them utterly baffled.
"This is crazy!"
"How can a mere kid possess this kind of power...?"
I quickly gauged their level: they were far above average grunts, with some matching the strength of professional escorts. Even a first-class expert trapped in such a tight formation would have braced themselves for death.
But I had probed their skills enough. A cold, murderous intent flared in my eyes.
"Your time is up."
Whoooosh!
The fundamental 欄 (Deflect) and 拿 (Seize) techniques swirled at the tip of my spear, buzzing like a swarm of angry bees. It was a basic application taught by Lee Gwang of the Triple Excellence; by clashing conflicting energies and skills, it generated a terrifying rotational force and gale-force wind pressure. It had no fancy name, but when executed perfectly, it rivaled supreme techniques.
Thud! Crash!
Whirling the spear like a windmill, the sheer kinetic force shattered five charging pirates within a single pace. It didn't just rip flesh; it struck like a giant's hammer, accompanied by a deafening shockwave. As the survivors froze in horror, I stepped forward, sweeping the weapon five more times.
Puh! Puh! Puck!
"Kuaaaack!!"
Bodies collapsed, and arcs of blood sliced through the air. In moments, the pristine deck was transformed into a slaughterhouse. Fifteen elite swordsmen had been obliterated without a proper fight, causing the remaining survivors to drop their sabers in sheer terror.
Clang!
"Hee... heeek..."
"He's a monster...!!"
The thought of mercy never crossed my mind. Raiders who enslaved, plundered, and slaughtered innocent people deserved nothing less than a swift end. My expression remaining entirely cold, I thrust my spear forward, skewering three pirates instantly like a kebab.
Puk!
"Huek... aaack!!"
"Aaaaaaah!!"
Twisting my grip, I spun the spear with a brutal 欄 technique, churning their insides outward in a sudden burst. With the grunts entirely cleared, I stood alone amidst a literal sea of blood.
Wiping a stray bead of sweat from my brow, I looked toward the aft deck and said, "Enough hiding. Come out and face me yourselves."
"......?"
Three imposing figures clad in blood-red robes stepped into the light, gripping heavy sabers. Matching crimson masks completely obscured their faces. Guessing these were the leaders of the Blood Blade fleet, I taunted them casually.
"You're the bosses, right?"
"Indeed we are."
"Come on, then. I'll make your ends painless."
"Who are you? Why do you interfere with our hunt?"
"What does it matter to dead men?"
"Ugh... arrogance!"
Without another word, I lunged. The three leaders advanced to meet me, and to my surprise, a vibrant, burning saber qi erupted from their blades.
"What?!"
Saber qi from mere pirate captains? It was absurd.
Kaaang!
'How can pirate leaders manifest true saber qi?'
Saber qi was not a skill meant for common outlaws. Only elite, first-class warriors achieved such a feat after years of grueling training. While it was technically possible below the transcendent peak through masterful qi control, it was still highly shocking to encounter here at sea.
"Cough!"
Yet, they could not withstand the raw, overwhelming power behind my spear. All three spewed blood, flying back a full pace before crashing heavily onto the deck. Had I not instinctively eased up in my surprise, the first strike would have turned them to paste.
I glared down at the trembling leaders as they struggled back to their feet. "What are you exactly? Who taught you these systematic arts?"
A single clash had revealed the truth: unlike their grunts, their movements screamed of prestigious, rigorous training. It was unthinkable for mere pirates; they were skilled enough to pass as first-class masters on land. Why choose piracy?
"Keeeek!"
"Kiaaack!!"
Instead of answering, they let out eerie, inhuman shrieks and lunged forward. Suddenly, their power and speed surged to an impossible degree—a drastic leap from just moments ago. It was a clear, unnatural physical enhancement.
'These are no ordinary brutes.'
Klang! Kang!
Stunned by their sudden empowerment, I traded twenty rapid exchanges with extreme caution. Without the spear's transformation realm to absorb the kinetic shock, the steel weapon would have snapped under their raw, brute force. Realizing their martial arts scaled directly with their physical strength, I focused intently.
Puck!
Spotting a brief flaw in their formation, I thrust my spear forward, punching a fist-sized hole clean through one leader's chest. He stared down at the gaping wound dumbly. I expected him to collapse instantly.
