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0104 ———————————————-

Dark Heaven Village

On the day of departure, I decided to board a warship instead of a merchant ship. This was because, just like before, if pirates approached with fireballs or arrows, it would be easy to counterattack, and the ship itself was faster. I had previously obtained permission from the Lord of Seogung Escort Agency, which made this possible.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ahn Hyeon, the Deputy Commander serving under the general.”

The reason he was treating me, the younger one, with some level of respect seemed to be related to the suspicious behavior exhibited by General Jang Gyeong-ik.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Baek Woong.”

Ahn Hyeon seemed to be the Deputy of the naval forces commanding the celestial troops under General Jang Gyeong-ik. He had a serious-looking military demeanor with a long sword at his side. Though appearing modest, he was actually quite a high-ranking officer, as he was in charge of three warships. He looked at me with a strange gaze and said,

“I heard you’re the renowned talent of Jianghu and that pirates might ambush us.”

“That might be the case.”

“Haha, you have a lot of worries. With three warships accompanying us, what could possibly go wrong? Even the most notorious Blood Blade Group wouldn’t dare to attack if they’re in their right mind.”

Ahn Hyeon’s confident laughter held some truth. The number of soldiers aboard our three warships alone was in the hundreds. The pirates would have to be insane to see this escort and dare to charge.

Of course, if they didn’t attack, that would be just fine as well. I didn’t see any reason to counter Ahn Hyeon’s reassurances and simply smiled in response.

“I trust you.”

“Rest easy. We will arrive in Gaegyeong, Goryeo without incident.”

I quietly took a break in the room prepared for me on the warship. Before boarding, I had already asked the blacksmith to sharpen my spear and sword with a whetstone. It appeared calm, but I was already primed for battle.

Rationally, one wouldn’t think that pirates would charge us, even with warships providing escort. However, I knew that there were sea god clans behind the Blood Blade Group, and they might charge in to prove their fighting prowess against the regular navy. Acknowledging this, I kept my guard up and waited.

Thus, about four days passed. Suddenly, a navy soldier rushed in and opened my door.

“I’m sorry. Please hurry. It’s urgent.”

“Is it Deputy Commander Ahn Hyeon calling for me?”

“Yes, it is. Follow me.”

I followed the soldier to the deck. On the deck were Ahn Hyeon and several armed officials already gathered. Ahn Hyeon, arms crossed, was gazing into the distance when he noticed my arrival and said,

“Oh, you’re here? Just as you said it would happen.”

“Are we facing pirates?”

“Yes. The Blood Blade Group, and there are eight ships!”

Eight ships!

That was much larger than the scale I had faced before. I hesitated to ask.

“Are they really planning to face the regular navy?”

Ahn Hyeon chuckled in disbelief.

“It seems that way. They must not think very highly of us…”

As I looked towards the horizon, pirate ships of the Blood Blade Group were approaching from various directions. There were three merchant ships on this side and three warships, meaning our numbers were quite lacking. Moreover, considering that the merchant ships hardly had any combat capability, our position was even more precarious.

“Isn’t our small number a disadvantage?”

“Hehe. Just watch.”

Ahn Hyeon grinned ominously.

“Do you have any idea how large the gap is between a regular navy and a mere pirate?”

With that, Ahn Hyeon issued orders to the soldiers.

“Open the Red Cannon doors. Fire immediately at the enemy ships.”

“Yes!!”

Clang!!

Moments later, three navy ships turned sharply to the right, revealing cannons slowly protruding from their underbelly. I was puzzled, but as the pirate ships drew within seventy meters, a thunderous noise erupted.

The armed soldiers waved flags and shouted.

“Fire!”

Boom!

With a resounding blast, something was shot forth. And the Blood Blade Group’s ship suddenly burst apart, creating a massive hole, sending shockwaves through the air. Pirates shrieked as they were flung into the sea, and a few swam toward us. After confirming this, Ahn Hyeon coldly ordered,

“Shoot arrows. Don’t let a single one escape.”

Swoosh

Thud, thud

As the ship sank and the pirates dove into the water, arrows from our navy ships pierced through human flesh. The pirates screamed for mercy, but there was no kindness to be found. It would have been understandable to let a few go or leave them in the vast ocean, but what we witnessed was stark cruelty.

‘Looks like he’s angry.’

