Light Novel: Volume 22 Episode 25
Manhwa: N/A

“The Phantom Fleet?”

Yong Hasang’s face contorted.

It was a name he had never heard before.

The Dragon Sky Valley was located far inland, and the Silver Lotus Society was situated by the shores of Poyang Lake.

In all his life, Yong Hasang never did have a reason or opportunity to go to sea. That’s why he was completely unaware of the existence of the Phantom Fleet.

He looked around the deck.

There were no people anywhere on the vast deck.

Operating such a giant ship would require many people, yet not a single person was in sight, which puzzled him. However, he was not given time to resolve his doubts.

Go Il-won was coming towards him with great momentum and an overwhelming aura.

It was clear he didn’t have good intentions.

Go Il-won spoke as he approached.

“You’re the former leader of the Silver Lotus Society, Yong Hasang, right?”

“You know who I am? What’s your intention in approaching me?”

“It seems I’m right. After losing the Silver Lotus Society to Lee Geumhan of the Frenzied Warrior Sect, you run away like a beaten dog, only to end up drinking here.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“Mocking? No, I just feel sorry for you. You must have had dreams of conquering the world, yet here you are, collapsed after one failure. This just shows how much you’ve been coddled like a flower in a greenhouse.”

Yong Hasang’s face contorted even more at Go Il-won’s sharp and sarcastic remarks. His words stabbed into Yong Hasang’s chest like a dagger.

Bang!

Yong Hasang stomped his foot.

The giant ship rocked violently.

It was a force to be reckoned with. But  Go Il-won didn’t flinch, much less raise an eyebrow, he just said indifferently, 

“Sometimes, defeat can be the nutrient for growth. But it seems that doesn’t apply to you.”

“Don’t insult me, Go Il-won!”

“If you didn’t want to be insulted then you should have acted properly. You should not have come hiding in a remote place like this, sulking and weeping like a man who lost everything just because you only lost once.”

“Who’s sulking? If you keep insulting me like this, I won’t let it slide!”

“Good! That’s exactly what I want.”

“What?”

“Come at me. I want to see the true strength of the former Silver Lotus Society leader. And just a heads up, you’d better come at me with all your strength because I certainly won’t be holding back.”

At that moment, Yong Hasang felt a sensation as if his heart was being pierced by a sharp awl.

He instinctively sensed that the man in front of him was no easy opponent.

The man gave off a threatening atmosphere enough to remind him of Lee Geumhan, the man who had taken the Silver Lotus Society from him.

“Just one last question before we start. Why are you doing this? We have prior grudges or resentment between us.”

“One doesn’t need to have previous grievances to engage in a fight.”

“Enough with the bullshit, just tell me the truth.”

“I’m trying to catch someone, and for that, I need bait.”

“Bait? You think of me, Yong Hasang, as merely a bait?”

“Even calling you bait might be giving you too much credit. Maybe if you were Lee Geumhan or Jang Mugeuk, but not you.”

“How dare you!”

Swoosh!

In an instant, a terrifying aura exploded from Yong Hasang’s entire body.

This caused the giant ship to sway, and every objects on deck to rumble and tremble in unison, as if in fear.

His display of power was so immense that it was hard to believe he was someone who had suffered deep internal injuries.

At the sight of Yong Hasang, Go Il-won’s eyes lit up in interest. 

‘Even a decaying carcass is worth something. Impressive!’

He had only heard about how Yong Hasang had lost the fight against Lee Geumhan, but now that he was facing him, he certainly had exceeded his expectations. But that didn’t change anything.

Today, here and now, Yong Hasang will die.

There was no escape for him.

Swish!

Yong Hasang stomped across the deck and propelled himself towards Go Il-won.

Go Il-won did not evade but instead charged directly at him.

Boom!

The two clashed in the middle.

Both Yong Hasang and Go Il-won were known for their ferocious fighting styles and martial skills.

They attacked each other with all their might.

Bang! Boom!

Explosions rang out one after another.

The fight that started on the boat continued to the riverbank.

Both of them had leaped from the boat during their move.

Everything in their path was destroyed.

Giant rocks shattered into pieces, and mighty trees collapsed helplessly. Vast expanses of reeds were devastatingly turned upside down, and sand from the beach rained down like hail.

In the midst of it all, they fought fiercely.

It was as if the end of the world had come, with the atmosphere wildly turbulent.

Their duel quickly reached its climax.

Whoosh!