"Kieeeek!!"
"What?!"
Splat!
Instead of falling, his aura surged even stronger, and he lunged right back at me. It was entirely unthinkable. I was forced to parry and retreat, pinned temporarily against the deck's edge. Such a wound should have been instantly fatal for any human being.
"Hey..." I muttered, narrowing my eyes. "What are you things? Why won't you die?"
"Grrruk... gurgle..."
"......"
Up close, I realized they weren't shouting martial kiais; they were emitting raw, animalistic screams. Their eyes gleamed with a blank, unblinking film, resembling dead fish. It was deeply creepy.
Realizing I would get no information out of them, I gripped my spear tight, preparing to end it seriously.
"Be honored to fall to this style."
The Thunder Roar's Breath flowed through my veins. Unleashing the latent lightning currents I had held back until now, the atmosphere grew heavy. The creatures hesitated at the sudden atmospheric shift, but before they could react, I executed a flawless strike.
Boom!
Combining the power of the Breath with an Instant Thrust resulted in a devastating explosion of force.
Plop! Plop!
As blood dripped onto the deck, one leader crumpled entirely. The corpse reeked of charred fish, and bizarre scales began scattering from beneath his torn robes. I grimaced in disgust.
'What in the world...?'
Ignoring their fallen comrade, the remaining two charged like mindless beasts.
"Kieeeek!!"
"Hmph."
With my Breath fully active, their brute assaults were child's play. Sidestepping their rushes with the precise footwork of the Thunder Shadow Step's Heaven-Earth Kill, I swept my spear twice, grazing past them. Dozens of puncture holes riddled their bodies instantly.
"Kiiik...!!"
Yet incredibly, the one closest to me tried to rocket forward to grab my back. Irritated by their insane tenacity, I whipped around and delivered a powerful Luo Han Kick from the Thunder Cloud Soft Fist style directly to his skull.
Puck!
His neck snapped violently, and his head soared through the air before thudding onto the wood. Regretting the sheer brutality of the finish, I walked over to inspect the remains, only for my mouth to drop open in utter shock.
"......!!"
Beneath the shattered mask was a hideous, frog-like face, attached to a finned, fish-man form. Rushing over to check the other corpses, I confirmed the truth: they were horrifying hybrids of fish, frog, and human, complete with functional gills, pasty white bellies, and slimy green skin.
This was my first time seeing such creatures in my life. They had spoken and fought exactly like human martial artists—were they an entirely different race?
Throb!
"Ugh."
The dark, heavy unease I had felt earlier intensified. Their demonic aura was actively stimulating and aggravating my internal qi.
Only by slaying them did the agitation begin to quell. It was proven that the toxic miasma of otherworld races could pollute the surroundings. Pondering their bizarre origins, however, yielded no clear answers.
Shaking off the confusion, I descended into the lower decks. Inside, normal human captives and crewmen were rowing busily. Jabbing one of the guards with the blunt end of my spear, I commanded, "Your captains are dead. Surrender now!"
The crewman startled, dropping his oars. "Gasp... the captains are dead? For real?"
"Yes."
"Got it! We surrender, we surrender! Please, spare our lives!"
It was an instant capitulation. The others stopped rowing, raised their hands, and tossed their daggers aside. They were clearly forced recruits working under duress.
Subduing the rest of the flagship was easy. Once we raised the surrender flag, the remaining two pirate ships approached. I personally boarded and slew twenty more stubborn fighters, after which the awed Blood Blade pirates surrendered en masse.
Upon my return to our main merchant ship, the Great Dragon Merchant Leader practically wept with joy.
"You are a true hero, young hero! Annihilating the entire Blood Blade fleet single-handedly...!!"
Despite his praise, he couldn't hide a tremor of unease. My gore-soaked appearance bespoke the horrific toll of the battle. Wiping the crusted blood from my face, I looked at him seriously.
"Great Dragon Merchant Leader, may I have a private word?"
"Haha... of course, of course."
"The West Palace Escort Master should join us too, if possible."
"Me? Understood," the master replied, stepping forward.
Leaving the bustling crew to secure the prizes, we entered a private cabin. Unwrapping a heavy canvas bundle, I placed the severed heads of the three pirate leaders directly onto the table. A foul, fishy stench instantly filled the room, and both men turned incredibly pale.
