Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 11

Nine Dragons Chronicle (11)

The Entirety of the Battlefield

Four years had passed since Hwa-Rin joined the Fierce Tiger Death Squad. During that time, there had been several expeditions, but except for annihilating the Blood Wolf Bandit Gang, he completed his assigned tasks without much difficulty.

With one year left until his discharge, Hwa-Rin continued training his squad members and managing the inn, diligently fulfilling his assigned roles.

Hwa-Rin didn’t neglect his personal training either. Yul-Lappa of the Blood Wolf Bandit Gang had been stronger than him.

He had only won because his armor and sword were superior to Yul-Lappa’s; otherwise, he might have died.

Each expedition was a brush with death, but Hwa-Rin learned something each time.

As time passed, an order was issued to the Fierce Tiger Death Squad.

“Are you saying we have to annihilate Iron Lion Castle?”

“That’s right. According to intelligence, Hae-Ri-Son, the lord of Iron Lion Castle, is consolidating the surrounding forces. The Demonic Cult learned of this and proposed an alliance to Hae-Ri-Son, who accepted.”

“The Demonic Cult? Isn’t that a martial arts sect?”

“It is a martial arts sect, but also a heretical one.”

Hwa-Rin felt that this mission would be difficult. Perhaps this was his last mission, and if he completed it successfully, no special missions would be assigned until his discharge.

The problem was the Demonic Cult.

The Demonic Cult was filled with masters possessing unimaginable martial arts skills. Although the Fierce Tiger Death Squad was an army of three hundred masters, fighting the Demonic Cult was like a battle between an infant and an adult; the difference in power was that severe.

“Are you forcing us to die again?”

“It’s an order from above, so there’s nothing we can do. If the Demonic Cult and Iron Lion Castle join forces and enter the Central Plains [the heartland of Chinese civilization, often associated with fertile lands and political power], causing chaos in the martial world, the people will suffer the consequences. Moreover, the battles with martial artists will result in mountains of corpses and rivers of blood.”

“Couldn’t the Royal Guard move?”

“Moving the military requires a massive budget. And the surrounding kingdoms are closely watching, so moving the troops is like leaving one side open, making it impossible.”

Hwa-Rin’s anger flared at the commander’s words, but he was merely relaying the orders, so he wasn’t at fault.

“Seriously, this is so frustrating…”

“Hwa-Rin.”

Hwa-Rin looked at the commander.

“I’m counting on you to take care of the squad members.”

Hwa-Rin turned away without answering.

Hwa-Rin returned to the inn and sighed deeply.

“What’s wrong?”

“We’re deploying.”

Seeing the squad member’s face light up at the word ‘deployment,’ he shook his head.

‘Well, there haven’t been any difficult missions lately… There’s no need for me to die for them.’

His former comrades feared death. Therefore, they helped each other to save one more person, or to survive, but the current members of the Fierce Tiger Death Squad did not have such a mindset.

At that moment, a woman came to the inn.

“Senior Hwa-Rin!”

It was Nam-Gung Soo-Yeon.

She had not only martial arts skills but also tenacity and a strong desire to live.

Perhaps that was why she was one of the few people who could speak comfortably with Hwa-Rin now.

“You came?”

“I heard this deployment is to Iron Lion Castle?”

“Yeah.”

“I heard that Iron Lion Castle and the Demonic Cult have joined forces. Is that true?”

“That’s what they say. Why? Is there a problem?”

“Of course, there’s a problem! It’s not just any group; it’s the Demonic Cult. As a single force, they are the strongest in the martial world, possessing the power equivalent to one-third of the entire martial world. They are on a different level from the enemies we’ve faced so far.”

Nam-Gung Soo-Yeon, being from the Nam-Gung family, knew the martial world well and spoke about the Demonic Cult.

“Even if it’s not the Demonic Cult Leader, just a few of the Twelve Demonic Commanders, no, even some of the Twenty-Four Demonic Battalions could kill us all.”

“I will survive even if the Demonic Cult Leader comes. So, worry about yourself.”

Nam-Gung Soo-Yeon glared at Hwa-Rin, who spoke bluntly. Hwa-Rin casually tossed out a comment.

