As the black water boat of the Yangtze entered Dongting Lake, large and small boats gathered from the sides.

"What's this?"

An encirclement?

But the pirates had no weapons in their hands, and the boat captains standing at the bow discovered Cheonyeong and bowed respectfully.

It wasn't an encirclement—it was an escort.

That wasn't all.

Though there was no path on the river, it seemed as if there was one.

The surveillance boats of Gunsan Faction lined up on both sides, creating a path as if showing the way forward.

"Huh!"

It was to the point of wondering if this was even allowed.

Pirates are inherently lawbreakers, so officials and martial artists search day and night to find their locations... wasn't this essentially announcing that there was a pirate faction here?

"It's confidence."

"Yes?"

"Weren't you curious? Whether it's okay for pirates to guide so openly to their base?"

"Yes."

As Cheonyeong read his thoughts, Yu Seong-yeon nodded.

"When you reach Sanggun's level, it's something you can do."

"But is it really okay?"

"Who doesn't know that there's a pirate base on Gunsan Island? The name itself is Gunsan Faction."

"Hmm, now that you mention it, that's true."

"Everyone knows where Gunsan Faction is, right? Even poets and scholars don't go south."

"Ah..."

"Everyone knows. Both the officials and those who want to fight pirates out of ambition—they all know that if you go in there, you won't come out in good shape."

Cheonyeong pointed with his finger at the approaching southern island.

"I see."

Yu Seong-yeon nodded as if he understood.

"We've arrived."

As the pirate guide spoke, a massive water gate connecting the islands opened to both sides.

Kurrrr.

As the gate opened, creating currents, Yu Seong-yeon's eyes widened and his mouth fell open at the world revealed inside.

The world of pirates hidden inside the water gate was truly a different realm altogether.

The bay, curved like a bow, was filled with fine sand that sparkled like jewels in the sunlight, and at the impressive wharf, enormous ships were moored.

That wasn't all.

The wooden houses built along the riverbank were clustered so densely that it could be called a water city.

And there were pirates everywhere on the massive wharf.

Led by Sanggun Namgwangro, who was dressed finely to welcome guests, all the pirates of Gunsan Faction came out and waved their hands as if welcoming Cheonyeong.

This was a welcome fit for a VIP.

"Family Head, what exactly did you do at Gunsan Faction?"

As Yu Seong-yeon clicked his tongue and asked, Cheonyeong, who had been looking at Namgwangro, held a cold, mocking smile at the corner of his mouth.

"What did I do? I'm about to do it now."

"Yes?"

"You ride the boat. Slowly."

"Yes? The boat...?"

Just as Yu Seong-yeon tilted his head in confusion, Cheonyeong, smiling widely, threw his body toward the wharf.

"Huh? Family Head! The water is still...!"

Thud!

Cheonyeong, who had thrown his body and fallen into the river, bounced back up, pushing off the water surface without Yu Seong-yeon's concern being warranted.

"W-Water running?"

It was an unparalleled light skill.

Papapapapak!

"Huh!"

It was impossible not to admire.

Others only dream of such unparalleled light skill, yet Cheonyeong displayed it as easily as if running on flat ground.

"Really, there's no end to it."

While Yu Seong-yeon shook his head, the speed of Cheonyeong running across the water became even faster.

Whoooooosh!

Water spray shot up on both sides.

"Faction Leader."

"Huh?"

"Isn't that a rainbow?"

"It is?"

Looking at Cheonyeong running across the water from the wharf, Vice Faction Leader Seong Il-gwang spoke, and Namgwangro nodded.

It wasn't just a rainbow—it was a double rainbow.

"Wow!"

The pirates gasped in admiration at the miraculous sight created by Cheonyeong.

"But why did he jump in?"

"...To make a rainbow?"

"But the Family Head's expression looks a bit fierce, doesn't it?"

"It does look that way."

"It seems like he's heading toward the Faction Leader?"

"That's... huh?"

At Seong Il-gwang's words, Namgwangro, who had been nodding calmly, opened his eyes wide.

