The Yangtze River.
Ordinarily, one would simply think of the Yangtze as a massive river cutting across the Central Plains.
But in today's murim, the meaning of the Yangtze was more important than ever before.
The boundary dividing the orthodox and the unorthodox.
The reason was surprisingly simple.
It was because the Murim Alliance loomed large to the north of the river, and the Saheukryeon to the south.
"Phew. It's going to be tough again today."
Yeo Un-gi, leaning against a ferry terminal located north of the Yangtze, let out a sigh.
It had already been half a month since he stationed himself at this river.
During that time, he had done only one thing.
Repelling river bandits.
However, every time he boarded a ship, the motion sickness that followed made his head spin, making it far from easy to take down his opponents.
"Sigh, if I knew the Hyop-wi-dae did this kind of work, I wouldn't have tried so hard..."
Grumbling, he stretched his neck from side to side.
The Hyop-wi-dae had been his goal for a long time.
This was only natural, as a martial artist belonging to a mid-sized sect called the Iron Blood Faction, it was the largest military unit he could enter within the Murim Alliance.
So when he joined the Hyop-wi-dae, he thought he would be doing the chivalrous deeds he had only heard about, or missions like slaying evil cultivators.
'Yet here I am, dealing with river bandits.'
The very first mission he received upon becoming a Hyop-wi-dae member was extremely simple and straightforward.
Escort the pyoguk and merchants crossing the Yangtze!
'If there's any consolation, it's that the opponents aren't ordinary bandits but Suryongchae. If I could just take down that old man, I'd build some reputation...'
Yeo Un-gi recalled the old man who radiated the most intense aura among the bandits.
'Well, that's impossible.'
His mouth tasted bitter, but he had to admit it.
With his current skills, let alone defeating that old man, he was lucky just to have his neck intact.
'If I had come alone, I'd be dead.'
He deliberately stretched his neck even wider. Hearing the cracking sound, he felt a slight sense of relief for some reason.
"Haah, I don't want to do this."
"What are you saying?"
At that moment, a rebuke came from beside him.
"Oh my, have you arrived?"
Yeo Un-gi scratched his head and looked at the person who had scolded him.
"You haven't forgotten what we need to do, have you?"
"Haha, I know. I was just complaining once because this situation is frustrating. Lady Cheonghwa."
"Then that's a relief."
The woman with a cold expression, her jet-black hair let down, Hyeokryeon Cheonghwa, looked at Yeo Un-gi with a suspicious expression.
But that was only for a moment.
"More importantly, how do you think today will go?"
She asked softly.
Yeo Un-gi replied while watching her grip the sword in her embrace more tightly.
"Hmm, since they didn't come yesterday, they probably won't come today either?"
Yeo Un-gi shrugged his shoulders.
Then, pulling his back away from the wall, he said.
"More importantly, let's go board now."
"Understood."
The two slowly boarded an old ship stationed in one spot.
Riding up the creaking wooden planks, they arrived on the ship and immediately greeted those who had boarded first.
"I am Yeo Un-gi, dispatched from the Alliance."
"I am Hyeokryeon Cheonghwa."
A stout middle-aged man hurried over.
The middle-aged man who came running with heavy footsteps smiled broadly.
"Nice to meet you. I am Son Wi, the head of the Dancheong Pyoguk."
"Haha. Nice to meet you. I am Yeo Un-gi."
"I am Hyeokryeon Cheonghwa."
"Please take good care of us this time."
"Haha, I'll do my best."
While the three were exchanging introductions and talking.
"This isn't a ship that just anyone can board."
A commotion broke out below the ship.
"But I was told to board this ship?"
"Who told you that?"
"Bugunsa."
The moment those words came out.
"What...?"
"Bugunsa-nim?"
Yeo Un-gi and Hyeokryeon Cheonghwa, who had been listening to the commotion, flinched.
"W-why do you react like that?"
The pyogukju was flustered by their reaction, but before that, the two had already moved.
"Excuse me, let me pass."
"Let's talk later."
The two hastily passed the pyogukju in front of them and hurriedly looked down.
There, a young man with sharp features wearing black martial clothes was continuing to argue with the pyosa.
"I've never seen that face before. Have you seen him, Young Hero Yeo Un-gi?"
"No. Me neither..."
As Yeo Un-gi shook his head and answered, the young man's voice was heard.
"...So I was told to protect this ship from Suryongchae's attack."
* * *
A short while later, the ship departed.
"Hahaha, so you were Young Hero Cheon-hwi. Nice to meet you. I am Yeo Un-gi."
Yeo Un-gi, who arrived at the stern of the ship, smiled broadly and welcomed Cheon-hwi who had boarded late.
"As expected of Bugunsa-nim. Seeing that you immediately sent reinforcements when there was a shortage of personnel for this mission."
