Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 160

Nine Dragons Chronicle (160)

Hwa-rin had someone from Dongseo Corp bring So-cheon’s younger sister. So-cheon’s younger sibling was a girl.

“What’s your name?”

When Hwa-rin asked, the girl quietly answered from behind So-cheon.

“So-woon.”

“Small sky, small cloud… They should have named you big sky, big cloud, if they could have!”

Hwa-rin smiled brightly at So-cheon and So-woon before saying to the Dongseo Corp employee,

“Have someone wash So-woon and dress her in pretty clothes. Also, prepare a meal so she can fill her stomach.”

“We will have people prepare it right away.”

“So-cheon, go with So-woon and reassure her. She’ll be anxious if she’s alone.”

“Yes.”

Once the children left, only Hwa-rin and Baek Gun-seong remained in the detached residence.

“Do you really think So-cheon has that much talent?”

“I can’t be sure either, but since the environment changes people, something might emerge if we teach him. But looking at his eyes, I think he can succeed to some extent.”

“Really? Then should I take him under my wing?”

“You said you didn’t want to.”

“Since you’re so concerned, it seems like he’ll be someone special. If you raise them from a young age, they’re less likely to betray you when they grow up.”

“Betrayal? I guess there’s a lot of that in the Demonic Sect.”

“You think there isn’t in the Orthodox Sect?”

“There is. But it’s probably less than in the Demonic Sect, right?”

Baek Gun-seong realized once again that he couldn’t win against Hwa-rin with words.

“You, take good care of the children when they come back. I’m going into my room to sleep.”

Hwa-rin left So-cheon and So-woon to Baek Gun-seong and went into his room.

“Hey, why me?”

“Who knows? Maybe you’ll like them, and they’ll say they want to follow you. And maybe even do some training.”

Baek Gun-seong’s expression twisted.

“If I had just left alone, I would have already arrived in Gangso Province and finished the job. How much time is being delayed because of you.”

“Why is that because of me?”

“Then is it because of me? You’re strong, so every guy you meet, you ‘swish swash’ and the progress is fast. I have to step up every time.”

“Then just avoid meeting them.”

“Can you avoid it by trying to avoid it? No, is that Four Dragons guy weaker than Namgung Su-yeon? No, he’s weaker than Sword Dragon, weaker than Blood Dragon, weaker than the young Cheong-yeon of the Wudang Sect…”

Baek Gun-seong paused. Then he asked.

“Is that true? I admit I’m weaker than Namgung Su-yeon. But weaker than the other guys too?”

“Did you think you were strong? I’ve met Sword Dragon, Blood Dragon, Saber Dragon, and Fist Dragon among the Ten Dragons, and Saber Dragon and Fist Dragon are definitely weaker than you. I’ll admit that, but you can’t beat Sword Dragon and Blood Dragon.”

Baek Gun-seong seemed shocked by Hwa-rin’s words and stood there for a while.

“Am I that weak?”

“You’re not weak because you’re among the best. You might think that all the Hundred Great Masters are similar, but even among them, there are those who are outstanding and those who are lacking. However, when comparing the best, you’re currently just average.”

“Just average?”

“Right in the middle. So train. To become the young leader of a large organization, you need to be compared to at least the Demon Dragon, Sky Dragon, and Four Dragons. If you’re compared to guys like Saber Dragon, Fist Dragon, and Fire Dragon, your level drops.”

Hwa-rin hurt Baek Gun-seong’s pride. From Baek Gun-seong’s perspective, he wouldn’t have believed it if someone weaker than him had said that, but the person giving advice now was a strongman recognized even by his father.

“They say the One Devil, Two Emperors, Three Kings, and Four Emperors are the strongest in the Murim [martial arts world], but even the Nine Dragons Clan Leader I experienced was not below us.”

Even the Fourth Emperor, Baek Mu-gi, who rarely acknowledged others, acknowledged Hwa-rin’s strength, so Baek Gun-seong believed Hwa-rin’s words as they were.

“Okay. Then spar with me when you have time.”

“Why would I? I’m someone who shouldn’t mix swords with Murim people.”

“I’ll allow it.”

“No way. Who would benefit from that?”

Baek Gun-seong flared up.

“Hey, then what do you want me to do for you?”

“Nothing. I just like this. It’s comfortable. I just eat well. So I have no complaints.”

“Damn it… Then I’ll give you freedom when you’re with me.”

