Chapter 53. Humanity
Dong Bong-su quietly turned his head and once again examined the situation unfolding around him.
The ships that had recklessly charged toward Chaohu had already all sunk completely.
Following them, the fast boats that had caused that destruction were now closing in on this area as well.
The ships here had abruptly changed direction, but they still hadn't been able to move much toward land.
Boom! Boom!
Their ramming attacks resumed in haste.
Because of that, the entire formation of the fleet staggered violently. However, the ships remaining here were relatively larger and sturdier than the ones that had been smashed earlier, so they did not sink easily from the ramming attacks.
Aaaah!
"Leave not a single one alive—slaughter them all!"
Someone's shout and screams became the signal for close-quarters combat.
Since things had already come to this, thinking it was all-or-nothing anyway, the congratulatory guests who had been aboard the rear ships climbed onto the fast boats that had crashed into them.
Likewise, the water bandits climbed onto the Namgung Family's sailing ships and engaged in chaotic melee combat.
Among the congratulatory guests, there were quite a few skilled martial artists, so once close combat began, they were able to push back the Yangtze water bandits with relative ease.
The problem was numbers.
The enemy's fast boats kept pouring in endlessly, while their own numbers continued to dwindle. At this rate, they would be wiped out before even reaching land.
"Damn it… we've been completely played by those bastards...."
Tang Wu let out a low groan as he watched the fierce battle.
From the very beginning, he had been dancing in the palm of the enemy's hand. Not only Namgung Byeok and the Namgung Family, but even he himself had been stumbling around within their meticulous plan.
The only thing he could still rely on now was the appearance of "that person."
Whether enemy or ally, at least it was certain that that person was not on the side of Heavenly Demon Castle or the Yangtze water bandits.
The enemy of my enemy is my ally—an overly naïve and optimistic thought.
'If only that person shows up, the two of us could do something....'
Though the situation was turning dire, he decided to wait just a little longer.
Sshhhhhk!
A rain of arrows once again split the night sky and covered the entire fleet.
However, with many skilled fighters gathered around Tang Wu, the water bandits' archery attacks failed to achieve significant results.
Even so, their situation did not improve in the slightest.
The ships were barely managing to turn and head toward land, but the speed was absurdly slow.
The distance from here to land was roughly 150 meters. The distance to the enemy was immediate.
The rear was already engaged in close combat, and even the flanks were gradually being seized by the enemy's fast boats.
Knowing that there were quite a few skilled fighters on this side, the enemies deliberately refrained from fully encircling them, instead herding the ships toward the shore.
Only the rear was engaged in hand-to-hand fighting. By fighting in the rear, they were greatly destabilizing the other ships.
Before even a quarter of an hour had passed, the water bandits had completely seized three sides.
If they reached the shore in this state and the demonic soldiers seized the remaining side, they would be perfectly encircled.
No one was rowing anymore, but the ships continued drifting toward shore by inertia.
Aaaagh! Spear! Kkaang! Splash!
The clash of swords, blades, and spears.
The death screams of people as they perished.
The sound of Namgung Family servants jumping into the water.
All of those sounds and noises mixed together, further plunging the situation into chaos.
For now, far more water bandits were dying than congratulatory guests, but the number of guests was steadily decreasing.
If this continued for some time, it was obvious that once they crossed a critical point, they would collapse all at once.
"Damn it... this is as far as it goes."
Tang Wu had been waiting for "that person" to appear, but now he could no longer just sit idle.
Even so, he couldn't leave Tang Hua and Namgung Hye on this ship and go fight the water bandits in the rear.
Now, he had to make a decision.
If he stayed here, the outcome would be either being captured and killed by the water bandits or sinking to the bottom along with the ship.
If he were alone, that wouldn't matter. But beside him were his granddaughter Tang Hua and the granddaughter of his deceased sworn brother, Namgung Hye.
Clenching his fist until it bled, he suddenly lunged at Namgung Hye, struck her pressure point, and knocked her unconscious.
Then he immediately tucked her under his left arm.
"Grandfather, why...?"
Tang Hua stared in shock, her mouth agape. She had no idea what he was thinking.
In contrast, Dong Bong-su knew exactly what Tang Wu was trying to do.
And he realized that the moment had finally arrived.
Tang Wu's indifferent gaze and Dong Bong-su's cold gaze tangled in midair.
"I'm sorry. Right now, there's no other choice."
Dong Bong-su nodded calmly, as if it had nothing to do with him at all.
"It's fine. That way, my mind will be at ease as well. Please go quickly."
"..."
Even in this situation, Tang Wu felt a sense of regret.
A talent who read his intentions through nothing but exchanged glances. No—perhaps he had already predicted how things would unfold just by watching the situation…..
