Splash!
A dozen or so swift ships were approaching the riverbank. Anyone who wasn’t blind could see them.
For a martial artist who had reached a realm stage, spotting them was even easier.
“Water Dragon Stronghold…”
Sama Pyo rushed over using his movement technique. He narrowed his eyes at the ships’ flags, then turned to me.
“You told me to wait. Was this why?”
“Yep.”
“Sichuan is a land filled with treacherous terrain, so if we travel down the Yangtze, we can certainly move faster than we are now. Still, I’m somewhat concerned that our counterparts are the Yangtze River Channel League.”
He had reason to distrust them. The Yangtze River Channel League was, at its core, a band of water bandits who made their living by plunder. And the prevailing opinion was that its leader, the Seafaring King Pa Ryun, was a devious man, regardless of his martial prowess.
He didn’t attend the formation of the Murim Alliance, either, for some reason.
I didn’t know whether illness or distance had kept him away. He had sent an envoy to announce his intention to join, then made it official. The Green Forest Alliance had done the same.
Both groups were closer to the unorthodox faction than the orthodox one. More accurately, they were plunderers who had carved out powerful domains of their own.
“I hear Pa Ryun is impossible to read,” Sama Pyo said. “Rumors about him have been circulating quietly even in Henan.”
“That he’ll side with Dark Heaven when the time comes? That kind of rumor?”
“So you’ve heard.”
“Are my ears just decoration? And since you brought up what people say…”
I looked at him and lowered my voice.
“By that standard, the Yangtze River Channel League and the Black Dragon Demon Gate are two of a kind.”
“……”
“Am I wrong?”
After a brief silence, Sama Pyo answered with a sour look.
“Now that I think about it, you may be right.”
“Not may be. I am, you bastard. Look closely and the Black Dragon Demon Gate might be worse. At least those guys rob orthodox and unorthodox factions alike. There’s no denying which side you’re on.”
“……I understand. You can stop. Listening to this is making my head spin.”
Taishan, who had been prowling around Sama Pyo like an enormous dog, joined in.
“Lord. Taishan hungry too. Head spinning.”
“……”
Watching you two is making my head spin.
I rubbed my throbbing temple and opened my mouth.
“And one more thing. You can trust those water bandits, so stop worrying.”
“Trustworthy water bandits? You might as well tell me there’s a martial artist who’s never learned martial arts.”
“It’s a long story, but we’ve got a pretty strong bond.”
I didn’t know what kind of man the Seafaring King Pa Ryun was. Even if everything people said about him was true, though, it wouldn’t change my opinion of Ship-Fire Boy Mu Song.
The Mu Song I knew kept his word and held to his principles. A disciple didn’t necessarily take after his master.
The fact that they came as soon as I sent word from Sichuan says enough.
While I was thinking that, the swift ships reached the bank and a dozen or so men poured ashore.
Splash!
They moved with the rough energy of bandits who knew the Yangtze inside and out, sending river water spraying in every direction. Bronze-colored muscles showed through their loose robes as they raced over and clasped their hands in salute.
“Great Hero Jin!”
“We came as fast as we could when we got your message.”
These were Mu Song’s trusted men, all squad leaders or higher in the Water Dragon Stronghold. I’d seen them several times a day on my last visit to Sichuan, but the face I knew best was missing.
“All familiar faces. But I don’t see Senior Mu Song.”
The Deputy Stronghold Lord answered at once.
“I’m sorry to say he left for headquarters two days ago.”
“Headquarters… The Yangtze River Channel League’s?”
“Yes, sir. It was on the League Leader’s orders, so he couldn’t delay even a moment.”
“I see.”
Within the Yangtze River Channel League, the Seafaring King’s orders were absolute. His direct Disciple, Ship-Fire Boy Mu Song, had no choice but to answer a summons.
I looked over the bandits, disappointed that I’d missed him but grateful they had come.
“You still got here quickly, even with Senior Mu Song away.”
