Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 53

Ninth Dragon Chronicles (53)

Hwa-rin managed to extract some information from Lord Hong.

“As Squad Leader Hwa-rin knows, the Fierce Tiger Death Squad isn’t just any group. Many perished, but I believe about a hundred survived and scattered. They likely relocated to the second safe house. Though, some probably just ran,” Lord Hong said.

“So, the attack on the Fierce Tiger Death Squad wasn’t an external affair, but an internal power play.”

“There were those who coveted the Fierce Tiger Death Squad’s strength.”

“The Fierce Tiger Death Squad’s strength?”

“When Squad Leader Hwa-rin was active, most of the dangerous elements in the borderlands, overseas, and among the foreign nations were eliminated. Lately, the Fierce Tiger Death Squad hasn’t had much to do.”

“And?”

“Prince Heung’s faction believed the situation in the Central Plains’ martial world was ripe for exploitation and planned to dispatch members of the Fierce Tiger Death Squad as informants,” Lord Hong explained.

“His Highness Prince Heung?”

“More accurately, those manipulating Prince Heung.”

“Who are they?”

“General Ahn Guk-hyun and twelve generals belonging to the Hana Association.”

“So, they’re the instigators.”

“Precisely. Prince Heung, swayed by their counsel, sought to send the Fierce Tiger Death Squad into the martial world. Prince Yong’s faction, however, believed their presence would only exacerbate the chaos, and thus opposed the plan.”

“His Highness Prince Yong?”

“Prince Yong argued that the martial world should be left to the martial artists, but Prince Heung ignored his brother’s warnings and proceeded with his plan to deploy the Fierce Tiger Death Squad. Subsequently, the Fierce Tiger Death Squad was attacked and decimated.”

“Are you suggesting Prince Yong orchestrated the attack on the Fierce Tiger Death Squad?”

“I’m not saying that. I’m merely stating Prince Heung’s presumption.”

“To attack the Fierce Tiger Death Squad, one would need considerable power.”

“The Yongcheon Royal Guard also possesses several specialized units. If they combined their forces, even the Fierce Tiger Death Squad would struggle to withstand them. Had Squad Leader Hwa-rin been present, the outcome might have been different, but the current Fierce Tiger Death Squad is but an old dragon without its pearl [a metaphor for lost power and influence].”

“If it were Namgung Soo-yeon, she would have been able to hold them off to some extent, right?”

“Thanks to her, about a hundred people managed to escape with their lives. Without her, they would have all been slaughtered in the trade city.”

Hwa-rin nodded.

“Then, what I really want to know…”

“You didn’t come because of the Fierce Tiger Death Squad?”

“Am I crazy? Why would I care about that annoying unit? I couldn’t care less if they all died, as long as I’m not involved.”

Lord Hong gave a ‘Well, yes’ expression and looked at Hwa-rin, waiting for the real question.

“What do you know about General Na Jin-hwa of the Azure Dragon Army under the Eight Route Army? I want all the details, especially regarding his corruption.”

“About General Na Jin-hwa?”

“Yes, everything, without exception.”

“If you learn about his misdeeds, will you quietly step aside?”

“Of course. But I expect you to provide me with useful information.”

After hearing Hwa-rin’s reply, Lord Hong divulged everything he knew about General Na Jin-hwa.

It was a testament to how much he dreaded dealing with Hwa-rin.

“They say you shouldn’t try to fix people, just use them, and it seems that’s true.”

“He’s managing a vast amount of military supplies, so it’s understandable. Wouldn’t anyone in that position be tempted? If Squad Leader Hwa-rin were in that position, you would have embezzled even more, not less.”

Hwa-rin glared at him before speaking.

“Then where does he stash the embezzled military supplies? He wouldn’t be foolish enough to keep them at his own residence, would he?”

“He keeps them at home. Well, not his own house, but in the houses of his mistresses.”

“Mistresses? Two mistresses?”

“That’s right. He’s enjoying a lavish lifestyle with those women, funded by the stolen military supplies.”

