Ninth Dragon Chronicles (145)
“Why should we compensate them for rebuilding the Nine Dragons Stronghold?”
Complaints erupted from the heads of the Twelve Families, the bedrock of the Blood Oath Alliance, regarding the Nine Dragons Stronghold.
“The Alliance Leader has decided that it would greatly benefit our alliance, so shouldn’t we follow his decision?”
“No matter what the Alliance Leader decided, we were the ones crushed by the Nine Dragons Stronghold. And the Nine Dragons Stronghold surrendered and bowed its head. I don’t understand why we have to pay for their construction costs.”
The heads of the Twelve Families held the position of Elder in the Blood Oath Alliance, and Jin Chung-young of the Jinryang Family, the largest of the Twelve Families, led the Elder Council as the First Elder.
Jin Chung-young paused, then addressed the complaining elders.
“The Alliance Leader sustained internal injuries in the fight with the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord.”
A silence fell over the Elder Hall.
“I heard it wasn’t a major injury, but the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord and the daughter of the Namgung Family were both present. If they had fought together, the Alliance Leader would have been in a precarious situation.”
“First Elder, you’re exaggerating. I heard they defeated the Hundred Great Warriors of the Murim [martial arts world], but the Alliance Leader was in danger?”
“That’s the truth. Elders, you know better than anyone that I wouldn’t joke about the Alliance Leader’s safety, don’t you?”
“Did he really suffer internal injuries?”
“Yes.”
The answer came from behind, prompting everyone to turn their heads. It was Jong Ha-woon, the head of the Iyeong Family.
The door opened, and Baek Mu-gi, the Alliance Leader of the Blood Oath Alliance, entered.
“We greet the Alliance Leader.”
Everyone rose from their seats and bowed to Baek Mu-gi.
“Sit down.”
Baek Mu-gi moved to a seat, but not the head seat. Instead, he sat facing the First Elder.
“I didn’t expect such great martial prowess from a young junior. I heard he defeated two of the Hundred Great Warriors, so I knew he had some skill. Even though I didn’t underestimate him, he was formidable enough to rival me.”
“I heard he’s still young.”
“That’s right. Twenty-six is still young. But the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord displayed combat power beyond his years, perhaps due to his practical experience. It’s embarrassing to admit, but if I hadn’t heard the news of his victories against the Hundred Great Warriors beforehand and been caught off guard, I might have been defeated.”
The elders were confused to hear Baek Mu-gi admit he almost lost.
“If the daughter of the Namgung Family hadn’t been there, I would have killed the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord, even with my injuries. But I did suffer internal injuries while fighting him, so I judged that I couldn’t face the daughter of the Namgung Family in that state. Therefore, I spared the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord and promised to pay for the reconstruction of the Nine Dragons Stronghold as he wished.”
“Hmm…”
“And the remaining closure, intervention in Murim affairs, and the audit will proceed as planned.”
Outwardly, it seemed like a victory, but internally, it was an empty one, no different from a defeat.
“The reason I closed the Nine Dragons Stronghold for five years is to allow our heirs of the Demonic Sect to develop a close relationship with the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord during that period.”
“With the heirs? Aren’t the Nine Dragons Stronghold and the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord oriented towards the Orthodox Faction [the ‘good’ side of the martial arts world]?”
“I thought so too, but he wasn’t particularly aligned with the Orthodox Faction. The Orthodox Faction is simply easier to approach than the Demonic Sect, so he approached them first.”
“Are you saying he’s neutral, between Righteous and Evil?”
“Not exactly. It was a short meeting, but through my conversation with the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord, I saw that he tends to act for his own benefit.”
“His own benefit?”
“He’s a person who can kill without hesitation for his own gain. So, he’s slightly more inclined towards the Demonic Sect than the Orthodox Faction.”
“Hmm…”
“Since he’s closed for five years, Orthodox Faction people won’t be able to meet the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord easily.”
This meant that the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord and the Orthodox Faction would be cautious, as any meeting could be misconstrued as involvement in Murim activities.
“What about the daughter of the Namgung Family? If she’s by the side of the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord, wouldn’t she convey news from the Orthodox Faction?”
