The number of pirates were quite large.
The expressions of the people seeing that were stiff.
“Somehow… Don’t they seem a little weird?”
It was Jung Il-Gon who said that.
He was the second son of the Jung Household’s leader, who controlled part of the logistics and distribution of the Yangtze River and has had a lot of entanglement with the pirates.
“What’s weird about it?”
Asked Yeon Ha-rin.
Jung Il-gon replied quickly.
“I think the atmosphere is a little different from the normal pirates. Because they are too orderly to be pirates.”
“Too orderly?”
Yeon Ha-rin once again looked closely at the pirates.
After listening to Jung Il-gon’s story, it certainly seemed that way.
The pirates gathered on the ship’s deck were all holding the same weapon and stood at precise intervals.
Even the posture of standing still was the same.
Suddenly, she felt goosebumps.
“Is it the… half Kang-shi?”
Even before she left she was told twice about the characteristics of the half Kang-shi before leaving.
“I think so.”
“If they are all half Kang-shi, it will be a difficult fight.”
Several of the prospects approached and gave their opinions.
Suddenly, people gathered around Yeonharin.
Among them were the Homuryeon warriors, and some of the masters from each family that escorted the prospects.
“Everyone recalls the weaknesses of half Kang-shi. If you fight without being cautious, we’ll be done in without being able to resist.”
Half Kang-shi did not get tired, so if they fought randomly, their side will fall first.
To avoid that, they had to fight efficiently.
“By the way… their number is quite amazing.”
Everyone nodded at someone’s words.
Aboard each of the ships were a bunch of half Kang-shi dressed as pirates.
As the ships approached, it stopped at a certain distance.
Someone suddenly appeared at the tip of the ship which was the closest.
He was a person who had a completely different outfit on and had a different atmosphere compared to the half Kang-shi.
He was a muscular giant, with a large sword on his shoulder.
“Hey! You kids!”
The expressions of the prospects were cold.
“Looking at your expressions, it seems that you know these guys pretty well, so let’s do this the easy way. Just surrender!”
The giant stabbed his cleaver on the tip of the ship.
“We don’t mean to kill you all. I’m thinking of just holding you guys for a while and then return you intact later.”
The giant treated the prospects like objects. With his beaked eyes, he looked around the ships of the prospects.
“So just surrender quietly. Don’t let your limbs get cut off and shed tears, get a runny nose, and pee yourself.”
While the giant stepped forward and settled the atmosphere, Yeon Ha-rin quickly identified those around her who seemed to have a lot of experience and had high martial arts skills.
She approached an old man who stood out the most.
“Is there any chance we have the best way to escape to land?”
The old man turned around with gleaming eyes and looked at Yeon Ha-rin.
“In the current situation, it seems like the best way to go through is that way. You see two ships over there? We need to go through that gap.”
“Wouldn’t those two ships block the path?”
“That is why we need someone to go over and stop those two boats from doing that.”
Yeon Ha-rin nodded.
“I will go to the boat on the right.”
“I will take the left ship. But… Will you be okay alone?”
“I’ll do as much as I can. But it would be much easier if someone went with me.”
“You have to change boats just before all of our boats are through. It won’t be as easy as you think. Will you really be okay?”
“Isn’t it not a problem of being okay or not? Someone has to do it. I just happen to be that someone.”
The old man smiled tenderly at Yeon Ha-rin’s determined tone and looked around.
“Who else will go?”
It was a situation where Yeon-Ha-rin first said she would go, so if they hesitated, it wouldn’t make them look good.
Hands went up here and there.
However, it was Jung Il-gon who stepped forward before anyone else.
“I am used to fighting on a boat, so I think it would be best if I go. You should just stay here as well Lady Yeon. Me alone is more than enough.”
The old man laughed at Jung Il-gon’s proud words.
“Okay. Then you go as well.”
After that, the old man pointed to some warriors with his fingers. Among the warriors belonging to Homuryeon and those who followed each family, only the masters were selected.
“The rest of the ships will probably fight fiercely. So don’t overdo it and come back right away if things start looking grim.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Jeong Il-gon replied to the old man’s words and looked at Yeon Ha-rin.
Yeonharin also nodded.
“I will do as you say.”
However, Yeon Ha-rin’s eyes were already burning with a fighting spirit.
The old man looked at her with a strange eye.
“Now, then, let’s hurry up. They seem to have run out of patience.”
The ships of the pirates began to move in unison.
And the twelve ships also moved in unison.
The giant, commanding the pirates, immediately grasped why the twelve ships were moving like that and shouted.
