Chapter 801: Hey! Grab Any Leftover Liquor! (1)

 

"Stop them! Don’t let them enter the stronghold!"

The captains of the various pirate factions gathered at Black Dragon Stronghold shouted frantically. But no matter how much they yelled or cursed, no one was listening.

The pirates, terrified out of their minds, were busy turning their ships around. They frantically tried to distance themselves from the rapidly approaching Namgung Family's ship.

“You worthless scum! Can’t you hear me?!”

If this were land, he would have run up to those turning their ships to snap their necks. But unfortunately, this was the Yangtze River. No matter how skilled he was, he couldn’t simply leap over water to reach another ship in this chaotic battlefield.

“Turn back now! You damned fools!”

The captain of the Wagong faction gritted his teeth, his face red with fury.

"Shoot! Fire! Damn it, I said shoot!"

The ship he was on was still under his control, and the pirates clung to the railing, firing harpoons.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

Massive iron harpoons the length of a man’s body flew toward the Namgung Family’s ship with terrifying speed. Yet not a single one landed.

Clang!

The Namgung Family warriors escorting the ship leaped from the water, deflecting the harpoons, while those aboard sliced through them with clean sword strikes, sending them ricocheting harmlessly away.

The sight of these powerful harpoons bouncing off those slender swords as if they were nothing was almost surreal.

“This….”

“It's no use, Chief! The harpoons aren't reaching them, and those approaching from underwater are being slaughtered! We have no options left!”

The chief’s face turned red as bloodshot lines appeared in his eyes.

“Advance!”

“What?”

“If we rally the fleeing ships and charge from all directions, even they won’t be able to stop all of us! If we lead a courageous charge, the other ships will change their minds and join us!”

“B-But Chief! Didn’t you see? They just—”

“Shut up! Even if they're from the Namgung Family, we are the Eighteen Waterway Factions! Are we really going to tuck our tails and flee from these orthodox sect dogs on our own river?!”

“….”

“If the harpoons don’t work, then we’ll ram them! Punch a hole in their hull! No matter how strong they are, they aren’t trained for water combat. Take away their ship, and they’re nothing special!”

“C-Chief… please, reconsider….”

Clang!

The chief of the Wagong faction drew his massive scimitar.

“Do I need to plant a harpoon in your mouth to get you to listen? Turn us around, now!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

His subordinates moved quickly as the chief’s face twisted into a vicious scowl.

‘Worthless cowards.’

If the underlings fled, they’d simply be gone. But he didn’t have the luxury of escape.

Abandoning his waterway to gather at Black Dragon Stronghold had been barely tolerated, given how dire the situation was. But fleeing the stronghold now would be unforgivable.

‘The Black Dragon King would never let me live!’

Considering the Black Dragon King’s relentless nature, there was nowhere in the world he could hide.

“Whether we die here or elsewhere doesn’t matter! Row! We’ll ram them from the side!”

“Yes, sir!”

The pirates knew their fate was sealed either way. If they defied the chief’s orders, his scimitar would tear through their hearts.

Grinding their teeth, they turned the rudder and rowed hard, pushing the boat forward toward the Namgung Family’s ship.

“Ram them!”

The pirates, driven by desperation, roared as they closed in.

Fwoosh!

At that moment, a flash of white sword energy burst from the lead Namgung ship, piercing the pirates’ boat.

Crunch!

The chief’s eyes widened.

Their ships were built to withstand impact, with timber twice as strong as regular wood. Yet that sword aura cut through it as if it were tofu.

“This….”

The deck split almost halfway down its length, and he could feel cold sweat trickling down his spine as he stared at the gaping hole.

But it didn’t stop there.

Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

More sword energy poured forth. Warriors stationed along the Namgung ship’s railing swung their swords with expressionless faces, sending crescent-shaped energy blasts hurtling forward.

Crunch! Crack! Shatter!

In no time, the pirate ship was reduced to splinters.

“What the hell is this?!”

The chief practically screamed.

It was no wonder he was horrified—producing sword energy of that magnitude was no simple feat. To send such energy across this distance and still pierce solid timber meant these warriors were masters of the highest level.

But how many such warriors could possibly be on that single ship from the Namgung Family?

‘Na-Namgung Family!’

The chief’s face turned pale.

‘Are they really this powerful?’

Only now, seeing it with his own eyes, did he understand.

The Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families—names so familiar and synonymous with strength. And yet, that very familiarity had led him to underestimate them.

Only now did he realize why these forces had dominated the martial world for so long.

“Chief! The ship… it’s sinking! We need to abandon ship!”

“We’re already taking on water….”

Squelch!

Before he could finish speaking, white sword energy sliced through a pirate’s neck. Blood sprayed across the deck, and the partially shattered boat began to list, filling rapidly with water.

“Those monster-like bastards….”

The chief stared, dazed, at the Namgung Family’s ship.

The worst part wasn’t even their defeat but the fact that the Namgung warriors had already lost interest in them. The Namgung ships, led by the front vessel, had left them behind and were now entering the gorge.

“Chief!”

“Abandon ship and jump into the water! We’ll regroup with the rear vessels!”

The chief glanced down at his own hands.

They were trembling uncontrollably.

No matter how fierce and savage a pike may be, it’s just prey when tigers and dragons rampage. Overcome with the realization of his own limitations, he closed his eyes, gritting his teeth, and turned to leave.

“Follow them!”

The Dharma Master raised his voice.

His stern gaze was fixed on the Namgung Family’s lead ship.

‘The Imperial Sword Namgung Hwang. I thought he would be strong, but….’