The Deputy Stronghold Lord waved his hands in alarm.
“Oh, please don’t say that. The Stronghold Lord must have seen this coming. Before he left, he gave us strict instructions about you.”
“About me?”
“Yes, sir. He said a person ought to repay a favor. And considering what happened with the late Yangtze One Saber, Great Hero Hwang, he told us to do everything we could if the Jin Family of Taiyuan or Great Hero Jin ever needed help.”
“Oh. Senior Mu Song understands loyalty. A true hero.”
See that, you bastard?
I smiled at Sama Pyo. Just then, a burly bandit beside the deputy leaned in and whispered, looking puzzled.
“Deputy Stronghold Lord.”
“Hm?”
“Didn’t the Stronghold Lord also say Great Hero Jin would raise hell if we didn’t help? That we should give him whatever he wanted instead of letting him wreck perfectly good swift ships?”
“Ah. Uh. Jang Pil, you little—!”
“……”
“……”
Silence fell.
Never mind the water bandits. The gazes of the proud members of our Fire Dragon Pavilion were painfully sharp.
In the hush, Ju Hwaran murmured so quietly I could barely hear her.
“What on earth have you been doing to make even water bandits…”
That went straight through me. I looked out over the endless Yangtze, my chest tightening.
I wanted to make an excuse, but I had thrown tantrums and treated their ships like taxis. I couldn’t say a thing.
“In some ways, you’re worse than the unorthodox faction,” Sama Pyo muttered.
I did my best to ignore his final blow and turned mournful eyes on the deputy.
“Let’s just get going.”
“Y-yes, sir.”
“And come see me later. Bring Jang Pil, too.”
“……”
The Deputy Stronghold Lord stared at me in terror for a moment before shouting in a choked voice,
“Raise the anchor! Raise the anchor!”
I must have imagined the tears in his voice.
Whoosh!
The ship’s bow cut swiftly and powerfully through the water.
Spring had arrived, and the wind was at our backs. Years of plunder had made the bandits peerless rowers.
Of course, even though these were fairly decent water bandits who had been reformed by Mu Song, their innate instincts remained.
“Five ships to the southeast!”
“Deputy Stronghold Lord, they’re sizable merchant ships!”
“Merchant ships? Let’s rob them!”
Rob them? Now? You lunatics.
Everyone watched in disbelief, myself included. The Deputy Stronghold Lord’s face twisted.
“You idiots! We have honored guests aboard! What do you think you’re doing? Do you people have no basic manners?”
“S-sorry.”
For a water bandit, he sounded exactly like Judge Bao.1
After sternly rebuking his subordinates, the Deputy Stronghold Lord approached us and bowed politely.
“I apologize for letting you see us behave that way.”
“Heh heh. Think nothing of it.”
I gave him an amiable smile.
“I understand. Robbing ships is your line of work. I can see how it happened.”
“Thank you for understanding. We’ll rob them quickly and get back on our way.”
“Huh?”
“Half a shichen2 at most. We’ll take a little off them and let them go…”
“Get down.”
There had been a slight incident, but after I made the Deputy Stronghold Lord drop and hold the push-up position a few times, even that impulse disappeared.
All the while, the swift ship kept moving with the wind at its back.
One day passed. Then two. Then three…
Aboard the ship, the Fire Dragon Pavilion members each settled into their own preparations.
Swish! Whoosh!
After that first day, Sama Pyo and Song Ilseom trained in their respective martial arts without clashing again.
“Taishan likes sashimi.3 But no fish caught. Give Taishan one.”
“You’ve got some nerve. I worked hard to catch these few fish, and you want me to hand one over? Captain, he won’t leave me alone. Can you get him off my back?”
“Give me all the fish you’ve caught so far. Slice them into sashimi first, obviously.”
“Taishan impressed. Is Pavilion Master a genius?”
“……”
Hyuk Mujin and Taishan spent most of their time fishing at the bow.
