Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 122

Nine Dragons Chronicle (122)

As Nine Dragons Manor burned and the Lord of Nine Dragons launched his counterattack against the Demonic Path, the attention of the entire Murim [martial arts world] became fixated on these events.

Beyond just the Murim, the Sangrim [commercial world] also watched with keen interest. This was especially true for Hwa Jeong-su of the Hwa Myung Merchant Group and Dong Seo-dok of the Yeongcheon Merchant Group, who had vested interests due to their financial and personal ties, making the situation particularly relevant to them.

“How terrified must he have been to abandon his manor and flee?”

Those unfamiliar with the inner workings of Nine Dragons Manor felt pity for the Lord of Nine Dragons. They criticized the Sahyul Alliance, a notorious and wicked group within the Murim, for attempting to destroy Nine Dragons Manor, an organization that had contributed significantly to the development of Sanyang-hyeon and the broader Seoseong region.

“Those villains!”

Initially, the conflict between the Sahyul Alliance and Nine Dragons Manor seemed destined for a swift resolution. However, as the Lord of Nine Dragons strategically evacuated the manor, the conflict dragged on longer than anticipated, leading to a shift in the overall dynamics.

Overnight, the leaders of Demonic Path sects that had established a presence in Seoseong were eliminated. Simultaneously, Demonic Path sects in Hanam were targeted and decimated by Righteous Path sects.

Similar events unfolded in Shandong following the downfall of the White Horse Temple, resulting in the Righteous Path gaining considerable influence.

With the Demonic Path sects in Seoseong, Hanam, and Shandong nearly eradicated, the Demonic Path sects in Shanxi, caught in the middle, grew increasingly discontented, much to the embarrassment of the Sahyul Alliance.

Amidst this turmoil, the Black Star Sect, which had risen to prominence in Shanxi and displaced other Demonic Path factions, was annihilated in a single night. The fact that the martial artists of the Black Star Sect were slain using Demonic Arts further fueled confusion and speculation within the Murim.

The emergence of Demonic Arts signaled the movement of the Demonic Sect [a major power within the Demonic Path].

The Righteous Heaven Alliance and the Sahyul Alliance had anticipated that the Demonic Sect would establish clandestine bases in various provinces before launching a full-scale invasion of the Central Plains. However, no one expected them to act so soon, especially while the Murim’s attention was already diverted.

What began as a minor dispute between Nine Dragons Manor, the Eumsa Gate, and the Blood Demon Sect had now spiraled into a complex web involving Nine Dragons Manor, the Sahyul Alliance, and even the Righteous and Demonic Sects, plunging the situation into utter chaos.

Hwa-rin and Dong-chun were relaxing comfortably in the Otaesan Fortress, situated halfway up Mount Otae in Shanxi.

“Wait, when did you learn Demonic Arts?”

“Who learned Demonic Arts?”

“Didn’t you, Chief? You clearly used Demonic Arts when you destroyed the Black Star Sect.”

“Demonic Arts, my foot.”

“Even if I’m not an expert, I can distinguish between Demonic Arts, Evil Arts, and Righteous Arts.”

Hwa-rin smiled wryly at Dong-chun’s assertion.

“Oh really? You have such discerning eyes. What were you doing with those ‘good eyes’ when the Black Star Sect guys were attacking?”

“Well, I was too shocked to see Chief using Demonic Arts.”

“You can’t even do your job properly, and you’re acting all high and mighty. Do you want to die?”

While many believed the Black Star Sect was destroyed by a Demonic Sect attack, it was actually Hwa-rin who was responsible.

Hwa-rin deliberately employed Demonic Arts to create the impression of Demonic Sect involvement, hoping to expedite the conflict with the Sahyul Alliance. He later learned through the Hao Mun [information guild] that this had only further complicated matters within the Murim.

Hwa-rin intended to rest and recuperate at the Otaesan Fortress before making his next move.

He anticipated that the Sahyul Alliance, the Righteous Heaven Alliance, and the Demonic Sect would reach some sort of decision after a few days of deliberation.

“Do you think I just went on countless missions in the military and killed people?”

“No?”

“I infiltrated, destroyed, then recovered their martial arts and secretly learned them, avoiding prying eyes.”

