Mister Will Protect You (2)

Unless one was an expert warrior skilled enough to use Void Movement, their chances of surviving the rapid water currents of the Yellow River were close to none.

However, one would have a higher chance of survival than dealing with a skilled warrior.

The pirates rushed off the deck.

Plop! Plop!

As all the pirates disappeared from the ship, the passengers applauded.

“Woahh!!”

“Ahhhh!!”

The passengers, who had survived the brink of death, hugged each other happily.

Meanwhile, Dong-gu adopted a ready stance, infusing his blade with qi.

“Mister Dong-gu, what are you doing?”

Yu Seol turned her back and glanced at him.

“So odd. Suddenly, it’s not working again.”

“What isn’t?”

“I felt my body overflowing with qi until now, but all of that vanished. There must be something like a deep trigger in my body, a secret hidden. And I’m trying to find the source of it.”

“What secret?”

“I think maybe I’m the greatest person born once every hundred years.”

“Ehh~! Lies.”

Yu Seol’s teasing act was perfect for the moment.

“I’m sure. You just saw me defeat the pirates, right?”

At that time, the crew and the captain approached Dong-gu and bowed to him.

The joy on their faces couldn’t be hidden. It was as if they had been brought back to life.

“Thank you. Everyone survived only because of you.”

Dong-gu scratched his head as if embarrassed.

“It was nothing. I just did what I had to do as a martial arts warrior.”

“No, thank you. I would like to repay you in a small way, so would you mind if we moved you to the third story of the pavilion?”

“Oh my, no need for that…”

Yu Seol tugged on his clothes as he tried to refuse.

“Woah… thank you.”

Why refuse? Above all, this was a chance to see the inside, so he couldn’t miss it.

The ground followed the captain up the stairs to the best cabin, reserved only for the highest-ranking officials.

Two cozy beds and water ready for bathing awaited them.

This place was a stark contrast to the narrow confines of the first floor.

“If you need anything to make your rest comfortable, please let me know.”

Yu Seol listened to the offer.

Wouldn’t it be nice to rush over, take up half the bed, and sleep? She tapped Yu Jinsan’s forearm and said,

-Grandpa, come and quickly lie down next to me. It’s comfortable.

Yu Jinsan smiled, watching how comfortable she looked.

-No. Grandpa will take a look around the place and then come back, so you rest for a while.

-Yes. Come back fast~

Yu Jinsan, descending to the deck, picked up a stick from the stairs.

He moved to the most deserted part of the ship and stared at the waters.

‘I can travel the remaining distance in peace as long as I clean up the rest.’

Something felt off, something he couldn’t just ignore.

There had to be people on the ship who were in league with the pirates. He had seen some pirates who had entered the river manage to cling to the ship and survive.

If he simply sent them away, they would surely return with more men for vengeance.

‘Any potential problems must be dealt with in advance.’

These were the same people who treated passengers like vermin. He couldn’t stand by and allow such a situation to persist.

He glanced around, ensured there were no prying eyes, and leapt.

Tat!

He soared high above the ship and plunged into the currents of the Yellow River.

To any onlooker, it would have seemed as though he was attempting suicide.

But to Yu Jinsan, the raging waters posed no threat. His movements as he skimmed across the surface were nothing short of astonishing.

Tatata!

His target was the ship upon which the pirates had arrived.

It was a medium-sized vessel, agile, and capable of holding up to thirty people.

Just then, someone who spotted Yu Jinsan on the water shouted,

“Wh-who is that?”

The pirates rushed onto the deck in panic.

It wasn’t a situation to ignore, even though he was just a child.

The fact that the kid had run across the water as if it were flat ground was evidence of a high level of light footwork, the likes of which they had never seen.

“Stop him!”

At that moment, two archers pulled their arrows taut against the bowstrings in urgency.

Papat!

The two arrows flew on the correct trajectory.

The archers’ aim was good, but Yu Jinsan didn’t pay it any mind.

He simply kicked off the water’s surface and soared into the sky.

Taat!

The arrows passed beneath his feet as he moved. Before they realized it, Yu Jinsan was descending onto the ship.

Soon, a shadow loomed over the deck as if a hawk were gliding down.

Kwaaang!

The entire ship shook, causing the pirates to stumble. How could the body of a child generate such force?

But in Kangho, there were those who defied common sense.

The pirates stood flustered before this shocking display of warrior prowess.

“Ehh, you trash of the Yellow River.”

A dozen pirates encircled Yu Jinsan.

They were poised to attack, but their bodies seemed frozen, unable to move.

It was preposterous for them, who were at best third or second-rate warriors, to challenge someone like Yu Jinsan.

“Please spare my life.”

“If you let me go alive, I will lead a good life. Please…”

Yu Jinsan slowly raised his stick diagonally.

“This old man has met many people in life. And the conclusion I’ve come to is clear.”

“…?”

All the pirates fell silent, anticipating his next words.

“No matter how much you try to change trash, it cannot turn into a human.”

There was no need to soil his hands.

The brightly shining qi began to converge violently towards the tip of Yu Jinsan’s stick.

