A New Chief for the Water Bandits
"Chief. We've crossed the border a few more times today, and the Martial Alliance still hasn't made any real move."
"Hahahaha! They're probably too busy losing their minds!"
Georyeoksan, Chief of the Yangtze Water Bandits, threw back his head and laughed with boisterous delight.
With the Blood Cult gone, their sphere of activity had finally opened up. The Martial Alliance was being touchy about it, sure — but a few more probes like this and those righteous sect types would back off. That was just how they were. If there was nothing in it for them, they always found a reason to look the other way.
"They never gave a damn when it was Blood Cult territory, but the second we step over the line they start thrashing around. Pathetic."
"Indeed, sir."
"If the Martial Alliance keeps getting in our way, dump a few local fishermen in the river. Don't make it obvious — just enough to rattle them."
"Yes, sir! Understood."
Then —
Bang!
"Chief!"
"You bastard!"
One of the Water Bandits flung the door open and burst inside. Jaso, the strategist standing beside Georyeoksan, roared at him.
Did this idiot have any idea where he was, barging in like that?
"I—I'm sorry! It's just that something urgent—"
"Who said I wanted to hear your excuses?!"
"Enough."
Georyeoksan cut Jaso off.
"What is it?"
"You… you need to come outside and see for yourself."
"?"
The man had chopped off every scrap of context. Georyeoksan tilted his head. Wasn't the whole point of reporting something to explain what it was and why he needed to go out?
"Something wrong? Did the Martial Alliance show up?"
"No, sir. But explaining it in words is…"
"Hnn… Fine."
Georyeoksan sighed, pushed himself up from his chair, and stood. If this turned out to be a waste of his time, that man was going to become fertilizer for the Yangtze.
He shoved the door open.
"What the hell could possibly—"
The words died in his throat. The scene stretching out before him froze his expression solid.
"What… is that…"
Thousands of Yangtze brothers, ropes lashed around their bodies, were towing an enormous ship — swimming as they hauled it.
"Jaso."
"…"
"Jaso!"
"Y-Yes!"
Jaso, who had been standing there slack-jawed, flinched and snapped his gaze to the Chief.
"What the hell is going on? Why are our brothers swimming a ship in?"
"I… I don't really…"
Jaso scratched his head. He had never seen anything like it either.
"Stop them. Now."
Jaso drew a breath and unleashed a sonic technique, his voice booming across the water.
"Everyone stop!"
On a river as vast as the sea, the only way to command the brothers was through sound arts like this.
The ship only picked up speed.
"I said stop!"
Jaso bellowed again. The vessel bearing down on them belonged to Oh Mun-gyu, the Water Bandits' second-in-command.
"Hey, Oh Mun-gyu! Are you trying to stage a mutiny?!"
Jaso shouted at the figure standing arms crossed at the stern. Every other brother was swimming in the river — the only person who would be standing up there was Oh Mun-gyu.
"Can't you hear me?! I said stop!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the ship accelerated even harder.
"Hey— hey!!"
Jaso and Georyeoksan both went pale. Their own vessel was massive, and so was Oh Mun-gyu's. A collision would send both of them to the bottom.
"Turn— turn the ship! Now!"
Georyeoksan shouted in desperation.
But it was already too late.
Oh Mun-gyu's ship closed the distance a beat faster and slammed into Georyeoksan's.
KRAAAAAASH!
"Aaaagh!"
"Gyaaah!"
The impact of two colossal hulls colliding hurled everyone aboard off their feet, tumbling and rolling across the deck.
"You bastards…!"
Georyeoksan scrambled up and stared down at the brothers in the river. What the hell had they eaten to make them swim a ship in like this? No — more importantly, why had they rammed him?!
"What do you think you're—"
The shout died on his lips as he took in their faces.
What? Why were they all so deathly pale? Was it from hauling a ship while swimming?
No… they look terrified…
Then —
A single figure launched from Oh Mun-gyu's ship, arcing through the air, and landed right in front of Georyeoksan.
"Hey."
"You're not Oh Mun-gyu. Who the hell are you?"
The man who had dropped before the Chief looked Georyeoksan over. It was Baek Do-ha.
"Who the hell are you? Where's Wi Chobaek?"
"Wi Chobaek?"
Georyeoksan cocked his head. Wi Chobaek was the previous Chief — the one Georyeoksan had weighted with a boulder and thrown into the river years ago.
"I killed him."
"Ah. That explains it."
Do-ha nodded. No wonder something had felt off. Wi Chobaek would have known his temperament — so why keep testing the Martial Alliance's borders?
"I hear you've been poking at the Martial Alliance."
"You from the Alliance?"
"I'll make this simple. Say you won't do it again, and I'll leave."
"Hah… what kind of lunatic…"
"Opportunities like this don't come around often. So choose wisely. Make the wrong call and you die."
"I don't know who you are, but you must think our Water Bandits are a joke."
Georyeoksan raised his arm, murderous intent rolling off him in waves.
From the forests on both banks of the river, countless Water Bandit brothers emerged with crossbows leveled.
"Why are river pirates standing on dry land?"