“The Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord can find out whatever he wants. And I expect that the daughter of the Namgung Family will become closely related to the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord, perhaps even through marriage.”
“Then, since the Namgung Family is holding out, isn’t it difficult to make them convert to the Demonic Sect?”
“Didn’t I mention earlier? He tends to use those around him for his own benefit.”
“Are you suggesting…?”
“I’m saying there’s a high possibility that he’ll use the Namgung Family as a refuge.”
“A refuge?”
“Like a pardon that can be obtained in Murim under the name of the Namgung Family.”
The elders’ thoughts deepened.
Baek Mu-gi waited for them to organize their thoughts.
“Then, are you saying that our children will meet the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord for five years, build a friendship, and persuade him to join the Demonic Sect when the closure is lifted?”
“I don’t know if that will happen, but for now, I’m planning to approach the Nine Dragons Stronghold Lord with that in mind. It won’t be easy to find another master like him.”
* * *
Hwa-rin, who sustained a major injury in the battle with the Four Emperors, Baek Mu-gi, woke up fifteen days after the incident.
Hwa-rin opened his eyes, checked his surroundings, and realized he was in an unfamiliar place.
Hwa-rin stared at the ceiling for a while, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
“I was only a wall away from the Four Emperors, Baek Mu-gi. Of course, if he had been hiding his true strength, the difference could have been greater. But if what he showed that day was genuine, then I’m only a wall away.”
He was referring to the wall of enlightenment that blocked his path to greater mastery.
“The enlightenment gained through actual combat wasn’t much different from my own training.”
Hwa-rin closed his eyes, recalling the battle, and his smile deepened.
He had been able to continue training his martial arts even in his dreams by using the Dream Illusion Technique, one of the secret arts of the Heretic Church [a major faction in the martial arts world, often associated with unorthodox or ‘evil’ practices]. At the moment he collapsed from his injuries, he used this technique to enter his own mental space.
For fifteen days, while the Hwasan Sect [a prominent Orthodox Faction sect] was treating him, Hwa-rin trained his martial arts in his own space to narrow the gap between himself and the Four Emperors, Baek Mu-gi.
Due to these efforts, Hwa-rin was able to assess his current state more clearly. He concluded that the One Demon and Two Emperors were half a level or one level higher than him – one wall of enlightenment away. The Three Kings and Four Emperors were at a similar level, where victory or defeat would depend on a single mistake.
At that moment, the door opened, and Namgung Soo-yeon entered.
Namgung Soo-yeon paused, seeing Hwa-rin open his eyes and look at her.
When Hwa-rin smiled, Namgung Soo-yeon smiled back.
“You came back alive.”
“Who would dare to take me away when I’m the Underworld King?”
Namgung Soo-yeon nodded and sat next to Hwa-rin.
“How long have I been lying down?”
“Fifteen days. We were defeated by the Blood Oath Alliance and agreed to a five-year closure. You must not interfere in the affairs of Murim for five years.”
“What if they attack us first?”
“You’ll have to handle it yourself. But it’s an unwritten rule not to attack sects that have been closed.”
“We’ll see about that when the time comes.”
Namgung Soo-yeon told Hwa-rin about all the measures taken by the Blood Oath Alliance against the Nine Dragons Stronghold.
“So, you shouldn’t meet people from the Orthodox Faction if possible. An inspector from the Blood Oath Alliance will be living with us to monitor this.”
“Good. I needed time to surpass the Four Emperors anyway.”
“It’s against the rules if they find out you’re training martial arts during the audit.”
“It doesn’t matter unless they know my true level. And I need to train the members of the Nine Dragons Escort Group [a private security company] this time.”
“Are you sure?”
“It doesn’t matter, as long as we don’t interfere with the affairs of Murim. We’re running an escort agency, so we can use that as an excuse. If they try to make trouble, we’ll crush them.”
Namgung Soo-yeon chuckled at Hwa-rin’s answer. She laughed, realizing she had been needlessly anxious, and that Hwa-rin’s reaction was perfectly natural.
“Still, be careful.”
“Is the Four Emperors planning to attack again? I’ll have to run away properly then.”
