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Even before the sun went over Seosan, those who gathered to the tavern were drinking heavily.

“Those damned pirates, they’re gonna get it good!”

“Damn right! Shit, the guys who were so viciously harassing us really well now won’t even show their noses! They don’t show their faces in front of Shaolin monks and Wudang!”

“That’s why they’re Evil Sect! They’re Evil Sect not for nothing!”

People who had drunkenly filled themselves were sharing their joyous drinks, expressing their own sentiments.

The disappearance of the tolls demanded by the pirates does not immediately improve life. But at least the joy of having all the money they earned in their own hands and the relief of not meeting pirates with swords in the middle of the river was a calling for drink.

“Tsk. Conversely, isn’t this because they haven’t done what they could have done long ago?”

“Hey, this man! It is as they said, If you save a man from drowning, he’ll demand you to save his baggage. Those folks aren’t ordinary! They might have been ruined, but they’ve come to help us now, haven’t they?”

“That’s right! That’s also true!”

At first, it was true that there was a gloomy gaze of the Ten Great Sect and Namgung Family, which arrived in the Yangtze River after Mount Hua, but that gaze has almost disappeared.

Regardless of the reason, late or early, it’s a good thing to get rid of the pirates anyway.

“Anyway, I hope the pirates are all driven away at this rate.”

“Don’t get your hopes up too much. How can we chase away all the pirates in this vast river? Even the Empire can’t do it.”

“The Empire can’t do that? They’re just not doing it! They’re not doing it! Since they’re not attacked even if they ride a ship, they will just sit back, right? If the high-ranking officials get robbed by pirates, the pirates on the river will be wiped out, right?”

“Anyway, that’s an excessive expectation. Unless those folks stay on the river.”

“That is something to watch. Apparently, some of Mount Hua’s forces stay in the Yangtze River?”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

“They say the people from Mount Hua Sect operate the ship around the place where the pirates were wiped out. A ship that goes to and from the other side of rivers regularly.”

“Isn’t that a common occurrence so far?”

“You don’t know. Isn’t it a regular thing that those regularly operating ships were being robbed by pirates? Even irregularly running ships were easily robbed, let alone those with a set departure time and route.”

“It was.”

“But will the pirates dare to touch those of Mount Hua Sect? It’s a long way from Kugang, but we don’t have to worry about pirates as we go up and down to Gangnam!”

“That, that would be so.”

“And to do that, Mount Hua’s people would have to keep their places somewhat. Then we might not have to see the pirates around Kugang.”

“If only that would happen!”

People began to swell with hope one by one.

If the worry about being attacked by pirates disappears, it doesn’t end with just being able to earn a little more money. As more money flows, there is a surplus, and when there is a surplus, the market becomes activated.

Dreaming of a day full of people and luggage coming and going to the Yangtze River, people shared glasses with energy.

But in such a place, there will always be someone who blows the candles.

“I don’t know. Will it go that well?”

“…What else is he going to say?”

“If the pirates had disappeared in that way, would there have been an outbreak of pirates in the Yangtze River?”

“Again, again….”

“Eighteen Water Fortress of the Yangtze River. That’s also Five Great Evil Sect, you know. They’ll never let it slide that easily. And this might not be good news for us.”

“Why? Why is it bad news that pirates are being eradicated?”

“So far, we’ve been able to navigate the waterways by just paying them a reasonable toll, because they wanted to keep squeezing money out of us, right?”

“That’s a known fact.”

“But after this happens, they might not think they can live as pirates on the Yangtze for their whole life. Then wouldn’t they try to grab all the money they can see? Before the suppression comes?”

“…That’s….”

The speaker shakes his head vigorously.

“If you mess with a snake, you’ll only get poison. If you make them feel like this and pull out, the pirates’ anger will pour out on us. But will those yangbans really protect the Yangtze to the end? Are they going to fight with their lives on the line with the pirates?”

“….”

Everyone closed their mouths.

Although they wanted to deny it, there was definitely a point to his words.

“I don’t know if we are scratching an itchy spot. I wish it wasn’t.” (x: means disturbing something troublesome that might not be a problem if left alone in the first place)

“Those words leave a bad taste.”

“Now, now! Stop talking and drink! Drink!”

As the atmosphere subsided, people raised their spirits, raised their voices, and lifted their glasses of alcohol again. But the anxiety that had already been ingrained was curled up in one side of their chests until the end of the drinking party.

* * *

“Did you say the water fortress was empty?”

“Yes!”

A groan escaped from Bop Kye’s mouth.

“What about tracking? Is tracking them possible?”

“It’s not easy. They’re not running away on land like bandits, they take to the ship and head out to the middle of the Yangtze River…”

“….”

“To attack those floating in the middle of the Yangtze River, we need a ship. But to engage them in naval warfare is…”

“It’ll be difficult, huh.”

“I’m afraid so.”

“I see. Well. It can’t be helped. First, check and inspect the empty water fortress again.”

“Yes, Elder.”

Bop Kye’s eyes grew heavy.

He pretended to be calm on the outside, since he was not in a position to outwardly express himself, but inside he was quite nervous.

‘This is difficult.’

If the pirates escape with the ship like now, Shaolin has no way to track them. As they’ve talked with the disciples a while ago, engaging the pirates who had gone out to the middle of the vast Yangtze River in naval warfare is a self-inflicting harm.

Of course, if the goal is to annihilate the pirates, even at the risk of suffering, it is not impossible. However, this fight is not a fierce battle between water fortresses and Shaolin over each other’s fate. Isn’t the goal to achieve more victories with less damage than other sects who set out to the Yangtze River?

‘The chances of dragging time without much progress have increased.’

The Yangtze River is wide.

