A Cold Day on the Yujanggang
In stark contrast to Jin Yu-seong's ecstatic transformation, the faces of Maeng Ryeo and the other water bandit experts contorted in horror.
"Young Hero Il—no, Young Master Ilyang! To think you would play such a monumental role. On behalf of the Jinseong Express, I express my deepest gratitude!"
Jin Yu-seong clasped his hands and bowed deeply to Ilyang, showing the utmost respect.
Only moments ago, they had been in a truly hopeless situation, yet the tables had turned in an instant, almost like a lie.
He honestly wondered if he was dreaming.
To be frank, he still had no idea what that monstrous monkey quietly watching the water bandits from the collapsed deck was.
But one thing was certain: it was a beast controlled by this genius child, Ilyang.
"Yes. I accept your gratitude. However, this task clearly fell far outside the scope of our original contract. I would like to receive additional compensation. Would that be acceptable?"
"Of course! We will compensate you as much as you wish!"
What did money matter at a time like this? His family and his entire business had been on the brink of utter ruin.
No sooner had Ilyang and Jin Yu-seong finished speaking than Sun Hong-dan, the son of Sun Tae-go, shrieked like a dying animal.
"We can pay you twice as much as the Jinseong Express! Gold, women, whatever you want! We can give you anything!"
"Oh?"
Sun Hong-dan was as clever as he was cunning. He quickly realized that if he couldn't navigate this moment perfectly, he would die.
Ilyang looked with amusement at Sun Hong-dan—whose face was somewhat familiar—standing among the water bandits rather than the escort agency's side.
"It seems you have quite a lot to offer me."
"Of course! I am the official successor of the Flood Dragon Bandits. Naturally, I can give you far more than the Jinseong Express ever could!"
"Is that so?"
As Ilyang stroked his smooth chin as if deep in thought, Jin Yu-seong spoke up in a panic.
"Young Master Ilyang. The Jinseong Express is not the only one who will compensate you. The Namgung Clan here will also surely reward you handsomely once this escort mission is over. Isn't that right, Heaven-Shattering Sword?"
"Indeed," Namgung Min, the Heaven-Shattering Sword, replied firmly. "The Namgung Clan never forgets a debt of gratitude."
At Namgung Min's definitive answer, Ilyang's head turned back toward them with obvious interest.
Seeing this, Sun Hong-dan grew even more desperate.
"The same goes for us! And it's not just the Flood Dragon Bandits here. Do not forget that the Yama Bandits and the Blood Wolf Bandits are allied with us. Do not think for a second that the wealth we have amassed is inferior to that of the Namgung Clan or the Jinseong Express!"
"Oh... I see. So the Flood Dragon Bandits are quite wealthy?"
"Of course! Among all the water bandit sects of the Yangtze, our Flood Dragon Bandits are likely the richest!"
Ilyang didn't give a straight answer, merely wearing an amused expression.
Is this idiot serious?
The chief of the Flood Dragon Bandits was already dead, and the remaining bandits were in the palm of his hand.
Even if this Sun Hong-dan fellow didn't "offer" anything...
The Flood Dragon Bandits' wealth is already mine.
Furthermore, as spoils of war, he didn't even have to share it with anyone else.
The boy was talking as if he were generously sharing something that already belonged to Ilyang.
Does he honestly think this is a negotiation?
Though it was utterly absurd, Ilyang kept his intrigued expression.
After all, the idiot was raising the stakes. In response, the Namgung Clan and the Jinseong Express were voluntarily offering even higher premiums. There was no reason to stop them.
Meanwhile, Jin Yu-seong felt his insides burning at Ilyang's ambiguous attitude.
They had finally found a sliver of hope, and he feared everything might go to ruin at the crucial moment.
"Young Master Ilyang. Just say the word. The Jinseong Express is prepared to offer you whatever you desire."
"Hmm."
As both factions stared at him with desperate eyes, Ilyang dragged out the silence, pretending to ponder.
Meanwhile, Maeng Ryeo, the Iron Blood Scythe, and Sun Hong-dan were frantically communicating via sound transmission.
[Sound Transmission]
"Do you have the confidence to deal with that monkey?"
"I highly doubt it. When the ship was sinking earlier, I managed to land a quick strike on it, but I couldn't even leave a scratch."
"Damn it. What happened to my father?"
"At this point, we must assume he is dead."
A spark of fury flared in Sun Hong-dan's eyes at the cold assessment, but Maeng Ryeo saw no point in feeding him false hope.
If things went south, Maeng Ryeo himself would be dragged down with them.
Their near-perfect victory had been ruined in an instant.
[Sound Transmission]
"So, what do you plan to do?"
"I am currently speaking with the leaders of the other bandit sects. Give me a moment."
The water bandits racked their brains to find a way out of this predicament, while Namgung Min and Jin Yu-seong quickly calculated what they could offer.
