Treading the Water Lilies
Before long, the small boat carrying the group had entered the swampy marshlands. This remote, humid corner of the vast Dongjeong Lake was shrouded by towering reeds twice the height of a man, hiding everything from view.
Keeping a safe distance from the water bandits' boats, they pursued them until, in an instant, the lead boats vanished. Startled, Nak Pung-hyeon scanned the reeds intently. There, at the spot where the bandits' boats had disappeared, he spotted a narrow channel barely wide enough for a single small craft—hidden among the reeds.
Had they not witnessed the bandits vanishing right before their eyes, they never would have found it. The waterway was not only cramped and twisting but crisscrossed by dozens of similar paths. Without the faint ripples left by the boats ahead, they too would have lost their way immediately.
To reach the heart of the Dongjeong Su-ro-chae, one had to navigate these tight, winding channels for quite some time. It was no wonder the imperial troops and martial artists had yet to subdue them.
Nak Pung-hyeon rowed on, clicking his tongue in admiration. "Thorough, aren't they? Lose your way here, and you're hopelessly lost."
"Bangju-nim, if we get turned around in here, we might never find our way out. Is this really okay...?" Yi Jinun asked, shuddering.
Getting lost amid the reed beds on a lake with no solid footing? For someone who could barely swim, it was a nightmare just to imagine.
"Whether it's okay or not, ask your little brother. He's the one who decided we four should raid their main base."
"Jinpyeong, are you sure—"
"Brother, why worry so much about falling in?"
"How could I not? It's not like we can pull off Dengping Dushui..."
"Is Dengping Dushui such a big deal? Just step with the next foot before the first one sinks. Have you ever seen the wind fall into water?"
"......"
Yi Jinun was utterly defeated by Jinpyeong's nonchalant words. Jinpyeong had no intention of easing his brothers' fears. His mind was solely on how to smash the Dongjeong Su-ro-chae to pieces and loot every last bit of their wealth.
He turned to Nak Pung-hyeon. "Tell me about the Dongjeong Su-ro-chae thugs. That guy earlier was the Bu-cha-ju? So we just need to grab the Chae-ju now?"
"The Bu-cha-ju isn't the only Jjak-gwi. He's a recent addition. Before him, there were notorious ones called Sim-gang and Yu-su-gwi—high-level experts on par with Jjak-gwi."
"And the Chae-ju?"
"The Chae-ju is an old monster called Ghost Water Dragon Wi Sogyun. He hasn't shown his face in the last decade, so rumors say he's long dead. But from what Jjak-gwi let slip, he's still alive. Age doesn't mean you can let your guard down. Surviving to such an age in a near-black path gang like this isn't easy."
"Water Dragon, huh. Quite the flashy title. I've yet to meet a thug with a grand moniker who was worth a damn."
"....."
Nak Pung-hyeon was at a loss for words. Then why bother asking for intel? He'd just fought a life-or-death duel with Bu-cha-ju Jjak-gwi. Thanks to Yi Jinpyeong's advice, he'd broken through his wall and subdued him—but he didn't have the guts to charge into the Dongjeong Su-ro-chae so casually.
All he could trust was one thing: Yi Jinpyeong. That unfathomable master.
When Nak Pung-hyeon first met Jinpyeong, he'd pegged him as roughly equal or slightly better. But three months of spars had shattered that illusion brutally. Each bout felt like facing a completely different person, with skyrocketing skill. Nak Pung-hyeon even suspected he'd been hiding his true power from the start.
"...Fine. Do as you think best."
Yi Jingang had been pale and silent since boarding, while Yi Jinun clung to his eldest brother, eyes darting everywhere.
"Ghost Water Dragon? The Chae-ju's nickname is Water Dragon? Doesn't that mean he's unbeatable in the water at least? I... I think I should head back. Practice swimming first..."
Yi Jinpyeong chuckled. "Brothers, even if you practiced swimming now, how would you keep up with the water bandits?"
"Still, better than nothing—"
"Too late to turn back. We've been spotted."
"....!!!!"