Sure, he was merely dealing with low-level opponents, yet the Namgung Family had already made their might clear.

“Amitabha.”

Watching the Namgung Family proudly demonstrate their strength in battle, the Dharma Master couldn’t help but think that the Shaolin should have been in that position, showing their prowess. But due to the scrutiny of Wudang and Cheongseong, they could do nothing but watch Namgung’s fame grow.

‘How could they be so selfish!’

Even though the mission was to eradicate the infamous pirates of the Yangtze, each sect was only concerned about its own reputation.

Only now did he fully understand his abbot’s repeated warnings not to interfere lightly in the affairs of the martial world.

“Increase speed! We cannot afford to fall behind!”

“But, Dharma Master, shouldn’t we keep a safe distance? If we get surrounded from behind—”

“Surrounded?”

The Dharma Master frowned.

“Just because they close in doesn’t mean we’re actually surrounded, right? Could they possibly stop us?”

“Well…”

Hyejin hesitated, unable to reply.

From a tactical standpoint, maintaining an escape route was always wise. But at the same time, he knew the Dharma Master wasn’t entirely wrong. The path had been opened by the Namgung Family, so Shaolin should be able to do the same.

This wasn’t about pride—it was the logical conclusion. Namgung’s prowess was impressive, but Shaolin was Shaolin.

“The ones behind us will ensure we have a way out….”

The Dharma Master cut off his words.

The Wudang ships advancing alongside them had suddenly picked up speed, surging ahead. It seemed their calculations were already complete.

“This… this is outrageous!”

The Dharma Master’s voice rose in pitch.

“Cheongseong will guard the rear! Hurry! We mustn’t fall behind Wudang!”

“Yes!”

Hearing the mention of Wudang, Hyejin’s expression turned grave.

Relinquishing the lead to Namgung was unavoidable, but there was no way he would let Wudang claim any of the glory.

If anyone was to take credit, it should be Namgung—not Wudang.

‘Heo Do-jin!’

The Dharma Master’s face twisted in frustration.

Wudang had simply acted faster. But because of that, their ships were already a dozen yards ahead, widening the gap.

‘If the abbot were here, he might have allowed your actions, but I won’t stand for it!’

The Dharma Master gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

The Wudang ships had closed in behind the Namgung Family’s lead vessel, with Shaolin and Cheongseong’s ships trailing closely behind.

Their swift maneuvering was impressive, but instead of appearing majestic, it seemed chaotic.

For sects with the names of the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families, it was less than dignified.

The disciples of Mount Hua, watching from behind, fell silent for a moment, at a loss for words.

“Chung Myung,” Baek Cheon said, staring ahead in confusion.

“Why?”

“It’s impressive how the Namgung Family drove the pirates back on the river, but if they just rush forward like this, won’t all the pirates escape?”

“That’s right.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if at least two sects stayed behind to handle the pirates? Only two would be enough to deal with Black Dragon Stronghold.”

“True, true.”

“Then why are they doing this?”

Chung Myung smirked.

“Who’s going to volunteer to stay?”

“Anyone. They’re just pirates, and these sects are the Nine Great Sects.”

“But catching small fry doesn’t earn you any fame, does it?”

“…”

“They traveled all this way; none of them want to hand over the biggest credit. They don’t care if some pirates are left behind as long as they capture the Black Dragon King or destroy Black Dragon Stronghold.”

Baek Cheon’s expression hardened.

“They came here to protect people, and yet they’re only after glory?”

“Senior Brother.”

“…Yes?”

“Take a good look. This is the nature of the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families. If only one sect had come, they’d have cleaned up every pirate here and prepared before moving into the stronghold.”

“…”

“But the moment multiple sects are present, strategy goes out the window. None of them will yield.”

Chung Myung sneered.

He’d seen this display more times than he could count.

‘But I can’t say they’re wrong.’

Chung Myung and Mount Hua had once fought against the Demonic Cult without concern for profit or fame. And what had been their reward?

If he hadn’t returned, Mount Hua would have perished under a mountain of debt, while those who had profited would still bask in their prestige, hailed as the world’s noblest sects.

Fight without recognition?

Empty words. He knew better now.

An unmarked grave would only grow weeds. Chung Myung had no intention of repeating his past mistakes.

“…It’s cold and ruthless,” Baek Cheon muttered. “These are the Nine Great Sects?”

“And relentless. But don’t mock them for it. You’ve got it backward. It’s not that they’re ruthless because they’re the Nine Great Sects; they became the Nine Great Sects because they’re ruthless.”

“….”

Baek Cheon nodded thoughtfully, seeming to grasp the point.

“…But you told us to watch carefully, yet with things going this way, we won’t be able to see what’s happening inside.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I have a plan.”

“Huh?”

“Here they come.”

Chung Myung jerked his chin toward the side.

From the opposite direction of the scattered pirate ships, a few other vessels appeared.

“…What are those?”

“Our ships.”

“What?”

Baek Cheon’s eyes widened.

“Our ships? Really?”

“Yup. I told them to bring along a few spare boats just in case. They started late, so I thought we wouldn’t get to use them, but thanks to these fools bickering, we can actually put them to good use.”

“….”

Chung Myung grinned triumphantly.

“Let’s go. Now we can see for ourselves whether that stronghold is full of treasure or if it’s a tiger’s lair.”

“…You really are something else.”

Baek Cheon shook his head, looking at the ships heading into the gorge with a growing sense of foreboding.

For some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something ominous awaited them…

“Hey! Make sure to bring any leftover liquor!”

“….”

Or maybe it was just his imagination.