Return of the Mount Hua

It might have already started. (3)

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Ships don’t sink as easily as one might think.

There are compartments on every level beneath the deck. So even if a hole is torn in the hull and the ship starts to tilt and lurch, it usually takes a considerable amount of time before the entire vessel sinks beneath the surface.

That’s common sense to most people.

But.

Ruuuuumble!

That common sense was now shattering before their eyes.

Whatever was struck, however it was done, that enormous ship was being sucked into the water in an instant.

The sight of pitch-black water swallowing the ship whole was terrifying enough to instill fear in anyone watching.

“The, the ship…!”

Had someone attacked them directly, they might not have been this panicked. But to those unaccustomed to naval warfare, the idea that the ship could be targeted before the people aboard was an unthinkable shock.

Someone finally snapped back to their senses the moment the second ship tipped and keeled over with another deafening crash.

“Stop it! You damn fools! Stop it now!”

A voice, more a scream than a shout, rang out.

At that, the others finally began to regain their senses and turned desperately towards the ships.

Yes. They had to stop it.

If this continued, every ship would go down.

But how? What could they possibly do?

How could they possibly repel an attack that struck from an unseen place beneath the water and dragged ships under the surface?

“They’re attacking from the water! Get in there!”

There’s always someone who reacts faster than the rest.

Such people often show the way to those who are slower to act.

And those who heard the clear command didn’t hesitate for a second – they rushed into the river.

Those who leapt forward using light footwork techniques struck the surface of the water like cannonballs, sending up towering sprays with every impact.

If there had been anyone with the leisure to watch the scene, they might have applauded the spectacle in admiration. But unfortunately, not a single person had the luxury of such ease.

Ruuuuumble!

In that moment, another ship, with a thunderous crash, tilted and was sucked down below as massive surges of foam billowed upward.

“You bastaaaaards!”

Yeop Sang [엽상(葉常)] of the Azure Sky Sword Unit shouted furiously as he hurled himself towards the water.

Splash!

A heavy shock coursed through his body as he plunged into the river. The faster the dive, the greater the impact breaking through the surface.

But what truly threw him into confusion was something else entirely.

He couldn’t see a thing in front of him.

Pitch-black world of darkness [암흑천지(暗黑天地)].

The waters of the river, under this dark night, were far murkier than he had imagined.

Not even his martial arts-trained eyesight could pierce the thick, heavy darkness. The moment he came face to face with it, a shiver ran down his spine. It was a fear not easily overcome.

But whether by fortune or misfortune, Yeop Sang wasn’t given time to savor that fear.

Thud!

With the sensation of something chillingly slicing into his chest and lower abdomen, fear became a luxury he couldn’t afford.

Yeop Sang’s mouth fell wide open. Black water poured in without pause, filling his stomach and lungs.

“Gurgle…”

Bubbles burst from his gaping mouth.

And with eyes just barely adjusting to the dark, he finally recognized the long objects lodged in his chest and abdomen – harpoons, used by the pirates.

“Glurk.”

But that was all.

Just as his vision had barely begun to make out shapes, it was once again consumed by darkness.

A darkness deep and endless – death itself.

Yeop Sang’s motionless body slowly floated to the surface. He was not alone. Several others who had rashly leapt into the water now rose with him, turned into corpses.

Had it not been underwater… no, had it not been night, even if it was underwater, such a result might have never occurred.

But the river, veiled in darkness, had proven far more merciless than they had imagined.

In a place where they could not see, could not sense, could not breathe – everything they had learned became meaningless.

Those who had rushed in without securing a battlefield in their favor now paid the full price for their haste.

“So-yaaaa! Namgung So!”

“Uwaaaaaah!”

The swordsmen of Namgung Clan screamed until their throats tore at the sight of the rising corpses.

And just then.

Krrrraaaash!

As if to snatch away what little hope remained, yet another ship began to sink.

The faces of Namgung’s swordsmen went pale in an instant.

‘Again…’

Now, on those churning waters, there was only one ship properly afloat.

If they lost that as well, they would have no way off this island.

They knew they had to stop it – but their feet wouldn’t move.

Who could dare to leap in now, knowing those who went before had returned as lifeless bodies?

“Out of the way! I’m going!”

Just then, a voice laced with fury rang out from behind, and a man hurled himself towards the water without a moment’s hesitation.

“Aggrh!”

“Young Lord!”

“It’s too dangerous!”

The swordsmen of Namgung clan shouted in alarm as they saw Namgung Dowi’s figure jumping into the river.

But he had already dived in like a hawk aiming for fish beneath the surface.

With a rising burst of water, Namgung Dowi vanished from sight in an instant.

The sight of the clan’s heir – its Young  Lord – throwing himself into the deadly water without regard for his life set the smordsmen’ eyes ablaze.

“Protect the Young Lord!”

“Protect both the ship and the Young Lord at all costs!”

“There is no fear in the name of Namgung! Let’s go!”

The swordsmen on the riverbank, joined by the belatedly arriving men of the Azure Sky Sword Unit, surged forward with renewed courage, following Namgung Dowi.

As if ashamed of their earlier hesitation.

That is, until a harrowing scream rang out from behind them.

“Not thereeeee!”

Those charging towards the water flinched and turned back in shock.

