Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 137

Clang!

Namgung Suyeon was traveling from Gangseo Province to Seonseo Province with the Nine Dragons Brigade when she encountered and battled a master from the Demonic Faction.

The master wielded two hand axes, and Namgung Suyeon seemed to recognize him.

“I hear that if I defeat that guy, I’ll be ranked among the Hundred Great Masters.”

The man was Lee Si-eon, the Twin Dragon Blood Axe, a member of the Blood Demon Alliance and one of the Hundred Great Masters of the Murim [martial arts world].

Lee Si-eon, the Twin Dragon Blood Axe, had made a name for himself in the Murim by wielding two hand axes as his signature weapons. His unique martial art, the Twin Dragon Strike, was renowned throughout the Murim.

Namgung Suyeon wasn’t afraid, despite facing Lee Si-eon. Instead, she welcomed the challenge, knowing that defeating him would elevate her to the ranks of the Hundred Great Masters, making her martial arts known and bringing her fame.

Lee Si-eon believed that killing Namgung Suyeon and the Nine Dragons Brigade warriors would be an easy task, but reality proved otherwise.

He was surprised by Namgung Suyeon’s martial arts, which not only blocked his attacks effortlessly but also retaliated fiercely. He refocused, abandoning his half-hearted approach and unleashing his full power.

Lee Si-eon’s twin axes swung toward Namgung Suyeon, carrying the force to tear the sky apart.

Namgung Suyeon met the red hand axes head-on with her sword, rather than trying to evade them.

Even before the red hand axes and the blue sword collided, a powerful shock wave erupted, as if space itself was being torn apart by the clash of their energies.

“Retreat!”

Hyeok Ji-seok, the leader of the Nine Dragons Brigade, ordered his members, and they quickly moved to a safe distance.

“I knew Namgung Suyeon’s martial arts were strong, but I’m surprised she can fight Lee Si-eon, the Twin Dragon Blood Axe, on equal terms.”

Manho, a member of the Nine Dragons Brigade, commented. Hyeok Ji-seok, without taking his eyes off the battle, replied:

“Watch closely. It’s rare to witness fights between such masters.”

He knew that observing masters’ battles could provide valuable insights for growth, so he urged his members to concentrate, hoping they would gain even a slight advantage.

Lee Si-eon, while fighting Namgung Suyeon, was inwardly surprised and somewhat humiliated.

‘She’s not inferior to me in terms of martial arts and strength. Is another monster emerging from the Namgung Family?’

The “monster” Lee Si-eon referred to was Sword Emperor Namgung So-gun.

While the Namgung Family also boasted a Sword Saint and a rising talent called Sword Dragon, Lee Si-eon found Sword Emperor Namgung So-gun’s martial arts particularly shocking.

Now, fighting Namgung Suyeon in a life-or-death battle, he felt like he was directly experiencing the martial arts that Namgung So-gun had displayed in the past.

‘Not only that, but she seems to have considerable practical experience; she doesn’t fall for clumsy provocations or loopholes.’

Despite being a member of the Namgung Family, known as the Greatest Family Under Heaven, he had assumed he was superior in practical experience, but that wasn’t the case.

“Emperor’s Thirteen Swords, Eighth Sword, Emperor’s Uprising!”

Namgung Suyeon bent low, then swiftly swung her sword, manipulating it with a flick of her wrist.

It resembled drawing a sword, but by altering the sword’s trajectory with her wrist, she deceived her opponent’s eyes. Simultaneously, she utilized the mysteries of speed and weight from the Harmony Thirteen Skills to enhance the sword’s speed and power.

Clang!

“Heot!”

Lee Si-eon blocked Namgung Suyeon’s sword with his axe and stumbled back in surprise.

He had thought it was a quick sword technique that simply added speed to a sword-drawing style, but upon impact, he realized it was imbued with considerable power.

As Lee Si-eon lost his balance, Namgung Suyeon pressed her advantage and attacked more aggressively.

“Emperor’s Thirteen Swords, Sixth Sword, Emperor’s Chaotic Flight!”

The blue sword arced from bottom to top, creating a crescent-shaped sword energy that streaked toward Lee Si-eon.

Surprised again by the sword energy, Lee Si-eon leaped into the air to avoid it, then landed on the ground with a somersault.

“Taat!”

