Almighty God of War - Chapter 59

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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059

Payang was a key waterway hub and thriving commercial city in Jiangxi Province.

Thanks to its location where Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the Central Plains, meets the Yangtze River, the lifeline of All Under Heaven, Payang had greatly developed its fishing and textile industries since ancient times.

Fresh fish and dried seafood caught from Poyang Lake, as well as the finest silk and cotton textiles produced in nearby regions, were transported through Payang’s harbor via the Yangtze River’s waterways to all corners of All Under Heaven, including Huazhong and Huanan.

This was why Guyang Dam, the First Family Head who founded the Guyang Family Estate, settled one of his sworn brothers in Payang to establish the Du Family Estate as a branch family.

No matter how powerful a Murim family’s martial strength, it was impossible to maintain a family without an economic foundation.

Around sunset, a sturdy white-haired old man and an ordinary-looking young man arrived at the main gate of the Du Family Estate in Payang.

They were Guyang Cheongang and Jupyo, who had concealed their identities using human skin face masks.

Having left Gugang, they had arrived here after five days.

Sensing the tightly closed main gate and the heavy, sunken atmosphere beyond it, Guyang Cheongang and Jupyo looked at each other and frowned.

The atmosphere of the Du Family Estate was so dark that even from outside the main gate, one could sense something was seriously wrong.

When Guyang Cheongang knocked on the door, the gatekeeper who immediately came out politely refused their visit.

“These are the family head’s orders. We cannot let anyone in right now, so please return.”

At that moment, Jupyo took out an old but well-preserved letter from his chest and held it out.

“I am an old friend of this place’s former family head. Please deliver this letter to him and tell him that an old friend from Nanchang has come to visit.”

The gatekeeper was half-doubtful, but pressed by the extraordinary presence he felt from Jupyo, he eventually took the letter inside.

Shortly after, the tightly closed main gate opened wide and a gray-haired old man came running out in his socks.

It was Du Jeongkwang, the former head of the Du Family Estate.

As soon as he saw Jupyo, he brightened with joy and grasped his hands.

“Ju, Elder Brother Ju! Is it really you? You’re alive!”

“Brother, it’s been a long time.”

During the Righteous-Demonic Great War, Du Jeongkwang was the head of the Du Family Estate, while Jupyo was a guard warrior for the Guyang Family Estate head.

Though there was a great difference in status, they were close enough to call each other brothers.

Du Jeongkwang said.

“Elder Brother, please come inside.”

After sitting face to face in the main hall of the quarters in the back garden and catching up for quite a while, Du Jeongkwang’s gaze finally turned to Guyang Cheongang, who was sitting quietly beside Jupyo.

“But Elder Brother, who is that young man behind you?”

Following their agreement to keep the secret until Guyang Cheongang revealed his identity himself, Jupyo introduced him as his disciple.

“He’s the last disciple I took in. Pay your respects.”

“It’s my first time meeting you, sir. I am Gu Cheongang.”

Guyang Cheongang bowed his head respectfully.

Jupyo asked.

“But brother, why is the atmosphere in the estate so heavy? Has something serious happened?”

At his question, deep worry cast over Du Jeongkwang’s face.

“It’s exactly as you’ve sensed, Elder Brother. It’s no exaggeration to say that our Du Family Estate, along with all of Payang, is on the verge of ruin.”

“On the verge of ruin? What on earth happened? Even though the Du Family Estate’s power weakened considerably after the Righteous-Demonic Great War, it was still among the top five families in Payang.”

“Sigh… What you say was true until recently… but this is all because of the Thousand Seas Gang, those bastards.”

Intense anger and hostility filled Du Jeongkwang’s sighing voice.

“Thousand Seas Gang?”

“They’re a pirate group that has been operating from Poyang Lake as their base for several years. Their leader is called Blood Spirit Demon.”

“Pirates?”

Du Jeongkwang clenched his fists tightly.

“That’s right.”

“What is the Yangtze River Waterway Alliance, which claims to be the master of the Yangtze waterways, doing about this?”

