Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 154

After Hwa-rin and Baek Gun-seong spent the night at the inn, they enjoyed a hearty breakfast. As they prepared to leave, the owner thoughtfully packed them snacks, anticipating they might get hungry later.

Leaving the inn without any trouble, they both felt a great weight lifted from their shoulders.

This was likely because they had reported Lee Cheon-soo of the Taewon Sect to the authorities the previous day.

As they disappeared from view, the owner turned back towards the inn.

“Ugh…”

The broken tables and chairs, along with the bloodstains from the earlier conflict, remained scattered across the floor.

“When will I ever get this cleaned up, repaired, and reopen for business? If I’d known this would happen, I would have sold those swords the guest gave me to the blacksmith yesterday.”

He regretted his decision. Swords used by martial artists could fetch a good price, which would have significantly helped with repairs and new furniture. He could only fault himself for foolishly handing them over to the Taewon Sect.

The owner grumbled, but his body was already moving to begin cleaning the inn.

Meanwhile, Hwa-rin and Baek Gun-seong, having left the inn and heading towards Mount Oh, passed through Honju-hyeon and Jeongyang-si, eventually arriving at Oh-tae-hyeon, the town at the foot of Mount Oh.

Oh-tae-hyeon was a ‘hyeon’ [a district or county] located at the base of Mount Oh, and it was the necessary passage to reach the mountain.

Perhaps this was why one could easily find medicinal herbs, animal skins, and meat sourced from Mount Oh in Oh-tae-hyeon, along with minerals mined from its depths. Several large blacksmiths also operated in Oh-tae-hyeon, making it a popular destination for martial artists seeking high-quality iron swords.

Furthermore, Mount Oh was known as Odaesan [Mount of Five Peaks] because it boasted five peaks with stunning scenery: Manghaebong, Gyewolbong, Geumsubong, Yeomdubong, and Chwiamdong. Numerous temples and hermitages dotted these peaks, drawing pilgrims year-round and contributing to the hyeon’s commercial prosperity.

Arriving in Oh-tae-hyeon, they wore faint smiles, seemingly pleased by the bustling and chaotic atmosphere, a welcome change from their recent troubles.

During their journey from the capital, Taewon, they had spent time getting to know each other better, sharing stories and experiences.

“Sa Do-joon, that friend of yours is quite impressive. I’d say you, Namgoong Jin, and Sa Do-joon are fairly evenly matched. Personally, I think Sa Do-joon has a slight edge.”

“Why do you say that?”

“If we’re only talking about martial arts prowess, you and Namgoong Jin might be stronger than Sa Do-joon. But Sa Do-joon seems to have a lot more practical experience.”

Even a child knows that experience is a major advantage when skill levels are similar.

“I understand the importance of practical experience, but I have plenty of it myself.”

“Wouldn’t everyone who earned the title of one of the Ten Dragons [a group of exceptionally skilled young martial artists] have as much practical experience as you? I’ve heard some are still active in the Murim [martial arts world].”

“That’s true, but…”

His voice trailed off.

“Then you’re not all that great after all. Ah, you’re probably a little stronger than Ok-hae.”

“Ok-hae? Who’s that?”

Baek Gun-seong asked.

“He’s a promising disciple likely to become the next sect leader of the Hwasan Sect. He’s strong, but about half a level below the Ten Dragons.”

“Hmm…”

“This is just my opinion, but if all the next-generation disciples of the Nine Great Sects [the most influential martial arts sects] are at Ok-hae’s level, I’ll concede that the Ten Dragons are outstanding among the younger generation.”

“It’s not just admitting it; it’s a fact that they’re outstanding. That’s why they’re called the Ten Dragons.”

Baek Gun-seong grumbled, sounding slightly offended.

“That’s not what I’ve heard. I heard it’s more about recognition.”

“Recognition?”

“Yeah. How many people in the world are actually better than the Ten Dragons?”

“Like who?”

