Chapter 184
They were among the group of young martial artists who had offered their food at the guest inn before boarding the ship.
Though he wore a sword at his waist, the slender, delicate-looking youth gave off more the impression of a scholar than a warrior.
"Thanks to you earlier, we were able to quickly stave off our hunger."
"Think nothing of it."
As Bu Eun-seol turned away indifferently, the young man cautiously spoke up.
"Since this seems like fate, would you care to join us?"
When Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin exchanged puzzled looks, the youth continued without hesitation.
"If it's alright with you, I'd like to introduce you to my companions."
Hyeok So-jin immediately frowned.
Not only because of his status as an heir to one of the Demonic Path Ten Gates, but more so because even forming casual connections in the martial world felt like a bother.
'I'm traveling the martial world, not here to expand my social circle.'
Yet Bu Eun-seol, who had been listening quietly, readily nodded.
"Very well."
"Haha, then please follow me."
As the youth led the way with a bright smile, Hyeok So-jin sent a voice transmission with an expression of utter annoyance.
What possible reason could you have for building connections with such nobodies?
They're not nobodies—they're masters from the Jegal Family.
The Jegal Family?
The Jegal Family.
Not only were they peerless in scholarly arts like the Four Arts of the Scholar and Mechanism Study, but they also possessed martial techniques like the Six Harmonies Fan Technique from the Thirty-Six Routes.
And their Heavenly Secrets Foresight was considered a peerless martial skill in the martial world.
They were the very model of the "Twin Peerless Arts of Letters and Arms" that the Seomun Clan so desperately coveted—a family equally accomplished in both scholarship and martial arts.
And what of it?
They clearly have a special purpose for venturing into the martial world. It wouldn't hurt to find out why.
Surely it's because of the Suspicious Madman's appearance?
Instead of answering, Bu Eun-seol allowed a faint smile to play on his lips.
He had already guessed that their reason for appearing in the martial world was connected to the Suspicious Madman's emergence.
This is tedious. If you're going, go alone, Brother Bu.
"Why aren't you coming?"
Just then, the youth turned and looked at Hyeok So-jin.
Bu Eun-seol shrugged and gestured toward Hyeok So-jin's face.
"He's terribly shy. And when too many eyes are on him, his hands tremble with battle nerves—"
"What nonsense—!"
As Hyeok So-jin bristled, the youth chuckled and extended a hand.
"You have quite the sense of humor. Come now, let's go together."
Unable to refuse the good-natured youth's invitation, Hyeok So-jin reluctantly followed behind Bu Eun-seol.
Upon leading them to a private cabin, the youth clasped his hands together.
"I am Jegal Seo-un. This is my younger sister, Jegal Seo-rin."
So this is the one they call Sickly Jegal among the Seven Heroes and Three Sects...
Hyeok So-jin swallowed his surprise.
He had assumed the youth was merely a distant relative of the Jegal Family.
Yet this gaunt, frail-looking young man was none other than the eldest son of the Jegal Family—
One of the Seven Heroes and Three Sects, the title given to the most outstanding rising talents among the Eight Great Families?
"And these are my close friends, Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong and Hwangbo Je-gyeong. In the martial world, they're known as the Heaven-Collapsing Twin Fists."
The sturdy twin youths were the third and youngest sons of the Hwangbo Family.
Bu Eun-seol calmly clasped his hands in return.
"I am Bu Eun-seol."
For a moment, Jegal Seo-un and his companions wore expressions of puzzlement.
That name was associated with only two figures: the victor of the Eastern Drifters, Western Wanderers Martial Tournament, the mysterious man who had slain Yangmyeong, the Hall Leader of Hell Blood Citadel.
And the terrifying demonic master who had consecutively cut down Great Righteous Experts—the Ten Demonic Heir from Langya Pavilion.
—Surely he couldn't be either of them.
Bu Eun-seol's current appearance, altered by the Face-Changing Bone-Shifting Art, made him seem somewhat older.
His frame appeared lean, and even his Supreme Yang Acupoint looked utterly unremarkable. There was no trace of the profound internal energy one would expect from a master.