The air around the area heated up intensely.

Yong Hasang was at the center of it.

His face was twisted with rage and fear.

Despite using all his strength, he hadn’t been able to inflict even the slightest wound on his opponent.

‘If only I had treated my internal injuries—’

He deeply regretted leaving his injuries unattended for several days.

Although his injuries were severe, focusing solely on meditating and circulating his energy could have surely healed them to some extent. Had that been the case, he wouldn’t have been pushed to this extent.

His opponent was strong.

It was unbelievable how such a person had appeared out of nowhere and was so powerful.

The fact that he was cornered for the second time, following Lee Geumhan, devastated his spirit, taking a toll on his mind.

 taken its toll on his mind.

“Do you think I’m going to lose? I won’t lose!”

Yong Hasang screamed, charging at Go Il-won.

Ignoring all his internal injuries, he pushed himself harder and summoned all his energy..

Go Il-won did not dodge even as he saw Yong Hasang charging at him like a bison.

He stretched out his hand.

Then, the harpoon that had been rolling on the deck came flying towards him. 

The technique he use was the Art of Telekinesis. 1

“Chaat!”

Go Il-won threw the harpoon with all his might.

Whoosh!

“It’s useless!”

Yong Hasang yelled loudly as he drew his sword and swung.

His sword was already enveloped in a sword qi. 

He intended to cut through both the harpoon and Go Il-won in one strike.

Boom! 

An enormous explosion, incomparable to any before, erupted.

At the same time, someone was flung backward.

He only stopped when he hit a huge boulder.

“Keugh!”

The person who hit the boulder coughed up blood.

Within the dark red blood were fragments of crushed organs.

“Kuek!”

Leaning against the rock, the man looking at the red blood drenching his chest was Yong Hasang.

In his chest was the harpoon that Go Il-won had thrown.

The harpoon had pierced his chest and embedded itself deeply into the rock.

“Ugh!”

Yong Hasang groaned, barely managing to lift his head.

Go Il-won was walking towards him.

“Y, You–!”

“What a pity. Had you healed your internal injuries in time, it could have been a decent fight.”

“Do you think… you’ll be able to get away with this? The Dragon Sky Valley… won’t just stand by.”

“That’s exactly what I want.”

“What?”

“If the Dragon Sky Valley joins the turmoil of Jianghu, neither the Celestial Martial Sect nor the Frenzied Warrior Sect can remain as bystanders anymore.”

“You… seek to plunge the world into chaos?”

“That’s right, that’s exactly what I want.”

“W… What for…”

“Because I’m sick of all this bullshit. I can’t stand by and keep watching you little kids fight forever. I want to drag everyone out and burn them all.”

“You! You’re crazy…!”

As Yong Hasang glared at Go Il-won with bloodshot eyes, his head dropped. He had died.

Go Il-won then pulled out the harpoon that was embedded in Yong Hasang’s chest.

As soon as Yong Hasang’s body was freed, his body collapsed. 

Go Il-won looked at the body and muttered,

“Yes, that’s right. I’m crazy. I was already crazy before, but I’m even crazier now. How can a man stay sane after losing his father and grandmother? That’s why I need you to be the catalyst. The catalyst that will set the world on fire…”

Go Il-won slung Yong Hasang’s corpse over his shoulder.

* * *

With a new leader in charge, the Silver Lotus Society quickly regained stability.

Namgung Seol had completely taken control of the organization, filling key positions with her own people.

There was no chance for the old guards to resist.

Before everyone knew it, the Silver Lotus Society was revolving around Lee Geumhan.

Namgung Wol chuckled in disbelief.

‘Truly remarkable.’

Sitting across from him with a cold expression was Namgung Seol.

He was well aware of how capable his sister was. Yet, he had not expected her to take control of the Silver Lotus Society so perfectly.

As much as he disliked her, he couldn’t help but recognize her abilities.

Namgung Seol lifted her head and looked at Namgung Wol. 

She asked,

“Do you really have to?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you really have to leave like this?”

“If I stay, I’ll only be a hindrance to you.”

“So why don’t you just settle down and help me?”

“You think that’s possible?”

“It’s simple. If you just change your mind.”

“How is changing my mind a simple thing? I can’t do that.”

“Wol!”

“Don’t call me so affectionately. It gives me the creeps.”

“Hoo!”

Namgung Seol sighed at Namgung Wol’s cold reply.

Their relationship had been wrong from the start.