But.
Just as he had said... right now, there was no other choice.
He couldn't let Tang Hua or Namgung Hye die.
Which was heavier—the regret or the feeling of his heart being torn apart—was obvious without weighing it.
"…..!"
Only then, after hearing Dong Bong-su's words, did Tang Hua finally realize what Tang Wu was trying to do.
He intended to leave this ship with only her and Namgung Hye before the encirclement was fully completed.
Her eyes met Dong Bong-su's for a brief moment.
Dong Bong-su was smiling—an easygoing smile that seemed to say goodbye, urging her to go.
For an instant, a trace of guilt passed through Tang Hua's eyes. After all, it had been Dong Bong-su who had saved her life earlier.
But that moment was fleeting.
From this distance, the land was more than 150 meters away.
No matter how strong Tang Wu was, carrying three people across in one leap was impossible. No—he couldn't cross that distance even alone in a single bound.
Carrying three people across such a distance?
That was difficult. And even if it were possible, what then after reaching land?
Namgung Hye and Dong Bong-su, disguised as Sosam, knew no martial arts.
Escaping Heavenly Demon Castle's encirclement with the two of them was absurd.
Tang Hua's eyes quickly returned to their original color, filled with chilling coldness as if guilt had never existed.
"Grandfather, hurry. There are people swimming over there."
As she said, quite a few people were swimming toward land.
They were mostly Namgung Family servants and their families, who knew little to no martial arts.
They had jumped into the water as soon as the fighting began. Though torches were lit densely on the shore, to them, land seemed safer than staying on the ships.
Among them, those highly skilled in swimming had already advanced over 90 meters.
On the other hand, some who couldn't even swim had jumped in and were already floating lifelessly as corpses.
Tang Hua pointed at them and immediately launched herself forward.
Pat! Tak!
"Hua!"
Tang Wu had originally intended to carry Tang Hua under his other arm as well, but when she suddenly leapt into Chaohu, he was startled and jumped after her.
Yet Tang Hua was flying toward the shore as if nothing were wrong.
Instead, others were losing their lives because of her.
She used the backs and heads of people desperately swimming as stepping stones, leaping continuously toward land.
Each time she leapt, one person struggling to survive was either crippled or had their head crushed to death.
Those whose heads burst immediately were fortunate—they died without even realizing they were dying.
Those with shattered shoulders or backs flailed helplessly in the water before slowly meeting death, without ever knowing why they were dying.
Crunch!
After crushing the head of the foremost swimmer, Tang Hua dove straight into the water.
That point was roughly 15 or 18 meters from shore.
There were no more "human stepping stones" to use, and even if she reached land alone, she would obviously be killed under concentrated attacks from Heavenly Demon Castle's followers.
As she submerged, Tang Wu unleashed the movement technique of walking on water and flew above her head, landing on shore.
Pa-pat—.
Immediately, he attacked the Heavenly Demon Castle followers with one hand.
Though he couldn't use both hands, he was still a peerless master.
Puh-buh-buh-buk!
Among those waiting, there were some fairly skilled fighters, but none could stand against Tang Wu.
With just a few moves, the skilled ones died, and as soon as they fell, the rabble collapsed and died like bundles of straw.
While Tang Wu opened a path like that, Tang Hua swam ashore.
She turned her head once toward Dong Bong-su, now barely visible, then followed Tang Wu into the bushes along the riverbank.
Immediately after Tang Wu and Tang Hua left the ship that way, skilled fighters began abandoning the ship like bamboo shoots after rain.
All of them flew toward the shore Tang Wu had passed through, where he had already swept through once, leaving a sizable gap in Heavenly Demon Castle's forces.
Pat, pat, pat...
Each time a skilled fighter left the ship, people floating on the water turned into corpses.
Most couldn't use water-walking techniques, so they stepped with all their might on "human footholds," advancing 12 or 15 meters at a time.
Forgetting all about orthodox or otherwise, the congratulatory guests trampled Namgung Family servants indiscriminately as they flew toward the shore.
Before long, once they landed safely, brutal grappling between them and the Heavenly Demon Castle followers began.
"Die!"
Clang! Cha-clang!
The fight was fierce, and naturally, blood and flesh flew everywhere.
Of course, corpses were also strewn across the water.
The final moments of those who struggled simply to live—just as always within the Namgung Family.
It was nothing special.
Dong Bong-su watched the scene calmly.
Then he lightly opened his mouth and tossed out a single remark.
"Truly human."
They were cold words, but to him, such things were human.
The true nature of humans is revealed when driven to the edge.
How human is it?
That is what humans are.
"The reason I love humans."
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