Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 168

Nine Dragons Chronicle (168)

Nine Dragons Chronicle (168)

“You’re going to Sichuan?”

“I’m going there for work, so you don’t have to come with me.”

Hwa-rin informed Baek Gun-seong that he would be going to Sichuan Province next month.

“Really? I see. But when are you coming back?”

“If it’s fast, about fifteen days; if it’s late, about a month.”

“What kind of work takes so long?”

“This and that. I need to meet with grain producers and ask them to sell grain. If we make a contract with them, I need to find out when we can supply the Heungchin Royal Guard of the Heungchin Royal Palace, and I need to get information about bidding. There’s a lot to do.”

Baek Gun-seong nodded.

“Okay. Go and come back. I’ll be here.”

Hwa-rin, taken aback by Baek Gun-seong’s unexpected reaction, looked at him and asked,

“Why aren’t you coming with me?”

“Why would I follow you and suffer?”

“Hey, still, your job is to supervise. How can you not come with me?”

“What if something happens here while I’m following you? I heard quite a few things happened when I went to Gangseo Province last time.”

“That’s because some guys were after the Nine Dragons Guild’s money and made a fuss. It wasn’t related to martial artists, was it?”

“I heard Jongnam and Hwasan came.”

“Jongnam and Hwasan have been friendly with each other for a while. I didn’t say we’d stop even that. I said the Nine Dragons Guild can’t engage in martial activities, but I didn’t say we’d sanction sects that were already friendly.”

“So, I’m staying here to find out if it’s purely for friendship or for martial activities.”

“No, you still have to go.”

“I’m not going. I didn’t come here to be your subordinate. If I follow you this time, you’ll make me do all sorts of chores.”

“Hey, if we’re together, you can do that much. And did I use you for free? I taught you martial arts, and I told you clues to enlightenment… Oh, that’s right, I found out why martial artists came from the Hundred and Eight Islands of the South Sea because of me. And I found out where the Demonic Cult is hiding and operating in the Central Plains.”

“How is that because of you? It just happened that way. Anyway, I’m not going this time.”

Hwa-rin was embarrassed by Baek Gun-seong’s firmness.

“Friend, don’t be like that. Let’s go.”

“I’m not going. I’m going to stay here and be a lookout, finding out what the Nine Dragons Guild’s martial artists are doing.”

“What they do is always the same. They train in martial arts, guard the Nine Dragons Inn, and patrol the business.”

“No matter what you say, I’m not following you this time.”

Hwa-rin looked sad and said,

“Really? I was thinking a lot about teaching you martial arts. You’re really not going?”

“I’m not going. I’m too busy mastering the martial arts I’ve already learned.”

“Okay. Just try to follow me later. I’ll break your legs.”

“You always have to talk so ignorantly… I’m not going, so don’t worry.”

After hearing Baek Gun-seong’s answer, Hwa-rin turned around.

‘I was wondering what to do if he followed me, but this is good. Still, it’s better to be careful, just in case.’

Baek Gun-seong thought that even if he stayed here, he could use the Blood Oath Alliance’s intelligence to track him down.

“Then, if I go to Chongqing first to set up the non-official agents, then go to Sichuan, and then return via Gansu Province, the northwest side of the continent will also be established.”

Hwa-rin thought that if he could establish the non-official agents to be used by the Assassin Alliance through this outing, he would be able to establish them in areas other than the southwest, southeast, and south, so it would be half successful.

“If we build up the non-official agents and continue to use them, we can make up for the shortcomings, and then we can compete with other forces as a perfect alliance.”

They couldn’t win by facing them head-on, but if they took advantage of the professional characteristics of assassins, they could fight against the Righteous Heaven Alliance, the Blood Oath Alliance, and the Demonic Cult.

“Lee Protector!”

When Hwa-rin called, Lee Do-moon appeared next to Hwa-rin as if he had been there from the beginning and bowed.

“What if we grow the Black Road [a network of bandits and outlaws] a little and hide behind them?”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“If our Assassin Alliance starts operating in earnest, won’t we get caught in the information network of the Righteous Heaven Alliance or the Blood Oath Alliance?”

“That could happen. That’s why we’re also looking for ways to confuse their intelligence organization through non-official agents.”

