Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 131

Ninth Dragon Chronicles (131)

“Do you even think before you act? Or do you just live each day as it comes?”

Namgung Baekya was privately reprimanding Namgung Suyeon for her actions. She had caused trouble since she was young, but she had never caused such a big incident as this time, so he was genuinely disappointed in her.

“Father, I don’t think I’ve done anything to deserve such a scolding.”

“Because of you, Jin and Yeon are being held hostage by the Blood Oath Alliance.”

“I’m aware. But isn’t that because Older Brother and Jin are too naive? It’s not my fault.”

“What?”

“Since we’re on the topic, who in the world would listen to people trying to harm them and willingly become hostages?”

Namgung Suyeon didn’t back down even while talking to Namgung Baekya in private.

“Older Brother is the heir of the main family, yet he values his life so lightly… It’s not that I’m thoughtless, but that Older Brother is the one lacking sense.”

“Then what should Jin have done?”

“He should have fought and run away with Yeon.”

“What if they got hurt or killed?”

“The Blood Oath Alliance would kill Older Brother and Yeon? Absolutely not. They don’t want to fight the main family.”

Namgung Baekya looked at Namgung Suyeon as if asking why she thought so. Understanding his gaze, Namgung Suyeon spoke her mind.

“Right now, the Blood Oath Alliance is trying to prevent the main family from interfering in their fight with the Nine Dragons Stronghold. Why? Because the Blood Oath Alliance might fall apart if the main family joins in, on top of their already difficult fight with the Nine Dragons Stronghold.”

“The Blood Oath Alliance fall apart?”

He found it absurd that the Blood Oath Alliance, a coalition of evil factions, would be destroyed in a fight against the Nine Dragons Stronghold and the Namgung family, so he asked again.

“Of course. The Blood Oath Alliance can never catch Senior Hwa-rin. Unless the Four Sovereigns, Baek Mugi, steps in, there’s no expert in the Blood Oath Alliance who can confidently defeat Senior Hwa-rin.”

Namgung Baekya’s expression changed.

“Of course, there might be experts who could win. But those would be hidden experts, not those who are known or part of the combat units.”

“Is this Hwa-rin fellow that strong?”

“I’ve spent three years with him, carrying out countless missions. I’ve seen his martial arts with my own eyes, and I’ve destroyed dozens of sects with him, so I know him better than anyone.”

Her answer was full of confidence.

“So, the Blood Oath Alliance can’t defeat the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord?”

“No. They might be able to win. Like I said before, if the Four Sovereigns, Baek Mugi, steps in. But he won’t. If he does, the Demonic Faction will have already suffered a huge blow.”

“Still, it doesn’t change the fact that he might die at the hands of the Blood Oath Alliance.”

“That’s true if the fight continues. But would the Righteous Heaven Alliance and the Demonic Cult just stand by? A wounded beast must be torn apart and killed when it’s wounded.”

Namgung Baekya narrowed his eyes slightly at Namgung Suyeon’s words. He realized that he hadn’t had a proper conversation with Namgung Suyeon since she returned from the military.

“You seem to have learned some strange things in the military.”

“It’s not that I learned strange things, but that I learned the most basic things for survival.”

“Survival?”

“Being by Senior Hwa-rin’s side increases the chances of survival. And I need Senior Hwa-rin’s help to complete my martial arts. More than anything, there’s no other man like Senior Hwa-rin in this world.”

Namgung Baekya looked at Namgung Suyeon, wondering if he had misheard, and she nodded to indicate that he had not.

“So, you’re saying you have feelings for this young man named Hwa-rin?”

“Yes. Although Senior Hwa-rin isn’t, I consider myself a member of the Nine Dragons Stronghold, not the Namgung family.”

“You rascal!”

Namgung Baekya burst into anger.

“Why!”

Namgung Suyeon also shouted back without backing down, causing Namgung Baekya to sigh involuntarily.

