Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: This Time, It's the Yangtze River Pirates!
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The impatient Deung-bo, Yeon-cheong, Dam Geum-hu, and the branch members drew their swords and shouted.
“You bastards! We've been waiting for you! Come on!”
“Hahahaha! I'll cut off your heads in a single strike!”
The distance between our ship and the willow-leaf boat was about thirty feet, so Deung-bo and the others stomped on the deck, waiting for the gap to close so the pirates could board.
Hearing the raucous shouts from the branch members, the pirates on the willow-leaf boat hesitated, unsure of what to do next.
Just then, Jang Ung shouted curtly.
“Attack!”
At his command, the Peerless Sect's subordinates poured out from the cabin and, without delay, launched themselves toward the willow-leaf boat.
*Fwoosh!*
As the Peerless Sect's subordinates leaped across the twenty to thirty-foot gap to their boat, the pirates were thrown into a panic.
“Aaaah!”
“Agh! Cut the ropes, quick!”
But as the Peerless Sect's men landed on the willow-leaf boat, drawing their swords and swinging, the pirates were swiftly subdued, unable to even put up a proper fight before they were sent tumbling.
Unable to leap the twenty to thirty-foot distance, Deung-bo, Yeon-cheong, and the other branch members could only stomp their feet and swing their swords on their own ship, making a lot of noise without joining the fray.
Four ships glided through a long, thirty-foot-wide channel flanked by sheer cliffs.
The scene showed three willow-leaf boats towing a medium-sized ship connected by ropes. To an onlooker, it would seem as though pirates had captured the larger vessel.
At the end of the channel was a port with several ships docked. Behind it, about twenty buildings and houses were scattered about—the headquarters of the Twelve Qiantang Forts.
Thinking the willow-leaf boats had captured a medium-sized ship, pirates swarmed out to the port, squawking loudly.
However, when they saw that the pirates on the willow-leaf boats were all kneeling or collapsed, with strangers holding swords standing tall among them, they were shocked and drew their weapons, shouting noisily.
“Who are you?”
“Ring the bell! We have intruders!”
*Thud!*
As the ship reached the port, Deung-bo, Yeon-cheong, Dam Geum-hu, and the other branch members were the first to pour out, their voices thundering.
“Hahahaha! We are the Dong-ro Branch!”
“You bastards! It's the invincible masters of the Dong-ro Branch!”
***
We burned the headquarters of the Twelve Qiantang Forts to the ground.
We killed the fort master and about twenty of his most vicious, core followers. The pirate lackeys were put on a boat, taken to a riverbank near Hangzhou, and told to return to their hometowns. We distributed the money taken from their stronghold's warehouse among them.
Whether they returned home or started new lives was their decision to make.
With that, the Twelve Qiantang Forts were dealt with cleanly.
***
“Great hero! I don't know how to thank you!”
Heuk-wol repeatedly clasped his hands in gratitude.
“Is this settled now?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Do you think the Yangtze River Pirates won't bother you anymore?”
At those words, Heuk-wol's expression turned complicated.
“That's not it, but... for now, just eliminating the Twelve Qiantang Forts is a great relief.”
“So the Yangtze River Pirates are the problem.”
“That's right. The Yangtze River Pirates command eighteen water forts, and you've only eliminated one of them, the Twelve Qiantang Forts.”
With the main fort of the Yangtze River Pirates and seventeen subordinate forts still remaining, the Fire Dragon Group would have to be especially careful around the Yangtze River, particularly in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.
I asked Jang Ung.
“Nothing major will happen if I leave Dong-ro County for a while, right?”
“That's correct.”
Jang Ung guessed what I was planning to do.
I asked Heuk-wol.
“Do you know where the Yangtze River Pirates are located?”
“I do, but may I ask why?”
“Let's go.”
“What?”
Heuk-wol blinked, then, realizing the situation, his face contorted as if his heart were shriveling.
“Surely you don't mean you're going to the Yangtze River Pirates...”
