Chapter 128
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: The Pirates of Misty Island
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It was quite some time before Byeok Hwa-ryeong, who had been savoring their time alone on the rocking boat, finally turned the vessel around.
At that same moment, a look of puzzlement crossed Beom Gye-wi’s face.
He had expected to return the way they came, but the boat was heading even farther out to sea.
Beom Gye-wi’s gaze wavered slightly.
“Where are we going now?”
Byeok Hwa-ryeong grinned.
“You said you needed Flame Blossom Forged Iron, didn’t you?”
“...?”
Byeok Hwa-ryeong raised her hand and pointed into the distance.
“It’s over there.”
Beom Gye-wi turned his head in the direction she indicated.
Far away, an island barely visible above the water’s surface came into view.
The fast boat surged forward, rapidly closing the distance to the island.
“It’s an island called Misty Island. It’s shrouded in a thick sea fog year-round, so it’s not even on the nautical charts. Some people also call it the Island of No Return.”
“Island of No Return?”
“Because no one who goes there has ever come back.”
Beom Gye-wi stared at the approaching island.
Just as Byeok Hwa-ryeong had said, the island, enveloped in a dense fog, exuded an atmosphere as gloomy as its name suggested.
“Do people live in a place like that?”
Byeok Hwa-ryeong nodded in response to his question.
But the cold glint in her eyes was anything but ordinary.
“They’re quite infamous around here. They plunder indiscriminately, not just our ships, but Japanese ones too.”
“I doubt you just stood by and watched.”
Knowing Byeok Hwa-ryeong’s personality, it was impossible that she would have let them be, knowing where their base was.
“They’re pretty strong. And quite skilled at handling their ships.”
For the prideful Byeok Hwa-ryeong to admit that meant they were truly excellent sailors.
“The problem is, whenever we try to catch them, they quickly flee to that island. We couldn’t risk bringing our warships in recklessly because of the fog and reefs. But that all ends today.”
A meaningful smile played on Byeok Hwa-ryeong’s lips.
“No matter how skilled they are on the sea, they’ll be no match for you on land.”
“So you’re saying those bastards have the Flame Blossom Forged Iron?”
Beom Gye-wi grinned.
“Leave it to me.”
“It’s the perfect place for us to spend some quality time together, don’t you think?”
“You’re coming with me?”
“Of course.”
Beom Gye-wi felt a sense of unease.
If anything happened to her, the entire Hainan region would be thrown into chaos.
“Can’t I just go alone?”
“Why?”
He hesitated at her question before finally finding a suitable excuse.
“You know what happens to me when I see blood, right?”
“That’s all the more reason for me to go.”
“...?”
“I can’t miss seeing the thrilling and wild side of you, Master Beom.”
Beom Gye-wi found Byeok Hwa-ryeong’s fiery gaze incredibly burdensome.
In the meantime, the boat passed through the fog and reached the coast of Misty Island.
It hadn't struck a single reef.
Seeing Beom Gye-wi’s curious look, Byeok Hwa-ryeong patted the boat they were in.
“This is a fast boat, so it’s fine. It’s lighter than a heavy warship, so it has a shallower draft.”
Byeok Hwa-ryeong glared into the milky-white fog.
“I’ll tell you this beforehand: they’re not worth keeping alive.”
They were scum who went beyond plunder to commit murder, rape, and even human trafficking.
There were countless reasons to kill them.
Beom Gye-wi nodded.
He knew better than anyone that while Byeok Hwa-ryeong was a strange woman, she wasn't the type to make things up.
“If that’s the case, this just got easier. It means I can just wipe them all out.”
With those words, Beom Gye-wi shot forward.
The dense fog obstructing his vision didn't matter to him.
A net of his senses, spread out in all directions, served as his eyes.
As he neared the center of the island, a twenty-foot-tall wooden palisade appeared.
Without slowing down, Beom Gye-wi charged straight ahead and crashed into it.
*Craaack!*
“Gah!”
The palisade, made of thick, deeply embedded logs, exploded outward, and a few pirates caught in the blast let out horrific screams.
*Fweee!*
Belatedly, whistles erupted from all over.
A moment later, a group of men poured out with loud shouts.
It was then that a thick killing intent flowed from Beom Gye-wi’s eyes as he surveyed his surroundings.