When they met for the first time in a long time, Namgung Seol had simply told Namgung Wol to hand over the Silver Lotus Society to her.

Although she ultimately gained control of the organization, it created an unbridgeable gap between them.

Because of this, Namgung Wol told Namgung Seol he would leave the Silver Lotus Society.

Namgung Seol looked at her brother for a moment.

He had his lips stubbornly pursed, and his gaze avoided hers.

The expression on his face was definitely one that would listen to her, and she, too, had no intention of persuading him any further.

She was walking on a different path from him, after all.

While Namgung Wol created the Silver Lotus Society for a greater cause and assisted Yong Hasang, she lived solely for Lee Geumhan.

If she could make Lee Geumhan the supreme ruler of the world, she was willing to do anything.

Even if it meant committing acts that everyone would condemn as unforgivable.

She couldn’t expect Namgung Wol to agree and support her actions. So perhaps it was better for them to part ways now.

“Where will you go after leaving the Silver Lotus Society? Surely you’re not planning to join forces with Pyo-wol?”

“Can’t I?”

“Of course not.”

“Why? You’re living for Lee Geumhan, aren’t you?”

“That’s…”

Namgung Seol stammered.

She was at a loss for words.

Despite inheriting the lineage of the leader of the Heavenly Guardian Association, she was living for Lee Geumhan of the Frenzied Warrior Sect. There was no reason why her brother, Namgung Wol, couldn’t do the same.

After all, both she and Namgung Wol were far from being successors to the Heavenly Guardian Association.

Namgung Wol pushed himself off the seat and stood up.

“I’ll go now.”

“I won’t see you off.”

“I don’t expect you to.”

“So cold…”

“Will I ever be colder than you? Anyway, I hope you lead the Silver Lotus Society well. Goodbye.”

Namgung Wol waved his hand and stepped outside.

He could feel Namgung Seol’s gaze on his back. But Namgung Wol was unimpressed.

He had already made up his mind to leave the Silver Lotus Society and his resolve would never change.

“Hoo, I’ll see you off.”

Ju Seolpung was waiting for him on the way out.

Namgung Wol smiled bitterly and said,

“You don’t have to do that—”

“But I want to.”

Unlike Namgung Wol, Ju Seolpung decided to stay with the Silver Lotus Society.

Even though the leader and the person in power had changed, Ju Seolpung’s loyalty to the Silver Lotus Society remained unchanged. Namgung Seol had promised to make good use of Ju Seolpung.

Ju Seolpung thought it was actually better that the leadership had changed.

It was more beneficial for him to help Lee Geumhan and Namgung Seol fight against the Golden Heaven Society than to wander aimlessly after leaving the Silver Lotus Society.

Namgung Wol understood Ju Seolpung’s situation.

The two of them walked shoulder to shoulder out of the Silver Lotus Society and headed to the pier on the shores of Poyang Lake.

As if to see off Namgung Wol, the night sky was filled with stars.

They arrived at the pier under the starlight.

A boat prepared for Namgung Wol was already waiting at the pier.

Namgung Wol said to Ju Seolpung,

“I guess it’s time for me to go. Thanks for seeing me off. It won’t feel so lonely on my journey because of you.”

“Hoo! Please take care of yourself. Even though our paths differ, I will always wish you the best of luck on your journey, Brother Namgung.”

“Thank you! Then…”

As Namgung Wol was about to board the boat after giving a formal palm and fist salute to Ju Seolpung,

“Ah! There’s a boat drifting away!”

“There’s someone lying on the boat!”

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the dock.

People on the pier spotted a boat floating in the current. Inside the boat was an unidentified person lying down.

“What is it? Quickly, pull the boat in!”

Ju Seolpung urgently ordered the martial artists around him.

The martial artists then hurriedly pulled the boat towards the pier.

Upon recognizing the person lying on the boat, Namgung Wol and Ju Seolpung’s faces stiffened. 

“How can this be!”

“Why is Hasang here?”

The pale figure lying on the boat was unmistakably Yong Hasang. The blood from the hole in his chest had all dried up, indicating he had been dead for quite some time.

Yong Hasang, who had left Poyang Lake just a few days after losing the confrontation with Lee Geumhan, had returned now as a corpse.

“What happened to him?”

“My goodness!”

Namgung Wol couldn’t help but squeeze his eyes shut.

He could already feel the looming giant storm that Yong Hasang’s death would bring. 

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