Chapter 135

The Strict Law of the Green Forest (Green Forest Law, Chapter 1)

-The Law of the Bottom Exists at the Bottom

"The Yangtze River Waterway Great Hero Alliance? Uup!"
Moyong Hwi tilted his head as if puzzled,
and then he got seasick once again.
Seeing his pale complexion without a trace of blood,
it seemed that it was a mistake to have moved his body excessively in a bad condition.

"That can't be."
The person who firmly denied Moyong Hwi's opinion was the branch head, Su Jang-hae. He, who had denied Moyong Hwi's opinion with a single stroke, continued to speak.

"Even in the Green Forest water fortresses, there is a strict law. There is no one who would rush in recklessly like this without a single word."

Su Jang-hae's words were right.

Although there are many who call the Jianghu a lawless world, there is a strict law even in the Jianghu. Especially, the rules among the Green Forest water fortresses, which seem to be the most at odds with the legal order, are rather much stronger than any other law.

In order to continue to survive at this bottom, one had to follow the law of the bottom, not the ceiling. A strong punishment always follows those who break the rules. Because the law of the bottom does not know forgiveness.

Therefore, those who broke the rules of the Green Forest water fortresses were considered tacit enemies and were automatically buried at this bottom. Of course, it was common to die before being buried.

That's how it was... But this time, the ambushers had turned the business practices of the Green Forest water fortresses, which boasted a long history, into a piece of used tissue in an instant, and had started a sword fight without any warning or negotiation.

It was an impossible thing, considering the customs so far.

It was an unexpected attack that no one had anticipated. Besides, the skills of the ambushers were also not to be taken lightly. Although their actions were foolish. If they had not been there, the Jungyang Escort Bureau would probably have had to spend a considerable amount of budget on holding memorial services.

"What on earth are they aiming for?"

Su Jang-hae thought that he wished he were dreaming now. But he was soon forced to recognize reality in a very painful way.

"It won't end with just one time! The second wave will come!"

Su Jang-hae, who had come to his senses at Bi Ryu-yeon's calm and composed words, drew his sword resolutely without even having time to let out a groan, and shouted.

"All hands, defensive posture! Each escort guard, protect the escort goods as the top priority!"

"Yes!"

At Su Jang-hae's one command, the escort guards moved in perfect order and formed a defensive formation around the escort goods. It was a very skillful performance.

Everyone had judged that the target of the attacking masked strange people was the escort goods. Still, since they had clearly witnessed the swift divine prowess of the Cheonmu Academy students once before, their expressions had a little more leisure than usual.

Among them, the only one who had thought of the possibility, even by a thread, that the purpose of the ambushers was to target the Cheonmu Academy group was Jang Hong.

This was an escort boat, and they were in the middle of an escort mission. And an attack during an escort mission was not a rare thing.

Although such a severe case was of course rare!

---

Jin Ryeong's Trembling

"How could this happen..."
Jin Ryeong, who was covered in the ambusher's blood from head to toe,
was still not in her right mind.
Her body, rejecting her own reason,
was still trembling.

"So-ryeong! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Namgung Sang, who had been standing there with a pale face and had been lost in thought for a moment, approached the bewildered Jin Ryeong and asked in a trembling voice. Her hand, which Namgung Sang was holding, was soaked in blood.

"I... I'm fine."
Jin Ryeong said with her lips trembling. It seemed that the shock from a moment ago had not yet subsided. She had just come back from seeing the threshold of the other world.

The slender trembling of her body was transmitted to the fingertips of Namgung Sang, who was holding her slender shoulders with a worried face. Namgung Sang's heart ached as if it would break.

When you swing a sword, your heart should be like ice!

It was one of the first key points that a person who held a sword learned, and it was also a golden saying like a golden rule that was most useful in a moment that decided life and death.

Jin Ryeong had forgotten this most basic and absolute teaching for a moment, and so she had made a mistake like the one just now, and had driven herself into a corner.

At that time, Bi Ryu-yeon strode towards Jin Ryeong, who was still trembling.

Jjak!

Everyone looked at the amazing sight of a man's rough palm and a woman's soft cheek clashing violently, with their eyes wide open. With their mouths gaping like a goldfish.

Especially, the surprise of the first-year training camp group, the Heavenly Sword Group, was second to none. Because on the surface, it was no different from insubordination. Bi Ryu-yeon, not caring about such gazes from those around him, said in a firm voice.

"To make such a mistake! Did you want to die? What would you have done if you had died! Have you forgotten even the most basic common sense that a moment of carelessness calls for death?"

Bi Ryu-yeon's scolding was as stern as could be. Jin Ryeong, who could not dare to refute, bowed her head deeply.

Although she was still holding her stinging cheek, the ripples that had been on her slender shoulders had already disappeared like dust on her shoulders blown away by a gentle breeze.