“And where do these mistresses reside?”

“They each operate a courtesan house in Hongze Lake and Taihu Lake in Jiangsu Province.”

“What an interesting fellow.”

“Now that you know everything you wanted to know, please leave. Don’t come looking for me again.”

“I don’t particularly enjoy visiting Gansu Province either, so I’d rather avoid it if possible. I only came because I needed information for my current endeavor.”

“Then leave quickly.”

“If you keep urging me to leave, I might just decide to settle down here.”

Lord Hong fell silent at the words ‘settle down here.’

“Thanks for the information. If I need anything else, I’ll be back, so don’t even think about running away or relocating. I’ll find out, and I’ll expose all your secrets, Lord Hong, so keep that in mind.”

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“Just because!”

With those parting words, Hwa-rin exited the antique shop.

Watching Hwa-rin depart, Lord Hong silently mouthed a string of curses. After instructing the clerk to confirm Hwa-rin’s departure, he retrieved salt from the kitchen and sprinkled it across the front of the antique shop upon learning that Hwa-rin was out of sight.

“What sins did I commit in my past life to be entangled with that man…? If I had been a little less greedy back then…”

As memories of his initial involvement with Hwa-rin resurfaced, Lord Hong shuddered and returned to the kitchen for more salt, scattering it liberally.

“Na Jin-hwa, that friend is in for a rough time. I hope he doesn’t lose his head.”

A note of genuine concern for General Na Jin-hwa laced Lord Hong’s voice.

“Well, as Squad Leader Hwa-rin said, as long as it’s not me.”

* * *

“So, the one who killed my son is the head of the Nine Dragons Stronghold?”

After his son’s unexpected demise, Dong Seo-dok of the Yeongcheon Merchant Group relentlessly sought the perpetrator. Eventually, he received information from the Hao Gate [a powerful information brokerage] implicating Ju Hwa-rin, the head of the Nine Dragons Stronghold.

“Not ‘killed,’ but there’s a possibility.”

“Why would the head of the Nine Dragons Stronghold kill my son?”

“Wouldn’t the Guild Leader know that better than anyone else?”

“Me?”

“Didn’t the Guild Leader hire assassins to eliminate the head of the Nine Dragons Stronghold first?”

Dong Seo-dok flinched.

“They thrive on information.”

It was a clear warning not to even consider lying.

“Many are aware of the Guild Leader’s ambition to seize the Nine Dragons Stronghold’s Nine Dragons Tower. They’re simply keeping it to themselves.”

“So, the head of the Nine Dragons Stronghold killed my son in retaliation?”

“As I mentioned earlier, I said there’s a possibility, not that he definitively killed him.”

“Isn’t that the same thing!”

Dong Seo-dok erupted in anger.

“It’s not the same. The difference between certainty and possibility is vast. We’re mentioning him now because he’s the most likely suspect, but your son could have been killed in a fight with someone else. It’s not yet conclusive.”

Annoyed by Chae Min-gung, the branch leader of the Hao Gate in Henan Province, who was speaking so ambiguously, Dong Seo-dok suppressed his anger, knowing his assistance was crucial, and asked, “Then please investigate further. This concerns my son, my eldest grandson, the heir to my family line, being murdered.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll investigate and inform you as soon as possible.”

“Then please do me a favor.”

Dong Seo-dok produced an envelope and handed it over. Inside was a voucher for the pawnshop operated by the Yeongcheon Merchant Group.

“Rest assured.”

After hearing Chae Min-gung’s assurance as he accepted the envelope, Dong Seo-dok reiterated his request and departed from the Hao Gate branch.

“It doesn’t matter whether he killed him or not. I’m going to reduce the Nine Dragons Stronghold to ashes.”

Dong Seo-dok proceeded directly to the Blood Demon Sect, the Henan branch of the Four Blood Alliance [a notorious alliance of evil sects].

* * *

Hwa-rin returned to Shanxi Province after obtaining the details of Na Jin-hwa’s corruption from Lord Hong.

He meticulously organized and documented Na Jin-hwa’s corrupt activities at the Nine Dragons Stronghold, amassing enough material to fill an entire book. It was astonishing how well he was living despite engaging in such widespread corruption.

“Life should be lived like General Na Jin-hwa.”

Hwa-rin paused, tilting his head after compiling all the information on General Na Jin-hwa’s corruption.

“Wait, what about the concubines?”

General Na Jin-hwa’s legal wife would undoubtedly be aware of the concubines’ existence, and the concubines would likewise be aware of the legal wife.

Inevitably, dissatisfaction and anxiety would fester, leading them to secure their own futures.

“Aside from embezzling wealth, it would be truly remarkable if they each had a young lover. Since they operate courtesan houses, the concubines might have some potential. A few days of investigation would reveal the truth quickly…”

Hwa-rin cut himself off and rose from his seat.

Abruptly leaving his office, Hwa-rin spoke into the air.

“Evacuate the family and instruct the subordinates to protect them.”

“Understood.”

Yi Do-moon emerged from Hwa-rin’s shadow and vanished.

As Hwa-rin stepped into the courtyard of the Nine Dragons Stronghold, figures clad in red martial uniforms were scaling the walls.

Hwa-rin extended his hand, and a sword materialized as if he had been wielding it all along. He advanced towards the intruders.

He had taken only a single step, yet in an instant, Hwa-rin was in the heart of the courtyard, his sword a blur against those wearing red martial uniforms.

“Cough!”

Few of those scaling the wall harbored good intentions. The purpose of armed individuals breaching the walls in such numbers was clear.

No questions asked!

There was no need to inquire about their motives, nor to heed their explanations.

With each movement of Hwa-rin’s sword, crimson flowers bloomed and dissipated in the air.

The blood of those slain by Hwa-rin’s sword was washed away by the torrential rain.

Clang!

Parrying the sword of an attacker from behind, a surge of sword energy swirled in his palm. He seized the blade in reverse grip and thrust it upwards.

A straight sword wound appeared, cleaving the opponent from crotch to head, and crimson blood gushed forth before he collapsed.

“He’s alone. Attack from all sides!”

Realizing Hwa-rin was more formidable than anticipated, they coordinated their assault. Yet, each time, Hwa-rin’s feet moved with uncanny precision, evading their attacks.

Like flowing water, Hwa-rin’s movements were fluid and graceful, yet concealed within that fluidity was a piercing sharpness.

Clang!

Deflecting the unavoidable blades with his own, Hwa-rin not only withstood the onslaught but also created space for himself with sweeping movements.

Breaking free from the encirclement, he wielded his sword, felling one opponent with each precise strike.

Hwa-rin employed the Gonggong Gate’s martial arts—the Gonggong Trace-less Steps and the Gonggong Shadowless Sword—to dispatch the intruders.

The Gonggong Gate was once a sect affiliated with the Hao Gate, but it denounced the Hao Gate’s politicization and the corruption of its leaders, withdrawing to forge its own path as the most legendary thieves in the Central Plains.

Now, its lineage was severed, existing only in the memories of martial artists, but among thieves, the Gonggong Gate remained a revered institution.

One martial artist, disoriented by Hwa-rin’s sword vanishing before his eyes, felt a searing pain in his waist.

“When…”

Unable to comprehend that his waist had been severed at the instant the sword disappeared, he stared at Hwa-rin for a moment before collapsing.

As Hwa-rin fought alone, the dozen or so men who had scaled the walls of the Nine Dragons Stronghold fell one by one, ultimately failing in their mission and lying as lifeless corpses in the courtyard.

“My Lord.”

When Yi Do-moon arrived to assist Hwa-rin after evacuating the family, not a single intruder remained standing.

“Find out who they are. It’s raining, but the fact that they crossed someone else’s manor armed and without wearing masks in broad daylight means they’re powerful.”

“Understood. It won’t take long.”

“I need to make it unequivocally clear this time that there’s nothing to gain from crossing me.”