The Battle for the Heavenly Sword - Chapter 86

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

86
Woo Geom-san Battles for Supremacy
Woo Geom-san looked at the ship entering the wharf with a slightly surprised expression.
Usually, large ships navigating the Yangtze River were flat-bottomed boats.
Flat-bottomed boats could navigate stably in freshwater, but they were slow. Despite this, they were widely used to avoid reefs and sandbars in shallow waters.
However, the boat currently in front of Woo Geom-san was a type of vessel where the hull formed a sharp slope.
It was clearly an express vessel focused on speed rather than stability.
The problem was that the boat Woo Geom-san originally intended to board was a regular Cloud River-Crossing Vessel, not an express vessel.
As Woo Geom-san furrowed his brows and looked to the side, Im So-ryeong spoke as if she had been waiting.
“I put a bit of care into this. It just so happened that there was an idle boat. If we take this, we can easily make up for staying here for two days and then some.”
Woo Geom-san had stayed in Cheongang County for two days.
He had missed his boat while helping to recover Liu Jiayan’s body.
Ning Yunxiao cremated the body of his mother, Liu Jiayan.
Although he wanted to bring her back to the Qingyu Clan in an intact form, doing so would cause the body to rot, which would only break his heart further.
Having no other choice, Ning Yunxiao chose cremation and cradled the jar containing his mother’s bone powder in his arms.
Liu Jiayan used to say, almost habitually,
That even if she died, she wanted to return to the Qingyu Clan.
After being kidnapped by the Red Cloud Sect Leader, Ning Hanming, Liu Jiayan always yearned for her hometown.
Ning Yunxiao had watched his mother’s tears and sighs since he was even younger than he was now.
Therefore, he wanted her to be buried in the Qingyu Clan, even if it was just her bone powder. That was why he chose the method of cremation.
Knowing how much the young child must have agonized before making this decision, Woo Geom-san could not leave right away.
In the end, he remained by Ning Yunxiao’s side and helped recover Liu Jiayan’s bones instead.
Thanks to that, he missed the Cloud River-Crossing Vessel he was originally supposed to board, but Im So-ryeong prepared a new boat in its place.
Woo Geom-san expressed his gratitude.
“Thank you. I am in your debt.”
“Hey! There’s no need to say that. I called for it so I could ride it too anyway.”
“Is Miss Nam going with us as well?”
“Since my official title is Investigation Hall Chief, I have a lot of places to travel around. Coincidentally, my next destination overlaps with this boat’s route.”
Im So-ryeong grinned as she looked at Woo Geom-san.
An unidentified expert who suddenly appeared in the Jianghu.
Moreover, he was an immense expert capable of instantly killing Chilian Xinjun, one of the Red Cloud Sect’s Ten Direction God-Kings.
Allowing such an expert to just leave without gathering information on him would be a dereliction of duty.
She had already ordered her subordinates to trace the movements of the Feiyun Merchant Group and investigate Woo Geom-san’s past. However, that alone was not enough.
Im So-ryeong intended to gather as much information as possible by remaining close to Woo Geom-san.
Habits, personality, background—anything would do.
Because such trivial details would accumulate to become a major asset for Punglim Fort.
Whether he knew Im So-ryeong’s true intentions or not, Woo Geom-san calmly nodded his head.
Finally, the gangplank was lowered from the express vessel.
Im So-ryeong led the way and said,
“Let’s go up.”
Following her onto the express vessel, a middle-aged sailor greeted them.
He wore a bandana on his head and carried a straight sword, primarily used by sailors, on his waist; his frame was grand, making him look highly intimidating.
“Welcome.”
The sailor smiled and greeted Im So-ryeong, but it looked exactly as if he were threatening to kill her.
Im So-ryeong furrowed her brows deeply and said,
“Why is Uncle Zhang on this boat?”
“It’s my nephew’s request, so of course I had to rush over.”
“No, I’m asking why a person who is a Six Rivers Squadron Leader is personally stepping up? Are you that idle?”
“The problem is that I’m idle, way too idle.”
“Ah, seriously!”
At the sailor’s casual reply, Im So-ryeong’s face crumpled completely.
The sailor who brought the express vessel was not a person to steer such a small boat.
The sailor’s name was Zhang Wangchu.
