Return of Mount Hua Sect - Chapter 758
Kwadeuk!
Baek Cheon’s sword penetrated the deck.
The sword, which punctured the thick wooden planks as easily as tofu, then bent dangerously as if about to snap, before being knocked upwards. Then the deck ripped apart and soared upwards.
“Ot!”
The wooden plank of the deck where the pirate who wielded Amiza was standing also sprang up. As the place where her feet stood suddenly rose, his posture naturally faltered, and Amiza, who had been stretching out, had no choice but to lose its momentum.
Kagagagak!
The sword that was swung one after another pushed the thin harpoon and split the enemy’s chest at once.
Sogok!
The pirate, eyes wide open in disbelief, collapsed and pour out blood. It was only then that a sigh of relief escaped from Baek Cheon’s mouth.
‘That was close.’
Normally, they would not be opponents to be particularly cautious of.
However, he had never fought in a situation where he was swaying back and forth like this. If he had not responded spontaneously, he might have been in serious trouble.
“Down (하하(下下))! Lower your center of gravity as much as possible! It’s not a trick we can’t deal with!”
“Yes, Sasuk!”
Mount Hua’s disciples responded in a loud voice to Baek Cheon’s shout.
Kuuung!
Bang Chung once again kicked the railing. Whether it was due to his strong internal strength or his great skill, the huge ship swayed left and right as if it was about to capsize at any moment.
“Don’t fall for the bluff! They won’t have any experience fighting in such a situation! Don’t fall for the bluff and finish them off!”
“Yes!”
It was the moment when the pirates were trying to regain their momentum again.
Tat!
Yoo Iseol’s body shot forward like an arrow with a small sound as if a cat were leaping.
“This…!”
Those who had been wary of Yoo Iseol from the beginning, considering her to be a formidable opponent, all swung their weapons at her as she flew toward them.
With her cold eyes fixed on the incoming pirates, she thrust her sword forward and lightly hit the top of the incoming trident.
Taang!
Yoo Iseol’s body soared further up to the air with a clear sound like a small bell. She had used the recoil from striking the enemy’s weapon to lift her body.
“Huh?”
“What….”
At that seemingly impossible Light Body Art (경신법(輕身法)), the enemies could not hide their astonishment and gaped.
Paaaat!
A string of red plum blossoms bloomed from Yoo Iseol’s sword.
The deck of the ship, which is by no means small, was quickly dyed with red plum blossoms. It was a sight as if a new island filled with plum blossoms had suddenly sprung up in the middle of a vast Yangtze River.
At the bizarre sight that they were seeing for the first time, the pirate’s eyes widened as if they would tear apart.
Sararak.
The scattering plum blossom petals pierced the bodies of the pirates. They instinctively realized that they had to block them, but it was impossible to block all the hundreds of petals with their blunt weapons.
Sogok! Sogok! Sogok! Sogok!
The scattering plum blossom sword energy cut and pierced through various parts of the pirates’ bodies.
“Aaaaargh!”
“Arms! My arms! Aargh!”
The pirates clutched their pierced bodies and writhed on the floor. Yoo Iseol, who had incapacitated nearly ten enemies in a matter of moments, slowly landed on the ground like a butterfly.
Then she muttered softly as if telling her Sahyung.
“You just have to fight without touching the ground.”
Jo-Gol smiled pleasedly at the truly clear answer.
“If that’s all there is to it, then we wouldn’t have to suffer like this…”
“…I know.”
“Anyway, it means we just have to keep our feet on the floor as much as possible, right?”
“Then we can do it like we’re fighting on a cliff. I got the hang of it! Euracha!”
Yoon Jong and Jo-Gol, who had been exchanging words with each other, ran forward like lightning at the same time. And they immediately began to slice through the pirates.
While Jo-Gol and Yoon Jong rushed like furious tigers in the front, Yoo Iseol came after their back like nimble leopards from behind, so no matter how numerous the pirates were, they had no chance to resist.
Seeing the pirates starting to be pushed back without any countermeasures, Bang Chung shouted.
“What, what are you doing! Shoot the arrows…”
Puuk!
“Kkeureuk…”
But at that moment, a man standing on the railing grasped his neck and fell backward.
It was so fast that it was hard to even comprehend the situation. Bang Chung was shocked and quickly turned his head back.
Swaeaeaek!
A sharp small knife had sped past the spot where his forehead was just moments ago with tremendous speed.
“Oh my. What a pity.”
Tang Soso looked at Bang Chung with a smirk.
“Your head looked a bit stuffy. I thought making a wind hole would feel refreshing.”
“You… You wretched viper…”
Sweat trickled down Bang Chung’s face, which had just narrowly escaped death.
‘What the hell is going on here?’
He wasn’t a man without wit, either. Whether it was a bandit on a mountain or on water, it was all thievery in the end. To have one neck attached for long in such a business, one had to be astute.