“I don’t know the detailed circumstances, but since the Thousand Seas Gang hasn’t left Poyang Lake, there seems to be no conflict with the Waterway Alliance yet.”

“Still, it’s strange that the Waterway Alliance would leave alone those who do such things in Poyang Lake, which is connected to the Yangtze River.”

“There are rumors that the Thousand Seas Gang, from their leader to their members, are all madmen who don’t fear the Waterway Alliance.”

Jupyo asked.

“How strong is this Thousand Seas Gang’s power?”

“The number of members who have learned martial arts exceeds five hundred, and among them, first-rate masters are said to number over fifty.”

Jupyo’s eyes widened in surprise.

“That level of power rivals the main family’s peak period…”

“That’s why they can compete with the Yangtze River Waterway Alliance over the Yangtze River.”

Du Jeongkwang gritted his teeth as he continued.

“The Thousand Seas Gang bastards are forcing our Du Family Estate and all the influential families in Payang to pay usage fees for using the waterways of Poyang Lake.”

“The amount must be substantial.”

“They’re demanding five times the toll we used to pay to the Yangtze River Waterway Alliance. If we pay that, more than half of the Du Family Estate’s profits would disappear. This is tantamount to telling us not to do business.”

“Hmm…”

Jupyo let out a low groan and frowned as he asked.

“So you’ve just been taking it lying down?”

Du Jeongkwang let out a long sigh as he replied.

“How could that be? While dragging out negotiations with the Thousand Seas Gang, we secretly sent people to the Yangtze River Waterway Alliance to explain the situation and seek their support.”

His voice trembled faintly as he continued.

“But… those cruel bastards discovered our movements.”

Jupyo’s expression hardened.

“You suffered a counterattack?”

“That’s right. The night after we sent word to the Waterway Alliance, the Thousand Seas Gang simultaneously raided the Ten Great Families of Payang and kidnapped children and women.”

“Even though the Ten Great Families had considerable warriors, they still fell to those bastards?”

“Their martial arts were so powerful that they couldn’t be called mere pirates. In the end, we lost dozens of family members and even had our wives and children taken. That was two days ago.”

Du Jeongkwang continued with a dark expression.

“Among the children kidnapped from our Du Family Estate are my nineteen-year-old grandson and my granddaughter who is only fourteen. Other families even had descendants as young as six or seven kidnapped…”

“Good heavens…”

“Those bastards threw the head of the messenger we sent to the Waterway Alliance in front of us and said, ‘If you request outside help one more time, we’ll immediately behead the hostages’…”

“So that’s why the estate’s atmosphere was so heavy.”

Jupyo sighed quietly and asked.

“Brother, are the negotiations with them over the Poyang Lake usage fees finished?”

“Not yet. But the next negotiation will be the last. With hostages taken, we can no longer refuse their demands…”

“Hmm, when is the next negotiation?”

“In three days. We’re now in a desperate situation where we can neither do this nor that, just waiting for their decision.”

As Du Jeongkwang’s story ended, silence fell over the main hall.

In the chest of Guyang Cheongang, who had been listening to the story, hot anger surged up like lava.

‘They even kidnapped children? These are completely insane bastards.’

Du Jeongkwang smiled bitterly.

“Haha… Elder Brother, I seem to have brought up only heavy topics.”

As if trying to change the mood, Du Jeongkwang forced a smile and called for a servant.

“For my precious Elder Brother who has visited after so long, prepare a simple dinner table. And bring out a bottle of alcohol too.”

But that evening’s dinner was not enjoyable for anyone.

Though Du Jeongkwang and Jupyo met after a long time to catch up, their conversations would reminisce about past glories only to end with deep sighs before the wall of reality.

In the face of the family’s crisis, even the finest wine tasted like bitter medicine.

Eventually, the two men drank only a little and ended their gathering.

After finishing their meal, Guyang Cheongang and Jupyo headed to the quarters in the separate building that Du Jeongkwang had prepared for them.

Du Jeongkwang’s shoulders sagged as he watched their backs.

Guyang Cheongang and Jupyo sat facing each other in the separate building.

