Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 167

Nine Dragons Chronicle (167)

“Impossible.”

“Why is it impossible? A fee of ten thousand gold taels isn’t a small sum.”

“Ten thousand taels is a lot of money for a person’s life. However, the Nine Dragons Guild Leader is a master who has defeated two of the Murim’s [martial arts world] top hundred experts simultaneously. And according to rumors, even Baek Mu-gi, the leader of the Four Emperors, had to personally intervene to barely get him to surrender. How can we assassinate such a person?”

Hwa Jeong-soo of the Hwa Myung Merchant Guild had offered Moon-so, the leader of the shrine, ten thousand gold taels to kill Hwa-rin, but was refused.

For Moon-so, regardless of his relationship with Hwa-rin, attempting to kill Hwa-rin, who was listed among the Murim’s top hundred experts, meant considering the possibility of the shrine’s destruction in the worst-case scenario.

Comparing the weight of the shrine’s destruction to ten thousand gold taels, the gold was woefully inadequate. No, even if they offered a hundred thousand or a million taels, he couldn’t accept the commission if it meant the shrine’s destruction.

Not only Hwa-rin, but all Murim figures listed among the Murim’s top hundred experts carried such a risk that the assassin sects of the Central Plains did not include their names in their kill ledgers.

“The rumors about the Nine Dragons Guild Leader have spread widely, so ordinary assassin sects probably won’t accept the commission.”

“Then?”

“Perhaps the Killer Sword Emperor might. He might accept the commission and kill him. But to meet him and make the request, you’ll have to spend a bit more money.”

Upon hearing the name of the Killer Sword Emperor, Hwa Jeong-soo nodded involuntarily at the mention of spending more money.

The weight that the name Killer Sword Emperor carried was that significant.

“Then where do I have to go to meet him?”

“I don’t know, but the Hao Moon [a possible information broker organization] might. Ask the Hao Moon about his whereabouts. We can’t be of help and seem to have only troubled you for nothing.”

“No. Still, knowing a way to kill that bastard makes it seem like it wasn’t a wasted effort.”

Hwa Jeong-soo handed Moon-so a money pouch.

“Thank you for the good information.”

“Since you’re giving it, I’ll accept it.”

* * *

“Really? The eleventh of next month, you say.”

“Yes. If my memory serves me right, it’s the eleventh of next month. But why the birthday of Prince Heungchin?”

“Why, what do you mean why? He’s my uncle, isn’t it natural for his nephew to visit? It’s not like I’m tied to the palace.”

Based on his past experiences, Hwa-rin knew that unexpected questions or inquiries usually meant someone had ulterior motives, so he didn’t press further.

“It’s good that you’re visiting, but don’t cause any trouble.”

“Do you think I just go around causing trouble? I have my reasons.”

As Hwa-rin said, he did cause trouble, but the results hadn’t been detrimental so far, so he couldn’t really argue with that.

“Anyway, you need to be careful when visiting Prince Heungchin. The Imperial Palace will send people, and the Guild Leader’s brothers and sisters will also be there. Don’t beat them up just because of old grudges.”

“I’m not petty enough to hold onto childhood grudges. Find out what Uncle likes and prepare it.”

“Isn’t there that thing?”

“What?”

“When the Hwa Myung Merchant Guild was smuggling, wasn’t there sea dog penises among the items?”

“Do you always think of me as a sea dog penis?”

“No, no. Why would I think of the Guild Leader as a sea dog penis? I think of you as perfectly normal.”

Hwa-rin glared at Seo Dae-young, who avoided his gaze.

“No, it seems like you do.”

“Really, no. Stop talking nonsense. Didn’t you say you siphoned off a few sea dog penises?”

“I did. I set aside a few to give to my father when I had time.”

“Giving him one of those is the best thing you can do.”

Hwa-rin nodded, thinking about something, and then spoke softly.

“Sea dog penises and dog penises are similar.”

“When dried and stretched, they say there’s no difference. The effect will be different, though.”

“The effect on old men is probably the same.”

“Old men, you say?”

“Yes. Go get a few dog penises.”

“Pardon?”

“Just get them.”

“Understood.”

As Seo Dae-young left, Hwa-rin pointed his finger at the air, opened his space pocket [a magical storage item], and took out a sea dog penis.

“It would be better to package it nicely rather than giving it so plainly.”

Hwa-rin put his hand into the space pocket and took out a wild ginseng [a type of medicinal root].

The sea dog penis and wild ginseng were smuggled goods from the Hwa Myung Merchant Guild, and he had siphoned off a few while avoiding people’s eyes.

“If I put the sea dog penis in the middle and two wild ginseng roots on either side…”

Hwa-rin roughly estimated the size of the box to hold these items and then put the sea dog penis and wild ginseng into the space pocket.

As the space pocket disappeared, Hwa-rin left his office.

While the Nine Dragons Guild was being rebuilt, he was living in the Nine Dragons Pavilion, so Hwa-rin leisurely walked through the Nine Dragons Pavilion, surveying the atmosphere.

In the Nine Dragons Chamber, a gambling den, many people were indulging in drinking and entertainment, happily relieving their stress, while in the separate chambers of Plum, Orchid, Chrysanthemum, and Bamboo, a bleak atmosphere was created as people revealed their murderous intent to win even a single coin of someone else’s money.

“Wahahaha, I won again!”

The winner shouted in joy, while the loser demanded another round, getting angry.

“This is what living is all about.”

Hwa-rin wore a faint smile as he watched these scenes.

“Sir, you can’t do this here.”

Some people who lost money and tried to cause trouble were restrained by the warriors hired to ensure the safety of the Nine Dragons Pavilion and were kicked out, while others begged in front of the exchange office to exchange their money.

