Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 123

“All of our allies at the Nine Dragons Stronghold have been defeated. Not only that, but those we secretly placed around the Nine Dragons Stronghold, in the brothels, inns, and the Nine Dragons Pavilion we operate, have all been taken out.”

The martial artists of the Blood Oath Alliance, who had been waiting in Xi’an, were furious at the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord’s actions. Not only had he killed their subordinates left in Shangnan County, but he had also sent their severed heads to the inns in Xi’an.

“He wears the mask of a righteous sect, but he is more vile than any evil faction. We must burn down the Nine Dragons Pavilion, his largest business, to set an example.”

“Is that all you can say? The Provincial Governor of Shaanxi is at the Nine Dragons Pavilion. And didn’t you hear from the Provincial Governor himself? He said that the money earned by the Nine Dragons Pavilion is being used to develop Shaanxi Province. You know this better than anyone since you confirmed it through the Hao Moon Clan.”

The one leading the martial artists of the Blood Oath Alliance was Bae Dong-sung, an elder from the Heavenly Balance Division, one of the Twelve Divisions [elite groups within the alliance]. In addition, elders from the True Balance Division and the Public Justice Division had also joined.

Bae Dong-sung was the eldest among the elders and had the most experience in the martial world, so he was leading as the head.

“I understand Commander Hongryeong’s anger, but if we touch the Nine Dragons Pavilion, we will have to fight not the Nine Dragons Stronghold, but the government troops.”

“Isn’t that why he brought in the Provincial Governor of Shaanxi? The government and the martial world respect each other, don’t they?”

“That’s why they don’t question the burning of the Nine Dragons Stronghold. The Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord killing our members is the same. But the people who work at the Nine Dragons Pavilion and those who come to gamble are ordinary people, not martial artists.”

“Damn it!”

A rough curse escaped from the mouth of Man Jang-sung, the commander of the Hongryeong Annihilation Squad, as if he felt wronged.

“We must use the information from the Hao Moon Clan and our alliance to quickly find where he is.”

“What’s the point of finding him? By the time we get there, he’ll already be gone. Look at the Great Order Extermination Squad that went to Shandong Province. They’re just chasing after his tail and haven’t achieved anything.”

Aside from burning down the Nine Dragons Stronghold after arriving in Shaanxi Province, all they had learned was that the Nine Dragons Brigade and the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord were moving separately, and that the Nine Dragons Brigade, a combat unit, was attacking the evil sects based in Shandong Province.

They sent the Great Order Extermination Squad to Shandong Province to subdue them, but they were always one step behind.

“Elder!”

Responding to the voice coming from outside, Bae Dong-sung said,

“What is it?”

“Lee Dae-man, the leader of the White Horse Temple, requests to see you, Elder. He says he has urgent news about the Nine Dragons Stronghold.”

“Really? Let him in.”

With a creaking sound, the door opened, and Lee Dae-man, the leader of the White Horse Temple, entered the room and bowed.

“I am Lee Dae-man, the leader of the White Horse Temple.”

Lee Dae-man had intended to take the position of leader of the White Horse Temple after avenging his father and sister, but the White Horse Temple was attacked by the Nine Dragons Stronghold, the elders were killed, and the buildings were burned down, so he obtained the consent of his younger brothers and took the position of leader.

Although Lee Dae-man was the leader, they saw him as nothing more than a young boy, so they did not treat him with the respect befitting the leader of a sect.

“You have something to say about the Nine Dragons Stronghold?”

“Yes, the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord is a former soldier who served in the same unit as my youngest brother.”

“Really?”

“His martial arts are so advanced that he is comparable to the top 100 martial artists.”

“What? Comparable to the top 100 martial artists?”

“Yes, my brother went on three missions with him and saw his martial arts with his own eyes. He has mastered various martial arts, and sects from the borderlands and foreign lands that were quite famous have all been destroyed by his hand.”

Lee Dae-man told them the story he had heard from his brother.

“Which sects were destroyed?”