“If we grow the Black Road a little so that they can only deal with second-rate sects, wouldn’t the Righteous Heaven Alliance and the Blood Oath Alliance pay more attention to them than to us?”

Lee Do-moon nodded at Hwa-rin’s words. It was the nature of the martial world to pay attention to direct threats rather than potential threats.

“That’s probably how it will be. Even if they can deal with second-rate sects, they won’t be able to do anything to them unless martial artists from first-rate sects come.”

“If we hear news that first-rate sect martial artists have been dispatched to catch bandits and pirates, we’ll step in and deal with them. And if we declare it in the name of the Black Road, we can naturally hide behind them.”

“I understand what you mean.”

“How many sects are the mainstays of creating the Alliance?”

“Twenty of the best assassin sects in each province.”

“Then tell them my thoughts and ask them what they think. If they also agree, let’s decide on three or four of the Green Forest’s [bandit groups] mountain fortresses and three or four of the waterway’s water camps, teach them martial arts, and move in the direction of making them strong.”

“Without teaching them everything?”

“If we teach them everything, they’ll surely think they’re great and play separately. But if three or four places are strong, they’ll gather around them. That’s easier to control.”

“I understand.”

“And there will be guys who think like us. Guys who came out of the Demonic Cult. It’s no good to cause conflict with them, so if you happen to meet such guys, quietly let me know. I’ll take care of it.”

“I understand.”

When Hwa-rin nodded, Lee Do-moon disappeared from the spot like smoke.

Hwa-rin was left alone and thought again about the things he was planning, checking to see if there were any gaps.

‘If a few variables don’t arise, there won’t be any major difficulties.’

The variables that Hwa-rin was thinking about were people with power that he couldn’t handle: the Heavenly Demon, the Four Emperors, and the Sword Emperor.

Other than that, it seemed like he could just suppress them with force if it didn’t work out, but these three people were still people he couldn’t handle with his own strength.

“Do I have to roll around on the battlefield one more time? It’s so hard to get over one wall.”

Hwa-rin grumbled, but a faint smile appeared on his lips.

“Well, it’s not easy to become a king in one world.”

Others may not know what he’s thinking, but Hwa-rin has come this far by overcoming dozens of life-and-death situations.

“Then, shall we make some preparations before departing for Sichuan?”

* * *

Hwa-rin left Seoseong Province to attend Heungchin Royal Prince’s birthday celebration.

Before crossing over to Sichuan, he went to Chongqing. Chongqing was a transportation hub of the Central Plains, where many merchants who used the waterways of the Yangtze River resided.

In particular, Chongqing, represented by the Seomun Family in martial arts and the Eulji Family in commerce, also had the Baekri Family, one of the Ten Great Families, based there, maintaining the security and order of Chongqing, so the Evil Faction could not exert much power.

Due to the Eulji Family’s recent problems, the Blood Oath Alliance’s Four Spirits Blood Demon Squad, Crimson Spirit Blood Death Squad, and Nine Provinces Death Blood Squad were annihilated in Chongqing, causing the Evil Faction to shrink even further. In the fight between the Nine Dragons Guild and the Blood Oath Alliance, the Seomun Family and the Baekri Family suppressed the Evil Faction in Chongqing, making it impossible to find the Evil Faction in the Chongqing area.

The Righteous Heaven Alliance benefited the most from the conflict between the Nine Dragons Guild and the Blood Oath Alliance, followed by the righteous sects of each province.

The Blood Oath Alliance was known to be preparing revenge for this, but no other movements were currently visible.

Hwa-rin went down to Chongqing with Seo Dae-yeong and went to Seorim.

Seorim was a place where many scholars studied in the hope of holding public office, and there were many private schools in Seorim, the most famous of which was Daeseong Academy.

Daeseong Academy was an academy that had produced scholars who entered public office for as many as fifty years, and it was the most famous academy in Chongqing Seorim.

Hwa-rin appeared at such a Daeseong Academy.

“Is that guy really here?”

“When I was in Dongchang, I found out that Seo Dong-ryeok, a secret inspector of the Golden Uniform Guard [imperial secret police], was working as a teacher at Daeseong Academy in the process of investigating to obtain information about the military.”

“Good. The Chongqing branch of the Hao Gate is also Daeseong Academy. We can deal with both of them together.”

