Surviving as the Sacheon Dang Clan’s Servant - Chapter 125

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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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Chapter 125
30. The Water Dragon King’s Domain
The moment I landed lightly on the connected wooden platform, the gazes of the river pirates fixed upon me.
They stood frozen, weighing whether to finish climbing the rope secured by hooks and swarm onto the deck, or descend and face me here.
A babbling fool who couldn’t tear his eyes from me drooled grotesquely and laughed.
“Krhaha, nimble in body, aren’t you? This old one shall……!”
Repulsed by his grating voice, I flicked a poison needle at him.
“Ahhh!”
Splash!
The babbler went limp under the Paralysis Poison and plunged into the river with a hideous shriek.
“Th-this cowardice! What trickery have you used!”
An oarsman watching the scene bellowed and charged at me.
I sidestepped his oar lightly and swept his jaw with a kick—he lost his balance and tumbled overboard.
Kerplosh!
A moment of silence fell.
The eight river pirates hanging from the rope exchanged glances, then began descending with veins bulging in their necks.
“Stop him! Surround him!”
Yeon Liang’s anxious shout came from above.
“Sohye! Watch for blades!”
“Got it!”
“Kid, don’t hold back—give it everything!”
“Will do!”
With my reply, I turned my back to the wind and released a cloud of Poison Powder. As the glittering dust scattered, the pirate who appeared to be their leader cried out.
“Poison! Wash it away! Dive!”
At his command, the pirates clamped their mouths and noses shut and plunged into the river. Dark shadows sank beyond the murky yellow water, churning and undulating.
Taken aback by their unexpected maneuver, I drew my Flying Blade and began slashing the ropes tying the connected boat to ours.
While they were away, I had to separate the wooden platform from the passenger vessel.
I severed the ropes quickly, and the now-immobilized wooden platform drifted away from our boat, bobbing gently.
On the passenger deck, only frightened civilians peered at me nervously—Yeon Liang and Beop Gong were nowhere to be seen.
They must have already crossed to another boat.
“Grraaagh!”
“M-monster! It’s a monster!”
“Call me a Rakshasa if you must. I do serve the Buddhist order, after all.”
I turned toward the commotion and spotted Beop Gong on an adjacent boat, tearing through it with spirited abandon.
Each time he swung a fist infused with Internal Power, the hull cracked with sharp snaps and toppled into the river with eerie sounds.
Debris drifted past on the current, and a chill ran down my spine.
…Wow. Terrifying. I’d better not get smart with the monk.
I rubbed my goose-pimpled forearms and surveyed the area. The submerged pirates showed no sign of surfacing.
I stared at the water’s surface, where bubbles rose steadily, and fell into thought.
Releasing poison into the river felt wrong—I’d be a prime offender against the environment. Using Hidden Projectiles meant I’d have no way to retrieve them from the water.
But diving in to fight them myself was impossible. What to do?
Then something rammed the bottom of the boat.
Thud!
The impact jolted the boat violently.
As I grabbed the gunwale to regain my balance, the boat lurched again and river water surged over the sides, pouring in.
Crash!
Water rose swiftly to my ankles, and the boat tilted dangerously to both sides. They were trying to capsize the vessel and throw me into the river.
I kicked off the deck and leapt toward the passenger ship’s railing, and the river pirates’ heads broke the surface one by one.
They clung to the edges of the wooden platform like barnacles clinging to a ship’s hull.
A catfish-whiskered pirate opened his eyes wide and grinned viciously.
“Using poison! This is cowardl—!”
“Who attacked first? Stop whining about cowardice.”
I replied curtly and made as if to throw a Hidden Projectile—the catfish-whiskered man’s head vanished underwater instantly.
At the same moment, Ju Ryeong, who’d been quietly nestled in my sleeve, poked his head out.
“Squeak.”
“Hm? Ju Ryeong, what is it?”
“Squeaky!”
Ju Ryeong scratched my arm with his foreleg and pointed at a passenger—a man trembling violently, clutching a purse heavy with coins.
“You want me to use that?”
“Churr.”
“That’s a good idea. Say, I’m sorry to bother you, but could I borrow some coins?”
“What? Yes, yes, yes! Here, here they are, sir. Please, spare my life!”
Watching the man bow and thrust his purse forward, I felt as though I’d become the bandit myself. I quickly added,
“……Please don’t misunderstand. I’m just borrowing them. I’ll return them later.”
I smacked my lips and slipped my hand into the purse, feeling the familiar weight of coins slip between my fingers.
I lifted the corners of my mouth and pulled out a fistful of coins, transferring them to my sleeve.
Now I wouldn’t need to worry about recovering my Hidden Projectiles.
* * *
Eighteen bandit gangs prowled the Yangtze River.
Aquatic heroes who ruled the winding thousand-league course of that great river.
Among them, Gi Sam, a member of the Suryong Clan that held dominion over the eastern reaches, was satisfied with his life.
While childhood friends from his neighborhood mended nets and clung to palm-sized plots of land with empty bellies, he roamed the Yangtze and filled his own with rich fish and wine.
