Chapter 185
Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong's expression hardened instantly upon hearing Bu Eun-seol's words.
"Disguised as a band of river pirates? What do you mean by that?"
"Those men merely fly the Flood Dragon Gang's banner—they are not Flood Dragon Gang pirates."
Having undertaken diverse missions in the Kill-Seeking Unit,
Bu Eun-seol possessed detailed knowledge and intelligence about pirate bands operating across the regions.
"The Flood Dragon Gang are nameless river rats who plunder merchant ships under the noses of the Twelve Yellow River Leagues. Such scum would never venture this far to raid vessels."
"Hmph. Who's to say they haven't been wandering about like a pack of beggars?"
Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong chuckled lowly, speaking with confidence.
"Whoever they are, we'll just beat them down."
"If they're bold enough to ambush a merchant ship of this scale, they must have brought substantial forces."
Bu Eun-seol, gazing at the fog-shrouded sky, continued,
"At the first sign of resistance, they'll immediately attack the ship. If that happens, all the casualties will be unarmed civilians with no martial training."
"Hmm..."
As Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong fell silent, Bu Eun-seol turned to Jegal Seo-un with a grave expression.
"There's no time. Can you deploy it or not?"
The End-Life Heavenly Pole Illusion Formation was a secret battle formation of the Jegal Family, severing the connection between its interior and exterior while manipulating directional energies.
Since it required controlling endlessly shifting qi flows in accordance with time, only a genius-level intellect could possibly execute it.
"Understood."
Jegal Seo-un rose from his gaunt frame, eyes gleaming.
"I'll set it up immediately."
***
By the time Jegal Seo-un finished his recollection, Bu Eun-seol addressed the Hwangbo brothers.
"Subdue them."
CRACK!
In an instant, he unleashed his Movement Technique, darting toward the Flood Dragon Gang's ship moored on the port side.
—AARGH!
Though the pirates appeared to be drawing their fire arrows, faint screams echoed from all directions.
The formation Jegal Seo-un had deployed distorted their perception, preventing them from accurately assessing the situation outside.
"Brother Bu! I'll assist!"
Hyeok So-jin, too, activated his Qi-Piercing Ascent, leaping out of the formation to land beside Bu Eun-seol.
"Huh?"
Suspended mid-air, his jaw slackened. In that brief moment, one of the ships had already been reduced to wreckage.
Its mast was shattered, and the pirates who had been firing arrows now lay in pools of their own blood.
Bu Eun-seol had obliterated both the ship and its crew in a single strike—using the devastating Heavenly Hand Empty Wave, one of the Seven Forms of the Fist Demon.
WHOOSH!
Propelling himself skyward once more, Bu Eun-seol lunged toward the next ship anchored on the merchant vessel's port side.
"About time I warmed up!"
With a leisurely smile, Hyeok So-jin followed in Bu Eun-seol's shadow, activating his own Movement Technique.
But upon landing on the ship, his expression twisted in bewilderment.
'What the hell is this?'
Unlike before, this vessel was swarming with at least five hundred pirates, forming a dense battle line.
And behind them stood three masked men, their eyes gleaming ominously.
"Who the hell are these people? They don't look like pirates."
Bu Eun-seol remained silent, his gaze locked onto the masked figures standing imposingly at the stern.
Time and again, he had clashed with these mysterious masked individuals.
From those who ambushed Dan So-ok in Yueyang to the enigmatic figure manipulating the Blade Tyrant Gate from the shadows.
Their eyes and auras left no doubt—these men were undoubtedly part of the same faction.
"Deal with the pirates. I'll handle them."
WHOOSH!
Bu Eun-seol activated his Movement Technique, soaring toward the stern like a hawk diving for prey.
THUD-THUD-THUD!
Yet, as if anticipating his approach, dozens of steel arrows rained down from above.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!
In a flash, Bu Eun-seol unsheathed his Ink Sword, deflecting the blackened steel projectiles mid-air.
BOOM!
Amid the faint rumble of thunder, an overwhelming palm energy surged forth—an unstoppable, tyrannical palm technique unleashed while still airborne.
CRASH!
Landing firmly, Bu Eun-seol retaliated with the Fist Demon Initial Manifestation, slamming his palm energy forward.
WHOOSH-WHOOSH-WHOOSH!
Meanwhile, explosions erupted as nearby pirates loosed a barrage of fire arrows.
"Brother Bu! Let's deal with them first!"
Unable to stand by, Hyeok So-jin stepped forward, unleashing the supreme arts of Heaven-Severing Earth-Destroying.
BOOM! CRASH!
Their might was immense—with every extension of palm energy, dozens of pirates collapsed like dominos.
