Chapter 153
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: Dongting Lake Incident (1)
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The Yangtze Waterway Stronghold and the Green Forest Eighteen Villages had never gotten along since time immemorial.
You could argue there was no reason for two groups that both preyed on civilians to hate each other.
But it stemmed from that peculiar pride unique to unorthodox factions, each convinced they were superior—like the ancient rivalry between Marine recruits and Army sparrows.
The toll road fees that poured oil on their already bad relationship came at the founding of the Toll Road Party.
The Yangtze Waterway Stronghold had led the mockery, sneering at how a bunch of unorthodox scum dared act so lofty.
A horde of Green Forest vermin who reveled in fleecing civilians had even defected en masse to the Waterway Stronghold.
And then.
If you ranked living people by the number of tax collectors they'd slaughtered, number one was undoubtedly the Green Forest Bandit King.
Betrayers were executed without mercy.
The trash got bundled in and culled as a bonus.
Thus.
"The Green Forest Bandit King, that bitch, is heading for Dongting Lake? Solid intel? With just a handful of men?"
"Saw it with me own eyes...!"
To maximize their wolfhounds, they'd stuck to a land route, but sightings along that path were inevitable.
Waterway Stronghold Chief Hyuklyeon Kwang, who would normally have stalked the area around Dongting Lake for over a month waiting for an opening.
"Hahaha! Heaven itself is aiding me! Let's go, lads! Take out that bitch, sweep the toothless tigers of Cheonja Mountain, and we can claim their turf!"
With the hand extended by the Illusion Demon, he'd found another path to victory and erupted in mad laughter.
Just imagining forcing that arrogant wench to her knees already made his groin ache.
.
.
.
A fleet sailing along the Yangtze waterways had soon drawn a trail of countless ships behind the flagship.
They'd deliberately flown the Chief's flag, so the other Waterway crews, thinking some big score was up, had peeked and joined the party.
That way, whether it was petty pickings or a massive haul, the blame wouldn't fall on the higher-ups—it'd land squarely on Hyuklyeon Kwang.
Of course, Hyuklyeon knew their game full well but let it slide.
The more arrow fodder, the better.
Even a top-tier master would inevitably burn stamina against a relentless wheel tactic from scrubs.
Of course, Hyuklyeon was confident he wouldn't lose even in a one-on-one.
But you test a bridge before crossing.
No need for a mutual wipe.
The moment it looked like a pyrrhic victory, his ambition-fueled underlings might pull a coup—and he had no interest in that.
Washing away such idle thoughts amid the spray, the fleet soon left the river behind and wet its keels in Dongting Lake's waves.
And Hyuklyeon was certain.
No use hiding your presence with Anti-Detection Return Aura—it wouldn't fool a peer.
Seo Dohee.
That bitch was closer than he'd thought.
"Looks like more ill omens than good today..."
"Whoa, Instructor. That was some serious generational gap── Gah! Ack!"
Was it a failure to read the mood, or a deliberate joke to lighten the tension?
Either way, it was annoying as hell, so Seo Dohee gave Geum Sihyeon a solid beating while scanning the distant fleet.
She could even sense that mad bastard Hyuklyeon Kwang's aura, so they were probably coming in force.
Indeed.
"Why the hell did you landlubber bitch crawl all the way here?!"
Confident in their numbers, perhaps.
A booming voice from the distant flagship shook the entire lake.
"Damn it all."
"Instructor, mind your pretty words with spectators around."
"...Haa."
Too drained to snap back at Geum Sihyeon's sass, Seo Dohee sighed and sorted her thoughts.
She could slip away solo with Equal Float Step, no problem—but those two cadets couldn't even swim, let alone that.
Geum Sihyeon might scrape by as a Peak expert, but Baek Liyeon was a wildcard.
She seemed to be hiding her power; unleashing it might hit Peak level, but in a head-on clash, that wouldn't guarantee survival.
"Looks like they're gunning for me. There's a landing on the opposite shore—head there and bolt for Anyang."
Seo Dohee urged them to flee.
The ships were closing in by the second, and worse.
"Du moooook! Long time no see—you're looking fine! Hope you haven't lost that virginity in the meantime! Keehyak, keehyahak!"
"Strip naked, kneel, and beg right now, and I'll settle for five rounds per man!"