He was one of the Six Rivers Squadron Leaders that Punglim Fort took pride in, a powerhouse who had no equal upon the water.
Even within Punglim Fort, it was difficult to find anyone who knew the waterways of the Yangtze River better than him.
The problem was that he was not a man to steer this kind of small express vessel.
The Six Rivers Squadron Leaders were unparalleled martial artists, each leading dozens of ships and hundreds of martial artists.
There were not many who were more proficient in battles on the water than them.
In particular, Zhang Wangchu was well-versed in large-scale naval warfare, causing many to fear him.
Im So-ryeong glared at Zhang Oh, who was standing behind her.
“It’s you, right?”
“What is?”
“You’re the one who tatted to Uncle Zhang, aren’t you?”
“No, I didn’t.”
Zhang Oh turned his head away and pretended to be innocent.
“I shouldn’t have taken him in. How ungrateful of him to dare plunge a dagger into my back.”
“Who’s ungrateful? And what do you mean by grace? Kidnapping someone who said no and keeping him right next to you…”
“This brat…”
As Im So-ryeong sharply raised her hand, Zhang Oh’s neck retracted like a turtle’s.
Unable to watch any longer, Zhang Wangchu stepped between the two.
“Hey, take it easy. He’s still my nephew…”
“Is that why you had your little nephew leak the Investigation Hall Chief’s information?”
“Why do you speak so harshly? He just said something interesting happened in Cheongang County, so I gently coaxed Zhang Oh. Putting that aside, is the gentleman behind you the rumored peerless master?”
With an expression full of curiosity, Zhang Wangchu looked at Woo Geom-san, who had boarded the express vessel.
Yesterday, Zhang Wangchu had obtained unbelievable information through Zhang Oh.
It was information that some young expert had killed Chilian Xinjun in a single blow.
In reality, they had fought longer than that, but it appeared that way to Zhang Oh’s eyes.
The loose-lipped Zhang Oh had informed his uncle, Zhang Wangchu, of the facts he had witnessed, and as a result, Zhang Wangchu had come here in person like this.
Zhang Wangchu approached Woo Geom-san with a sly smile.
“Nice to meet you. I am Zhang Wangchu.”
“I am Woo Geom-san. I will be in your care during the journey.”
“What do you mean by care? Think of it as your own home and use it comfortably.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re more handsome than I heard. Watch out at night.”
“Pardon?”
“Because that vicious female leopard might pounce on you.”
Zhang Wangchu indicated Im So-ryeong with his eyes.
In an instant, Im So-ryeong yelled in anger.
“Seriously! Shut that smelly mouth of yours. You foolish uncle!”
“Alright! I’ll really steer the boat quietly, so you do your business well too.”
Zhang Wangchu chuckled and backed away.
At that moment, Im So-ryeong kicked Zhang Oh’s shin.
Thud!
“Argh! Why me?”
“This is all because of you. You little turtle who doesn’t have an ounce of loyalty! If you leak information one more time, you’re dead for real. Got it?”
“Yes ma’am!”
Zhang Oh endured the pain and answered in a loud voice.
Because he knew that if he provoked her mood right now, he would be beaten even more.
Im So-ryeong shook her head from side to side and looked at Woo Geom-san.
“They really are a useless uncle and nephew. I’m sorry. You had to see something unsightly.”
“It is fine.”
“Use that first cabin on the left during the journey. No one will disturb you.”
“Understood. By the way, are you not taking any other passengers on this boat?”
“No way. We never operate a boat for free. If the conditions are right, we can pick up other people along the way as much as we want.”
At Im So-ryeong’s words, Woo Geom-san nodded his head.
Operating a boat on the Yangtze River cost a lot of money.
Building and maintaining vessels was all money, and they also had to pay wages to the sailors who operated the boat.
Since an astronomical amount of money was spent when a single boat moved, they naturally could not afford to miss an opportunity to earn money.
This was a logic that also applied to the Woo Family Manor.
As a man of the Woo Family Manor, Woo Geom-san was well aware of this reality.
Woo Geom-san said to Im So-ryeong,
“Thank you for your consideration. I will rest in the cabin for now and see you later.”
“Sure.”
“Then…”
After offering a cupped hand salute to Im So-ryeong, Woo Geom-san entered the cabin along with Ning Yunxiao.
Once he disappeared, Zhang Wangchu’s expression shifted completely.
