Chapter 320

Pyo Wol and Yul Ayeon watched the sinking ship from the island.

Engulfed in flames, the ship spewed fire as it sank beneath the sea. It looked just like a whale screaming as it died.

Dismembered bodies floated around the sinking vessel.

Some had been killed by the Gyo Fish, but most were victims of the cannons.

“How could they do this?”

Yul Ayeon watched the scene, her hand covering her mouth.

The ship that had fired the cannons was supposed to be their ally. Yet, they had fired without hesitation.

In Yul Ayeon’s common sense, such an act was utterly incomprehensible.

“They must have been on the same side… Don’t they value the lives of their comrades?”

“Keeping their secrets must be more important than their comrades’ lives.”

“Still, how could a human being…”

Yul Ayeon’s lips trembled.

Her entire body was covered in wounds, both large and small.

They were injuries from her fight with Jin Yugeon.

The two had been evenly matched.

In terms of pure martial arts, Yul Ayeon was far superior, but Jin Yugeon’s swordsmanship was also formidable.

His sword, honed in real combat, was so venomous that even Yul Ayeon could not easily subdue him. When Jin Yugeon’s subordinates joined the fray, she was the one who found herself cornered.

If the cannons hadn’t been fired then, Yul Ayeon would have been gravely injured.

The moment the cannonballs struck the ship, Jin Yugeon and his subordinates stopped fighting and evacuated the vessel in unison.

There was not a shred of hesitation in their actions.

They retreated like a receding tide, leaving Yul Ayeon so bewildered that she lost her bearings.

Escaping the burning ship, Jin Yugeon and the martial artists returned to the Phantom Ship Fleet, three hundred Zhang away, on small boats.

Along the way, several boats were capsized by large waves, and many lost their lives to the Gyo Fish.

They left without a second glance at those who had fallen into the sea.

Yul Ayeon escaped with Pyo Wol to a nearby island. It was the same one they had used to infiltrate.

“In the end, we gained nothing. No, we recovered the Devil Soul Diagram, so it wasn’t a complete loss. Still, it’s astonishing. To think such a group exists in all under heaven.”

Yul Ayeon shuddered.

The Phantom Ship Fleet, on the verge of having its identity exposed, had fired its cannons to sink its own ship. She and Pyo Wol had saved their own lives, but they hadn’t been able to rescue a single person from the cages.

She didn’t know their stories, where they had been captured, or even their names.

The look in their hopeless eyes was still vivid in her mind.

It felt like she would not be able to forget their gazes for a long time.

In the end, they were not rescued and were buried in the cold depths of the sea.

Yul Ayeon felt she would never be able to forgive herself for failing to save them.

“Hah!”

Yul Ayeon’s faint sigh was buried by the sound of the waves.

Pyo Wol suddenly looked down at his own hand.

He was holding a spearhead with a blunted, crushed tip.

It was the spear the Ghost Fleet Leader had thrown. He had cut off the cumbersome shaft and brought only the spearhead.

It was the only clue to finding the Ghost Fleet Leader.

For now, the spearhead was the only object connected to him. That was why Pyo Wol had bothered to take it.

That gaze, that overwhelming presence, still shook Pyo Wol’s heart.

＊＊＊

Pyo Wol and Yul Ayeon returned to Haemun on Tae Musang’s boat.

The first person to greet them was Tarha.

“Are you all right?”

Tarha examined her only granddaughter’s body.

“I’m fine.”

“Fine? You have so many wounds. What on earth happened?”

“Hah! You probably won’t believe it.”

“Tell me anyway.”

At Tarha’s urging, Yul Ayeon recounted what she had experienced on the Phantom Ship Fleet. After hearing the whole story, Tarha let out a low groan.

“It’s hard to believe. To think such an absurd group exists in all under heaven.”

“Thanks to Great Hero Pyo, I was at least able to retrieve the Devil Soul Diagram.”

Yul Ayeon handed the Devil Soul Diagram she had received from Pyo Wol back to Tarha.

“Hoo!”

Tarha let out a sigh of relief and looked at the Devil Soul Diagram in her hand.

