My Granddaughter Is Popular. (2)

The commander of the government troops issued the arrest order without hesitation.

No matter how skilled the martial artists were, the soldiers outnumbered them by at least ten to one.

Moreover, many officers trained in martial arts had been deployed; he judged there would be no problem.

But his plan wasn’t getting off the ground.

“What are you doing? I said arrest them—why is everyone just standing there?!”

The lead commander shouted irritably.

Turning to look back, his face registered astonishment: his men stood frozen as if turned to ice.

What on earth was going on?

At that moment an adjutant beside him spoke in a trembling voice.

“S-sir, please look over there.”

His index finger pointed toward the ship’s mast.

The commander gaped when he looked.

“Th-what is that…”

He was so shocked he could barely form words.

A young girl descended through the air as if walking down a staircase.

She looked like an immortal; it would not have been surprising to call her one.

After a moment, Yu Seol’s feet alighted lightly in front of the soldiers.

“I’m going to Sea Dragon Island to fight right now. Are you really going to stop me?”

The commander met Yu Seol’s gaze; his pupils trembled as he instinctively sensed danger.

His voice, far gentler than before, flowed out.

“I didn’t mean to block you… I just wanted to talk for a moment.”

“What do you want to talk about?”

“I wanted to stop you out of concern. Everyone who has gone to Sea Dragon Island hasn’t returned.”

At that moment Im Pyeong-su, standing behind Yu Seol, shouted with an offended look.

“These people are different from the others!”

The commander looked at Im Pyeong-su and asked.

“How are they different?”

His tone to Im Pyeong-su was condescending compared to when he’d spoken to Yu Seol, but no one cared.

“They are legendary figures who pacified the western martial world and came down to capture the Jeon Sa-ryong.”

However, the commander found it hard to assess their martial prowess based on that alone; he was ignorant of martial world affairs.

“I asked how strong they are.”

“A single punch will split the sea, and a kick will bring down houses.”

“Who are you kidding…?”

“It’s the truth!”

Even after witnessing Yu Seol’s wondrous light-footwork, the commander found it hard to believe.

Im Pyeong-su’s grave expression, however, drew everyone’s eyes to one place.

Yu Seol pointed to her chest and asked.

“Me?”

The commander nodded solemnly.

“Prove what he said. If you’re worthy to fight it, we won’t stop you.”

Everyone waited with anticipation to see what she’d show.

Yu Seol felt the pressure.

“Hm.”

Yu Seol pondered, glancing around.

Her gaze fixed on a dilapidated boat bobbing nearby.

It was so broken it couldn’t even set sail—an eyesore of a vessel.

No one was on the deck—they had all come ashore.

“Ei!”

Suddenly, Yu Seol raised one hand high; the Dragon Flower Spear slung diagonally across her back shot up into the sky.

Whirrrrr—!

Everyone widened their eyes and stared at the sky.

The Dragon Flower Spear hovered in midair, slowly circling as if hunting prey.

Rigid qi gathered on the spear’s blade, gleaming and drawing everyone’s attention.

“Wh-what is that!?”

“No way—could it be the Air Spear Technique?”

“Wow…”

Even the soldiers rubbed their eyes in disbelief.

But the surprise was far from over.

The spear hovering in the air suddenly plunged toward the ship.

It struck like an axe splitting wood—brutal.

Kraaaang—!!!

The clumsy ship split down the middle.

Though it seemed ready to sink, the demonstration wasn’t over.

The Dragon Flower Spear changed direction and spun in the air.

Whirrrrr—!

It swept horizontally from bow to stern.

Shatterrrr—!!!

Splinters burst everywhere, clouding the air.

The clumsy vessel split into eight pieces and began to sink.

All with a single gesture.

Everyone stood agape in astonishment.

Where else could one see a higher display of divine skill?

…

In the ensuing silence the Dragon Flower Spear leisurely returned to Yu Seol after completing its task.

Thup—!

Yu Seol retrieved the spear and raised her head.

“Not enough? Want me to show more?”

The commander stammered, dazed.

“S-sufficient. Please go to Sea Dragon Island and capture the Jeon Sa-ryong.”

“We can’t go now. How are we supposed to go without a boat?”

“A boat—no boat? What do you mean by that?”

He looked utterly bewildered.

His ship had been smashed to pieces, and now she was asking him about it.

But the martial arts master before him was relentless.

“It’s broken because of you.”

Audacious, but undeniable.

His hesitation didn’t last long.

From the government’s perspective, capturing the Jeon Sa-ryong on Sea Dragon Island was worth anything.

What was the big deal about deploying a warship?

“Th-then… we’ll take you to your destination.”

This situation had been orchestrated by Yu Jinsan.

Yu Seol had smashed the shabby boat because she’d heard her grandfather’s transmitted voice—and he’d given one more instruction.

“Take us on a sturdy, good ship. Prepare plenty of supplies in the cabin too.”

“Please tell us in detail what supplies you want.”

Yu Seol hesitated briefly, then said the first thing that came to mind.

“Snacks.”

The commander tilted his head; he hadn’t expected her to ask for snacks.

