The Demonic Supreme Sword Novel - Chapter 98

Chapter 98
## Chapter: 98

### Chapter Title: Nightmare (1)

—

“Bangju-nim.”

Lee Ja-gon, who had been frantically overseeing the transport of crates onto the Black Dragon Ship, caught sight of the Bangju and his entourage sprinting toward the docks. He immediately abandoned his task and hurried to meet them.

“Is the vessel prepared?”

Yu Han demanded, not even slowing down as he passed Lee Ja-gon.

“Indeed. We have finished our primary loading and are merely waiting for the supplies from the southern storehouse. Their arrival is imminent.”

“Is that the case?”

Yu Han’s expression flickered with a brief spark of greed at the mention of more loot, but Yu Wol cut in sharply, stepping ahead of him.

“We possess no time for such delays.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“The enemy is upon us. They will breach this position at any moment.”

“Th-this quickly?”

Pale terror drained the color from Lee Ja-gon’s face. A visible shudder wracked his frame.

It was no exaggeration.

Observing the genuine panic on the face of the usually unflappable and cunning Lee Ja-gon, Yu Han finally purged the last of his avarice. He realized the gravity of their situation.

“Board the ship at once.”

Following Yu Wol’s urgent command, Yu Han broke into a run.

“You as well.”

“As you command.”

Lee Ja-gon trailed behind them but suddenly skidded to a halt.

“What is it now?”

“Should I command the Heavenly Sword Ship to weigh anchor immediately as well?”

Floating roughly ten jang from the massive Black Dragon Ship was a vessel flying a banner marked with crossed blades—the Heavenly Sword Ship. Though it was dwarfed by the flagship, it remained far more formidable than a standard river boat.

“The inventory from the storehouse was intended for that vessel.”

Before Yu Wol could provide a directive, Yu Han, who had already reached the gangplank, peered back over his shoulder.

“Who is currently commanding the Heavenly Sword Ship?”

“The division leader is on deck with his unit. They have already secured the most portable treasures and are standing by.”

“Jang So-jong? That fellow always did have the instincts of a survivor. He remained silent while the others were clamoring for a fight, and now he is the first one ready to flee.”

Yu Han let out a sharp, mocking laugh before his gaze turned frigid.

“How much wealth is currently on the Heavenly Sword Ship?”

“Only a fraction of the total.”

“Then do this: instruct them to wait for the southern warehouse goods, load them, and then depart.”

“It is too perilous, Bangju-nim. The attackers are nearly at our throats.”

Yu Wol attempted to intervene, but Yu Han dismissed the concern with a sharp gesture.

“Order them to load the cargo.”

Lee Ja-gon cast an uncertain look toward Yu Wol. Seeing Yu Wol offer a defeated, weary nod, he bowed his head in acceptance.

“I shall relay the instructions.”

Lee Ja-gon did not risk going himself; instead, he beckoned a subordinate to carry the Bangju’s decree. Given Jang So-jong’s prickly ego and obsession with status, Lee Ja-gon would typically have handled this in person, but the luxury of etiquette had vanished.

“The flagship is ready for departure, Bangju-nim.”

“Excellent. We sail this instant.”

At Yu Han’s signal, Lee Ja-gon roared the command at the top of his lungs.

“Unfurl the sails! Move, you dogs!”

—

“Aaaagh!”

“Help me!”

The air was filled with the sounds of slaughter.

The progression of Sima Geon was like a force of nature.

Nothing could stop him; no one could even force him to hesitate.

Whenever the Heavenly Demon Ring, currently acting as a blade, swept through the air, five or six men fell dead. He wasn’t relying on complex forms or legendary secret techniques—he was simply cutting them down with terrifying efficiency.

“What… what kind of power is this…”

Man Chu, who was following in Sima Geon’s wake, rubbed his eyes in disbelief, wondering if he had wandered into a gruesome daydream.

“Take it easy. I thought you were supposed to be letting the kid get some practice?”