“Freedom?”

“Do whatever you want.”

Hwa-rin smiled inwardly at Baek Gun-seong’s words.

‘I don’t know how he achieved such martial arts prowess when he’s so simple-minded.’

“Are you crazy? If I stay still, you’ll take care of everything. Why would I step up?”

“Hey!”

When Baek Gun-seong shouted at Hwa-rin, Hwa-rin covered his ears and went into the room.

—Concentrate. The sword is not just a tool. It’s part of your body.—

Hwa-rin’s telepathic message came to Baek Gun-seong’s ears.

—Don’t think of the phrase ‘Sword and Mind as One’ as difficult. Just think of the sword as part of your body and think that your body is moving, not the sword.—

‘My body is moving?’

—Don’t dwell on the stances, move your body. That’s the beginning of Transcendence.—

The word Transcendence means to escape from where you are now, and in the Murim world, it is used to mean breaking away from your current self, such as your thoughts, beliefs, and habits, and being reborn into a new self. This change through Transcendence was important to gain enlightenment.

Hwa-rin’s telepathic message no longer came. Baek Gun-seong stood alone in the courtyard of the detached residence, then walked to the center and drew his sword.

‘The sword is not a tool but part of my body.’

* * *

Hwa-rin was treated lavishly by Dongseo Corp and then left his house. Of course, he didn’t refuse the generous travel expenses he was given.

There were two people when they arrived in Rakyang, but there were four people when they left Rakyang.

“It will be hard for the children to walk, so let’s use the Yellow River waterway to get to Gangso Province.”

The Yellow River waterway was connected from Henan Province, slightly across Shandong Province, to Gangso Province, but the waterway was not continuously connected, so that section had to be traversed by land.

Nevertheless, it was more economical than walking, and considering that young So-cheon and So-woon would have a hard time on a long journey, it was more economical to travel by waterway.

“Let’s do that.”

When Baek Gun-seong agreed, they went from Rakyang to Maengjin-hyeon, where they were able to board a merchant’s ship.

As the ship departed, Hwa-rin asked Baek Gun-seong.

“I heard there are river pirates in the Yellow River? How many camps are there?”

“There are thirteen camps.”

“Thirteen camps? So, if there are eighteen camps in the Yangtze River and thirteen camps in the Yellow River, that means a total of thirty-one pirate groups are rampant in the rivers of the Central Plains.”

“I guess you could say that.”

“That’s a lot.”

“Still, the Yellow River is a little milder compared to the Yangtze River.”

“Really?”

“The Yangtze River has a lot of competition, but the Yellow River sets areas and only operates in their own areas.”

“Does the Yangtze River invade other people’s areas?”

“Where is there an area in the river? They’re guys who run out and do business when they see a ship that looks a little wealthy.”

“Merchants must be tired of seeing that. Aren’t these guys trying to get tolls from our ship?”

“Those guys will stop even the Jeongcheon Alliance’s ships first.”

“Really?”

“Because the Jeongcheon Alliance can talk. We refuse to talk at all, so they don’t bother us, but the Jeongcheon Alliance will try to reason with them.”

“They’re pushovers.”

“Rather than being pushovers, it’s an act steeped in hypocrisy. They say they are fair and just and show mercy to the pirates. But the funny thing is, the more they show such mercy, the harder it becomes for the merchants using the waterway.”

Hwa-rin nodded at Baek Gun-seong’s words.

“I’ll have to kill them all as soon as I meet them, then.”

“Even if you do, they’ll reappear in a few months and engage in looting against passing ships. The Black Road [underworld] isn’t the Black Road for nothing.”

Hwa-rin thought that he would have many encounters with river pirates in the future, so he decided to clean them up once and for all.

‘I should find out about a water camp like the Oh Tae Mountain Camp.’

While Hwa-rin was talking to Baek Gun-seong about the waterway camp, So-cheon and So-woon, who were riding the ship for the first time, looked a little tired. Hwa-rin noticed this and pressed the blood points [acupressure points] of the two children.

“You’ll feel better if you take a nap.”

Hwa-rin and Baek Gun-seong, who brought the two children into the cabin, put the two children to sleep on one side of the wide floor of the cabin.

“I’m going to get some sleep too, so don’t cause any trouble.”

Baek Gun-seong said to Hwa-rin, and Hwa-rin smiled.

“How can I cause an accident here?”

