Chapter 58 – The Noble Guest of the Waterway Fort

Chapter 58 – The Noble Guest of the Waterway Fort

In the silence where not even the sound of breathing could be heard.

The water bandits, who had been fiercely brawling, froze like stone and could not move.

“······!!!”

At that moment, the door to the adjutant's room opened.

Subsequently, the sound of heavy footsteps was heard.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Under the extreme tension, the water bandits could not even tell if the sound was the ground vibrating or their own hearts beating.

No way.

No way.

Only those two words filled their heads.

If the Chief Stronghold Leader, who was said to be dead, were alive, there was no hope for them.

The sound of climbing the stairs sounded to their ears like the grim reaper knocking on the door.

“······!!”

And when hair like soft sand finally entered their sight, groans of despair erupted from here and there.

“······I-Impossible·········.”

“What··· what is this···?”

“My goodness···.”

Because there was only one person in the entire Waterway Fort with such hair color.

The Fist Demon.

The Master of the Yangtze River revealed himself.

“Did you wait for me?”

It was not a loud voice, but it sounded close enough to pierce their hearts.

In front of the red dragon flag fluttering like waves, Tae Ju-ha looked down at Jang Dae-gwang and asked.

“H-How did the Chief Stronghold Leader······.”

Jang Dae-gwang froze like someone who had witnessed a ghost. That was not a wrong statement either. Since he had truly been convinced of the Chief Stronghold Leader's death. Jang Dae-gwang, unable to contain his shock, could not bring himself to continue speaking and only opened and closed his mouth.

“I did not realize that you thought of the Waterway Fort so much.”

Tae Ju-ha's voice was as cold and sharp as the icy wind of midwinter. He slowly took steps toward Jang Dae-gwang.

“Then why did you behave so insolently?”

“······.”

“As if you forgot what happened ten years ago.”

“What is this! That person definitely said the Gu poison···.”

Hup! Filled with confusion, Jang Dae-gwang gasped at the words that slipped out of him. Tae Ju-ha tilted his head sideways and asked.

“'That person.' Whom are you referring to?”

“Grr···!!!”

Once spoken, words could not be retrieved. Jang Dae-gwang bit his lip and swallowed his words.

“Although I thought the timing was exquisite, I did not think you were truly the culprit. Speak. Who is the mastermind behind this?”

“······.”

Crunch!

Jang Dae-gwang infused internal energy into the hand gripping the axe and snapped the threads around his ankles. Tae Ju-ha watched him with a leisurely face and said.

“How did a fellow so dull that he did not even realize the Heavenly Silk was wrapped around his ankles manage to run away? I suppose 'that person' helped you?”

Jang Dae-gwang moved his body, which was stiffening with terror, and took a step back.

“You fooled us well. You seem to be barely hanging onto life, but surely you know that there is not much time left for that either!”

“Puhahaha!”

Tae Ju-ha laughed out loud and whispered softly to Jang Dae-gwang.

“Do not worry. I will easily live for another fifty years.”

“What does that mean······.”

“I met a noble guest. The bug that was eating away at my life is also no more··· what will you do now?”

“·········.”

Jang Dae-gwang opened his confused eyes wide.

There was no way.

There could not possibly be a way to eliminate Gu poison in this world.

Yet, other than that, the appearance of the Chief Stronghold Leader standing before him could not be explained.

While Jang Dae-gwang was lost for words in this situation he could not understand at all.

“You seem to have no intention of speaking.”

Tae Ju-ha's chilling voice echoed in his ears.

Tae Ju-ha instantly released an overwhelming momentum.

“Ugh······!!”

“Guhhhk!!”

“Keuh, ugh···.”

Under that domineering momentum, the water bandits' figures gradually collapsed and fell onto the deck.

Jang Dae-gwang grit his teeth.

He could not end it like this. He did not want to reveal it in front of the Fist Demon, but he no longer had any other options.

Shaaaa-

Jang Dae-gwang's figure began to gradually turn faint. Evil Spirit Demonic Eye. It was a demonic art that Jang Dae-gwang had learned. This demonic art, which deceived the opponent's eyes like a ghost, shone even brighter in the darkness. Conveniently, darkness had settled over the Yangtze River.

He had to survive.

He could not stop here!

Tae Ju-ha's face distorted at Jang Dae-gwang's fading appearance.

Slash!

Along with a hot, burning pain, Jang Dae-gwang's wrist holding the axe rolled onto the floor together with the axe.

Chwaaaa-

“Aaargh!!!”