They often caught nothing. When Mujin did catch fish, someone else usually took them. He hardly complained, but I knew it wasn’t because he’d given up.
He wasn’t fishing to catch fish in the first place.
That’s why he doesn’t say anything.
Hyuk Mujin fished to clear his mind, even if only for a while.
Even when the bobber trembled right in front of him, he didn’t bother yanking on the fishing rod. Every night, he locked himself in the cabin to practice martial arts or devote himself to circulating his qi.
Day by day, hour by hour, we drew closer to Yunnan. Everyone was preparing in their own way for a fight that might come.
I was no different.
Open the Quest window.
Ding.
System
Quest
Journey to Nanman
Murim Alliance Leader Mae Jonghak has assigned the Fire Dragon Pavilion its first mission.
You must now head to Nanman and actively respond to any situation that may arise.
There is no way to know what lies ahead for you and the Fire Dragon Pavilion.
Always remain vigilant and act with a flexible mindset.
Grade: Peak
Restriction: Jin Taekyung and Fire Dragon Pavilion members
Mission: Enter Nanman (Incomplete)
Reward: Chain Quest
???
Failure: Obtain Title: Can’t Go to Nanman
Fame and trust greatly reduced
In Murim time, I’d received that Quest about half a month ago. Counting my time in the modern world, it had been over a month.
I was studying the Quest Window again for anything I might have missed when a faint floral scent drifted in on the breeze.
“Why are you staring so hard at empty space?”
It was Ju Hwaran.
I closed the holographic window and gazed solemnly at the star-filled sky.
“I was reading the heavenly patterns.”
“Oh. Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“That’s impressive.”
She gave a quiet laugh.
“So what did the heavens tell you?”
“They said the weather would be nice today.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Young Lady Ju, see the Big Dipper over there?”
Ju Hwaran looked up at the sky along my pointing finger and blinked.
“Uh. Um.”
“What?”
“Pavilion Master, I’m sorry, but that isn’t the Big Dipper.”
“……That can’t be right. Did it change shape while I wasn’t looking?”
“What?”
What the hell kind of answer was that?
I realized how ridiculous it sounded as soon as I said it. I scratched my chin, flustered, and Ju Hwaran burst out laughing.
“That’s an interesting way to read the heavenly patterns.”
“Honestly, I don’t know how to read them. I just deal with whatever comes up as best I can.”
“I know. But now I want to hear more. There’s something I’ve been wondering about. May I ask?”
I smacked my lips.
“I already told you I can’t read the heavenly patterns.”
“And I already told you I know. I don’t want to ask the heavens. I want to ask you.”
“In that case, go ahead. I’ll answer if I can.”
Tap.
Ju Hwaran lightly jumped onto the bow and looked out at the pitch-black river before opening her mouth.
“What do you think will happen from here on? To us?”
Nanman was close now. She had to be anxious.
I thought for a moment about how to reassure her.
“I don’t know. There’s a strong possibility that Dark Heaven is plotting something, but it’s also possible that nothing will happen.”
Nanman was remote enough to be counted among the Outer Lands. It was also a vast territory home to the Nanman Beast Palace, the dominant power in Nanman, as well as numerous ethnic groups, including the Miao people.
If my forebodings were right and Dark Heaven was plotting something there, countless dangers awaited the Fire Dragon Pavilion and me.
But…
“Nothing will happen to us. Whatever we face, we’ll make it home safely. I can promise you that.”
Ju Hwaran didn’t answer. Instead, she watched me with an unreadable look for a moment—no, for a long time.
“Young Lady Ju?”
“……I see.”
At last she spoke. A faint smile touched her lips, and she shook her head gently. Her glossy hair, which even the human-skin mask couldn’t hide, rippled like the river.
“I’ll trust you, Pavilion Master.”
“……?”
Something felt off. I was wondering whether I’d said the wrong thing when the Deputy Stronghold Lord appeared carrying a torch, his face flushed.
“Great Hero Jin. We’ve arrived.”
“……!”
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