Cheol Woo muttered irritably. He was annoyed because Thunderbolt had rushed forward first, leaving him with no one to fight.

“Oh, no. This is more than enough for me.”

Man Chu shook his head frantically. Watching Sima Geon’s god-like martial prowess, he felt embarrassed to even think of his own abilities, which now felt utterly insignificant.

“Don’t be like that…”

Cheol Woo, who had been playfully messing with Man Chu’s hair, suddenly went still.

“Hey, Thunderbolt.”

Cheol Woo called out to his companion, who was busy finishing off the stragglers behind Sima Geon.

“Swap with me.”

Without waiting for a reply, Cheol Woo signaled and lunged forward before Thunderbolt could protest.

“Wait, where are you—damn it!”

Thunderbolt spat a curse and turned his attention to where Cheol Woo was heading.

He saw a group of men desperately trying to escape in a direction far removed from the central slaughter where Sima Geon was dismantling their forces.

“Kuhahaha! Scurrying like mice! Do you really think you can hide?”

Cheol Woo closed the gap in a heartbeat and threw a devastating punch.

The bandits at the back of the group swung their blades in a frenzy of fear, but it was useless. Their steel shattered into fragments, and they were pulverized.

With a mere pair of strikes, Cheol Woo sent a dozen outlaws to their graves. When a sharp blade lunged toward him, he tilted his torso with effortless grace.

Despite his massive size, the fluidity of his evasion caused the attacker—a middle-aged man—to widen his eyes in terror.

“Not bad. You actually have some semblance of skill.”

The words were a taunt, not a compliment.

The man, Bandit Chief Gung Wi of the Red Hong Unit, was paralyzed with fear. His only thought was escaping the nightmare unfolding before him. He cursed his own arrogance for ignoring Yu Wol’s earlier warnings about retreating to the Janggang River Alliance.

“So, what’s the story with these people?”

Cheol Woo glanced at the line of civilians being dragged behind Gung Wi.

*Now!*

Seeing Cheol Woo’s focus shift, Gung Wi lunged forward.

In a single, explosive movement, he bridged a distance of five jang.

“Die!”

A lethal blade strike whistled toward Cheol Woo’s neck.

The strike was clean, devoid of any wasted energy.

To Man Chu, who had just caught up, Gung Wi’s desperate attack—a strike that carried his entire soul—seemed remarkably skilled for a common bandit.

“Watch out—!”

Man Chu’s warning was cut short.

The sight of Cheol Woo catching the razor-edged blade with his bare hand defied all logic.

Man Chu was frozen in shock, but Gung Wi’s horror was on another level.

His eyes nearly popped out of his skull as he yanked and twisted with all his might, but the blade held in Cheol Woo’s iron grip didn’t budge an inch.

“Is that your best?”

With a predatory grin, Cheol Woo drove a fist into Gung Wi’s torso.

*CRACK!*

The instant the blow landed, Gung Wi threw his arms up to protect his chest and let out a strangled wail. His body was launched three jang through the air before slamming into the dirt.

Even though he had tried to jump with the impact to lessen the force, the damage was catastrophic.

His arms were snapped, and his ribs were pulverized. The jagged bone fragments had pierced his vital organs, and blood began to bubble from his throat. He wasn’t dead yet, but he was a ghost walking.

“You… you monster…”

Gung Wi glared at Cheol Woo with eyes full of hatred, his mouth twitching.

“What are you whispering about?”

As Cheol Woo turned away, Man Chu knelt by Gung Wi’s side.

By the time Man Chu looked up, having leaned in to hear the final words, Gung Wi had breathed his last.

“He said that his master would never forgive you, hyung-nim.”

“Master? A common thief has a master?”

“He mentioned the Yangtze Flying Tiger.”

“Flying Tiger? What a joke! A tiger belongs in the mountains, not the river. Let him come. I’ll send him to the same hell his student is in.”

Cheol Woo gave a dismissive snort and turned to Man Chu.

“These folks—they’re the ones being held captive here, right?”