Even if they do not escape to the middle of the river, it is a cumbersome task to thoroughly search this wide and long Yangtze River and wipe out the pirates. No matter how much Shaolin, Wudang, Qingcheng and Namgung have gathered at the Yangtze River.

Bop Kye looked at the Yangtze River and lost in thought.

‘Now, we are attacking with one heart and one mind, but if even one of the four sects feels discouraged and pulls out….’

If so, the other sects might feel threatened too.

‘No, it’s too early to worry about that.’

Right now, it’s right to focus on the matter at hand.

Just one thing.

‘That oddly low resistance from them.’

No matter how hard it is, the opponent is Eighteen Water Fortress of the Yangzte River. At this point, it would make sense for the Black Dragon Water Fortress, the center of all water fortresses, to move around…..

“It’s just an old man’s worry. Amitabha.”

Bop Kye shook his head.

It was as if he was trying to shake off the doubts filling his head.

* * *

Hangzhou. (??(杭州))

There’s sky above, there’s Suzhou and Hangzhou below. (???? ????(上有天堂 下有蘇杭))

Means there’s Heaven above the sky, while there are Suzhou and Hangzhou below the sky.

Hangzhou, which is located along the West Lake (??(西湖)), is one of the most beautiful cities in the entire Jungwon. Its outstanding scenery has captivated countless poets over the years.

However, Hangzhou is not just famous for its excellent scenery.

A place where you can enjoy all the joys, luxuries, and pleasures of the world. The most fitting city for the term ‘Sleepless City (???(不夜城))’is the current Hangzhou.

At the third watch of the night (10 p.m. to midnight). Not a single star was found in the cloudy sky, but the night of Hangzhou was brighter than daylight. Lights and lanterns lit up the streets.

“Come! We’ve got some great drinks and even more great side dishes ready!”

“The best place on the top floor is vacant! It’s just right for you, warrior-nim!”

“We have plenty of rare delicacies from the west!”

The voices of drunken people filled the dazzling streets of the night with the voices of touting waiters.

And in the most noticeable place in that sleepless city of Hangzhou.

Hangzhou’s highest ten-story pavilion, Chwihyang Pavilion (???(取香樓) /Incense-Taking Pavilion).

At the window of the top floor of that place, a man was tipping a glass of alcohol alone. It was quite an unusual sight.

The top floor of Chwihyang Pavilion costs several months of living expenses for an average family just for the seat, and even if you drink the same alcohol, it costs ten times more than drinking on the lower floor.

Nevertheless, there’s never an empty seat on the top floor of Chwihyang Pavilion.

The open window overlooking the streets of Hangzhou and the West Lake is a symbol of Hangzhou in itself. Not only the pleasure seekers of Hangzhou, but also the children of rich families who heard rumors and came to Hangzhou also try to leave the memory of having been to the top floor of Chwihyang Pavilion in any way.

But there were oddly few people on the top floor of the Chwihyang Pavilion today.

No, there was only one person sitting in this spacious top floor. If a stranger saw this scene, they would doubt their eyes.

However, if an acquaintance sees this scene, he will nod his head, saying it is natural, and if a person who knew better saw this scene, they would immediately turn around and run away.

This is because Jang Ilso, Paegun, is enjoying himself alone in the best seat of Chwihyang Pavilion.

“Hmm.”

Paegun looked at the yellow liquor in the glass and murmured.

“Shaoxing Wine.” (???/紹興酒/绍兴酒)

There are countless liquors sold under the name Shaoxing in the world.

However, the real Shaoxing Wine must be made with the water of Jiam Lake (??(鑒湖)) in Zhejiang. In other words, it means that you can only taste the real Shaoxing Wine if you come to this Zhejiang.

Moreover, the liquor that Paegun is tasting now is the Seolhyang Wine, which is considered a premium among Shaoxing Wine. It was the top-quality Chwihyang Wine (???(醉香州)), which is only handled in this Chwihyang Pavilion.

“Intoxicated by the fragrance….” (Literal meaning of the Chwihyang Wine.)

Paegun smiled faintly and slowly took the liquor into his mouth.

Indeed.

Its fragrant taste is indescribably deep and precious. The moment you take a sip, it feels like your whole body is filled with fragrance.

“Good.”

Of course, the wine in Guangxi and Guizhou, where he is located, is not inferior to the wine in Zhejiang.

However, even though alcohol is on a similar level, their fragrances and feelings are all different. There is no way to rank which is the best.

The world is wide and vast. And from all over this vast world, numerous kinds of liquor are produced. Each with its own distinctiveness, outstanding liquors.

Ordinary people die without tasting a tenth of the alcohol made around the world.

“I’m no different.”

Getting Shaoxing Wine is not a difficult task for him.

However, to truly appreciate a region’s famous liquor, you have to go to that region and enjoy its culture and atmosphere.

Can the Chwihyang Wine you drink in Guangxi and the Chwihyang Wine you drink here in Hangzhou’s Chwihyang Pavilion be the same?

When he thinks about it, he feels suffocated as if trapped anywhere. How many places in this wide world can he step on with ease?

Paegun, who had taken another drink of Chwihyang Wine, lightly rubbed his lips with the tip of his index finger.

‘There’s not much left of that either.

He will have this world under his feet.

He will have the widest land under his feet and drink more liquor than anyone else.

“You must be Jang Ilso.”

Then, the sound of heavy footsteps began to be heard from downstairs.

“Hmm.”

Paegun glanced and looked towards the stairs. Soon, a large man covered in black clothes appeared.

“You impudent lad… You dare tell me to come and go?”

“Please come in, Black Dragon King.”

Jang Ilso smiled brightly in triumph.