Thunder God's Reincarnation

Chapter 9

Baek Mu-Gun roughly treated Black Dragon Squad Leader Seo Ja-Gang’s injuries and locked him with the other Sea Dragon Gang survivors in the ship's hold. With the situation now cleared up, they continued their journey to Dongtou Maritime Defense Base.

"I'm glad we won this battle, but don't you think the situation has escalated too much?" Baek Cheon-Ung expressed his concern. The Baek Sword Sect and the Sea Dragon Gang had gotten into many skirmishes. However, they didn’t cross a certain line to avoid an all-out war between each other, adhering to an unspoken agreement between both parties.

Today was different, however. They annihilated one of the Sea Dragon Corps’ four elite squads. Furthermore, the Black Dragon Squad’s leader had been reduced to a state where he could no longer practice martial arts.

The Sea Dragon Gang wouldn’t overlook what happened today. An all-out war between the Baek Sword Sect and the Sea Dragon Gang could happen.

"The Sea Dragon Gang picked a fight with us first. The fact that they sent the Fujian Three Murderers to capture me, the first son of the Baek Sword Sect, shows just how much they looked down on us. We need to take this opportunity to show them how fearsome the Baek Sword Sect is to stop them from acting rashly once and for all."

"You’re absolutely right. However, the Sea Dragon Gang are no ordinary pirates. Though it is shameful to admit, their power is by no means inferior to Baek Sword Sect. The escalation of this battle won’t do the Baek Sword Sect any good."

Mu-Gun firmly responded, "If we keep standing down because of the damages we could incur, even though such a rebellious and vicious gang has been ridiculing us, who would acknowledge us? We have to assert our dominance when necessary to prevent anyone from mocking the Baek Sword Sect. I believe in our sect’s real power. I believe in my father, my uncles, and the Baek Sword Corps. If we fight in unison with unwavering hearts, the Sea Dragon Gang won’t be a threat."

Mu-Gun’s words made Cheon-Ung realize that he had grown weak.

"Yes, you're right. I forgot for a moment that it is the survival of the fittest in murim. It is as you said—we have to assert our dominance when necessary. I guess this uncle of yours has gotten older. I've lost the spirit I had when I was young and tried to settle for the present."

"Aren’t you still in your prime?”

“My mindset, not my age. I’ve been living in peace for so long that my way of thinking has perhaps become conservative without me realizing."

In response, Mu-Gun said gallantly, "You can still change your mindset right now. Don't settle for less. Don't be afraid to bleed for the right path. No matter who it is, I’ll take the lead and get rid of anyone blocking our path. Believe in me, have faith in the Baek Sword Sect, and let's claim the future together."

If Cheon-Ung had not seen Mu-Gun’s martial prowess as he single-handedly defeated the Fujian Three Murderers and captured the Black Dragon Ship, he would’ve thought that Mu-Gun was putting on airs. However, Cheon-Ung had confirmed Mu-Gun's martial prowess with his own eyes and decided it was reliable.

Although Mu-Gun was young, Cheon-Ung thought he was worth trusting and following. He couldn’t see Baek Yong-Hwan and Baek Mu-Ok as the right individuals to lead the Baek Sword Sect. Hence, he didn’t take any sides. However, if Mu-Gun became their sect’s successor, Baek Sword Sect’s future would be bright.

Cheon-Ung made up his mind to support Mu-Gun as the Baek Sword Sect successor, and he would put in every effort to make that happen.

***

While the White Wolf Squad aboard the White Wolf Ship led the captured Black Dragon Ship to Dongtou Maritime Defense Base, a ship with the Baek Sword Sect's sigil appeared on the other side.

"Naval support. The Dongtou Maritime Defense Base seemed to have noticed the movements of the Sea Dragon Gang’s ships.”

"That seems to be the case," Cheon-Ung remarked.

Mu-Gun nodded in response. The Dongtou Maritime Defense Base deployed reconnaissance teams throughout the sea to keep the Sea Dragon Gang in check. They would send a signal whenever they found Sea Dragon Gang vessels, and a combat team would immediately be deployed. That applied to their earlier situation.

When the distance between the two ships closed in after a while, two figures could be seen at the bow of the ship. They were Baek Cheon-Ho, squad leader of the White Tiger Squad, and Mu-Ok. Cheon-Ho was Baek Cheon-Sang’s second younger brother and Mu-Gun’s uncle.

After further covering the distance, Cheon-Ho and Mu-Ok used movement arts to cross over to the White Wolf Ship.

"Elder Brother!"

"Greetings, Uncle."

Cheon-Ung welcomed Cheon-Ho, and Mu-Gun politely greeted Cheon-Ho.

"I heard that you’ve recovered from qi deviation and regained your martial arts. The rumors seem to be true now that I’ve seen you in person. As your uncle, I’m glad you’re able to live the life of a martial artist again. I hope you forget about the past and do your part as the first son of the Baek Sword Sect."

"I’ll keep that in mind."

"Now then, what happened?" Cheon-Ho asked, having seen the Sea Dragon Gang’s ships and pirates.

"The Sea Dragon Gang launched a surprise attack on us. One of the ships escaped, but we managed to capture the other," Cheon-Ung replied.