Sticky blood burst out from the wrist and splattered onto the deck. Jang Dae-gwang clutched his severed wrist and let out a horrific scream. Hot blood streamed down through his fingers.

“I wondered how a mere wretch like you managed to escape from my eyes·········.”

Tae Ju-ha nodded as if he finally understood.

“Did you learn a demonic art?”

The trembling Jang Dae-gwang activated the Evil Spirit Demonic Eye once more. His increasingly faint figure headed toward the railing of the Red Dragon Ship.

‘Just a little, just a little more···! If only I escape here······!’

Deeply angered by the sight of him abandoning his subordinates to flee yet again, Tae Ju-ha spat out in a low voice.

“Did I not clearly say that there are things you must not touch? Yet you could not even keep that?”

“What do you know! Keuh··· Are you laying low because you are afraid of the government or the Martial Alliance? Ha! You are the true disgrace of the Yangtze River Waterway Forts! We are the masters of the Yangtze River and deserve more······ Argh!!!”

Crunch!

Tae Ju-ha appeared in front of Jang Dae-gwang like a flash of light and grabbed his skull. Then, he lifted Jang Dae-gwang's massive frame using only the grip strength of his hand.

“It seems I have been far too merciful lately. For a fellow to spout such nonsense.”

“K-Keuaaagh!!!”

Caught in one hand, Jang Dae-gwang writhed his body frantically in the air.

Tae Ju-ha slowly scanned the water bandits of the Black Dragon Ship, who were frozen without even making a sound of breathing, and said in a low voice.

“If a fellow with neither skill nor pride dares to covet what is beyond his station···.”

Crunch!

As the dense murderous intent intensified, red blood began to flow from Jang Dae-gwang's eyes.

“Ggguuuuhk······.”

“Watch closely what happens.”

Splat!

Jang Dae-gwang's head was crushed in Tae Ju-ha's hand with a bizarre sound.

Jang Dae-gwang's body, which had been writhing and struggling in pain, soon went limp.

Thud!

He rolled across the deck like garbage.

“What are you doing? Is this the end?”

Tae Ju-ha spoke as he shook off the blood clots from his hand.

“······.”

“Ugh······.”

Terrified, the water bandits of the Black Dragon Ship lost even the will to fight back and groaned.

Tae Ju-ha, clicking his tongue briefly, commanded his subordinates standing nearby.

“Cut off their heads and send them as gifts to the four Waterway Forts. Burn that unsightly ship down.”

“Yes!”

Terrible screams poured out behind Tae Ju-ha as he turned and walked away.

The rebellion of the Moon-Dominating Stronghold ended just like that.

***

“Your strategy worked.”

Tae Ju-ha, who had returned to the cabin, looked at San-ho and said.

“The false rumor? This kind of thing works surprisingly well.”

“How were you so sure?”

“Well, what guys like Jang Dae-gwang think is quite obvious.”

San-ho shrugged his shoulders.

There were three things to consider in order to settle the rebellion.

Jang Dae-gwang's appearance, whether other Waterway Forts would join, and the possibility of him fleeing again.

San-ho proposed an excellent plan to Tae Ju-ha to settle all of this at once.

– It is certain that Jang Dae-gwang knows about the Gu poison. Since a fellow who flees immediately when the battle turns unfavorable would not start a rebellion without certainty. Then, let us do this.

The plan was simple.

They just had to pretend they failed to remove the Gu poison.

If it were the other Waterway Forts it might be different, but Jang Dae-gwang, who knew about the Gu poison, would think there was absolutely no chance of recovery upon hearing the rumor that Tae Ju-ha was unconscious. In that case, it was easy to predict his next move.

Since there were a total of five rebel factions, he would try to arrive first before the other four occupied the Red Dragon Ship.

– The most important thing is to prevent him from escaping again. I do not know how, but since he already has a history of fleeing once, we must bind him more securely.

– Lure him in?

– Yes. In my opinion··· even if the battle starts, it is highly likely that Jang Dae-gwang will not join immediately. So that he can watch the situation and flee at any time if it becomes unfavorable. Then, once he is certain that the Chief Stronghold Leader is not on the Red Dragon Ship, only then will he try to take it over.

– However, if I hide myself, the damage to the Red Dragon Ship will increase. We do not know how long it will take for him to gain that certainty.

– We just have to create a situation that gives him that certainty.

– How?

– What if I stand in the Chief Stronghold Leader's place?

– Ho······.

It was not just a matter of seeing one step ahead. San-ho possessed the ability to go beyond predicting the opponent's behavior and set up the board exactly as he wished. Eliminating unstable factors and facing the enemy in a prepared state at the desired time.