He didn’t question it, though.

“Sn-snacks… understood. Then wait half a day.”

The warship the government troops brought had two decks.

It was fast, with spacious cabins and deck.

They had been at sea for two days.

Yu Jinsan left his granddaughter to snack in the cabin and stepped onto the deck to feel the sea breeze.

“Refreshing. They said we’d arrive today, right?”

Im Pyeong-su beside him nodded and answered.

“Yes. I asked around and they said it’s not far.”

“I see. I’ve heard Sea Dragon Island isn’t small.”

“That’s right. In the past tens of thousands lived there.”

Yu Jinsan nodded once and voiced the questions he’d been holding.

“But listen—such a large island, and everyone who went there disappeared? Isn’t that strange?”

No matter how great the Jeon Sa-ryong’s martial art is, it couldn’t guard an island alone.

Furthermore, the martial artists who crossed over to fight it must have been formidable.

That all of them vanished was incomprehensible.

“There are probably a significant number of followers, and their martial arts would be high-level…”

“Likely. But where would such subordinates suddenly come from?”

“I also find it puzzling. The Jeon Sa-ryong used to appear out of nowhere and roam alone. What on earth happened?”

Yu Jinsan had been pondering that as well.

There was only one likely explanation.

“The commander who tried to prevent us from going to Sea Dragon Island seemed to know something.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“He cited qualifications to stop us. Perhaps the missing people have been assimilated there.”

Im Pyeong-su tilted his head in disbelief.

“What? Among those who went to capture the Jeon Sa-ryong were many absolute masters who reached the Supreme realm. Even dead, they’d never fall under someone’s banner.”

“Hmm. Now that you mention it, I heard your brother was among them. Sorry for jumping ahead.”

“No, sir. I’d be glad if that’s how my hyung is still alive.”

Yu Jinsan nodded slowly as if in understanding.

He said no more; there was no other explanation.

If his guess was right, it might be even more dangerous than they’d imagined.

Yet he felt no fear.

Yu Jinsan glanced at his left hand, which bore the prayer beads.

‘No matter what trials come, I will keep going. Whatever the difficulty, I can overcome it now.’

His confidence had risen greatly compared to before.

He judged he had reached a level where he could truly help his granddaughter.

He had mastered the Vajra Indestructible Divine Arts and the Muscle Changing Technique, and hadn’t he also sealed an unfathomable evil power in his left hand?

He felt confident against anyone.

While he was lost in thought, a lookout on the observation deck shouted.

“Island sighted!”

They had finally arrived near their destination.

Yu Jinsan stared at the island in the distance too.

To others it looked like a speck, but to Yu Jinsan it showed more detail.

‘Have they fortified the island?’

Watchtowers dotted the island, and the center was ringed by high walls.

Soon the ship stopped and those in the cabin poured out.

Among them was the granddaughter, carrying a sack and clutching snacks; her pack looked stuffed as if she’d taken all the cabin’s treats.

“Is this really our stop?”

“Yes. Let’s get ready.”

The martial artists who’d come this far wore regretful expressions.

Yu Jinsan smiled faintly at them and said,

“Thank you for escorting us this far.”

“Not at all—we’re the grateful ones.”

“Please bring our enemy to justice!”

“We’ll wait for news at the inn we used before.”

“Be sure to win and come back!”

After the farewells, Yu Jinsan glanced to his right.

Soldiers were lowering a small rowboat by rope.

They intended them to take that—approaching the island directly was too dangerous.

“Leave them be.”

At his word, the soldiers halted. An officer approached and asked,

“Sir? You have to take this to get there.”

“No need. It’s easier for us to go by light-footwork skill anyway.”

Having scoped the location, there was no reason to take the rowboat.

At that moment the granddaughter, impatient, urged him on.

“Grandpa, shall we go now?”

“Yes. Let’s depart.”

Everything was ready.

Yu Seol stood on the ship’s railing and waved to everyone.

“Bye, uncles!”

They’d used the warship because they didn’t know the island’s location, but they wouldn’t need a boat to return.

With a final wave, the grandfather and granddaughter launched toward the sea together.

Ta-at—!

They skimmed the water and streaked toward the island like lightning.

As they neared Sea Dragon Island, Yu Jinsan signaled with his hand.

“Let’s circle and approach from that side.”

“Mm!”

The island’s side facing the mainland was tightly guarded; no need to take unnecessary risks.

So they turned and approached from the island’s flank.

With their light-footwork skill, it didn’t take long.

After about half an hour.

Hiding beneath a cliff, the grandfather and granddaughter exchanged glances.

They pushed off the ground and leapt up together.

Ta-at—!

They cleared a three-meter cliff and landed in a thicket of bushes.

On the island’s outskirts there were no signs of people nearby.

Yu Seol pointed at the high wall surrounding the island’s center and said,

“Looks like he’s in there—the Jeon Sa-ryong.”

“Likely. First, let’s move to a higher vantage and scout.”

They couldn’t just rush in blindly.

Assessing enemy numbers and planning strategy came first.

Yu Jinsan and his granddaughter began to move stealthily toward the island’s highest hill.