She had always acted as she pleased since she was young, so he wasn’t trying to change her now, but he hoped that his daughter wouldn’t get involved with the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord, as his situation was currently very dangerous.

“Because of you, Jun and Yeon could be in danger.”

“You sent Uncle, didn’t you? Then he’ll take care of it.”

“How did you know that?”

“The rumors are everywhere. That the Sword Saint of the Namgung family has left the family.”

“You’re being chased, but you’re still listening to everything.”

“I’m not being chased, but engaging in strategic combat. We annihilated the Great Spirit Extermination Squad in Shandong Province, so now only the Scarlet Spirit Eradication Squad is left in the martial world.”

Namgung Baekya’s eyes widened.

“What? You annihilated the Great Spirit Extermination Squad?”

“Yes. Even with fifteen people, without Senior Hwa-rin, we annihilated a hundred-man Great Spirit Extermination Squad.”

Namgung Baekya couldn’t believe it and asked.

“Were Hyuk Ji-seok and the former Black Tortoise Unit members that skilled?”

“I don’t know about that. But I do know that their martial arts have improved dramatically since joining the Nine Dragons Stronghold. I occasionally helped them with their martial arts.”

“You helped them with their martial arts?”

“Yes. I’m the second strongest in the Nine Dragons Stronghold.”

At those words, Namgung Baekya stared at Namgung Suyeon.

“Second strongest? Have you mastered the Emperor’s Sword Art?”

“The Emperor’s Sword Art is just a tool to obtain the martial arts I want to complete.”

“You’ve been talking about your own martial arts since earlier, what is it?”

“It’s literally the ideal martial art that I want to complete, which I set as my goal after meeting Senior Hwa-rin and seeing and feeling his martial arts.”

“So, what is it?”

“The Thirteen Emperor’s Seals!”

“The Thirteen Emperor’s Seals?”

Namgung Suyeon told her father, Namgung Baekya, about the Thirteen Emperor’s Seals she was currently learning.

“I learned the Thirteen Divine Skills from Senior Hwa-rin.”

“The Thirteen Divine Skills?”

“In simple terms, it’s a martial art that allows you to master the mysteries of quickness, change, strength, illusion, explosion, weight, absorption, collapse, impact, rebound, return, thunder, and severance. Of course, it also mixes in mysteries such as dominance, curve, fullness, and harmony.”

“Hmm……”

“I combined these thirteen mysteries with the Emperor’s Sword Art to create thirteen stances. Each stance allows you to use all thirteen mysteries of the Thirteen Divine Skills, so it’s actually a more complex martial art with more possible stance applications.”

Namgung Baekya struggled to decide whether to believe Namgung Suyeon’s words.

“Is that possible?”

“It would have been difficult alone. But I have Senior Hwa-rin by my side, and I’m gradually modifying or supplementing it by getting his advice and testing its usefulness in actual combat with him.”

“Is the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord that great?”

“I told you, you can’t find another man like Senior Hwa-rin in this world.”

Namgung Suyeon caused a lot of trouble, but he knew that she didn’t lie, which made him even more confused.

‘He didn’t just fall from the sky.’

If he was that outstanding, there should have been rumors about him since he was young, but that wasn’t the case, so he was suspicious and doubtful.

“What did he do before joining the military? Or rather, which family does he belong to?”

“That… I don’t know either. But I speculate that he might be from a family related to the government rather than the martial world.”

“The government?”

“Yes. He’s close to the Governor of Shanxi Province, and he seemed to know the Fifth Prince who visited the Nine Dragons Inn last time, talking to him intimately, so he’s more connected to the government than the martial world.”

“I see.”

He thought that he knew quite a few people in the government, so he could find out about Hwa-rin through them, and decided to put Hwa-rin aside for now.

“Can you show me the Thirteen Emperor’s Seals you’re learning?”

“Why? Are you going to leave it to the family?”

“Why would I leave an incomplete martial art? I’m just trying to see if you can survive as a martial artist in the martial world as your father.”

“Don’t worry about that. I told you, being by Senior Hwa-rin’s side is the safest.”

“You brat! When your father asks to see something, you say, ‘Yes, I understand,’ and show it to me. It’s your duty to alleviate your father’s worries.”

Namgung Baekya burst into anger, and Namgung Suyeon reluctantly nodded.

“Okay. I’ll show you. Should I show you here? Or should we move to the training ground?”

“Let’s go to the underground training ground.”

“Yes.”

* * *

“So, you’re the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord who’s been causing so much trouble lately.”

Hwa-rin was talking with the guests staying in the detached building, while Hyuk Ji-seok and the Nine Dragons Elite Unit members were training in one corner of the detached building.

“I’m just struggling to avoid being robbed of what’s mine.”

They laughed at Hwa-rin’s words.

“Are you talking about something called the Nine Dragons Inn?”

“Yes. At first, merchants coveted it and instigated martial arts sects to harass me, but now, martial arts sects are directly trying to take what’s mine.”

“I’ve heard about it. They say the Nine Dragons Inn makes a lot of money, so it’s no wonder they’re coveting it.”

“In fact, the Nine Dragons Inn was opened through a deal with the Governor of Shanxi Province, so it doesn’t help the Nine Dragons Stronghold.”

“Is that so? But why open the Nine Dragons Inn and cause trouble?”

“I thought that if the main stronghold was to quickly gain a certain position and exert influence in the martial world [Jianghu] in a short period of time, there had to be some kind of plausible bait.”

“So?”

“I threw the Nine Dragons Inn as bait, and wouldn’t you know it, a huge fish suddenly bit. I was only expecting the Yin Evil Sect, but a bigger fish than I expected bit, and it feels like the fishing rod is about to break.”

“Hahaha, you seem to have used your head well, but it seems something unmanageable has appeared.”

“That’s how it is. But I can’t just sit back and take it, so I’m struggling like this.”

“I suppose so. So, you’re trying to take them down one by one with those guys?”

“I’m hoping that if I drag this out, the Righteous Heaven Alliance or the Demonic Cult might see an opening and jump in.”

“That’s a good idea, but it won’t be easy.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because it’s more beneficial for them to gain something through negotiation than through fighting.”

“Negotiation, you say?”

Hwa-rin asked back, mentioning something the detached building guests hadn’t thought of.

“For example, let’s say the Righteous Heaven Alliance joins this fight. Then the Righteous Heaven Alliance would also suffer damage. If that happens, the Blood Oath Alliance’s damage would be even greater.”

“That’s how it would be.”

“And there’s another beast crouching down.”

“Are you talking about the Demonic Cult?”

“That’s right. If two beasts fight and get injured, what would happen if another beast rushed in and tore both beasts apart?”

“You’re saying that they won’t fight directly because they might hand over the benefits to someone else through the spoils of war.”

“That’s right. The same goes for the Demonic Cult attacking the Blood Oath Alliance instead of the Righteous Heaven Alliance. The remaining Righteous Heaven Alliance would attack the two injured beasts.”

“Isn’t the orthodox faction in Henan Province attacking and destroying the evil faction? Shandong Province is also showing such movements of the orthodox faction.”

“I’ve heard those rumors. That can be easily resolved if the Righteous Heaven Alliance steps in. They’ll somehow smooth things over through negotiations with the Blood Oath Alliance.”

“And in return, I and the Nine Dragons Inn will fall into the hands of the Blood Oath Alliance.”

“Probably. And since you’ve destroyed a few evil factions, the Blood Oath Alliance will declare you a public enemy, and if the Righteous Heaven Alliance helps from behind, you might become a very tired fugitive. It won’t be easy to avoid the eyes of the Beggars’ Sect [a large information network] and the Gate of Howl [assassins] throughout the Central Plains.”

Hwa-rin smiled brightly at these words.

“It’s like going into a bear’s den to avoid a tiger.”

“That’s an appropriate analogy.”

“Then what should I do?”