Chapter 1556
Can we retreat? (1)
“They’re coming!”
A trembling voice broke out.
Shaaah!
A large ship, entirely painted black, was rushing towards the shore at full speed. The sense of intimidation was overwhelming.
“Black Dragon Ship…”
Someone muttered in a pained voice.
The sails, fully spread, bore the emblem of a black dragon.
In this vast Yangtze River, there was only one ship that dared to carry that emblem on its sails, and only one person who had the right to use that emblem.
As the symbolic ship charged towards the shore, it showed no sign of slowing down.
“What should we do?”
“What do you mean, ‘what should we do?’ Are you suggesting we run away?”
Those who had belatedly rushed to the riverbank shouted angrily.
“If it really is the Black Dragon Ship, we should flee! Doesn’t that mean the Black Dragon King is on board?”
“Damn it! How are we supposed to know who’s on that ship? And if it’s not the Black Dragon King, who will take responsibility?”
“Talk some sense!”
Emotions were running high, and they were yelling at each other, but everyone knew. This was not the time for such futile arguments among themselves.
“Send a message to Kaifeng immediately! Tell them the Black Dragon Ship is approaching the northern shore! No, wait! Send it not just to Kaifeng but also to Hubei! They’re the closest and need to be prepared for any unforeseen situation!”
“Yes! Then, what about us?”
“Damn it, just find somewhere to hide and stay out of sight!”
After shouting in desperation, Baek Myeon Gae [백면개(白面丐) – White-Faced Beggar] kept his trembling eyes fixed on the Black Dragon Ship.
‘It can’t be…’
Hadn’t the Black Dragon King gone into hiding after losing his arm to Hwasan Geomhyeop?
Even the Beggars Sect’s intelligence network had no information on him, leading to rumors that he might have been eliminated by Paegun.
Why would the Black Dragon King appear at such a time…?
‘It can’t be true.’
Baek Myeon Gae bit his lower lip hard.
Even if the Black Dragon King were alive, there was no reason for him to target Gangbuk alone, separated from his main forces. It was something no one had ever considered.
Crash!
At that moment, the Black Dragon Ship, having reached the shore, produced a deafening roar as it crashed into the sandbank of the Yangtze River.
Crunch! Crack!
The sound of the thick hull breaking and shattering was loud and clear. It was declaring that it didn’t matter if the precious Black Dragon Ship was destroyed.
And then.
Boom!
The massive hull of the Black Dragon Ship came to a halt, with more than half of it perched on the shore.
Baek Myeon Gae swallowed dryly without realizing it.
‘It can’t be…’
“You, rat!”
Boom!
At that moment, with a tremendous ripping sound, something pitch-black shot out like a beam of light from the bow of the Black Dragon Ship.
‘What?’
Crunch!
“Aaaargh!”
A terrible scream erupted from Baek Myeon Gae’s mouth.
Twisting his head back in agony, he trembled and forcefully drew his chin down. As he glanced down, he saw something protruding from his chest.
A long pole with a black dragon carved into it. The object that had flown across this distance and skewered him like a piece of meat was, in fact, a long guandao.
The moment he realized this, Baek Myeon Gae understood his fate.
“How…?”
Instead of words, blood poured from his mouth.
The distance from the shore to where Baek Myeon Gae stood was at least a hundred zhang, so how could someone detect him and hurl the weapon with such precision?
The question didn’t last long. Not because of the pain or despair.
Boom.
Because, right in front of Baek Myeon Gae, as if out of nowhere, a figure appeared.
“You rat bastard!”
A man with wild black hair streaming behind him glared at Baek Myeon Gae with ferocious intensity that seemed it could set everything on fire.
Crack.
Reaching out with a large hand, the man, Jeok Segwang, grasped Baek Myeon Gae’s pale face and growled like a beast.
“How dare a rat like you look down on me? You were lurking even though you clearly saw me coming?”
“Bl-Black Dragon…”
As Baek Myeon Gae tried to utter some excuse.
Crunch!
In an instant, Baek Myeon Gae’s head was crushed in the grip of the Black Dragon King’s left hand and his body fell limp.
“Hmph!”
Jeok Segwang, the Black Dragon King, pulled out the guandao embedded in Baek Myeon Gae’s chest in one swift motion.
Turning with blazing eyes, he shouted.
“What are you all doing? Disembark!”
“Yes!”
Immediately, men dressed in blue uniforms symbolizing Surochae poured out of the black ship like an army of ants.
Crack.
Gripping the guandao tightly as if he would break it, the Black Dragon King looked around.
“Where is he? Where is that bastard!”
As he was about to explode in a fit of madness, someone who had silently approached whispered softly.
“Black Dragon King. Do not forget Ryeonju’s command.”
“You…!”
The Black Dragon King’s gaze, filled with madness, snapped towards the speaker but only for a moment.
“I know.”
The Black Dragon King nodded heavily and then stomped the ground.
“Find them! Hunt down every last member of Cheonumaeng spread across Gangbuk and kill them all!”
“Yes!”
Hoooooonk!
With the blaring sound of trumpets, a massive fleet emerged from the Yangtze River one by one.
The Eighteen Strongholds of the Yangtze River.
The rulers of the Yangtze and a part of Sapaeryeon. The same force that once drenched Maehwa Island in blood was now finally revealing itself in the north.
Crack.
The Black Dragon King’s left hand gripped the guandao, his veins bulging like blue lines.
It throbbed. It was excruciating.
His right arm had been severed long ago, yet he still felt the pain from the missing limb. It was as if the severed arm was screaming for vengeance.