She came all the way here from the distant Western Regions, tens of thousands of li away, to find this item. Although she had achieved her initial goal, her heart was not at ease.

Tarha looked at Pyo Wol.

“Thank you for your help! It seems we have a lot to talk about. How about we speak openly at this point?”

“Let’s.”

Pyo Wol nodded.

The four, including Tae Musang, left the port and headed for an inn.

Tarha had already ordered the Crimson Sword Society to clear out the inn. Thanks to this, the three of them could talk comfortably without worrying about prying eyes.

Since it wasn’t a conversation for Tae Musang to hear, he waited outside for them to finish.

It was Pyo Wol who started the conversation.

“The first time I became aware of them was…”

Pyo Wol’s story, which began like that, continued for a long time.

Pyo Wol calmly recounted what he had experienced and what he had found out so far. But the expressions on Tarha’s and Yul Ayeon’s faces as they listened were as grave as could be.

They truly had no idea that such a terrifying group existed in the shadows of the Jianghu.

‘The Nine Dragons Assassination Guild?’

‘Where on earth did such a group originate?’

The expressions on both their faces were extremely serious.

In the past, they wouldn’t have paid much mind even if they had heard such a story. It would have been a matter that had nothing to do with them, after all.

But this time was different.

They now knew that the Phantom Ship Fleet’s sphere of activity included the Western Regions, and that the conflicts there persisted endlessly because of them.

The Phantom Ship Fleet was not just a Jianghu problem from across the sea. It was a huge problem for the Western Regions as well.

As long as they remained, the wars in the Western Regions would never end.

Tarha asked Pyo Wol.

“Why are you chasing such a group? Do you have a personal grudge?”

“I just got entangled with them somehow…”

“For a reason like that?”

“There are times when you have to risk your life and fight for reasons even less than that.”

“That’s true. So, what will you do now? Do you plan to keep chasing the Phantom Ship Fleet?”

“No!”

“Why not? After tracking them all this time?”

“How can I know where they are in the vast sea to chase them? The sea is different from the land. It’s not that I won’t, it’s that I can’t.”

Pyo Wol made a cold judgment.

Being able to sneak onto the Phantom Ship Fleet’s ship this time was simply a matter of luck. It was because they happened to be anchored not far from Haemun, and because he had immediately started the pursuit. Furthermore, if Tae Musang hadn’t known how to steer a boat, he wouldn’t have even dared to attempt a chase.

It was thanks to a combination of coincidence and various other factors that he was able to uncover the truth of the Phantom Ship Fleet; if even one thing had been missing, he would never have found them.

They had destroyed all evidence, even firing cannons at a ship their own comrades were on.

There was no way such thorough people would leave a trail to be followed.

Moreover, tracking them when they were hiding in the sea, not on land, was impossible.

It was not Pyo Wol’s way to waste time on something impossible from the start.

Pyo Wol preferred to focus all his efforts on things that had a chance of success, on things that were possible.

That was why he planned to put aside the pursuit of the Phantom Ship Fleet.

‘They’ll come looking for me when the time is right, anyway.’

Even now, he couldn’t forget the gaze of the Ghost Fleet Leader as he looked at him.

There were only a few martial artists in the Jianghu who could display their power over an incredible distance of three hundred Zhang.

He didn’t think such a person would remain only on the sea forever. As long as he was human, he would surely come ashore someday.

Even if Pyo Wol didn’t go looking for him, fate would bring them together. He had that feeling.

Tarha asked.

“Then what will you do about the Nine Dragons Assassination Guild? Will you continue to track them?”

“No!”

“Why stop now, after tracking them all this time?”

“I think there’s a limit to this method of tracking. It would be much more efficient to make them come to me instead.”

“Hmm! That does make sense.”

Tarha nodded.

This time, Pyo Wol asked.

“What will you do? Will you return to the Western Regions?”

“I was originally planning to, but I’ve changed my mind. Even if I go back now, as long as the root cause, the Phantom Ship Fleet, isn’t eliminated, the conflicts in the Western Regions will continue. I’m thinking of staying here and trying to grasp their movements.”

