Chapter 224
Chapter 224
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 224
Chapter Title: Moth to the Flame (1)
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Geomgak and Sima Geon's party, who had set out early in the morning, arrived at the dock where they could take a waterway boat around noon.
The group took a break and had lunch at a nearby noodle shop by the dock before heading straight to the landing.
Two boats were prepared at the dock. They had originally planned to travel on one, but with the Tyrant Dragon Squad deciding to move together, they added a second. The vessels operating on the waterways were inevitably smaller than the merchant ships or pleasure cruises plying the Yangtze, so a single boat couldn't hold everyone.
Two pleasure boats moored side by side at the dock.
Led by the Sword Marquess, the sword experts of Sword Pavilion boarded the forward vessel, while the Tyrant Dragon Squad and Sima Geon's group climbed aboard the one moored behind.
Each pleasure boat already had a captain and three crew members on board.
The crew bustled about with departure preparations, and the captain greeted the boarding passengers with a warm, friendly smile.
Surprisingly, there was no major startled or fearful reaction even when Black Wolf hopped aboard.
"That must be the Black Wolf the guest mentioned before. It's much bigger than I imagined. But why call it Black Wolf? With fur this magnificent."
The captain seemed genuinely puzzled about the name, given Black Wolf's snow-white coat.
Before Manchu could respond, Zhuge Su—who was still glued to Black Wolf's side—flashed a beaming smile at the captain's praise.
"Haha! It used to have black fur, but it changed like this, or so they say. Anyway, what a relief. I was worried they might refuse us because of Black Wolf."
"If I hadn't heard ahead of time, I might've been shocked. But the guest arranging the boats mentioned it several times and begged me to be ready, so I steeled myself. Seeing it up close, though, I'm not scared at all. I've ferried all sorts of animals on these routes, but nothing as beautiful or splendid as Black Wolf."
Zhuge Su's mouth split into a wide grin at the captain's nonstop compliments.
"Right? As expected from an experienced captain—you recognize Black Wolf's true worth."
"Hah! Enough already, let's head inside. You're blocking everyone because of you two."
Zhuge Geom gestured toward the Tyrant Dragon Squad, who were awkwardly hovering, unable to board properly with Zhuge Su and Black Wolf in the way.
"Ah, sorry about that. Come on, Black Wolf."
Zhuge Su gave an sheepish grin and moved inward with Black Wolf. Manchu and Zhuge Geom exchanged glances and shook their heads.
"The boat's in pretty good shape."
Thunderbolt remarked as he surveyed the other vessels moored nearby.
"Yeah, nice and clean, too."
So Surin chimed in after a quick trip to the cabin.
The Tyrant Dragon Squad, boarding a bit later, reacted much the same. They couldn't stop marveling at the ornate, spotless pleasure boat.
"Well, it's a pleasure cruiser, after all. Those others are merchant ships. And since it's run by the Dokwang Merchant Association, it's bound to be top-notch."
Manchu, who had worn out his shoes arranging the boats, looked pleased at their reactions.
"Dokwang Merchant Association? Isn't that a trading company?"
Thunderbolt cocked his head.
"Not just any trading outfit. Dokwang's the biggest in the Central Plains. It's no exaggeration to say they control the waterway trade from Peking all the way to Nanking—no, even Hangzhou. I heard when booking that, merchant ships aside, they run over fifty pleasure boats on these routes alone."
"Fifty boats? That's no small operation."
Thunderbolt's jaw dropped.
"What's got you so shocked?"
Sima Geon asked. He had just returned from a quick visit to the boat where Sword Pavilion had boarded.
"This Dokwang place runs dozens of fancy cruisers like this."
"Impressive."
Sima Geon said it, but his reaction was muted.
That was when it happened.
"Hey, hold on."
Manchu suddenly leaped off the boat, as if spotting something.
"Where to? They're about to shove off."
Thunderbolt yelled.
"Be right back."
Manchu waved dismissively over his shoulder as he dashed toward a man waiting a short distance from the dock.
"Looks like a Beggars' Sect guy, from the look."
"Wasn't he just here? While we were eating."
Cheol Woo asked, picking his teeth with a tree branch thick as a chopstick.
"Yeah. Sending someone out of the blue like this—something must've come up."
"Tell the captain to hold a sec."
"On it."
Thunderbolt passed the request to the captain, who was on the verge of departing. The man delayed without a fuss.
Moments later, Manchu returned after a brief word with the Beggars' Sect disciple and climbed back aboard.
"All right, let's shove off."
Cheol Woo called to the captain.
The anchors came up, and the two pleasure boats began gliding forward, staggered slightly in time.
"Waterway's got way less sway, for sure."
Cheol Woo looked content with the gentle ripples, having suffered the Yangtze's rough waves before.
"So what was it? Reason for the sudden visit?"
As Manchu glanced around furtively, Thunderbolt chided him.
"No one's eavesdropping, relax. And even if they were, no big deal."
