It might have already started. (4)
It had been an endlessly long night.
During that night – unlike anything they had ever experienced in their lives – the swordsmen of Namgung clan were tormented by the fear that the pirates might attack at any moment.
But even so, escaping the island was not an option. They had already learned, in the most painful way, just how dangerous the river was under the cover of pitch-black darkness.
In the end, the swordsmen of Namgung clan were forced to stay up through the night with their eyes wide open.
And when dawn finally broke, they were met not with relief, but with despair deeper than the darkest night.
Namgung Myeong groaned.
“…It’s the battle ships of Surochae.”
“Hmm.”
Namgung Hwang frowned.
As the rising sun in the east cast its light over the river, ships surrounding the island in the middle of the water revealed themselves. All of them were heavily armed with large cannons.
“…Slippery little bastard.”
Namgung Hwang ground his teeth.
Even at a glance, it was obvious that every pirate ship from the Yangtze had been dragged here. The sight radiated an unmistakable intent: not even a single ant would be allowed to slip through the net.
“Azure Sky Unit Leader.”
“Yes, My Lord!”
“Breakthrough?”
Namgung Myeong bit his lip hard.
“…It will be difficult, My Lord.”
“The reason?”
He swallowed dryly before answering.
“The distance to the riverbank is too far. It’s not entirely impossible to cross if we push ourselves… but reaching the shore while fending off the cannon fire and arrows raining down from those pirate ships is simply not feasible.”
Namgung Hwang bit his lip.
“What if I crossed the river alone? Maybe not the Azure Sky Unit members, but for me and the elders, it shouldn’t be too difficult.”
“…It’s possible. But…”
Namgung Myeong hesitated, unable to get the words out.
“Even if you and the elders break through the blockade and reach the mainland… the problem is that it wouldn’t change anything.”
This place was an island.
To transport people to the mainland, they needed a boat. Even if Namgung Hwang reached the shore and found a boat to return to the island – how could he possibly face all those ships alone?
Under the heavy bombardment, the boat he brought back would eventually be sunk.
“Still, wouldn’t that be better than doing nothing?”
“My Lord…”
Namgung Myeong bit his lip so hard it turned pale. The words were bitter and hard to say, but he had no choice.
“…The moment you and the elders leave this island, they’ll attack without waiting for your return. If that happens…”
“Hmm.”
Namgung Hwang let out a low hum, already understanding without needing to hear the rest. Namgung Myeong continued in a pained voice.
“Those left behind on the island…”
“…Will be slaughtered.”
Namgung Hwang muttered softly and closed his eyes.
In a martial sect, an absolute master accounts for more than half of the sect’s total power. Without Namgung Hwang, Namgung clan had no chance of standing against Surochae.
The reason was simple.
Between the ships encircling the island, a black vessel began to reveal its grand form.
‘Black Dragon Ship…’
The Black Dragon King would be aboard that ship.
There was no need to even consider the elders. The moment Namgung Hwang withdrew, even for a second, the Black Dragon King would surely steer his ship towards this place and attempt to land. Without Namgung Hwang, who in Namgung clan could face the Black Dragon King?
On an island as inescapable and poisonous as a prison, the Black Dragon King would be no different from a cat leaping among a horde of mice.
“So in the end… you’re saying there’s nothing we can do.”
“My Lord…”
Namgung Hwang’s face remained calm. He didn’t even seem particularly angry.
But Namgung Myeong and Namgung Dowi saw it clearly – the blood dripping from his clenched fist.
His fist was clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood, him trying to suppress his fury. And yet, he did not show a single trace of it before the rest of Namgung household.
“Hmph!”
With a short, scoffing snort, Namgung Hwang growled,
“They don’t even have the guts to attack.”
Soon, his booming voice echoed loudly.
“In any case, those fools won’t dare approach the island. That means this will just be a standoff. Don’t waste your strength standing guard for no reason – everyone, go and get some rest. There are enough halls, so there should be no issue finding a place to recover.”
As the swordsmen of Namgung clan cast uneasy glances his way, Namgung Hwang spoke again, firmly and without hesitation.
“There’s nothing to worry about. All we need to do is hold out on this island for a while, and everything will be resolved!”
“My Lord…”
“Azure Sky Unit Leader!”
“Yes, My Lord!”
“Organize the members into shifts so they can rest in turns. Maintain vigilance, but don’t exhaust yourselves! Just keep watch to make sure no ships approach the island.”
“Yes!”
Namgung Myeong quickly summoned the members and divided them into teams. Then, the remaining personnel were forcefully pushed into the available halls.
Though the anxious members were clearly uneasy about resting inside the pavilions, where they couldn’t see outside, there was no effective way to improve their situation by standing guard, and so they ultimately followed Namgung Myeong’s orders.
Once the situation was somewhat settled, Namgung Hwang quietly called Namgung Myeong and Namgung Dowi aside. He moved to a place out of sight from the other household members, and with a face different from before, asked the two men,
“What do you think we should do from this point on?”
He was no fool.
There was no way he didn’t understand that the situation was turning disastrously bad.
“My Lord…”
Namgung Myeong, his face filled with humiliation, spoke up.
“For the time being… there is nothing we can do.”
“…Nothing we can do?”
“Yes, My Lord. For now, we must protect this island. If we make a careless attempt to break the siege, Namgung will meet its end that very day.”