In truth, the ones in the most awkward position were the experts from the other bandit sects, excluding the Flood Dragon Bandits. They wanted to wash their hands of this and retreat. Naturally, Sun Hong-dan had no intention of letting them.
[Sound Transmission]
"How amusing. Do you honestly think that monster will just let you run away?"
"Heh. What an amusing brat. Don't try to drag us down with you, boy. If worst comes to worst, we can simply dive into the river and vanish."
Sun Hong-dan bit his lower lip.
Indeed, as renowned experts of their respective water bandit sects, their aquatic martial arts were top-tier.
Once they dove into the water, they were confident they could swim faster than most fish and escape.
No matter how formidable the controller of that monkey monster was, how could he possibly pursue and catch them underwater?
As they stood by the ship's railing with smug expressions, waiting for their chance, Ilyang observed their faces. The corner of his mouth curled upward.
Clap—
"Now then! Thank you all for your wonderful offers. As a penniless wanderer, you've given me much to think about. However, it seems some of you are under a grave misunderstanding. No one leaves this place without my permission."
It was a warning. A warning not to attempt escape.
At this, a middle-aged man standing precariously close to the railing scoffed.
"Hmph. You may possess some extraordinary tricks, boy, but you speak utter nonsense. Do you not know the saying? On the river, not even the King of Hell himself can catch the shadow of a water bandit!"
This was So Eul-yeom, the one-eyed peak expert and vice-chief of the Yama Bandits. As he spoke with smug confidence, Ilyang stared back and smiled.
"I figured your faith might be lacking. That is why I intended to show you another one of my talents."
Snap—
The surrounding temperature plummeted unnaturally. The river water around the flagship and the Nata Dragon King began to freeze at an alarming rate.
Creeeeak—!
With the groaning sound of twisting wood, the flagship and the surrounding wedge-boats were frozen solid, locked in place upon the river like taxidermied specimens.
"Huh? Wh-What?!"
"The—the river! The river is freezing!"
Crack, crack—!
The ice thickened rapidly, bringing everything in the vicinity to a grinding halt.
It was a scene that defied all common sense. Of all the visible landscape, this specific area had transformed into winter in a single breath. The river had frozen solid.
"..."
"Wh-What in the world...?"
While the water bandits stood dumbfounded by this cataclysmic phenomenon, So Eul-yeom's single eye flashed. He swiftly threw himself toward a patch of river that had not yet completely frozen.
His decision was impulsive, but undoubtedly wise. He was trying to save his own skin.
However, wisdom did not always guarantee success.
The black monkey on the deck, which had seemed sluggish and still until now, moved like lightning. Extending its long arm, it precisely grabbed the head of So Eul-yeom, who was attempting to smash through the ice below the railing with a kicking technique.
At the same time—
Squeeze—
"Aaaaargh!"
Under a pressure that felt as if it would crush his skull, So Eul-yeom shrieked in a grating, metallic voice, his single remaining eye bulging from the agonizing pain.
Yet, the black monkey controlled its strength with astonishing precision, preventing his head from bursting.
With a casual swing of its long arm, the black monkey yanking So Eul-yeom out of the water and slammed him onto the deck.
Thud—!
Watching So Eul-yeom roll pathetically across the deck, Sun Hong-dan, Maeng Ryeo, and the rest of the water bandits finally abandoned all hope.
"We submit entirely to your judgment, Young Master Ilyang! Please, show us mercy!"
Sun Hong-dan, the son of the Flood Dragon Bandit Chief, instantly changed his tune, throwing himself flat on the deck in a submissive kowtow.
Maeng Ryeo, recalling how he had momentarily lost track of the monkey's movements just now, also laid down his weapon—his cherished great scythe—beside Sun Hong-dan and prostrated himself politely.
In truth, when the monkey had moved to catch So Eul-yeom, Maeng Ryeo might have had a slim chance of escaping if he had fled in the opposite direction.
But it is already too late.
In the Jianghu, life and death were decided in a mere split second. Realizing that his sole window of escape had just closed, Maeng Ryeo struggled to maintain his composure. A suffocating weight pressed down on his chest.
Damn it. I felt uneasy the moment that miserly Flood Dragon Chief offered so much money.
As Maeng Ryeo lamented internally, the other water bandits exchanged glances before prostrating themselves on the deck one after another.
"Gal Pyeong of the Yama Bandits begs for your mercy, Young Master."
"Mi Chok of the Blood Wolf Bandits begs for your mercy, Young Master."
"Sa Da-gang of the Flood Dragon Bandits begs for the Young Hero's..."
The peak experts of each faction cast aside their weapons without hesitation, competing to beg for their lives. To them, this child was a monster. Had he merely possessed strong martial arts, they wouldn't have been this terrified.
But...
He literally froze the river.
Though it was early autumn, the midday sun was still blazing hot. Yet, he had used some insane sorcery to freeze a massive section of the vast Yujanggang River.
He is a monster who manipulates the laws of nature at his whim.
Faced with such a monster, not a single soul among them possessed the foolish courage to gamble with their life.