NOVEL NEXT Chapter 24
“Ugh, I’m bored…”
“Sea travel is usually like that.”
After rowing like a madman and eating, if things don’t go well, there’s mutiny on the ship, turning those above into fish food, trying one’s hand at being the captain…
Since there’s no special fun like that, it’s inevitable to feel bored.
“Sir Hajin, how much longer until we reach the port?”
“It’ll take a little over half a day to cross the Qiongzhou Strait between Hainan Island and Guangdong Province. And please, feel free to speak casually.”
“In that case…”
The Qiongzhou Strait.
To be honest, I barely know anything about Chinese geography, so all I can do is pretend to understand. The only city I really know is Wuhan, which is famous for…
Let’s not talk about the reason it became famous.
“I’m going inside to rest.”
“Go ahead.”
” Aren’t you coming in, sir?”
“I’ll keep looking at the sea for a while.”
I didn’t want to lock myself in a corner since it was already bright noon. Even if I went inside, there was nothing to do, so it was better to enjoy the sea breeze and gaze blankly at the horizon.
I adjusted the wide-brimmed hat I was wearing. Hajin had given it to me since I am a colored-eyed person. While I don’t know about Hainan, being identified as a colored-eyed person in the Central Plains could be troublesome.
Well, it’s a medieval martial world, so it’s not surprising that discrimination against non-natives could exist even in the 21st century.
“…Then I won’t go in either.”
“Do as you please.”
Brat.
Leaning against the railing, I rested my chin in my hand. All I could see was the sea. Occasionally, something resembling an island appeared, but most were too small to be worth looking at.
…Meaning there’s nothing to do but make idle chatter.
“Such a bore… Sir, don’t you have any interesting stories?”
“My stories aren’t interesting.”
I couldn’t bring up stories from before my reincarnation, and even if I did, the only tales I had were from the past two years, which didn’t seem particularly amusing. Of course, I couldn’t talk about stories involving killing.
“How about stories from where you live?”
“I’m from a backwater village.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Who would’ve thought such a great hero came from a ‘Dragon’s Pool, Tiger’s Den’.”
“Hmm…”
Actually, I don’t really know where the original owner of this body was from.
I opened my eyes around the time I was conscripted and thrown into boot camp. That’s where my survival story began.
I learned meditation, trained my body by rolling around, and learned how to handle weapons.
After a month and a half, I was deployed to war.
By about half a year later, all my comrades were dead.
My unexpected talent and rapid growth enabled me to join the knighthood, which was fortunate…
Though I didn’t last a year and a half…
“Sir?”
“What is it?”
“Look over there!”
Hye-ryeong pointed at the sea in the distance. Following her finger, I saw something appeared that hadn’t been there before.
“It’s an old ship.”
“That’s right.”
“Isn’t it coming toward us?”
Now that you mention it, it does seem like it’s heading this way.
We stared blankly at the ship, which was slowly growing larger, idly touching the weapons we carried.
Encountering another ship at sea isn’t unusual, but if that ship is coming straight toward us? It’s practically certain they’re pirates.
If it were a merchant ship, there’d be no reason to approach. If it were a navy vessel, it wouldn’t be so dilapidated. It was far too large to be a fishing boat.
“I’ll inform the captain about the approaching pirates.”
“We need to prepare for battle.”
What a pain.
Why of all ships, ours?
Turning my head, I noticed the passengers were starting to realize the presence of the other ship, but there was no sign of panic or fear on their faces.
Well, with martial artists from the Hainan Sword Sect on board, who would be afraid?
Not to mention, the Hainan Sword Sect is made up of experts who have beaten pirates to death countless times.
“Can we get a bounty for capturing pirates?”
“I heard if you bring their heads, you get a reward!”
To say such things so casually with that cute face. This really is a martial world. While keeping one hand on the handle of my longsword, I stared ahead.
“It looks like they’ll be close in about one to two hours.”
The deck shook; apparently, the martial artists from the Hainan Sword Sect had all gathered. Including me, there were about seven of us, each highly skilled.
Even mediocre pirates wouldn’t stand a chance to injure us.
It seems the captain, whose face I’ve never seen, also knows this fact, as it’s clearly noticeable that the ship’s speed has slowed down. There’s no need for us to flee.
“It’s been a while since we fought on the deck.”
“Have you done it before?”
“Before I was washed ashore.”
