Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 81

Nine Dragons Chronicle (81)

Hwa-rin considered the invitation from the Jeongcheon Alliance’s Shanxi branch for a moment.

“Are you not going?”

Seo Dae-young asked. Hwa-rin responded with a somewhat disgruntled and sharp tone.

“Since when do people order me around like that? Do you think I’m the kind of guy who jumps when someone tells me to?”

“That’s not it, but if you’re going to live in Shanxi, involved with the Murim [martial arts world], you can’t ignore the Jeongcheon Alliance, can you?”

Hwa-rin chuckled at Seo Dae-young’s words.

“Then, if the head of the Anhui branch sent a single invitation to the head of the Namgung Clan, would the head of the Namgung Clan go?”

“That’s not the same, but… are you comparing our Nine Dragons Manor to the Namgung Clan?”

“Why not? Am I older than the head of the Namgung Clan, or do I have a family? Come on, my qualifications are better.”

“But doesn’t the head of the Namgung Clan have more money?”

“Ahem… that’s true. But hey, money isn’t everything in the world.”

“It’s not everything, but money is necessary to do everything. Even maintaining relationships requires money.”

“If you couldn’t talk, you wouldn’t be so annoying.”

“Anyway, are you really not going? If the Jeongcheon Alliance called, I think it might be because of the Seokcheon Sect incident.”

“That’s exactly why I’m not going. What am I going to hear if I go? They’ll come at me with daggers drawn, looking for a fight.”

“If they did that, the Shanxi branch of the Jeongcheon Alliance would disappear overnight, just like the Seokcheon Sect.”

“And you still think I should go?”

“Still, shouldn’t you go and hear why they called you and offer some explanations? If you don’t go, they’ll be even more suspicious. Make up some plausible excuses and go. The Namgung siblings are at the manor, so you can go with them.”

“Sounds like a pain.”

Although he complained, Hwa-rin fully intended to visit the Jeongcheon Alliance’s Shanxi branch. He just wouldn’t cause a scene there. Hwa-rin, from what Seo Dae-young had seen, wasn’t someone who acted solely on emotion, so he trusted him to handle it well.

“I’m also planning to go down to Sangnam County with the children to manage the business there once the Manor Lord returns from the Jeongcheon Alliance branch.”

“The Namgung siblings will help, right?”

“They will. They almost died too. And it will be important to bring up the Hwamyeong Merchant Group’s issue this time to prevent other Murim sects from interfering.”

“Alright. I’ll do that. And I’ll go straight to Sichuan, so keep that in mind.”

“Why Sichuan…?”

“The Hwamyeong Merchant Group is transporting grain, right?”

“Yes, they are.”

“It would be a waste to let that opportunity pass. So I have to play some tricks.”

“I will protect the manor well while you are away.”

“Protector Lee is here too, so you just go back to Sangnam County and check on the business there. Manage the children, and prevent the local gangs from causing trouble in the marketplace and streets.”

“I will.”

* * *

“I don’t understand. Why would the righteous Seokcheon Sect wear masks, cross the walls of the Nine Dragons Manor, and try to kill people?”

“There must have been a secret deal. Just because they’re righteous doesn’t mean they’re all just. A sect’s character inevitably changes depending on the personality of the sect leader.”

“What does that mean? So if the sect leader declares the sect as evil, does it become evil overnight? That’s not true.”

Namgung Yeon-ah asked.

“That’s right. There would be many discussions within the sect before making such a declaration. Even if they remain a righteous sect, the sect’s tendencies gradually change. For example, a gentle sect might become tyrannical, or it might become insidious.”

“What Jun said is right, but most of them hide these facts and operate in secret.”

Namgung Jin added to Sa Do-jun’s explanation.

They were spending the night at the Jeongcheon Alliance’s Shanxi branch at Hwa-rin’s request.

“So, you’re saying that the Seokcheon Sect was hiding its insidious nature and targeted the Nine Dragons Manor after being commissioned by someone else?”

“You can think of it that way.”

“Then who commissioned them to kill Hwa-rin, Brother?”

“I wonder. Hwa-rin, that friend, probably knows.”

“That’s a bad person.”

“There are so many bad people in the world. It’s harder to find good people.”

“My brother is kind.”

“The world knows that Jin is kind. I admit it too.”

Knock, knock!

A knock on the door was heard from outside, followed by a voice.

“The branch leader has asked to see the three of you.”

“They must have called us to confirm whether Hwa-rin’s words are true or not.”

“Let’s go quickly and tell them that Hwa-rin, Brother’s words are true.”

The three went to the conference room with the man who came to fetch them, where Hwa-rin and several others were seated.

“Welcome, Young Master.”

“It’s been a while, Branch Leader Cheongmyeong.”

The two seemed to already know each other, and there were also people from the Namgung Clan present.

“You look healthier.”

“You flatter me.”

“The reason we have gathered the three of you is to hear in detail about what happened at the Nine Dragons Manor.”

Cheongmyeong brought up the main point after exchanging simple greetings.

“After finishing the Hwasan Assembly, I came down from Hwasan and visited my friend’s house, the Nine Dragons Manor. At that time, masked men crossed the walls of the Nine Dragons Manor and tried to kill the family members, and I intervened in their fight.”

“Were you injured?”

“Fortunately, no. But the strange thing is that the masked group was divided into two categories.”

“Two categories?”

“Yes. One side was the righteous Seokcheon Sect, and the other side was the Blood Demon Sect from Henan.”

Everyone murmured at Namgung Jin’s words.

‘He didn’t have to say that story.’

Hwa-rin had hidden the story of the Blood Demon Sect, but Namgung Jin revealed it.

“If it’s the Blood Demon Sect, isn’t that the sect where there were rumors that Blood Hand Ruthless Na Seong-gi recently died?”

“That’s right. I don’t know why they attacked the Nine Dragons Manor, but at the time, they were being attacked by the Seokcheon Sect and the Blood Demon Sect.”

“And then?”

“It was my friend’s business, so I had no choice but to help, and I fought and defeated them.”

“Did it end with that?”

“No. A few days later, this time, Seok Dae-young, the sect leader of the Seokcheon Sect, led all the warriors and invaded the Nine Dragons Manor.”

“Seok Dae-young led all the warriors?”

“That’s right. I told the warriors of the Seokcheon Sect that I was from the Namgung Clan, but they tried to kill even us to exterminate us.”

“Hmm…”

“Before that, did you know that there was a big fire in the Seokcheon Sect?”

“I didn’t know. How would I know about a fire that broke out in a place so far away?”

Elder Song Cheol and Hwayoung Jin-in did not find anything strange enough to doubt Namgung Jin’s words.

“But as far as I know, only the Nine Dragons Manor Lord and the Chief Manager know martial arts. Did five people fight against so many warriors?”

“No. There were more warriors. But I can’t tell you that because of personal circumstances. And is it reasonable to think that only two people who have learned martial arts are running a large manor?”

‘Hey, you don’t have to talk about that kind of thing.’

Hwa-rin resented Namgung Jin for telling the truth as it was.

Everyone’s eyes turned to Hwa-rin.

“Why are you looking at me?”

Hwa-rin spoke sharply, his face full of annoyance.

“Then, if I ask you to teach me what the Jeongcheon Alliance’s hidden sword technique is, will you teach me?”

Cheongmyeong narrowed his eyes slightly at Hwa-rin’s rude behavior, but he couldn’t say anything.

“Calling busy people here and there, as if fighting is something to be proud of.”

When Song Cheol tried to restrain Hwa-rin, he still treated him with respect, using honorifics as a senior.

“I’m sorry. I never thought there would be so many moths flying to the Nine Dragons Pavilion.”

“Nine Dragons Pavilion?”

Cheongmyeong asked.

“It’s my business currently under construction. At first, the Eumsa Sect of Samyang County coveted it, but now even the Seokcheon Sect, the Blood Demon Sect, the Hwamyeong Merchant Group, and the Yeongcheon Merchant Group, who have no connection, are trying to kill me.”

“Is that true?”

Elder Song Cheol asked.

“Didn’t the Hwamyeong Merchant Group entice the Seokcheon Sect, and the Yeongcheon Merchant Group entice the Blood Demon Sect? Senior Song Cheol, you probably know about it too. The Jongnam Sect suddenly investigated my manor.”

“That’s right. I confirmed that when I was with you. Ah, the Hwamyeong Merchant Group mentioned your Nine Dragons Manor, right?”

“That’s right. Since Nine Dragons Pavilion has been legally permitted to open a gambling house, they must have thought that if they occupied Nine Dragons Pavilion, they could also obtain a legal gambling house. But it’s a foolish act.”

“Why is it a foolish act? If you own a business, can’t you do business?”

“Is the governor of Shanxi crazy? I did that much for the Central Plains, so I received a reasonable reward. But if someone else occupies Nine Dragons Pavilion, will the governor remain still? He’ll cancel the permit.”

“Hmm…”

“Gambling is a dangerous thing that can shake the foundation of the country. Do you think that such a gambling house can be allowed solely by the governor’s decision?”

The people gathered could not say anything.

“In the end, Nine Dragons Pavilion is just an ordinary brothel unless it’s me. Even if I tell them that, greed blinds their eyes, so they don’t know where they’re going to die and rush in. To be honest, if I had my way, I would have destroyed the Hwamyeong Merchant Group and the Yeongcheon Merchant Group right away, but this is different from the society I’ve lived in, so I’m holding back. Senior, please mediate.”

It was a situation where others would be intimidated, but Hwa-rin, on the contrary, made a loud noise and boasted.

―Hwa-rin, do you know that friend well?

Namgung Jin sent a telepathic message to Sa Do-jun.

―I know as much as you do. I also met him for the first time at the Hwasan Assembly and became friends.

―I thought he was not ordinary, but perhaps he is a more amazing person than I thought. He is a senior and junior with Elder Song Cheol of the Jongnam Sect.

―Look at Elder Hwayoung of the Hwasan Sect next to him. He has been restless since we came here. It’s the same now. The Hwasan Sect also seems to know something about Hwa-rin. If you look closely, Elder Song Cheol and Elder Hwayoung are watching Hwa-rin’s every move.

At Sa Do-jun’s words, Namgung Jin looked at Elder Hwayoung’s complexion. Then, as Sa Do-jun said, he seemed to be watching Hwa-rin’s every move.

‘If that friend has inherited all of the Killing Emperor’s essence, then of course they should be watching him. By the way, I need to go back to the valley quickly and tell my father. Now that the reincarnation of the Killing Emperor has appeared, we no longer have to follow the will of the Killing Sword Emperor.’

Sa Do-jun’s sect, Cheonsagok [Valley of the Heavenly Murderers], was the largest assassin organization in the Central Plains, and it was a sect that even the Jeongcheon Alliance and the Blood Evil Alliance could not easily deal with.

“After hearing your words, Manor Lord Hwa-rin, it seems you had the ability to persuade Sect Leader Seok Dae-young of the Seokcheon Sect to return, but was it necessary to kill them?”

Cheongmyeong asked.

“Then, if an assassin comes to kill you and fails, do you persuade them with words and send them back? And if you send them back like that, will they say, ‘Yes, I understand,’ and not come again next time? They moved for money. In other words, they moved after receiving a murder request. Are you going to persuade such people with words? What if even one of my family members is hurt or killed?”

Cheongmyeong could not answer Hwa-rin’s words.

“I can’t do that. If my family member dies, I will pay them back tenfold, no matter who the opponent is.”

“Then, are you saying that you will destroy the Hwamyeong Merchant Group, which commissioned the Seokcheon Sect? What will you do with the Yeongcheon Merchant Group, which commissioned the Blood Demon Sect?”

“They haven’t directly harmed me yet, so I’m letting it go for now. But if I catch them doing something wrong, I won’t just let it go then.”

Cheongmyeong thought that it would be difficult to persuade Hwa-rin to restrain his actions due to his strong stance.

Moreover, they moved first to destroy the Nine Dragons Manor, and the Seokcheon Sect was blinded by greed and crossed the walls of the Nine Dragons Manor, so there was no justification for saying anything about it.

The person who confirmed that Hwa-rin’s words were true was none other than the young master of the Namgung Clan, and he himself directly confirmed that he fought with them at the risk of his life, so there was no justification for punishing Hwa-rin or defining him as a heretic and rejecting him.

“If that’s what Manor Lord Hwa-rin thinks, then there’s nothing we can do. We will have to convey the manor lord’s intentions to the Hwamyeong Merchant Group and the Yeongcheon Merchant Group to prevent a bigger fight from happening. Would that be alright?”

“Do that. But they will say no. And they will entice stronger people to try to kill me.”

“Can’t you stop it?”

“We’ll see as time goes by. I can guarantee that the Hwamyeong Merchant Group won’t stop, even if the Yeongcheon Merchant Group does.”

Dongseo Dok of the Yeongcheon Merchant Group knows who Hwa-rin is, so they will try to build and maintain a friendship, not try to kill him.

“The monster called greed will not only blind people’s eyes but also block their ears.”