Shwaaaa.
The boat swiftly neared the shore. Seolhwa pulled her collar up, covering the lower half of her face as much as she could, and lowered her head. To an onlooker, she seemed to be cowering in fear, but she was hiding her face in case anyone might recognize her.
This is a big problem. Yu Kang's troubled voice came through a mental transmission. He was carrying Hwarin on his back.
After observing the water bandits' reactions for two days, it was clear they didn't mind much even if Hwarin wasn't bound. There was nowhere to escape to in the middle of the river, and it didn't seem they had any intention of harming Hwarin to begin with.
Even when Yu Kang carried Hwarin around, no one paid them much mind, merely glancing over before looking away. In fact, they seemed rather pleased with how well Hwarin got along with Yu Kang. The atmosphere feels off.
I think there's a master here. They had only just neared the river fortress, yet Yu Kang seemed to have sensed something. Have you heard of the Demon of the Yangtze River?
The Demon of the Yangtze River? Maeng Deungho, the Demon of the Yangtze River. He is counted among the top one hundred masters.
He's famous for his spear. Yu Kang's expression darkened at the mention of a top one hundred master. To be one of the top one hundred masters meant the person had at least reached the supreme master level.
He alone would be an impossible opponent, but besides Maeng Deungho, there appeared to be well over ten other masters at the Supreme Realm. Can we… escape? No. What should we do?
First, we have to wait for reinforcements to arrive from Namgung. Until then, we must be careful not to let our identities be discovered. A man like Maeng Deungho will be able to tell we are no ordinary children.
Avoiding Maeng Deungho as much as possible would be the best course of action. Just in case, think of an excuse. Something like the reason you learned martial arts.
Okay.
The boat finally docked.
“Alright, quickly, move it!”
Yu Kang handed Hwarin to Seolhwa and went to help unload the cargo. Just as they were finishing up, the water bandit who had been in charge of the boat ordered the three of them to follow. He was a master of the Supreme Realm, the strongest warrior on their boat.
“Wait here a moment.”
Arriving before a large tent, he left the three of them and entered alone. It was situated in the deepest part of the river fortress and was the largest of all the tents, suggesting it belonged to the Fortress Master.
We're screwed.
It seems we have to pay our respects to the Fortress Master. Yu Kang also wore a worried expression, likely thinking it was best to avoid Maeng Deungho. It was only natural, of course, to greet the Fortress Master upon arriving at the river fortress for the first time.
The Fortress Master was likely the one who ordered the Namgung child to be kidnapped, so he would want to see Hwarin.
‘Will Maeng Deungho recognize me?’
She wondered if she had ever met Maeng Deungho at this age. She was pondering the various things that might happen when the water bandit who had entered the tent emerged.
“Follow me.”
Yu Kang and Seolhwa exchanged a look. I'll take Hwarin. Yu Kang took Hwarin and positioned her on his left side, standing next to Seolhwa.
You two have a subtle resemblance. It would be a problem if he notices. He was not wrong.
Seolhwa was currently hiding her identity as a Namgung child, posing as a new recruit. The interior of the tent was dim. Deep inside the dark tent, Maeng Deungho was slouched in a large chair.
A sliver of sunlight lit half his face, hiding his eyes and making it difficult to read his expression.
“Is that the child?”
“Yes, Fortress Master.”
The water bandit gestured with his chin, indicating for Yu Kang to send the child forward. After a moment's hesitation, Yu Kang held the child’s hand and walked forward toward the Fortress Master.
“That foolish brat…!”
The water bandit could be heard grinding his teeth. The gesture had meant for him to send the child forward alone, yet he had gone up himself!
“And who are you?”
As expected, Maeng Deungho questioned Yu Kang. His voice was deep, like the growl of a predator. Still holding Hwarin’s hand, Yu Kang gave Maeng Deungho a deep bow.
“Greetings, Fortress Master! I am called Kang, the youngest recruit!”
His cheerful voice cut through the dark atmosphere of the tent.
Silence followed.
The bright-faced Yu Kang and the silent Maeng Deungho faced off for a moment. The awkward quiet was broken by the water bandit who had brought them in.
“F-Fortress Master! He is a boy we just took in as the youngest on our boat! I was just about to have him greet you…”
Maeng Deungho raised his hand, silencing the water bandit.
“Is that the martial arts of an orthodox sect?”
“!”
A crack appeared in Yu Kang's smile. Maeng Deungho had identified the nature of his inner energy at a glance. Yu Kang did his best to hide his alarm and replied.