Manchu gave an awkward chuckle.
"It's about the Silver Fox Clan. Guess I was on edge."
"Silver Fox Clan? Oh yeah. Update on how things are going?"
"Yeah. Nothing when he stopped by earlier, but looks like word just came in."
"Man, Beggars' Sect intel network's something else. Reaching even this backwater."
Cheol Woo looked genuinely impressed, drawing a dry laugh from Manchu.
"The network's great, sure, but the real reason for speed this fast? It's the Sword Marquess and you brothers. Sect's giving it special priority."
"Heh heh heh! Now that's the proper attitude."
Manchu brushed off Cheol Woo's smug grin and got straight to it.
"Yeongho Gi slipped into the Silver Fox Clan undetected by the clan lord and met his father first. Then the clan's biggest elder, the one with real sway..."
Manchu's rundown was concise but spelled out exactly how Yeongho Gi had rooted out the Blood Cult infiltrators and their collaborators.
"Handled it like a bolt from the blue."
Gwak Yu marveled, and Thunderbolt nodded along.
"Yeah, bold to the brink of reckless."
"Pfft, that's a given. Blood Cult or not, coming back as clan lord? Tough to seize control clean. And even if he did, it'd leave the clan scarred."
Zhuge Su, who had sidled in with a candy stick in his mouth, picked up.
"Still, wild. Blood Cult spreading poison that wide? Most execs dosed without knowing."
"Right. Some top brass dropped like flies while he was taking over."
Thunderbolt, Cheol Woo, and So Surin's faces tightened at Manchu's words. No surprise—back in their Heavenly Demon Cult days, they'd carried similar poisons in their own bodies.
"That's trouble. Fail to purge it right, and it's a heavy load."
"So they rushed messengers to the Living Immortal Medical House and Tang Clan. Tops in medicine and poison arts. Figured they'd scrub out the hidden stuff."
"Smart call. But Blood Cult gonna let 'em have the time? Clan lord in the Righteous Heaven Union'll hear soon enough."
Zhuge Su's face soured pessimistically for a moment before he shook it off with a grin.
"Eh, time'll out it anyway. Hey, brothers—wanna hear something fun?"
"Shoot."
Cheol Woo said flatly.
"Guys scheming around us. Blood Cult most likely."
"Scheming?"
"Blood Cult?"
Zhuge Geom and Manchu jumped. Sima Geon and the others barely blinked.
Catching Zhuge Geom and Manchu's shock, Zhuge Su missed the rest.
"Noodle shop—guys at the next table. Boatman getup. Ran into 'em three more times en route to the dock."
"Huh? Don't recall."
Zhuge Geom tilted his head.
"Changed outfits. Faces tweaked—disguises. Took turns tailing us."
"How'd you spot 'em?"
Thunderbolt asked.
"Never forget a face I've seen. Even altered."
Zhuge Su jabbed proudly at his eyes.
"Habits, ticks—easy to swap. Gaze? Not so much. Lock that in, and no disguise fools you."
"Damn, slick. You practice?"
"Nah, just came natural since I was little."
"Lucky bastard. Took us blood and sweat."
Thunderbolt grumbled enviously.
"Huh?"
"Not gaze-level, mind. Step before. Habits, moves, walk, talk."
"I... see."
Zhuge Su trailed off, sensing the vibe.
"Total count?"
Sima Geon cut in.
"Huh?"
"How many sketchy ones?"
"Three. Total three."
As Zhuge Su finished, Sima Geon, Cheol Woo, and So Surin's eyes swiveled to Thunderbolt.
"Five."
Their stares shifted to So Surin.
"Seven."
"Whoa, for real? Captain not counted?"
"Nah."
"Was five, damn—where'd I slip?"
Thunderbolt kicked himself as Zhuge Su blinked dazedly.
"Snap it up, fools! Eight."
Cheol Woo tsked.
So Surin, smirking triumph at Thunderbolt, flinched.
"Dead sure?"
"Ask the boss if you're doubting."
"Legit, Division Leader?"
Sima Geon nodded at So Surin.
"Eight's right."
"Weird. Missed who?"
So Surin mentally replayed from noodle shop to boarding but drew a blank.
Her brow stayed furrowed while Thunderbolt ribbed the spaced-out Zhuge Su.
"Cat got your tongue? Figured we'd whiff?"
"N-no, it's just..."
Sima Geon gave a faint smile at Zhuge Su's fluster and explained.
"Can't read gazes like you, but we've got our edge."
"Which is?"
"Gut."
"Gut?"
Zhuge Su gaped.
"Aura, vibe, presence. Mash it together—even a graze tells all. Takes experience, sure."
"And we've got buckets of it. Kekeke! Get the picture, rookie?"
Zhuge Su flushed beet-red at Cheol Woo's jibing guffaw, wishing for a hole to crawl into. He stayed mum.
Zhuge Geom, watching it all up close, beamed brighter than after their big win over the Blood Cult.