The pirates filled the riverside, literally rushing in like a tidal wave.
The scent of blood drew them like a pack of hyenas? No, more aptly, like a swarm of sharks drawn to blood.
With their eyes painted with madness, they aimed for the flesh of the Namgung Family and let out vile shouts.
The two forces collided head-on.
The sight of pirates engulfed in madness and running endlessly, letting out beast-like screams than a human’s, was enough to color the hearts of those who were barely holding on with despair.
“Kahaaaa!”
The flood of pirates soon jumped onto the head of Namgung Family. Their backs, which rose momentarily, covered the sun, cast a long shadow over members of the Namgung Family. As if predicting their fate.
“Taaaaaaat!”
But those who faced this were none other than the Namgung Family.
Even in a situation overwhelmed by despair, their instinct naturally found the path of the sword. And before their minds could process thoughts, their swords had already pierced the pirates.
Puuk! Puuuuk!
The iron swords of the Namgung Family pierced the bodies of the enemies at once. As the sword blade pierced the back, the blood spurted like rain towards the swordsmen of the Namgung Family.
The sensation of hot blood pouring over their faces jolted the drowsy martial artist back to awareness.
But this was just the beginning.
“Kill them aaaaall!”
“Shove the harpoons down their throats!”
The pirates, regardless of the blood spilled by their colleagues, hurled themselves into the forest of protruding swords without a moment’s hesitation.
The madness of the battlefield.
A person who is alone cannot face death resolutely. But when rough breaths of another resound from behind, even one’s own impending demise is forgotten.
Beyond the corpses and swords, the pirates charged.
Overwhelming odds. (중과부적(衆寡不敵))
The swordsmen of the Namgung Family desperately swung their swords down, but the pirates swung their harpoons in a desperate struggle until the moment their head was cut off.
“Aaaarghhh!”
The battlefield is a land dominated by morale. A sword weighed down by momentum cannot find its own path and move. The situation might have been different if everything was in perfect condition, but Namgung’s sword warrior had already exhausted all their strength.
So… all that was left was to collapse.
Kwadeudeuk!
Sharp harpoons bored into shoulders, piercing through to the ribs.
“Gah…”
A burning pain spreads throughout the body.
However, the enemy’s strike did not even give him the luxury to slowly enjoy the coming death.
Kwadeuk! Kwadeuk! Kwadeuk!
Hungry harpoons continued to dig into the collapsing body. The warrior, who had dozens of holes in his body, collapsed on the spot without even leaving his body intact.
Sogok!
The sword that was swung violently was completely destroyed and the neck was torn off. However, as if to retaliate, the dropped sword bounces the harpoon sideways and pierces the solar plexus.
The battle line suddenly became disorganized and the two forces began to tangle with each other in a mess.
“Hold the line! Damn it, we can’t afford to mix uuuuup!”
Namgung Myung shouted as if spitting blood.
The Namgung Family was outnumbered by the pirates.
Of course, each one of them is an expert that no pirate can dare to approach. But this wasn’t a sparring ground. No matter how skilled, in a battlefield where death and screams abound from every direction. How could one possibly block a weapon flying in from behind in such a mess?
The moment the formation crumbles, annihilation becomes inevitable.
“Block them! Block theeeeem!”
At the same time as Namgung Myung shouted, he drew his sword and charged forward. This was because he knew that now was not the time to give orders from behind, but the time to step forward and restore the collapsing battle lines.
As he moved, the elders who were waiting also immediately left their seats and jumped forward.
Paaaaat!
The sword swung like lightning.
“You can’t cross this place until you kill me!”
“Come on! You dogs of water fortresses!”
The elders fought with desperation.
The ones dying in front of them were their sons, grandsons, and disciples. Their swords, which had been restrained in the face of their kin’s deaths, finally found the opportunity to move, slicing through the bodies of the pirates in an instant.
“Aargh!”
“Co- Cough! This dog… dogshit….”
But the tide of battle didn’t turn as easily as expected.
Despite the climax of the martial masters who had reached their peak swiftly taking down many of the pirates, the overwhelming number of the advancing enemy made their efforts seem almost negligible.
Namgung Myung’s eyes are bloodshot.
‘If only it wasn’t here.’
If it weren’t for an island in the middle of nowhere, they wouldn’t have been cornered like this. However, there is no place to hide or lean on this island. And the pirates were attacking them from all sides.
Even the pavilion to hide in was completely destroyed by bombardment. All that was left of them was an iron sword in one hand and a comrade leaning on their shoulder.
No, it’s not!
There is still something left for them.
“Uoooooh!”
A thunderous roar, accompanied by a dazzling white sword energy, descended like a cannonball onto the heads of the approaching pirates.
“Ah….”
The eyes of the pirates who rushed forward without even looking back became blank for a moment. When they regained the focus they had lost for a moment due to shock, their eyes began to fill with surprise and fear rather than madness.