“Block them! We can’t let them escape! Block the pathway!”
Then, at that moment, Yeon Ha-rin jumped, flew in the air, and landed lightly on the target ship.
Clang Clang Clang Clang Clang!
Slice Slice Slice Slice!
At the same time, as she landed, she swung her sword and cut through countless bodies of half Kang-shi around her.
Some of the attacks were blocked, but most of the attacks went straight through the bodies. However, half-Kangshi were not hurt by that much.
The moment the half Kang-shi were about to rush toward Yeon Ha-rin, Jung Il-gon jumped in, holding a slightly short sword in both hands and swung it wildly.
Clang! Slice! Slice!
Again, some attacks were blocked and some worked.
Even though the half Kang-shi were deeply wounded, they did not bleed at all.
There was no time to be surprised. The half Kang-shi rushed in and swung their swords.
Then, the Homuryeon warriors appeared.
A fierce fight began.
Among them, the most outstanding was by far Yeon Ha-rin.
Yeon Ha-rin fought very fiercely. Other people nearby were amazed at the way of fighting that didn’t match her appearance at all.
She poured out her fighting spirit and moved toward the steering wheel that moved the ship.
There were real pirates there, but when Yeon Ha-rin rushed in, everyone was amazed and hurriedly swung their sword.
Clang Clang Clang!
Slice Slice!
The pirates fell so easily that it was in vain. Yeon Harin turned the steering wheel to make the ship move to the other side.
The ship carrying the prospects quickly passed through the widened gap that was made between the ships.
After Yeon Ha-rin saw that she ran back to help her companions fighting with the half Kang-shi.
Now was the time to jump ships.
But, as always, everything doesn’t always go as planned.
“These bitches!”
A huge figure fell from above.
Crash!
The floor crumbled and wood chips splattered in all directions.
He was the muscular giant from earlier.
The giant swung the giant cleaver with tremendous speed.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The expressions of the warriors blocking the way of the giant distorted. The attack was so strong that if they blocked it directly, the shock was not all resolved.
“Let’s go!”
Homuryeon warriors kept the giant in check at someone’s cry. First, Jung Il-gon jumped ships.
He jumped on the passing ship.
There were only a few boats left. They had to hurry.
“Come on! hurry!”
Yeon Ha-rin moved at the cry of a Homuryeon warrior. At that moment, however, the giant ran to Yeonharin even allowing an attack to hit him.
Whoosh!
An intense attack swung towards Yeon Harin.
Yeon Ha-rin calmly dodged it.
Crash!
Even though it was dodged, the shock was huge. Yeon Ha-rin stumbled back.
There was no more time to relax. If they delayed any longer, they couldn’t get on the passing boat.
Yeon Ha-rin shouted.
“Leave me and cross over!”
She cried out and swung her sword fiercely at the giant.
Clang!
The giant laughed as he stopped the attacks.
“I could let go of everyone but I can’t let you go. I should at least get one loot. Seeing you up close, you really are a treasure. Hahaha.”
The giant laughed slyly, but Yeon Ha-rin didn’t blink. She quietly swung her sword again and shouted.
“Go first!”
However, the Homuryeon warriors did not do that. How can they leave one woman behind, a prospect at that, and escape?
With a determined expression, the Homuryeon warriors squeezed their molars and swung their swords.
Soon all the ships passed.
And the ships of other pirates gathered around.
Anyway, they survived, so if they run to Homuryeon and ask for help, something will be done.
“What is that expression? Do you think they can all run away?”
The giant laughed again.
Suddenly, those dressed in black were rushing to the riverside where the boats were heading.
It was all half Kang-shi.
Even after seeing that, Yeon Ha-rin was not despaired or disappointed.
She fixed her sword and glared at the giant.
The giant trembled at the appearance.
“It’s the best! It’s too wasteful to offer her as loot!”
The giant said so, swinging the cleaver round and round.
Intense and violent energy emanated from his body.
* * *
The Geumokruju was in charge of guiding Byeoktaesan.
In fact, the Baekhwaruju was going to do it, but Byeoktaesan specifically pointed out the Geumokruju, so they couldn’t help it.
In fact, the Geumokruju handled most of the work here in Uichang, so the Geumokruju knew better than the Baekhwaruju of the ways to the pirates.
She was active in Uichang for a long time as well.
The Geumokruju didn’t say a word and quietly just moved her feet.
She quickly traveled along the river.
Byeoktaesan moved closely behind her, and Cheon Gyeong-wan and Yoo Seo-yeon followed behind him.
