The place where Jang-woo had led Cheon Mubaeck was a location between two rocky islands.

“You said you’d show me a scenic spot.”

“It’s a good sight.”

Cheon Mubaeck smirked.

The sight of the golden light seeping between the rocky islands as the sun set was quite a sight to behold.

It would have been even better if two boats had not suddenly appeared from beyond it.

Cheon Mubaeck raised his internal energy and examined the boats.

One was a boat with a yellow sail. It was a large boat with about fifty people on board. All fifty people were holding ferocious weapons. The other one was smaller, but it looked quite fast. There were about twenty people.

“That flag, is it the Water Dragon Fortress?”

“It seems so. The shape of the blue dragon wrapped around the spear shaft is the Water Dragon Fortress.”

“It seems there won’t be any more trouble.”

A smile appeared on Cheon Mubaeck’s lips.

“Be careful. The river bandits on the boat are not easy opponents.”

Neung-heo, unlike himself, gave Cheon Mubaeck a word of advice.

“I know. Even a peak master can’t do much on the river.”

And the river bandit guys are vicious. Although all black-way members are vicious, there are few as vicious as the river bandits.

“Even if three or four of them are cut down by a sword, it’s enough if they just grab one of the master’s feet or one of his arms.”

They throw their bodies without even caring about their own safety. Even if their arms are cut off in the process, they throw their bodies and cling to the master’s limbs. In the meantime, if a net made of iron is thrown and their arms are tied, all sorts of blades dig in. They repeatedly submerge them in the water and then pull them out so that they can’t come to their senses. If water enters all the holes in their body, even a peak master can’t stand it.

That was the way of the river bandits.

“For your information, this is my first time fighting on a boat.”

“Wow. You’re emphasizing how useless you are.”

“How many times would a person of the martial world have to fight on a boat? There are some who never get on a boat in their entire lives.”

“Don’t worry. There’s no need to fight.”

“Pardon?”

Cheon Mubaeck looked around. Although Neung-heo had said so, he had drawn his sword and was circulating his internal energy so that he could pour out his internal energy at any time, and Yeon So-un was also holding her flexible sword tightly. Although Chae Ga-ryeong had a rather pale face, she did not look scared.

‘I don’t have to worry too much.’

It would be a headache if they trembled in front of just two boats.

It was a relief that there was no such sign.

Because now they had to head to the Water Dragon Fortress, which was full of such river bandits.

While they were talking for a moment, the boats came so close that they could see their expressions.

The river bandits, who were holding all sorts of ferocious blades, let out strange noises on the deck.

Although they were doing it to take the initiative, it was a sight that made Cheon Mubaeck and Neung-heo snort.

“For river bandits who have taken over the entire Jialing River, they look crude.”

“Because it’s a power they gained with the ten-thousand-mile Yangtze River poison.”

“Well. If it’s the eel poison, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

The boats approached quickly and then lowered their sails and stopped. The shouts of the river bandits, who were pouring out all the curses that existed in the world, stopped at once.

Someone suddenly appeared on the bow.

He was a man with protruding cheekbones and a wide forehead. But his momentum was so ferocious that it felt like when he had first seen Neung-heo.

“Wow, he looks unique.”

“As much as you?”

“…”

Neung-heo shut his mouth with a rather wronged face. Immediately after, a whisper of ‘Am I ugly? Miss?’ was heard, but Cheon Mubaeck focused on the man who had come up on the bow.

“Brat! Did you mess with our family? Huh?”

The man with a rough voice slammed his thick broadsword into the bow.

“You bastards! If you get naked and bow your heads and ask for forgiveness now. I’ll just take what you have and let you go. Ah, of course, we’ll have some fun with the girls and then send them back. Hehe.”

“Extortion, robbery, murder, and even human trafficking?”

“Isn’t that the basics? Why, are you scared? Hehe. No. You’re also quite good-looking, so you’ll be quite popular with the pederasts. This is a pumpkin that has rolled in with the vine. Those two girls are also good-looking. They’ll sell for a pretty penny.”

Cheon Mubaeck did not care much about the terrible verbal abuse. Wasn’t it a common way for the black-way or unorthodox sect guys to set the mood and to take the initiative?