Even vicious Green Forest escapees were mixed in, their vile shouts turning her stomach.
"Th-those sons of bitches...!"
The righteous youth Baek Liyeon trembled with rage, as if the insults were aimed at her personally—something she'd never heard before.
Of course.
"How could a disciple abandon her master and run?"
It even creased the brow of Geum Sihyeon, who'd been cheerfully sassing away.
"Instructor—no, Master. Those scum are evil enough we can kill 'em without blowback, right?"
"If they're under Hyuklyeon Kwang... yeah. They don't stop at looting—they get off on human trafficking or gutting folks and sinking ships."
"Then no need to hold back."
Geum Sihyeon stepped forward, his robe billowing dramatically.
"Junior. Remember the first lesson?"
"Lesson? Oh... don't kill anyone?"
"Spot on. Second lesson: when you commit, do it right."
"...?"
"Might be a defenseless moment—cover me then."
"Sihyeon, what are you──"
No way she'd throw her promising disciples into the meat grinder, so Seo Dohee hurriedly tried to stop him.
But as she watched true energy slowly gather in Geum Sihyeon's grip, she lost her words.
"Ah, ack."
Baek Liyeon recoiled in shock at the massive pressure, which sucked in not just natural qi but even the others' inner energy.
Multicolored threads of light seeped from every knuckle of Geum Sihyeon's fingers, slowly tracing a circle.
Watching the flow, Seo Dohee's eyes bulged.
Forget a half-baked Peak pulling in natural qi like drawing water.
How was he freely wielding such diverse true energies without a clash, binding them into one?
It was still faint, but the menace oozed from the start.
No wonder he'd pulverized the training hall and cracked the iron—that had to be it. She couldn't even guess its origin.
"Fire! Shoot 'em any which way!"
"...Those lunatics with bows too?"
But no time for awe.
As if dead set on total war, arrows rained from the distant fleet.
Lucky it wasn't cannons.
But if even one grazed Geum Sihyeon?
His focus breaks, and that massive energy detonates right here.
"...Cadet Baek Liyeon. Cover as best you can, then fall back. Once they land, evac with Geum Sihyeon. That's an order from your instructor."
"Got it...!"
Seo Dohee yanked an axe from her belt, spreading thin protective qi wide like a curtain to block the barrage.
Ting── ting── ting──
Most arrows ricocheted or plummeted powerless from the repulsion.
But.
Kaaang──
"Ngh."
Like the one Baek Liyeon had painfully deflected, someone aboard had archery sharp enough to pierce Seo Dohee's barrier.
Probably the traitor Thunderclap Archer.
"Dodge the lightning-wrapped arrows! I'll handle the rest!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Time—that's what they needed.
Not master and disciples now, but warriors standing back-to-back.
To keep her untested disciple's body pristine, Seo Dohee unleashed her full power.
No building survives a collapsing ceiling.
Chuck it far—no shockwave worries.
Worst case, Master Seo covers me.
She'd shed every burden and poured all into gathering qi.
She had to go all out.
Through Soul Moon Divine Eyes, the ships crawled with far too many warriors for the three of them.
No winning a straight fight.
She'd called Cheon Luri the instant danger hit, but how many Demon Cult spies could infest Hunan?
Good thing she hadn't brought Luri.
No—end the distractions.
One slip in focus here.
This rampaging energy would surely blast them away.
Not rushed.
But as fast as possible.
Mix, spin, spin, mix.
Swell it to the max her mind could handle.
"...!"
Swallow the blood surging up her throat.
Vision reds from burst vessels.
Head throbs past pounding, fit to burst from the strain.
A bit more.
Just a bit more.
Until reason frayed to snapping, she crammed every ounce of power.
"Do... hee...!"
The moment she forced out her master's name.
"Yeah!"
Master withdrew the qi barrier around them.
Dwarfing the Little Boy from the training hall, a Big Fat Invincible Meteor Cannon finally left her hand.
Not blazing speed.
But power no one could resist.
Erasing, devouring everything in its path like it never existed.
"E-evade...!"
Thankfully, not all of them blind as knots.
A huge warning shout erupted late.
But.
"Heh, too late..."
Her mutter.
Kuuuung──
The earth-shaking first detonation.
And.
There was light.