“The Asura Pagoda of Heilongjiang Province and the Iron Lion Castle of Xinjiang were destroyed by his hand. To be exact, they were destroyed by the military, but the one who killed the leaders of the Asura Pagoda and the Iron Lion Castle was the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord.”

Bae Dong-sung narrowed his eyes as he listened to Lee Dae-man’s story.

The incident in which the infamous Asura Pagoda of Heilongjiang Province was destroyed overnight a few years ago was quite famous in the martial world.

“Is this the truth?”

“Yes, and there is a woman with the Nine Dragons Brigade named Namgung Suyeon of the Namgung Clan.”

Everyone looked surprised when the name of the Namgung Clan came up.

“What? The Namgung Clan?”

Bae Dong-sung widened his eyes and asked again, and Lee Dae-man told him the story he had heard from his brother.

“She also served in the same unit and went on missions together. Namgung Suyeon and the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord were very close in the unit.”

“Hmm…”

“In my brother’s opinion… Namgung Suyeon knows how advanced the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord’s martial arts are, so she is trying to bring him into the Namgung Clan.”

“The Namgung Clan is trying to bring in the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord?”

“According to my brother…”

“It would be better to hear it directly from your brother. Go and bring your brother here.”

“I will.”

Lee Dae-man bowed and left the room. As soon as Lee Dae-man left, the air in the room became heavy.

“The Namgung Clan.”

“Perhaps those guys are relying on the Namgung Clan.”

Even so, the Namgung Clan was too big to pressure.

It was a family with Geomhwang Namgung So-gun, one of the Ten Great Masters of the Martial World, Ilmaihwang Samwang Saje, Geomjon Namgung Cheong-ya, one of the Hundred Great Masters of the Martial World, and Geomryong Namgung Jin, one of the best late-stage masters.

In addition, it operated three combat units, Jewangdan, Changgungdan, and Muaedan, to the point where the term martial arts family was meaningless, so it was impossible to pressure the Namgung Clan with the personnel dispatched now.

“If the Namgung Clan is involved, it will be difficult for us alone. We must report to the alliance and have the alliance solve this problem.”

The world of martial arts is a world where the logic of power is most applied than other worlds.

Power is divided into various forms such as authority, wealth, martial power, and manpower, but the primitive power, that is, the dominance of martial power, is strong, so the weak have no choice but to bow their heads.

“It seems that it’s not too late to listen to the detailed story from the person from the White Horse Temple before making a decision.”

“Elder.”

“What is it?”

“Didn’t the Hao Moon Clan say that Hyuk Ji-seok, the leader of the Hyeonmu Unit of the Justice Alliance, is relying on the Nine Dragons Stronghold?”

“So?”

“Isn’t this situation intentionally created by the Jeongcheon Alliance [another powerful faction]?”

“By the Jeongcheon Alliance?”

When the name of the Jeongcheon Alliance came up, some people nodded after a while.

Bae Dong-sung also thought that it was possible, so he decided to report to the alliance first.

“Isn’t that so? The Hao Moon Clan said that the number of people in the Nine Dragons Brigade is only thirteen, including Leader Hyuk Ji-seok. Of course, there are martial artists who protect the Nine Dragons Pavilion and the Nine Dragons Stronghold’s business places, but they are not the ones who go to battle, so excluding them, it doesn’t make sense for thirteen martial artists and the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord to destroy the Eumsa Clan and the Blood Evil Sect, does it?”

“So, you’re saying that the Jeongcheon Alliance is behind the Nine Dragons Stronghold and helped them?”

“Yes, otherwise, how could he abandon the title of leader of a combat unit belonging to the Jeongcheon Alliance and become a mere gatekeeper of a manor?”

It seemed like the gears were meshing together one by one.

“The Nine Dragons Stronghold trusted the Jeongcheon Alliance and took action, is that what you’re saying?”

“I think so. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense for a mere manor to destroy two sects belonging to our alliance. Even if they could win, they would know that our alliance would step in, so they would all die, so why would they bother to destroy the Eumsa Clan and the Blood Evil Sect?”