Determined to regain the initiative, Lee Si-eon hurled the axe in his left hand at Namgung Suyeon.

The red hand axe spun fiercely as it flew toward her.

Namgung Suyeon charged toward Lee Si-eon, bending her knees and lowering her body until her back nearly touched the floor.

She slid along the ground, evading the axe without losing speed.

As Lee Si-eon’s hand axe passed overhead, Namgung Suyeon straightened and swung her sword, manipulating her wrist.

With each movement of her wrist, a blue line appeared in the air, creating a dense, net-like pattern.

“Emperor’s Thirteen Swords, Ninth Sword, Emperor’s Boundless Net!”

Lee Si-eon bit his lip as he watched the net of internal energy [qi or chi] approach.

The red light emanating from the axe in his right hand intensified, and he swung it powerfully and rapidly at the approaching net.

Whirlick. Whirlick. Whirlick!

Lee Si-eon slashed the air with his hand axe, releasing red energy that tore apart the approaching net of internal energy.

“Be careful!”

Hyeok Ji-seok, who was observing the battle, shouted unconsciously to Namgung Suyeon.

The hand axe that had left Lee Si-eon’s left hand was arcing back, aiming for Namgung Suyeon’s back.

Namgung Suyeon seemed to anticipate this. She pushed off the ground and leaped into a backward somersault, simultaneously swinging her sword.

“Emperor’s Thirteen Swords, First Sword, Emperor’s Strike!”

A powerful energy blast shot from Namgung Suyeon’s sword, striking the hand axe returning to Lee Si-eon.

The impact accelerated the hand axe, sending it hurtling toward Lee Si-eon at an even greater speed.

Surprised by the axe’s increased velocity, Lee Si-eon retracted his outstretched hand and leaped to the side to avoid it.

As if predicting this, Namgung Suyeon was already moving to intercept Lee Si-eon.

“Heot!”

Namgung Suyeon, approaching with unprecedented speed, thrust her sword forward.

“Emperor’s Thirteen Swords, Tenth Sword, Emperor’s Return to One!”

A blue light gathered and condensed at the tip of the sword, then shot toward Lee Si-eon at the speed of light, piercing his heart.

“Keoeok!”

Lee Si-eon couldn’t believe his defeat. He looked down at the hand axe in his right hand, his eyes filled with disbelief.

A small hole had been pierced in the axe’s surface, and Namgung Suyeon’s sword energy bullet had penetrated the axe and pierced his heart.

“I… to you…”

Lee Si-eon cursed Namgung Suyeon, resentful of his death.

“Hey, everyone dies eventually. So, curse me all you want and die.”

After speaking to the dying Lee Si-eon, Namgung Suyeon lifted her foot and kicked his chin hard.

Lee Si-eon’s head snapped to the side, and he fell still.

“I didn’t expect it, but she won against the Twin Dragon Blood Axe.”

The members of the Nine Dragons Brigade were more surprised than happy at Namgung Suyeon’s victory.

“Congratulations, Namgung Suyeon!”

The members congratulated her on defeating Lee Si-eon and joining the ranks of the Hundred Great Masters of the Murim.

“What? It wasn’t that difficult.”

“Namgung Suyeon is so comfortable because she has no humility.”

“Really. I think he’s just a Hundred Great Master in name only. The fight with the senior is more difficult.”

Even if he was overrated, he was still a member of the Hundred Great Masters of the Murim. Everyone in the Murim knew that such a reputation couldn’t be gained through mere bluffing and rumors.

“Take the twin axes and let’s go. It seems the Blood Demon Alliance sent the Hundred Great Masters of the Murim to catch us, so we need to be more careful in the future.”

“I understand.”

* * *

A middle-aged woman was joining Sword Saint Namgung Cheong-ya, Elder Song Cheol of the Jongnam Sect, and Elder Hwa Young of the Hwasan Sect.

It was Wi So-bong, dispatched by the Blood Demon Alliance to keep Namgung Cheong-ya in check.

“He’s the successor of Kwonma Dan Cho-un [a powerful martial artist]. Do you think I can beat such a person?”

“Don’t be so fussy. And it’s not just you moving, we’re all together, so isn’t there a possibility? And Kwonma Dan Cho-un appeared in Murim two hundred years ago. In the meantime, martial arts have made a lot of progress, so isn’t that enough?”

