novelraw Chapter 64 : Chapter 64
Chapter 64 : Chapter 64
Chapter 64 The Yangtze Flows Endlessly (1)
“Ohohohoho.”
Ice Rakshasa slapped her thigh with one hand and laughed while covering her mouth.
“My lady. Please restrain yourself.”
Il-ho rebuked her from the side, but Ice Rakshasa’s laughter did not cease.
“I didn't know I'd be with Young Hero Jaun so soon. And to think we are going to the Sado Alliance. I guess we'll be able to spend quite a long time together this time?”
Ice Rakshasa closed her eyes, imagined something, blushed, and then giggled.
Watching her like that, Il-ho scratched his head and sighed.
“Young Hero Jaun will arrive soon. I will finish preparing for departure.”
With those words, Il-ho’s figure disappeared quietly, and Ice Rakshasa, who had been gleeful for a long time, also composed her expression, tidied her clothes, and left the room.
Seeing Jaun walking from afar, Ice Rakshasa waved her hand.
“Young Hero Jaun! Have you been well?”
“Yes. You have been well too, my lady?”
“What work is there for me to do in the Murim Alliance? I almost died of boredom killing time.”
Looking at Jaun standing alone in light attire, Ice Rakshasa continued.
“By the way, where is Young Hero Ban?”
“He should be coming this way. I heard from the Strategist yesterday that Young Hero Ban was excommunicated from Zhongnan... It seems like a choice Zhongnan had no choice but to make, but since I thought Young Hero Ban would need some time to sort out his feelings, I just sent a letter telling him to come here.”
“Excommunicated from Zhongnan?”
At the unexpected news, Ice Rakshasa frowned.
“I just forgave the kids from the Rain Forest Pavilion without making a big deal out of it in case it caused problems. Why go as far as excommunication...?”
“Indeed. I can't understand it either. Ah, there is Young Hero Ban.”
From afar, Ban Cheol-hwi appeared with his shoulders slumped.
Checking the condition of Ban Cheol-hwi, who was dragging his feet with disheveled hair, Ice Rakshasa scratched her head.
“...He lost a lot of weight in that short time.”
Watching Ban Cheol-hwi trudging along with an expression as if the world had collapsed, Ice Rakshasa pondered for a moment, then grabbed Jaun’s wrist and scurried over to Ban Cheol-hwi.
“Young Hero Ban! Have you been well?”
Ban Cheol-hwi, blinking at Ice Rakshasa who greeted him with a smile as if nothing was wrong, soon nodded.
“It's been a while. Has my lady been well too?”
There was no strength in his voice.
Ice Rakshasa cleared her throat with a Keum-keum to hide her pitiable expression, then spoke again in a bright voice.
“I heard something bad happened. Maybe that's why you've lost so much weight. But I think being thinner suits Young Hero Ban’s pale skin better?”
Ban Cheol-hwi smiled weakly and nodded.
“Thank you.”
“Forget everything now. Remember what I said before? Righteous Faction bastards aren't trustworthy. I knew this would happen. Tsk. Let's go. Let's get out of this dreadful Murim Alliance quickly and refresh our mood.”
Ice Rakshasa extended both hands and grabbed the wrists of Jaun and Ban Cheol-hwi.
“Now! Forget everything, it's a fresh start!”
Shouting loudly, Ice Rakshasa linked arms with the muscular Jaun and the frail-looking Ban Cheol-hwi on her left and right, and began to walk down the main road of the Murim Alliance.
****
“So, we are taking a boat?”
When Jaun opened his eyes wide, Ice Rakshasa smiled.
“Yes. From here, we will go down the Yangtze River below Lake Dongting. Come to think of it, you said this is your first time taking a boat, right Young Hero Jaun?”
“Yes. Since I only lived in the mountains with my father until now.”
Looking at Jaun with a smile, Ice Rakshasa continued.
“Well, it won't take long, but there will be some sights to see on the way. Let's enjoy watching the water to our heart's content while we're at it.”
Ice Rakshasa, who had been looking at the Yangtze River excitedly, clapped her hands and turned her head as if something came to mind.
“Ah! It would be better to tell you before we depart. You both probably know, but centering on Lake Dongting, the upper part is called Hubei Province and the lower part is called Hunan Province. The Sado Alliance is located in Hunan.”
At Ice Rakshasa’s explanation, the two men nodded.
“Since the Sado Alliance is in Hunan, we will naturally be entering Hunan Province. However, there is one thing you must keep in mind before entering.”