His face brightened.
Perhaps because this mission wasn't considered a proper one, those dispatched here numbered only about fifteen in total.
But was the Yangtze a narrow river?
It was so wide that it was unmanageable.
Because of that, Yeo Un-gi and Hyeokryeon Cheonghwa had to carry out the mission every single day.
But having reinforcements arrive like this meant.
"By any chance, do you know how many came besides you, Young Hero?"
He asked with a bright face, but what returned to him was an answer that trampled his expectations.
"Only I came."
"...What?"
For a moment, Yeo Un-gi let out a deflated sound with a blank face.
Then he quickly shook his head left and right and snapped out of it.
"Come on, there's no way you came alone..."
Waving his hand as he spoke, he swallowed dryly as he looked at the expressionless Cheon-hwi.
"Y-you really came alone?"
"Yes."
"..."
Yeo Un-gi's expression immediately darkened.
"Haah."
Then, letting out a deep sigh as if the ground was collapsing, he leaned his back weakly against the railing of the swaying ship.
"Argh! I thought I'd finally get some rest, but now I'll be rolling around all day again. Sigh."
Cheon-hwi looked at him with amused interest.
The orthodox martial artists he had seen so far were mostly Taoist priests or scions of noble families.
Because of that, this kind of reaction was different.
It was clearly dripping with annoyance, wasn't it?
'Better than stiff bastards.'
Looking at Yeo Un-gi like that, he recalled the purpose of coming here and opened his mouth.
"Do you know where Suryongchae is located?"
"Their base is unknown."
The answer flowed not from Yeo Un-gi, but from someone else's mouth.
Cheon-hwi turned his gaze to Hyeokryeon Cheonghwa, who had answered, and asked.
"You said they've attacked continuously several times, and you still don't know their base?"
Hyeokryeon Cheonghwa's brows furrowed.
"...They are not that easy of an opponent."
'What? Not easy opponents?'
It was so ridiculous that a hollow laugh came out.
Suryongchae, or the Yangtze River Water Fortress.
At the end of the day, they were just river bandits, weren't they?
'Seeing them struggle against mere bandits, there's nothing more to gain by asking.'
Cheon-hwi immediately lost interest in the two.
Then Hyeokryeon Cheonghwa also closed her mouth and did not continue the conversation.
As the atmosphere cooled down in an instant.
"Haha. Lady Cheonghwa. Since we'll be carrying out the mission together from now on, instead of being so cold, how about we get along?"
Yeo Un-gi, who had simply wanted the situation to flow smoothly, spoke up to refresh the mood.
However.
"Just because we're doing the mission together, is there really a need to get along?"
Hyeokryeon Cheonghwa flatly refused.
"Wow! That's exactly what I think!"
Cheon-hwi immediately chimed in with those words.
'They seem useless anyway.'
He didn't want to waste unnecessary time and emotions on this mission.
"Ha, haha."
The one put in an awkward position because of that was Yeo Un-gi.
'Oh my. I thought it would be a bit easier than before since one more person was added.'
Just as he was about to let out a sigh mixed with various emotions.
Splash—
Suddenly, the waves became unusual.
The advancing ship was swept by the strong current and shook violently, and Yeo Un-gi, sensing the ominous atmosphere, jumped up.
At the same time.
"I-It's Suryongchae!"
A loud shout erupted from the front.
"Lady! Young Hero!"
Yeo Un-gi quickly shouted and turned around, but.
"..."
The two were already gone.
"Well, Lady Cheonghwa is one thing, but..."
Looking at the two who had disappeared before he even noticed, he shook his head.
"Young Hero Cheon-hwi is also a remarkable master."
Feeling bone-deep that he was merely an ordinary martial artist, he sighed and kicked off the swaying wooden planks.
"Sigh, let me just do my job well."
Meanwhile, Hyeokryeon Cheonghwa, who had moved first, glared at the scrawny old man before her.
"Is it you again, Heuk-ya-no?"
"You're the one who keeps coming back after getting beaten every time."
Her brow furrowing at the sharp words, Hyeokryeon Cheonghwa glanced back and said.
"Everyone, hide behind me."
Though her voice was very soft, it pierced clearly into everyone's ears.
"Y-yes, understood."
"Everyone get to the back."
Seeing the pyoguk's pyosa and crewmen scrambling backward, Heuk-ya-no's eyes widened.
"Hehehe, do you think I'll let them pass easily?"
Finishing his words, he raised his hand high.
"Attack them all!"
At that moment, the calm river water surged upward, and people looking like soaked rats appeared from all directions.
"Loot everything!"
"Not a single thing left! Strip them all!"
The bandits immediately drew out their bizarre weapons and charged in an instant.
Heuk-ya-no, who had given the order, laughed.
"Huhu, will you just leave them be?"