Cheonyeong was running toward him?

With a fierce expression?

Cheonyeong's eyes, now closer, were flickering brightly.

"Sangguuuun!"

And he shouted, pushing off the water and leaping up.

Seeing Cheonyeong rising above his head, Seong Il-gwang frowned and shouted powerfully.

"Everyone, get away from the Faction Leader!"

"...What?"

Namgwangro couldn't help but be bewildered as the pirates, upon hearing Seong Il-gwang's shout, instantly scattered from his side.

These bastards?

Shouldn't it be "protect the Faction Leader"?

It wasn't just Seong Il-gwang and the pirates.

Even the Biksudae, the elite warriors of Gunsan Faction in blue clothes, turned their backs on him and fled.

"Y-You bastard! Even you?"

Namgwangro sent a disappointed look, but he didn't meet his gaze.

But he couldn't just feel disappointed.

Something glinted in Cheonyeong's hand as he leaped into the air.

"Hidden weapons?"

Shwiiiiing!

The moment he noticed, hidden weapons were scattered, and a pale flash quickly fell toward the wharf.

"What the hell!"

Namgwangro quickly pulled his body back.

Crack! Boom!

The wharf exploded.

Wooden fragments scattered in all directions, and through the rising dust, Cheonyeong shot toward Namgwangro.

"H-Hey! Family Head Tang? Why suddenly?"

"Shut up!"

"Huh?"

Whoooosh!

As a fist filled with murderous intent flew, Namgwangro frowned and responded.

Boom!

Fist met fist.

"Ugh!"

Namgwangro was pushed back by the heavy recoil and gritted his teeth.

What kind of fist was that...

It was like an iron hammer.

The power was clearly different from when they first met.

Whiiiing!

He couldn't even admire it properly.

Cheonyeong, who had been pushed back equally, threw punches in succession.

As dozens of fists covered the front, Namgwangro, growing increasingly annoyed, began to respond in earnest.

"What the hell! What's this sudden nonsense!"

Bang! Bangbangbang!

Each time fist met fist, the air trembled with a loud sound.

"Shut up! You made an agreement with me! And you ignored the Minglun Chamber incident?"

"Ah, that's..."

Though he blocked the fists, Cheonyeong's shouts still flew through and stabbed at Namgwangro's chest.

Bangbangbang!

"I had no choice! The Western Peak was behind it!"

The mountain range to the west.

It was what unorthodox faction members called Meng Sheguang, the Grand Elder of the Black Heaven Sect.

"Just because of that, you cast aside our covenant like a worn-out sandal?"

"No, not quite a worn-out sandal..."

"Shut up! Do you know how much loss the Tang Family suffered from this incident!"

"What the hell! I was on the verge of having to fight to the death with the Western Peak! The Western Peak sent a messenger saying don't get involved!"

"Stop making excuses! Pay it all back!"

"Hey! You bastard! Why should I pay for that!"

"Then who should?"

"The Black Heaven Sect should pay!"

Bang! Crash! Crack! Boom!

It was chaos.

As if engaged in a life-and-death battle, they exchanged blows while continuing their conversation. At that moment, the boat carrying Yu Seong-yeon reached the destroyed wharf.

"Welcome."

"Yes? Yes."

Yu Seong-yeon respectfully received the greeting from Seong Il-gwang, who had come to welcome him, with a bewildered expression.

"Why are the two of you... what on earth is happening?"

"A conversation."

"Yes?"

What kind of conversation involves fist fighting? Meanwhile, those fists seemed like they could cause fatal injuries just by grazing.

"Don't worry about it. It's been a while since we've met, so it's like this. The two of them are very close."

"A while? Very close?"

"Yes, though we've only met twice... it's just like that. We don't understand either, so don't try to understand."

"..."

"Come this way. You must be tired from the long journey. Some tea would be appropriate, rather than alcohol."

"Yes?"

"Sigh, I hope the houses weren't destroyed."

Yu Seong-yeon was simply dumbfounded.

Whether it was the two fighting while conversing, or the pirates accepting it as natural...

