Book 22 Chapter 4

Storms come from the wrong place

-Turning point of fate

"Sailing is smooth, my lord!"

"Well, that's a good wind, and at this rate, we'll be there sometime tomorrow."

Zhang Wuyang raised his head and looked up at the mast with a proud gaze. The white tiger and softened sword fluttered side by side in the strong wind.

"And now we're here!"

It's been a long, hard road. We've come a long way from our humble beginnings to compete with the best in the world. If I had to start all over again, I probably wouldn't even be able to walk.

"We're about to enter the sympathetic arc."

"Hmm."

Now, if they could just get through the isthmus, they would be greeted by the vast expanse of Dongzheng Lake. They were not headed for the Temple of Heaven. Zhang Wuyang didn't know exactly where it was, but he was told that if they docked their boat at a village on the shore of Dongzheng Lake, someone from the Temple of Heaven would come to claim the trophy.

'I can't believe I've come all this way and still can't get into the Temple of Heaven. It's a shame, but it can't be helped.

But there was one thing that bothered me.

"What would Noya do?

Clearly, Noya wants to enter the Temple of Heaven, but at this point, he has no chance of ever setting foot inside. But Noya is not the kind of person who would just walk away and say, "Oh, well, I can't do it then! We hadn't known each other long enough to get a good idea.

"No way……."

Suddenly, an ominous image flashed through my mind like a meteor.

"Eight, no. You're not going to go that far. Cancer, yes.

But the more I denied it, the more my anxiety grew.

"Please don't let anything happen to……."

Zhang Wuyang began to pray fervently to the God of Heaven and Earth, hoping for a favorable outcome, but his lack of faith caused his prayers to crumble into dust.

Ding, ding, ding!

A sailor on the mast, keeping watch, shouted an emergency call.

"We're in trouble! The Black Dragon Ship has arrived!"

At the sound of a scream, the deck, which had just enjoyed a moment of peace, was transformed into an abysmal chaos.

"What! Why are they here? This isn't even a place of business!"

An exclamation of disbelief burst from Zhang Wuyang's mouth upon receiving the report.

Black Dragon Ship. It was a black ship with black sails and a black flag emblazoned with a black dragon. It was a dark shadow on the waterways, but I had heard of a notorious group of watermen who stirred the Yangtze as they pleased, unchecked by the Yangtze River Commissioner.

"Damn it, I should have burned incense and burned paper when I prayed! I'm sure there are a lot of people who pray for the dead and the living! The gods of heaven and earth are angry with me for having the audacity to pray with my bare mouth!

He gritted his teeth and regretted it, but to no avail.

"Damn, but this is still too much!"

Despite resenting the impatience of the Heaven and Earth Divine Mistress, Zhang Wuyang hurriedly clung to the prow and squinted. He wanted to understand the situation.

Over the horizon, a black shadow slowly revealed itself against the water.

It was painted an ominous black. Its frame, hull, sails, flags, and oars were all painted black. If it were night, it could have sailed right up to you in the dark and you wouldn't have noticed it, hence its nickname, the Grim Reaper.

No ship has ever encountered them at night and survived. It's dangerous to travel the waterways at night without some sort of technology, so there were always fewer boats out at night.

The Zhongyang Marking Bureau had always anchored their boats at nightfall for safety. Moreover, as they were in charge of delivering the marks to the Temple of Heaven, they never expected to encounter enemies in broad daylight.

"We'll only get caught if we run. I guess I don't have a choice."

The Black Dragon was an uncompromising beast. Tolls were not an option. It was their creed to rob rather than pinch, and the ships themselves were built for the sole purpose of attack, destruction, and plunder. The two steel bulges protruding from the bow were reminiscent of a moose's horns, and the twenty-four oars in unison with the mast, which seemed to withstand any storm, were overwhelming to behold.

Fight or die, run or get caught. So give up, the ominous black ship said, and give it all you've got.

"But do you have anything to offer? It's just the students' luggage from the mission.

A ship with few expensive goods. Their intelligence network should have known that by now, but it was inexplicable. Anyway, the Black Dragon slowly approached and stopped at a reasonable distance. It was just the right distance to throw the hooks and ropes.

