Tales Of The Nine Dragons [EN]: Chapter 172

Legend of the Nine Dragons (172)

Hwa-rin sought out the most renowned art shop in Chengdu, Sichuan.

“Welcome.”

A man, who appeared to be the owner of the shop, greeted Hwa-rin warmly.

“I’m looking to buy a painting.”

“Then you’ve come to the right place. If our shop doesn’t have it, no other in Sichuan will. This way, please.”

He led Hwa-rin into the depths of the shop. The interior resembled an exhibition, filled with scrolls hanging on the walls. A diverse array of paintings met the eye, just as he had promised.

“Instead of landscapes or scenery, where might I find portraits of beautiful women?”

“Ah, you desire portraits of beauties? This way.”

Deeper inside, there were full-body, half-body, and even nude portraits of women on display.

“Recommend me the most beautiful woman’s portrait in this establishment.”

“A painting capturing the most beautiful woman, you say?”

“Indeed.”

The owner pondered briefly, then retrieved three scrolls, unfurling them before Hwa-rin.

“This painting is of Cho-nan, hailed as the most beautiful woman of all time.”

Cho-nan, known as the greatest beauty of all time, lived five hundred years ago. To capture her beauty, countless artists painted her, and their works have been passed down to this day. The painting the owner showed Hwa-rin appeared freshly drawn, with clear colors and distinct lines defining her face and figure.

“A recent reproduction of an old painting, I see.”

“Indeed. Most portraits of Cho-nan these days are reproductions.”

“I understand. Show me another.”

The second scroll also depicted a beautiful woman, though she couldn’t compare to Cho-nan’s beauty. Yet, she possessed her own unique charm, which seemed to be why the owner recommended her to Hwa-rin.

The moment Hwa-rin saw the third scroll, he couldn’t take his eyes off it.

The owner, anticipating this reaction, explained the painting.

“This is a woman whom people unanimously agree is worthy of being called the greatest beauty of all time.”

Hearing the owner’s words, Hwa-rin knew who the portrait was of.

“Hwang Geum-hwa, Jeon Yeo-bin, I presume.”

“Indeed. Though young and her beauty not yet fully bloomed, she is already known as the greatest beauty in the Central Plains [the heartland of Chinese civilization]. Once she reaches the age when a woman’s beauty is at its peak, she will likely be called the greatest beauty of all time.”

Hwa-rin nodded in agreement. If her beauty could captivate through a mere painting…

‘She’s a woman whose beauty rivals even Anastasia’s.’

When Hwa-rin served in the Fierce Tiger Death Squad, he had been dispatched on a mission to the Western Regions [areas west of China, often referring to Central Asia].

The beauty of one woman had paralyzed a nation, leading to rebellion and the rise of factions seeking to create a new country centered around her, sparking a great war. The resulting refugees flooded into the Central Plains, causing numerous problems.

As crimes committed by the refugees became a problem in Central Plains society, the Emperor sought to quell the chaos by killing Anastasia, the woman deemed the root cause of it all. To this end, the Fierce Tiger Death Squad was sent on a mission to the Western Regions.

At the time, Hwa-rin and the two hundred and fifty members of the Fierce Tiger Death Squad managed to breach Anastasia’s defenses, but a problem arose.

Her beauty swayed some members of the Fierce Tiger Death Squad, causing them to defend and side with her.

Hwa-rin realized then that extreme beauty could exert a powerful, unbreakable hypnotic influence, akin to brainwashing.

Even the arts of the Demonic Sect [a fictional, often villainous, martial arts group] paled in comparison to extreme beauty.

Hwa-rin himself was captivated by Anastasia’s beauty, hesitating between completing his mission and sparing her.

Had Hwa-rin met more women, or had more opportunities to see them, he would never have been able to kill her.

During his time in the Imperial Palace, Hwa-rin had only seen his nanny, and after leaving the palace, he had only seen a few women within the Fierce Tiger Death Squad.