“Trying to act pretty… Do you know it doesn’t suit you?”

He said this because she had only shown a masculine side within the unit.

“Tch, I’m pretty when I dress up too.”

“If you’re going to talk nonsense like that, go back and figure out how to survive. Don’t let innocent squad members die because of you.”

“I never…”

Hwa-Rin stood up as Nam-Gung Soo-Yeon was about to speak.

“Where are you going?”

“To train.”

The best excuse to get rid of someone was ‘to train.’

As Hwa-Rin left the inn, the squad members saw Nam-Gung Soo-Yeon being rebuffed and giggled. Her fierce gaze turned to the squad members.

At that moment, they turned their heads, unable to hold back their laughter.

“Idiots, seeing them laugh like that when their death is near, I understand how deep Senior Hwa-Rin’s worries are.”

Hwa-Rin went to a small hill behind the trade city, lay on the ground, and looked up at the sky.

“This seems like it will be the last mission. But the opponent is not ordinary.”

He was talking to Dan-Ri Hyuk-Gwang, thinking of him.

“Perhaps it will be the most dangerous mission we’ve ever undertaken.”

In fact, Iron Lion Castle was not as strong as the Blood Wolf Bandit Gang in the Great Plains. Nevertheless, Hwa-Rin spoke like this because of the Demonic Cult, who had joined forces with them.

As Nam-Gung Soo-Yeon said, if only a few of the Demonic Cult’s commanders supported Iron Lion Castle, the members of the Fierce Tiger Death Squad would be as good as dead.

“I can survive and escape even if the Demonic Cult Leader comes, but I’m saying this because the other comrades will all die.”

Hwa-Rin’s martial arts had reached the level of a grandmaster, so he could easily escape if he wanted to.

“Just save myself? And asked me to take care of my brothers?”

Hwa-Rin stared at the sky for a long time and then chuckled.

“Okay. I’ll just save myself.”

* * *

Iron Lion Castle was the overlord of the Outer Frontier martial world beyond Shin-Gang [a region or province], and they had already consolidated many sects in the Outer Frontier, forming a large force.

Moreover, with the Demonic Cult, which had established itself in the Tian Shan Mountains [a major mountain range in Central Asia] of Shin-Gang, supporting them, their power seemed to pierce the sky.

The members of the Fierce Tiger Death Squad thought nothing of it when they left Gan-Suk Province [likely a province in China], but when they arrived in the Outer Frontier, they were intimidated by their power.

Feeling like moths jumping into the fire knowing they would die, the members of the Fierce Tiger Death Squad did not know what to do.

Unlike usual, they only followed the orders of their seniors and did not offer any autonomous or creative opinions.

“We will attack Iron Lion Castle tonight. And I’ll say this in advance: if you’re afraid, desert now. Don’t stay out of spite or bravado and hinder your comrades.”

The squad members did not respond to Hwa-Rin’s words.

“The time is until the beginning of midnight tonight. Disperse now and come back here by midnight.”

The squad members lowered their heads.

“I’m not forcing you. Make your own decisions and take responsibility for them. But remember, once the fight with Iron Lion Castle begins, no one will take care of your lives. You alone must take care of your lives.”

Hwa-Rin left after saying these words, and the squad members looked at each other.

“What should we do?”

“What do you mean, what should we do? Make your own decisions and take responsibility. Didn’t you hear what Senior Hwa-Rin said? Let’s disperse for now. We might get caught by the enemies if we stay together.”

Nam-Gung Soo-Yeon also left, and the squad members left one by one.

Hwa-Rin parted ways with the squad members and sat in an inn overlooking Iron Lion Castle, watching the castle gate.

It was a fairly large castle, and the gate was made of iron, with a small door in the iron gate through which people usually came and went.

The height of the castle walls was about thirty feet, and there were a few martial artists on the ramparts keeping watch.

“It’s not difficult to get over the walls in one go. I need to sneak inside without being seen by the guards.”

It wouldn’t matter if he was alone, but if he moved with the members of the Fierce Tiger Death Squad, they would surely be discovered.

“Maybe it would be better for everyone to return to the unit and fight alone for a long time.”

“Senior!”

