Sichuan's Mad Dragon (Novel) - Chapter 95 - Call Me Eldest Brother

Chapter 95 – Call Me Eldest Brother

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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After the series of events concluded, Ju-seong was kneeling demurely before his master.

The Divine Physician glared at him as if to devour him, then spoke.

“Hey.”

“Yes, Master.”

“How does a single morning meditation lead to a qi deviation crisis? Are you going through puberty?”

“No, I’m not.”

“And whether you’re meditating or training, you should do it near the house. Why did you crawl all the way up there? What would you have done if Wol-hyang hadn’t followed you to see your face?”

“…”

“In the end, it’s your killing intent that’s the problem. You’ve been suppressing it constantly to avoid harming others, so eventually it ends up harming you.”

“What should I do?”

The Divine Physician gazed at Ju-seong for a moment before speaking.

“Go find my friend, Sighing Branch.”

* * *

Chun-mong walked beside Ju-seong and asked.

“So, what does this Sighing Branch person do?”

“Master says he’s a friend.”

The two were descending Jiulong Mountain and following the mountain path eastward.

“Sighing Branch… ‘Sighing Branch,’ that’s a strange title.”

Ju-seong touched his chin and spoke.

“Isn’t it the ‘ji’ and ‘tan’ from ‘Wind Blowing the Trees’ (pungsuji-tan)?”

Chun-mong looked at Ju-seong with pity in his eyes and carefully said.

“Uh, the ‘ji’ (之) in ‘pungsuji-tan’ isn’t the character for ‘branch’ (枝)…”

Chun-mong’s pride was clearly pricked, and he raised his eyes to retort.

“Wow, I know that too. How rude. Young Hero, I’ve studied harder and longer than you. Seriously. The meaning still gets across, doesn’t it?”

“That’s true.”

“Wind Blowing the Trees” meant “a tree sighing in the wind,” so the meaning wasn’t completely off.

“Anyway, there’s a high probability Sighing Branch will be near the Martial Alliance headquarters in Southern Zhili. Master says there’s something I need to receive from him.”

“What is it?”

“None of your business.”

Southern Zhili was several thousand li to the east. It would easily take several months.

“Of all places, why does the Martial Alliance have to be in Southern Zhili? It would be so much nicer if it were somewhere like Huguang.”

When Ju-seong grumbled, Chun-mong opened his mouth as if on cue.

“The reason the Martial Alliance is in Southern Zhili’s Anhui is, of course, because of the imperial court.”

Southern Zhili, as its name indicated, was under the imperial court’s direct jurisdiction. The Anhui and Jiangsu regions were included in it.

While the imperial court recognized a degree of martial world autonomy, they had restricted the Martial Alliance’s location to Southern Zhili since it was the organization that led martial world affairs.

“At any rate, Azure Sky Tower in the Anhui region is famous, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s said to be one of the largest pleasure houses in Southern Zhili. They say all the world’s beauties gather there.”

As Chun-mong spoke, he avoided Ju-seong’s gaze.

Ju-seong found his reaction curious and poked Chun-mong’s side.

“Speaking of which, I’m a man too, so I’m curious. Who is the greatest beauty at Azure Sky Tower?”

Chun-mong’s eyes lit up for a moment as he said.

“When it comes to beauties at Azure Sky Tower, they all say Su-ryeon is the most beautiful. Not to mention poetry, calligraphy, and painting… her voice is like a skylark’s, and her zither-playing is as if the moon goddess Chang’e’s fingers were upon it…”

“Oho…”

When Ju-seong looked at him with a strange expression, Chun-mong hastily schooled his face.

“Ahem, ahem.”

“What… Are you from Azure Sky Tower? You’re promoting them hard.”

“Wh-what absurd things you say. How would a beggar like me frequent pleasure houses?”

“Really? By the way, how much would it cost to buy Su-ryeon for a night?”

When Ju-seong deliberately provoked him, the kid jumped up and shook his head as expected.

“Su-ryeon is not a prostitute!”

After he blurted it out, he seemed to realize what he’d said and shrank back. Ju-seong patted Chun-mong’s shoulder with a peculiar expression and teased.

“How does Young Master Namgung know that?”

“N-no…”

“Oh my, how does Young Master Namgung know? A person who looks barely sixteen, but inside you’re all grown up. That little squirt already has a taste for pleasure houses.”

“It’s not like that…”

Chun-mong waved his hands in distress.

‘This is fun to tease.’

Ju-seong figured he wouldn’t be bored on the journey ahead. After all, Chun-mong was paying his own way, so he might as well get some amusement out of it.

