novelraw Chapter 97 : Feeling the Waves (4)
Chapter 97 : Feeling the Waves (4)
The main gate of the Sword Pavilion remained firmly shut.
In front of it, a large number of people were protesting.
The people's dissatisfaction was only growing with the Sword Pavilion's silence.
As that happened, the voices of protest also grew louder.
It was only a matter of time before this matter spread throughout Hainan in an instant.
Hainan had been an island since ancient times, and most of the people living here had never left Hainan for decades, so everyone was an acquaintance across the bridge. The rumors spread quickly.
Much faster than expected.
As if someone had intended it.
To the people living in Hainan, the sea was their home, their workplace, and an inseparable relationship they lived with for their entire lives.
A place where milk and honey flowed.
That was the sea to the people of Hainan.
And in such a place, insects were always bound to gather.
To the pirates, the sea of Hainan would have looked like a very delicious prey.
The Sword Pavilion, as if it was their duty, had been protecting Hainan from pirates since ancient times, even though no one had ordered them to.
The Sword Pavilion and the people of Hainan were in a symbiotic relationship where they helped each other.
Among those who were protesting against the Sword Pavilion here now, there was not a single person who did not feel grateful to the Sword Pavilion.
They too knew better than anyone that if it weren't for the Sword Pavilion in the past, they would not have been able to enjoy such a prosperous life.
But it was an unavoidable choice because their anxiety about the future was greater.
For now, they had to survive first.
If you call it heartless, it was heartless, and if you call it disloyal, it was disloyal.
But what could they do?
It was the life of the common people to worry about tomorrow.
If the Sword Pavilion was gone, who would protect them from the pirates?
Just as the dissatisfaction reached its peak.
As if waiting for this to happen, someone appeared like a comet.
Nam Jang-cheong, the head disciple of the Hainan Sect, appeared at the main gate of the Sword Pavilion.
It was only natural that people's attention was focused on him.
Nam Jang-cheong looked at the still-closed main gate of the Sword Pavilion once, then sneered thinly and spoke to the people gathered in front of the main gate in a voice full of appeal.
"I fully understand how great your disappointment is about this incident. The sorrow of loss is sorrow, but you must be worried about the harsh days to come. I, too, as someone who has spent my entire life in Hainan, understand better than anyone what you are worried about. Therefore, our Hainan Sect has decided to do our best to protect the safety of Hainan from today."
At that time, a woman holding a newborn baby who had not yet opened its eyes asked.
"What will you do about the homes we have lost? This child needs a house with a roof over its head right now."
"Of course, our Hainan Sect will provide sufficient compensation. It is also our responsibility for not being able to protect Hainan."
"Really?"
This time, an old man with a bandage over one eye asked.
"Yes, I, Nam Jang-cheong, the head disciple of the Hainan Sect, promise you on my name in this place."
Nam Jang-cheong looked around at the people gathered here and answered.
At that one word, the atmosphere of the crowd was reversed in an instant.
Nam Jang-cheong looked at them and sneered again.
Grin.
'Parasitic bastards who can't even live without clinging to something!'
Then Nam Jang-cheong said.
"If there is anything you need, the Hainan Sect will help. Now! Everyone, please follow me. The other victims will be waiting at the Hainan Sect."
No one stepped forward readily.
It was natural. Although they had come to attack the Sword Pavilion to make a living for now, they had been indebted to the Sword Pavilion for their entire lives.
At that time, the newborn baby let out a cry.
The baby's mother tries to soothe the baby by offering her breast, but no milk comes out. The mother makes a decision for her child.
"I'm going!"
The woman takes the first step.
Public opinion sometimes works in a frightening way.
Especially in a situation where the choices are set.
"Damn it! I'm going too! I have to eat and live first!"
"That's right! The Sword Pavilion can't protect us anymore!"
Fear is a weapon that can easily dominate people's psychology more than anything else.
Nam Jang-cheong smiled kindly at the sight.
"Now! Please come this way."
Soon, all the people gathered in front of the Sword Pavilion followed Nam Jang-cheong.
Creak.
A short while later, the main gate of the Sword Pavilion opened.
Murong Seryeong was there.
There was no one in front of the Sword Pavilion.
***
Outposts that had not been there before were set up on the coast.
There were two guards at each outpost, and they were standing guard towards the sea.
At this time, small dots were seen in the sea. The guard rubs his eyes. The dots were not disappearing. No! The distance was getting closer and closer, and the size was getting bigger.
"Pirates!"
The guard violently shook the bell hanging at the outpost.
Then, the next outpost, which had heard the bell, also began to shake the bell.
Soon, the entire coast began to ring with bells.
At the sound of the bell that covered the entire coast, the people who were working on the coast stopped their work and began to flee to the land all at once.
Strangely, the pirates did not take any action during this whole process. And the pirates took action only after all the people had safely left the beach.
"Hehehe! I'll kill them all!"
"Everyone! Save the women, kill the men!"
"Heeheehee! You're stating the obvious!"
As soon as the pirates set foot on the land, martial artists wearing martial arts uniforms with a blue wave symbolizing the Hainan Sect arrived at the coast.
