Chapter 112

Chapter 112
Chapter: 112

Chapter Title: Blood Battle on the Yangtze (4)

—

‘Hmm.’

Weihae Sword’s features contorted as he pulled back. He had attempted to strike Sima Geon, but the exchange had ended with him taking a retaliatory blow.

A sharp ache radiated from his flank.

While the wound wasn’t deep enough to paralyze his limbs, he could tell the laceration was significant.

Sima Geon did not relent, sending a surge of sword qi whistling toward him once more.

Weihae Sword’s legs moved in a complex, rhythmic pattern as he desperately activated the Tiger Cloud Step to evade.

Thud! Thud!

The twin streaks of energy sliced the air just above his shoulders.

It was only through the peak execution of his Tiger Cloud Step, combined with Yu Wol’s timely intervention to distract Sima Geon, that he managed to survive the life-threatening moment.

“Tahat!”

Accompanied by a guttural roar, a glowing arc resembling a crescent moon manifested in front of Sima Geon.

It was the Falling Moon, the pinnacle technique of the Moon-Cleaving Blade Art.

The resulting shockwave from the collision of Dragon Fang and the Heavenly Demon Sword rippled outward in every direction. The vessel groaned and pitched violently, unable to absorb the sheer force of the impact.

“Attack!”

The high-ranking members of the Yangtze Waterway Alliance, who had previously remained on the sidelines to uphold the honor of their leader, threw themselves into the fray simultaneously. Even with the combined efforts of Yu Wol and Weihae Sword, the fight was proving to be an uphill battle; they could no longer afford the luxury of pride.

Sima Geon manipulated the Heavenly Demon Sword with fluid grace, pushing the Three Ancestors United Heart Technique to its absolute peak.

Internal energy welled up from his dantian, coursed through his eight extraordinary meridians to gather momentum, and flowed into the Heavenly Demon Sword. A blinding light erupted from the steel, bathing Sima Geon in a brilliant glow.

Sima Geon propelled himself off the deck, the force of his jump causing the heavy wooden planks beneath him to splinter and collapse.

Suspended in the air, he brought the crimson-glowing Heavenly Demon Sword down in a sweeping arc.

It was Blazing Radiance, the ultimate manifestation of the Thunderclap Explosive Blood Sword.

Erupting flames from the blade saturated the atmosphere, leaving no corner untouched.

Kaboom!

A violent detonation shook the air, followed by a wave of fire that consumed everything in its path.

“Kuaaaak!”

Elder Ilgwang, typically the most vocal of the group, clutched his shredded throat and slumped over.

The Inner Hall Chief, known for his blunt and fearless demeanor, fell to his knees as the light left his eyes.

“Ch-Chief!”

Sa Ilgong, the leader of the Mukrin Division, stumbled forward.

Blood sprayed from his chest in a heavy torrent. He didn’t even attempt to stanch the flow, taking a few agonizing steps before falling dead at the feet of Yuak.

Watching his loyal brothers and subordinates meet such a horrific end, Yuak bit down on his lip until the skin broke.

A murderous intensity flared in his gaze.

Yuak’s fury flowed into the Dragon Fang gripped in his hand. As if responding to its wielder’s rage, the weapon let out a strange, resonant hum.

Simultaneously, a brilliant light burst forth.

The wall of fire rushing toward Yuak collided with the blade aura radiating from Dragon Fang in mid-air.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The air was filled with a sequence of deafening explosions.

Every time the two combatants traded positions and struck, the environment was hammered by massive pressure waves.

The sails ripped into tatters, and the deck began to buckle and warp.

Splintered wood and debris rained down across the ship’s surface.

The same flames that had decimated the elite of the Yangtze Waterway Alliance were now concentrated solely on Yuak.

With every escape route cut off by the encroaching fire, Yuak was forced to defend using the Blood Moon, the final form of the Moon-Cleaving Blade Art. However, weakened by the previous exchanges, his defense faltered. He ultimately took the full brunt of the follow-up strike from the Thunderclap Explosive Blood Sword.

“Guh!”

A pained sound escaped Yuak’s throat.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

His heavy retreats left deep indentations in the wood.

Barely maintaining his balance by leaning against the ship’s rail, Yuak was shielded by Yu Wol and Weihae Sword, who stepped in to block Sima Geon’s advance. Both men were in a precarious state from the earlier blast, with Weihae Sword’s injuries looking particularly grim.

The Heavenly Demon Sword moved toward them with terrifying elegance.

