The Black Dragon King gritted his teeth. The pirates were retreating from Plum Blossom Island.
"This…."
Clench!
He clenched his lips and trembled with anger.
'Those idiots.'
He had never given any instructions to the bandits. His orders had stopped at annihilating the Namgung family. Yet, those morons were retreating according to Ho Ga-Myung's orders.
"This…"
Of course, Ho Ga-Myung was Jang Ilso's right-hand man, the leader of the Four Precepts Alliance. Looking at the chain of command, it wouldn't be wrong for them to follow his orders. After all, the pirates were also members of the Four Precepts Alliance.
However, seeing the pirates follow Ho Ga-Myung's orders without even checking, despite him being right there, made his stomach churn.
"Phew."
The Black Dragon King took a deep breath.
Anger surged, but if he raised his voice, he would have to admit that they had taken away his command of the pirate fleet, even if only for a moment. Instead, he gritted his teeth and jumped off the Black Dragon Ship.
He then approached Jang Ilso, who was heading to the ship.
"Jang Ilso!"
He called out to him in an angry, beast-like voice.
"What are you doing? Why are you letting them live like this? If I just twist their necks now, it will all be over!"
Jang Ilso's feet stopped. He didn't even turn his body but only turned his head to look at the Black Dragon King.
"Tell me something…"
The words that had been urging him were cut off. The Black Dragon King unconsciously bit the flesh inside his mouth.
Jang Ilso's gaze showed not a single trace of emotion.
The moment his colorless, odorless gaze pierced through him, the Black Dragon King felt a chill as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
"Uhh…."
Jang Ilso remained silent and stared at the Black Dragon King. The Black Dragon King tried to meet his gaze, which was so transparent, with red eyes, as if he had to prove who he was at that moment.
But the standoff did not last long. In the end, the Black Dragon King turned away first.
"Excuse me, Alliance Lord… I got too excited."
A slightly bowed head.
It was not a gesture of complete submission, but it showed sufficient respect for the other person.
"Hmm."
Jang Ilso looked at him with a slightly displeased expression and slowly nodded.
"I know why the Black Dragon King is angry. He must be upset because I arbitrarily took the pirates."
"Ah, not necessarily…."
"But it isn't something to be so angry about."
Jang Ilso smiled broadly and continued.
"Killing them and getting rid of them isn't such a huge deal, is it?"
The Black Dragon King doubted his ears for a moment.
'Not a big deal?'
They were the Namgung family, the leaders of the Five Great Families, and the prestigious families of Murim, which had existed for hundreds of years. Just wiping them out would be an achievement that the Four Precepts Alliance and the pirates would be proud of for eternity.
But… that wasn't a huge deal!
"Even so, it is a loach."
Jang Ilso.
"If you catch a loach, you should use that loach as bait to catch something like a snakehead. What difference would it make if you catch just one loach?"
"… a snakehead?"
"That is the huge fish."
Jang Ilso slowly turned his head. His gaze stopped at the Black Dragon Ship, the symbol of the pirates. A strange smile appeared on his lips.
"I will give you a more detailed explanation when I get on board the ship."
The Black Dragon King's expression hardened slightly. But the moment Jang Ilso turned around as if to ask if there was a problem, the Black Dragon King had no choice but to nod.
"… I get it."
"Ga-Myung, let's go."
"Yes!"
Jang Ilso and Ho Ga-Myung leisurely headed towards the Black Dragon Ship. The Black Dragon King followed them silently.
"…."
He quietly bit his lips and glared at Jang Ilso's back as he walked ahead.
The Black Dragon Ship symbolized the Black Dragon King's authority. No one could board the ship without the Black Dragon King's permission. Jang Ilso could not have been unaware of that fact, but now Jang Ilso had informed the Black Dragon King that he would board the Black Dragon Ship.
Yes, it wasn't a request or permission but a notice.
This clearly showed the positions of the Black Dragon King and Jang Ilso.
'Jang Ilso…'
The Black Dragon King clenched his fist.
But now he couldn't stop him. If he had tried to stop him, he shouldn't have let go of the initiative the moment they first confronted each other. The moment he couldn't handle the gaze and avoided it, the Black Dragon King lost the right to control him.
'How…'
Three years ago.
When they first formed the Four Precepts Alliance, Jang Ilso wasn't like this. The reason the Shenzhou Five Sects took Jang Ilso as the Alliance lord was because they were confident he could match the abbot of Shaolin.
But now, the question that had taken root kept coming up.
Was it really possible to control that snake?
As he watched Jang Ilso boarding the ship with his red robe fluttering, cold sweat began to form on his back.
The face of the abbot who was watching the Plum Blossom Island turned blank.
The pirates who had filled the Plum Blossom Island retreated one by one and boarded the ship.
"This…"
The abbot, who had been mumbling something, closed his mouth.
He tried to say, 'How on earth was this going to turn out?' but he couldn't bring himself to say it. He knew how foolish those words would sound to the ears of those guarding behind him.
However, his worries were nothing more than an old man's concerns. Even if he had said those words, no one would have pointed a finger at him or called him foolish.
They also did not understand the situation. No, even if someone from the world came, they would not understand what was happening right before their eyes.