The mercenaries were tough, but we managed. Of course, unfamiliar weapons added to the difficulty… using a longsword on a ship is extremely awkward.
Not to mention, is a poleaxe truly any better? Furthermore, since I entrusted it to the Hainan Sword Sect, it would be cumbersome to carry it around anyway. Such a weapon is of little use in the Central Plains, which has many forests and mountains.
“Everyone, go inside the ship! This place will soon become a battlefield!”
Hajin’s voice echoed behind us. If she represents the righteous faction, she’s certainly taking care of civilians first. Footsteps behind us indicated the bustling movement.
Even if the victory is clear, no one wants to be hit by a stray arrow or sword.
Who would want to get hit?
“Those pirates came all the way from Dongying, how absurd. Why do they turn to piracy?”
“With that kind of perseverance, they could have made money through trade.”
Judging from distance alone, it’s akin to putting several Korean peninsulas side by side. They must be Viking-level navigators to make it here with rudimentary ships from the medieval era.
While indulging in random thoughts, I stared down the pirate ship that was almost here.
The condition of the pirate ship was undeniably terrible. The hull was filled with repair marks from being broken, and it was covered with seaweed and algae.
It looked like they didn’t bother with maintenance at all.
How did they manage to sail such a vessel?
Perhaps they just steal ships when they attack? It crossed my mind that their goal might be the ship itself rather than treasures.
Oh well, a ship is a treasure too, isn’t it?
“Sir. It’s time to move.”
“It’d be best to board quickly.”
“That’s a good idea. We don’t want blood spilling on the deck.”
“Mu Guang, don’t let your guard down while swinging your sword. If you do so in a real fight instead of training, it may cost you your life.”
“Understood! Master!”
I heard the voices of Mu Guang and Elder Bai Xian behind me. It appears the two who were inside had also come up on deck.
Without properly conversing with Ha Jing or even exchanging a word with the silent martial artist, both stepped next to me.
“Roughly sixty of them on the deck.”
“They may be weak, but be cautious of blind attacks.”
“Understood! Master!”
Everyone launched themselves from the deck toward the pirates’ ship.
———————–
“Judging by the look of things, they seem to have approached us out of starvation.”
This was Hajin’s comment after the pirates’ ship was dealt with.
Indeed, as he said, the pirates were in poor condition. Their pale complexions suggested they weren’t in good health yet somehow managed to wield swords.
The ship was empty, whether because they hadn’t found any prey or had been plundered themselves.
Their only treasures seemed to be a few cheap iron swords.
These men really have no luck.
If our ship had been empty, they would have managed to loot.
Instead, they picked the ship we happened to be on.
Three of our group are already top-tier experts.
Though we may mock and pity these pirates, I dutifully wiped the blood off my sword with a cloth. After cutting through human flesh, a sword must be cleaned without fail.
You can flick the blood off by swinging it, but sometimes it doesn’t come off completely, so I carefully wiped the blade and returned it to its sheath.
It’s time to head back.
“Ugh, I’m tired.”
“We can rest once we return, so don’t worry. But, we need to change clothes first…”
“Yeah. I want to change out of these blood-soaked clothes.”
What are you doing?
When Hye-ryeong shook her clothes in apparent irritation, I averted my eyes immediately. It would be fine if it was just the two of us, but there are other martial artists present.
It would be troublesome to invite unnecessary misunderstandings.
“Tch…”
“…It seems we’re about to return, so let’s prepare.”
“Everyone, let’s head back to our ship!”
Elder Bai’s voice echoed across the ship.
Once again, everyone on the deck displayed their light body skills.
Everyone except me.
I need to learn some basic light body skills when I arrive in the Central Plains.
——————————
“Auntie! Look! It’s Seomun County!”
At Hye-ryeong’s shout, I looked toward the bow of the ship. True to her word, a bustling port was getting closer.
“Finally in the Central Plains.”
“Just the tail end!”
Hye-ryeong’s face was filled with anticipation.
Even though Hainan Island is technically on the fringes, it’s understandable to have longing for the Central Plains. I, too, was somewhat looking forward to it.
Now that we’re talking about the Central Plains…
It feels like we’ve truly entered the stage of the real story.
I put on my wide-brimmed hat and gathered my luggage.
“Hye-ryeong, let’s get moving.”
“Yes! Sir!”
We arrived at Seomun County, the harbor town at the southwestern end of the Central Plains.