Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1373. I have to make it like that (3)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
Chwaaaaak!
The fast ships, reinforced with thick wooden prows, cut through the rough currents of the Yangtze River with great speed.
Standing tall at the bow, Cheok-il (척일(戚一)), the leader of Black Shark Water Fortress (흑교(黑鮫)채) known as the Yangtze River’s Shark (장강교어(長江鮫魚)), observed the scene before him. He muttered with a boiling voice.
“Pathetic.”
On the opposite shore, dozens of ships were lined up in a row. However, there was little sign of human presence inside them. Clearly, they had anticipated that Evil Tyrant Alliance might cross the river and had gathered ships in preparation, but that was all. Their vigilance had already slackened, and the ships were likely empty.
"They really believed we would never make the first move. Idiots."
Thinking about it, it wasn’t entirely their fault to dismiss the possibility. If they were still taking orders from the Black Dragon King, they truly wouldn't cross.
The Black Dragon King was obsessed with the wealth flowing through the Yangtze, and as such, he was extremely wary of any signs of war breaking out along the river. He was always fixated on maximizing profits while maintaining just the right amount of tension.
Would the Black Dragon King, who was more cautious than he appeared, attack a dock fortified by Shaolin, Kongtong, and Peng Family? The likelihood was almost nonexistent.
But now things were different. Now the one giving orders wasn't the Black Dragon King, but Paegun.
Paegun couldn't care less about the Yangtze River. His eyes were fixed on the vast lands north of the river. To seize that land, even Shaolin was just an obstacle to be trampled over.
"Leader, we're almost in range. How should we adjust our speed?"
"Full speed!"
"F- Full speed, sir?"
“Ram them head-on! Don’t give them time to prepare!”
“Y- Yes, sir!”
The subordinate responded with a slightly excited voice. The Yangtze River’s Shark twisted his lips into a smile.
"If they let their guard down, they must pay the price."
Chwaaaaak!
The fast ships that were almost at the shore didn’t slow down, but rather went forward at an even faster speed. Their targets were the moored ships.
The faces of those who had belatedly noticed the enemy turned pale in an instant.
"Th- They're coming!"
“Those, those crazy bastards...!”
“Get back! They’re going to craaaaaash!”
Kuuuuung!
Udeudeudeuk!
The massive ships collided head-on. The water surface churned violently, and fragments of shattered hulls shot into the air and scattered.
"AAAAAAGH!"
Those who failed to jump in time were flung across the decks like rag dolls. But this was only the beginning.
Kuuuuuung!
Kuuuuuuuuuung!
The battleships of the canal, which had not slowed down, rammed the anchored ships one after another.
Though the ships were of similar size, the Black Shark Water Fortress’s ships built specifically for naval combat were far sturdier than the hastily gathered ships on the shore. When the stronger ones rammed at full speed, the outcome was as clear as day.
Tuung!
The Yangtze River’s Shark slammed his guan dao into the deck and let out a deafening roar that shook the water’s surface.
"ATTACK!"
"Yes!"
The water fortress's bandits, having seized the momentum, ran across their deck and leaped onto the half-destroyed ships in an instant.
"Don't be afraid! They're just a bunch of water bandits!"
“We must protect the remaining ships!”
The disciples of Kongtong and those guarding the ships, despite the chaos, drew their weapons in unison.
But their confidence was only half justified.
Of course, they were elite disciples from prestigious sects, and if they were fighting on solid ground, they wouldn’t have feared mere water bandits.
Unfortunately, the ground they were standing on wasn’t solid.
Kwaaaaang!
Just as Kongtong sect disciples raised their swords to charge, the ship once again violently rocked and tilted.
"Ugh, what's happening!"
"The, the ship...!"
Kongtong sect disciples were taken aback and hesitated. In contrast, the water bandits, as if they had anticipated such a situation, sprinted across the tilted deck as if it were flat ground.
“Dieeeeee!”
The water bandits swiftly infiltrated the gaps between the disorganized formations. In an instant, chaos erupted, blurring the distinction between friend and foe. This kind of chaotic battle was, naturally, the most familiar and comfortable form of combat for water bandits fighting on ships.
Kwaaaaaaaang!
Explosions erupted everywhere.
The moment the ships collided, the water bandits who had already jumped into the water began smashing the hulls of the anchored ships.
Those with sufficient internal strength pierced holes with their weapons, while those lacking it planted the explosives they'd brought on the exposed lower parts of the ships above water.
Kwaaaaaaaang!
With each explosion, the ships tilted one by one.
The shoreline quickly turned into a scene of utter chaos.
Though they weren't forces that would fall so quickly in a direct confrontation, caught completely off guard by the surprise attack, they were thrown into such disarray they couldn't tell front from back.
“Aaaah!”
“Saje!”
Someone screamed as a trident flew in from the side and pierced their sides. Before that desperate cry could even fade, a blade from behind embedded itself in their exposed neck.
"You, you cowardly water bandit bastard!"
Seeing this, Seo Heum (서흠(徐欽)), a senior disciple of Kongtong, cursed and swung his sword. His fierce blade instantly pierced a water bandit's heart, but the enemies surged forward even faster.
Like rushing waves, the water bandit swarmed onto the tilting ships.
“Hold on a little longer! Reinforcements are coming!”
His words weren’t entirely wrong.