As long as this pain persisted, he would forever be trapped in that moment.
And the Black Dragon King knew. There was only one way to escape this pain.
‘Hwasan. And… that rat bastard!
The one who severed his arm.
The ones who made Surochae and the Black Dragon King bow beneath the feet of Maninbang.
He would not rest in peace until he devoured them all.
“Black Dragon King! The Black Dragon Stronghold is ready.”
“Go!”
The Black Dragon King roared like a wounded tiger.
“Go and kill them! Kill all those detestable bastards!”
“Yes!”
The pirates charged forward in unison.
The Black Dragon King watched them with bloodshot eyes, then finally took a step.
As the river wind blew, his wild hair and empty sleeve fluttered.
He would kill them, no matter what.
Even if this step meant he would never again sail the Yangtze alive.
Boom!
The sound of the Black Dragon King’s step seemed to be a signal, as white carrier pigeons soared into the sky from various points along the Yangtze River.
❀ ❀ ❀
Crunch!
“Ugh!”
The enemy, whose jaw had been shattered, collapsed on the spot.
“Tsk.”
Chung Myung clicked his tongue, shaking off his hands as if he found the whole situation annoying.
“These guys just keep coming, like ants!”
If they were ants, he could just destroy their nest nearby, but unfortunately, their nest was in Gangnam.
“Ugh. I can’t just kill every single one I see.”
Grumbling, Chung Myung kicked the fallen men’s dantian hard. Then he firmly stomped on his arms and legs, crushing them.
“Grkk…”
Even in his unconscious state, the man felt the pain, causing his body to convulse. Chung Myung looked at him coldly, then turned away as if he didn’t want to waste any more time.
It was right at that moment.
Screeech!
A bird’s call pierced his ears. Looking up, he saw a white pigeon circling overhead.
“Come here!”
Chung Myung stretched out one arm, but the bird, oblivious, continued to circle in the same spot.
“Oh, you dumb thing!”
With a swift leap, Chung Myung grabbed the flying messenger pigeon and descended to the ground.
Flap.
The messenger pigeon, freed from Chung Myung’s hands, landed firmly on his wrist and pecked irritably at his forearm.
With a heavy sigh, Chung Myung pulled out a bird feeder from his robe and placed it on his forearm. The pigeon quickly started pecking at the feed.
Watching this for a moment, Chung Myung clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.
“Birds aren’t cute at all.”
If it were that white rascal, it would have already started bickering. This one is only interested in food, making it very dull.
“Hmph. Not that it really matters.”
It’s all because of that white rascal. No matter how well he treats it, why does it keep causing trouble? Who did it inherit such a foul temper from? The lord of the Beast Palace?
Clicking his tongue, Chung Myung opened the message case and quickly read the letter inside.
“Hmmm.”
It was good news. Most of the teams had entered the assigned areas, and the mission to eliminate the Evil Sects was proceeding smoothly. Although various issues were arising in the process of gathering the refugees, as long as they were alive, those problems could be dealt with.
“The branches has been mostly established… Soso must be having a hard time.”
No matter what anyone says, the busiest person right now would be Tang Soso. She had been given a task far beyond her experience, so the burden must be heavy.
However, thinking briefly of Tang Soso, Chung Myung couldn’t help but laugh. Tang Soso would do well. In some ways, she was better than her father.
As Chung Myung scanned the densely written contents on the small paper, his gaze briefly halted. The two names ‘Baek Cheon’ and ‘Yoon Jong’ caught his attention.
“…”
But only for a moment. Without any hesitation, he continued to read the remaining contents swiftly. Then, he took out a fine brush from his robe and began writing on the back of the paper. He noted down a few instructions.
Folding the letter small, he placed it back into the pigeon’s case.
“Alright, off you go now!”
As Chung Myung lifted his arm, the small pigeon flapped its wings and soared into the sky. Watching it fly westward for a moment, Chung Myung then lowered his gaze with a stern expression.
‘Not yet…’
Jang Ilso still hadn’t made a move. The issue wasn’t that Jang Ilso hadn’t moved yet, but that everyone knew he would move eventually.
It felt like fighting an opponent in front of you while being aware of a poisoned dagger aimed at your back.
It would be fine. He had prepared everything to respond the moment that dagger moved. If you can’t predict the enemy’s actions, you prepare to respond to all possible scenarios.
Yes, with that, it should be…
Just as Chung Myung was about to push off the ground, he suddenly halted in his tracks.
‘Wait…’
Respond? Because you can’t predict it?
Chung Myung’s face twisted in a peculiar way.
Can you truly not predict it? Is it really impossible to know what that bastard is planning?
No, you can’t know. You mustn’t know. He’s not Jang Ilso.
The madman acknowledged by the world. No one in this world can know what is in the head of that lunatic who moves solely on desire.
But…
What if he is Jang Ilso…?
Just as Chung Myung’s head instinctively turned southward.
A sharp whistle-like sound pierced the air.
A golden streak flew fast through the sky.
“That’s…!”
Chung Myung swiftly extended his arm.
Unlike before, the golden streak flew straight toward Chung Myung’s arm like an arrow.
Thud!
The golden bird grasped Chung Myung’s arm and halted its flight. It was well-trained. Chung Myung immediately opened the message tube tied to its leg.
Grit.
Moments later, Chung Myung’s teeth sank into his lower lip.
“This…”
Why didn’t it come sooner…?
Clenching the message tube in his hand until it crushed, Chung Myung immediately kicked off the ground. His form stretched across the barren, yellow-colored land like a black line.
Like a blood-red line drawn across someone’s pale face.
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