"Ugh!"
"Wh-what kind of monsters are these?!"
I remained entirely calm. "These are the three Blood Blade leaders I beheaded. I figured it was better not to show the regular crew, so I brought them straight to you."
"Ugh, please rewrap them... this is ghastly."
"Got it."
As I tied the bundle back up, the Merchant Leader pinched his nose in disbelief. "You're not joking? The notorious leaders of the fleet were... these things?"
"Do you want to see the bodies? I told the men below to hide them, but..."
"N-no need. I trust your word completely."
As the Merchant Leader stared in awe, the Escort Master stared at the bundle, deep in thought. "This feels strangely familiar..."
"What do you mean? What kind of tales have you heard?"
Paling further, the master whispered, "There have been persistent rumors that the Blood Blade Pirates were tied to the 'Sea God's kin.' Their sudden, meteoric rise over the past few years, terrorizing every trade fleet in the Yellow Sea, was said to be due to weird, supernatural powers. This explains it."
"Does this mean the Blood Blades are completely finished with these three dead?" I asked.
"No. They likely have a hidden pirate island base somewhere in these waters. That is how they route their land supplies."
"So there are more of them."
"Probably..."
A heavy, chilling silence fell over the cabin. Breaking the tension, the Great Dragon Merchant Leader waved his hands irritably.
"Enough! This is none of my concern. My sole job is to deliver these goods to Goryeo and conduct trade. The rest is not my problem. A pirate island? That is the Goryeo Navy's responsibility, right?"
The Escort Master nodded slowly. "Agreed. We will interrogate the human prisoners for any intel on their base, then bury this matter entirely. We should dump these heads and bodies deep into the sea tonight."
"......?"
"Young hero, we thank you again. Your reward will be immense."
The matter was settled on the surface, but a lingering unease remained in my chest.
'Sea God's kin?'
From my experience, they were clearly an otherworld race. Their shocking physical power and unnatural vitality were innate traits. To think humans simply dismissed them as mystical sea-dwellers...
The next few days flowed smoothly. The human captives were secured in the brig, and the grotesque corpses of the leaders were secretly dumped into the ocean under the cover of night.
Four days later, we finally reached Kaesong, Goryeo's magnificent and bustling port city. The merchants disembarked immediately, trading busily with the colorful locals. Taking advantage of the chaos, I slipped away, blending seamlessly into the streets of Kaesong.
"Haha! Let us drink to our survival!"
That evening, the Great Dragon Merchant Leader invited me and the West Palace Escort Master to a lavish tavern within the foreign quarters. As we enjoyed an array of exquisite Goryeo fare, the Merchant Leader leaned in.
"Young hero, what are your plans now?"
"I intend to stay in Goryeo for a few years," I replied honestly. "I want to learn the language fluently and travel across this fascinating land."
"Hmm... I won't try to dissuade you, but..." He trailed off, cutting straight to his true proposition. "Young hero, how would you feel about joining our merchant house as a Great Uncle? You would answer only to me, holding immense power and wealth."
"Huh?"
The Escort Master chimed in eagerly. "I completely agree. Your mere presence would secure our future trade routes forever. With our financial backing, you could easily become Shandong's top magnate in no time."
"......?"
"Please, consider it, young hero. Join us."
With a bitter smile, I shook my head and politely refused. "I am sorry."
"Hmm... a pity."
"Other duties await me."
Settling down in Shandong would mean limitless riches, fame, and beautiful women. But that was not my path. Immortal time or not, I could not afford to waste it. Scouring Goryeo to find clues regarding Haein Temple might take years—I had to refuse.
Resigned to my choice, the Great Dragon Merchant Leader smiled warmly. "Then I wish you the best of fortune. Since you are staying here in Kaesong, I will personally vouch for you with the local nobility."
"Are you close with the Goryeo nobles?"
"Naturally. The court was recently reformed; the Choe clan fell, and the Jeong clan rose to power. I am quite tight with the leaders of the Jeong clan—I will arrange an audience for you soon."
It was no empty bluff. True to his word, he provided me with a generous payout, secured me fine housing in Kaesong, and swiftly arranged an audience with a top noble of the powerful Jeong clan.