Chapter 803: Yah! Get Me Some Extra Booze! (3)

"Elder!"

"I know!"

Beop Gye unusually raised his voice.

Shaolin was a sect that taught its disciples to always maintain a steady mind. Beop Gye was also not someone unfamiliar with the importance of steadfastness.

But the scene unfolding before his eyes was enough to instantly undo the long-standing cultivation of Beop Gye.

Blood splattered, and screams echoed around them.

Those who were alive just moments ago suddenly turned into cold corpses.

"Elder! We need to go!"

"Move!"

Beop Gye leaped from the ship and landed on the ground, shouting.

The thick, bloody smell assaulted his nose. In addition, the scent of gunpowder, clouds of dust, and other unidentifiable odors mixed together, making everyone dizzy.

The faces of not only the monks but also other Shaolin people contorted.

"Hurry up! We cannot just have it said that Shaolin merely watched and then returned!"

"Yes!"

As Beop Gye ordered, the Shaolin monks rushed forward all at once. The sight of Shaolin monks in yellow robes performing footwork simultaneously and charging ahead like a hailstorm aroused both admiration and fear.

But just one person.

Hae Yeon didn't join them.

He closed his eyes tightly as he watched the backs of his sahyungs moving forward.

'No.'

This wasn't it.

At least Shaolin shouldn't be like this. The Shaolin he knew wouldn't act this way.

Fighting bravely against pirates?

This was expected, and that fight also needed to have a reason.

However, the Shaolin monks, who now rushed ahead fiercely, had no desire to protect the civilians. They were just filled with a sense of pride, not wanting to be seen as inferior to other sects.

'Why does it feel so empty?'

Hae Yeon bit his lip.

One person's face came to his mind.

A person who always shouted that it was about reason, selfishness, and profit, and he couldn't bear to see another sect gain fame.

But in the end, that person's actions benefited everyone.

'So different.'

Chung Myung talked about profit, but does justice, while Shaolin speaks of righteousness but pursues profit?

Of course, if Chung Myung had heard this, he would have laughed, but at least that was how Hae Yeon saw it.

The difference made Hae Yeon's feet heavy to move.

Compared to the time he spent with them in Shaolin, the time he spent in Mount Hua wasn't much. Nevertheless, Mount Hua played a large role in him.

"Amitabha."

He took a deep sigh and looked back.

Since they had come this far, there was no way he could see it. The only thing in front of him was the high cliff and the Qingcheng ship entering the valley.

The person who always ran ahead was nowhere to be seen, and the people who supported his back were also nowhere to be seen.

'Let us not think of it.'

Hae Yeon told himself.

Even if this situation made him suffer, he couldn't just let his sahyungs fight.

"Amitabha!"

Hae Yeon forced himself to shake off the delusions in his mind and ran ahead.

"Tsk! Damn it!"

"These dirty bastards! Four more are coming! And the Justice Faction at that!"

"D-do not back down!"

The direction of the battlefield was decided in an instant.

Of course, not all the forces of each sect came for this attack. There were quite a few people left in each sect, and there were people who weren't brought along since the ship couldn't support the number.

But that applied to the Black Dragon Pirates too.

All the strength of the 18 River Families of the Yangtze River, if gathered, would be comparable to that of one sect. Even if the Black Dragon pirates accounted for about half of the total strength in the Yangtze River families, it would be difficult for them to deal with all the sects gathered.

But now, with as many as four sects forming an alliance against them?

From the beginning, it was a fight that the Black Dragon Pirates had no chance of winning.

Woong!

Paaat!

The majestic sword of the Namgung family and Wudang's disciples, filled with gentleness and seriousness, fiercely took down the pirates as if competing.

"Amitabha!"

And Shaolin was truly skilled.

Kuang!

A golden fist collided with the pirates, blowing them away.

Shaolin wasn't a sect that just used its fists. All Shaolin monks were familiar with the 19 forms of martial arts to some extent. Nevertheless, the reason they insisted on fighting in this manner was that there was no better method when fighting to subdue an opponent without killing him.

Tung!

Beop Gye, who defeated the pirate in front of him, erupted into a roar.

