Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 90

Nine Dragons Chronicle (90)

“If you tell me about him, I think we can better prepare for what’s to come in the Murim [martial arts world] world.”

Mi-hyang, the head of the Jeongcheon Alliance’s intelligence department, visited the Hwasan Sect and had a private meeting with Head Matron Mae San, asking who Hwasan had sent to investigate the Guju Death Blood Squad.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Didn’t the Head Matron say that you would investigate the Guju Death Blood Squad to buy time, and that there was someone suitable for the task?”

“Ah, I did say that. I asked him for a favor, but he refused, saying that he was no longer involved with Murim.”

“Someone not involved with Murim?”

“He used to be active in Murim, but he has now retired. He said he didn’t want to be involved in Murim anymore, so I had no choice but to send Hwasan’s executors.”

“Hwasan’s executors?”

Hwasan’s executors referred to the Blood Plum Blossom Swordsmen, which was a secret of the Hwasan Sect, and Murim didn’t bother trying to find out about them.

Organizations such as the Secret Forest of Shaolin, the Law Enforcement Squad of Wudang, the Blood Plum Blossoms of Hwasan, the True Blood Azure Swordsmen of Qingcheng, the Subduing Demon Sword Flowers of Emei, and the True Star Cloud Dragons of Kunlun were all classified as secrets in Murim.

When Head Matron Mae San indirectly mentioned the name of the Blood Plum Blossoms, Mi-hyang could no longer ask about them directly.

“I believe the Head Matron heard the details of the situation from them.”

Mi-hyang rephrased her question.

“That’s right.”

“Then please tell me a little about the situation at that time.”

“When we arrived in Sichuan, the Guju Death Blood Squad was on the move. They were gathering Murim people in Sichuan…….”

Head Matron Mae San told Mi-hyang the story of Hwa-rin that he had heard from Grandfather Master Myeong-ryul, only changing the protagonist.

He made slight changes within the scope of what Hwasan’s executors, the Blood Plum Blossom Swordsmen, could plausibly do. Mi-hyang, listening to the story, didn’t detect anything strange about Head Matron Mae San’s account.

“I see.”

“After that, I heard that they were annihilated.”

“So their annihilation has nothing to do with the Hwasan Sect.”

“Is there any single sect or family that could face them alone?”

Mi-hyang did not answer.

“I don’t think there is, except for the four families with the Sword Emperor, the Poison King, the Fist King, and the Saber King. But even the four families wouldn’t try to fight them.”

This was referring to the Namgung family of the Sword Emperor, the Tang family of the Poison King, the Hwangbo family of the Fist King, and the Peng family of the Saber King. Even though they belonged to the Ten Great Masters of the Central Plains, fighting against the Four Spirit Blood Demon Squad, the Crimson Spirit Blood Corpse Squad, and the Guju Death Blood Squad would inflict significant damage and potentially lead to the family’s decline.

They knew very well that they would eventually be pushed out of the position of the Ten Great Families and become just another family, so they wouldn’t risk a direct confrontation.

“I understand. The Alliance is a bit complicated these days because of this incident.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Sahyul Alliance [Blood Demon Alliance] and the Demonic Cult are joining forces, and the Jeongcheon Alliance, the Ten Great Families, and the Nine Great Sects are also preparing for this, aren’t they?”

Mae San nodded. The Hwasan Sect was also preparing for the upcoming turmoil and was working hard to endure the crisis with the nearby Jongnam Sect.

“But with the destruction of the three main military forces of the Sahyul Alliance, the Sahyul Alliance has become more cautious. As a result, the Jeongcheon Alliance and the Ten Great Families, who had gathered their strength, are focusing this power elsewhere.”

“Elsewhere?”

“It’s a power struggle within the Alliance.”

Head Matron Mae San narrowed his eyes slightly at the words “power struggle.”

The power of the Jeongcheon Alliance was primarily influenced by the Lord of the Alliance and his loyalists in key positions. The second most influential group was the people of the Ten Great Families who controlled the Council of Elders.

Finally, there were the people of the Nine Great Sects who observed the Jeongcheon Alliance’s situation, but in reality, they didn’t play a significant role in the Alliance.

“No matter how much they control the Council of Elders, the Lord’s words carry more weight, so there’s not much they can do, right?”

“That’s true, but they are trying to push their own people into key positions in the Alliance during the upcoming reorganization.”

“Is that possible? Even though the Council of Elders has the right to personnel affairs, didn’t the families and the Nine Great Sects agree not to interfere in the Alliance’s personnel affairs?”

“That’s right. We agreed to that, but now they are saying that the situation has changed. The Demonic Cult and the Sahyul Alliance are expanding their power day by day, so the martial arts prowess of those who move and command the Alliance are now paramount, according to the Council of Elders. So this time, that person you mentioned in Hwasan…….”

It wasn’t an unreasonable argument. Therefore, the justification for opposing it was weak. The Jeongcheon Alliance needed strong martial artists, and they were trying to bring the person recommended by Hwasan into the Jeongcheon Alliance. They aimed to gain the Council of Elders’ approval by using the pretext of strengthening the Jeongcheon Alliance through the recruitment of talented individuals.

“I see. But I can’t say anything about that person.”

“I understand. We’ll look into it a little more. If you have any talented people around you, please recommend them.”

* * *

It was two days after two ships of the Hwamyeong Merchant Group loaded with grain left Hoju, Sichuan Province, that they were able to arrive in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province.

The Hubei branch of the Hwamyeong Merchant Group, which was waiting at the Yangtze River pier in Wuhan, prepared food and ship supplies to be used on the ship and waited for the two ships to dock.

As soon as the ship docked safely, they hurriedly moved to load food, daily necessities, and ship supplies needed to repair the ship.

As soon as Hwa-rin’s ship docked, he tapped a spot in the air of the hold with his finger.

A space pocket was created in that spot, and the space pocket began to swallow the grain sacks.

The space pocket was swallowing the grain sacks, but none of the oarsmen were surprised or moved to inform the outside world.

As if it were natural, or as if they hadn’t seen this, they were just talking and laughing with the people around them.

Hwa-rin placed a coin on the floor as the price of the grain, and used magic to make it the same weight as the grain sacks that had been piled up in the hold.

This was to hide the fact that the ship had become lighter by the weight of the grain sacks that had disappeared into the space pocket. As the space pocket instantly swallowed the grain that had been piled up in the hold, a spacious space was revealed as it was.

‘Now I just need to go to Jiangsu Province first and wait, and when the ship arrives, I can take the grain and run away.’

Just as Hwa-rin was about to disappear from the spot because he had no more business there, a strong energy broke through the door of the hold and flew in.

“Heot!”

Hwa-rin was surprised and gasped, rolled on the floor, and went to where the rudder was. Then he jumped into the river through the hole there.

The person who came into the hold was Jinmyeong Sword Ho Joong-san. Ho Joong-san knew that Hwa-rin had escaped through the hole connected to the rudder and swung his sword.

Peoeoeong… Kwajijijik…….

With an explosion, the back of the ship exploded, and people were surprised and looked at it. Ho Joong-san jumped into the river through the hole without delay.

Plop.

Hwa-rin could see Ho Joong-san, who had jumped into the river after him, and tried to get as far away from him as possible.

If he fought here, not only the martial artists hired by the Hwamyeong Merchant Group, but also the Bicheondo Red Flame Heaven could join in, so he tried to get away as far as possible.

Hwa-rin ran across the river using a movement technique similar to Deungpyeongdosu [a water-walking technique], and Ho Joong-san also seemed to have mastered a lightness skill that was no less than his, and immediately chased after Hwa-rin.

“What’s going on?”

The workers who were loading ship supplies were buzzing about the sudden incident, and Hwa Jeong-soo was on the deck when the commotion broke out, so he hurriedly went down to the hold.

Finding the hold empty, Hwa Jeong-soo’s legs gave way and he collapsed on the spot without realizing it.

“This…… This……!”

Even at this moment when Hwa Jeong-soo was expressing his anger, the oarsmen were talking and laughing with the people next to them, as if they couldn’t see the missing grain.

“Who is it?”

When Hwa Jeong-soo intervened in their conversation, one of the sailors replied.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m talking about the guy who stole the grain.”

“Yes? Grain? The grain is now…… Heot!”

Only then did the sailor realize that the scene where the grain had disappeared was visible, and he gasped, wiped his eyes with his hands, and looked again.

“Where did the grain go?”

“What!”

Hwa Jeong-soo, angered by the sailor who asked him back, shouted loudly.

“I, I clearly told you to watch the grain carefully! But you were laughing and joking with the people next to you while the grain was being stolen and run away! When I said I would give you double the wages, you should have known that there was a reason for it! I especially asked you…… Eit!”

Hwa Jeong-soo, who was about to speak, turned around and realized that he couldn’t see the rudder.

“Where did the helmsman go?”

“Helmsman? Where was the helmsman? Our ship doesn’t have a rudder.”

“What? There was clearly a helmsman holding the rudder on the ship, wasn’t there?”

“What are you talking about? The currents of the Yangtze River are gentle, so we steer by rowing rather than using the rudder.”

“What? Then who was the guy who said he was the helmsman?”

“There was no such person.”

When he asserted that there was no such person, he realized that the helmsman was the culprit.

“His description…….”

Hwa Jeong-soo tried to recall the description of the helmsman, but he couldn’t remember.

“Damn it!”

Hwa Jeong-soo looked at the stern with the hole in it, hoping that Jinmyeong Sword Ho Joong-san would catch the guy who stole the grain.

* * *

Hwa-rin could see a group of people chasing him on land as he ran across the river. Among them, there was a person who was rushing forward with excellent lightness skill, and that was Bicheondo Red Flame Heaven.

Hwa-rin’s lightness skill was very good, but there was a clear difference between running on water and running on land.

Before he knew it, Bicheondo Red Flame Heaven had caught up with Hwa-rin, and swung the sword he was carrying on his back with all his might in the direction Hwa-rin was going.

Shweeiiiik!

A sword energy containing powerful energy flew towards Hwa-rin, and Hwa-rin had no choice but to change direction to avoid the sword energy.

Then, Ho Joong-san, who was chasing after Hwa-rin, quickly closed the distance, leaped, and swung his sword at Hwa-rin in the air.

Numerous sword energies stretched out from his sword, blocking all the directions Hwa-rin could move, and Hwa-rin could no longer just avoid it, so he drew his sword and deflected the sword energies that were rushing towards him.

Peoeoeong…… Peong…… Peong…… Peong…….

Ho Joong-san landed on the river and moved his sword towards Hwa-rin as if he were fighting on flat ground.

His sword was graceful yet sharp, and it carried a light yet heavy force.

Cheeeeeng!

Hwa-rin also moved his sword without hiding his skills and blocked Ho Joong-san’s sword.

Small ripples occurred each time the swords collided, and the ripples affected the surroundings.

On the land a little further away, people stopped working and watched the fight, wondering if the sight of the two people fighting on the river was strange, and the martial artists of the Hwamyeong Merchant Group soon arrived there and chased away the people who were watching.

Every time Jinmyeong Sword Ho Joong-san’s sword moved, a sword cry resonated, which made Hwa-rin’s nerves very uncomfortable.

“Is that why they call it Jinmyeong Sword [Golden Cry Sword]?”

Ho Joong-san reacted to Hwa-rin’s words.

“Why are you stealing other people’s grain?”

“Does a thief need a reason to steal? He just steals if he wants to steal. Just like you Murim people kill people without any hesitation.”

“Heung!”

“People are so strange. Why do they force others to believe that their own thoughts are right when they don’t even admit it themselves?”

As Hwa-rin changed his swordplay, the surrounding energy swirled fiercely.

Cheeeeeng!

In addition, the sound that was made every time the sword moved disappeared as if by magic.

Ho Joong-san was momentarily embarrassed, but he calmly grasped Hwa-rin’s swordplay and defended like a person belonging to the Hundred Great Masters of the Central Plains.

“You asked me if I stole the grain? Then let me ask you one thing. Why did you steal and learn the techniques of the Heretical Sect, which you defined as a cult in Murim and annihilated?”

Tiiiing!

Ho Joong-san was so surprised by Hwa-rin’s question that he almost dropped the sword he was holding.

“Wh…… What are you talking about?”

“Isn’t your sword cry not a pure sword cry, but the souls of those you killed with the Heretical Sect’s Soul-Snatching Art, which you have attached to your sword!”

A deep murderous intent flashed in Ho Joong-san’s eyes in an instant, and accordingly, an even deeper cry spread from Ho Joong-san’s sword.

“A fraud who has disguised their wailing as a sword cry to deceive people is one of the Hundred Great Masters of Murim… It’s ridiculous.”

Ho Joong-san revealed his true feelings, judging that he could not deceive the person in front of him.

“I don’t know how you knew, but you will not be able to get out of here alive.”

“Did you ever have any intention of letting me live?”

“I didn’t necessarily intend to kill you. I was just going to cut off your arms and legs and take back the stolen grain, but now, blame your insight and knowledge and become the sacrifice of my sword.”