The blast that had destroyed the palisade also dispersed the fog, allowing him to see the scene within the compound.
Naked women were tied up, bound like animals.
Opposite them was a cage made of thick wood.
And inside, emaciated, skeletal children lay limply.
They were much younger than Dan Ak-seon.
Yet their bodies were covered in gruesome wounds and bruises.
It wasn't difficult to guess what had been happening here.
“You were right.”
A surging killing intent seeped from Beom Gye-wi’s entire body.
“They’re not worth keeping alive.”
With those words, Beom Gye-wi’s form vanished from the spot.
When he reappeared, he was holding the necks of two pirates, one in each hand.
*Crack.*
The necks of the two struggling pirates in his grasp snapped.
“He’s a master!”
A cry of alarm erupted from among the pirates, and then…
“Fire the crossbows!”
“What about the slaves?”
“Doesn’t matter! Kill them all!”
Someone commanded from within the fog.
*Sh-sh-sh-shh!*
Black crossbow bolts rained down through the fog.
*Thud-thud-thud-thud.*
With a series of heavy impacts, Beom Gye-wi’s body staggered.
“A hit! We hit him!”
Cheers erupted from the pirates.
But soon, bewilderment dawned on their faces.
*Sizzle!*
With a strange sound, the fog before them began to dissipate.
The superheated air had caused the fog to evaporate.
And at its center stood Beom Gye-wi.
The pirates’ faces turned pale.
They had confirmed that Beom Gye-wi was still standing tall in the same spot.
Beom Gye-wi held a crossbow bolt in each hand.
They were the bolts that had been flying toward the hostages behind him.
*Thump.*
As Beom Gye-wi took a step, the bolts that had been densely embedded in his body belatedly clattered to the ground.
“A-A Protective Aura?”
Gasps of horror escaped the pirates’ lips.
The crossbows they used were no ordinary weapons.
They were prepared not for personal combat but for naval warfare, and their power was incomparable.
They were monstrous weapons that couldn't even be drawn by hand; one had to push the bow with both feet and pull the string with their entire body.
But no matter how heavy and fast the crossbow bolts were, it was impossible for them to pierce a Protective Aura.
Beom Gye-wi threw the bolts he was holding.
“Keoheok!”
A final, agonizing scream burst from a pirate who had been lying on the ground, drawing a crossbow.
A thick bolt was now lodged in his chest.
*Kooong.*
At that moment, Beom Gye-wi stamped his foot on the ground.
The shockwave of the earth-shaking stomp sent the bolts lying at his feet flying into the air.
Beom Gye-wi snatched them and began to throw them at the pirates.
*Sh-sh-sh-shh!*
The sound of the air being torn apart.
At the end of each sound was a pirate, screaming horrifically as they tumbled to the ground.
The incredible skill of never needing a second shot, felling one man with a single, precise attack!
There was no way to dodge the bolts, which were even faster than when fired from a crossbow.
“A m-monster… Gack!”
A large hole appeared in the neck of a pirate who had been staggering backward.
It was where a bolt had passed through.
Seeing their comrades collapsing and spewing blood, the pirates finally turned and began to flee.
“Hmph!”
With a cold snort, Beom Gye-wi launched himself into the fog.
Agonizing screams began to echo from all corners of the island.
There was no way for them to escape the small island anyway.
Occasionally, one would throw himself into the sea.
But he couldn't fool Beom Gye-wi’s senses.
Struck by a rock that flew from somewhere, he would become fish food amidst a massive pillar of water.
A short while later.
Beom Gye-wi returned to where Byeok Hwa-ryeong was standing.
Byeok Hwa-ryeong, who had been gazing at the blood-soaked Beom Gye-wi with a look of ecstasy, soon noticed something strange.
“Huh? Master Beom. Have you cured your madness?”
Beom Gye-wi nodded.
“I’ve gotten much better, thanks to our Physician Dan.”
“Our…?”
A cold flame sparked in Byeok Hwa-ryeong’s eyes.
“Who is this Physician Dan bitch?”
Beom Gye-wi looked at her, dumbfounded.
“He’s a thirteen-year-old boy.”
“Oh? S-Sorry.”
Flustered, Byeok Hwa-ryeong stammered before shooting him a coy glance.