What exactly had Cheonyeong done at Gunsan Faction?

"Pay it back!"

"I refuse!"

The bickering that accompanied the fists continued for hundreds of exchanges before it finally ended.

"I'll pay! I said I'll pay!"

With Namgwangro's single word.

Of course, the moment he heard those words, Cheonyeong smiled brightly as if he had never been angry and greeted him politely.

"Brother! It's been a while."

"Stop calling me brother. Kahahaha, ptui!"

At Cheonyeong's sudden change of attitude upon hearing he would pay, becoming respectful, Namgwangro spat out the sand he had been chewing and frowned.

But it wasn't a bad feeling.

The casual way he called him "brother"...

The age difference between them didn't matter.

"How have you been?"

"How could I be doing well? You didn't even show your face despite me asking you to visit several times, you bastard?"

"I was incredibly busy."

"What were you busy with! You! By the way, I heard there was good news in your household?"

"Yes, the person I'm keeping got married."

"That's why! You should have invited me! You bastard, you didn't even send an invitation!"

Namgwangro, who had experienced being on the receiving end before, tried to make Cheonyeong uncomfortable and showed his disappointment clearly.

But Cheonyeong wasn't one to lose momentum to such an attack.

"No! Brother, do we really need to exchange invitations to visit each other?"

"What?"

"I naturally thought you would come."

"Huh?"

"Isn't it strange to send invitations between people like family?"

"...Huh?"

"Now that I think about it, I feel disappointed too. I thought you must have been too busy to come. But you knew and didn't come anyway?"

"..."

"Could it be? A Sanggun like you... got upset?"

"No, that's not it."

"Wow, I really need to see people differently. I thought of you as family."

"Family Head Tang, that's not it..."

As Cheonyeong turned the tables and expressed disappointment, Namgwangro began to panic instead.

What could he say when he called them family-like?

"Let me be honest. Thanks to the Tang Family doing well, my living situation has improved a lot lately, hasn't it? The pirate base looks much more prosperous than before?"

"Well..."

It had improved.

That's how the pirate business works.

His subordinates go out on business along the waterways every day, but it's not always successful.

They have to watch out for officials, and in the case of merchant ships connected to other forces, they can't even collect tolls.

But how could someone of his rank as Sanggun personally conduct business?

There's the dignity and prestige of being a faction leader...

Moreover, there are territories among Yangtze River pirates, so they can't encroach on others' business areas. The pirate faction's income had always been inconsistent.

Would he have lined his own pockets for nothing, preparing for old age?

But after making a covenant with the Tang Family, the situation changed greatly.

Pay after passage.

Cheonyeong's method brought significant changes to Gunsan Faction's operations.

They just needed to track how many Tang Family boats passed through and later collect tolls.

The toll collected per boat was insignificant compared to before, but the quantity was different.

As the Tang Family grew, more merchant ships passed through the Yangtze, so increased income was natural.

A victory of quantity over quality, so to speak?

Other pirate factions who heard the rumors tried to imitate Gunsan Faction, but who would make a contract with pirates?

Only the Tang Family could do it.

Because they didn't care at all about distinctions like orthodox or unorthodox, or the pointing fingers of others.

Thanks to this, Gunsan Faction was the only one maintaining stable income.

Frankly, now they could make a living without risking their lives in business.

They built new wharves, increased houses, gave new clothes to children who had only worn loose robes...

Thanks to this, hearing that Gunsan Faction was a good place to live, pirates from all over flocked there, and the faction's size grew compared to before, becoming one of the notable pirate factions on the Yangtze. They were even at the point where they could challenge for the position of next generation's Supreme Faction Leader.

This was all thanks to the Tang Family.

Even Seong Il-gwang, who had initially opposed it, now expressed respect, saying he admired the Faction Leader's foresight in promoting the covenant with the Tang Family.

In such a situation.

"Listen, little brother, let's end this anger. Haven't I admitted I was wrong?"

The Sanggun said, shrugging his shoulders and scratching his head, speaking gently.

(End of Chapter)