But Yeon So-un and Chae Ga-ryeong, who were behind him, had pale faces as if they had not been exposed to such verbal abuse much.

Cheon Mubaeck stepped forward before it got any longer.

“Let’s negotiate.”

“What? Negotiate? Puhaha! Do you want to live that much? Alright. I’ll at least spare your life! But the girls and you will have to be held hostage by us! And hand over everything you have!”

“What kind of bullshit is that?”

Cheon Mubaeck shouted sullenly.

And then he slammed his sword into the floor and shouted.

“Guide me to where your leader is. Then your necks will be in place. This is my condition.”

“…”

In an instant, the noisy river bandits shut their mouths with a look of incomprehension.

The cheekboned man on the bow barely opened his mouth with a sullen look.

“So, you, are going to, spare us?”

“Right. So guide me.”

No matter how much they used the same language, if it did not fit the situation or was absurd, it was difficult to accept it right away.

Cheon Mubaeck’s words were like that now.

After a long silence, the cheekboned man burst into laughter.

“Brat. Have you gone mad with fear?”

“Is it a refusal to negotiate?”

“You crazy bastard!”

“Your attitude towards negotiation is all wrong.”

Cheon Mubaeck shrugged his shoulders. The cheekboned man, thinking that he was being made fun of, clenched his teeth for a moment. It seemed he had to play with him a little.

As he was thinking so, the moment the cheekboned man was about to give an order.

Kung!

“…!”

A chilling silence pierced through the river bandits.

Most of the river bandits did not immediately understand what had just happened.

Only a few river bandits who were next to the cheekboned man let out a scream with pale faces.

A harpoon used by fishermen was stuck in his wide-open mouth. The cheekboned man died with his eyes wide open. Cheon Mubaeck had thrown the harpoon that was next to him.

It was fast, and he couldn’t even see it. As if a piercing sound had rung, the corpse of the cheekboned man was slammed into the floor with a dull thud.

Blood quickly soaked the top of the bow.

A hunch rang a warning bell in the heads of the river bandits. A man with a red face suddenly appeared from the suffocating silence.

“This son of a bitch! Everyone, take up your weapons! Kill that son of a bitch!”

“Who are you?”

“I’m the first mate! You son of a bitch!”

“Will you negotiate?”

“Negotiate? You want to negotiate now? Bullshit! I’ll kill you all!”

His eyes were burning with anger. But Cheon Mubaeck answered without even listening.

“I’ll state my conditions again. Guide me to where your leader is. Then I’ll at least spare your lives.”

“This crazy bastard until the end…”

Kwadeuk!

The first mate’s words could not continue.

“Kkeueueu.”

A large harpoon stuck in his abdomen.

Looking at the harpoon stuck in his abdomen with unbelieving eyes, the first mate fell back, foaming at the mouth with blood.

The captain and the first mate had fallen one after another.

In between, Cheon Mubaeck’s monologue broke in.

“Next.”

“…”

A cold silence like ice.

When everyone shut their mouths and was silent, Cheon Mubaeck’s smile still did not change at all.

“We have to continue the negotiation, right?”

In an instant, goosebumps rose all over the river bandits’ bodies.

‘Negotiation…’

‘That crazy bastard…’

He had thought it was just the foolish words of a madman.

But that had now come as a materialized fear.

“I’m the boatswain.”

A man with a rather calm face suddenly came up from between the corpses.

Cheon Mubaeck said.

“Alright. Will you negotiate?”

“I will. I’ll guide you. But keep your promise.”

“The negotiation is settled. Guide me.”

When the boatswain said so, the river bandits immediately protested.

He was the one who had killed the captain and the first mate.

What was he doing now? But the boatswain quickly gave a look with a calm face. A few river bandits who met his gaze hardened their expressions and nodded their heads. The boatswain, who had exchanged glances, shouted.

“Our guys will cross over to steer your boat.”

“I understand.”

When Cheon Mubaeck answered obediently, the boat slowly approached.

The boatswain gave a slight look.

The river bandits who were behind him all lowered their bodies at once and secretly took out their bows and nocked their arrows.