“Namgoong Soo-yeon goes without saying, and so does Seo Chong-gwan of our Gu Ryong Association [Nine Dragons Association]. Even Dong-chun, the head of the Gu Ryong Escort Service [a security company], is stronger than you.”

Baek Gun-seong considered these individuals and had to agree.

“Could I at least compete with Dong-chun, the head of the escort service?”

“Compete? Dong-chun tries to resolve everything with words first. But when that guy starts his sword dance, nothing living will be left standing within five ‘li’ [approximately 2.5 kilometers]. He’s a ruthless bastard.”

When Baek Gun-seong looked at him questioningly, Hwa-rin spoke with a serious expression.

“At first, I thought he was a madman obsessed with killing. I figured some murderer had wandered in from somewhere, but…”

“But?”

“He’s not a murderer; he just swings his sword so much that he blacks out because he’s scared too.”

Listening to Hwa-rin, Baek Gun-seong sometimes couldn’t tell if he was being serious or just teasing him.

When Baek Gun-seong gave him a skeptical look, Hwa-rin said nonchalantly.

“Then challenge him to a match in the name of the Ten Dragons.”

“In the name of the Ten Dragons?”

“Yeah. If you lose, you give up the title of one of the Four Dragons [a subset of the Ten Dragons]. And start calling Dong-chun the Escort Dragon. He’ll jump at the chance to fight you then.”

Seeing him speak with such conviction, Baek Gun-seong thought there might be some truth to it and nodded.

“At first, I thought the Ten Dragons and Eight Peaks [another group of highly skilled martial artists] were invincible, but after meeting them one by one, I’ve realized there are a lot of phonies among them.”

“Phonies?”

“Don’t you know?”

Baek Gun-seong shook his head.

“A place where the ground is hollowed out and easy to fall into is called a phony, or a trap.”

“Why are you comparing that to the Ten Dragons?”

“Because you guys seem like you’ll easily fall into that hollowed-out place. People praise you, calling you the Ten Dragons and Eight Peaks, so you start thinking you’re great and ignore everyone you meet, making you likely to get knocked out with a single blow. That’s why I call you phonies.”

Baek Gun-seong was somewhat displeased with Hwa-rin’s words, but he couldn’t argue because they weren’t entirely wrong.

‘Anyway, I can’t win against this guy with words.’

“Aren’t we resting in Oh-tae-hyeon?”

“No. We’re going straight up to Mount Oh. There’s a mine run by the main family there. Around the mine, there’s a village where the miners live. We’ll rest there.”

The two continued towards Mount Oh, which loomed large in the center of Oh-tae-hyeon.

As they walked along the mountain path, they encountered a few people, and Hwa-rin greeted them cheerfully.

He greeted them so warmly that anyone would think they were old friends, but Baek Gun-seong was a little surprised when he learned they were just people he was meeting for the first time.

‘He’s so good at talking; his social skills are amazing.’

As they continued along the mountain path, they reached the mine village around sunset.

—My lord, everyone has gathered.

As soon as they arrived at the mine village, Lee Do-moon’s telepathic message arrived.

—I know. I’ll go tonight, so keep a close eye on this guy. He’s a bit naive, so even a small mistake will make him suspicious.

—I understand. I’ll be as careful as possible.

—I know. What about the lodging?

—The house of the mine supervisor is empty, so I’ve cleaned it up to use as a temporary residence.

—The house of that guy who got caught stealing my stuff last time?

—That’s right.

“There’s no inn here?”

Baek Gun-seong asked.

“Am I not the owner of the mine? Do you think I don’t have a place to stay? Just follow me.”

As Hwa-rin entered the village, the villagers noticed him and bowed slightly in greeting.

“Lord, you’ve arrived?”

Due to the mine incident a while back, everyone in the village knew Hwa-rin.

“Has everyone been well?”

“We’re always the same.”

“You mentioned last time that a baby was on the way. Is it a son or a daughter?”

“Hahaha, do you even remember that?”

“Of course.”

“It’s a daughter.”

There was a hint of disappointment on his face as he said it was a daughter.

“Then I’ll send a gift to your house later.”

