Chapter 334

**C334**

When Juk Woo-gong and the rowers jumped into the river, Yeon Jeokha shook his head, recalling a similar incident in the past.

The head of the Jiang Kang-il Gwae gang (the “Viper of the Yangtze”) had done something even more extreme: blowing up his own ship with explosives.

Compared to that, what they were facing now seemed less serious, although the outcome could be similar.

“Do they plan to pierce the hull of the ship and attack us afterward?” Yeon Jeokha thought as he heard noises coming from the lower part of the vessel.

While the guards and the Three Heroes of Qingzhou panicked, Yeon Jeokha calmly observed the riverbank, which was about 20 jang (about 60 meters) away.

“With the *Nine Heavens, Floating Cloud Path* technique, crossing over there wouldn’t be a problem.”

But… the problem is So Jiwoong and the Three Heroes.

Reasoning that his loyalty was with the Three Heroes, who had shown him kindness, he decided to prioritize them.

—

The tension was rising.

So Jiwoong, seeing Yeon Jeokha simply standing on the deck, frowned.

“Hey, brother Yeon! Stop standing there like it’s none of your business and do something useful, like the others.”

“But no one is doing anything useful, they’re just running around.”

So Jiwoong, already irritated, lost his patience.

“Do something! Anything! Stop looking like this doesn’t affect you.”

Yeon Jeokha muttered, annoyed:

“Am I not just a walking screen? A screen just needs to stay still, right?”

“What did you say?”

Just as So Jiwoong was about to explode, loud banging sounds were heard from the bottom of the ship.

“They’re piercing the hull!” shouted Sa Gangjeong, who was running frantically across the deck.

The sound grew louder, but none of the five guards knew how to swim. Desperate, Sa Gangjeong hit the railing of the ship with his fist.

“Damn it!”

He quickly went to So Jiwoong.

“Leader! The ship will sink soon. Look for something floating to hold onto.”

At that moment, Zhang Yuan drew his sword and cut the mast with a clean movement, showing why he was the leader of the Three Heroes of Qingzhou.

The mast fell with a crash, destroying part of the cabin and leaving large wooden planks all over the deck.

The ship, now pierced, began to sink slowly. Fortunately, its small size prevented people from being dragged by the water.

With the planks floating in the water, the passengers began to cling to them as the ship submerged completely.

—

Suddenly, figures emerged from the water. There were more than ten people, moving quickly towards the group like sharks.

“Watch out! There are enemies in the water!” shouted Sa Gangjeong, drawing his dao.

Yeon Jeokha, seeing the situation, began to use the *Flying Swallow Step* technique, accelerating quickly over the floating mast, which began to move towards the shore.

The mast, now converted into an improvised floating vehicle, surprised the attackers, who were exposed as they emerged from the water to stop it. The guards took advantage to attack them with their weapons.

As the combatants clashed, the mast continued to advance and finally collided with the pier, stopping abruptly. The civilians on the shore, surprised, quickly dispersed.

—

Shortly after, more figures emerged from the water. Among them was Geum Bul-wi, the leader of Haesabang, a small faction based on the Yeongha River.

Sa Gangjeong immediately recognized the man.

“Geum Bul-wi! Has Haesabang become a group of thieves, attacking the Gunwon Pyo-guk like bandits? Don’t you have any shame?”

Geum Bul-wi chuckled.

“It’s not like that, Sa Gangjeong. I’m only here because the people of Heochang asked me to.”

Then, he turned his gaze to So Jiwoong.

“Leader So, do you really need to expand to Heochang? It’s a small town, with little room for more escort agencies. Why not retreat now?”

So Jiwoong replied coldly:

“Retreating in the face of threats from Haesabang? That would be a joke for all of Murim!”

“Sometimes it’s better to accept a little humiliation and survive longer. If you keep insisting, everyone could die here.”

The threat caused Zhang Yuan, leader of the Three Heroes, to intervene.

“I’m Zhang Yuan, of the Three Heroes of Qingzhou. I don’t know much about Haesabang, but do you think those numbers are enough to defeat us?”

Geum Bul-wi replied mockingly:

“Hahaha! Three Heroes of Qingzhou? I didn’t know if you were heroes or rats of Qingzhou! Maybe you’re famous in your little region, but let me show you how big the world is. Attack!”

With that order, the twenty men of Haesabang charged towards the ten guards.