“…”
“What the Lord said is correct. No matter how bold Surochae may be, they won’t dare attempt a landing on an island guarded by Namgung.”
“…It’s not that they don’t dare – it’s that they don’t need to.”
Namgung Myeong closed his mouth tightly, struck in the heart of the matter.
Even if a tiger is caught in a trap, approaching it while it still has strength left is an act of suicide. A seasoned hunter wouldn’t rush. He’d wait calmly until the tiger’s strength ran out.
And when the tiger no longer had the will or power to resist, he’d approach slowly and end its life – carefully, so as not to damage the pelt.
“Fine. Let’s say that’s the only choice we have for now. Then tell me – do things change if we just endure?”
“…Reinforcements will come.”
“Reinforcements?”
Namgung Myeong nodded with difficulty.
“Yes… Namgung being encircled by Surochae is not something Shaolin or Gupailbang would ever welcome. If they come to our aid, we’ll be able to break the siege and escape this island.”
Namgung Hwang’s face twisted.
“Have you already forgotten the strength they wield?”
“M-My Lord…”
“We couldn’t even properly resist their assault. The reason we claimed a decisive victory in the naval battle three years ago wasn’t because we were stronger than them – but because Paegun wanted to draw us into Black Dragon Fortress. Do you still not understand that?”
“…”
“And you believe Shaolin can face the pirates on the river? Do you truly believe that?”
“My Lord…”
It wasn’t the voice of someone shouting in anger.
Rather, it was a question spoken with a chilling calmness.
“Even so, it is Shaolin we’re talking about.”
“…”
“They may not have the strength to completely rescue us, but at the very least… they should be able to open a path for escape.”
“…I see.”
Namgung Hwang nodded and looked up at the sky.
His shoulders, for once, seemed smaller than usual.
“Was it arrogance?”
“…M-My Lord.”
“I began this to step out from Shaolin’s shadow and let the name “Namgung” stand on its own… yet now, I find myself caught by the enemy and waiting for Shaolin to rescue us. I’m so ashamed of myself, I can hardly bear it.”
“Please don’t say that, Father.”
At that moment, Namgung Dowi spoke firmly.
“Winning or losing a battle is not what matters most. What’s important isn’t victory in a single fight – it’s victory in the war.”
“…”
“No matter the twists or setbacks, if we can achieve victory in the end, then we have not been defeated. If I weren’t of Namgung blood, I wouldn’t be mocking our current crisis – I’d be laughing at your attitude.”
“Dowi!”
Namgung Myeong exclaimed in shock, but Namgung Hwang, upon hearing those words, laughed instead.
“He’s right. To think the great Namgung Hwang would be whining like this.”
Namgung Hwang let out a hearty laugh, then gritted his teeth and spoke.
“There’s always an opportunity, no matter the time. If we can just endure this siege… the moment will come when we’ll drive every last one of them to the bottom of this cold river.”
“It will come, Father.”
“Dowi.”
“Yes, My Lord!”
Namgung Hwang gave a firm order.
“Keep the household calm. Make sure they don’t waver.”
“You needn’t worry, My Lord. The swords of Namgung are never weak. If their spirits could be broken by something like this, they wouldn’t have the right to bear the name Namgung in the first place.”
Namgung Hwang lifted the corner of his mouth and nodded.
His son had grown enough to stand beside him as a source of strength. In fact, with every word he spoke, didn’t he seem more like the Lord than Namgung Hwang himself?
“Azure Sky Unit Leader.”
“Yes, My Lord.”
“Assist the Young Lord.”
Namgung Myeong nodded.
“I will see it done.”
Namgung Myeong and Namgung Dowi bowed deeply and left.
Left alone by the riverside, Namgung Hwang slowly turned his head to gaze at the ships surrounding the island.
‘So we just have to hold out until reinforcements from Shaolin arrive?’
Namgung Hwang twisted his lips into a grin.
‘Myeong-ah is good at lying now, too.’
No – that wasn’t quite a lie.
What he’d said was, technically, the truth.
He had merely left something unsaid.
If Shaolin had already learned of the situation and begun to move, then that bastard Paegun would be on the move as well.
And if Paegun or Maninbang reached the Yangtze before Shaolin did?
‘Then this place will become the grave of both me and Namgung.’
Because Paegun would never let a chance like this slip through his fingers.
“Haha.”
He laughed bitterly and fixed his gaze on the distant Black Dragon Ship.
“Even if I die here… I’ll take your head with me, Black Dragon King!”
The momentum he exuded rippled across the waters of the Yangtze.
That overwhelming presence reached even the Black Dragon King, who stood atop the deck, staring down at the island.
“Namgung Hwang.”
A triumphant smile tugged at the corners of the Black Dragon King’s lips.
The aura Namgung Hwang released was indeed formidable – more so than when they had crossed blades three years ago.
But that was all.
A beast becomes most vicious when it’s caught in a trap. That overwhelming force only spoke to the desperation of Namgung Hwang’s current situation.
“Have you sent word to Ryeonju?”
“Yes!”
“Good.”
A cold smile formed on the Black Dragon King’s lips.
“Well then… shall we begin cooking that rat in the jar, nice and slow?”
A laugh slipped out through the corner of his mouth.
‘I’ll teach you exactly what it means for blood to run dry, the Emperor’s Sword.’
Very soon, this river would be dyed crimson with the blood of Namgung clan.
________
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Return of the Mount Hua 
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