Occasionally, female customers would visit the restaurants where they were disguised, but most were male merchants engaged in trade, so Hwa-rin rarely encountered women. This allowed him to slay Anastasia, but it also led to a bloody battle with members of the Fierce Tiger Death Squad who had fallen for her beauty.

At that time, Hwa-rin killed over a hundred members of the Fierce Tiger Death Squad with his own hands.

Through that experience, Hwa-rin learned that a woman’s beauty could destroy the world.

Looking at the portrait of Hwang Geum-hwa, Jeon Yeo-bin, Hwa-rin felt a similar sensation to when he had seen Anastasia.

“I’ll take this painting.”

“An excellent choice. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better portrait of a beautiful woman anywhere else.”

Hwa-rin purchased the portrait of Hwang Geum-hwa, Jeon Yeo-bin, and left the art shop.

“There must be more old Taoist temples on Mount Qingcheng than on Mount Emei.”

Hwa-rin set his course for Mount Qingcheng.

* * *

Mount Qingcheng is located slightly northwest of Chengdu in Sichuan and is known as one of the three great Taoist holy sites in the Central Plains, along with Mount Wudang and Mount Longhu.

The Qingcheng Sect [a martial arts school], one of the Nine Great Sects [prominent martial arts schools], is based on Mount Qingcheng, and countless people climb the mountain daily to pray to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning [a high-ranking Taoist deity] for peace, safety, and longevity.

Hwa-rin was ascending Mount Qingcheng along a mountain path. His goal was to find an abandoned, ancient place.

He intended to use old dust, long-held moisture, and moss to transform the purchased portrait into one that appeared aged through sorcery.

Mount Qingcheng was dotted with hermitages and Taoist temples, while some Taoists lived and trained in naturally formed caves.

Hwa-rin discovered the place he sought on Mount Qingcheng’s main peak, Lao Xiao Peak.

The rugged terrain and the cave nestled between sheer cliffs were so dangerous that even someone with great martial skill would find it difficult to approach, and the crevice in the cliff made it hard to spot.

As Hwa-rin squeezed through the crevice, the cave revealed itself, the unique musty and damp odor assaulting his nose.

“This is it.”

Deeper inside the cave, he found a place where traces of human habitation remained intact.

Hwa-rin stopped, straightened his disheveled clothes, and, facing forward, clasped his hands together.

“I have disturbed the rest of the deceased. Please forgive my trespass.”

Hwa-rin was looking at a stone altar, upon which sat a seated corpse.

The body was clad in clothing that seemed ready to crumble from age, with only bones remaining.

Nevertheless, the aura emanating from the corpse suggested the greatness of the person in life.

As he was about to move after offering his respects, Hwa-rin paused, sensing a strange feeling.

Judging that his life would be in danger if he took another step, Hwa-rin returned his foot to its original position and looked at the skeletal corpse.

‘Let’s keep things amicable.’

Although he could resolve the issue with martial force, Hwa-rin didn’t know what the skeletal corpse had set up in the cave, so he bowed his head and spoke to it.

“If you wish, I will recover your remains and deliver them to the Qingcheng Sect. Please be lenient.”

Only then did the strange feeling lessen.

‘Those blinded by the deceased’s possessions would likely not have survived had they rashly approached the corpse.’

With the strange feeling completely gone, Hwa-rin cautiously moved towards the altar and examined the skeletal corpse.

Something was visible beneath the worn clothes, and as he carefully lifted them, he found three books and a sword.

Hwa-rin retrieved the three books and the sword, examining them. Two of the books were martial arts manuals, and one was a Taoist scripture.

The sword also seemed extraordinary, and when he drew it, the words “Byeok-un” were inscribed on the blade.

“Byeok-un Sword?”

Hwa-rin searched his memory for anything related to the Byeok-un Sword.

“The Compendium of Martial Arts states that the Byeok-un Sword, along with the Songpung Sword and the Sinhak Sword, are the three great swords of the Qingcheng Sect.”

Hwa-rin looked at the seated skeletal corpse.