An overwhelming weight settled over them, a pressure so thick it felt as though it would crush their lungs.

Realizing they could not simply defend, Yu Wol swung his blade with every ounce of strength he had left.

Weihae Sword reached the same conclusion, launching his own strike.

Sima Geon deflected both attempts with ease and launched a punishing counter.

Boom!

Yu Wol was sent reeling, unable to withstand the kinetic force.

The sword he had been holding vanished, and his arm dangled uselessly, the bone shattered.

Weihae Sword was sent flying, landing near Yuak’s feet, his body broken and still.

“Urk!”

Yu Wol fell, his internal balance shattered, coughing up dark, clotted blood.

Sima Geon began to walk toward the fallen Yu Wol without pausing.

Suddenly, sensing a shift in the surroundings, Sima Geon shifted his gaze.

His icy eyes locked onto Yu Han, who was trying to slip away unnoticed with his son in tow.

Unable to reach the neighboring pirate vessel directly, Yu Han was moving toward the merchant ship first, hoping to use it as a bridge to escape.

“Scum.”

Sima Geon didn’t hesitate; he hurled the Heavenly Demon Sword.

“Haa! Haa!”

Heavy, ragged gasps came from the initial assailant.

He tried to catch his breath, but his adversary gave him no respite.

His limbs felt like lead, and his internal reserves had been spent long ago.

There was no help coming—the three elders and the elites of the White Whale Unit who had attempted to assist were now nothing more than corpses.

Ssssh!

Reacting to the high-pitched whistle of incoming sword qi, the initial assailant raised his arm in a desperate reflex.

Boom!

The force of the impact threw him back, his entire frame shuddering.

The energy rippled through him, feeling as though it were twisting his skeleton apart.

“Kuhuk!”

A cry of agony escaped him.

Neung Sohwa’s blade had already carved deep gashes into both his thighs.

His delayed attempt at a counterstrike failed to even graze the edge of her garments. The clumsy swing ruined his center of gravity, forcing him down onto one knee.

Neung Sohwa saw the opening and took it.

Watching the steel fly toward his throat, the initial assailant let out a self-deprecating laugh.

His legendary poison claws, once thought to be harder than iron, had been countered; his inner strength, once as vast as the river, was gone; and the wounds to his side and legs had robbed him of his movement.

“I thought I was prepared, but your power is beyond me.”

From the moment he saw Neung Sohwa cross over from the merchant vessel, he had suspected who she was. Her presence reminded him of a woman from his past who had dealt him a humiliating defeat. The three plum blossoms decorating her attire confirmed his fears.

Even knowing it was a lost cause, he had fought with everything he possessed.

He wanted to wipe away his cowardly history—and protect the Yangtze Waterway Alliance he had spent his life constructing.

‘This is the end.’

He felt no bitterness, knowing he had held nothing back. His only regret was that, despite the help of his allies, he had only managed to give her a few minor scratches.

‘I really hoped to take a limb with me.’

With a quiet chuckle, the initial assailant stared directly at the blade as it approached his face.

Then, everything went black.

“Get down!”

Startled by the sudden whistle of air, Yu Han shoved Yu Mok aside just as the boy was about to leap for the ropes.

The Heavenly Demon Sword sliced the air where they had been standing before spinning back into Sima Geon’s hand.

Sima Geon now stood in front of Yu Han, his path clear.

Most of the leaders who could have stopped him were dead or dying, and Yuak was incapacitated. The remaining pirates offered no help, turning away in disgust at Yu Han’s attempt to flee while his comrades bled.

“Die!”

Yu Han lunged at Sima Geon. However, before his strike could connect, his sword-arm was severed and sent tumbling into the air.

“Kuaaaak!”

Yu Han collapsed, screaming in agony. Paralyzed by fright, Yu Mok dove into the river without a second thought.

It was a shocking sight.

Even Sima Geon, standing inches away, was momentarily stunned by the display.

The onlookers were speechless at Yu Mok’s willingness to abandon his crippled father, but Yu Han, despite his pain, began to laugh with relief that his son might survive.

“Hah… a man needs that kind of cold blood to survive in this world.”

Disgusted by the man’s grin, Sima Geon looked away.

“Cheol Woo!”

His command echoed across the deck, and Cheol Woo appeared instantly, covered in the blood of his enemies.

“I’m not finished yet—what do you need?”

Cheol Woo scanned the area like a predator, his presence alone sending shivers through the surviving pirates.

“Did you get the Hongik Hall Chief?”

“He’s right there.”