Sure enough, one of the big men, his shoulder muscles straining, began to twirl the thick rope over his head. As soon as the spinning rope flew away, another giant appeared behind him and began twirling the rope as well.

Wheeeeeeeeee!

The rope flew out with a sound that cut through the wind. Without missing a beat, the rope dug its steel claws into the ship's railing.

"Come on, cut the rope!"

Zhang Wuyang shouted in a desperate voice. It was impossible to build a bridge with both eyes open. Several of the men rushed forward and struck at the ropes with their swords. But the ropes were specially treated and only scratched, not cut. The ropes were tougher than iron cordage.

Amidst the flying ropes, Zhang Wuyang stepped forward, trying to stay calm. He had to try anything to stay afloat. He went to the stern of the ship and tried to talk to the siege.

"I am Zhang Wuyang, sovereign of the Zhongyang Marked Bureau in Sichuan. Where are you brothers from?"

Her voice rang out loud and clear, but there was no answer. Just in case, Zhang Wuyang called out again, this time with all her heart.

"I ask you again, brothers, where are you from?"

But the answer was silence again, and as the leader remained calm, the initially flustered marksmen gradually regained their composure. It was a good opportunity to organize themselves.

"Take care of it!"

The square-faced man shouted harshly, and twelve chargers rushed forward, treading on black ropes. They were the Twelve, the elite of the Black Dragon Ship, always calling for blood from the vanguard.

Just then, the cabin door opened and an old man walked out.

"It's noisy. What's the fuss, I can't sleep."

It was Nosabu. Without a glance at the rope-swingers, he went straight to Zhang Wuyang to inquire about the situation. At his back, twelve men from the Black Dragon Ship rushed forward, and he decided that a crooked old man like Zhang Wuyang should be cut down along with him.

"Watch out, Noya!"

Seeing the twelve shadows rushing at him from behind, Zhang Wuyang shouted in a desperate voice. Their goal was Zhang Wuyang's head. They had no interest in anything else, and the sudden appearance of the Laborers' Union was just a mere hindrance, to be cut down like always. But that rule of thumb didn't work today.

Thump, thump, quadadang!

"What?"

In a sullen voice, Mr. Nosabu replied.

"Huh!

Zhang Wuyang was stunned.

"What just happened?

In fact, he had his eyes open, but he wasn't quite sure what was going on.

'So those twelve people who were charging at you seemed to stop in midair for a moment, and then… and then…….'

The memory was blank, as if there had been a disconnect. It was as if a part of his memory had been ripped out, and all he could see was the aftermath. In front of him now were twelve shadows that had suddenly lost all their strength and fallen to the ground in a heap. The cause of this inexplicable phenomenon was still unknown to him. Suddenly, Nosabu, whose back was turned mechanically toward him, spoke.

"What, nothing much?"

He doesn't even bother to look below. It's always been my rule not to sweat the small stuff.

"Oh, yeah……."

Zhang Wuyang couldn't say anything else as he looked at the grave figure.

Not caring whether Zhang Wuyang was missing or not, Nosabu stared at the ugly, ominous black ship that blocked the path of his ship.

"Hmm?"

For the time being, the black boat was a passing point, in that it had caught the eye of the Ministry of Labor, which trivializes most things. It was obvious that it was going to be a bad lottery ticket, but they had no way of knowing that they were going to have to cherish what little chance they had left at this point.

"Hmmm……."

Nosabu, who had been staring at the black belly for a while, asked.

"Hey, that black boat, is it expensive?"

At first, Zhang Wuyang didn't understand what he was hearing. The words were beyond his thought system.

"What? Sin, I'm sorry. I didn't hear you very well."

Embarrassed, Zhang Wuyang apologized weakly.

"Tsk, tsk, he's still so young, and his ears are so dark."

However, the labor department was kind enough not to pursue the matter further.

"That black boat, you asked if the unit price is pretty high."

Only then did Zhang Wuyang finally understand. It wasn't a very convincing conversation, but it wasn't too much of a problem to communicate.

"It's probably going to be quite expensive. It's going to be a special order, first and foremost."

Mr. Nosabu nodded nonchalantly, as if he had already anticipated the answer.

"Hmmm, I guess so."

"That's… that's right, Noya."

An unknown anxiety bubbling up from the bottom of her chest, from the bottom of her subconscious, created a crack in Zhang Wuyang's voice.

"I'll take it, then."

The voice sounded too calm for the content, and Zhang Wuyang began to doubt her own ears.

"What, when you say receive, do you mean get that ship?"

"No," Zhang Wuyang retorted, enduring Nosabu's stare, "have you been eating your ears off?

"What are you going to do with it?"

"Sell it."

"Green onions, do you sell them?!"

Zhang Wuyang's eyes nearly popped out of her head. But the labor department remained nonchalant. As if this was no different from eating three meals a day.

"I'm sure a ship that well built has a market, even if it's not necessarily for piracy. I'm sure there is, but we'll have to clean up the mess and take it in. He's blocked our way, and we should make him pay for it. Time is gold."

"Well, yes, but……."

The idea of going head-to-head with the infamous Black Dragon Ship just because it was in the way, and because it was an expensive ship, was beyond Noyara's comprehension.

"There are those who quarrel uselessly, but it matters not, for a ship of that size is useful, so handle it carefully so as not to spoil it, and if the poisonous weeds of society try to interfere, throw them to the fish."

The directive from the Ministry of Labor was very detailed and specific. It was just a matter of who would do the work.

"Hey there, old man, what's with all the talking!"

A short-tempered foe shouted whale-curses in a gravelly voice from the far side of the ship. As if to intimidate me, he swung the ugly rope like a whip, hitting the deck hard.

"Heehee-!

Zhang Wuyang's face fell as he witnessed the disrespectful spectacle of a man at the height of his powers. However, Mr. Nosabu didn't seem to care, and his face remained impassive.

"Maybe we should just throw them all out with the fish food. He can bark all he wants, but from the looks of it, he's going to wreck the boat, and he's a bit noisy."

Mr. Nosabu glared at Zhang Wuyang and spoke in a low voice. Zhang Wuyang's face, now drained of blood, was white to the point of bleaching.

His voice was low and calm, but every word was clear to the ears of the men on the other side of the Black Dragon. Captain Square, the square-faced man in charge of the Black Dragon, shouted in a gruff voice.

"Black Dragon Thunderbolt, get ready! Put that wretched old leg at the center of the coordinates!"

His fingertips touched Nosabu's brow.

Squeak, squeak, squeak!

Behind the captain's back, a heavy engine sounded, and at the same time, two rectangular boxes, the children of the captain, turned toward Nosabu. It was an oddly shaped object with six square holes in the bottom and top.

"Noya, that's……!"

Zhang Wuyang's face turned bright blue when he saw it. He had heard about it through the grapevine.

Black Dragon Brainfight!

It was the Black Dragon's mighty twelve-shot crossbow, a terrifying weapon with a single arrow the size of a man. It was an incredibly destructive anti-ship weapon, capable of shattering a ship's outer walls and piercing through to the bilge in a single strike. Certainly, it was never meant to be used against humans.

"This is your punishment for insulting the men of the sea!"

The square captain solemnly proclaimed, raising one hand as if he were the Great King of Yin. It was a desperate situation, but Zhang Wuyang, in his frustration, said to himself, "I'm not going to let this happen.

"The ocean? That's not it, ah-!

"Go to hell and do penance, old man, one shot!"

The hand that had been raised fell, and at the same time, thunder rumbled and a storm raged. Zhang Wuyang squeezed his eyes shut tightly, foreseeing his death.

"Hic!"

He instinctively tried to duck, but his body wouldn't bend downward. An invisible force, like the wind, was holding him back.

Shhhhhhhhhhhh!

The sound of tearing wind was right in front of me.

"……?"

Zhang Wuyang's mouth dropped open in shock as he opened his closed eyes and took in the situation.

One of the Black Dragon Thunderbolts, which had been fired with tremendous power, was gently held in Noya's hand. Nosabu was accepting it with a nonchalant expression.

"One, one, one, one is a malfunction!"

In a state of shock and disbelief, Captain Square was unable to accept what he saw for what it was.

In his mind's eye, he saw the remains of a shapeless old man, crushed by the murderous power of the Black Dragon Thunderbolt. The sight of the old man standing there with such a grave face was unacceptable. He had to do something urgently to shake off this unfamiliar sensation that was creeping up from the bottom of his chest.

"This… this time through twelve times!"

