The Songjeong Merchant Group operated a regular boat service between Zhejiang and Shandong. Since they had regular customers, the boats came and went regularly, and since it was regular, they also ran a passenger business. The fact that they ran a passenger business meant that it was an extremely safe sea route.

Was it because of that? The face of the merchant group’s manager on the boat was miserably contorted.

“Are these bastards crazy? They’re approaching the coast?”

It was not a day or two that pirates appeared in the Zhejiang sea, but that was something that only happened occasionally on long voyages to other countries.

There were almost no cases of them appearing on the sea route to Shandong through the coast like this.

Wasn’t it a close location where the government troops could be dispatched at any time?

The pirates were rowing towards them at a fierce speed.

“Damn it!”

It was a fast boat, meaning that they were going to strike quickly and leave before the government troops appeared.

Even if they tried to flee in a hurry, the difference in speed was obvious.

They had gotten so close in an instant that the pirates’ rough laughter and murderous voices could be heard clearly.

“Take the guys as slaves, and just plunder the luxury goods and gold! Leave the boat!”

Among the passengers who were full of confusion and screams at the pirates’ vivid voices, a calm voice flowed out.

It was Cheon Mubaeck.

“They’re pirates.”

“They’re pirates.”

“I’ve heard a rumor that the pirates of the Zhejiang sea are rampant.”

Neung-heo let out a hollow laugh.

Pirates. How many times would a person from the Central Plains meet pirates?

It was obvious just by looking at Zhuge Seola, who was looking at them with curious eyes from the side.

‘Is she curious?’

Zhuge Seola was so curious and excited about the sea environment that she was looking at the pirates with curious eyes. And what about Cheon Mubaeck next to her?

‘Why is he smiling?’

Looking at his calm smile, it was not the face of a person who had met pirates, but a face as if he had met his family.

The reactions of the two were quite peculiar.

‘Wow. They have something in common in a place like this. They look good together. They look good together.’

Neung-heo sighed as he had such trivial thoughts.

“I don’t think the merchant group’s guards can handle them, should we take care of them?”

It was the moment when Neung-heo was about to step forward as if he were going to cross the deck right away.

“No, don’t kill them.”

Cheon Mubaeck’s voice was heard.

Don’t kill them?

What was he going to do with those pirates after capturing them alive? He was in a hurry to go…

As he looked at him with a gaze full of curiosity, a strange story came out.

“Since they’re pirates, they must be strong, right?”

“…Well, I guess so?”

“Then they must be good at rowing, right?”

“Right?”

Cheon Mubaeck grinned.

“Let’s have them each take a boat and subdue them. I was frustrated because this boat was so slow, but we can just have them pull it.”

“…”

“The travel expenses we brought from Henan are also running low, so let’s just get some travel expenses.”

“…”

Neung-heo suddenly felt sorry for the pirates who had tried to rob this boat.

* * *

“P-please spare me!”

“Yes, yes. I won’t kill you, I won’t kill you. Just connect the ropes and row like hell.”

Neung-heo subdued one boat in one go. Although Neung-heo’s skills were great, the fact that the pirates’ level was not that murderous also played a role.

Moreover, perhaps because it was a small fast boat, the number of people on board was not that many.

Neung-heo, who had subdued one boat, turned his head and looked at the other boats.

When he glanced, Cheon Mubaeck had already finished subduing them and was connecting the boats with ropes and making them row.

Not only that.

“These things, these things, uh-huh. Yes. Just move the cash. The other things are heavy.”

Even that prudence of quickly taking only the cash. Neung-heo clicked his tongue. The travel expenses were already running very low. If it were a place where the Azure Star Escort Agency reached, he could get an emergency loan at any time, but Zhejiang and Shandong were places where the Azure Star Escort Agency’s escorts did not come.

“But to rob the pirates’ money…”

It was something that even he, a member of the Unorthodox Alliance, had not thought of. Well.

Neung-heo turned his head with the thought of helping Zhuge Seola.

After all, it was not an easy task to subdue the rough pirates without killing them. Moreover, the sea waves were rough. It was not an easy task to even keep one’s balance on the boat…

“Huh?”

Since the boats were entangled here and there, the deck beyond was clearly visible, and at the sight that came into view, Neung-heo’s face contorted strangely.

