Chapter 106
All the martial arts masters representing the Changjiang Waterway Alliance had gathered in the Dongting Fortress. Among them was the Changjiang Dragon King Sim Cheon, the Dongting Fortress’ chief. However, that was not all. They planned to join hands with the Seventy-Two Strongholds of Lulin’s martial arts masters, who would be getting rid of the Shaolin Temple’s members, to attack the Wuchang Sword Sect in Wuchang and the Great Ximen Family in Changsha.
Putting aside the Wuchang Sword Sect, it would be difficult to attack the Great Ximen Family, one of the Seven Great Families. Even if the Changjiang Waterway Alliance and the Seventy-Two Strongholds of Lulin mobilized all their masters, they would still find it hard to guarantee victory. Things could have been different if the Three Kings of Changjiang and the Three Kings of Lulin were in peak condition, but only three of those six were still alive.
Nevertheless, they still made ambitious plans to attack the Great Ximen Family because they had faith in the Blood-Crazed Clan and the Myriad Tribulations Clan, both of which were backing them up. For now, however, they had to focus on defeating the Great Ximen Family warriors who were returning from the Wuchang meeting.
The Changjiang Waterway Alliance had sent a man to the Wuchang Port to keep an eye on their targets. After some time, they received a notice that the Great Ximen Family’s martial artists had left Wuchang Port yesterday. Since then, they had a constant stream of information regarding the location of the ship that the Great Ximen Family’s martial artists were aboard.
“A carrier pigeon arrived earlier. The message it brought mentions that the ship will pass through Sanshuikou in an hour. Considering the carrier pigeon’s travel time, they would have passed through Sanshuikou by now,” the person who found the carrier pigeon reported to Sim Cheon, the Changjiang Dragon King.
Sanshuikou was the pathway at the boundary point between Hubei and Hunan Province, and it was where the river split into three sections. Once the ship carrying the Great Ximen Family’s martial artists had gone past it, they would only have to travel for half a day more to reach Yueyang. To attack them before they could reach Yueyang, they would have to leave the Dongting Fortress immediately.
“Proceed as planned. Mobilize four of the Eight Dragons of Changjiang and their subordinates,” Sim Cheon ordered.
“Understood.”
Within the Great Ximen Family’s forces, there was only one Upper Peak Realm master and about ten or so Peak Realm masters. Hence, the Changjiang Dragon King and the Changjiang Shark King, who were Absolute Realm masters, didn’t have to make a move themselves. Two of the Eight Dragons of Changjiang should be more than enough to deal with their opponents. Nevertheless, Sim Cheon sent four of them to account for any variables and to overpower the Great Ximen Family’s martial artists.
After passing through Sanshuikou, the Great Ximen Family’s ship headed toward Yueyang at full speed. However, with Yueyang only a short distance away, two Water Dragon Ships blocked their way. The Water Dragon Ships symbolized the Changjiang Waterway Alliance.
“Two Water Dragon Ships have been sighted up ahead!” a member of the Great Ximen Family shouted. He was standing watch at the bow of the ship when he discovered the Water Dragon Ship.
“They finally took the bait. Tell the martial arts masters that the Changjiang Waterway Alliance has appeared,” Ximen Jiong instructed.
As instructed, one of the members immediately went down to the lower deck and informed the Nine Prominent Sects and the Seven Great Families’ martial arts masters, who were hiding, that the Changjiang Waterway Alliance had appeared.
“How many people did the Changjiang Waterway Alliance deploy?” Zhuge Long asked the Great Ximen Family’s martial artists.
“They sent two Water Dragon Ships.”
“They didn’t send all their forces.”
“If we capture the thieves and interrogate them, we’ll be able to find the Dongting Fortress,” Mu-Gun said.
“We shouldn’t kill everyone, then,” Namgung Ho replied.
“That’s right. We should prioritize getting the Dongting Fortress’ location. Everyone, please keep that in mind.”
“So be it. Let’s head out.”
“Being trapped here for so long has frustrated me. I can finally warm up for the first time in a while.”
“I’m not so sure about that, We can easily finish two Water Dragon Ships before you can even warm up,” Peng Woo-Cheol said as he stood beside Huangfu Jian.
Peng Woo-Cheol and Huangfu Jian were best friends, having played and grown up together. The Hebei Peng Family and the Great Huangfu Family’s territories were geographically close, so they often visited each other, and since they were of similar age, they quickly became friends. Their friendship had lasted to this day.
