The Hebei Paeng Clan And The Jinju Eon Clan (3)

“What are you doing here?”

Eon Cheong-gun spotted Paeng Do-wi—little different from an enemy—and demanded an answer. He tried to keep his composure, but the sheer shamelessness on Paeng Do-wi’s face made anger surge up.

“…Pardon?”

Paeng Do-wi couldn’t make sense of the situation.

‘Why is it only the Eon Clan? Did my main house decide to pretend this never happened?’

In his expectations, the Paeng Clan should have dispatched people as well.

“I’m asking why you’re here! And what about the culprits?”

When Paeng Do-wi’s reply didn’t satisfy him, Eon Cheong-gun bellowed.

“They took a boat.”

“A boat?”

Eon Cheong-gun looked toward the river.

“Hm… so you’re saying we lost them?”

His body trembled. Even with an expert tracker, until they knew where the culprits would disembark, it would be difficult to pursue again.

“Do you know their destination?”

“I do. They said Kaifeng.”

“Kaifeng?”

Eon Cheong-gun’s mind began spinning at a frightening speed.

“How long ago did the boat depart?”

“About ten hours. It left yesterday, so….”

They were only a single day behind. It depended on the boat’s speed, but passenger boats were not particularly fast.

“If their destination is Kaifeng, we seize them at Cheongpung.”

Cheongpung was a point along the water route to Kaifeng where passenger boats customarily docked for a time. It let travelers step off and rest after the long river journey.

There were several such points along the route, and Cheongpung was the final stop before reaching Kaifeng.

“Let’s go. We ride without rest.”

Even so, traveling by boat was faster than traveling by horse. A boat didn’t need to rest, but horses had to be given breaks.

“Th-then what about me…?”

“You’re coming too. You need to identify them, don’t you?”

“Yes, but… what about my main house…?”

“Your brother and the Five Tigers Unit are following behind us.”

“Ah…!”

Only then did Paeng Do-wi feel relieved. Going with Eon Cheong-gun was terrifying. The aura coming off the other Eon Clan masters felt ominous.

“Then I’ll follow after my brother arrives.”

“No.”

“…Pardon?”

“If you lot are late, we won’t be able to catch them at Cheongpung.”

“But if their destination is Kaifeng, we can catch them in Kaifeng….”

“Kaifeng has the Beggar’s Sect. Do you think it’s easy to spill blood on someone else’s turf?”

Eon Cheong-gun said that, but in truth he didn’t want the Beggar’s Sect to see what the Cheon-gang Unit really was.

If the Beggar’s Sect learned it, every orthodox faction would learn it. Don’t assume the Beggar’s Sect keeps secrets just because they deal in information. They were beggars—pay the right price, and they were ready to sell anything, anytime.

“Understood.”

In the end, Paeng Do-wi was forcibly dragged along by Eon Cheong-gun and joined the frenzied chase after Neung Je-gang and Cheong Yeon. Paeng Do-wi learned firsthand how exhausting it was to ride hard on horseback.

Half an hour after they departed, Paeng Do-gyeong arrived at that very spot. He found the tracks of a herd of horses that had just thundered through.

“The number of horses increased.”

A Five Tigers man reported that more Eon Clan horses had joined—meaning Paeng Do-wi had merged with them.

“Stupid fool. He should’ve waited for us.”

Paeng Do-gyeong was frustrated. He never imagined Eon Cheong-gun had practically dragged Paeng Do-wi along by force.

“We chase.”

They had to ride again without giving their mounts even a moment’s rest. They hadn’t truly considered that they would have to gallop a thousand li to Cheongpung like this.

Clang clang clang clang

“We will dock at Cheongpung for one hour. We will dock at Cheongpung for one hour.”

When the crew announced it, Neung Je-gang and Cheong Yeon also came out of their cabins.

“Haaah!”

Neung Je-gang stretched wide.

Except for the time he ate and slept, he had always been sitting in meditation.

Heh.

Cheong Yeon chuckled at that behavior. Neung Je-gang looked exactly like he had back when he was with the Eastern Depot—training whenever he had time, and training even when he didn’t.

“Let’s get off.”

Neung Je-gang only disembarked after most people had already gone down. When his feet hit land again, the sensation felt oddly unfamiliar.

Looking for an inn with few customers, they ended up going all the way to a guesthouse on the outskirts.

“Didn’t we come too far? What if we miss the boat?”

“Then we just walk.”

Neung Je-gang was utterly unbothered.

After meeting Hwangbo Chu, he had deliberately chosen to live this way. Living desperately had its merits, but living with a bit of slack was good too.

Of course, he couldn’t afford that kind of leeway when it came to finding his enemy and taking revenge—but in everything else, he tried to make room to breathe.