"The Sea Dragon Gang made the first move?" Cheon-Ho asked in surprise.

"That's right. I think they were aiming for Mu-Gun."

"For Mu-Gun?"

"They probably thought capturing him would reap great benefits. He is the first son of the Baek Sword Sect, after all.”

"But how did you defeat them? Considering they sent two ships, you would’ve been outnumbered."

"Our situation would’ve been reversed if Mu-Gun didn’t play an active role.” Cheon-Ung pointed to the captured pirates.

"You mean to say Mu-Gun defeated the pirates?"

"That's correct."

"You should have seen Mu-Gun's remarkable performance as he single-handedly wiped out one of the ships, elder brother."

"He did what?" Cheon-Ho asked in disbelief.

"That's not all. He also defeated the notorious Fujian Three Murderers and overpowered the leader of the Sea Dragon Gang’s Black Dragon Squad."

"Fujian Three Murderers... You mean the trio that became murim’s common enemy due to the Guangdong Jin Family’s kill order?“

"That's right. It seems they fled and hid among the Sea Dragon Gang."

"The Fujian Three Murderers were experts that even Peak Realm masters had difficulty dealing with, yet you claim Mu-Gun defeated them alone?"

"It would’ve been difficult if they hadn't let their guard down." Mu-Gun acted modestly when Cheon-Ho stared at him with a surprised look.

"Catching them off-guard doesn’t matter. Wolves don't just suddenly become sheep. For you to not just recover your martial arts, but even possess martial prowess strong enough to defeat the Fujian Three Murderers... What happened in the time I haven't seen you?"

"I happened to gain a small miracle as a blessing from the heavens."

"I never expected us to receive such a great blessing. It seems the heavens have yet to abandon the Baek Sword Sect."

Cheon-Ho was truly pleased with the miracle that Mu-Gun obtained.

"I would like to extend my sincerest apologies for showing you such an ugly side despite the family's expectations of me. From now on, I will do my best to become a nephew you will not be disappointed with."

"As you should. Maybe it's because I'm in a good mood, but I'm suddenly craving alcohol."

Cheon-Ho smacked his lips.

"If you're craving a drink, you should have one. Come to think of it, there's a bottle of Yanghe Daqu Liquor[1] in the cabin. I brought it over for you, elder brother."

"As expected, you're the only one who cares about me, younger brother. What are we still standing around here for? Let's go get it.” Cheon-Ho urged Cheon-Ung. He had a weakness when it came to alcohol. Cheon-Ung smiled at his uncontrollable older brother and entered the cabin with him.

"What happened?" Mu-Ok asked when their uncles had left. He had been waiting for his turn.

"It's exactly as you have heard."

"You said otherwise last time I asked you, though.”

"I was in the middle of treating my qi deviation at the time. I planned to tell you about it after completely treating my qi deviation and regaining my martial arts. Are you upset that I did not tell you the truth?"

"Yes, I'm upset. It feels like you don't trust me, Elder Brother."

"What a foolish thing to say. I trust you the most in the whole world."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, I'm sure. There’s no reason to be angry."

"I'm not angry. Rather, seeing you return to being the elder brother who was cooler than anyone else in the whole world makes me happy."

"Mu-Ok!"

"Yes, elder brother."

"Thank you."

"What for?"

"For believing in me and not giving up on me until the very end, even though I had shown you such an ugly side the past few years.”

"That's not something you should thank me for. As your younger brother, it is only natural that I trust and follow your lead, elder brother," Mu-Ok replied shyly.

Mu-Gun smiled, finding the sight of his younger brother cute. After going through eight reincarnations, he had quite a few families. However, no one believed and followed his lead as innocently as Mu-Ok. Mu-Gun knew how lucky he was to have a younger brother like Mu-Ok. To protect that great luck, he decided to do his best not just for himself, but for Mu-Ok as well.

"Shall we have a cup of tea in the cabin?"

"I'd love to."

Mu-Gun and Mu-Ok moved to the cabin and had a cup of tea together.

***

After having tea and casually catching up with Mu-Ok, Mu-Gun headed to the ship's dock, where Ja-Gang was locked. Ja-Gang was tied to the pillar of the warehouse with both his shoulder tendons severed. His mouth was gagged to prevent him from committing suicide.

Mu-Gun took a chair that was lying around in the warehouse and sat in front of Ja-Gang. He then removed the gag from Ja-Gang's mouth.

Ja-Gang stared at Mu-Gun with a gaze full of killing intent.

“If you want information about the Sea Dragon Gang from me, you're better off giving up. I'm not soft enough to run my mouth simply because of torture,” he snarled.

"If you answer my questions, I will spare your life."

"Did I beg you for my life? If you want to kill me, go ahead," Ja-Gang retorted, seemingly unafraid of death.

"Then I'll add another condition. If you answer my questions, I won’t hand your subordinates over to the government office."

Mu-Gun used Ja-Gang's captured subordinates to his advantage. He noticed Ja-Gang’s big heart toward them when he was suppressing the Black Dragon Ship into submission. Hence, he added this condition just to try his luck.

"What a joke. Did you not say that you would not negotiate with the likes of pirates?"

"That's usually how it goes, but I will negotiate with pirates if necessary."

Mu-Gun's indifferent response made Ja-Gang speechless.

"So, what do you plan to do? Are you going to watch and do nothing as your men are handed over to the government office?"

"I can't betray the gang, even if it is for the purpose of saving my men."

"Will they find out even if you don't? I personally don't think they will."

"Do you think such a shallow trick will work on me? The gang will surely avenge me."

"I hope they do. Then I can just sit still and wait for the Sea Dragon Gang to come so I can knock them down."

"No matter how great your martial arts are, it will be useless in the face of the Sea Dragon Gang’s Peak Realm masters."

"We'll see about that. So, you have no intention of answering my questions, do you?"

"That's right."

"Then you leave me no choice but to hand your subordinates over to the government office. You probably know this all too well, but the moment I surrender your men to the government, your men will bear the status of prisoners and work in hard labor all their life. I'll specifically request to send them to a place where they can never escape. There, they’ll experience suffering far worse than death.”

"I did not realize that the first son of the Baek Sword Sect was such an underhanded man."

"It's not underhanded to capture pirates causing harm to the world and sending them to do hard labor. It's something that deserves praise. However, you are different. You had the option to save your men, but you chose not to take it. Your men will do hard labor until the day they die. Who do you think allowed that to happen? You. This is all because of you. You abandoned them. Be sure to keep that in mind."

With nothing more to talk about, Mu-Gun stood up and turned around to leave the warehouse. Ga-Jang's gaze wavered. He cared for his men like brothers. He thought it would be better to stay alive and become a prisoner rather than die. However, listening to Mu-Gun, he was mistaken. It was better to die a clean death than to suffer working in hard labor all their lives.

He had to save them. If he could save them, he would. However, doing so meant betraying the Sea Dragon Gang. Ja-Gang agonized over whether he should remain loyal to the Sea Dragon Gang or save his brother-like subordinates. He soon made up his mind.

“Wait!” He called out to Mu-Gun, who was about to leave the warehouse.

Mu-Gun grinned with satisfaction. The fact that Ja-Gang called out to him as he was trying to leave meant that the pirate would soon spill information. Seeing that Ja-Gang cared for his men and since he had nothing to lose, Mu-Gun gave it a shot. And Ja-Gang fell for it.

"Why? Have you changed your mind?" Mu-Gun asked slyly as he turned around again and fixed his expression, feigning obliviousness.

"If I answer your questions, will you really let my men go?"

"Yes, I promise you with the Baek Sword Sect's honor on the line."

"Fine, then. What do you want to know?"

"The location of the Sea Dragon Gang."

"There is a remote island located fifty kilometers northeast of Dongtou. The base of the Sea Dragon Gang is located just 2.5 kilometers north of that island."

"You're a good liar. I already know from the reconnaissance teams that there is nothing within one hundred and fifty kilometers from here."

"No, what I said is the undeniable truth. The Sea Dragon Archipelago, where the Sea Dragon Gang is located, is covered in trap arrays, so it’s not visible from the outside.”

"What trap array?"

"It's called the Fantasy Fog Array."

Mu-Gun was pretty well-versed when it came to array techniques, but he had never heard of the Fantasy Fog Array.

"How do you break through it?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"The Fantasy Fog Array’s life-and-death path changes irregularly from time to time, and it can only be located through the Fantasy Fog Array’s array diagram. To pass through the array, you need the guidance of the guide ship that knows how to determine its life-and-death path."

"Is it perhaps the place where the Heavenly Seafarer left his legacy?"

While listening to Seo Ga-Jang's explanation, a fact suddenly came to Mu-Gun's mind.

Murim had many odd and eccentric people. A hundred years ago, a handful of them became known as the Ten Wonders of the World. The Heavenly Seafarer was one of them. It was said that he hid his legacy in the middle of the sea. Numerous martial artists tried their best to find it, but no one succeeded.

Mu-Gun thought that the Sea Dragon Archipelago, which the Fantasy Fog Array had isolated from the world, could be the place where the Heavenly Seafarer had hidden his legacy.

'I need to check it out.'

Mu-Gun made up his mind to search through the Sea Dragon Archipelago.

"So that's why you answered willingly,” he then told Ja-Gang. “You probably think I won't be able to pass through the Fantasy Fog Array.”

"I have definitely answered your question. So, as promised, let my men go."

"I will. However, I will only release them after imposing a taboo of evil on them to prevent them from ever committing piracy again."

"You're going to break your promise after all I've told you?"

"What? I did not break my promise. I only promised not to hand them over to the government office."

"How dare you trick me with your words! How can you refer to yourselves as a righteous sect after all this?"

"Fish cannot live in water that is too clear. Even if we are a righteous sect, we wouldn’t survive the tough world of murim if we operate so straightforwardly. This much is considered a lovely act in murim, where the weak become prey to the strong."

Mu-Gun accepted Ja-Gang's condemnation and treated it with insignificance. He then left the warehouse.

1. Yanghe Daqu Liquor is a popular Baijiu from China. ?