Chapter 321

Jin Ja-gang and Woon-jeong waited for a ship while staying near the ferry for several days.

Since markets were always set up at large ferries where ships came and went, whenever Woon-jeong got bored, he would come out and wander around the marketplace with Jin Ja-gang.

But while looking at goods, Woon-jeong tilted his head.

“Poison Dragon. Something seems strange.”

“What’s wrong?”

Woon-jeong looked around and said.

“I feel like several people keep staring at us.”

Jin Ja-gang answered nonchalantly.

“Ah, those are watchers.”

“What? Watchers? Are we already being watched?”

“I asked Master Bok-cheon to secretly spread rumors.”

Woon-jeong looked puzzled.

“Didn’t Poison Dragon need to secretly go to Zhejiang?”

“I’m trying to make it look like I’m going secretly.”

Woon-jeong was dumbfounded.

“But if you spread all the rumors, you’re not going secretly.”

Not only could he not go secretly, but Jin Ja-gang already had many targeting him. All sorts of people would chase after him. Since he was traveling by ship, there was nowhere to run.

“No, what if we can’t reach Zhejiang? It’s a journey that takes more than a month.”

“It’s fine. That’s why I spread the rumors.”

Jin Ja-gang’s movements were already known by Zhongnan Sect. There was no telling where that information might leak. Moreover, because he had openly caused trouble in Chongqing, with just a little investigation, anyone could figure out why Jin Ja-gang was going to Zhejiang.

If that news eventually reached Yeongpa Merchants’ ears, they could eliminate evidence. Then Jin Ja-gang would gain nothing despite traveling all the way to distant Zhejiang.

Therefore, after much deliberation, Jin Ja-gang decided to completely reveal his whereabouts.

It was a bold move typical of Jin Ja-gang.

Woon-jeong extended his senses to confirm the eyes watching them.

“Still, this is too much. It’s not just one or two. How many people are there?”

“Probably Zhongnan Sect, Shaolin Temple, Zhuge family, Tang family, Northern Heaven… something like that.”

Woon-jeong’s eyes became hollow.

“…Are we going to die? Why did Master send me to die?”

Jin Ja-gang laughed.

“You can run away if you think it’s dangerous.”

Realizing this wasn’t a trip to meet So-so, Woon-jeong said in a deflated voice.

“Still, I can’t abandon Poison Dragon and leave. If I did that, Master would scold me terribly. At least I’ll stand guard when you’re circulating your energy.”

Woon-jeong’s attitude gave Jin Ja-gang small comfort. He could understand why Master Bok-cheon told him to entrust his back to him. At least for Woon-jeong, the standard for action wasn’t profit and loss but his master’s orders and loyalty.

“But don’t overdo it, and avoid opponents you can’t handle.”

Woon-jeong pouted.

“They say a frog doesn’t remember being a tadpole. Just last year, I was stronger than Poison Dragon, you know?”

“Haha, is that so.”

“Wow. Look at you pretending otherwise. I didn’t expect this from Poison Dragon. That’s too much.”

Woon-jeong grumbled and walked ahead.

Jin Ja-gang bought candied hawthorn berries made from wild berries for Woon-jeong.

They were picked in autumn, seeds removed, preserved in honey, and eaten throughout winter. They had a sweet and sour taste that women and children especially enjoyed.

Sure enough, as soon as Woon-jeong put the candied hawthorn in his mouth, his anger immediately melted away.

* * *

The ship that Jin Ja-gang and Woon-jeong would board arrived.

The two boarded the ship together.

It was a large ship with cabins built like placing an entire house with a roof directly on the deck, allowing people to stay inside.

About thirty merchants boarded, and the bottom of the ship was loaded with goods.

Once all the cargo was loaded, the ship departed.

Perhaps because it was a large ship, it swayed less than a ferry.

Jin Ja-gang habitually walked around the ship to familiarize himself with its structure, then leaned against the railing.

Now Jin Ja-gang had nothing to do. For the next four or five days, he would only stay on this ship.

So as he quietly watched the rapids of the river water, he felt strange. Since he didn’t need to constantly keep his surroundings in his head and stay alert, he could indulge in thought to his heart’s content.

Flutter…

When the wind blew, yellow flower petals danced in the air.

Jin Ja-gang looked up.

Before he knew it, the riverbank and fields were full of canola flowers.

Tang Ha-ran came to mind.

He wondered if she was doing well at the Tang family, if nothing had happened to the child and Tang Ha-ran.

He missed her and wanted to run to see her right away.

But he couldn’t go yet.

‘Tang family…’

Jin Ja-gang’s thoughts about the Tang family had changed a lot since meeting Taoist Haewol.

He had briefly thought that the Tang family might be the mastermind that Taoist Haewol spoke of.

However, considering how the Tang family handled things, there were aspects that didn’t fit as the mastermind.

Those that Taoist Haewol was looking for were very secretive. They didn’t reveal themselves to the point where even Taoist Haewol couldn’t identify them for decades.

In contrast, the Tang family directly moved poison sects to cause bloodshed with medicine sects.

They were the masterminds of the medicine sect bloodshed, but not the masterminds who made the martial world this way.

What if the Tang family was also being used?

What if the conflict between medicine and poison sects was caused by them?

Jin Ja-gang would be fighting a much deeper and bigger battle than he thought.

As Jin Ja-gang was lost in various thoughts and entered the cabin, he saw several merchants gathered on the second floor of the house, talking noisily.

They had opened the windows wide and were drinking alcohol with food laid out like people who had come out for a boat trip.

A merchant from upstairs saw Jin Ja-gang and gestured.

“Hey, young friend there. Come up here and have a drink. Let’s get acquainted.”

