The Battle for the Heavenly Sword - Chapter 108

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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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108
Woo Geom-san Competes for Supremacy
The sailors aboard the Express Vessel commanded by Captain Mak had also trained in martial arts. However, their skills were severely lacking compared to the escorts of the Tianjin Escort Agency.
From the very beginning, they were simply no match for them.
The sailors knew this truth well. Even so, they fought back tenaciously.
Even with fractured skulls and slashed arms, they clung to their enemies like mad dogs.
Though the territories of the Seven Great Water Sects were relatively distinct now, it had not been that way when the concept of Shipping Rights first emerged.
Since the Yangtze River belonged to no single master, people had arbitrarily drawn dividing lines, warning others not to cross into their waters.
Crossing that line meant immediate war.
In that manner, the Seven Great Water Sects had fought for over a hundred years.
Because of this history of fierce struggle, they knew one thing with absolute certainty.
They could never show a single moment of weakness.
Thus, even though the sailors knew they were outmatched, they fought fiercely against the escorts of the Tianjin Escort Agency.
As a result, more than ten casualties had already emerged.
It was a miracle that no one had lost their life yet.
An escort who was advancing toward Captain Mak like an unstoppable force suddenly spotted a young girl.
It was Ha Yeong-ryeong.
She had been wandering inside the Express Vessel with Ning Yunxiao, but she had come outside after being startled by the commotion, only to run straight into the escort.
Seeing so many people collapsing and bleeding right before her eyes, Ha Yeong-ryeong froze in place.
Her ability to think had temporarily paralyzed.
“What’s this now? Why is there a brat on board?”
The escort kicked at Ha Yeong-ryeong with an annoyed expression.
Bang!
Yet, despite his kick, Ha Yeong-ryeong did not budge an inch.
It was because Ha Baek-jin had leaped in to shield her.
“Daddy?”
“You were scared, right? Go stay by your uncle.”
At Ha Baek-jin’s words, Ha Yeong-ryeong nodded and replied.
“Okay!”
Being a clever girl, she did not even ask what was going on and ran over to Woo Geom-san’s side along with Ning Yunxiao.
After ensuring his daughter’s safety, Ha Baek-jin glared at the escort who had attacked Ha Yeong-ryeong.
“How dare you attack my daughter?”
“Who the hell are you?”
“Me? I am Ha Baek-jin.”
“Ha Baek-jin?”
“That’s right! Ha Baek-jin, the Hundred-Step Divine Fist. You won’t forget that name for a very long time. Because today, I’m going to beat every single one of you to a pulp.”
Ha Baek-jin clenched his massive fists tightly.
Originally, he had no intention of intervening in the fight between the Tianjin Escort Agency and the Hongjo Bang.
He had merely rented a spot on the Hongjo Bang’s ship and shared no affiliation with them. However, the moment the escort of the Tianjin Escort Agency targeted his daughter, his mind changed completely.
Ha Yeong-ryeong was the only gift his late wife had left behind in this world, and she was his everything.
He would gladly lay down his own life for her sake.
He could never forgive the escort, or the Tianjin Escort Agency, for trying to kick such a precious treasure aside like a common pebble.
The escort’s expression contorted.
“The Hundred-Step Divine Fist? Why are you here?”
Bang!
At that exact moment, Ha Baek-jin’s fist slammed directly into the escort’s abdomen.
Without even being able to scream, the escort flew through the air like a kite with its string cut and plunged into the river.
“What are you doing?”
“You bastard…!”
Seeing their companion taken down, the surrounding escorts rushed forward in a rage. Yet, not a single one of them could withstand Ha Baek-jin’s single strike.
“Argh!”
“Ack!”
Screaming, the escorts collapsed to the deck.
The moment they were struck by Ha Baek-jin’s massive fists, an impact akin to being bludgeoned by an iron hammer overwhelmed them.
With broken arms and shattered ribs, they found it difficult to even draw breath.
Ha Baek-jin was not called the Hundred-Step Divine Fist for nothing.
Among the Seventy-Two Supreme Arts of the Shaolin Temple, Ha Baek-jin was a man who had dedicated himself solely to mastering fist techniques to establish his own lineage.
His fists contained the very essence of Shaolin’s fist techniques.
Ha Baek-jin was utterly unstoppable.
A straight line representing the shortest distance between two points.
Deploying the Arhat Gale Step, he instantaneously closed the shortest path connecting himself to his enemies.
Reaching the escorts in the blink of an eye, Ha Baek-jin unleashed the Shaolin Temple’s supreme art, the Hundred-Step Divine Fist.
There was no way a mere escort could block a Shaolin supreme art that was said to be capable of slaying an enemy from a hundred paces away upon grand completion.
Bang!
Accompanied by a booming explosion, the escort struck by the Hundred-Step Divine Fist was sent flying far into the distance.
No one could block a single blow from Ha Baek-jin.
Like a lion leaping into a flock of sheep, Ha Baek-jin displayed an unmatched, godlike prowess.
In an instant, over twenty escorts were defeated by Ha Baek-jin, either collapsing onto the deck or being hurled into the river waters.