"… it seems like they were stepping down."
Those were the words that came out of the mouth of the abbot. However, they were not words spoken to the abbot. The abbot was also in a state of confusion, mumbling what it was.
"Namgung… was already under attack?"
"… as if."
No matter how surrounded they were, the Namgung family was the Namgung family.
In particular, wasn't there the Emperor's Sword, Namgung Hwang, over there?
No matter how powerful Jang Ilso or the Black Dragon King were, it would be impossible to subdue that Emperor's Sword without much fuss.
Then…
'What on earth is going on over there?'
Why wasn't there a battle then?
And why didn't the place descend into a battle, but the pirates who cornered the Namgung just walked away?
Did they just let go of the cornered enemy out of mercy?
How ridiculous.
If they were like that, they wouldn't have been called the Four Precepts Alliance in the first place.
"Amitabha… Amitabha."
The abbot quickly chanted.
He couldn't figure out what was happening. From the moment Jang Ilso appeared there, his head felt like it was going to be messed up.
"Abbot, then…"
The abbot turned his head and looked at Beop Gye.
"Namgung…. And them…"
"Can't you keep your mouth shut!"
At that moment, an angry roar burst out of the abbot's mouth.
There was no way the abbot didn't know what Beop Gye was trying to say. He probably wanted to suggest that Namgung had joined hands with them. However, he should never have said that out loud.
"Don't talk about things that haven't been confirmed yet! It is insulting to them!"
"I am sorry, abbot. But the situation is a bit…"
Although he was angry, he understood the abbot's feelings for saying those words.
No, to be honest, the abbot had already considered that possibility. He thought it was impossible, but if it wasn't, then it was an incomprehensible situation.
"Amitabha. Amitabha."
The abbot bit his lip. Just then, he saw someone wearing a red robe boarding the Black Dragon Ship.
'What are you even thinking!'
There was no need to think about who was in charge of this whole thing.
Jang Ilso.
It was clear that the evil man had done something.
But even the abbot couldn't figure out that man's true intentions.
Crack.
It was the moment when the abbot glared at Jang Ilso, gritting his teeth.
"T-they are moving."
"…"
The ships that had been anchored to the island slowly retreated. Even the men who had pushed ships that were stuck on the sand climbed back onto the ship.
"T-they are really leaving like that?"
"… why on earth?"
"What are they thinking?"
A mumble came from behind.
The monks Shaolin, which was considered the strictest sect in the world, were so confused that they were talking about things right in front of the abbot.
"Are they really retreating from the island?"
"… what is that…"
They could see it.
The island where all the pirates had retreated and Namgung's survivors standing around.
Beop Gye spoke again with a pale face.
"A-abbot. This means that they did make a deal…"
"Did I not tell you to shut up!"
Beop Gye went silent as anger was poured onto him. But the abbot clenched his fists.
'It was such an obvious trick.'
The Namgung family made a deal with them and remained alive?
How could that have happened?
The abbot was not one to suspect and reject the Namgung family for something like that. What could they not do to live? A gentleman would not hesitate to crawl between the legs of the enemy and even lick his balls in order to achieve a cause.
There was no reason for the abbot to get caught up in such an obvious trick.
"That cannot be. It is something else. But just what is… what is it that can be gained from this situation?"
But the abbot soon realized.
It might have been better not to know.
"The ship…"
"A-Abbot. The ships are surrounding the island again."
The Shaolin monks shouted in bewilderment. As expected, the ships that had left the island didn't completely retreat but began to slowly surround Plum Blossom Island.
"Surround?"
Again, really?
If that was the case, why not kill…
"Uh…"
At that moment, the abbot's eyes widened as if they would fall out.
"Euk!"
In an instant, a sound like the soul escaping from the mouth burst out. It was a groan that Beop Gye, who had been by the abbot's side, had never heard.
His mouth was open wide, and his eyes trembled in fear.
"H-how…?"
The ships that had thickly surrounded the island clearly turned outside the island, towards the north of the river.
"H-How can a person do this? How can a human do something like this? How! Just how!"
A desperate scream burst from the abbot's mouth.
"A-Abbot!"
Beop Gye, who still didn't understand the situation, was shocked by this. He could promise that this was the first time the abbot's anger was this violent.
"Hegemony Lord! Hegemony, Lord, you wicked man of hell! How can a human even do this? Just how does a human do this?"
"A-Abbot! Please calm down!"
That was the moment.
The massive and intimidating Black Dragon Ship slowly approached them, cutting through the water. Soon, the ship reached the river between Shaolin and Plum Blossom Island and began to slow down as it halted.
No one could breathe.
No one could open their mouths.
A man in a red robe stood leisurely on the sharp bow of the Black Dragon Ship.
No one could move a finger; they just stared at the man, Hegemony Lord, Jang Ilso. Every expression on his face, every gesture, every corner of his robe fluttering in the wind—everything was captivating.
"Hmm."
Jang Ilso's eyes were fixed on Shaolin.
"Why are you so angry?"
A soft, gentle voice pierced the silence.
"I am…"
The pause was brief, but the silence made everyone's hearts sink. Soon, the devil smiled and continued.
"I came to give you a chance."
His blood-red lips curved like a crescent moon.