The arrowheads sparkled as they reflected the light.

It was an arrowhead coated with the ten-thousand-mile Yangtze River poison.

The moment the boat approached, those river bandits would all stand up at once and release their bowstrings.

Then even a martial arts master could not do anything. He could not dodge them all. How could he dodge dozens of arrows pouring down from right in front of him? He would definitely be hit by at least one. And just one was enough. Because it was a deadly poison that would kill an elephant in Yunnan before it could even walk three steps with just one drop.

As if they had done this once or twice, the movements of the river bandits were natural.

Anyone would see it as a movement to cross over to the boat.

But they had seen the wrong opponent.

“The negotiation is broken.”

“…What do you mean!”

“You shouldn’t play tricks behind my back after negotiating.”

Cheon Mubaeck grinned and spun his sword. In an instant, his sword flashed, and a white sword qi was randomly emitted.

“Ugh, ugh, ugh!”

It was in an instant.

The emitted sword qi had cut off the necks of the boatswain and the river bandits who were nocking their arrows behind him.

The river bandits all stopped with pale faces. They could not even move a single finger. What surprised them was the fact that he had intercepted only the river bandits who were holding bows with his sword qi.

It was surprising to kill people by sending out sword qi, but he had also chosen whom to kill.

At this point, the river bandits realized the reality.

“Alright, let’s continue the negotiation.”

Cheon Mubaeck’s negotiation was sincere.

* * *

“I’m impressed every time I see it.”

“What?”

“By any chance, were you a black-way leader in your past life? The way you intimidate people, there are one or two things to learn.”

Although Cheon Mubaeck thought Neung-heo was being sarcastic, he smirked when he saw his eyes.

Neung-heo had a face of sincere admiration.

“To make those who don’t listen listen, you need fear.”

“I see.”

“If fear seeps in, even those who don’t listen will listen well.”

In the first place, Cheon Mubaeck had no reason to look favorably on the river bandits.

Because they were all guys who deserved to die.

So Cheon Mubaeck had no hesitation when dealing with the river bandits. It was more comfortable to just kill them if he had to. Let Buddha show mercy to those guys.

Cheon Mubaeck thought so and looked at the front.

A sturdy rope connected from the river bandits’ boat was pulling the boat that Cheon Mubaeck was on.

How much time had passed?

The sun had completely set, and they were heading through the river in the darkness with the lights on the boat.

Looking at that, Cheon Mubaeck easily understood why martial arts masters were defeated by river bandits on the river.

The center was constantly shaking, the blades were flashing wildly in the moonlight, and if the river bandits ran wild, letting out strange screams, unless one was a considerable master, one would have no choice but to be defeated.

So those river bandits were not intimidated even when Cheon Mubaeck had slaughtered the first mate.

The moment the boatswain had come up, Cheon Mubaeck had guessed. Seeing his eyes.

In the end, he had to choose.

He had to give them a more terrible fear.

So he had seen more blood.

That was the result now.

‘So they should have listened when I said let’s negotiate.’

How gentlemanly.

Cheon Mubaeck thought so.

It was then.

On one side of the riverbank, a gorgeous light was lit.

Numerous boats were gathered, and it was a fortress with a sturdy fence and a stone wall that looked like a castle.

Especially, as if they had heard the news, the river bandits were coming out with their weapons on top of the stone wall.

Chae Ga-ryeong, who was looking at them, let out a scream as if she were shocked.

“My goodness, it’s my master.”

Cheon Mubaeck clicked his tongue as he looked at Chae Ga-ryeong, who looked like she would faint at any moment.

When he looked at where her gaze was directed, there was an old man who was recognizable as who she was referring to.

Although he was an old man, he had a huge build, and the battle robe that was fluttering in the river wind was impressive.

“I thought he was living under threat after being kidnapped, but that wasn’t it.”

Cheon Mubaeck laughed as if it were funny, looking at the green battle robe that was fluttering in the wind.

The sight of him standing proudly in front of many people.

That was by no means the appearance of a kidnapped person.

“A physician who saves people has become the master of a waterway fortress…”

The Master of the Water Dragon Fortress, Tang Jun-pa, was met.

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep