Return of Mount Hua Sect - Chapter 740

The Yangtze River.
It cuts across the center of Jungwon, serving as a lifeline and a hub of water transportation.

Hence, naturally, the port is crowded with people looking to cross the river by ship and others intending to travel to distant regions along the stream of the Yangtze River. It was a scene of hustle and bustle.

“Hurry up and board! Hurry! We’re about to depart!”

“Don’t push! Ah, I’m going to fall!”

People were rushing across the gangplank placed between the docked massive ship and the port. The crowd was a diverse blend of attire.

Once everyone seemed to have boarded, the sailor member collecting the money stuck out his head and shouted robustly..
“Is there anyone else? If not, we’re leaving!”

With that, they retracted the gangplank and raised the anchor. Soon, the sails unfurled, and the previously anchored ship began to slowly move forward. As the ship at gradually drifted away from the port, riding on the majestic flow of the Jiang River, that’s when it happened.

“Waiiiiit!”

From a distance, someone yelled and ran towards the ship like an arrow.

“Wait! Stop for a moment! I need to board that ship!”

An unusually loud voice.

No, actually, the sound itself wasn’t that loud, but strangely, it was very clearly heard.

A man standing at the bow of the ship, watching the dock gradually recede, clicked his tongue as if regretful.
“Why didn’t you come a bit earlier! The ship can’t turn back! You’ll have to catch the next one!”
The ship had already moved quite far from the dock. The sailor’s words were indeed reasonable, as they could not turn the ship back once it had left.

But the man running didn’t seem to think so.

“I can’t let that happen!”

Without slowing down, he raced like a madman toward the riverbank.

“That, that guy!”

“What’s he trying to do?”

Everyone on the ship and at the dock watched with astonishment at his actions.

The ship had already been more than a dozen zhang away from the riverbank. But this man didn’t seem to be giving up; he appeared to have the momentum to jump all the way to the ship.

“He’s going to hurt himself like that…”

“Ei. He’ll just swim until he exhausts himself.”

“How is he supposed to catch the ship by swimming! The ship isn’t going to wait for him. The sails are already unfurled!”

It was then.

“Taaaaat!”

Suddenly, the man’s speed increased, and then he soared into the air like a bird. At the same time, everyone’s eyes followed him up into the sky.

“Wooooow!”

“What the hell! What is that!”

The man, who had sprung up like a hawk, spun once in mid-air and managed to close the distance of ten zhang, landing on the ship.

Kuuuung!

He got on the ship’s railing by a hair’s breadth, but it was undoubtedly a breathtaking feat.

Those who were watching from the dock and those who were watching from the deck of the ship also clapped their mouths open at the spectacular sight. An outpouring of admiration broke out.

“People aren’t birds.”

“Amazing. Really amazing! Is he a people of Kangho?”

Then, one of the onlookers noticed the word “Special (특(特))” written on the load that the man was carrying on his shoulder and was startled.

“It’s a special delivery! It’s a special delivery from the Eunha Courier Service!”

“Ohh! That Eunha Merchant Guild…”

“Oh! This man is the special courier of the Eunha Courier Service, who is said to be as swift as the wind! This is the first time I’ve seen him in person!”

As the word “special delivery” was mentioned, people on the deck started whispering and flocked around the man.
The man gave a big smile and greeted the people around him.

“Thank you. Thank you. However, I’m transporting goods right now, so please don’t get too close. I ask for your understanding.”
Upon his polite request, the crowd that had been gathering around him nodded and stepped back one or two steps.
The special delivery of the Eunha Courier Service was known to transport expensive items, given its high usage fee.

Wasn’t the reason why the Eunha Courier Service was gaining the greatest reputation among countless courier services across the world due to the existence of this special delivery?

It was something that not only those who were involved in this business but also anyone with even a slight interest in the world could not be ignorant of. They were known to sprint ten thousand Li in one breath, delivering parcels accurately within a timeframe that other courier services could not dare to commit to.

“You’ve working hard. Where are you going?”

“Haha. That’s something I can’t disclose, I ask for your understanding.”

“Sure enough, it’s a special delivery from the Eunha Courier Service. Sp reliable.”
“Of course, of course. Even Beijing’s high-ranking officials are waiting in order to commission them, don’t they?”

“That’s impressive. Really impressive. I want to entrust them with goods someday.”

“Do you have something valuable enough?”

“Hey, this man! I heard that there are not only special delivery in the Eunha Courier Service? You can also entrust an ordinary good.”

The special courier, Sojeongbok, (소정복(昭正福)) smiled broadly.

‘Now people recognize me wherever I go.’

Of course, he was a disciple of the Yuryong Sect.

Time has passed since Munju’s determination to start delivering special gooods, and now there were people who recognized the special delivery of the Eunha Courier Service wherever they went.

‘It’s really a good thing.’

How fierce was the resistance from within when Munju first announced he would start delivering goods?

It was not only the Elders who staked their lives on their dignity. The disciples who were put into the work could not disobey Munju’s orders, so they only followed reluctantly, and there were many who were not fond of the idea.
But now, those who stay in the Yuryong Sect and train without going out on deliveries were envious of those who did, looking forward to their turn to go out on delivery.

‘Come to think of it, I’m running out of shifts.’

After fulfilling his term, he had to return to the Yuryong Sect, swap places with someone else, and spend some time training. The thought of going back to the Yuryong Sect made him sigh.

