Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 124

“Who’s talking about me? Why do my ears itch so much?”

Hwa-Rin picked at her ear with her pinky finger, grumbling, and glared at Dong-Chun, who was walking beside her.

“Hey, you were badmouthing me in your head just now, weren’t you?”

“Please don’t torment me with such far-fetched accusations. I may badmouth others, but I would never badmouth Squad Leader Hwa-Rin.”

“Really?”

“Who would dare badmouth a squad leader with such a vengeful streak? I wouldn’t want to face the consequences.”

Hwa-Rin raised her hand, then lowered it.

“But why do my ears itch so much?”

“The Blood Evil Alliance must be talking about you, Squad Leader. How long have you been dragging out a fight that seemed like it would end quickly? It’s been days.”

“I thought they would surrender after a few minor factions of the Demonic path collapsed.”

“Would they surrender so easily when they would become a laughingstock? They’ll try to win with all their might.”

“I suppose so. Why couldn’t I think of that?”

“If you had thought of it, would you have a good solution?”

“Why not? There are so many times when I can get help.”

Dong-Chun looked at Hwa-Rin with a disbelieving expression.

“Oh, you don’t believe me? If I asked for help, people would come running in droves. If they lined up, the line would be at least ten ‘ri’ [approximately 4 kilometers] long.”

Dong-Chun smirked, looking incredulous.

“Squad Leader, your jokes have gotten much better since you left the military. Ten ‘ri’? Show me even ten steps worth of people lining up. Then I’ll believe everything you say.”

Hwa-Rin’s palm flashed through the air, and as if expecting it, Dong-Chun ducked.

Hwa-Rin was displeased with Dong-Chun’s evasion and moved her hand again. Dong-Chun raised his arm to block Hwa-Rin’s hand.

“Thwack!”

With a crisp sound, tears welled up in Dong-Chun’s eyes as he touched the back of his head.

“You can’t just block it, Dong-Chun.”

Dong-Chun wore a sullen expression.

“I’ve always said, you don’t see things with your eyes, but with your heart.”

“Stop talking nonsense. How can I see with my heart when I don’t have eyes in my heart?”

“That’s why you’re called a novice and always get beaten by me.”

Dong-Chun’s lips pouted.

“When a person moves, ‘qi’ [life force or vital energy] always moves. They call it kinetic energy in the land of the Foreign Devils, but I don’t know much about that.”

As Hwa-Rin explained, Dong-Chun’s eyes sparkled.

“It’s too late to see and then move. So, you need to be able to feel the changes in ‘qi’ or the movement that occurs when moving.”

“I’ve heard of that.”

“Right. When you get used to that, the eyes of your heart will open. That’s what they commonly call the Mind’s Eye.”

“Then how can I acquire it?”

“You have to get hit a lot.”

He was about to be moved, but he always got annoyed by such deflating words.

“I’m serious. Even Soo-Yeon would answer you that way.”

“Then has Senior Soo-Yeon acquired the Mind’s Eye?”

“She probably has.”

“Then she won’t get hit by you.”

“That’s not true. I’m at a higher level than Soo-Yeon, so in the end, she’ll get beaten by me.”

Dong-Chun was disappointed to hear that even Namgoong Soo-Yeon, who had acquired the Mind’s Eye, was still beaten by Hwa-Rin.

“In the end, you’re saying that if Squad Leader hits, you have to get hit. I thought I was going to gain something great.”

“You’ll get hit by me, but you won’t get hit by other guys.”

“Hmm…….”

When he recalled the formidable martial arts that Hwa-Rin had shown so far, he thought that if he was at a level where he wouldn’t get hit by her, he would be one of the top 100 martial artists, no, he couldn’t be sure that even they wouldn’t get hit, so he would have to be at least one of the top ten martial artists.

“Then what should I do?”

“You must always activate the energy in your ‘dantian’ [energy center in the lower abdomen] and spread the energy around you to develop the ability to sense the movements around you.”

Dong-Chun scratched his head and asked.

“Is it possible for martial artists with weak internal energy?”

Unlike his usual conversation, there was politeness in his tone.

“Of course. Of course, it will be difficult. And in order to sense the energy around you, you will have to get hit a lot. In the process, you will be able to distinguish the killing intent, fighting spirit, and dispassionate energy directed at you, and the more you develop it, the freer your control of internal energy will become, and the more desire you will have to become stronger.”

“Hmm…….”

“You, who stole a lot of elixirs in the military, don’t have weak internal energy.”

“I’m asking because of my junior brothers.”

“The Saemyeong Clan disciples?”

“Yes. Whether they are good or bad, they are my junior brothers, so shouldn’t I take care of them?”

Hwa-Rin nodded. She believed that the sense of responsibility and duty to take care of someone would make Dong-Chun stronger than he is now.

When Hwa-Rin raised his hand, Dong-Chun flinched, and Hwa-Rin smiled at the sight and put his hand on Dong-Chun’s shoulder and patted him.

“Work hard. If there’s anything you don’t know, ask, and if there’s anything you’re curious about, ask anytime.”

“Is that okay?”

“Of course. You’re my man. I take care of my people to the end.”

Dong-Chun looked at Hwa-Rin with a touched expression, and Hwa-Rin smiled with satisfaction at the sight.

‘Such a simpleton.’

* * *

“Are you going to keep running away?”

“No, there is a time for fighting. There are opponents you can defeat by fighting recklessly, and there are opponents you can’t.”

Namgoong Soo-Yeon and the Nine Dragons Unit warriors traveled throughout Shandong Province, attacking and striking factions belonging to the Demonic path, and then quickly moving to avoid the pursuit of the Great Extermination Squad.

“We can win against the Great Extermination Squad. But if we do, maybe only you and I will survive. That’s not a victory even if we win.”

Namgoong Soo-Yeon explained to Hyuk Ji-Seok why she was delaying the fight with the Great Extermination Squad.

“We have a limited number of people to fight compared to the Blood Evil Alliance. So, if we fight every guy we meet, we will inevitably lose. Why? Because they can replenish their warriors, but we can’t.”

Hyuk Ji-Seok nodded at Namgoong Soo-Yeon’s words and asked.

“Then do we have to fight like this until we destroy all the Demonic path factions in Shandong Province?”

“That’s not true. There will be times when they get tired of chasing us.”

“Tired?”

“If we move one step ahead of them, they will always be disappointed. Then they will feel a sense of self-disgust as they look at the factions that have been destroyed by us.”

Hyuk Ji-Seok listened to Namgoong Soo-Yeon’s words and admired her inwardly.

“What will happen when that sense of self-disgust builds up and explodes when we encounter them?”

“Won’t they try to tear us apart and kill us?”

“That’s right. That’s exactly it.”

“Huh?”

“Anger and excitement towards the opponent make the movements larger without realizing it. And they become insensitive to changes in the surrounding environment or situation.”

“Then are you deliberately making the Great Extermination Squad angry right now?”

“That’s right. Soon, Senior will come to Qufu. We must turn their stomachs upside down as much as possible while we join up with Senior.”

“Are you saying that the Lord of the Nine Dragons Palace is coming here?”

“Of course. I said it a little while ago. We have a small number of warriors, so the warriors of the Nine Dragons Unit must not die or get hurt.”

“Ah…….”

“And when I see it, the members of the Nine Dragons Unit need to experience more intense real combat. At the current level, they won’t be able to sustain combat for a long time.”

Hyuk Ji-Seok knew that Namgoong Soo-Yeon was much younger than him, but he had no complaints about her speaking informally or making somewhat unpleasant remarks.

Her level and experience that surpassed Hyuk Ji-Seok, and her combat command ability demonstrated in various situations, showed him that he was still lacking in many areas, and he was able to see and learn a lot from her.

“Then, if the Lord of the Nine Dragons Palace joins us, are you planning to fight the Great Extermination Squad?”

“Maybe Senior would. And she will examine the Nine Dragons Unit.”

“Us?”

“Yes. She will try to fill in the gaps if there are any.”

Namgoong Soo-Yeon spoke as if she knew Hwa-Rin well.