"You bastards! You pirate bastards! This is the home where the people of Hainan live diligently! It's not a place for vermin like you to come!"
"Kill that bastard first! It's a feast today too!"
"Kyakho!"
"Let's kill them!"
"Let's plunder!"
The pirates, showing off the weapons they were holding, rushed towards the martial artists of the Hainan Sect all at once.
Seeing that, the one who seemed to be the superior of the Hainan Sect martial artists shouted in a heavy voice.
"All hands, draw your swords!"
The martial artists of the Hainan Sect all drew their swords at once.
The sight of them silently holding their swords and glaring at the approaching pirates looked truly sublime.
The residents of Hainan, who were watching this from behind, swallowed their saliva in tension, even though they were not the ones fighting.
"Annihilate the pirates!"
The martial artists of the Hainan Sect also ran out. The sight was like watching warriors who could each take on a hundred.
The pirates are quickly dealt with by the martial artists of the Hainan Sect. The residents cheered at the sight.
The martial artists of the Hainan Sect, after neatly dealing with the pirates, greeted the cheering residents and left.
Such scenes were happening everywhere.
***
All the children and servants who were staying at the Sword Pavilion were sent home.
It was an action taken because they didn't know what would happen next, and above all, the date of the duel was approaching.
Murong Seryeong wiped the Sword Empress's face with a warm cloth that had been wrung out.
The Sword Empress still showed no signs of waking up.
It had been a week since the Sword Empress had returned to the Sword Pavilion covered in blood.
During that time, she had gone to several doctors and asked for help, but the doctors only gave the consistent answer that the internal injuries were too deep for them to do anything, and no one offered a clear solution.
To get a skilled doctor, she had to cross the sea and go to the mainland, but if she were to leave the Sword Pavilion at a time like this, there would be no one to take care of the Sword Empress. Above all, someone might harm the Sword Empress.
Murong Seryeong couldn't shake the thought that what was happening now was like a well-laid trap by someone.
From the fact that the Sword Empress, who had left to deal with mere pirates, had returned with serious internal injuries, to the Hainan Sect, which had been quiet until the Sword Empress fell, and was now actively acting as if they had prepared for this situation in advance.
Even the fact that this had happened to the Sword Empress before the duel was suspicious.
Murong Seryeong, who had paid her respects to the Sword Empress today as well, headed to the kitchen. The rice in the kitchen had run out, and most of the other things were also showing their bottoms.
Murong Seryeong headed to the market to buy food.
When she arrived at the market, people were glancing at her. Murong Seryeong could feel a faint hostility towards her in these gazes.
Reactions that were 180 degrees different from when she had visited with the Sword Empress before.
Murong Seryeong tried her best not to make eye contact with them and tried to buy only what she needed and leave the market quickly.
Just then, a group of martial artists from the Hainan Sect appeared from one side. Then, the market merchants, who had been cold until just now, all smiled brightly and greeted them.
Murong Seryeong hid in an alley to avoid meeting them as much as possible.
The Hainan Sect martial artists proudly pass through the middle of the market. The one at the very front looks at the alley for a moment.
"Is someone there?"
The one behind asked, and the one in front, the leader of the group, answered.
"No. It's nothing. Let's continue the patrol."
"Yes."
Only after the Hainan Sect martial artists had all left did Murong Seryeong come out of the alley. When the market merchants sent her sharp gazes again, Murong Seryeong returned to the Sword Pavilion with a bitter heart.
And that night, the young master of the Hainan Sect visited the Sword Pavilion.
"Nice to meet you. I am Nam Jang-cheong."
"I'm Murong Seryeong."
Hearing her name, Nam Jang-cheong showed a surprised expression.
"Oh, I never imagined that there was a survivor of the Murong family in the Sword Pavilion. It's a blessing to the martial world."
"Thank you. But why have you come?"
"Ah! I have come to ask for a favor. May I come inside?"
"Yes, I will guide you to the reception room."
Nam Jang-cheong, who was following Murong Seryeong, looked around and asked as if he were curious.
"Hmm... but I don't see anyone else?"
Murong Seryeong answered calmly.
"The situation at the Sword Pavilion has not been good recently, so I have sent everyone home for now."
At this, Nam Jang-cheong let out a groan as if he knew something.
"Ah..."
At that reaction, Murong Seryeong's shoulders trembled very slightly, but it was not noticeable.
Murong Seryeong, who had guided Nam Jang-cheong to the reception room, brought tea herself and poured it into his cup.
"Thank you."
Murong Seryeong, who had also poured tea into her own cup, said bluntly.
"Now, please tell me the reason for your visit to the Sword Pavilion."
"That's right. I won't drag it out and will get straight to the point!"
Nam Jang-cheong, who had drunk the hot tea in one gulp, said.
"The reason I visited the Sword Pavilion today is to make a request to you."
"What is it?"
Grin, Nam Jang-cheong smiled.
"Give up the duel and hand over 90% of the commercial rights and land owned by the Sword Pavilion."
This was the same as saying to close the pavilion and leave Hainan.
In a word, I'll spare your life, so tuck your tail and run away now. This was it.
"And if I can't do that?"
"You will regret it, and very much so."
(End of Chapter)