Chapter 1373: That's How It Should Be Done (Part 3)

Swoosh!

Swift ships, reinforced with thick wood, swiftly cut through the turbulent waters of the Yangtze River.

On the deck of one ship, the Leader of the Black Shark Unit (黑鮫), Yangtze Mackerel (長江鮫魚) Cheol-il (戚一), looked out at the scene. [not sure lmao] Suddenly, he muttered in a low voice.

"How pathetic."

On the opposite shore, dozens of ships were lined up, but there was little sign of people on board. They had gathered the ships, anticipating an attack from the Evil Tyrant Alliance, but that was all. The alert had already loosened, and the ships were undoubtedly empty.

"They must have never thought we'd take the initiative. They're like fools."

Thinking about it, it wasn't entirely unreasonable to ignore and blame them. If they still followed the orders of the Black Dragon King, they wouldn't have actually attacked.

The Black Dragon King was someone who put a noose around the necks of those who made money on the Yangtze, and he was extremely cautious about anything that could affect the entire river. He always maintained just the right amount of tension to maximize profits while being vigilant.

It was unlikely that the cautious Black Dragon King would attack the dock where Shaolin, Kongtong, and the Peng Family were encamped.

However, things were different now. The one giving orders was not the Black Dragon King but Paegun.

Paegun had no interest in the Yangtze River. What he saw with his own eyes was the vast land beyond the Yangtze. To obtain that land, he would trample over Shaolin and the Peng Family as mere obstacles.

"Leader, we're almost there. How should we proceed with the speed?"

"Full speed!"

"Full speed?!"

"Charge as is. Don't give them time to prepare!"

"Alright, understood!"

The subordinate replied with a slightly excited voice. The Yangtze Mackerel curled the corners of his mouth at the situation.

"If you let your guard down, you will have to pay the price."

Chuaaah!

The swift ships, almost reaching the shore, didn't slow down; instead, they accelerated. The targets were the docked ships.

The faces of those who belatedly discovered the enemy instantly turned blue.

"They're coming!"

"T-Those crazy bastards…!"

"Retreat! They're going to collide!"

Kuuuuuuung!

Wooddddeuk!

The giant ships collided head-on. The water surged violently, and shattered ship fragments soared into the sky.

"Aaaargh!"

Those who hadn't jumped off the ship in time stumbled helplessly on the deck. But this was just the beginning.

Kuuuuuuung!

Kuuuuuuuuung!

The combat ships of Su Lo Chae, without slowing down, successively rammed the anchored ships.

Although the size of the ships was similar, the hastily assembled ships, matched in size for the sake of appearance, were inferior in sturdiness. The more robust side, having added acceleration, inevitably rammed with devastating results.

Tuwung!

The Yangtze Mackerel struck the ground once with the scimitar he was holding and threw out a roar so huge that the surface of the water rippled.

"Attack!"

"Yes!"

The victorious Su Lo Chae soldiers rushed up the tilted decks of the damaged ships.

"Don't be afraid! They're just Su Lo Chae scum!"

"We have to protect the remaining ships!"

Upon hearing the news, the frontline disciples of the righteous sects and those defending the ships drew their swords amid the chaos.

However, their words were only half correct.

Certainly, they were all disciples of reputable sects, so there was no reason to fear mere Su Lo Chae if they fought on solid ground. Unfortunately, the place they set foot on was not a proper land.

Kwaaaaah!

As the disciples of the righteous sects rushed forward with their swords, the ship tilted again, shaking them off balance.

"Ugh, what the hell!"

"The ship, the ship is…!"

The disciples of the righteous sects were bewildered and hesitated. In contrast, the Su Lo Chae soldiers, as if expecting such a situation, raced across the tilted deck as if it were flat ground.

"Dieeee!"

Amidst those who had not formed a proper formation, the Su Lo Chae soldiers swiftly infiltrated. Soon, a chaotic melee ensued, making it difficult to distinguish friend from foe. It was a form of battle that Su Lo Chae soldiers, accustomed to fighting on ships, found most familiar and comfortable.

Kwaaaaah!

Explosions erupted in various places. At the moment of collision between ships, the Su Lo Chae soldiers, who had already leaped into the water, created sounds of breaking hulls as they smashed the undersides of the anchored ships.

Those with sufficient inner strength pierced holes with their weapons, while those lacking inner strength inserted prepared explosives under the exposed hull of the ship.

Kwaaaaah!

With each explosion, the ships tilted one by one. The coastal area quickly turned into chaos.

If they had faced a frontal confrontation, there was absolutely no force here that could have fallen so quickly. However, those who were unexpectedly attacked by a surprise they never anticipated were in disarray, unable to distinguish front from back.

"Aaaargh!"

"Disciples!"

Someone, whose side was pierced by a thrown trident, screamed in agony. Before the desperate voice could be fully silenced, a sword, wet with blood, stabbed into the neck from behind.

"These cowardly Su Lo Chae bastards!"

Seeing this scene, Kongtong's disciple Seo Heum (徐欽) swung his sword with a fierce expression. His sharp blade pierced the heart of a Su Lo Chae soldier in an instant, but the speed at which enemies swarmed was even faster.

Like a surging wave, the Su Lo Chae soldiers climbed onto the tilted ships.

"Hold on a little longer! Reinforcements are coming!"