“Senior doesn’t give her heart to people easily, but once she does, she takes care of them to the end. In other words, she doesn’t easily let people she considers her own die.”

Hyuk Ji-Seok was slightly moved by Namgoong Soo-Yeon’s words.

“So, concentrate until you meet Senior. Our goal is to destroy the factions rooted in the Demonic path in Shandong Province.”

“I understand.”

* * *

“What are you talking about? The daughter of the Namgoong Clan is with the Lord of the Nine Dragons Palace.”

Cheong-Myeong, the branch leader of the Jeongcheon Alliance’s Shanxi branch, was flustered when he heard from Bae Dong-Seong, a member of the Blood Evil Alliance and an elder of the Cheonryangsa Clan, one of the Twelve Sages, that there was someone from the Namgoong Clan in the Nine Dragons Palace.

“I asked if the Jeongcheon Alliance and the Namgoong Clan are pretending not to know each other on the surface while secretly supporting the Nine Dragons Palace.”

“That’s a misunderstanding. We don’t know about that. We have already agreed with the Blood Evil Alliance, so why would we help the Nine Dragons Palace?”

Cheong-Myeong vehemently denied that there was such a fact, but Bae Dong-Seong did not believe Cheong-Myeong’s words. No, even if his words were true, they had to get what they needed by using this as an excuse.

“The daughter of the Namgoong Clan is traveling with the Nine Dragons Unit and destroying the factions belonging to our alliance. Do you think it makes sense that the Jeongcheon Alliance is not involved?”

“That’s a fact. We don’t know about this. I will look into it and contact you.”

“While you are doing that, the factions are being destroyed. We can’t just wait. We think that the Jeongcheon Alliance has deceived us and will retaliate at the alliance level.”

“Elder Bae, shouldn’t we check the facts first? It’s too much to move based only on your words…….”

“I thought you would say that. Then it would be better to stop our conversation here.”

“You have a quick temper.”

The door opened and a person entered. It was Yong Doo-San, the Chief Inspector of the Jeongcheon Alliance.

“I am Hwaryongdo Yong Doo-San, who is in charge of the position of Chief Inspector in the Jeongcheon Alliance.”

“Hwaryongdo!”

Hwaryongdo Yong Doo-San was one of the top 100 martial artists and a warrior whose reputation was well-known even in the Central Plains.

Bae Dong-Seong had heard about his name and reputation, but this was the first time he saw his face.

“As the branch leader said, we do not know if the Namgoong Clan is involved. So, shouldn’t we go to the Namgoong Clan and ask them?”

“To the Namgoong Clan?”

“Wouldn’t that be faster?”

Bae Dong-Seong glared at Yong Doo-San.

“Ah, I heard that Namgoong Jin and Namgoong Yeon-Ah of the Namgoong Clan are staying at the Nine Dragons Inn. If you go there and ask them, you can find out.”

When Yong Doo-San told them where Namgoong Jin and Namgoong Yeon-Ah were, Cheong-Myeong flinched.

“At the Nine Dragons Inn?”

“At the Hwasan branch, the Lord of the Nine Dragons Palace made a few friends he liked, leaving behind the Righteous, the Evil, and the Demonic, and one of them was Namgoong Jin of the Namgoong Clan.”

―Chief Inspector, why are you telling them this?

―We can’t take the blame, can we?

―But what if the Blood Evil Alliance attacks the Namgoong Clan?

Yong Doo-San and Cheong-Myeong exchanged stories about the Namgoong Clan through telepathy.

―Don’t worry. No matter how much the Blood Evil Alliance is, they won’t be able to touch the Namgoong Clan, which has the Sword Emperor and the Sword Saint.

―Hmm…….

―If what Elder Bae Dong-Seong said is true, we could be in trouble, so Branch Leader, have people secretly investigate. I will report this fact to the Chief Manager.

―I understand.

―And send someone to the Namgoong Clan to tell them this fact and let them know that Namgoong Jin and Namgoong Yeon-Ah may be in danger.

―To the Namgoong Clan?

―Then the Namgoong Clan will move. That will give us time for the Chief Manager to make a plan to deal with it.