Sima Geon gestured toward Yu Han, and Cheol Woo moved in an instant.

“This old man?”

Without waiting for a response, he brought his foot down hard on Yu Han’s leg.

“Kuaaaak!”

The limb wasn’t just fractured; it was turned to pulp, forcing a horrific scream from Yu Han.

“So you can feel pain? Tell me, old man—do you have any idea how many people died because of your greed? Do you even care?”

Cheol Woo systematically crushed the other leg.

As Yu Han’s screams filled the air, Sima Geon looked down at him with detached coldness.

“His son ran away.”

“You let him go? Where? Everything is connected; there’s nowhere to hide.”

“He jumped into the water. Left his father behind to save his own skin.”

“By himself? He just left his old man?”

Cheol Woo’s eyes went wide with disbelief.

“Yes.”

“What a piece of work.”

“Go get him.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“…”

Cheol Woo looked toward the merchant ship, where Noejin was still fighting alongside Manchu and the women to protect the cabins. He let out a long sigh.

“Which direction?”

“That way. He has the face of a rat; you won’t miss him.”

Cheol Woo leaped in the direction indicated, his expression one of pure annoyance.

A short time later, he returned, dragging a soaking and terrified Yu Mok by the collar.

“He really does look like a rat.”

Cheol Woo threw the dazed Yu Mok down next to Yu Han.

“M-Mok!”

Yu Han, who had been praying for his son’s escape, crawled forward to hold him, weeping.

“Vile insects. You don’t even deserve the air you breathe.”

Annoyed, Cheol Woo looked to Sima Geon for the final word.

“I gave my word that they would have their vengeance.”

Yu Han began to grovel piteously.

“The boy is blameless! I didn’t know what was happening. It was all that man’s doing!”

He pointed a trembling finger at the slumped figure of Yu Wol.

Yu Wol looked at Yu Han with hollow, unseeing eyes before his head dropped forward.

“Perhaps.”

The Heavenly Demon Sword flickered through the air, piercing Yu Wol’s heart before returning to Sima Geon’s side.

“Eek!”

Yu Mok, coming to his senses just in time to witness the execution, began to shake with pure terror.

“Is that your final excuse?”

As Sima Geon spoke, Cheol Woo placed his boot on Yu Mok’s head.

“N-No! Stop!”

Yu Han cried out in despair while Yu Mok struggled beneath the weight, but Cheol Woo remained unmoved.

“You’re lucky. If it were up to me, I’d skin you alive for every life you ended. But I won’t lower myself to your level. Consider this mercy.”

Cheol Woo applied pressure, and Yu Mok’s skull gave way instantly.

Witnessing the death of his son, Yu Han’s mind finally broke.

“What about the father?”

“Leave him. Let him live with the memory of losing his family, just like the people he hurt.”

“Fair enough. But I’ll make sure he stays put.”

Cheol Woo stepped toward Yu Han and crushed his mangled legs once more to ensure he would never walk again. As the man wailed, Cheol Woo struck his pressure points to silence him.

The surrounding pirates watched the display of brutality with bated breath, terrified that they might be next.

“The debt is paid. Anything else?”

Sima Geon’s eyes traveled over the survivors, landing finally on the unconscious Yuak.

“Can we leave?”

Ga Hyu, the Chueo Hall Chief, asked with extreme caution.

“Under one condition.”

“Anything.”

“Do not lay a finger on that merchant ship because of this.”

“You have our word.”

“The remnants of Hongik Hall are still out there.”

Ga Hyu’s eyes filled with a dark, vengeful light.

“We will take care of them ourselves.”

Recognizing the lethal intent in his voice, Sima Geon gave a slow nod.

“A promise is only good if it is kept.”

“We won’t forget.”

Sima Geon turned his back on them, finished with the business.

“My work here is done as well.”

Neung Sohwa glided over to stand before Ga Hyu.

Having seen her defeat the initial assailant and the elders, Ga Hyu couldn’t help but flinch.

“The Black Bone Stronghold intentionally gave me false information. They used me as a tool to strike at the Biwoong Stronghold.”

“Who told you…”

“The old man with one arm and the axe.”

“Ah!”

Ga Hyu remembered Deung Cheol, the one who had first led the boarding party.

“Being used like that has left me in a very foul mood.”

“We will deal with them as well.”

“I’ll take your word for it. Remember, promises are meant to be kept.”

Neung Sohwa offered a small smile that mirrored Sima Geon’s earlier warning.

To Ga Hyu, that smile was far more terrifying than any threat from the underworld.