“Ahaha, well, you see, there was a Mount Hua martial arts hall in the town where I lived. Oh, but I didn't actually attend the hall. I wasn't well-off enough for that, but I really wanted to learn martial arts…”
Yu Kang clenched his fist.
“I learned it by beating up a kid from the martial arts hall.”
He chuckled.
Seolhwa's mouth fell open slightly.
‘Is that the excuse he came up with?’
It was an absurd reason, yet it was not half bad. It was a fitting explanation for someone from an unorthodox path to possess the inner energy of an orthodox sect. It was very much like Yu Kang.
“I see.”
That was Maeng Deungho's short response.
“I'll work hard, Fortress Master!”
Yu Kang bowed deeply once more. The water bandit gestured for him to step back, but Yu Kang ignored him and stayed by Hwarin’s side. Fortunately, Maeng Deungho paid it no mind.
Maeng Deungho’s gaze rested on Hwarin for a moment before he said to Yu Kang, “Take good care of this child.”
“Yes, Fortress Master!”
And that was all. The Fortress Master told Yu Kang to leave, so Yu Kang took Hwarin’s hand and led her out. Maeng Deungho’s eyes lingered for a moment on Seolhwa, who stood in the back, but he quickly lost interest.
After their brief encounter with Maeng Deungho, the three of them promptly exited the tent.
Thwack!
The water bandit's fist slammed into Yu Kang's head.
“You idiot! Why did you step forward like that? It's a miracle the Fortress Master didn't mind! You should be grateful you still have your head on your shoulders!”
“Ow! That hurts!”
Yu Kang clutched his head and stumbled back a step.
“You gestured for me to go, Elder Brother! Why are you scolding me?!”
“Was I telling you to go forward?! Argh! I oughta…!”
The water bandit pounded his chest in frustration.
“Follow me! All three of you!”
The bandit led them to a place where small tents were clustered together. The atmosphere here was different from the area with the Fortress Master's tent. Most of the people around were women carrying laundry baskets and water jugs; it seemed to be the section that handled the domestic affairs of the river fortress.
It was also the safest location within the fortress, a place from which one could quickly flee to the river or the mountains if the need arose.
‘The water bandits' families?’
The bandit who had brought them there stopped one of the women and explained something to her. Then he turned back to Seolhwa and Yu Kang.
“You two will help with the chores here. You heard what the Fortress Master said. Watching over that kid is your responsibility too.”
The water bandit gestured toward Hwarin.
“The Fortress Master gave a special order, so don't let her go hungry. Make sure she has a good place to sleep. Not that there's anywhere to run to from here, but keep a close eye on her so she doesn't try to escape. Until we come back for her. Understand?”
“Yes, Elder Brother!”
“Heh, Elder Brother.”
The water bandit gave Yu Kang a light pat on the back before leaving.
“…He's really gone.”
Yu Kang scratched his head, watching the water bandit shrink to a dot in the distance.
“Do we look that trustworthy? To leave a girl they worked so hard to kidnap in the hands of kids like us.”
“It’s not because they trust us.”
Seolhwa’s eyes scanned the whole river fortress.
“It’s because they know she can’t escape even if she’s free.”
The water bandit’s earlier words about there being nowhere to run had not been an exaggeration. The river fortress was surrounded by the river and mountains, a truly inescapable structure. A tall fence had been constructed from thick, massive logs, with only two gates, one to the east and one to the west.
Watchtowers stood at regular intervals along the perimeter, with water bandits on guard above and below, making it seem nearly impossible to slip out of the fortress unseen. Even if they somehow managed to escape, the forest was dense, a perfect place to lose one's way.
And since this was a river fortress, they would use waterways instead of land routes to access the main fortress. The land routes were likely not even proper paths.
‘They wouldn't kidnap a Namgung child only to leave her unattended.’
They were certain. They were certain a mere child could not escape this place alone.
‘Maeng Deungho.’
He hadn’t recognized Seolhwa. From the moment she stepped into the Fortress Master’s tent, Seolhwa had secretly watched him, but Maeng Deungho had paid her no attention at all. Instead, he had shown interest in Yu Kang, who possessed the inner energy of an orthodox sect.
‘It’s a relief he didn't recognize me.’
Because of that, she thought it best to find a way to escape while her movements weren't restricted.
Young Daoist.
We should try to find a way out of here before nightfall…
Just then.
“Hey, you two!”
A youthful voice yelled from behind a nearby tent. Yu Kang and Seolhwa turned to look at the same time. Behind a haystack piled up beside the tent stood a young boy, about Hwarin's age, pointing in their direction.