The martial arts master of the Nine Prominent Sects and the Seven Great Families stood up and left the lower deck. Mu-Gun and Hwang Rei followed after them.
The Six White Wolves weren’t with them since it had been decided that they should stay behind at the Wuchang Sword Sect since they would only be a hindrance with their current skills. It was the same for Namgung Hyun-Ah. Hyun-Ah insisted on joining them, but she was forced to remain at the Wuchang Sword Sect due to Namgung Ho’s firm refusal. As they headed up to the deck, they saw two Water Dragon Ships approaching fast, just like what the Great Ximen Family’s martial artist said.
“This will be over in no time,” Hwang Rei, who was next to Mu-Gun, said after counting the number of people in the Water Dragon Ship.
“I don’t think you have to take action, Venerable Elder,” Mu-Gun said. Given the enemy’s numbers, everything would be fine even if more than half of the masters present just stood still and observed.
Seeing some people suddenly head up from the lower deck of the opposing ship, the four Dragons of Changjiang hurriedly opened telescopes to identify their faces. Not long after, they realized that the people who appeared were martial arts masters from the Nine Prominent Sects and the Seven Great Families.
“How did this happen? Aren’t those martial arts masters from the Nine Prominent Sects and the Seven Great Families?” the flustered Kwak Cheon-Soo, one of the Eight Dragons of Changiiang and chief of the Water Ghost Fortress, asked another member of the Eight Dragons of Changiiang.
“We have fallen for their trap. If we fight them, we will be wiped out. We have to retreat now!”
“It’s too late.” Sang Eum-Gwi, chief of the Hong Lake Fortress, shook his head. “Considering the distance between us, it’s impossible to turn the ship around now. They will reach us first.”
“Now that it has come to this, we have no choice but to fight to the death,” So Ho-Bang, the Stone Head Fortress’ chief, said. He looked determined.
“I knew it. We shouldn’t have charged at the Nine Prominent Sects and the Seven Great Families.” Sa Moon-Do, chief of the Crimson Water Fortress, covered his face in despair.
Witnessing the four Dragons of Changjiang panic, the thieves on board the Water Dragon Ships began to tremble in fear, realizing things were not looking good for them. They wanted to just run away now, but in a ship floating in the middle of a river, they had nowhere to run. Even though they were familiar with river currents, swiming through a raging river would still be difficult for them.
“Get your act together! There’s no way to escape from here anyway, so fight! Fight until your very last breath! That is the only way for us to get out of this alive!” Sang Eum-Gwi, shouted. However, his orders did not go through the thieves.
In the meantime, the distance between the Water Dragon Ships and the Great Ximen Family had been narrowed down to less than a hundred feet. A martial arts master could easily cross that distance with excellent movement art.
“Let’s begin!”
The Hebei Peng Family’s Peng Woo-Cheol launched himself off the bow of the ship with a kick and flew toward the Water Dragon Ships.
“Loose!” Kwak Cheon-Soo shouted.
The thieves standing watch at the bow of one of the Water Dragon Ships instinctively raised their bows and fired arrows at Woo-Cheol.
While using movement art, Woo-Cheol deflected all the projectiles with his saber. He landed safely at the bow of the Water Dragon Ship.
Without wasting even a moment, Woo-Cheol swung his saber and cut down the thieves near him. Following Woo-Cheol, the Great Huangfu Family’s Huangfu Jian and the Great Namgung Family’s Namgung Ho crossed over to a Water Dragon Ship as well.
Mu-Gun and Hwang Rei also used a movement art and crossed over to the Water Dragon Ship next to them. Mu-Gun told Hwang Rei not to join this fight, but Hwang Rei had no intention of listening to him. The Water Dragon Ship that they landed on had the four Dragons of Changjiang aboard. Mu-Gun and Hwang Rei immediately rushed at them.
“Stop them!” Eum-Gwi, the Hong Lake Fortress Chief yelled. In response, the thieves blocked Mu-Gun and Hwang Rei’s path.
However, Mu-Gun’s sword and Hwang Rei’s fist struck them all down one after another. Witnessing their overwhelming martial prowess, the thieves no longer dared stop them. Mu-Gun and Hwang Rei walked past the thieves, who had lost all will to fight, and stood in front of the four Dragons of Changjiang.
