Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: The Young Vice Lord, Iron Soul!
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I had originally ordered a modest, medium-sized vessel, about a hundred feet long and twenty feet wide. However, the shipyard happened to be working on a ship that was a hundred and twenty feet long with a twenty-five-foot beam. Jang Ung paid extra to acquire it and had them build it according to the schematics I provided.
The master shipwright pointed to the submerged part of the hull, his voice filled with admiration.
“When I first saw the design that called for extending the keel—the long spine running along the bottom from bow to stern—two feet below the waterline and plating the entire thing in cast iron, I honestly thought, ‘What kind of madness is this?’”
Typical ships had flat, wooden bottoms. This one, however, featured a narrow, extended keel plated with cast iron.
He clicked his tongue in amazement.
“But after building it and taking it for a test run, I was completely astonished!”
It seemed my design had greatly surprised the master shipwright, a man whose skills were said to be second to none. Even I hadn't anticipated such a reaction.
“Ordinary ships have flat bottoms, making them capsize easily in rough seas. But this ship, with its deep, heavy bottom, will never have that problem. I guarantee it!”
We set off from Dong-ro Port.
“We only need to row for a short while to reach the center of the river.”
The shipwright explained, his shoulders trembling with excitement.
“Other boats have to be rowed all the way out to the open waters of the Qiantang River, but not this one! You’ll see why in a moment! Hahaha!”
Just as he said, we rowed about a hundred and fifty feet from the port to the center of Tianmu Creek, then unfurled the middle of the three sails at the bow.
As he raised the sail, the shipwright asked me.
“Is this right?”
“Yes. Secure the top and bottom tightly.”
“Understood.”
The principle was simple: by securing only the top and bottom of the sail to the mast, the unsupported middle would catch the wind, ballooning forward like a sailfish and pulling the ship along.
If my theory was wrong, the sail would be useless and have to be removed, but I was confident that wouldn't be the case.
*Flap!*
Just then, a tailwind caught the sail, causing it to billow forward. It soon swelled into a large half-moon shape.
*Whooosh!*
“Whoa!”
The ship surged forward with a heavy, powerful pull, as if being towed by an unseen force.
“Wow! It’s a success!”
The shipwright shouted with more joy than anyone.
“How on earth did you come up with a sail like this?”
“I was wondering why all sails had to be completely fixed. That led me to think of a sail that could move freely with the wind—a variably shaped sail, so to speak.”
“Ooh! Incredible!”
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo, Jang Ung, and Go Un-hyo smiled warmly. It seemed my praise brought them pleasure.
I spoke to the shipwright.
“Do you now understand why I made the keel deep and plated it with iron?”
“Is it to allow the ship to make sharp turns smoothly and prevent it from capsizing in rough seas?”
“Correct.”
“With a keel this deep and heavy, its righting ability will be so exceptional that it will never sink, no matter how much it lists!”
The shipwright was so excited he was spraying spittle.
“Furthermore, with all six sails unfurled, no one will be able to catch this ship. Not even a Willow Leaf Boat!”
We sailed for about an hour before heading back to the port.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo and I sat on the upper deck, watching the river flow by.
“What do you think?”
“I’ve never seen such a magnificent ship. Who taught you how to build them?”
“No one.”
“What?”
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo’s eyes widened, as lovely as a blossoming flower.
I explained that I had been on a boat for the first time only recently, during the subjugation of the Yangtze River Bandits. The desire to own one had struck me then, and I had immediately sketched a design and given it to Jang Ung.
“I felt this many times thirteen years ago, but you’re definitely a genius.”
“Isn’t the Alliance Lord being a bit too free with such words?”
“You’re a genius great enough to astonish the Alliance Lord, you know?”
“Did you talk your way into becoming the Alliance Lord?”
“I think so.”
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo smiled sweetly. For the first time in thirteen years, she was truly experiencing both comfort and happiness.
“Once the main headquarters is complete, we’ll have many ships of our own. Can we build them like this one?”
“Of course. Why do you ask?”
“This design is your patent, isn’t it? So I need your permission.”
“The patent is yours.”
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo wrapped both hands around my arm and leaned against me gently.
“You’re the best.”
For some reason, my chest swelled with a feeling of overwhelming joy.
As our ship was about to turn from the Qiantang River into Tianmu Creek, Jang Ung came up to the deck and pointed.
“That ship over there belongs to the Four Seas Way. It’s heading for Dong-ro Port.”
In the direction he indicated, a large vessel was moving parallel to ours.
It would be an insult to ask Jang Ung how he knew. If he said it was a Four Seas Way ship, then it was.
“Is their Vice Lord on board?”
“Most likely.”
“Let’s go.”
If the Vice Lord of the Four Seas Way had come to see me, then all the better.
Our ship pulled up alongside theirs.
The sailors on the other vessel, which was about twice the size of ours, shouted at us to keep our distance, warning it was dangerous.
I wanted to just leap over to their ship, but I was currently without my martial arts.
I was about to order Go Un-hyo to capture the Vice Lord when Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo grabbed my arm.
“Yong, should we go over to their ship?”
“Uh… shall we?”
*Whoosh!*
Before I could even finish my reply, Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo took my arm and leaped through the air.
Go Un-hyo and Jang Ung followed like shadows.
I started to say something but held my tongue. I found it strange that Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo, who believed I was a martial artist, would grab my arm to execute a movement technique.
But then again, it might not mean anything. I could imagine myself doing the same in her position.
The sailors on the other ship stared, wide-eyed, as we flew thirty feet through the air and landed on their deck. They were too stunned to approach or even speak.