Moreover, wasn't that a clumsily made tassel tied to his sword, the kind a child might craft?
That alone made it impossible to believe he could be either the tournament champion or the Ten Demonic Heir.
—He must just share the same name.
Unaware that Bu Eun-seol had reached the state of Return to Simplicity, they assumed his martial prowess must be equally unremarkable.
"What brings you here?"
Bu Eun-seol responded indifferently to Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong's question.
"I'm traveling the mountains and rivers with my sworn younger brother."
The stiff reply made Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong's brow twitch slightly.
If he had revealed himself as a direct descendant of one of the Eight Great Clans, whether young or old, people would have addressed him with deference. But since Bu Eun-seol appeared older than them, he couldn't very well make an issue of it.
"Then, your sworn brother is...?"
A flicker of anticipation flashed in Jegal Seo-un's eyes.
Even if Bu Eun-seol was unremarkable, Hyeok So-jin's appearance and attire unmistakably marked him as a disciple of a major sect or a scion of a renowned clan.
"Hyeok So-jin."
Again, an unfamiliar name.
A brief silence fell. Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong and Hwangbo Je-gyeong nodded half-heartedly, their enthusiasm visibly waning.
"Well, we're tired, so we'll head inside and rest."
As they turned away, the Hwangbo brothers shot Jegal Seo-un a glance and sighed.
Though they didn't say it aloud, their eyes spoke clearly:
—There's no need to build connections with nobodies like these.
'Hmph, so they think we're beneath their notice.'
Hyeok So-jin smirked inwardly at the sight.
Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin were orthodox successors of the Demonic Path Ten Gates—figures who could mingle with the highest echelons of both the Orthodox and Unorthodox Paths. Yet here were the Hwangbo brothers, mere direct descendants (not even young clan heads) of the Eight Great Clans, putting on airs. It was laughable.
"Ahem."
Jegal Seo-un cleared his throat awkwardly, breaking the silence.
"My sister and I picked up some fine liquor in Muha on our way here. Would you care to share a drink?"
"Liquor?"
Hyeok So-jin, who had been wearing a bored expression until now, suddenly perked up, his eyes gleaming.
"Sounds good. Let's have a drink right away."
But Bu Eun-seol abruptly narrowed his eyes, his expression darkening.
The shift was so severe that Hyeok So-jin gave him a puzzled look.
"You don't want to drink?"
"Enemies are coming."
The sudden Voice Transmission made Hyeok So-jin tilt his head.
"What do you mean?"
"You still haven't sensed it?"
At those words, Hyeok So-jin immediately activated the Void Listening Art.
Whoosh—
The Sound of Breaking Air trembled faintly in the wind—the sound of sails greedily swallowing the breeze.
'River bandits?'
Hyeok So-jin blinked.
Beyond the fog, he sensed two enormous warships closing in on the merchant vessel at terrifying speed.
"Look there."
By now, the massive sails had pierced through the mist, charging toward them like predators locking onto prey.
"Th-Those are...!"
A sailor spotted the black saber emblem fluttering on the main mast's flag and shouted in alarm.
"The Flood Dragon Stronghold!"
—The Flood Dragon Stronghold? Never heard of such a group.
—A nameless gang of river rats? We're all doomed!
The passengers gasped in horror—none had ever heard of this bandit faction before.
Generally, river bandits maintained secret ties with government offices, sharing their spoils.
That was why the Yangtze Waterway Eighteen Fortresses, which controlled the Yangtze region and levied tolls on merchant ships, were recognized as a legitimate martial force.
But some pirate factions cared nothing for the Code of Thieves—the unwritten rules bandits were supposed to follow.
They were the worst of the worst—raiders who not only plundered merchant ships but also engaged in human trafficking.
And the Flood Dragon Gang was one such group.
"Full speed ahead!"
The merchant ship desperately tried to outrun the pursuing vessels.
But the two warships' sails, swollen taut with wind, closed the distance like arrows.
A passenger ship laden with cargo and travelers could never outpace warships slicing through the waves at full speed.
"Flood Dragon Gang? Fancy name."
Hwangbo Je-gyeong observed the approaching ships with a relaxed expression.