Yi Jingang and Yi Jinun whipped around in shock. Amid the reeds stood thick stakes, where water bandits lounging atop them were counting returning comrades—now tilting their heads at the newcomers.
That spot seemed to be the gateway to the Su-ro-chae. The Yi brothers wore their now utterly ragged training robes, but no one would mistake them for bandits.
A bandit on a stake called to those from the lead boats. "Hey, who's that? Prisoners?"
"Huh? We're not the last?"
The lead boat bandits turned, eyes widening. Yi Jinpyeong flashed a toothy grin at their stunned stares. They paled in recognition—not missing Nak Pung-hyeon, who'd cleaved Jjak-gwi in half, or Yi Jinpyeong, who'd appeared from nowhere to dominate.
"Damn!"
"Intruders! Intruders on our tail!"
The leads frantically rowed. The stake-sitters whistled shrilly on reed pipes.
"Hey, where do I go to meet the Chae-ju?" Yi Jinpyeong asked casually.
The bandits dove into the water without a word.
Yi Jinpyeong muttered, "Guess we really do have to go underwater."
Not just the guards—dozens more splashed in from hidden spots beyond the reeds, signaled by the pipes. Shadows swarmed beneath their boat.
Not fish. Water bandits.
They closed in to capsize it, but each time a hand neared the gunwale, Nak Pung-hyeon's oar and sword slashed viciously. Crimson bloomed around the boat; hands and fingers bobbed on the lake.
They wouldn't quit. Bandits dove deep beyond sword reach, slipping under the hull. Water-fighting veterans.
Holes punctured the bottom—jets of water erupted, large and small.
"Eek!"
Yi Jingang and Yi Jinun clutched each other. In moments like this, could these really be the brave souls who'd faced the next Heavenly Demon without flinching?
Nak Pung-hyeon eyed the still-relaxed Yi Jinpyeong. "Still a ways to solid ground. Got a plan?"
"Wait just a bit. I'll make something to step on."
Yi Jinpyeong finally stood—and leaped. The boat rocked wildly. More water flooded in; they began sinking.
He landed on a bandit stake and vaulted high. The misty terrain blurred vision even in daylight. Amid the vast reed-choked marsh, he spotted the lead boats ahead.
Adjusting mid-air, he hurtled toward them, crashing down with Cheon-geun-chu on one—boom!! No time to react; the boat splintered. Water sprayed skyward; bandits flew up.
They splashed down flailing. With the impact's rebound, Jinpyeong soared again—kicking debris toward his brothers' sinking boat.
"Brothers, remember what I said? Step the next foot before the first sinks. Just that, and you're golden."
Nak Pung-hyeon and the brothers gaped at the debris floating at precise intervals—like a path laid out.
Boom! "Aaaagh!" Splash!!!
Jinpyeong smashed boats in sequence, sprays and screams echoing. Each time, fresh debris flew, paving the channel.
Nak Pung-hyeon marveled anew at the raw power and precision. With him blazing the trail, what excuse was left?
He glanced at the Yi brothers. "Come on, let's move. Time's short."
"Y-You mean really step on those?"
"Of course. Delay, and the bandits clear them. Move while they're dazed!"
Nak Pung-hyeon skewered encroaching bandits' heads with his sword, urging them. Lake water, blood to their knees. Hesitate, and it might be theirs next.
Yi Jingang steeled first, reciting Pungsin Jigyeol and stepping out. He'd used lightness skills countless times on land—but water was another beast. If Jinpyeong faltered midway, they'd all drown.
First step on debris: ripples spread. Unstable, it wobbled, threatening balance. But before disaster, his next foot hit the second piece.
Just as Jinpyeong said—step before sinking. Third, fourth... Ignoring the water beneath, he leaped fragment to fragment. It felt like truly running on the lake.
Familiarity bred a strange thrill surging through him.
"Eeeek!"
Yi Jinun wailed behind, but no splash followed. His lightness skill far superior; he'd manage.
Reeds and mist cloaked all, but the path was clear: follow Jinpyeong's trail.
Yi Jingang, Yi Jinun, and Nak Pung-hyeon dashed across the lake.