“No… why are the kids’ faces.”

Blue?

How could all of their faces be so blue, and full of bruises?

As Neung-heo stared at Zhuge Seola, Zhuge Seola said with a satisfied look.

“Since they have to row, I can’t cut off their arms and legs!”

“…”

“So I just hit their faces and subdued them.”

“Ah…”

A hollow laugh like a groan came out of Neung-heo’s mouth.

It was not a wrong statement…

Don’t you usually subdue them by striking their acupoints? I did that too?

On the other hand, Cheon Mubaeck, who had heard that, nodded his head as if satisfied.

“Indeed, you are excellent. The face has the most pain points, so even if you hit it roughly, you can easily subdue them. As expected, the brain of the Zhuge family does not go anywhere.”

“Hah, no.”

Was she blushing and twisting her body because she was embarrassed, or because she liked it?

No, looking at the pirates who were rowing with faces full of bruises next to her…

At the sight of Cheon Mubaeck and Zhuge Seola, Neung-heo, who felt as if his normal thinking was twisted somewhere, just felt a subtle sympathy for the pirates.

“Tsk.”

“Well, well. Row. We have to arrive in Shandong within today, right?”

“No, how can we get there in one day…”

Although Neung-heo said so as if it were absurd.

“Is it possible? Guys?”

As Cheon Mubaeck emitted a murderous aura, the pirates rowed fiercely, even while peeing their pants.

“…”

Like a bastard worse than the Unorthodox Alliance.

* * *

The manager of the Songjeong Merchant Group’s mouth was agape.

The sun had set, and darkness had come to the sea. The night sea, where one could not see an inch ahead, was dangerous.

So at night, they had to move carefully, so it was natural for the speed to slow down.

But now the merchant group’s boat was very fast. A hollow laugh automatically came out at the strong sea breeze that brushed against his cheeks.

“I guess it’s because they’re pirates. Their night vision is bright.”

As if it were a familiar sea route even in this night, they rowed without hesitation.

Although they should be tired, they rowed fiercely for half a day.

“Let’s arrive before the sun rises. Then you guys can rest too. Huh?”

“Keueueueueueu.”

At the faint voice, the manager clicked his tongue.

‘Is that a carrot or a stick?’

Since they had been rowing for half a day, even if they were strong pirates, their arms would be in pain as if they would fall off.

And yet, look at him encouraging them, saying that they can rest if they arrive before the sun sets.

“How on earth can you make pirates pull a boat?”

Thanks to that, the merchant group’s boat was going comfortably without even rowing.

Because three pirate ships were pulling the boat, connected by ropes.

‘It’s not like they’re horses pulling a carriage.’

Humans pulling a boat.

If they seemed to slow down even a little, that young man would relentlessly pressure the pirates.

“Your arms hurt as if they’re going to fall off, right? Then what if they really fall off?”

And look at him taking out his sword.

The pirates were terrified and rowed like crazy. Watching that scene, the manager was at a loss for words.

The pirates… he felt a little sorry for them.

‘Well, at least that side is better. That side, what, the person’s face…’

The faces that were bruised, as if the bone structure of their faces had been completely twisted.

The manager, who had seen a beautiful woman with a pure face do that, felt as if his mind was twisted somewhere.

“Anyway, it’s a relief that we’ll arrive earlier than scheduled…”

A question suddenly arose.

If they had to arrive in Shandong so quickly, was there a need to pull this boat?

With their martial power, wouldn’t it be much faster to just steal one of the pirates’ boats and go with that?

But why on earth were they pulling this boat…

“Perhaps it’s because other pirates might appear. Manager.”

“Ah, Young Master Yu, why did you come out without resting inside? You must have suffered a lot.”

“It’s about those martial artists.”

“What? Ah. They are not martial artists we hired. But fortunately, thanks to those martial artists, we were able to save a world-class scholar like Young Master Yu, so it’s a relief.”

“No, I am just a scholar with a trivial reputation. To them, your safety was probably more of a concern than me.”

“What?”

Young Master Yu was a middle-aged man in his fifties. Perhaps because he had suffered a lot while being held captive on the pirate ship, his complexion was pale, but his eyes were sharp.