Baek Gun-seong was tired from training until late at night, so he lay down on the cabin floor and closed his eyes.

Hwa-rin looked down at the three people lying down for a moment, then sat down on the cabin floor and leaned his back against the wall.

“There are two major water bandit factions, the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, so I’ll have to choose two camps to control. Henan Province is where the Black Veil Church is located, so I’ll have to contact them and talk about it.”

The ship that Hwa-rin’s group got on was a merchant ship, so it arrived at its destination midway, and some merchants disembarked while others boarded the ship.

—Clan Lord.—

At that time, a telepathic message came into Hwa-rin’s ear.

Although they are not officially active yet, after Hwa-rin defeated the Murderous Sword Emperor, the assassins treated Hwa-rin as the Clan Lord of the assassins, following the previous Murderous Emperor.

Hwa-rin left a mark to Bae Gu-hwan, the leader of the Black Veil Church, who was active in Henan Province, and Bae Gu-hwan received a report on the mark and came to find the ship Hwa-rin was on.

—Are you here? The reason I contacted you, Sect Leader, is that I thought it was necessary to secure the waterway to some extent, so I’m here to discuss it.—

—What do you mean by waterway?—

—I’m thinking of creating a way to quickly use the Yangtze River and the Yellow River as needed.—

—If that’s the case, you can just use it, right? Even if the pirates block the road, it won’t have a big impact.—

Bae Gu-hwan conveyed his thoughts to Hwa-rin.

—That’s true when it’s not urgent. If we use the Yangtze River waterway while being chased by someone, we need comrades who will open the waterway for us and block those who are chasing us, giving us time to escape.—

Bae Gu-hwan understood Hwa-rin’s words and asked what he could do.

—I’ll meet the leaders of the Yangtze River and the waterway and talk to them.—

—There’s no need to go to such trouble. Just make one or two waterway camps in the Yangtze River and the Yellow River as strong as the Oh Tae Mountain Camp and increase their influence.—

—Hmm…—

—I once thought about putting the Black Road in my hands and creating a Black Road Alliance.—

Hwa-rin told Bae Gu-hwan the story he had with Yi Do-mun.

—But I heard that they are rebellious guys, so it will be difficult.—

—The Black Road has such a tendency. That’s why they are not united even now.—

—So, what I was talking about with Protector Yi was to put one or two mountain and waterway camps under our control and make them strong…—

If an outsider subdues them and acts as the owner, many problems will arise due to their rebellious nature, but if a strong warrior comes out from the Green Forest Road [bandits] or the waterway camp and can exert influence on them, wouldn’t it be easy to move the Black Road?

—It is possible.—

—Then choose a suitable place and start working. And what you need to be careful about is that forces such as the Jeongcheon Alliance, the Four Blood Alliance, the Demonic Cult, or forces we don’t know may have the same idea as us.—

—I understand what you mean.—

—So, talk to the various Sect Leaders and proceed with the work carefully and secretly.—

—I will.—

Hwa-rin changed the subject.

—How is the martial art you are learning? Does it seem like you have achieved anything?—

—It’s a little difficult to learn something new at my age. But I have a goal to achieve something at this age, so I have fun every day.—

It was the story about the Hwama Blood Wolf Art that was passed on to the Sect Leaders of each sect in the past.

He once told them to adapt the martial arts to themselves and change the name of the martial arts to create their own unique martial arts, and as a result, the Sect Leaders of the assassin sects were spending busy days.

—That’s a relief then.—

—How are the children? I’m worried that they might disappoint the Alliance Leader.—

Currently, the younger generation of assassin sects, or the young sect leaders who will lead the assassin sects in the future, are training in martial arts in a certain place.

—Protector Yi’s praise is abundant. In particular, he said that Young Lady Bae Young-hwa is by far the best among the female members and that he is very much looking forward to the day the training ends.—

—Ah…—

Still, as a father, he was proud that his daughter was recognized.

—I was thinking of three years of training and two years of practical deployment, but Protector Yi said that the achievement is so outstanding that the period could be shortened. I think our plan will be brought forward a little.—

—I’m glad I didn’t disappoint you. Sometimes when the Sect Leaders gather, they always worry about whether the children they sent are doing well or causing trouble.—

—Then tell the various Sect Leaders. Everyone is following well and achieving satisfactory results, so tell the various Sect Leaders that if they do not diligently learn martial arts, the day their disciples return to the sect will be the day they retire.