Bi Ryu-yeon's gaze, which had been looking at the people of the Jungyang Escort Bureau who were in a commotion due to the sudden ambush from the unidentified strange people, turned to Jin Ryeong again. Jin Ryeong's body flinched for a moment. Her cheek was still red and swollen.

Bi Ryu-yeon, stroking her swollen cheek, said in a gentle voice.

"There's a lot of blood on you. Go and wash it off."

"Huh?"

How could she cover her body in this situation... Besides, this was on a boat. The conditions for taking a bath were not met.

The question was soon solved.

Deolkeong! Teong, teong, teong!

As Bi Ryu-yeon's hand moved once, the Ink Rings that had been on Jin Ryeong's wrists and ankles were immediately unfastened. The sound of the heavy Ink Rings falling on the wooden deck was quite loud.

"???"

Until this time, Jin Ryeong did not know what was going on.

Only when Bi Ryu-yeon's finger pointed at the blue river water could she finally understand Bi Ryu-yeon's intention.

"The enemy is still there!"

At Bi Ryu-yeon's one word, a resolve appeared in Jin Ryeong's eyes. Bi Ryu-yeon's right hand lightly pushed her left shoulder.

Hwiik!

Pong!

Her form, pushed on the shoulder by Bi Ryu-yeon's hand, did a somersault in the air and then disappeared into the river water.

Ripples appeared, but the water did not splash much.

"So-ryeong!"

The one who first let out a cry of astonishment was Gung-sang. He looked like a person who had just woken up from a nightmare.

---

The Vermilion Bird Squad, Skilled in Underwater Combat

"Oh? What are you guys doing now?"
As Jin Ryeong jumped into the water,
Bi Ryu-yeon raised his head and
looked over the remaining members of the Vermilion Bird Squad.

His words and gaze clearly meant, 'Are you guys kidding me? Your friend just walked into the battlefield alone, and what are you guys doing now?'

Beonjjeok!

As a strange light flashed in Bi Ryu-yeon's eyes, the members of the Vermilion Bird Squad had to feel a creepy fear.

There was no need to think any more.

Pungdeong! Pungdeong! Pungdeong! Pungdeong! Pungdeong!

With fifteen 'pungdeong' sounds, water splashed and wet the side of the boat.

At one glance from Bi Ryu-yeon, which was momentarily visible between his hair that was fluttering in the wind, all the members of the Vermilion Bird Squad had unfastened their Ink Rings and had jumped into the river water after Jin Ryeong. There was not a single moment of hesitation.

Among them, the one who had jumped in first was the impatient Gung-sang. The inside of the river water was now a battlefield. He could not send his beloved alone.

Yeomdo's eyes widened.

To anyone's eyes, the inside of the water was the worst place, which was disadvantageous to the group that was being attacked.

Originally, what the water bandits mostly thought about when they met Jianghu masters was how to lure them into the water and gain an advantageous position.

But he had pushed the members of the Vermilion Bird Squad into the worst and most disadvantageous place, a place where a danger like death was always present if one made a mistake, without any hesitation.

"What is this? Are you crazy?"

It was not unreasonable for Yeomdo to shout such words in a questioning tone. Bi Ryu-yeon's eardrums were ringing.

"Crazy? You're being too harsh to a person who is perfectly sane. I am currently very, very normal, so don't worry."

"Who is worrying about whom now? What I'm worried about are the children you have pushed into a place of death."

Yeomdo's face was showing a variety of color changes, from red to blue, due to his excitement. Seeing him so flustered, even after having trained them so harshly, it seemed that he had grown fond of them.

"The weather is really nice, isn't it? It's a good day for fishing."

In front of Yeomdo, whose eyes were bloodshot with worry about the life and death of the children, what kind of absurd statement was this?

"Is this the time to be talking about fishing? Why have you been talking only about fishing since a while ago?"

"Why? What's wrong with the heavens for making it a good day for fishing, that you're complaining about the weather like that?"

Yeomdo barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Now was not the time for this. While he was having a verbal argument with Bi Ryu-yeon like this, it was clear to see that his disciples, who were no different from his own children (although they had a strange and ambiguous relationship of being junior brothers in terms of seniority), would be struggling at the crossroads of life and death.

Yeomdo turned his body away from Bi Ryu-yeon and shouted to those who remained.

"The remaining children, prepare for a possible ambush. It's not over yet. Don't let your guard down!!"

At Yeomdo's instruction, the remaining Heavenly Sword Group began to move busily.

"Huu! I thought Old Master Yeomdo was going to beat up Bi Ryu-yeon!"

Hyo-ryong said with a sigh of relief. The expression of Jang Hong, who was listening to his words, was strange.

'What is this? That impatient Old Master Yeomdo just turned his face red at such a thing and turned away without a word? I can't believe it even after seeing it with my own eyes!'

Since the conversation between Yeomdo and Bi Ryu-yeon a moment ago had been conducted through sound transmission, to the people around them, it had looked like a situation where Yeomdo, whose face was red with anger, was about to beat up Bi Ryu-yeon.