“Elder Master, I will resolve this crisis of the Du Family Estate.”

Jupyo looked doubtful, as if wondering whether he had heard correctly.

“What did you just say, Young Master?”

“I said I would rescue the people and save the families of Payang from the Thousand Seas Gang’s oppression.”

Surprised, Jupyo’s eyes widened.

“Young Master, are you in your right mind? Didn’t you hear what Second Brother said? Cheonhae Gang has over five hundred gang members, with more than fifty first-rate masters among them. For just you and me to face them would be like trying to break a rock with an egg.”

“I am not an egg, and Cheonhae Gang is not a rock.”

“Why on earth do you want to go that far?”

“If we resolve this incident, we can make all the influential families of Payang indebted to us beyond repayment. Furthermore, it’s a golden opportunity to make not only the Du Family but this entire region into strong allies of the Guyang Family.”

“Is that all?”

“Those Cheonhae Gang bastards have crossed a line they shouldn’t have crossed. You don’t touch children.”

“Hah… Those with the Guyang surname have always been stubborn, but I’ve never met anyone as reckless as you, Young Master.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

The smile that graced Guyang Cheongang’s lips did not fade.

“Do you truly have confidence you can resolve this?”

“Of course.”

At his words, Jupyo instinctively knew he couldn’t dissuade him and sighed inwardly.

“Are you planning to go to Cheonhae Gang’s stronghold?”

“To rescue people, naturally we have no choice but to do so, don’t we?”

“Young Master, I will go with you.”

Guyang Cheongang smiled broadly and asked in a playful tone.

“Then were you planning to send me alone?”

“Heh heh heh…”

Guyang Cheongang specifically requested what he needed for his plan from Jupyo.

“Elder Master, for my plan I need a small boat and one fisherman who knows the waterways of Poyang Lake well and can keep his mouth shut. Can you prepare these?”

Jupyo spoke with a still worried expression.

“Second Brother should be able to prepare what you’ve requested without difficulty.”

In the middle of the Hour of the Tiger (around 4 AM), when the power of darkness still remained.

Guyang Cheongang and Jupyo stood before a secluded wall of the Du Family Estate.

The silver Golden King perched on Guyang Cheongang’s shoulder yawned widely, opening its small mouth as if bored.

As they were about to leave, they sensed a faint presence and turned their heads.

At the same time, a human figure emerged from the shadows of the wall.

Dressed in black martial robes and holding a sword, he was Du Jeongkwang, the former head of the Du Family.

He blocked their path as if he had been waiting for them from the beginning.

Surprised, Jupyo spoke first.

“Brother, how are you here…?”

“You two, were you planning to leave this old man behind?”

Du Jeongkwang’s voice was bitter, but his eyes were as hard as steel.

“Elder Brother, this matter involves the lives of my children and grandchildren. How could I entrust everything only to you two master and disciple who are outsiders?”

Jupyo spoke in a heavy tone.

“It will be a dangerous path.”

“Then why should only you two take such a path?”

“Hmm hmm…”

“You two are going to your deaths, yet I alone should rest comfortably with my legs stretched out within these safe walls? Does that make sense? Even if I must die, I should at least see a drop of those bastards’ blood before I die.”

Du Jeongkwang’s resolve was firm.

Guyang Cheongang silently watched the two old men’s conversation while looking into Du Jeongkwang’s eyes.

‘Those are the eyes of one prepared to die. I cannot dissuade him. Rather, if I break his will, resentment might remain between us in the future.’

He sent a sound transmission to Jupyo.

[Elder Master Ju, please allow it. He will be of great help to us.]

Jupyo looked back at Guyang Cheongang with surprised eyes for a moment.

Sound transmission was an advanced martial art that only masters of peak level or higher could use.

Using this technique was tantamount to revealing what level Guyang Cheongang’s martial arts had reached.

Jupyo nodded with a deep sigh.

“Heh heh… So the Du Family also had a stubborn mule. Fine. Who could stop you? Let’s go together.”

“Elder Brother, thank you.”

Du Jeongkwang silently adjusted his grip on his sword and began walking.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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