Cheon Gyeong-wan and Yoo Seo-yeon insisted to follow and help Byeoktaesan thinking he would ask them to just go back and continue training.
Because there were a lot of pirates, they argued that it would be right for them to take care of the small fries.
Byeoktaesan obviously knew what they were thinking on the inside, but he allowed them to come.
It was true that they can be useful when taking care of the small fries.
The two were actually a little surprised.
The speed at which they are moving was considerable.
Geumokruju did her best without giving any circumstance.
She was the branch manager of the Hao guild, no matter how much she has fallen in title because the headquarters disappeared.
As she started to run in earnest, Cheon Gyeong-wan and Yoo Seo-yeon could not be not vigilant.
The moment they didn’t focus, they felt like they wouldn’t be able to keep up.
However, it was really amazing that Byeoktaesan was following the pace casually.
There were a lot of things he had shown them.
Il Chim Gui was taken care of with one hit, and when the masked man who was among the half Kang-shi exploded his latent powers, he managed it simply.
However, such a fight and running like this were completely different.
This was impossible without inner strength.
And as the two of them knew, Byeoktaesan didn’t have an ounce of inner strength built up.
A mysterious thing was happening right in front of them, but the person in question was Byeoktaesan, so somehow they just learned to accept it.
When the two were filling their minds with their thoughts on Byeoktaesan, Byeoktaesan increased his speed and stuck next to the Geumokruju.
“Hey.”
The Geumokruju looked at Byeoktaesan in amazement.
“Yes? Did, did you call?”
“By any chance, do you know me?”
“You are the second son of Gold Wall aren’t you?”
The Geumokruju replied as if she had been waiting.
“Not that.”
The Geumokruju looked ahead again.
“I do not know.”
“That means you have an inkling yeah?”
The Geumokruju’s face turned pale. She shook her head.
“No. Honestly, I don’t even have a guess.”
Byeoktaesan was trying to say something again, but a forest appeared in front of him.
The Geumokruju said urgently.
“There is a house in that forest.”
Byeoktaesan smiled.
“Let’s talk again later. Taking a long time very slowly.”
The Geumokruju has a look as if she was about to cry.
“It’s really nothing.”
“Why do you decide that?”
Byeoktaesan left with that and ran straight forward.
Shortly after entering the forest, a house quickly appeared.
A small river led to the forest, and a house was erected by the river.
Half was floating on the river, and the other half was built on the shore.
“What, it looks like it’s empty?”
The Geumokruju was surprised at the words of Byeoktaesan.
“It can’t be. Even just yesterday, It was full of pirates… … !”
“Yeah? So where did all those pirates go?”
The Geumokruju’s face turned blue.
“The prospects are in danger!”
“Guide me.”
The Geumokruju paused at Byeoktaesan’s words. And she said as she looked at the small river that flowed away from the house.
“Because there isn’t a single ship left, it looks like they went out along that river.”
Byeoktaesan nodded at her words.
“It makes sense. Then can I run along the river?”
“I think we need to hurry.”
The Geumokruju spoke after recalling the departure times of the prospects in her mind, calculated where they could have been.
Byeoktaesan first started running along the river.
The Geumokruju, Cheon Gyeong-wan, and Yoo Seo-yeon followed.
Yoo Seo-yeon’s face turned white.
“I should have followed… … .”
Cheon Gyeong-wan tapped on Yoo Seo-yeon’s shoulder. As Yoo Seo-yeon turned her head and looked at him, he said heavily.
“Stay focused.”
Yoo Seo-yeon woke up with those words and nodded.
And she ran while looking at Byeoktaesan’s back. However, staying focused did not mean that the urgent mindset disappeared.
As if reflecting the heart, she became faster. Cheon Gyeong-wan could match her speed, but the Geumokruju could not.
Little by little she fell behind.
However, despite increasing the speed, the distance from Byeoktaesan was gradually increasing.
Suddenly, Byeoktaesan turned into a dot on the horizon.
The astonishment hardly disappeared in the eyes of the two.
* * *
Byeoktaesan arrived at the confluence of the small river.
Then he saw ships clustered in the distance.
There were a lot of half Kang-shi on the boats.
“I finally found them.”
And pirates were mixed in along with the half Kang-shi.
In the meantime, a muscular giant was wielding a huge sword that suited his body.
And it was Yeon Ha-rin who was fiercely fighting the giant.
As he focused, the fight between the two was magnified and engraved on the retina as if it were taking place right in front of him.
Byeoktaesan, who saw that, tilted his head.
“Something… It feels a bit familiar?”
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