“Yes. It looks that way. Look at their rags and those shackles… those filthy animals!”

Man Chu cursed under his breath as he looked at the heavy iron chains binding the legs of the shivering prisoners.

“Stop babbling and move.”

Thunderbolt grabbed Man Chu by the collar and hauled him forward. They set their sights on the remaining bandits who had been guarding the prisoners before trying to flee.

—

“What? I have to wait?”

Jang So-jong, who had been on the verge of ordering a retreat after hearing the chaos of Sima Geon’s arrival, was livid. Ok Cheong, the messenger from Lee Ja-gon, recoiled in fear.

“What is the meaning of this? Why the delay?”

Jang So-jong growled, trying to keep his fury in check.

“You are to wait for the goods from the southern warehouse, load them, and then set sail.”

“That’s insanity! How are we supposed to know when they’ll get here?”

“The message said it would be soon.”

“Whose message?”

“The chief steward gave the order.”

“Lee Ja-gon! That treacherous snake is trying to get me killed!”

Certain that Lee Ja-gon had manipulated the Bangju into this decision, Jang So-jong roared.

Ok Cheong wanted to explain that it was a direct command from the Bangju himself, not Lee Ja-gon’s doing, but he held his tongue. Defending the steward would only make him a target for Jang So-jong’s rage.

Despite his fury, Jang So-jong didn’t dare lift the anchor. Regardless of who suggested it, it was the Bangju’s word.

They waited in agonizing tension for about half a gak, until several bandits came tumbling down the stairs carved into the cliffside.

“Who the hell are they?”

Jang So-jong barked, but his men were too stunned to answer.

The bedraggled men from the heights scrambled onto the Heavenly Sword Ship, their faces ghostly pale.

“D-Division Leader.”

Ok Cheong recognized them and ran forward.

“Where is the cargo? And where is Bandit Chief Gung? He was supposed to meet us.”

“Th-the Chief is dead. They killed him.”

“Everyone is gone. All of them.”

“They… they aren’t human. They’re demons.”

The survivors babbled in terror, their voices overlapping.

Jang So-jong made his choice instantly.

“Raise the anchor! We’re leaving! Now!”

The command was met with immediate action. Every bandit on board felt the shadow of death looming over them.

The anchor was hauled up, and the sails caught the wind.

From the oarsmen’s deck below, the sound of cracking whips and desperate shouting echoed across the water.

As the Heavenly Sword Ship began to drift away, the Black Dragon Ship—which had been watching from fifty jang away—likewise began to move out into the lake.

Seconds after the Heavenly Sword Ship had begun its escape, Sima Geon’s party emerged at the base of the cliff stairs, having effectively wiped out Hong Ik Bang.

Sima Geon, who had done the bulk of the killing, wasn’t even out of breath. He didn’t have a single scratch on him. Cheol Woo was similarly unscathed.

Only Man Chu, still reeling from the adrenaline of his first real battle, looked disheveled. He bore several minor cuts and bruises from the skirmish.

“I didn’t think they’d tuck tail and run so fast. I suppose honor is a foreign concept to bandits.”

Cheol Woo let out a dry laugh as he watched the ships retreating into the vastness of Lake Poyang.

“That was my oversight. I should have anticipated their cowardice and not allowed them the chance to prepare.”

Sima Geon spoke softly. His expression was calm, but the air around him hummed with a lethal intensity.

“Since they were already packed and ready, it’s clear the leadership never intended to stand their ground. If we had arrived any later, the nest would have been empty. We wouldn’t have saved those prisoners either.”

Sima Geon nodded, thinking of the captives they had liberated at the top of the cliff, as Thunderbolt spoke up.

“But, Captain, are we really just going to let them sail away?”

“What are you suggesting?”

“We can’t reach the flagship, but that ship closer to the shore—we might be able to catch it if we move fast.”

Cheol Woo smirked and kicked at some heavy logs nearby.

Sima Geon looked out at the water, calculating the distance to the Heavenly Sword Ship, and gave a slow nod.

“Let’s begin.”