“I do.”
“Great hero!”
Seeing Heuk-wol's startled reaction, Jang Ung spoke calmly.
“The Lord does not appreciate talkativeness or people who fail to understand him.”
“Is... that so?”
Heuk-wol was so shocked his face had turned pale.
“Are you really going?”
“Have you already forgotten what I just said?”
“Ah! My apologies.”
***
The Fire Dragon Group's merchant ship, which we were on, sailed from the Qiantang River out to sea, then headed north to enter the Yangtze River.
Two days later, we passed Nanjing on the lower reaches of the Yangtze.
Around this time, I became completely fascinated by this new mode of transportation called a 'ship.' I had never been on one before this voyage.
A ship can go anywhere there's a waterway. Large ships can navigate the sea and major rivers, and sometimes even canals. Smaller, medium-sized vessels can freely traverse the smaller rivers and the web of canals and waterways within provinces and counties.
What I especially liked was the fact that I could do my own things while traveling.
I could contemplate, eat, drink, talk, and even admire the scenery.
How wonderful is that?
“Steward Jang, are ships expensive?”
I stood beside Jang Ung at the port railing of the merchant ship, gazing at the distant hills beyond the vast Yangtze River.
“A ship like this one, you mean?”
“Isn't this ship too big?”
Jang Ung looked around the ship. It was a massive vessel, over two hundred feet long and fifty feet wide, with a five-story cabin topped by a pavilion and a watchtower, and three large sails.
“There are ships even larger than this.”
“Really?”
“Warships or merchant vessels that travel far overseas can be three or four times larger.”
“That's incredible.”
I was genuinely amazed. I had been overwhelmed by the size of this ship, but to think there were vessels three or four times larger—I couldn't even imagine their scale.
Jang Ung looked at me and smiled.
“My lord, this is the first time I've seen you like this.”
“Like what?”
“You look extremely excited.”
“Do I?”
“You look ten times more excited than when you meet a powerful new enemy.”
Hearing Jang Ung's words, I realized that I had become quite fond of ships.
“Shall we have a ship built?”
“Can you do that?”
“I know one of the most renowned shipyards in the world, located in Hangzhou.”
I couldn't contain my excitement.
“Then do it.”
“If you tell me the features you want, I will have such a ship built.”
I thought for a moment. I imagined a future where I would travel the world in search of the strongest masters.
“A third of this ship's size would be about right.”
“A ship of that size would be sturdy enough for coastal waters and could navigate smaller rivers and canals.”
“I'd like it to be fast.”
“I'll have it fitted with multiple sails.”
I pointed to the sails on this ship.
“These aren't the kind of sails I want.”
Jang Ung looked puzzled.
“If not these sails, then...”
“I'll tell you later.”
“Understood.”
***
Two more days passed, and the ship traveled up the Yangtze River, finally entering the territory of Anhui Province.
For four days since leaving Hangzhou, I had spent all my waking hours exploring every corner of the merchant ship.
And whenever I had a question, I would ask Heuk-wol or the sailors about the ship's various functions to learn more.
At night, the merchant ship anchored at the edge of the Yangtze.
I was drinking in the pavilion when I remembered that I hadn't seen the Peerless Sect's subordinates or the branch members for a while.
“Where is everyone?”
“They are training in martial arts.”
Jang Ung's answer was a little unexpected.
“You mean they've been training constantly since we left Hangzhou?”
“Yes. They all sleep for only four to six hours a day, and besides mealtimes, they spend their time training in the ship's hold.”
I was pleased.
“They're diligent.”
“The subordinates of the Peerless Sect and the members of the Dong-ro Branch have all made the same resolution.”
“What is that?”
“To become subordinates worthy of you, my lord.”
“Hmm! Is that so?”
However, I had never considered the subordinates of the Peerless Sect or the members of the branch as my own. If I had a subordinate, it was only Jang Ung.