Pondering briefly on how to convey the story, Ice Rakshasa spoke again.
“The Hubei region where we are staying now is dominated by the Murim Alliance, but on the Hunan side, the Sado Alliance exercises greater power.”
“I suppose so.”
“Usually, the atmosphere of a region follows the inclination of the sect managing it, you see? That means the atmosphere of the Hunan region, our destination, is distinctly different from this vicinity managed by the Murim Alliance.”
“The atmosphere is different?”
“Yes. Very, very different. If the Murim Alliance has a slightly stiff and boring atmosphere, the Sado Alliance feels a bit more like people living? Based on this place, it might feel a bit rough... Anyway, don't be too surprised or offended.”
At Ice Rakshasa’s words, the two looked at each other with puzzled expressions and nodded.
Seeing them like that, Ice Rakshasa sighed deeply with a worried expression.
The three people, who had been talking about Hunan Province for a while, began to quietly gaze at the river, each lost in thought at some point.
The minds of the three people looking down at the rippling river were filled with their own worries.
Ice Rakshasa, who came out of her thoughts first and looked back at the two, slapped the back of Ban Cheol-hwi, who was looking down at the river with a face full of gloom.
“What's the big deal about being excommunicated from Zhongnan? You didn't gain anything from Zhongnan anyway. Thanks to that, you get to be active in the Murim Alliance, so straighten your shoulders and cheer up.”
At those words, Ban Cheol-hwi sighed deeply and slowly nodded.
“I know I should think that way, but... Since it is the place where I spent my childhood, leaving in this manner doesn't feel good at all. The Sect Leader isn't someone who would do that...”
“What do you mean he isn't? Didn't you know that Righteous Faction bastards originally pretend to be noble on the outside but are actually complete snobs in reality? Just think of it as stepping on poop and forget it. Now.”
To cheer Ban Cheol-hwi up, Ice Rakshasa continued to talk to him, and listening to Ice Rakshasa’s words, Ban Cheol-hwi’s shoulders straightened slightly as he felt a bit better.
“Your words seem correct, my lady. My body has resolved to continue the lineage of Quanzhen anyway. Since it has come to this, living properly as a descendant of Quanzhen wouldn't be bad either.”
Patting Ban Cheol-hwi’s shoulder, Ice Rakshasa spoke again.
“That's how a man should be. Forget about the Zhongnan matter, and let's put our efforts into solving the big problem called the Demonic Cult.”
A small merchant ship approached and docked behind the group who were deep in conversation.
Seeing the merchants gathered at the dock preparing to board the ship, Ice Rakshasa grabbed the hands of the two men.
“Come, come. Let's move. We are going to take that ship too. Let's get on board before it's too late.”
Following Ice Rakshasa’s lead, the two men slowly boarded the small merchant ship.
“Do you plan to move directly to the Sado Alliance once we arrive in Hunan Province?”
“Yes. I think that would be better. The Sado Alliance will only start moving if we meet the Alliance Leader and persuade him even a day sooner.”
At Jaun’s answer, Ice Rakshasa nodded and took a seat at the front of the merchant ship.
Ban Cheol-hwi took a seat next to her and lifted his head slightly to look down at the swaying river.
Jaun, watching the merchants busily moving about inside the old ship, also took a seat.
When everyone on the ship took their seats, the ship swayed and moved with the loud shouts of the sailors.
Once on the merchant ship, there was nothing else to do but rest.
‘Should I rest a bit?’
Putting down his complicated mind for a moment and watching the flowing river, Jaun also enjoyed a brief rest.
****
The merchant ship began to descend toward Hunan, quickly cutting across the river.
As Ban Cheol-hwi’s expression worsened slightly due to the swaying of the ship, Ice Rakshasa took off her outer garment and draped it around Ban Cheol-hwi to block the chilly wind.
The speed of the merchant ship, which had been running endlessly on the Yangtze River, suddenly decreased rapidly.
Jaun, who was sitting on one side of the ship, felt something and stood up, walking to the prow.
Ice Rakshasa also sighed softly, approached Jaun’s side, and looked ahead.
“Ships are gathered ahead, blocking the way.”
“It's fine, Young Hero Jaun. I will handle it, so just stay seated.”
Jaun tilted his head, and Ice Rakshasa loosened up her body by swinging her arms around.
“They are kids from the Yangtze Waterway Fortress. They'll just take a moderate toll and pass, so just accept it. It's a familiar occurrence for merchant ships passing through the Yangtze.”