“Ooooooh!”
A massive battle cry rang out behind their struggling forces.
There were people rushing from afar. The crowd in yellow monk robes stood out even from afar.
“It’s Shaolin!”
"Shaolin has come to support us! Just hold on a little longer!"
Though their reputation wasn’t what it once was, Shaolin’s status in Kangho was still formidable. Kongtong sect disciples’ eyes lit up upon realizing that Shaolin was coming to their aid.
Seo Heum too, suppressing his rising excitement, forced himself to call out calmly.
"Focus on defense! Once Shaolin arrives, we'll drive them back in one go!"
"Yes!"
He bit his lip tightly.
And it wasn't just Shaolin. His sahyungs must be rushing here too, and once they arrived, they would slaughter every last one of these filthy water bandits.
‘You’ll pay dearly for your dirty tricks.’
But at that moment, a flicker of doubt crossed Seo Heum’s eyes, which had been brimming with hostility toward the bandits.
'What?'
His gaze fell not on the fierce battle on the deck, but beyond it, toward the ship's railings.
Water bandits who had just climbed onto the deck were carrying something large and black.
‘A jar?’
They were jars so large they needed both arms just to carry them.
Before he could even begin to guess its purpose, the water bandits removed the lids and tilted the jars, pouring their contents onto the deck.
Seo Heum flinched.
‘Poison?’
But in that instant, the smell of the liquid hit him.
It was a familiar scent. Seo Heum’s eyes widened in shock.
“N- No...!”
He saw it. The water bandits, having emptied the jars' contents, were grinning triumphantly as they tore apart something they had pulled from their clothes.
"F- Fire starter! Get away! It's oiiiiiiil!"
Sparks from the water bandit's fingertips fell onto the deck.
Hwareureureurek!
The flames spread instantly along the oil. The vast deck became a sea of fire in an instant.
"F- Fire!"
"Aaaaah! My back! My back's on fire!"
Disciples who couldn’t dodge the sudden surge of flames screamed and ran around in panic. The other ships nearby were no different. The terrifying firestorm engulfed the vessel.
“Th- These lunatic…!”
And it wasn't just the ships. As the oil flowed onto the water's surface and caught fire, it seemed as if the entire Yangtze was set ablaze.
Staring at the overwhelming, almost horrifying sight, Seo Heum felt his legs give out beneath him.
Hwareureuk!
The fire was fair to all. Not just Righteous Sects' ships, but even the water fortress's battleships were swallowed by the flames in an instant.
"Ah... Aah..."
Countermeasures? How could anyone possibly counter this? All that was visible was an endless sea of fire.
“Ooooooooh!”
Just then, Bop Kye, leading his disciples, reached the riverbank and let out a thunderous roar.
"You evil water bandits, I won't forgive you!"
But seeing Bop Kye, the Yangtze River’s Shark merely let out a sinister laugh.
“Looks like the monk is really angry.”
And for good reason—the Yangtze River’s Shark had no intention of responding to that anger.
"We've achieved our objective, so there's no need to engage them further. Everyone, withdraw."
"Withdraw! Withdraw!"
No sooner had the Yangtze River’s Shark order fallen than the water bandits engaged in battle leaped into the burning Yangtze.
Splash! Splash!
"Wh- Where do you think you're running!"
The enraged disciples of Righteous Sects, ignoring the flames licking at their own bodies, swung their swords at the fleeing water bandits.
But only a few were caught by these attacks. Most bandits had already dived deep into the Yangtze. As if they had never been there in the first place, they vanished without a trace.
The water bandits were all skilled in water techniques. Diving deep enough to escape the flames was nothing extraordinary for them.
“Idiots.”
The Yangtze River’s Shark threw a sharp sneer at Bop Kye and then jumped into the burning Yangtze River.
Kuung!
Bop Kye's eyebrows trembled with fury as he leaped from the riverbank onto the deck. All that remained were ships engulfed in flames and scattered corpses. The enemies he had vowed to crush were now nowhere to be seen.
“Th- This....”
Yet he couldn't lead disciples untrained in water techniques to chase the enemy into the water. Bop Kye looked around in a daze.
Nearly thirty ships that had been scraped together with great effort under Bop Jeong’s orders were all burning.
Crackle!
Ships that had been battered beyond recognition now broke apart and sank into the water one by one. Should they consider it fortunate that the flames would naturally extinguish once they sank like that?
"Wh- What are you all doing! Put it out. Put out the fire!"
Bop Kye, who had been standing in a daze, suddenly shouted as if in a fit.
“Put out the flames now! We have to save at least one ship! Put out the flames…!”
“Elder.”
Someone tugged at his sleeve.
When he turned around with an enraged face, a Shaolin disciple was slowly shaking his head.
“…It’s too late.”
“....”
Bop Kye turned back, dazed once again.
Black smoke from the burning ships rose thickly into the sky, a clear signal to anyone, even those not present, of their dire situation.
“A- Amitabha....”
The Buddhist mantra leaked from his lips. His voice was hollow.
‘This predicament…? What are we supposed to do about this disaster?’
The screams of the injured whose body parts had burned away, the wails of those clutching their dead and weeping, and the shouts of those desperately struggling to put out the fires.
It was truly hell on earth. Bop Kye’s eyes clenched shut.
|Note
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