Everyone here was a martial Master—river bandits were nothing to fear.
"Strange, though."
Jegal Seo-un tilted his head, murmuring to himself.
"Since when do nameless pirates operate warships of that scale?"
The approaching sailboat was large enough to easily accommodate three to four hundred combatants.
A vessel of that scale was something only organizations like the Yangtze Waterway Eighteen Fortresses or the Yellow River Twelve Alliance would operate.
"Hmm."
Just then, Bu Eun-seol, who had been deep in thought, approached Jegal Seo-un.
"By any chance..."
"Do you have something to say to me...?"
Jegal Seo-un wore a flustered expression.
Because Bu Eun-seol, now standing uncomfortably close, had eyes burning like flames.
The ship charging at full speed finally closed the gap with the passenger vessel.
Now surrounded on both sides, a tense battle was imminent.
Thud!
At that moment, dozens of yellow-clad raiders from the ship on the port side abruptly activated their Movement Techniques and landed on the merchant ship's deck.
The pirates, burly and clad in bizarre yellow garments, were led by a man whose face was the most menacing of all.
Undoubtedly, he was their leader.
"Ho, quite a few martial artists here."
The presumed leader scanned the passengers—many armed—before raising his left hand skyward.
Whoosh—
Simultaneously, hundreds of pirates aboard both ships nocked fire arrows, drenched in oil, ready to loose.
A clear threat: the slightest resistance would sink the merchant ship instantly.
"I am Maeng Jung-ak, leader of the Jiaolong Gang."
After sweeping his gaze over the passengers, he chuckled darkly.
"Heroes may step forward if they wish. Unless, of course, you'd like to watch innocent civilians drown in the river."
At his words, several martial artists clenched their fists but froze in place.
The Movement Technique Maeng Jung-ak had displayed was nothing short of Peak Realm mastery.
And with hundreds of fire arrows trained on the ship, reckless action would doom the civilians aboard.
"Good. Very wise."
Satisfied by the lack of resistance, Maeng Jung-ak nodded approvingly.
But then—
"Just a quarter of an hour."
Six figures emerged from the cabin at a leisurely pace.
At the front were two pale-faced men. Behind them, a young man with an ashen complexion and a woman in her prime. And further back, a pair of burly twins.
Bu Eun-seol, Hyeok So-jin, the Jegal siblings, and the Hwangbo twins.
"Who the hell are you?"
Ignoring the question, Jegal Seo-un murmured in a low voice,
"I doubted we'd need this against mere pirates... but given the scale, civilians could truly get hurt."
"No civilians will be harmed."
Bu Eun-seol's indifferent reply Maeng Jung-ak sensed something amiss.
"You bastards. Planning to resist?"
The moment his eyes met Bu Eun-seol's icy gaze, a chill ran down his spine. He immediately raised his hand—
The signal to fire.
But something was wrong.
The night sky had turned an eerie blue.
Yet beyond the ship, his subordinates nocking arrows showed no reaction—as if they saw nothing amiss.
"You—! What did you do?!"
"The Life-Ending Heavenly Pole Bewildering Formation."
Jegal Seo-un smirked at him.
"A Boundary Formation of the Jegal Clan."
And for a moment, he recalled the conversation from earlier.
"Can you deploy the Life-Ending Heavenly Pole Bewildering Formation right now?"
Bu Eun-seol's gaze burned like charcoal as he stared at Jegal Seo-un.
"Without the passengers noticing. The entire ship must be under the formation's influence."
Jegal Seo-un gaped at the sudden demand.
"What in the world—?"
Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong, who had been silent until now, snorted and stepped forward.
"Brother Jegal. I believe this gentleman was startled by the size of the ship."
His tone carried faint mockery as he continued,
"Against some no-name raiders even the ship's crew wouldn't recognize... why bother with a Boundary Formation?"
"You're mistaken."
Bu Eun-seol's smile was equally cold.
"They're not ordinary pirates."
"What do you mean?"
"Even if they 'luckily' acquired such a ship, common raiders could never operate it."
His voice was firm.
"They're impostors disguised as pirates."