Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 115

The grand hall of the Sahyul Alliance was filled with a heavy atmosphere. Everyone wore a somber expression, and no one dared to break the silence.

In a single day, the Eumsa Sect of Seoseong Province and the Hyeolsapa of Hanam Province had been annihilated.

Furthermore, Lee Cheon-guk, the master of the Baekmasa in Sandong Province, was found dead at the Hyeolsapa.

This was the most significant event in the Murim [martial arts world] since the incident thirty years ago when the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic factions joined forces to attack the Baegyo [White Lotus Sect, often considered a heretical or rebellious group].

Although the Sahyul Alliance and the Jeongcheon Alliance had clashed in Sacheon and Chunggyeong before, even then, no sects had faced complete destruction.

From the Sahyul Alliance’s perspective, their most influential sects in Seoseong and Hanam Provinces had been wiped out, and to make matters worse, the master of the top sect in Sandong Province, Baekmasa, was found dead, creating an atmosphere of unspeakable gloom.

“Chief Sima Maeng.”

“Hoo…”

Sima Maeng, the chief of the Sahyul Alliance, took a deep breath and began to speak.

“We have confirmed that the annihilation of the Eumsa Sect in Seoseong Province and the Hyeolsapa in Hanam Province a few days ago is related to the Guryongjang in Seoseong.”

“Guryongjang?”

“It’s a manor that has been frequently mentioned in Seoseong recently, and it legally operates a gambling house called Guryongru.”

Even if they didn’t know the name Guryongjang, everyone had heard of Guryongru at least once, and they nodded in agreement.

“But why would Guryongjang attack the Eumsa Sect and the Hyeolsapa?”

“I don’t know the details, but I believe that Sa Do-hyeong, the master of the Eumsa Sect, was aiming for the business profits coming from Guryongru.”

“Sa Do-hyeong targeted Guryongru and attacked first?”

“Yes. According to Hao Mun, they had attempted to raid Guryongjang several times before.”

“So, unable to handle Guryongjang with the power of the Eumsa Sect alone, they brought in the Hyeolsapa from Hanam Province?”

“That’s what I’m guessing.”

“Why the Hyeolsapa from Hanam Province of all places? There’s Sanseo Province, and below that, Hubei, Chunggyeong, and Gansuk Province to the west.”

“I think they asked for help from the closest one in terms of distance, which is Hanam Province. And I found out that a long time ago, Na Seong-gi, the Hyeolsumujeong [Blood Demon Hand] of the Hyeolsapa, was commissioned by Dongseo Dok of Yeongcheon Merchant to attack Guryongjang.”

“So, to summarize what the chief is saying, the Eumsa Sect and the Hyeolsapa attacked Guryongjang and were defeated instead.”

“That’s right.”

“Guryongjang was just minding its own business and was attacked first, so we have little justification to intervene.”

The elders of the Elder Council, composed of the heads of the Twelve Great Families, wore dismayed expressions.

“How strong is Guryongjang that they could annihilate two sects in a single day? Was there any intervention from other sects? Or even from the Jeongcheon Alliance?”

“According to the investigation, there wasn’t. However, Hyeok Ji-seok, who was the leader of the Hyeonmu Unit of the Jeongcheon Alliance, left the Jeongcheon Alliance and entrusted himself to Guryongjang.”

“Hyeok Ji-seok of the Jeongcheon Alliance?”

“Yes. In the past, when the Saryeonghyeolma Corps, the Jeokryeonghyeolsa Corps, and the Gujusamanghyeollu Corps were annihilated, their Hyeonmu Unit of the Jeongcheon Corps clashed with them. As a result, the Hyeonmu Unit was annihilated, and only a few survived.”

“So, he left the Jeongcheon Alliance, and it had to be Guryongjang?”

“That’s right.”

“Is Guryongjang operating Guryongru and funneling their funds to the Jeongcheon Alliance? And in return, they sent Hyeok Ji-seok to protect Guryongru?”

“I thought about that too, but it has been determined that no funds from Guryongru are going to the Jeongcheon Alliance.”

“Really?”

“According to Hao Mun, the money earned from Guryongru is being used for the development of Seoseong Province.”

“Hmm…”

“Alliance Leader!”

“Speak, Elder Lee.”

“Aren’t we going to strike Guryongjang anyway?”

“Since the Eumsa Sect and the Hyeolsapa have been annihilated, we need to retaliate. But since the justification is weak, the Jeongcheon Alliance may intervene.”

“We can’t just stand still.”

“That’s right. I think we should observe the situation a bit more and coordinate with the Jeongcheon Alliance.”

“Coordinate?”

“We have received information that the Demonic Sect has established secret activity bases in each province.”

“The Demonic Sect?”

