Chapter 761

“W-what do we do?”

“They say that all those taken to the pirate base have been turned into slaves.”

“… why am I on this ship…”

It wasn’t just the disciples of Mount Hua who were confused.

No, the disciples of Mount Hua could at least use swords. The civilians who were dragged all the way to the pirate base without knowing why they were brought were so lost in thought that they couldn’t help but tremble.

“Sasuk! Even now, monk Hae Yeon…”

“It is impossible.”

Of course, it wasn’t difficult to attack and sink a few ships. But the problem was that it was currently impossible to move their ship.

If one ended up floating in the middle of the Yangtze River and waited for the ship to sink, one would only end up dying slowly. Either that, or they would watch the ship sink.

The only way to live or die was to come here.

“Drag it!”

As the ship docked at the water’s edge, the chain tightened.

Kwak!

The ship they were on was pulled away with the sound of the ship’s bottom breaking.

As Mount Hua’s disciples approached the ship’s railing, they saw the pirates waiting in the water come out all at once and surround the water’s edge.

There were more of them than they thought.

They said the reason the bandits living in the mountains could not be subdued was because there were too many of them. The reason they could not bury the pirates was also because there were too many….

“Phew.”

At that moment, a slow breathing sound could be heard behind Baek Cheon.

When he turned his head, the sajaes had their swords drawn with the faces of warriors.

“This is what happened in the end.”

“Well, it was something we did expect.”

“Can’t we just kill those bastards now? Right, sasuk?”

Baek Cheon was momentarily speechless at their attitude.

It had to be disheartening to see so many pirates, but his sajaes and subordinates didn’t seem to care at all.

‘Idiots…’

This was a situation where one should resent him.

It was Baek Cheon who suggested getting on the ship and luring the pirates to defeat them, and it was Baek Cheon who failed to order a quick retreat when the pirates approached. And now they had been taken to the pirates’ base where their lives couldn’t be guaranteed.

And yet, no one seemed to be angry with him. Baek Cheon looked at them quietly and spoke softly to Hae Yeon, who had been dragged there too.

“Monk, I apologize.”

And then, Hae Yeon smiled.

“Amitabha. This novice monk isn’t sure what you are referring to.”

“…”

“Give us the command. Even though I belong to Shaolin, I will live and die according to your command.”

Baek Cheon bit his lower lip.

Burden.

The weight he finally felt was now pressing down on his shoulders. He intellectually understood the weight of taking responsibility for and leading someone, but this was the first time it felt like this.

‘Not a single person will die.’

Srrng.

A resolute look appeared in the eyes of Baek Cheon as he drew his sword.

“It is something we do every time. It is not new.”

“Yes!”

Baek Cheon’s eyes turned to the cliff.

The civilians couldn’t climb that high cliff. But it was also difficult to swim across this river. So, the best method was to seize an intact ship and flee with the civilians…

‘But that won’t be easy.’

But.

“We have never done anything easy till now! When the ship arrives at the pirates’ lair, first get off and handle the pirates then!”

“Yes!”

“Even during the fight, keep an eye on whether anyone gets on board the ship. If even one person dies, it will be a mark on us.”

“We will follow that!”

He knew it was difficult. But now, the difficult task had to be accomplished.

Baek Cheon shouted, seeing the ship dragged by the chain, almost reaching the base.

“Let’s go!”

He and the other disciples of Mount Hua jumped onto the railing at once without responding. They rose like birds of prey, turned around, and fell right in the middle of the pirates.

“Stab them!”

“Skewer them!”

The long spears and the Eimici piercers stabbed at the disciples countless times. At that moment, Tang Soso spun around and threw her hidden weapons.

“Take this!”

Swish!

Fine, thin needles fell on the heads of the enemies.

“Kuak!”

“W-what is that!”

As it rained down on their faces, the pirates turned their heads away.

At that moment.

“Amitabha!”

With a brief shout, the fist of Hae Yeon flew right at the pirates.

Kwaaang!

The pirates were swept away like leaves hit by a typhoon. Mount Hua’s disciples landed lightly in the area they had neatly secured. Baek Cheon ordered.

“Hit them!”

The disciples of Mount Hua, who had moved in all directions, drew plum blossom swords from their sheaths.

As if they didn’t want to waste the time Hae Yeon had earned them, they rushed out, unfolding the plum blossoms. Soon, the pirates surrounding them were swept away in one swoop.

“Ackk!”

“W-what is this!”

The plum blossom sword qi of Mount Hua was now a distinct feature that everyone in Kangho had heard of. But hearing about it and seeing it were worlds apart.

They heard it was a type of sword qi, which resembled fluttering flower petals, but who would have thought that something like flower petals would fly in the air? This was something so bizarre that they would never believe it unless they saw it with their own eyes.

“W-what kind of sword technique is this…”

Sword qi, small and thin as flower petals, falling down as if they were dancing. No matter how they swung their weapons, they couldn’t block the sword qi as small as petals.

That was what happened.

Slash! Slash!

The fragile-looking sword qi was sharp. The fluttering petals were sharp like swords, cutting down the body.

“Kuak!”

“Ack, damn it!”

Red plum blossoms were in full bloom on the bleak cliffs around them.

“Push further!”

“Yes!”