"My opponent is you."
Hyeokryeon Cheonghwa grasped the sword in her embrace.
The moment the transparent blade was slowly revealed, the sunlight streaming down was reflected and pierced Heuk-ya-no's eyes.
"Keuk! You bitch! How cowardly!"
In the fleeting moment Heuk-ya-no was rubbing his eyes.
"The cowardly one has always been you."
The woman's cold voice spread out.
Kaang!
But instead of the sound of flesh being sliced, the sound of iron clashing against iron erupted.
"Hmph! Did you think I'd fall from just that?"
Heuk-ya-no, having deflected the sword face, bared his yellow teeth in a grin.
Soon, a murky qi flowed from his body and slowly engulfed his entire being.
"This time, I'll definitely kill you."
"No. The one who will die is you."
Hyeokryeon Cheonghwa also spread her qi.
Meanwhile, at the back of the ship, Yeo Un-gi, who was protecting the pyoguk's people, gritted his teeth.
"Damn it! Stop appearing already!"
Thwack! Thwack!
It was exhausting to continuously send away the appearing bandits with his fists and palms.
He quickly looked back and said.
"If there's anyone who has learned martial arts, could you help out a little?"
The pyosa of the Dancheong Pyoguk exchanged glances, then one by one drew their swords.
When they each took on an opponent, Yeo Un-gi was able to feel a brief moment of respite.
"Phew. Now I can breathe a little."
Perhaps because his mind became a bit more at ease.
Remembering someone belatedly, he shouted loudly toward the sky.
"Young Hero! Young Hero Cheon-hwi!"
In an instant, a shadow swooped in.
Thump!
The charging bandits were sent flying backward.
"Why?"
Seeing Cheon-hwi appear like a ghost, Yeo Un-gi was startled but soon tried to act calm and opened his mouth.
"You have to carry out the mission!"
"Hmm, that's true, but..."
Cheon-hwi stroked his chin.
Even while doing so, he dodged the attacks of the rushing bandits just by twisting his body.
It was a movement bordering on divine.
"But was it like this every time you were attacked?"
A sense of déjà vu was felt.
'That's just toying with them.'
A clear difference in strength existed.
First of all, they were outnumbered.
Facing nearly forty bandits, two was far from enough.
Of course, it would be different if the two were masters to the extent that the numerical difference became meaningless.
'They're not at that level.'
The two were not.
And that wasn't all.
What about the skill of the old man named Heuk-ya-no?
He possessed martial prowess more than enough to defeat the woman right in front of him.
No, even if he had come alone without bringing his subordinates, he had the skill to easily hijack the ship.
Yet he was going easy on them.
'Why is he doing that? Could this attack be...'
While Cheon-hwi fell into thought.
'Every time we were attacked?'
Yeo Un-gi rolled his eyes here and there.
Surprisingly quick-witted, he intuitively realized that Cheon-hwi hadn't thrown out that question for nothing.
"Young Hero. Did you discover something?"
"Hmm, it seems there's another purpose to this."
"What?"
With those words, Cheon-hwi disappeared.
"...Young Hero?"
Yeo Un-gi looked around in confusion, but Cheon-hwi was already gone.
"T-That bastard disappeared!"
"Now's the chance! Attack them all!"
The bandits, who had briefly hesitated at the martial prowess Cheon-hwi displayed, rushed in again as if they had met water.
"Y-Young Hero! Where did you go!"
Yeo Un-gi shouted loudly, but Cheon-hwi, who had already left, never returned.
"Damn it!"
Soon he clashed with the bandits again.
"Aaaargh!"
Meanwhile, Cheon-hwi, who had erased his presence, scanned each of the people fighting one by one.
'I don't know what they're trying to do.'
For bandits, their attacks lacked spirit and were not fierce.
At that moment, Heuk-ya-no shouted loudly.
"Everyone retreat!"
A retreat order despite clearly holding the upper hand.
It was an incomprehensible situation.
'But they're leading me straight to Suryongchae?'
Cheon-hwi smiled with satisfaction.
Then he quickly moved, mixing in among the bandits who were pulling out like an ebbing tide.
Swoosh—
A short while later, after boarding Suryongchae's ship, he was heading deep inside when he discovered a door labeled "Helm Room."
'If I stay here, that should do.'
As soon as he opened the door.
"We were just about to depart anyway..."
The bandit who turned his head with an annoyed expression widened his eyes.
"Y-You, who are..."
But he couldn't finish his words.
No, he couldn't even let out a voice.
It was because Cheon-hwi had already sealed his Ahyeol acupoint, shutting his mouth.
"You're a bandit of Suryongchae, right?"
Looking at the bandit frantically nodding his head with a terrified expression, Cheon-hwi spoke to him in a commanding tone.
"Take me to Suryongchae right now."