“Now that is the true Hundred-Step Divine Fist.”
“What foolish people, messing with his daughter.”
Gong Pyeong-hae and Yi Se-gyeong could not help but admire the sight of Ha Baek-jin rampaging like a lion.
Though he had appeared incredibly weak and desperate in front of Nam Se-myeong to save his daughter, this very sight was Ha Baek-jin’s true face.
Because he performed deeds of righteousness without ever yielding, no matter how powerful the threatening enemy, a mere vagabond like Ha Baek-jin had earned the title of the Hundred-Step Divine Fist.
Bang!
“Gah!”
Once again, along with a booming blast, an escort crumbled to the floor.
As things turned to this point, the escorts who had so confidently attacked the Hongjo Bang’s ship froze in place like stone statues.
They were completely overwhelmed by the lion-like aura of Ha Baek-jin.
With the situation escalating to this level, Nam Gi-cheong, who had issued the suppression order, could no longer sit idly by.
“Stop right there!”
Unleashing a Lion’s Roar, he boarded the Express Vessel along with his escort leaders.
Landing lightly on the deck, Nam Gi-cheong glared at Ha Baek-jin and spoke.
“Are you also a member of the Hongjo Bang?”
“I am a passenger on this ship.”
“If you are a passenger, you should have stayed quiet like one. How dare you attack the escorts of the Tianjin Escort Agency? You must be out of your mind.”
“I intended to stay quiet. That is, if your subordinate hadn’t attacked my daughter.”
At Ha Baek-jin’s response, Nam Gi-cheong’s brow furrowed.
A man stepping forward to protect his daughter. He possessed a perfectly just cause to intervene in this situation.
Suppressing his rising anger with an effort, Nam Gi-cheong asked.
“Do you have any intention of backing down then?”
“If your men back down, I shall back down as well.”
“That is impossible.”
“Then I cannot back down either.”
“Even if it means making an enemy out of the Tianjin Escort Agency?”
“If I were to back down in fear of the Tianjin Escort Agency’s name, all my fellow companions in the Jianghu would mock me. They would say the Hundred-Step Divine Fist has gone soft. Even if I die, I must not tarnish my name. Is that not the life of a martial artist?”
“The Hundred-Step Divine Fist? Are you saying you are that same man, one of the Four Great Vagabonds?”
“I am.”
“Hmm!”
Nam Gi-cheong let out a low groan.
Ha Baek-jin was a much bigger figure than he had anticipated.
No matter how powerful the Tianjin Escort Agency was, they could not easily dismiss Ha Baek-jin, the Hundred-Step Divine Fist.
Compared to a massive power like the Tianjin Escort Agency, rogue warriors were nothing more than insignificant weeds growing in an open field.
Yet, they could not be entirely ignored.
Weeds existed everywhere under heaven.
If those weeds gathered and rebelled, even the great Tianjin Escort Agency would inevitably face immense trouble.
Furthermore, their opponent was practically an idol to those vagrants.
Because he held tremendous influence over rogue warriors, even the Tianjin Escort Agency could not treat Ha Baek-jin carelessly.
‘This has become troublesome.’
Nam Gi-cheong’s jaw twitched.
He had never expected that the Hundred-Step Divine Fist himself would be aboard this ship.
Had he known he was on board, he would have preferred to simply open up the waterway and let them pass. However, he could not reverse his decision at this late stage.
He and the Tianjin Escort Agency had their own prestige to uphold.
Just like the Hongjo Bang, he too was caught in a checkmate from which he could not retreat.
At that moment, Gong Pyeong-hae and Yi Se-gyeong stepped up to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ha Baek-jin.
They were demonstrating their resolve to fight alongside Ha Baek-jin if Nam Gi-cheong and the Tianjin Escort Agency crossed the line any further.
Nam Gi-cheong’s expression soured even more.
Dealing with Ha Baek-jin alone was difficult enough, but the auras radiating from Gong Pyeong-hae and Yi Se-gyeong did not seem ordinary either.
The situation was continuously tangling into a knot.
He could neither retreat nor continue the fight.
As he unconsciously displayed a conflicted expression, an unexpected voice drifted over.
“Uncle, what do you think you are doing here?”
The voice of a young man echoed from Cheongmul Island.
New figures emerged at the spot where Nam Gi-cheong had been standing just moments ago.
A young man who appeared to be in his late twenties, a middle-aged man in his early privileges, and dozens of martial artists marching behind a purple banner.
In that instant, Nam Gi-cheong’s face turned completely rigid.
He opened his mouth as he looked at the young man.
“Seung-pyo!”
The young man clad in a blue hero headband and matching robes was Nam Seung-pyo, the eldest son of Nam Tae-ha, the Chief of the Tianjin Escort Agency.
The middle-aged man accompanying Nam Seung-pyo was Yun Jin-myeong.
He was the second young master of the Yunyo Bang, one of the Ten Pillars.
Yun Jin-myeong had secretly visited Cheongmul Island along with the martial artists of the Jacheongi, one of the primary military forces of the Yunyo Bang.
It was to hold a confidential meeting with Nam Seung-pyo.
