The Secret Of Sea Dragon Island. (1)

The grandfather and granddaughter moved into the tropical grove atop the highest hill.

It was an open vantage point from which they could scout far into the distance.

They first made a hiding place—just enough space to store their bundles and take a brief rest.

Now they crouched together in the tree, watching the surroundings.

“Grandpa, what are all those people doing?”

Here and there, groups in pure white masks wandered in threes and fives.

All of them had removed their upper garments, each with a weapon at his waist.

“Probably patrols. But that’s not a normal appearance.”

“Then what’s that farm?”

Yu Jinsan followed his granddaughter’s pointing finger.

On one side of the island, a neat red field stretched out.

Figures in white masks squatted there as if harvesting something.

“If they want to eat, they must farm here too. But these don’t look like the crops we know.”

Because the plants were unfamiliar, he couldn’t be certain.

Yu Seol shifted her attention and changed the subject.

“But if everyone wears masks, how do they recognize one another?”

“I think, Grandpa, they probably put the masks on deliberately for that reason. It makes control easier.”

“Is it Jeon Sa-ryong?”

It sounded almost laughable to refer to a terror of the southern martial world like a neighborhood buddy.

Yu Jinsan chuckled and nodded.

“Yes. By the way, do you see any other entrance?”

“No. There’s nothing but that main gate.”

They would have to infiltrate the wall encircling the island’s center.

But the airtight, ironclad defenses left no gap for a stealthy entry.

“It won’t be easy. I didn’t expect them to guard it in double and triple layers like that.”

“Then let’s just break in.”

It wasn’t impossible.

No matter how many warriors there were, they couldn’t stop the Yin Yang Twin Monster.

But the problem was what awaited inside.

They had no information about what lay within or what high-level fighters were posted there.

It wasn’t something they could risk blindly.

“If we barged in recklessly we’d be in trouble. First, find someone who knows the inside situation and capture them.”

“Kidnap them?”

“Kidnap—saying it that way makes us sound like villains. I mean bring them here and ask them a few questions.”

Yu Seol nodded, eyes blazing, and scanned the area.

As she searched for a suitable target, she pointed with an intrigued expression.

“Grandpa. That person’s mask is a different color.”

They were about two hundred ja away, at a crossroads.

A man in a black mask strode arrogantly past.

Whenever those in white masks encountered him, they bowed their heads.

He was clearly a person of rank—surely he knew something.

“You found him perfectly. Well done!”

Receiving rare praise, Yu Seol grinned happily.

“Hee-hee. Let’s go catch him quickly.”

“Alright. Let’s move that way.”

Yu Jinsan and Yu Seol circled the hill, muffling their presence as they moved toward an unpopulated side.

Perhaps because it was a southern island, tall tropical trees were abundant.

There was no better environment for hiding.

Soon they reached their spot and slipped behind a tree.

Although they hadn’t learned the assassins’ stealth techniques, they could hold their qi perfectly, so unless someone matched or exceeded their skill they would not be detected.

• Should we strike now?

Yu Jinsan signaled to his granddaughter’s silent question to wait.

Their target was the man in the black mask, but he was accompanied by three in white masks.

They could have taken them all out at once, but there was no need to draw attention.

• No. Wait a bit. It’s better to capture only the one in the black mask.

Hidden behind the tree, Yu Jinsan and Yu Seol waited until the group scattered.

Fortunately it didn’t take long.

After a while, the black-masked man began walking alone in the opposite direction.

The two shadowed him, waiting for the right moment as they hoped the area would clear.

Soon his footsteps entered a blind spot.

“Come here. I won’t hit you.”

The black-masked warrior flinched at the voice behind him.

When he turned, a little girl was beckoning him closer.

“…?”

He tilted his masked head slightly, puzzled.

But he never had a chance to act.

Before he knew it, Yu Jinsan had appeared behind him and struck the back of his knee with the spear blade.

Crack—!

Attacked from behind without warning, his knee buckled and he began to fall.

Even that wasn’t permitted.

Yu Seol closed in and swung her foot right in front of him.

Her curved instep struck him squarely on the head.

Kraang—!

His neck snapped as if it might break, and he was flung to the ground unconscious.

Thud—!

“Quick, grab him, Grandpa.”

“Alright. Let’s get back quickly.”

Yu Jinsan and his granddaughter seized him from both sides and ran toward their hiding place.

Ta-at—!

Using their lightness skill along a pre-scouted route, they met no hindrance.

A short while later they reached the hiding spot and propped him against a tree.

Yu Seol fetched a vine from somewhere and began binding him.

“Your knotting skills have improved a lot. Tie it tight so he can’t escape.”

“Okay, just a moment.”

After his body was firmly secured to the tree, Yu Jinsan spoke with a satisfied look.

“Good work. Now hurry and take his mask off.”

