NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9
“…It’s already been raided.”
“Why are the pirates invading this far inland…”
“Hurry up and collect the remains and extinguish the fire!”
“Report immediately if you find any traces of the villains!”
The burning village.
The smell of fish, the stench of blood, and the acrid scent of burning buildings filled the air, making me want to hold my breath. The odor was piercing and sickening.
What was once a peaceful village was now reduced to ashes, its original form nearly unrecognizable under the inferno.
Though it might be a familiar sight to me after spending two years in the war zone, it’s certainly not one I enjoy.
The villagers… surely at least half are dead. Despite the horrifying scene, my heart remains calm.
No matter how hellish the sight, when you see it enough, it becomes as routine as any peaceful landscape.
I watched the scene from the village entrance for a moment longer, then began to slowly walk forward.
Eventually, my gaze fell on the warriors of the Hainan Sword Sect. They were scrambling about, searching for survivors and gathering the bodies to lay them in the open field at the center of the village.
I paused briefly, then approached and crouched down to examine the bodies that had been collected.
I wanted to study the marks left by the pirates on the victims.
I traced the cuts on the contorted face of a deceased man with my hands. The blood had already dried and clung to his skin.
Still, a bit of oil seeped out.
“A clean cut straight through the bone.”
Cut… in one stroke.
It’s too precise to be the work of mere pirates. How difficult is it really, to cleanly slice through a human?
In fact, the fact that the body was cleanly bisected shows a skill level far beyond ordinary.
Even in this world where Aura and Ki are common, cutting someone so cleanly requires great talent. An inexperienced user of Aura couldn’t execute cuts like this.
Depending on the sword, swordsmanship, and the level of mastery, this could indicate someone at least veteran-level by Western standards.
Translating that in the style of the Central Plains, this would make him at least a first-rate swordsman.
This seems to not just be a regular pirate raid, since this event wasn’t covered in the original story and there’s little information to work with. Nonetheless, the pirates are mostly poor and driven by plunder; finding a veteran-level swordsman among them is suspicious.
Perhaps there’s an exceptionally gifted pirate, though the chances of such a genius arising in their harsh environment are slim.
It seems more plausible that a skilled swordsman has joined the pirates.
Maybe I should warn the Hainan Sword Sect.
I approached one of the warriors transporting bodies and inquired about the location of their Sect Leader.
A nameless disciple of the Hainan Sword Sect glanced awkwardly at me and, realizing I spoke the language of the Central Plains, informed me of the Sect Leader’s whereabouts.
To the west of the village.
I walked past the Hainan disciples putting out the fire with water and approached the Sect Leader, who stood with his eyes closed, observing the fallen.
As I drew nearer, the Sect Leader turned and looked at me with curiosity.
“Is there something you need?”
“Have you examined the bodies?”
“I have. It seems skilled swordsmen have joined the pirates. According to the survivors, they set the village ablaze in moments and swiftly retreated. This attack… it’s not ordinary.”
So, he had noticed too.
I watched the Sect Leader as he took deep breaths to compose himself. This situation had clearly filled him with anger.
“You seem to think this won’t end well for your comrades.”
“I’m aware.”
From the way they’ve systematically hunted down and killed everyone, it’s obvious they don’t take prisoners. However, we must press on.
“Return, then.”
“When I was once part of the Military Academy, my commanding officer taught me something.”
The Sect Leader remained silent, watching me with an expression of concern and curiosity.
I met his gaze and continued.
“Respect and protect the weak. Do not turn your back on injustice.”
I’m no knight anymore.
But that doesn’t mean I can abandon the code of chivalry.
At my words, the Sect Leader allowed a small smile to grace his lips.
“You were fortunate to have a good teacher.”
————
The pirates were always a thorn in the side of Hainan Province.
They would appear whenever people started to forget, raiding and leaving bloodshed in their wake.
Revenge for the countless victims motivated the martial artists who formed the Hainan Sword Sect.