In a voice filled with madness and confusion, the square captain cried out.

"Me, ready to go!"

The fear was shared by the men at his back. Firing a weapon the size of the Black Dragon Thunderbolt all at once would normally have required a bit more preparation time, but the fear of the sailors cut that down to a fraction of the time.

"Get hungry, get old, and crush them, all at once!"

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Eleven black dragon thunderbolts, spinning at breakneck speed, shot toward the markers of the Ministry of Labor and the Zhongyang Marking Bureau. It looked like they were going to break it halfway first, then rob it or throw it away. Zhang Wuyang despaired. At this rate, even if Noya survived, the ship and the people on it would not be safe. No matter how powerful Noya was, he only had one body, and there were a total of eleven arrows flying at him without any defense.

"It's over!

It's not unreasonable for Zhang Wuyang to have been so preoccupied that he didn't even think of a will. But…….

Thrrrrrr!

Apparently, he was judged by the real King Yeomrada to be too early to end his life.

Nosabu's single body became two. The two became four, the four became eight, and the eight became sixteen.

Pah-bah-bah-bah!

Against the newcomers, the Black Dragon Thunderbolts were fired at breakneck speed.

"No way!"

He still didn't understand the situation, but his short attention span wasn't to blame. At that very moment, Zhang Wuyang had said the same thing. At that moment, Zhang Wuyang had spoken the same words. The terrifying rotating force that seemed to tear through the air with such speed that it could crush even a city wall was nowhere to be seen, and the eleven arrows in the eleven Noya's hands were as calm as poetry.

The five Inyoungs were empty-handed, and one of them, Noya, shrugged off his empty hands and grumbled.

"What, did I share too much?"

"Sure."

"It's been so long since I've used……."

"Looks like I overdid it."

"Boom!"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the four men with nothing to do disappeared. The twelve Nosabu looked at Captain Square, who was already slumped to the ground, barely able to stand. The majesty of a moment ago was long gone, buried beneath a ghostly expression.

"Stroke?"

A look of disapproval crossed Nosabu's face.

"Tsk tsk, how dare you use the name 'brain' on such a crappy toy……. The penalty for impersonation is great."

I guess that's what you wanted to say.

With a rumbling sound, the eleven separated bodies converged around a single point. The twelve arrows, including the first one that flew in, piled up in front of Zhang Wuyang, who was standing in front of Nosabu.

"I'd break it, but I think I could get a pretty good price for it, so……."

So it meant tolerate. Nosabu turned around and said something.

"Do you understand?"

Zhang Wuyang replied, quickly assuming an upright position.

"Yes, I understand, Noya!"

Zhang Wuyang clearly understood what she had to do.

"Well, that's good, then, because now that the Chinese Marking Service has a new flag, it should have a new story to tell. While you're at it, why don't you post one today?"

Nosabu said, patting Zhang Wuyang on the shoulder.

"Is that what it is?"

"Well, that's the way it is. Oh, and not a single fatality! And if possible, no injuries!"

"No… no……."

Zhang Wuyang couldn't help but be overwhelmed with emotion.

"Don't cry about it, it's better for propaganda if you take it easy on things like this, and don't get all emotional in the wrong places."

It was clear that the Ministry of Labor had no intention of showing any mercy to mask the brutal truth.

"Huh, is that what it is?"

"That's how it is, so don't die. Don't get hurt. Because it will only be effective if we win without a single person getting hurt."

"Yes, I'll keep that in mind!"

Still immobile, Zhang Wuyang replied.

"Oh, and like I said, leave that freakin' crossbow alone!"

"What? Gee, were you serious?"

That thing was a spoiled brute that had dared to bare its teeth at Noya. It deserved to be torn to pieces for its sins.

"What's wrong with weapons, it's the people who use them. Hate the people, but don't hate the weapons. Rare weapons sell for a lot of money, especially if they're rare! Do you understand?"

Ignoring Zhang Wuyang, who was mesmerized for a moment, Nosabu lightly flicked his finger.

Voila!

That was the signal.

It was a fork in the road that would set off a melody of despair on one side and a triumphant jubilation on the other.

"Charge!"

"Subdue the enemy!"

Zhang Wuyang shouted as he drew his sword.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaah!"

"Let's burn it!"

