Chapter 1373
We’ll have to force them go that way. (3)
With a roar, the swift boats, reinforced with thick timber, swiftly cut through the rough currents of the Yangtze River.
Standing tall on the prow of one of these boats, Cheog Il [척일(戚一)], the commander [Chaeju – ‘chae’ as a ‘stronghold’ in Surochae] of the Black Shark Stronghold [흑교(黑鮫)채 – heuggyo-chae], looked ahead at the scene before him. Then, with a simmering voice, he muttered.
“Pathetic.”
On the opposite shore, dozens of ships were lined up in a row. However, there was little sign of human presence inside. They had gathered the ships in anticipation of a possible attack by Sapaeryeon, but that was all. Vigilance had already waned, and the boats were undoubtedly empty.
“They must have thought we’d never take the initiative. Idiots.”
Upon reflection, it’s not entirely fair to simply dismiss and blame them. If they were still following the orders of the Black Dragon King, they might not have actually initiated an attack.
The Black Dragon King is someone who ties his neck to the money flowing in from the Yangtze River, so he was extremely cautious about anything that could affect the entire river. He was always adept at maintaining just the right amount of tension to maximize the profit.
It seemed highly unlikely that the Black Dragon King, who outwardly appeared cautious, would attack the docks where Shaolin, Kongtong, and Paeng clan were entrenched. However, things are different now. The one giving the orders isn’t the Black Dragon King anymore, it’s Paegun.
Paegun couldn’t care less about the Yangtze River. What his eyes are seeing is the vast land of Gangbuk beyond the river. To seize that land, Shaolin is just something you have to trample on.
“Chaeju, we’re almost within range. How fast should we go?”
“Full speed!”
“Full speed?”
“Maintain the current speed. Don’t give them time to prepare!”
“Ah, understood!”
The subordinate replied with a slightly agitated voice. Cheog Il has shown a twisted smile.
“If they were lax, they’ll pay the price.”
Splash!
The swift boats, nearly reaching the shore, didn’t slow down but instead accelerated even faster. Their target: the anchored ships.
The faces of those who had belatedly spotted the enemy were instantly washed with a pallid hue.
“They’re coming!”
“T-These madmen…!”
“Get back! We’re going to collide!”
Kuuuuuuuuung!
Thud!
The massive ships collided head-on, causing the water surface to surge violently, and shattered hull fragments soared into the sky.
“Aaaargh!”
Those who hadn’t managed to leap off the ships stumbled desperately on the decks. But this was only the beginning.
Kuuuuuuuuuuung!
Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuung!
Surochae’s combat ships, without slowing down, rammed one anchored ship after another in succession.
Although the sizes of the ships were similar, Surochae’s ships, built with naval warfare in mind from the start, and the hastily assembled ones, matched in size somehow, differed significantly in their robustness. Given that the sturdier ones added acceleration to their collision, the outcome was as predictable as seeing fire.
Thwack!
Cheog Il slammed his foot onto the deck with his moon blade in hand, and threw out a lion’s roar so huge that it made the waters tremble.
“Attack!”
“Yes!”
Surochae’s pirates, pushed by their momentum, sprinted onto the decks and swiftly ascended onto the broken ships.
“Don’t be afraid! They’re just pirates!”
“We must protect the remaining ships!”
Upon hearing that, the disciples of Kongtong, who were the first to rush forward, and those who were guarding the ship, despite their frantic state, all drew their swords in unison.
However, only half of their assumptions were correct.
Indeed, they were all disciples of reputable sect, and they had no reason to fear mere pirates when fighting on solid ground. Unfortunately, the place where they set foot was not a proper solid ground.
Kwaaaaaaang!
Just as the disciples of Kongtong rushed forward with their swords raised, the ship shook violently once again, causing it to tilt.
“Ugh, what’s happening?”
“The-, the ship…!”
The disciples of Kongtong hesitated in confusion. In contrast, the pirates, as if anticipating such a situation, charged forward on the slanted deck as if it was leveled ground.
“Dieeeee!”
In the midst of those who hadn’t maintained a proper formation, the pirates quickly surged through. Soon, a chaotic melee ensued, where distinguishing friend from foe became nearly impossible. It was the type of combat the pirates were most accustomed to and comfortable with on a ship: a melee, where they excelled in fighting adversaries on board.
Kwaaaaaaaang!
Explosions erupted from various points. As ships collided, the sound of pirates who had already plunged into the water smashing the hulls of anchored ships echoed throughout.
Those with sufficient inner strength bore through the hulls with their weapons, while those lacking internal strength planted the explosives they had prepared onto the undersides of the ships.
Kwaaaaaaaang!
With each explosion, the ships tilted one by one. The coastal area quickly turned into chaos. Although they were by no means an easily overwhelmed force if faced head-on, those who fell victim to the completely unexpected ambush struggled to comprehend what was behind or in front of them.
“Aaaaaaaargh!”
“Saje!”
Someone screamed as a trident flew from the corner and pierced through their side. Before their agonized cry could even fade, another sword flew from behind and struck their tilted neck.
“These cowardly bastards!”
Witnessing the scene, Kongtong’s top disciple, Seo Heum [서흠(徐欽)], gritted his teeth and swung his sword. His fierce blade pierced through the heart of a pirate in an instant, but the onslaught of enemies only grew faster.
Like coming waves, the pirates surged onto the tilting ships.