It was Nam-Gung Soo-Yeon, who had come to his side and sat down.

“I thought you’d be somewhere around here.”

She glanced at him and then turned her gaze back to Iron Lion Castle.

“What’s the matter?”

“Nothing really. Senior is planning to attack that castle tonight, and I’m thinking of following Senior and mingling with them.”

Hwa-Rin was worried about Nam-Gung Soo-Yeon, who spoke so casually, and said,

“You’ll die.”

“It was the same when we fought the Blood Wolf Bandit Gang before. If it weren’t for Senior, I might have died then. No, I would have died.”

“So, stay out of this one.”

Nam-Gung Soo-Yeon was a little upset that Hwa-Rin coldly told her to stay out of it, but she knew that he cared about her, no… that he cared about the squad members, so she wasn’t disappointed.

“I wanted to see you.”

“……!”

“I wanted to see Senior fighting the enemy. That’s why I want to become strong like Senior.”

“Why, why do you want to become so strong?”

“I want to let the family members who look down on me and ignore me because I’m a woman know who I am. I’m going to make it so they can’t despise me just because I’m a woman.”

Only then did Hwa-Rin turn his gaze to Nam-Gung Soo-Yeon.

“In the Nam-Gung family, I was just a useless person. Even though I have talent in martial arts, in the family, my older brother and younger brother…”

Nam-Gung Soo-Yeon told Hwa-Rin about her situation. It was the first time she had told her story since joining the Fierce Tiger Death Squad.

Hwa-Rin sighed after hearing her story.

“Are you laughing at me now?”

“I have no reason to laugh at you. I was just reminded of my own past.”

Nam-Gung Soo-Yeon did not know how Hwa-Rin had grown up as a child, so she thought he was laughing at her.

“But I want to let you know one thing.”

“What?”

“You’re just complaining because you’re too fortunate.”

“Senior!”

“People cannot choose the family or environment they want when they are born.”

Nam-Gung Soo-Yeon narrowed her eyes at Hwa-Rin’s words.

“There are women in the world who sell their bodies to get a single meal, and the children born to such women are often sold as slaves to others by their parents in order to survive.”

Nam-Gung Soo-Yeon could not speak.

“You should first be grateful that you were born into a good environment, and before you think you are being discriminated against by men, you should first get your parents to acknowledge your talents on an equal footing.”

Hwa-Rin ended up giving Nam-Gung Soo-Yeon advice that wasn’t really advice.

“Even if you go out and gain some fame, do you think your parents will acknowledge your fame if they haven’t acknowledged you? If I were your parents, I wouldn’t even believe it.”

“Senior. But I’ve become stronger here than before. I’m still working hard, and I’ll continue to work hard in the future.”

“Your older brother and younger brother will also have become stronger and more recognized as they learn martial arts and work in the martial world while you spend time here.”

Nam-Gung Soo-Yeon pouted, as if she didn’t like Hwa-Rin, who only said the right things.

“The world, no… life as it is given, is like that. I haven’t lived long enough to say anything about that life, but the life I’ve experienced and felt is that I must always know that there are people who are worse off than me and force myself to be humble.”

“No… Senior, can’t you understand and side with your junior? Do you have to kill my spirit like that?”

“You can do that. But I’m saying this because I don’t think it will be of much help to you in the current situation.”

“Ugh!”

She turned her head away with an annoyed expression, as if she would only hear nagging if she continued to talk.

Hwa-Rin chuckled at Nam-Gung Soo-Yeon and looked at Iron Lion Castle, recalling his memories of the imperial palace in the past.

Then, it suddenly occurred to him that although life in the imperial palace was certainly difficult, he couldn’t remember any of the difficult memories.

‘Pear blossom scent.’

The only thing that remained vividly in his memory was the scent of pear blossoms.

In the days when he could not hear, see, or speak, the only thing he could do was smell, and he could use that smell to know who the other person was.

Knowing that his mother had died on the day someone with the scent of pear blossoms had come and gone, the only thing he could think of when he recalled his childhood was the scent of pear blossoms.

However, even though he knew who the person with the scent of pear blossoms who had killed his mother was, he didn’t really feel like taking revenge on her.

‘They would understand.’