Ice Dragon of Namgung - Chapter 30

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 30
Namgung Geom had deliberately provoked Yeom Chang-seon into attacking.
He meant to subdue him, take him hostage, and force the Heukryong Brigade into submission.
But the Heukryong Brigade refused to bend to his will.
There was nothing for it, then, but to crush them by force.
“Suppress those Saehaebang pirates!”
At the command of Samgeomdae Commander Namgung Ji-hwan, the fighters of Samgeomdae surged forward against the Heukryong Brigade.
Namgung Chang and the Four Guardians of the Changryong Geomndae joined them in the assault.
The Namgung Clan’s fighters were fewer in number than the Heukryong Brigade.
But individually, they were superior in skill.
Despite being outnumbered, Samgeomdae and the Changryong Geomndae pressed their advantage relentlessly.
‘So this is the Namgung Clan.’
Hwang Sa-dok’s face hardened as he took the measure of their fighters.
By any reckoning, the Heukryong Brigade had no chance of victory.
If this continued, they would be annihilated.
‘I have to escape before that happens.’
Hwang Sa-dok decided to slip away while the Heukryong Brigade’s pirates bought him time against the Namgung fighters.
Whether his subordinates lived or died was irrelevant to him.
His own life was all that mattered.
Hwang Sa-dok turned to flee, but Namgung Geom blocked his path.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Die!”
Hwang Sa-dok brought his saber down at Namgung Geom.
Namgung Geom raised his sword to parry the blade.
Clang!
Hwang Sa-dok’s saber bounced back, and the impact drove him backward.
Namgung Geom extended his sword toward him.
A razor-sharp Sword Wind erupted, carving deep into Hwang Sa-dok’s shoulder.
Hwang Sa-dok desperately swung his saber, trying to deflect the wind.
But the distance was too close, and the Sword Wind was impossibly fast.
Rip!
The Sword Wind he failed to block pierced straight through his shoulder.
“Ugh!”
Blood fountained from the hole in Hwang Sa-dok’s shoulder.
With a scream, he collapsed to the ground.
With Yeom Chang-seon fallen and now Hwang Sa-dok, the Heukryong Brigade’s pirates lost their will to fight.
They scattered in all directions and fled.
But the fighters of Samgeomdae had no intention of letting them go.
They pursued the fleeing pirates, striking them down.
The Heukryong Brigade’s men fell to their blades as they ran.
Yet some, favored by fortune, managed to escape pursuit.
The Four Guardians of the Changryong Geomndae and Samgeomdae tried to chase them to the end.
“Hold, I say!”
But Namgung Geom called them back.
“Capturing a handful of them matters less than seizing the Saehaebang’s warships.”
Once word of this incident reached Saehaebang, their warships would flee.
He had to seize them before that happened.
Warships were the most vital strategic asset in naval warfare.
Taking a single warship was far more valuable than capturing a few more pirates.
Namgung Geom left the fallen Heukryong Brigade’s men in the care of the Seomun Clan fighters guarding the Logistics Warehouse.
But he decided to take Yeom Chang-seon and Hwang Sa-dok with him.
Had he left them with the Seomun fighters, they might have slipped away.
Namgung Geom handed the two men to the Four Guardians of the Changryong Geomndae and moved toward the Harbor with the Namgung Clan fighters.
But when they arrived at the Harbor, the Heukryong Brigade’s warship was nowhere to be seen.
“Where is the warship?”
Namgung Geom turned to Hwang Sa-dok.
“Can’t you guess? They realized things were going wrong and left.”
At Hwang Sa-dok’s words, Namgung Geom’s brow furrowed.
“It seems I’ll need a different approach.”
Namgung Geom did not believe Hwang Sa-dok’s explanation.
His words could have been true, but it was worth verifying.
Namgung Geom seized Hwang Sa-dok by the shoulder.
Then he channeled the power of the Changgun Binghwa Shingong into him.
The Freezing Force bored into the pirate’s shoulder.
“Arrrgh!”
The pirate screamed in agony as if hundreds of ice spines had been driven into the inside of his arm.
“I’ll ask once more. Where are the Saehaebang’s warships?”
“Ahhh! Outside the Harbor! They’re anchored outside the Harbor!”