While the pirates hesitated, a crescent-shaped light descended upon the crowd.

Kwaaang!!!

The floor was cut in a straight line, and through the gap that opened up, one could see the devastation of the river below.

The water was rising, and if repairs weren’t made swiftly, the ship would flood.

When the situation reached that point, the enemy also grabbed their weapons. They had no choice but to fight to the death.

“Fuck, attack at once!”

“DIE!!”

Yu Jinsan smiled.

This was ridiculous. They were hardly a threat to him.

He dodged the enemies here and there, beginning to smash the hull.

Kwakwang! Kwakwang!!

With every beam of light that passed, parts of the ship broke apart. The rapidly rushing currents soon brought it to the point of no return.

Yu Jinsan, having achieved his goal in an instant, kicked off the deck a couple of times and jumped off the ship.

Tat!

He landed lightly on a floating piece of wood.

A sinking ship and desperate enemies.

The struggle to survive was quite unfortunate to witness, but he didn’t feel even a slight bit of sympathy.

“When you go to the afterlife, first apologize to the unfair souls you buried.”

He indifferently watched their demise.

Suddenly, Yu Jinsan flinched—it was because of the familiar voice that came from behind.

“I knew you would be doing this.”

And the owner of the voice he heard from behind was Yu Seol.

How had she come so close without making a sound?

When he looked back, he couldn’t help but feel astonished.

His granddaughter, Yu Seol, was treading on the waters of the Yellow River with a grumpy expression.

‘Void Force Treading Water?’

Void Force Treading Water was a technique for walking on water without exerting any force, and it required wonderfully light footwork that could not be compared to lesser methods.

He couldn’t even mimic this technique on a tree.

When had she learned this? He felt genuinely amazed at the skills of his granddaughter, who was diligently learning martial arts every day.

“When did you start following me?”

“Just a little while ago. Grandpa left me to fight alone, didn’t he?”

“There’s no need for you to exert yourself for such people. There are many skilled warriors in Hunan, so Seol can conserve her strength.”

Her face lit up at the mention of skilled warriors. It was as if the vigor of youth was being reborn within her.

“How many?”

“Well, it is the center of Kangho. Wherever you look, there are countless warriors; one simply cannot compare it to Shaanxi.”

“I can’t wait to get there. When will we arrive?”

“In about five days…?”

“That long…?”

A child addicted to martial arts training was likely to become restless after being confined on a ship for several days.

He needed to alleviate his granddaughter’s frustration. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t played with her in quite some time.

“Since we’re out, why don’t you play with Grandpa?”

As soon as he proposed, excitement appeared on the child’s face.

“Really?”

“Come now, let’s see how quick our Seol is!”

After speaking, he kicked off from the current and began running across the surface of the river, his speed outmatching that of the fish swimming below.

Yet Yu Seol looked completely unfazed.

“Hehe. I’ll count to ten and then chase after you.”

The journey this time, unlike before, felt enjoyable.

They were en route to Hunan with only one stop, and there was no need to overexert themselves. The remainder of the trip proved to be quite entertaining.

A comfortable private room awaited them. Why would one bother with hardships when one was offered the best accommodations and food?

Furthermore, whenever they became bored, they would sneak out to practice their light footwork technique. In the process, they managed to discover and destroy the pirate ships of the Red King’s troops.

The journey was perfect. Five days later, when they arrived at the port, their destination, they even felt a tinge of regret.

“Haha! How long has it been since we last set foot on solid ground?”

Dong-gu carried the bundle on his shoulder. He felt elated at the thought of returning to his hometown after 10 years.

“This journey has been fun, mister.”

Yu Seol held her grandpa’s hand and said goodbye to him.

However, Dong-gu found it difficult to let go of the children. He felt sad.

“Will you come to my house with me? Our family isn’t far from here.”

“Where is that?”

“Nanyang County, in the direction of Luoyang. There’s a road there that leads to Mount Song, where you said your relatives live. Why don’t we stop by?”

What could an 8-year-old child know about the geography of a new place?

Yu Seol looked at her grandpa, puzzled. After a moment, Yu Jinsan nodded.

They had no place to stay. Establishing too many contacts was unnecessary, and Nanyang County was just around the corner.

“Yes. We will come.”

“Right, a good decision! Let’s head there quickly, then. If we walk briskly, we can get there by today.”

So, the three of them, with their luggage in tow, headed towards Nanyang County.

The group that left in the morning only managed to arrive at their destination as darkness fell.

A manor surrounded by a wall sat on a hill in a quiet plain. Roughly estimated, it had enough space for about 50 people to live comfortably.

As he had said, it was a place that could indeed be called the home of a notable family.

“So odd. Why is the gate closed?”

Dong-gu approached the door, looking puzzled.

In his memory, the family gate had never been closed until now. Plus, it was so quiet that he couldn’t understand it.

After a while, Dong-gu stood tall in front of the gate and shouted.

“Father, I am here!”

Strangely, there was no response.

“Dong-gu is here!”

At that moment, Yu Seol murmured with a dark expression behind his back.

“…the smell of blood.”