It seemed Ahn Hyeon was furious that the pirates had dared to attack us under the impression that their numbers could conquer. Such incidents were happening all over the seas, and every time our navy ship fired the Red Cannon, pirate ships sank without being able to retaliate. What’s more, finishing attacks with arrows made it even more overwhelming.

Boom, bang!

Though the naval battle had just started with some light skirmishes, the battle’s tide had already swung clearly in our favor. Our three warships, as well as the merchant vessels, had suffered no damage while four pirate ships had already sunk. This overwhelming situation stemmed entirely from the fact that the range of the Red Cannon was far beyond that of arrows, and when a pirate ship took a hit from the Red Cannon, it could sink with just one or two shots.

As I observed the massacre, I turned to Ahn Hyeon and asked,

“What exactly is the Red Cannon?”

“Someone of your stature in Jianghu may not know this, but it’s a new weapon introduced a few years ago. It’s a weapon used by the Western people known as the Red Hair Barbarians, and our navy has actively adopted it. It’s likely to be in substantial deployment in the land armies as well.”

“Red Hair?”

“There’s a Western barbarian country called Holland. It refers to those with blue eyes and either blonde or red hair living there.”

“Hmm…”

I found it fascinating.

‘From that iron mouth, bullets are being shot at tremendous speeds. With that shock power, any pirate ship hit would inevitably sink.’

I began to understand the principle of the Red Cannon through my focused internal vision. And I was chilled to the bone. Each Red Cannon had tremendous destructive power. There was no chance for any human who faced it head-on.

There was no way for the Blood Blade Group, with their inferior range, speed, durability, and strategy, to win. Perhaps realizing this, the remaining four Blood Blade ships lingered hesitantly and began to retreat. Ahn Hyeon seemed contemplative about whether to charge in.

“Hmm. It’s a hassle…”

“Why’s that?”

“If they spread out to fight, the Red Cannon’s hit rate goes down. We’ve set up the cannons, and this is an ideal situation. If we move recklessly, we might allow a chance for them to charge.”

Upon hearing that, I thought inwardly.

‘A perfectionist, huh?’

Though it sounded like a great concern, in reality, it was merely a reluctant attitude towards aiming for a more overwhelming victory. Since victory had already been assured, he wanted to minimize losses and capture them if possible. Of course, this attitude reflected the traits of an excellent commander, leading me to mentally acknowledge Ahn Hyeon as a competent man.

I said,

“Are you planning to wait until they back off?”

“Of course, that’s not the case. Just observing for a bit.”

He likely intended to wait for the chaotic movements of the pirate ships and then strike all at once for complete annihilation. I watched Ahn Hyeon’s warlike face, resembling a predator stalking its prey, and said,

“If that’s the case, would you give me a chance to change the situation?”

“What do you mean?”

“If you could lend me a small boat, I will take down their captain.”

Ahn Hyeon’s eyes lit up with interest.

“Of course, I know you are a peak expert of Jianghu. However, the general has commanded that we take utmost care of you, so exposing you to danger would be out of the question. If you stay put, we’ll finish them.”

“And that’s what’s dangerous. Those captains could pose a threat if let loose at sea.”

“What do you mean?”

“I will take full responsibility for every life lost. I’ll write a written agreement, so please allow me to engage the enemy.”

I held out a piece of paper and bit my thumb to draw blood. With that, I began to write a blood agreement, causing Ahn Hyeon to gasp.

“Wait…”

Eventually, the document stating that I wouldn’t blame anyone if I lost my life was completed.

“I hope the navy doesn’t attack the pirates until I return.”

As I handed that to Ahn Hyeon, he reluctantly agreed.

“Alright. I’ll provide you with a boat and three soldiers. But again, this is your responsibility.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Whoosh –

After a brief moment, I boarded a small boat with three soldiers, heading towards the vast sea. The soldiers, having been through many battles, appeared quite composed, as if they were headed into a suicide mission. As they quickly rowed toward the pirate ship, I gave instructions.

“The ship with the black anchor over there.”

“Understood.”

As we approached within about thirty meters of the pirate ship, arrows began to rain down. I deflected the arrows with my spear, keeping a keen eye, and suddenly leaped into the sea.

Splash!

My foot struck the water surface, sending a column of water soaring upwards. With a single bound, I compressed the thirty meters distance and landed atop the pirate flagship. The eyes of the pirates aboard the flagship all turned to me at once.