"I'd love to take my time torturing you to death, but I've got more important things to do. So I'll kill you quickly. Be grateful."
Georyeoksan dropped his arm — the signal to fire.
"Tsk tsk."
Do-ha clicked his tongue lightly at the gesture. If the man had simply said he wouldn't do it again, Do-ha would have turned around and left. But if this was how he wanted to play it, there was nothing more to discuss.
A storm of bolts darkened the sky as the crossbows loosed as one.
"Hey."
"Yes?"
Jaso answered before he could stop himself.
"You're the Chief now."
"…What?"
A deep, resonant hum filled the air.
Do-ha clapped his hands once where he stood.
Hwaneum-yeyang-gong — First Form: Gokrakjo.
A catastrophic shockwave erupted outward in a perfect sphere.
The arrows blanketing the sky were blasted away as if by a hurricane. Georyeoksan sucked in a stunned breath.
Those weren't ordinary weapons. Every brother stationed on the banks had trained in martial arts, and each bolt had been charged with internal energy. And this man had swept them all aside with a single clap.
"Let's clear out the insects first."
Baek-bo Myeol-hwang Gong — First Step: Cheon-roe.
A flash of light — then thousands of lightning bolts crashed down from the heavens, incinerating every crossbow-bearing Water Bandit on the shore.
"Hiiik!"
Georyeoksan screamed and collapsed onto the deck. Was this truly the martial prowess of a human being?
"My name is Baek Do-ha."
"Th-the Absolute Being…"
Only then did Georyeoksan understand who stood before him. His face went even whiter. Of course — the only person who could wield power this absurd was the Absolute Being, Baek Do-ha.
"I told you. Make the wrong choice and you die."
"Sp-spare…"
"I gave you a chance. Clearly."
One final bolt of lightning fell, splitting Georyeoksan's body clean in half.
Truthfully, the choice Do-ha had offered was mostly so he'd have an excuse ready if Je-woo started nagging him later.
"Hey."
"Yes!"
Jaso, who had kept his mouth shut, answered at once. He knew who he was dealing with now, and after what he'd just witnessed, he had no intention of testing the man's temper.
"You're the Chief now. So what should you do going forward?"
"I-I'll live a good and honest life!"
"That's not the bullshit I was looking for."
"…Huh? Then…"
"Don't go poking around Martial Alliance territory. If you're going to cross a border, cross into the Nine Great Sects' land."
"…What???"
What was that supposed to mean? Don't enter Martial Alliance territory — but go into the Nine Great Sects' regions? Weren't the Nine Great Sects part of the Martial Alliance?
"If we enter the Nine Great Sects' territory, aren't we entering Martial Alliance territory?"
"What nonsense is that? Why would you lump the Nine Great Sects in with the Martial Alliance?"
"?"
Jaso scratched his head, utterly lost.
"Listen carefully. The Martial Alliance is the Martial Alliance, and the Nine Great Sects are the Nine Great Sects. They're independent."
"Even if you say that, in practice—"
"Practice, my ass. If I say that's how it is, that's how it is."
"Yes. You're right."
The moment Do-ha growled, Jaso nodded without hesitation.
"Don't cross into land the Martial Alliance manages. Instead, go harass the Nine Great Sects — I mean, go into their territory."
"…"
Did he just say harass the Nine Great Sects?
"Got it?"
"Yes. Understood."
"Good. Nice to deal with someone who listens."
Do-ha nodded with a satisfied smile.
If the Water Bandits harassed the Nine Great Sects, those sects would come crawling to Je-woo for help. They already treated the Alliance Leader like dirt — so once they needed him, Je-woo could start making demands of every sect master.
A wet gurgling rose from below.
"Hey. The ship's sinking."
Do-ha glanced down. The collision had left both vessels half-wrecked, and they were taking on water fast.
"Absolute Being."
"?"
"May I ask one thing?"
"What."
"What happened to the owner of the ship you arrived on?"
If Oh Mun-gyu, the second-in-command, was still alive, Jaso wouldn't be able to do a thing. Do-ha could order him around all he wanted, but the Chief's seat wasn't something you just sat down in because you felt like it.
"I put a lot of careful effort into tearing that guy apart."
"…"
Jaso tilted his head at yet another strange turn of phrase. He was hearing a lot of odd things today. Did tearing someone apart really require careful effort?
"The ones who swam the ship in with ropes around them — they all watched Oh Mun-gyu die. Ask them if you want the details."
"Ah…"
That explained the terror on the brothers' faces. The Absolute Being had shredded their boss right in front of them. Even Jaso's own legs had gone weak just looking at Georyeoksan split in half.
"Anyway, I'm leaving."
"Yes. Travel safely."
Jaso bowed at a full ninety degrees. A proper martial artist would have clasped his fists in salute, but Jaso was no orthodox warrior — he greeted people the way street thugs did.
"If the day comes that I have to come back… you know, right?"
"Absolutely, absolutely not. That will never happen."
Do-ha gave Jaso's shoulder a light pat, smiling.
"Good. We understand each other."
And then he was gone.