***
I had writing tools brought to me and, based on the knowledge I'd gained from exploring the merchant ship, I meticulously drew a detailed picture of the ship I wanted to have in the future.
Although I had never formally learned to draw, it looked quite like a ship.
“Here! This is it!”
“Ooh!”
Seeing the drawing of the ship, Jang Ung and Go Un-hyo exclaimed in admiration.
Jang Ung marveled at the large drawing of the ship spread on the table.
“My lord! This is practically a blueprint for a ship!”
“So it's good?”
“Of course.”
“Haha! Is it?”
“It's so detailed and perfect that if you gave this drawing to a shipyard, they could build it exactly as shown.”
Jang Ung's admiration was mixed with curiosity.
“Have you ever studied shipbuilding?”
“Do I look like I've lived such a leisurely life? I'm a complete novice when it comes to ships. This is my first time on a vessel this large.”
Jang Ung shook his head slowly.
“Is that so? But looking at this blueprint, I find that hard to believe.”
“I'm telling you, all I did was wander around this ship for the past four days and ask the sailors about things I was curious about.”
Jang Ung wore a very serious expression.
“In that case, there's only one possibility.”
“What's that?”
Jang Ung gave a thumbs-up.
“My lord, you are a genius.”
Go Un-hyo nodded.
“I agree.”
I nodded too.
“I agree with that as well.”
I also think I might be a genius.
I pointed to a spot on the drawing.
“This merchant ship doesn't have it, but if we attach a sail shaped like this to the front, it will spread out wider than the ship and pull it forward.”
“I see. That's ingenious.”
“And these two sails on the left and right sides should be able to rotate, not be fixed, so they can catch the wind coming from either side and propel the ship forward.”
“I will discuss the feasibility of this with the shipyard.”
“This is just my idea, so use it as a reference. If it's not possible, then so be it.”
“Understood.”
Jang Ung gave another thumbs-up.
“This too is a stroke of genius.”
“That's enough.”
“Is it unpleasant to hear? I will be more careful.”
“No. It's not unpleasant, but it's making me blush.”
“Then I will use it occasionally.”
The three of us laughed brightly.
***
Our ship entered a river called the Guichi River from the Yangtze.
After traveling about a mile and a half up the Guichi River, the river disappeared and a cozy lake appeared in its place. The Guichi River began at this lake.
At the entrance to the lake was a port, with dozens of large and small ships neatly docked.
These were the pirate ships of the Yangtze River Pirates. Every single one of them must have taken countless innocent lives and plundered their wealth.
With a tense face, Heuk-wol pointed at the port.
“From there on is the main headquarters of the Yangtze River Pirates.”
I activated my Skynet Eyes and surveyed the lake.
There were five ports around the lake, each with dozens of ships docked, and a village had formed behind each port.
“This is Guichi Lake, the main headquarters of the Yangtze River Pirates. Over four thousand people live here, including families, and they have a thousand men under their command.”
Heuk-wol pointed to the innermost part of the lake.
“The grand chief of the Yangtze River Pirates is over there.”
“Let's head there.”
“Yes.”
Though he trusted me to protect him, Heuk-wol was extremely tense.
As our merchant ship passed the lake's entrance, several medium-sized ships and willow-leaf boats set out from a few of the ports and approached us.
Heuk-wol said anxiously.
“They're coming! What should we do?”
“Ignore them and keep going.”
“Understood.”
*Swoosh!*
From the medium-sized ships and willow-leaf boats that drew near, fierce-looking pirates roared for our merchant ship to stop.
“Who are you? Halt!”
When the merchant ship didn't stop, the pirates threw several grappling hooks attached to ropes onto our ship and began to climb aboard.
However, the branch members on the deck cut all the ropes, and the pirates fell into the lake with screams.
More willow-leaf boats, small boats, and medium-sized ships gathered and threw another dozen grappling ropes onto our ship, but the branch members hummed as they cut those too.
The pirates floundered in the water, no longer daring to try and board the merchant ship.