Although the Yunyo Bang was currently situated in Sanmen of Zhejiang Province, it was originally a sect with its roots in the northern regions. Perhaps because of this, the internal hierarchy of the sect was heavily influenced by the northern nomadic tribes.
This was especially true for their core military groups known as the Ohorgi.
Distinguishing their forces by the colors of their banners—such as the Blue Sky, Blood Sky, Forbidden Sky, Purple Sky, and Trembling Sky—was a method frequently utilized by nomadic tribes that originated in the north.
Each consisting of three hundred men, the Ohorgi were the proud elites of the Yunyo Bang.
The reason Yun Jin-myeong, the second young master of the Yunyo Bang, had brought a portion of the Purple Sky Banner martial artists to Cheongmul Island was to hold a discreet conversation with Nam Seung-pyo.
They had specifically chosen Cheongmul Island for this purpose, but a conflict with the Hongjo Bang had unexpectedly erupted.
The expression with which Nam Seung-pyo looked at Nam Gi-cheong was far from pleasant.
It was because he felt his own prestige had been damaged right in front of Yun Jin-myeong.
The ones he had specifically brought along to handle troublesome matters were none other than Nam Gi-cheong, the Hanyang Branch Manager, and his escorts.
However, Nam Seung-pyo could not easily unleash his fury.
The branch managers of the twelve branches of the Tianjin Escort Agency were all brothers or close relatives of Chief Nam Tae-ha.
Since Nam Gi-cheong was also an uncle figure to Nam Seung-pyo, he found it difficult to speak carelessly despite his anger.
Nam Seung-pyo spoke while doing his best to suppress his rage.
“What kind of problem is causing you to waste so much time like this?”
“I am sorry. The Hundred-Step Divine Fist happens to be on this ship, which has complicated the matter.”
“The Hundred-Step Divine Fist? Do you mean one of the Four Great Vagabonds?”
“Yes!”
“Did you really cause all this chaos over a single vagabond?”
Nam Seung-pyo wore an expression of utter incomprehension.
No matter how grand a martial title he possessed, to him, the man was ultimately nothing more than a mere vagabond.
The thought that they had failed to deal with a single Ha Baek-jin and had shown such an unsightly display in front of Yun Jin-myeong made his anger soar.
“Hurry up and dispose of him before coming over. We still have many matters left to discuss with the Yunyo Bang.”
“Understood.”
Nam Gi-cheong quickly acquiesced to Nam Seung-pyo’s words.
Although he had not officially ascended to the position of young chief yet, many people, including Nam Gi-cheong, supported Nam Seung-pyo as the next leader.
For that reason, even though he was the Hanyang Branch Manager and an uncle figure, Nam Gi-cheong followed his command.
Nam Gi-cheong issued an order to his subordinates.
“Escort leaders, step forward and subdue him.”
“Yes, sir!”
With their response, seven escort leaders, who could be considered the top experts of the Hanyang Branch, stepped forward.
Their intervention meant they intended to bring things to a definitive end right here, regardless of the consequences.
Seeing the escort leaders, Gong Pyeong-hae spoke to Ha Baek-jin.
“We shall help as well.”
“Thank you. I won’t forget this favor.”
“What favor? Consider how much I’ve received from you. Just buy me a drink later.”
“I’ll buy you a hundred cups.”
“That’s more than enough.”
Gong Pyeong-hae bared his teeth in a grin.
That appearance looked just like a smiling bear.
Crash!
Immediately after, the escort leaders clashed with Ha Baek-jin and his companions.
As expected of the absolute elites of the Tianjin Escort Agency, the escort leaders did not easily fall back against Ha Baek-jin’s group.
Watching their battle, Woo Geom-san turned his head to look at Nam Seung-pyo and Yun Jin-myeong, who were looking down from Cheongmul Island.
Although it was his first time seeing both men today, they did not feel unfamiliar.
It was only natural, as the Tianjin Escort Agency was a sect located close to the Woo Family Manor, and the Yunyo Bang had been constantly eyeing the Woo Family Manor’s Shipping Rights.
Based around West Lake, the Yunyo Bang accumulated vast wealth through salt merchant trades and trade beyond the border, but their path leading to the Yangtze River was blocked by the Woo Family Manor.
If they could seize the Woo Family Manor’s Shipping Rights, their influence and power would instantly multiply several times over.
Because of that, they had continuously picked fights with the Woo Family Manor.
The reason Woo Geom-san had to leave the Woo Family Manor in the first place was that Yun Tae-ho, Yun Jin-myeong’s younger brother, had coveted Woo Geom-san’s younger sister, So-ha, resulting in a conflict.
In that manner, the Woo Family Manor and the Yunyo Bang were entangled by an ill fate.
They were in a relationship where they could never view each other in a positive light.
Yun Jin-myeong could be seen murmuring something quietly to Nam Seung-pyo.
They were too far away for anyone else to hear, but to Woo Geom-san’s ears, it sounded as clear as if they were whispering right beside him.
“Let’s head back quickly and come to a conclusion on how we will continue the blockade of the Woo Family Manor.”
“Yes! Brother Jin-myeong.”

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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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