“Keep your head down!”
“Anyone who acts foolishly will be cut down!”
The pirates, tied to a strong iron cord, bowed their heads on their knees. And Wudang’s swords warrior surrounded the area and watched with cold eyes.
“Hmm.”
Heo Dojin let out a low groan as he looked around.
‘It is awful.’
His nose almost ached at the smells of blood.
Of course, he himself had lived as a disciple of Wudang, been in many chivalrous fights, and fought many battles. However, fighting with so many people and taking their lives was not a common experience for him.
‘The disciples are not doing as well as I expected.’
Such a small water fortress like this should have been dealt with without a hitch. It wasn’t because he overestimated the power of Wudang Sect. It was expected because the difference in power between Whirlpool Current Water Fortress and Wudang Sect was stark when viewed objectively.
But in reality, it took more than half an hour, not just a moment.
‘I haven’t experienced a real battle for too long.’
He doesn’t think Wudang is weaker than in the past. However, fully applying his skills in actual combat is a separate issue.
“It’s a good thing we start with the small water fortress first.”
If they had fought with the water fortress without realizing this problem, there would certainly have been casualties.
Once you decide to shed blood, it’s inevitable that there will be sacrifices, but it is the natural intention of a Sect Leader to reduce the number to a minimum.
“We have completed the subjugation, Sect Leader.”
Heo Dojin nods at Heo Sanja’s words.
“Hand over all pirates to the officials and distribute the wealth accumulated in the warehouse to the commoners. If you can find the owner of the goods, return it to the owner.”
While speaking, Heo Dojin couldn’t help but chuckle.
‘It’s as if we’re copying Mount Hua.’
Even if they weren’t, the thoughts of the people would be similar to what he just thought.
But it can’t be helped.
It’s better to be talked about as copying than to do nothing at all.
“Sect Leader.... That, there’s a little problem.”
“Problem?”
Heo Dojin frowns at Heo Sanja’s words.
“What’s the problem?”
“We checked the warehouse of the water fortress... They don’t have as much wealth as we expected.”
“...Not as much?”
“Yes.”
Heo Sanja swallowed dry saliva and continued.
“According to the people of Wuhan, recently, the number of pirates has been on the rise, and those who went out to the Yangtze River by boat have been robbed with a large amount of goods and money.... But there isn’t that much wealth in their warehouse.”
“....”
“So we interrogated the pirates, but they said they didn’t do such a thing.”
“They’re not?”
“It seems like it. And these pirates also don’t know who recently attacked the ships.”
“....”
Heo Dojin closed his mouth quietly. After a long thought, he spoke.
“If you think simply, it’s just that another water fortress did it.”
“Yes.”
“If that’s not the case.......”
Heo Dojin did not say the following words.
‘Someone induced this situation.’
It’s not a thought that could easily be spoken out. Depending on how one thinks about it, it could mean that the famous Wudang has been played by someone else’s tricks.
“What should we do, Sect Leader?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
If by any chance this incident results in the destruction of Eighteen Water Fortresses of the Yangtze River, or if they suffer catastrophic damage, the balance of Kangho will inevitably collapse.
The balance is broken from the Yangtze River, which can be said to be the center of Jungwon. In other words, it means that it’s not known how far this incident will spread.
‘Bangjang.’
There’s no way Bop Jeong didn’t know about this...Why then did he order such a hasty suppression?
It is injustice (??(不意)) to turn a blind eye to those who suffer in front of their eyes. But isn’t it also injustice to cause more pain to many others just to save a few right in front of you?
‘I don’t know.’
Bop Kye knows.
Though the people are what make the world, not every single one of those people can affect the world’s flow. Those who move the world and lead the flow are only a few.
Bop Kye, who isn’t one of those few, has no choice but to do his best in his assigned tasks.
“Make sure the fleeing pirates don’t harm the common people, capture them all without missing a single one!”
“Yes!”
The Shaolin monks who responded robustly rushed in with a spirit that didn’t suit their status as monks.
“...Amitabha. There should be no big trouble.”
A small snowball rolled by Mount Hua is growing in size along a slope called the Yangtze River.
Now neither Shaolin nor Wudang has a way to stop this snowball. All they can do is pray and hope that this snowball doesn’t hit the houses at the foot of the mountain.
* * *
The fact that Shaolin and Wudang subjugated the water fortress quickly spread throughout the Yangtze River.
Those who made their living on the Yangtze River were more than happy and cheered at the news.
Until now, they’ve endured it because they thought it was inevitable, but who would like the money taken away by the pirates? Moreover, the viciousness of the pirates has become so severe that everyone suffered.
Amidst all this, how could one not rejoice when neither Shaolin, Wudang, nor the Namgung Family are taking action?
These are such great places that even Qingcheng, one of the Ten Great Sect, looks humble in comparison. Of course, the residents of the Yangtze River had no choice but to hope for a better situation.
“As expected of the Ten Great Sect and the Five Great Family. When the situation gets serious, they eventually step in like this!”
“That’s what I’m saying! They should have stepped in sooner.”
“They must have been watching the situation get serious. They’re not violating the principles of Righteousness, are they?”
The people spoke in a friendly tone. If it had been in the past, praise like this would have only continued for a while.
But now the situation has changed a little, and there are those who speak differently.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Do you think those yangban really came forward to help us?”
“Yes? They’re obviously here to help us by subduing the pirates.”
“Then what about until now? Were there no pirates until now? Were there no men who lost their lives to the pirates and were sold to slaves?”
“That’s....”
The man spits out his words nervously, clicking his tongue.
“You have to know where to thank. Thanks Mount Hua, this is all thanks to them.”
“What are you talking about? What do you mean this is all thanks to Mount Hua? Of course, Mount Hua has started the subjugation, but can we say that all this is thanks to them?”
“Stop making ignorant comments! Had it not been for Mount Hua stepping forward, neither Ten Great Sect nor the Five Great Family would have even come near the Yangtze River. Isn’t it because Mount Hua, the leader of Heavenly Comrade Alliance, started to subjugate pirates in the Yangtze and win the hearts of the people that they all rushed to the Yangtze River with their stomach twisted with jealousy?”
“...That seems like a convoluted thought.”
“So, are you saying they left the Yangtze River alone for decades because they didn’t know there were pirates there?”
“....”
“I’m telling you not to clap naively! That’s what they’re after. You should be grateful to Mount Hua! Hasn’t Mount Hua come to the Yangtze River without any strings attached to punish the pirates?”
“That’s true. I’m very grateful to Mount Hua.”
“Wait and see. In my opinion, it won’t be long before Heavenly Comrade Alliance, where Mount Hua belongs, surpasses the Ten Great Sect.”
“Again, you’re being delusional again.”
“Because it’s true?!”
Someone was in favor of Mount Hua, and someone still defended the Ten Great Sect with deep-rooted history on its back.
What was certain was that, no matter which side they favored, the scale of the battle unfolding in the Yangtze River was growing.
And....
The results of these sporadic battles began to follow a flow that no one in the world could predict.
A violent torrent that would completely change the flow of Kangho was crossing across the Yangtze River and spreading towards the world.