Kwakwakwakwakwakwa!
The white sword energy swept through the pirates, pulverizing them.
A single strike.
With that single strike, close to twenty pirates were not only defeated but shredded to pieces without even leaving a proper corpse. The sword energy exploded as it hit the ground, leaving not even a drop of blood on the ground.
Kwaaaang!
The aftermath of the explosion swept through the surroundings. The pirates, each stunned by the astonishing sight, stopped in their tracks.
“What the hell is this….?”
“E- Emperor Sword!”
No one would want to be swept away in the face of that sword. But the battlefield didn’t give them a moment to realize the reality.
“Out of the way, you fools!”
“Euaaaaaaat!”
Those who couldn’t see the full might of the sword energy due to the dense backs of their comrades in front charged forward, kicking aside the ones who had stopped, like moths drawn to a flame.
Kwaaaaang!
Once again, the white sword energy was unleashed.
Emperor Sword Namgung Hwang.
He, too, is in a state of exhaustion. But his sword demonstrated why he was called the Emperor Sword.
“Dieeeee!”
However, he was only one person. With pirates swarming from every direction like ants, his sword felt too short, and his body too small to fend them all off.
“Heuuuaaaa!”
A hysterical shout broke out of Namgung Hwang’s mouth.
Kwaang! Kwaaaang! Kwaaaaaang!
Every time the sword was swung, the formidable sword energy surged like a storm.
“Black Dragon Kiiiiiiing!”
Namgung Hwang’s eyes were bloodshot.
“Will you only step in after all your men are dead, you coward! The world will laugh at a coward like you for being the king of the Yangtze River!”
His words were mocking, but there was a sense of desperation in his voice. He was filled with desperation to somehow provoke Black Dragon King and bring him out.
However, Black Dragon King remained unmoved.
He just watched Namgung, who was struggling like a wolf running wild in a flock of sheep, with a bitter sneer on his face.
“Uh….”
Although the distance is such that they can clearly feel each other’s gaze, Namgung Hwamg cannot rush to the owner of that gaze. He instinctively knew that stepping away from here would mean the total annihilation of Namgung Family, unrelated to their duel.
“Euaaaaaa!”
Namgung Hwang sliced through a pirate’s torso. His body was covered with internal organs and blood from the sliced waist.
The heat and the foul stench assaulted all his senses.
In the midst of the battlefield, Namgung Hwang cried out again and again.
He’s dying.
“Aaaaargh!”
His disciple.
Another one is dying.
“Aaargh!”
His family.
The overwhelming kill ratio. For every Namgung fallen, more than ten pirates were taken down. A performance befitting the name of Namgung.
But who could rejoice?
Who would willingly exchange their death for the enemy’s?
“You bastaaaaards!”
It was visible in the eyes of Namgung Hwang.
His son, Namgung Dowi, shed tears of blood as he cut through the pirates.
His sword was swift and strong. He harbored a distinct light even in despair. The light that Namgung had long pursued.
But….
‘Even that sword will fall here.’
Hot tears eventually flowed from Namgung Hwang’s eyes, which realized the fate of Namgung Family.
Even if his arm was severed, even if a dagger was plunged into his heart, tears should not have flowed from this iron man’s eyes. But in front of the dying disciples and the family destined for a cruel fate, even he was just a weak human being.
It was all his fault.
All his sin.
If he could save even one more person, he wouldn’t mind turning his whole body into dust and suffering in hell for thousands of years. But heaven did not even give him a chance to sacrifice.
As if his life were deemed too insignificant.
The blood of the pirates and Namgung mixed on the ground. In life, they were distinct, but in death, they were just the same corpses.
“Eu- Euaaaaak! Save meeee!”
“I can’t take it anymore!”
It’s collapsing.
Although they fought resolutely in the face of death, their will could not overcome the fear of the harpoon constantly targeting them and the death of their comrade dying right next to them. One by one, they began to retreat frantically, shedding tears and snot.
“Don’t retreat!”
“Keep your position! Please! Please!”
Namgung Dowi and Namgung Myung’s cries intertwined, desperately resounding through the sky of Maehwado.
In their last moments, they tried to die with dignity, preserving the name of Namgung. But the deaths they faced were not so romantic.
Name? Reputation? Dignity?
What’s the use of all that for a dead man?
They just want to live. Even if it’s just for one more moment. Even if it means using a comrade as a shield, just for a fleeting moment longer…
“Euhh… Euaaaah!”
A lion-like roar erupted from the mouth of Namgung Hwang, who was engulfed in anger and despair.
His presence was like a tiger among wolves. Even the wolves with sharp teeth dared not confront the tiger.
But in this vast battlefield, there’s a limit to what one tiger can do.
Paeaeaeaeng.
A head flying from somewhere landed at the feet of Namgung Hwang.
“…….”
Namgung Hwang couldn’t bear to look at her head and turned his head away. Thick bloody tears poured down his chest.