The elders looked even more surprised than when they heard that the Eumsa Sect and the Hyeolsapa had been annihilated.

That’s because the name of the Demonic Sect carried a different weight for them.

“That’s right. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that all twelve Demonic Lords have come to the Jungwon [Central Plains, the heartland of the martial arts world].”

“Have you tracked their movements?”

“Not yet. We haven’t found their bases either.”

“Chief Sima! Explain in detail.”

It seemed better for their mental health to hear the whole story from Sima Maeng rather than in brief from the Alliance Leader, so he asked.

“It is said that the Eumseo Demonic Lord was seen in Seoseong Province, accompanied by two of the Twenty-Four Demonic Commanders, and twenty Demonic Soldiers appeared in Seoseong Province.”

“Seoseong Province?”

“That’s right. Hao Mun speculates that it is to secure a base for the invasion of the Jungwon, so they issued a directive to find Demonic Sect members in each province, and traces of Demonic Sect members were found in each province.”

“Didn’t the Demonic Sect suffer the most significant damage thirty years ago?”

“That’s right. But only the power of the Hyeolcheon Demonic Family and the Akji Demonic Family has decreased slightly, and the power of the other six Demonic Families, including the Cheolhyeol Demonic Family, is still strong. And I think that the Hyeolcheon Demonic Family and the Akji Demonic Family, which suffered damage at the time, have now regained all their power.”

“What about the Pungma Unit?”

The Pungma Unit, which can be said to be the main force of the Demonic Sect, is composed of the Black Wind, Red Wind, Evil Wind, Blood Wind, and Demonic Wind Units, and they were a practical military force that exercised collective power in the Demonic Sect.

The Demonic Sect not only had excellent individual martial prowess but was also strong in collective military power, which demonstrated its strength as a group, making it a more dangerous military group than the Twelve Demonic Lords and the Twenty-Four Demonic Commanders.

“We have confirmed that they are still in the Demonic Sect. I think they will move after securing a base and when things have progressed to some extent.”

“Does that mean that there is no need to weaken our forces by fighting with the Jeongcheon Alliance since the Demonic Sect’s invasion is imminent?”

“That’s right. We should avoid conflict as much as possible because we may have to join hands with the Jeongcheon Alliance to deal with the Demonic Sect.”

“Then what will we use to negotiate with the Jeongcheon Alliance?”

“We will hand over all the income from Guryongru, which can be said to be the source of this incident, to the Jeongcheon Alliance.”

“The income from Guryongru?”

“That’s right. If Guryongjang is annihilated, their businesses will lose their owners…”

The elders nodded in agreement after hearing Sima Maeng’s words.

“But Chief!”

Cheon Yi-seong, the head of the Cheollyangsa Family, who is the First Elder and the leader of the Twelve Great Families, asked Sima Maeng.

“Then do you know the martial strength of Guryongjang? How many soldiers do they have, and what is the level of their martial prowess?”

“It’s not certain, but considering that there is an expert who can kill two sect leaders and Master Lee Cheon-guk, I am thinking of sending the Hongryeongmyeolsa Unit and the Hongui Unit, which is currently in training, for the experience of the Hukijisu [potential successors].”

Cheon Yi-seong remained silent after hearing Sima Maeng’s answer. His silence meant that he was calculating the chances of victory in his head.

“Chief, is the leader of the Hongryeongmyeolsa Unit, Man Jang-seong, stronger than Lee Cheon-guk?”

“No, he is not.”

“Then, are the number of personnel in the Hongryeongmyeolsa Unit and the Hongui Unit greater than the combined number of martial artists from the Eumsa Sect and the Hyeolsapa?”

“They are insufficient.”

“Guryongjang won the battle against the Eumsa Sect and the Hyeolsapa. But you think you can annihilate them by sending the Hongryeongmyeolsa Unit?”

Sima Maeng was silent.

“It doesn’t matter if you are sending them after understanding the opponent’s strength, but aren’t you being too complacent against Guryongjang, about which nothing is known?”

“I’m sorry. My thinking was short-sighted. While discussing with the Jeongcheon Alliance, I will try to grasp the full strength of Guryongjang and select and send appropriate troops, Great Elder.”

“I know you are working hard for the Alliance. But you should pay a little more attention.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“If there is no one to send, tell me. We will fill the missing personnel.”

“Thank you for the Great Elder’s consideration. I will repay the Great Elder’s consideration with a result that will not disappoint.”

“And Alliance Leader!”

“Speak, Great Elder.”

“Now that the Demonic Sect has moved, isn’t it time to decide on a successor?”

The other elders nodded as if it were natural, adding strength to the statement of Cheon Yi-seong, the Great Elder.