As Hwa-rin entered Daeseong Academy, the person guarding the entrance bowed to Hwa-rin.

“No problem?”

“No, sir.”

“You’re always working hard. I said I’d take care of you a little more this time, but I don’t know if that miser will really do that.”

Hwa-rin spoke as if he had known him for a long time, had a conversation, said he was doing a good job, and went inside.

“Do you know him?”

“How would I know? I’m seeing him for the first time today.”

“But you’re talking to him as if you know him well?”

“Well, he’s talking to me so kindly, so should I answer coldly? That’s not right.”

“That’s true, but I thought you knew him.”

Seo Dae-yeong did not know that Hwa-rin was learning the secret arts of the Beggars Sect, so he thought this case was very strange.

“People have a disposition.”

“I know.”

“If the person you’re facing reveals a familiar disposition, you’ll have the illusion that you’ve seen that person somewhere.”

Hwa-rin explained slowly so that Seo Dae-yeong could understand.

“If you can change your disposition momentarily, you can easily deceive the person in front of you.”

“Is that so?”

“If you just pretend to know him, that person will be confused even if he doesn’t know me. If you say a few more words at that time and show a more familiar appearance, he’ll be mistaken. ‘I’ve seen that person somewhere before.'”

Seo Dae-yeong listened to Hwa-rin’s words and understood.

“If you think your position is low, you can’t ask where you met him.”

Seo Dae-yeong agreed because he had a lot of experience with that in the imperial palace.

“Then you just say a few words and pass by.”

“I see. Then how can you change your disposition momentarily?”

“Changing your disposition with internal energy is what amateurs do. You have to change your disposition with the atmosphere.”

Hwa-rin explained to Seo Dae-yeong how to change his disposition.

Hwa-rin, who lived with the belief that he would repay silver or won tenfold, spared nothing for his people.

“The disposition that is simply revealed can be changed with just the eyes, facial expressions, and the appearance of a familiar figure. If you go deeper from here, it will include the voice and gait, etc.”

Seo Dae-yeong, who was listening to Hwa-rin’s explanation, tried to remember it without forgetting it.

From Hwa-rin’s point of view, he was deceiving the other person with a simple trick, but from Seo Dae-yeong’s point of view, who was watching this from the side, he tried to learn because he didn’t think Hwa-rin’s words were wrong.

“Anyway, don’t approach in a hurry, approach slowly.”

“I understand.”

Hwa-rin first looked for the head of the Hao Gate’s Chongqing branch. He was working as a librarian in charge of records at Daeseong Academy.

Hwa-rin approached a person cleaning the yard of Daeseong Academy and asked.

“Where is the library here?”

“Why the library?”

“I came to see Librarian Hak Seong-rim.”

“Librarian Hak Seong-rim?”

“Yes.”

“It’s a one-story building around the corner over there. But what do you want to see Librarian Hak Seong-rim for?”

“I went to the main building to drink and ran up a tab, but I haven’t paid for it yet, so I came to get it.”

The working person made an absurd expression at the words that he had come to get the liquor bill.

“Don’t make that expression. The overdue liquor bill is now five gold nyang [a unit of currency].”

“Ah…”

Hwa-rin said those words and turned around to go to the building he was told about, and Seo Dae-yeong, who followed him, asked.

“Is there really a guy who owes us a liquor bill?”

“No. But don’t worry, I’ll get five gold nyang if I meet him. While I’m talking to Hak Seong-rim, you look for Seo Dong-ryeok.”

Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]

Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]

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Status: Completed Author: Native Language: Korean
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[English Translation] In a tempestuous night, amidst the clash of steel and the roar of thunder, a palace estate becomes a battleground. Blood spills as palace guards relentlessly hunt intruders, their mission shrouded in deadly secrecy. A desperate cry pierces the storm—a palace maid's plea for her son, Zhu Hualin, the emperor's hidden ninth child. Born under a veil of scandal, Hualin's very existence is a threat, marked for elimination by the ruthless Empress. Witness a mother's ultimate sacrifice as she ignites a saga of intrigue, resilience, and concealed destinies. Plunge into this captivating prologue, where mercy is a dangerous currency, and the fate of a secret prince hangs precariously in the balance. Years drift by, and the question looms: will Zhu Hualin rise as a tyrannical force, or will he embrace wisdom and justice to become a true ruler?

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