His words were not wrong.

"Ooooooo!"

Behind them, a tremendous force was heard approaching. There were those rushing from a distance. Even from afar, a group dressed in yellow robes was noticeable.

"It's Shaolin!"

"Shaolin has come to support us! Just hold on a little longer!"

Despite not being as prestigious as before, Shaolin's status in the central Martial Arts world was still formidable. The eyes of Kongtong's disciples changed after learning that Shaolin was coming.

Seo Heum, suppressing his rising excitement, shouted with deliberate calmness.

"Focus on defense! Once Shaolin arrives, we'll strike back at once!"

"Yes!"

He bit his lip.

Not only Shaolin. His fellow martial brothers would also be rushing here, so if they arrived, they could wipe out these Su Lo Chae scoundrels without leaving a single one behind.

'Show them the price of dirty tricks.'

However, at that moment, a question flashed through Seo Heum's eyes, which were overflowing with hostility toward the enemy.

'What's this?'

His gaze was not focused on the battlefield on the ship but rather on the railing beyond. Latecomers among the Su Lo Chae, who had climbed onto the deck, were holding something black and large.

'A pot?'

It was a pot so large that it had to be hugged with both hands.

Before he could ponder what it was, the Su Lo Chae opened the lid of the pot, tilted it, and poured its contents onto the deck.

Seo Heum flinched.

'Poison?'

But at that moment, a scent emanating from the liquid hit him.

It was a familiar smell. Seo Heum widened his eyes.

"Ah, nooooo!"

He saw it. The Su Lo Chae, pouring out the contents of the pot with triumphant smiles, tearing something apart within their embrace.

"Flammable oil!"

The flames that sprouted from the fingertips of the Su Lo Chae fell onto the deck.

Fwrrrrrrr!

The fire, fueled by the oil, spread rapidly in an instant. The wide deck quickly turned into a sea of flames.

"Fi-fire!"

"Aaaargh! My back! Fire on my back!"

Kongtong's disciples, who could not escape the rapidly rising flames, screamed as they ran in all directions. Other ships around were in the same situation. The terrifying inferno swallowed the ships whole.

"Th-these lunatics..."

It wasn't just the ships. With the oil flowing over the water catching fire, it seemed as if the entire Yangtze River was ablaze before the overwhelming and violent scene. Seo Heum couldn't help but lose his composure in the face of such a dominating and aggressive spectacle.

Fwrrrrrrr!

Fire was impartial to everything. Both the righteous sect's ships and the combat ships brought by Su Lo Chae were engulfed in flames in an instant.

"Ah... Aaaah..."

How could one handle this situation? Everything visible was nothing but fire.

"Ahhhhhh!"

At that moment, the Shaolin disciples led by Beopgye, who had reached the riverside, roared.

"These wicked bastards, we won't forgive them!"

However, upon seeing Beopgye, the Yangtze Mackerel only let out a sneering laugh.

"The old man seems quite angry."

Clearly, the Yangtze Mackere had no intention of responding to that anger.

"The goal is achieved, no need to unnecessarily fight. Everyone, retreat."

"Retreat! Retreat!"

Following the Yangtze Mackerel's orders, the Su Lo Chae soldiers, who were fiercely engaging in the battle, jumped into the burning Yangtze River.

Splash! Splash!

"Where are you running!"

Kongtong's disciples, fueled by rage, swung their swords at the backs of the fleeing Su Lo Chae soldiers, ignoring the fact that the fire had already spread to their bodies.

However, only a few were hit by the attacks. Most Su Lo Chae soldiers had already dived deep into the Yangtze River. They skillfully submerged themselves, escaping beyond the reach of the menacing fire.

"You idiots."

The Yangtze Mackerel sent a scornful laugh towards Beopgye and leaped into the burning Yangtze River.

Kwoong!

With a powerful kick, Beopgye jumped onto the deck. His eyebrows trembled with anger.

Now, all that was left were ships covered in flames and corpses scattered everywhere. The enemies he ordered to be defeated were nowhere to be seen, not even a trace.

"This... This is..."

However, he couldn't lead disciples who hadn't mastered water-walking skills to chase the enemies into the water. Beopgye looked around in dismay.

The nearly thirty ships, scraped together with all their might following the orders of the Beopjeong were all burning.

Splash! Crack!

The vessels that had turned into burning husks, sunk one by one into the turbulent river. It could be considered fortunate if they sank, as the fire would naturally be extinguished.

"What, what are you doing! Put it out. Extinguish the fire!"

Beopgye shouted like a person having a fit.

"Put out the fire immediately! Save at least one ship! Quickly, extinguish the fire..."

"Elder."

Someone grabbed the hem of Beopgye's robe at that moment.

As Beopgye around with an enraged expression, he saw a Shaolin disciple slowly shaking his head.

"...It's too late."

Beopgye turned his head again.

The black smoke rising from the burning ships soared reluctantly into the sky. So that everyone can clearly know their situation even if they weren't present.

"Ah, Amitabhul..."

A sigh escaped his lips. It was a choked voice.

'How on earth should I deal with this situation?'

The wailing screams of the injured, parts of their bodies burned, and the cries of those mourning the dead, along with the desperate shouts of those struggling to extinguish the fire—all of it formed a disheartening symphony.

It was truly a calamity. Beopgye's eyes closed tightly.