Chapter 802: Yah! Get Me Some Extra Booze! (2)

"Hmm!"

Namgung Hwang frowned as he entered the valley.

The terrain felt strange.

The long path filled with water between the cliffs was wide enough for two ships to pass side by side. It couldn't be called narrow, but it wasn't exactly wide, either.

'There is no better place than this for the entrance of the water through which ships must pass.'

Moreover, the cliff was quite high.

As they ventured further into the valley, the surroundings grew darker. When he raised his head and looked up, it seemed like a long blue line was drawn in the black sky.

"Don't let your guard down!"

Namgung Hwang shouted, his voice echoing around.

"A lion does his best to catch a rabbit too. The opponent is the Evil Faction! We don't know what they will do. There is no shame in losing due to skill, but death due to inattention is an even greater shame!"

"Yes!"

Emperor Hwang checked the surroundings with sharp eyes.

It was his first time leading so many people against such pirates. Even though he was overly excited, it wasn't a particularly strange situation.

But as the Namgung family was being led by him, his eyes turned colder as if to prove that the position of the head wasn't a given.

"Father."

"Call me lord!"

"Yes, lord!"

Namgung Do-wei quickly corrected himself.

"The road is narrow, and the currents are strong. If the ship is attacked here..."

"Don't worry."

Namgung Hwang spoke firmly.

"To prepare for that, I had the Qingcheng Sect escort the ship. There is no way that insignificant pirates would be able to throw a harpoon on the path and hit us."

Namgung Do-wei nodded.

It might sound arrogant at first glance, but Namgung Do-wei knew. This was not arrogance. The arrogance displayed by someone qualified to be arrogant should be called confidence.

"Instead..."

Namgung Hwang's gaze turned upward.

His lips curled into a mocking smile.

"They don't even know the place. If they are pirates, we just ram through them."

At that, Namgung Do-wei's gaze turned to the place where Namgung Hwang's eyes were focused.

"Here they come!"

People wearing black robes were fiercely charging towards them, climbing the cliffs that lined up like screens to the left and right.

'They are different!'

A moment of anxiety appeared on the face of Namgung Do-wei.

Running down that steep cliff as if it were flat wasn't something possible with the usual footwork. Just looking at them, it was clear that the black-robed men were on a different level from the pirates they had faced until then.

"Well, is this the Black Dragon pirates?"

Namgung Hwang chuckled.

Before he could even give the order, the Blue Sky swordsmen on board the ship rose up like a large bird soaring on the wing and ran to the cliff.

The two groups became entangled on the sheer cliff with no room to step, an extremely steep slope.

"Hit them!

"Kill them all!"

Sword qi was all around.

Sharp swords pierced the bodies of the pirates, and the long spears thrown by the pirates split the bodies of the swordsmen.

Slash!

A pirate with a long cut across his chest fell into the river without even being able to scream.

Plop! Plop!

Anyone could see that the Blue Sky swordsmen were winning. Although it was unlikely they had trained to fight on cliffs, their martial arts skills, steadily built over a long time, ensured their victory.

"This cannot be all of them."

Namgung Hwang looked up.

"Shoot!"

Sure enough, the sky visible above the narrow canyon was suddenly filled with black arrows.

"Right."

This was a very natural form of attack.

However, contrary to the visible intimidation, it was nothing more than a useless attack.

Kakang!

Namgung Hwang's sword struck down the flying arrows.

If this were a normal battlefield where soldiers clashed with one another, the rain of arrows would have been threatening. Even if those that were hit were from proper sects, they would have taken significant damage.

But those now moving were none other than the Blue Sky swordsmen of the Namgung family.

Ordinary arrows would not even inflict a single wound on them, even if shot all day long.

It would certainly have been dangerous to fire an arrow from a short distance with qi on it. Still, it was impossible for an arrow to be shot with such a difference in distance.

In other words, the cliffs, which were too high, were a hindrance for the opponents too.

"Lord! Do we head up?"

"Forget it. Ignore it!"

Namgung Hwang shouted loudly.

"Don't get caught up with those idiots! The ones following behind will handle it!"

"Yes!"

The ship, which had hesitated for a moment, began to move quickly again. The pirates fighting on the cliff had jumped to block the ship, but none of them could even set foot on the ship Namgung Hwang was on.

"Kuaak!"

"Ack!"

The elders of the Namgung family, who climbed onto the railing as if guarding the ship, cut down the pirates at once.

"Do not dare interfere, you bastards!"

"How dare these stupid evil faction morons aim for us!"

Although they were advancing while being hindered at the front, the Namgung family ship was moving ahead, widening the distance with Wudang, which was following.

The term "handle the tangled with grace and confuse others" suited this setup.

Slash!

The ship sailed through the current. It seemed like no one could stand in front of Namgung Hwang.

Namgung Do-wei was thrilled to see Namgung Hwang standing at the figurehead, which was lion-shaped.

The pirates driven out by the elders were rushing to climb the cliff, and the arrows rained down. And now, not only arrows but also rocks the size of humans were being thrown.