The Three Heroes and the guards formed a circle, protecting So Jiwoong and Yeon Jeokha in the center.

Although So Jiwoong didn’t trust Yeon Jeokha, he had no choice but to rely on him, as everyone else was busy fighting.

When the two members of Haesabang managed to break through the guards, their target was clear: So Jiwoong. Killing the auxiliary leader would end the conflict, something both sides knew very well.

“Die!”

“Get out of my way!”

Both men lunged towards So Jiwoong like lightning, shouting fiercely.

Just then, Yeon Jeokha drew his sword slowly, so much so that even So Jiwoong, impatient, couldn’t help but rebuke him:

“Do it quickly!”

However, although he seemed to react late, the attackers’ swords bounced back when they collided with his.

Cha-chang—.

The two men exchanged bewildered glances, but attacked again with more force.

Cha-chang—.

The result was the same. Haesabang’s swords flew backward as if they had collided with an invisible wall. Although Yeon Jeokha seemed to always move a moment late, his sword neutralized each attack with precision.

Finally, the two attackers realized that the young man in front of them was not a mere wanderer, but a master swordsman. They hesitated to continue attacking, but then, So Jiwoong lost his patience.

“Hey! What are you doing standing there? Why don’t you kill them already?”

Yeon Jeokha replied indifferently, without looking up.

“Leader So, what more do you expect from a wanderer (nangin) who charges fifty mun a day? Doing more would be excessive.”

“What are you saying? We’re talking about life or death here!”

“Exactly, my life. And with fifty mun a day, I can barely make a living.”

The argument about pay between the two was so absurd that even the Haesabang attackers stood there watching, embarrassed.

—

As they argued, a guard received a blow and staggered, opening a gap in the formation. Two more Haesabang attackers joined, making a total of four men who headed towards Yeon Jeokha and So Jiwoong.

From a distance, that girl, Baek Okjo, watched with concern.

“Oh, no!” she whispered, seeing how the four men charged towards them.

In her opinion, not even Zhang Yuan, the leader of the Three Heroes, could handle such a dangerous situation.

“I should have avoided involving him in this. This was all a mistake…”

Just as her despair reached its peak, her eyes widened in amazement.

Yeon Jeokha, with an elegant but devastating movement, deflected the four swords as if they were toys.

Cha-chang—.*

The attackers could do nothing against him. With his sword now slightly tilted towards the ground, Yeon Jeokha displayed a serenity that seemed like that of a sword master from another era.

In Baek Okjo’s eyes, the Haesabang men were nothing more than children playing with chopsticks in front of a true master.

The four attackers also realized that they had no chance. They hesitated, backing away slowly. At that moment, the fight came to a natural pause.

—

When the battle ended, the guards quickly returned to So Jiwoong to protect him. The leader of Haesabang, Geum Bul-wi, stepped forward, ignoring So Jiwoong and focusing his attention on Yeon Jeokha.

“I’m Geum Bul-wi, leader of Haesabang. What is your name, young master?”

Yeon Jeokha replied indifferently:

“My name is Yeon Jeokha.”

Geum Bul-wi narrowed his eyes, clearly intrigued.

“Do you have any relation to Yeon Jeokha, the Grand Inspector of Nokrim?”

It was a reasonable question. In the world of Murim, the name Yeon Jeokha was associated with the Grand Inspector of Nokrim, known for his fearsome reputation. However, the young man’s actions before him seemed to contradict the image of that legendary monster.

“No, I’m not the Grand Inspector. I’m just a simple Yeon Jeokha from Jeongju.”

He wasn’t lying. Although he had been the Grand Inspector of Nokrim, he now held the title of Grand Protector, a less active position.

Geum Bul-wi studied him carefully before letting out a sigh of relief. The young man didn’t seem to match the description of the feared Grand Inspector.

“So, are you a wanderer (nangin)?”

“That’s right. Leader So hired me for fifty mun a day, to work with him for three days.”

Geum Bul-wi couldn’t help but laugh.

“Ah, I see! The famous Gunwon Pyo-guk, paying fifty mun a day to a swordsman of your caliber! What a shame for them.”

He turned to So Jiwoong and added:

“Listen to me, Leader So. A swordsman of this level should be earning at least an ounce/tael of silver a day. Even the least skilled wanderers receive one hundred mun a day. But you, you only pay fifty mun! What kind of mockery is this?”