Thus, its disciples despised the pirates more than anyone else.
Many of the sect’s members had lost their families to these raids.
“Filthy bastards…”
As the senior disciple Ha-jin led her group past the body of what had once been a child, her voice echoed with disdain.
“It seems they played with it before killing it.”
“How can humans do such things?”
“Not even members of the Evil Sect would act so cruelly against children.”
“…Ung, Kangso. Please gather the child’s body. We can’t leave it like this.”
“Understood.”
While everyone wanted to honor the child by carrying the body back to the village, their mission was to chase down the pirates – they couldn’t afford the delay.
“The rest of us will continue pursuit immediately.”
Ha-jin and her vanguard team moved through the forest toward the west, carefully concealing their movements.
According to one of their scouts, the pirates had docked their ships there.
“If they managed to infiltrate from the west, where defenses are weakest, there must be a traitor,” Ha-jin thought.
Given that the pirates were coming from Dongying, their raids usually started from the east, sometimes veering south or north. A western incursion was excessively far.
Even for pirates who crossed nearly 10,000 miles of sea, adding just a few more miles wouldn’t be worth it.
Not to mention, to dock in the west, they would need to navigate around the surveillance network laid out across Hainan Province.
“It’s not the time to ponder; it’s the time for action. Concentrate, Ha-jin!”
She spurred herself forward.
If these pirates had invaded further inland, they couldn’t afford to let them escape through the harbor.
Thus, they needed to catch them while they were still there.
“Stop.”
“Sure enough, the harbor…”
“A camp in the harbor? Are they actually…”
“Pirates?”
“How strange. Usually, they hit and vanish quickly. Why the sudden change?”
Even if the pirates were stronger, in numbers and strength, they wouldn’t match the Hainan Sword Sect. Normally, they should already be preparing to retreat, yet here they were, setting up camp.
“Senior Disciple, aren’t there fewer pirates than usual?”
“You’re right.”
“Could they be raiding another village?”
“…Wujin, hurry and deliver this news to the Sect Leader. It’s beyond our capacity to hunt down these scattered pirates alone.”
“Understood.”
The quiet Wujin, one of Ha-jin’s team, turned swiftly and leapt away toward the village where the Sect Leader was stationed.
“What should we do now, Senior Disciple?”
“They must have a reason for setting up camp. Don’t attack immediately. Investigate their purpose. And when they’re sufficiently weakened…”
Ha-jin mimed slicing her neck with her finger.
Everyone understood her meaning and silently nodded.
“We’ll split the team in half. And…”
Just then, Ha-jin was overcome by a creepy sensation—like someone had pressed a knife against her throat. She immediately drew her sword.
Numerous swords flashed in the cold air with a hissing sound.
“Who’s there!”
“Little rats of Hainan Province, I assume.”
‘The sickening smell of blood… surely he’s some sort of Blood Demon.’
To have killed so many and yet continue moving, the man must have bathed in blood.
Judging from the intense aura alone, the swordsman standing before Ha-jin was not someone to be underestimated.
“Who are you?”
“Me? Hmm… Let’s just say I’m a wandering mercenary.”
A man in strange armor, unfamiliar to the Central Plains, stood observing her.
The Donsei Gusoku armor from Dongying gleamed as he looked over Ha-jin casually.
‘This man can’t be here alone.’
No matter how strong a master, he wouldn’t dare face dozens of first-rate warriors alone confidently.
“Everyone, stay alert!”
“Ah, I don’t like quick-witted kids.”
With a sinister laugh, the lone swordsman, clad in his armor, raised his right hand.
Simultaneously, rustling noises emerged from the woods.
Their movements were far too tactical to be ordinary pirates.
‘What incompetence! Should’ve been more cautious.’
Even in Hainan Province, to get ambushed like this—Ha-jin berated herself but did not lose focus on what needed to be done.
“Everyone, we’re retreating inland now!”
“To the ones who bring back their heads, I will increase their shares!”
In that instant, the hunter became the hunted.