“Is that even possible? And why bother learning the martial arts of sects you’ve already defeated?”

“The more, the better!”

“Even if I don’t know much else, I know that ‘the more, the better’ isn’t always a good thing when it comes to martial arts. It’s better to master one skill than to be mediocre at ten thousand.”

“Who says that?”

“Some famous person from the past.”

“Who?”

“Just someone. What are you going to do knowing that? Why are you asking so many questions!”

Dong-chun suddenly flared up in anger.

Thwack!

“Ah, damn it…”

Dong-chun’s scream echoed, cutting through the air.

“Why are you glaring at me? I’m going to gouge your eyes out.”

Dong-chun pouted, intimidated by Hwa-rin’s threat.

“I should have brought Soo-yeon. She would have turned that guy’s lips into duck lips. If you have nothing to do, teach the bandits some martial arts to pass the time.”

“What good will teaching martial arts to bandits do?”

“You idiot, do you think you won’t encounter bandits when you work for an escort agency?”

“Of course, I’ll meet them.”

“Okay. If you teach the bandits of Otaesan Fortress martial arts and they use their power in the green forest [bandit world], wouldn’t they just let you pass when you go on a mission from the escort agency, or reduce the toll?”

“It would be more effective to just beat them up when you meet them.”

“What if the bandits set fire to the goods?”

“I’ll cut off their heads.”

“What if they shoot you with arrows from far away and run away?”

“I’ll chase them and break their legs.”

“You’ll break them well. Go and teach the bandits some martial arts. No, just fix their posture. It might be useful later.”

Hwa-rin forced Dong-chun to instruct the bandits of Otaesan Fortress in martial arts. Dong-chun, in turn, taught them the basic techniques he had learned in the Mengho Sasa Blood Battle Squad [elite military unit].

The bandits, eager to learn proper martial arts, diligently followed Dong-chun’s instructions. Dong-chun, finding the bandits more receptive than he had anticipated, began to enjoy his role as their martial arts instructor and started teaching them with genuine enthusiasm.

While Dong-chun was occupied with teaching martial arts to the bandits at Otaesan Fortress, Hwa-rin descended from the fortress each night to assassinate leaders of the Demonic Path, further cornering the Sahyul Alliance.

“The saying that an individual can’t beat a group is true when they face each other head-on, but if they fight while dragging out time like this, it’s the group, not the individual, that becomes impatient.”

Hwa-rin had learned this lesson during his time in the Mengho Sasa Blood Battle Squad, and Salhwang’s diary also contained detailed strategies for an individual to defeat a group. Consequently, he never doubted his ability to prevail against the Sahyul Alliance.

In reality, the Sahyul Alliance was growing increasingly anxious due to their inability to locate Hwa-rin.

Even with the extensive intelligence network of the Hao Mun, they couldn’t pinpoint Hwa-rin’s whereabouts, suggesting that the fight was already tilting against the Sahyul Alliance from the outset.

To compound their problems, in Sanyang-hyeon, Sangnam-hyeon, and Sangju-hyeon, all under the influence of Nine Dragons Manor, inns, brothels, and even merchants selling food in the market refused to serve martial artists affiliated with the Sahyul Alliance, exacerbating their difficulties.

When the martial artists of the Sahyul Alliance protested, government soldiers were immediately dispatched to arrest them. When the martial artists resisted and clashed with the soldiers, Yi Do-baek, the lord of Seoseong, ordered all government forces in Seoseong to arrest any martial artists who disrupted the peace and interfered with the people’s livelihoods, showing zero tolerance.

As a result, the martial artists of the Sahyul Alliance were forced to travel all the way to Seosan, the capital city, just to get a decent meal. However, the distance between Seosan and Sanyang-hyeon was fifty li [approximately 25 kilometers], making it a half-day journey just to go back and forth.

Consequently, the martial artists of the Sahyul Alliance naturally spent most of their time in Seosan, leaving only a minimal number of guards around the burned Nine Dragons Manor to watch and wait for the Lord of Nine Dragons to reappear.

* * *

As night deepened, black shadows moved silently within the burned Nine Dragons Manor. Their movements were so stealthy that they resembled formless ghosts gliding through the air.

They seemed intimately familiar with the layout of Nine Dragons Manor, navigating its ruins with ease.