Hwang Sa-dok cried out, unable to bear the pain.
Namgung Geom withdrew the Freezing Force.
Then he pressed Hwang Sa-dok with several more questions.
Hwang Sa-dok dared not lie and confessed everything truthfully.
From this, they confirmed that the pirates had entered the Harbor aboard transport small boats, and that once their work was done and a signal flare was fired, the warships would enter the Harbor as well.
“Where is the signal flare?”
“…It’s on me.”
Hwang Sa-dok spoke as if he had no choice.
Namgung Geom searched Hwang Sa-dok’s clothes and found the signal flare.
He fired it immediately.
The warships waiting outside the Harbor saw the signal flare and moved straight toward the Harbor.
The warriors of the Namgung Clan boarded the warships the moment the Saehaebang’s vessels reached the Harbor.
The pirates aboard the warships were caught off guard and tried to stop the Namgung Clan’s warriors.
But there were fewer than thirty men left aboard the vessels.
They could not stop the Namgung Clan’s warriors.
The Namgung Clan’s warriors subdued them in an instant.
With that, the Heukryong Brigade’s warships became the property of the Namgung Clan.
Once the fighting ended, Namgung Ji-hwan approached Namgung Geom.
“My lord! You have labored greatly. It is thanks to you subduing the Saehaebang’s second son and the Heukryong Brigade’s master that we have won so easily.”
Hwang Sa-dok aside, Yeom Chang-seon was no easy opponent to defeat.
Without Namgung Geom, the Samgeomdae would have struggled.
“The Commander and the Samgeomdae have also labored greatly.”
“To be honest, I had doubts about your strategy, but I never expected we would annihilate the Heukryong Brigade and claim their warships as well.”
When Namgung Ji-hwan spoke with an excited expression, Namgung Geom laughed somewhat bashfully.
“We were simply fortunate.”
“Without your strategy, even that fortune would not have come to pass.”
Namgung Ji-hwan’s eyes gleamed as he gazed at Namgung Geom.
“Ha! You flatter me too much, Commander.”
“Compared to what you have shown us, my words are inadequate.”
Namgung Ji-hwan appeared completely taken by Namgung Geom’s abilities.
Namgung Geom had wanted to demonstrate his capabilities in this mission and win Namgung Ji-hwan’s heart.
Judging by Namgung Ji-hwan’s expression, he seemed to have achieved that goal to some degree.
“Let us set aside such pleasant words and discuss our next strategy.”
The fight with the Saehaebang was not over.
The Saehaebang’s main force still remained.
Namgung Ji-hwan immediately adopted a serious demeanor.
“Do you have a strategy in mind?”
“The Saehaebang likely still does not know what has happened to the Heukryong Brigade.”
Namgung Ji-hwan’s eyes lit up at Namgung Geom’s words.
“You mean to use that to throw the Saehaebang into confusion.”
Namgung Geom nodded.
“Precisely. If we tell the Saehaebang that the Heukryong Brigade is in danger from an attack by the Janggang Jeondan, they will send rescue forces.”
Namgung Ji-hwan understood Namgung Geom’s strategy.
“When the Saehaebang sends their rescue forces, we combine them with the Janggang Jeondan to crush them together.”
“Exactly.”
“But to send a rescue request to the Saehaebang, we would need to know their communication network. Is that possible?”
At Namgung Ji-hwan’s concern, Namgung Geom spoke as if there was nothing to worry about.
“We can extract that information from the Saehaebang’s second son and the Heukryong Brigade’s master.”
“They may not open their mouths so easily.”
“They will have no choice but to speak when faced with pain.”
Namgung Geom believed that neither Yeom Chang-seon nor Hwang Sa-dok would be able to endure the agony of the Freezing Force.
Namgung Ji-hwan nodded.
He had already witnessed Namgung Geom forcing Hwang Sa-dok’s mouth open.
Though he hadn’t endured it himself, seeing Hwang Sa-dok immediately confess suggested the pain was unbearable.
Once Hwang Sa-dok had broken and spoken, there was little reason to think Yeom Chang-seon would be any different.
Namgung Geom immediately interrogated both Yeom Chang-seon and Hwang Sa-dok.
