Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 146

구룡전기 (146)

Baek Gun-seong

Under the cloak of a dark night, with the moon hidden behind thick clouds, a group of men deposited their heavy backpacks at the foot of Bongtae Mountain in Yang Province.

“Check the goods,” a voice commanded.

The backpacks numbered around fifty, their contents consisting of items strictly prohibited from import by the Central Plains Emperor without proper authorization.

A man meticulously inspected the contents of each pack, questioning the one who had transported them. “Wild ginseng, ginseng… where’s the celadon [a type of pottery with a distinctive glaze]?”

“Over here. Check these.”

These were the smuggling gangs from the Haedong Kingdom [historical Korean kingdom] and laborers hired by Hwa Jeong-guk of the Hwamyeong Merchant Group.

Hwa Jeong-guk, the leader of this illicit operation, carefully verified each item before compensating the smugglers.

“The goods appear to be in order. Thank you for your arduous journey. Can we expect the sea dog penises and slaves within five days?”

“There’s been a slight delay in the schedule, so it will take ten days. There’s been a sudden surge in demand for sea dog penises, so competition to catch them has intensified.”

“I understand. In that case, we’ll rendezvous at sea next time.”

“At sea?”

“Transporting slaves overland is too risky. I plan to meet you at sea, load the slaves directly onto our ships, and sail straight to our clients.”

“Understood. We’ll do that.”

Hwa Jeong-guk retrieved a small pouch from his pocket and handed it to the smuggler.

“The women of Jiangnan Province [region in China known for its beauty] are known for their delicate figures and pleasing touch. Stop by on your return journey and ease your weariness.”

“You think of everything, Hwa Dae-in [term of respect], you’re truly generous.”

The smuggler accepted the pouch and tucked it away.

“It’s unwise to linger here. We’ll head down first. Safe travels on your return.”

“I will. You too, be careful.”

“Hurry along then.”

Hwa Jeong-guk instructed the porters to carry the backpacks, and they quickly departed from the base of Bongtae Mountain.

As the group hurried away, the smugglers vanished into the darkness on the opposite side.

Shortly after they left, a lone figure emerged at the transaction site, his voice laced with annoyance.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if these deals happened during daylight hours when everyone else is working? It’s always the incompetent ones who force me to work overtime at night and create such a commotion…”

It was Dong-chun.

Under Hwa-rin’s orders, Dong-chun had been observing the Hwamyeong Merchant Group’s illegal trading activities. Now that the transaction was complete, he had traveled all the way from Shanxi Province to Yang Province in Jiangsu Province to seize and dispose of the contraband.

“I still don’t understand why they coveted Hwa-rin’s squad leader’s possessions… Well, how could they possibly know the kind of person Hwa-rin’s squad leader truly is?”

Dong-chun moved stealthily, soon detecting the sounds of clashing weapons.

“Looks like it’s started. I should go see how much my little darlings have grown.”

Dong-chun ambled along, seemingly aware of the identities of those engaged in combat a short distance away.

Despite the darkness, visibility was sufficient to distinguish figures. The Hwamyeong Merchant Group’s escorts were locked in battle with their attackers, desperately trying to protect the smuggled goods.

*Swish.*

A sword sliced through the air, piercing flesh. Blood splattered, and the heavy scent of iron filled the air.

The adversaries of the Hwamyeong Merchant Group’s escorts were disciples of the Saemyeong Sect, now employed as guards by the Guryong Escort Agency – Dong-chun’s fellow apprentices.

Dong-chun had imparted the martial arts he had learned from Hwa-rin to his fellow apprentices. Their skills had rapidly improved, elevating them from third-rate to second-rate martial artists. Hwa-rin intended to cultivate them into first-rate or even super-first-rate fighters, to serve as the Guryong Agency’s strength in times of need.

As the clash between the escorts and the Saemyeong Sect disciples intensified, the porters, seemingly accustomed to such situations, abandoned their backpacks and fled the scene.

Despite the uneven terrain at the mountain’s base, they were adept at navigating the path, their sole focus on escaping the conflict.

“Keueok!” one of the porters suddenly cried out, collapsing to the ground. He had stepped on a strategically placed iron ruler, losing his balance in surprise and pain.

“You should be more careful,” a voice chided.

The porter looked up, but could not make out the speaker’s face.

He could only discern a figure clad in a black mask, blending seamlessly with the night. Had he not heard the voice, he might not have noticed the man at all.

‘An assassin.’

The porter instantly recognized the masked man’s profession.

This realization confirmed the inherent dangers of his involvement in the smuggling trade with the Hwamyeong Merchant Group.

“Right hand… if you move it even slightly, your head will be separated from your body.”

At the masked man’s chilling words, the porter hesitated to draw the dagger concealed at his waist.

“How about we have a little chat?”

“What are you talking about?”

“A mutually beneficial conversation. You save your life, and you make money.”

The porter, clinging to the hope that compliance would spare his life, attempted to engage in conversation.

“Tell me anything.”

“Your name is Wang Ja-chun, correct? You reside in Hanyang County, Shanxi Province.”

The porter responded in astonishment.

“That’s right.”

“You have a wife as timid as a rabbit and a son who is learning to write at Dongseo Academy.”

The masked man revealed his extensive knowledge of the porter’s life, delivering a thinly veiled threat.

“That’s right.”

“Then let’s discuss our future relationship.”

While Wang Ja-chun was engaged in conversation with the masked man, the other porters who had fled with their backpacks were also intercepted and similarly threatened.

“How does it sound? A good deal, wouldn’t you say?”

“Are you truly going to let me live if I do as you say?”