“Just don’t cause any trouble.”
“Hey, why are you so worried?”
“Aren’t you worried? How many people are under your command? What if you get hurt?”
“So, why are you worried about that?”
“I’m worried because I’m your junior.”
“Dong-chun wouldn’t worry like you.”
“That guy has no humanity. He always has a dissatisfied expression on his face, so why would he worry? He’s always glaring and looking around for any scraps.”
“Is that so?”
Namgung Soo-yeon nodded.
“Then I should throw him a scrap.”
Namgung Soo-yeon sensed that Hwa-rin was planning something from his expression.
“What kind of trouble are you going to cause?”
“Nothing much. We just have to avoid touching the Murim people.”
“That’s right.”
“Then that’s it. Let’s go for now.”
“Where to?”
“I woke up, so I have to go home.”
“Your injuries aren’t fully healed yet.”
“I can move, so don’t worry. And if you owe someone for too long, you can’t refuse when they ask you for something later. You’ll get caught.”
Namgung Soo-yeon was secretly pleased by this side of Hwa-rin.
‘I thought he would be discouraged by being defeated by the Four Emperors, but thankfully, he isn’t.’
“Let’s go to the Nine Dragons Pavilion first.”
* * *
Not many people knew that Hwa-rin had returned to the Nine Dragons Pavilion from the Hwasan Sect.
It was because, although he had woken up, his injuries hadn’t fully healed, so he still needed treatment.
Hwa-rin sat face to face with Mi-ok, listening to her report on the events that had occurred in Murim during his absence.
“There’s no particular movement from the Demonic Cult or the Righteous Sky Alliance [another major Orthodox Faction alliance].”
“That’s right. The same goes for the Blood Oath Alliance. But the whereabouts of the person who mastered the Fiery Demon Blood Hand [a powerful martial art] in Gansu Province are unknown.”
“What else?”
“Masters from the frontier regions and foreign lands have entered the Central Plains.”
“Why are they here?”
“I don’t know why.”
“Is the power of Murim weaker now compared to other times?”
“The power has weakened compared to thirty years ago when the Heretic Church was at its peak. But we have been constantly trying to increase our strength, so the Murim in the frontier or foreign lands hasn’t weakened enough to target the Murim in the Central Plains.”
‘I’ve been traveling around the frontier, foreign lands, and the Western Regions for five years, destroying them. Are they growing back and trying to test us?’
He hadn’t considered this possibility.
‘Are there people manipulating them from behind? Or did they come to the Central Plains to find something?’
Hwa-rin’s eyes sparkled.
“Which sects are involved?”
“The known ones are the Ice Palace, Potala Palace, Small Thunder Sound Temple, Dark Magic Tower, Busan Palace, and the masters of the Hundred and Eight Islands.”
Hwa-rin listened to the names of the sects, thought for a moment, then tilted his head.
‘Is it not what I thought?’
“I see.”
As the blue light faded from Hwa-rin’s eyes, Mi-ok’s eyes also changed.
“Are there still people causing trouble because they lost money these days?”
“No. The rumors that the Stronghold Lord defeated two of the Hundred Great Warriors of Murim have spread, and all the guests who come to the Nine Dragons Pavilion are well-behaved.”
The two returned to their daily conversation.
“That’s a good thing.”
“That’s right. And the Lord of Seongju and the Namgung Family have been very helpful because of this incident.”
“I’ll visit them later and say hello. Are there any shortages of staff?”
“The number of guests is increasing, so we’re short on manpower.”
“Then hire more people, prioritizing those who have ties to Shanxi Province.”
“I’ll take care of that.”
“Is there anything else I need to know?”
“No.”
When Hwa-rin nodded, Mi-ok slightly bowed her head, greeted him, and left the room.
“Lee Hobeop!”
When Hwa-rin called Lee Do-moon, he appeared like a ghost from the side.
“What is the current state of the Hwamyeong Merchant Group?”
“They have turned to smuggling to solve their financial difficulties.”
A faint smile appeared on Hwa-rin’s lips. Lee Do-moon flinched at the smile, feeling a chill down his spine whenever he saw him smile like that.
‘The Lord has no intention of staying quiet for a moment.’