The leader used hand signals to direct his subordinates, who then dispersed in various directions.

A black shadow spotted one of the elite martial artists from the White Horse Temple urinating on the side. He swiftly approached, gagged him from behind with one hand, and slit his throat with a dagger in the other.

These were individuals who made a living from killing, showing no hesitation in taking lives.

The black shadow moved through Nine Dragons Manor as if it were his own home, silently eliminating White Horse Temple martial artists who were separated from their groups.

“Why do they get to sleep in warm guest rooms while we have to sleep in places like this all the time?”

About a dozen martial artists from the White Horse Temple were sitting around a fire in the center of the ruins. One martial artist voiced his dissatisfaction, prompting the others to agree and air their grievances.

“Chief, isn’t that right? They eat warm rice and good dishes, but they tell us to eat these dried-up dumplings. Is that fair?”

“The higher-ups made that decision, so what can we do?”

“Even so, shouldn’t we take turns doing this?”

As the complaints mounted, the chief tried to change the subject by mentioning the names of those who were absent.

“Hwa-dong went to pee and is taking a dump?”

“Isn’t that guy’s thing this big? It’ll take some time to get everything out of it.”

“Haha, that’s right. Hwa-dong is sure about his lower body, even if he’s not good at anything else.”

“No wonder his shoulders are straightened whenever the brothel story comes up.”

“So, if you go to the brothel with Hwa-dong, the courtesans pay for the drinks. They even give Hwa-dong a tip to come back.”

“That’s why he’s panting whenever the brothel story comes up.”

They were the kind of people who complained, but when another story came out, the complaints were quickly put aside, and they giggled, gossiping about their colleagues.

“Hahaha! That’s right, that’s right. Hwa-dong pants whenever the courtesan story comes up… Keok!”

Drowned out by the sound of laughter, a dagger flew swiftly and pierced the speaker’s chest.

Because it was a dark night, his colleagues, who saw him suddenly falling forward while talking, thought he was playing a prank and said something.

“Why, do you miss the courtesan’s arms?”

He spoke as if he had imagined the scene of a man and woman having a relationship when he saw him falling forward, but he was startled to find blood flowing from his body.

“Heoeok, blood…!”

The martial artists sitting around finally realized that they had been attacked and picked up their swords to stand up.

Swoosh!

The daggers flying from the darkness pierced the chests of those who stood up without an inch of error.

“Keoeok!”

As the martial artists of the White Horse Temple fell with screams, the remaining martial artists hurriedly moved.

They picked up their weapons and waited for the enemies to appear, but the enemies did not show themselves and tried to kill the martial artists by throwing daggers while hiding in the darkness.

“Keoeok!”

It was difficult to avoid or block even if the opponent was in front of them in broad daylight and they saw him throwing a dagger, but it was too difficult for them to avoid or block the daggers flying from the darkness where the opponent could not be seen.

“Show yourself.”

He shouted bravely, but what came flying was a dagger instead of an answer.

Chee-aeng!

Rather than hitting the dagger with his sword, their chief used the sword’s surface to block the flying dagger.

‘What a great power.’

He felt that the power transmitted from the dagger was not ordinary, and cold sweat flowed from his back and forehead.

Even in the meantime, the squad members were being sacrificed by the daggers.

Not long after the attack began, all the squad members were killed, and he realized that he was the only one alive.

“Are you the Lord of Nine Dragons? If you are a man, show yourself bravely and let’s compete in a one-on-one duel.”

He shouted bravely into the darkness, but the answer he heard was unexpected.

“Why should I deal with someone who can be easily dealt with in a difficult way?”

“Heot!”

He was surprised by the voice of the opponent speaking from behind him, even whispering in his ear, and as he tried to turn his body, a pain that seemed to pierce his lungs came.

He endured the pain and tried to turn his body to check the opponent, but the opponent’s hand grabbed his head and prevented him from turning his body.

“You can’t know anyway if you die, so you don’t have to try so hard.”

He pulled out the dagger that had pierced his lungs from behind and slit his throat.

After killing all the martial artists of the White Horse Temple in the Nine Dragons Battlefield, the masked man said.

“Cut off their heads and throw them into the inn where they are sleeping.”