And what of the Water Dragon King he served!
Having risen to the position of Clan Leader at an unusually young age, the Water Dragon King was a powerful Martial Cultivator whom even the authorities yielded to.
The fact that no government forces came to suppress him even when he plundered at will proved it must be true.
It was only natural that the stronger the leader, the tighter the bonds of the group.
The Water Dragon King didn’t even know Gi Sam’s name, yet Gi Sam took pride in being his subordinate.
That day was no different.
As the weather turned cold and merchant traffic thinned, the bored Water Dragon King set an ambush of four flatboats and one three-plank vessel around the Gorge.
Gi Sam, who was aboard the flagship, volunteered for the three-plank vessel, intending to board the merchant ship first and earn himself glory.
“Gom Bo, you going too?”
“Yeah. I’m gonna pick the prettiest woman aboard and present her to the Water Dragon King.”
“So you want to get in the Clan Leader’s good graces? You dream big.”
The pockmarked man with protruding teeth slapped Gi Sam’s shoulder, snickering.
Gi Sam laughed along as he inspected a hooked rope. If he caught the Clan Leader’s eye, at the next harbor he could pocket enough silver to roll around in the pleasure quarter for days.
Until then, Gi Sam had been confident he would succeed.
‘It was supposed to go that way…… Why did it turn out like this?’
Gi Sam blinked with a face drained of all color.
The four Suryong Clan flatboats that he’d believed had no match in this Gorge were now half-submerged and burning.
Staring at the wreckage scattered across the Yangtze, Gi Sam slowly looked up at the girl before him.
With a blazing river at her back and a snow-white Silk Sleeve billowing about her, the girl was beautiful in an eerie, otherworldly way.
Which made her all the more terrifying.
Elegantly fluttering her sleeves, she methodically shattered the Dantians of unconscious brothers one by one—like death itself risen from hell.
When the girl’s eyes met his, her lips parted slowly.
“Oh, you’re still conscious? I really don’t like having to do this far……. But I was taught to always finish the job properly.”
Frowning, she reached out a hand toward Gi Sam.
He wanted to run, but his poisoned body wouldn’t obey even a single finger.
Gi Sam ground his teeth and wept.
Calamity. There was no other word for the being before him but calamity.
At the impact of her strike driving down like lightning into his lower abdomen, Gi Sam spat blood and choked.
Poison Qi seeped into the fractured Dantian, and decades of accumulated Internal Power scattered to dust.
At the sensation of his Qi and Blood twisting, he wanted to scream, but no sound came.
Splash!
Frigid water engulfed Gi Sam, and his body sank heavily.
Soon the world went dark.
* * *
It took well over an hour to finish the last bandit.
Watching the three-plank vessel sink, I wiped my sweat-soaked hands on the hem of my robe.
I’d suspected as much, but shattering someone’s Dantian wasn’t a pleasant sensation.
But there was no time to dwell on it.
Rumble!
Two of the crew did something—a column of fire wrapped around the flatboat and tore through the darkness, reaching skyward.
Beop Gong had the Protective Qi Technique, so he’d be fine, but Yeon Liang was another matter.
Anxiety dried my mouth. The captain, frightened the explosion might engulf his vessel, hurried to steer us toward shore.
I chewed my lip and asked the captain,
“Can’t we wait just a little longer?”
“I’m afraid not, miss. If we stay nearby, the fire could spread to us.”
“But not too far…….”
Just as I was about to try persuading him otherwise, a drum sounded from the darkness.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Something came hurtling onto the deck in a tremendous rush.
Clang! Clang!
The metal that had struck shattered, and the acrid stench of oil spread on the wind.
Bright red fireballs suddenly erupted into the air.
Fire arrows.
Burning flames traced long arcs through the darkness before raining down on the deck.
Curse it—was there another ship? Had reinforcements arrived?
I lunged upward to deflect the fire arrows, but defending against dozens of volleys alone was beyond my reach.
The errant shafts fell into the oil, and flames bloomed with a whoosh.
“Ahhhhh!”
“Sand! Pour sand! Quickly!”
A few passengers hopped about frantically, trying to douse the spreading fire.
Thick, choking smoke rose from all sides.
“Nooo!”
“Help us! Help, aaaagh!”
Under cover of the chaos, water bandits erupted from the river and began slaughtering the civilians.
My heart pounded against my ribs—a scenario I’d never anticipated. There was no way I could save all these passengers alone in the time we had.
With bandits and civilians tangled together, using poison was too risky.
What do I do? At this rate, more would die than I could save.
Gritting my teeth, I was about to unleash Hidden Projectiles when a hook-curved finger came reaching toward my face.
I was raising my Flying Blade to channel Internal Qi through it when a blade flashed and severed the attacker’s wrist.
“Are you unharmed, Miss?”
At the familiar voice, I turned my head—and my eyes went wide.
A man in a pristine white Martial Robe stood with a blood-soaked blade held loosely at his side, his bearing serene.
“Jin Seong?”

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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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