Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 143

Nine Dragons Chronicle (143)

Following the intense battle with the Four Emperors, Baek Mu-gi was overseeing Hwa-rin’s recovery at the Hwasan Sect, where she remained unconscious. Meanwhile, Seo Dae-yeong was diligently managing the reconstruction of the Nine Dragons Stronghold.

Until the stronghold’s completion, the family members resided at the Nine Dragons Inn, rather than the Nine Dragons Pavilion. They occasionally assisted with the inn’s operations, passing their time in relative leisure.

Perhaps due to Hwa-rin’s dedicated efforts in Sanyang-hyeon [a district in the story’s setting] since their arrival, the local populace offered considerable assistance in rebuilding the Nine Dragons Stronghold.

“Dong-chun, aren’t you supposed to be working!”

Namgung Soo-yeon, having descended from the Hwasan Sect, volunteered to aid in the Nine Dragons Stronghold’s reconstruction. Her primary task seemed to be goading Dong-chun and his disciples into action.

“Now that you’ve established a security bureau, shouldn’t you be greeting people and finding out what the merchants need? What are you planning to do, sit around twiddling your thumbs waiting for work to fall into your lap?”

“Are you the mistress of the Nine Dragons Stronghold now? Why are you telling me what to do!”

Tired of Namgung Soo-yeon’s constant nagging, Dong-chun retorted, only to have a fist aimed at his face.

Dong-chun instinctively flinched, attempting to dodge Namgung Soo-yeon’s attack.

Pow!

‘Was that a genuine attempt to kill me?’

Dong-chun was taken aback by the murderous intent he sensed as he tried to evade Namgung Soo-yeon’s fist. He froze, realizing that dodging might actually be more dangerous than taking the hit.

“Why are you doing this to me!”

“Why? Because the senior [referring to Baek Mu-gi] isn’t here. Do you think you’d get away with this so easily if the senior was around?”

“So, why are you picking on me specifically?”

“You’re the only person I know well enough to do this to. You think I could get away with this with Chief Seo, or Commander Hyuk?”

Dong-chun wore an incredulous expression at Namgung Soo-yeon’s words.

“Aren’t you supposed to be returning to the Namgung Clan? Why are you here, abandoning your perfectly good home?”

“Hey, do you expect me to just waltz back to the sect while the senior is injured and teetering between life and death? Don’t you have any sense of camaraderie?”

Namgung Soo-yeon snapped, and Dong-chun sulked, a dissatisfied look on his face.

“Aaaah…”

With lightning speed, Namgung Soo-yeon’s hand shot out and pinched Dong-chun’s protruding lips.

“Should I make you look like a duck’s beak?”

“Haa… Haa I won’t do it again…”

Several disciples from the Saemyeong Sect were observing Namgung Soo-yeon and Dong-chun’s bickering.

“Move it, quickly.”

On days when Dong-chun was on the receiving end of Namgung Soo-yeon’s wrath, he would often vent his frustration on his disciples. Consequently, they were eager to avoid any attention and hurried to their tasks.

Namgung Soo-yeon smiled inwardly as she watched the Saemyeong Sect members scurry about.

By simply nagging her successor, Dong-chun, the work progressed smoothly without requiring her direct supervision.

“Are you properly teaching the martial arts that the senior instructed you to teach the Saemyeong Sect members?”

“Of course. I am teaching with all my heart and soul.”

“I’ll be checking up on you later, so if you’re slacking or not up to par, you’ll regret it.”

“This isn’t the military.”

“Do you want to die?”

“Since it’s not the military, I’m working diligently.”

His disciples wore disappointed expressions at Dong-chun’s sudden change in demeanor. At the same time, they were well aware that Namgung Soo-yeon was a martial artist who had defeated one of the Hundred Great Masters [a ranking of powerful martial artists], and her reputation among the younger generation in the martial arts world was second only to the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord, so they couldn’t help but feel that resistance was futile.

“I always thought Great Senior Brother was strong, but it turns out he’s just a punching bag.”

“But since Great Senior Brother is strong, wouldn’t he have a wide network of connections? How else would he know someone from the Namgung Clan?”

Song-dal, now the newest member of the Nine Dragons Security Bureau, looked at his Great Senior Brother Dong-chun with newfound respect.

“Well, that’s true. It’s not like people from our third-rate sect can even talk to people who have defeated the Hundred Great Masters.”

It might not seem like much, but this was a significant source of pride for martial artists.

“You guys, hurry up and get back to work!”

Dong-chun, having been thoroughly chastised by Namgung Soo-yeon, yelled at his disciples, who scattered in all directions, resigned to their fate.

“Dong-chun.”

“What do you want now?”

“Do a good job. If you do, I’ll teach you and your disciples some martial arts.”

“Really?”

“What would I gain from lying about that?”

“I understand. I will work really hard so that our disciples don’t get beaten up anywhere. Please teach us a little.”

Namgung Soo-yeon nodded as she looked at Dong-chun, then turned to leave.

“Where are you going?”

“I’ve already inspected the security bureau, so I need to check on the other businesses as well. Did you think I was going to settle down here?”

“No, no. Leave this place to me and hurry up and go.”

Namgung Soo-yeon waved her hand dismissively as she turned her back to Dong-chun and left the security bureau. A faint smile appeared on Dong-chun’s lips as he watched her go.

“She’s practically become the mistress of the Nine Dragons Stronghold.”

* * *

The Hwamyeong Merchant Group was engaged in a clandestine meeting with smugglers from Haedong State [a historical Korean kingdom] to conduct illicit trade. The merchant group’s recent financial difficulties had forced them to resort to smuggling.

“It was a grave error for our older brother to underestimate the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord, failing to recognize him as a master capable of defeating the Hundred Great Masters.”

When the conflict between the Blood Demon Alliance and the Nine Dragons Stronghold erupted, they secretly rejoiced, but the deaths of two Hundred Great Masters at the hands of the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord, coupled with the news that Namgung Soo-yeon, a close associate of the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord, had also defeated a Hundred Great Master, sent a wave of anxiety through Hwa Jeong-soo and his brothers in the Hwamyeong Merchant Group.

They feared that if their involvement in attempting to seize the Nine Dragons Pavilion and their contract to assassinate the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord were exposed, they would face severe consequences.

The Hwamyeong Merchant Group had hoped that the Blood Demon Alliance would eliminate the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord, but unfortunately, he survived and negotiated a surrender.

The Blood Demon Alliance imposed a five-year ban on his interference in martial arts affairs but placed no restrictions on his leadership of the merchant group. This outcome only heightened the unease of Hwa Jeong-soo and his brothers.

The Hwamyeong Merchant Group’s financial woes were exacerbated by several grain theft incidents, prompting them to engage in smuggling to compensate for their losses. Hwa Jeong-guk was currently in Weihai-hyeon [a district in Shandong Province, China], Shandong Province, meeting with a smuggler from Haedong State.

They desperately needed a substantial sum of money to cover their outstanding promissory notes, necessitating a large volume of goods. They assembled a team of seasoned smuggling experts, individuals with extensive experience in illicit transactions, to ensure the operation’s success.

These individuals had been involved in numerous illegal activities, including smuggling, since the early days of the Hwamyeong Merchant Group’s growth. They were capable of operating independently without specific instructions and were adept at handling emergency situations.

Perhaps that was the reason why Hwa Jeong-guk moved with a large contingent of people, despite the need for secrecy and discretion in smuggling operations.

As night descended, Hwa Jeong-guk boarded a merchant ship and sailed out to sea, where he rendezvoused with a smuggler from Haedong State.

The two ships were anchored and secured together to prevent separation, and Hwa Jeong-guk crossed over to the smuggler’s vessel.

“Haha. I was surprised to hear from you so suddenly, as rumors of your success in the Central Plains [historical China] have been spreading.”

“I contacted you because I urgently require certain items.”

“We always welcome Master Hwa when he offers a good price.”

“Haha. This time, we need to drug some officials within our merchant group, so I would like you to acquire some items that can be obtained from Haedong State.”

“From our country?”

“I need a few roots of Cheonnoe Mountain ginseng, some regular ginseng, ten sea dog penises, and a few pieces of celadon. And I also need some grains produced in Haedong State.”

Upon hearing the request for grain, the smugglers from Haedong State exchanged ambiguous smiles before their expressions turned serious.

“Ginseng, ginseng, and celadon can be obtained without much difficulty, but sea dog penises will take some time.”

“How long will it take?”

“It will be at least next month at the earliest. The water levels are rising these days, causing them to migrate to Waeguk [historical name for Japan], which is why it will take time.”

“Then we’ll trade for that next month, and get the ginseng, ginseng, and celadon a little sooner. Oh, and the grain too.”

“I understand. How will we conduct the trade?”

“We’ve always traded in Yangzhou [a city in Jiangsu Province, China], so shouldn’t we do it in Yangzhou this time as well?”

“Yangzhou…”

Yangzhou, located in Jiangsu Province, marks the beginning of the Yangtze River and provides access to the sea. This allows for easy loading of goods onto ships for direct transport to the interior of the Central Plains via the Yangtze River.

Furthermore, its proximity to Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province, facilitates land transportation, making it a geographically ideal location.

However, Yangzhou is near Hongze Lake, a notorious area known for the Hongze Lake bandits of the Yangtze River Eighteen Strongholds, a prominent black society operating on the Yangtze River. If discovered by them, there was a risk that all the smuggled goods would be stolen, but if they avoided the time they were active, they could trade without being noticed by them.

“Good. Let’s do it in Yangzhou. But what about the items we asked for?”

“I’ve loaded them onto the ship, so go and check them out. Let me know if anything is missing.”

The head of the smugglers signaled to his men, who then went outside.

The leader also escorted Hwa Jeong-guk to the warehouse in the stern to inspect the goods.

“Hwamilyak [likely a type of drug] and Otongcho [likely a type of drug], and the skins of tigers and foxes. Twenty tiger skins and fifty fox skins.”

Hwa Jeong-soo nodded after verifying the goods.

“The goods are satisfactory. Move these to our ship.”

Upon Hwa Jeong-soo’s command, his men sprang into action.

The individuals on both ships used the makeshift bridge to shuttle back and forth, exchanging goods.

This initial exchange served as a confirmation process to familiarize themselves with each other’s faces.

If even a single unfamiliar face appeared among the group during the next transaction, the deal would be aborted, and in extreme cases, a violent confrontation could ensue.

Such stringent security measures were essential for smuggling operations, which is why they adhered to such elaborate procedures.

“Chief Kang!”
Hwa Jeong-guk called out to the head of the smugglers from Haedong State.

“What is it?”

“Do you still engage in human trafficking?”

“Do you require slaves?”

“I need some children who can generate income. Children around the age of fifteen.”

The man known as Chief Kang paused for a moment before inquiring about the number of children required.

“About fifty people.”

“Then I’ll deliver them to you when I bring the sea dog penises.”

“I understand. Is it still one gold coin per child?”

“Prices have increased. It’s now two gold coins. And a girl is three gold coins.”

“Has it gone up that much?”

“Master Hwa, it’s been ten years since our last transaction. Ten years is a long time, enough for even mountains and rivers to change. Didn’t I mention that I was surprised to hear from Master Hwa, who had ceased trading for a decade?”

Considering the ten-year hiatus, the price increase was understandable.

“Then I’m a little short on the down payment. I was thinking of about two gold coins at most. Will you accept this and proceed with the work?”

“Haha. It’s been ten years since our reunion, but I am well aware of Master Hwa’s reputation. I know you’re not the kind of person who would cheat, even if the down payment is insufficient, so give it to me for now.”

“Thank you.”

Hwa Jeong-soo paid the down payment and then addressed Chief Kang.

“Then when will the ginseng and ginseng be available?”

“It will take about ten days.”