KWAANG! PWOOM!
One explosive sound after another reverberated through the air.
Though the two men's martial prowess was exceptional, the sheer number of river raiders was overwhelming.
Moreover, their martial skills were incomparably superior to those of the raiders on the starboard side.
"These bastards! They're not just dressed as river raiders—they're full-fledged martial artists!"
As he cut down the endless waves of raiders, a violet radiance erupted from Hyeok So-jin's eyes.
The supreme technique of the Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying Sect—Divine-Rending Demonic Qi—had been unleashed.
"ARGH!"
The moment he activated it, over a dozen raiders charging at him were sent flying as if struck by a storm.
Meanwhile, Bu Eun-seol had already felled more than a third of the raiders.
Whoosh.
Then, the blue energy that had enveloped the merchant ship dissipated, and the sky gradually returned to its original hue.
The ship had begun moving, slowly unraveling the End-Life Heavenly Pole Illusion Formation.
The passengers on board blinked in confusion, looking around in bewilderment.
'Damn.'
Bu Eun-seol's brow furrowed deeply in an instant.
Amid the chaos of cutting down the raiders, the three masked men who had been at the stern had vanished without a trace.
'They left on a speedboat.'
Even while dealing with the raiders, Bu Eun-seol had kept his eyes on the masked figures.
They had been observing his and Hyeok So-jin's martial prowess, seemingly deep in discussion.
'Their real target wasn't the merchant ship—it was Jegal Seo-un's group.'
A plausible deduction.
But why they had retreated remained unclear.
Perhaps they had recognized Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin's identities, or maybe their unexpected martial might had forced their hand.
'One thing's certain—even these raiders were nothing more than disposable pawns.'
The fact that they had abandoned their own men without hesitation, even as the raiders were being slaughtered, left no room for doubt.
'No need to rush.'
Clenching his fist, Bu Eun-seol narrowed his eyes.
As long as those masked men continued to roam the martial world, they would cross paths again sooner or later.
Rustle—
At that moment, the sound of fluttering, translucent paper filled the air as the last remnants of the blue light surrounding the ship vanished completely.
The formation had been fully dispelled.
'As expected of the Jegal Family's eldest son.'
Glancing at the fading formation, Bu Eun-seol gave a slight nod.
A defensive formation set up in the blink of an eye.
Maintaining it on a constantly moving ship for so long was nothing short of genius.
"Hmph! Where do you think you're looking?!"
Meanwhile, the Huangbo brothers, the Jegal siblings, and a few other martial artists had boarded the merchant ship and were dealing with Maeng Jung-ak and his remaining raiders.
"You bastards!"
Fury twisting his face, Maeng Jung-ak stretched out his hand and roared as he saw the formation dissolving.
"Fire the arrows—NOW!"
FWOOSH!
The surviving raiders on the warship immediately drew their bows, unleashing a volley of fire arrows toward the merchant vessel.
SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
THUD.
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin simultaneously returned to the merchant ship.
Formless Heavenly Flow, Second Form: Return to the Original Owner.
Heaven-Severing, Earth-Destroying's Supreme Technique: Divine-Rending Demonic Qi.
The two supreme techniques unleashed by the successors of the Demonic Path Ten Gates formed an immense barrier, effortlessly deflecting the storm of arrows.
—WAAH...!
The passengers on the merchant ship gasped in awe.
Not only was the martial prowess displayed by Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin otherworldly, but the sight of the fire arrows being repelled was as dazzling as a fireworks display.
"AAARGH!"
A bloodcurdling scream suddenly erupted from the merchant ship.
The Huangbo brothers had finally struck Maeng Jung-ak down.
"Drop your weapons!"
At the same time, Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin barked the command in stern unison.
The raiders still standing on the warship, their will to resist shattered, raised their hands in surrender with terrified expressions.
* * *
The merchant ship safely docked at the pier.
For a while, the martial artists who had saved the people of the Youzhou Region from the Flood Dragon Gang's brutality became the talk of the town.
The passengers praised Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin, who had shattered both warships, as well as the Huangbo brothers, who had captured Maeng Jung-ak, and the Jegal siblings, who had fought dozens of raiders.
"Thank you, thank you!"
The ship's owner presented the Jegal siblings and Huangbo brothers with generous rewards and gifts.
In truth, the ones who had truly saved the merchant ship were Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin—those who had destroyed the warships and blocked the rain of arrows.
But the moment the ship docked, the two had activated their movement techniques and vanished without a trace, leaving the gratitude to fall upon the Jegal and Huangbo heirs.
The Jegal siblings and Hwangbo brothers had no choice but to seek out a nearby bank after disembarking.