They ate leisurely and headed back toward the passenger boat. Before an hour had passed, people were already bustling aboard.

Neung Je-gang and Cheong Yeon took their place at the very end of the boarding line. The line shortened little by little, and soon the gangplank appeared before them. One step, then another—just a few more and they would be fully aboard.

Thududududududu

Suddenly, from afar, they heard the urgent pounding of a horse galloping at full speed.

Neung Je-gang and Cheong Yeon heard it as they stepped completely onto the boat. After them, the gangplank was lifted.

“Cast off!”

The captain shouted.

Clatterrrrrk

At his cry, the crew hauled up the anchor.

Sssrrrk

The boat slid, moving little by little into deeper water.

“Sto…p…!”

From far away, a shout loaded with inner power rang out.

But a boat that had already raised anchor had no intention of stopping.

“Sto…p!”

Once again, a roar so loud it seemed to shake the river.

The captain, the crew, and the passengers all turned their gazes toward the source of the sound.

Ignoring it, the captain barked at his crew. If they were late, there would be no boarding again—passenger boats did not wait.

“Raise the sails.”

“Raise the sails!”

The crew echoed him.

Fshrrrrrk

The folded sails unfurled and caught the wind fully.

Goo-woong

At once, the boat made a strange sound and began surging forward.

“I said stop!”

This time, the roar exploded from very close by.

“Waaah—!”

People on the deck erupted in cheers. Neung Je-gang and Cheong Yeon lifted their eyes to the air.

Koo-woong

A man riding a horse leapt up and flew over the boat from more than twenty jang away.

“Cheong Yeon.”

“Yes?”

“My prediction was off. It looks like this place is going to become the battlefield.”

“The Eon Clan?”

“Yes. This is going to be troublesome.”

“Why?”

“Do you see those men on horseback at the pier?”

“I do. The Paeng Clan brat is there too.”

“The pale ones beside him are the problem. We can’t afford to hold back anymore.”

“…Pardon?”

“They’re practitioners of Gangsi Art. If we get hurt by them, we’ll be poisoned by a yin toxin.”

“Ah…!”

Cheong Yeon’s eyes darkened. In a fight, it was hard not to get injured—especially when outnumbered.

Eon Cheong-gun strode up to the captain, seized him by the collar, and snarled.

“Didn’t I tell you to stop!”

“Kgh! K-kugh!”

“Bring the boat back to the pier. Refuse, and I’ll kill every last thing on this boat.”

Eon Cheong-gun threatened him in deadly earnest.

“Is the Eon Clan really orthodox?”

Cheong Yeon asked, staring at Eon Cheong-gun in disbelief.

“Orthodox is orthodox. It’s just that the current clan head’s temperament is filthy enough to be called demonic. Looks like we’ll have to step in. We can’t inconvenience innocent people because of us. Can you make it to the pier?”

“I can.”

“Then let’s go.”

Step. Step.

Neung Je-gang walked toward Eon Cheong-gun, who was causing the commotion.

“Clan Head Eon. Stop tormenting innocent people and follow me.”

After saying that, Neung Je-gang lifted his body into the air. Unlike Eon Cheong-gun’s violent leap, he glided smoothly through the air toward the pier.

Cheong Yeon didn’t have that kind of ability. He shot forward, kicked off the rail, and vaulted high into the air.

He quickly overtook Neung Je-gang, who had started first—yet his body was gradually descending. If left alone, it looked like he would fall into the water before reaching the pier.

Ssswiiik

Neung Je-gang suddenly accelerated and tapped Cheong Yeon’s body with a light touch. The force sent Cheong Yeon bursting forward.

And so the two of them landed from the boat onto the pier.

“Waaah—!”

An even louder roar erupted than when Eon Cheong-gun had sprung onto the boat.

Even after they disembarked, the boat drifted closer to the pier. Only once it was close enough did Eon Cheong-gun release the captain’s collar and launch himself.

The captain snapped back to his senses at once, spread the sails again, and headed back into the deeper river.

“Are these the ones?”

Eon Cheong-gun asked Paeng Do-wi.

“Yes.”

Paeng Do-wi kept glancing behind him, desperately hoping his brother and the Five Tigers Unit would arrive. But he still couldn’t see them.

“I will tear you apart.”

A storm-like aura erupted from Eon Cheong-gun’s body.

“Attack! You may kill them.”

Eon Cheong-gun gave the order without any intention of hearing context or explanations.

Shiiing

Sssrk

Cheong Yeon’s sword and Neung Je-gang’s Mindless Sword slid free. These were enemies too strong to leave to Cheong Yeon alone.

A lonely pier after the boat had left. The Cheon-gang masters of the Jinju Eon Clan, still mounted moments ago, sprang up into the air all at once.