Had this been in the past, I would have started the slaughter without a second thought. However, radiating killing intent, I shouted softly,

“Anyone who doesn’t want to die, drop your weapons and kneel.”

Swoosh!

They seemed to think it was nonsense, and weapons flew from all directions. Archers and pirates alike drew their swords and charged. I confirmed each attacker with my gaze and instantly moved to eliminate them.

Swish, slash, slash!

Blood gushed forth. The instant my spear cleaved through the air, human bodies were torn apart and flew. Within moments, twelve pirates had become lost souls, causing those who initially charged to falter and retreat.

“Whoa!”

Then, as the door opened, a group of elite pirates wielding weapons poured out from the inside, about thirty strong, exactly as I had seen before.

Ich!

I deftly parried their attacks and continued to advance to the bow. In the process, when my internal energy-charged spear shockwave grazed a few, they yelped and flew overboard into the ocean. Even surrounded by dozens, they were rendered helpless against me, leaving them in a state of panic.

“Ugh…”

“What kind of child possesses such martial skills?”

Tydaht!

Thinking I had sufficiently demonstrated my abilities, I stood at the bow and looked at them, saying,

“Originally, I would have killed all of you. However, I’ll grant you a chance.”

The pirates surrounding me with blood knives weren’t just lowly thugs; they were competent martial artists. Naturally, they would feel the disparity in skill, leading to some murmurs.

The foremost pirate asked,

“What kind of chance?”

I directed my sharp gaze toward the inner door and responded,

“I know that your captain is not merely human; he is of the sea god’s clan. We have come this far to purge you.”

Murmurs…

A clear disturbance arose among the elite pirates. This was not a reaction from hearing something they had never heard before. I sensed they were all aware that the leaders of the Blood Blade Group were sea creatures.

A deputy officer stepped forward.

“Do you really mean the navy is aware of this?”

“Indeed. Otherwise, why would three ships follow you all the way into such a trivial venture?”

“……”

“And I have ten more experts like myself accompanying me. You have no chance of winning.”

The last part was a bit of a bluff, but the atmosphere suggested they believed it was true. With half of their eight ships already sunk, it was hard not to believe. The pirate looked nervously at me and said,

“We had no intention of attacking the navy. We were just going to let you go, but the captain was insistent.”

“And then?”

“If you guarantee our lives, we will immediately surrender.”

I smirked.

“Of course. Pirates face execution without trial, but I’ll make an exception in your case. Now drop your weapons.”

“Then…”

Just as he tried to say something, there was a sudden gurgling sound!

Thud!

“Ugh…”

He slowly collapsed face-first. An arrow having pierced his heart from behind, he could only die on the spot. From within the captain’s ship, three blood-blade pirate chiefs slowly emerged, cloaked in blood.

One of the chiefs said in a gruff voice,

“What are you confused about? Take him down immediately.”

The pirates surrounding me hesitated, showing clear signs of indecision. With death looming over them in any case, they couldn’t help but hesitate. I looked at the pirate chiefs and said,

“Hey, why did you dare attack the navy? Did you really think you could win against a naval vessel equipped with the Red Cannon and elite troops? What kind of delusion is this?”

One of the pirate chiefs replied,

“Who the hell are you? Are you from the White Lotus Sect?”

“Well, I’m just curious. No matter how powerful you are, why would you need to forsake your humanity to become subservient to the sea god?”

My mocking words shocked the pirate chiefs. It seemed they figured I knew much more about them. The pirates spoke in unison.

“Who are you?! How do you know this?!”

“Haha. What’s certain is that if this goes on, you will definitely die. Complete annihilation is guaranteed. Shouldn’t you save your life before that?”

My subtly threatening words weren’t meant for the pirate chiefs.

“……”

Ssss

The elite members of the Blood Blade Group, receiving my glare, exchanged looks and slowly moved to surround the pirate chiefs. As nearly thirty former allies betrayed them at once, the pirate chiefs found themselves incredulous, shouting.

“You crazy fools! Why are you pointing your swords at us?”

Then, one of the pirates wielding a blood knife stepped forward, aiming his sword and yelling,

“You’re the crazy ones! Even if you’ve turned into an unidentifiable fish monster, what possessed you to attack a navy vessel?! Damn you, I’ll cut you down!”

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