As if it were no big deal, Ice Rakshasa pulled Jaun and Ban Cheol-hwi’s hands, brought them to a corner of the ship, and sat them down.
“It will probably pass without incident. There is no need to escalate things, so let's sit here and watch the situation.”
At Ice Rakshasa’s words, Jaun nodded and looked around at the merchants.
Merchants have their own laws.
If such an order was established between merchants and the Waterway Fortress, there was no need to intervene.
Through his experiences, Jaun was also gradually learning how the world worked.
As time passed and the merchant ship completely slowed down upon confirming the approach of ships belonging to the Yangtze Waterway Fortress, black ships immediately surrounded the merchant ship.
“Huh? The Six Dragon Flag ? Why are these guys here?”
Ice Rakshasa tilted her head looking at the flag hanging on the black ship that approached the merchant ship.
The black ship stopped a little distance from the merchant ship.
Then, a long plank was thrown into the air from the black ship.
─ Splash.
The plank that fell onto the river began to sway this way and that.
Soon after, men who jumped from the black ship stepped on the plank lined up on the river and ran toward the merchant ship.
Then, the burly men jumped with all their might and landed on the merchant ship.
─ Thud!
The merchant ship swayed greatly as the burly men landed.
The merchants grabbed their luggage and lowered their bodies with terrified expressions.
One of the burly men, who glanced around once, opened his mouth.
“Everyone shut your trap (mouth) and lower your heads! Since my mood is quite good today, I'll let you off with half of what you have. Hand over half and pass, or leave your heads here. Gather around, put your heads together, and decide.”
The burly man giggled, took out a liquor bottle from his waist, gulped it down, and threw the empty bottle into the river.
“I'll give you fifteen minutes .”
Ice Rakshasa, who was blankly watching the burly man’s behavior, sighed.
“These bastards... Just because I haven't managed them for a while, they've lost their minds?”
Jaun, looking at the burly man who took out a large saber and swung it around, asked Ice Rakshasa.
“Is the toll as much as half?”
“...No way.”
“Then I can assume this isn't a normal situation right now, correct?”
At Jaun’s question, Ice Rakshasa sighed once again and nodded.
“Of course. At most, it's ten percent. I've seen cases where they demand up to twenty percent occasionally, but half is nonsense. Who would use the Yangtze if they do business like this? Even if it means going around, people would use the land route. This is digging their own graves.”
Ice Rakshasa frowned and examined the merchants.
The merchants' faces had turned pale at the enormous toll that differed from customary practice.
Watching the merchants putting their heads together and discussing the unexpected situation, Ice Rakshasa scratched her head.
“What should I do about this...”
While Ice Rakshasa was contemplating, another sturdy young man belatedly stepped onto the merchant ship.
“Cheol-jung. Did you check inside the ship properly?”
“There is nothing to search. This is a merchant ship going straight to Hunan. It's a ship that passes at this time every week.”
“Damn it. Still, I told you to check. Let's finish up quickly and go. We have no time.”
The young man looked around at the merchants once, then tapped the piled-up luggage and walked to the back.
The young man, who untied the luggage and threw questions at the merchants, nodded with a satisfied face.
“You announced the toll properly, right?”
“Of course. I told them half. Hehe.”
“Lower your voice.”
Checking the piled-up luggage, the young man gradually approached the side where Jaun’s group was sitting.
Ice Rakshasa, who was observing the young man closely, stood up as if she had made a decision.
The young man, who was approaching where the group was while checking the luggage loaded on the merchant ship, raised his head at the sudden chill in the air and stopped in his tracks.
Ice Rakshasa, standing with her arms crossed, entered the young man’s view.
“Yuk-ryong (Six Dragons), it's been a while?”
When Ice Rakshasa greeted him with a bright smile, the young man’s face stiffened in an instant.
“S-Sister (Noona), why are you here...?”
The young man, flustered upon seeing Ice Rakshasa, soon sighed deeply, clenched his teeth, and shouted toward the back.
“Hey! You said it was a merchant ship with only merchants!”
“Eh? Of course. Aren't there only merchants sitting here?”
“Can't your eyes see the Heroine here?”
The burly man called Cheol-jung rubbed his eyes and looked at Ice Rakshasa.
“Whoa. Who is she? She's incredibly pretty.”
“Seriously, I can't live long because of you guys, I really can't. Tsk. Shut up and everyone get off, you bastards!”
At Yuk-ryong’s words, the burly men tilted their heads with puzzled faces.