“I have already hinted at it to Baek Gun-seong and the other six disciples. They will soon enter the Saryeongdong [Trial Cave] and take the test.”

Baek Gun-seong, called Saryong [Dragon Slayer] among the Ten Dragons and Eight Phoenixes, had outstanding qualities that could not be compared to the other six disciples, and he was such an outstanding talent that no one would be dissatisfied even if he was appointed as the next Alliance Leader of the Sahyul Alliance, receiving absolute support from the Alliance Leader Baek Mu-gi and the Elder Council.

“I express my gratitude for the Alliance Leader’s hard work for the Alliance.”

“I am just doing what I have to do, so it is not something to be praised for.”

“Hearing you say that makes these old men feel embarrassed. If you need our help, please tell us anytime. We will put everything aside to help.”

* * *

“What kind of manor is Guryongjang that it can annihilate the Eumseo Sect and the Hyeolsapa in a single day?”

“We are investigating. As I mentioned last time, Unit Leader Hyeok has entrusted himself to Guryongjang, and the surviving martial artists of the Hyeonmu Unit have also entrusted themselves to Guryongjang, following Unit Leader Hyeok.”

Jegeol Tak, the chief of the Jeongcheon Alliance, narrowed his eyes slightly.

“If they are in Guryongjang, wouldn’t it cause misunderstanding that we intervened in annihilating the two sects?”

“That’s true. But there is no separate story coming from the Sahyul Alliance.”

“They must be checking and taking measures. Since two sects have been annihilated, striking Guryongjang will become more cautious.”

Jegeol Tak asked as if something had come to his mind.

“Was the annihilation of the Seokcheon Sect also related to Guryongjang?”

“That’s right. That happened because the Seokcheon Sect attacked Guryongjang first, so we couldn’t intervene.”

“Guryongjang…”

Jegeol Tak did not know that Hwa Rin, the lord of Guryongjang, was the one who had hired people using the Hwasan Sect to lure the Gujusamanghyeollu Corps that had come to Murim last year.

Because Mae San, the sect leader of the Hwasan Sect, had deceived him by hiding Hwa Rin’s existence and moving the Mae Hwa Geom Su [Plum Blossom Sword Squad], especially the Hyeol Mae Hwa [Blood Plum Blossom], who could be said to be the executioners of the Hwasan Sect, Jegeol Tak did not know that Hwa Rin had bad feelings for him.

“Come to think of it, most of the recent events seem to have happened in Seoseong Province.”

“Yes?”

“Jan Sal Sip Yuk Geom [Sixteen Styles of Merciless Killing], and Cheon Hwa Nan Mu [Heavenly Flower Chaotic Dance] appeared in Seoseong Province. After that, a person who mastered So Su Sin Gong [Small Universe Divine Art] appeared, and the Unorthodox sects of Seoseong Province were destroyed.”

“That’s right. After that, the Seokcheon Sect was annihilated.”

“If, just hypothetically, Jan Sal Sip Yuk Geom, Cheon Hwa Nan Mu, and those who have mastered So Su Sin Gong were living in Guryongjang, what would happen?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m asking if they can annihilate the Eumsa Sect and the Hyeolsapa.”

“It is possible. Jan Sal Sip Yuk Geom and Cheon Hwa Nan Mu are great martial arts, but if there is someone who has mastered So Su Sin Gong, even Sa Do-hyeong would not have been able to win.”

“That’s right.”

“But it was only Unit Leader Hyeok Ji-seok and twelve members of the Hyeonmu Unit who annihilated the Eumsa Sect.”

Jegeol Tak, who habitually nodded at Mi-hyang’s words, spoke with a displeased expression.

“That’s why it’s twisted. But what I don’t understand is whether Unit Leader Hyeok and the twelve members possessed such great martial arts that they could annihilate the top Unorthodox sect in Seoseong Province, the Eumsa Sect.”

“That wouldn’t be the case. If that were the case, they wouldn’t have been so badly defeated on Ok Hwa Mountain in Chunggyeong.”

“That’s right. What’s even stranger is that a little over three months have passed since Unit Leader Hyeok entrusted himself to Guryongjang, but could his martial arts have improved so rapidly in the meantime? He’s not even a Hukijisu with high growth potential.”

After listening to Jegeol Tak’s words, it was true.

“It may be possible to some extent, but not enough to annihilate the Eumsa Sect.”

“So there must be those who moved behind them, pushing them forward. They must be the real power of Guryongjang.”

“So, Chief, you think that Jan Sal Sip Yuk Geom, Cheon Hwa Nan Mu, and those who have mastered So Su Sin Gong are entrusting themselves to Guryongjang?”

Jegeol Tak nodded.

“Maybe the lord of Guryongjang is one of them.”