Who could guess the relationship between Bi Ryu-yeon and Yeomdo without being crazy? The one whose insides were burning black now was not Bi Ryu-yeon, but rather Yeomdo.

"You go too!"

With these words from Bi Ryu-yeon, Yun Jun-ho's body, which had been pushed on the back, floated in the air and then fell into the river water.

Pungdeong!

"Huk!"

Yun Jun-ho, who had been suddenly thrown into a completely unfamiliar and heterogeneous world by an external force, could not help but be terrified.

The unknown environment brought him considerable fear.

Yun Jun-ho, who had encountered actual combat for the first time in the cold, dark, and airless world under the surface of the water, could not help but be afraid. His mind was not so strong as to be able to maintain a cool reason at times like this.

This was not the training ground that was in the Mount Hua Sect or the Cheonmu Academy. They would not let him off because his skills were lacking, or let him rest because he was tired. It was a place where a lack of skill was directly connected to death. The little experience he had acquired through the adaptation class for water skills was still far from enough to survive in this rugged world of carnage.

In the water, as Bi Ryu-yeon had said, there were more ambushers who had approached, aiming for the escort boat. Their number seemed to be well over twenty.

Dungdungdungdung!

Due to fear and tension, Yun Jun-ho's heart began to beat wildly, as if it would burst. It was like the sound of a drum.

Seuk!

One of the several ambushers was rushing towards him, aiming for his neck with the Hand-Protecting Hook (a hook-shaped weapon for underwater combat) he was holding in his hand. As befitting a person who specialized in underwater ambushes, his movements were comparable to a fish. It was hard to believe that a human could show such a movement in the water.

Even if he couldn't believe it, he had to live first. Yun Jun-ho quickly moved his sword and barely defended against the opponent's offensive. His body felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. His sword also moved slowly, as if it weighed a thousand pounds. He had almost died without even being able to defend properly.

Chaeng!

"Huk! Oh no!"

His body could not withstand the rebounding force and was overturned in the water. Yun Jun-ho had forgotten one more thing. That was the fact that there was nothing to support his body in the water. That's why there was always a danger of being swept away by the opponent's offensive.

A person who was skilled in water skills always kept this in mind and paid careful attention to their movements. How to maintain balance was the biggest topic in underwater combat.

The ambusher's Hand-Protecting Hook flew once again, cutting through the water. In a situation where he had already lost his balance and was flailing his arms, there was no way to defend. Yun Jun-ho closed his eyes tightly.

'Am I going to die...'

He suddenly missed his grand-master and his senior and junior brothers in Mount Hua. He even missed the plum blossoms that bloomed in Mount Hua.

Chaeng!

"Oh?"

The aftermath of the sword strike could be clearly felt even in the water.

His neck was still attached. There were no injuries either. Yun Jun-ho, who had peeked his eyes open, could soon let out a sigh of relief inwardly. The ambusher's Hand-Protecting Hook had been blocked by Namgung Sang's sword and was not allowed to advance any further.

Shugak!

Namgung Sang's sword, which had easily brushed off the opponent's attack, pierced the ambusher's neck. Red blood dyed Yun Jun-ho's retina red.

Even at a glance, Yun Jun-ho could see that there was a sense of leisure in the movements of the members of the Vermilion Bird Squad. The movements they showed in the water were as natural and smooth as if they had always been that way. It might be more correct to say that they were skilled.

Namgung Sang was now cutting the neck of the third ambusher. The members of the Dark Dragon Squad who had ambushed the group also seemed to be very surprised at the agile underwater movements and skillful response of the members of the Vermilion Bird Squad. That surprise had created a large gap, which had become one of the fatal causes of their defeat.

'I didn't know what I learned then would be so helpful...'

Ten Thunders Chasing Lightning Strike!

Namgung Sang's sword showed ten changes and simultaneously cut the two ambushers who had been attacking together.

Even in this incomparably inconvenient water, Namgung Sang's sword showed a mysterious change, as if it did not matter. It was by no means something that was possible for anyone.

Namgung Sang thought of the bone-cutting training he had had in Mount Emei two years ago.

The training of constantly swinging a sword deep under the surface of the water!

They had been constantly trained to be able to show as much power and movement in the water as on land. Thinking of the training at that time, this much movement was nothing for the members of the Vermilion Bird Squad. They were the owners of skills that had the leisure to protect Yun Jun-ho while doing all their own work.

As Yun Jun-ho's surroundings became a little more leisurely, Namgung Sang entrusted Yun Jun-ho's care to another and looked for Jin Ryeong's whereabouts.

"So-ryeong!"

Jin Ryeong was surrounded by three ambushers and was struggling a little. Sparks flew in Namgung Sang's eyes. Having pinpointed Jin Ryeong's direction at once, he moved his form towards that place faster than a fish. For him, Jin Ryeong was a being that he had to protect, even at the risk of his life.