“That guy is that strong? He doesn’t look all that special on the outside.”
“I saw it with my own eyes. He completely overwhelmed the great Chilian Xinjun and killed him effortlessly.”
“If it’s to that extent, he’s an expert that even I cannot guarantee a win against.”
Zhang Wangchu furrowed his brows.
As one of Punglim Fort’s Six Rivers Squadron Leaders, Zhang Wangchu was also a tremendous expert. Naturally, his eye for judging people was excellent. Yet, even with Zhang Wangchu’s eyesight, he could barely feel any internal energy from Woo Geom-san’s body.
On the outside, he just looked like an ordinary fair-skinned scholar.
“Does that mean he can perfectly conceal his internal qi at that age?”
It was an unbelievable fact.
Among the martial artists around Woo Geom-san’s age that he had met, none had reached that level of realm.
In reality, even martial artists who had entered a mature realm could not properly conceal their internal qi, and it would radiate outwards in waves.
“If it’s to that degree, it means he’s an expert who has reached Fanpu Guizhen, which is hard to believe.”
“You have to believe it.”
“Right! I should believe it. Since it’s a statement that came out of your mouth, of all people.”
Apart from their personal closeness, Zhang Wangchu highly evaluated Im So-ryeong’s discernment.
She hadn’t become Punglim Fort’s Investigation Hall Chief at a young age for nothing. It was possible because she possessed such excellent discernment, analytical skills, and sharp intuition.
She was a rare talent in Punglim Fort, where everyone thought power was everything. That was why Zhang Wangchu especially cherished Im So-ryeong.
“You said his destination is Yichang?”
“Yes!”
“We’ll have to scrape up all the information we can while traveling together.”
“That’s the reason I boarded this boat. Though I didn’t expect Uncle Zhang to deploy as well.”
“Sitting on land and just barking orders just because I’m a Six Rivers Squadron Leader isn’t my style. Anyway, since I’m steering the boat, don’t worry about safety. I’ll deliver you safely to Yichang.”
“While going to Yichang, he must absolutely never get the feeling that he is being monitored.”
“Of course. Don’t worry. I will act very naturally.”
“Sigh!”
At Zhang Wangchu’s guarantee, Im So-ryeong let out a sigh.
***
There were two wooden beds in the cabin.
The legs of the wooden beds were all firmly fixed to the floor of the hull with nails.
Woo Geom-san pointed to the right bed and said to Ning Yunxiao,
“You use this bed.”
“Yes!”
“You haven’t been able to sleep properly for two days, so close your eyes for a bit.”
“What about you, mister?”
“I intend to rest a bit as well.”
“Okay. Then, I’ll lie down.”
Ning Yunxiao immediately lay down on the bed.
Because he had stayed awake with his eyes practically wide open for two days, fatigue rushed in like a tidal wave.
Ning Yunxiao fell asleep just like that, cradling the jar containing Liu Jiayan’s bone powder in his arms.
Woo Geom-san watched Ning Yunxiao’s appearance with a pitiful expression.
It was too grand a matter for a young child to bear. Even so, seeing Ning Yunxiao trying to endure it somehow made him proud yet sympathetic.
“Phew!”
Letting out a sigh, Woo Geom-san opened a small window in the cabin.
A cool breeze entered through the window.
Woo Geom-san poked his head out of the window and whistled.
His whistle was special, so it could not be heard by the ears of ordinary people. However, it was heard clearly by the ears of an existence floating high up in the sky.
Screeech!
With a sharp cry, a large bird plunged like an arrow toward the cabin window.
It was Hongbaek, who had followed Woo Geom-san all the way from Cheonbaeksan.
Just before colliding with the window, Hongbaek spread his wings wide and lightly landed on Woo Geom-san’s forearm.
Woo Geom-san brought Hongbaek inside the cabin and stroked him.
“It’s been a while. Have you been well during that time?”
Screeech!
Hongbaek made a loud sound as if he were protesting.
Woo Geom-san stroked Hongbaek’s beak and apologized.
“Sorry! As you know, quite a lot of things happened. You understand!”
Whether the apology worked or not, Hongbaek rubbed his head against Woo Geom-san’s face.
The deeply asleep Ning Yunxiao did not notice at all that a large hawk had entered the cabin.
Hongbaek communed with Woo Geom-san for quite a long time after that.

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