Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 22

Nine Dragons Chronicle (22)

Hwa-rin possessed a vast knowledge of the Heretic Church’s secret arts.

He was innovating a new martial art by combining these secret arts with conventional martial techniques. However, he retained the ability to use both separately whenever needed.

In the ruined Scarlet Fox Clan manor, a large group of children had gathered, numbering over a hundred.

Hwa-rin had collected these children from the Sanyang, Sangnam, and Sangju prefectures. The promise that joining the Nine Dragons Stronghold meant guaranteed food and the opportunity to learn both academics and martial arts had drawn many volunteers.

As the Nine Dragons Stronghold lacked the immediate capacity to house and feed all the children, the vacant Scarlet Fox Clan manor was designated as their temporary home.

The children stood in neat rows in the courtyard as Hwa-rin addressed them, his voice calm and measured, making eye contact with each child.

“From today onward, you will eat, sleep, study, and train here.”

While maintaining eye contact, Hwa-rin subtly employed one of the Heretic Church’s secret arts: the Soul Deceiving Ten Languages.

The Soul Deceiving Ten Languages was a form of mind control that used ten different vocal inflections to subtly influence the soul, compelling obedience. It was particularly effective on impressionable young children with undeveloped internal energy [qi or vital energy].

Hwa-rin felt no remorse in using these soul-manipulating techniques to subtly brainwash the children.

This stemmed from a deeply ingrained habit from his past, where mission success justified any means.

Furthermore, he rationalized that these children stood only to gain from this arrangement, easing any potential pangs of conscience.

“If you dedicate yourselves to your studies and training, the Nine Dragons Stronghold will provide you with opportunities suited to your aptitudes, such as shops or inns. Moreover, those who demonstrate exceptional talent in martial arts will receive advanced instruction and be nurtured into respected martial arts masters.”

The children’s eyes glazed over slightly.

“You will learn much here over the next five to ten years. I expect you to give your best effort and not disappoint me.”

Hwa-rin concluded his address with a sharp clap.

Clap!

The sound reverberated through the courtyard, snapping the children out of their trance.

“The Chief Manager will oversee the children’s care. He will instruct them in academics and martial arts for one year, assess their talents in both areas, and assign those without aptitude to our business ventures to learn practical skills.”

“For a year?”

“Can’t you determine their talents in a year?”

“Three months should suffice, in my opinion.”

“Avoid hasty judgments. Some children’s talents may emerge later. Even a year is a relatively short time, but we’ll proceed with that timeframe for now.”

“Understood. But what if all the children show exceptional talent?”

“Then we’ll simply have to recruit more children.”

* * *

Hwa-rin was inspecting the construction site of a future gambling house, a new business venture for the Nine Dragons Stronghold.

Despite being located near major cities like Xi’an, Chang’an, and Huayin, Hwa-rin was confident that this building would become the largest and most impressive structure in the region.

Drawing upon his experiences traveling abroad and in the Western Regions [referring to areas west of China, often along the Silk Road], Hwa-rin had incorporated unique architectural elements into the building’s design, creating a distinct and somewhat exotic style compared to the surrounding structures.

Since the main attractions were concentrated in Xi’an, Chang’an, Mount Hua, and Weinan, he needed something unique to draw visitors to Sanyang Prefecture. He hoped that the building’s splendor and magnificence would generate word-of-mouth buzz, attracting even those visiting Shaanxi Province’s scenic spots.

Even during construction, the merchants in the marketplace and the street vendors were abuzz with speculation about the building.

The extensive excavation and the installation of massive stone pillars indicated a construction project of considerable scale.

“What kind of building are they planning to build, undertaking such a massive construction project?”

“I wonder. Could it be a brothel or an inn?”

“A brothel or an inn is possible. Given the history of brothels in this area, it’s a likely possibility.”

“Once completed, that building will be truly magnificent, don’t you think?”

“Indeed. Look at those stone pillars. They wouldn’t need such massive pillars for a small, simple building. Wooden pillars would suffice.”

“When that building opens, it will become famous instantly. Then, many people will come to our Sanyang Prefecture, right?”

“Perhaps that will happen.”

“Then we might be able to earn a little more money than before, right?”

“Well, if more people come, we’ll certainly sell more goods.”

The marketplace and street vendors happily imagined the potential economic benefits that the Nine Dragons Stronghold’s new building would bring.

Whether aware of these merchants’ thoughts or not, Hwa-rin focused solely on his work.

His humble demeanor and respectful attitude towards his superiors were gradually earning him the trust of the people of Sanyang Prefecture.

As time passed without incident, and the building’s outline began to take shape, word of its construction spread, and the Nine Dragons Stronghold and its ambitious project became known to the local dignitaries.

* * *

“The Nine Dragons Stronghold has more businesses than I initially thought.”

“Is that so?”

“They operate inns and fabric shops in Sanyang Prefecture, and inns and brothels in Sangnam Prefecture. They also acquired the old Scarlet Fox Clan’s manor and are raising children there. Furthermore, they are considering entering the transportation business, including courier services, in anticipation of future expansion.”

The Hwa-myung Merchant Group, primarily active in Shaanxi Province, was one of the largest merchant groups in the Central Plains [the central region of China]. It was consistently mentioned among the Ten Great Merchant Groups of the Central Plains.

Hwa Jung-soo, the owner of the Hwa-myung Merchant Group, had recently taken an interest in the Nine Dragons Stronghold, which was becoming a frequent topic of conversation, and had initiated a detailed investigation into their operations.

“They have taken over the businesses previously run by the Black Snake Gang of Sanyang Prefecture and the Scarlet Fox Clan of Sangnam Prefecture, and they are operating them without significant investment. This suggests they are experienced players in this industry.”

“Then they must be involved in illegal activities as well.”

“Indeed. They are running loan sharking operations and gambling houses. I’ve also heard that they have discontinued the smuggling activities that the Scarlet Fox Clan used to conduct.”

“The head of the Nine Dragons Stronghold is quite young, isn’t he?”

“Yes, they say he appears to be no more than twenty-three years old.”

“That’s impressive for such a young man. But where did he obtain the capital to establish these businesses? This couldn’t have been achieved with just a few pennies.”

“Are you suggesting that another merchant group is involved, my lord?”

“Not necessarily, but how could a twenty-three-year-old, even if from a wealthy family, amass the funds to acquire the Danri family’s manor and businesses, as well as the Scarlet Fox Clan’s manor, when starting his first venture?”

“That’s true…”

“Even if he were the son of an extremely wealthy family, they wouldn’t entrust him with such a substantial sum for his first business endeavor.”

Hwa Jung-soo’s words seemed logical.

“Then someone must be advising him, or someone must be secretly managing the business.”

“Now that I consider it, that seems plausible.”

“It would require the backing of a merchant group, or they wouldn’t have started on such a grand scale.”

Hwa Jung-soo spoke with conviction. Otherwise, no one in the Central Plains would provide such a large sum of money to a newcomer and instruct him to start a business.

“Could it be that one of the Ten Great Merchant Groups has made a move?”

“No, it’s more likely that merchant groups below the Ten Greats are attempting to undermine us.”

The Ten Great Merchant Groups of the Central Plains!

These were the dominant commercial entities in the Central Plains, having controlled the region’s trade for a long time. They were colossal organizations, each reportedly employing over ten thousand people.

They were involved in a vast array of businesses, with each group having a primary focus. In the case of the Hwa-myung Merchant Group, they managed 70% of the grain distribution in the Central Plains.

It was said that if the Hwa-myung Merchant Group were to delay grain transportation, a million people would starve to death in the Central Plains, such was the immense volume of grain they handled.

“They won’t be able to bring down the Ten Great Merchant Groups with such small businesses.”

“One can never be certain. Merchant groups can fail not because of large losses, but because of small ones. And we are well aware of the substantial income generated by loan sharking and gambling houses, as we engage in those activities ourselves.”

Capital is essential for a merchant group’s growth. Therefore, merchant groups of a certain size operate pawnshops that lend money and collect interest, or they raise funds through loan sharking, which is technically illegal.

Also, the money circulating in gambling houses cannot be ignored, so it is no exaggeration to say that loan sharking and gambling houses are essential for raising funds.

However, since these are illegal rather than legal, they carry that much risk, so they are usually managed separately as independent businesses.

“Inns and brothels are for show, the real money is in loan sharking and gambling houses.”

“Then what should we do? Should we secretly send people to destroy them?”

“There’s nothing certain yet, so there’s no need to go that far. Even if we investigate further before acting, we won’t suffer a significant loss. The problem is that the Nine Dragons Stronghold is becoming a topic of conversation.”

Once they gain fame, it becomes difficult to take action. So it seemed that some measures were needed regarding this issue.

“I will create a gruesome rumor.”

“A gruesome rumor?”

“Isn’t public sentiment swayed by rumors?”

Hwa Jung-soo nodded.

“That would be good too.”

“Since he is young, his yang energy [a concept in traditional Chinese medicine] must be vigorous, so I will focus on that aspect to create a rumor.”

A faint smile appeared on Hwa Jung-soo’s lips.

“Do as you see fit. And how is the matter of meeting with the Eastern and Western Poisons of the Youngcheon Merchant Group progressing?”

“It is in progress. However, the Youngcheon Merchant Group is demanding a bit too much regarding the transportation of our grains.”

“How much?”

“They are asking for 20%.”

“That crazy bastard.”

“But I think it wouldn’t be a loss if we only accepted what we can get.”

“Is that so?”

“The Youngcheon Merchant Group’s main focus is mine development. They have almost monopolized the work of developing mines and processing minerals such as iron ore, gold, and silver obtained from them, so if we also ask them to allow us to monopolize the mines and processing in Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces, it wouldn’t be a loss.”

“Hmm…”

Hwa Jung-soo thought for a moment and opened his mouth.

“Doesn’t mine development require a lot of initial costs?”

“That’s right. But once it is developed, you can make a lot of money, so you can recover the costs as much as you want, even if initial costs are incurred.”

Giving 20% of the grain transportation to them and receiving the mining rights for two provinces. On paper, it is clear that he is profiting, but grain transportation does not cost a lot of money and can leave a considerable profit, but mines are not like that.

Even if you can make a lot of profit, the cost of mine development is too high.

“That’s a problem I need to think about a little more. For now, you should focus on spreading malicious rumors about the head of the Nine Dragons Stronghold that you mentioned earlier.”

“Understood.”

As the Chief Manager left, Hwa Jung-soo was lost in thought alone.

“Mine development is a pity, but I’ll have to watch it a little longer. In a situation where the movements of the Demonic Cult and the Evil Sect are unusual, there is no need to take risks or suffer losses.”

The information power of merchants is second to none, even to the Beggars’ Sect or the Hao-moon. However, the transmission of information is a little behind them because the system is not as well-established as the Beggars’ Sect or the Hao-moon, but the information power is outstanding.

“The Youngcheon Merchant Group also knows that the movements of the Demonic Cult and the Evil Sect are unusual, so they must be demanding 20% of the grain transportation from us.”

The Youngcheon Merchant Group had been supporting the Evil Sects from the old days and had grown up, so it was obvious that if they secured the grain transportation, they would support the Evil Blood Alliance, which is a coalition of Evil Sects.

If the Evil Sects gain power in that way, the merchant groups that support the Righteous Sects will not be able to withstand the pressure from the merchant groups that supported the Evil Sects and will walk the path of decline, so that much had to be prevented.

He thought it would be better to support the Righteous Heaven Alliance and, if the Righteous Sects gained power, to pressure the Youngcheon Merchant Group to steal mining processing technicians, including mining rights, and develop the mines themselves.

“In the long run, this is more stable. That’s right, I need to find out which bastard is testing the waters with the Nine Dragons Stronghold first.”