“Of course. However, if you break the promise you make with me now, not only your family but also your elderly mother residing in Heungpyeong County may be in danger.”

“I will unconditionally, unconditionally do as you say.”

The mention of his mother solidified Wang Ja-chun’s decision to comply with the masked man’s demands.

“Excellent. Then take the luggage on your back to Yeosan. In Nyeonggang County, there’s a place called Mansujang. Leave your luggage there.”

The masked man tossed him a cloth pouch as he finished speaking.

“This is your reward. It’s probably more than double what you were supposed to receive, so you won’t be at a loss.”

The porter picked up the pouch. Judging by its weight, it contained at least 100 *nyang* [unit of currency].

“And you know how to answer if the Hwamyeong Merchant Group asks, right?”

“I know. I’ll say the goods disappeared when I woke up.”

“Good. Now hurry down the mountain.”

The porter rose and limped down the mountain. The masked man watched him go before turning his gaze towards the entrance of Bongtae Mountain.

“If they had entrusted the work to us, we would have finished it quickly…”

The masked man’s voice trailed off as he vanished from the spot.

The Saemyeong Sect disciples, now acting as escorts for the Guryong Escort Agency, were clearly superior to the Hwamyeong Merchant Group’s guards, but their numerical advantage prolonged the fight.

*Cheeeeeeng!*

Dong-chun, observing his fellow apprentices, was engaged in a fierce duel with the head escort, who appeared to be the strongest among them. The head escort was a formidable martial artist, and Dong-chun feared his apprentices might suffer serious injuries if left unattended.

“You’re making a grave mistake. If you retreat now, there will be no future consequences.”

“Damn you, do you even know who we are to be talking about the future? And what’s so honorable about smugglers?”

Dong-chun knew they were smuggling.

“Were you sent by the merchants of the Haedong Kingdom?”

“Does my accent sound like someone from the Haedong Kingdom? How can you suspect people who have been trading for so long? Anyway, you can’t trust smugglers.”

The head escort’s sword aimed for Dong-chun’s waist. As the blades met in the darkness, sparks flew with a resounding clang.

From a distance, the shower of sparks would have resembled the appearance of a monstrous entity.

“First of all, I’ll make good use of the smuggled goods. But you said there are no sea dog penises among these items?”

Dong-chun said with feigned regret.

“Knowing even the items being smuggled means there’s a spy among us…”

The head escort mentioned a spy, but Dong-chun dismissed it casually.

“The spy is over there.”

The person Dong-chun pointed to was none other than Hwa Jeong-guk.

He had overheard the conversation between Hwa Jeong-guk and the smuggler earlier, making it easy to identify him.

“You bastard!”

The head escort roared and swung his sword wildly.

“Why don’t you believe me? That guy told me he would receive the sea dog penises and slaves in ten days.”

Dong-chun continued to provoke the head escort, who proved surprisingly susceptible to taunts.

Dong-chun grinned as he watched the head escort become increasingly agitated and reckless.

“That’s why Hwa-rin’s squad leader provokes his opponents during fights. He exploits their weaknesses.”

Dong-chun was unknowingly emulating Hwa-rin. Having observed and learned from him, despite their constant bickering, Dong-chun admired Hwa-rin as his hero and strived to be like him.

As the head escort’s movements grew larger and more predictable, Dong-chun lost interest. He deflected the head escort’s descending sword by lowering his stance and then slashed upwards diagonally.

The head escort’s legs buckled as a long sword wound appeared on his body, stretching from his left waist to his right shoulder.

“I…”

“Did you think you could defeat me? That’s why you’re losing. You should have recognized your limitations after a few exchanges and chosen to live another day.”

The head escort collapsed to the ground, unable to hear Dong-chun’s final words.

Dong-chun scanned his fellow apprentices, checking for injuries or signs of struggle.

“Hwa-rin’s squad leader must have worried about his squad members getting hurt or killed when he went on missions.”

He knew that Hwa-rin, despite his gruff demeanor, cared deeply for his team. This care, coupled with his numerous achievements on the battlefield, made it impossible to hate him.

“So Nangong Suyeon *sunbae* [term for senior colleague] had feelings for Hwa-rin’s squad leader.”

To an outside observer, their relationship was obvious, but Hwa-rin remained oblivious, or… perhaps he pretended not to notice.

“Come to think of it, Nangong Suyeon *sunbae* is also amazing. Look at how tenaciously she clings to Hwa-rin’s squad leader.”

Even when things went wrong with the Sahyeol Alliance, she refused to return to the Nangong family. Despite the potential repercussions for her family, Nangong Suyeon remained by Hwa-rin’s side, protecting and supporting him.

“No, I can see that Suyeon *sunbae* has feelings for Hwa-rin’s squad leader, but why is she going to such lengths? If things escalate, the Nangong family could be destroyed.”

Dong-chun, genuinely curious, once asked Nangong Suyeon about it. Her reply was:

“You shouldn’t abandon someone when they’re struggling. Even if it causes me pain, I have to stay by their side and help them. If you’re going to leave, you should do it when they’re thriving.”

“Why do you have to do that?”

“That way, you won’t be left with any guilt or regrets.”

Dong-chun smiled as he recalled Nangong Suyeon’s words.

“Usually, those words are spoken by a man to a woman. Anyway, Suyeon *sunbae* is cool.”

People often called her a heroine, and Dong-chun believed the term perfectly suited Nangong Suyeon.

He then noticed his fellow apprentices still locked in combat with the Hwamyeong Merchant Group’s escorts.

“Oh, when will I ever train these guys into proper martial artists?”

Dong-chun smiled as he spoke.

“Hwa-rin’s squad leader must have felt this way when we were first assigned to the unit?”