Namgung Myeong, who had come running at some point, his face visibly pale, was screaming at the top of his lungs.

“It’s not the ship! It’s the dock! Protect the dock!”

“What?”

“The dock! Didn’t I say it’s the dock! Before the ship – they’re going for the dock first…!”

BOOOOOM!

At that moment, with an earth-shaking roar, a massive column of water erupted, wrapping around the long dock built along the riverbank.

Unable to withstand the force, the wood splintered apart and shattered, flying through the air like fireworks over the water.

BOOOOM!

“Ah…”

Namgung Myeong’s face turned deathly pale, as if he’d seen a ghost.

He could clearly see the pillar of water engulfing the Thunder Cannons stationed at the dock.

“No… please, no…”

His legs gave out, and he collapsed on the spot.

BOOOOOOM!

At the same time, the very last ship they had tried to protect began to sink beneath the water with a final, deafening explosion.

Namgung Myeong stared blankly at the unfolding scene.

His expression was one completely vacant of emotion, as though his soul had left his body.

The dock, which stretched strangely long into the river, and the White Thunder Cannons installed upon it.

These two things were the very heart of this island’s defense.

The dock gave them solid ground to stand on, allowing them to swing their swords, it narrowed the distance to the mainland and served as a vital lifeline for survival.

And the Thunder Cannons were the only line of defense that could completely block any ships from approaching that lifeline.

But now, they had lost both the ground they needed to fight and the weapons that could stop enemy ships from advancing.

Even the very ship meant to carry them had been lost.

‘Wait… the weapons?’

Namgung Myeong hastily turned his head.

As he feared, he saw swordsmen of Namgung Clan rushing in after hearing the commotion.

“No – don’t come!”

Namgung Myeong screamed at the top of his lungs.

“Hold your positions, damn it! You fools! Protect the Thunder Cannons stationed around the island! Go back! Go back right nooooow!”

His cries were nothing short of desperate.

But it was too late.

By the time the swordsmen heard his voice and frantically turned back, all they found were thoroughly destroyed batteries and Thunder Cannons that had vanished as if they had never existed.

“Th-This can’t be…”

It was the same everywhere else.

The pirates had simply waited for them to rush off in panic, then leapt from the water and smashed the artillery in an instant before retreating without a trace.

Darkness and water.

Against enemies who could wield both at will, Namgung clan’s proud swords were utterly useless.

If they couldn’t even face their foes – what good was a sword?

With their hearts torn, those who returned to Namgung Myeong fell to their knees.

“E-Elder… the batteries have been destroyed.”

“We failed to protect them…”

Splash. Splash.

Namgung Dowi, emerging from the water, also saw the state of the island and clenched his teeth in anguish.

“…We lost them.”

With one disaster after another, Namgung Myeong looked around the island, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Everything they absolutely could not afford to lose – was gone.

The dock.

The ships.

The Thunder Cannons.

This place could no longer be called Maehwado.

Without weapons to fight back against the raiders, without the dock that had restricted their movements, Maehwado was now nothing more than a massive trap floating in the middle of the river.

And Namgung Clan had become the rats caught inside it.

They had been outwitted. Completely.

Was it negligence in their vigilance? No.

Then had they underestimated the enemy? That, too, was certainly not the case.

The reason they had been so thoroughly defeated was because they had failed to understand one simple truth: this place was an island in the middle of a river.

No matter how fierce a lion may be, it’s bound to become a crocodile’s prey once night falls on the river.

They had failed to recognize that.

“We’ve been thoroughly played.”

At the booming voice from behind, Namgung Myeong grit his teeth hard.

“M-My Lord.”

His eyes trembled as he turned around.

Striding towards them, Namgung Hwang flung something he had been holding.

Three severed heads.

Clearly the heads of the pirates – they rolled across the ground.

“Fools, like mayflies.”

Namgung Myeong dropped to his knees, bowing his head low enough to touch the ground.

“My Lord! I, your junior, have failed in my duties. Please punish me!”

“Idiot!”

Namgung Hwang roared, his voice echoing at the sight.

“Raise your head! A member of Namgung Clan never lowers his head so carelessly!”

“M-My L-Lord…”

“What’s the problem here? The ships? The cannons? The dock? What does it matter that we lost such things?”

“…”

“Even if we’ve lost our footing, not a single one of those bastards will set foot on this island! As long as I, Namgung Hwang – the Emperor’s Sword – stand here, not one pirate will breach this land!”

With a fierce motion, Namgung Hwang unsheathed his sword and shouted.

“Pirates or the Black Dragon King himself – it makes no difference! Let’s make it clear to those slippery fish playing their petty tricks: they will never stand a chance against the sword of Namgung Clan! Do you understand me?”

“Yes!”

At that commanding roar, the swordsmen of Namgung clan replied with renewed strength.

Having rallied the plummeting morale in an instant, Namgung Hwang cast a quick glance at the pitch-black river, his face grim.

‘…This isn’t good.’

Though he had put on a show of bravado to keep morale from collapsing, he was no fool – he knew just how serious the situation was.

‘Damn it.’

Everything was beginning to slip in a direction he hadn’t wanted – just like a lone boat being pulled into a whirlpool forming in the heart of the river.

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