Yu Seol had been curious too—why did they wear such masks?

She slowly removed the mask.

Seeing the face revealed through the gap, Yu Seol furrowed her brow.

“Ugh!”

When his granddaughter covered the mask again, Yu Jinsan asked, puzzled, “Child, what’s wrong?”

“His face… his face is badly damaged.”

“Hm. Step back a bit.”

Switching places with his granddaughter, Yu Jinsan removed the mask himself.

He grimaced at the sight and quickly covered the mask again.

“This isn’t merely some facial injury.”

He had never seen such a horrific face; the features looked as if they’d partially melted away.

“Yes. I don’t think it’s right to force the mask off and question him.”

Yu Jinsan nodded and poured his vital energy into the unconscious man’s body.

“Guh…”

As he came to, he groaned from the blow Yu Seol had dealt to his head.

They had no time to wait for a full recovery.

“From now on we’ll ask a few questions. If you answer obediently, we’ll let you go. Nod if you agree.”

“…”

He didn’t nod or twitch.

“Right. Of course he wouldn’t talk willingly. I expected as much.”

Yu Jinsan reached a hand behind his back.

Yu Seol rummaged through their bundle and pulled out a short, blunt cudgel.

“Here.”

Taking the stick, Yu Jinsan tapped the opposite palm and said, “This old man will hit you now; if you think you’re going to die, speak up and I’ll ease up a bit.”

“…”

Even after that, there was no response.

Yu Jinsan peered at his eyes through the mask.

The whites were grotesquely bloodshot and the pupils unfocused.

He’s not in a state to be coerced into speaking. What on earth happened to him?

From the grotesque face to the clouded eyes, everything about him was incomprehensible.

He was pondering what to do when Yu Seol shouted, “Grandpa, a boat is coming in!”

A single vessel calmly approached across the open sea.

This was an island even government warships avoided; if so, the ship must be in league with the squatters occupying it.

But the ship looked odd—its construction was definitely different from those of the Central Plains.

Huge crates were stacked neatly on deck.

“It looks like these guys are involved in smuggling.”

“Smuggling?”

“Yes. Illegal trade—probably with a foreign country.”

The Central Plains’ southern wharves were under strict blockade and surveillance, so smuggling couldn’t occur there; this suggested their trading partner was abroad.

There must be another island or intermediate spot where they exchange goods.

“I wonder what they’re trading. I’m curious.”

Yu Jinsan was as curious as his granddaughter.

What on earth were these people scheming?

They couldn’t just let it go.

“Grandpa will go take a quick look, so keep an eye on him for a moment.”

“Come back quickly.”

“Alright. Don’t go anywhere.”

Yu Jinsan grabbed a spear and ran toward the shoreline.

After advancing for some time, hiding along a forest path on the hill, his steps suddenly halted about a hundred ja from the water.

‘What’s that fellow up to now?’

About twenty feet ahead, a middle-aged man hid in the trees, spying on the shoreline.

At a glance, his martial skill looked formidable; his presence felt roughly of superlative level.

One peculiarity was that he wore no mask and his clothing was different.

So he wasn’t Jeon Sa-ryong’s subordinate—then what was he doing here?

Yu Jinsan postponed approaching the shoreline and followed the man instead.

Taking advantage of everyone’s focus on the ship, the man covertly approached a shabby warehouse that stood alone.

Two white-masked warriors guarded the entrance, but they couldn’t stop him.

Shhaa—! Pook—!

Yu Jinsan knocked the two down easily, glanced left and right, and slipped inside the warehouse.

He hid and watched to see what the man would bring out.

It didn’t take long.

Shortly after, the man reappeared with a rice sack slung over his shoulder.

Is that a sack of rice? Why did he steal it?

It made no sense.

He glanced around and then began to flee the way he’d come.

From his high vantage point, Yu Jinsan watched him all at once.

“Hm. If he goes that way it’ll be troublesome.”

Masked warriors were approaching from that direction.

The problem was a red-masked warrior mingled among them. Though only one, he radiated tremendous power even from a distance.

Yu Jinsan wanted to warn the middle-aged man, but there was no way.

As expected,

Piiiiiik—!

A whistle sounded, and masked warriors swarmed toward the man’s location.

Startled, he tried to run, but was quickly surrounded—the masked warriors were simply too many.

He began a desperate fight alone.

With his left hand clutching the rice sack on his shoulder, his right hand wildly swung the sword he held.

Kaang—! Kang—! Kakang—!!

He couldn’t hold out long.

The encirclement tightened, and the strongest-looking red-masked warrior still hadn’t joined in.

Yu Jinsan clicked his tongue, watching with a look of disdain.

“Tsk tsk. The attempt to steal was fine, but you should’ve secured an escape route first.”

For now, he decided to watch a bit longer.

He hadn’t yet decided whether it was worth risking himself to help.