As soon as Hwa-rin entered the village, he engaged in simple conversations like this with everyone he met, surprising Baek Gun-seong.

‘Is he just meticulous, or is he genuinely considerate? The village is small, so there aren’t many households, but there seem to be over a hundred houses. To know all their major and minor events means he has an excellent memory.’

After greeting the villagers, Hwa-rin went to the old manager’s house, which was to serve as their temporary residence.

The house was quite spacious, so it seemed comfortable enough for the two of them.

“Lord, you’ve arrived?”

The person working there bowed to Hwa-rin.

“Have you been well?”

“We’re always the same, aren’t we?”

“I haven’t eaten yet because I traveled a long way. Please get me some food and light a fire in the room.”

“I’ll tell Mrs. Min-seong to prepare it.”

“Please do.”

Baek Gun-seong didn’t detect any awkwardness in Hwa-rin’s interactions.

‘It seems like it’s been a while since he came, but he’s having a friendly conversation, so he must be a meticulous person in his work.’

That was Baek Gun-seong’s assessment of Hwa-rin’s behavior. However, unbeknownst to him, Lee Do-moon had arrived earlier and taken care of everything, even feeding Hwa-rin information about the villagers so he could converse with them as if he had lived there for years.

Baek Gun-seong, unaware of this, couldn’t help but misunderstand, and this misunderstanding led him to re-evaluate Hwa-rin.

“Which room do you want?”

“What?”

“It’s not like we don’t have enough rooms, so it’d be weird to share one.”

In the inner quarters that Hwa-rin pointed to, there were rooms on the left and right, connected by a low wooden porch in the middle.

“This one.”

“Then I’ll take this one. It’ll take about half an hour for the food to be ready, so rest a bit.”

Hwa-rin said to Baek Gun-seong and went into the room.

As Hwa-rin entered the room, Lee Do-moon revealed himself and immediately transformed into Hwa-rin’s perfect likeness.

“Then please work hard today.”

“Don’t worry. No matter how perceptive someone is, they won’t notice for a day.”

“Okay. Then I’ll be back.”

Hwa-rin’s figure faded and disappeared without a trace, and Lee Do-moon, now impersonating him, flopped down on the bed.

“I just need to be careful when eating.”

After that, he would remain in the room, so he believed that even the most observant Baek Gun-seong wouldn’t be able to tell he was a fake.

Meanwhile, Hwa-rin, having switched places with Lee Do-moon, quickly headed to the Oh-tae-sanchae [Mount Oh Fortress] in Mount Oh.

He had to hurry because he had a lot to accomplish in a single day.

When Hwa-rin arrived at the Oh-tae-sanchae, the bandits inside the mountain fortress were tending to the assassins.

They were also preparing a meal since it was almost dinner time, which meant he could have his discussion while eating with them.

Hwa-rin’s appearance had shifted to the faceless form, lacking eyes, nose, and mouth, that he had used when fighting the Sword Demon of Massacre before.

When Hwa-rin ascended the watchtower of the mountain fortress and released his energy, the assassins, sensing it, emerged into the open space of the fortress. There appeared to be over 150 of them.

‘Lee Ho-beop said there are 146 assassin sects in the Central Plains, and about 70 of them are useful. The number of people gathered here is about 150, so…’

Assuming each sect sent their leader and two disciples, that would be three people per sect. Based on this, roughly 50 to 60 assassin sects responded to his call.

‘I didn’t expect all of them, but this is a good turnout.’

When Hwa-rin raised his hand, it was clearly empty, but as he lowered it, he held the Killer Sovereign Ink Blood Thread [a powerful weapon or artifact].

Whoosh!

The Killer Sovereign Ink Blood Thread flew towards them and embedded itself in the ground. Upon seeing it, the people in front immediately prostrated themselves.

“We greet the successor of the Killer Sovereign Seo-moon, the patriarch of assassins.”

As the powerful voices echoed from the front, those behind them also prostrated themselves, following suit.

“We greet the successor of the Killer Sovereign Seo-moon.”