“Elder, Lee Dae-man and his brother Lee Seung-cheon have arrived.”

At the voice coming from outside, he told them to come inside, and the two entered.

“I am Lee Seung-cheon, the third of the White Horse Temple.”

The elders, including Bae Dong-sung, looked at Lee Seung-cheon and then at Lee Dae-man next to him.

On the surface, Lee Dae-man had a strong impression, but in reality, they recognized at a glance that Lee Seung-cheon was a greater master than him.

“You served in the military with the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord?”

“Yes, I was with Hwarin Squad Leader Jo for two years, and with Namgung Suyeon for three years.”

“What was the name of the military unit you were in?”

“It’s a special unit called the Mengho Sasa Blood Battle Squad [Fierce Tiger Death Squad].”

“Special unit?”

“Unlike other units, it is a unit with the characteristic of completely cutting off the enemy’s breath through preemptive strikes.”

“I heard that the Asura Pagoda of Heilongjiang Province and the Iron Lion Castle of Xinjiang were destroyed. Are there any other sects that were destroyed besides that?”

“All the sects that threatened the Central Plains in the borderlands, foreign lands, and even distant Saekmok countries were destroyed.”

“Does that make sense? Is the Mengho Sasa Blood Battle Squad an invincible army?”

Man Jang-sung, the commander of the Hongryeong Annihilation Squad, shouted, not believing Lee Seung-cheon’s words.

“No, that’s how many people died in the unit. The Mengho Sasa Blood Battle Squad, which consists of 300 people, returns to the unit with as many as 250 or as few as 50 or more people dead each time they go on a mission. That’s why it’s a unit that you would never join if you knew about it.”

“Why did you go to that dangerous unit?”

“I caused an accident in the martial world. I needed a place to escape, so I chose the military, and the military recognized my martial arts and sent me there.”

“Really?”

“It is also a unit where many martial artists in similar situations enlist.”

“Then what about the daughter of the Namgung Clan?”

“Namgung Suyeon said it was to become stronger. The person she wanted to be like was the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord.”

“Does that mean the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord is that strong?”

“Yes, I said a little while ago that as many as 250 or at least 50 or more people died each time they went on a mission.”

“Right.”

“But there are those who always come back alive even when they die like that.”

“That person is the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord?”

“Namgung Suyeon is the same. When I was there, there were not many missions because there were no organizations that were a major threat, but I heard that when the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord was in the military, he went on missions almost every half month.”

“If I listen to your words, all the martial arts sects that were quite famous in the borderlands and foreign lands were destroyed by the Mengho Sasa Blood Battle Squad.”

Man Jang-sung thought that Lee Seung-cheon was trying to deceive them with lies even more than a medicine peddler selling medicine on the street.

If there was such a unit in the world, would the martial artists have stayed still?

“If you also graduated from such a great unit, you must be very strong.”

He spoke sarcastically.

“When I was there, we were attacked by a mysterious force. The entire unit was attacked, many unit members died, and I escaped from there and returned to my home.”

“Then you deserted, not discharged.”

“The unit disappeared, and all the unit members were processed as dead, so it will be recorded as a dead person, not a deserter.”

“Such a powerful unit disappeared after being attacked?”

He asked because the story was so absurd that he was dumbfounded.

“This is also the same story. I said that there was always someone who came back alive. It was because that person retired and the unit’s power dropped sharply.”

“Are you talking about the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord and the daughter of the Namgung Clan?”

“To be exact, I’m talking about the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord. Of course, Namgung Suyeon is also a great master, but compared to the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord, she is just moonlight obscured by the sunlight.”

Others thought Lee Seung-cheon’s words were absurd, but Bae Dong-sung did not.

“I heard that there is someone in our alliance who was discharged from such a unit.”

“Is there really a unit called the Mengho Sasa Blood Battle Squad?”

“I’ve heard it vaguely. They say that the military operates a unit with a special purpose, and the soldiers belonging to that unit are all monsters.”

“Not all of them. Out of 300 people, three or four are like monsters, and one of the monsters I know is the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord.”