With a cheerful shout, the headmen and women leaped bravely toward the Black Dragon Ship, stepping on the rope ladders they had constructed, fearless and proud.

Surprisingly, the fight ended peacefully. Pulling up a chair to watch, Nosabu leisurely scratched his ears and watched as the marksmen of the Zhongyang Mark Bureau mingled with the crew of the Black Dragon.

The men of the Black Dragon were not as powerful as they had hoped, already demoralized by the status of the old man. As long as the Labor Department held out in the rear, the story was over and the curtain had fallen.

The valiant entrance of the markers of the Zhongyang marking station that followed was merely backstage, but it was also necessary. It was also necessary, because most of the main characters on stage weren't that interested in cleaning up after themselves.

"This is a dream, this is a dream, this is a dream!"

The Black Dragon Ship's captain, the late-night reaper Black Square, better known by the name Captain Square, shouted that over and over again, his eyes tinged with despair.

On the water, they prided themselves on being the strongest. In the darkness of the darkness, at one of the pinnacles of the Black Sea, known only to a select few, they were the fixers, the ones who worked in the shadows to accomplish what the rest of the world could not. And so they were always in the fight.

Compared to what they'd been doing for the past few days, running the flagship of a nation that was only just beginning to make a name for itself was a piece of cake. It was so easy it was almost unpleasant. No, they hadn't expected this infernal sight.

'Strongest on water'. Now it was just a fleeting memory that had already passed. The rest of the Black Dragon's men had also been captured before they could put up much of a fight.

Nosabu was lounging in a deck chair, his eyes completely closed. There was a brief disturbance on the other side of the ship, but it quickly died down. A moment later, a man approached.

"It's all over, Noya!"

Beads of sweat beaded on Zhang Wuyang's forehead as he reported back to the team.

"Well, are you done? That was faster than expected. I thought it would take a little longer."

Nosabu said, narrowing his eyes.

"It's all thanks to Noya."

Even he hadn't thought it would be so easy to capture the infamous Black Dragon, the outlaw ship of the Yangtze River, and now that he had done it, he didn't know if he was dreaming or in real life.

"Results?"

The old man asked briefly.

"I'm afraid we're not quite strong enough yet, and we have six wounded. Ah, not seriously wounded; the ship and its strange weapon were taken without much damage; few of our enemies resisted as strenuously as we thought, and we have taken nearly all of them alive; those who jumped into the water have been roughly picked up, but let us give them some time to search to see if any are missing."

The ships I've commanded so far have been nothing short of spectacular against the hundred-plus Black Dragon ships. No, it was almost a miracle. A miracle that wouldn't have happened without this old man in front of them.

"Never mind. Just one."

"What?"

"Nope. Good to see you don't have too many scratches, by the way. Let's take them with us. We'll turn them over to Guan'a for the bounty, and we'll take the boat and sell it if we can find a good deal. I'm not sure there's anyone around here who'd buy a ship like that."

"You're selling, too?"

"Why would they go through all this trouble and hassle when they could just sink it with a single shot?"

"You mean one shot?"

"Yeah, one shot."

The scary part is that it doesn't sound like a joke.

'Maybe Noya can do it…….'

She's come to take it for granted.

"A normal ship would have plenty of buyers, but that's a warship, built and modified for the sole purpose of effective combat on the water. If you want to get paid for it, you're going to have to find a buyer who recognizes its value."

There was only one place she knew of that would sell them.

"I know a place where people like that hang out, and I'm sure someone will come along and buy a boat like that."

"Huh?"

The old man's eyes, still closed, slowly opened. And he asked.

"Where is that?"

Zhang Wuyang bowed and replied politely. He opened his mouth, not knowing how many storms his words would unleash.

"That place is……."

Zhang Wuyang paused for a beat and then said.

"It's a place called Ganghorando (江湖亂島)."

The words that I would never have spoken if I hadn't had a prying eye on my fate, finally became a sound, resonated, and were given meaning by the world.

It was the moment when the fate of one man stepped into the path of a raging storm.

* * *

At a distance of about thirty sheets from the line of the Zhongyang marker, two arms suddenly sprang out from under a piece of wood that was floating in the water, and a man appeared. If anyone had seen it, they would have thought that a water demon had appeared.