The tide of the battle on this ship had swung towards the pirates.
‘How are these young ones…’
Of course, he can understand that they’re strong. The Ten Great Sect are all monsters. And Mount Hua had recently become a sect comparable to the Ten Great Sect, or rather, a sect that overshadowed the Ten Great Sect with its recent momentum. Even their young disciples were expected to be strong.
However, being young means that they lack experience. Isn’t it due to this lack of experience that even the mighty warriors of the sect suffer when they enter Kangho?
They wouldn’t have experienced fighting numerous pirates on an unfamiliar body of water, especially not in a situation where the ship is being rocked as it is now.
Far from being disconcerted, however, they quickly find a way to deal with it. Like a veteran of Kangho, who has rolled over Kangho countless times.
“Aaaah!”
At that moment, another pirate screamed and collapsed.
“Where are you going, you pirate scum!”
“Don’t get carried away, you punk!”
Mount Hua’s disciples were now completely in control and running riot among the pirates. At this rate, it seemed like they would be annihilated in no time.
Bang Chung yelled out with a solemn face,
“Re… retreat! Retreat immediately!”
His thought was short, and his decision was quick.
“Captain?”
“Damn it! Can’t you hear me? Retreat quickly! Fall back! We’re going back to the ship!”
The pirates quickly retreated backward as soon as his words dropped. Their movement was swift, as if they had trained for this multiple times. Like rats fleeing from an earthquake, they jumped off the ship in an orderly fashion and returned to their ship via the chain they had put in place.
“Don’t let them escape!”
Baek Cheon leaps and swings his sword.
The basic of Kangho is not to chase away enemies who run away, but such a concept does not exist in Mount Hua. Mount Hua’s way is to chase them and bite their back when enemies run away.
“Argh!”
“These, these brutal bastards!”
The pirates who couldn’t fully escape got attacked on their backs and fell down screaming.
However, they also threw themselves overboard as if they would not be taken lightly.
Splash! Splash!
The pirates who jumped into the river swam skillfully back to their ship.
Although some of them fell while screaming in pain, unable to avoid the swords of Mount Hua’s disciples, most of the pirates managed to escape from the deck and climbed back onto their ship.
“Cut the line!”
Bang Chung, who had wisely moved to their ship beforehand, shouted, and the chain connecting the two ships was cut, stretching into the river below.
The ship that was anchored started to rock, and the distance between the two ships started to widen.
“Why are these pirates so spineless!”
Jo-Gol gritted his teeth and clung to the railing, pointing his finger.
“Baek Cheon Sasuk! What should we do? Should we pursue them?”
“Hmm.”
Baek Cheon squinted his eyes.
‘It’s not like we can’t pursue them.’
If it’s now, they can move to that ship. But to do that, they would have to take some risk.
While Baek Cheon agonized for a moment, the ship that had been creating distance slowed down again.
“Huh?”
Deureururuk! Deureururuk!
One side of the ship’s railing opened like a door, and something strange revealed itself from inside.
A large and long cylinder as if…
“A- A cannon?”
Baek Cheon’s eyes widened.
“Those- Those crazy bastards! Even if they are pirates, a cannon? What would they do if the officials found out…!”
“It’s- It’s not a cannon!”
Suddenly a voice came from beside him. Turning his head, he saw the captain who had approached, looking pale and shouting.
“Tha- That’s why you should never mess with pirates…! What are you going to do now! We’re all dead!”
“What is that?”
“That, that is…”
It was then.
“Fireeeeeeeeeee!”
With Bang Chung’s loud command, the cylinder spewed fire. A huge harpoon fired there lodged itself in the lower part of the ship, which touched the water.
Kwaaaang!
With a loud noise, the sturdy wooden bottom of the ship was pierced in an instant. Then the water began to rush into the ship.
“You bastards! I’ll bury you in the middle of the Yangtze River along with your ship! Fire! Fire all the harpoons until the ship is completely destroyed!”
“Yes!”
Dolkok! Dolkok!
More hatches on the railing opened, and large harpoons flew in one after another. As if they were well-trained, their harpoons accurately pierced the lower part of the ship where it met the water’s surface.
Geugeugeung!
As the ship swayed with a groaning sound, the captain, whose face turned pale, shouted.
“Go, go down quick! We need to scoop out the water immediately! Otherwise, we’ll sink in no time! Quick, quick, you bastards!”
Upon his command, the crew members panicked and rushed into the cabin.
“Warrior-nim! Please do something! If we keep getting hit like this, the ship will break. If the ship breaks in the middle of the Yangtze River, we’ll become a fish meal!”
“Hmm.”
Baek Cheon agonized for a moment.
“It’s too far to swim, and we can’t jump across the water, and it’s too far to cross at once….”
Jo-Gol, who was standing next to him, nodded as if he understood.
“That means helpless.”
“No. We’re not completely helpless.”