The reason why the manager was so polite was because he was a great Confucian scholar with a considerable reputation in the Confucian world. In any case, if a merchant group had a close relationship with a local celebrity, it was a good thing.

How many of his disciples had achieved fame and were in high positions in the government?

“Those martial artists could have just taken the pirates’ boat and gone to Shandong quickly. But the fact that they are pulling this boat like this is because there is another reason.”

“A reason?”

“It is because they are concerned that other pirates might appear and that the people here might be captured.”

“…Ah!”

“Even though their own time is short and their work is urgent, they are doing that troublesome work themselves for the safety of the boatmen here.”

“That’s…”

A calm smile appeared on Young Master Yu’s face. The manager was surprised when a smile appeared on the face of a person who was famous for being a stiff bamboo and who was not easy to approach with a smileless face.

“I had thought that all the martial artists in the world were just lawless swordsmen who had abandoned humanity and propriety.

I had thought that it was the role of Confucianism and the people who governed based on it to benefit the people. But I see that the world is not full of only lawless martial artists.”

“…Hmm.”

“Moreover, even though they are just pirates, that mercy of not taking their lives. It seems that this insignificant Confucian scholar is receiving a great teaching.”

The manager thought.

‘Is that merciful?’

Since he had spared their lives, it was merciful.

But looking at them rowing like hell…

‘It seems like it would be better to just die.’

Anyway, it would be fine as long as they arrived at their destination safely. The manager shook his head.

* * *

“I really thought it was nonsense when you said we would have breakfast in Shandong.”

Neung-heo muttered as he looked at the sun rising in the sky.

My goodness. To arrive in Shandong from Zhejiang in one day.

Neung-heo looked at Cheon Mubaeck with a dazed gaze.

“Have I ever said anything wrong? Neung-heo. Do you still not trust me?”

“…Just create a religion.”

“Stop it. It’s not like I’m the Heavenly Demon.”

“…”

He just said it, but he’s taking it seriously.

“Ah, what should we do with these?”

“Just carry them well if they’re not too bulky.”

“Yes. Well, they’re not useful right now, but you never know.”

Neung-heo readily took the various rewards.

It was the sincerity of the hostages who had been saved by Cheon Mubaeck.

Because there were several hostages on the pirate ship.

“Well, I don’t know if it will be useful. That scholar gave me a token, saying to be sure to visit if I ever come to Guangxi. But will we ever go to Guangxi, the southernmost part of the Central Plains?”

“You never know.”

“…Keung. Don’t say such things, it makes me anxious. The token of that Songjeong Merchant Group will be more helpful. At least here in Shandong, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu, they are an active merchant group.”

The manager of the Songjeong Merchant Group had also given him a token, saying thank you. When he needed the help of the merchant group. He had said that if he went to a branch and showed the token, he could get possible help.

In any case, it would not be bad to take it.

Cheon Mubaeck took Neung-heo and Zhuge Seola and moved straight to Bishui County.

It was not difficult to find the Yukga Ironworks after going to Bishui County.

There was no need to look for it, as it was so enormous that it could be seen at a glance from a distance.

“What kind of ironworks is…”

A scale much larger than an ordinary large manor.

It was a huge ironworks with over three hundred craftsmen working there.

Cheon Mubaeck also felt a new sense of emotion.

Although it had a great reputation in the past, its current scale was even greater.

Zhuge Seola added.

“I heard that its scale grew after the Righteous-Demonic War. Because it was famous for producing the divine weapons of the greatest heroes of the Orthodox Path during the Righteous-Demonic War.”

There were three things that martial artists valued more than gold.

One was an elixir, and another was a peerless secret manual.

And the last one was a divine weapon.

Since the Yukga Ironworks was famous for producing such divine weapons, it was also the place that most martial artists of the martial world sought out.

And as much as that.

“It’s also a place where you get rejected coldly.”

Not only were there many orders, but it was now a place where you could not buy or order weapons unless you were a considerable martial artist.

Zhuge Seola looked at Cheon Mubaeck.

No matter how high his reputation was, could Cheon Mubaeck achieve what he wanted?

Cheon Mubaeck said calmly.

“Let’s go in. Because we have the Sword Empress’s letter of introduction.”

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep