Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 147

Nine Dragons Chronicle (147)

Hwa Jung-guk woke up to the biting wind, his eyes snapping open. Consciousness brought with it a wave of pain that washed over his entire body, twisting his face in a grimace. The events of the previous night flooded back.

They had been ambushed. As planned, he had entrusted the aftermath to the head escort and the other guards, attempting to flee with the weavers and the valuable cargo.

But then, a masked figure had blocked his escape, striking him down. He was fortunate to have survived.

Still, he had suffered a number of injuries, both major and minor, and the throbbing pain was a constant reminder.

“Damn it!”

The curse ripped from his throat as the full scope of the situation hit him.

“How is everyone…?”

He pushed himself to his feet, looking around. He was at the foot of Bongtae Mountain. The immediate area was clear.

Sensing something was terribly wrong, Hwa Jung-guk hurried down the mountain towards Yangju Port.

The Hwamyeong Merchant Guild’s ship was there, but it appeared deserted.

Hwa Jung-guk wasted no time boarding the vessel, where the sailors greeted him with lowered heads.

“Didn’t the weavers bring the goods?”

He demanded, his urgency clear. The sailors could sense the gravity of the situation.

“They haven’t arrived yet, Assistant Guild Leader. The head escort and the others haven’t returned either. We assumed they were staying at the inn and would arrive later.”

Hwa Jung-guk’s face darkened. His worst fears were being realized.

“But, Assistant Guild Leader, your condition…”

It was obvious that he was in no shape to be moving around, his body bearing the marks of a brutal fight.

“Stay here.”

Ignoring his own injuries, Hwa Jung-guk prioritized the recovery of the stolen goods. He rushed back towards the entrance of Bongtae Mountain, the site of the ambush.

“Huff, huff…”

An hour later, he arrived back at the scene. Gasping for breath, he paused to compose himself before carefully examining the area. He found ample evidence of the battle, but no bodies – neither the head escort, the guards, nor the weavers.

“Damn it, aaaaagh!”

Realizing that the smuggled goods had been stolen by this mysterious group, Hwa Jung-guk unleashed a frustrated scream at the heavens.

“Who the hell…?”

He searched every inch of the area for clues, his body trembling with rage and frustration, but he found nothing.

“Damn it.”

* * *

“What? The smuggled goods were stolen?”

“Younger Brother suffered severe injuries and has returned to the main house.”

Hwa Jung-soo exploded in anger upon hearing that Hwa Jung-guk had been seriously wounded.

“What in the world were the men who went with him doing?”

“The head escort and the guards are all dead. The weavers haven’t returned to the ship, so it’s assumed they’re dead as well.”

“All dead? Who? What kind of bastards did this!”

Hwa Jung-soo’s fury was palpable, so intense that Hwa Saeng-bang, who was delivering the report, felt a prickle of fear.

“I don’t know. Younger Brother is currently…”

Hwa Jung-soo shot to his feet, violently threw open the door to his office, and stormed out. Hwa Saeng-bang hurried after him.

“Where is Jung-guk?”

“He’s resting in his room, receiving treatment. Sister-in-law is tending to him.”

Hwa Jung-soo marched quickly to Hwa Jung-guk’s room, flinging the door open without knocking.

“Bro… Brother.”

Startled, Hwa Jung-guk tried to sit up, but Hwa Jung-soo stopped him.

“Lie down. Moving around with those injuries will only make them worse.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I heard the goods were stolen. Do you know who was responsible?”

Hwa Jung-guk shook his head.

“The smugglers from Haedong Nation [a historical Korean kingdom] left immediately after the deal. We were packing up when we were attacked by masked men.”
Hwa Jung-guk recounted the events of the ambush.

“As we always do, we agreed that if we were discovered, the weavers would scatter and regroup at the ship. But even after waiting two days, no one returned.”

Hwa Jung-soo’s eyes narrowed as he listened.

“If it wasn’t the smugglers from Haedong Nation, then someone knew we were conducting a black market trade. That’s why they attacked.”

It seemed the only logical explanation.

“Who knows about our black market dealings?”

“The weavers, the head escort, and the guards who were involved. And, of course, our family.”

The weavers had been with them for a long time; they wouldn’t betray them. And the head escort and guards were trusted men.

“Perhaps Hao Mun [a fictional underworld organization] also knew. Even if we’re careful, it’s hard to avoid their eyes and ears.”

“Hmm… If Hao Mun knew, they might be after the goods.”
Hao Mun controlled the underworld – bandits, pirates, and thieves. If anyone was capable of stealing the goods, it was them.

“I’m sorry, Brother. During the deal with Haedong Nation, I mentioned sea dog penises and slaves.”

“Really?”

“They said they’d be back in ten days. If those bastards overheard, they’ll be back then too. We have to stop the trade.”

“We can’t do that. You know what happens if we agree to a deal with smugglers and then break our promise.”

“Brother, the people who did this seem to be connected to the ones who stole the grain. Now that I think about it, why would they leave me alive and clean up the bodies of the head escort and guards?”

Hwa Jung-soo turned to Hwa Saeng-bang.

“They’re waiting for me to tell you the goods were stolen, and then they’re waiting for you to show up at the next trade.”

“Me personally?”

“Why else would they let me live and send me back?”

“No. I don’t think that’s the only reason. If they had killed you, I’d have to handle the next trade myself. Letting you live means they want *you*, not me, at the next meeting.”
Hwa Jung-soo felt that whoever was targeting his merchant guild was deliberately avoiding him.

They could have killed Hwa Jung-guk or Hwa Saeng-bang when they stole the grain and the smuggled goods, but they didn’t.

Hwa Jung-soo thought to himself.

‘These bastards know us well. They know when and where we trade and are moving accordingly. Even if Hao Mun knows, they wouldn’t have such detailed information.’

There had to be someone colluding with the Beast Unit [a rival organization].

‘Could it be Jung-guk, Saeng-bang, or Jung-wook?’

Hwa Jung-soo shook his head, dismissing the thought of his own brothers betraying him.

There was no reason for them to do such a thing.

‘Then, one of the head escorts or guards?’

The weavers were paid laborers; even if the Beast Unit bribed them or planted spies, they wouldn’t know the specifics of the operation.

But the head escort and guards had to be familiar with the merchant guild’s schedule. If they were persuaded or replaced with spies, they could easily sabotage the guild’s activities.

‘Could it be someone who was newly selected after the losses we suffered last time?’

During the grain collection and transport operation to the Hoju collection center in Sichuan, they had clashed with the Beast Unit, resulting in heavy casualties.

He had even hired two martial artists from the Hundred Great Warriors of the Murim [a ranking of martial artists], but they had also fallen victim to the Beast Unit.

After that incident, he had hired new head escorts and guards. Could one of them be a spy?

‘No, that’s impossible. They don’t know about this smuggling operation.’

Within the Hwamyeong Merchant Guild, the personnel involved in smuggling were carefully selected.

Smuggling was too dangerous to entrust to anyone they didn’t completely trust.

Hwa Jung-soo’s head throbbed with the complexity of the situation.

‘Could they be hiring assassins to monitor us?’

As this thought took hold, Hwa Jung-soo turned to Hwa Jung-guk.

“The trade is in ten days?”

“Yes. Brother, there are also slaves involved, so this trade will take place at sea.”

“At sea?”

“Yes. After receiving the slaves, we planned to sail directly to Wolha and sell them to the slave traders there.”
Hwa Jung-soo nodded.

“Anything else?”

“We were going to buy sea dog penises and tiger skins.”

“I understand. Rest and take care of yourself. Saeng-bang.”

“Yes, Brother!”

“Have our people acquire about a hundred dog penises right now.”

“Dog penises?”

“I mean dog balls. They have to be obtained with the genitals attached.”

Hwa Saeng-bang was bewildered by the sudden request.

“I understand. But what are you going to use them for…?”

“We need to identify the Beast Unit for sure this time. It’s too risky to act on suspicion alone. We need solid evidence.”

“Do you think the Nine Dragons Inn [a powerful organization] is involved in this?”

“I just have a suspicion.”

“Brother, if the Nine Dragons Inn is behind this, shouldn’t we go to the owner and beg for forgiveness?”

“Forgiveness?”

“Didn’t we try to assassinate the Nine Dragons Inn owner to seize the Nine Dragons Tower [a valuable asset]?”

“He doesn’t know we tried to kill him.”

“Brother, then there’s no reason for the Nine Dragons Inn to target us. It doesn’t make sense for them to attack us simply to expand beyond Seoseo Province, does it?”

Hwa Jung-soo was about to explode at Hwa Saeng-bang’s words, but he forced himself to remain calm.

“Why do you say that?”

“Many merchants run inns and brothels. They don’t plot against us.”

“So?”

“If the Nine Dragons Inn owner is behind all of this, then he knows we tried to take his life and is retaliating.”

“Hmm…”

“Brother, the Nine Dragons Inn owner is a Murim master who defeated members of the Hundred Great Warriors. He has also destroyed more than ten Demonic Sects [evil martial arts sects]. Why else would the Four Blood Alliance [a powerful martial arts alliance] have intervened and been embarrassed?”

“Didn’t the Nine Dragons Inn owner surrender?”

“The Four Emperors [leaders of the martial arts world] intervened, leading to that outcome. If they hadn’t, the Four Blood Alliance and the Nine Dragons Inn would still be at war, and the Demonic Sects would continue to fall.”
Hwa Jung-soo was silent. Hwa Saeng-bang’s words made sense.

While he had made a name for himself as one of the Ten Great Merchants, his influence in the Murim was insignificant. The Nine Dragons Inn owner, on the other hand…

Even though he had surrendered to the Four Blood Alliance and retreated for five years, his name was widely known in the Murim. The rumor of his victory over the Hundred Great Warriors had elevated his status to the point where he was now considered a peer.

“If we continue to fight the Nine Dragons Inn owner, who is now a major figure, our situation will only worsen.”

“Then what are you suggesting we do!”

“Shouldn’t we confess everything and prostrate ourselves before him?”

He bristled at the words “prostrate ourselves.”

“Absolutely not!”

Hwa Jung-soo was furious.

“Don’t ever say that again. Even though you’re my brother, Saeng-bang, if you say such a thing one more time, I will never forgive you!”

Hwa Jung-soo stormed out of Hwa Jung-guk’s room.

“Why did you say something like that when you know Brother’s personality so well?”

“Are you saying I can’t even speak my mind when we’re on the verge of ruin?”
Hwa Saeng-bang said resentfully.

“Still, it was wrong to say that to Brother right now.”
Hwa Jung-guk tried to console him.

“Apologize to Brother and do as he ordered without complaint. No matter what you say to him right now, you’ll only make things worse. Be careful not to upset him until we resolve this crisis.”

As the saying goes, generosity comes from abundance. When life is easy, you can laugh things off, but when things are difficult, even trivial matters become irritating.

“I will apologize to Brother.”

“Go quickly.”

As Hwa Saeng-bang left the room, Hwa Jung-guk sighed.

“How did it come to this…?”