Jin Ja-gang was about to refuse when he heard a familiar voice. Looking, he saw that Woon-jeong had already joined the merchants. His face was red, suggesting he had already drunk several cups.

Though he had grumbled about it being a dangerous path, his guard had apparently relaxed in the meantime, and he was accepting whatever drinks were offered.

As Master Bok-cheon worried, it really seemed like he might get into big trouble someday.

Jin Ja-gang went upstairs, worried about Woon-jeong.

Among them, a young man who appeared to be in his late twenties sat in the most honored seat with an arrogant attitude, holding a wine bottle.

“Take it.”

Although there were merchants who looked over fifty at the table, they were all obedient to the young man. The merchants gestured for Jin Ja-gang to accept the drink.

“This is Hero Jeong who will protect this ship on our way to Wuhan.”

The young man called Hero Jeong laughed heartily.

“Hahaha, a hero? My face is turning all red from embarrassment.”

Though he called himself a youngster, he carried a wide and heavy ghost-head sword on his back, revealing that he was born a martial artist.

The merchants cupped their fists and flattered him.

“No, no. Because Hero Jeong, a hero of the Yangtze River, is here, we can comfortably do business and earn money along the Yangtze River.”

The young man called Hero Jeong said pompously.

“Well, that’s true. Without me, the people on this ship would become fish food by vicious brothers before reaching Wuhan.”

His manner of speaking and behavior didn’t really seem like a guard.

Drunk Woon-jeong hiccupped and said.

“Hero Jeong Dae-su was originally a Yangtze River bandit, but now he’s protecting this ship! He’s really doing good work, right?”

The merchants’ faces briefly stiffened. Jeong Dae-su frowned with an awkward expression.

He couldn’t get angry at what a young drunken Taoist said, but he also didn’t want to admit to being a bandit.

Jin Ja-gang caught on to the situation.

Jeong Dae-su had been a bandit of the Yangtze River Water Route.

Originally, Yangtze River Water Route was a bandit alliance that boasted tremendous influence across the entire Yangtze River. At one time, it was attacked as a target for elimination by the Martial Alliance and its power rapidly declined.

But this actually caused problems. When Yangtze River Water Route’s power weakened, numerous small bandits emerged and began attacking ships traveling the Yangtze River.

Because of this, the Martial Alliance couldn’t completely annihilate Yangtze River Water Route. The Yangtze River was too wide and long for the Martial Alliance’s limited personnel to handle.

Afterward, an implicit rule emerged. Yangtze River Water Route refrained from excessive plunder and killing, and dispatched their masters to guard medium-class and above merchant ships. They changed direction by receiving some money in the name of guard fees.

Of course, when small bandits touched ships guarded by Yangtze River Water Route, they thoroughly retaliated and made examples of them, so this method was very effective.

Now Jeong Dae-su also appeared as a neat scholar rather than a fierce bandit to avoid causing great aversion.

Jin Ja-gang greeted them while getting past the awkward atmosphere.

“So you’re a hero of the Yangtze River. I’m Jin from Yunnan. I’ve heard much of your reputation.”

He couldn’t have heard of it before. But at words that praised him, Jeong Dae-su slightly relaxed.

“This friend has good manners. Come, have a drink. Stop giving that young Taoist more alcohol. If you give him more, he’ll really cause trouble.”

The merchants laughed exaggeratedly to lighten the mood.

“Wahaha. Hero Jeong is right.”

“The Taoist here is very young, so please don’t take offense.”

Woon-jeong tilted his head as if he didn’t know what he had done wrong.

“The person who causes trouble is someone else.”

“Huh?”

But fortunately, one merchant stopped his words, thinking Woon-jeong was drunk.

“You’re very drunk, Taoist. It would be good to go rest.”

“I’m not drunk at all!”

“Oh my, your tongue is already twisted.”

Jin Ja-gang stepped forward.

“He’s with me. I apologize on his behalf for ruining the good atmosphere. We’ll go downstairs now.”

“Who ruined the atmosphere? Hey, that’s a lie. Then he wouldn’t still be alive…”

Jin Ja-gang grabbed Woon-jeong’s nape and lifted him up.

“Mmph mmph mmph.”

Woon-jeong struggled, unable to speak because his clothes caught his throat.

Jeong Dae-su waved his hand dismissively as if telling them to leave quickly.

“Hurry and go.”

As soon as Woon-jeong entered the cabin, he immediately collapsed and slept. He could have expelled the alcohol with internal energy, but he was probably too drunk to think of it.

“Mmnya.”

Woon-jeong talked in his sleep.

“Poison Dragon doesn’t get along with people, so I have to… find out information, mmnya… The hero kills people randomly…”

Jin Ja-gang chuckled slightly.

Woon-jeong hadn’t just mindlessly joined the merchants’ drinking party. He had infiltrated them in his own way to find out who they were and what they did for Jin Ja-gang’s sake, and in the process, he had even discovered and told him that Jeong Dae-su was a bandit.

Jin Ja-gang looked at Woon-jeong and fell into thought.

If Woon-jeong betrayed him like he had said, like Pyo Sang-guk…

Jin Ja-gang shook his head. He stopped thinking. It was a horrible thing even to imagine.

* * *

During the journey to Wuhan, the ship stopped several times. Because they repeatedly loaded and unloaded cargo and supplied food, the speed wasn’t particularly fast.

A few days later, the ship arrived at a very small ferry called Gongmin.

When the ship stopped there.

There were those newly boarding the ship.

Everyone on board stirred.

“What is that?”

“They’re loading such things? Are you kidding right now?”

The merchants began openly voicing complaints.

Coffins.

Twenty men in dark clothes and black hoods were carrying wooden coffins, two men per coffin, boarding the ship.