Tal Tal Tal!

A man clad in a raincoat and hugging a piece of wood tightly shook his drenched hair out of his face. It's hard to tell if he's trying to shake off the water or shake it off. The pallor on his face seemed to be caused not only by the coldness of the water.

"Shit, I hope they didn't catch me. No, I mean, did they catch you, and they let you go?"

It was ridiculous. He must have taken advantage of the confusion to sneak off the ship and stayed underwater for a while. But it was chilling. He couldn't shake the feeling that something had been watching him the whole time.

Zhang Yong, a top-secret operative of the Jianggang Surochai's intelligence agency, the Deep Sea Warriors, whose main task was to keep a close eye on the Black Dragon. In fact, he and the Black Dragon were kindred spirits as they both existed beneath the surface of the Yangtze River. His main task was to make sure that the Black Dragon wasn't embezzling money behind the scenes, expanding or contracting its reports as it carried out its secret missions. The Black Dragon Ship was a very powerful force in its own right, and if it didn't have someone like him on it, even the owner of the Yangtze River Waterworks could not help but feel uneasy.

A single black ship can defeat even ten of Jiang Kang Suoqi's best ships. The Black Dragon Ships, only three of which were built by the Jianggang Surochai due to their enormous construction costs, had just attacked a flagship operated by a rising power on the outskirts of Sichuan and were instantly defeated! I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. To capture a Black Dragon Thunderbolt with one's bare hands, and to do it with an alter ego! Even he himself was now wondering if he had seen things in vain.

"But you'd better leave that out, right?"

If I made the story too implausible, I could be told I was dreaming.

"Still, since you're selling the boat, that's where you're going, and I'm sure you'll be happy in the main house."

It was a huge accomplishment, but it took a lot of guts to even think about selling it.

"Should I include this fact?"

I couldn't decide whether or not to include another unlikely fact. Even though I couldn't figure out the old man's identity, it was still the most important piece of information.

"Oh no, not now, not if I don't get paid!"

Soon after, a pigeon flew out of a sidecar floating leisurely on the Yangtze River.

* * *

Food Gain!

No one would believe you if you told them that a pigeon had caused such a ruckus that it had shaken up the entire river system. But if they knew it was a pigeon carrying a first-class letter, a "payment," they would nod in agreement.

There was a hint of urgency in Surgeon General Lee Meng's step as he made his way to Chaeju's office, the letter he had just received clutched tightly in his hand.

What would Chaeju's reaction be? I was nervous.

"What? It's gone!"

As expected, the Black Dragon King started by yelling.

"Yes, it is."

"You call that a horse? How can you take that away from me?"

"It's… unknown."

Bam!

"Unknown? Are you kidding me? The Black Dragon Ship was subdued, how can the reason be unknown? There were a bunch of heavenly beasts riding on it?"

"There have been no reports of that."

"Are you drugged?"

"I haven't eaten yet."

"Oh yeah? I thought I'd gotten high on a bunch of pills again, and you know how expensive that is."

"Of course I'm well aware of that."

"Whatever. Get it back somehow!"

"Calm down, vegetarian!"

"Holy shit, are you going to calm down now, I just lost the value of ten ships?"

"At least we know where we're going."

Flash!

Upon hearing Yi Meng's words, the Black Dragon King's frenzy paused for a moment.

"What? You'd better say something like that already! Okay, where are you?"

"Reportedly, it's Kang Horando."

Lee Meng replied with the attitude that if he was wrong, he was not to blame at all.

"Really? Great, you'll die if you're wrong!"

I wanted to say no, but the fist was too close and I could only swallow.

"So who would you like to send?"

Yimeng asked in a cautious voice.

"I'll do it myself… No, no, no! Send the debtor. He hasn't done much lately either, so tell him to work once in a while. He may be my brother, but he can't be all play and no eat these days."

Of course, the debtor didn't get the job just because he was related to the debtor.

For example, his bounty was higher than his brother's, a testament to the diversity of his crimes. It was also a source of great pride. But he couldn't say, "Why do you have a higher bounty than me?" He couldn't ask.

"You mean the debtor?"

In a trembling tone, Yimeng replied. He was good, but his temper was too violent and cruel for my liking.

"Yeah, him. I'm sending him. With the black dragon ship Iho!"