This was no longer a war.

It was a trap to catch Jang Dae-gwang.

Recollecting a few days ago, a slight goosebumps rose all over Tae Ju-ha's body.

‘How can he be so bold?’

It was not simply because his tactics were outstanding.

Bold.

The very fact that he gambled with the life of the Chief Stronghold Leader of the Waterway Fort, himself, was proof of that. Even if San-ho saved his life, it was a situation where there was more to lose than to gain for him. Since if by any chance something went wrong with him, San-ho would surely die, and even if he survived, it did not come with a great reward.

In the end, it was no different from San-ho throwing his own life onto this gambling table as well.

Yet, to think he could do so without even a single moment of hesitation.

It was a life he himself had already given up on once. Yet, a single stranger of a child he had never seen before pulled him back to life. Was that all? He even settled the rebellion of the Waterway Fort without significant damage.

Tae Ju-ha smiled broadly and said.

“Would you not like to come under me? You would be perfect as either a strategist or a military advisor.”

“······You are joking, right?”

“I will give you vast wealth and the precious things of the world enough to fully satisfy you.”

“Do you want to have the elders of my family hold funerals one after another? Oh, keep it to yourself.”

San-ho waved his hands, and Tae Ju-ha burst into laughter.

“Puhahaha, this is the first time I have seen a fellow so cheeky and arrogant in front of me. I like that you are consistent.”

“I cannot tell if that is a compliment or not.”

“Do you not know by looking at the fact that you are alive? It is a compliment.”

'Where is there a compliment this terrifying?' Tae Ju-ha, watching San-ho mutter quietly, softly revealed his true intentions.

“Then, how about being friends?”

“Hmm······. I suppose that much is fine.”

If those who had tried to build a relationship with Tae Ju-ha were lined up, they could easily cross the Yangtze River. Yet he had never once extended his hand first. And yet, this attitude of reluctantly agreeing.

It was a matter where he should feel offended, but it was strange that he did not.

“I cannot give you the Red Dragon Ship you wanted, but I will give you this instead.”

Tae Ju-ha held out a silver plaque embedded with a red gem to San-ho.

“It is the Plaque of Gratitude of the Waterway Fort.”

“Oh···. How do I use it?”

“It is different from other measly plaques of gratitude. The plaque I gave you is valid as long as I remain the leader of the Waterway Fort. Show that mark anywhere along the Yangtze River, and you will receive warm hospitality.”

San-ho's eyes sparkled.

He was someone who had already used Geum-myeong and his subordinates like the crew of a merchant ship.

'The swift ships are incredibly fast!!!'

It was the moment when the water bandits of the Eighteen Waterway Forts of the Yangtze River, who used to terrify the Yangtze River, were relegated to a convenient means of transportation.

“Let me ask one more thing. Why did you save me?”

“I saved you because I could save you.”

“I am not asking that. You are a martial artist of a prestigious family, are you not? I am asking why you saved me, the Chief Stronghold Leader of the Waterway Fort.”

“·········.”

Why did an orthodox martial artist save the leader of the unorthodox faction?

In the Jianghu, it is common sense that the relationship between the orthodox and unorthodox factions is not good. The orthodox and unorthodox clearly draw lines between each other and try not to get involved. Especially, orthodox martial artists have a strong tendency to view the unorthodox as targets to be slain.

However, a person's good and evil are not divided by their affiliation.

San-ho knew that fact better than anyone else.

“Every human has desires.”

“···?”

At the out-of-the-blue answer, Tae Ju-ha raised an eyebrow. Desires? What did that mean?

“Some of those desires can be fulfilled on one's own, but that is often not the case. Sometimes they even pose a threat to others.”

“······Huh?”

“Well, so. Jang Dae-gwang's desires are the kind that put others in danger; things like plundering, war, and power. In contrast, the desire of the Chief Stronghold Leader, who holds real power, is, if I had to say, a collecting hobby? That is a desire that is fulfilled relatively safely.”

“···What?”

“So, in the long run, I chose the safer side··· is what I mean.”

“Are you saying now··· that you saved me after seeing my library and storehouse?”

San-ho smiled brightly without saying it was not so. Tae Ju-ha gave up on understanding San-ho. Right. Whatever he thought, did it matter? Let us just… not make him an enemy.

“Ah. Could you take me to Sichuan?”

“Hmm?”

Suddenly? Seeing Tae Ju-ha tilt his head in confusion, San-ho waved the Plaque of Gratitude.

“Warmly.”