He placed them in separate cells and questioned each one individually.
He meant to cross-reference their statements and verify there were no lies.
Hwang Sa-dok, having already endured the torment of the Freezing Force, immediately revealed the method for requesting rescue from the main fleet.
“The Heukryong Brigade’s flagship has a signal flare with a red fuse attached. You just need to fire it.”
True to Hwang Sa-dok’s words, the Heukryong Brigade’s flagship did indeed have a signal flare with a red fuse installed.
But there was more than one signal flare.
Beside it lay another signal flare with a blue fuse.
It was difficult to be certain based solely on Hwang Sa-dok’s statement that the red fuse was a rescue signal.
To verify Hwang Sa-dok’s confession, Namgung Geom interrogated Yeom Chang-seon.
Yeom Chang-seon had more mettle than Hwang Sa-dok.
He clenched his teeth and endured even under the torment of the Freezing Force.
But as the agony continued, he eventually broke.
“The rescue signal is installed on the Heukryong Brigade’s flagship. The one with the blue fuse is the rescue signal.”
It contradicted Hwang Sa-dok’s account.
This meant one of them was lying.
Namgung Geom judged that Yeom Chang-seon was more likely to be the liar.
Hwang Sa-dok had already revealed the method for summoning the Heukryong Brigade’s warships.
Having already capitulated once, the chance he would attempt further deception was low.
Of course, the possibility that Hwang Sa-dok was lying couldn’t be ruled out either.
For now, suspicion fell heavier on Yeom Chang-seon.
“You still haven’t come to your senses.”
Namgung Geom drove the Freezing Force into Yeom Chang-seon’s body.
“Aaaghhh! I told you the truth—why are you doing this?”
“Are you truly certain that’s the rescue signal?”
Namgung Geom asked without ceasing the flow of Freezing Force.
“Yes. The blue fuse is the rescue signal.”
“Then why would the Heukryong Brigade’s leader say the red fuse is the rescue signal?”
At Namgung Geom’s words, Yeom Chang-seon’s eyes wavered.
Namgung Geom caught it.
“The Heukryong Brigade’s leader is the one lying. The blue fuse is undoubtedly the rescue signal,” Yeom Chang-seon cried out urgently.
His voice rang with desperation.
“From your reaction, it appears the red fuse is the rescue signal.”
At Namgung Geom’s words, Yeom Chang-seon’s expression crumpled with panic.
“You’re being deceived by the Heukryong Brigade’s leader. The red fuse is a signal for evacuation—fired when an overwhelming enemy appears.”
Namgung Geom chuckled softly and continued.
“So he gave you the blue fuse to prevent the Saehaebang from coming.”
“You fool! I’m telling you the blue fuse is the rescue signal!”
Yeom Chang-seon shouted in frustration.
Namgung Geom ignored him and stepped outside.
“Is it truly possible that the Saehaebang’s second-in-command was lying?”
Namgung Ji-hwan asked, his expression clouded with doubt.
“Don’t you think so, Samgeomdae?”
“If he’s truly the Saehaebang’s second-in-command, he would likely request rescue simply to save himself.”
Namgung Geom stroked his chin thoughtfully before asking.
“Even if it meant the Saehaebang would fall into a trap?”
“I don’t believe the Saehaebang’s second-in-command would prioritize the organization over his own survival.”
At Namgung Ji-hwan’s reply, Namgung Geom posed another question.
“Then why would the Heukryong Brigade’s leader lie?”
“Perhaps because he thought there was no chance of survival anyway?”
“If we give him a way out, he’ll tell us the truth.”
Namgung Ji-hwan started at Namgung Geom’s words.
“Are you planning to spare his life?”
“Since he can no longer practice martial arts in any case, sparing him should do no harm.”
In exchange for letting him live, they could destroy the Saehaebang’s fighting strength—a worthwhile trade.
Namgung Geom returned to Hwang Sa-dok.
“Is it certain that the signal flare with the red fuse is the rescue signal?”
“Yes.”
Hwang Sa-dok answered without hesitation.
“Good. If that’s the truth, I’ll let you live without conditions.”
At Namgung Geom’s words, Hwang Sa-dok’s eyes wavered.
Namgung Byeongryong
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Baekwol Geom
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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