Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 84

Nine Dragons Chronicle (84)

It’s often said that big conspiracies, major events, accidents, and incidents tend to happen late at night. There are likely several reasons for this, but the most prominent is that the deep darkness conceals many things.

Deep in the night, a figure stealthily scaled the wall of the Hwamyeong Merchant Guild’s grain storage facility.

Dressed in black and wearing a black mask, he was perfectly hidden, blending seamlessly with the darkness.

Judging by the sparse lights visible within the facility, it was clear that numerous guards were patrolling the area.

“There are guards stationed right at the grain warehouses.”

Perhaps due to the recent grain theft incidents, he sensed that a dozen warriors were guarding the interior of the warehouse.

“Fifteen inside, twenty around the warehouse perimeter, and forty patrolling the facility itself.”

Hwarin, who had climbed over the wall intending to steal the Hwamyeong Merchant Guild’s grain, assessed the number of guards. He then ascended to the roof of the tallest building, surveying the situation below for a moment.

“The shifts change every two hours, and those inside the warehouse don’t rotate.”

He had deduced this by observing from the rooftop for an extended period.

“Then I only need to subdue those inside the warehouse. First, I need to get closer to the warehouse and scout the interior.”

Employing the Buunpungsin technique [a movement technique that utilizes wind power for swift travel], which allowed him to move by borrowing the power of the wind while floating in the air, he traversed the sky like a nocturnal bird.

Although many people surrounded and guarded the warehouse, Hwarin evaded their watchful eyes and landed silently on the roof like a feather, flattening himself to remain unseen from below.

Hwarin regulated his breathing and pressed his ear against the warehouse roof to assess the situation inside.

‘It’s the beginning of the Ox hour now [1:00 AM – 3:00 AM].’

Hwarin listened intently for about fifteen minutes, trying to discern any sounds from within, but the warehouse remained unusually quiet.

‘Are they sleeping?’

Hwarin channeled his inner energy into the warehouse to observe the movements of the people inside, but there was no discernible activity.

‘Their breathing is steady, too.’

Hwarin’s figure vanished as if sinking downwards, reappearing atop the piled-up grain sacks.

Looking down from his perch, he saw the guards sleeping soundly.

‘They’ve been on guard duty all day, and they can lock the warehouse door from the inside, so they must have assumed no enemy could infiltrate.’

When they opened their eyes in the morning and realized what had befallen them, they would likely think it was a dream and desperately wish to wake up.

To be absolutely certain, Hwarin flicked his fingers towards the sleeping men.

Using the Tanjigong technique [a pressure point technique], he tapped their pressure points to induce deeper sleep. Then, Hwarin drew a dot in the air with his finger.

Gooong!

The black dot that appeared in the air gradually expanded until it was large enough to swallow the grain sacks in an instant.

Whiriririk.

The momentarily expanded space pocket used reverse wind to suck in and engulf the grain sacks piled up in the warehouse. The mountain of grain sacks was quickly drawn into the space pocket, and a faint smile appeared on Hwarin’s lips as he watched.

‘This incident might cause some damage, but it won’t lead to their downfall. However, many clients might distrust them, and other competing merchant guilds might rush in to poach the Hwamyeong Merchant Guild’s customers.’

In the case of the Nine Dragons Guild, they didn’t have an established infrastructure to sell grain professionally like the Hwamyeong Merchant Guild. They still needed personnel, technology, and time to build such production facilities.

“I need to inform Hao Moon about this and foster competition between the merchant guilds to buy us some time.”

Still, he intended to honor his promise to Prince Yeongchin.

Even securing just one sales route to Pallo could generate significant profits, so obtaining this alone would allow the Nine Dragons Guild to secure a stable income.

“To secure a stable grain supply, I need to trade with the Travil Kingdom, so I need to set aside some time to visit.”

He couldn’t rely on stealing grain forever; he needed to establish a reliable grain supply through trade.

“If only that friend Sadojun didn’t have Cheonsagok’s Sogokju [a potent alcoholic beverage], it would have been perfect.”

Hwarin thought of Sadojun and felt a pang of regret.

“Let’s deal with the immediate tasks first and then think about other things.”

The space pocket, as if sensing it had completed its task, gradually shrank until it vanished completely.

Hwarin glanced at the sleeping warriors in the now-empty warehouse with a pitiful expression and then disappeared from the scene.

* * *

“Sister!”

As the Namgung siblings arrived at the Namgung family estate, a welcoming figure greeted them.

“You came back alive!”

It was Namgung Suyeon.

“Huh? Came back alive? Did you think I was going to die?”

“No, I heard you were serving in the military, sister?”

Namgung Suyeon asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

“How did you find out about that?”

“When I visited the Hwasan Sect this time, I met someone who knew you. Hwarin, the Guild Leader of the Nine Dragons Guild.”

“What? Who did you meet?”

“Hwarin. He said he knew you well. Don’t you know him, sister?”

“Hwarin? Senior Ju Hwarin? You met that guy?”

“Yes, he decided to become friends with Brother Jin.”

Namgung Suyeon’s gaze shifted to Namgung Jin.

“I heard that you served in the military together. I didn’t hear the details, but he confidently said that if you returned to the family alive, you would be so strong that I wouldn’t be a match for you.”

Namgung Jin spoke while carefully observing Namgung Suyeon, but she didn’t appear to have changed much physically since she left home. However, he definitely sensed a different kind of presence, a subtle shift in her demeanor. That alone was enough to tell him that Namgung Suyeon had changed significantly.

“But sister, what’s that scar on your face?”

Namgung Yeona asked, noticing the scar on Namgung Suyeon’s face.

“It’s nothing. What were you saying earlier?”

“About what?”

“Where Senior Hwarin is!”

“The Nine Dragons Guild in Shanxi Province.”

No sooner had Namgung Yeona finished speaking than Namgung Suyeon’s figure vanished without a trace.

“Uh…….”

While Namgung Yeona stammered, staring at the spot where Namgung Suyeon had disappeared, Namgung Jin was trying to calm his racing heart.

‘I couldn’t even sense her move. If Suyeon were an enemy… she could become as dangerous as Sadojun, no… even more so.’

Namgung Jin thought about the military unit where Hwarin and Namgung Suyeon had served.

‘What kind of military unit was it that could make them so strong in just four years?’

“But Brother.”

“Yes?”

“Did sister just go to Shanxi Province?”

“She probably went to the Nine Dragons Guild.”

“Aish. I was going to learn martial arts from her when she came back! She left again.”

Namgung Yeona’s cheeks puffed out as she complained.

“At least you know where she went now. Go and rest. I’ll meet Father, talk to him, and then rest.”

“Yes. Brother, can I go to the Nine Dragons Guild to see her?”

He chuckled at her words.

“She’ll be back in a few days. Do you really think Suyeon will settle down and live in the Nine Dragons Guild?”

“Ah, that’s right.”

“If you wait a little longer, Suyeon will be back, so ask her to teach you martial arts then. You’ve waited four years, so waiting a few more days won’t make a difference.”

“Yes. I understand. Brother, go and meet Father quickly. I’ll rest in my room.”

“Do so.”

Namgung Jin headed to his father’s office to meet Namgung Baekya, the head of the Namgung family.

He cleared his throat in front of the office and then spoke.

“Father, it’s Jin.”

“Come in.”

Namgung Jin entered the office, bowed to Namgung Baekya, and then went to the table in front of his desk and sat down on the chair.

Namgung Baekya also came to Namgung Jin and sat down.

“So? How did it feel to see the martial artists of your age at the Hwasan Sect?”

“I could sense that everyone was fiercely striving to become the best. I felt that the overall level had improved significantly compared to when I first participated in the Hwasan Assembly four years ago.”

“If you felt that way, then I know that the martial world has grown qualitatively. So, were there any individuals comparable to you?”

“I saw seven people.”

“As many as seven? Perhaps they are among the Ten Dragons and Eight Phoenixes [renowned young martial artists]?”

“I can’t be certain, but there were seven who were at a similar level to me, three who were superior, and one who I couldn’t even begin to assess.”

“Hmm…….”

“If there had been a martial arts competition, I could have known more clearly, but the Hwasan Assembly ended prematurely due to the incidents in Sichuan and Chongqing, so I couldn’t determine who they were. However, I befriended two people and was able to offer them some assistance along the way.”

“Is that so?”

“One is Sadojun, a rising star who seems to be at a similar level to me, but I sensed a strange incongruity about him.”

“What about the other one?”

“He seems very ordinary.”

“Ordinary?”

“Yes. But my instincts told me that he was a master of martial arts, someone I couldn’t handle.”

“Your instincts told you?”

“Yes.”

Hearing those words, Namgung Baekya could tell that Namgung Jin had also grown significantly.

“But, Father.”

“Speak.”

“What happened in Sichuan and Chongqing? I heard that many martial artists gathered, but things seem quieter than I expected.”

“It turned into a rather bizarre situation, and the conflict simply ended.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“The main forces of the Blood Oath Alliance were annihilated in Okwhasan.”

“What?”

Namgung Jin asked with a surprised expression.

“Literally, they all perished in Okwhasan. But there’s a rumor that only one person was responsible for their annihilation.”

“Does that even make sense?”

“That’s why I said it was a bizarre situation, wasn’t I? Judging from the consistent accounts of the surviving Hyunmu Unit warriors, it’s clear that a tremendous master has emerged in the martial world, and the Beggars’ Union is secretly searching for this master. In addition, they are monitoring the reactions of the Blood Oath Alliance through spies to uncover the truth of the incident.”

“Ah… Then aren’t the power levels of the Blood Oath Alliance and the Righteous Heaven Alliance now similar?”

Namgung Baekya shook his head.

“Hidden power is always greater than revealed power. This holds true for our Righteous Heaven Alliance as well. Of course, the three military groups, which formed the backbone of the Blood Oath Alliance, have been annihilated, so their outwardly visible power is now similar, and the Blood Oath Alliance will likely refrain from external actions. But even so, the Blood Oath Alliance remains superior to the Righteous Heaven Alliance overall.”

“I see. By the way, Suyeon has returned. When did she come back?”

“It’s been about five days. She left home harboring resentment towards me, and she has returned as such a master that I can’t even fathom where she’s been or what she’s been doing.”

His tone held a hint of dissatisfaction, but a faint smile played on his lips. Perhaps it stemmed from the joy of seeing his child’s growth and the realization that he had gained a reliable ally.

“I met her at the entrance, and it seemed that she has become so strong that I can’t handle her now.”

“Isn’t that a good thing for you? You can be motivated by seeing Suyeon’s progress.”

“That’s true, but…….”

Namgung Jin didn’t want to compete with his family.

“Do you know what the first thing she said to me when she came back was?”

“What was it?”

“She asked for the Emperor Sword Style.”

Namgung Jin’s eyes widened at the mention of the Emperor Sword Style.

“So, did you agree to give her the Emperor Sword Style?”

“I haven’t made a decision yet. If Cheol and Dong could catch up to your level, then maybe… If not, I may have to let Suyeon learn the Emperor Sword Style in order to protect the family’s swordsmanship and pass it on to future generations.”

Namgung Jin recalled Hwarin’s words and thought that Namgung Suyeon, who had left for the Nine Dragons Guild, would indeed be capable of passing on the family’s martial arts to future generations.

“Perhaps it would be safer to entrust it to Suyeon.”