“I’ll take the two on the left.”
“I’ll take the other two, then.”
Mu-Gun and Hwang Rei nonchalantly decided who to fight since it did not really matter much. The way the two disregarded the four Dragons of Changjiang made the latter frown. If they just stood around and did nothing after being looked down upon, they could not be called martial arts masters. The four Dragons of Changjiang rushed toward Mu-Gun and Hwang Rei and unleashed powerful attacks that befitted their skills as Upper Peak Realm masters.
Unfortunately, they were up against Mu-Gun and Hwang-Roe. Instead of avoiding the incoming attacks, the two swung weapons. Mu-Gun’s sword launched countless moonlight sword qi, and Hwang Rei’s fist released a huge dragon-shaped vajra qi.
The moonlight sword qi and the dragon-shaped vajra qi devoured the space, shattering the attacks in vain and ripping the four Dragons of Changjiang apart. Witnessing their superiors fall in one strike, the thieves completely lost their will to fight. They lay down on the deck, throwing away their weapons and pride.
Mu-Gun and Hwang Rei would have killed all of them since they were not worthy of forgiveness, but Mu-Gun sheathed his sword because the representatives of the Shaolin Temple’s Ami Sect, the foundation of which was benevolence, were watching. Following Mu-Gun’s example, Hwang Rei also stopped. The Water Dragon Ship next to the one they boarded was in a similar situation. In the face of Three Absolute Realm masters, the river thieves surrendered, unable to even dream of counter-attacking.
The sight gave a glimpse of the great martial prowess Absolute Realm masters possessed.
After subduing the two Water Dragon Ships, the representatives interrogated their prisoners about the Dongting Fortress’ location and the number of forces gathered there. It did not take long to discover that the Dongting Fortress was at the archipelago formed in the middle of Dongting Lake, and there were a total of seven hundred people in it. Five hundred of them were elite masters of the Changjiang Waterway Alliance and the remaining two hundred were members of the Dongting Fortress. The two Kings of Changjiang, who were Absolute Realm masters, and the remaining four Dragons of Changjiang, who were Upper Peak Realm masters, were among them.
On the other hand, the Nine Prominent Sects and the Seven Great Families alliance only mobilized a hundred Wuchang Sword Sect martial arts masters and a hundred Great Ximen Family martial arts masters, who were urgently dispatched from Changsha. They only had a total of two hundred people.
The Wuchang Sword Sect and Great Ximen Family warriors were currently gathered in Yueyang. The warriors of the Great Ximen Family had run day and night from Changsha to get to Yueyang without delay. Meanwhile, the Wuchang Sword Sect’s warriors had moved ahead of the alliance’s martial artists to avoid the Changjiang Waterway Alliance’s surveillance, allowing them to reach Yueyang first. All the warriors were on standby and prepared to move as soon as the alliance’s martial arts masters sent a signal.
The Changjiang Waterway Alliance members gathered in Dongting Fortress far outnumbered the Nine Prominent Sects and Seven Great Families. However, the latter had seven Absolute Realm masters and ten Upper Peak Realm masters. Taking their martial prowess into consideration, they could easily overcome the difference of five hundred people.
Hence, the Nine Prominent Sects and Seven Great Families decided to attack Dongting Fortress immediately after meeting up with the Wuchang Sword Sect and the Great Ximen Family’s forces. They had to finish the battle before the Dongting Fortress could detect them and run away.
The Nine Prominent Sects and the Seven Great Families switched from their ship to the Water Dragon Ships, leaving only a few of the thieves to guide the way. They had tied the rest up and transferred them all to the ship they took from Wuchang. While heading to the Dongting Fortress aboard the two Water Dragon Ships, they sent a carrier pigeon to the Wuchang Sword Sect and Great Ximen Family’s warriors that had gathered in Yueyang, ordering them to meet up at the entrance of Dongting Lake.
An hour later, the two ships carrying the Wuchang Sword Sect and the Great Ximen Family’s warriors met up with the forces aboard the Water Dragon Ships. They then headed directly toward the Dongting Fortress. Despite knowing the Dongting Fortress’ location, it still wasn’t easy to find it due to the huge size of Dongting Lake.
However, the martial arts masters of the alliance did not have to worry about it at all. The river thieves aboard the Water Dragon Ships kindly guided them. With their help, the alliance’s martial arts masters quickly reached the Dongting Fortress.
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