“Sir, you have already exchanged all the money you can exchange today. So please rest today and come back tomorrow to enjoy the games.”

“No, how can you do this? Are you showing off because you won my money?”

“Our Nine Dragons Pavilion has never won our customers’ money. You enjoyed the games with the other guests.”

There were many types of people in the world, but no place revealed human nature as clearly as this gambling den.

Hwa-rin was training by observing all kinds of human beings in this gambling den.

Among the secret arts of the Beggars’ Sect, the best ones could only be completed by mastering the ability to control people’s emotions, so the gambling den, which showed human nature most nakedly, became the best place to study.

Hwa-rin walked among the people enjoying the games in the Nine Dragons Pavilion, but no one paid any attention to him.

Even the employees working at the Nine Dragons Pavilion didn’t recognize Hwa-rin; they just did their jobs.

This was because he was using the Assimilation technique, one of the Beggars’ Sect’s secret arts, to naturally blend into his surroundings and erase his presence so that people couldn’t recognize him.

Only martial artists with high levels of internal energy or ordinary people with keen senses would notice or feel something strange, but it was impossible to recognize Hwa-rin.

Of course, those who were more skilled in martial arts than Hwa-rin could recognize him immediately, but otherwise, they would only recognize him as one of many people until Hwa-rin released his technique.

In this way, Hwa-rin slowly patrolled the Nine Dragons Pavilion and then left for another business.

* * *

“So this is a dried and stretched dog penis, and this is a sea dog penis.”

When dried and compared, they really looked similar.

“Well, a dog that lives in the water is still a dog, so they’d be similar.”

“Are you really planning to deceive them with this?”

“Would they know? They can’t even tell the difference by looking.”

“Those who have eaten it a lot will know right away.”

“Really? But what can they do if I insist?”

Seo Dae-young almost said, ‘You thug,’ but swallowed the words down.

“But will it be okay for you to meet the other princes and princesses at Prince Heungchin’s residence?”

“That’s why you have to come too. What if I end up in a sword fight with those people?”

“Me too?”

“Then you weren’t planning to come?”

“Then who will be here…?”

“There’s the Deputy Chief Manager. Lee Seo-jung!”

Seo Dae-young’s face twisted at the thought that a difficult path had opened up.

“Why? You don’t look happy.”

“No, no. But do I have to go?”

“Of course, the brothers will all bring their Dongchang [secret police] buddies as bodyguards. Are you telling me I should carry my luggage alone and walk step by step?”

“There are many other porters.”

“Escort!”

“Wouldn’t the Nine Dragons Guard be better as an escort?”

“Then who will protect this Nine Dragons Pavilion?”

Seo Dae-young tried to get out of it somehow, but Hwa-rin chained him with reasons he couldn’t escape.

“Nothing else?”

Seo Dae-young bowed his head and said,

“Nothing. I will accompany you.”

“You should have said that from the start. Why are you trying to be clever? It’s the eleventh of next month, so we’ll leave for Sichuan on the first of next month. Keep that in mind and prepare.”

“Guild Leader!”

At that moment, a voice was heard from outside.

“What is it?”

“A guest has come to see you. A person named Moon-so said he wants to see the Guild Leader…”

“Ah, where is he?”

“He’s in the Surok Room on the fourth floor of the annex.”

“I understand. I’ll be there soon, so please prepare a simple table of drinks.”

“I will prepare it.”

“Why would someone from the shrine come? Didn’t the Guild Leader call for him?”

“I don’t know either. I’ll have to meet him to find out. Don’t worry about anything else and prepare to leave for Sichuan next month.”

“What about Baek Gun-seong? He’ll follow us if we go far.”

“It doesn’t matter. Just make sure he doesn’t follow us to my uncle’s birthday.”

“Understood. I will prepare.”

“Then I’ll meet the leader of the shrine to find out what’s going on and go to the Nine Dragons Inn, so come there if anything happens.”

“Understood.”

“And pay some attention to the children too.”

“Don’t worry about that. They’re studying and playing happily.”

Hwa-rin nodded and left his office. Hwa-rin, who went to the annex of the Nine Dragons Chamber, found the Surok Room and went inside, where Moon-so was sitting.

As Moon-so tried to get up from his seat upon seeing Hwa-rin, Hwa-rin gestured that it was okay and sat down opposite him.

“So, what brings you here to see me?”

“Hwa Jeong-soo of the Hwa Myung Merchant Guild has put in a request to assassinate the Guild Leader.”

“He must be quite upset. So?”

“So we said that our skills are not enough to assassinate the Guild Leader and told him to go to the Killer Sword Emperor and put in a request.”

“If it’s Senior Baek Jeong-in, I can’t let my guard down either.”

“But would he try to kill the Guild Leader?”

“He might try a test because of what happened at Mount Oh.”

Moon-so’s eyes widened.

“A test?”

“Since the match didn’t end when we faced each other with swords, he might think he can settle it with an assassination.”

“Are you saying he suspects the Guild Leader?”

“It would be more accurate to say he’s not sure. And I think it would be good to invite Senior Baek Jeong-in to be an elder of our alliance as an opportunity from this.”

“As an elder?”

Moon-so thought it wasn’t bad even as he asked. He had a significant influence in the assassin industry and had made contributions, so he deserved to be treated well.

“I’ll show a clear difference this time that even Senior Baek Jeong-in will acknowledge.”

“Still, you must be careful. The Killer Sword Emperor is one of the top ten experts in the Central Plains.”

Hwa-rin smiled faintly at those words.

“My master made even the top ten experts tremble back then. And I’m not weak either, so don’t worry.”