"The path of Buddhism isn't just to look after all living things! It is also the role of a Buddhist to remove the demons and open the way to rebirth! Don't give mercy to anyone!"

"Yes!"

The blue, white, and yellow troops devoured the Black Dragon pirates ravenously.

'What about the Black Dragon King?'

'Where is the pirate leader?'

The situation had escalated to such a point that it seemed it would no longer matter how many more pirates were dealt with. Then, there was only one thing left: who would defeat the Black Dragon King, the leader of the Yangtze pirates?

"Push in!"

"Cut them down!"

The Black Dragon King would naturally be inside the Palace. In that case, the decision will depend on who breaks through there and gets in.

'I need to go first!'

Namgung Hwang's eyes shone.

The Black Dragon King is clearly a formidable person who rules over the pirates and has an overwhelming reputation even among the numerous people of the Evils Faction.

But he was Namgung Hwang.

There was no way he would lose against the Black Dragon King.

But the problem was that there were too many people here who thought the same. And so the orders went through, but neither Venerable Heo Do nor he would give up the Black Dragon King.

'One cannot make porridge only to give it to a dog!'

If they cut off the head of the Black Dragon King, wasn't it obvious that the achievements of the Namgung family, who stood at the forefront and paved the way, would fade?

Kwaang!

The sword qi wielded by Namgung Hwang exploded like a bomb and swept across the front lines.

"Lord! Save your strength!"

"We will clear the path!"

Namgung Do-wei moved to the front. Namgung Hwang gritted his teeth at the sight.

He felt anxious, but the Black Dragon King was by no means an easy opponent. If he wasted his strength there, the worst could happen, and they might be defeated by the Black Dragon King.

Namgung Hwang suppressed his hasty feelings and looked to the side.

Woong!

Elder Heo Do, with white sword qi wrapped around his sword, swung it gently.

It was such an odd sight.

Smooth and fast were concepts that could never coexist. But in that sword, those two things clearly coexisted.

The sword seemed to have been swung lazily and slowly, but it quickly pierced the enemy's gap and cut into the vital point.

'Heo Do!'

The desire to win the battle was welling up in the heart of Namgung Hwang.

One was Namgung Hwang, known as the leader of the strongest sword family in the world. And the other person was Wudang's sect leader, who was called the greatest swordsman.

Also, at the same time, the two sects were competing for the position of the best swordsmen in the world.

But, despite having such deep and complex relationships, the two never clashed with each other.

It wasn't like their ties were bad enough to risk a spar with lives on the line, and they had too much to lose to decide the winner with a clumsy fight.

The moment Namgung Hwang's eyes became sharp, Venerable Heo Do naturally turned his head to look at him.

Namgung Hwang read the calmness in the look and clenched his mouth.

'Are you still taking your time after seeing my sword?'

Namgung Hwang held the sword tightly.

"Okay. Let's see how long that leisure lasts!"

Namgung Hwang, whose desire to win was at its peak, rushed forward first.

"Lord!

"You need to conserve your strength!"

"Get out of my way!"

Kwaang!

Namgung Hwang, who once again swung the sword and sent the pirates flying, shouted.

"What is the need to save strength when I am only dealing with someone like the Black Dragon King? I am Namgung Hwang, the Emperor's sword!"

It would have been extremely arrogant if those words came out of someone else's mouth, but Namgung Hwang clearly demonstrated his worth.

Kwaang!

Once again, the pirates were reduced to flesh by the sword of Namgung Hwang. The force of the swordsmen guarding his sides grew more intense, like piercing the sky.

"Follow the lord!"

"Make sure that the Lord doesn't stop!"

A Martial Sect and a Martial Family.

Although there were pros and cons, loyalty to the Lord of the family and solidarity with one another were clearly advantages that a Martial Family had. The power of a Family, which was closely tied to blood, was being displayed now.

Kwaang!

"Hmm!"

Venerable Heo Do frowned as he watched Namgung Hwang attack with a sudden change of force.

'Not even a wild boar rushes in like that.'

A sword wasn't meant to be used as such.