“Yes?”
But Baek Cheon soon grinned.
“If they’re shooting harpoons from over there, we just need to fire a real cannon from here.”
“A cannon? Is there a cannon on this ship?”
“You know, a special one.”
“Uh… Ah!”
Jo-Gol turned around as if he realized something.
There it was! A truly special one!
“Huhuhuhu. Those damned bastards.”
Bing Chung laughed triumphantly.
Encountering an expert on the Yangtze River was not an uncommon event. Had his men been swept away each time, would the reputation of the Eighteen Water Fortress of Yangtze River exist as it does today?
‘No matter how formidable one is, they can’t show half of their skills once they fall into the water.’
Especially those Righteous Sect people will prioritize saving those who fall into the water. When his nimble men, who are more agile than the dolphins in the Yangtze River, attack from underwater, even the most formidable opponents are inevitably defeated.
“The fish in the Yangtze River will feast! What are you doing, fire more….”
It was then.
“Huh?”
Someone jumped onto the railing of the ship on the other side.
“What?”
Why would someone climb onto the railing of a sinking ship? Unless they surrender, there would be no reason for it.
Of course, he has no intention to accept a surrender…
“A monk?”
Bing Chung furrowed his brows and tilted his head.
The one who had climbed onto the railing was a monk dressed in a monk’s robe. The young monk, with a youthful face, waved at them from the railing, then slowly placed his right fist beside his waist.
“What is he trying to…”
And at that moment.
Goooooooooo!
His robe fluttered wildly as a dazzling golden flame burst from his body.
Bing Chung’s eyes popped out at the unbelievable spectacle.
“Wha- What… what on earth is that….”
“Taaaaaat!”
The monk threw out his fist at once as if he wouldn’t give them time to think. From the end of his fist, a blinding golden energy burst forth like a waterfall, crossing the vast Yangtze River and hitting the fast ship they were on directly.
Kwaaaaaaang!
An enormous roar echoed around them.
Bing Chung, who had tightly closed his eyes and turned his head, slowly opened his eyes. The expected shock was absent, so he opened his eyes fully, tilting his head with a puzzled expression.
“What, it’s not a big deal… Damn, what the hell is this?!”
But then, his mouth dropped open in surprise.
The bow of the ship.
The bow was nowhere to be seen.
It looked more like vanished than broken. The front part of the ship evaporated cleanly as if it had been neatly cut off with a huge sword.
The debris floating on the Yangtze River was the only proof that the bow had ever been there.
“What the….”
“Euaaaaak! Leader! Water! Water is coming iiin!”
“We’re sinking, damn it! The ship’s sinking!”
“Jump off! We’ll drown with the ship if we stay like this.”
Kwareureung.
Water from the Yangtze River rushed into the ship at an alarming rate. The ship quickly tilted forward and began to sink.
“….Crazy.”
A whimper leaked from the mouth of Bang Chung, which was still stunned.
“….Scam.”
“I should’ve entered Shaolin. Why did I come to Mount Hua?”
“I agree with you for today.”
Watching the sinking ship, the disciples of Mount Hua shook their heads in disappointment. They forget it once in a while because they’ve become so friendly these days…..
‘This guy wasn’t even human.’
He’s a monster recognized by Chung Myung, so how could he be?
“Anyway… I think we’ve solved it.”
Yoon Jong looked at Baek Cheon and asked.
“What should we do, Sasuk? Shall we catch a few and interrogate them?”
“Um. That sounds good.”
Baek Cheon nodded his head. And then he sighed softly to himself.
‘It wasn’t as hard as I thought.’
Whether the pirates were not as strong as he thought, or Mount Hua had become stronger than he thought, it was not a bad outcome…
“Sahyung.”
That was when Yoo Iseol called out in an unusually loud voice. Baek Cheon turned around.
“What’s wrong, Samae?”
“Over there.”
“Huh?”
“….Over there. There.”
Back Cheon’s gaze followed the direction of her pointed finger. His surprised eyes quickly wavered.
“Oh my….”
On the other side of the river, at a distance where the horizon seemed to touch the river, ships were emerging one after another. The number of ships was significant enough to be called a fleet.
At the same time.
Chwarararak!
In the very center, on a large ship that was twice as big as the others, two large sails were unfurled. There were two sails hung on the overpowering ship with black ink.
One was the figure of a black dragon, and the other was the image of a gigantic whale crossing the sea.
A desperate voice leaked from the captain’s mouth.
“Dra- Dragon Ship…”
“What?”
“I- It’s the ship that the Chaeju of Great Whale Fortress is on! They call it the Dragon Ship, the god of the Yangtze River, the Dragon Ship!
His legs soon became weak and he collapsed.
“We’re all dead now…. O Dragon King of the Yangtze River, please have mercy on us.”
Looking at the approaching giant black dragon ship, Baek Cheon’s eyes became serious.