“You’re going to stay here?”

“I’m thinking of establishing a base here on this occasion. Fortunately, the sects that control this place are weaker than I thought.”

Pyo Wol instantly understood Tarha’s intention.

She intended to take over Haemun.

Since she had already half-seized control of the Crimson Sword Society, all that remained was the Sea Dragon Clan.

Although the Sea Dragon Clan were the rulers of Haemun, they had no absolute experts, so Tarha should be able to subdue them without difficulty with her martial arts.

Some might perceive Tarha’s actions as an invasion from the Western Regions to take over the Jianghu. Perhaps she actually had such intentions. But Pyo Wol thought it didn’t matter.

What was important was that Tarha and Yul Ayeon would take control of Haemun, and that would be of some help to his own endeavors.

“This is the place where trade with the Outer Regions is most active. If I control this place, I’m sure I’ll be able to detect the Phantom Ship Fleet’s movements someday.”

“You might never be able to return to the Western Regions.”

“I don’t mind. I may die being treated as a foreigner, but my granddaughter has half her blood from this place, so she should be able to blend in well.”

A lonely smile appeared on Tarha’s face.

It was a strange smile, one that seemed to have resigned itself to everything, yet at the same time, seemed to be burning with fighting spirit.

Tarha said to Yul Ayeon.

“Bring that boy in. He must be tired of waiting outside.”

“Yes!”

Yul Ayeon immediately went outside.

When she returned a moment later, Tae Musang was with her.

Tae Musang, noticing the serious atmosphere, just rolled his eyes back and forth. His cautious look was so amusing that Tarha couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“Ho ho! The way that rascal is on edge, he looks just like a rain-soaked cat.”

Indeed, having just returned from the sea, Tae Musang’s entire body was soaked in seawater.

Pyo Wol, Tarha, and Yul Ayeon had expelled the moisture by releasing their internal energy, but Tae Musang couldn’t do that.

Still, Tae Musang spoke up bravely, not losing his spirit.

“I may be a cat now, but don’t be surprised when I become a great tiger later.”

“A tiger, you say?”

“Yes! Not just any tiger, but a great tiger that will rule the Jianghu.”

“That rascal certainly has great ambition.”

“I will show you that I’m not just a guy who spouts nonsense.”

“If I teach you martial arts, are you confident you can learn them properly?”

“I will learn with all my might. Master!”

Tae Musang dropped to his knees with a thud.

He had already made up his mind to learn martial arts from Tarha, one way or another.

He had previously said he would put it off until he avenged the children, but he had realized that avenging them without learning martial arts was impossible.

Because he hadn’t learned martial arts, he could only stand by and watch as Pyo Wol and Yul Ayeon boarded the Phantom Ship Fleet.

He no longer wanted his fate to be swayed powerlessly by others.

To not be controlled by others, he too had to learn martial arts.

It was then.

“I want to learn too. Please accept me as your disciple as well.”

Another boy appeared from inside the inn.

It was Geom-yeon.

Bloodstains were clearly visible on Geom-yeon’s clothes. They were traces of the wounds he had received last night.

Although it was still difficult for him to even support his own body, Geom-yeon still managed to approach Tarha. And just like Tae Musang, he knelt.

“Please bestow your teachings upon me, Master!”

“Well, I’ll be! It seems I’m fated to take on two disciples I never expected in this faraway land.”

Her words were as good as an acceptance of Geom-yeon as her disciple.

Geom-yeon pressed his head to the floor and said.

“I will never disappoint you.”

“Ho ho!”

Tarha nodded.

Not only Tae Musang, but Geom-yeon’s potential was also extraordinary.

Finding disciples like these was by no means an easy task.

“Good! I will accept you both as disciples of the Mara Dharma Hall. However, learning the martial arts of the Mara Dharma Hall is by no means easy. You could lose your life during the training process. So if you are afraid, withdraw your request now.”

“If I can become as strong as you, Master, I can risk my life.”

“The same goes for me.”

The resolute voices of Tae Musang and Geom-yeon echoed through the inn.