The disciples of Mount Hua responded loudly and swung their swords again. The pirates, unable to withstand the attack, retreated. Those who had reached the pirates who stepped back were now submerged up to their waists.

“G-great captain!”

Desperate cries rang out from all around. The eyes of the great captain, who had disembarked from the Dragon Ship and was watching, were intrigued.

“In the past, Mount Hua was said to have the best swordsmen in the world. I guess that wasn’t a lie.”

Strange.

There was no way for him to know whether it was Mount Hua’s Five Swords or if the entire Mount Hua sect was this strong. However, looking at their swords now, it wouldn’t be surprising to think that they were as brutal as the Evil Faction.

Although their dazzling techniques were flashy enough to distract from the person wielding the sword, their swords were slashing and piercing bodies without hesitation.

Furthermore.

“A-MI-TH-ABHA!”

A huge flame roared majestically, and a golden punch erupted in the middle of the garden where the flowers were in full bloom.

Kwaang!

Those who were swept away by the immense strength, which felt like a waterfall pouring on them, couldn’t even scream as they were thrown into the Yangtze River.

Plop! Plop! Plop!

The pirates trembled in fear at this.

Those who were watching were shocked, but they were not just spectators; they were in a position to fight. So they couldn’t help but be scared.

And Mount Hua’s disciples didn’t miss the moment when the pirates retreated. In essence, the Plum Blossom Sword technique, as flashy as it was, required some time to unfold.

It was inevitable that a sword technique designed to disperse sword qi in a flashy manner would need more time compared to swift attacks. Therefore, to perform the Plum Blossom Sword technique, it was necessary to exchange swords and push the opponent to create an opening.

However, if the pirates were going to cower like this, they could push in further.

‘Push them further!’

‘We have momentum now!’

Although Chung Myung wasn’t with them, the memories of fighting alongside him stayed in their minds and bodies. When dealing with a large number of people, they shouldn’t give up the momentum.

Bold and splendid sword techniques continued to rain down on the pirates.

“Those people are monsters!”

“Who are those people…!”

The pirates were distraught and began to flee.

If they were willing to risk their lives to handle the pirates, then there was no reason to fight as a group. When those of the Evil Faction won, they became crueler than anyone else, and when they lost, they ran without looking back.

This was because they valued profit over fame and comfort over anything else in the world.

As the pirates began to retreat helplessly, the great captain frowned.

“Those useless bastards.”

“What do we do?”

“It wouldn’t be a good idea for me to go and trample them, but…”

He mumbled with a cruel smile on his face.

“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to teach those bastards who run around not knowing their place. It is also true that the strong do not always win in their fights.”

“I understand.”

When Jo Seung winked at the subordinate next to him, several subordinates ran forward.

“Hmm.”

Chan Bo-Heuk lightly tapped the gauntlet hanging from his waist.

“Those bugs.”

A smile of victory formed on his lips.

‘Nice.’

The eyes of Baek Cheon were warming up.

They managed to suppress those around the merchant ship. Of course, this didn’t mean they had defeated the large number of pirates. Even though they had defeated a dozen of them, the pirates around were like sand by the river.

On top of that, their real strong fighters hadn’t even come out yet. Baek Cheon wasn’t foolish enough to ruin a good situation by waiting for more enemies to arrive.

‘Behind’

His gaze flicked back.

At that moment, the pirates were jumping out of the ships and flocking towards them. In other words, there were still a few pirates on the anchored ship they had fled from.

‘If we can occupy the back area at once and move the civilians there…’

He knew the pirates had harpoons capable of destroying ships. So, escaping on a ship didn’t guarantee safety. Since it was a ship of speed, it would be faster than the normal merchant ship, and with a crew, it wouldn’t be too bad if they abandoned the luggage and moved. But even so, this was a tough battle.

But it was better than just fighting here.

‘First, we need to take charge of the back area and give the civilians time to move to that ship…’

It was right then.

Pung! Pung!

Something bounced above their heads and exploded into smoke.

“What is that?”

Gunpowder? Cannon?

Baek Cheon’s eyes moved up and widened. What came through the smoke was not just smoke but a large net.

“M-Move…”

He tried to move, but the net was enormous. It was so large that it didn’t just fall on the disciples of Mount Hua, but also on the pirates around.

“Kuak!”

There seemed to be no way to avoid that net unless they ran towards the pirates.

“Damn it!”

Mount Hua’s disciples swung their swords at the net, intending to cut it with their blades.

Kwakwang!

However, even when the sword qi touched the net, it didn’t get cut and just fell down.

“Tsk!”

“Shit!”

The black net finally covered and crushed down the disciples of Mount Hua like fish.

Baek Cheon grabbed the net that was pressing down on his body and desperately slashed at it with his sword.

‘What on earth did they make this from?’

He had never heard of a net so strong that even a sword couldn’t cut through it. If this continued, their movements would be hindered, and they wouldn’t be able to avoid any weapons from above.

He grasped the net with one hand and swung his sword again with all his might.

Ga-ga-gak!

Only then did the net begin to tear.

“Nice!”

Baek Cheon was about to shout in joy when a voice rang out.

“I-It’s poison! Everyone, stay away from the net!”

Baek Cheon’s face became pale at Tang Soso’s scream.