It was literally a war zone.

But the back of Namgung Hwang, who was moving through the center, didn't waver one bit.

'Namgung family lord.'

Emperor's Sword.

Blue Sky Namgung Family Lord.

Namgung Do-wei once again realized the power of his family to a greater extent. He, too, must one day lead the Namgung family in the same way Namgung Hwang was doing.

'One day, Shaolin and Wudang will kneel at the feet of the Namgung family.'

At the moment when Namgung Do-wei struck down the flying arrow and made the promise, Namgung Hwang shouted.

"I see it!"

Finally, the end of the long canyon ahead was visible. The narrow valley widened greatly, and the innermost part of the valley became clearly visible.

It was huge.

'It is like the top of a big volcano.'

The water coming in through the narrow channel spread out in a fan shape and reached the land. The terrain there was, so to speak, a vast basin surrounded by steep cliffs.

"I am glad they settled down in a place like this."

This place was surely a natural fortress.

The entrance was excessively narrow, so multiple ships couldn't enter, and to get in, one would have to take a lot of damage because they had no choice but to be defenseless against attacks from the top of the cliff.

But that was the story for normal people. This didn't apply to warriors. No matter what they did up there, if one was a skilled warrior, they could avoid it.

Namgung Hwang smiled.

"If the opponent was us, wouldn't they be like rats caught with poison?"

Namgung Hwang drew his sword.

"Now! It will hit at once!"

"Yes!"

Several large pavilions were built on the land.

Because the pirates move their ships and bases frequently, they don't build grand structures. But, the buildings around were huge and magnificent at first glance.

Although other pirates could be thrown away and run away at any time, they could clearly feel the spirit. They determination that the Black Dragon pirates were showing was different.

'Right, these are the pirates!'

Namgung Hwang stepped firmly onto the figurehead and rose up.

Kuung!

He flew about 20 meters in one leap and landed on the ground.

"DIEEEEE!"

As soon as Namgung Hwang touched the ground, more than a dozen pirates attacked him simultaneously. Their weapons varied, but their force was uniformly sharp.

"So trivial!"

Thud!

Namgung Hwang stepped on a pillar and swung his sword.

Kwaang!

The sword, charged with tremendous qi, cut down all who approached him at once.

No, it was a blow more appropriately described as crushing than cutting.

Those who faced the sword qi, laden with immense power, paid the expected price. Those who were thrown back like cannonballs died before their bodies hit the ground.

"Get lost, you idiots!"

Namgung Hwang roared like a lion.

"Where is the Black Dragon King? I am the Emperor's Sword, Namgung Hwang!"

With him leading, the swordsmen of the Namgung family leaped to land one after another.

"Lord!"

"Give us the order!"

Namgung Hwang frowned and shouted.

"Kill them all! Find the Black Dragon King and bring him to me!"

"Yes!"

The swordsmen, having received the Lord's command, rushed forward like the wind.

"Stop them!"

"Those damn bastards!"

The pirates of the Black Dragon also gritted their teeth and blocked the swordsmen.

There was no way out.

Their natural fortress didn't allow escape, even for the pirates who owned it. If the pirates were invaded, there was just one option left. All they could do was fight to the end.

Among the 18 River Families along the Yangtze River, the Blood Pirates were the most vicious and cruel. The countless sins they committed could not be forgiven by surrendering and begging for their lives.

Then, all that was left was to fight!

"DIE!"

"Kuak!"

The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out like screams.

The skills of each individual were clearly superior among the Namgung swordsmen. With the elders of the Namgung family joining in, no matter how many Black Dragon pirates there were, their strength would be limited.

However, the number was definitely higher on the side of the Black Dragon Pirates.

It was difficult to understand where such a large number of people were coming from, as pirates dressed in black emerged like ants.

"Shoot!"

Kwang!

Kwaang!

Large iron harpoons were fired one after another from the cannons installed in the palace-like place.

The swordsmen of Blue Sky struck down the flying harpoons. But when the direction of the wind changed, one was embedded in the body of a swordsman on the right.

Crush!

"Kuakk..."

If the distance had been longer, they might have been able to respond, but they, too, had no experience in such fights. The swordsman fell down with blood dripping and slowly lost his life.

"Those bastards!"

Namgung Hwang shouted loudly and rushed ahead.

Kwaaang!

The sword qi that erupted from the tip of his sword struck the enemy.

"Show the spirit of the Namgung family!"

"Yes!"

As the Namgung family reached the peaks, the Wudang disciples disembarked from the ships and stood on land.

Venerable Heo Do, who had just disembarked, took the lead into the battle line.

"T-this damn justice..."

Slash!

Venerable Heo, unable to retreat, pierced the head of the hesitating pirate at once and spoke coldly.

"Do not fall behind. We make up for the loss in an instant!"

"Yes!"

Namgung and Wudang.

The two swords, which represented the world, began to kill the pirates as if competing with each other.