‘Yes, let’s all die here.’
He clenched his teeth and summoned all his remaining strength. If he was to die anyway, he’d take down as many of the pirates with him as he could. Hope was no longer in his thoughts.
“Ugh…”
But at that moment.
But at that moment, an unbelievable roar reached Namgung Hwang’s ears.
“Uaaaah! They’re here! They’ve arriiiiveed!”
He hastily looked in the direction of the sound.
“Shaolin! Shaolin has arrived! Shaolin has come to our aaaiiid!”
Shaolin?
As the news was delivered like sweet rain, astonishment and joy bloomed in the eyes of the sword warriors of the Namgung Family who were collapsing. Everyone looked desperately at the other side of the river.
“Ah…. Euaaaa….”
“Euaaaaaa!”
“Damn it! They’re here! The reinforcements are heeeeerreee!”
As soon as the group on the other side of the river was confirmed to be wearing yellow robes, sword warriors of the Namgung Family shouted out loud.
“Shaolin has come to help us!”
“Hold on! Hold on!”
“You damn pirates! We’ll kill you all!”
The appearance of Shaolin was a delight to Namgung Family, but it was despairing news to water fortresses.
“Sha- Shaolin?”
“Shaolin has come?”
The pirates also had eyes, so as soon as they saw Shaolin on the other side of the river, they quickly began to regain their senses.
“Why, why Shaolin….”
“Damn it!”
They knew it well.
The vast river, too wide for ordinary people, is nothing for Shaolin’s martial artist monks. If they decide to, they can cross the river in an instant and join the battle at Plum Blossom Island.
The movement of the pirates momentarily faltered.
Chaos and confusion continued to engulf Plum Blossom Island.
“Bangjang!”
“Umm!”
Bop Jeong bit his lips and nodded.
“It’s not too late! No… It’s a bit late, but not beyond irreversible!”
Had they been even a moment later, there would have been no living soul left there.
Although it was painful that the battle had already begun before their arrival, the Namgung Family was not yet annihilated. If they could save even half of that force, they could certainly discuss victory!
“Bangjang! There’s no time to delay!”
“Yes!”
A massive lion’s roar burst out of the mouth of Bop Jeong.
“Disciples, listen! Cross the river to support the Namgung Family! Drive the wicked band of pirates off that island!”
“Yes!”
Bop Jeong’s monk robe fluttered as the wind blew.
‘We’ve won this time!’
Bop Jeong clasped his fist.
This battle was always about who arrived first. As long as they got here first, the battle was practically decided. No matter how formidable the pirates were, they couldn’t stand against both Shaolin and Namgung.
It didn’t matter that Namgung Family wasn’t in their best condition Because even Shaolin alone can deal with things like water fortresses. Namgung had fulfilled its role just by tying its feet to that island.
“Now! Go and defeat these evildoers…!”
Just as Bop Jeong was about to burst into a valiant roar.
Flinch.
As he was shouting, he flinched and stopped talking. Then he began shouting in a hurry.
“St- Stop! Everyone, stop right there!”
The monks of Shaolin, who were about to jump into the river, looked back, surprised by the urgent voice coming from behind.
“Ba- Bangjang?”
Bop Kye also looked perplexed at Bop Jeong. What time is there to waste now?
“…Bangjang?”
However, the moment he checked the face of Bop Jeong, he was startled. Bop Jeong was as pale as a white sheet as if he had seen a ghost.
“Why so…?”
“A- Ami…. Amitabha….”
His chant trembled terribly.
“Why… why! Why!”
Seeing him erupt in rage, Bop Kye seemed to realize something and slowly turned his head. His gaze was directed towards the upper reaches of the river where Bop Jeong was staring first.
“Ah….”
It was only then that the eyes of Bop Kye began to see it.
A large fleet of ships finally began to appear along the curved river.
“Keu….”
There was no mistaking it. He can’t turn a blind eye.
With trained eyes, there was no choice but to recognize it.
The sight of the massive ship at the forefront of the dozens of ships appeared simultaneously. And the figure of the man standing at the prow of that ship.
There’s no way he can’t recognize that man. How could anyone forget that sight? If one has seen him even once, it would be impossible to forget.
“Ja- Jang….”
A drained voice escaped Bop Kye’s mouth.
“Jang Ilso….”
Paegun Jang Ilso.
Standing at the forefront of the fleet advancing towards Plum Blossom Island, he looked at the Shaolin monks lined up on the riverbank and curled one corner of his mouth.
“My, my. How eagerly you’ve all rushed here.”
He let out a chilling smile, his face covered by a hand adorned with colorful rings.
“Why? Were you expecting something? Hahahahat! Ahahahahahahahat! Ahahahahahahahahahahahat!”
His laughter, full of joy and madness, seemed to silence even the Yangtze River itself.
![Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]](https://cpunovel.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/arcane-sniper.jpg "Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]")