Just then, five or six martial artists armed with weapons cautiously approached and cupped their fists respectfully.
“Do you have business with us?”
Jang Ung spoke quietly.
“We are from the Martial Alliance’s Dong-ro Branch.”
“Ah!”
The men were startled. One of them asked cautiously.
“What is it you require?”
The mention of the Dong-ro Branch had instantly shifted his tone to one of deference.
“We understand that the Vice Lord of the Four Seas Way has come to meet the Grand Branch Master of the Dong-ro Branch.”
The men—the martial artists of the Four Seas Way—fell silent, exchanging nervous glances.
They were frantically trying to figure out how the people from the Dong-ro Branch knew their Vice Lord was on board and had come to meet them directly, but they could find no answer.
“What is going on?”
A quiet yet clear voice came from one side.
The Four Seas Way martial artists parted to make way for a young man in his mid-thirties, dressed in blue, with a short spear slung over his shoulder.
“They say they’re from the Martial Alliance’s Dong-ro Branch.”
The young man walked up to us and cupped his fists respectfully.
“Pardon my intrusion, but what is this about?”
“Are you Iron Soul, Jin Dong?”
Jang Ung knew that one of the Vice Lords of the Four Seas Way was a young man. Seeing his face, he recalled both his title and his name.
The young man was quite surprised.
“And who might you be?”
“What business brings you to Dong-ro County?”
The young man, Iron Soul, Jin Dong, replied courteously.
“I came to meet the great hero, Fire Dragon Sword.”
“I asked what your business was.”
Jang Ung’s speech was eloquent. He did not look down on his opponent for being a man of the forest, yet he projected an imposing authority that dominated the conversation.
Jin Dong looked at me and cupped his fists respectfully.
“I came to negotiate.”
This gesture implied that Jin Dong knew who I was.
He gestured toward the ship’s cabin.
“May I invite you inside for a moment?”
There was no reason to refuse.
Most ships of this size had an upper deck at the highest point, reserved exclusively for the leader.
We were guided to the open-air upper deck.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo and I sat, flanked by Jang Ung and Go Un-hyo, who stood tall on either side. Across from us, Jin Dong stood alone.
Below the deck were about twenty martial artists of the Four Seas Way, but they didn't seem to be guarding Jin Dong.
In other words, Jin Dong had walked alone into the lion’s den.
There was no food or wine on the deck, not even a cup of tea. It was a clear sign that he had no intention of trying to win us over with such things.
“Speak.”
At Jang Ung’s prompt, Jin Dong remained silent for a moment before speaking cautiously.
“Why did you dismantle the Eighteen Fortresses of Qiantang and the Yangtze River Bandits?”
“Did you come here to question that?”
Jang Ung’s voice was a reprimand.
“Did you not say you came to negotiate?”
“I did.”
The implication was clear: if you came to negotiate, then present your terms. What kind of proposal could the unorthodox Four Seas Way possibly offer the orthodox Martial Alliance’s Dong-ro Branch?
Jang Ung was handling it well, so there was no need for me to intervene.
Jin Dong did not spare a single glance for Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo, a woman of supreme, world-stunning beauty.
His gaze did not waver but remained fixed on Jang Ung, his conversational partner.
“If the great hero, Fire Dragon Sword, holds no grudge against the Four Seas Way, I would ask that you refrain from any further provocations.”
“Provocations, you say?”
The word ‘provocation’ clearly irked Jang Ung, but Jin Dong paid it no mind and continued.
“As the saying goes, the sea does not meddle with the stream.”
He had humbled himself, calling us the sea and his own unorthodox faction a mere stream. Yet, he was still saying what he needed to say. It showed he had guts.
I watched in silence, my arms crossed.
This time, Jin Dong looked at me and spoke.
“I will be direct. My organization will pay the Martial Alliance’s Dong-ro Branch one hundred thousand silver taels every month.”
A hundred thousand silver taels a month was a staggering sum.
The unexpected offer made me frown, but Jang Ung remained impassive, as if he had anticipated it.
Offering to pay tribute was a way of lowering oneself while elevating us, much like a small kingdom paying tribute to a great empire.
“What do you want in return?”
“That you leave our organization alone.”
“No matter what you do?”
“Correct.”
Jang Ung stomped his foot.
*Thump!*
“Is this a negotiation or a threat?”
“You call an offer of one hundred thousand silver taels a threat?”
I stood up, and Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo rose with me.
I headed for the stairs, speaking curtly.
“Let’s go.”
There was nothing more to hear.
Jin Dong cried out.
“Great hero!”
My decision to leave meant his negotiation had failed and their lives were in danger. Jin Dong instinctively understood this.
*Shing!*
Go Un-hyo drew his sword. My command to leave was an order to kill them all.
The world was better off with one less villain who preyed on the blood of innocent people.
As I was about to descend the stairs, Jin Dong shouted.
“I’ve made my offer, now state yours! Isn’t that how a negotiation works?”
“If one side finds the other’s terms unacceptable, the negotiation is over.”
“Negotiation also involves hearing the other side’s terms.”
“I have no proposal to make.”
He had a decent personality, but not enough backbone.
I started down the stairs.
Go Un-hyo leaped toward Jin Dong, who shouted in desperation.
“Great hero! I want to change the Four Seas Way!”
A mere Vice Lord, a young man among eight, wanted to change the Four Seas Way, something not even its Lord could do.
I would have to hear more to know if he was bluffing.
I reached the bottom of the stairs.
“Bring him.”