He hadn’t realized this before. Seeing the world directly and experiencing numerous things broaden one’s perspective so much.

Compared to spending all day training in the stuffy Yuryong Sect stuck in the mountains, it was certainly a luxury.

‘Plus, with this delivery, I’ve almost collected the amount I was aiming for…’

The Eunha Merchant Guild was really generous.

They paid their wages reliably every time they went on a delivery. Of course, they paid a certain portion of the commission they received to the Yuryong Sect, and from there, they received their share, so the ratio was not high, but that alone was a huge amount that was hard to imagine for the disciples of the Yuryong Sect.

Even if they don’t have to improve their martial art and make a reputation as martial artists, they can earn more than just making a name for themselves by continuing this delivery.

No, if you look at it purely financially, they might be able to accumulate an incomparable amount of money.

So the disciples of the Yuryong Sect worked diligently without being lazy, and thanks to this, the reputation of the Eunha Courier Service’s special delivery was getting higher day by day.

Besides…

– Hahahahaha! The storage is so full that there’s no more room to put anything! We have to expand the warehouse! The warehouse!

“……Good grief.”

The Yuryong Sect changed day by day.

The shabby front hall are torn down and new buildings were being built. Recently, isn’t Munju-nim even thinking about moving the location of the Yuryong Sect to a bustling city?
Sojeongbok realized anew each time that money could change a lot of things.

Then, a small whisper from the people passed by his ears.

“But isn’t it dangerous? Everyone in the world knows that the special delivery carries valuable items, if he travels alone like this…”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Huh?”

“Haven’t you heard the rumor that Mount Hua Sect is backing the special delivery? Even if a robber is desperate for money, could they touch a delivery that’s protected by Mount HuaSect? To those Evil Factions, isn’t Mount Hua Sect like the Grim Reaper?”

“Ah! That’s true. Yes, that’s true! Those Evil Faction would definitely tremble in front of Mount Hua Sect.”

“From what I hear, since Mount Hua Sect wiped out Daebyolchae, even the bandits of Nokrim dare not touch the Eunha Courier Service. They also only have one life, of course they should be careful, shouldn’t they?”

“Hehe. Hearing that is funny. If Mount Hua Sect can do it, the Ten Great Sect should be able to do it too, doesn’t it mean they’ve been idle until now?”

“It’s a matter of personal Righteousness, Righteousness! Well, anyways, that’s why the special delivery is safe, and why the officials trust and entrust them. The Eunha top brass also believes in them, so if something goes wrong with the goods the special delivery is transporting, they put forth the condition of paying a tremendous amount of compensation.”

“Indeed, now I understand.”

Sojeongbok smirked secretly.

They don’t know. It’s not that Nokrim is frightened by Mount Hua and thus can’t touch them, but because they joined hands with Mount Hua.

He wondered what kind of expression they would have if they knew he had a good rest and a hearty meal at a nearby stronghold before coming here.

Sojeongbok, who casually hung the luggage with the goods on the railing, was habitually on guard left and right.

If he was on land, he was confident that he could escape even if someone aimed for the goods. Every disciple of Yuryong Sect has a knack for Lightness Art.

However, on a ship like this where there was no place to escape, he had to be several times more alert than usual.

‘Once I get off the ship and go for another three days, I’ll reach my destination. Then I can go out a couple more times before returning to the Yuryong Sect. Since it’s all about having fun while rotating…’’

The ship carrying Sojeongbok moved forward without stopping. The magnificent scenery unfolded on both sides of the ship flowing along the stream of the Yangtze River.

How long had it been?

When it was about time for the sunset, the sailors came to the deck and shouted.

“Don’t stay on the railing at night, as you may fall off the ship. And at night, the river breeze is cold. Although the cabin is small, there’s enough space for everyone here, so please go inside and sleep.”

Hearing that, the people who were watching the setting sun, one by one, got up and headed toward the cabin. But then, an urgent voice burst out from the bow.

“Wa- Wait! Over there! Over, over there!”

The sailor hurriedly ran towards the bow.

“What’s up! What’s going on?”

“Over there! Look over there! That ship!”

“Hm?”

The sailor hurriedly leaned his head and looked in the direction he was pointing. From the opposite side, a ship was slowly approaching.

“What’s the problem? It’s just an ordinary ship.”

“The- The direction is strange. At this distance, they should be turning the bow, but even if we turn the bow, they keep following us.”

“What?”

The sailor’s eyes shook slightly.

“Then….”

It was clear that they were approaching this ship, which certainly meant they had some business. What kind of business could they possibly have on this river?
It was just that moment.

“Hyu- Hyung-nim! There!”

The approaching ship raised its sail.

Raising a sail wasn’t an unusual event, but the problem was the emblem drawn on it.

A threatening figure of a black dragon was clearly visible at a glance.

“Eighteen Fortress!”

“It’s the Yangtze Eighteen Fortress!”

“Da- Damn it!”

There was only one place in the Yangtze that could use that emblem. Eighteen Fortress of the Yangtze River ((장강수로십팔채(長江水路十八砦))).

“It- It’s pirates!”

“The pirates are coming!”

Those on board the ship panicked when they heard the word ‘Eighteen Fortress.’ Meeting pirates on this vast river where there was nowhere to escape was literally the worst-case scenario.

But it was already too late to avoid them. The ship unfurling the Black Dragon flag was getting closer and faster.

Sojeongbok’s face began to harden coldly.