Chapter 65
Chapter 65
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: A Familiar Feeling
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The number of river pirates was considerable.
The faces of those watching hardened.
"Somehow... don't those guys seem a bit strange?"
The one who spoke was Jeong Ilgon.
He was the second son of the Jeong Family Head. The Jeong Family controlled a portion of the Yangtze River's logistics and distribution, so they often had dealings with river pirates.
"In what way are they strange?"
Yeon Harin asked.
Jeong Ilgon's face brightened as he quickly answered.
"Their demeanor seems a bit different from typical river pirates. They're too orderly to be pirates."
"Orderly?"
Yeon Harin carefully observed the river pirates once more.
Perhaps because she was looking at them after hearing Jeong Ilgon's words, they certainly seemed so.
The river pirates crowded on the boats were all carrying the same weapons and stood at precise intervals.
Even their stationary stances were identical.
Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine.
"Don't tell me... Half-Jiangshi?"
Before they departed, they had already heard the characteristics of the Half-Jiangshi explained twice.
"It seems so."
"If they are all Half-Jiangshi, this will be a difficult fight."
A few of the young martial artists approached and shared their opinions.
Before long, people had gathered around Yeon Harin.
Among them were warriors from the Hubei Martial Alliance and experts from various families who had come to escort the young martial artists.
"Everyone, recall the weaknesses of the Half-Jiangshi. If we fight recklessly, we'll be defeated helplessly."
Since the Half-Jiangshi do not tire, fighting them haphazardly would only lead to our own exhaustion first.
To avoid that, we must fight efficiently.
"But... their numbers are truly immense."
Everyone nodded at someone's remark.
Dozens of boats were packed with Half-Jiangshi dressed as river pirates.
The boats approached and then stopped at a certain distance.
Someone suddenly appeared on the bow of the closest boat.
He was a man whose attire and aura were completely different from the other river pirates—that is, the Half-Jiangshi.
He was a muscular giant, a large saber slung over his shoulder.
"Hey! You brats over there!"
The expressions of the young martial artists turned icy.
"Judging by your faces, you seem to know all about my boys. Let's make this easy. Just surrender!"
The giant slammed his saber into the bow of the boat.
"Look, we're not trying to kill you all. We're just planning to hold on to you for a bit and then return you in one piece."
The giant treated the young martial artists like objects. With his glaring eyes, he scanned the boat they were on.
"So just surrender quietly. Don't go getting your arms and legs chopped off, crying and pissing yourselves."
While the giant was setting the mood, Yeon Harin quickly identified the most experienced and skilled martial artist among the people around her.
She approached the most conspicuous one, an old man.
"Is there a best way for us to escape to the shore?"
The old man's eyes glinted with a peculiar light as he looked at Yeon Harin.
"In this situation, breaking through over there seems to be the best option. See those two boats? We'll break through the gap between them."
"Won't those two boats block the path?"
"That's why someone has to cross over to those two boats and stop them."
Yeon Harin nodded.
"I will go to the boat on the right."
"I'll take the one on the left. But... can you handle it alone?"
"I will do what I can. But it would certainly be much easier if someone went with me."
"You'll have to switch boats just before all of our ships break through. It won't be as easy as it sounds. Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"This isn't a matter of being alright or not. It's something someone has to do. I will be that person."
At Yeon Harin's resolute tone, the old man smiled kindly and looked around.
"Who else will go?"
With Yeon Harin having already stepped forward, hesitating now would be truly pathetic.
Hands went up here and there.
But the one who stepped forward before anyone else was Jeong Ilgon.
"Since I'm used to fighting on boats, it would be best for me to go. Lady Yeon, you should just stay here. I alone am enough."
The old man smiled faintly at Jeong Ilgon's confident words.
"Alright. Then you go as well."
After that, the old man pointed out a few more warriors. He had selected only the experts among the warriors of the Hubei Martial Alliance and those who had come from the various families.
"The rest of the boats will likely face a fierce battle as well. So don't overdo it, and if you think you can't handle it, come back immediately."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Jeong Ilgon replied to the old man and then looked at Yeon Harin.
Yeon Harin also nodded.
"I will do so."
But Yeon Harin's eyes were already burning with fighting spirit.
The old man looked at her with curious eyes.
"Now, let's hurry. It seems those bastards' patience is running out."
The river pirates' boats began to move in unison.
And the twelve boats also moved as one.
The giant commanding the pirates immediately understood why the twelve boats were moving that way and shouted in alarm.
"Block them! Don't let them escape! Seal off the path!"
And in that moment, Yeon Harin leaped into the air, flew across the gap, and landed lightly on the target boat.
*Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!*
*Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!*
The moment she landed, she swung her sword wildly, cutting down countless Half-Jiangshi around her.
A few of her attacks were blocked, but most sliced through the bodies of the Half-Jiangshi. However, such minor wounds did not faze them.
Just as the Half-Jiangshi were about to charge at Yeon Harin, Jeong Ilgon jumped in, wielding a pair of slightly short swords, and swung them wildly.
*Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Slice! Slice!*
Again, some of his attacks were blocked, while others found their mark.
Despite suffering deep wounds, the Half-Jiangshi did not bleed at all.
There was no time to be surprised, as the Half-Jiangshi swarmed them, swinging their swords indiscriminately.
Then, the warriors of the Hubei Martial Alliance appeared right after.
A fierce battle began.
Among them, Yeon Harin was by far the most outstanding.
Yeon Harin fought with incredible ferocity. Her fighting style, so at odds with her appearance, was enough to startle the others nearby.
Unleashing her fighting spirit, she lunged toward the ship's wheel that controlled the boat's movement.
Real river pirates were there, and when Yeon Harin charged, they were all startled and hastily swung their sabers.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
*Shffffk!*
The river pirates fell with absurd ease. Yeon Harin turned the wheel, making the boat move in a different direction altogether.
Through the widened gap between the boats, the ships carrying the young martial artists passed through swiftly.
Having done that, Yeon Harin rushed back to help her comrades fighting the Half-Jiangshi.
It was now time to withdraw.
But as always, not everything goes according to plan.
"You bastards!"
A massive figure dropped down from above.
*Craaack!*
The deck shattered, sending splinters of wood flying in all directions.
It was the muscular giant from before.
The giant swung his massive saber with incredible speed.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
The faces of the warriors blocking the giant's saber contorted. The force of his strikes was so powerful that blocking them head-on did not dissipate all the impact.
"Let's go now!"
At someone's shout, the Hubei Martial Alliance warriors kept the giant in check. Jeong Ilgon was the first to retreat.
He leaped onto a passing boat.
Only a few boats remained. They had to hurry.
"Go now! Hurry!"
At the Hubei warrior's cry, Yeon Harin moved. But at that moment, the giant charged at her, even allowing himself to be hit.
*Whoosh!*
A powerful saber strike lashed out at Yeon Harin.
Yeon Harin calmly deflected it.
*Ka-boom!*
Even though she had deflected it, the impact was immense. Yeon Harin staggered backward.
There was no more time to spare. Any later, and she wouldn't be able to get on a passing boat.
Yeon Harin shouted.
"Leave me and cross over first!"
She yelled this as she swung her sword fiercely at the giant.
*Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!*
The giant blocked it and grinned.
"I can let the others go, but not you. I need at least one prize. Up close, you're a real treasure. Heheheh."
The giant laughed sinisterly, but Yeon Harin didn't even blink. She calmly swung her sword again and shouted.
"Just go!"
But the Hubei Martial Alliance warriors did not. How could they abandon a woman, and a young martial artist at that, to save themselves?
With resolute expressions, the Hubei warriors clenched their jaws and swung their swords.
Soon, all the boats had passed.
And the other river pirates' boats gathered around.
In any case, they survived. If they rush to the Hubei Martial Alliance and ask for help, things will work out somehow.
"What's with that look? Surely you don't think they'll all be able to escape, do you?"
The giant grinned again.
On the riverbank where the boats were headed, figures in black were swarming.
They were all Half-Jiangshi.
Even seeing this, Yeon Harin was not intimidated or disappointed in the least.
She readjusted her grip on her sword and glared at the giant.
At that sight, the giant's body trembled.
"Perfect! It's too much of a waste to offer this one up as a prize!"
The giant said this as he spun his saber.
A powerful and violent energy erupted from his body.
***
The Master of the Golden Jade Pavilion was tasked with guiding Byeok Taesan.
Actually, the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion had intended to do it, but Byeok Taesan had specifically pointed to the Master of the Golden Jade Pavilion, so she had no choice.
In fact, since the Master of the Golden Jade Pavilion handled most of the affairs here in Yichang, she knew the way to the river pirates' lair better than the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
She had been active in Yichang for a long time, after all.
The Master of the Golden Jade Pavilion said not a word, silently moving her feet.
She moved swiftly along the riverbank.
Byeok Taesan followed closely behind her, and behind him, Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon followed.
From the start, Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon had strongly insisted on following and helping, afraid that Byeok Taesan would simply tell them to go back and continue their training.
Their argument was that since the river pirates were numerous, it was only right for them to handle the small fry.
Byeok Taesan saw right through them but readily agreed.