“Enough… Then the Heavenly Demon Divine Art should have been smashed a long time ago. Why hasn’t it fallen from the top position in Murim until now?”

“That’s…”

“It means it’s a complete martial art that doesn’t need any more development. The same goes for the Fire Demon Blood Hand Fist. That’s why he was able to cause such a mess two hundred years ago.”

“Still, isn’t there a difference between the realm of perfection and just gaining experience?”

“How big do you think that difference will be? I don’t think it means much to him.”

“Why do you think so?”

Song Cheol asked.

“If he’s a newcomer to Murim, he’ll be running around recklessly to show off his martial arts. But what about now? Isn’t he quiet?”

The others nodded.

“That guy is probably old to some extent. At least he’s past the age of a rising talent. Judging by the way he knows how to assess the situation, he’s at least over thirty.”

“Then what do you want us to do? If we stay like this, many people will be sacrificed to the Fire Demon Blood Hand Fist. In the worst case, we may repeat what happened two hundred years ago.”

“Still, there’s nothing we can do. We have no choice but to watch now.”

“Why are you pressuring him?”

Wi So-bong, who was listening next to Namgung Cheong-ya, seemed to know Elder Song Cheol and Elder Hwa Young well, and said with a frown.

“Isn’t it because there’s someone next to you who can ask for help?”

“Now that the Demonic Faction has been destroyed by the Nine Dragons Unit, shouldn’t the Orthodox Faction be destroyed by the Fire Demon Blood Hand Fist to be fair?”

Song Cheol was taken aback by Wi So-bong’s words.

“The Eumsa Sect and the Blood Evil Sect attacked the Nine Dragons Guild first and tried to kill the Nine Dragons Guild Leader, so the Nine Dragons Guild Leader did what he had to do. The Blood Demon Alliance is interfering with that…”

“There’s a limit. How can an Orthodox Faction destroy a family so cruelly…”

“Who says the Nine Dragons Guild Leader is an Orthodox Faction? He’s neither Orthodox nor Demonic, but someone in between. And if the Eumsa Sect and the Blood Evil Sect hadn’t touched the Nine Dragons Guild in the first place, they would have taken root in Seonseo Province as a merchant family, regardless of Murim.”

“How do you know that?”

“I know. He’s my junior from the military. He came to me several times and said that.”

Wi So-bong hesitated for a moment and asked again.

“What did he say?”

“He’s my junior from the military.”

“So, the Nine Dragons Guild Leader is your junior from the military, and he came to you several times?”

“Yes.”

A faint smile appeared on Wi So-bong’s lips.

“Then the Jongnam Sect is protecting the Nine Dragons Guild’s family. Is your Jongnam Sect also in cahoots with the Nine Dragons Guild?”

“Watch your mouth. If you talk carelessly, you might get a hole in your neck.”

Wi So-bong and Song Cheol didn’t seem to be on very good terms.

“Why? Do you want to fight here?”

“There’s no reason not to.”

Song Cheol answered and looked at Namgung Cheong-ya.

“Both of you, just bear with it. The Lord of Seonseo Province is staying here. If your fight causes even a little damage to the Nine Dragons Guild’s business, the Lord of Seonseo Province will probably mobilize the government troops.”

Song Cheol and Hwa Young were acquainted with the Lord of Seonseo Province, so they couldn’t cause a commotion and just glared at each other.

“Why, are you looking at me like that because you’re attracted to this beauty?”

“Judging by the fact that you’re not ashamed to say that with a wrinkled face, it seems the rumor that you’re wearing an iron mask is not just a rumor.”

“Do you want to die?”

Wi So-bong flared up.

“Didn’t you hear from Cheong-ya what would happen if you hit me here?”

Namgung Jin and his party, who were listening to their conversation from a little distance away, chuckled at the increasingly childish exchange.

“Even when they get old, they meet their friends and talk, but they can’t find any culture. Will we talk like that when we get old?”

“Maybe we will? When we treat our juniors as adults in Murim, we pretend to be dignified, but when we meet our friends or talk to people of the same age, we’ll even mix in swear words.”

“I guess so.”

“My uncle usually calls people this and that, what.”

When Namgung Yeon-ah said that, a faint smile appeared on their lips.

“That’s right. People’s nature doesn’t change much as they get older.”