'But even so...'

Venerable Heo Do lightly glanced at his own face. Even at such an age, it seemed like the feeling of victory still remained in his heart. He saw the heart beating.

And.

"Do not get too excited."

He spoke softly. The voice was clearly heard in the ears of the Wudang disciples following him.

"When a chance comes, you just need to grab it. Don't lose your composure!"

Wudang's disciples, who were feeling impatient as the Namgung family was attacking the pirates, managed to calm their hearts after those words. Then, they took a short breath and, with a stronger stance, attacked the pirates.

'Abbot. This is your mistake.'

Whether it was Namgung Hwang or the Qingcheng sect leader, the abbot would have been able to lead Shaolin through this. But since he wasn't, Shaolin remained inactive.

"Go ahead and go in!"

As Namgung and Wudang simultaneously increased their force, the pirates barely maintained their defense line.

"N-no..."

"We cannot hold on any longer!"

Venerable Heo Do and Namgung Hwang seized the opportunity.

"Get out! You bastards!"

Namgung Hwang exploited the gap, while Venerable Heo Do soared like a crane, leaping over the pirates' heads and into the palace.

"That!"

Namgung Hwang's eyes gleamed.

"Taat!"

Having crushed the pirates in one swoop, Namgung Hwang pursued Venerable Heo Do like a hungry tiger.

"Oh my, damn it!"

Kwaang!

Namgung Hwang, who broke down the Palace door in one go, scanned left and right with sharp eyes.

'Where are you?'

His body moved before his mind could process it. He immediately dashed like a beam of light and burst through the broken door in the center of the pavilion.

"Black Dragon King!"

Namgung Hwang's feet, which had jumped in with great force, suddenly stopped.

What he saw was a large inner room, a luxurious and dignified chair in the center, and Elder Heo Do staring at the chair with a stiff face.

"Where is the Black Dragon King?"

"... He's not here."

"W-what?"

Namgung Hwang's face contorted with bewilderment.

This place was like the heart of the 18 River Families. No matter how powerfully the Black Dragon King had absorbed the pirates into his own, he couldn't flee before the pirates lost.

So, did it make sense that the Black Dragon King, who should protect the Black Dragon pirates more than anyone, wasn't there?

Beop Gye, who arrived late, looked at them with a blank expression.

"You are saying the Black Dragon King isn't here?"

"... seems like it, monk."

"But how..."

Beop Gye appeared equally flustered.

"The Black Dragon King isn't here?"

Venerable Heo Do's expression continued to shift with the repeated use of the words. As he turned his head to look, his eyes widened upon seeing the face of the person who had asked the last question.

"Didn't the Qingcheng decide to handle the rear?"

The presence of Byeok Hyun indicated that the disciples of Qingcheng were also present.

"What are you doing here? Why?"

"E-even if you say that... from the start, didn't we decide to handle the pirates on the river and support those who guard the top? Everyone went in without a word, so I naturally expected the strategy to have changed."

"This..."

Venerable Heo Do's face showed a look of disappointment.

'Such a shameless lie!'

It was clear that, out of a desire for recognition, the man had broken the plan and followed them in. But now wasn't the time to discuss it.

"What is the escape route?"

"It was easy to break through, but is there a need to have an escape route?"

But Elder Heo Do's face turned cold as if he wore iron armor.

"Then... are you saying everyone is inside now? In this dock?"

Only after the word 'dock' was mentioned did the color drain from the faces of the sect leaders.

"It cannot be...."

"No! No way! The Black Dragon pirates are there! They aren't just the limbs of pirates; they are the head and heart! Who would give up their head and heart to set up a trap?"

"... the Black Dragon King cannot do that."

"What...?"

"Ahh."

For a moment, Beop Gye let out an exclamation as he understood Venerable Heo Do's words. His face turned pale.

"T-trap..."

It was then.

"Uhahahahaahah!"

A loud laugh, which seemed to tear into their ears, exploded through the air.

The loud laughter, filled with tremendous qi, struck the cliffs surrounding them and echoed as if it would last forever.

It was the moment when everyone finally realized that something was wrong.