“Hold on a little longer! Reinforcements are coming!”
His words proved true.
“Oooooooooh!”
From behind them, a tremendous battle cry resounded.
There were those charging from afar. Clad in yellow robes, the sight of the reinforcements from Shaolin was unmistakable even from a distance.
“It’s Shaolin!”
“Shaolin has come to support us! Just hold on a little longer!”
Although Shaolin’s reputation may have waned compared to before, its stature in the Central Plains remained formidable. The moment they learned of Shaolin’s approach, the demeanor of Kongtong’s disciples changed.
Suppressing his excitement, Seo Heum urged calmly.
“Focus on defense! When Shaolin arrives, we’ll strike all at once!”
“Yes!”
He bit his lip tightly.
It wasn’t just Shaolin. His Sahyeongs were also rushing to this place. Once they arrived, they could wipe out these pirates without leaving a single one behind.
‘The price for these dirty tricks will be paid dearly.’
However, amidst his resolve, a hint of doubt flashed in Seo Heum’s eyes as he looked at the enemy.
‘What’s going on?’
Seo Heum’s gaze wasn’t fixed on the battleground on the deck but beyond it, towards the railing of the ship. He noticed belatedly that the pirates who had climbed onto the deck were holding something dark and large.
‘A jar?’
It was a jar so large that it required both hands to hold.
Before he could ponder what it might contain, the pirates opened the lid and tilted it, pouring its contents onto the deck.
Seo Heum flinched.
‘Poison?’
But in that moment, the scent emanating from the liquid hit him.
It was a familiar scent. Seo Heum’s eyes widened.
“No, it can’t be!”
He witnessed the pirates, who had poured out everything they had in the jar, smile triumphantly and tear up something they had taken out of their sleeves.
“Fire! It’s oil! Scatter!”
Flames erupted from the pirates’ fingertips, cascading onto the deck.
Whoosh!
The fire swiftly spread across the oil, turning the wide deck into a sea of flames.
“Fire!”
“Oh no! Fire is on my back!”
Caught off guard by the surging flames, the disciples of Kongtong screamed and scrambled in all directions. The situation was chaotic on the surrounding ships as well, with the terrifying blaze engulfing them.
“These madmen…”
It wasn’t even just the ship. The oil that spilled onto the water caught fire and it seemed as if the entire Yangtze River was ablaze.
In the face of such overwhelming and violent scenes, Seo Heum’s legs gave out beneath him.
Whoosh!
The fire showed no discrimination, consuming everything in its path. Not only the ships of the Just Sects, but even the combat vessels brought by Surochae were quickly swallowed by the inferno.
“Oh… Oh no…”
How does one even begin to deal with a situation like this? Everything was engulfed in flames, with no clear course of action.
“Ooooh!”
At that moment, Beop Gye approached the riverbank with his disciples, unleashing a fierce battle cry.
“These wicked fiends, I will not forgive them!”
However, Cheog Il, upon seeing Beop Gye, simply smirked.
“It seems that central plainer is quite angry.”
But Cheog Il had no intention of engaging in battle to reciprocate that anger.
“We’ve achieved our goal, so there’s no need to fight unnecessarily. Retreat, everyone.”
“Retreat! Retreat!”
As Cheog Il’s orders echoed, the pirates swiftly leaped into the burning Yangtze River.
Splash! Splash!
“Where do you think you’re running to?”
Ignoring the flames spreading onto their bodies, the disciples of Kongtong swung their swords at the backs of fleeing enemies.
However, only a few were affected by the attack. Most of the enemies had already leaped deep into the Yangtze River, disappearing without a trace.
The pirates of Surochae were all skilled swimmers. For them, diving underwater to escape the flames was nothing extraordinary.
“Idiots.”
Cheog Il sneered bitterly at Beop Gye and jumped into the burning Yangtze River.
Splash!
Beop Gye’s eyebrows, who leaped onto the riverbank with great force, twitched with anger. Now, all that was left were ships engulfed in flames and corpses scattered here and there. The enemies he intended to crush were nowhere to be found, not even a trace.
“This… this is…”
Yet, leading disciples who hadn’t mastered swimming skills and jumping into the water to chase the enemy was out of the question. Beop Gye looked around in dismay.
Nearly thirty ships, gathered with all their might under Beop Jong’s orders, were all burning. With a deafening sound, their hulls, now burnt-out wrecks, began to sink into the Yangtze River one by one. Should one be grateful that once they sank completely, the fires would naturally be extinguished?
“What… what are you all doing? Put it out. Extinguish the fire!”
Beop Gye shouted as if in a sudden fit, his voice trembling.
“Put out the fire immediately! We must save at least one ship! Put out the fire now…”
“Elder.”
Someone grabbed the hem of his robe. When Beop Gye turned around with a furious expression, a disciple of Shaolin slowly shook his head.
“…It’s too late.”
Beop Gye turned his head back, staring blankly ahead.
The black smoke billowed up into the sky from the burning ships, ensuring that even those not present could grasp the severity of the situation.
“A-Amitabha…”
A mournful sigh escaped Beop Gye’s lips, his voice choked with emotion.
‘How… how are we supposed to handle this?’
The screams of the injured, their bodies charred, and the wails of those mourning the dead, all mingled with the desperate cries of those struggling to extinguish the flames.
Truly, it was a scene of despair. Beop Gye closed his eyes tightly.
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