“Is the current of the Yellow River’s lower stream not as strong as expected?”

My impression upon arriving at the lower stream of the Yellow River was that it didn’t hold a candle to the Yangtze.

The Yangtze’s currents were overwhelming, but here? Barely a tenth of that, maybe?

At my words, Do Sagong nodded.

“Yes, we’re at the lower stream here, and while the Yangtze is always abundant with water, the Yellow River isn’t, except during the rainy season.”

“I was wondering if I’d need to have the kids tow the boat, but that’s a relief.”

If it were anything like the upper stream of the Yangtze, I thought I might need to rent two proper rowing boats just to go upstream. In that case, I would’ve considered asking Cho and Yeondu for help.

Even during the day, the muddy water would cover most of their bodies, so if they poked out just the tips of their snouts and pulled the boat from the front, they could move it upstream quickly.

Cho is water-attributed, and Yeondu is a snake, so they swim well—pulling a boat wouldn’t be a problem for them.

But with the current this gentle, it seemed we could head upstream without issue.

“Cho, Yeondu, looks like you two won’t have to work today.”

— Tsruru.

— Shaaa.

As I stepped out onto the deck and patted the two heads flanking either side, Do Sagong smiled and nodded.

“Yes, Master So-ryong. No need to trouble the young ladies. The wind’s on our side, too. If we run into any difficulties, I’ll let you know. Ladies, you may go rest inside.”

— Tsrut.

— Shaaaa.

Cho and Yeondu nodded in response to Do Sagong’s words.

Seeing that, Do Sagong smiled like a doting grandfather.

Ordinary folks might be put off, but by now, after seeing them so often, he just found them cute.

That was exactly the kind of heart a captain of the Spicy Fabre ought to have.

“They say they understand and thank you, Do Sagong.”

“Heh heh. These girls are so clever, it’s a joy to watch.”

So we entered the lower Yellow River and spent two days traveling upstream.

We were admiring the riverside villages when, in the distance, a tall mountain began to appear.

It was a majestic sight, a massive mountain made of rock, dotted with trees here and there—easily the most breathtaking mountain I’d seen so far.

“Wow, that mountain is enormous!”

“That, Master So-ryong, is Mount Tai.”

“So that’s Mount Tai, huh?”

I spoke in awe, and Do Sagong provided the explanation.

My sister Seol, who had also stepped onto the deck, exclaimed with wonder.

“So that’s Mount Tai? The mountain’s really that tall? So-ryong, should we stop by on our way back?”

“Shall we?”

‘Ahh... Was it “Heaven is high, but Mount Tai is but a hill beneath it”? No, was it “Though Mount Tai is high, it is still a mountain beneath heaven”? Whatever—so that’s the Mount Tai, huh?’

It was a fleeting but odd feeling to be looking at the very mountain that’s often referenced in poems.

While my sister and I admired the majestic view of Mount Tai, our boats slowed as we drew closer. From the leading boat, the boatmen’s shouts echoed over the water.

“Careful ahead! It narrows!”

“Thank you! Be careful! The river ahead gets narrow!”

“Much obliged! Be careful...”

The crew members on the boats behind us echoed the warnings shouted ahead.

As the voices continued, I walked up to Do Sagong and asked,

“What’s going on?”

“Ah, it’s a heads-up. The river narrows up ahead, so everyone’s warning each other to be cautious. We always do that when there’s danger ahead.”

“I see...”

‘So it’s like turning on the hazard lights, huh?’

Nodding, I thought that Middle Plains river manners weren’t half bad. Meanwhile, our boatmen stood vigilant at the bow, thanks to the warnings passed down from up front.

Worried the boats might collide, everyone widened their spacing and cautiously passed by the port in front of Mount Tai. There, in the middle of the river before the port, was a large island.

Boats were carefully navigating around both sides of it.

The river wasn’t particularly wide, and that island—about the size of our boat—was smack in the center, forcing vessels to detour around it, creating a bottleneck.

Only one side of the river could really be used, as the other was crowded with docked ships at the port.

According to Do Sagong, the formation of an island like that meant the water around it was likely shallow.

“Hm... That wasn’t there before. Must’ve formed from sediment build-up. We’ll need to stay close to the riverbank. That area must be shallow too.”

Thinking about it, the Bamseom back in my past life’s Han River also grew from accumulating sediment.

I’d once gone there with a biologist studying Han River wildlife to find out what kinds of snakes lived around Bamseom, so I nodded.

Just like Do Sagong said, there’d been a lot of sediment there too.

Our boat had a flat bottom, so we didn’t have to worry about capsizing on a sandbar—but if we got stuck, that’d be a real hassle.

“Let’s pass through carefully.”

“Still, it’s strange. This spot used to be quite deep.”

Do Sagong frowned as he stared at the island, seemingly unsettled.

But like he said, the Yellow River carried a ton of sediment. In fact, it was famous for having so much that the river's color changed from it.

“Well, the Yellow River is full of silt, and nature’s hard to predict.”

“That’s true.”

‘But... why does this feel so familiar?’

Even as I spoke to Do Sagong, the thought of an island in front of Mount Tai tickled something in the back of my mind.

But since I couldn’t remember what it was, it probably wasn’t important.

Besides, this was my first time coming here.

‘It’s probably nothing.’

As we passed Mount Tai and went a little further upstream, a large, beautiful village beside a lake came into [N O V E L I G H T] view.

Dozens of houses lined the lakefront in a picturesque layout.

Small boats floated on the lake, their occupants quietly fishing—an idyllic, peaceful lakeside village.

“This is Dongpyeong Lake, Master So-ryong.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“So this is Dongpyeong? I see now it sits by the lake. The scenery is breathtaking.”

“Yes, all this area is called Dongpyeong. It’s famous for its scenic beauty. You can even see Mount Tai from here.”

Just as Do Sagong said, Mount Tai was still visible in the distance.

As I marveled at the serene view, Do Sagong called into the cabin.

“Master Gwiseong, we’ve arrived!”

My hyung must’ve asked to be notified once we reached our destination.

At Do Sagong’s shout, a commotion came from inside the cabin, and then Hyung-nim Gwiseong burst out in a rush.

He hadn’t been sleeping well lately, and it showed—his eyes were sunken deep with dark circles that looked like they could hit the tops of his feet.

“Haah... We’ve arrived?”

“Yes, young master.”

“Dongpyeong... we’ve finally arrived...”

Gwiseong hyung’s gaze toward the lake carried a wistful melancholy. A moment later, he pointed to one side of the lake and spoke.

“That way. Please.”

“Understood, young master.”

Following his request, we crossed the lake in that direction, and soon came into view a cluster of finely built pavilions nestled at the end of a recessed stretch of land.

And in front of those impressive structures—

Fluttering above the grand gate was a flag emblazoned with the character Ak.

That must’ve been the residence of the Shandong Ak Clan.

“A ship I don’t recognize is docked there?”

Just as I was gazing at the Ak Clan’s compound, Gwiseong hyung’s voice made me turn my head—he was staring at two large ships already moored within the Ak Clan’s docks.

One was a typical military vessel I’d seen many times before, bearing the Ak Clan’s flag. The other was a flashy, colorful ship adorned with fluttering banners.

Like the kind rich folk used for leisurely cruises on the Yangtze—an extravagant pleasure boat.

The kind where they load it with courtesans and play at being immortals?

Every time one showed up, Hwa-eun would cover my eyes, so I never really got to see what was happening on board.

—Whoosh.

Just then, a breeze blew through, and the flags on the ships fluttered all at once. On the most extravagant banner, I caught sight of a single character: Gold.

“Gold?”

I tilted my head, about to ask hyung what it meant, but the boat had already reached the docks.

“Dropping anchor!”

With Do Sagong’s shout, the anchor stone hit the water.

A moment later, hyung turned toward the cabin. His expression hardened, and he spoke in an icy tone.

“Bring out Jin-gyu, the Strangling Lust Demon.”

“Yes, young master!”

At those words, I knew this wasn’t the time to ask questions.

Today was the day that bastard would finally leave this world—and for hyung, it was bound to be emotionally turbulent.

A day of reunion with a lover, but also a day where he had to reopen old wounds.

“I hope everything goes well...”

Somehow, that gaudy boat gave me a bad feeling. Maybe I was starting to take after Hwa-eun, but it felt ominous.

***

As soon as we docked, warriors from the Ak Clan rushed over.

They were martial artists, but clearly had some military training too—their formation was tight and disciplined, and just as the rumors said, they were all armed with crescent moon blades.

Our Tang Clan wasn’t bad, but we didn’t have such razor-sharp formation. Their training must’ve been intense.

One of the warriors approached us at the pier and asked,

“Are you here to visit the Ak Clan?”

“It’s been a while. How have you been, Commander Bang?”

Apparently, Gwiseong hyung knew him—he stepped forward and greeted him, catching the man completely off guard.

“Y-Y-Young Master Peng!? W-What brings you here all of a sudden!?”

It wasn’t just surprise at seeing someone after a long time. It was the look of someone caught red-handed doing something shady.

Standing beside me now, Hwa-eun quietly passed along the same thought through our mental link.

“Something feels off. They look like people who’ve just been caught doing something wrong. Like when you secretly met Lady Suyu and I caught you red-handed.”

“What!?”

“Fufu...”

“You’re lucky I adore you.”

I stared at Hwa-eun in disbelief—why did that come up now? But she just smiled sweetly.

That smile was so genuinely beautiful, I let it go. Then I remembered the gold banner I saw earlier and decided to ask her about it.

She might know.

“By the way, Hwa-eun, that fancy ship nearby had a banner with the character ‘Gold’ on it. Do you know which sect it belongs to?”

“Gold? If it’s gold, then it’s not a sect—it’s a merchant guild, So-ryong.”

At first I thought it was a sect, but she clarified otherwise.

Hwa-eun continued.

“It’s the Geumjeok Merchant Guild—one of the top three in all of the Central Plains.”

As I was wondering what business such a merchant guild had with the Ak Clan, hyung spoke to the Ak Clan’s commander in a trembling voice.

“I... I’ve come to see Soso.”

As expected, the commander looked flustered beyond belief.

“T-That, um...”

“Don’t tell me... she’s not here?”

“N-No, she’s here, young master.”

“Then lead the way.”

“T-That is...”

For some reason, the man called Commander Bang hesitated, and hyung turned to speak behind him.

“Yang Seong-hu. Bring him.”

“Understood.”

It seemed hyung intended to make his reason for coming clear. At his request, Geom-ryong hyung and Yang Seong-hu dragged forward a man by both arms—Jin-gyu, the Strangling Lust Demon.

The commander looked puzzled at the haggard man being dragged forth.

“And this is...?”

“Jin-gyu. The Strangling Lust Demon.”

“Jin-gyu? The Strangling Lust Demon—Jin-gyu?!”

The moment hyung coldly uttered the name and title, the commander’s questioning tone turned to shock.

The Ak Clan warriors’ surprise swiftly turned to murderous fury, and they began shouting with weapons drawn.

They looked ready to split Jin-gyu in two with their crescent moon blades right then and there.

“So this is the Strangling Lust Demon, Jin-gyu!”

“Even ripping out his heart wouldn’t be enough!”

While the Ak Clan warriors boiled with rage, the commander asked in a disbelieving voice,

“C-Could it be... the promise with the lady...?”

He must have known about the vow between hyung and the Ak Clan’s young lady—and realizing hyung had spent years capturing this man to fulfill that promise deeply shook him.

“Yes,” hyung replied.

“I-I can’t believe it...”

At his response, the commander looked toward the inner grounds of the Ak Clan.

Then, in a frantic voice, he said,

“Young Master Peng, if you want to save the lady, you must hurry. It may not be too late!”

At those words, hyung’s eyes shot wide open.

“Save her? W-What’s happened to Soso!?”