In short, he had expected that apart from Namgung Chun-mong, nothing would pique his interest on this journey.

That expectation proved wrong the moment they left Sichuan territory.

* * *

“There is truly a dense fog where you can’t see ten zhang ahead,” Ju-seong remarked.

It had been about a fortnight since they set out.

It took about ten days just to reach the Yangtze, and four more days sailing downstream to Chongqing from there.

After staying one night and leaving Chongqing, they finally crossed into Huguang Province, next to Sichuan.

Ju-seong stood at the ship’s railing, sleeves fluttering like a refined young master enjoying the scenery.

“The Yangtze truly has a thousand faces and a thousand colors. First majestic gorges appear, then wide-open plains, and now a mist-filled valley.”

Beside him, Chun-mong rubbed his palms slickly, matching Ju-seong’s rhythm.

“You’re absolutely right, Young Master. What a spectacular sight. Even this lowly servant gets to tour the Yangtze thanks to you… what a blessing.”

Paying for passage aboard a merchant ship also required a certain status guarantee.

Since Ju-seong had plenty of pocket money from the Divine Physician, he bought fine clothes from a fabric shop.

Ju-seong looked like a magnificent young master in green silk robes, while Chun-mong looked like a servant who had attended him since childhood.

They played roles to kill boredom, since they were dressed up anyway.

Ju-seong clasped his hands behind his back and grinned.

“Seeing such elegant scenery makes me think of Su-ryeon at Azure Sky Tower. I should visit her soon and share a cup of wine.”

Chun-mong’s face stiffened slightly as he countered.

“…Haha, Young Master. I hear Lady Su-ryeon judges by faces.”

“What? Chun-mong, you scoundrel! Are you saying I’m ugly? I should have you beaten with a rod…”

Just as Ju-seong pretended to be angry and bellowed.

A strange drumbeat echoed across the river surface.

-Dung, dudung, dung.

“Isn’t that a stop signal?”

Ju-seong had roughly learned the signal system used between ships during his days aboard.

Soon, a dozen or so lights rose from the mist that surrounded them like a folding screen.

Since it was night on the Yangtze and fog was spread thickly across the water, they hadn’t noticed the approach.

Even Ju-seong hadn’t noticed since he had been enjoying the serene mist without using his Celestial Hearing.

But the passengers and crew aboard the ship didn’t seem particularly alarmed.

Two merchants on the opposite railing were talking to each other.

“Hmm, this must be Black Dragon Gang territory, around here?”

“I think so. Did Master Huang use that many boats? I wouldn’t know.”

“The lights are low, so they must be small boats. Surrounding us… they’re doing something they’ve never done before…”

“My last voyage was three years ago, so I don’t know. Is the toll still ten percent?”

“They raised it by five coins, saying times are hard.”

“Tsk, the only master of mountains and rivers is His Imperial Majesty, yet these ruffians collect money from passersby.”

“Shh! Careful what you say. These are short-tempered fellows.”

As merchants on the mountain roads paid tolls to bandits… the Green Forest… so did merchants on the waterways.

Generally, after collecting the toll, the river pirates would escort the merchant ship for a while, providing nominal protection.

Ships that had paid toll on the Yangtze once were marked on their sails, and by unspoken rule, they weren’t charged again.

Once you paid toll upstream, the pirates downstream wouldn’t bother the ship.

‘If they didn’t have at least that much conscience, the orthodox sects, evil sects, and officials would have teamed up to smash them.’

Anyway, that’s why pirates were numerous in this stretch.

Because they could catch newly-minted merchant ships fresh from Chongqing… the logistics hub… and collect the first toll.

Until the captain went to the bow to shout, everyone on the merchant ship was calm.

“Heroes of the Black Dragon Gang! As always, this Zhou Mou is eager to pay a fair protection fee and pass through the territory! Please come aboard. Master Huang! The fog is evocative… let’s share a fine drink…”

-Shwaak… thwack!

The captain’s body flew sideways in an instant, as if a field mouse snatched by a sparrowhawk.

The deck fell deathly silent.

And then a low voice spread across the mist-covered Yangtze.

“Ju-seong. Are you there? I’ve come to collect the price for underestimating the Assassination Curtain.”

To Ju-seong’s enhanced eyesight, he clearly saw what had snatched the captain.

It was a pitch-black iron arrow.

It was something that could only be wielded by someone who practiced martial arts.

Ju-seong shouted into the mist in disbelief.