Having received such a substantial amount of money and gifts, they needed to handle their affairs to some degree.
"You two take care of your business here. In the meantime, I'll stop by the post station with Seo-rin to arrange for a carriage."
At the bank's entrance, Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong asked with a puzzled expression,
"Why go yourself? Just have the servants fetch a carriage."
"I've been cooped up on that ship too long—I feel like stretching my legs. I'll be back soon."
"You don't mean—"
Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong narrowed his brows as if seeing through Jegal Seo-un's intentions.
"You're looking for those two from earlier, aren't you?"
"Was I that obvious?"
Jegal Seo-un gave an awkward smile, and Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong sighed.
"You can't seriously think they could replace the Heavenly Will Scholar?"
"Well..."
"What's so impressive about taking down a bunch of river bandits?"
Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong's voice dripped with scorn.
"You were making such a grave face, insisting they weren't ordinary bandits—but when we fought them ourselves, they were just common thugs, weren't they?"
The Jegal siblings and Hwangbo brothers had only dealt with Maeng Jung-ak and his gang aboard the merchant ship.
They had no idea that the masked man's vessel had been crewed entirely by martial artists.
"But deflecting that fire arrow at the end—that was a technique of the Peak Realm."
"Well, true, but... we don't even know which sect they belong to."
"They prioritized protecting civilians. Even without asking, they must be figures of the Righteous Faction, walking the Path of Chivalry."
"Hmm..."
As Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong fell silent, Jegal Seo-un lowered his voice.
"At any rate, we failed to recruit the Heavenly Will Scholar. To handle this matter, we absolutely need someone to fill that gap in our strength."
Just as Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong was about to argue, his younger brother Hwangbo Je-gyeong nodded.
"Brother Jegal has a point. Why not at least talk to them, Elder Brother?"
Though Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong was the elder brother, most decisions were made by the sharper-witted Hwangbo Je-gyeong.
"Well... I suppose they do qualify as Rising Talents of the Younger Generation."
When Hwangbo Cheon-gyeong finally nodded, Jegal Seo-un did the same.
"Understood."
Leaving the bank, the Jegal siblings headed straight for the post station.
There, two men stood selecting a carriage—none other than Bu Eun-seol and Hyeok So-jin.
So they were here after all.
Jegal Seo-un nodded inwardly.
He had anticipated they would come here for a carriage immediately after disembarking.
"Young Hero Bu. Young Hero Hyeok."
As Jegal Seo-un and Jegal Seo-rin clasped their hands in greeting, Bu Eun-seol mirrored the gesture.
"Have you come to arrange for a carriage?"
"That's right."
Meanwhile, Hyeok So-jin handed a banknote to the attendant and spoke up.
"Brother Bu, it's settled. Let's board."
"Very well."
Bu Eun-seol nodded, then turned back to the Jegal siblings with clasped hands.
"Then, until we meet again."
"Wait just a moment, please."
Jegal Seo-un hastily stepped in front of them, and Bu Eun-seol asked,
"You have something to say?"
"It was entirely thanks to you two that the bandits were defeated. The gratitude should be yours—how can we let you leave like this?"
"No need to concern yourself."
Bu Eun-seol's reply was curt.
"We dealt with them simply because they were a nuisance."
As Bu Eun-seol turned away dismissively, Jegal Seo-un's eyes gleamed.
"You mentioned you were traveling, but from what I see, you two seem to be journeying through the martial world."
Bu Eun-seol hesitated briefly before answering in a low voice.
"We don't have any particular destination in mind."
"Is that so?"
Jegal Seo-un matched his tone.
"There's something I'd like to discuss with you both—could you spare a moment? I assure you, it won't be a waste of time."
For the eldest son of the illustrious Jegal Family, his manner was uncharacteristically humble and polite.
After a brief pause, Bu Eun-seol nodded.
"Very well."
Then, to Hyeok So-jin, who had already boarded the carriage, he said,
"There's no hurry. Let's hear them out."
Tch.
Slouched in the carriage, Hyeok So-jin shook his head with an expression of utter annoyance.
From his perspective, traveling with figures from a Righteous Faction noble family was not only tedious but offered no tangible benefit.
"..."
But when Bu Eun-seol's gaze hardened with solemn intensity—
"Fine."
Though he pouted like a petulant child, his body reflexively rose from the seat.
Every step Bu Eun-seol had taken so far had been an Enlightenment Trigger for his growth.
Undoubtedly, this encounter too would bring danger and trials.
But as long as he walked beside Bu Eun-seol, every experience would become another step forward in his martial path.
This must also be... what it means to journey through the martial world.
Without realizing it, Hyeok So-jin had become someone who followed Bu Eun-seol's lead without question.