He realized that the skeletal corpse was a person of high standing in the Qingcheng Sect, enough to be the owner of the Byeok-un Sword.

Hwa-rin examined the martial arts manual and the Taoist scripture.

“The Heavenly Earth Harmony Art, the Byeoksan Byeok-un Sword Technique, and the Mysterious Wandering Steps… I have about two days, so I should stay here and study them before heading down.”

* * *

From early morning, the people of the Qingcheng Sect were unusually busy, maintaining order as they welcomed a visitor.

The visitor had arrived with a skeletal corpse, and it was none other than Hwa-rin.

Fearing that the skeletal corpse would crumble due to its age, Hwa-rin protected it with his internal energy and used the skill of Telekinetic Manipulation to leap through the air to the Qingcheng Sect.

The Qingcheng Sect members were startled by Hwa-rin’s appearance with the skeletal corpse and became wary. Hwa-rin explained the situation and requested to meet the sect leader. After the sect leader, Nokpung, and the elders came out to meet him, the initial commotion subsided.

“I heard you are the Lord of the Nine Dragons.”

“That is correct.”

“You must be under the surveillance of the Blood Oath Alliance [a potentially hostile organization]. What brings you to Sichuan…?”

“I came to Sichuan to oversee some merchant affairs, as His Highness, Prince Heung, will soon be celebrating his birthday.”

The Qingcheng Sect knew that Prince Heung’s birthday was approaching, so Nokpung nodded.

“I believe a censor from the Blood Oath Alliance has been dispatched. Did he not accompany you this time?”

“No, he did not accompany me, but he is using a trick to watch me from afar.”

“Then shouldn’t you avoid visiting our Qingcheng Sect?”

“I intended to, but I had no choice but to come to Qingcheng because of this person.”

Hwa-rin said, looking at the skeletal corpse beside him.

The skeletal corpse was still floating in the air, as putting it down would cause it to crumble.

“Who is that person?”

Hwa-rin handed Nokpung three books from his possession and the sword he was holding.

The Qingcheng Sect warriors, seeing the items floating slowly towards Nokpung, realized that the rumors about the Lord of the Nine Dragons were not exaggerated.

Nokpung’s eyes widened as he received the three books and the sword, his hand trembling.

“This is…”

Nokpung looked back and forth between the sword and the skeletal corpse beside Hwa-rin, his hand shaking.

“I may not know much, but I came here because I know that sword belongs to the Qingcheng Sect.”

Sect Leader Nokpung bowed deeply towards the skeletal corpse.

“I humbly pay my respects to the spirit of True Person Yeongseong.”

The elders and warriors were surprised by Sect Leader Nokpung’s actions and looked back and forth between him and the skeletal corpse, listening to his words.

“Sect Leader, what are you saying? True Person Yeongseong?”

One of the elders asked, and Nokpung handed him the sword.

The elder recognized the sword at once and trembled slightly.

“Ah, the Byeok-un Sword…”

The elder’s words astonished everyone gathered in the Qingcheng Sect’s courtyard.

True Person Yeongseong was a figure from two hundred years ago in the Qingcheng Sect, known as the Sword Saint of Qingcheng and called the Sword Madman in the martial world.

During True Person Yeongseong’s time, the Qingcheng Sect enjoyed its peak of prosperity, and even after his disappearance, his achievements had a profound impact on the Qingcheng Sect to this day.

From the Qingcheng Sect’s perspective, True Person Yeongseong was like the Zen Master Hyeneung [a famous Buddhist monk] of the Shaolin Temple [a famous Buddhist temple and martial arts center].

After his disappearance, countless rumors circulated about him, but none were confirmed until his body returned to the Qingcheng Sect today.

“I pay my respects to the spirit of True Person Yeongseong.”

The elders bowed to the skeletal corpse, and all the warriors around them followed suit.

Coincidentally, Hwa-rin was standing next to the skeletal corpse, so anyone who saw it might have mistakenly thought that the Qingcheng Sect was bowing to Hwa-rin.