“Well, you looked at me with such affectionate eyes, I couldn’t help but misunderstand…”
Beom Gye-wi chuckled and glanced down at Byeok Hwa-ryeong’s feet.
A man was lying at her feet.
He looked to be in his mid-fifties.
He was a man with a hideous tattoo deliberately etched onto his face.
While Beom Gye-wi had been scouring the island, she hadn't been idle either.
“Why didn’t you kill that one?”
“Ah, this guy?”
The pirate, lying stiff as a log as if his numbing and mute points had been sealed, rolled his bulging eyes.
Byeok Hwa-ryeong curled her lips into a cold smile.
“This one is the Great White Shark here, the leader.”
Byeok Hwa-ryeong kicked the man in the solar plexus with the tip of her foot.
“Kehek!”
The middle-aged man, who had been gasping as if he were about to die, belatedly realized that his mute point had been released.
“A deal! Let’s make a deal!”
“Let’s? How informal.”
Smiling brightly, Byeok Hwa-ryeong slowly brought her hand to her waist.
*Shing.*
The unique weapon symbolizing the Hainan Sect, which hung at her waist, revealed its terrifying form.
It was a Stinger Sword, with a sharp tip like a large needle.
*Stab.*
“Gyaaaah!”
The man screamed as the sharp blade pierced his thigh.
But there was nothing he could do.
His numbing points were still sealed, so all he could do was shriek in agony.
Byeok Hwa-ryeong smiled and twisted her wrist.
Stirring the Stinger Sword she had thrust into the man’s thigh, she smiled.
“What can you give me?”
“Treasure! There’s a place where I’ve hidden all the treasure I’ve gathered!”
“There is?”
“Y-Yes, there is!”
At the man’s polite tone, Byeok Hwa-ryeong stopped her hand.
“Oh my? Really? Are you going to give it all to me?”
“I have a condition.”
“A condition?”
“Please, just spare my life…”
“Fine. I’ll let you live.”
The man was rather taken aback by how readily Byeok Hwa-ryeong agreed.
Seeing his expression, Byeok Hwa-ryeong frowned.
“Are you doubting me right now?”
“…”
“I’m different from trash like you. I always keep my word.”
A thick killing intent rose in Byeok Hwa-ryeong’s smiling eyes.
“Aaaargh! Stop! Stooop!”
Another scream erupted from the man’s mouth.
Byeok Hwa-ryeong, who had been stirring the man’s thigh with her Stinger Sword, replied nonchalantly.
“Oh, my apologies. I was so upset that my hand moved on its own.”
The sight sent a shiver down Beom Gye-wi’s spine.
At this point, he was starting to get confused about who the real villain was.
“Mohwa Peak! Behind Mohwa Peak, there’s a small cave hidden by bushes!”
“You know what happens if you’re lying, right?”
Even as she said this, Byeok Hwa-ryeong didn't stop her hand.
Amidst the gruesome pain of his thigh flesh being carved out, the man screamed.
“I’ve collected everything there. Kheuheuk!”
Seeing the man wailing with tears and snot streaming down his face, Byeok Hwa-ryeong withdrew her hand with a look of clear disappointment.
“I’ll be back, so keep an eye on this guy.”
With those words, Byeok Hwa-ryeong shot off somewhere.
When she returned a moment later, she was holding a long box.
She handed the box to Beom Gye-wi.
“Here, this is what you were looking for, Master Beom.”
Beom Gye-wi opened the box.
Several chunks of blood-red metal, emitting a strange heat, were revealed.
“You’re just giving this to me?”
At Beom Gye-wi’s question, Byeok Hwa-ryeong looked back at him with a puzzled expression.
“You said you needed it, didn’t you?”
“I do.”
“Then take it.”
Although something felt off, Beom Gye-wi silently closed the box and tucked it under his arm.
It was then that Byeok Hwa-ryeong spoke with a smile.
“But could I ask you for a favor?”
“What is it?”
“Please stop the bleeding. It’s your specialty, Master Beom.”
“Why? Are you hurt somewhere?”
“No, not me.”
The pirate leader, whose eyes met Byeok Hwa-ryeong’s, flinched.
In that instant, Byeok Hwa-ryeong drew her sword like a thunderbolt and swung it.