“Hey, Archer! You’re using a bow? Are you out of your mind? Don’t you know what happens when a martial artist is caught using a bow? They cut off your head and hang it in the street!”

-Shwwaek!

An arrow came flying in answer.

Ju-seong narrowed his brow and forcefully swung his arm to deflect the arrow.

-Plop.

This time it was a warning shot with a stone arrowhead.

It was meant to waste Ju-seong’s internal energy, gauge his strength, or simply to aggravate him.

“This bastard…”

The last intention seemed to have worked perfectly, as Ju-seong muttered while twisting his lip.

He took a deep breath and shouted infusing it with internal energy.

“This is illegal, you bastard!”

Ju-seong’s fervent respect for the law echoed across the water, but…

-Shuk!

Only a heartless arrow flew in, accompanied by a round of laughter from the pirates.

-Claaang!

This time it was a real iron arrow. The arrow struck his gauntlets and flew over the railing, trailing red sparks.

Then came a series of whooshing sounds.

Not just the mysterious archer… the pirates were firing arrows in unison.

Hunters the pirates had secretly bribed, it seemed, and there were quite a few.

“Damn it, block them!”

All the civilian passengers on deck either fled to the cabin or hid behind cargo.

The escorts and bodyguards guarding them immediately drew weapons and began deflecting arrows.

One who appeared to be the escort chief shouted at Ju-seong.

“Who are you! Why is the Assassination Curtain after you! Huh?! What business do you have hitching a ride on a merchant ship?!”

Ju-seong had no time to answer.

‘Damn, why didn’t these people take cover?’

He realized there were a minstrel and a few passengers behind him who hadn’t managed to flee.

‘I’ll have to use some internal energy.’

-Thoo… oong!

Red energy billowed from Ju-seong’s outstretched palms, pushing away all the arrows raining from the front.

Scorched arrow shafts left yellow sparks in the air as they fell into the water.

Only then did he turn to look at the escort chief who had yelled at him.

“What?”

“…N-nothing.”

The moment the escort realized Ju-seong was a peak-level master, he lost all his bluster. He clammed up and focused on deflecting arrows.

Ju-seong was about to turn his head back and check on the minstrel and passengers.

But what filled Ju-seong’s vision was not terrified civilians… it was assassins striking with dead eyes.

‘Shit!’

Ju-seong gasped and swept both arms.

-Clang! Claaang!

He blocked the man in minstrel’s clothing who thrust twice with a dagger, but…

-Scratch!

He couldn’t stop the man in merchant’s clothing who ghosted into an opening.

A narrow sword… a tapered blade… stabbed in.

Ju-seong barely twisted his side, taking only a shallow wound as the price of carelessness.

But waiting at the exact position where Ju-seong twisted was a ruthless slash.

A man in sailor’s clothing wielding a willow-leaf saber.

That is to say, the dagger was the first strike, the narrow sword the second, and finally the willow-leaf saber the third.

These three meshed perfectly, fitting together without a moment’s gap or an inch of space.

The three of them must have practiced this combined attack thousands, tens of thousands of times.

‘I’ll have to take the willow-leaf saber hit.’

Ju-seong muttered to himself while twisting as much as possible around the shoulder where the saber was coming.

His tendons would be severed, so he wouldn’t be able to use his right arm in tonight’s fight.

That was when…

-Claaang…!

A sword intervened, supporting the saber’s blade.

“Whoa, that was close. Young Hero… or, Eldest Brother… how are you?”

A sword disguised as a beggar’s club had been drawn, revealing its pristine white form.

It had been by a hair’s breadth.

Thanks to Chun-mong, his odds of winning tonight’s fight had risen dramatically.

Ju-seong recovered his stance and kicked the minstrel-clothed man with the dagger first.

The man flew backward, curling up like a shrimp.

The narrow sword stabbed again. Ju-seong shattered the blade with a lightning-fast chop and smashed the assassin’s face with a short jab.

The willow-leaf saber slashed in a cross pattern. He easily deflected it with his palm.

While the man panicked, a needle shot from Ju-seong’s sleeve and embedded itself in the man’s left eyeball.

Before the man could even scream, Ju-seong closed the distance and discharged a palm strike at point-blank range.

-Boom!

The man flew over the railing with his organs pulverized and sank into the Yangtze.

“Wow… That’s no joke. Three first-rate assassins in one go.”

Ju-seong surveyed the admiring Chun-mong from head to toe, then raised one corner of his mouth.

“You call Red Beggar ‘Big Brother’ in private, right?”

“Yes.”

“From now on, call me Eldest Brother.”