After all, it was true that they could be useful for cleaning up the small fry.
In truth, the two of them were inwardly quite surprised.
The speed at which they were moving was considerable.
The Master of the Golden Jade Pavilion was truly giving her all, showing no mercy as she executed her movement technique.
Even if her rank had dropped significantly with the disappearance of the leadership, she was still a branch manager of the Underworld Sect.
When she seriously unleashed her movement technique, Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon couldn't let their guard down.
It felt like she would shoot far ahead in the blink of an eye.
But what was truly astonishing was that Byeok Taesan was keeping up with that speed as if it were nothing.
He had shown them many things until now.
He had taken down the powerful One-Needle Eccentric in a single blow and had easily dealt with the man controlling the Half-Jiangshi even after he had unleashed his latent power.
But a fight like that was completely different from this kind of movement technique.
This was impossible without internal energy.
And as far as the two of them knew, Byeok Taesan didn't have a single drop of internal energy.
A mysterious event was unfolding before their eyes, but since the person involved was Byeok Taesan, they somehow found themselves nodding in acceptance.
While the two were preoccupied with thoughts of Byeok Taesan, he subtly increased his speed and moved up right next to the Master of the Golden Jade Pavilion.
"Hey."
The Master of the Golden Jade Pavilion flinched in surprise and looked at Byeok Taesan.
"Yes? D-did you call me?"
"Do you, by any chance, know me?"
"You are the second young master of the Golden Jade Trading Company."
The Master of the Golden Jade Pavilion answered as if she had been waiting for the question.
"Besides that."
The Master of the Golden Jade Pavilion looked forward again.
"I do not know."
"So you're saying you have some inkling?"
The Master of the Golden Jade Pavilion's face turned pale. She shook her head vigorously.
"No. Honestly, I can't even begin to guess."
Just as Byeok Taesan was about to say something more, a forest appeared before them.
The Master of the Golden Jade Pavilion said urgently.
"The pirates' stronghold is inside that forest."
Byeok Taesan smirked.
"Let's talk about this again later. Slowly, over a long period of time."
The Master of the Golden Jade Pavilion looked distressed.
"It's really nothing."
"Why do you get to decide that?"
Leaving those words behind, Byeok Taesan shot forward.
Not long after entering the forest, the stronghold quickly came into view.
A small tributary led into the forest, and the stronghold was built on it.
Half of it floated on the river, and the other half was built on land.
"What's this? It looks empty."
The Master of the Golden Jade Pavilion flinched in surprise at Byeok Taesan's words.
"That can't be. Just yesterday, it was teeming with river pirates...!"
"Is that so? Then where could all those teeming river pirates have gone?"
The Master of the Golden Jade Pavilion's face turned deathly pale.
"The young martial artists are in danger!"
"Lead the way."
The Master of the Golden Jade Pavilion hesitated for a moment at Byeok Taesan's words. Then, looking at the small river leading from the stronghold, she spoke.
"Seeing as there isn't a single boat in sight, they must have followed this river out."
Byeok Taesan nodded at her words.
"Makes sense. So we just need to run along the river?"
"We must hurry."
The Master of the Golden Jade Pavilion said this after calculating in her head where the young martial artists might be, based on their departure time.
Byeok Taesan started running along the river first.
The Master of the Golden Jade Pavilion, Cheon Gyeongwan, and Yu Seoyeon followed him.
Yu Seoyeon's face turned white as a sheet.
"I should have gone with them...."
Cheon Gyeongwan patted her shoulder. When Yu Seoyeon turned to look at him, he said gravely.
"Focus."
Yu Seoyeon snapped to her senses and nodded.
And she ran, watching Byeok Taesan's back. But focusing didn't make her sense of urgency disappear.
As if reflecting her state of mind, her speed increased. Cheon Gyeongwan could match it, but the Master of the Golden Jade Pavilion could not.
She began to fall behind little by little.
But even as they picked up speed, the distance between them and Byeok Taesan was widening.
Before they knew it, Byeok Taesan had become a mere dot in the distance.
The astonishment in the two's eyes did not fade.
***
Byeok Taesan arrived at the point where the small river joined the main one.
And there, in the distance, he could see a cluster of boats.
The boats were teeming with Half-Jiangshi.
"Finally found them."
And mixed among the Half-Jiangshi were river pirates.
Among them, a muscular giant was swinging a massive saber that suited his frame.
And the person fighting fiercely against that giant was none other than Yeon Harin.
As he focused, the fight between the two magnified as if it were happening right in front of him, searing itself onto his retinas.
Seeing that, Byeok Taesan tilted his head.
"Somehow... this feels a bit familiar."